Aura User

Alan's voice trembled with urgency. "Nara... RUN!"
Karan barely had time to process his words before a familiar sensation gripped him. A cold shiver ran down his spine. His heartbeat stuttered. His breath grew shallow. It was the same paralyzing fear as before.
Alan didn't wait for him to react. He grabbed Karan's hand, slung his bag over his shoulder, and took off running. Karan didn’t resist—he didn’t need to. The sheer terror surging through his body told him everything he needed to know. They had to get away.
They ran.
Through the dense forest.
Through the fading daylight.
Through the deafening silence of fear.
Then, as their lungs burned and their legs screamed for rest, they skidded to a stop. Ahead, barely visible in the dying light, stood the beast.
Alan cursed under his breath and immediately changed direction. He tightened his grip on Karan’s wrist, dragging him along as they bolted once more.
They ran until the sky darkened. Until exhaustion weighed their bodies down.
A small fire crackled between them, its flickering light casting dancing shadows across their tired faces. A short distance away, a pond reflected the starlit sky. Small fish, freshly caught, sizzled over the flames. The air was crisp, growing colder by the minute.
Alan, having just returned from a quick bath in the pond, sat beside Karan and stretched. "I know that was intense, but it's over now. That thing isn’t here anymore. Try to relax."
Karan stared into the fire, silent.
He finally spoke, his voice laced with frustration. "I thought this would be simple. Catch a few boars, sell them, get my adventurer’s license. But if this is what I have to deal with... then I don’t stand a chance."
His fists clenched. His mind raced.
"I’ve played so many adventure games before. The formula is always the same—level up, fight stronger monsters. But no game has ever done this. I’m not even Level 1... and I just came face-to-face with that?"
He exhaled sharply. "I swear, I’m reporting this to the developers."
Alan smirked. "Look, I get that you’re scared—"
"Scared?" Karan cut him off. "My soul almost left my body. My heart stopped. I couldn’t even breathe properly! And you’re saying I was just ‘scared’?"
"Okay, okay," Alan raised his hands in surrender. "I admit it—I should’ve been more careful. That was on me. But from now on, I’ll make sure nothing like that happens again."
Karan shook his head. "It wasn’t your fault. There was something about that beast... something wrong. It felt like it was telling me to run. Like if I didn’t, I was going to die."
Alan’s expression turned serious. "Ah. So you did feel it."
"Feel what?"
Alan poked at the fire, choosing his words carefully. "You know about the soul, right? How we can’t see it, but we can feel it?"
Karan nodded impatiently. "Yeah, what about it?"
"There’s something else," Alan continued. "Something outside our bodies, yet still connected to us. It's called—"
"Aura." Karan interrupted. "I know that much. What does that have to do with the beast?"
Alan leaned forward. "Everything. Every living thing has an Aura—humans, beasts, even plants. But while we train for years to control ours, some beasts... they’re born with it. And a few of them? They can manipulate it just as well as we can."
Karan’s eyes widened. "So that was what I felt?"
Alan nodded. "That beast isn’t just any monster. It’s called Xuceros—a Legendary cum Mythical Magical Beast. Its ability? Healing. The horns on its head store cosmic energy, letting it control nature itself. But it’s not a natural creature. It was created. A man-made beast, the only one of its kind."
Karan frowned. "A Legendary and Mythical Magical Beast? What does that even mean?"
Alan sighed. "It means we know everything about it... and at the same time, we know nothing about it. The title was given by the man who fought it with everything he had—and still lost."Alan let out a deep breath, his expression darkening. "Xuceros is not a natural beast. It was created by humans—a result of reckless ambition and forbidden knowledge. Scientists and mages worked together, combining ancient rituals, alchemy, and cutting-edge technology to forge a creature unlike any other. Their goal was to make the ultimate lifeform, one that could manipulate nature itself, heal from any wound, and wield cosmic energy."
Karan’s eyes widened. "So... it didn’t just exist? Humans made it?"
Alan nodded. "Yes. It was an experiment—one of the most ambitious and dangerous ones ever attempted. The Xuceros wasn’t born naturally; it was engineered in a high-security facility, meant to be the pinnacle of controlled power. But they underestimated it. The moment it awakened, it broke free."
Karan shook his head in disbelief. "So let me get this straight. Humans made this thing, let it loose, and now they can’t capture or defeat it?"
Alan tossed a small twig into the fire, watching the flames flicker. "They didn’t let it loose—it escaped. It shattered every barrier, overpowered every restraint, and tore through the facility like it was nothing. The very people who created it? Dead. No one could stop it. It vanished into the wild, and ever since, no one has been able to capture it, let alone defeat it."
Karan swallowed hard. "And now it's just… out there? Roaming freely?"
Alan nodded grimly. "Yes. And the worst part? Every time someone even thinks of trying to take it down, its Aura crushes them before they can make a move. That’s why I had to stop back there. If I had so much as flinched the wrong way, it would’ve killed us both instantly."
Karan's hands clenched into fists. "Is there really no one in this whole world powerful enough to defeat it?"
Alan gave a tired smile. "There are strong people, but Xuceros isn’t just strong—it’s unkillable. The moment someone with ill intent comes near, its Aura intensifies to the point where they lose all their senses. They freeze. They can't move, can't think, can't fight. And then, in that helpless state, it finishes them off."
Karan's mind raced. "So... what happened to me back there, that was because of its Aura?"
Alan nodded. "Exactly. But what you felt was just a fraction of its power. It only flared its Aura for a few seconds—just enough to warn us. If it had truly wanted to kill us, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now."
Karan exhaled sharply. "That's insane..." His thoughts were spinning, but one thing was clear—he had to get stronger.
Silence hung between them.
After a moment, Karan spoke. "You kept apologizing earlier. Why?"
Alan ran a hand through his hair. "Because... I did the same thing to you."
Karan blinked. "What do you mean?"
"When we found that injured boar, I used my Aura to paralyze it. That’s why it couldn’t move. But before I could finish the job, Xuceros sensed my intention and countered my Aura with its own. That’s why I stopped. If I hadn’t, it would’ve attacked us on the spot."
Karan’s mind reeled. "So the first time I felt that fear... it was your Aura?"
Alan nodded. "Yeah. And I’m sorry."
Karan didn’t respond right away. Instead, he thought back to that moment. The second time wasn’t as terrifying as the first...
"That means Alan’s Aura was even stronger than Xuceros’ for a moment."
His eyes flickered toward Alan. Just how strong is this guy?
Alan’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Anyway, it won’t happen again. I’ll be more careful from now on."
Karan hesitated, then nodded. I want to learn this. If he teaches me, it would be the best thing ever.
He made up his mind. I’ll ask him tomorrow.
Alan studied him. "What are you thinking?"
Karan quickly changed the subject. "That fish should be done by now. I’m starving."
Alan raised an eyebrow. "Fish?"
Karan froze. "Uh... yeah?"
Alan frowned. "What’s a ‘fish’? You say weird things sometimes, you know that?"
Karan forced a chuckle. "Uh… never mind."
Alan shrugged, handing him some food. "It’s called Londol. Too small to have any magical properties, but it tastes great. Here, take an extra one."
Karan accepted it. "Thanks. By the way... what’s a core?"
Alan smirked. "I’ll explain tomorrow. For now, let’s eat."

---
Later That Night
After finishing their meal, Alan threw a few more logs onto the fire.
"I don’t have a tent," he admitted. "We’ll have to sleep on the ground."
"That’s fine," Karan said.
Alan nodded. "You should sleep first."
"What about you?"
Alan poked at the fire. "Beasts are more active at night. As long as this fire stays lit, they’ll keep their distance. But if we both sleep and it goes out…"
He trailed off. Karan understood.
"Then wake me up later," he said.
Alan smirked. "Alright. Good night."
"Good night."