Dod, on the other hand, had remained rather calm, at least at first.... He had reacted differently from his friend. When Princess Evangeline's hand pierced him, he felt his heart knot. The sensation didn't stop; in fact, it became almost unbearable.
A throbbing vein appeared on his left temple. Dod could hardly breathe and grabbed Princess Evangeline's wrist in supplication. His breathing became increasingly jerky, and at times, he let out faint cries that sounded so juvenile they were like a chick at birth.
"Don't worry, it's normal", continued Evangeline calmly, seemingly ignoring Dod's cries of distress and Danaël's groans. "Each person's perception of fantasia is unique, and the pain or uneasiness you may be feeling right now is a manifestation of the opening of your fantastical pathways."
"How do we make it stop?" Danaël spat, burning with pain.
"You need to find your impulse. As I've just told you, each person's perception of fantasia is unique. Fantastic paths are not constantly open; fantasia users can activate and deactivate them at will. They do this through "impulse". The impulse is a movement, a gesture, or a word that will enable you to achieve this feat. To give you an example, my impulse is to snap my fingers, because I can feel the fantasia more precisely at my fingertips."
Danaël understood the instructions, and they were quite clear. Yet his mind prevented him from thinking properly, and he continued to writhe in pain.
Dod instinctively found his impulse; the latter was on the verge of fainting, and, in a desperate gesture, he struck his chest twice.
His choking stopped abruptly, and the young boy took a deep breath of air... a little too much as he choked again, tears welling up in his eyes, coughing and clearing his throat loudly.
Princess Evangeline withdrew her hand, which remained immaculate, even after crossing the bloody swamp that is the human body. Nor did Dod retain any trace of the initiation.