A flicker of reverence crossed his face as he spoke his next words.
"But the Domains did not come alone. With them arrived beings beyond human comprehension. Some called them angels, others believed them to be gods but one truth remained undeniable: they were the lords of their respective Domains. It was they who revealed to humanity the existence of our five spirit senses, taught us how to harness them to become Echoes. It was they who showed us how to obtain Echo Memories and the relics tied to those memories within the Domains."
He took a step back, exhaling. "And that, Professor, is where it all began."
He nodded approvingly. "Well done. Now, take your seat."
The student returned to his seat.
"That was the history of Echoes. There is far more to it, but this is not a history lecture. Today, we focus on what truly matters, your Shattered Veil Aura.
Most of you already know that the human soul possesses five senses, Cognition, Manifestation, Mindfulness, Intuition, and Imagination. You used these senses whether knowingly or not, to pass the trial."
His expression darkened slightly.
"But some of you passed by mere luck."His eyes locked onto a few commoner students. "You forced your aura outside your body through fear, pain, or sheer desperation. That may have been enough to survive the trial but it is not enough to control your power. From now on, you must master Intuition and Imagination, the two senses essential to wielding your aura effectively."
A sudden shift in the air followed his words. He raised his hand, and an ashen-gray aura unfurled around him, spreading like a mist that clung to the air.
"Now, tell me, what Order am I?"
A student quickly responded, "Order six, Soul Flayer Echo."
His eyes narrowed. "How did you determine that?"
The student straightened. "Because of the nature of your aura, it manifests as mist, and its ashen-gray color is the signature of the Emberforge Gate."
A slow nod. "Good."
Then, before their eyes, the aura shifted, the mist dissolved, replaced by a deep amethyst glow, its form now flowing like water.
"And what about now?"
The student hesitated for only a moment before answering, "Order Five, Veilborn Echo Aura."
The professor gave an approving nod. "Exactly. Do not fall into illusions. If someone manifests a crimson aura, you may assume he's just a Marked Echo. But if you engage in a fight and discover he's a Soul Flayer, it could cost you your life. Do you understand?"
His words lingered, their weight heavy in the air.
The commoners nodded vigorously, while the nobles remained composed, already familiar with this knowledge.
"First, let's talk about your crimson-red aura. What is it? Where does it come from?
A pause, letting the question linger.
"It is the mark of the Domain of Pain." He started walking again, hands clasped behind his back. "You may know them as the Seven Domains, or perhaps, by another name, the Seven Pillars of Life."
"Pain, suffering, fate, destiny, time, life, and death." He counted them off on his fingers. "These are not mere concepts but absolute truths. No one can escape them. No one can deny them. They exist, and so we exist. Without them, life itself would be impossible."
A few students nodded, absorbing his words.
"To ascend to obtain power beyond our mortal capabilities, we must pass through these gates, each a trial, each a crucible that forges us into something greater. The first of these is the Shattered Veil, the gate of Pain. Here, you will confront agony, not as a victim, but as one who endures. Only those with the courage to embrace pain can pass through.
At Order Six, you will reach the Emberforge, the gate of Suffering. There, you will not beg for relief like the weak. You will stand before suffering and acknowledge your frailty, not in surrender, but in defiance. You will not cower. You will not break. You will face the trials ahead, and in return, the gate will give you the aura as the reward.
It is proof of your passage, a fuel that sustains the memories you earn in the Dream Realm. As you ascend through the gates, your aura will evolve from Order 7 to Order 6, shifting from something faint, like air, to mist, and finally to something tangible, flowing like water."
He gestured toward himself.
"I have passed through the fifth gate, The Loom of Threads. My aura is a deep amethyst, fluid and rich. Yours is still light red crimson color, barely visible, but in time, it will take shape."
He paused, letting his words settle in the air.
"Tell me, have you noticed how your bones, veins, and nerves are growing stronger with each passing day?"
A murmur of agreement rippled through the students.
"That is the work of your crimson aura. It is no longer just energy coursing through you, it has seeped into your blood, your nerves. It has become a part of your spirit. No one can take it from you now. It will continue to refine and strengthen you, shaping you into something greater."
"Now, let's discuss the fourth spiritual sense, intuition. What exactly is it?It is the body's natural defense against danger."
The professor gestured for a student to step forward. As the student approached, he suddenly hurled a ball of fire at him. Instinctively, the student flinched, fear flashing across his face.
Sweat formed on his brow as he raised his hands to shield himself from the fire. But just before the flames could reach him, the professor flicked his wrist, recalling the fire to his palm.
"That," he said, "was your body's intuitive response to danger. Your instincts acted before your mind could process the threat. But why didn't you activate the aura around your body?"
The student hesitated, then answered, "I didn't think about it."
"Exactly." The professor turned, addressing the entire room now." When faced with fear, the mind often shuts down, forcing the body into a primitive state of protection. Instead of using your aura, you relied on your hands, because, in your instincts, your hands have always been your first line of defense.
His voice deepened.
But now, that must change. You are no longer ordinary. You have gained the Shattered Veil Aura which has the ability to shield you from danger."
"But power without control is meaningless. You must train your body until your aura responds instinctively until the moment danger strikes, it manifests as your shield. This isn't just a skill. It's survival. The more you train with your aura, the more it will become your first line of defense. But let me tell you the truth, most of you will never obtain a Memory."
He exhaled, letting his gaze sweep across the room before moving on.
"Now, let's talk about your fifth spirit sense Imagination. It's simple. Focus your aura on the part of your body you want to attack with. The aura will harden, reinforcing your strikes. Since you don't have an Echo Memory, you'll have to rely on hand-to-hand combat in the arena. This aura was never meant for bare-knuckle fights, it was created to empower an Echo Memory. But you have no other choice.
That's why understanding these two spirit senses alone won't be enough. You must train them every day. Defense and attack, master both before you even think about setting foot in the arena or stepping into the Dream Realm for a Memory.
And if you lack the guts for that, then leave now."
He continued,"If we're talking about Echo Memories, let's start with the basics. What are they?"
He let the question hang in the air for a moment before continuing.
"Put simply, an Echo Memory is a skill you acquire in the Dream Realm. Let me give you my own example. When I was your age, I entered the Dream Realm alone, yes, without a collective consciousness, without anyone to protect me. I had only one thought in my mind: I must obtain an Echo Memory.
He exhaled, as if recalling the moment.
"I even prayed for it." His lips curled slightly. "A combat memory, that's what I wanted. Perhaps the Dream Realm heard me because it gave me exactly that… in its own way.
I was trapped inside a dream, to train under a grandmaster of fire. He was relentless, merciless. Every skill, every technique, every secret of the flames under Order 7, he drilled them into me. I lived and breathed fire in that dream. When I woke up, it wasn't just knowledge I had gained. It was something deeper, something imprinted onto my very being."
Then he raised his right hand, and fire erupted from his palm, coiling like a ravenous beast, its flames writhing with hunger. With a mere flick of his fingers, the inferno obeyed, slithering back into his grasp as if tamed by sheer will.
"I carry the Memory of the Pyreblood, which makes me a Flamewright Echo. The organization I belong to is 'Elemental and Natural Experts', and like all organizations, it has divisions. Flamewright is one such division, anyone who inherits a memory tied to fire will walk this path.
But becoming a Flamewright wasn't the end of my path. I took advantage of my fire-forged fists, fighting in the arena for six years, just to earn enough money to buy another Order 7 Memory."