Seated at her desk, Mage Sachiko was preparing the lesson she would teach that afternoon. A clap of thunder startled her. Summer was drawing to a close, and thunderstorms had become quite frequent.
She tried to regain her concentration. The lesson she was preparing was particularly demanding, and she knew her students would struggle to follow the instructions. Learning to withstand brutal interrogations, which could include physical torture, required the ability to separate the mind from bodily sensations until pain could no longer be felt. It was a difficult practice that demanded commitment and extensive training.
A firm knock made her turn toward the door.
“Come in. It’s open,” she said, rising from her desk.
The door opened, and Atsushi, Mage Zaio’s young aide, appeared on the threshold.
The boy bowed briefly. “Mage Sachiko, Mage Zaio would like to speak with you. He is waiting in his study.”
Sachiko nodded. “Tell him I’ll be right there.”
Atsushi bowed again and left the room, closing the door behind him.
The mage returned to her desk, gathered her notes, and left, wondering what the First Mage wanted. He rarely summoned her to his study.
When she reached his door, she hesitated for a moment before knocking twice.
She heard footsteps inside. A moment later, Zaio opened the door and invited her in. He returned to his seat at the desk and indicated the chair opposite him.
“Mage Sachiko, thank you for coming.” He rested his hands on the desk. “I sent for you because I have some doubts.”
The mage leaned back in her chair. “About what?”
Another clap of thunder rattled the windowpanes. Zaio glanced toward the window, then turned his attention back to her.
“I was thinking about the lessons on resisting interrogation. Three Eras have passed since the last war, and I wonder whether this training is still necessary.”
Sachiko had not expected such a remark. She leaned forward and looked directly at the First Mage, letting out a sigh before answering.
“Mage Zaio, I know very well that we have been at peace for three Eras, but learning to defend oneself is still important. Even without war, dangers can lurk anywhere in the kingdom. A mage on a mission could fall into the hands of a noble intent on forcing information out of them.”
She paused briefly, lowering her gaze. When she looked back at Zaio, she continued. “Besides, they are still young. We cannot know what the future holds for them. I believe it is better to prepare them to face difficult situations, in the hope that they will never have to put what they have learned into practice.”
Zaio listened carefully, considering her words. At last, he nodded.
“You’re right. Better to have knowledge we will never need than to find ourselves unprepared when the need arises.”
He leaned back in his armchair.
“Continue with the lessons.”
Sachiko made her way down to the first floor, thinking about the lesson she was about to teach. The students’ chatter caught her attention as she reached the classroom. She entered to find them laughing and joking. As soon as they saw her, they fell silent and bowed respectfully.
“Sit in a circle,” Mage Sachiko said. “Today, I will introduce you to a particularly difficult technique.”
She settled in the center of the circle and let her gaze travel over the students’ attentive faces.
“I will teach you to separate your mind from bodily sensations, an essential ability for withstanding interrogations that may include physical torture.”
The students exchanged alarmed glances. The mage noticed and smiled.
“I sincerely hope you will never need these teachings, but it is important that you know them.” She paused briefly. “To stop feeling physical pain, you must learn to hide your essence inside a room created in your mind.”
She stood and began walking among the students.
“Close your eyes and relax your muscles, one at a time. Try to clear your mind of every thought. Imagine a white circle and focus on it, allowing everything around you to fade slowly away. When you are ready, try to visualize a room. Go inside and close the door behind you.”
Sachiko stopped and waited for the students to enter a meditative state. She approached a boy and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He did not react.
She continued among the students until she reached Atsuko, whose eyes were still open.
“I can’t do it, Mage Sachiko. As soon as I close my eyes, I start thinking about something else entirely.”
The mage sat cross-legged in front of her. She cared deeply for the girl. Ten years earlier, Atsuko had lost her parents and been left an orphan. Sachiko had suffered the same misfortune. Perhaps that was why, without realizing it, she had grown so fond of her.
She gently took her hands.
“Follow my instructions. Close your eyes and imagine a staircase leading down into darkness. Can you see it?”
“Yes, a white staircase. Everything around it is completely dark,” Atsuko replied in wonder.
“Good. Keep going down. At the bottom, you will find a landing with several doors.”
“Yes, I see them,” Atsuko confirmed. “There are three. Which one should I open?”
“Choose whichever you like. It will be your inner refuge.”
Atsuko approached one of the doors and placed her hand on the handle. She stood motionless, holding her breath, then flung it open.
She crossed the threshold and closed the door behind her. The room’s walls were entirely white, and an armchair of the same color stood against the far wall.
She settled into it and felt her heartbeat slow. She could no longer sense anything happening outside.
Sachiko had followed the girl’s progress through her magic. Atsuko had found the room with surprising ease. She had needed only a little guidance to reach a state of complete isolation.
The mage reached out and lightly pinched her cheek. Atsuko did not react.
Sachiko clapped her hands loudly, and the students emerged from their trances at the same time.
All except Atsuko.
The girl was still shut inside her room.
The mage approached and gently shook her. “Atsuko, you can come out of your room.”
There was no response. The girl was so completely isolated that she could not even hear Sachiko’s voice.
Sachiko rested a hand on her head and let her magic flow, entering Atsuko’s mind through the connection she had established with her. She reached the white staircase and descended to the landing. She located the door Atsuko had chosen and passed through it.
She found her fast asleep in the armchair, immersed in absolute peace.
She approached and gently shook her awake.
“Atsuko, you can come out now. The lesson is over.”
She took her hand and led her out of the room.
When Atsuko opened her eyes, she found herself back in the classroom. She looked around, disoriented.
“What happened?” she asked in disbelief.
“You found the secret room within yourself,” Sachiko replied, still surprised by how easily the girl had reached that state. “Now you must learn to maintain contact with the outside world, hearing voices and sensing what happens around you without breaking that isolation. Otherwise, you risk becoming trapped in your own mind. Today, I was able to bring you out of the room because I had maintained the magical connection established during the exercise, but if you were alone, you might not be able to get out.”
The mage turned to the other students.
“I saw that you all worked hard. Some of you managed to isolate yourselves quite well, even without finding your room.” Her gaze traveled over their faces. “Do not worry if you have not succeeded yet. Some reach this state more quickly, like Atsuko, while others need more practice. I promise that, in time, all of you will find your inner refuge.”
Once the lesson was over, the students began leaving the classroom. Sachiko stopped Atsuko before she reached the door.
“You truly surprised me, Atsuko. I guided you only at the beginning, but you managed to find the room on your own.”
She briefly lowered her gaze, then looked back at the girl.
“Come to my study. I would like to explore this technique further with you. You are already ahead of the others.”
Over the following days, Atsuko continued attending lessons with the other students, supplementing them with private instruction from Sachiko. Through constant practice, she refined the technique, learning to reach the secret room in her mind quickly without entirely losing contact with the outside world.
She could now hear voices and sense what was happening around her while maintaining the necessary detachment from bodily sensations.
Atsuko had approached every lesson with great dedication, convinced she would never need to put those teachings into practice.
She could not imagine how wrong she was. One day, that room hidden within her mind would truly protect her.