The forest was quiet after the battle. Too quiet. The echoes of the golem's fall still reverberated in the ground beneath my feet, but everything else felt still, as if the world itself was holding its breath. I stood there, surrounded by the scattered remnants of the golem, my mind racing to piece together what had just happened.
A woman. A mage. A stranger who had come out of nowhere and saved my life.
I hadn't even had the chance to thank her—or ask who she was. She had disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, leaving me alone, shaken, and more confused than ever.
I ran my fingers over the hilt of the Echo of Arcanum, the sword still warm in my hands, as though it, too, was reacting to the magic that had just filled the air. It wasn't the first time I'd felt something stirring within the blade, but it was the first time I had been unable to control it. It was as if the sword had a life of its own, and I was just holding onto it, powerless to direct its energy.
I exhaled sharply, looking around. The battle had left the forest in ruins. Deep gouges were cut into the earth, and boulders were scattered across the clearing, the aftermath of the golem's destructive force. But beyond that, there was nothing. The woman was gone, the silence returning as if the battle had never even happened.
My body still ached. Every breath felt like fire in my chest, and my side was bruised and tender where the golem had struck me. I glanced down at my hands, still gripping the sword, and felt the weight of the reality settling in. I wasn't ready. I wasn't even close.
I couldn't stop shaking.
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath. "I almost died."
The weight of my failure hung over me, suffocating. I had barely been able to land a hit on the golem, and even then, it had been like attacking a mountain. Magic didn't work. The sword didn't work. I was nothing more than a kid with an ancient weapon and no idea how to use it.
I slumped against the trunk of a nearby tree, closing my eyes as I tried to steady my breathing. The forest felt colder now, the wind picking up again as the last light of day disappeared. But the cold wasn't just in the air—it was in me. A chill in my bones that came from knowing the truth.
I was weak.
I didn't know how long I sat there, lost in my thoughts, but when I finally opened my eyes again, the world had shifted. A figure stood before me.
A woman.
She was the same one—the mage who had saved me—but now that she was closer, I could make out more of her features. She wore a deep hooded cloak, and her long hair fell in dark waves down her back. Her eyes, glowing faintly with an arcane light, met mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.
"Did you think you could face that thing on your own?" Her voice was cool, almost condescending, yet not unkind.
I pushed myself up from the ground, still sore, and tried to steady myself. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice a little sharper than I intended. "How did you... what the hell is going on?"
The woman gave me a measured look. "My name is Lira," she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "And I saved you because you were unprepared. You're not ready for what lies ahead."
I blinked, trying to make sense of it all. "What are you talking about? I—I can't just not be ready. I have to be."
She stepped closer, her cloak trailing behind her like the shadows themselves. "And what makes you think you are? What gives you the idea that you can wield this power?" Her eyes flicked to the Echo of Arcanum, still clutched in my hands. "That blade is not a toy. It's a force of destruction, of change. And unless you learn how to control it, you'll be consumed by it. Like the golem was controlled by its maker."
I felt a strange tug of frustration. She didn't understand. "I'm not—I'm not trying to control it. I just want to survive. I need to protect myself. Protect people. But I can't do that if I'm too weak, can I?"
Lira studied me for a moment, her gaze unreadable. "You have the right instinct. Survival. Protection. But the difference between you and a true wielder of power is that they understand the weight of what they hold. That blade is tied to forces older than this world. You are its last chance. Its last hope."
I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. I had no idea what she meant, but I did understand one thing: I was completely out of my depth.
She gave a short, almost imperceptible sigh, as if she were trying to decide how much to say. "You don't have the luxury of time, Kaito. The world is changing. And the Echo of Arcanum? It's not something you can simply wield without consequence. You're not just fighting for your survival. You're fighting for a much larger cause."
A sudden surge of confusion hit me like a wave. "How do you know my name?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mix of surprise and suspicion.
She met my gaze, and this time, there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something I couldn't quite place. "I know more about you than you think. I've been watching you."
I recoiled slightly. "What? Why?"
She paused, considering me carefully. "Because I need you to be strong, Kaito. For both your sake and mine."
I stood there, frozen, my thoughts racing. I wanted to ask her about everything—about the sword, about the golem, about the strange feeling in my chest when I wielded it—but something in Lira's expression held me back. She wasn't offering any answers, not yet. She wasn't going to explain herself anytime soon.
She sighed again, a sound tinged with something like regret. "The Echo is a key to something much bigger than you or me. It's a force that could change the course of everything. But to unlock its true power, you'll need guidance. And you'll need to understand it better than you do now."
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words pressing down on me. "But I don't know how. I barely know how to swing a sword."
"Then it's time you learn," Lira said simply. "There's more to power than just brute strength. It's about control, awareness, and knowing when to act. You'll need to learn quickly."
I looked at her, something stirring deep within me—a combination of fear and determination.
"I'm ready," I said, more confidently than I felt. "I have to be."
Lira's gaze softened for the briefest of moments. "Good. But don't mistake determination for preparation. Power doesn't come overnight. And I won't hold your hand through this."
With that, she turned and began walking away, her cloak sweeping behind her.
I watched her go, a thousand questions swirling in my mind. But before she disappeared into the trees, she spoke one last time.
"Meet me at the ruins in three days. That's where your real training begins."
Then, she was gone.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty space where she had been, my mind spinning with a mixture of emotions. I was no closer to understanding what was going on, but I knew one thing for sure: I wasn't going to survive if I stayed this weak.
I was going to need every ounce of power I could find. And that meant I was going to have to face whatever awaited me with the Echo of Arcanum.