From the corridor, he heard a faint shift of movement.
He did not look toward it.
Not yet.
His breathing was still uneven. The tremor in his thighs had not fully settled. The wooden blade felt steadier in his grip now, but his hands were slick with sweat.
Another sound followed.
Not footsteps.
Fabric.
A sleeve brushing lightly against wood.
He turned his head slightly.
Shigure stood just inside the shadow of the doorway. Not fully outside. Not concealed either. Watching.
There was no surprise on his face. No accusation. His gaze moved from Roen's stance to the ground where faint indentations marked the repeated resets of his feet.
"You're going to injure yourself," Shigure said calmly.
Roen straightened fully and returned the blade to the rack before answering. His legs felt heavier now that the effort had ended.
"I was holding it wrong earlier," he replied.
Shigure stepped into the yard, closing the distance by a few paces. He glanced once at Roen's knees.
"They're shaking," he said.
Roen hated that his body betrayed him again. The tremor was subtle, but not invisible.
"It stops," he said.
Shigure studied him for a moment longer. Not suspicion. Not mockery.
Assessment.
"You reset twice," Shigure said.
It wasn't a question.
Roen did not answer.
Shigure exhaled lightly through his nose the same short breath he gave before stepping into sparring stance. He walked past Roen and picked up the same wooden dadao.
Without announcement, he settled into the Shinra foundation stance. Perfect alignment. No visible tremor. Roen watched carefully. Shigure's posture looked relaxed, almost casual, but the weight distribution was exact. There was no unnecessary tension in his shoulders. No wasted motion in the wrists.
Five minutes passed. Nothing changed. Ten. His breathing remained even. Fifteen. Only a faint tightening around the eyes suggested strain. At twenty minutes, his calves began to tense. Roen noticed it. Subtle. Controlled. At twenty-five, Shigure's exhale deepened slightly. At thirty, he stepped out of stance smoothly, as if finishing a conversation rather than an endurance test.
He replaced the blade.
"Don't fight the tremor," Shigure said. "Let it settle into the frame."
Roen's jaw tightened again. He didn't like advice. But he catalogued it.
Shigure turned toward the house. "Father leaves tonight," he added without looking back.
Roen's pulse ticked upward. "For how long?" he asked.
Shigure paused at the doorway. "Long enough," he said. Then he stepped inside.
Roen remained in the yard alone again. The air felt different. Not heavier. Less anchored. He looked down at his hands.
Vitality: 5.0
Still inadequate. But rising. The axis would be gone by nightfall. Structure would shift. And he would need to recalibrate again.