THE ALMIGHTY DOMINATING AURA

CHAPTER 7 - EYES IN THE SHADOWS

The next morning, the academy was alive with whispers louder than ever. Kael didn’t need to ask why. He could feel it in the way students avoided him, the nervous way instructors glanced in his direction, and the almost tangible tension in the air.

Word had spread—faster than he could have imagined.

He walked through the courtyard, ignoring the stares. Rynald Draven still nursed his humiliation, but he wasn’t the only one watching Kael with hatred and fear. Eyes flicked from every corner—curious, calculating, dangerous.

They all know, Kael thought grimly. And they’re already plotting.

By midday, Kael found himself summoned to Instructor Veylan’s office—a rare and formal gesture that made his pulse tighten.

“Kael,” Veylan said, his voice measured but tight. “Someone has reported… unusual activity. They claim you’ve been experimenting with your aura outside of sanctioned training hours.”

Kael’s brow furrowed. “I was… training in the abandoned yard. Alone. No one should have seen me.”

Veylan’s eyes narrowed. “Clearly, someone did. And you need to understand—the Elders do not tolerate unsupervised aura usage. You risk endangering the academy, yourself, and your peers.”

Kael clenched his fists but remained calm. “I understand, Instructor. I only sought to learn control. My power… it won’t remain dormant, and I can’t risk losing it again.”

Veylan studied him for a long moment, then sighed. “You have potential, Kael. But the world is not kind to those who rise faster than they are ready. Control it, or it will control you—and others will take notice, for better or worse.”

Kael nodded silently, understanding the warning. He left the office and returned to the courtyard, where Rynald waited, surrounded by a few cronies.

“You think you’re untouchable, don’t you?” Rynald spat, his voice trembling with barely concealed rage. “You humiliated me in front of everyone, and now even the Elders are whispering about you!”

Kael ignored him, but the glint of his golden-flecked eyes caught Rynald’s gaze.

“You can’t hide forever,” Rynald continued. “I’ll find a way to strip that thing from you… or burn it out of you!”

Before Kael could respond, a shadow moved along the high wall, unnoticed by most. Only Kael, his aura still sensitive from the previous day, felt the faint brush of presence—silent, watching, evaluating.

Not just Rynald, Kael thought. Someone else… someone stronger.

That evening, Kael returned to his room, intent on meditating and refining his control. The dormitory was quiet, save for the occasional whisper from the hallways.

He closed his eyes and called the aura inward, letting it coil around his chest like a living creature. The energy pulsed, obedient, but stronger than before—hungry, eager.

As he concentrated, a sudden chill ran through the room. His eyes snapped open. At the corner of the window, barely visible, a cloaked figure observed him again.

Kael’s heart thudded. This observer wasn’t one of the students. Their presence radiated a cold authority, a control that even his Dominating Aura felt wary of.

The figure did not move closer. It only watched silently, then melted into the shadows before Kael could act.

He clenched his fists. Who are you? Why are you following me?

He waited to see if perhaps someone will say something but as he expected no one voiced a word.

The answer didn’t come that night, but Kael knew one thing: the awakening of his aura had drawn attention far beyond the academy walls. Allies and enemies alike were now watching, waiting, and testing him from the shadows.

And Kael’s journey had only just begun.