Tamayo led Serena deeper into the White Fox Temple.
The further they went, the quieter the temple became.
The sounds of footsteps and distant voices gradually disappeared behind them until only the soft creaking of the wooden floor accompanied their journey. Sunlight slipped through the gaps between the buildings, casting narrow bands of gold across the corridors.
Serena walked a few steps behind her sister, still trying to make sense of what had happened earlier.
She had expected Tamayo to begin her training immediately.
After all, Tamayo had demonstrated something Serena had never seen before. That invisible slash had appeared without warning, striking the floor so cleanly that Serena hadn't even been able to see the attack itself.
Even Stud had nearly lost his mind.
Yet Tamayo hadn't explained how she had done it.
She had simply told Serena that she would teach her.
Serena had assumed that meant some kind of advanced technique.
Instead, Tamayo continued walking as though nothing unusual had happened.
Eventually, she turned down another corridor.
At the end of it stood a plain wooden sliding door.
Tamayo stopped.
"There."
Serena looked at the door.
Then she looked at Tamayo.
"That's it?"
Tamayo glanced over her shoulder.
"What were you expecting?"
"I don't know."
Serena crossed her arms.
"Some kind of secret training room."
Tamayo's expression remained calm.
"Why would I need a secret room?"
"Because you're supposed to be teaching me something important."
"I am."
Tamayo slid the door open.
"Training doesn't become better because the room looks impressive."
Serena sighed and stepped inside.
The room was surprisingly ordinary.
There were no enormous statues of ancient Geists standing against the walls. No racks filled with legendary weapons. No complicated spiritual formations had been carved into the floor.
It was simply a traditional Japanese room.
Tatami mats covered the floor, their woven surface giving the room a clean, earthy scent. A low wooden table rested against one wall, while several cushions had been arranged neatly around the center.
A small cabinet stood in the corner.
Beside it was a ceramic water container.
Paper windows allowed sunlight to filter into the room, bathing the interior in a soft golden glow.
The faint scent of cedar mixed with the lingering smell of incense.
Serena slowly looked around.
"So this is where you're teaching me?"
"For the first lesson."
Tamayo walked toward the center of the room.
She stopped beside one of the cushions and pointed toward it.
"Sit."
Serena raised an eyebrow.
"That's an order?"
Tamayo gave her a small smile.
"A suggestion."
Serena sat down.
She folded her legs beneath herself and rested her hands on her knees.
Tamayo sat opposite her.
Stud remained near the doorway.
The little Poltergeist looked considerably less confident than usual.
His attention never left Tamayo.
After what had happened earlier, Serena couldn't blame him.
Tamayo noticed his nervous expression.
"You can come inside, Stud."
Stud hesitated.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"You're not going to throw another invisible sword at me?"
Tamayo's expression softened.
"No."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Stud stared at her for several seconds.
Then he cautiously floated into the room.
"Excellent."
Tamayo looked back at Serena.
Her relaxed expression gradually disappeared.
For the first time since they had entered the room, she looked completely serious.
"Now."
Serena straightened.
Tamayo folded her hands in her lap.
"Your first lesson begins."
Serena nodded.
"I'm ready."
"Good."
Tamayo took a slow breath.
"We're starting with the basics."
Serena's eyebrows immediately furrowed.
"The basics?"
"Yes."
"But I already know how to use a Protocol Weapon."
"I know."
"I've been fighting Poltergeists for years."
"I know that too."
Serena stared at her sister.
"Then why are we starting with something so basic?"
Tamayo didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked toward Serena's hands.
"You've been taught how to fight."
She raised her eyes.
"That isn't the same thing as being taught how to understand what you're fighting with."
Serena's expression slowly changed.
Tamayo continued.
"Before you learn Haikirin, you need to understand Spiritual Energy."
The name immediately caught Serena's attention.
She had heard the term before.
Every Geist had.
But hearing Tamayo speak about it made it sound different.
Tamayo looked around the room.
"Spiritual Energy exists everywhere."
Serena blinked.
"Everywhere?"
"Everywhere."
Tamayo raised one hand and pointed toward the wooden wall.
"The trees outside."
Her finger shifted toward the ceramic container.
"The water we drink."
Then she pointed toward the open window.
"The air we breathe."
Her hand lowered toward the floor.
"The wood beneath us."
She gestured toward the furniture.
"The buildings."
Finally, she looked directly at Serena.
"Even objects that aren't alive contain it."
Serena frowned.
"So everything has Spiritual Energy?"
"Everything contains some amount."
Tamayo nodded.
"But not everything contains the same amount."
Serena leaned forward.
"What determines how much?"
"The nature of the thing."
Tamayo reached toward the low wooden table beside her.
"The amount depends partly on how naturally connected something is to the world around it."
She rested her fingertips against the table.
"The tree that produced this wood contained a great deal of Spiritual Energy."
Serena looked at the table.
"A tree would contain more than a chair?"
"Usually."
"Because the tree is alive?"
"That's part of it."
Tamayo tapped the wooden surface gently.
"But this was once a living tree. Its Spiritual Energy doesn't simply disappear because someone turned the wood into furniture."
Serena nodded slowly.
Tamayo continued.
"Purity matters."
"The more naturally connected something is to the world around it, the more concentrated its Spiritual Energy tends to be."
She turned toward the window.
"A mountain."
Her eyes moved toward the distant trees.
"A forest."
She continued.
"The ocean."
Then she looked back at Serena.
"A living creature."
"These can contain tremendous amounts of Spiritual Energy."
Serena became thoughtful.
"Then what about humans?"
Tamayo smiled.
"That's where things become interesting."
She placed a hand against her chest.
"We Geists are special."
Serena's attention sharpened.
"Unlike ordinary humans, our bodies possess a much higher concentration of Spiritual Energy."
"That's one of the reasons we're capable of manipulating it."
Tamayo lowered her hand.
"We don't simply possess Spiritual Energy."
She paused.
"We can control it."
Serena looked down at her own hands.
"Is that why we're able to use Protocol Weapons?"
"Exactly."
Tamayo nodded.
"Protocol Weapons are designed to help us channel and shape that energy."
She glanced toward Serena's weapon.
"That's why most Geists rely on them."
Serena remembered their earlier conversation.
The way Tamayo had spoken about Protocol Weapons made her sound almost dismissive of them.
"But..."
Serena hesitated.
"You said earlier that Protocol Weapons aren't necessary."
"They aren't."
Tamayo smiled.
"But don't misunderstand me. They're extremely useful."
She adjusted the cushion beneath herself.
"The problem is that many Geists become dependent on them."
"They learn how to swing a weapon before they learn how to understand the energy flowing through their own bodies."
"They become skilled fighters without ever understanding the foundation beneath their abilities."
Serena thought about that.
Her fingers unconsciously curled into her palm.
Tamayo noticed.
"Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"
Serena nodded.
"I think so."
"Then tell me."
Serena hesitated.
"You're saying that using a Protocol Weapon isn't the same as controlling Spiritual Energy."
"Correct."
Tamayo smiled.
"Very good."
Serena looked toward the window.
Then she remembered Tamayo's demonstration.
The leaf.
Something so ordinary had suddenly become dangerous in her sister's hands.
Serena still couldn't understand how.
Tamayo noticed her expression.
"You remember what I told you outside?"
"About the leaf?"
"Yes."
"You said I needed to stop thinking about Spiritual Energy as something that only existed inside weapons."
"Correct."
Tamayo folded her hands.
"That is what I want you to understand first."
The room became quiet.
Tamayo took a slow breath.
"Spirits themselves are born from Spiritual Energy."
Serena's eyes widened slightly.
"Spirits?"
"Yes."
Tamayo looked toward the window.
"Everywhere in the world, Spiritual Energy gathers."
"Sometimes it gathers around places."
"Sometimes around objects."
"Sometimes around living beings."
"And occasionally, enough energy gathers together that something resembling consciousness emerges."
Serena listened carefully.
"That's how spirits are created."
Tamayo's voice remained calm.
"Some are gentle."
"Some are neutral."
"Some simply exist without caring about humans."
Her expression gradually became more serious.
"And some become corrupted."
Serena already knew the answer.
"Poltergeists."
Tamayo nodded.
"Exactly."
She leaned forward slightly.
"Poltergeists are spirits whose Spiritual Energy has become corrupted."
"They develop an abnormal hunger for additional Spiritual Energy."
"And unfortunately..."
Her eyes moved toward Serena.
"Humans are one of the most abundant sources they can find."
Serena's expression hardened.
"That's why they attack us."
"Yes."
Tamayo's voice remained calm.
"To them, we're food."
Stud shifted uneasily near the doorway.
Serena glanced at him.
Tamayo noticed but continued.
"That's why the Geist organization exists."
"We protect civilians."
"We stop corrupted spirits from hurting people."
"But there's something important that I want you to remember."
Tamayo's expression became firm.
"Our job isn't simply to destroy everything we encounter."
Serena looked at her.
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
"Purify."
Tamayo answered without hesitation.
"Whenever possible."
She continued.
"We should eliminate the corruption rather than destroy the spirit itself."
Serena remained silent.
The idea was unfamiliar.
To her, Poltergeists had always been enemies.
Threats.
Things that appeared in populated areas and needed to be eliminated before innocent people were hurt.
Tamayo's explanation forced her to consider another possibility.
Tamayo's gaze hardened.
"Of course, not everyone in the organization agrees with me."
"Some believe every Poltergeist should simply be destroyed."
"Some believe spirits are nothing more than threats."
Tamayo shook her head.
"I disagree."
She turned toward the window.
"Something becoming corrupted doesn't automatically mean it deserves to be destroyed."
Her eyes softened.
"We protect those who cannot protect themselves."
"We stop those who would hurt us."
"And when there is a chance to purify rather than destroy..."
Tamayo looked back at Serena.
"We take it."
Her voice became quieter.
"That's what I believe."
Serena stared at her sister.
She had never heard anyone explain the purpose of being a Geist that way.
To Serena, fighting Poltergeists had always been simple.
Find the threat.
Stop it.
Protect the civilians.
Move on.
But Tamayo was asking her to look beyond the fight itself.
To understand what existed on the other side of the blade.
Serena slowly nodded.
"I understand."
Tamayo smiled.
"Good."
She turned toward Stud.
"And don't worry, little fella."
Stud immediately stiffened.
"What?"
Tamayo's smile became warmer.
"I'm sorry for frightening you earlier."
Stud stared at her.
"...Really?"
"Really."
Tamayo bowed her head slightly.
"I only wanted to confirm what our father told me about you."
Serena looked between them.
"What exactly did Dad tell you about Stud?"
Tamayo nodded.
"He did tell me about him."
Stud's eyes widened.
"He told you about me?"
"Yes."
Tamayo's expression softened.
"He said you were different."
Stud's nervousness immediately disappeared.
He puffed himself up proudly.
"Well..."
He cleared his throat.
"I am rather remarkable."
Serena rolled her eyes.
"There he is."
Tamayo laughed softly.
"I can see that."
Stud smiled.
"Thank you."
Serena shook her head.
Somehow, the little Poltergeist had already returned to his usual self.
Tamayo turned her attention back to Serena.
"Now."
She reached toward a small wooden tray beside her.
"Our first lesson is simple."
Serena immediately sat straighter.
"What do I do?"
"Concentrate."
"On what?"
"Everything around you."
Tamayo reached toward the open window.
A small breeze entered the room, carrying several leaves with it.
One landed near Tamayo.
She picked it up between two fingers.
The leaf was ordinary.
Green.
Thin.
Slightly curled along the edges.
Tamayo held it up.
Then she picked up another leaf and tossed it gently toward Serena.
Serena caught it.
She looked down at it.
Nothing about it seemed special.
Tamayo reached into her sleeve and produced another leaf.
"This is your exercise."
Serena looked between the two leaves.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Cover it with Spiritual Energy."
Serena stared at her.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Serena frowned.
"How?"
Tamayo smiled.
"That's what you're here to learn."
She held her own leaf between two fingers.
"Don't force it."
Serena watched carefully.
Tamayo closed her eyes.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the atmosphere inside the room subtly changed.
Serena noticed it immediately.
A faint pressure seemed to gather around Tamayo.
It wasn't violent.
It wasn't overwhelming.
If anything, it was strangely peaceful.
The air around her seemed to become denser, almost as though the space itself had become heavier.
Then something appeared.
A faint blue radiance surrounded the leaf between Tamayo's fingers.
Serena's eyes widened.
The leaf began to glow.
The light was soft and clear, almost like moonlight trapped inside its veins.
Stud floated closer.
"Whoa..."
Serena couldn't take her eyes off it.
Tamayo opened her eyes.
"This is Spiritual Energy."
The glow around the leaf became slightly brighter.
"Don't think of it as something that comes from nowhere."
She held the leaf steady.
"You're gathering what already exists."
"The air."
"The floor."
"The trees outside."
"Everything around us."
"You aren't creating Spiritual Energy."
Tamayo's eyes met Serena's.
"You're asking it to gather."
The blue light slowly faded.
Tamayo released the leaf.
It drifted gently toward the floor.
Serena watched it land.
Then Tamayo looked at her.
"Now you."
Serena glanced down at the leaf in her hand.
She took a deep breath.
"Okay."
She closed her eyes.
At first, nothing happened.
Serena concentrated harder.
She tried to imagine the energy inside her body.
She tried to push it toward her hand.
Nothing.
Her brow tightened.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
Tamayo immediately noticed.
"Stop."
Serena opened her eyes.
"What?"
"You're trying to force it."
Serena looked confused.
"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"
"No."
Tamayo shook her head.
"That's the mistake most beginners make."
She pointed gently toward Serena's chest.
"You already have Spiritual Energy."
"Don't force it outward."
"Feel what's around you first."
Serena stared at her sister.
Then she looked down at the leaf.
She slowly closed her eyes again.
This time, she didn't try to move anything.
She didn't try to force the energy inside her body toward her hands.
Instead, she simply listened.
The wind moved through the trees outside.
Leaves rustled softly against one another.
The wooden walls creaked faintly.
The floor beneath her remained warm from the sunlight.
Somewhere outside, water trickled quietly.
Serena could hear her own breathing.
Slow.
Steady.
She could hear her heartbeat.
At first, everything seemed separate.
Then, gradually...
Something changed.
The sounds didn't disappear.
They became clearer.
The wind.
The trees.
The wood.
The earth.
The air.
Everything seemed to possess a faint presence.
Serena's breathing gradually slowed.
Her shoulders relaxed.
Her fingers stopped gripping the leaf so tightly.
Tamayo watched her without saying a word.
For once, Serena wasn't trying to fight.
She wasn't trying to summon her weapon.
She wasn't preparing to strike.
She wasn't thinking about how fast she could move or how hard she could attack.
She was simply listening.
And somewhere beneath all the familiar sounds...
She felt something.
A faint presence.
Then another.
Then another.
Tiny points of energy seemed to exist everywhere around her.
The room itself suddenly felt different.
It was as though a veil had been lifted from her senses.
Serena's eyes opened slightly.
Tamayo smiled.
"That's it."
Serena looked down at the leaf in her hand.
For the first time, she could sense something surrounding it.
It was faint.
So faint that she wasn't even sure whether she was imagining it.
But it was there.
Serena slowly looked toward Tamayo.
"Is that..."
Tamayo nodded.
"Yes."
Serena's eyes widened.
"I can feel it."
"You've taken the first step."
Serena looked around the room again.
The ordinary furniture no longer seemed completely ordinary.
The wooden walls.
The floor.
The trees beyond the window.
Even the air around her.
They all seemed connected by something she had never noticed before.
Something that had been there the entire time.
Waiting for her to notice.
Tamayo smiled.
"Don't rush."
"Understanding Spiritual Energy isn't something you can accomplish in a single lesson."
Serena looked at the leaf.
"I know."
Her voice was quieter than usual.
"But I can feel it."
"That's enough for today."
Serena nodded.
She looked at her hands.
For years, she had believed becoming a stronger Geist meant mastering her weapon, improving her speed, sharpening her instincts, and learning how to defeat stronger Poltergeists.
Those things still mattered.
But now she understood that they were only part of the picture.
Power wasn't simply something she could swing.
It wasn't something that existed inside a weapon.
It was all around her.
She had simply never learned how to notice it.
Tamayo stood.
Serena looked up at her.
"So that's the first lesson?"
Tamayo nodded.
"Yes."
"Just feeling Spiritual Energy?"
"Just feeling it."
Serena stared at the leaf again.
Then a small smile appeared on her face.
It wasn't much.
She hadn't mastered anything.
She couldn't even make the leaf glow.
But she had finally taken the first step.
The training had only just begun.
And for the first time, Serena was beginning to understand that becoming stronger as a Geist wasn't necessarily about learning how to strike harder.
Sometimes, true strength began with something much simpler.
Learning how to listen.