3rd POV
Bruce's eyes fluttered open to the soft hum of fluorescent lights and the golden morning light creeping through the hospital window blinds. The scent of antiseptic mixed oddly with something… warmer—tea?
He turned his head slowly and saw Uncle sitting by the window, a thermos in one hand, calmly sipping. The man fashion hadn't changed much since yesterday: robes loose, expression unreadable, but eyes sharp as ever.
"Good morning, Uncle," Bruce greeted quietly.
Uncle didn't look up immediately. "Exactly! Morning already half wasted." He sipped from his cup again. "Jackie went running. Stretching legs, chasing wind. Good boy."
"Jackie runs this early?" Bruce asked, eyebrows raised.
Uncle finally turned to look at him. "Discipline is like tea. Bitter first, sweet later. Jackie understands this. You should too."
Bruce chuckled softly, rubbing his arms. The soreness from yesterday had dulled to a low hum, like an old ache fading in warm sunlight. He pushed the blanket off and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
His muscles didn't ache anymore. In fact, there was a lightness in his limbs that made him want to move. Standing slowly, he tested his balance—stable, solid—and then began to stretch.
At first it was simple: reaching up, touching his toes, rolling his shoulders. But then, as if guided by instinct—or memory buried in muscle—his movements deepened. His legs shifted into low stances, arms extended with precise, fluid control. Stretches turned into sequences of poses he'd only seen in kung fu films: smooth and oddly natural.
Uncle's gaze narrowed.
He set down his cup and stood.
"You stretch like a warrior rising from slumber," Uncle said.
Bruce paused, blinking and lied. "I… don't know how I know these moves. They just came to me."
"Aiyah! Not moves, they look foolish" Uncle commented
Bruce felt a sharp pain at his comment.
'It felt cool, maybe it's just looked good in my head?' he wondered
Uncle walked over slowly and said in a serious tone "I saw it. The shimmer. Chi—flowing beneath your skin."
With building excitement "Chi?" Bruce questioned
Uncle's face grew serious. "Sit. Now."
Sensing Uncle's serious tone he complied immediately, dropping into a lotus position on the bed.
Uncle paced slowly in front of him. "You are leaking chi without knowing. Like a cracked pot wasting precious tea. Strong chi… Very strong and Dangerous. That is why you recover so fast."
He blinked but asked with excitement. "Wait… you're saying I have superpowers?"
"Aiyah!" Uncle snapped. "Chi not superpower. It life. Breath. Soul's thread into world!"
He took a breath and visibly calmed. "You must learn. Before your strength turns to sickness. A 'chi fracture' is no joke. Feels like lightning exploding in your stomach."
"Yikes." Bruce rubbed his chest.
Just then, Jackie walked into the room, dressed in fresh clothes and holding a paper bag. "Smells like tea and philosophy in here. Uncle, let him take it easy for some time?"
"Jackie!!! He leaked chi," Uncle said, arms crossed.
Jackie winced. "Oof. That's bad!!!"
"Could lead to chi fracture," Uncle said. "Or worse. Internal rupture, Broken pathway or Exploding intestines."
"Not helping," Bruce muttered.
Jackie smiled gently and walked over. "Don't worry. Uncle's just dramatic, but he's right—if Chi leaked then it means you've got Powerful Chi, kid. Strong chi requires strong vessel which is the body and Strong vessel needs discipline."
Uncle nodded gravely. "Now you learn the path. The four stages of chi mastery."
Uncle too his tea cup while Jackie sat down cross-legged, setting a small paper between them with a pencil in hand and started writing.
"There are four stages. Each harder than the last. Each one… necessary." Uncle said when Jackie finished writing and he continued
"We are going to talk about the first step, which is called Chi Awakening, this is where the journey begins
You awaken chi through training, which is the case for most, but some awaken it naturally. It flows through your body like a hidden river. You cannot control it yet, only feel it, but it responds—to thought, to breath, to intention and actions.
The Awakened Chi's potential comes under the following three description
Weak Chi: Slow to respond and very fragile, but not hopeless. With effort and time, it can grow.
Balanced Chi: Steady and healthy. Most commonly found in students.
Strong Chi: Vibrant and Powerful. A gift that few are born with." Uncle finished
"Which one am I?" with excitement, Bruce asked
"Wild Chi" Uncle replied, but Bruce got confused and looked at Jackie, because he only said about three categories.
Jackie replied understandingly "Wild Chi is a special one and a rare potential. It's Chaotic and Dangerous. If not trained properly, it fractures and collapses and becomes worst that Weak Chi, what we call Broken Chi"
"So, Wild Chi can be a curse" Bruce asked while frowning
"It is a lightning trapped in a bottle" Jackie replied "Control it, Storm under your command. Ignore it…. It consumes you" Uncle added while sipping his tea
Bruce understood that it can be a curse or a blessing and it depends on the specific individual. 'I will definitely control it'
Uncle looked at him with piercing eyes. "Your potential is high. You may walk farther than both of us and reach great heights. But it will take Patience, Discipline and Time"
"I'm okay with that," Bruce said quietly.
'I've waited my whole life just to be alive. If I can walk this path… I'll walk it fully' were his thoughts
Uncle looked pleased. "Good. First Breakfast then training begin"
[Meditation and Discovery]
After breakfast, Uncle instructed Bruce on meditation and few breathing for techniques for Chi understanding. He showed him how to sit, how to breathe, and how to focus his awareness inward.
Jackie watched silently as Bruce began.
Unlike most beginners, he didn't fidget or lose focus. In fact, the room grew still around him, as if he and the Chi were slowly beginning to speak the same language.
Jackie slipped out and got lunch for the three of them, but was surprised by Bruce's progress because by noon, Bruce opened his eyes with a stunned look.
"I… I felt it." Uncle and Jackie exchanged surprised glances.
"It was like… golden mist under my skin. Moving so fast, pulsing strongly like a second heartbeat."
Uncle stood, expression unreadable. "Aiyah! You sensed your chi… before lunch."
Jackie let out a low whistle. "Prodigy."
Uncle came near Bruce and checked, making sure he was fine after his first interaction with Chi they sat together for lunch: noodles, steamed buns, and fried rice Jackie brought from a local Chinese café.
Bruce was buzzing with questions. "So… does chi change with emotion? What happens if someone's angry all the time? Can you influence someone else's chi? Is it possible to hide your chi completely?"
Uncle, calm and thoughtful, answered between bites.
"Chi tied to emotion, yes. Anger makes it surge. Fear makes it tremble. Calm brings clarity. But too much control? Blocked flow. Chi must move and control should never restrict flow."
"And yes—you can hide chi. Suppress it like flame under pot lid. But also risky. Builds pressure."
Jackie added, "And influencing others? Possible… but dangerous. That's high-level stuff. Some monks can calm people with touch. Some warriors can shake others' chi with a shout."
Bruce's eyes sparkled with excitement and hunger for more. "I want to learn it all. Not to show off—but because… this feels like the path I must walk to uncover my destiny."
Uncle's gaze softened just a little.
"You are lucky. Most born into world don't see their path. You've been given one. Walk with care."
Jackie raised his water bottle. "To new beginnings, huh?"
Bruce clinked his paper cup with it. "To the journey."
-----END-----
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