Chapter – 8 : Awakening
Days later—
Lucien and Aren were training as usual.
"How about a real match, Lucien?" Aren said.
Lucien looked at him for a moment. "Fine."
They stood facing each other.
"This is sparring," Lucien said. "Not training."
Aren nodded. "I know."
Lucien smiled faintly.
They raised their wooden swords.
Lucien stepped in first.
Aren blocked.
The impact was light—but the pressure behind it made Aren's arms tense.
He stepped back and steadied himself.
Aren attacked next.
His movement was smooth.
His grip tightened only at the moment of contact.
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
Good, he thought.
Their swords met again.
Tap.
Step.
Turn.
They moved faster now.
Aren pushed harder, trying to defeat Lucien.
For a brief moment, Lucien stepped back.
Aren's heart jumped.
Then—
Lucien moved inside Aren's defense, his sword stopping just before Aren's chest.
"Point," Lucien said softly.
Aren froze.
Then he lowered his sword and let out a small laugh.
"I didn't even notice it."
Lucien stepped away. "It was a good match."
After a moment, Aren sat down on the ground.
"Why can't I defeat you?" he asked quietly.
Lucien replied, "Just train hard—"
then continued, "—and one day, you'll defeat me."
Lucien thought inwardly, You can't win against me. No matter what.
Aren looked frustrated.
I know I can't win against him, he thought while watching Lucien.
Even so… he's been holding back this whole time.
Aren slapped his face with both hands, then picked up his wooden sword.
"LET'S START TRAINING!"
Lucien watched Aren resume training.
He smiled—but it wasn't a friendly smile.
Now Aren will become even stronger, he thought.
That was how protagonists grew—after facing someone far stronger than themselves.
Days passed.
Aren sparred every day—and lost every match.
They even began training at night.
With every match, Lucien could feel it.
Aren is improving.
One night, as Lucien was about to sleep, he heard—
"Please… one last match," Aren said.
"You should rest," Lucien replied. "You've been training nonstop."
"Please." Aren lowered his head.
Lucien looked at him with narrow eyes.
"…Fine. But this is the last match."
"Thank you," Aren said.
They stood facing each other.
Aren felt exhausted.
His arms were heavy, his breathing slow.
"You sure?" Lucien asked.
Aren nodded. "Yeah."
They raised their swords.
Aren moved first.
Lucien blocked.
Aren stepped back—and felt something change.
The heaviness in his body faded.
His steps felt lighter.
His grip felt natural, not forced.
Aren didn't think.
He moved.
His sword cut through the air smoothly—
quiet, but heavy at the moment of impact.
Lucien's eyes widened.
What—?
Their blades met.
This time, Lucien felt it clearly.
Pressure.
Lucien looked at Aren's sword.
A thin blue line ran along the blade.
"…Aura," Lucien muttered.
Inwardly, he panicked.
Hey—hey—hey. Don't tell me he awakened it just through training.
Aren was using Aura—without realizing it.
He moved better than before.
Lighter.
Cleaner.
More confident.
For a moment—
Lucien was pushed back.
Lucien smiled, shocked and excited at the same time.
I should take this seriously.
Lucien's movement changed.
His speed changed.
His power changed.
Under the pressure, Aren lost control.
The aura vanished.
His sword slipped from his hand, and he collapsed.
"I told you to rest," Lucien said quietly.
A few minutes later—
Lucien and Aren headed to sleep.
Lira was waiting like always.
When she saw Aren's condition, her expression filled with worry.
"Don't worry," Lucien said. "He just needs rest."
Lucien gently patted Lira's head.
"He's okay."
Lira's face turned red.
"…Okay."
They all went to sleep.
The next day—
Lucien trained alone.
A few minutes later, Aren woke up and ran toward him.
"You okay?" Lucien asked.
"I'm fine," Aren replied. "But… what was that?"
He remembered the feeling from last night.
Lucien knew what he meant.
"That was Aura," Lucien said.
"What is aura?" Aren asked.
They sat down on the ground as Lucien explained.
"Magic is something you cast," Lucien said.
"But aura is something you carry."
Aren listened quietly.
"Only swordsmen use aura this way," Lucien continued.
"People who fight with their bodies. With movement."
"So magic users can't use it?" Aren asked.
"They have power," Lucien replied.
"But it flows outward—words, symbols, spells."
He tapped his chest.
"Aura stays inside first."
Lucien stood and took a stance.
"When a swordsman moves," he said,
"aura follows the body. The breath. The grip."
He made a slow swing.
"No chant. No light."
Aren watched carefully.
"It makes the sword feel lighter," Lucien said,
"and the strike feel heavier."
Aren nodded slowly.
"That's what I felt."
Lucien lowered his sword.
"So that's aura," Aren said excitedly.
"Can you use it too?"
"Not yet," Lucien replied.
Aren looked disappointed.
"…But I'll try to awaken it," Lucien added.
Aren smiled. "If you say that, then you definitely will."
"How do I learn to use aura?" Aren asked.
"You have to figure it out yourself," Lucien replied.
"Aura can't be taught."
Inwardly, Lucien thought, Because everyone's aura is different.
"Then I'll learn it myself," Aren said.
"Yes," Lucien replied.
Aren returned to training.
Lucien did the same.
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END OF CHAPTER - 8
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