Chapter — The Global Shadow and the Silence of the Crow
The paranoia didn't sleep. Even though **Auron** had regained his composure, the Devil's whisper—*I am in the midst of us*—acted like a poison in his mind. He knew that the all auramasters had performed routine Aura Purifications on all registered Masters months ago, but the Devino was an ancient entity. A regular check wouldn't be enough to catch a master of possession.
"If the Devil is hiding," Auron whispered to the dim light of his room, "he's hiding in a routine."
For the next week, Auron became a ghost within the Global Council. Using his high-level clearance and the silent speed of his indigo aura, he began a clandestine observation of his peers. He wasn't looking for monsters; he was looking for a single crack in their perfection.
He traveled first to the coastal regions to observe **Mizu**, the Auramaster of India. He watched from the shadows of the docks as Mizu commanded the tides with grace. Suddenly, a familiar, energetic presence arrived—**Zoya**, the Auramaster of Bangladesh. Her pursuit of "Auron" was as relentless as ever.
"Mizu! Have you seen him? Have you seen my future husband?" she shouted, her aura sparkling with pink light.
Auron winced behind his mask. The last thing he needed was Zoya's chaotic energy breaking his cover. Before she could sense his lingering resonance, he vanished, a silver streak heading across the border.
He moved like a phantom across the continents:
- In **Pakistan**, he watched the Arsalan coordinate mountain defenses, finding nothing but focused discipline.
- In **Russia**, he observed the Volkov training recruits in sub-zero temperatures. Everything was rigid, expected, and normal.
- In **Egypt**, he watched the Auramasters meditating amidst the pyramids. The aura was ancient, but pure.
- In **Brazil**, he tracked the Auramaster of the Brazil through the dense canopy. Every movement was in harmony with the Earth.
He keep check and track in all Auramaster behavior.
"Nothing," Auron muttered, standing atop a skyscraper in Tokyo after his global circuit. "They are all exactly who they are supposed to be. Am I chasing a ghost? Did the Devino lie to me just to make me lose my mind?"
He returned to his private quarters in the medical wing, exhausted. His soul felt frayed from the constant use of his detection abilities. He sat on the edge of his bed, the weight of the 6-month countdown and his missing friends pressing down on him.
**Auru** was asleep on his shoulder, her light dim. But then, a voice broke the stillness—a voice that hadn't spoken more than a handful of words in weeks.
**Koru**, the dark, brooding spirit that usually remained a silent shadow, finally drifted in front of Auron's visor. His eyes weren't their usual mischievous red; they were a deep, hollow obsidian.
"You've looked at the world, Luke Hanazawa," Koru said, his voice sounding like the grinding of tectonic plates. "You've looked at the Masters. You've looked at the map."
Auron looked up, startled. "What are you talking about, Koru?"
Koru drifted closer, his dark aura beginning to bleed into the room, chilling the air until the windows frosted over.
**"Are you ready now... to face the reality?"**
The question hung in the air like a guillotine. Koru's form began to flicker, and for a split second, Auron didn't see a familiar koru—he saw the some deepninsode him holding for long.
The realization hit Auron like a physical blow. The Devil hadn't just possessed his friends. The Devil hadn't just hidden in the Council.
The Devil was even closer than that.
Luke answer,"I think I am ready now."
End of Chapter .