Time slipped by, unannounced. The sun dipped lower, stretching their shadows long and golden across the clearing.
Leon glanced back. Still going?
Two hours had passed. That was well beyond what he'd expected. Most novices either collapsed after fifteen minutes or threw a tantrum when they couldn't "feel anything." But these two...
They'd sunk into the rhythm like stones settling at the bottom of a river—silent, unmoving, patient.
Leon let a small, genuine smile break across his face.
He pulled the skewers from the fire, the edges charred just right, juices glistening under the fading light.
"You guys…" he called, his voice teasing. "I said a few minutes, not a damn pilgrimage to Enlightenment."
Towan jerked upright like someone had yanked his soul back into his body. He blinked rapidly, dazed. "Huh?" He rubbed at his temple, and then his thigh, which had gone completely numb. "How long was that?"
Leon tossed him a waterskin. "Two hours."
Towan's eyebrows shot up. "What—? Dude, I thought it'd been, like, twenty minutes tops!"
Elliot groaned as he rolled his shoulders, wincing at the tightness but grinning all the same. "Damn. Felt like ten."
Leon chuckled. "That's the point." He handed them each a skewer, still steaming. "Essentia doesn't play by the clock. But next time, maybe eat before you turn into lawn ornaments."
Towan took a bite and practically melted. "Okay, I forgive you for everything now."
Elliot nodded in agreement, his mouth already full. "Best damn training session ever."
Leon just sat back, watching them eat—two exhausted, hungry, slightly fried beginners. But they had potential.
Real potential.
And deep down, a part of him started to hope again.
They resumed their walk toward the dojo, the forest canopy above swaying as the wind picked up.
"The wind's getting stronger," Leon muttered, tugging his jacket tighter as he looked up. The clouds had thickened, dark and heavy, like the sky itself was holding its breath.
Then—
CRACK.
The rain came down in a sudden, furious sheet.
"Over here!" Towan shouted, pointing toward a shadow in the rockface—a small cave tucked between mossy boulders.
They sprinted across the slick ground, boots slapping against mud and stone. By the time they ducked inside, they were already half-soaked.
"What now?" Elliot asked, brushing wet hair from his eyes. "Do we just wait it out?"
Leon gave a half-shrug, a grin tugging at his lips. "Wait? Of course not."
He stepped forward, stretching his arms. "Let's use this break for something useful."
Towan tilted his head. "More meditation?"
"Nope." Leon cracked his knuckles. "You learned how to make Essentia flow through you—too fast to be reliable, maybe, but it's a start. Now let's see if you can actually do something with it."
He glanced at them both, then took a deep breath.
"Watch closely."
Leon shifted his weight. The casual stance faded—replaced by something honed, balanced, and sharp. His body aligned like a drawn bow.
Essentia gathered.
A silver aura bloomed subtly around his arm, pulsing with control. Rain hissed at the cave's mouth as he stepped forward.
SHHH—THUD.
A punch, fast and clean, sliced the air with a low whump—like wind caught in a narrow tunnel.
The pressure lingered. Even the rain outside seemed to pause for a heartbeat.
Towan's eyes widened. Elliot didn't blink.
"See that?" Leon said, relaxing again. "That's how you pour Essentia into movement. Focus, direct, release. Doesn't matter if it's a punch, a kick, or a dodge—you control the flow, not the other way around."
He turned toward the storm, a few raindrops landing on his face and tracing down the stubble of his jaw.
"Now..." he said, glancing back with a smirk,
"We've got time."
Towan cracked his knuckles, eyes sparkling. "Alright, let's do this."
Elliot stood up more cautiously. "Just focus the Essentia… like before… and then channel it into a strike." He nodded to himself, already analyzing angles and posture.
Leon backed up to give them space, arms crossed, leaning casually against the damp cave wall. "Remember—control the flow. Don't brute-force it, unless you want to punch yourself into a tree."
Towan dropped into a stance, exhaled slowly, and closed his eyes for a moment. The silver hue of Essentia began to shimmer faintly around his arm—flickering like a candle in the wind.
"Not bad," Leon muttered. "Now just—"
"HAAAH!"
Towan launched the punch forward.
The Essentia surged.
Unfortunately, so did he.
WHAM.
He blasted forward with so much unexpected momentum that his foot slipped on the cave floor. He yelped, spun halfway through the air, and crashed shoulder-first into the cave wall with a loud "Oof!"
Leon winced. "...Well. He definitely poured something into that movement."
Elliot snorted. "Smooth."
"I meant to do that," Towan grumbled, face smushed into the stone. He peeled himself off the wall like a sticker, rubbing his shoulder. "Totally part of the flow."
Leon couldn't help but chuckle. "You're flowing like a fish out of water. But hey—you actually managed to make the Essentia move. That's more than most do on their first try."
Elliot stepped up next, stretching his arm with practiced precision. He inhaled, drew in the energy, and—
THWIP.
His punch was clean, smooth. Not as flashy as Leon's, but the silver glow curved perfectly with his motion like a ribbon dancing through the air.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Huh. You actually pulled that off."
Elliot smiled. "Guess I learn better by watching."
"Guess your brother learns better by body-slamming walls," Leon added, glancing at Towan, who was still rubbing his arm with a pout.
The rain outside continued to pour, but inside the cave, there was only the quiet buzz of Essentia in motion… and the occasional muttered curse from Towan.
The rain kept drumming against the rocks outside, a steady rhythm that echoed in the cave. Steam curled faintly off Leon's shoulders, his silver aura still dancing subtly around him.
"Alright," he said, pushing off the wall and stepping into the open space again. "Now that we've got the punching part… kind of out of the way, let's try something else."
Towan straightened, still massaging his shoulder. "What, elbow strikes? Headbutts? I can improvise."
Leon smirked. "No, smartass. Kicks."
Towan blinked. "Kicks?"
Leon nodded. "Sometimes, you need reach. Sometimes, it's just more efficient. And sometimes…" he trailed off, twisting his torso slightly as his leg swept low in a wide arc, silver Essentia coiling down into his foot, "...a well-placed kick ends the fight before it starts."
FWOOOM.
The air itself seemed to split as his leg lashed out in a spinning side kick. A crack resounded through the cave as his foot hit a protruding rock—shattering it into fragments that skittered across the floor.
Towan's jaw dropped. Elliot actually flinched.
Leon lowered his leg with a casual grace, brushing some stone dust off his sleeve. "Try it. But don't aim for rocks unless you want your shin bones to cry."
Towan hesitated—then stepped up. Something about the motion had clicked in his head. His body itched to try it. No awkward upper-body coordination, no fist angles to overthink—just movement, balance, release.
He closed his eyes briefly. Felt the Essentia stirring again.
One breath in… one out… and—
SWOOSH.
He spun, lifting his leg—and for once, everything just worked. The energy flowed into his kick like water down a slope, smooth and powerful. His foot sliced through the air, carrying enough force to make Elliot step back instinctively.
The gust of wind that followed sent some embers dancing from the dying fire.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Well, well…"
Towan looked down at his leg, then at Leon. "...That felt amazing."
"Your center of gravity's better suited for it," Leon said, tapping his own temple. "Your instincts are more reactive than calculated. Kicks give you that snap—you don't have time to overthink."
Elliot, ever the sibling, chimed in with a smirk. "So you're better at hitting things with your feet because your brain gets in the way when you try to use your hands?"
Towan grinned. "Exactly. My legs don't judge me."
Leon laughed. "Then let's develop your style around that. You've got a natural feel for it. Kicks, evasion, quick pivots—fluid motion, not brute force."
Towan's grin widened. "Finally. Something I don't suck at."
Leon nodded approvingly. "And now we build from there. One strong foundation at a time."