Sharpening Shadows – A Glimpse into Chapter 25 of My Dark Fantasy Series

Welcome back, readers, fantasy lovers, and fellow writers. If you’ve been wondering about my ongoing dark fantasy series, then you’ll be pleased to know we’ve just stepped into a pivotal chapter for our protagonist, Nissa.

Chapter 25: Training marks a turning point—not in explosive plot twists or shocking revelations, but in grit, survival, and slow-burn transformation. This chapter peels back the glamor often associated with combat and brings it down to the raw dirt of Tavarin’s training sands.

Instead of leaping into swordplay and flashy powers, we begin with the basics: footwork, balance, instinct. It’s unromantic. It’s exhausting. And that’s exactly why it matters. Nissa isn’t a chosen warrior or a prodigy; she’s a girl with no experience trying to survive a place built to break her. That honesty in her arc is what drives this part of the story.

For me as the author, it was important to slow the pace, to dig into the realism behind how a character like Nissa might actually begin to survive in a brutal academy like Tavarin. Readers familiar with darker stories will appreciate that there are no shortcuts here. Every win has to be earned.

You’ll also start to see the story open up in new directions soon: new characters, new relationships, and new layers of mystery behind the weapons, the marks, and the power structures within the academy. But at the heart of it all is Nissa — bleeding, sweating, learning, and refusing to fall.

If you enjoy stories of underdogs, gritty worldbuilding, and slow-burn character development, then this is the chapter where things really start to shift.

As always, thank you for following along on this journey. If you’re a fellow fantasy writer or just love discussing character arcs, training tropes, or worldbuilding challenges, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop a comment or reach out — I’m always up for a chat with other creatives.

Until next time,

— David