> [Quest Timer: 00:47]
Zane's lungs burned. His clothes were scorched from close calls, his heart hammering like a drum. But he couldn't stop now—not with the storm chasing him.
CRACK!
Bolts of lightning tore through the treetops. Adrien—the electric blur—appeared in flashes, moving like a living tempest. His expression was cold, unshaken, relentless.
Zane landed behind a rock, rolled, and popped up with hands raised. "Okay! So—uh—flirting clearly won't work on you, huh?"
Adrien didn't answer.
Another arc of lightning slammed into the ground next to Zane, blasting dirt into the air.
"Alright! Definitely not a talker—got it!"
Zane Voidwalked to the left—but lightning followed. He barely had time to react before another bolt shattered the ground at his feet.
He's not like the others… he's focused. Unshakable.
Zane dove behind a boulder, panting, watching the quest timer flash.
> [Quest Timer: 00:03… 00:02… 00:01…]
And then:
> [Quest Complete: Escape the Pursuers] Reward: Bonded Weapon – Voidforged Blade Acquired
Suddenly, the world shifted.
Adrien's next lightning strike vanished midair, sucked into an invisible force.
Zane floated a few inches off the ground as reality seemed to ripple around him. The air warped, shimmering like heat waves. His body tensed—energy surged through his core, unlike anything he'd ever felt.
Then, from the distortion, shards of starlight began forming in front of him. Glowing fragments spun and fused in midair, assembling piece by piece—a long, elegant blade forged from darkness and light, wrapped in arcs of silver veins.
When the final piece clicked into place, the weapon pulsed with a deep hum, and the system chimed again.
> [Voidforged Blade: Bound to Zane] [This weapon evolves with its wielder. Form adaptive. Sentient core: Dormant.]
Zane gripped the hilt.
It was weightless. Perfect. Like it had always been part of him.
The others burst through the trees—Auri first, Blaise behind her, Adrien landing with a crackle of thunder. But none of them moved. They stared at the blade in Zane's hand, wariness replacing aggression.
Zane gave a slow grin, lifting the sword to rest on his shoulder. "Well… guess I passed the test."