A peaceful day, like many others. The sun’s rays pierced through the treetops of the mountain, illuminating the dojo where the boys were training. Towan, a young man with intense eyes, moved with great speed, his muscles tensing with each strike, but his movements, though fast, seemed uncontrolled. The fury of his fight betrayed his lack of control over his Essentia, which manifested in his chaotic aura.

"Remember, Towan," said his mentor in a soft but firm voice. "Speed is important, but keep control over your Essentia, or it will control you." With a sigh, he turned around and, without stopping, added, "I’ll go make lunch."

Towan stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, frustrated by the scolding. "Always the same talk, never showing me how to do it!" he exclaimed, heading toward his brother.

Elliot, calm and thoughtful, looked up from the book he was reading. "The teacher is right. Speed isn’t enough, you need precision." His eyes were focused on the pages of the book he had been reading: "How Essentia Works," by Edgar de Wolf.

Towan, with a sarcastic smile, crossed his arms. "Lots of talk, not much action," he murmured. "Always reading and talking about mastering it, but never showing me anything worth learning."

Without saying a word, Elliot lifted the book and, taking advantage of his brother’s frustration, gently tossed it toward Towan, who caught it after it bounced off his head.

"Hey!" Towan complained, rubbing his head. "What’s wrong with you?"

"Give it a read," Elliot replied calmly, getting up to head toward the kitchen. "Maybe it’ll help you understand a bit more. I’m going to help the teacher."

After Elliot left, Towan looked at the book with disdain, muttering, "I don’t see how reading something I already know would help..." He sighed deeply, then thought, "I guess it’s not like I’ll lose anything by trying."

He opened the book, his eyes scanning the first lines. 'Essentia is a vital energy that all living beings possess. Only a few are capable of controlling it and sensing it, and an even smaller number can receive it, in theory, of course.' "Seems like a journal...?" Towan said, frowning as he read.

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'The flow of Essentia can be manipulated by the user, although it requires much training. Its refinement, that is, the use of less Essentia to achieve more and better results, can only be attained by great masters. The increase in the amount of Essentia one can store in their body depends on the physical training the user undergoes.'

The book continued, but Towan could no longer focus. "What I need now is to improve my control," he thought. "I feel stuck, and the teacher won’t directly tell me what to do..."

He flipped through the pages quickly until he reached an index that listed three sections: Control, Expansion of Quantity, and Refinement.

'To gain more control, one must become versatile with their Essentia.' That was all Towan could understand from the text. The rest contained vocabulary that was too advanced, and the complicated sentences were impossible to process.

"What a piece of crap book!" he exclaimed, about to throw it to the floor, but stopped. "Wait..." he said, thinking aloud. "Becoming more versatile... what does that mean?" He stayed silent for a few seconds, then continued, more thoughtfully, "Maybe what I need is to change my approach..."

Over the following days, Towan applied his new improvement technique: using Essentia in small amounts for everything, not just for his attack or defense moves. Walking, jumping, running, eating... everything became an opportunity to refine his control.

"How clever you are, Towan," he said to himself, noticing how his precision while practicing his combat moves improved every day.

He was in the dojo yard, surrounded by trees, with a small waterfall and a pond where the water fell gently, creating a sense of calm. The sounds of the birds, the flowing water, and the wind brushing the leaves gave the environment an even more serene touch.

There was Towan, with his eyes closed, still, breathing calmly. Suddenly, he went into a combat stance, still with his eyes shut, using Essentia in each movement, but in minimal amounts, as his reserves weren’t very large.

After a few seconds of pause, he began. He crossed one leg behind the other, then kicked the air, stomped the ground, and spun to deliver another kick with his leg. The movements were much smoother than the first time. His control was evident in each action, and his strikes seemed more precise. With every movement, the tension around him grew, creating a pressure that would make any ordinary person feel numb just from the sensation.

"I see you’ve gained more control, Towan," said his master in a deep voice, suddenly appearing, as if he had been there the whole time. "I’m proud of you, congratulations."

"(Master? When did he arrive?)" Towan thought, surprised. "Thank you, Master. How should I proceed now?" he asked, pleased by the recognition.

"Now that you and Elliot are at the same stage," the master said with pride, "we’ll begin physical training. You’ll need to increase your endurance to keep your Essentia active for longer in combat, and also to develop more strength."