As the classes ended for the day.
Alaric made his way to one of the smaller private training rooms, not the one he used with Nyra, but another he’d reserved specifically for this session.
Verelia was already there when he arrived, changed into practical training clothes instead of her uniform.
Her silver hair with blue streaks was pulled back tightly. She was stretching thodically, preparing her body.
"You’re late," she said without looking up.
"By two minutes."
"Still late."
Alaric closed the door behind him and moved to set down his things. "Ready to begin?"
"Yes." Verelia finished her stretches and stood, facing him.
"I want you to teach ."
He raised an eyebrow. "Teach you what? You’re already one of the strongest first-years."
"Combat techniques. Strategy. Things you learned as a king."
Her blue eyes were sharp, direct.
"You have experience I don’t. Knowledge from another life. I want to learn from it."
Alaric was quiet for a mont, considering. "Most of what I knew doesn’t apply here."
"Why not?"
"Because there wasn’t essence in my world. The fundantal basis of combat here is channeling elental power, casting spells, none of that existed where I ca from."
Verelia’s eyes widened fractionally. "What? Then how did you fight? How did your armies—"
"We used sothing different. An internal energy. So called it chi. Others called it aura. Different nas though it had the sa principle." Alaric moved to the center of the training space.
"It wasn’t about projecting power externally. It was about enhancing what was already there. Physical strength. Speed. Reflexes. Channeling internal energy to amplify the body itself."
"Like body path?" Verelia said, understanding clicking into place.
"Similar. But more refined. More... subtle." Alaric gestured for her to approach. "It required ditation. Practice. Learning to feel the energy flowing through your own body and direct it consciously."
Verelia stepped closer, clearly intrigued despite her usual detachnt. "And this worked? Without essence?"
"It had to. We had nothing else." He held up his hand. "Here, you channel essence outward to create effects. There, we channeled energy inward to enhance ourselves. A warrior who mastered it could move faster, hit hard enough to shatter stone, endure injuries that would kill normal people."
"Can you still do it? Here?"
"I’ve tried. Essence and that internal energy aren’t the sa, but they’re... compatible. Similar enough." He looked at her directly. "I can teach you the ditation technique. How to feel essence not just as sothing you project, but as sothing that flows through you. It might help with your control."
Verelia’s expression was carefully neutral, but he saw the interest burning beneath. "Show ."
Alaric sat cross-legged on the training mat. After a mont, Verelia mirrored his position.
"Close your eyes," he instructed. "Feel your essence. Not as sothing stored in your core to be cast outward, but as energy flowing through your entire body. Your blood. Your bones. Your muscles."
Verelia closed her eyes, her breathing evening out.
"Most mages think of essence as fuel in a reservoir. Sothing to be spent and replenished. But it’s always moving. Always circulating. You just need to beco aware of that circulation."
He watched her face, saw the concentration, the effort to perceive sothing she’d never paid attention to before.
"Don’t force it. Just observe. Feel where the energy moves naturally. Where it pools. Where it flows freely and where it ets resistance."
Several minutes passed in silence.
Finally, Verelia’s eyes opened. "I feel... sothing. Not just my core. There’s movent. Like currents."
"Good. That’s the first step." Alaric stood and gestured for her to do the sa. "Now we apply it. Stand ready position."
She did, falling into a basic combat stance.
"Instead of casting your ice outward, channel essence through your limbs. Enhance your physical movents directly. It won’t be as dramatic as a spell, but it’ll make you faster, stronger, more durable."
Verelia’s brow furrowed in concentration. Ice began forming around her hands automatically.
"No. Don’t let it manifest externally. Keep it inside. Let it flow through your muscles, your bones. Reinforce from within."
The ice dissipated.
Verelia tried again, this ti keeping the essence contained. Her hands didn’t freeze, but there was a subtle change, her stance beca more solid, more grounded.
"Better. Now move."
She threw a punch.
Faster than her normal speed.
"Again. Keep the essence circulating. Don’t let it spike and fade. Maintain a constant flow."
They drilled for the next hour. Verelia adapting the internal energy concept to her essence manipulation, learning to enhance her physical capabilities without relying on external manifestation.
It was subtle work. Difficult. But Alaric could see her grasping it, her natural talent for control making the transition smoother than it might have been for others.
Finally, she stopped, breathing harder than usual, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.
"That’s... exhausting. Different than normal casting."
"Because you’re using essence in a way your body isn’t trained for yet. It’ll get easier with practice."
Alaric grabbed water for both of them. "But once you master it, you’ll be able to combine internal enhancent with external techniques. Make yourself faster. More durable. It multiplies your effectiveness."
Verelia drank, processing. "This is what you did? As a king?"
"As a warrior before I was king, yes. Later I had others to fight for . But the foundation was always there."
"And now? Here?"
"I’m relearning. Adapting it to essence instead of chi. It’s not perfect, but it works." He t her eyes. "And now you know it too."
She was quiet for a mont. Then...
"Thank you. For teaching this."
"You asked. I answered."
"It’s more than that." Verelia’s expression was still neutral.
"You gave knowledge from your past life. That’s... significant."
"Consider it investnt. The stronger you are, the more useful you are as an ally."
"Practical."
"You too."
She nodded and set down the water.
"Again. I want to practice the circulation technique more."
They continued training until evening, Verelia absorbing the principles with the sa thodical focus she applied to everything.
By the ti they finished, she’d made visible progress. Her movents were sharper, her essence control more refined.
As they prepared to leave, Verelia paused at the door.
"Alaric. When the tournant cos... I expect you to win your bracket."
"Planning on it."
"Good. I’d be disappointed if my fiancé perford poorly. Don’t embarrass ."
"Wouldn’t dream of it."
She left.
Alaric stood alone in the training room, considering the session.
Teaching Verelia had been useful. Not just for her, but for him. Articulating the techniques, adapting them to essence manipulation, had clarified his own understanding.
And now she’s even more dangerous.
Good.
He headed back to his room, already planning tomorrow’s training.
The ga continued.
And he intended to win.
No matter what.
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