Aaron opened his eyes, in awe at the sight before him.

Looking over the training grounds was like seeing colors for the first time and witnessing the world's true beauty in all its glory. Every rustling leaf or blade of grass, even the soil itself, radiated with color and vibrancy.

But it wasn’t just what he saw.

He could feel the vital energies in everything around him, glowing fiercely, fighting for existence. Aaron reached out gently, rubbing his hands through the grass, feeling their life force flow between his fingers. He smiled wide as his soul fluttered at the sensation of another life brushing against his own.

The world was so full...

Full of vigor and vitality.

Aaron’s heart soared as he examined his own figure, seeing, and feeling the same vital essence flowing through every inch of his body. Turning inward, he traced how the energies traveled, slowly visualizing the same branches he had followed when breaking free from his soul space.

It was his soul channel.

The channel appeared as a set of complex paths his soul used to spread its vital essence. Aaron flexed, feeling the energies flowing through his limbs, empowering him beyond his body’s natural ability. He felt at home in his own body more than he ever had, as if at peace with himself on a deeper level.

Aaron rose, standing tall in the clearing as he raised his arms, taking in the world around him. With his arms high, he felt like the Great Tree, relentless and unyielding. Taking hold of the essence flowing through his limbs, he began to push and pull, attempting to control the vital energies.

He smiled wide as his vital essence circulated through every fiber of his being. Feeling the way the energy flowed, he knew that he had found his true center. It was the point at which the mind, body, and soul became one. There was nothing to connect them, as they were inseparable from the start.

They were one.

Coming to terms with his sense of self was liberating, and his heart raced with excitement. But he wasn’t done yet, as something was still missing to complete the process. With his arms still raised, Aaron activated his core as mana poured through his limbs, combining with his soul’s essence.

The world seemed to waver as bolts of golden lighting arced across his frame, small amounts of essence joining their chaotic dance. A vortex of vital energies and mana spun around him as unbridled power filled his muscles.

His smile went even wider as Runes appeared, a testament to breaking his limits.

[An Insight has Advanced] Integration (High) “True self embodies all.”

Dismissing the Runes, he paused abruptly, feeling a slight tinge of pain. Aaron quickly released the energies as he was brought back to the harsh reality, painfully reminded of the danger of using the soul in such a way... and reminded of Mother.

To give too much was to perish.

Aaron knew the soul could be damaged beyond repair as he had witnessed it firsthand. The soul wasn’t like his core and couldn’t be replenished from ambient energies. It had to be nurtured and accumulated over time. To use up the soul was to consume the very essence keeping him alive.

He felt like his body was unbreakable, his cells filled to the brim with power. But he also knew that it would lead to dire consequences if he sustained such a technique for too long. He could very well end up with a broken body to match his broken soul.

Aaron calmed his soul, pulling his essence back towards his center. He could feel the cells in his body returning to normal as he breathed steadily. He would need to learn to gain absolute control on a much finer level if the technique was to become useful.

He began to stretch, shaking the tension from his body as he took a fighting stance. Aaron punched forward as he closed off the world around him, losing himself to the call of battle. He began his martial exercise, stomping around the clearing with deadly grace while attempting to circulate the essence in his center.

Aaron found that when he moved the essence, it was controlling his center on a more profound level. It made him think of some of the training manuals he had seen in Foster’s collection. Pulling his essence high into his body, he felt weightless as he jumped, soaring through the air before landing light as a feather.

He was able to control his center of mass with a finesse that he had never achieved. Aaron grinned fiercely at the thought of having complete control over his body on such an intimate level. Pushing downward into his feet, he raised his leg high and stomped, crushing the ground as cracks spread from the impact.

As the dust settled, Aaron walked to one of the larger trees beside the clearing, placing his hand on its trunk. He could feel the tree’s essence flowing, spreading through its branches, invigorating every leaf. Aaron took a step back as he collected his essence into the tip of his finger.

And poked the tree.

The tree creaked loudly as if moaning in pain while Aaron patted its bark reassuringly. Though he hadn’t hurt the tree badly, he was sure it had hurt like hell, which made him feel horrible. He watched as the tree’s soul trembled in agony before slowly calming, glowing with vibrancy once again.

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His smile just kept getting wider as his little experiment had proven himself right. He could use his essence to disrupt the vital energies flowing through another, even to the point of causing soul damage. Pushing small amounts of essence into his hand, he punched forward as the air rippled.

Runes appeared, dancing as his heart beat loudly. He had finally made a breakthrough with his training and broke the curse that plagued him.

[Skill Enhanced] Vital Hands “Vital hands are deadly hands.”

[Deadly Hands] had changed to [Vital Hands], giving him his first skill without death in its name. ‘About damn time,’ Aaron sighed, continuing to look over his Gift, stopping at his attributes. Though one of them hadn’t given any indication of advancing, he knew that it had in fact changed on a fundamental level.

[Golden Sight] “You have acquired True Sight.” “You have a decerning eye for the unseen.”

He had been born with the ‘Sight’ but it now read ‘True Sight’. Peering around the clearing, at all the vibrant colors, he could see why. Closing his Gift, Aaron turned, heading toward the deeper forest, pulling his blade as he ran. He wanted to make a little distance so he didn’t alarm his siblings.

Leaving the protection of the Mother Tree, the snow began to gradually deepen as the forest became a frozen wasteland. The trees glistened in the sunlight, making the scene mesmerizing, as if walking through a crystal forest. Aaron took in the enchanting scene, smiling at the life still flourishing beneath the layers of ice and snow.

As he ran, he saw faint lifeforms hiding within the snow, waiting for prey to come too close. Easily avoiding them, he came to a small clearing, deciding he had gone far enough. He held out his sword, admiring the beauty of the finely crafted blade, as snow began to fall, lazily drifting in the breeze.

Aaron stood still, frozen in shock, as snow began to pile at his feet. He always knew the blade was more than it appeared, but he had never been able to discern anything from the weapon. But now, glowing in his Sight, was a single Rune, shimmering faintly near the hilt.

It was a name.

"Dawn,” Aaron whispered, stunned at what he was seeing. His blade was his partner in battle, and to know that it had a name moved him deeply. Holding the sword close, he started pushing essence toward the hilt as the blade trembled in his hands.

Holding the sword high, Aaron stirred his soul, agitating it to match the cadence of the trembling blade. He felt his soul resonating with the sword, becoming nothing more than an extension of one another as the vibration continued to build. He pushed his soul yet further, mimicking the blade’s tune.

Standing tall, holding his sword high, Aaron felt the blade singing, screaming its virtues to the world. He felt something shift as the sword began pulling in his essence, greedily feeding as if consumed by ravenous hunger. Soul flames began to writhe across the finely crafted blade, glowing fiercely as they danced across its surface.

Aaron released a small amount of mana from his core as golden sparks joined with the dancing flames. In complete control of his movements, he swung the blade in an arcing slash, a single swift strike. And watched, horrified at what was left in its wake.

The blade was silent, as if the world did not dare reveal its passage. There was no display of power or signs of destruction to the average viewer. But to his sight, it was an entirely different story. The colors of the world had gone missing, their vibrancy snuffed out.

As if cut from the world.

Aaron looked on, mortified at what he was witnessing. The trees before him began to wither, slumping as branches snapped, unable to support their frozen canopy. Although the damage hid beneath the piling snow, he knew that the grass too had suffered the same fate.

In his Sight, all was seen clearly.

He had cut a scar into the world itself, its vibrant colors erased as if they never existed. Nothing was left but a rift, devoid of life, glaring back at Aaron, angry at the atrocity he had committed. Trying to calm his rattled nerves, he put the blade away, breathing heavily, finally noticing the Runes shimmering in his vision.

[Skill Advanced] True Strike “A True Strike is with True Self.” “Truth brings Judgement.”

Aaron breathed steadily, shaking the tension from his body as he dismissed the Runes. He was ecstatic to have upgraded a skill but also troubled at such an ominous ability. Turning to leave the clearing, he almost fell over as fatigue rippled through his body.

He lurched and stumbled, catching himself as his soul quivered. Aaron could feel that both his body and his soul were at their limits, and to go further was to suffer more lasting damage. Fumbling tiredly through the forest, he found a small boulder to perch on.

Sitting in meditation, he pulled himself inward, pleasantly surprised that his soul space was still intact. It was different than before, but it was comforting, knowing that his tranquil space was still available. The lake was no more, and instead, there was a sea of grass, shining like polished metal.

In the middle of that sea stood his soul channel, like the great tree, sprouting, ever reaching into the beyond. There was no more boundary high above, appearing more like an empty night sky. The blades of grass seemed to sway gently as his soul channel gleamed radiantly.

Aaron walked forward to stand before what he now considered his soul tree, resting his hands on its surface. A Rune shone brightly from his touch, and he chuckled wistfully. His name was etched into its surface as if carved by the most loving hand. He sat before the tree as he pulled inward, pushing further into himself.

He opened his eyes...

Standing with his projection, he looked down at his soul flame.

Its fiery golden flames danced lazily, their light diminished and dull. Aaron knew it would take some time for his soul to replenish, thankful that he had stopped when he had. It was odd to look at his soul with his mind's projection.

It was like looking through two different selves, causing him to feel dizzy and disoriented. Sitting before his soul, he rubbed his hands through the blades of grass, enjoying the serenity of his sacred space. At this moment, he felt like a gardener, tending to his tree. He laughed wryly, thinking that it was a fitting analogy and wasn’t too far from the truth. Aaron sat in meditation as his soul flame rested, contemplating their plans for the future.

They were preparing and would mobilize as soon as winter broke. After Mother’s vision, they knew they needed more information. What better place than the human city? They would return to that wretched place as the need for knowledge far outweighed their contempt.

They needed help if they were to face what was to come.

For better or for worse, they would return.

Aaron sighed heavily as he closed himself off, entering a deep trance as he rested.