“That’s enough…” the sect master said, doing his best to compose himself before the three students before him. “We’ll begin, I think.”

  “Yes,” Rose quietly replied.

  “Alright, Micro and…” he began, unsure how to address the pixie.

  “Blue,” she informed him with an unexpectedly polite tone.

  “Blue… The two of you have experienced internal energy in some unorthodox ways, so it shouldn’t be difficult to walk you through the first exercise,” the Sect leader explained slowly while raising one hand in front of him, his palm pointing to the sky. “Tell me what you see in my hand.”

  “Nothing…” Micro replied after squinting his eyes for a moment.

  “No, there’s something there… But…” Blue added, also struggling to see what it was. She shot a frown at Micro. “My eyes are still fuzzy from being sacrificed.”

  “Sorry about that,” Micro replied, still straining his eyes.

  “I see the pixie has a natural talent for perceiving energy, but it is an unrefined talent,” the sect leader explained curiously. “Micro, try looking with your mind’s eye.”

  “My mind’s eye?”

  “It’s what you use to perceive the immaterial world. The place where you may observe your own energies and spirit.”

  “Oh, that. Okay,” Micro replied as he closed his eyes and began to meditate. “Oh, Blue is here too.”

  “Hi,” she replied, having somehow followed him into the world with more than just her voice. “Mediating is weird, but I think I get it.”

  “Now…” The old man’s voice rang out like thunder in the dark world. “Don’t try reaching for the pure energy of the world all at once. Focus on the life force that fills the air and all things, the energy that binds us and fills our every breath…”

  Following the sect leader’s guidance, Micro began to notice the same little flickering lights all around him that Rose had introduced him to the previous evening. They swirled around in the wind, bouncing off of various surfaces, interacting with each other, and passing even through him occasionally. As the physical world’s shape began to emerge among the chaos of energies, Micro then noticed the silhouette of the sect leader in front of him with a bright light floating above his hand. He looked a little closer and noticed the shape of a turtle.

  “It’s a—” Micro tried to answer.

  “What is it with you guys and turtles?!” Blue interrupted with her own answer, laughing loudly despite remaining in a meditative state. “It’s getting a bit weird!”

  “You were both able to see it clearly?” the sect leader asked, ignoring the rude remark.

  “Yes, it looks like the little turtles I met in the dungeon!” Micro replied.

  “There was a noisy turtle like that, wasn’t there…” Blue recalled. “The rude little thing kept waking me up!”

  “That’s really fast…” Rose muttered.

  “Indeed, even when compared with such a prodigious talent as yours…” the sect leader added. “Follow along, Rose. Your reintroduction to the fundamentals is far from over…”

  “Yes, master…” Rose replied with a bow. She stopped staring at Micro and Blue and adjusted her posture. “From the beginning…”

  “The next step is to be able to do the same with your eyes open,” he continued. “The pixie seems to have a natural ability to perceive energy, but it is limited.”

  “Watch your tone, baldy,” Blue quipped. “We see what we need to see.”

  “Now that I’ve had the chance to observe the flow of your energy, I believe your natural form may function similarly to a core, meaning your internal energies are constantly flowing throughout your body, however…” the sect leader explained enthusiastically.

  “However…?” she repeated with a suspicious look.

  “It is chaotic in nature, perhaps appropriately so…” he continued. “What a fascinating quirk of nature…”

  “Listen here, you stinking—” She began to stand up in anger, but the sect leader pressed forward with his lesson.

  “With a core, you may just be able to better control the energy you have,” he asserted. “Though your natural abilities are terrifying, you would be able to enhance your senses greatly by properly channelling the energy inside you. Your core is meant for such a thing.”

  “Hmm…” Blue grumbled as she sat back down on top of her Core Card.

  “Observe, if you will…” the sect leader said as he began to draw circles in the air with his hands. Then, he placed his hands in front of him, took a deep breath, and his eyes began to glow.

  “Is that one of those skills?” Blue asked.

  “On the contrary,” he replied. “I am consciously moving my internal energy from one part of my body to another. This allows me to strengthen my body, enhance my senses, and to perceive the immaterial without entering such a deep state of meditation.”

  “So you can see both worlds at the same time?” Micro asked, opening his eyes. “The dark world, and this world…?”

  “Correct,” the sect leader said with a nod. “The first step is to practice moving your internal energies with intent. It is often compared to learning to move a new limb. It will take concentration at first, but you will find it gets easier with—”

  “Oh, this is amazing!” Micro shouted with glowing eyes.

  “How did I never think of this before?!” Blue added excitedly.

  The two looked around at the world with glowing eyes, waving their hands around and playing with the particles of light that surrounded them. Micro’s eyes couldn’t stop wandering here and there, seeing the world through new eyes for the second time. The sect leader questioned his own eyes as he observed the odd pair in front of him playfully moving energy from one hand to the other.

  “You haven’t done this before, have you?” the sect leader wondered aloud.

  “Your instructions were clear,” Micro replied happily with a glowing thumbs up. “It’s easier than learning to use the four new limbs I got the other day.”

  “Even the pixie…” The sect leader nodded in disbelief, doubting his eyes at first.

  “What, you think a pixie can’t do everything a cultivator can do and more?” Blue taunted him, mimicking Micro’s thumbs up. “I did think cultivators were just overcomplicating things, but this is pretty fun.”

  “Then we’ll move on…”.

  “I enjoy that!” Micro remarked, and the sect leader pressed onward with his lesson.

  “Though you have experienced the process of refining your core, albeit in an unorthodox fashion, It is likely that it will take you some time to learn to absorb the energies of the natural world and make use of them in the strengthening of your—”

  “Oh, like this?” Micro replied as he moved his open hand through the air, catching some of the little particles of light in his palm, and then pressed it into his chest with a crude motion. Some of the light splashed out as it was pressed between his hand and his chest, but the sect leader confirmed that some of it had indeed been incorporated into the boy’s oddly shaped core.

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  “Core…” the sect leader mumbled. “Yes, like that—”

  “If you don’t throw too much in there at once, it settles into place on its own.” Micro smiled, but the sect leader only shook his head.

  “Rose…” he said softly to the speechless girl in front of him while Micro and Blue continued to playfully swipe energy from the air and thump it into their chests. “Would you please demonstrate a more… traditional approach…”

  “Yes,” she replied with an equal amount of disbelief. “Micro, it’s more like this.”

  Micro turned to see Rose lifting her hands in front of her with a fluid motion and remaining almost perfectly still. She then began to allow her own energy to radiate out from her body. To Micro, it looked as though she was glowing brightly. Some of the energy that swirled around her gradually seemed to become attracted to her, like mosquitoes being drawn to the headlights of a parked car.

  “How is she doing that?” Micro asked with wide eyes.

  “Ya, what’s the deal?” Blue added. “Save some energy for the rest of us, you greedy little—”

  “To put it simply, elemental forces are drawn to energy of the same nature. The larger source of energy generally attracts smaller amounts. Elements of differing elemental natures tend to repel one another,” the sect leader explained quickly. “Rose has an affinity to the fire element, as most of us here do. With a stable aura, energy will find its way to her without any effort on her part. And the more of one elemental energy you possess, the more it will be drawn to you.”

  “So you cover yourself in energy, and more will stick to you…?” Micro replied with a strained expression. However, it wasn’t long before he had coated himself with a thin layer of the energy within him and was successfully drawing in a steady flow of ambient energies. “Oh, this feels familiar!”

  “I’d be surprised if it were anyone else…” The sect leader began to grin as Micro’s internal energy surged. “It would appear you have an affinity to all six elemental forces… And you, Blue…”

  Rose, Micro, and the sect leader turned to look at Blue, whose own aura was attracting energy that flickered and sparked.

  “Only such an unpredictable creature would show such a natural affinity to light and dark elemental energies simultaneously. Your heart must be akin to a tempest… Truly a creature of chaos,” the sect leader said, though his fear of her was gradually being replaced by curiosity and overwhelming fatigue. “To think the Jade Fire Turtle Art was bestowed to such a disciple at this point in its long history…”

  “No, wait…!” Blue mumbled with a frustrated tone as her wings began to vibrate. “I can… do… this…”

  “There we go!” With a small burst of energy, she was suddenly shrouded in a similar aura to Micro. “The last four were tricky, but who do you think I am?”

  “It’s unfair…!” Rose suddenly cried with watery eyes. “They just started, and yet…!”

  “You said it felt familiar…” the tired sect leader remarked. “What did you mean by that? I thought cultivation didn’t exist in your world…”

  “It feels like when Nora pulled me through the sky after the accident,” Micro replied, still enjoying the sensation of energy pouring into him. “But it’s much more relaxing now. Have you ever been pulled through the sky?”

  “I see…” the sect leader replied with a thoughtful expression. “It may be that a soul transported between worlds is exposed to more energy than we could imagine. That may explain your natural affinity to each element. As for the pixie…”

  “Me?” She snapped. “Raw talent, make no mistake!”

  “An otherworlder and a pixie, both capable of channelling all six elemental energies,” the sect leader concluded. “If I dwell on this, I may not make it through the day. Rose, you may return to your duties. Continue to be mindful of your actions and their consequences.”

  “Yes, master,” Rose answered with a clumsy bow.

  “And if anyone should ask, please report that things have been going… well,” the sect leader added. “No more than that.”

  “Understood, master.” Rose nodded, then left the area in a hurry. She walked quickly down the mountain with a bitter expression, not looking back as she disappeared from view.

  “You two…” he addressed Micro and Blue. “I see no reason why you shouldn’t join my grandson and his attendant in mastering the Jade Fire Turtle Art. It is a noble art and an honour to practice.”

  “Finally!” Blue shouted as she stood up, grabbed hold of her card, and bit into it. The sect leader tried to stop her, but she quickly let out a yelp. “That’s hard! And it tastes terrible!”

  “It is a divine artifact…” The sect leader place his hand over his face and sighed. “Rather than consuming it, you must open yourself up to the teachings it holds. It’s more difficult than it may seem, even for the two of you…”

  “So will I be able to transform into a turtle if I eat it?” Blue asked enthusiastically. “Or can I summon an army of turtles to do my bidding?!”

  “I suppose it is only fair that I correct your wildly inaccurate impression of the noble art with a demonstration…” The sect leader smiled, apparently amused by her guesses. “Behold…”

  As soon as he had finished speaking, the ground beneath him began to shake. The stones beneath his feet cracked as though his weight was increasing drastically with every breath he took. Then, before Micro had time to guess what was going on, an ethereal armour which resembled a turtle’s shell surrounded the sect leader’s entire body. It was far superior to the armour Micro had been dressed in until recently. Every part of the sect leader’s body was completely protected by the translucent, shell-like material.

  “This is the most basic application of the Turtle Art,” he declared through his armour. “Its form varies from one person to the next, but it is most frequently used as a defensive art.”

  “Trill, can I have my Turtle card?” Micro asked in the direction of his right breast pocket.

  “Which one is that…?” Trill’s muffled voice rang back.

  “It’s the one with a turtle on it, acorn brain!” Blue shouted up at him.

  “Oh, here…” he replied as he flung Micro’s Jade Fire Turtle Art card out of his pocket.

  “Thanks, Trill,” Micro said, catching the card in his hand.

  “Listen carefully now, for mastery of Core Cards is not a trivial matter,” the sect leader explained with a stern tone, trying to ignore the strange way a Core Card just appeared in front of him. “Core Cards are a unique way of inheriting knowledge of arts, techniques, and traits which are otherwise unknowable to mortals.”

  “Like manuals!” Micro shouted happily. “Okay!”

  “You will be inviting the mysteries of the universe into your very soul, and the transformations which can occur may overwhelm you,” the sect leader continued. “Even those who have passed the trials of the dungeon where the card was found may ultimately fail to incorporate its teachings into their soul. A lifetime can be too short a time to master an art, worthy or not. Opening your core at will is difficult enough—”

  “So I have to put the Core Card into my soul?” Micro asked.

  “Exactly,” the sect leader said, though his expression grew more intense. “But to transform the nature of one’s existence requires immense will. Many are unable to bear the sacrifice required to accommodate a Core Card’s teachings.”

  “Sacrifice?” Micro asked, looking at the sect leader with increased anxiety. He looked at Blue, who shared an anxious look at the mention of sacrifices.

  “Yes, it is often necessary to carve away or mold one’s soul, though some succeed in absorbing it without the need to take such extreme measures,” the sect leader explained solemnly. “Sometimes it is better to absorb them slowly, allowing your core to expand to accommodate them, while other times the card’s mysteries become entangled in your soul, altering your being at the most fundamental level. Some people spend years absorbing the card little by little, while others spend their time preparing their soul itself to accommodate the card all at once.”

  “Could you say that again,” Micro said with a frown. “But maybe a little simpler?”

  “My apologies,” the sect leader said with a sympathetic smile. “The mechanism by which a Core Card is mastered is unique to each person. Our unique experiences shape our souls, do they not?”

  “Okay…” Micro replied, his face betraying his lack of understanding as the sect leader’s explanation went on. However, he was still determined to master as many cards as it took to find his way home.

  “So I need to put it… in my soul…”

  “It is an unnatural act, in a sense,” the sect leader replied. “To attach a foreign existence, however powerful, to one’s own spirit can prove to be a painful process. But only by absorbing the card can you unlock its teachings. Now, take your cards up and concentrate.”

  Blue and Micro obediently held their cards in front of them and entered a deep state of meditation, blocking out the material world to perceive the card only in its immaterial form. Micro looked curiously at the card, which no longer resembled the lifeless, rectangular object he was holding a moment ago. Looking at it in the spiritual world, it looked alive. It emitted an aura like green flames that felt hot just to look at, and the simple turtle pattern now seemed full of life.

  “So… I need to put that in my soul…” Micro wondered to himself while looking at the card. “Let’s see…”

  He took the card in his hand and turned his spiritual eyes to his core, once again immersing himself in it. He found himself standing beside his core, and took a moment to bask in the familiar sight of the garage he missed so much.

  “I wonder if the old man would like his garage to glow like this. The electric bill is bothering him more and more these days…” Micro wondered to himself. He looked down at the card in his hand, then back up at the garage. He thought for a moment, and an idea finally came to him.

  The garage door remote control appeared in his hand with a cloud of energy as he imagined it. He pressed the big, weathered button and waited patiently for the creaking door to open. A gust of wind burst out of the garage as the door opened, which Micro assumed to be some excess energy that he hadn’t stored properly the last time he was there, and he came face to face with a small, white truck. With the card in his hand, he walked up to his soul, gently kicked the front left tire, then continued around to the back.

  “That should do it,” he said as he gently placed the card in the bed of the truck. It was such a simple process that he wondered if he’d done it right, but his vision suddenly blurred.