I kept my eyes closed, pushing past the initial discovery. Two Loci were rare—valuable even—but I needed to be sure.
My breathing slowed as I searched deeper, straining to feel for any other flicker of warmth, any hint of a third pulse.
Frustration prickled at the edges of my focus. I even considered activating [Exorcist's Gaze]—if anything could reveal hidden things, it would be that—but the memory of my last attempt stopped me. The pain had nearly made my eyes blind, and in my current state? Not worth the risk.
After a long moment, I exhaled and opened my eyes.
A dull disappointment settled in my chest.
Dual Loci were powerful, yes, but… not what I'd hoped for. The only way to uncover the truth about my past, my memories, was to become a Mystic. And that path seemed closed to me now.
Destiny's a cruel joke sometimes.
Still, I swallowed the bitterness. Two Loci were more than most ever got. I should be grateful. Yeah, can't be pessimistic.
Virion's tail flicked against my shoulder, startling me. "Jie jie~ No need for that face. There's always another way—don't hang up on failures before they're even real."
His knowing grin made me pause. Had he guessed why I was still continuing?
Probably. The snake missed nothing.
Even if my awakening hadn't gone the way I wanted, the System had already surprised me so many times. Maybe it could bridge the gap somehow.
Shaking off the thoughts, I turned to Zephyr. "Alright. What's next?"
Zephyr shifted into a cross-legged position, mirroring what he expected of me. "First, the Traditional Breathing Cycle. You'll sync your breath to your Loci's rhythm until they stabilize."
Virion coiled lazily around us, adding, "And the rest? That'll depend on you, jie jie~ Your body, your Loci—your mission to connect them."
I nodded, hoping it wouldn't be that serious of a problem.
Zephyr ignored my expression and placed a hand on his own chest. "Watch closely. Inhale when the pulse peaks—" His breath drew in smoothly, timed to some internal rhythm. "—and exhale as it fades. Match it. But don't be forceful, try to resonate with them."
I mirrored his posture, wincing as the bandages pulled.
Then, closing my eyes again, I reached for that double pulse inside me.
Following his instructions, I focused first on the brighter pulse in my chest.
Its rhythm came easily—a steady, vibrant beat like a drum calling me forward. I let my breathing fall into sync with it, inhaling as it swelled and exhaling as it ebbed away.
At first, the connection felt fragile, like trying to match footsteps with someone just out of reach. But slowly, something shifted.
My aura began to respond, weaving itself into the pulse's rhythm until the two blurred together. The sensation was strange—like a knot loosening inside me, an anchor finally settling into place.
I didn't need Zephyr to confirm it. I could feel it—the first Locus humming contentedly, its energy no longer erratic but flowing in a smooth, controlled cycle.
Now for the harder one.
The second pulse near my spine was different.
Where the first had been eager to sync, this one resisted, its rhythm uneven and harder to grasp. It didn't help that my focus was already strained from stabilizing the first.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to slow down.
Be gentle, don't force it...
Little by little, I adjusted my breathing to match its tougher, slower cadence. It was like trying to coax a wary animal—too much pressure, and it would retreat entirely. But patience paid off. Gradually, the pulse steadied, its resistance softening as my aura gently wrapped around it.
The moment it stabilized, a deep click reverberated through me, as if some hidden mechanism had finally slotted into place.
I slowly opened my eyes—and immediately froze.
Zephyr and Virion were both staring at me with identical expressions of surprise.
"...What?" I asked warily.
Zephyr recovered first, his usual composure slipping back into place. "That was fast."
Virion's tail twitched. "Jie jie~ Faster than even you, little Zephyr!"
I blinked. "How fast are we talking?"
Zephyr studied me for a moment before answering. "Stabilizing one Locus typically takes hours. Two? Most need days." His gaze sharpened. "You did both in under thirty minutes."
A beat of silence passed as I processed that.
"Guess I'm some kind of genius then?" I chuckled proudly.
Virion let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Heh~ Brat, don't float up to the clouds just yet! You did well, but this isn't genius-level talent. I've seen Resonators awaken with fully formed aura wells—now those were geniuses, no, true monsters." His tail flicked dismissively. "Come back when you can stabilize both in a single minute."
I sighed, deflating slightly. "Yeah, yeah... I know. I was just being... urgh." I rubbed my neck awkwardly. "Alright, maybe I got a bit ahead of myself."
Truthfully, I had no doubt Zephyr could do it much faster now—maybe even in minutes—if this were his current self rather than his younger version. The guy was a monster when it came to aura control. But he's probably the hard-working type individual too.
Virion nodded approvingly. "Good, you recognize it. But don't look so down—speed isn't everything." His grin turned sharp. "Besides, the real challenge starts now. Stabilizing is one thing. Harmonizing them? That's where most dual-Loci Resonators struggle."
Zephyr crossed his arms, adding his own insights. "When I first did it, the dissonance between my Loci nearly tore my meridians apart."
His voice was matter-of-fact, as if discussing the weather rather than what sounded like excruciating pain. "You have to make them work together, not against each other. Like two poisons merging into one while preserving and balancing their effects perfectly."
I swallowed hard. That... didn't sound pleasant.
"And how do I do that?"
Zephyr's expression turned serious as he leaned forward. "This will be harder than stabilization. Your Loci might pulse at different rhythms—or even compete for dominance." He drew two overlapping circles in the air. "The goal is to find a middle pattern your body can naturally accept. A harmony between them."