Derrick collapsed onto his bed, boots still on, and for the first time in weeks, his mind went quiet.
When he opened his eyes, morning light was pouring through the windows. He felt different. The exhaustion that had been sitting on his chest for weeks was gone, replaced by something sharper and cleaner.
He stood in the center of his room, stripped to his waist, and ran through the kata Sir Thompson had taught him. His movements felt different now. Faster. More natural. Less like someone following instructions and more like someone who had simply learned how to move.
The Varyn circulation had done something to his body. He could feel it in the way his feet shifted, the way his arms responded before his mind had even finished the thought. He was faster, stronger, and his mind felt clearer than it ever had.
After a quick bath, he headed outside.
