Chapter 55: Sparks of Ambition
Second Year – Week Two
The revelation about the Rankings lit a quiet fire under the group. It wasn't spoken out loud—there was no dramatic vow or oaths under the moon—but it was there, heavy and present in every training session, every lecture, every passing glance at the Academy's central spire.
Karen could feel it growing inside her, just as her Soul Energy steadily refined her cycle toward stability. The Shadow Bloom responded—denser, darker, more reactive. The Abyss Scythe appeared more often now, even unbidden, flickering behind her in spectral glimpses.
They were still attending lectures, most of which now leaned into theory-heavy subjects—advanced Soul Resonance equations, Domain Compatibility theory, pseudo-cognitive battle simulations, and legacy inheritance pathways. The Soul Academy had clearly moved beyond basic spirit control.
Joshua Ikemba had resumed his instructor duties, and despite being their former training leader, he didn't go easy on them. In fact, he was harder than before.
"Just because you advanced doesn't mean you're advanced," he said, pacing before the class. "You are still behind. You missed six months of theory, and you won't catch up if you're complacent. Remember: information precedes power."
He stopped, turning to look directly at Karen's group. "And if you think physical training alone will save you in the upper years—you're already doomed."
Cassandra, now firmly settled among the Third-Years, was rarely seen outside her rotation of lectures and private simulations. Word around campus was that she'd been approached by multiple factions—student guilds, research cells, even two Third-Year elite circles. She declined them all.
"She doesn't need them," one student said. "She's playing her own game."
---
Meanwhile, Karen and her friends—Marie, Leslie, and Jim—quietly began developing their own rhythm.
Marie, ever focused, spent extra hours in the Resonance Chambers, practicing harmonic fusion techniques, syncing her Soul Energy output with external frequencies. She'd already begun forming the outline of her own Proto-Domain—something she hinted might revolve around golden threads and healing weaves.
Leslie, cold and methodical, pushed further into elemental manipulation within domains, and now carried two pocket tomes that interfaced with her aura mid-combat—something only few managed at the Second Year level.
Jim, brash and focused, took advantage of the new physical training halls, sparring constantly and nearly always with older students. Karen noticed he stopped holding back during sparring matches. He was different now—sharper. Hungrier.
And Karen, now more introspective, had begun working in silence—quiet mornings before lectures, long hours alone in empty chambers. Under Joshua's guidance, she began forming anchors to solidify the unstable fringes of her Shadow Bloom domain. It was difficult, draining, and at times painful—but when it pulsed correctly, the sensation was euphoric.
One evening, as they left a shared study hall in the east wing, they passed by a small crowd gathered near the Ranking Display Hub. The large crystal screen updated daily, tracking combat challenges, academic merit, spirit resonance, and battle performance.
A hush spread through the onlookers.
Karen glanced up.
Cassandra Ikemba – New Rank: #36
2nd Year – Advanced Evaluation Clearance
"Another jump," Marie muttered.
"From forty-seven to thirty-six in one week," Jim said. "That's insane."
"She's not even trying publicly," Leslie added. "What is she doing in private?"
Karen said nothing.
She could feel it again—that pressure. That familiar throb in her chest, not fear, not envy… but drive.
The Rankings weren't just numbers. They were a mountain. A trial. A declaration.
And one name stood above it all—Jane Ikemba, the Progenitor. The one soul everyone was fighting to be seen by. To be chosen by.
Karen Lockwood looked at the names on the screen. Then she turned, walking off without a word.
Behind her, her friends exchanged glances, then followed.
---
That night, alone in her quarters, Karen summoned the Abyss Scythe and planted it in the ground before her. Its edge shimmered with faint blue soullight.
She stared at it.
"I'm not going to be a spectator," she whispered.
And the weapon pulsed in quiet agreement.
The climb had begun.