The air hung thick and heavy with the scent of chlorine and disinfectant, a stark contrast to the earthy aroma Ethan imagined the Codex practitioners of old were accustomed to. Inside the Blackwood Academy's rarely used, late-night recreational pool, the water shimmered under the dim emergency lights, casting elongated, distorted reflections on the tiled walls. This was their training ground, far from the prying eyes of the genetically-blessed athletes and the ever-watchful Coach Martel.