Chapter 16: Lian’s Secret Leaked?!
The campsite was cloaked in a tense silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of the wind weaving through the trees.
Everyone was in their tents, resting, save for Mage Patrick, who stood watch over the group, ever vigilant. He would alert them at the first sign of danger.
"What the hell!" Lian jolted awake, his head throbbing as if struck by a hammer. His ankle pulsed faintly, a reminder of where he was and the ordeal he’d endured.
"That was... strange," he muttered, frowning as he rubbed his temples. He’d dreamt of bizarre geometric symbols, fantastical shapes swirling in his mind, but now... they were gone, slipped away like smoke.
"Mh..." He closed his eyes, trying to summon even a single image, but nothing came. Minutes passed, and his efforts yielded only frustration.
"Well, no point dwelling on it," he said, sitting up on his cot. Only an hour had passed since they’d set up camp.
"Patrick hasn’t roused us, so I guess no monsters are coming... for now."
"Good. I feel rested enough. Time to train." With a determined nod, he crossed his legs into the lotus position.
"Geometric Meditation."
A line appeared in his mind. By now, Lian was familiar with the process, almost instinctive in its execution, like a painter brushing strokes across a canvas of thought.
"Hm, it’s tough, but not as bad as last time..." he thought.