The sun peeked over the horizon, casting long shadows over the camp as I pulled myself from my thoughts and headed out to train. As usual, Rylan and Lyra were already waiting for me, arms crossed and grinning. They knew me too well.
"Ready for a run?" Rylan's voice cut through the early morning quiet, teasing but warm.
Lyra nodded, stretching her arms, her usual calm smile playing on her lips. "Figured we'd beat you to it for once."
I couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, let's do it."
We started our routine—running to build stamina and endurance. The cool morning air turned into the dry heat of noon as we pushed through the forest, legs pumping, breaths steady. To anyone watching, my training might seem odd. Calisthenics, using nothing but bodyweight, probably looked weak. But it built strength in every fiber. It made you aware of your body, how every muscle connected, how it all worked together.
By midday, the camp buzzed with activity. Soldiers were already out in the wild, hunting alongside me, something that had become a regular part of the day. It wasn't just about fighting anymore; it was about survival, about feeding the camp, and it had turned into something we did together. Rylan, Lyra, and I taught them the ropes—tracking, hunting, skinning. What started as a small effort had turned into something much bigger.
We hunted in groups, sharing the work, and the bounty. Food wasn't an issue anymore. The soldiers had learned well, and together, we'd solved the problem. The camp felt... different now. There was a sense of purpose, of camaraderie. Every meal brought us closer together, and every hunt felt like a victory.
And as I looked around at the camp, at the soldiers and my friends, I couldn't help but think—maybe, just maybe, I was finally on the right path.
The midday sun beat down as I squared off against the captain once again, muscles aching from our relentless training. Gideon's voice cut through the silence, sharp and commanding. "Use your aura. Combine it with your mana."
I could feel my pulse quicken. My aura… I had only managed to sustain it for a couple of minutes at most. But this time, I had to push further. There was no choice. I closed my eyes, focusing inward, pulling every bit of energy from my core. I felt it—the flicker of my aura, dark and raw, mingling with the surge of mana flowing through me. The power coursed through my veins, igniting every nerve.
I launched forward, faster than ever before—ten times faster. The ground blurred beneath my feet as I closed the gap between us in an instant, my blade aimed straight for his chest. For the first time, the captain reacted. His hand shot up, deflecting the blow with a single effortless block. His grin widened, a wicked glint in his eyes.
"Well, well," Gideon mused, his voice low and dangerous. "There it is." My eyes, now glowing a faint red, locked onto him as he chuckled. "Show me what you've got."
Adrenaline surged through me, and I pressed the attack. My aura and mana, combined, made every strike faster, every movement sharper. But even as I threw everything I had at him, the captain barely moved. He blocked, dodged, parried, all with just one hand—no wasted effort, no sign of strain. He was enjoying this, watching me struggle, testing my limits.
But I wasn't prepared for what came next.
"Watch and learn," Gideon said, his voice tinged with a dangerous excitement. His own aura flared to life—a deep, suffocating force that crushed the air around us. My heart lurched as I felt it, a heavy, suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe. His aura was overwhelming, like a tidal wave crashing down on me. Every fiber of my being screamed in alarm. I couldn't move, couldn't think.
It was like standing in the eye of a storm, his presence drowning out everything else. My legs trembled, and the weapon in my hand felt like dead weight. If I fought him now, like this… I was going to die. There was no doubt about it.
The world spun, the edges of my vision darkening as his power bore down on me. My own aura flickered, struggling to hold on, until finally, I couldn't take it anymore. The strength drained from my limbs, and I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air that wouldn't come.
Everything went black.
In the darkness, I floated, suspended in a void that felt endless. My aura flickered around me—dark, swirling, and pulsing like a living thing. But something was wrong. It wasn't just my aura. A pair of glowing, sinister eyes watched from the depths, their gaze cold and hungry, radiating a bloodlust so intense it made my skin crawl.
The whispers began. Soft at first, then louder, creeping into my mind.
"Free me…"
I stared, my breath quickening. The thing was bound—chained, trapped like a prisoner in the depths of my own power. Was this… part of my aura? The bloodthirst, the chaos… was it always there, lurking beneath the surface?
I tried to get closer, to understand, but the chains rattled, and the whispering grew more urgent.
"Release me… I am your strength. I am your true power…"
My fingers trembled as I reached out towards the cold, metal chains that hung in front of me. Just as my fingertips grazed them, the world around me disappeared into a blinding white light. The sound of my own breathing echoed in the void until finally, everything went back to normal and I was left standing alone in an familiar place.I was back—in my tent, lying on a bed, my body heavy and weak. As my eyes adjusted, I saw Lyra and Rylan sitting beside me, their faces a mixture of worry and relief.
"You're finally awake," Lyra said softly, her usual calm breaking into a smile.
"You've been out for two days," Rylan added, scratching the back of his head. "The captain carried you back after training. Said you'd pushed yourself too hard."
Two days? I blinked, my mind still swirling from the visions in the void. Whatever I had seen… whatever those eyes were… it wasn't just exhaustion. There was something deeper, something I needed to understand. But for now, I was safe.
For now.