The room was silent.
Yet Alric's mind screamed.
The moment the guide vanished, something inside him cracked open—not a seal, but a memory.
His breath grew heavy.
Images flooded his mind.
A different sky.A different body.A different name.
James.
He saw himself standing in the rain, blood soaking his clothes. He felt the cold blade piercing his chest. And then—
Her face.
The girl he had loved since childhood.
Her eyes were not crying.
They were calm.
Calculating.
"I'm sorry, James," her voice echoed in his head.
"You were useful… until you weren't."
Alric's small hands clenched into fists.
His heart pounded violently.
Love turned into something darker.
Hatred.
Not loud.
Cold.
Sharp.
"Pathetic…" Alric whispered.
Tears did not fall.
"I died like a fool."
The memory ended with darkness swallowing him whole.
Alric sat on his bed, breathing slowly, forcing control.
"I won't repeat that mistake," he said quietly."Never again."
Something deep inside him responded.
From that night onward, Alric changed.
Not visibly.
But internally.
He began to feel things.
The presence of people behind walls.The flow of energy in the training ground.The heat of his own blood when he focused.
At first, it came as warmth in his chest.
Then, pressure.
Then—a faint red shimmer, barely visible, surrounding his body for a second before disappearing.
Alric frowned.
"So this is… aura."
He did not release it wildly.
He listened to it.
Controlled it.
Understood it.
House Aurelion's red aura was known for density, not brightness. Power that stayed quiet until it was too late.
And Alric's aura felt… deeper.
Sir Kael Varryn noticed.
During sword drills, Kael raised his hand.
"Stop."
Alric froze instantly.
Kael stared at him carefully.
"You've started sensing aura," he said.
Alric nodded.
"Yes, Master."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"Then it's time you understand the world's power system."
They sat beneath the shadow of the training pavilion.
Kael drew seven lines in the dirt.
"In this world," he began, "power is measured through Aura Stages. There are seven."
Aura Level System
1️⃣ Ember Stage"The awakening stage. Aura exists but is unstable. Most children stop here."
2️⃣ Flow Stage"Aura begins circulating through the body. Knights and soldiers usually reach this."
3️⃣ Core Stage"Aura condenses into a core. Control improves. Most elites stay here their entire lives."
4️⃣ Mantle Stage"Aura forms a visible mantle around the body. High nobles and commanders reach this."
5️⃣ Dominion Stage"Aura influences surroundings. Pressure alone can suppress others. Only true masters reach this."
6️⃣ Sovereign StageKael's expression turned serious."This stage has been achieved only on the Sixth Continent."
At this stage, the aura bends laws.Weapons obey intent.Battles reshape terrain.
"Very few in history have touched this level."
Kael paused.
Then drew the final line.
7️⃣ Legendary Stage
"This stage," Kael said quietly, "is more myth than reality."
Aura and soul become one.Power no longer leaks.Existence itself recognizes the wielder.
"No confirmed records," Kael finished."Only legends."
Alric stared at the lines.
Seven stages.
Seven paths.
"How far can I go?" he asked.
Kael looked at him for a long moment.
"I don't know," he said honestly."But whatever you become… don't rush."
Alric nodded.
Inside his chest, the red aura pulsed—slow, patient, waiting.
That night, Alric stood alone beneath the stars.
He placed a hand over his heart.
"James is dead," he whispered."Alric Aurelion lives."
But deep inside—
The past had not let go.
And power like his never slept forever.
End of Chapter 6