Financially, Zax’s parents could not afford sending him to anyone of these three martial schools. They were just a common F level Mist Users, the lowest Earth’s Core Holders. For them to have a daughter like Zetsa was a wonder in itself. Looking back, she was defiantly qualified to enroll to any of the three schools, but when she was thrown out at the age of nine from the very same school that Zax goes to, she refused entering the system again, even after people realized her true talent.
In comparison to his big sister, Zax was an ordinary boy, a bit more talented physically than other boys his age or a year older, that is, as long as they did not have an Earth’s Core.
To his remaining thought before he fall asleep was one and only answer… The almost none exists, fourth type of children. To progress as a Mist User, besides cultivating the mist energy, one must refine the soul of one’s self. In Kingdom Earth roughly one or two children a year will choose the difficult path of soul training whether they have affinity for it or not. To embark on this path there are only two requirements. The first is a reliable instructor who is familiar and entirely experienced with at least one form of soul refining technique. The second is a complete and total commitment to the training regime. Not just leaps and bounds more difficult than Qi training, soul training is also extremely time sensitive! It is most beneficial for coreless children, but correspondingly compels the practitioners to achieve a certain level of spirituality before allowing Earth’s Cores to enter their lower dantian; otherwise their training will be in vain.
Zax himself was never aware of the two requirements or how much the Inner Spirit formation will help him advance and benefit his soul. It was what his big sister, Zetsa, chose for him and for the most part, that was enough.
Waking up, Zax no longer was in Nurse Elwood’s office, rather back in his home, lying on the living room’s sofa next to his dad.
“Honey, the little rascal has woken up”. Marco lifted his confused son and carried him to his and Laylen’s bedroom.
Laylen sat on a chair in front of a small Screen computer and was in the midst of reading the negative effects of improper soul training. She gasped and got up when she heard her husband.
“Mom?” Zax was startled by his mom’s sudden grip on his face and the follow up smothering hug she gave him. “Mom?” Zax asked again.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous what you have done?!” Laylen tried to sound stern but her emotions were out of control and her eyes moist, barely holding back the tears.
“Come, Laylen”, Marco said and passed on Zax to his wife. “We will talk in the living room”.
Sitting on a wooden chair and his parents in front of him, a few things have become clear to Zax the first five minutes they all sat together, among them that he was in big trouble!
The time now was past seven o’clock in the evening. Nurse Elwood called his dad after he fell asleep, and after he learned what happened, his dad had to pick him up with the department’s vehicle to bring him home.
“Is that what you were doing when you eagerly went out every day after school?” Zax was asked rhetorically by his mom merely for her to see how he will react.
Zax lowered his head and clenched his fists on his knees. He certainly was dishonest with his parents.
“Stop moving your legs!” His father scolded and Zax ceased rubbing his legs. “Do you know what carelessly training your soul can result to?! There is a very well and justified reason why kids with no Earth’s Core don’t practice soul refining techniques”. Marco pointed it out as if it was something that Zax already knew, and he sure did, yet persisted to clarify anyhow in simple words. “Human beings are born with a frail body and fragile soul. Soul refining techniques are ways for us to train the core of the soul which is the Spirit. If someone approaches it casually the soul can easily shatter and if that happen nor dad nor mom, neither your big sister, not even the Supreme Rulers can save you!”
“Why have you kept it a secret, Zax?” Laylen asked the moment Marco stopped talking.
Why? Because that was what Zetsa decided. But how could Zax push the blame on his big sister? She had her reasons to keep it a secret between them, most likely to not worry their parents. Now that both his mom and dad know, it is no longer a secret, just a poor decision…
“I didn’t want to worry you-”
“You didn’t want to worry us?!” Marco snapped. “Tell me, was your big sister involved in it?”
Marco, as is Laylen, grasped a significant insight for their son strange behavior in the past six months or so. They discussed it before he woke up and even used the home Caller to call Zetsa for farther explanation. Their main motive in this lecture was to clear some indisputable points to their son.
“She only wanted to help me avoid more quarrels. She is smart and capable. She trained my soul so I could be stronger and better…” Zax’s voice sounded sincere. His heart pounded inside the chest. It all started because of him, his mom and dad should not be mad at Zetsa. If she will not be allowed to guide him anymore… “Please, mom, dad, I’m sorry…”
“Wipe your nose, Zax”. Laylen brought a tissue and was about to help him clean his running nose, but Marco raised his hand to stop her. His son’s body was stiff, he needed to move a bit to release the pent up stress and then listen.
“For us to forgive you, you must show remorse for your action and understanding of who we are to you”. Marco said. “We are not you friends or teachers. We are not your neighbors or some people who live with you. WE ARE YOU PARENTS, ZAX!” Marco stood up.
Seeing his dad large physique of over a hundred and ninety three centimeters and hearing the heavy words purring out from his deep voice was like having an ice cold shower that made Zax docile.
“There is no good reason to hide anything from your parents! It is not for you to decide what worries us and what does not! We are your parents and just like we always love you we also always concerned about you… It's part of our job as parents, Zax. And it’s your part to be our son and tell us everything. For you we are the two people in the whole world that you shouldn’t keep secrets from. Anything that happens in your life is for use to know. Any decision that you want to make should be supported by our advice”.
“It’s not because that you are a child, Zax”, Laylen took over. “Even your older sister, Zetsa, as capable as she is, as you said, as strong and smart as she is… We are her parents, too. We have the same duty toward her as we have for you, and she as well must treat us with respect and acknowledge that in the whole world there is only one mom and one dad for her”.
Zax nodded slightly. He felt ashamed for betraying his parents’ trust and aware that in this particular case he took them for granted.
After a long time of silence Laylen looked at Marco and then turned to Zax. “That's enough for now. Go to your room and reflect about everything we said and you did”.
Zax did not try to protest or ask about his training. When he reached the corridor and turned right to his room his father said. “Tomorrow you will come straight home after school”.
“Yes, sir”. By his dad’s tone Zax knew that even though it was not a question, he still had to answer.
“You will do your homework and are not allowed to leave the house even if you finish. No watching the Screen, either”.
“Yes, sir”.
“The same thing the following day, school, homework and rest!”
“Yes, sir”.
“On Thursday, after returning from school and doing your homework, you can resume your training”.
“Yes…!”
Comments (0)
See all