Chapter 47: Shadows Beneath, Sparks Above
While Karen endured the crucible of Rose Ikemba's soul-forging domain, her friends were undergoing their own evolution beneath the watchful gaze of Joshua Ikemba.
They trained not in fire, but in pressure—a different kind of forge.
A secluded section of the Ikemba estate had been modified into a Soul Energy Resonance Chamber, a marble hall laced with conduits of crystalline etherium that amplified spiritual feedback and tested the very coherence of one's soul.
Joshua stood at the center, arms crossed, his aura calm but unmistakably dense. His presence was subdued compared to Rose's, but that didn't mean it was gentle. It was intentional—a mentor with the eyes of one who had bled for every inch of progress.
"Your souls are strong," Joshua began, "but strength without clarity is noise. Today, I will teach you the First Law of Resonance: Emotion directs power. Intent sculpts it. If you can't control that, you'll never awaken your proto domains—much less survive the likes of the Veil."
Jim, arms flexed and fists glowing with low-level soul sparks, nodded. "I've always fought with gut instinct. But I can't hold that state for long."
Joshua nodded. "Because your spirit is overflowing, but unfocused. Leslie?"
Leslie exhaled slowly, lightning-like threads of violet energy pulsing down her arms. "My energy surges when I feel protective. But it fades quickly when I'm unsure."
"Emotional anchors," Joshua confirmed. "Marie?"
Marie was kneeling, eyes closed, her aura a glimmering blue-white veil. "My gift is empathetic. I sync with others. But I can't draw full power unless I feel the stakes."
"Then we will train with the stakes imagined. Starting now."
He raised his hand. The chamber darkened, and three astral projections appeared—figures wrapped in distorted silhouettes of Cirth, of past enemies, of potential futures. Shadows with malicious soul pressure.
"These are Echo Phantoms. They respond to your fears and intent. Strike them with purpose, or they'll break your soul barriers."
Jim didn't wait.
He launched forward, fists glowing red-hot with soul friction, and clashed with the phantom. The blow landed—but the shadow adapted, countering with a burst of soul-negating energy.
Jim grunted and reeled back.
Joshua appeared at his side, voice cold but calm. "You're too reactive. Find why you fight—not just how."
Leslie stepped forward next, lightning flickering.
"Marie—link with me!" she shouted.
Marie's aura extended like a web of light, wrapping around Leslie's form. In that moment, their powers resonated. Leslie's lightning sharpened, controlled. She struck the phantom with a burst of precision—not just rage.
Joshua raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting. Synchronization resonance. That's rare at your level."
Meanwhile, Jim had begun meditating mid-battle—his eyes closed even as the phantom stalked forward again. Sweat dripped down his brow, but his fists remained steady.
And then—
A pulse.
Not of rage, but of resolve.
Boom—
His punch shattered the phantom into soul fragments, dispersing it.
Leslie followed, hurling a storm-spear into hers with guided fury.
Marie supported them both, anchoring their emotions with calm resolve.
Joshua allowed a rare, small smile.
"Good. Again. But this time—I'll join the phantoms."
As his eyes began to glow with black flame and his proto domain subtly stirred, Jim, Leslie, and Marie prepared for something far harder than a shadow of fear:
A glimpse of the real thing.