Chapter 44: What is Aura?
What is Aura?
Mike and the man stayed still for a few seconds, neither side making any move as they both inspected each other, and the more Mike looked at him, the stranger he felt.
’I can’t get a read on him.’ He realized with a small frown.
Despite having his senses locked onto the man, Mike couldn’t tell much. His instincts told him he was dangerous... but that was it. He couldn’t get a feel for his emotions or intent, which either meant the guy was somehow perfectly controlling his emotions, or he had none, two scenarios Mike found to be insane.
’Maybe it’s his ability?’ Mike wondered, but the man spoke and snapped him out of his thoughts.
"You’re a curious one." He said, a serene smile on his face. "Your body is abnormally durable for your age, but I can’t detect any signs of artificial strengthening. Were you born like this? No, that’s not quite right either." He mused as he stood up, and Mike resisted the urge to make a face as he looked up.
’Why is he so tall?!’ He exclaimed inwardly as the man looked over him. Mike wasn’t the most well-versed when it came to height, but he guessed this guy was easily above 6’5.
However, he didn’t feel intimidated, and that wasn’t because of any Lupine pride or whatever. He just... felt like the man wouldn’t hurt him. Not without reason anyway.
He gave him the impression of a gentle giant, though he was more lanky than bulky.
"Good morning?" Mike greeted, sounding a bit unsure, and the man just nodded, his smile never wavering.
"What’s your name?" He asked.
"Mike."
"Mike, huh?" He rubbed his chin. "You aren’t from any family, I take it?" The question caught Mike off guard.
"How...?" He trailed off, clearly confused.
"You lack the fickle pride most young masters from the different families have." He said frankly, and Mike blinked, feeling weirdly called out.
"Regardless, it’s nice to meet you, Mike. My name is Edward." He held out a hand, and Mike lingered before taking it, the man’s hand easily closing over his.
They shook hands, and Mike stared at his grey eyes.
’Blind, huh? I’ve always wondered why some ability users seem to be maimed permanently despite their better healing and the wide variety of tech out there. Or just people with healing abilities.’ Mike mused as he thought about Masha and her one eye.
Then again...
’Why do I feel like he isn’t blind from an injury?’ His frown deepened. Regardless, he still replied.
"Nice to meet you." Mike nodded.
"Respectful too." Edward nodded in satisfaction and pulled his hand away, which was when Mike noticed something else.
If he wasn’t looking directly at Edward, his senses couldn’t pick up anything about him at all. As soon as he escaped his visual receptors, Mike wouldn’t notice he was even there, which just made this weirder.
It was hard to explain, but Mike felt as though he were a normal person again standing in front of someone who could end him within a blink.
But he didn’t feel threatened either.
’Who is this guy?’ Mike wondered as Edward went back to where he had been sitting down cross-legged. However, he didn’t sit and simply turned, which is when Mike remembered that he had classmates. Some of them were glancing at him curiously, most likely wondering what his conversation with the instructor had been about, but it seemed like they were more or less unsurprised by the man’s behavior, which made Mike think he was pretty popular.
’I should seriously do some research on these people because I’m pretty sure these instructors are all significant people in one way or another.’ Mike thought as the remaining students arrived, and soon, the window for entering closed as all the students arrived.
"Take a seat, everyone." He said lightly, and everyone quietly sat down on the arena floor, waiting for him to begin.
"You all know what this class is about, so no point in reintroducing the name. Now, let’s proceed." He regarded all of them with a smile.
"First, let us ask ourselves. What is an aura? Not an Aura-type ability, but an Aura in general?" He asked, but it seemed to be a rhetorical question as he answered it shortly.
"Everything in existence possesses an aura. From small pebbles to plants to celestial bodies and, naturally, people." He explained, and Mike leaned forward as he spoke.
"Think of it as how everything with mass possesses its own gravitational pull, with the more mass an object or entity possesses translating to a higher gravitational pull. This analogy somewhat describes auras, as depending on how much power an entity possesses, the stronger its aura. Any questions so far?" He asked gently, and everyone was silent for a moment before Mike raised his hand.
"How can a pebble possess an aura, and therefore power?" He asked curiously.
"Hm. Think about it like this. A pebble may seem harmless at first, especially to stronger people. However, if one throws that pebble hard enough at someone, it may break skin and cause them to bleed. The pebble may not have moved on its own, but the fact that it has enough hardness and mass to hurt another means it possesses power, no matter how small. As such, it possesses an aura." Edward explained patiently, and Mike tilted his head. He somewhat understood the example, but he wasn’t properly certain.
"Alright. Moving on, as I said, everything has an aura, but not everything can control that aura. Most of the time, individuals with strong auras but no Aura-type abilities tend to have a strong presence on those around them. The phenomenon people tend to label as suppression. However, they can not do much more than that." He continued.
"Now, here’s where things get interesting with those of us who CAN actively control our aura," He went on, his voice still serene and gentle, but carrying across the whole arena. "An Aura-type ability is different from simply having an aura. As I said, everyone and everything has one, but only a few can truly wield it." He lifted a hand lazily, palm aimed up, like he was holding something invisible.
"Most people leak their auras passively. Think of it like body heat. It radiates whether you want it to or not. However, when you possess an Aura-type ability, you learn to shape that heat, condense it, or manifest it in certain ways. It becomes more than a feeling, and more of a tool."
The space above his palm simmered faintly, then bloomed into a pale, milky-white haze. His aura.
"At its core, aura is willpower manifested physically. It is closely linked to the personality of its wielder. A timid soul will have an aura that hides. An aggressive aura... well, you’ve seen how some people seem to press the air out of a room simply by being there. Aura follows character." Hearing this, Mike thought back to the orientation and the Vice-Principal. He hadn’t even done anything, but Mike felt as though his skin was being assaulted by countless needles for a moment, and he nearly acted out on instinct.
He turned his hand, and the milky glow compressed into a thin, invisible sheet that distorted the light around him. For a moment, it looked like a part of his shoulder had vanished.
"Camouflage. It’s useful if you know how to suppress the natural pressure your aura exhibits. Not an illusion, just bending how others perceive me through their sensory organs and instincts." Mike blinked at this.
’Is that why I can’t sense him when I’m not looking?’ He thought, amazed.
He then flicked his fingers, and the haze surged outward in a sudden wave. The floor around him groaned audibly, like it were being subjected to an invisible pressure.
"Raw pressure. Even people without Aura-type abilities can do this unintentionally. Intimidation, dominance, suppression, and so on. However, refined control makes it precise. It can crush a single pebble without disturbing the others around it, or send a crowd to their knees." Finally, he closed his fist, and the white glow seemed through his knuckles. When he spoke, the air seemed to ripple faintly, like the sound itself held weight.
"Infusing intent. My aura carries ME in it. My emotions, my decisions, my desires. If I want something to feel warm and welcoming, it will. If I want something to feel like one wrong move means your death, you will believe it to be so even if I never touch you." He opened his hand again, letting the glow fade like mist.
"These are simply fragments of what aura can do. It’s incredibly flexible. Some shape it into shield, others send it out in waves to sense their surroundings, others wrap it around themselves to strengthen their bodies. But remember, no matter how you use it, your aura always reflects you, because it IS you. They aren’t mutually exclusive. A coward can’t fake courage with aura. A liar can’t mask what they really are, it’s the part of you that never lies." He seemed to stare right at Mike with his grey eyes as he said this, making the boy frown.
"Now, any questions before we move to practice?" He clasped his hands together and asked.