The next morning, they gathered at the sacred spring at the edge of the village. Lola Sabel cupped water in her hands, and it glowed with soft blue light.
"Energy Cultivation—ten sub-levels, ten blue nodes," she said. "This level teaches you to draw and shape lakas—life energy—from the world around you. Sub-Level One: the Palm Node—where energy flows in and out."
She placed Miguel's hands in the spring. "Feel the energy in the water, in the stones, in the plants growing nearby. Pull it gently into your palms—don't force it. Energy follows intent."
Miguel closed his eyes, and soon he felt a cool, flowing energy entering his hands, settling into the first blue node.
"It's like holding water in my hands, but it doesn't spill," he said.
Amihan demonstrated by shaping the energy into a small shield. "Sub-Level Two: the Chest Node—stores and regulates energy. Sub-Level Three: the Foot Node—grounds excess energy so it doesn't burn you."
As Miguel practiced awakening these nodes, Lila arrived with urgent news. "They've taken over the old temple to the north—using it as a base. They're sacrificing cultivators to speed up their own growth."
"That's why they're moving so fast," Lola Sabel said grimly. "They're draining life from everything they touch. Miguel—we need you to master as many Energy nodes as possible before they arrive."
"I'll work through the night if I have to," Miguel said, his hands glowing with blue light.