CHAPTER 28: FIRST STEPS TOWARD MASTERING VIS ENERGY

With her usual rigid, authoritative tone, Clotilde assigns the training pairs—Gerard with me, Angelica with Dorje.

She positions us face to face, while ordering Priscilla, Sasha, and Daphne to remain at the edge of the arena so their presence doesn’t become a distraction.

Though honestly, she mostly meant Sasha.

That scandalously short red dress of hers, covering far less than it should, is almost impossible to ignore... at least for me.

«Now, release your energy!» commands Clotilde.

We obey. Instantly, the blue aura of Vis—and in my case, the purple Visanguis—wraps around our bodies, each in its own way.

As I already noticed in my fight—or rather, my one-sided massacre—against Angelica, she handles that energy with incredible precision, like a second skin: uniform, controlled, with almost no ripples on the surface.

Dorje’s energy is similar, though not as refined as Angelica’s.

Gerard and I, on the other hand... better not to mention it.

The energy around us flares chaotically, like a wild, untamed fire.

We exchange a glance—half embarrassment, half silent solidarity—while Clotilde watches us with pure disappointment in her eyes.

Sasha, on the contrary, must have found our performance hilarious.

Even from a distance, her laughter rings clear in my ears—a mockery I don’t appreciate at all. But Clotilde seems to enjoy it even less.

«Sasha...» Clotilde mutters through clenched teeth—just a moment before exploding in fury. «TRY INTERRUPTING MY TRAINING ONE MORE TIME IN ANY WAY, AND I SWEAR ON OUR FATHER I’LL SMASH THAT PRETTY FACE OF YOURS TO PULP!!!»

Sasha freezes on the spot, not daring to even breathe—completely still, like someone pretending to be dead in front of a raging bear.

«Back to business,» Clotilde resumes, regaining her composure but keeping her severe tone, her eyes fixed on Gerard and me. «I’ve watched your fights, and frankly it doesn’t surprise me that after only a few exchanges you’re already gasping for air. You have no control over your energy—it leaks chaotically, burning itself out at a ridiculous pace. Watch closely how my familiar and Dorje handle theirs! Their dispersion is minimal, allowing them to fight much longer than you, while also increasing power and speed. That will be your first goal.»

Then she turns to her familiar.

«Angelica, reabsorb.»

Angelica obeys. Instead of dispersing into the air like mine does when I shut it down, her Vis flows back inside her body—a technique I’ve already seen her use during our fight.

«Your second goal is this: learn to reabsorb your energy when it’s no longer needed. Vis takes a long time to fully regenerate—every drop saved is precious,» Clotilde explains, signaling Angelica to release it again.

«And finally, the third and last step: manipulation of Vis energy. A skill that, for now, only five familiars have mastered... and Angelica is not among them.»

As she speaks those last words, she shoots her familiar a sharp, almost reproachful look.

«To manipulate Vis means shaping and solidifying it at will, turning it into weapons or defensive tools. But for now, none of you have the skill to manage that, so there’s no point in going deeper.»

So that’s how Kajetan was able to create a blade from his own energy during the Nova Aetas ambush? That guy really is on another level.

Clotilde continues for nearly half an hour, analyzing the theory behind controlling Vis energy—it feels like being back in school.

I just hope there’s no surprise test at the end...

In short, Vis is an essential part of our bodies, just like arms and legs—an incorporeal extension of ourselves.

The best way to learn to control it is by using external supports, the same way a child learning to stand holds onto a chair for balance.

According to Clotilde, the same principle applies here.

To begin, she demonstrates a short breathing exercise—similar to meditation—a simple warm-up to be practiced every morning and evening, before and after sleep.

Unfortunately, I have the feeling the next exercises won’t be so easy...

«And now, the real training begins!» Clotilde

announces, stretching her arm toward Gerard and me.

In an instant, a red, opaque bubble traps my body.

I can’t see beyond it, but I can still hear everything happening outside.

The space is terrifyingly tight—I feel my bones creaking under the pressure.

And now?

What the hell are I supposed to do?!

Clotilde doesn’t keep us waiting.

«Break free!» she commands, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Oh, fantastic. Really helpful...

Meanwhile, she assigns the other pair—Dorje and Angelica—their task: to fight without physically touching, using only their energy.

What the hell does it even mean to fight without touching?!

Anyway, I’ve got bigger problems right now.

How the hell do I get out of here?!

Next to me—no doubt trapped in the same bubble—Gerard lets out agonizing, almost inhuman screams.

He must be trying to break through with sheer muscle, but I seriously doubt that’s the solution.

Otherwise, what would be the point of this exercise?

We have to use Vis energy—but how?

I can clearly visualize the flow of my energy when I use Blood Words, but Sanguis and Vis are completely different.

I need to treat Vis as an extension of my body, not just something contained within it.

Easier said than done...

«Idiot! It won’t break with brute strength—use your Vis energy!» Clotilde shouts, no doubt at Gerard, whose desperate screams echo through the arena. «If you want to get out, you must focus all your energy into a single point!»

In short, we need to pierce the bubble from the inside—like a needle popping a balloon.

At that moment, I feel the bubble squeezing me even tighter—as if it were shrinking around me.

It’s not just my imagination; Gerard’s agonized cries confirm it.

With his massive build, he must feel even more crushed than I do, while I’ve managed to curl up a little to ease the pressure.

«Since you’re too dense to figure it out yourselves, I’ll give you one last hint!» Clotilde exclaims. «Do you really think I gave you that breathing exercise just to waste your time?!»

Okay, now it’s clear! The answer lies in the breathing drills she taught us.

I breathe in slowly through my nose, then exhale deeply through my mouth.

I close my eyes and focus on relaxing every muscle.

Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale...

Then... I feel something entirely new!

A faint vibration runs across my skin, as if every cell is resonating in unison.

It almost feels like I can control them one by one.

All that’s left is to gather them in a single point and...

—POP!

The bubble bursts silently, vanishing in an instant.

The first thing I do is glance at Gerard, hoping he has already broken free—but his bubble is still intact.

My eyes drift to Priscilla, who trembles with clenched teeth in frustration.

Daphne claps gracefully beside her, while Sasha throws me a cryptic look and a mischievous smile—she even licks her upper lip when she notices I’m watching.

I don’t even want to imagine what goes through that lunatic’s head.

Exhausted, I collapse onto the ground, arms and legs spread out like a starfish.

My muscles and bones ache as if I’ve just done something superhuman—and for my poor standards, it really is.

«Well done, boy,» Clotilde says—for the first time granting me a compliment, even if her tone stays as harsh as always.

A rare event, worth marking on the calendar.

After what feels like an eternity, Gerard’s bubble finally bursts.

His exhausted body falls next to mine, but a satisfied smile brightens his face. I’m genuinely happy he made it!

«I’d say that’s enough for today,» Clotilde declares, shifting her gaze between me, Gerard, and Dorje—who looks a bit better off than the two of us.

«Already done?» Sasha cuts in. «I’m sure my familiar can keep going. Isn’t that right, old dog?!»

«My mistress is right. We can continue training,» Dorje answers with difficulty, standing back up despite the obvious strain.

«Mine can keep going too!» Priscilla exclaims, bouncing in place like a spoiled child.

«Don’t be ridiculous!» Clotilde snaps, clearly annoyed. «It’s already a miracle he’s still in one piece. Just make sure he practices the breathing exercises I gave him!»

Daphne steps closer, offering me her hand.

«You know, it’s not every day Clotilde lets out a compliment. But now... In your condition, nothing beats a private Volkom family bath to cool off. Consider it a reward for today’s progress,» she says with a light smile.

«That sounds perfect,» I admit, honestly thrilled at the thought of relaxing—even if my tired voice probably doesn’t show it. «But... how will I let you know when to come pick me up?»

«How will you let me know when to come pick you up...?» Daphne repeats, raising a brow in mild confusion. «Oh, silly... we’ll be bathing together.»