The Sanctum of Origins was utterly silent despite the number of people present.
Everyone was processing waves of shock, but the murmurs and chatter had ceased the moment they entered this sacred place.
The Starhaven family could be considered a religious body, worshiping higher ranked spirits as though they were gods. Although internal strife existed within the family, as it did with any large group, when it came to spirits, they were united.
The gathered members fixed their piercing gazes on the apex of humanity as though he were an alien. The fact that a paragon was personally teaching him only added to their disbelief.
Seraphina crossed her arms, looking down at Atticus, who sat cross legged on the floor. He gazed around, admiring the space. She waited for him to settle before speaking.
"Listen carefully, sweetie. Training your spirit element isn't like training mana. Spiritual energy is different. It's not raw or neutral. It's subtle, but it's what connects you to the spirit world. Without it, you can't interact with the spirits, let alone use their power."
Atticus snapped out of his thoughts, glancing up at her, pondering her words.
"So, the more spiritual energy I have, the more powerful the spirit I bond with?"
Seraphina shook her head. "Not exactly. The spirit you bond with doesn't depend on the amount of spiritual energy you have. Spirits are powerful, independent beings. You don't control them, and you don't choose them, they choose you. What your spiritual energy does is determine how much of their power you can use. Think of it like a bridge. The stronger your spiritual energy, the stronger the bridge. And the stronger the bridge, the more of their abilities you can handle without breaking."
"Okay," Atticus said slowly. He had to admit, he was enjoying the lesson. It seemed Seraphina had a natural talent for teaching. However, something still bugged him. "But how do I get more spiritual energy?"
He could see the energy in the air; the answer seemed obvious. However, that wasn't what he was asking. Just like with mana, spiritual energy was everywhere. But with mana, he absorbed it into his mana core. So, where would spiritual energy go?
Seraphina gave a faint smile. "Good question. Just like with mana, spiritual energy gathers in a place inside you. It's like a well in your mind. It's not something you can see, but you can feel it if you try. The first step is finding it. You do that by meditating, feeling the spiritual energy in the air and absorbing it into your body. The rest should come instinctively."
Atticus frowned. It sounded simpler than he expected.
'I better not jinx it,' he thought.
Seraphina chuckled, seeing the look on his face. "It's harder than it sounds," she said. Not wanting to waste more time, she continued, "Close your eyes, block out everything else, and focus. You're not trying to control anything, just search for that stillness inside you. When you find it, you'll feel the well. It might feel like warmth or a soft pull. Once you find it, you can start drawing energy from the world around you. It's in the air, the ground, even the light. Let it flow into the well. The more you do this, the more your well will expand."
"And then what?" Atticus asked. "I just keep doing that until a spirit shows up?"
"Pretty much," Seraphina said with a shrug. "To form a bond, you'll need to do this for as long as it takes. Sometimes it takes days, maybe even weeks. Spirits don't come to just anyone, and they're not in a hurry. They'll only choose you if they see something they like. It could be strength, or even just your potential. You can't force it, and you can't rush it. All you can do is grow your spiritual energy and wait."
"And if no spirit chooses me?"
"Then there's no helping it. This isn't your path," she said bluntly. "But you're not going to fail. The fact that you're here means you've already got something they're interested in. Focus on the process. Meditate, grow your energy, and let the rest happen when it's supposed to. The spirits respect patience, and they respect effort. Show them you're serious."
"I see…"
Seraphina smiled. "I'll give you a little motivational boost. Although it takes days or even weeks for others, my Zoey was able to achieve this in a day."
Atticus frowned as he noticed the smug smile on Seraphina's face.
'Is she trying to stir up some kind of competitive spirit?' he thought, almost chuckling to himself.
Giving Seraphina a knowing nod, Atticus took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He cleared his mind, entering a state of absolute concentration. In the vast purple world he envisioned, it was only him, nothing else mattered. He ignored the piercing gaze of Celestial and the important figures of the Starhaven family.
'Not yet.'
As the minutes passed, Atticus realized that while he could see the energy, he couldn't quite control it yet.
Regardless, he could feel something within him subtly growing. He couldn't completely explain it, but it reminded him of his experience with the space element. When he had first entered the space elemental room, he'd felt the same sensation.
The higher the exposure, the faster he would awaken his spirit element. And considering how dense the spirit energy in the air was here, it was only a matter of time.
Atticus's emotions remained calm and peaceful, but the emotions of those watching him were anything but.
The gathered Starhaven members felt as though everything they believed about their bloodline was being shattered before their eyes.
Celestial's gaze trembled, her hands clenched so tightly that the air around her seemed to vibrate. She didn't know how to feel.
As Atticus meditated, his spirit energy continued to increase, at an even more alarming rate than when they were outside. None of them could explain what was happening, and that uncertainty only made it more terrifying.
Time stretched, minutes turning into an hour. And when that hour was about to become two, everything changed.