The following day, the soreness was less a sharp agony and was more of a deep—grinding ache. Jett consumed his standard breakfast, coaxed Murk into the sling-bag, and made the now familiar trek to apartment 3B.

  "Come. Begin."

  Brenda stood in the center of the training room, her posture was immaculate as usual.

  Murk took up residence near the fish tank today, its green eyes watched the strange glowing inhabitants.

  "Yesterday, you achieved contact,"

  Brenda stated with a smile.

  "Today we will address a fundamental deficiency. Your movement. Specifically, your footwork."

  Jett nodded, he shifted into his ready stance.

  "Okay. More basics?"

  "Advanced basics," Brenda corrected.

  "Supernatural movement transcends mere physical speed. It involves the manipulation of energy - the environment - and inherent biological advantages. The Somatic Path offers three core footwork techniques."

  She moved, and Jett almost didn't register it as movement—one moment she was standing still - the next she was several feet to his left - reappearing without seeming to cross the intervening space. It wasn't a blur; it was more like a skipped frame in reality.

  "First, the Nimbus Step," Brenda said, now back in her original position.

  "It utilizes a controlled burst of Vitriol channeled directly into the musculoskeletal system—specifically the fast twitch muscle fibers and tendons, which in beings like vampires are naturally reinforced beyond human limits. This momentarily overcomes inertia - and results in near-instantaneous repositioning over short distances."

  She demonstrated the move again - a subtle ripple seemed to pass through her legs just before she vanished and reappeared five feet away.

  "Too little Vitriol—you merely stumble. Too much - you overshoot, lose control - or even damage your own tissues despite reinforcement. It requires focus and efficient energy expenditure."

  Jett tried to replicate the concept. He focused - trying to feel his own Vitriol, that nascent energy pool within him. He pushed energy towards his legs and tried to move. He lurched forward awkwardly—and nearly tripped over his own feet.

  "Control," Brenda stated. "Not brute force. Feel the energy. Direct it - a sharp pulse, not a flood."

  Jett tried again - focusing on a smaller burst. He performed a quick jerky hop forward.

  It was nowhere near Brenda's effortless shift.

  [ Somatic I: 75/1000 ]

  "Second, the Noxic Step."

  Brenda continued, her movements became utterly silent. She circled Jett, her feet made absolutely no sound on the mats—not even the faintest scuff or pressure sound. It was deeply unsettling.

  "This involves projecting a thin field of disruptive energy just below the soles of the feet."

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  She explained, her voice was the only sound in the room:

  "It actively dampens sound vibrations at the point of contact and subtly displaces air - preventing the usual sounds of footfalls, friction—and pressure. It demands constant, low level Vitriol output and immense concentration to maintain the field's integrity and shape."

  She stopped directly behind him. Jett hadn't heard a thing. He was shocked.

  "Try," she commanded.

  Jett attempted to emulate the silence. He focused on channeling energy downwards, trying to imagine a dampening field. He took a step.

  It was a scuff.

  He tried again.

  His steps were heavy - loud and clumsy. Maintaining the focus while moving felt impossible.

  "Your energy field is unstable," Brenda observed.

  "It fluctuates and collapses. It requires sustained focus, linking breath control to energy output."

  [ Somatic I: 76/1000 ]

  "Third, the Kineto," Brenda said, and her movement became jarringly unpredictable.

  She didn't just move side to side; she seemed to stutter - feinting left while her body shifted right—changing direction mid stride with unnatural speed. It wasn't just agility; it looked like physics was momentarily bending around her.

  "This leverages inherent supernatural reflexes and precise—micro bursts of Vitriol," she explained, dancing around Jett in a dizzying pattern.

  "You redirect your momentum instantly, creating false vectors and breaking expected lines of movement. It is not about covering distance quickly—but about becoming impossible to track - to predict. It requires you to act before you think, letting instinct guide the energy bursts."

  Jett tried to copy the erratic motion. He ended up looking like he was having a seizure, stumbling left - then jerking right - he lost his balance entirely, catching himself on the wall of the room.

  "You are thinking," Brenda stated. "You calculate, then move. The Kineto requires instinct and reaction. Let your Veschar reflexes guide the energy. Do not force it."

  Jett tried again - focusing less on specific directions and more on just moving unpredictably. It was still chaotic and lacking any grace or control, but he managed a few quick, unexpected shifts before nearly falling again.

  [ Somatic I: 78/1000 ]

  Brenda stopped, regarding him impassively.

  "Nimbus Step for repositioning. Noxic Step for stealth. Kineto for evasion and unpredictability. Each requires different forms of control - different applications of Vitriol - different mental states."

  She glanced around the room.

  "Mastering these is not merely about learning techniques. It is about fundamentally changing how you interact with space and energy. It will take time. Much time."

  She resumed her ready stance.

  "We will drill the Nimbus Step first. Control the burst. Again."

  Jett groaned internally but pushed himself back into position.

  -

  He spent the next hour attempting the Nimbus Step - focus - channeling Vitriol - sharp pulse and reposition.

  More often than not—it resulted in an awkward lurch - a stumble - or a jerky hop that covered barely a foot.

  The instantaneous shift Brenda demonstrated felt impossibly far away. He could feel the energy—it was like a buzzing potential under his skin, but directing it precisely - in that split second while maintaining balance and awareness – it was like trying to thread a needle during an earthquake.

  [ Somatic I: 79/1000 ]

  Another point trickled in - as if the voice mocked his clumsy efforts. He paused while breathing heavily - and leaned slightly on his knees.

  "Brenda," he panted, and looked up at his blue haired instructor.

  "This is hard. But what happens… what do you do.. if you're up against someone who's actually good at this? Someone who can use all three? Nimbus Step to vanish, Noxic Step to sneak up, Kineto to dodge everything. How do you even track that? How do you fight it?"

  It felt like asking how to catch smoke.

  Brenda tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes became narrowed slightly. She considered his question for a moment.

  "Tracking such an opponent solely through visual means is ineffectice and often futile,"

  She stated, her voice maintained its usual calm cadence.

  "Somatic mastery includes heightened physical senses, but true perception requires more."

  She tapped her temple lightly.

  "First is prediction. Even erratic movement often follows subconscious patterns. Observe them and analyze micro expressions - weight shifts - and breathing rhythms before the step occurs. Anticipate their intent, not just the action."

  She then looked vaguely around them.

  "Second would be the environment. They still leave behind air—disturb dust - and leave subtle energy residues. A master of Noxic Step minimizes these, but rarely eliminates them entirely - especially during rapid sequences or transitions between steps. Learn to perceive these disturbances. Feel the vibrations through the floor. Listen for the absence of sound where sound should be."

  Her gaze sharpened slightly:

  "Third is counter frequency. Each step utilizes Vitriol in a specific pattern or frequency. With sufficient training and sensitivity – potentially enhanced by other Paths, though Somatic focus heightens physical sense input – one can learn to sense these energy fluctuations. You feel the charge before a Nimbus Step—the dampening field of a Noxic Step, and the chaotic bursts of Kineto."

  She paused, letting the information sink in, before continuing:

  "Fourth is area denial and control. Limit their options and force them into predictable spaces. Utilize terrain—a skilled opponent with superior footwork is less effective in a confined area or on unstable ground. Disrupt their flow."

  Then she added:

  "And fundamentally—improve your own speed and reaction time beyond theirs. If your perception and reaction negates their positioning advantage, their footwork becomes less decisive."

  She looked pointedly back at the empty space in front of Jett.

  "All these methods require focus—heightened senses - and experience you currently lack. Therefore, the immediate solution is continued practice."

  She shifted back into a demonstration stance.

  "Nimbus Step. Control the burst. Again."

  Jett blinked, processing the dense tactical information. Prediction - environmental awareness - energy sensing, area control—it was a whole other level of combat awareness he hadn't even considered. And it all seemed impossibly advanced compared to his current struggle just to hop across the room without falling.

  He sighed, pushing the daunting future possibilities aside. Right now, he just needed to master the hop.

  "Right," he muttered, resetting his stance.

  "Control the burst." He focused - trying once more to channel the elusive Vitriol.