After Yan’s second cycle, he stood in the grove energized and ready for more. The vitality remained in his limbs, and his breath felt light. He enjoyed the power the art gave him, and the satisfaction of seeing the complete sequence work again. He had closed the circulation when he chose; he felt no pain or weakness.
Pera came over from the edge of the crowd. “Why does the same method strengthen you but leave other people trembling?”
“The reversal belongs to me,” Yan said. “The art’s intended lifespan cost turns into added vitality in my body. I cannot teach someone else to receive that effect.”
“Could they learn it by practicing your count?”
“No. My count is not the change. My body is.” Yan kept his voice plain. “I like the power it gives me. I’m glad to show what happens to me, but I won’t claim another person can follow my result safely.”
A few followers nodded. Others continued to watch Hanlo, who had moved to the platform. “The crowd has now seen the art work,” he said. “My version contains enough to begin. The rest is passed from teacher to student.”
Yan held the incomplete handout beside the full sequence. “This is where your sheet stops. This is where the recovery line begins.”
