Chapter 21: Pathetic.
The next couple of hours passed as the two continued to spar, with Vael tirelessly guiding Elias through each movement and correcting every mistake he made.
"Loosen up your footwork—it’s too rigid."
"Don’t square your shoulders when you step in—angle them properly, or it’ll mess up your movement."
"Stop stiffening your waist when you throw a punch. Rotate it. Use your waist joint to generate power—you’re leaking strength."
"Keep your guard up. You keep dropping your hand after every swing."
"Don’t look down when you dodge—focus on your opponent’s center, not your feet."
"Time your breathing. Exhale when you strike."
Instruction after instruction, correction after correction, filled the air as time went on.
Each mistake Elias made was followed by immediate feedback. Vael didn’t let anything slide. But Elias didn’t complain. He took it all in—slowly and steadily—doing his best to improve. Every time he made an error, he tried to fix it. Every time he lost balance, he tried to correct his posture. He was learning, truly. But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t land a single hit.
And that—was starting to wear him down.
His frustration started small: a clenched jaw, a furrowed brow. But as the sun began to set and his fists continued to swing through air, that frustration slowly built up—boiling beneath the surface.