In the forest where life had begun to take root once more, a 9-meter-tall creature darted back and forth, chasing a translucent jinn through the trees.
One year and six months had passed since his birth. He had grown four meter taller, and his two bump-like green horns had become sharper, now pointing toward the sky like twin skewers.
Watching the scene with great delight, Kutbike finally called out, "Alright, playtime is over, Küntigin. Today, it's time to learn how to use your aura."
With a snort, Küntigin replied, "Just a little longer, Mom! I still haven't caught the jinn!"
Unlike Küntigin, the jinn's eyes lit up with joy at the mention of the end of playtime.
Jinn are normally invisible to the naked eye and exist in a different dimension.
Sometimes, they make pacts with other beings under specific conditions to cross into this realm — or, if powerful enough, they can travel freely between dimensions and occasionally wander this world.
Küntigin in kovaladığı cin de Baksı Kurgana nin anlaşma yaptığı bir cin.
Küntigine dalga geçer bir bakış attiktan sonra Aninda hızlanarak Baksı Kurgana nin yanına dönen cin anlaşmanın karşılığını aldi ve gözden kayboldu.
Küntigin oflaya puflaya isteksizce annesinin yanına döndü "anne, tam da yakalamıştım cini"
With a faint smile "Sure you were. But aren't you eager to see your father? Once you reach Altu-first level-you'll be able to see him."
He was still reluctant to let go of his playtime, but he dragged his feet back to his mother.
"Okay... but when will I be reach Altu? I wanna see Dad already!"
Kutbike gave him a calm smile and gestured gracefully toward Kurgana. "To become Altu, little one, you must first know what aura is and where it flows from. In this, Kurgana will guide you. Only then shall we begin your path."
Küntigin puffed his cheeks and frowned.
"Ugh… But what's to learn? I just have to breathe all fast and stuff, right?"
Kurgana's old eyes twinkled as she let out a raspy chuckle. "Ah, little lad... If it were that simple, all the trees in this forest would be Kutdoruk by now."
Kurgana shook her head slowly, a patient smile curling her aged lips. "Now, now... Do not let impatience cloud your spirit, little sun. You've grown enough for your Özek-soul core-to awaken where aura or mana, begins to stir."
She leaned closer, voice deepening with quiet gravity. "Tell me... Do you know why you cannot see your father yet?"
Küntigin looked up with a pout and nodded, eyes still wide with the innocence of youth.
"Yes. Mother told me. It's because he's too powerful. If I get near him now, without a strong enough foundation, his presence alone could... crush me."
She gently patted his head, her fingers like wind brushing through ancient leaves. "Although what your mother told you is true, it's not the whole truth, little one."
Her gaze deepened, as if peering through time itself. "Your father... he stands at the peak of what a mortal can be — no, perhaps even beyond. He reached Kutdoruk-9th level- a being so close to the divine. There are not more than a handful of beings across all realms who could call him a peer even amongst other Kutdoruks."
She lowered her hand and continued, her tone growing solemn. "And it's not only his overwhelming power that keeps him away. Your father doesn't just draw Kutöz — the essence of the world — from nature around him. He can absorb it from other beings as well, even from spirits and jinn. If you were near him now... your growth would wither before it even begins."
She looked into Küntigin's eyes, voice gentler now. "Do you understand, little sun? Even his presence is a burden this world struggles to carry."
His eyes lit up with wonder, and the image of his father grew a size larger in his young heart.
"Oh... are there more beings like my father? And what are the other levels? Oh! And when will I become strong like him? I hope it doesn't take this loooong again!"
Kurgana let out a soft, wistful chuckle — the kind that carried echoes of a distant past.
For a brief moment, silence wrapped around her like a weathered cloak. She stared into the firelight dancing on the cave walls, as if watching memories long buried in time.
Then, under Küntigin's eager gaze, she sighed — a deep, ancient sigh that carried weight more than sound — and finally spoke, voice like the rustling of an old, sacred scroll being unrolled.
"Hmm… where should I begin?" Kurgana murmured, tapping her chin with a wrinkled finger. Her gaze drifted upward as if seeking answers not from memory but from the sky.
"Firstly… when — or if — you reach Kutdoruk, not even your father could predict it. Perhaps you never will. Or perhaps… in five hundred years, you might. No one truly knows. That path is not walked by strength alone."
She took a long breath, then continued in a tone half-whisper, half-reverence.
"As for your second question… even I do not know how many have truly reached the peak. But I know of a few — through stories, records, whispers passed down like sacred ash.
There's Adaghan, the sacrifice acceptor or the guardian the guardian of balance between humankind and nature— said to slumber beneath the highest peak, his breath shaping the clouds.
Then Sazakan, the storm-breathing dragon who commands the skies with wrath and thunder.
Yelbegen, the seven-headed hidra said to have swallowed the moon itself.
The twin sea serpents, Abra and Yubta, who coil beneath the deepest waters and drag entire fleets to the abyss.
And Tulpar, the winged steed of Kuyaş, who gallops across the heavens with hooves of flame."
She paused, eyes narrowing slightly as if dredging one last name from the depths of her memory.
"And of course... there was Asena. The silver wolf. But last she was seen at the fight between her and Sazakan, she stood only at the Ogan- 8th level-still... among mortals, that alone shook the world."
Kurgana gently lowered herself onto a mossy stone, her voice calm, timeless, and full of wisdom. Küntigin sat in front of her, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Now listen closely, little sun… The road you walk is not just of strength, but of soul. There are nine levels—each a mountain steeper than the last."
1. Altu – The Spark (Green)
"Altu… It is your beginning. The moment your essence first touches the divine. Like a spark born from the flame of Kutöz. A child's first breath of power."
2. Közüg – The Ember (Red)
"Then comes Közüg. The ember within. The flame that begins to burn in your chest. Here, you first feel strength stir inside. Raw, restless, and hungry."
3. Gökben – The Sky Within (Blue)
"Next, Gökben. Your spirit looks up—toward the sky, toward Tengri. It is the first sacred awakening. You realize... you are part of something far greater."
4. Akım – The Rise (Yellow)
"When the power finds its direction towards sky, it becomes Akım. Your aura begins to flow beyond you—your will touches the world. You are no longer a vessel... but a current."
5. Dik – The Pillar (Magenta)
"Dik is where many fail. Here you must stand tall—unyielding, unmoving. It is not just strength... but resolve, purpose, and sacrifice.
Those with the Third Eye open pass easier... but none pass without pain."
6. Elez – The Pure (Cyan)
"When you know yourself, when your soul is clear and your heart in harmony with the world—you reach Elez. You become quiet... but your presence speaks loud."
7. Arın – The Cleanse (White)
"Ahh... Arın. A level not even I have attained... and perhaps never can.
Body and soul cleanse as one. You change, child. Your flesh reshapes, your aura purifies. You become... something new. Closer to the divine."
8. Ogan – The Tengri-Touched (Grey)
"At this stage, the kut within you shines bright, nearly divine. You are no longer just a bearer of life, but its guardian. You become one touched by the sky, chosen by fate, and trusted with purpose."
9. Kutdoruk – The Sacred Peak (Turquoise)
"Kutdoruk... The sacred summit. Few have seen it. Here, you become something beyond mortal. Your soul becomes eternal, yet... you still walk among the living. A demi-god, some would say.
But know this—immortality of the spirit does not mean freedom from decay. Time still finds even the brightest stars."
Kurgana paused, her eyes shimmering like moonlight reflected on still water.
"So, Küntigin... do not ask when you'll become like your father. Ask instead: what will you learn... before you try to rise?"
She cleared her throat and smiled mildly "Shall we begin, Küntigin? The first step toward the Sky... toward the Tengri..."