Three days passed after the lesson on aura.
For most students at Aetherion Academy, those three days were filled with frustration.
The concept of guiding energy through the body sounded simple when instructors explained it.
In practice—
It was far from easy.
Ethan Aldric Voss stood in the training ring with the rest of the Intermediate group. Wooden practice swords rested in the hands of every student as they repeated the same exercise again and again.
Swing.
Focus.
Breathe.
Try to guide the energy.
Most students felt nothing.
Marcus wiped sweat from his forehead.
"I swear this thing doesn't exist."
He swung his sword again.
Nothing happened.
Marcus groaned.
"I've been trying for three days."
Lucas leaned over the fence again, watching the training session with amusement.
"That just means you have no talent."
Marcus glared at him.
"You're not even in this class."
"Which means I'm safe."
Instructor Selene Varis stood nearby, observing the students carefully.
She rarely interrupted.
Instead, she watched.
Waiting for something.
For someone.
Ethan raised his sword slowly.
His movements were calm.
Controlled.
To him, guiding aura was not difficult.
But he couldn't reveal that yet.
So he continued practicing like everyone else.
Small attempts.
Small failures.
Just enough to appear normal.
Then something changed.
A faint sound cut through the air.
Swish.
Several students turned their heads.
Marcus blinked.
"…Did you hear that?"
A student near the center of the ring stood frozen.
His wooden sword was still raised.
A faint ripple of energy had briefly followed the movement.
Instructor Selene stepped forward immediately.
"Again."
The student looked nervous.
He raised the sword once more.
Focused.
Swung.
This time—
The ripple appeared again.
Small.
Barely visible.
But real.
Selene nodded.
"Good."
The rest of the students stared in amazement.
Marcus whispered loudly.
"…He did it."
Lucas leaned further over the fence.
"Someone finally figured it out."
Selene addressed the group.
"That was a trace of aura."
She pointed toward the student.
"The first step."
The student looked stunned.
"I… I actually did it?"
Selene nodded once.
"Remember that feeling."
"Repeat it."
The rest of the class immediately tried harder.
Students began swinging their swords again with renewed determination.
Marcus raised his sword again.
"Okay."
"This time for sure."
He swung.
Nothing happened.
Marcus sighed.
Ethan continued his own slow practice.
He carefully allowed the smallest flow of aura through his arm.
A barely noticeable trace followed his movement.
But he suppressed it before anyone could see clearly.
He couldn't stand out yet.
Not this early.
Across the field, Selene's eyes moved carefully across the group.
She was watching for something.
And then—
Another sound cut through the air.
SWISH.
This time it was clearer.
Stronger.
Everyone turned.
At the far edge of the ring, a girl stood holding a wooden sword.
Clara Whitmore.
A faint trail of energy followed her swing.
Selene's expression changed slightly.
"Again."
Clara nodded.
She focused.
Raised her sword.
And swung once more.
The aura appeared again.
Slightly stronger this time.
Marcus whispered loudly.
"Of course it's her."
Lucas laughed.
"She disarmed you in four seconds."
"That was one time."
Selene looked satisfied.
"Very good."
Clara lowered her sword, looking slightly surprised herself.
Selene turned back toward the group.
"Two students have now produced a trace of aura."
She crossed her arms.
"That is faster than usual."
Some students looked inspired.
Others looked discouraged.
Marcus dropped his sword to his side.
"…I still feel nothing."
Lucas shouted from the fence.
"Talent issue."
Marcus picked up a small stone and threw it at him.
Lucas ducked easily.
Ethan watched the scene quietly.
In the previous timeline—
Clara had been among the first to awaken aura as well.
So that part hadn't changed.
But something else caught his attention.
Clara glanced briefly toward Ethan.
As if checking something.
Then she returned to practicing.
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly.
That was new.
Before he could think more about it, Selene raised her voice again.
"Enough for today."
Students slowly relaxed.
Some looked excited about the progress.
Others looked exhausted.
Marcus walked toward Ethan.
"You felt something yet?"
Ethan shrugged slightly.
"Maybe a little."
Marcus sighed.
"You're definitely hiding something."
Lucas jumped down from the fence and walked over.
"I'm telling you, he's suspicious."
Ethan ignored them both.
Instead, he looked toward the far side of the training grounds.
The Advanced group was finishing their own training session.
Several powerful aura traces occasionally flashed in the air as they practiced.
Among them—
Catherine Ravenscroft swung her sword.
Unlike the others, her aura was already visible.
Thin.
Sharp.
Controlled.
Even from a distance, it cut through the air cleanly.
Marcus noticed too.
"…That's unfair."
Lucas nodded.
"She's definitely in a different league."
Ethan watched quietly.
Because he remembered something important.
Catherine had reached stable aura control faster than almost anyone in the academy.
And later—
She would become one of the strongest knights of her generation.
But the more Ethan watched—
The more one thought lingered in his mind.
The timeline was still following the same path.
But the number of small differences was growing.
And eventually—
Those small differences would lead to something much bigger.