"Zalika, you need to relax, your mind is highly analytical. Its not a bad thing but everything doesn't need to be analyzed in the moment, let go. Focus on the darkness in front of your eyes. Your way too tense."
After taking a deep breath in and out Zalika shoulders and chest finally dropped and her uptight posture finally gave. The same sense I felt from Sanna I started to feel from Zalika and they both felt like they were on the verge of sleep.
"Now that we achieved this state. Try to stay in this state for an extended period without falling sleep. Clear your mind, clear your anxiety, clear your worries. Just immerse yourself in nothingness."
Both were not foreign to focusing and I had no doubt that Sanna has been doing what I've instructed for years. Zalika however worried me, she was a lot more logical and forward thinking than I thought. A muscle head who thinks too much.
These are good traits for any driven person but for our goals it worked against her. My expectations were proven wrong as after thirty minutes she kept her breathing even, while keeping her mind clear.
As I observed I started thinking about the next step. How to forcibly enter the Focus space. Truthfully, I've always known how based on what Kifo said before I left the focus realm. 'You're going to have to come see me on your own'.
If it was Queen Mariam's job to artificially kickstart are innate abilities wouldn't the answer lie in that act alone? I always knew the answer but out of fear of bringing a building down I ignored it.
"Now, this is just a theory but try this to induce Focus state. It should work, break your peace just a little and imagine the feeling of Queen Mariam's focus on your skin. Focus on how it made you feel. To make it even easier focus on a single rhythmic image or sound to simulate that feeling of her power pulsating on your skin."
Observing them, I saw that they were trying but nothing seem to be materializing. After ten minutes there still wasn't any indication of any progress. I don't know if there was distractions, or they couldn't properly simulate anything rhythmic. I decided to take a more hands on approach to the situation.
"I see that your struggling to grasp anything so just focus on the sound I'm about to make and imagine the feeling of Queen Mariam's energy."
Keeping my eyes focused on them observing their reactions I started to click my tongue on the roof of my mouth.
*clock*
They both flinched from the sound I made.
*clock*
They now made no reaction, focusing on the sound itself.
*clock*
I kept going for five minutes keeping my focus on my two companions. They seem to be looking better.
*clock*
*rumble*
The room shook a little as Zalika finally achieved the form she was looking for. Golden aura burst out of her before settling quickly, peacefully orbiting her.
*clock*
I kept the clicking of my tongue so she wouldn't break concentration. Also from her awakening Sanna had broken her own concentration to observe Zalika. The clicking of my tongue snapped her back into her own meditation.
*clock*
I started to relax as my perceived hardest goal had been achieved. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. Teaching others was stressful to me because of the lack of belief in my own skills. I didn't see myself as above anyone and the fear of entering the focused state again weighed heavy on me.
*clock*
I let myself calm down and inwardly thanked my lucky stars that I was able to help Zalika when things weren't going her way. Out of habit now, I continue to click my tongue hoping it would help trigger Sanna as well.
*clock*
"Wow, here I thought you would stubbornly avoid me and it would be awhile until we saw each other."
I opened my eyes to see myself sitting down under a makeshift and shabby tent by a river. There was garbage scattered here and there but it was organized.
There were large rocks which were arranged into pillows if I wasn't mistaken in two separate areas of the tent. A fire was going to make the place homier, but it didn't change that this was a place that someone who was extremely poor tried to put together.
"I hope this isn't a thing that where whenever we meet we go through my different residences of life. That would be boring."
From behind me I heard the same voice from before. I turned to see Kifo maybe a couple of years older looking at me with a bored look. She was approaching me in age, maybe the same age or a bit younger than Talib.
As I started to accept my surroundings I started to sweat a bit. If I was here that meant that I was in a focus state and that meant I'll be bringing the building down with all the royals with it.
This wasn't a royal temple that could withstand my powers for a set amount of time. This was a hotel tower that had no protection of a potential earthquake.
"Calm yourself, I wouldn't let the same mistake happen again. Now that I know what my presence does I've limited my influence. If you don't believe me take a look yourself."
She waved her hand and a window of the dojo where we were still sitting meditating calmly. No chaos was ensuing, and I took a relieving sigh.
"Thank goodness" the fear and anxiety I've been having for days finally was quelled. Kifo just looked at me with a more quizzical look.
"You're an enigma, you have the mentality of a background character but the innate talent of a generational person the entire world should bow to. You choose to ignore this and act ignorant to it. If I was your peer it would be infuriating."
Her assessment of me rang a bell that I've been hearing a lot more lately. This talent they speak of has been a foreign concept to me because I haven't experienced life in an environment that displayed this talent.
Baako has always been stronger and more responsible than I ever been. Talib has always been the most book smart person in the room. I've always had to navigate my way through that and get in where I fit in within all that.
I've never been the forefront but always the other. I may be around my peers now but before long I'll be back in Freetown, and I'll be back in my position. So, these observations now have no meaning.
"What is the point of this 'Talent' you speak of when it will never be put to use?"
I am the second son in the time of peace and prosperity. The first born isn't incompetent enough to be the heir and my intellect fails in comparison to the youngest to make an impactful stamp on the empire. Anything I come up with the youngest would be able to reach that quicker and better than I could.
"I know my position in the empire, and I accepted that. I will continue the legacy and hope we can continue the prosperity that was built before us." An amused look appeared on her face.
"A person who lied to themselves about who she was and didn't know what she wanted to do. A person who's hyper aware of who he is but too trapped to explore what he wants to do. What a pair we could have been. That goes to prove that everybody has their own form of struggles."
I scoffed at her response; I may have gotten a little insight into who she was alive but not enough to matter. Who she was in the time she's referring to isn't what she is now.
"So, for what did you call me here? What do you need from me?" She gave me a confused look.
"I didn't call you here, you forcibly entered this realm, I'm only present because me and you share this place. If I called you I wouldn't be in this form that's for sure. I told you before that if you ever wanted to harness your power come and find me on your own. For you to do it so soon is the 'Talent' I was referring to."
So I really did do it on my own. My own theory to get it done was proven correct, the next stage to this will probably be speed and actually being conscious in the real world.
"In all honesty I didn't openly try to get here, I was just trying to teach a theory in doing so. I was proven right which is fine. In fear of repeating what we caused before I avoided in acting on the theory. Convinced myself that I wouldn't need powers anyway. I'm not fighting any wars or trying to best anyone in anything, So I don't see the need to even develop these powers."
She listen to my words and I saw no reaction to my true thoughts. I had the suspicion that she knew all of this previously.
"Your logic is sound, this is a time of peace, a time that I'm glad our sacrifices created. To your knowledge, my power and your power isn't needed. However, YOUR knowledge is limited. My name is Kifo, I'm as natural as breathing but I only personify for… specific times. I will never force you too learn to control what you have. It's also way earlier than I should have appeared before you. I will appear all the same eventually whether you learn to control the power you call focus or not. So is your destiny."
I started to develop an eerie feeling that I have the personification of death telling me that I'm destined to be involved with her. I start to look around the pitiful base camp Kifo called a past residence. There was beauty in it but also sadness. Curiosity came knocking as I thought of the humble apartment we met in previously to go to this.
"You speak like you know the future, like you know what's coming. You also are being cryptic like you can't tell me exactly what's going to happen. If I believe your words to be true I will seek you to gain power but at the moment I don't feel the need to do so I will take my leave back to reality. However, I have a question to ask before I go. What do YOU want from me? Why do you seek me?"
She gave me a grand smile so dazzling that me thinking Sanna as beautiful was laughable.
"I'm here to be your closest friend of course."