Training was hard but fast.

In the first three days he had to meditate to be able to manifest his aura. It was a black mist that swirled around him. The next week, he continued with the meditation to learn to stop aura from leaking from his body, that way bein able to optimize it. The weekend after that, he started training his body to get used to the aura. And the next week, with how used he was to aura he was able to concentrate it in a ball. When his aura was concentrated, it turned to a crimson red color.

"Wait... It wasn't black! It was just a very dark red", he said.

"Or maybe it's because of the compressed energy", he corrected himself.

While he trained, Aria looked at him smiling.

After a month he learned to imbue things Aria created with aura, and the week after that he learned to launch the concentrated aura, launching it faster each time. The next day, he learned to control the trajectory of the aura, and the day after that, he learned that when the concentrated aura balls collided with something, they created an explosion if they were big enough.

Everyday, while he rested, he spent his time with Aria, who helped him get over his uncle's death. Aria was a really fun person to be with, always making Steve's days better.

They talked about the things they liked to do, their hobbies, the series they liked (Steve was very surprised to know that gods watched TV). They also imagined new ways to use aura, like enhancing their eyes to see things through long distances.

"Why didn't you know this? You are the goddess of aura.", asked Steve.

"Because every corrupted gets killed or enslaved. Like demons", she answered worried for him.

"Oh... So will I get killed too?", he asked getting nervous.

"Don't worry, that's why I'm training you.", she answered reassuring him. Then they continued his training.

"Wait... aren't there non corrupted people that can use aura?", Steve asked.

"There are, but I can only wach over corrupteds. Non corrupted are like... artificial aura wielders.", she answered.

They also talked about the world Steve would go when their training ended. "The story of that world was like this: Once upon a time, a powerful demon created a kingdom only for demons, but this wasn't liked by humans, so they tried to erase that kingdom from the map. The demon king, angered because of their attack, raised a powerful army, which was buffed by his op powers, making the humans retreat.

After decades of war, a strong human, the strongest in history, appeared. With the help of that human, the human kingdom battled against the demon forces, finally, defeating them. And now a days, the repercussions of that war are still seen in the society. Now, demons are slaves of other races. That's why it's bad to become a demon."

...

"Aria, I just asked for another sandwich", Steve said.

"But I know you were wondering about why did I say that it's bad to be a demon", Aria said proud of herself.

"Ok, ok, I understand why it's bad to roll demon. Now, can you give me my sandwich?", asked Steve making Aria angry.

"Wait... did you just say 'buffed' and 'op'?", Steve asked.

"Yeah. Any problem with that?", Aria asked still agry while preparing a sandwich with aura.

"Just... Why?", Steve asked, been clearly disappointed of her.

"It's like those 'explaining communism in Fortnite terms' videos", she answered.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Steve laughed due to her funny response and then asked: "Wait. You watch YouTube?"

"Of course! What do you think that gods do?", she asked back.

"I don't know. Maybe watch people and judge their actions? Isn't that a god's job?", asked Steve.

"We don't do tha-... Oh wait... we do", Aria realized.

They both laughed for what had just happened.

They spent so much time talking and knowing each other that she started to become dear to him. And the same happened to her.

***

A whole year had passed and Steve had learned almost everything Aria could teach him. "So... I have to go now. Right?", asked Steve with a sad face.

"You could have gone when you stopped leaking aura, y'know?", she said.

"Wait... Are you serious!?", he asked angered. "Now I'll be a year younger than my friends!", he followed.

"Don't worry, just three months have passed in that world", she said reassuring him with her usual playful voice.

"Are you comforting or mocking me?", he asked, still angered.

"Both", she answered, followed by her laughing. They both laughed and told jokes to each other for some time.

***

"Before you go, I have to tell you some things", she said. "First of all, your race will be random, so you should be very unlucky to become a demon. Secondly, I know you are wondering if your friends got aura. They did. I told you that being near someone leaking aura gives the ability to use it, so during the month that you were sleeping they were training to control it. It's difficult for a non-corrupted to start using it", she pointed.

"That's why you said I had to catch up?", he asked starting to understand. "I've been here a whole year and you just tell me now?" he said angrily making Aria laugh.

Then Aria continued, "Lastly, you have to choose a skill. To choose it you need to say 'I choose to' and then say the skill you want.".

"Wait... For real!?", He asked excited. "There are so many things that I could choose, like soundtrack or an op one-shot ability", he thought.

While Steve thought, Aria said: "I will give you a hint. Your two friends chose the same one", She said, getting nervous about the chance that he would get the wrong skill.

"Oh, so there's something I have to choose...", steve thought disappointed.

After some time thinking he couldn't come up to what his friends thought, so he resumed his training for the day. He launched balls of concentrated aura like a gatling gun, redirecting them so they collided with each other making huge explosions, all of this while he thought about which could it be the skill both of his friends came up with.

After training for the day, Aria gave him a hint: "What you are searching for is what you don't want to loose".

That phrase kept sounding in his head. "What is it that I don't want to loose?", he thought. Then, the pieces of the puzzle came together, he finally understood.

"Aria! I know what it is!", he shouted while he shook her to wake her up.

"Five more minutes...", she asked while she was being shaken.

"Ariaaaaa! I'm telling you that I know the skill my friends chose!", he screamed straight at her ear.

"I CAN HEAR YOU!", shouted Aria angered. "Ughh... My ears hurt...", she mumbled. "Wait, you really do!?", she asked with excitement.

"Yeah, I do!", replied Steve also excited. And then he said: "I choose to-" "WAAAAAIT! DON'T SAY IT NOW! I still have something to teach you...", shouted Aria interrupting him.

"Oh, come on! What is it?", he asked angered.

"To create things with aura", said Aria.

"Ohhh, so you created things with aura all this time?", asked Steve.

"Of course. I'm not the goddes of aura for nothing", she answered.

Then Steve thought for a while about what he could create, but nothing came to mind.

"Aria... I have no idea about what to create", said Steve feeling defeated by himself.

"Have you looked at yourself?", Aria asked.

"Of course I haven't. I would need a mirror and you haven't given me one.", he replied.

"Then create one", she said.

"Are you daring me?", he asked.

"I am. It's the last thing you must do before going", she said.

Not even two minutes passed and: "Done", Steve said to Aria.

"Wait... really? That fast?", Aria asked astonished.

"Yeah. I molded the concentrated aura into a flat smooth surface and then I put a transparent layer that simulated glass.", he said with confidence. Aria was getting confused because of the complexity (for her) of Steve's explanation.

Then Steve looked at himself. He had long silver hair and crimson red eyes, like his concentarted aura. "I look dang cool", Steve said making Aria laugh.

After some time laughing, Aria said: "Well it's time...", with a sad look on her face.

"Yeah... It is...", Steve said, also with a gloomy expression.

"I choose to remember.", Steve said. The second Steve said that, Aria and the whole room started glowing and what it seemed to be a magic circle appeared below Steve's feet. "Bye Aria. I will miss you", Steve said. Then, out of nowhere a tear slowly went down through his cheek. Then another one, and another one. He started crying rivers. He realized he didn't want to leave Aria's side. Then he looked at her. She was running towards him, also crying. "I'm going with you!", She shouted. "Wait!. Aren't you a godess!? Don't you have like... your responsibilities!?", he asked, to what she replied: "I don't care!". Then, she strongly hugged him. She felt an enormous pressure, like if she wasn't welcome into that world, but she didn't let go. And then, they both dissapeard from that white space, leaving behind the mirror created by Steve.