Premonitions of Fusion

On the platform at dawn, the wind was drier than it had been in recent days. After finishing his breathing exercises, Lin Chen stood at the edge and adjusted his breathing. He noticed that the wind changed direction faster than before. After blowing straight at him for about a minute, it shifted to the side, as if a more active current of air were passing over the platform. His body had already naturally adjusted its center of gravity when the wind changed direction, and only after he had steadied himself did he realize that he had noticed the change after the wind had already turned.

Son Gohan walked over from the other end of the platform and stopped beside him. After a moment of silence, he said, "When you stand here, the things inside your body are slowly fusing. You are not doing it deliberately. By standing here, they are adapting on their own."

Lin Chen did not answer immediately. He merely stood there, feeling the wind pass along both sides of his body. Son Gohan continued, "The things inside you are like different streams converging. They come from different places, but as long as they flow in the same direction, they can become one river. By standing here now, you are letting them find the same direction." He turned and walked back. "Starting tomorrow, you can train with that stone. Just keep it by your side. You do not need to take it out."

After the morning training ended, Lin Chen returned to his quarters, opened the wooden box, and placed the stone fragment in the pocket of his outer robe. The fragment was slightly warmer than it had been in recent days, and he could feel a steady warmth through the fabric. He reached out and touched its