Chapter 8: Foundations of Strength

The sun hung low in the sky as Reve stood before Eiran in the backyard of their humble home in Yarneth Village. The whispers of what he had seen in the tomb still echoed in his mind, but he pushed them down—this was the beginning of something new. Something greater.

Eiran's stance was calm but commanding. "Before you can carry the weight of that sword, you must learn to control your aura. Swordsmanship without aura is a child swinging a stick."

Reve nodded. He had held the blade, felt its hum, but he had never truly understood it. Until now.

"Close your eyes," Eiran instructed. "Aura is life's breath. It flows through your core, your limbs, your soul. Find it."

At first, there was nothing. Only silence. But then—a faint rhythm. Like a slow-burning flame in his chest. Reve focused. The rhythm grew stronger. A surge, subtle but real, coiled around his body.

His first step into cultivation.

Eiran watched with a faint smile. "You've touched your Base Vein. That's the first level—the beginning of your path."

The sword at Reve's side let out a soft hum, almost approving.

"Now," Eiran continued, "you must strengthen your aura core. In our world, there are eleven known stages of aura mastery. You're at the start—Level 1: Base Vein. The road is long, but every warrior begins here."

The training that followed was brutal. Eiran didn't hold back. He pushed Reve through basic sword drills, footwork patterns, and physical conditioning. Not once did the old man go easy. Not once did Reve back down.

The siblings, Mina and Arel, watched with wide eyes from the porch, cheering every time their brother landed a clean strike or completed a difficult drill. Their admiration burned quietly in their hearts.

By the time dusk fell, Reve collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat, every muscle aching. But he smiled.

He had begun.

He had truly begun.

---