*Brrrr… *click….
Jinn stared at the ceiling of his bed, the low hum of distant machinery servants reaching his ears as they continued their work outside. This rhythmic whirring of machinery was a constant reminder of the world beyond—ever moving—yet his mind was focused elsewhere.
He tried to recall Merilyn's words about Eidra—what it was, and how to bring it out in a controlled manner.
"Eidra is something that exists in everything that we see, the air that we breathe, and our very existence," Jinn recalled Merilyn's words, his mind focusing on what eidra truly meant.
"Then that means even the food we ate earlier—it's also eidra?"
His thoughts drifted to the meal he and his friends had earlier—the rich, savory taste of the meat, paired with the soft warmth of the bread he had bitten his teeth into—it's crumbs spreading along the corner of Jinn's mouth.
It was delicious.
A smirk tugged at his lips, not from the memory of the food itself, but from the thought of the future—a future filled with hope.
What feasts could he and his friends enjoy if he could grow strong enough to break free from the shackles of Zerafhon?
Jinn smirked even more as he pictured it within his mind.
The laughter, the joy, the freedom to live without fear. It was a future he yearned for, one that drove him forward with every breath.
*Ruffle
He extended his arms upward, as if reaching for something just beyond his grasp, his fingers tightening into a fist—gripping strongly, before yanking it back toward him.
The motion felt symbolic, as if he were pulling that dream closer, forcing it into reality with his own will.
It was a distant dream—one shared with his friends.
It was the very dream that fueled his every step, a fire that warmed him even in the coldest of nights, pushing him through every challenge and every obstacle that came his way.
It was the kind of fire that burned deep within, providing him with the strength to keep moving, even when the path ahead seemed impossible and perilous.
Just like when he first charged towards Venedix with a sword in hand.
It was the very warmth that surged within him during trials, the same warmth that began to stir as the shadow of his friends' deaths drew ever closer.
It was the force that filled him with courage when fear threatened to take hold, the strength to rise when everything seemed broken with despair—just like the time when he stood upon death's door upon facing Venedix.
It was the resilience to keep moving forward, even when the road ahead seemed unbearable.
This very force made his heart thunder in his chest—beating. a constant reminder of the stakes—pushing him forward, driving him to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
The force that would make him strong, strong enough to protect those he cared about and to carve out the future they all dreamed of.
Jinn had always known this feeling deep within himself, a constant presence that simmered beneath the surface.
And now, he used it—just as Merilyn had instructed—to draw out his eidra.
It was said that each person's eidra and specialization were shaped by the universe's design, a force present from the moment of their birth, waiting to be unlocked.
Jinn could feel it now.
that latent power.
calling to him.
urging him to give it life.
He extended his arm, focusing intently as the warmth began to flow through his shoulder, down his arm.
It started as a subtle heat, but soon, like a serpent, it slithered through his veins, coiling its way to the tips of his fingers.
The sensation was strange—both warm and electrifying—like two separate energies within him were intertwining, merging into something greater than the sum of their parts.
*exhale
With a steady breath, he allowed the energy to surge, and in response, an illuminating light flared from his hand, brilliant and unyielding.
The eidra crackled to life, a translucent, mirror-like energy forming around a powerful obsidian flame, its dark core twisting and spiraling within his palm.
*Crack!! *Bang!!
Crimson-red electric currents snapped and crackled around it, dancing violently, their energy alive and unpredictable, as if yearning to escape.
Jinn's eyes widened in disbelief, his breath catching in his throat as he stared at the raw power now contained in his hand.
"So this is my eidra…" he murmured, his voice filled with awe and wonder.
The energy in his hand felt both warm and steady, yet at the same time, it pulsated with a chaotic, violent pulse—its power in constant flux, unpredictable.
Jinn continued to stare at it, his eyes narrowing as if trying to stare deeper, trying to understand what lay beneath the mirror-like surface of the energy.
He tried to look deeper into the obsidian colored flame from within.
But the longer he stared, the more something within him stirred.
An unsettling pulse ran through him, an internal warning that sent a sharp spike of pain through his chest, as if his very body was screaming that he wasn't ready.
"Argh!" Jinn gasped, clutching his chest as the pain coiled through him like a current. His body instinctively curled in response—his breath catching painfully.
The pain vanished almost as quickly as it came, leaving him gasping for air.
His heart still pounded in his chest, but slowly, the intensity of the pain faded.
He then shifted his gaze back to the eidra in his hand, his breath ragged and uneven.
Where the mirror-like structure had been before, only a pulsating crimson energy remained—its violent electricity crackling around him, its power booming like thunder in his palm.
"Where did the form from before go…?" Jinn muttered, his voice filled with confusion.
The calm and alien-ish energy he had felt just moments before seemed to vanish, leaving only this chaotic new force in its wake.
It was as though the previous form had never existed at all, swallowed by the power now thrumming in his hand.
As he released his focus, the crimson energy began to fade, dissipating into the air like smoke vanishing into the air. Jinn let out a heavy breath, the tension in his body slowly easing.
"I should rest," he murmured, his thoughts drifting towards tomorrow.
Since it will also be the day where he will be taught swordsmanship by Zendrell himself—as well as his other friends with other mentors.
*Exhale
With a final deep breath, he closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the day settle over him.
The darkness embraced him as he drifted off to sleep.