Leo got a few buns for breakfast and some rice with chicken for lunch and dinner. He brought it in a basket and put it in one corner of the room. He told Daphne to eat whenever she was hungry, but that he would only join her when he was done training.
“What are you training for? And what are you doing?” Daphne asked him.
“I am training my mind to be still,” he told her.
“Why?” Daphne asked.
He shook his head. “Being mentally strong is very important. It will help you in the real world.”
Daphne knew that he was just avoiding the question, but chose not to pursue it. He resumed his practice. The difference was that his previous practice was in his dream, and this time was during the day.
He felt that it was even more difficult to keep his mind still because the sun was still out. He kept thinking about what he could be doing instead of trying to become a mage. His mind kept wandering toward how he could make money to survive.
The day went by and he failed to sense magic again. His disappointment in himself increased. Doubts about the authenticity of the tome started emerging. He was also aware of how these new thoughts would make his attempts harder and harder, but he couldn’t do anything about it. His optimism was slowly dying out and he was considering just saving up to buy the aura method from Trevor.
When he went to sleep, he found himself in the same space he was in the previous night. This time, he sat down and tried to think about nothing, keeping his mind still, but he didn’t put too much effort into it. His mind occasionally wandered and he didn’t do anything about it. He had started accepting his failure to sense magic and stopped forcing his mind to do something it couldn’t.
A week passed since his attempts. He stopped spending entire days on practice. He started going to find work during the day and only spent any time sensing magic in the mysterious space in his dreams. He was not seeing any success.
He came back to the shack after working at the market. He had cleaned the swords of an equipment maker for 5 Star coins. He was very tired when he entered the shack, so he slumped into the corner.
Daphne was already there. She was also similarly exhausted since she had also gone out to work. She recovered a few days back and went along with Leo to find work. With her also working, they didn’t have any food concerns.
“Five Star coins,” He showed Daphne what he earned for the day.
“Same,” Daphne said.
Daphne had already bought food, so he sat down to eat it. Meanwhile, Daphne started to make some conversation.
“So, what happened to your training?” She asked him.
He looked down at his food. After a week of failure, he was very gloomy.
“Not very successful. My mind keeps wandering around and I don’t know what to do.” He told her. “Any suggestions?”
Daphne thought about it for a while and said, “Have you thought about anchoring it?”
He was intrigued.
“My mind?” He asked.
“Yes. Anchoring your mind with an idea. If you think about one idea and focus purely on that, your mind will be filled with that idea alone. Since you are not deviating from the idea, your mind could be called ‘still’.” Daphne said.
He thought about what she said and it quickly made sense to him.
“Daphne,” He called her. “You are a genius. A genius. Thank you.”
He quickly wolfed down his meal while trying to come up with a suitable anchor for his mind. Daphne smiled at his appreciation and went back to eating her meal.
After dinner, both of them went to bed. Daphne was getting ready for work the following day, while He was getting ready to give another go at sensing magic. This was the first time he had any enthusiasm in the matter in the entire week, and it was because he had a plan this time.
He entered the space in his mind the minute his head hit the pillow. Entering this room had started to become easier and easier for him. He immediately sat on the ground. Throughout the previous week, he had experimented with different postures, and the lotus sitting posture was the most natural position for him.
He had picked out an apt anchor for his mind – magic. He reasoned that since he was trying to sense magic, keeping his mind fixated on magic would be the best option. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He breathed in and out rhythmically while thinking about what he envisioned magic to be. His only encounter with magic to the date was when he encountered the tome. He thought about the tremor he felt in his entire body when the tome chose him. He didn’t think his memory would hold the experience properly, but he was able to remember the exact sensation he had felt that day.
The sensation slowly became more clear to him. He felt his heart beating more quickly. He became more aware of his body than he thought he could be. He felt the blood rushing through his body and the air in his lungs refreshing him. And then suddenly, he felt a warm sensation, similar to the embrace of the morning sun. He opened his eyes on reflex, finding himself in a completely different world.