Logan woke before the first light of dawn filtered through the thin curtains of his dormitory room.

The world outside was still silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the gentle morning breeze.

His body ached with the residual fatigue of days spent hunting and gathering the points necessary to purchase his new spells. But the fatigue was a welcome reminder.

It was proof that progress came only through hard work.

He sat on the edge of his bed for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the dimness of the room. His hands rested lightly on his knees, steadying his breath.

Today, he would begin training with the two spells that had cost him so much effort: Eclipsing Grasp and Sovereign of Darkness.

There was no time for hesitation.

Dressing quickly but carefully, Logan slipped on his dark training robes.

They were simple, practical, worn from repeated use, but they fit him well enough. There was no need for decoration or anything unnecessary here, only function.

The cold morning air greeted him as he stepped into the hallway.

The stone floor was cool beneath his bare feet, and his footsteps echoed softly in the quiet corridor. No one else stirred yet. The academy was still asleep.

He made his way steadily to the training hall, a separate building located at the far end of the academy grounds.

The walk was familiar but still carried weight, this was the place where practice shaped potential into power.

The training hall's heavy wooden door creaked as he pushed it open, entering the large, sparsely furnished space.

The building smelled faintly of dust and old magic, remnants of countless practice sessions etched into its walls and floor.

The windows were tall and arched, their glass catching the early light and casting soft bands of pale gold across the cold stone.

Logan moved through the hall to one of the many small rooms designed for isolated practice.

The rooms were simple: bare stone floors, plain walls, and a single training dummy placed in the center. Each room had a sturdy door that locked when someone was inside, ensuring no interruptions.

He chose a quiet corner, locked the door behind him, and set his satchel carefully on the floor. The faint hum of residual magic lingered in the air.

For a moment, he simply stood there, allowing himself to adjust. His hands clenched into fists, and he let his focus sharpen. The two scroll cases he had carried for so long were now safely stowed in his bag, their contents committed to memory.

He began with Eclipsing Grasp.

The spell was subtle but precise, a manipulation of the ambient darkness that surrounded him. Unlike the wild, explosive magic some students favored, Eclipsing Grasp demanded control and finesse.

Logan let his senses reach out to the shadows in the room. The dim light made it easy to draw upon the darkness pooling in corners and under the training dummy.

Slowly, he wove his mana into the shadows, pulling the blackness toward his palms until it felt heavy and tangible.

His hands moved with deliberate care, fingers curling as if shaping something unseen but solid. He could feel the cool weight of the darkness gathering there, dense and ready to be commanded.

With a deep breath, he extended his arms forward, releasing the spell.

The darkness unfurled like tendrils, coiling around the training dummy's limbs and torso. It wrapped tightly, compressing as if squeezing the life out of the wooden figure. The dummy groaned under the pressure — a satisfying sound, proof that the spell was working.

Logan held the grasp steady for a few moments, maintaining the tension without faltering. It required constant attention — any wavering would let the spell break apart.

Slowly, he released the darkness, watching it dissolve back into the shadows around him.

He repeated the motion. Each time, the flow of the spell became more natural, his control sharpening.

Eclipsing Grasp wasn't about brute force. It was about precision - the kind of control that made even the smallest adjustments powerful.

As the sun rose higher outside the tall windows, casting brighter light into the room, Logan felt his muscles loosen slightly but his focus intensified.

After dozens of repetitions, he set the first spell aside and reached for Sovereign of Darkness.

This spell was different, much broader and more demanding. It required a commanding presence over the darkness, shaping it into a force that filled space rather than constricting it.

He closed his eyes briefly and drew the energy inward. Unlike Eclipsing Grasp, which pulled on nearby shadows, Sovereign of Darkness demanded a deeper connection - an assertion of will over the darkness itself.

Logan's hands rose slowly, palms open as he gathered the energy. He felt the weight in his chest, the pull of mana as it flowed from within him to merge with the ambient darkness.

When he opened his eyes, the space around him seemed to dim as if a veil of shadow was descending.

The runes he had memorized flashed in his mind - intricate and layered symbols that governed the spell's form.

He moved his hands in the slow, deliberate patterns the scroll had shown him, weaving the shadows into a dense, tangible field.

The darkness expanded outward, thickening and settling like a low fog within the room. It pressed against the walls and floor, distorting the light and sound.

It was a presence, heavy and oppressive - but completely under Logan's control.

Maintaining the field was the true challenge. Any lapse in concentration would cause the darkness to thin and dissipate. He had to balance his mana carefully, neither letting the energy spike wildly nor drop too low.

Time lost meaning as he held the spell steady, every breath measured and every muscle engaged. The quiet stillness of the room was broken only by the faint creak of the floorboards beneath his shifting weight.

Gradually, Logan's mastery grew. The edges of the shadow field became sharper, the density more consistent.

He experimented with subtle shifts. Contracting the field, pulsing it lightly, testing its limits.

Each small success built on the last, giving him a growing sense of confidence.

Hours passed.

His limbs ached, and sweat dampened his brow, but Logan pressed on. This was necessary as the path to mastery was never swift or easy.

By midday, he allowed himself a short break, sitting on the cold stone floor with his back against the wall. His chest rose and fell in slow, controlled breaths.

He thought back to the first days he had spent chasing beasts for points; each fight was grueling and each step toward these spells hard-won.

Now, holding Sovereign of Darkness, feeling its weight and presence within him, he recognized the distance he had traveled.

But he also knew this was just the beginning.

After a few minutes, Logan stood, stretched his aching limbs, and returned to his training.

He alternated between the two spells, practicing the precise binding of Eclipsing Grasp and the commanding presence of Sovereign of Darkness.

Each time he cast, he refined his control - learning how to manage his mana more efficiently, how to move fluidly between focus and release, how to keep his mind clear and his will strong.

There were moments when the darkness faltered or slipped from his grasp. Moments when his concentration wavered and the spell broke apart prematurely.

But Logan met each failure with quiet resolve, returning to the center of himself and beginning again.

As the afternoon faded into evening, the light in the training hall shifted from gold to a soft, cooling gray.

Logan's mastery had grown, and though he was far from perfect, he now held both spells at a level he could call proficient.

He gathered his things slowly, muscles tired but mind clear.

The training hall was silent once again as he left, stepping back into the cool air outside.

The day stretched before him, filled with the promise of more work, more growth.

But for now, he allowed himself a moment of quiet satisfaction.

The darkness was no longer just a shadow at the edges of his power - it was something he could command.