The day had come for their next trial. The master led them into a secluded chamber deep within the dojo, where the walls were covered in intricate carvings of warriors in meditation, their bodies glowing with power.
"Sit," the master commanded. "From this moment on, you will not leave this room until you have awakened the Fourth Meridian. If you fail, you will never be strong enough to step into the academy."
The air was heavy with unseen energy as the two boys sat cross-legged. The master continued, "Your body is a vessel, but true power flows through the meridians. There are many in the body, but the four foundational ones are the key to unlocking your strength. Each one will push you beyond your limits."
The First Meridian: The Root of Strength. They closed their eyes and focused. The first stage was about grounding themselves, drawing energy from the world into their core. Hours turned into days as they learned to channel their breath, their heartbeat syncing with the natural world. The sensation was like fire burning in their muscles, their bones aching as if being reforged.
Ren was the first to break through. A pulse of warmth flooded his body, and his skin glowed faintly. The protagonist gritted his teeth, refusing to be left behind. He focused harder, feeling the fire build until, with a sharp gasp, the heat exploded outward. The first gate had opened.
The Second Meridian: The Flow of Energy. Here, the challenge was endurance. They had to circulate their energy throughout their bodies without breaking concentration. The pain was unbearable. Their limbs trembled, their nerves burned. Days passed, hunger gnawed at their stomachs, yet the master provided nothing.
"The body will break before the mind does," he said. "Overcome it."
On the seventh day, the protagonist succeeded. His energy moved freely, his body no longer feeling like a prison but a conduit. Ren followed soon after, his own breakthrough nearly simultaneous.
The Third Meridian: The Refinement of Will. Here, the battle was within. Nightmares clawed at their minds, every failure, every pain from their past rising to torment them. The protagonist relived every moment of his suffering—his parents' screams, the hatred in the villagers' eyes.
"Do not fight it," the master's voice echoed in their minds. "Accept it. Let it become your strength."
The protagonist's hands clenched into fists, but he forced himself to breathe. The pain did not vanish, but it became something else. A fuel, a fire that would never go out. With that realization, he shattered the third barrier.
The Fourth Meridian: The Gate of Awakening. The hardest trial. Their energy had to expand beyond their bodies, touching the world around them. They sat in meditation for weeks, their hunger forgotten, their bodies growing thinner. But they endured.
Then, on the fortieth day, the protagonist felt it. His energy rippled beyond him, bending the air, making the walls tremble. A surge of power erupted, and for the first time, he felt truly alive. Ren gasped, his own breakthrough coming a moment later.
The master smiled. "You have done well."
As they stepped out of the chamber, the protagonist realized something. He had no name. He had never been given one.
The master placed a hand on his shoulder. "From now on, you will be known as Kael. A name for one who endures."
For the first time, he had an identity. And the world would remember it.