Vernon tapped his chest lightly.
"So.. in simple terms, i haven't gathered enough mana?"
Caelan shook his head.
"No."
Caelan crouched, forming a stick out of mana and drawing two circles.
He drew two circles representing Vernon's vessels then lines that represented the pathways between the two, pausing before adding several more besides them.
"Look, this isn't about how much you have."
He glanced up at Vernon.
"The basics is movement."
Vernon pulled his brows together trying to piece together what he meant.
Caelan continued tapping the lines between the two vessels.
"Your lower vessel is so much more efficient in many ways, it gathers. Refines. And circulates faster than the one above it."
He moved the stick upward toward the upper vessel.
"This one can't keep up."
He drew a small gap between the two sets of lines.
"Instead of flowing together-"
He dragged his stick across the gap stopping midway.
"It stalls. The mana stalls."
Caelan paused briefly, as if letting Vernon consume what he was being fed.
"It isn't because you lack power," Caelan added. "But because your system can't share it properly"
He understood.
The notes he had.. weren't going to take him further. Not like this. Too many details were missing, too much was left unexplained.
Still, he smiled.
"Thank you for telling me."
Caelan smiled back, "You're my student, it's only natural for a teacher to help his student."
Across from them, Null let out a long groan as he pushed himself up off his knees, stretching slightly. besides him, Bruce was already moving. Giggling to himself as he clenched his fists and threw a few light punches into the air.
Caelan spoke first.
"How'd it go?"
Null yawned, rubbing the back on his neck.
"..Strange." He muttered. "It felt like his deposit was like.. standing at the edge of the sea."
Vernon perked up slightly.
"A sea? Really?"
"Yeah." Null looked at him. "Wide. Deep. Quiet."
A small grin tugged at his lips.
"And clean. His vessels were.. ridiculously pure."
He exhaled through his nose.
"He's just about ready to start learning properly."
Bruce, meanwhile, looked like he'd been waiting for his turn to speak.
"These next few months- I've decided on what I'm doing!"
Vernon glanced at him.
"Oh? What did you decide?"
"When i was floating, all these emotions came to me. I remembered what Miss Aurelia told me-"
Null cut in almost immediately after processing what he just said, brows lifting.
"Floating, you mean.. inside? whilst i was checking you?"
Bruce blinked.
"..Yeah, Why? Is that not normal?"
Null rubbed his nose in awe, half shocked.
"Not exactly, its just that it takes a stupid level of awareness. Your body, Your flow.. Everything."
Bruce laughed it off.
"If that's all, then it's easy!"
Null smirked faintly, slowly glancing toward Caelan. The two exchanged A brief look- something unspoken passing between the two.
Then Caelan moved closer and leaned toward Vernon.
"..Did you float.. or feel anything as well..?"
Vernon hesitated, eyes dropping.
"...No."
Bruce's grin widened instantly.
Vernon sat down with a quiet exhale.
"Ahem. Anyway, shouldn't i be focusing on fixing my growth issue?"
He glanced between them.
"Or at least learning more about handling mana in the new way?"
Caelan shook his head.
Bruce stepped over, dropping down beside Vernon.
"Then this 'joint training' what is the purpose of it?" He asked.
Null met Caelan's gaze.
Caelan gave a small nod.
"We will start with theory."
Null folded his arms.
"Understanding how your body and energy actually function comes first."
His eyes shifted between the two of them.
"You're both talented. That's obvious."
A brief pause.
"But talent without foundation doesn't last."
Bruce groaned under his breath.
Vernon nudged him sharply with his elbow.
"Shush."
Bruce shot him a glare.
"Dad already drilled all the basics into me."
Vernon didn't miss a beat.
"You learnt the basics of fighting, not using energy. And when he did explain it wasn't properly."
Null let out a quiet scoff.
"You can't create power from energy alone - if you just let it flow, someone who is more refined will simply crush you with the difference." Null shrugged, "Unless that's what you want?"
Bruce frowned, but hearing that caught his attention.
Null continued.
"Energy is potential."
a short pause.
"But without control that potential disperses."
He looked straight at Bruce.
"Then- even the best technique you have becomes nothing more than wasted movement."
Null let the silence sit for a moment after he spoke.
Neither of them seemed against it anymore.
"Good."
He shifted his weight slightly, glancing between Vernon and Bruce before continuing.
"Power isn't one thing," he said. "People pretend like it is- but its not."
He raised a hand, holding up four fingers.
"Control. Output. Refinement. Technique."
His fingers lowered one by one as he spoke.
"Miss one of these, and you'll feel it. Ignore two and you'll plateau. Ignore three..."
He smirked.
"..and you'll lose to someone multiple levels weaker than you."
Bruce frowned slightly at that.
Vernon, on the other hand was already focused- memorising.
Null noticed.
"Control," he started, "Is your ability to move energy the way you want. Not just circulating - but directing it, shaping it, stopping it."
His gaze flickered to Bruce.
"Output is how much you can release at once. That's what most people chase."
Bruce gave a small nod, as if that part made the most sense.
"Refinement," Null continued, "Is quality. How clean your energy is. how efficient it is. The less waste, the more you get out of less."
His eyes shifting to Vernon.
"And technique.."
He lowered his hand completely.
"Is how you use and pull everything together."
a brief pause followed.
"doesn't matter if you're using mana or qi," he added. "The rules dont change for the 4 specific things."
That caught both of their attention.
Vernon leaned forward slightly.
"They're... that similar?"
Null nodded.
"Same principles. Different expression."
He gestured vaguely toward his own body.
"Qi builds the body. It spreads, reinforces, evolves it. Multiple vessels, feeding into a single core-everything working together to push your limits further."
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"Mana's different. It doesn't care about your body, so it doesn't evolve."
Vernon's eyes sharpened just a little.
"It refines where it sits," Null continued. "Each vessel becomes its own space. Its own system. You're not building yourself-you're building within yourself."
A short silence followed.
Bruce scratched the back of his head.
"...So what does that mean for us?"
Null didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked directly at him.
"You tell me."
Bruce blinked.
"What?"
"You've used your energy enough to feel it," Null said. "So think."
Bruce frowned, clearly not expecting that.
"...When I fight, I feel stronger," he said after a moment. "Everything feels tighter. More solid."
Null didn't react.
Bruce hesitated slightly.
"...That's a good thing, right?"
A pause.
Then-
"You're reinforcing your body," Null said plainly.
Bruce's expression didn't change at first.
Then, slowly-
"...Yeah?"
Null folded his arms.
"That's all you're doing."
That made Bruce pause.
"What do you mean 'that's all'?"
"It means you're not using your energy to enhance your output," Null replied. "You're using it to stabilize yourself."
Bruce's brows pulled together.
"That is enhancement."
"It's defense," Null corrected.
The word landed heavier than expected.
"You feel stronger," he continued, "because you're harder to move. Harder to break."
A small pause.
"But your strikes?" he added. "They're not gaining nearly as much as they should."
Bruce opened his mouth-
Then stopped.
Because... thinking back on it-
Null exhaled quietly.
"You've been training your body with energy," he said. "Not your 'power'."
In that silence he finally comprehended it a bit.
Off to the side, Vernon hadn't spoken.
Not once.
His gaze was lowered slightly, unfocused-not from disinterest, but because his mind was moving.
Fast.
Control. Output. Refinement. Technique.
Four rules.
Universal.
Applicable to both systems.
His fingers twitched slightly.
"Stopping it..."
He muttered it under his breath, leaning back and pondering whilst looking up at the sky.
Null's earlier words echoed back.
Not just circulating-but directing it... stopping it.
Vernon's eyes narrowed just slightly.
If energy could be stopped-
Then it could be...
Interrupted.
The thought didn't fully form.
Not yet.
But it lingered.
He didn't say anything.
Just... stored it.
Null shifted his attention back to both of them.
"If you understand those four things," he said, "you can fight outside your system."
He jerked his chin slightly toward Vernon.
"You'll run into qi users eventually."
Then toward Bruce.
"And mana users."
A brief pause.
"If you only understand your own energy..."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"...you're limiting yourself before the fight even starts."
Caelan, who had been listening quietly the entire time, finally stepped forward.
"That's enough for now."
His tone was calm-but decisive.
He looked at Vernon.
"Now that you understand the basics..."
A small pause.
"...we can fix your foundation properly."
A few minutes later after Bruce and Vernon prepared themselves in their own ways, Caelan called Vernon over and Null called Bruce over.
Caelan looked at Vernon, "Are you ready?"
Vernon exhaled slowly.
"I'm a bit dumbfound.. The solution was the same basics that i thought i had mastered."
Caelan chuckled, "You aren't the only one."
Vernon Glanced toward Bruce, "..Sure, that makes me feel just a little better."
"You learnt all by yourself until now, the basics you have are a bit crooked.. but growing this much alone is commendable. And with me here ill make you into someone with an unshakable foundation."
Vernon smiled.
"Then ill learn diligently."
Caelan scruffled Vernon's hair.
"Lets begin with fixing your internal problem."
"First sit down.." Vernon sat down quietly, "now circulate your mana, the goal will be to slow down your lower vessel and speed up the upper one, to match them and make them forge pathways with their own attraction."
Vernon inhaled slowly- exhaling even slower.
The air left his lungs in a controlled stream as he settled himself, adjusting his posture against the uneven ground. The surface beneath him was harder than he'd like-cold, unyielding-but he ignored it.
Or at least, he tried to.
He closed his eyes.
The moment he started circulation, the difference was immediate.
Paying attention to the difference it was clear.
The difference between them was outlined the second he focused on the entirety instead of one specific vessel.
Before, it had been effortless.
Natural.
But now it demanded attention.
His focus splitting, stretching across two separate points within him.
Lower - Upper.
Two vessels.
Two rhythms.
Not one.
"...Slow it."
Caelan's voice came calmly, almost distant.
Vernon followed it.
Or tried to.
The lower vessel resisted instinctively. Its rotation was clean, practiced-refined through repetition to the point where it moved without thought. Slowing it wasn't as simple as deciding to. It pushed forward, trying to return to its natural pace.
Vernon pressed against it.
Not forcefully.
Carefully.
The flow dipped.
Wavered.
Then-
The upper vessel lagged behind.
The imbalance returned instantly.
"...It's not matching," Vernon muttered, his breath catching slightly as the rhythm slipped.
"Because you're forcing one and neglecting the other," Caelan replied. "Balance isn't suppression-it's coordination."
Vernon adjusted.
"That's a bit difficult to understand.."
He sighed.
Again.
Lower slowed-
Upper pushed-
And the moment they neared each other-
The strain hit.
It wasn't sharp.
Not painful.
But heavy.
Like holding two weights at uneven angles, both threatening to fall the moment his focus slipped.
His brows tightened slightly.
"...This is-"
"Difficult?" Caelan finished.
Vernon didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
He held it.
For a second.
Maybe two.
Then-
His focus slipped.
The flow collapsed instantly.
The rhythm scattered like something fragile breaking under pressure.
Vernon opened his eyes briefly, exhaling through his nose.
"...Again."
He reset.
Breathing steady.
Slower this time.
More deliberate.
Lower vessel-
Slow it.
Upper-
Push it forward.
A sharp discomfort ran through his legs.
Vernon's expression twitched.
"...This floor is awful."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
No one answered.
He shifted slightly, adjusting his position, trying to relieve the pressure without losing focus.
Again.
Lower slowed-
Upper pushed-
The pressure built-
Held-
Then-
His foot went numb.
The entire structure collapsed instantly because of the static.
Vernon's eye twitched.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
A short laugh came from the side.
"Getting beaten by the ground is crazy."
Vernon opened one eye just enough to glare at Bruce.
"I've been sitting here for how long?"
"Not even that long."
"It feels like hours."
Null glanced over briefly, unimpressed.
"That's because you're actually paying attention now."
"And when focusing like that time passes faster inside than out."
Vernon frowned.
"...That doesn't make it better."
Still-
He adjusted again.
Shifted his weight.
Straightened slightly.
Exhaled.
"...Again."
Across from them, Bruce rolled his shoulder, loosening his arm.
His stance looked... wrong.
Too relaxed.
Too open.
"Alright," he muttered. "No 'reinforcing'."
Even saying it didn't sit right with him.
He inhaled once, steadying himself.
"...Just push it out through the body."
He stepped forward-
Drove his fist through the air-
A sharp crack followed-
Clean.
Quick.
And immediately-
"-AH-!"
Bruce folded in on himself, clutching his side as he staggered back.
Null didn't react.
"...Cramp?" he asked flatly.
Bruce wheezed, half-laughing through the pain.
"Rib-something-moved-wrong-"
Null sighed.
"You forced the release without stabilising your core."
Bruce dropped to one knee, still holding his side.
"I thought you said not to reinforce!"
"I said don't rely on it," Null corrected calmly. "Not abandon it entirely."
Bruce looked up at him, offended.
"...That feels like something you should've said first."
Null shrugged.
"You wouldn't have listened."
A pause.
Bruce narrowed his eyes.
"...haha, You simply wanted to see me suffer!" He said whilst groaning.
Vernon had already reached into his bundle.
The familiar notebook slipped out into his hand, worn edges catching lightly against his fingers as he flipped through it.
Fast.
Precise.
He stopped on a page he hadn't thought about in a while.
His eyes scanned the text.
Once.
Then again.
Slower.
「 "Pathways are not fixed structures. They are formed through repetition, reinforced through pressure."
"To create a pathway, flow must be forced between two points that do not yet properly connect."
"The more pathways between vessels the clearer the resonance"
"This process creates instability. Collapse is expected."
"Do not avoid collapse-use it."
"Through repeated compression and expansion, pathways will begin to stabilise."
"Compression refines. Expansion strengthens."
"Without both, pathways will either shatter under output... or remain too narrow to be useful." 」
Vernon's grip tightened slightly.
"...Compression and expansion..."
He looked up, eyes sharpening.
"...If I force the flow-even if it collapses..."
"You begin building pathways," Caelan finished.
A small pause followed.
"That notebook is truly of quality, this type of wisdom is hard to come by."
"...However understanding that doesn't mean your body can follow."
Vernon closed the notebook.
"...I know."
Vernon took a deep breath before trying again.
This time-
He didn't just slow.
Didn't just match.
He forced it.
Lower vessel-
Slowed.
Upper-
Pushed forward.
And between them-
He drove the flow through the gap.
It resisted immediately.
Unstable.
Like forcing water through something that didn't exist yet.
"...Hold it," Caelan said.
Vernon did.
The pressure built-
His breathing tightened slightly-
The structure trembled-
Then collapsed.
...
Again.
Bruce stood back up, stretching carefully, testing his side.
"...Alright. No cramping this time."
He glanced over.
"You still fighting the floor?"
Vernon didn't open his eyes.
"...I will win eventually."
Bruce snorted.
"Let me know when you evolve past sitting."
Vernon's brow twitched-
But he didn't respond.
Instead-
He focused.
Again.
Lower slowed-
Upper pushed-
The gap-
Forced-
On the next attempt-
it was subtle but something held.
Not fully.
Not cleanly.
But..
It didn't collapse immediately.
Vernon's eyes narrowed.
Though they showed amusement at its peak.
"...hehe."
The connection flickered.
Thin.
Unstable.
But real.
Then-
That warmth returned.
Subtle.
Familiar.
Resting near his heart.
It didn't push.
Didn't interfere.
It simply... existed.
And for a brief moment-
The strain eased.
The flow aligned.
Cleaner.
Smoother.
Complete.
Then it broke.
Vernon's eyes snapped open as he exhaled sharply.
"...I felt it."
Caelan studied him.
"...Good."
But his gaze lingered a moment longer than before.
"...Don't rely on that," he added. "Whatever helped you-it won't always be there."
Vernon didn't respond.
But the thought stayed with him.
Across the field-
Bruce reset his stance again.
This time slower.
More deliberate.
He inhaled-
Then moved-
No tightening.
No bracing.
Just-
Release.
His fist cut forward-
A sharper crack split the air-
Cleaner than before.
More focused.
Bruce's eyes widened slightly-
Then his stance broke again.
He stumbled half a step, catching himself.
"...Okay-Its on my nerves already."
Null smirked faintly.
"Good."
Bruce frowned.
"How is that good????"
Bruce huffed.
Time passed.
Not smoothly.
Not cleanly.
But steadily.
Vernon's attempts became more consistent.
Still unstable.
Still incomplete.
But no longer collapsing instantly.
Each attempt held just a little longer than the last.
Bruce's strikes-
Less stable.
But sharper.
More real.
Even if every instinct told him it felt wrong.
Sweat gathered.
Breathing grew heavier.
Frustration settled in-
Quiet for one.
Obvious for the other.
But neither stopping.
Eventually-
Vernon exhaled slowly, letting his circulation settle.
This time-
It felt different.
Not faster.
Not stronger.
But-
Smoother.
Lighter.
Like something that had once resisted him had finally begun to give.
The flow no longer pushed against his control.
It followed it.
"Did you succeed?" Caelan asked.
Vernon nodded slightly.
"...It's not as heavy."
"That's great. Before, your lower vessel carried everything," Caelan said.
A brief pause.
"Now they're sharing it."
"It will feel slower for now," he continued. "Less overwhelming."
"But over time-"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"-it will become far more efficient."
Vernon looked down at his hands.
Flexed his fingers slightly.
The flow followed-
Clean.
Light.
Responsive.
"...It feels easier to control."
"That's because it is," Caelan replied.
"Don't mistake that for weakness."
A small pause.
"You've removed resistance."
Vernon closed his hand slowly.
Feeling it.
Understanding it.
Not stronger.
Not yet.
But better.
The air settled gradually.
What had once been filled with movement-sharp strikes, uneven breaths, quiet corrections-faded into something slower. Heavier.
Vernon rolled his shoulders, easing the stiffness that had built up from sitting so long. His legs protested slightly as he shifted, a dull ache reminding him just how long he'd been focused.
"I think the ground won against you," Bruce muttered, stretching his side carefully.
Vernon let out a quiet breath. "I'll win next time."
Bruce snorted. "Yeah, sure. Let me know when you unlock standing."
Vernon shot him a look, but didn't argue.
Null glanced between them, then toward Caelan. Something unspoken passed before he straightened slightly.
"I need to go. I've got something to deal with," Null said.
Bruce raised a brow. "Already?"
"Didn't plan it. Got word earlier."
Caelan's expression shifted slightly. "...The academy?"
Null nodded once. "Someone important showed up. They want a meeting."
Bruce rolled his shoulders. "Sounds annoying."
"It is," Null replied.
"They just rope me in whenever they want."
Then his gaze settled on both of them.
"You two keep training."
Not a suggestion.
A statement.
Caelan exhaled quietly. "I was just about to step out as well for a little bit."
Vernon looked up. "You are? Why?"
"I have something that will help you," Caelan said. "Something I wrote. It's not here."
Vernon's attention sharpened. "About mana?"
"About using it properly," Caelan corrected. "Not just circulating-but shaping it."
A small pause.
"With imagination."
Vernon nodded once. "Really?!."
Bruce tilted his head. "So you're both just leaving?"
"Temporarily," Caelan said.
Null had already turned, stretching before walking off.
"Don't destroy anything while we're gone," he added.
Bruce scoffed. "No promises."
Null smirked faintly, then left.
Caelan followed soon after.
And just like that-
The space quieted.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Bruce dropped onto the ground with a small exhale.
"...That was rough, I'm beat!"
Vernon nodded faintly. "Yeah, I'm sore from waist down."
Bruce glanced over. "You getting it though?"
Vernon flexed his fingers slightly, feeling the flow follow-cleaner, lighter.
"...Enough to move forward."
Bruce huffed. "Must be nice, i cant understand what I'm doing wrong still."
Silence settled again.
Then-
"We're getting stronger," Bruce said.
Vernon gave a small nod. "Yeah. It's fun.. Learning all of this, i wasn't even aware of it."
A pause.
Then Bruce continued, more grounded now.
"But that's not why we're here."
That landed cleanly.
Vernon's hand lowered slightly.
"I know.."
Bruce leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"We didn't come here for training," he said. "That's just part of it."
His tone was steady.
Certain.
"The mark is."
Vernon's hand moved instinctively, pressing lightly against his chest through his clothes.
Not hesitant.
Familiar.
"...It's connected to this place," he said.
Bruce nodded once. "That's all we know."
No doubt in his voice.
"No guesswork. No 'maybe.'"
A brief pause.
"...If there's anywhere we'd find answers, it's here."
Vernon exhaled slowly.
"...Which means we're already where we need to be."
Bruce leaned back slightly, looking up.
"...We just haven't asked the right person yet."
That was the only uncertainty.
Not if-
But who.
Footsteps.
Both of them looked up.
Caelan had returned earlier than expected.
He stopped a short distance away, his gaze moving between them.
He noticed it immediately.
The shift.
The focus.
"...What is it?"
Neither of them answered right away.
This time-
They hesitated.
Not because they didn't know-
But because they were choosing.
Bruce glanced at Vernon.
Vernon gave the smallest nod.
Then Bruce looked back at Caelan.
"...There's something we didn't mention."
Caelan's expression sharpened slightly.
"...Go on."
Vernon spoke this time.
"It's about our mother."
That alone made Caelan still.
"...She left us something right before she passed."
A brief pause.
Then-
"A mark."
Silence followed.
Not confusion.
Recognition trying to surface.
"This mark is on academy student uniforms," Bruce added.
"It appeared before she died," Vernon continued. "And she made it clear it wasn't normal."
Caelan didn't interrupt.
"We didn't expect to place this well in the exams.. and our original objective of finding information got.. uhm interrupted? since we met two great and gracefully powerful masters..! hahaha.." Bruce said.
"We wanted to ask for your help," Vernon added. "Directly. Please."
A pause.
"We wanted to know where this came from.. or who."
Caelan's gaze sharpened further.
"Is this the reason for you growing stronger?"
"Yes," Vernon said simply.
Not frustrated.
Just factual.
"To learn who killed our mother. We will grow stronger... Therefore please help us."
That landed differently.
Not uncertain.
Intentional.
Caelan closed his eyes for a moment.
Vernon looked down at his hands.
Bruce clenched his fists.
"..Will you take revenge?" Caelan asked finally.
Vernon shifted slightly, Surprised he was seen through so fast.
Caelan didn't move closer.
Something in his expression changed.
Completely.
"...I see."
A quiet breath left him.
Measured.
"...I'll look into it."
No hesitation.
No dismissal.
Just focus.
"...Until then," he added, voice lower now, "..Until you are strong enough. You will stay here."
That was enough.
No explanation needed.
Vernon exhaled a sigh of relief.
Bruce wiped the cold sweat that built itself on his forehead.
They didn't say anything, but the way they reacted to that showed enough outward gratitude.
And in that moment Caelan's answer mattered so much more to them than they thought.