Lucas let the silence linger a moment longer, the thrum of their joined souls still pulsing faintly between them. He looked at each of them in turn, his eyes firm but not unkind, and finally broke the stillness with a voice that carried both authority and warmth.
"You can feel it, can't you?" he said, resting his hands lightly on his knees. "The way the bond doesn't just sit within you but flows, carrying strength from one to the other. That connection is not a thing to waste. Right now the bond is fresh, alive, and my Yang energy is still flowing through your meridians. If you seize that momentum, if you breathe with it and guide it, you'll find your cultivation far smoother than it has ever been."
Nyx gave a small nod, her eyes closing halfway as if she had already begun to sense the truth of his words. "It's like the walls I always fight against are softer," she murmured. "I can see where to push. I can see how near the next step is."
