Xavier kept his breathing steady, his senses reaching outward as he'd practiced with Calypso. The energy drink Eliza had given him seemed to heighten his awareness, making the darkness feel almost tangible against his skin.
"Lesson one," Phantom's voice echoed from somewhere above them. "Darkness is not the absence of light—it's the presence of opportunity."
Xavier felt a subtle shift in the air currents to his left. He turned, eyes straining, and caught the barest glimpse of movement—a shadow within shadows.
"Mr. Valentine," Phantom's voice came from directly behind him now. "Tell me what you sense."
Xavier didn't flinch, though his heart hammered against his ribs. "You're moving in a pattern. Clockwise. Using the support beams overhead to change position." He paused, concentrating harder. "And you're... suppressing your Essentia signature somehow."
A soft chuckle. "Very good. And the rest of you?"