It had been a few days since Rowena arrived in the city, and Cassian initially thought he'd be occupied with her for quite some time. However, to his surprise, he was free within a day. The prospect excited him—he could finally return to his routine with Katherine and Lucy.
But Laureen's unexpected arrival had changed things. First, Cassian found himself unable to sleep in the same room as Lucy anymore; his space had been taken over by Laureen. On top of that, Katherine had grown busier than before, leaving little time for their usual routines.
To make matters worse, Cassian couldn't secure a room at the Beacon of Knowledge due to a shortage of available spaces. As a result, he was currently staying outside in the city with Julius, who had offered him a place to stay.
Cassian sat cross-legged across from Julius, his body shrouded in a faint, foggy red glow. Opposite him, Julius was enveloped in a strikingly bright blue aura—a translucent sheet of light that clung to his form like a second skin. It shimmered gently, almost ethereal, flowing smoothly with every slight movement of his breathing.
Cassian's glow, however, was still in its raw form, a misty red fog that swirled and pulsed unevenly. He focused intensely, trying to control it, willing it to become more refined. His brows furrowed as sweat gathered on his forehead. Every few moments, the red fog would begin to retract, thinning out and pressing closer to his skin, only to falter again and ripple outward like smoke.
"Focus, Cassian," Julius said calmly, his voice steady but firm. "You're trying to force it. Stop fighting the flow of your Domain. Guide it—don't control it like it's a wild beast."
Cassian exhaled deeply, centering himself as Julius had taught him earlier. He watched the older man's Domain, studying how the blue sheet of light seamlessly adhered to his body, a stark contrast to Cassian's unstable glow. It was as if Julius's energy was alive, yet perfectly at peace, moving as naturally as blood flowing through veins.
"Your Domain isn't separate from you," Julius continued, his eyes still closed in meditation. "It's part of your will. You have to let it resonate with you—let it understand what you want to achieve."
Nodding faintly, Cassian clenched his fists, pulling the red energy back again. This time, instead of forcing it to obey, he visualized it like a sheet of thin fabric, smoothing it over his body. Slowly, the chaotic red mist began to condense, losing its foggy nature. Bit by bit, it grew clearer, until it began to resemble Julius's—a translucent glow, thinner and more stable.
Cassian's breathing steadied, his heart pounding with exhilaration. For the first time, the red glow didn't feel wild or unruly. It felt connected. The energy hummed around him, synchronized with his body's rhythm.
"There you go," Julius said with a small smile, finally opening his eyes. The blue light around him dimmed slightly, though it remained perfectly controlled. "You're starting to get it. Don't lose focus now. Keep that state in mind."
Cassian nodded again, unable to hide his pride. "It feels... different. It's not fighting me anymore."
Julius grinned, standing up and stretching his arms. "That's because you're finally listening to it. A Domain reflects the will of its user, but it doesn't respond to force—it responds to intent."
Saying this, Julius stood up and unsheathed his sword with a swift motion. He pointed it toward Cassian and said, "Now, try to maintain that form while attacking me."
Cassian nodded, rising to his feet. The sheet of red light flickered, parts of it dissolving into a faint fog as he moved. But as he steadied himself, the glow once again flowed back over his body, thin and translucent.
He reached for his sword, unsheathing it with a sharp shring. The sound echoed in the quiet air as he held the blade firmly, its steel catching the light.
Julius raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips as he observed. "Oh, I almost forgot—try to cover your sword with it too. It may be hard at first, but give it a shot."
Cassian's grip on the hilt tightened as he stared at the blade, his mind racing. Extending his Domain to envelop his weapon was an entirely new challenge. His red glow had only just begun to stabilize on his body, and now he had to spread it even further.
Taking a deep breath, Cassian closed his eyes briefly, visualizing the energy as an extension of himself. The red light pulsed, gathering around him like a living thing, and then he willed it toward the sword. Slowly, tendrils of red fog drifted down his arms, reaching for the blade. At first, the energy sputtered and broke apart as it tried to cling to the steel, but Cassian gritted his teeth, focusing harder.
The red light grew steadier, thin streams of it flowing onto the sword's surface. A faint, uneven glow began to coat the weapon, flickering as it struggled to hold.
Julius watched carefully, his expression calm but sharp. "Don't rush it. Think of the sword as part of your body. The Domain should flow naturally, not like you're forcing it."
Cassian exhaled through his nose, steadying his breathing. The sword is part of me, he thought, repeating Julius's words. Bit by bit, the red glow settled, becoming a thin, shimmering sheet that hugged the blade's surface. Though not perfect, it was stable enough to hold. "I did it...." Cassian said with excited tone.
Julius's smirk widened as he nodded approvingly. "Not bad for a first try. Now let's see if you can hold it together while you move."
Cassian lunged forward, his sword glowing faintly with the red light of his Domain. But as soon as he swung, the glow sputtered and broke apart, fading from the blade entirely. The strike was swift, but Julius parried it effortlessly with a single flick of his sword, the bright blue energy surrounding him unwavering.
Cassian stumbled back, his breathing heavy, frustration etched across his face. The red glow around his body flickered erratically, his focus wavering.
Julius let out a small sigh and lowered his sword, the blue aura around him calming. "You're trying too hard to force it, Cassian," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. "Do you know why it keeps breaking?"