Finding the Pulse

The dojo became Mina’s second home. Days turned into weeks as she and the orb attended Jiro’s lessons, their initial awkwardness slowly giving way to understanding.

Jiro’s first goal was to help them find their shared rhythm. “Every relationship has a pulse,” Jiro said during one lesson, sitting cross-legged on the smooth wooden floor. “It’s the heartbeat of your connection. Without it, you’re just two separate entities, clashing or colliding.”

Mina sat opposite the orb, her legs folded beneath her. She rested her hands on her knees and focused, feeling the steady rhythm of her breath. The orb hovered, its glow faint but constant.

“Close your eyes,” Jiro instructed. “Listen—not with your ears, but with your awareness. Find where your energies meet.”

Mina exhaled deeply, her mind quieting. At first, all she could feel was her own restlessness—the ache in her legs, the hum of insects outside. But then, faint and tentative, she sensed something else: the orb’s presence. It felt like a soft, warm current, reaching toward her.

She smiled, surprised by its gentleness. “I feel it,” she whispered.

The orb pulsed faintly, its light synchronizing with Mina’s breath.

Jiro nodded, watching intently. “That is the beginning. Keep finding it, every day. Like the rhythm of your own heart, it will guide you.”