Chapter 27

Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN 

INDIGO'S POV

It went all dark.

The classroom had disappeared and a chill settled over my skin, seeping into my bones. I looked around, unable to see anything in the void that Valtor had pulled us into, my instincts screaming to stay alert. 

But here, in the shrouded space he’d summoned, I couldn’t tell if my instincts were even useful.

It was Wednesday and on Wednesdays I took his classes. Not sure why I had to because I was no necromancer but he still insisted.

“Necromancers are one with darkness. You can either harness it or fear it.” Valtor’s voice echoed through the black, cold and steady. 

I knew he was somewhere in this darkness and I hoped most of his focus was on me. It was a thought I found shameful.

Forcing a swallow down my dry throat, I tried to steady myself. “Where are you?” I called out, feeling the weight of the void as my words echoed out and then fell flat.

“You tell me.” His voice was closer, whispering from somewhere over my shoulder. I whipped my head around, narrowing my eyes to see through the darkness, but all I caught was more black, thick and impenetrable. “If you can only feel safe when you see, you’ll never master the art. Close your eyes, Indigo. Feel the darkness—don’t fight it.”

There was a deep urge to resist, my heart pounding in my chest wanting to just run away or keep searching the shadows for any glimpse of his face or even a way out.

“I can't do it, you know that Valtor.”

“Stop limiting yourself to Indigo, there's so much you can do. You're special, I know it, you're not up against the laws, you're up against those things.”

He was right. I’d learned over and over that clinging to what I thought I knew wouldn’t get me anywhere, especially when the answers I needed were nowhere within my reach.

With a steadying breath, I closed my eyes, surrendering myself to the void.

At first, it was just empty black, and I focused on keeping my breathing steady. Each inhale pulled in the thick, heavy scent of earth and something faintly metallic. I could feel my heart thrumming fast against my ribs, but I forced myself to push through, opening my senses.

“Necromancy is more than calling the dead or commanding shadows,” Valtor’s voice murmured. “It’s about becoming the shadows. Let them pulse through you, connect to your senses. Let them recognize you.”

As if responding to his words, the darkness began to shift. It was faint at first, a rhythm deep under the surface, but as I tuned into it more, it grew stronger, more insistent. Slowly, I let the shadows creep closer, feeling the touch of something ancient.

“That’s it. Don’t fear what’s around you, Indigo,” he said softly, his voice somehow closer now. “You have to embrace the darkness because they see it as an extension of themselves, of what’s hidden deep inside.”

He didn’t need to elaborate—I knew he was talking about the parts of me I kept locked down, buried under every protective instinct I’d built. But this wasn’t the time for hesitation. I forced myself to drop those walls, just a bit, and the energy surged around me, eager and alive.

“Now,” Valtor’s voice coaxed, “let the darkness become an extension of you. Imagine it as a part of your body, something you command, not something that controls you.”

My breathing steadied as I held that image in my mind, the shadow coiling up my arms, spreading through my hands, until it felt like a part of me. Slowly, I raised my hand, and I could feel the energy concentrating there, gathering in thick, dark wisps that seemed to take on a life of its own, twisting and curling with every subtle movement of my fingers.

“Yes,” he murmured approvingly, his voice a low hum of encouragement. “Now let that energy form. Shape it.”

Closing my eyes tighter, I imagined something fierce, protective. A creature that could protect not just me, but those I cared about. My mind summoned an image of a wolf and I willed the shadows to take that shape, to mold themselves into the creature I envisioned.

Slowly, the darkness began to shift, gathering into a denser form in front of me. I opened my eyes to see the shadow-wolf, its outline rough but unmistakable, its body twisting in and out of solidity. Its eyes glinted in white, two faintly glowing orbs, staring back at me with an intensity that stole my breath.

“Impressive.” Valtor’s voice held a note of approval, though when I glanced toward him, his expression was unreadable. “The wolf is a reflection of your spirit, Indigo. But there’s more to it. This is just the beginning.”

He stepped forward, his face half-lit by the dim glow of the wolf’s eyes. “Now, hold it. Let the connection steady itself.” His eyes held mine, daring me to keep control. “And then, release it. But only when you’re ready.”

The wolf’s image flickered, threatening to dissolve. My instinct was to cling to it, to force it to stay, but I knew that wasn’t what Valtor wanted.

Instead, I relaxed, letting the wolf’s form blur, sensing the pulse of its energy as it flowed, connecting to my heartbeat. With a deep breath, I loosened my mental grip, watching as the wolf gave one last flick of its tail before melting back into the shadows, leaving me breathless and a little dazed.

The darkness lifted, and I blinked as the dim glow of the training room came back into focus. Valtor was watching me, a glimmer of something almost like pride in his gaze, though his expression remained otherwise unreadable.

“Not bad,” he murmured, more to himself than to me. He took a step back, crossing his arms. “Not bad for an elemental at least.”

I held back the wide smile that threatened to firm, I forced myself to stay focused, knowing that this was just the start. “How is that possible?

“Every lifeform is capable of a little necromancing and there's just this much you can do. But you can master it.”

“When do we start?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Ambitious, are we?” But I saw the faintest curve of a smile at the edge of his mouth. “You need to solidify your connection. Forming shadows is one thing; commanding them takes more than that. I want you to reach for the darkness, as if pulling it from within.”

I nodded, closing my eyes once more. This time, I didn’t wait for the darkness to come to me; I reached into the depths of my own energy, pulling at the threads of shadow I could sense tangled within. Slowly, they rose to the surface, coiling around my arms, swirling like wisps of smoke.

“Good. Now, summon your wolf again. But this time…” Valtor’s voice was barely a whisper, full of unspoken challenges. “Give it a command.”

The weight of his gaze pressed down on me as I focused, willing the shadows to shape into the wolf once more. It formed faster this time, its outline sharper, its eyes blazing with a familiar, ghostly light. I felt a strange connection to it, as if I could sense its thoughts.

“Go,” I whispered, watching as the wolf lifted its head, obeying my unspoken command. It prowled through the darkness, circling Valtor in a silent, spectral watch.

He raised an eyebrow, visibly impressed. “So you’re getting comfortable, then?”

I nodded, a grin tugging at my lips. “Maybe I’m just getting used to it.”

With a flick of his fingers, he dispelled the wolf, and it dissolved instantly, returning to me as a wisp of dark energy that settled back into my core. 

“There’s more I can teach you,” he said, his gaze intense, “but it’s up to you if you want to keep pushing these boundaries. Darkness can consume as much as it can empower. It’s not a force you control lightly.”

I met his gaze, something fierce igniting in me. “I want to learn. I don’t want to just defend myself—I want to be able to protect others, to be strong enough that no one can use darkness against me.”

Valtor’s expression softened, though only for a moment. “Then we start again tomorrow. Same place, same time. And next time…” He let his words trail off, the implication clear. “We’d go deeper, pushing the limits even further.”

As I left the training room, I felt the weight of the shadows still humming under my skin, a reminder of the power I’d only begun to touch. 
Even as an elemental I wondered if this was what necromancers tasted each time. It was amazing.

For the first time, I felt like I was moving toward something that was mine to command, no longer a stranger in my own life.

“I have to tell Winter!”