Chapter 16 - The Hidden Aura

The secluded forest was silent, the air thick with anticipation. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting long shadows on the ground. I stood across from Gideon, the captain's imposing figure looking even more menacing in the stillness of the woods. This was it—the moment I'd been waiting for. I had trained tirelessly for weeks, pushed to my limits, and now I was finally about to see just how strong Gideon really was.

Gideon glanced at me, his eyes calm, but there was a spark of amusement behind them.

"What are you waiting for, boy? Didn't you want to spar with me?" he said, his voice carrying a mocking edge.

Without wasting a second, I channeled mana into my legs, propelling myself forward with a burst of speed. The ground beneath me cracked from the force of my dash. I closed the distance between us in an instant, aiming a strike at Gideon's chest.

But he didn't flinch.

With a slight shift of his body, he sidestepped effortlessly, dodging my attack as if it were nothing more than a leaf in the wind. No wasted motion. His movements were precise—almost too precise.

I spun around, my fingers sparking with orange flames as I unleashed a blast of fire at Gideon. The inferno roared towards him in a blazing arc, but just as it neared his body, it vanished into thin air, extinguished by an unseen power. He smirked, his eyes glowing with dark magic.

"What the—?" I muttered under my breath, already conjuring my next spell.

I clenched my fists, feeling the sharp edges of ice shards forming in my palms. With a flick of my wrist, I sent them flying towards him, each one glinting dangerously in the sunlight. But just before they reached him, the icy projectiles melted away into harmless water droplets, leaving me feeling frustrated and weak.

Frustration boiled in my veins, and I clenched my teeth. My hand shot up, calling forth a blinding bolt of lightning, its power crackling through the air. I aimed it straight at Gideon, but before it could reach him, a shimmering wall appeared out of nowhere, absorbing the attack with ease. Gideon smirked, clearly unfazed by my measly attempt at magic.

It was as if the magic itself feared to touch him.

"Give it up, boy," Gideon said with a smirk, his voice steady. "No spell is going to work on me."

His defense was impenetrable, a powerful field that nullified every ounce of mana I threw at him. He hadn't even raised a hand. The barrier surrounding him had a name, though I hadn't heard it until now—Aether Null. A perfect defense. Every spell that came close simply dissolved, as if it never existed.

Gideon's grin widened. "Is that all? You came to me for strength, and this is what you bring?"

I lunged at him again, this time with a physical strike, my fists glowing with mana-infused strength. But no matter how hard I tried, he dodged every blow with grace, barely shifting his weight. His movements were smooth, effortless, as though he could predict my every move. Each time I swung, he was already gone, a step ahead.

I was giving it everything I had. Fire. Ice. Lightning. Water. Nothing worked. Every spell, every strike, vanished into thin air. Sweat poured down my face, my muscles ached, but Gideon remained untouched.

Finally, I stopped, panting, hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. Gideon hadn't even broken a sweat.

"You've got spirit, I'll give you that," he said, walking toward me, his voice low but commanding. "But you've got a long way to go before you're strong enough to take me on."

I looked up at him, my pride stinging, but deep down, I knew he was right. This was the gap between us—a chasm so wide I couldn't see the other side. And yet, I wasn't discouraged. If anything, it only fueled my desire to grow stronger.

Gideon watched Lucan struggle and sweat, his smirk never fading. The boy was raw, untamed, but there was something undeniable about him—a potential Gideon hadn't seen in a long time. As Lucan's attacks fizzled against Aether Null, Gideon didn't just see a young fighter trying to prove himself; he saw a diamond in the rough, someone who could be molded into something extraordinary.

Finally, a worthy apprentice, Gideon mused to himself, eyes narrowing slightly.

Lucan's ability to wield multiple types of magic was already impressive. Fire, ice, lightning, water—most mages were lucky to master just one element. Yet Lucan was an all-rounder, able to summon a variety of spells with relative ease. That versatility was an ace in itself, one that could tip the balance in any battle. And still, Gideon knew the boy was holding something back.

He had yet to show his true power, his aura. Gideon had caught glimpses of it in the past—the flicker of a strange, dark energy just beneath the surface. It wasn't something Lucan had revealed to anyone yet, not fully. But Gideon could sense it. That black-reddish aura... there was something dangerous about it, something unrefined and chaotic. It pulsed with an intensity that unsettled even Gideon for a brief moment.

What are you hiding, boy? he thought, eyes narrowing.

The aura, whatever it was, wasn't something Gideon had much information on. He'd seen many types of magic in his life—elemental, healing, curses—but this was different. Lucan himself didn't seem to understand it fully, and that made it all the more intriguing.

He doesn't know how to harness it yet, Gideon realized, his smirk growing. He hasn't found a way to make it grow.

That would be the real challenge. Training Lucan to push past his limits, to awaken whatever power lay dormant inside him. The boy was far from finished, but Gideon could see the potential—raw, untapped, and waiting to be unleashed.

I'll make sure he finds it, Gideon thought, glancing at Lucan, who was still catching his breath. One way or another.

He turned away, but his mind was already racing with the possibilities. Lucan had the makings of a true warrior, perhaps even more. This wasn't just about building strength or refining technique. It was about awakening something far greater. Something that could change everything.

"Tomorrow," Gideon said, turning his back to me, "we begin again. And next time, I expect more from you."

I watched as he walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. My fists clenched at my sides.

Next time, I thought to myself. Next time will be different