Chapter—Secret Beneath the Category.
Life did not change overnight.
It adjusted.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like a wound that no longer bled—but still ached when touched.
Learning to live With Koru
Luke sat at his desk, flipping pages of a political science book he had not read in the last ten minutes. His attention drifted—not outward, but inward.
Inside him.
Two presences now existed.
Auru floated calmly near the ceiling, her golden light soft and steady, like sunlight through a window. Koru leaned against the wall with crossed arms, his dark-tinted form sharp-edged, impatient, and radiating an uncomfortable pressure.
"You're reading too slowly," Koru said bluntly. "Useless habit."
Luke exhaled slowly.
"Koru," Auru warned, her voice firm. "You don't have to speak like that."
"I speak the truth," Koru replied. "If he wastes time, consequences follow."
Luke closed the book.
"That's enough,I cannot study like this,Koru you are disturbing me" he said quietly.
The air shifted.
Koru's mouth shut instantly, his presence dimming as if muted.
Auru nodded in approval.
Luke had learned this quickly—he could silence Koru as well Auru if he wanted. The shaft ,Glove did not just control Aura; it gave Luke authority over it. Luke never Use it before on Auru because her gentle behavior never needed it .
"I don't want to silence you forever," Luke said after a pause. "But learn when to stop."
Koru clicked his tongue but said nothing.
Days passed like this.
At home, Luke learned to balance them—Auru's reassurance when he felt small, Koru's blunt clarity when he doubted himself. At college, life continued quietly. Kael and his gang were nowhere to be seen. No laughter followed Luke. No whispers chased him.
For the first time in weeks—
There was peace.
One afternoon, Luke's phone vibrated.
Marin.
> Luke. Kaizen called us. Urgent. Guild headquarters. Come as fast as possible.
Luke stared at the screen.
Kaizen Ryuga did not summon the Aurafiest without reason.
He packed his bag quickly and left the classroom.
Despite his urgency, his steps slowed as he walked through the college corridor. His mind was already at the guild—at Marin, at the dungeon, at what Kaizen might say.
He turned a corner toward the stairwell.
And collided with someone.
A solid body.
A familiar presence.
Kael.
The impact was light. Accidental.
But Kael stepped back as if insulted.
"Well, well," Kael sneered. "Look what crawled into me."
Luke straightened instantly.
"I'm in a hurry," Luke said calmly. "It was an accident."
Kael laughed.
"You think you can just bump into me and walk away?" he said, stepping closer. "A rat like you should watch where it goes."
Luke clenched his fists.
Breathe, Auru whispered.
But Kael wasn't done.
"Still pretending to be human?" Kael continued. "That one star above your head is an embarrassment to this college."
Something cracked.
Inside Luke—
Koru stirred.
The pressure surged.
Luke's negative aura burst outward—
And vanished.
The shaft,invisible aside Luke, absorbed it instantly.
But not perfectly.
A wave leaked out.
Invisible.
Heavy.
Kael staggered back.
His gang froze.
"What—what just happened?" one of them muttered.
Kael's aura flickered violently, weakening.
Luke blinked.
He recognized the sensation,scene.
The shop.
The shaft.
It's grounding… and leaking, Luke realized.
Kael glared at him.
"What did you do?" Kael demanded. "What did you do to my aura?"
Luke met his eyes calmly.
"What could I do?" Luke replied. "I'm just an average one-star like a rat as you say."
Kael's face twisted.
"Tch. Whatever," he snapped. "I don't feel right. I'm leaving this time but next time be ready."
He leaned closer.
"Next time won't be this easy."
They walked away.
Luke stood still for a second.
Then ran without thinking much about it.
By the time Luke reached the guild headquarters, everyone was already there.
"Luke!" Marin called, waving excitedly. "You're here!"
"Sorry," Luke said, catching his breath. "Something came up."
"No worries," Uno said. "You're on time.We are just going to enter."
They entered Kaizen's office together.
Kaizen stood behind his desk, arms folded.
"So," he said, looking at Marin, "one month has passed."
Marin's eyes widened.
"That means—"
"Yes," Kaizen said. "Your suspension is lifted. You may rejoin Aurafiest."
Marin's face lit up.
Shuri clapped her hands. "That means we can all enter dungeons again reunited!"
Uno grinned. "Aurafiest is whole again."
Kaizen raised a hand.
"I'm glad you're happy," he said. "But I called you for another reason too."
The mood shifted.
"You all know," Kaizen continued, "that Auramaster Auron was spotted in the United States."
Everyone nodded.
"He took a shaft," Kaizen said.
"A shaft?" Marin echoed.
Kaizen nodded. "Yes A shaft ,Similar to gloves. But different."
Luke listened carefully.
"A shaft is used to ground negative aura," Kaizen explained. "Not control it—release it safely."
"Negative aura?" Chika asked softly.
"Yes," Kaizen replied. "Formed by emotions—anger, despair, hatred. The fact that Auron needed one means something happened."
Luke lowered his gaze.
I need to be more careful, he thought.
Kaizen continued.
"To help your guild or this task—and the investigation—we've brought in someone."
The door opened.
A woman entered.
Sharp eyes. Calm posture. Confident steps.
"Meet Evelyn Cross," Kaizen said. "A detective from the United States.She is Au..."
Before Kaizen could say further she interupt him and then
She smiled faintly.
"Average three-star," she said casually, interrupting him with a signing him with eyes.
Kaizen paused, then nodded. "Yes. Average three-star.She can be Average 3 star,but have skill comparable to me,because I know him from my childhood. "singning at her similarly with eyes.
Luke's eyes flicked upward.
The panel above her head said Average 3-Star.
But Luke saw deeper.
Fake cstegoru:Average 3 star.
Category:
Auramaster.
His breath caught.
Auramaster of America.
So she is hiding her real category to us similar to me. Comparable skill?Litterly a Aurmaster in guilde to find me.Thats good I got to know all this before now I can be aware in front of her.
Evelyn's gaze met his.
For just a second—
She smiled.
Not friendly.
Not hostile.
Knowing.
Luke understood instantly.
The hunt had changed.
He was no longer walking behind danger.
Danger was now walking toward him.
Now guilde ,authorities all are trying to find hin at anycost.
A misatake and all is over for Luke.
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End of Chapter.