A Crystal Steeped In Darkness

Nine

Nine

           Control

When I came to, I was in a hospital-like room. I looked around and spotted Jonah and the twins staring down at me, worried expressions on their faces. "Mistress Lara told us what happened. Are you hurt?" Jonah asks, checking me for any  visible scars or bruises. " No, I'm fine, I just lost control." I replied, shaking my head in shame. The twins held my shoulders, comforting me. Just then Edwin and Mistress Lara entered the infirmary, their expressions dark. "Hello Master Vara, are you alright?" Edwin ask's his dark blue eyes filled with concern. " Yea I'm fine, just a little shaken up." I reassured him.

   " Ahem," Mistress Lara cleared her throat to get our attention. " Miss Daxx is extremely talented but given what happened here she'll need special training to help control her essence."
She said leafing through a massive book that read: Essence Control 101.  "What!? Jonah exclaimed his essence, making the lights in the room dim. " What do you mean special training?" He continued. Edwin pulled Jonah aside to speak with him. As the lights brightened up again Mistress Lara gave me the book and told me to read as much as possible.

As we were about to read Mistress Lara said: "Since you showed exceptional skills in each of the exams you will be sent a letter in two months to attend this academy. Use this time to practice controlling your essence." With that she walked back into the shadow of the massive school building. On our way home the twins were unusually friendly towards each other and Jonah seemed a little bit better than he was earlier. I'll ask them how their exams went later. I thought to myself.

Once we reached manor I asked Edwin if I could practice my essence control. He nodded solemnly and I raced to the basement tapping the spatial rune to open. The rune glowed green as the door pulled back revealing a dark room unlike what he showed us before. " It reacts to your essence power. Just like your room. " Edwin called from upstairs as if he could read my mind. Recalling what happened when I first walked in my room. So I slowly started walking farther into the dark room when suddenly the whole room started glowing green and a bright green neon sign appeared before me. 'Hello my name is Wan and I am Edwin's grimoire in sentient form. If you would like to train your essence control I can use the essence power that you transferred to help you achieve control over your power.' At the bottom of the sign it read yes or no.

My mind replayed the events during the exam. I really don't want something like that to happen again so I need to learn how to keep my power under control.
I tapped yes and the sign dissolved and the room shifted to a massive jungle. Towering trees and animals surrounded the space around me. The humidity hit me like a wave causing me to gasp.

Suddenly a massive black tiger with three horns appeared, snarling its arrival.
"Whoa!" I shouted, jumping back instinctively. In the spot where I previously had been, was a massive paw sized crater. " What the hell!" I exclaimed, my heart racing. The strange tiger geared up to pounce again. I pulled out the sword hilt which I named Florance from my pocket. The beast seemed to flinch at the sight of it. I used this opportunity to pour as much essence into it as I could. The hilt began to tremble with power as the emerald green blade appeared pulling out from the hilt in a flash of green light.

I readied myself for another attack. As the tiger roared, shaking the tree roots.
It advanced its eyes filled with pure malevolence. I dogged it to the left and stabbed it in the belly. It's howl of pain ripped through me as  I retreated a few steps to regain my composure. I tapped my crest once my grimoire revealed itself. I pulled out the essence goggles and quickly skimmed through the pages until a skill caught my eye. 'Thorny Imprisonment: Traps one in a cage of cactus roots. It's thorns holding a deadly sedative.' The skill read, "This skill is slightly better than the other one so let's give it a shot." So I repeated what I did during the exam and closed my eyes and visualized thick vines covered with thorns that dripped a deadly substance that wrapped the wounded creature in a massive cage. When I opened my eyes the horned beast was indeed inside a cage of thick thorny vines. The creature growled and slammed its body against the cage which was a big mistake as the thorns held a deadly sedative. The tiger was asleep in a matter of seconds.

'End simulation.' Wan said as the room shifted back to its original back void. " Was that it?" I asked, wondering if there was something more to fight. 'Yes that's all for today young master, supper is almost ready and Edwin wants you to shower beforehand.' I nodded, returning my grimoire back into my crest before walking out of the training room and up the basement stairs.