Castian, still sore from the training sessions of the day, was sitting on a log beside the cabin, gazing at the horizon. The stillness around him starkly contrasted with the turmoil of thoughts in his mind. The Celestial Pearl continued to weigh heavily in his pocket, a constant reminder of the burden he carried.
Master Xun appeared silently behind him, like a shadow moving without sound. With a calm motion, he sat next to Castian, holding a small steaming bowl of tea. Xun looked at the young man for a moment before speaking.
“Your thoughts are disturbed, like a storm about to break,” he said, offering the bowl to Castian.
Castian accepted the tea but did not drink immediately. He continued to stare at the horizon, his words coming slowly from his lips.
“I can’t stop thinking about what I’ve lost... what was taken from me. My village, my family... everything was destroyed. And now, I carry this thing with me,” he touched the pocket where the Pearl rested, “as if it’s both a curse and a responsibility.”
Xun remained silent, allowing Castian to express his thoughts. After a long moment, he finally spoke.
“The pain of loss is a powerful force, Castian. It can guide you or destroy you, depending on how you use it.”
Castian turned to him, his expression laden with frustration and pain.
“How should I use it? Every time I think about what happened, I feel anger. I want those who caused this to pay for what they did.”
Xun tilted his head slightly, as though pondering the young man’s response.
“Revenge is a tempting path, full of promises of relief from your pain. But let me ask you: Do you believe that vengeance will bring peace to your heart?”
The question made Castian fall silent. He looked at the ground, gripping the tea bowl in his hands.
“I don’t know... maybe not. But what else can I do? Stay here and pretend everything is fine? That feels wrong.”
Xun let out a deep sigh and looked up at the darkening sky.
“I will tell you a story, Castian. Something that might offer you clarity.”
Castian raised his eyes to him, intrigued, as the master began to speak.
“Many years ago, I was a warrior, just as you are becoming now. I didn’t carry a Pearl, but I carried something equally heavy: an insatiable thirst for victory. I fought in wars, believing that strength was the answer to all problems. And for a time, I was feared, respected, even revered by those around me.”
Castian did not interrupt, absorbing each word.
“But war brings consequences,” Xun continued, his voice taking on a somber tone. “I lost comrades, saw villages destroyed, families torn apart. And, in the end, I realized that no matter how many enemies I defeated, I never felt true satisfaction. There was always another enemy, another battle. Until one day, I fought against a man whose strength rivaled mine. He wasn’t just strong; he was wise. He fought with balance, without anger or hatred. And, in the end, it was he who defeated me.”
Xun paused, as though reliving the moment in his mind.
“When I was lying on the ground, awaiting the final blow, he did something that changed my life. He lowered his weapon and said, ‘You are not my enemy. It is your own heart that fights against you.’ Those words haunted me for years, but eventually, I understood.”
Castian furrowed his brow, leaning forward.
“What did you understand?”
Xun looked directly at him, his gaze penetrating as always.
“That the true battle is not out there, but in here,” he pointed to Castian’s chest. “The balance I’ve sought ever since is not about avoiding conflict, but about finding peace within myself. When you fight only with anger, you are giving control of your life to it.”
Castian fell silent, letting Xun’s words echo in his mind.
“And you think I can find this balance?” he asked finally, with a hesitant voice.
Xun nodded.
“Anyone can, if they are willing to try. But balance is a choice. You can seek vengeance and follow the path of destruction, or you can seek balance and transform your pain into something greater. The choice is yours, Castian.”
The next morning, Castian awoke with Xun’s words still fresh in his mind. He left the cabin to find Kaelen training, his body moving with precision as he practiced sword strikes. Castian watched for a moment before approaching.
“Do you think Master Xun is right?” he asked, interrupting Kaelen.
Kaelen lowered his sword, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his forearm.
“About balance? Yes, I think he’s right. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
Castian shook his head, still struggling to understand it all.
“I don’t know if I can just let go of what I feel.”
Kaelen shrugged.
“No one is asking you to stop feeling, Castian. Anger is natural. What matters is what you do with it. You can use it as fuel to move forward or let it consume you completely.”
The two stood in silence for a moment, the sound of the wind filling the space between them.
“You seem to understand this very well,” Castian said, crossing his arms.
Kaelen gave a small smile.
“I also had to learn the hard way. Before I met Master Xun, I was like you: full of anger, looking for someone to blame for everything that went wrong in my life. He helped me realize that revenge wouldn’t bring back what I lost.”
Castian looked at him, absorbing his words.
“And did you find peace?”
Kaelen sighed.
“Not completely. I think peace is something we have to seek every day. But I found purpose, and that’s enough.”
That night, Castian sat alone near the river that ran behind the cabin. He took the Pearl out of his pocket, holding it in the palm of his hand. The faint glow seemed almost comforting, as if the object were alive and trying to communicate with him.
“You chose me,” he whispered, looking at the Pearl. “But why? What do you want from me?”
Xun’s and Kaelen’s words echoed in his mind as he continued to gaze at the Pearl. He knew he had to make a decision. Seeking revenge against those who destroyed his village seemed just, almost necessary. But deep down, he also knew that it wouldn’t bring back the people he loved.
After a long moment, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“If I’m going to carry you, then I’ll do it my way,” he said, more to himself than to the Pearl. “I won’t be consumed by anger. I won’t become like those who took everything from me.”
When he opened his eyes again, the glow of the Pearl seemed different, almost as if it approved of his decision. Castian didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time, he felt that he had control over his own path.
He returned to the cabin, determined to follow Xun’s teachings. He knew the journey would be long and difficult, but with balance, perhaps he could find something worth it in the end.