Chapter 7: Shadow Bloom
The courtyard of the eastern wing was bathed in a soft violet haze as morning broke over Soul Academy. Mist drifted over the soulstones embedded in the walkways, glowing faintly with ambient energy. Karen stood barefoot on the chilled stone tiles, eyes closed, the Abyss floating silently at her back like a loyal specter.
She breathed in slowly.
The soul energy around her pulsed to her heartbeat. Every lesson with Joshua had refined her senses—what once felt like a raging storm now flowed like a calm river.
Behind her, soft footsteps approached.
"I knew I'd find you here," Marie's voice called out, warm with mischief and honesty.
Karen opened one eye, her lips twitching upward. "I'm not exactly subtle."
Marie folded her arms. "You've been out here since dawn again, haven't you?"
Karen nodded, turning her gaze back to the rippling field of darkness she was maintaining—a half-sphere dome that wrapped gently around her, dimming the light without suffocating it. It pulsed softly, petals of energy unraveling within it like a lotus blooming in the night.
Marie stepped forward, captivated. "It's beautiful… Like a garden that only grows under moonlight."
Karen let the domain shrink and dissipate, returning the area to natural brightness. "I haven't figured out what to call it yet. Joshua says I'll know when it's right."
Marie's eyes sparkled. "Then let me try."
Karen raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Marie tilted her head, studying the spot where the dome had been. "It's quiet but powerful. Like you. And those dark petals... they looked like they were reaching for light. You said once you didn't want to be overwhelmed by the Abyss—you wanted to grow from it."
She smiled then, soft and certain.
"Shadow Bloom."
Karen blinked. A strange warmth bloomed in her chest, stronger than even the energy flow she'd been mastering. "Shadow Bloom…" she repeated, and the name settled into her soul like it had always been waiting there.
Marie grinned. "Told you I was good with names."
That morning, Joshua found Karen already practicing. She stood in the center of the training circle, summoning her Proto-Domain in waves now—making it bloom like a breath and retract like a whisper. Joshua watched her with measured satisfaction.
"You've taken a step," he said.
She exhaled through her nose. "It has a name now. Shadow Bloom."
Joshua tilted his head. "Fitting. A domain shaped not by destruction… but transformation. Rare."
Karen nodded once and lifted her scythe. The Abyss hissed into being, but now it felt lighter in her hands. She had begun to understand it—not as a cursed relic, but as a part of herself. A mirror of her will, not her fear.
They trained with intensity that day.
Karen worked on advanced Energy Constructs—blades, chains, and lances of pure Soul Energy shaped within the parameters of her Proto-Domain. Joshua taught her how to alter speed and weight within the constructs by controlling density.
"Everything obeys your will," he said as he parried one of her conjured blades with his bare palm. "But the will must be precise, not impulsive."
They moved on to chaining techniques—Soul Pulse strikes paired with movement. Karen focused on syncing her dashes with timed bursts of energy, giving her explosive agility mid-combat. The Abyss, now able to partially shift shape, could collapse into a short glaive or burst into thorny tendrils at her command.
They didn't speak much during the training—only the rhythm of their movements mattered. Strike. Block. Shift. Bloom.
Later, after dusk had settled, Joshua motioned her to stop. "That's enough for today."
Karen dropped into a crouch, sweat glistening down her face, her breath sharp but steady.
"You've come far," he said. "Your instincts, your domain, your weapon—everything is aligning. But keep this in mind: progress is never just vertical. Power sometimes means knowing when not to wield it."
Karen looked up at him. "I understand. But I won't stop."
Joshua's expression softened. "Good. You're not supposed to."
That night, Karen stood again in the garden, her scythe resting in the grass beside her. The twins had returned to their dorm. Jim had offered to spar again soon. Cassandra, now watching her with a strange new curiosity, had said nothing at all.
But Karen didn't need words right now.
She summoned Shadow Bloom again. This time it came faster—more graceful. The petals unfurled, each one a memory of pain, doubt, and determination. Darkness bloomed across the air… but in its center, a soft violet light shimmered.
Not as a warning.
But as a promise.
....