“Try again,” Theah urged, her voice steady but kind.

Eamon sat cross-legged, his eyes fixed on his trembling hands. He clenched his fist, his focus and determination evident. A soft purple smoke began to crawl through the cracks in Eamon's fists. He opened his grip to reveal nothing.

“Why isn't this working? I’m trying.” Eamon said, looking up at Theah with a wrinkled nose.

“Maybe this will help,” Theah stepped closer, “Imagine your aura as two energies, dark and light. To mold your aura, you must combine both energies with a specific mix.”

“So what is the perfect mix?” Eamon asked, his hands out as if weighing imaginary objects.

“Everyone's different, you must find the one that molds you,” Theah said, moving Eamon's hands to be closed. “Dark energy is drawn from the world around you naturally. Don't be fooled by the name because this energy is not evil, as most assume. Many will increase the amount of this energy in a specific limb to enhance speed or strength.

Theah picked up a nearby stone the size of a brick. She took a deep breath in and, with one hand, crushed the stone into hundreds of tiny pebbles. She then picked up another stone and handed it to Eamon.

“Now you try.”

“What if I can't do it?” he muttered.

Theah didn't answer right away. Instead, she knelt beside him.

“You will,” Theah said plainly. “Aura is like a muscle. In the sense that it gets stronger the more you use it. Because you are only 16, you will naturally have lower reserves of aura, but with training, you could one day exceed my own.”

Theah pressed her hand on Eamon's shoulder. She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. Eamon felt his whole body suddenly feel lighter as if every muscle had a new rush of energy.

“I gave you a small amount of my aura, now it should be easy to control it,” Theah said, “focus all that new energy in your hands, that should give you the power to crush the rock.”

Eamon looked up at Theah, then back at his hands. He pictured his body as a river flowing all of its water to his arms. He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and with a grunt of exhaustion, the rock crumbled.

“I… did it!” Eamon jumped with joy. He looked over at Theah, whose eyes were filled with satisfaction.

“Very good,” Theah said, applauding, “now onto the harder stuff.”

“Wait… there is more,” Eamon said, blinking rapidly.”

“Well, young grasshopper, you have much to learn,” Teah teased, lightly punching his shoulder. “Now picture an object in your mind… like this knife, for example, then focus your energy like you did, but picture the energy flowing into the imaginary knife.”

“Because I have mastered the ability of crushing rocks, this does seem like a natural progression, " Eamon said, using a Theah impression he came up with on the spot.

He held out his hand, picturing the knife Theah showed him. In his mind, he could see an outline of the knife floating on his palm. He tried directing the energy like before, but having it leave his fingertips was much more difficult. He closed his eyes hard as if trying to drown out any light that could make it through the lids. He could slowly visualise the shape filling with the same energy as his arm. A black liquid grew in his hand. Moving fluidly but contained. It started to take on a very rough shape, barely resembling a knife.

“Eamon, look,” Theah said, pointing at the jagged object in front of him. “I guess it resembles a fish spine more than a knife, but still, it is progress.

“Darn, I was more going for an amalgamation of darkness and despair,” Eamon sighed, but the smile on his face could shine out the sun itself.

“Interestingly, your aura takes the form of a metal-like substance and black as well,” Theah said, her head tilted while examining the knife. “You don't see that every day, you know.”

“Ooh, so I'm like a god and all of you peasants should bow before me,” Eamon said, mock pride seeming to radiate from him.

“Yes, my lord, must I fetch you the grapes?” Theah said, filling her role in Eamon's fantasy. “On a serious note, you must be able to master your aura as well as your fighting skills. There will be people stronger than you and me. If that day were to come, you must be able to survive. A knife is only as precise as the person using it.”

“But I will always have you to help me, right?” Eamon said, looking up at Theah in desperation.

Theah paused, pulled Eamon in close, and whispered. “You don't have to worry, and I'm proud of you.”

She wrapped her arms around Eamon, not trapping but embracing him. Her arms lingered for a moment too long. Once her mind left a trance, she quickly let go. Her warmth still lingered.

“No matter what—” she began.