Xavier awoke, heavily breathing from a nightmare, but after taking a look around, eventually realized, that it was no nightmare. The place Xavier resided in looked like a dojo of some sorts, with bed-like mattings in the center where he slept.

  Once outside the building, Xavier gazed upon his surroundings; daylight slowly settling into his eyes.

  After seeing a few more ancient Chinese buildings, Xavier’s survey of the area was disrupted by a voice. “Ah, you’re awake,” said the old man, sitting on the steps leading towards the entrance.

  “Where, are we?” Xavier asked.

  “That’s not you for you to be concerned. Right now, we have to get started on your training. Here, wear these,” the old man said, as he stood in order to give Xavier some old monk’s robes that he carried with him.

  “You know, if you’re going kidnap me; it wouldn’t kill you to share your name. You know mine after all,” said Xavier.

  “My name’s Nathan kid, and for the next few months, I’m going to teach you how to become woke,” Nathan replied.

  “I had strange dreams about particles randomly separating, I wake up to a scene from the past and now you’re talking about being woke? And weren’t they two of you? What happened to the other guy?” Xavier asked with an air confusion and slight agitation.

  “Oh, him, he’s going to sit this one out; I’m the one who normally handles things like this. As for the woke part, you’re going to be thrilled to find out. Hurry now: the sooner you get dressed, the sooner we start.” Nathan said, as he sat on the steps in wait.

  Xavier got dressed; wasting no time, they got to the first part of training.

  “What now?” Xavier asked, as the two now stood in a peaceful location close by a pond.

  “You, my friend; are going to start with deep meditations, sounds fun?” said Nathan.

  “Okay? Am I supposed to sit here and just, close my eyes?” Xavier asked.

  “That’s just about it. Now it can get difficult and of course, very boring, so, I’d suggest you focus on your breathing first,” Nathan said, carrying a smirk across his face.

  Xavier got down to a familiar position that he’d often see in movies and began to breathe.

  A few hours passed, and Xavier eventually grew tired of it, “How much longer?” he asked.

  “The entire day,” Nathan answered.

  “What! The entire day! What about food?” Xavier worriedly asks.

  “The reason why, I’m teaching you meditation; is so as to help you achieve, a deeper level of concentration. All distractions aside, food included. You’ll have some water instead!” Nathan answered.

  “That sucks man! What about a break?” worried, Xavier asks.

  “Sure, you can have a break. Enjoy the scenery, connect with nature, and come back more focused. Remember: focus, is, key,” answered Nathan. Xavier left, and began to walk around for a bit.

  After enjoying some scenery, Xavier realized that he had gotten far enough to make run for it, and run he did. After getting as far as he could, Xavier looked behind in satisfaction, but as soon as he turned around; bumped right into Nathan.

  “How did you?” Xavier looked back again, confused. “I thought I left you back there!”

  “There’s a lot about this world you don’t quite understand kid, so I suggest you get back to training. Only then, would you be able to understand,” said Nathan.

  Still in a confused state of awe, Xavier reluctantly made his way back, with Nathan following close behind.

  As the two got back, Xavier tried to wrap his head around what had happened, but it made no sense to him. The next few days were just the same, meditation, after meditation; until the day came for Nathan to make things more interesting.

  Nathan took Xavier down to a stream that flowed into a small lake, on the lake was a round wooden board that floated on the water; the board was capable of sustaining the weight of anyone who sat on it, but at the cost of being very unstable.

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  “Your job today is to meditate on that board, whilst trying not to fall into that lake. The water is, quite cold; so, please try your best,” Nathan said, carrying a smirk on his face.

  It took quite a few tries before Xavier got the hang of it, after that, Nathan gave him much more difficult variations of the same exercise. Days passed, and Xavier was capable of going in and out of meditations with ease. Eventually, the time came for Nathan to shake things up, and give Xavier something more challenging.

  The two ventured close to a mountain underneath a scorching sun; as they arrived, two buckets filled with water were present at the bottom.

  “I have to admit: these past few months, have really sharpened your focus, but now; it’s time to put that focus to more, practical use,” Nathan said, and proceeded to sit down on a rock.

  “I have before me, two buckets filled with water. You are to carry both; each, on one hand and carry them at ninety-degree angles. Your objective, carry them all the way to the top of that mountain,” Nathan explained.

  Xavier tried to pick up the buckets, but could barely lift any; even with both hands.

  Feeling defeated, Xavier said, “How the hell am I supposed to get these two buckets up that mountain if I can barely lift any?”

  “Now, now; you’re too busy thinking about your own limitations, instead of the task at hand. Seems as though you forgot, you haven’t had any to eat for these past few months.” Xavier began to think about it.

  “Use that focus kid and focus on the task at hand. Don’t think about what you can and can’t do. Just, do,” Nathan said, uttering words of encouragement.

  As Xavier continued to think about it, he began to realize the truth in what Nathan spoke; until now, he never even had the thought of eating. What was to make his recent endeavors any different from the one he faced now? He’d already done the impossible, and what was to stop him from doing it once again?

  Xavier picked up the buckets, and with one goal in mind, trudged on; buckets full of water, carried at ninety-degree angles, and not a single drop spilled, all the way to the top.

  At night time, Xavier lay awake; in constant thought about what he did earlier that day. It was as though, the weight of the two buckets had ceased to exist. He kept trying to wrap his head around how that was conceivably possible, especially having gone without food for so long.

  Was he even alive? Had he been trapped inside of a dream somehow? Xavier’s mind continued to wander, until the roof began to collapse; all of a sudden, clouds of gas and dust began tearing it apart, revealing a mysterious, yet familiar figure, and Xavier watched in awe, “Whoa! who- who are you? How did you even, get here?” Xavier asks.

  “I, am Buddha. A fair warning to you, young Xavier. The man you are with should not be trusted, after your training here; he shall take you to a place, a space between space. If there exists, a book of any kind; you are not, under any circumstance, to read the contents of that book, or else, the unthinkable will happen,” the buddha explained, and slowly began to fade away from his decent upon Xavier.

  “Wait, why? What’s wrong with him? What’s all this talk about a book? Wait, why are you leaving! Don’t go away! please, don’t go,” Xavier’s vision got hazy, and eventually woke up before he could get any answers.

  Upon waking from his slumber, Xavier began to take a look around; breathing heavily in an attempt to catch his breath. Xaver surveyed his environment in confusion, as he began seeing what he understood as a Droste effect; an effect, with infinite versions of himself, all looking into the same directions at once.

  Xavier then felt a sharp, stinging sensation in his eyes, followed by an intense burn. After he recovered from it, Xavier removed his hands from his eyes and his eyes had finally come alive.

  His pupils, alongside his iris; became pitch black and an eternal blue flame engulfed it. The flame seemed undying, as though, it could never be put out. Xavier got up, and slowly trudged towards the outside of the building.

  Once outside, Xavier slowly took a look around; as everything began to feel, different. Xavier could see vast distances, each and every atom within and all around him, could be felt as though it were the air surrounding him.

  Taking in a deep breath: Xavier began to feel the gentle growl of the Earth’s core beneath his feet, all living things that graced the earth regardless of location, he felt; he felt their pain, their joys, their hunger, strife, suffering, death, birth, rebirth.

  In that present moment: Xavier’s senses began to span the existing universe itself, from different planets, solar systems, galaxies; stretching out, to entire universes birthing.

  Xavier, had finally became, woke. Nathan looked at him and noticed something different, this was not the same Xavier he knew yesterday. Xavier, had truly awakened; the eyes, of infinity.

  “There you are,” said Nathan, interrupting his focus. Xavier stopped and looked at him, his eyes seemed to pierce through Nathan’s soul.

  “Looks as though you’ve awakened the power of your eyes, that’s good,” Nathan spoke hesitantly, overwhelmed by Xavier's presence.

  Nathan could tell by the look in his eyes, that Xavier indeed, had awakened the eyes of infinity, but to what extent was the question on his mind and he was prepared to find out.

  “Well, with that look in your eyes, I’ve got another task for you. Remember that mountain you climbed on with the buckets the other day? Yeah, I want you to destroy it,” Nathan said.

  The distance between Xavier and the mountain was quite great, but in his current state, that mattered little. In a flash Xavier was gone, the earth rumbled and tremors were felt, as the entire mountain came crashing down; this, was the power, of the eyes, of infinity.

  Xavier approached, levitating from the sky; blocking the glare of the sun as he slowly descended upon Nathan, his silhouette, being the only thing visible. Nathan took this as his sign to act fast; fast, before Xavier became too powerful.

  “Would you look at that, you’ve gotten really strong. I guess it’s about time I took you to a place of mine. A council, a council full of other people like you and I, people who are also woke. My task was to find the one in possession of the eyes of infinity, and bring him back to the council,” Nathan Explained.

  “Sounds good to me,” Xavier replied. Nathan took his right hand, and ripped a portal through the fabric of space; through it, lay the council of the enlightened.