"Kay, Lucien. Let's go over the steps of Aura Manipulation one more time."

Tanya's voice was calm and patient, but that didn't prevent Lucien from letting out an exaggerated sigh, "Do I gotta?"

"Yes! Until the moment you can use it without even thinking! Now, start!"

With a frown, he took a deep breath in, trying to internalize the words that had been practically drilled into his head this past month and a bit.

"First is ... Gotta feel it like my heartbeat," Lucien's eyes closed as he placed his palm to his chest, his heart's melodic beating becoming all the more noticeable to his senses.

It pushed up against his rib cage with every thump and bump, an almost invisible pulse that was the culminated state of his being. Without his heart, he was nothing. He'd just be a lifeless, husk of a human being, devoid of life.

He wouldn't let that ever happen.

"It starts with, uh... embers in my chest. Then, I've just gotta give it an oxidizer."

Just like how he needed to breathe, the same could be said for his Aura. After all, you need air to start a fire, and with another deep breath, and his thoughts empty, he had the beginnings of a real fire.

"You really like that flame metaphor, huh?" Tanya smirked with a hand on her hip, her other holding a water bottle.

Lucien's eyes opened just a bit to glance at her, his eyelids drooping a bit, "Well, it works, right? And I like fire. It’s nice to watch things burn.."

"Yeah, not a good thing, dude... Keep going."

With a small nod, he continued on, "Can't have a fire without fuel, so I just gotta give it some juice. That comes from my feelings and stuff, so I just gotta, uh, feel. In a training scenario, we use memories to jump-start it."

Back when Lucien first started Hunter training, trying to focus on his emotions was the hardest part. He always ended up 'feeling too much', as Tanya put it, and dousing his flame in fuel without any oxidizer to keep it stable. Apparently, it wasn't a bad thing that his heart was so large and full, but it did mean it was all the more difficult to reign it in, to prevent himself from letting the emotions overflow and drown his flame.

He got the gist of it eventually, and he now had a strategy of sorts.

Isolate his feelings, bottle all the parts which threatened to come out uncontrollably, and open a small hole in the glass to allow a calm flame to form. It wasn't easy by any means, but it was enough for now, and all he had to do more in this specific scenario was remember.

"So, I'll think about all the people I love... Kari... Dario, Levi, even if he's a bit weird sometimes..." He took a deep breath in, remembering two in specific, "Rosa and Elsie. Then, my Sis... Oh, and you, Tanya!"

She chuckled, rolling her eyes, "Wow, I'm flattered."

"Yeah, yeah, shush..." The moment her words were spoken and he responded, he had his fuel.

The faint, tiny embers that beat throughout his chest suddenly flared, the heat building and rising each time his heart pulsed. It was a comforting sensation, a sort of warm and fuzzy feeling that, combined with the memories of his loved ones, were the perfect combustible combination.

"There you go! You've brought it out, now ya just gotta move it around!"

Lucien tried to ignore Tanya's voice, clapping his hands together and keeping them place as he focused on the rising flame centralized in his chest. His eyes were glued shut, nearly squinting while he struggled to maintain his focus. He wouldn't let it falter again, this time, he was succeeding without one mistake.

A latent life force, a clear head, and powerful emotions. In other words, Body, Mind, and Heart. With those three, a chain reaction is produced leading to the outward formation of Aura. A controlled energy which can only be seen through affixing it to one's eyes, a Technique called Aura Sight.

"Easier said than done," He couldn't help but mutter.

Aura Manipulation, the ability to shape and bend this energy at one's will, was just as Lucien said. Easier said than done. It's like trying to move a ceaseless flame with one's hands alone, or attempting to grasp an ethereal wind.

Even still, Lucien liked doing the impossible. Focus on the flame, guide its impractical movements outside the bounds of the origin point, and into his hands, the very same ones he had outstretched at this very moment.

"And then... bring it out!" He could almost feel the sweat dripping down his forehead as he pulled his hands apart, and in the very same moment, his Aura was made manifest.

It was a red bordering on being pink, resembling a calm fire in a way. A false flame that danced across the air, crackling and releasing sparks that never once failed to return back to the main body. As he was encircled by it, he was finally able to see it in its truest form, a thin veil that covered his whole being.

"Nice job! Once you get better at releasing it at will, you'll–"

"Oh, I'm not done yet!" Lucien interrupted Tanya's praise with a grin.

Just bringing one's Aura outside the body wasn't the extent of Aura Manipulation, nor did it help in any tangible way. It was simply one step to a vast amount of different Basic Techniques, and the one he was about to attempt now was something he failed every other time before.

"Body Reinforcement!"

A Technique to imbue Aura into one's skin, and muscular tissue, hardening the Aura and vastly increasing the durability of the affected areas. A defensive Technique that allowed one to protect their internal organs from harm, and depending on the skill and Aura quantity of the user, could be many times more effective than armour.

A Technique that every Aura User knew well, allowing humans to live through the horrors of war.

However, the moment Lucien began to move his Aura once more...

"Huh...?"

"Oh, hey, it fizzled out. Looks like that's still out of your skill level," Tanya shrugged, uncapping her water bottle and taking a long swig of it.

"Damn it! I was close that time!" Lucien huffed, frowning as he stomped his feet. "What am I even doing wrong?!"

"You got too excited and lost your focus. It'll come to you soon, don't worry!" She took a few steps closer, patting his head. "You're getting better every day. All thanks to your great teacher, of course!"

Lucien couldn't help but groan, his brows furrowed, "Next time for sure!"

"Yeah! I like your thinking, kid! You'll... Hm?" Tanya paused as she felt a buzzing in her pocket, pulling out a phone and flipping it open, "Sorry, I gotta take this. Be back in a sec."

She was already walking away by the time Lucien replied a flimsy word of understanding, tapping his foot on the floor of the training room with a scowl.

"I'm not a kid..." He crossed his arms, sighing as he glanced down.

"You're right."

The sudden voice nearly caused him to trip backwards, a surprised, shaky squeal escaping him. He quickly turned around, eyes wide as a familiar figure appeared, wearing a long, grey coat with a high collar.

"Oh, Jasp... Phew! You scared me!"

"Don't call me that," His eyes were narrowed as always, set forward like a predator watching its prey.

"Come on, it's what Tanya calls you!" He chuckled, scratching the back of his head, "So, what brings you here?"

"I need you to come with me. It's urgent. Don't ask questions, either, there's no time," Jasper replied, his tone cold and commanding as always.

Lucien tilted his head in response, "Huh? Wait, hold on, Tanya will be mad if I up and disappear–!"

"This is your first real mission," He interrupted the other, grabbing his wrist with a harsh grip. "Don't fall behind."

Lucien's eyes widened, "R-real...? Hold on, like a real mission? Real real?"

"Enough questions."

"Alright! Yeah! Let's go!"

-

Despite Jaspers words, they didn't end up at any of Central City's gates to leave, nor did they end up at any sort of military complex. Instead, they found themselves in a barren, completely and utterly empty building, with a singular chair facing them.

"Sit."

"... Why?"

Jasper glared down at Lucien, a chill going up his spine.

"Okay, okay! Fine!"

Lucien walked over to the chair, sitting down and facing the wall with a sigh.

"Um, is this some sorta test? Cause, I'm really not getting it–"

"Realm Open."

It was without warning that the surrounding area changed. The moment Lucien opened his eyes, they were in an area that seemed almost impossible. The four walls surrounding them, the floor, and even the ceiling, were all perfectly reflective, forming a large cube around them. By his estimate, it had to be nearly thirty meters in every direction, a perfect cube.

"Whoa... The hell is this...?" Lucien's voice was quieted by his own amazement, slowly turning around.

"A Realm. Or, more specifically, my own," Jasper was standing with his arms behind his back, seemingly not at all interested in the place. "A Learned Technique which encircles a large area with a portion of one's Aura, allowing one to partially alter the area inside while the Aura is active. A powerful tool."

"Badass! Can I learn how to do that?" Lucien's eyes sparkled as he looked at the other, almost bouncing with excitement.

"That isn't your concern right now."

Only now did Lucien's eyes meet with the weapon on Jasper's side, a simple silver longsword. The very same one that the man was reaching for now, his bird-like gaze never leaving Lucien.

"A spar, huh? Alright! I've been wanting to fight you for a while now, Jasp!" Lucien's hand quickly landed upon the chain whip at his side, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Well, let's–"

Once more, Lucien wasn't given a chance to finish his sentence as Jasper moved. Before he could even react, a cold feeling passed by his cheek, the tip of the sword only barely grazing his skin. The only reason it didn't slice through his head completely was the reflexive step back he took, feeling the cold sting of the cut upon his cheek.

"Hey, what the hell, man?! You can't just–!"

His words were silenced again, this time by Jasper's Aura. It was an unnerving, almost unsettling, blackish blue that resembled an all consuming void, one that he could only see now through the instinctive use of Aura Sight. Lucien had yet to even realize he had brought his Aura out, at least partially, as his body acted to defend itself.

He was forced into a rushed stance as Jasper swung once more, the sword passing his neck by mere centimeters. As his heart began to rush, only one thought rushed through Lucien's head at this moment.

'He's really trying to kill me!'

Jasper's eyes never showed any inclination into his thoughts, but now, Lucien could see the faintest image of what he had only seen in a few other people.

He had no choice anymore, no option but to fight.

The chain whip was quick to unravel, the club at the end falling to the ground as Lucien tried to jump back. When using the whip, he was a mid-range fighter, and being too close to someone like Jasper would lead to his demise.

The moment he landed, however, Jasper was right in front of him once again. He had no choice but to block with the chains, raising two in front of him and crossing his wrists. While it managed to stop the swing, the impact caused him to drop his weapon as he was thrown backwards.

Before he could even touch the ground, his wrist was caught by Jasper's free hand, the black-haired man spinning and using his weight and power to throw him onto the floor. The wind was knocked out of him as his head bounced off the mirror-like ground, and even more so when a knee came into contact with his stomach.

Lucien couldn't even cough up the quickly building blood before Jasper grabbed his forehead, slamming his head into the floor.

"Gah–!" He struggled to push him off, let alone speak, as Jasper was more statue than human, unmoving, solid like stone, and cold.

Jasper didn't give him a moment to recover, slamming his head once again against the floor. Lucien flailed without purpose, unable to get any standing with his legs or grab at Jasper's forearms.

As his vision grew cloudy and the pain began to numb, Lucien's emotions grew. A combination of no small number of things. Fear, pain, sorrow.

Anger.

Jasper's hand lowered to his neck, raising him before slamming him against the wall. All Lucien could taste was blood, his mind racing with only one thought.

He was going to die here.

"Why did you want to be a Hunter in the first place?" Jasper's words were sudden, his voice still monotonous as always.

"Why...?!" Lucien could hardly even get out that single word, his mouth agape allowing blood to pour down his chin.

"Answer."

"Gh... I didn't exactly have a choice, did I?! I would have died if Tanya didn't–"

"Don't lie," Jasper called him out without a moment's delay. "You could have decided to run from it, declined going through with training. You could have even returned to the military. Why didn't you?"

The question made him freeze. It was one he had never truly asked himself, one that seemed so simple on the surface, but had so much deeper meaning than just a few words.

"Because... I..."

It was his only choice. It was the only way to make amends. It was what he had to do.

"I couldn't run again! I– I couldn't let people die, okay?! I want to save people! To help them! Is that such a bad thing?!" Lucien's hands found their way to Jasper's arm, trying in vain to pull his fingers apart.

"So, would you sacrifice your life to save people?" His grip grew tighter, the cold glare he had remaining.

"Of course I would!" He didn't hesitate to give his answer, her eyes wide as he Jasper stared back.

Jasper was silent for a moment, though his expression stayed stagnant as always, "Good. You'll be dying in line with your morals, then."

Lucien could only struggle in Jasper's grasp, unable to form words as he gasped for air. He grip on his throat tightened every moment, and the more Lucien attempted to struggle, the weaker he became, even more so as every cough sprayed more and more blood onto Jasper.

He could feel tears pricking at his eyes, all the air in his body spent up. Just like almost two months ago, he was faced by death, and he was horrified by it.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

'I don't want to die! How is this even fair!? What did I do to deserve this?!'

His gaze met with the mirror below him, seeing the reflection of himself being choked to death by the much stronger Hunter. He had to do something. Anything.

'Please... I can't...! I don't want to die...!'

He couldn't do anything.

'Not again!'

All that Lucien could make out was the sudden feeling of being dropped, and a sudden force sending Jasper back.

Lucien didn't bother looking, instead focusing on desperately trying to get the oxygen he needed. He didn't notice as the mirror wall behind him was suddenly destroyed, shattered and turned to dust. Though, it quickly returned as a person walked through, one with the same striking red hair as Lucien.

His eyes widened as he finally looked their way, coughing as the air finally flowed into his lungs, "Sis!?"

He was surprised for many reasons, but was by far the most by the fact his sister was able to do such a thing, specifically to a Hunter like Jasper. After all, as far as he knew, she was just a normal human...

"Heya, little bro," The woman's eyes were half closed as she waved nonchalantly, wearing a simple uniform that she took the liberty of messing with. She had left the collar undone, and rolled up her sleeves almost to her shoulders, revealing a long pair of leather gloves which seemed to have sharpened claws at the end of each finger. "Sorry I'm late. My boss was being a real ass, you know how it is."

The appearance of his sister was certainly a sight for sore eyes for Lucien, so much so that he hardly questioned her being here. No matter if it made no sense, the simple chance of his survival, and the relief that came with it, was enough to bring a smile to his bruised and bloodied face.

“Late?” He let out a laugh, though it quickly turned into a harsh cough. “Come on, do you think I was expecting you to save my ass?”

With a smirk and upward tilt of her head, she offered her hand. “It’s not my fault you always need saving.”

With a sigh and roll of his bloodshot eyes, he took the hand, his sister helping him up with little issue. “Yeah, yeah. Make fun of me after we get out of here.”

Both of their eyes fell to the now recovered black haired man, their gazes almost identical if not for the added smugness of Lucien’s sister.

“Lacy Riese,” Jasper spoke in a gruff manner, his expression just as dark as it always was. He did not walk forward, instead simply standing still as his stare bored into the two. “As I expected, you would finally show if Lucien’s life was truly at risk.”

She whistled low, “You know me? What an honour to be on a first name basis with a famous Hunter like yourself…”

Lucien couldn’t help but be impressed by just how easily she talked to a guy like him, but then again, he did respect her quite a lot. He’d never say that out loud, however, no matter how much he thought her general air of confidence was badass.

“Is that the same line you said to the various Hunters killed by your hand? The ones you ruthlessly murdered?” The line echoes throughout the entire surrounding area, though it reverberated especially in the skull of Lucien. “He doesn’t know, does he? The Monster you are.”

Bullshit. It was obvious. But, just why was he saying it? Was he really trying to win him to his side after all the stuff he just pulled? Well, it wouldn’t work, he firmly decided. So, with a trusting expression, he eyes his sister, Lacy.

She glanced back, though her gaze quickly landed back upon the former. “You’ve got me confused for someone else, pal. Just listen to yourself, you sound crazy. Like a deluded detective who needs to pin the blame on someone, anyone… Doesn’t matter if they’re innocent, does it?”

“Yeah!” He concurred, utterly convinced without need of any other evidence. “Besides, there’s no way she could kill a hunter! She’s a… completely normal person!” though even with his words, he was having trouble believing that last part. There were… quite a lot of questions he had.

“Idiot. Why don’t you say that again after looking at her with Aura Sight activated? Actually use the training Tanya’s worked so hard to instill into your tiny head.” He was practically scoffing as he spoke, his voice tinged with patronizing arrogance.

But, then again, he did have the slightest point. Lacy seemed to give her approval with but a look, and Lucien began the typically lengthy process of bringing out his Aura. Yet, this time, it was done quickly, though, thinking back, he had used it without even thinking before. Perhaps all the stress he was currently under made it easier, after all, adrenaline, the emotions, all that... He didn't want to think too hard about it, after all, he was being shown a sight quite surprising.

More than surprising, actually. Dark orange surrounded her, spiraling into some sort of circle pattern which culminated in the middle to form a 'pupil' of sorts. It truly resembled an eye, like some terrible being was staring into him as he stared back. He decided to quickly deactivate the technique, especially as he gulped to retain his composure.

"Do you see now? Your sister has been lying to you. She is an Aura User just as you, and one who hunts us Hunters. One day, she may even come for your head, Lucien; What will you do in that case? You'll die, just like the rest." He was persistent, like a plague. His eyes were so earnest, his voice so... desperate, almost. But it wasn't true.

Lucien continued to defend his sister without her even needing to say a word, “Alright, maybe she has about a few things, but you really expect me to just believe she's a killer?! She's my sister, Jasp! You have a family, right?! Do you really not get–"

"I did have a family, but not after your sister took him from me." With one step forward, and upon picking up his silver blade, he raised it forward, pointing towards Lacy's head as he continued, "One way or another, she's dying here. I don't want to kill you too, red head, putting your life at risk now and before was necessary to root her out. However, if you try and get in my way, I won't hesitate to put you down either."

"Say, does bullying my little bro here give you a way to cope with whatever shitty stuff happened to you?" In contrast to Jasper, who was enraged in his own way, she was eerily calm. Her eyes were half closed, and she looked like she could fall asleep at any moment. "But, I gotta wonder... Just what was that about putting his life at risk 'before' too? You've gotta be curious too, right, bro?"

"Y-yeah," He stuttered out, doing his best to stay on the same page as the other two. "Just what have you been doing? I mean, the only time I can really remember my life being at serious risk was... it was..."

"The attack on Sanctuary a month ago," Those words spoken by Jasper were like a bomb going off, Lucien's eyes widening while the other’s remained cold. "You had been attacked by one of the Bloodstarved Vamps, bitten and about to be killed altogether. I lead it to you, made sure there'd be nobody around to save you. Tanya showing up ruined that plan, and you becoming a Hunter just made everything worse... Month's of planning gone, just like that."

His words had lost some of their original fire, almost as if there was something more to those words, an underlying tone which seemed out of place. Regardless, it was cold shock that had settled in Lucien's chest which made his fists clench, his teeth grit.

"What the hell do you mean 'month's of planning'...?"

It was much too easy to lose control. With just a small implication of what Jasper might had done, Lucien's emotions flared out of control, a fire erupted in his chest. His eyes were unfocused as he stepped forward as the faint embers of Aura flickered around his shaking body.

In a strange diversion of character, Jasper's gaze fell to the floor as he sighed, "I will be honest with you, Lucien." He reached up, placing a hand upon his own forehead while still gripping his weapon with the other, the tip lowering, "I aided the Vampires of Nosferatu in their attack. By helping a certain Vamp get inside the walls, she manipulated many power plant workers around the city. It was this plan which made the light walls fall... Of course, I was after more than just putting your life at risk, but it was all necessary to get to the point we're at now. I do hope everyone who died during the attack will rest peacefully, but their death's were all for the greater good... It was all..."

"Jasp," The tone of voice which escaped him did not sound as if it belonged to Lucien, it was far too cold, too dark. He could barely even believe it was himself speaking, even through the raging emotions spiraling through his frame, nor could he understand just who the hell he was speaking to really was. "You... you're the reason it all happened. It's all... it's all your fault..." His mind's eye was alight with memories. The screams of the innocent people he knew far too well, the smell of blood from every direction, the utter guttural fear of being powerless in an invisible, terrible nightmare. Then, there was loss. "They're dead... You– They're–! THEY'RE ALL FUCKING DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"

His train of thought was momentarily paused as something erupted inside of him, or perhaps instead something snapped. His once dormant aura, his potential, burst from its container, the flame exploding into an inferno of red, the very same which clouded his vision. Through crimson eyes, he saw nothing, he only felt the rising fury that ate away at his mind, an all-consuming wrath.

Lacy, however, only watched, a knowing smirk on her face as the events took place before her. All she needed was for Lucien to do one simple thing.

Let go.

"And I'd make that sacrifice again. I–" Jasper was cut off by a broken voice.

"You didn't sacrifice ANYTHING! Thousands of innocent people... Dario... Elsie...!" His internal flame prevented any tears from escaping him, though a true sorrow was present, even if rage hid it. A step forward, then another, and again. Each one allowed the heat around him to rise, all as sparks trailed off his frame, snapping in the air like flying insects the same shade as the sun. "They're dead, and for what!? Rosa had to watch her fucking die! And now– Now I'll probably never even see her again! One of the few friends I actually have left... GONE!"

He didn't think before lunging forward, pushing forward to attack his supposed ally, though now only seeing a wretch, a betrayer, a killer. His fists engulfed with the very same raging flame surrounding him, he made a sudden swing at Jasper, though it never met its mark with a perfectly timed side-step coming from him.

Above all else, emotion was the most important part of manipulating Aura. Feeding the latent Aura Field within oneself allowed it to come fourth in the form of effective energy. However, for Aura to truly be usable, emotion could not outweigh a cool head. However, that was only the case for most people, as for Lucien Riese, the fated prodigy of the Red Lotus, things were different. The Inherited Technique not even he knew about activated only upon the proper criteria being met, and unfortunately for those upon the receiving end, it had.

While his initiating blow hadn't hit, he did not lose balance, as some instinctive part of his mind anticipated the next logical move of his foe. As a result, the palms of his hands met with the reflective floor, and before Jasper could even think of dodging, he shot his left leg forward, Lucien's Aura enhanced foot landing upon his sternum.

The impact that ensued knocked Jasper back, a dull grunt escaping him as he landed without much issue. Still, while Defensive Techniques were incredibly effective, the sheer amount of Aura condensed into Lucien's attack wasn't nullified entirely. If not for the enhanced constitution of a Hunter, he would surely have a few broken ribs from the resonating force alone.

Without even meaning to, Lucien had not just used an Aura Technique, but one far more advanced than simple Body Reinforcement. A Technique to allow a human the use of sudden, explosive power, only usable while having another Technique, Body Enhancement, active. Without care for his body, Lucien ignored this fact, allowing his Aura to instinctively move into something akin to the form of a spring, taking form within the leg which made the attack. It coiled in an instant, and in even less time than it took to do so, it released at a speed nearly breaking the sound barrier, a force of roughly half a million newtons distributed upon Jasper's frame.

"How did you...? Ghhn," Jasper let out a quiet groan, a whispering fog of blackish-blue covering the attacked area, though underneath it was still bruised. "No... so, that's how it is. You've awakened your latent Aura stores... and finally utilized your Inherited Technique." Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he continued. "This would be the worst case scenario if not for my Realm obscuring your Aura Field... But this... I can work this. Listen to me, Lucien. What I did was necessary to save the lives of everyone in Sanctuary. If I didn't give the Vampires a way in, it–"

"Shut the HELL up!" Baring his teeth like a wild beast, Lucien stomped forward without a care for anything but his desire to maim, "Your 'Necessary Sacrifice's and 'Greater Good' excuses mean NOTHING! All those people, and they didn't have to die, but you... you killed them. For what? Just tell me, for WHAT!?"

With each sentence that left his trembling lips, the flames surrounding him rose higher, his Aura flared out further. In response, Jasper's own Aura seemed to culminate around his eyes, though not to activate a paltry ability such as Aura Sight.

"For everything. You don't understand any of what's truly going on, Lucien. Like hell I'd willingly make the deal with those disgusting Vamps without good reason, but the Council would never acknowledge what we've had to do for a long time if a major incident didn't occur. Just this year, three outer cities have been massacred by Vampires sent from Nosferatu – Do you know how many civilians and soldiers alike died during those attacks? A hell of a lot more than the ones killed a month ago. Of course, to our higher ups, they don't matter. Just casualty numbers of people hundreds of miles away, controlled by local Governments with little contact from here in Central." Jasper practically ranted, though his words surprisingly did not fall on deaf ears.

For a moment, Lucien's glazed over eyes cleared, his scowl loosened, and he opened his mouth to say a few words. "That's– No... Bullshit, Jasp. For a cause like that, you didn't need to get thousands of other people dead... Hell, this all disconnected from me and sis, I don't– What the hell is even going on?! Nothing you've said makes sense! You've tried to get me killed, made my sister get involved to kill her?! Get your story straight, man! Is it revenge or saving people?!"

"You don't even know your own history, just as I thought... Your sister kept you in the dark about every detail of your past..."

"What are you saying?" He choked out, Lacy standing idly behind them both as the conversation continued on.

"You're not an orphan. Your mother abandoned you in Sanctuary, then she murdered your father in front of you and your sister." The words spoken were cold, yet they made Lucien's skull heat up, his eyes widening in true disbelief as Jasper continued, "Back before I was in Hunter training, I was part of the Investigation Core. I was assigned to the case of your father's murder, but as we started to learn what went down – who was involved... The case was suddenly dropped. I did some digging, and apparently the Council had decided to pretend nothing happened. After all, trying to track down the killer? That'd make Sanctuary an enemy of a powerful group..."

Lucien took a step back, his gaze falling to the blank expression upon his sister's face before looking back to Jasper, "What the hell are you talking about...?! You're–You're lying!"

"... I'm sorry to say, but... that part's real," Lacy’s voice interjected in an almost uncaring manner, though, as she stood with her arms crossed, a somewhat visible sneer was spread across her face. Her sudden confession did seem to surprise Jasper, however, the man expecting just another lie to be spouted from her.

"You can't be serious, you– You're... You aren't lying... Why..." He took another step back, though this time away from his sister. "You didn't tell me about this...? Why? You told me... mom died giving birth to me... and dad got sick... that's..." He shook his head, taking another two steps backwards. "Sis... why'd you keep this from me...? How could you...?"

"You were just a kid, and after what happened, you locked yourself away for months. But, when you finally broke free of it, you had changed... You forgot. I figured the memories must have been blocked off since they were so traumatic for someone as young as you, so I... went with it. It'd be easier for both of us that way, I almost wished I could forget. A fourteen year old shouldn't see her Pa murdered, all the while barely having a clue what was going on." Lacy was straight-forward, perhaps overly so as she explained the events of their past. It was at this point she stepped forward, placing her palm upon her brother's shoulder, her eyes low. "I should have told you, but you started to distance yourself once you became a soldier. Then, when you got brought into the Hunter Core, I didn't want to ruin things for you. I thought it'd just weight you down... Sorry, bro. I was a shitty sister to you."

As silence came over them, Lucien could not help but overthink. He had forgotten all of this, every memory of what had happened to his family... gone. He suppressed and ignored all the signs of the truth without even realizing what he was doing, like a strange fear keeping him ignorant of these details.

He wanted to just believe this was all some sick joke, just another lie stacked upon lies, but... was he running?

"She's not telling the whole truth, Lucien." His gaze shifted from him to Lacy, "Why don't you tell him what really went down? Tell him who his mother truly is, and how you're an Aura user."

She didn't say a single word, not even as Lucien moved her hand off of him and he asked for some sort of confirmation she was even present, "Sis...?"

"She isn't your sister. Not really, nor is her name truly Lacy Riese. In truth," Jasper approached Lucien along with his 'sister', putting his blade back in the sheath, "She is a spy of the Red Lotus, a Private Military outside of Sanctuary. 'Lacy' is nothing but her cover, and as for her true name–"

"He's lying. No matter what he says, he's just trying to turn you against me, bro. Don't forget all that shit he did, a spy? Are you kidding? Look, I dropped out of Enforcer training a few years ago, that's how I'm an Aura user. I never told you since it was secretive, but ever since then, there's been a few Hunters with some sort of vendetta against me. You know the whole rivalry between them, right? Guessing it stems from that, so..." She met his gaze, holding eye contact. "Listen to me. We're family, ain't we?"

"... Sis..." He hesitated. That doubt he had held for the first time since she walked into his life felt... irrational, but at the same time... "I don't... have a single memory of being with you along with mom and dad. Only the orphanage we stayed in until I was twelve... before then, you were.. You weren't there… Can you blame me for not trusting you? No... I don't know who you are anymore... I don't know who anyone here is. All of you... you're just..." Once more, a terrible feeling inside of him began to grow, and as it did, so too did his flame. It was the burning emotion of betrayal, the desire to scream and demand for answers, anything.

But all he could find was a forever growing rage.

"Liars."

Finally, he had let go of everything. The last criteria was hit and he subconsciously did what Lacy – or whoever she was – had been trying to do to him all along. He let himself go. As his face regained an ugly expression, his teeth grinded, his fists clenched tightly as his breathing went heavy.

Once more, a smirk returned to Lacy's face, taking a step back as she put a hand to her hip. As the sheer force of Lucien's Aura radiated out as if it were the wind itself, her hair flowed and she turned just a tad to stare Jasper in his widened eyes.

"What is this...? He has the amount of Aura reserves as the Headmaster... Where is this coming from?" Jasper gritted his own teeth as his Aura rose out in a flurry, engulfing his entire body in a swirl of blue energy. It was perfectly timed, as the area around them had suddenly become many times hotter, a scorching heat filling the realm.

Lacy did the same, guarding against the approaching flames as Lucien stood still, "Man, you really are an idiot, Hawk Hunter. You knew that the leader passed down a portion of her Aura to him, right? But, I figure you didn't think it'd be this much, huh? And all I had to do to release it was take all the trust he put in me and turn it into anger, and what do you know, you helped with that too. I don't think I could get him to really snap if it wasn't for you, so... thanks. You were a huge help."

"No, that's not possible." He stated, even when confronted with the opposite, "Even with this quantity, he shouldn't be able to control it."

"That's cuz' he ain't. You don't know about the Riese family Technique, huh? Makes sense, you never would have tried this plan out if you did... Man, I thought you were just a suicidal idiot for the longest time now! Go figure!"

"Bastard– Explain!" He blurted out, his arm crossing over his face to guard himself against the blazing winds striking him and the room. With each second, the dark blue aura of his own flared brighter, wrapping around his frame as if to protect him.

"Oh, what the hell, why not? He can't even hear anything right now, anyway." With a playful sigh, she moved onto explaining, all as Lucien finally began to move forward. "In a way, 'Lucien' isn't the only that inhabits that body. The Technique he inherited has an interesting side effect of giving his Aura a mind of its own, and since he got completely overwhelmed by his emotions, it got the chance to take control. In other words," She paused to smile a wide, toothy grin, "We're totally screwed right now. That Aura consciousness doesn't exactly see friend or foe, from the briefing I got, it's more of an autonomous killing machine. Add the anger he must be feeling right now, and that thing won't hesitate to eviscerate both of us, then go on to trash half the damn city."

And it was indeed best described as a 'thing'. Walking forward was no human, vampire, or beast, but something more akin to a thoughtless machine. The way it acted had none of Lucien's movements as its feet stomped on the floor, rather slowly progressing closer. Its arms hung loose by his sides, and its focus remained in forward, staring directly into its intended targets with eyes blazing with the same erupting Aura engulfing the entire Realm. Its fiery hair rose and fell, moving in an unrealistic movement that almost seemed alive.

"And why the hell would you unleash that thing!? He'll kill you too, you moron!"

"Not if you deactivate your Realm and let us all out. Your Technique is Hawk Eye, right? It's not exactly suited for fighting something that'll turn you to ashes just by getting near. And truth is, my Technique isn't exactly designed for combat. Fighting is a bit of a last resort for me, so..." She narrowed her eyes at the man, "Do us all a favor, kay? If you don't want to die, that is..."

After a moment's pause, and then another, Jasper spat on the ground. "I'm not letting you escape. The moment I let down my Realm, I'll capture you."

She shrugged, and with a cheery smile, "Have fun doing that while Lucien's tryna kill you. I'd say it'd be better for you to focus on running as well. You may be one of the best Hunters around, but this is way out of your pay grade. The only ones in Central who I'd say could take a rampaging Aura Consciousness down would be the Enforcer Commander, either of the two Adjutants, or maybe that Headmaster Fell girl, though I don't know quite how strong she is..." She took a step back from Lucien as he continued to approach, "So, why don't you call in one of them and get the hell out of here before we both burn to a crisp?"

"Damn you... damn it. I swear, I'll kill you one day. No matter what, I'll get revenge for Kain. My life for his... No matter what, I won't let you live" His declaration resounded, his dark eyes blaring the same intensity as the raging heat surrounding him, "But, for now... You're right. Protecting Sanctuary from that is more important than someone as pathetic as you.”

“Smart Hunter. Can’t wait to keep this cat and mouse chase going a little while longer.”

With those final words of the killer, Jasper began to release his concentration upon his Realm as the being in control of Lucien’s body began to rush forward.