– Chapter 8: The Echo Within
A cold breeze drifted through the eastern tower of the Hero's School as dawn crept over the archipelago. The glass walls reflected a soft golden hue, casting a long silhouette of James across the floor as he stood alone in the Observation Hall. The weight of yesterday's battle still lingered in his bones, but it wasn't exhaustion that kept him from sleep—it was the memory of Kaezel's final words: "You're not as broken as I hoped."
That voice, and the shadows it carried, had stirred something deep inside him. Not just fear. Something older. Something buried.
James exhaled slowly and glanced at his palm. Even now, faint traces of blue aura flickered between his fingers like quiet lightning. It was calming and chaotic all at once, like the sea before a storm.
The door behind him hissed open.
"Figured I'd find you brooding somewhere high up," Alicia said, stepping inside with two steaming mugs. "You okay?"
"Define okay," James replied, taking one of the mugs gratefully.
She didn't press him further. They stood in silence, watching the sunrise until Alicia spoke again. "Kaezel's aura... it pulled at your mind. That wasn't a normal fight."
"It was like he knew what I was afraid of. My parents, that night, the fire... he fed on it."
Alicia looked away. "Black aura users are rare for a reason. Their power is tied to unresolved emotions. They can manipulate more than just energy. They reach inside you."
James tightened his grip on the mug. "Then what does that say about me? I fought back. And something fought with me."
Alicia set her mug down. "We need answers. We need to understand what that was."
---
Later that Day - Hero's School Archive Wing
The Archive Wing felt more like a cathedral than a library. Stone pillars spiraled into vaulted ceilings, and enchanted orbs hovered near every shelf, glowing gently and shifting colors in response to the auras of those who passed by. James and Alicia walked slowly between rows of ancient tomes and digital tablets, scanning titles.
"Aura Origins... Emotional Nexus Theory... Colors of Conflict..." Alicia murmured. "Nothing that screams 'Echo Aura.'"
"Try under restricted entries," a smooth voice chimed from behind.
They turned to see Raiku leaning against a bookshelf, a datapad in his hand, his yellow aura shimmering subtly.
"Following us now?" James asked.
Raiku shrugged. "Just keeping an eye on the new favorite. You made quite the splash. But if you're looking for the rare stuff, you'll need clearance. Or... a friend with a mischievous streak."
He tapped a sequence on his pad, and a hidden panel in the wall slid open, revealing a spiral staircase descending underground.
Alicia glanced at James. "This isn't going to get us expelled, is it?"
"Probably," Raiku said with a grin. "But it'll be worth it."
---
The Vaults Below
The staircase ended in a chamber carved from obsidian rock, pulsing faintly with ancient energy. In the center stood a pedestal, and on it, a single volume bound in metallic hide: The Lost Auras: Echoes and Myths.
James approached slowly, the book humming as he neared.
He opened it.
Auras beyond the Five are theoretical, rumored to exist in the Emotional Beyond. One such aura, Echo, is believed to be a mirror—not of a single emotion, but of the user's entire spectrum. It reflects, amplifies, and evolves in response to those it bonds with.
James stared at the words, his heart pounding.
"Echo... it's not a color. It's all of them."
Raiku whistled. "So you're a walking contradiction. Impressive."
Alicia ran a finger down the page. "It says Echo Auras are unstable. Dangerous. Some believe they were responsible for the First Collapse."
"What's the First Collapse?" James asked.
Raiku suddenly turned serious. "It was the first recorded incident of an aura wielder losing control so completely that they created a rift in the Emotional Plane. It took the lives of hundreds and tore a city off the map."
James backed away from the pedestal. "You're saying I could become that?"
"Not if you master it," Alicia said firmly. "That's what this school is for. We find your balance."
---
Training Grounds - Two Days Later
The air shimmered with energy as James stepped into the Training Ring. Alicia stood outside, fingers crossed, while Raiku and several instructors observed from the balcony.
The ring activated. Simulated enemies materialized—constructs formed from solid aura energy. Five of them, each representing a different emotional color.
James focused. Blue aura surged around him.
But then... something shifted.
His blue turned green. Then yellow. Then black. His aura swirled through colors like a storm caught in a prism.
He struck out with precision—freezing one target, shocking another, shielding from a third. Each movement felt natural, yet foreign. As though someone was guiding his body from within.
The instructors murmured among themselves.
"He's syncing," one said.
"No," another corrected. "He's channeling. All of them. Simultaneously."
But then James staggered.
Visions flared.
Fire. Screams. A girl's voice crying out. A symbol etched in flame—a circle, split by a jagged line.
He dropped to one knee, clutching his head. The constructs closed in.
"James!" Alicia shouted.
His aura exploded outward.
Not in color. Not in light. But in sound.
A deep, reverberating echo swept through the ring, collapsing the constructs, shattering the boundaries, and knocking everyone back.
Then silence.
James lay still, eyes wide.
Raiku rushed in. "You okay?"
James whispered, "I saw something. A memory that wasn't mine. A voice that called me by name."
Alicia kneeled beside him. "What did it say?"
James looked up, terrified. "It said, The Rift opens again."
---
Elsewhere – Unknown Location
Deep in a cavernous chamber lit only by crimson symbols etched into the walls, a council of cloaked figures stood in a circle.
"He has awakened," one said.
"Too soon," said another.
"Then we must begin Phase Two," the tallest one said. His eyes gleamed silver beneath his hood. "The boy must be tested. Broken if needed. He cannot reach the Core."
A shadowy portal opened behind them.
From it stepped a figure—female, eyes glowing black, with strands of silver hair like wire.
"I will go," she said.
They all turned to her.
"You failed last time."
"This time," she replied, her voice echoing like wind through hollow bones, "he won't survive the encounter."
And then she was gone.
---
To be continued in Chapter 11: The Test of Echoes...