After watching the peaceful rise and fall of Khione's breathing for a long while, Nero carefully slipped away. The quiet of the night called to him, but not for sleep. He needed to move forward, to get stronger. He made his way to the secluded back mountain area of the estate, a place of stillness he often used for deep training.
He unrolled a simple mat on the cool grass and sat cross-legged, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp, vibrant night air, holding it for a moment before slowly letting it out. With the next inhale, he began his specialized breathing technique. The abundant prana in the environment stirred, drawn toward him like iron to a magnet. He guided this raw energy into his primary core, where it was churned and purified into a brilliant, concentrated essence. A portion of this purified power was then carefully siphoned off and channeled downward, into the second, smaller core nestled within his heart.
