The hivemind is conquering for me?

”Depending on your specific ability. Going forward, there are going to be a few ways in which you are going to be taught how to improve your abilities. For those of you with more Physical Psionics. Physical training and sparring are going to help your body acclimatise to Psionic energy passing through it, passively making you more attune with Psionics, and therefore making you stronger.

A similar train of thought goes for those with more... Abstract Psionics. The stuff that is more flashy. In truth, using your Psionic energy just in practice will help you accumulate power passively. It is a fundamental part of your training. To be comfortable expelling everything you have in your Psionics training will help you in the long run.

However, the most important and the one you will be trained how to do no matter your Psionic type is Psionic meditation. I want everyone to now click the central button on the disk you have been given.”

Doing as Hailey instructed, I and everyone present clicked the centre of the disk we had been given and a small holoprojector Showed a non binary figure sat in a lotus position. Hailey then waited for a moment for everyone to complete the simple task before resuming.

”In front of you is the entire course of this year shrunk down and downloaded into that disk before you. If you tap the right side of your disk, you should be taken to the appropriate topic of Psionic meditation.”

Doing as she asked, I touched the right of the disk and a bunch of information about meditation came up. ’It even had a real shitty meditation technique? Though I suppose it is adequate for beginners... Barely.’

Hailey, of course, continued. ”Psionic meditation will be your staple in the Psionic side of your powers in growing stronger. But why is that? I am sure you find the prospect of sitting around on the floor for x amount of time trying to clear your mind sounds... Boring to say the least. And I won’t lie to you, at first it will be so tedious, but the benefits speak for themselves.

While meditating, not only do you draw Psionics to you like a moth to a flame, helping fill up those reserves if you have spent them all, you will also be able to enter another state of consciousness and actually enter your own Mindspace.”

A student then raised her hand and once called on asked. ”Enter your own Mindspace? Is that literal or metaphorical? Like do we just poof? Gone here, then assume form there?”

Hailey shook her head. ”No, your physical body stays here. It is your Mind, it takes form withinside your Mindspace as an apparition, an avatar, an incarnation, a manifestation of yourself. You exist inside your Mindspace that while in your ’head’, is also deeply connected to the Psionic plane. As such, while inside your Mindspace, you can practice your Psionics much faster and more importantly for some of you more destructive types, a lot safer.

There is naturally more that meditation does, like strengthening your Mindspace barrier, which is important to fight against more subversive Psionic wielders, but those topics will be touched on another day. For the rest of today’s lesson, You will be studying the holoprojection of the meditation technique and attempting to enter your Mindspace. Now before we start with that, a quick show of hands, has anyone here entered their own Mindspace before? Hands up.”

Half a dozen hands raised their hands, herself and Gabrielle not counting as they also raised theirs, prompting genuine surprise from the four she had not expected. Of course she knew Apollo and Orchid would have, she only did this to make more rapport with him, but four extra? This was unheard of for first years.

”Among those with hands raised, who can enter their Mindspace in less than an hour?” The other four hands and Gabrielle’s went down. ’Good... I don’t know If I could take dealing with more Psionic monsters.’

”Sub thirty minutes?” She asked again, putting her own hand down while continuing to look at Apollo and Orchid. She knew Apollo could enter instantly, but was surprised Orchid could do so as well? ’Seriously who is this teacher of theirs?’

”Ok, you. Would you care to help demonstrate what it looks like when an individual enters their Mindspace?” Hailey looked directly at me and pointed next to her. I saw no harm in doing so, so I got up and walked over. Gabrielle then followed and escorted me to sit on the edge of the desk.

”Ok. Everyone. I need to give you a disclaimer, while this student can enter his Mindspace hastily, you need to understand something. When most of you start out, it is going to take days, perhaps weeks to get inside. For others it may take a few hours. Do not be discouraged by this. I myself took three days the first time, I just couldn’t switch off.”

Hailey then turned to face me, checking I was in position before continuing. ”Now, everyone. I want you to hone in on this student. Watch him and his surroundings very carefully. Apollo, if you would.”

’Oh you are addressing me by my name finally?’ I thought, amused. I then felt Gabrielle suddenly wrap her arms around me, prompting me to look at her in confusion. ”So you don’t fall when you go.” She explained, but that wasn’t a factor for me.

Unlike the basic technique, I was still aware of my surroundings when under, I could and have entered my Mindspace standing up and remained perfectly fine... But the hug felt really nice once again, so I didn’t complain.

I then closed my eyes and upon opening them, I smiled, turned to Sol and flirted. ”Sup hot stuff, are you excited for later?”

...

”*GASP*”

Alder and Ivy gasped in unison, and they weren’t the only ones in the room. While a great deal of individuals looked at the ones who did just gasp, someone towards the back of the room shouted out, bringing everyone into context.

”What the shit! Did he just die?” That question caused a series of murmurs. Hailey ignored them all for a moment and began scanning the room. Her gaze then paused at the two blonde girls Apollo was sitting next to before Gabrielle bullied them away.

”You, what did you see to make you gasp the way you did?”

Alder, not a girl, gulped back the strange sensation and replied to the teacher in a tone that didn’t help the case he had no idea about. ”I. I didn’t see anything. But it was... I felt something. Slip? Around Apollo’s presence. And now he has this... Aura about him. Sorry, I can’t explain it very well.”

Hailey almost smiled, amused by the woman’s observation. ”For those of you that gasped. You are more naturally attuned to the Psionic plane than most. What you did not ’feel’ was this student dying. You felt for a fraction of a moment. Him slipping into his Mindspace, into the Psionic plane. That aura you are feeling. That is proof he is in his Mindspace. This is something you will all learn to feel at some point. Most Psionic wielders don’t really notice it after a while, but it is a good way to check if someone is sleeping, meditating or dead, so you know if to bother them or not etcetera.

A hand went up which asked. ”Can he hear all this? Or are you isolated when in the Mindspace?”

”It varies from person to person. As you begin to meditate regularly, you will find yourself strewing from the basic guide we have given you and you will begin your own meditation. Something uniquely yours.

Your own meditation might be incredibly deep, unable to perceive the outside world until you awaken once more, however for others, you have the potential to feel lucid in both states simultaneously. He however. Open your eyes and go take your seat. Thank you for your help.”

...

After giving Sapphire a hasty scritch, I opened my eyes and smiled, while thinking over what I just heard as I just learnt something. ’I didn’t know about that aura thing. That is kind of cool. Though I suppose it makes sense when people clock onto the fact they notice me enter the Mindspace immediately? Jewel doesn’t have an aura though?’

Or perhaps she did? But being an absolute powerhouse and galaxy spanning, I just can’t see it? ’Then again, her Mindspace is always active, perhaps her aura is just built into all that sexy?’

As I took my seat, I turned to look at Orchid as I mulled over this thought. Orchid being Orchid, read my mind without trying and was beaming at me.

Hailey then looked around. ”Ok everyone. I have gone over the fundamentals of what we will be learning over this class. For the remainder of class time today, you need to study that meditation technique like I said a short while ago. It is fundamental for this class going forward and many of your other classes to be able to meditate and have access to your Mindspace. You can start now.”

As the class went silent, most were intensely focused on the disc before them. Some had already begun attempting to do the meditation, but kept opening their eyes to check they were doing it right. Which was wrong.

As I was whispering to Janine to just do her Meditation training; as it was more advanced than the one in the disc. Hailey then walked right up before me and whispered a question.

”Apollo, may I speak to you in private?”