"What if we approached it differently?" he asked.
"How do you mean?"
"Traditional training methods assume a healthy body capable of handling normal energy flows. But what if we designed a training regimen specifically for someone with my limitations? What if we focused on efficiency and precision rather than raw power?"
Master Gareth looked skeptical. "Sword aura isn't something you can engineer, Your Highness. It's an art that requires "
"Everything can be engineered," Silas interrupted, then caught himself. That was Kael Victor talking, not Prince Silas. He needed to be more careful about revealing knowledge that didn't fit his supposed background.
"I mean," he continued more carefully, "perhaps there are aspects of the training that could be modified. You said yourself that it's about channeling energy efficiently. Surely there are ways to improve efficiency?"
The old master studied him for a long moment. "You've changed," he said finally. "Since your illness began, you've been different. More focused, more... determined. Lady Elara mentioned that you've been asking unusual questions, making plans that seem beyond your previous interests."
Silas felt a chill that had nothing to do with his physical condition. If people were noticing changes in his behavior, it could become dangerous.
In a world where magic existed, the concept of possession or spiritual interference might not be dismissed as easily as it would have been in his previous life.
"Near-death experiences can change a person," he said carefully. "Perhaps facing my own mortality has given me a new perspective on what's important."
Master Gareth nodded slowly, though his eyes remained watchful. "Perhaps. Very well, Your Highness. If you're truly committed to learning sword aura, I'll teach you. But we'll start with the absolute basics, and we'll stop immediately if your condition worsens."
"What are the basics?"
"Meditation and energy sensing. Before you can channel life force, you must first learn to feel it within yourself. Most students spend months on this step alone."
Silas felt a flicker of disappointment.
Months of meditation when he had kingdoms to save and empires to outmaneuver seemed like a luxury he couldn't afford. But he also understood the importance of proper foundations. You couldn't build a skyscraper without first ensuring the ground could support it.
"When do we start?"
"Now, if you're feeling strong enough. The sooner you begin, the sooner we'll know if this is even possible."
Master Gareth helped Silas into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, then took a seat across from him.
"Close your eyes," the old warrior instructed. "Focus on your breathing. Feel the air entering and leaving your lungs, the rhythm of your heartbeat, the flow of blood through your veins."
Silas followed the instructions, though his engineering mind kept trying to analyze the process rather than simply experience it. He could feel his pulse, rapid and weak compared to what he remembered from his previous life. His breathing was shallow, limited by the weakness in his chest.
"Now," Master Gareth continued, his voice taking on a hypnotic quality, "try to sense something deeper. Beneath the physical sensations, beneath the obvious functions of your body, there's something else. A warmth, perhaps, or a tingling sensation. Something that feels alive in a way that's different from mere biological function."
Silas concentrated, trying to push past his analytical tendencies and simply feel. For long minutes, nothing happened. He was aware of his heartbeat, his breathing, the ache in his muscles from his earlier collapse, but nothing that seemed like mystical energy.
Then, just as he was about to give up, he felt it.
It was subtle at first, like the faintest electrical current running through his body. Not painful, but definitely present a sensation that seemed to flow along pathways that didn't correspond to any nervous system he knew. The energy felt weak, flickering, like a candle flame in a strong wind.
"I think I feel something," he said quietly, afraid that speaking might break his concentration.
"Describe it."
"Like electricity, but warmer. It's very faint, and it seems to be... stuttering? Like it's trying to flow but keeps getting interrupted."
Master Gareth was quiet for a moment. "That's more than most people sense on their first attempt," he said finally. "The interruptions you're feeling... that's your condition interfering with the natural flow of energy. It's what makes sword aura so difficult for you."
Silas opened his eyes, meeting the master's gaze. "But not impossible?"
"Perhaps not impossible. But it will require a completely different approach than traditional training. We'll need to work with your limitations rather than trying to overcome them."
As Master Gareth prepared to leave, promising to return the next day with modified training exercises, Silas found himself alone with his thoughts.
The brief glimpse of energy he'd experienced had been meaningful, not just because it proved he might be capable of learning sword aura, but because it had felt familiar in a way he couldn't quite explain.
The sensation reminded him of something from his engineering background, though he couldn't immediately place what. It was like recognizing a pattern without being able to identify its source, knowing that the answer was there but just out of reach.
As he lay back against his pillows, exhaustion pulling him toward sleep, Silas reflected on the strange duality of his existence.
He was Kael Victor, a brilliant engineer with knowledge of technologies that wouldn't be invented in this world for centuries. But he was also Prince Silas Cinder, the last heir to a dying kingdom, cursed with a body that could barely support his ambitions.
The challenge was learning to be both to use Kael's knowledge and analytical skills while working within Silas's limitations and circumstances. It was like trying to build a bridge with materials that weren't quite suited to the task, requiring creative solutions and innovative approaches.
But that was what engineering was all about solving problems with the resources available, not the resources you wished you had.
As sleep finally claimed him, Silas's last conscious thought was about energy flow and efficiency. Somewhere in the intersection of sword aura and engineering principles, there had to be a solution. There had to be a way to transform weakness into strength, limitation into advantage.
He just had to figure out how to build it.