To Bleed A Crystal Bloom Novels & Stories

that is how my life in the Volatile Hounds came to an end. Blinking away those memories, Nathan noticed that dawn was approaching as he made his way through the silent corridors of his home. Nathan paused by a window as the beautiful morning rays shone through and warmed his pale skin. His crimson red and Amber orbs stared into the sky for a moment as he began to wonder what would happen.

Kaynon muttered as Ciaran lifted a vital off a shelf. "Well they won't be needing it anymore now will they. I think we may be able to use this to our advantage in the future though." Ciaran said, holding out what he had picked up, 'cherry bomb' with a caption, 'quickly eliminate your foes in a fiery blaze'. "Maybe. We could set up some traps around the perimeter after the females get here with a few of these. We're sure to hear the blast from any one of these." Kaynon said looking back up at the wall as Ciaran replaced the vial of red liquid.

Under the moonlight, the flower radiated a dreamlike blue light, each petal carved from the purest crystal. "This will hurt a little," Evan said softly. "But it will be over quickly." I nodded and offered my wrist. Evan pressed the Glacier Rose gently against my pulse point. A cool energy surged from the flower, flowing through my veins. I felt every cell in my body sing, renewed with life. "Good," Evan smiled. "Next..." BOOM! A massive explosion rocked the sanctuary. The heavy stone doors were blasted inward, sending debris flying. The thick, coppery smell of blood filled the air.

It rose from the forest floor like a jagged tower of light. Easily twice my height, the crystal pulsed with powerful energy. Unlike the small crystals scattered through the forest, this one blazed with color—deep pink and violet light swirling inside it like liquid fire. The glow illuminated the clearing around us. And the demon lay directly beside it. A jagged burn ran across the creature’s chest, the flesh blackened and cracked where the crystal’s magic had touched it. Corin stepped closer, studying the body carefully. “The crystal killed it,” he said quietly.

He moved from one reference to the next, his shoulders hunched, his face hidden from me. I noticed the crystal had been ground into fine dust. The glowing blue shards were gone, replaced by a pale powder scattered across a glass dish. I picked it up and turned it in the light. Vex did not look up. "The crystal was grounded, crystallized, then treated with a stabilizing agent before I added it to the samples. It allows for better absorption. More accurate results."

Some of it had crystallized throughout. “What’s this?” I asked, pointing at the tiny pink crystals. “That is a Luna’s Bane crystal. It’s what forms in the bloodstream when the plant is ingested.” I pulled my head back. “Debbie’s bloodstream is full of crystals?” “When she initially ingested the plant, yes. Over time, the body metabolizes them, breaking them down into invisible particles that I have yet to be able to observe.” “So when they’re metabolized, is that when the symptoms begin?” I asked.

Clara writes this in the developmental notebook — the third one, she started the second in January — and Valentina stands at the window and watches the jasmine building across the street do its spring thing: the first flowers opening in the specific white that is the announcement of all the white that is coming. Twenty-eight springs. The jasmine on March seventeenth for the eighth consecutive year. Ethan's dataset confirmed. Noa at the window, making her record. Jordi in the kitchen, narrating his attention at the breakfast table. Clara in the corner, writing it all down so she remembers it correctly. The family method. The second life's brief, being written in the living of it. Every spring

“Of course, he speaks. I built him to do so. My magic gives life to whatever I create—machine magic, or magic engineering, as some call it. And this little guy is my greatest invention.” She crouched beside Blooby and opened a panel in his chest, revealing a glowing crystal nestled among the whirring mechanisms. “See this? Took me a year to forge. I condensed my energy into it daily. This crystal powers him. With it, Blooby can function for a hundred years without a recharge. Impressive, isn’t it?” “It’s . . . incredible,” I admitted, unable to tear my eyes away from the crystal’s vibrant glow. “You’re looking at a masterpiece,” Gidon chimed in, leaning against the wall with a grin.

Elara I felt it before we clearly saw the Bloodbloom. I think we all felt it. The Vale thinned. It withdrew as we edged closer to the Bloodbloom. I slowed, “There,” I said quietly. Trees opened into a circular clearing as we approached. At the center, a single plant bloomed— petals unfurling in deep crimson layers that glistened wetly. “The Bloodbloom,” one of the guards whispered. Its petals pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.

"It won't stop." Let it go. I screamed. The last of the pressure released. The flow became a torrent. The crystal in my hands vibrated violently. Heating up rapidly. Burning my palms. Enough! Guller commanded suddenly. His mental voice sharp with alarm. Neoma, break the connection! I couldn't. The floodgates were open. The black light inside the crystal pulsed—once, twice—and then turned a blinding, critical white. CRACK. The sound was like a gunshot.