THE ALMIGHTY DOMINATING AURA

CHAPTER 3 - THE ELDERS TAKE NOTICE

The bell tower tolled three times, its deep chime rolling across Blackthorn Academy like thunder. Normally, it signaled the end of morning training, but today, the air was different. Whispers ran through the disciples like wildfire. Everyone had heard it—felt it—the pulse of power that had erupted in the courtyard.

Kael walked with measured steps, ignoring the stares that followed him. Students parted instinctively when he passed, some with awe, others with fear. For the first time in his life, the boy who had been mocked as a hollow shell was no longer invisible.

But their whispers reached his ears all the same.

“That wasn’t aura, I swear it wasn’t.”

“The pressure… I couldn’t breathe.”

“Maybe he’s possessed.”

“No—he’s dangerous. Too dangerous.”

Kael tightened his fists, keeping his gaze forward. Their words stung, but they no longer pierced him the way they once did. Something inside had changed, hardened.

Still, unease gnawed at him. He didn’t understand what had happened, and fear lingered like a shadow.

Before he could retreat to the solitude of the dorms, a voice rang out from behind.

“Kael.”

He turned sharply. Approaching from the inner courtyard was Instructor Veylan, a stern man with broad shoulders and a perpetual scowl. His black robes bore the academy’s silver crest, and his presence silenced the disciples nearby.

Kael bowed slightly, though his movements were stiff. “Instructor.”

Veylan’s sharp eyes studied him for a long moment. The silence stretched until it felt suffocating. Finally, he said, “The Elders summon you.”

Kael’s stomach tightened. The Elders. He had never once been called before them—not even to be scolded. They were the highest authority in the academy, men and women whose strength was said to surpass kingdoms.

“Yes, Instructor,” Kael replied quietly.

Veylan motioned with a curt nod. “Follow me.”

---

The inner halls of Blackthorn Academy were colder, quieter. Tall pillars lined the marble floors, carved with ancient runes that glowed faintly in the torchlight. Kael’s footsteps echoed, each one heavier than the last.

He could feel Veylan’s gaze on him as they walked, but neither spoke. Kael’s thoughts churned like a storm. Do they know what happened? Do they know about this… power?

At last, they reached a pair of massive wooden doors inlaid with silver patterns. Two armored guards stepped aside, their eyes flicking briefly to Kael with open suspicion.

Veylan pushed the doors open. “Enter.”

Kael stepped into the Hall of Elders.

The chamber was vast, lit by floating lanterns that cast an ethereal glow. At the far end sat five figures in high-backed chairs, each robed in deep colors that shimmered faintly with energy. Their presence was overwhelming—not crushing like his own awakening, but steady, controlled, like mountains rooted in eternity.

Kael dropped to one knee, bowing deeply. His heart pounded.

“Rise, child,” one of the Elders said. Her voice was calm, melodic, but carried an undertone of power that left no room for disobedience.

Kael obeyed, standing stiffly under their collective gaze.

An Elder with a long silver beard leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “We felt an unusual disturbance this morning. A surge of energy not seen in many years. It came from the training courtyard… from you.”

Kael swallowed, unsure how to answer. “I—I don’t know what happened, honored Elders. I was being attacked. Then… something inside me broke free.”

“Broke free?” another Elder repeated, his tone skeptical. “Explain.”

Kael hesitated. His mind flashed back to the golden fire in his veins, the crushing weight that bent everyone to their knees. He remembered how alive it felt, how unstoppable.

“I can’t explain it,” Kael admitted, his fists tightening. “It wasn’t like aura. Not like what the others use. It was… different. Stronger.”

The Elders exchanged glances. The silver-bearded one stroked his chin. “Different, indeed. The pressure alone was enough to bend trained disciples. Even Instructor Veylan admitted he felt it from afar.”

Kael’s eyes widened. Veylan had felt it? The thought unsettled him.

One of the female Elders leaned forward, her expression unreadable. “Boy, what is your lineage? Who were your parents?”

Kael froze. A familiar ache tightened his chest. “I… I don’t know. They left when I was young. I never learned their names.”

“Convenient,” another Elder muttered darkly.

The first Elder silenced him with a wave. His gaze fixed on Kael. “Whatever awakened in you is no ordinary aura. It feels ancient, forbidden. Yet… it has chosen you.”

Kael shifted uneasily. “What does that mean?”

The silver-bearded Elder’s eyes gleamed. “It means, Kael… your life will never again be your own.”

The words struck him like a blade.

Before Kael could respond, the doors to the chamber burst open.

A figure stormed in—Rynald Draven. His robes were fresh, but his face was pale with fury. He dropped to his knees before the Elders, ignoring Kael’s shocked expression.

“Honored Elders!” Rynald cried, his voice trembling with both rage and desperation. “That boy is dangerous! He used some demonic power in the courtyard. He humiliated me, crushed dozens of disciples under his dark aura. He’s a threat to us all!”

The Elders turned their eyes back to Kael.

Kael’s breath caught in his throat. His fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.

He wanted to shout the truth—that it was Rynald who had attacked him first, that he had been beaten nearly unconscious before the awakening. But under the piercing eyes of the Elders, his words felt small.

The silver-bearded Elder raised a hand, silencing the hall. His voice rolled like distant thunder.

“Kael,” he said gravely. “You stand accused. Tell us now… what exactly did you awaken today?”

The chamber fell into silence.

All eyes were on him. His answer would decide whether he walked out of this hall—or whether his new life ended before it even began.