Hall B was buzzing with tangible energy after Instructor Selene's words. The students exchanged looks filled with excitement mixed with fear. This wasn't just another lesson—it was the moment they would touch their power for the very first time.
Selene stood at the center of the hall and raised her palm high, letting everyone see the soft pink glow dancing smoothly across her skin.
"Now," she said confidently, "it's your turn to step outside the shell of your body. The secret isn't muscle strength. It's choosing a phrase—a key—that connects your consciousness to the energy flowing through your veins. Choose something that feels natural, something you can call out in battle or in calm moments."
Noise filled the hall.
Students tried again and again. Some shouted strange words while clenching their fists until their faces turned red. Selene moved lightly between the rows, placing a gentle hand on one student's shoulder to correct their breathing, whispering guidance to another on how to visualize the flow of aether.
Kealen sat beside Leora and Janero, sweat dripping down his forehead.
He shut his eyes tightly, trying to feel that "river" Selene described.
Beside him, Janero muttered breathlessly, "Release aura! Come on! Get out, you damn thing!" But nothing appeared except faint tremors in his hand.
Leora was calmer, though her expression showed intense mental strain.
Suddenly, a loud shout cut through the hall.
"I did it! Look! I did it!"
All eyes turned.
A faint blue glow flickered from a student's palm, trembling like a candle in the wind—but it was real.
Selene hurried over, a wide smile on her face.
"Congratulations! That's wonderful. Tell me—how did you do it? Describe the feeling for your classmates."
The student took a deep breath, struggling to keep the glow alive.
"It's not about shouting… You have to focus completely on the veins in your hand, like you're pushing water through them. Then say 'Release Aura' clearly in your mind—like you're commanding your body to open."
His words spread like wildfire.
The hall gradually grew quieter as concentration replaced chaos.
Kealen followed the advice.
He stopped tensing his muscles.
Instead, he imagined the hidden warmth in his chest slowly flowing to his shoulder… then down his arm… all the way to his fingertips.
Release aura… he whispered inwardly with certainty.
In that instant, a warm shiver ran through him.
Like a dam breaking.
A soft, beautiful silver glow burst from his palm, surrounding his hand in calm light.
At the same time, Leora cried out in joy as golden light flickered from her fingers, and moments later Janero followed with a strong orange flare.
The three burst into laughter—laughter mixed with relief and victory.
"Look!" Janero shouted, waving his glowing hand. "I'm not useless after all!"
The hall was now filled with colors—pink, blue, green, silver—like a festival of magical lights.
But Selene didn't let them drown in celebration for long.
She returned to the board and raised her voice above the noise.
"Well done, everyone! That's the first step—and the easiest. Now comes the harder part… you must learn how to close your aura."
Their joyful expressions turned confused.
"Aura is now your life fuel," Selene continued. "If you let it flow endlessly, you'll exhaust yourselves and faint within minutes. You must learn how to shut it down and conserve your strength."
She explained that it was the reverse of releasing—visualize the energy returning to its source, back to the heart or the aether stone.
The students tried.
Many struggled.
The aura they fought so hard to release now refused to return.
Janero groaned as his orange glow kept flickering.
"It's stuck! How do I pull it back?!"
Kealen and Leora laughed while calmly drawing their energy inward.
After several attempts and shared frustration, one by one the lights faded from their palms.
Immediately, a heavy fatigue settled into their bodies—the price of energy consumption.
Selene smiled proudly.
"Very good. You're learning incredibly fast. Your bodies need rest to process what happened. Take a ten-minute break. Get some air, then come back for the last part of class."
The students left the hall full of chatter and excitement.
Kealen, Leora, and Janero walked down the corridor, exchanging jokes and laughing about their ridiculous expressions during practice.
Their laughter carried more than joy.
It was the sound of a bond growing stronger—
and the mark of their first real step into the art of aether.