We all sat in the living room quietly, occasional chatter barely breaking the heavy silence.
I guess the quiet was due to the weight of holding our auras in. Every heartbeat felt louder than usual, every breath measured.
"I wonder how long we can keep this up. It's been hours already." Zayn paced in frustration, his shoulders tight.
"Same… it's getting really uncomfortable," Iris agreed, rubbing her temples.
"I hate to be the party crasher, but we have to keep doing this until the magic suspicions die out," Jace said calmly, though the strain in his eyes betrayed him.
"And this is just the first stage. Next, we have to learn how to enter and exit it at will," Katara added, only making the tension worse.
We all exhaled in unison, the weight of the task pressing down on us. Even Master, who usually radiated calm, watched silently from across the room, his gaze heavy with expectation.
Finally, he spoke, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
"Enough waiting. You've held your auras long enough for a start. Now it's time to learn control — to enter and exit this state at will."
A murmur of both relief and dread ran through the group.
"Wait… Do you really think we can control it?" Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought this was just about hiding our magic."
Master nodded. "Hiding is the foundation. But in the field, you'll need precision — entering and exiting without hesitation or leaving traces. The first stage is awareness, the second is mastery. And mastery is not easy."
He gestured to the center of the room, where a faint circle had been drawn in the dust. The Earth Rune's remnants still lingered faintly in the air, a smoky whisper of its magic.
"Focus here," he said. " Give your aura a form.Compress it until it exists only in you, silent, unseen. Feel the strain. Embrace it. That is the first step to true control."
We hesitated, then followed his lead, closing our eyes and taking deep breaths. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, and my skin prickled as if every nerve was aware of the suppression.
Minutes stretched, silence pressing against us again. Zayn's pacing slowed. Cody's hands twitched slightly, and I could see Tyra biting her lip to stay focused.
"Good," Master's voice cut through. "Now, bring your awareness back. Slowly. Don't let it explode outward. That's the exit."
I felt a wave of tension ease as my aura returned to its normal flow, but the exhaustion was immediate — my muscles ached, my chest tightened. Everyone exhaled as if they'd all run a race.
"This… is just the beginning," Master said. "The real challenge comes when you apply this under pressure, with danger around you. And soon… you'll need to test it beyond this room."
A collective shiver ran through us. Even in the safety of our home, the thought of applying this in the real world — under the watch of the Purge Units — made the stakes feel impossibly high.
Master's eyes scanned each of us, sharp and unwavering.
"Rest now. We will continue training after midday. Prepare yourselves — this will demand everything you have."
And with that, we quietly dispersed, each of us feeling the weight of what lay ahead.
I sat in my room, mind wandering until it rested on the main problem… Zarin.
Where did he come from? The Demon Kingdom? The Onyx Dimension? Were there other races aside from humans and demons that we didn't know about? I paced abruptly, my thoughts growing heavier with every step.
My father—Achlys—Master had only told me that he was a former Guardian, and I happened to inherit his power. The abilities of each Guardian passed from one generation to another, but they were never tied to bloodlines.
Back in the Onyx Dimension, during the time of our predecessors, the title of Guardian was given only to royalty. The Dragons ensured that every new generation inherited the powers of the previous Guardians. But times had changed.
Because of the war, the Dragons—or as they were originally known, The Council—had to make a decision. Master's selected candidates would inherit the powers of the predecessors. Tyra and I were exceptions.
I froze mid-step. A thought had crossed my mind, one I didn't want to believe. Minutes passed, but I didn't move. The dots were connecting… yet I resisted.
A knock at my door pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.
I opened it to see Tyra and Katara standing there, both with mischief in their eyes.
"Yeah?" I asked cautiously.
"Hunter, it's your turn to go shopping," Katara declared.
"Really? Already? And now of all times?"
"Yeah, but I think you'll like this one," Tyra said with a teasing smile, handing me a list. "It carries ingredients for pancakes for breakfast tomorrow."
I glanced at the list and… she wasn't lying.
"Ugh… fine," I groaned, rolling my eyes in defeat. They both chuckled at my misery.
I grabbed my coat and the shopping bag, muttering under my breath as I stepped outside. The air was crisp, the streets quieter than usual.
My thoughts kept returning to one name: Zarin. Why here? Why now? Every passerby, every flicker of movement, seemed to hide a secret.
I turned the corner toward the marketplace, tightening my grip on the list. Flour, milk, eggs… pancakes. Simple enough—but my mind was far from simple.
At the bakery stall, I kept my head down, scanning the crowd. Every whisper, every subtle movement set my nerves on edge.
By the time I reached the dairy stall, the sensation crawling up my spine wasn't just instinct—it was magic. Someone was watching. I snapped my head around. Nothing. Just ordinary people… or so it seemed.
I exhaled sharply. Focus. Pancakes. Just pancakes.
A sudden turn into the next stall nearly threw me off balance. I collided with someone.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Both our bags tumbled to the ground. I bent immediately to pick them up.
Then—a chill ran through me. My magic felt… wrong. Drained. Almost gone.
Aetherytes.
My body froze. One wrong move, one touch—and the stone would react, turn black, expose everything.
"Is something wrong? Pick it up already," he said, impatience threading his voice.
Touch it… and all would be revealed.
I willed my aura to vanish, slipping into nothingness. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
"Hello? My bag? …Never mind, I'll get it myself," he muttered, stooping to pick it up.
I grabbed it quickly, forcing a casual laugh.
He straightened, brow lifting, eyes narrowing. He opened the bag, paused… then slowly lifted his gaze to mine.
"…What is your name?" His voice was quiet, but it cut through the air like a blade.