The red-haired young man got up from his bed on the eighth day since the meeting of the techniques. He went to the washroom and washed his face... He looked at himself in the mirror and found his face bright, free of depression... strengthened by his joy from completing the second step in the stages of activating the core last night. "Things are going excellently, and today is the day to activate Verina's core... I'm very excited and happy for her. She really surpassed everyone easily," Razin said while preparing himself and putting on his shoes. "This is exciting... especially since there is something called the second beat... and the energy wave."
He opened the door and stepped outside. "Alright, let's go."
Razin walked between the garden trees... Leaves were falling beside him... Razin made his way through them... Many students were looking at him... and many knew he was the owner of the 70 beat. "I don't know when I'll get used to people staring at me... I always get nervous... save me, Verina," he said with a depressed yet joking face.
Razin passed through the garden into the school yard; the main building was in front of him... about 30 meters away. Razin looked forward but slightly to his right. "This is where Verina will activate her core. I'm really excited!" He was looking at the yard he had seen before.
Razin continued walking and looked to his left about 20 meters away. "We should come, Verina, Tark, and I, on the same day and eat here together," he said while looking at the main cafeteria in the school. "I want to meet Verina before the meeting, also Tark... but priority is Verina because she will activate her core today." Razin got closer and closer to the main building, walking steadily despite being a little nervous from the looks of the people around him. "Speaking of which... Verina has reached the stage where the risk of death exists. I wonder if she's scared... If she is, I'd like to encourage her... but to be honest, I don't think she'll need me; she's the one who helps me with everything."
As Razin got closer to the main building—just ten meters away—he looked around, and on his right he saw a girl with yellow hair walking slowly. Razin ran quickly toward her. "Verina! Verina!" he called out while approaching. Verina turned to him with a joyful face. It seemed she wasn't scared at all about activating her core.
Razin stopped running when he reached her side and said with an innocent smile, "How are you? Are you ready?" while looking at her and wiping some sweat off his face. Verina was drinking juice while walking; she took the straw out of her mouth. "Yes, very ready, but as you know... the risk of death makes me a little nervous," she said with a moderate expression leaning toward a smile.
"Ah... yes, but you look really good for what you say," Razin said. "Yes, maybe... I'm not very scared... maybe because everything has gone smoothly for me," she smiled slightly and took a sip from her juice. "And you... how are you, you idiot?" Verina said jokingly, teasing. "I'm fine, but I'm not an idiot!" Razin said with his usual serious expression when saying this sentence.
Verina laughed a little while they walked together. For her, that was the response and expression she expected from Razin. For her, when Razin responds this way to the word "idiot," this is the natural, innocent, socially awkward Razin she knows. Verina thought inside herself... Although Razin had noticeably improved socially lately compared to the day she met him when he was truly ignorant, now his level was somewhat acceptable. Verina interrupted her thoughts with a question directed at Razin, "And you, Razin? How's your training going?" Razin looked at her with blazing enthusiasm in his eyes and a wide smile. "I completed the second step last night." Verina was amazed by his words. "Really! You're amazing for an idiot!" she said jokingly. Verina started thinking... just as she expected... Razin completed two steps in two days... when his mind was clear... as I said before... if Razin had a clear mind from the start, I think he would activate his core at the same time as me... maybe even faster... Unfortunately for him, his thoughts interfered with him. "Thank you! You're more amazing... but I'm... not... an idiot!" Razin interrupted Verina's thoughts with his sentence.
Verina threw her empty juice cup into the trash while they were walking. "How do you think Tark is doing? He went through something really difficult... it's crazy," Verina said while looking at Razin. "Yes, I agree. It seemed disgusting to me too. I hope he can get over it."
They entered the main building and headed directly to the stairs to go up to their classroom. Verina was thinking while they were climbing... "Dad, you'll see how amazing I am when I complete this! I want you to be proud of me! You told me to do my best, and I did!" Verina's thoughts were cut short when she suddenly tripped on one of the steps and stumbled. "Waaah," she let out a little frightened sound, but before she hit the stairs, Razin caught her.
Verina felt a little embarrassed about the situation. "Th-thank you, I wish you hadn't looked, really... it's embarrassing," she said shyly looking at Razin holding her. Razin lifted her and she returned to her normal stance. "Hmm... Is that really your opinion? I think embarrassment alone is better than embarrassment with pain... in any case, you would have been embarrassed," Razin said with a playful innocent surprise. Verina was surprised by his reply; it was strangely logical. She felt embarrassed by the situation. "Ah... I think you're right this time," Verina said while looking at the ground. Razin happily smiled as if it was a great achievement. "Idiot!" Verina teased to interrupt Razin's exaggerated joy for her. "I'm not an idiot! Hmm... maybe next time I'll let you fall!" Razin said jokingly but seriously. She shifted her gaze sideways in mock anger but jokingly. "I didn't ask for your help from the start."
They arrived at the meeting room. Razin was about to open the door and enter, but when he put his hand on the door handle, Verina grabbed him by the collar of his clothes and pulled him back. "Hey?.. Ah." "This is a new lesson, learn to knock before entering," she said while knocking three times on the door. "Yes, teacher!" Razin replied jokingly. Verina chuckled lightly at his words. "Please come in."
They both entered and sat in their adjacent seats.
The meeting began, and this time it was a review of the learned information so far. After the explanation time ended, the teacher began asking about the progress of students one by one. Twenty percent of the remaining students passed the first step today, which means "officially, all students in the class finished the first step within 8 days," the teacher said. "Well done, this is an excellent number. There were no problems, right?" Everyone clapped and celebrated joyfully.
Meanwhile, there was a person trying hard to smile and be happy, but negative thoughts covered him. "Dad... I hate you... I hate you... I hate you," Tark was muttering in his seat opposite Razin and Verina. The students in front of him heard him say something in a low voice but didn't understand. Some thought he was strange.
"So... what about you, Razin? Any progress?" the teacher asked Razin while looking at him with optimism after he passed the first step yesterday. "Yes... I completed the second step last night as well!" Razin said with great joy and a bit of pride. Verina was looking at him leaning on her arm with a look of pride and relief, as if she was the one who passed the second step at that moment. "Excellent, that's amazing, Razin! Keep this pace and you'll finish quickly," the teacher said with a smiling face. All the students looked at Razin with stunned looks; he was the second and last student so far to pass the second stage, alongside Verina.
Razin sat back in his seat very happy because of everyone's praise. "Well done!" Verina said with a smile while lightly hitting his shoulder with her fist. "Yes, thank you!" Razin replied with a smile.
Time passed and the meeting finally ended. "The meeting is over now," said the teacher while closing the book on his desk. Suddenly a student stood from his chair. "Sir... I want to activate my core... I am fully prepared!" Verina said firmly and confidently, with everyone's amazed and astonished looks. "Okay, if you're that confident," the teacher said and added, "Follow me all of you... whoever wants to watch the event, come."
All the students left the room, walking in their teacher's footsteps... following him. While they walked, Razin turned his gaze to Verina to see how she was, but when he looked at her, he found a blank face... as if emotionless... her focus was beyond imagination... it was as if she was currently disconnected from their world, walking alone in empty space. "Verina, you're talented. I trust you," Verina closed her eyes and opened them. "You can do this." She closed her eyes again and opened them. "Don't give up." Her father's words echoed in her mind. When her father said this, she didn't understand his meaning, but now she was about to try everything her father had talked about. She showed a little nervousness, but she controlled herself. "Verina," Razin called to reassure her. "Hm?" Verina turned to him. "Are you okay?" Despite Verina's slight nervousness, she answered, "Ah... yes, I'm fine... I was just thinking about something," she replied to Razin. "Alright then... I wish you good luck."
They continued walking... they reached the main building door... their teacher turned left towards the huge yard beside the main building. "Will she be okay, I wonder," Razin said while walking. "Yes, of course. After all, she's Verina."
They arrived at the yard and began gathering in a circle around the yard's center, where Verina was sitting on the ground.
Verina encouraged herself... she overcame her nervousness because it wasn't very serious. She cheered herself on... after all, she was a smart girl who finished everything in a week instead of a month. She said, "This is the moment I have been working hard for all the past eight days... I will do it." Then Verina opened her eyes with complete calm and sky-high confidence.
"I am ready."
Verina began focusing; everyone stood around her watching closely... but they insisted on silence so they wouldn't break her concentration... The clouds were dense today, covering the sky... and the cold air was relaxing.
Verina closed her eyes; all that came out of her mouth was the air during her inhaling and exhaling.
In her imagination, the circle was empty... no one was watching her. She tried to bring relaxation and calmness... and succeeded.
She began to see images of everything in her mind... her heart... her blood flow... her arteries... her core artery... and most importantly... the energy core connected by the core artery to the heart... her focus was intense.
— Inhale... exhale —
She started by looking at her heart... her goal was to stop its beat completely but maintain a sufficient amount of blood in it so she wouldn't die immediately... She wanted to hold on for one minute.
The process was dangerous because her goal was to make the blood flow to another place... the heart was not accustomed to it... and it was not part of the human body's normal blood flow, the "core artery."
This unnatural flow caused a decrease in the amount of blood reaching the heart and the rest of the body. That was the danger.
The full goal of the operation was to make the blood flow fully for one full minute toward the energy core, as the teacher taught them in a previous lesson.
Verina was manipulating her heartbeat through her imagination. It stopped... but then it beat... stopped... but then it beat.
— Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale —
She shifted her focus to her core artery, contemplating it... after having realized it before, she felt capable of directing blood to it, unlike before.
— Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale —
Everyone watched her nervously... What is she doing, they wondered?
Razin looked at her expectantly and with great confidence. "Come on, Verina! Do it!"
Verina reached a very deep internal focus to the point she could hear the sound of her blood flow in her arteries.
The atmosphere calmed... the wind stopped... thunder roared without rain.
Verina decided to start the operation finally... she would make the blood flow toward the core now.
She concentrated deeply... in her imagination, she had an image of the complete path... from the heart to the core.
— Sound of heartbeat... sound of heartbeat —
— Heart contraction... heart opening —
"Hmm," Verina determined and began.
The amount of blood near the heart began to decrease... Verina's tension rose high... she wanted to make the blood flow toward her core artery balanced with the rest of the arteries in terms of speed, so the heart wouldn't empty of blood.
Nervous—nervous—nervous.
— Flow... flow... flow —
"Huff," a sound of relaxation came from Verina.
The blood in the heart had reached half... the blood started flowing toward the core through the core artery.
The minute timer started.
The atmosphere grew tense for everyone.
"Will she succeed?" "How much time is left?" "Come on, Verina!"
Verina was nervous but tried to control herself as much as possible. A single mistake in balancing the speed could destroy her heart completely... and she might die.
Verina began sweating from intense concentration.
Ten seconds had passed since the blood started flowing toward the energy core.
The core started filling with blood.
— Beat... beat... beat — contraction... opening... contraction... opening —
— Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale —
High focus.
Verina was still maintaining her balance.
Verina began to feel dizzy... directing blood toward the core meant reducing it to her brain and the rest of her body... she started feeling tired.
She began to breathe heavily, and everyone could hear this.
"Verina... are you okay? This worries me!" Razin said fearfully and tensely.
Verina opened her eyes slightly... she saw everyone... especially Razin and Tark... she looked at them... her gaze was completely blurry... her eyes didn't work well due to lack of blood... she closed her eyes again.
Twenty seconds passed.
Verina was still maintaining the balance of her blood flow according to her internal feeling... her energy core had filled about 33% with blood.
Suddenly Verina felt pain in her heart!
She let out a sudden cry of pain. Everyone worried and feared.
Razin wanted to run toward her immediately, but the teacher stopped him... Razin was angry to be stopped before checking on Verina—she had regained her focus already.
— Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale —
"Come on, Verina, please," Razin begged her.
Her heartbeat started slowing down... the blood near her heart was low. But the artery's blood exchange was perfectly balanced... so Verina was still doing the process perfectly despite the difficulties.
"Verina is really amazing," Tark said calmly. "She amazed me."
Forty seconds passed.
According to Verina's calculations, her core had filled about 70% with blood... not much left.
Verina smiled because of her progress, which caused her to lose focus for one second. Suddenly, Verina coughed up blood.
Everyone, including the teacher, was shocked.
Cough... cough... cough... but before they moved, Verina regained her calm a little and returned to her position after being disturbed by the coughing... she raised her hand as a sign for them to stop.
Razin was very worried about her. They stopped, and blood was on her. "Are you really okay?" Razin said in a scared voice, while everyone worried and discussed the matter.
Fifty seconds passed.
"Come on, not much left, you can do it," Tark said, watching closely.
During these fifty seconds, the number of students surrounding the circle had increased. When students from other years learned and saw a crowd around the yard, they already knew someone was activating their core there, so they rushed to watch. Among them was Colin. "Is she okay, I wonder?"
— Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale —
Verina heard the sounds of her balanced heartbeat after regaining her balance.
She felt her head heavy, as if unable to hold it... as if she would fall from exhaustion... her head hurt indescribably... her heart beat slowly but was trying to stay alive... blood flowed quietly toward her energy core... her core artery had been working continuously for 55 seconds already... her control over her artery was remarkable.
Breath... breath... breath...
Razin heard the sound of her heavy breathing... his teeth clenched out of fear and tension.
Suddenly... absolute silence fell on the area... the wind stopped... no sound rose.
— Heart contraction... heart opening... heart contraction... heart opening —
— Inhale... exhale —
Verina opened her eyes.
"I did it."
Before Razin could rejoice and smile...
An explosion... a loud sound... a giant air wave blasted from Verina's body... wiped out everything in front of her... every speck of soil in the yard was completely swept away by the wave... all the students fell to the ground from the power of the wave... and its sudden loud sound.
"What... is this?" The students were all shocked, all lying on the ground.
Everyone was on their feet and hands except the teacher, who blocked the wave with a counter wave he released from his hand at the right time.
"I-Is this from Verina?" Razin said fearfully and shocked, looking toward Verina who was sitting on her knees with a pale face and tired eyes.
"Well done, Verina... you activated your core amazingly," the teacher said while clapping for her.
Verina was very exhausted… her eyes unfocused… her body heavy, as if she could fall at any moment… panting from exhaustion… As she gasped,...arms wraped around her nick.. Razin , quickly ran to her, went to check on her, hugged her tightly, his face very worried.
"I was really worried about you," Razin said with a fearful but reassuring tone.
"Razin, why are there three of you?" Verina said before she fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
"V-v-Verina," Razin said fearfully as she collapsed on the ground.
"Don't worry… this is normal… her body is very exhausted," the teacher said as he approached Verina to carry her to a place to rest. "Her body will need some time to return to being active, these are the effects of the first activation."
Razin was worried despite the teacher's words… Tark arrived at him and asked, "What happened?"
"The teacher said she will be fine," Razin replied, taking a deep breath.
—
—
"Are you satisfied with yourself, loser?"