Chapter 148

Emily's reasoning was sound.

I knew how to climb down from trees well enough — but that was a rather different thing from leaping from a building.

If I was going to do this, I might as well learn to do it properly.

And so I threw myself wholeheartedly into Emily's breakfall training.

"Let's treat the bed as if it's the window ledge."

"Bed as window ledge, understood!"

I imagined the bed was the terrace railing and rolled and jumped from it dozens of times.

Each time, Emily corrected my form with careful precision.

"Like this. Release the tension in your thighs. Think of it as a rolling tumble."

"Rolling tumble, understood."

"Think of your arms as supports. Try to make contact with the ground over as wide a surface area as possible — distribute the weight."

"Distribute the weight, understood!"

I applied myself with the dedication of a model…