The following morning, they returned to the same sealed hall. The stone walls seemed to remember the echo of their practice, the still air waiting for the next attempt.
Fenric set the grimoire back on the pedestal, his silver hair catching the dim light. "Today we move from basics to structure. Yesterday you learned how to spark movement. Now we'll build something that lasts longer than a twitch."
Aria stepped forward first. She rested her hand on the training corpse and breathed slowly, repeating the pattern: anchor, circulate, flow. This time her mana threaded cleaner, each vein of energy settling into place like well-laid roots. The corpse's limbs shifted and stayed that way, rigid but holding.
She exhaled with a nod. "It's steadier. The trick is keeping the rhythm even."
Fenric gestured toward Laxin. "Your turn. Mirror her pace."
