The next morning, Lola Sabel took Miguel to a clearing surrounded by medicinal plants—bitter leaf, guava, and herbs he'd never seen before.
"Body cultivation begins not with changing form," she said, handing him a bundle of leaves, "but with understanding your body as a vessel."
She demonstrated a series of slow, deliberate movements—each one flowing into the next like water over stone. "Every motion must align with the moon's phase and the earth's pulse. When you move in harmony with nature, your body will follow."
Miguel tried to mimic her, but his movements were stiff and awkward. "I've always just… shifted. Without thinking."
"Because your blood calls to it," she said, correcting his posture with a light touch. "But uncontrolled power is like a wild fire—it can warm you, or burn everything around you. We boil these leaves in water for your baths—they strengthen your skin and muscles, and help you feel every change in your body."
Amihan approached with a clay pot steaming over coals. "When I began, I could barely hold a shift for five minutes," she said with a smile. "Now I can fly for days without tiring. It takes patience—each step builds on the last."
"Every leaf we plant, every stretch we make," Lola Sabel added, "is an act of respect for the power we carry."