When I returned home, the first thing that greeted me was a bright, smiling face.
Rusto Kal, the boy's father, stood by the doorway, his middle-aged features softened by the joyful expression he wore. A few strands of white hair dotted his otherwise dark hair, making him look older than his age.
"Victor! What timing!" he called out, his deep voice filled with excitement.
"Hahah! Come here. Look! Finally, I managed to get it for you. A crawler's bone!"
His boisterous laughter echoed through the hallway as he pointed toward a large table in the center of the room.
There, resting inside a glass container, was the object of his pride—a black, jagged bone.
It was about the size of a forearm, smooth but worn in places, as if it had been through countless battles. The bone shimmered with an eerie energy, dark and pulsating with power.
I walked toward the table, my thoughts shifting to the significance of the item. A crawler's bone. Not just any bone, but one that contained the condensed energy of a creature from another dimension—one of those deadly monsters that had nearly destroyed humanity.
These bones were prized and extremely expensive, often serving as both a powerful tool and a deadly weapon.
When crawlers died, their bodies decomposed like any other living being, except for their bones. More specifically, one bone from each crawler.
If left undisturbed in the wild for decades, a single bone gradually absorbed the surrounding energy.
This was how the crawler's bone, used for meditation, came to be.
"Honey, now you can start absorbing more energy!" Rosha Kal, Victor's mother, added from the couch, her tone bright and encouraging as she clapped her hands together.
Her short black hair framed her face in a neat, modest style, and her smile was genuine, the warmth of her approval evident in her eyes.
"How much did it cost? It must be expensive," I replied as I picked up the container. The weight of the glass in my hand was heavier than I expected, a reminder of the precious item it held.
Rusto's grin widened, a proud glint in his eye. "Not much. But we knew you'd need it to unlock your potential. This will be a game-changer for you, Victor."
I nodded, keeping my emotions in check. It was definitely expensive and extremely difficult to obtain.
The idea of absorbing more energy through this bone intrigued me. In this world, Aura was everything, and this bone would be a shortcut to power.
I set the container back down carefully on the table and sat across from my parents. "I'll get started with it soon," I replied, my voice steady despite the many racing thoughts in my mind.
As I studied the crawler's bone, I could feel the energy emanating from it. I could sense that absorbing its power wouldn't be easy.
I'd heard that some people failed to harness the energy, their bodies rejecting it or worse, being consumed by the power they tried to control.
"Victor," Rusto said, his tone more serious now. "The process of absorbing the energy from this bone is delicate. It's not like your usual meditation. I may not be an Aura User but even I understand the dangers. You need to be focused, controlled, or it could overwhelm you. Are you prepared?"
I met his gaze and nodded, though a part of me wondered if anyone could truly be ready for such an unknown force.
Rosha, as if sensing my hesitation, added softly, "It's challenging, but if you stay steady, it will make you stronger. You'll be able to protect yourself and us."
I was used to their reassuring words after a year, but I couldn't shake the sense that I was standing on the edge of something far more dangerous than they realized.
I had been in this world for a year now, but I still hadn't fully grasped the consequences of the power I was about to unlock.
It wasn't just about becoming stronger—it was about surviving in a world that had already seen its share of horrors.
"Alright," I said, standing up.
"I'll begin tonight."
---
It was the most awaited moment of Victor's life since coming to this world. Tonight, he would use his Aura to absorb the energy of the crawler's bone—a ritual he had prepared for with unwavering focus.
The room had been cleared earlier that day, the maids ensuring every corner was free from clutter.
Only a single lamp remained, casting a dim, golden glow that left the walls draped in shadows.
The windows were wide open, allowing the cool night breeze to sweep in, its soft rustling against the curtains adding an air of quiet anticipation.
Victor sat cross-legged in the center of the room, his back straight and his breathing calm.
Before him, resting on a small pedestal, was the black crawler bone. Its surface was eerily smooth, almost reflective, as though it absorbed not only light but sound and air itself.
A faint hum radiated from it, a vibration that seemed to thrum directly against his chest.
He closed his eyes, steadying his thoughts. This was a moment he couldn't afford to rush.
He began with deep breaths, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth, syncing himself to the rhythm of the night.
His Aura stirred faintly within him, a soft flame flickering in the depths of his consciousness.
When Victor opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the bone, his expression was calm but resolute. Slowly, he extended his hands, palms resting lightly on his knees.
He guided his Aura outward, a faint tendril of energy reaching toward the bone. The moment his Aura touched it, a wave of power erupted.
The room seemed to darken as the energy from the bone pushed back, wild and untamed.
The windows rattled, and a gust of wind swept through, extinguishing the silence. Victor's body tensed as the bone resisted his pull, its chaotic energy clashing violently against his own.
Sweat began to bead on his forehead as he pushed forward, his will unyielding. The wild energy lashed out, but Victor gritted his teeth and held firm, refusing to let it overwhelm him.
Slowly, the patterns of chaos within the bone began to make sense, as though he were deciphering a foreign language.
Victor's Aura, once a fragile flame, grew stronger as it adapted to the influx of energy.
It burned brighter in his mind's eye, steady and fierce. He visualized it weaving around the bone's power, taming it piece by piece and drawing it into himself.
The process was not without pain. The energy was raw, unrefined, and it soared through his body like fire.
His muscles tightened, his breathing quickened, and for a brief moment, he felt as though he might collapse. But Victor wasn't one to give in so easily.
Focusing harder, he imagined a steady flow, like water being poured from one vessel to another. Bit by bit, the bone's energy merged with his own, the wild chaos transforming into a steady, harmonious rhythm.
His Aura began to shift, the pale flame growing into a vivid, radiant light that filled every corner of his being.
Minutes passed in what felt like hours. Finally, the hum from the bone faded, and the energy subsided.
Victor opened his eyes just in time to see the crawler bone crumble to ash, its power completely spent. A faint breeze from the window carried the remains away, leaving only the empty pedestal.
Victor exhaled deeply, his chest heaving with exhaustion. Yet, as he flexed his fingers, he could feel the change within him.
His Aura burned brighter, stronger, more alive than ever before.
He stared at the spot where the crawler bone had been, a small smile forming on his lips.
This was just the beginning. The power now coursing through him was only a fraction of what he needed to achieve.
"This is only the first step," he murmured to himself, his voice steady and resolute.
---
"So, how did it go?"
"I did it. But I can't feel much different. I wonder when I'll be able use my Aura."
It was the next morning. I had spent the entire night meditating after absorbing the crawler's bone.
Now, my Aura could envelope my entire body—barely. It was still nowhere near 10 percent of the power the man in the forest had unleashed. Still, if I concentrated the Aura into my fingertip, I was confident I could kill a man instantly.
For now, though, I couldn't let anyone know—especially not my parents—that I could already use Aura. I had a few more years to go before I turned 18.
"Oh? Keep up your meditation. I can almost feel that you'll awaken your Aura before 18. Call it my intuition."
Father stared at me and grinned. He always acted like I was some kind of genius, or someone special, which I couldn't deny. After all, I wasn't from this world to begin with.
"Me too. I know my son."
Mother interjected with a warm smile. We continued talking while eating breakfast when Father brought up some interesting news.
"The Bright Day Corporation has produced a new machine capable of examining people to check their Aura grade. Isn't that amazing?"
He looked fascinated and excited by the news. Mother seemed equally surprised and happy about the new invention.
'Fortunately, it'll be a few more years before this machine is available to the public or various institutions. It will likely be first used in the military and government.'
I finished my breakfast and got up from the chair, heading for my room. Today was Sunday, and school was closed. Thankfully, it was the same as Earth.
"Now that I think about it... I never figured out how those guys from the evil organization found their potential targets—or why they did it."
"Weren't they human, too? Why hunt the same kind instead of helping each other? I could understand if they started recruiting early on, but straight-up murder?"
"Or maybe they weren't human at all. Whatever it is, I have to be careful. If not for my wealthy family, I might have already been discovered by now."
I lay down on the bed, pondering the matter. Slowly, I would accumulate more Aura until I was strong enough to avoid being murdered.
Once that happened, I could enjoy my wealth without any worry for my life.