In Remnant, aura isn't just some vague notion—it's the very essence of the human soul. People have a knack for finding meaning, even in things they don't fully grasp.

Patch - 3rd Person POV - Night

Picture an abandoned, eerie tavern nestled deep within the woods. Two tiny adventurers, just 5 and 7 years old, marched forward through the gloom.

"Come on, Ruby, we gotta find it," Yang whispered, her voice tinged with a mix of determination and fear as they ventured deeper into the dark woods.

Ruby tugged on Yang's sleeve, her little face filled with tiredness and curiosity. "Yang, why are we here? What's in that spooky place?"

Yang hesitated, her eyes darting around nervously. She didn't want to worry her sister. "It's a secret, Rubes, something about our family. But don't you worry, I'll protect you."

Ruby frowned, still not completely understanding. "I'm scared, Yang. Can't we go back?"

Yang squeezed her hand, her resolve unwavering. "Not yet, sis. We're almost there, I promise. And when we find out what's inside, maybe it'll make sense."

Little did they know, crimson eyes watched them from the shadows, biding their time. Suddenly, a loud CRACK echoed through the woods.

The two girls froze. They turned around only to meet the enormous maw of the monstrosity in front of them. A Grimm. One of the most feared creatures on Remnant. A creature whose only sole purpose is to bring destruction to humanity and its creations. Ruby began to tear up.

The Grimm growled as it prepares to pounce on Ruby.

"RUBY!" Yang yelled as she jumped in front of her.

Ruby stood frozen in terror as the Grimm's jaws closed around Yang's head, her wide eyes filled with horror. She couldn't hold back her sobs any longer, the sound trembling through the night.

"sniff Yang..." Ruby whimpered, her voice small and fragile, as if the world had suddenly become too big and too cruel.

With a gut-wrenching CRUNCH, Yang's screams were silenced, and her lifeless body, now headless, fell to the ground. Ruby couldn't comprehend what had just happened. She stood there, tears streaming down her face, her small frame shaking uncontrollably.

It was as if the world had turned into a nightmare, and she was trapped in it, alone and terrified.

Ruby's gaze remained fixed, her mind refusing to accept the gruesome reality before her. "Yang," Ruby whispered, her voice hollow and empty. "Yang, come on," she pleaded, her voice trembling like a fragile leaf in the wind. "I don't want to be alone," Ruby sobbed, tears streaming down her face. In an explosion of raw terror, she screamed, "YANG!" Her voice echoed through the desolation of the night.

Her scream pierced through the forest, a beacon in the night that reached the ears of lurking Grimm. They sensed the turmoil in her, but one, in particular, was inexorably drawn—a creature that had only moments ago devoured her sister's head. Guttural laughter emanated from its grotesque form.

Ruby's gaze shifted to the approaching Grimm, her mind conjuring its sinister laughter. Her face contorted into an expression of sheer emptiness as she watched the creature inch closer. As its gaping maw loomed over her, poised to swallow her whole, her words came out in between sobs, "I...I don't wanna...wanna die."

Tears streamed down her face as fear gripped her small body. Everything around her seemed to blur, leaving only the rhythmic thud of her own heart.

THUMP

With trembling breaths, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for what felt like the end.

THUMP THUMP- CHURN

In the distance, a distant bell began to toll—a haunting sound, as if the very fabric of the night recoiled in fear. The tolling was relentless, not for death, but a promise of impending dread.

THUMP THUMP

Ruby's heart pounded in her chest, each beat a thunderous drumroll of anticipation. Her world had shrunk to the darkness around her, the Grimm's presence, and her own rising terror.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP …

Then, a sudden, searing CRACK cut through the suffocating silence, shattering her world. Ruby felt a surge, an overwhelming rush unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It was as if her very soul had erupted.

Her eyes shot open, and she was engulfed in a blinding light, a sea of radiant crimson that expanded from within her. Every fiber of her being was tingling with an intense energy that she couldn't comprehend.

The Grimm, the once-dreaded creature, began to convulse as if possessed by some unseen force. It trembled and twisted, its form distorting and inflating like a grotesque balloon. Dark energy swirled within it, unable to escape the torrent of aura pouring from Ruby.

Ruby herself felt weightless, as if she could touch the very heavens. She could see every detail, every color in the world around her with startling clarity. It was as if time had slowed, and she was suspended in a realm of pure energy.

The aura continued to pour out of her, surrounding the Grimm like an ethereal cocoon, squeezing tighter and tighter. The Grimm's growls turned into agonized roars as it inflated, its body swelling until it could no longer contain the pressure.

In a deafening crescendo, the Grimm met its end. It exploded in a violent burst of dark energy and entrails, scattering its malevolence across the woods. The shockwave from the explosion sent Ruby tumbling backward.

As the aura ascended, it coiled around her like a protective cocoon, lifting her high into the night sky. She was surrounded by the pulsating red aura, her very essence transformed into a radiant, ethereal being. Her eyes, once filled with fear, now glowed with an intense, white light.

The sky above mirrored her aura, painting the heavens in a surreal dance of black and crimson. Time hung suspended in this moment of sheer power and revelation.

Then, as quickly as it had begun, the transformation receded. Ruby descended back to the ground, her aura dissipating like a fading dream. Her luminous eyes returned to their familiar, silver hue.

And as her feet touched the ground, she was no longer a spectral figure but a young girl, standing amidst the remnants of the Grimm's demise. In the darkness, a lone figure approached—an uncle who had witnessed the inexplicable.

The two locked eyes, Ruby's once-ethereal gaze now human, yet forever changed by the experience.