Grey Spatium 6

As I ignited God Step, I let my gaze unfocus, but this time, I went a step beyond. Instead of concentrating so hard on limiting the aetheric paths through my eyes, I expanded my focus toward my other senses. While I couldn’t smell, hear, or taste the aether in any capacity, I was able to expand my intent toward the aether paths around me.

Every aetheric stream, while intertwined with or branching from one another, had a beginning and an end. And these streams acted as highways that I could travel through. However, with my intent fully connected to the aetheric paths, I didn’t try to read these intricate and complicated routes.

Instead, I let the aether feed the information I needed to me.

Going a step beyond Three Steps, whose feline body was already adept at sensing the aether paths, I shrouded myself in a thin layer of aether and let my body be an anchor for the aetheric paths to send information to.

This was where Three Steps’ training to focus on only the most immediate routes and limit the distance at which I perceived them was crucial. With so much information being fed to me from the aetheric pathways, I was only able to properly make out those that would teleport me just two feet away. If I tried to expand my focus out beyond that radius, it felt like hot rods were being shoved into my brain.

Taking a deep breath, I withdrew God Step and, in my excitement, I couldn’t help but give my mentor a hug.

It was only a small step forward, but I knew now how to improve. For the first time, I could see myself not only catching up to Three Steps, but, with my aether core, surpassing her.