The next day, Min-ah took me to a smaller, less crowded park, tucked between tall buildings. It was a quiet place, with a few leafy trees and a small pond. "Here we can practice without attracting too much attention," she explained.
We started with the basics. Min-ah asked me to focus on a small metallic pebble she had brought. "Try picking it up," she told me. "Just that. Feel the connection, the vibration."
I closed my eyes and did what he had taught me. I focused on the pebble, imagining its shape, its weight. I extended my will toward it, trying to feel that familiar throb in my fingers. After a few seconds of intense concentration, I felt a slight vibration, and the pebble trembled slightly in the palm of my hand.
"Okay," Min-ah said, her voice soft but encouraging. "Now, try lifting it a little higher. Slowly."
I opened my eyes and saw the pebble floating just a centimeter above my hand. It was progress, but I was still struggling to keep it steady. It was trembling slightly, as if it were about to fall.
We spent the next hour practicing with the pebble. Min-ah gave me different exercises, asking me to move it in circles, make it go up and down, and keep it suspended in the air for longer periods of time. It was frustrating. Sometimes I felt like I had it under control, and the next second, I'd drop it again.
"Don't get discouraged," Min-ah told me, noticing my frustration. "This takes practice. It's like learning to control a new muscle. It's clumsy at first, but over time it gets easier."
She showed me some examples of what she could do with the wind. She created small gusts that lifted leaves from the ground and made them dance in the air. She formed an invisible shield that seemed to deflect branches falling from a tree. Her control was astonishing, precise, and seemingly effortless.
"Your connection to metal is different from my control over wind," he explained. "Metal is more... dense, more tangible. But that also means you can do things I can't, like manipulate heavy objects or create solid defenses."
He told me there were Marked with very diverse abilities. Some could control fire, others water, earth, even electricity. Each ability had its own strengths and weaknesses.
"The most important thing is to learn your limits and find the best way to use your power," Min-ah told me. "And also to learn not to draw too much attention to yourself. The world doesn't understand what we are, Ryu Hyuk. They fear us."
He told me some stories about other Marked who had been discovered and hunted by secret organizations. He told me we had to be careful, that we couldn't trust anyone too easily.
While we practiced, Min-ah also taught me some basic self-defense techniques, simple moves that could help me if I were to confront a Trouble up close. "You won't always have time to use your powers," she explained. "Sometimes, you'll have to defend yourself with your bare hands."
By the end of the afternoon, I was exhausted, but I felt like I'd made progress. I was still struggling to fully control the pebble, but at least now I could keep it suspended in the air for a few seconds without it shaking too much.
"We'll continue practicing tomorrow," Min-ah told me, smiling slightly. "You have potential, Ryu Hyuk. You just need time and dedication."
As I said goodbye to her and headed home, I felt a little more optimistic. I wasn't alone anymore. I had someone who understood me, someone who could help me learn to control this strange power I'd awakened within me. But Min-ah's warning about the dangers that lay ahead kept echoing in my mind. This was just the beginning of my journey, and I knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy.
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