Alan found himself sitting in a small lodge on the edge of the forest. 'Why…' he thought. 'Why is no one saying anything?!'
Lyra, who sat next to him, had her eyes glued to the cushions of the couch they were on. She seemed to be lost in thought and not at all suspicious of the man just opposite to her.
The two of them had been informed by Claire earlier that morning that she found a teacher for them, and that they'd start as soon as they could.
But Alan didn't expect to be abducted by a bored looking guy.
The man had lustrous black hair, and eyes that seemed to bore into one's own soul. His posture was upright and majestic, even in the warm surroundings of the lodge. He had crossed his legs and kept his arms on them.
While he was taller than the average man, he was also lean. The only skin that showed through his dark clothing was a peek of his neck, which even Alan could tell was strong. However, his pristine face was blank as it stared at the two of them.
Alan cleared his throat. "So… What are we waiting for?" Alan said slowly.
"Sorry. I was just… carried away." The man said. "Firstly, call me whatever you'd like. Claire has already told me a bit about you two, and I believe that you could make fine Conduits."
Alan couldn't get a couple of things. The teacher said that he was carried away, but he was clearly staring at them. Had he or Lyra looked like someone he knew?
Second, the air around him felt different. It felt distressed in a way.
Thirdly, though it was likely a coincidence but the birds ceased their morning songs as he spoke. Then again, if Claire, who was a resonator, asked him to teach the two of them, then he had to be well experienced and particularly strong. Perhaps he was a Resonator like Claire?
"Let me start with the basics of flux, though you probably know enough about it," the man continued. "Flux, in short, is the amount of energy passing through your body's surface area. And as you know, energy can neither be created, nor be destroyed."
He picked up a pencil and dropped it to the floor, gesturing to it, he continued, "as you saw, the pencil held potential energy, which was converted to kinetic energy, and once it hit the ground, it was converted into other forms of energy. But flux is not like that."
Alan tilted his head slightly. "If flux is energy, shouldn't it be converted from one form to another like the pencil?"
"Yes. In fact, it does, just not like the pencil does. Flux gets converted from one's soul."
"Our… soul?" Lyra muttered. "Is it energy?"
"Yes. More specifically, only the soul of a person who has conviction or determination can convert their soul energy into flux. Put simply, flux is a gift that the weak-willed will never get access to."
Alan made a face. "So, only those who have conviction can undergo the Reflection as a requirement? So what if a Conduit loses his conviction and becomes weak-willed? Will he lose his powers?"
"Yes, and it has happened to many. And on the topic of the Reflection, do you two know what it is?"
"It's a trial where your mind conjures up a test to see if you are worthy of being a conduit or not, right?" Alan said, massaging his chest lightly.
"That is somewhat right, but there are a few gaps. See, there is something called the Mindspace that every Conduit has. It is literally the amalgamation of your mind and your nature. The mindspace tries to awaken, which causes the Reflection."
He took a deep breath. "The person who knows you best is none other than yourself," he continued, "more specifically, your mind, and therefore, the trial a person goes under will be something they don't want to do," the man twirled the pencil between his fingers.
"So… for example, an ambitious person would have to be under the command of someone?" Alan asked, taking something down in his notes.
"Maybe. But knowing Reflections, that ambitious person would be under a prideful leader who wants everything done his way. And in order to pass the Reflection, one must get a certain outcome. What that outcome is depends on the person. Either way, it serves to mold the person into a strong-willed warrior."
"And when the Reflection is over, they get abilities, right?" Lyra said, leaning back.
"That's correct. And about the abilities conduits get… Well, it entirely depends on the type of person the conduit is. The mindspace will grant a person an ability that reflects their own internal state."
Lyra perked up. "I heard a theory that emotion causes a person's flux to change slightly. Is it true?"
The man hummed. "Let me ask you. If you were extremely angry, and a fly started buzzing around you, wouldn't you swat at it?" Seeing Lyra nod, he continued, "And if you did swat at it, wouldn't you use more force than required, since you're already angry?"
"Yeah…?"
"That's what that theory is trying to convey. There is no difference in how flux works, but a person's mentality changes how they view it. A calm person will make rational decisions, while a relaxed person might underestimate their foes. All of it has to do with you."
Alan raised his hand excitedly. "I read somewhere that you could store weapons and such in a special place only Conduits had access to, which sounds like the mindspace. Is it true?"
The man blinked for a moment, but continued. "Yes… Yes, it is."
Lyra hesitated for a moment, but asked slowly. "And what if you fail the Reflection…?"
The question hung in the air for a moment, but the man answered, "You either die and become braindead, or you hide and wait until seven real world days are over. If you wait, then you can never use flux."
Alan suddenly felt a strange, deep pain in his chest. Clutching it tightly, he gasped out, "What the hell?!" His eyes were wide open as he fell onto the floor.
Lyra rushed to his side, nearly screeching, "What the hell happened to him?!"
The man looked at Alan, his face betraying none of the shock he felt. "He seems to be close to undergoing his Reflection… But I sense no latent flux in him…"
"What does that mean?!"
The man did not answer. He kneeled by Alan, whose eyes were almost fully closed now. He leaned close to whisper into his ear, "Do not lose sight of who you are."