Hake said it might be fun to go to master Sheng's transcendental meditation class and that he had a Groupon for a class of four. Duncan was interested in trying anything to improve his concentration to think of new ways to improve the lot for buizels in battle. "Sure.", he said and he easily talked Tik into coming along.

"The idea behind TM", their teacher said, "is that your body is deeply relaxed and your mind is quiet, but you're wide awake. With this type of meditation, your active mind settles inward until you transcend or 'go beyond' to a state of pure consciousness. Once mastered one may attain "true enlightenment" where it is said one can physically float. Though this is seldom witnessed as anything breaking such deep concentration brings one back to earth. Things such as an unexpected noise or even a feeling that one is being watched can result in a trance break."

They all found it easier than expected thanks to Sheng's teaching method and the first four hours of a five hour session went by like ten minutes once they learned the first level technique and decided on the pose they found most comfortable which for Duncan was a half lotus and for Hake a full lotus position. However the last hour did not go so well. Duncan began to sense that he could see with his eyes closed, it was almost like he was peering into the remote and his projected consciousness was moving outside of his body to the front of the class. Then he turned around and he could see Hake and Shiro and then there was Sheng actually floating! He thought this must be his imagination as Duncan saw himself sitting, eyes closed on his pillow and Tik was in a deep meditation and appeared to be floating too which should not be, he has only had as much training as us and floating is an advanced technique. Regardless he was drifting under Sheng in a way that could be disastrous and Shiro was smirking as he does when he is up to something.

But is this all just a dream? Opening his eyes would confirm it but it would break the rules of class and likely break the concentration of the others from what the teacher said, just one little peek wouldn't hurt, just to confirm it is a dream. Just one eye, one peek, here goes, in 3, 2, 1...

A collaboration between  Hake-Feretto,  Psychonator17 and me of our monthly Patreon sketches from artist  Dirty-Bird
Hake and Shiro are characters of Hake-Feretto, our teacher Sheng is Psychonator's and then Duncan and Tik are my problem.