I poured the vial down my throat, and a strange sensation surged through my entire body, like liquid frost searing through my veins. Agony clawed at my nerves, my breath hitched, and I collapsed onto the floor, trying not to lose consciousness.
All at once, silver runes flared to life across my skin, glowing like soft moonlight.t "You're doing great," Asher muttered, as I endured the pain. Blood trickled from my lips and nose, each second felt like several hours. Then all of a sudden, the pain vanished, and darkness swallowed me whole.
When I opened my eyes, the dim orange hue of evening painted the sky. I found Zei looking at me, a smile tugging at her lips, "You're alive".She said definitely enjoying seeing me like this.
"You did well," Asher murmured. "Your core is now much more stable than before. Rest for today and tell me immediately if you feel anything unusual."
"I understand," I managed to utter as Zei helped me get up. She seemed to have gone through the same process but managed to remain conscious. Even Asher was faintly perplexed by her tolerance.
It was midnight as I lay on my bed, drifting into dreams.
"You're here," A familiar voice echoes through the endless garden of frost. I opened my eyes to find Azier, as he greeted me with a warm smile.
"How have you been?" I asked.
"It's great to be free after slumbering for decades," He replied nonchalantly, waving his hand.
After a few moments, he muttered, "It looks like you have finally decided on the path you will walk."
"I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"
"Sometimes life forces choices on you, it doesn't necessarily mean they are bad for you."
"You're right," I chuckled.
"Then how about I teach you something as well?"
"What?" As the words left my mouth, several swords emerged from the ground, some glimmering faintly, others veiled in shadows.
He walked past the numerous swords, his hands brushing against their hilts before picking up a slender rapier.
"Most skilled warriors you will encounter in your generation will have a weapon art passed down from generations to them," He added. "These weapon arts are commonly known as Legacies.
During the war between profanity and humans, Legacies were extremely crucial when dealing with monstrous beings like Archdefilers and Accursed."
"That man named Asher also uses a Legacy. Although it seemed incomplete, he makes up for that with his destructive force."
"So you have a Legacy as well?"
"Indeed," His pale eyes locked onto me. "However, I can't give it away for free."
An unsettling feeling crept up my spine as I glanced at his face, which showed no reaction whatsoever. "What do you want?" After a while, I finally asked.
"A favour," He replied
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"A vessel," he said quietly.
"Even after being freed from the long slumber of decades, I am still caged within your soul, inside this frost realm. The only way for me to truly exist again is to get a vessel which I can inhabit."
His eyes darkened, yet a strange longing shone through them. "I miss the warmth of sunlight on my skin, the simple touch of another's hand…the sensation of holding someone close."
His eyes gazed in the distance. "That's why I need your help to find a suitable vessel for me."
"...Azier"
His gaze turned towards me, as I muttered,"You are the reason I was able to save someone dear to me that day, you are the reason I'm able to become stronger today. So Azier…" I steadied my voice.
"I promise to help you."
He simply faintly said, "That's more than enough for now."
"I swear it upon my name," I declared.
"I'm grateful," He nodded.
Suddenly, he lifted his hand, and the rapier in his grasp glimmered in silver radiance."Then I suppose I should keep my part of the deal."
In a single motion, he carved a crescent through the sky. A moment later, a shockwave echoed through the frozen plains as if the world itself was being torn apart. The heavens split, clouds unraveled into two, and silver shards rained like stars falling from the sky.
"Beautiful," I murmured.
"Twelve phases of the Nightfall," He murmured.
"That's the name of the Legacy which severed countless enemies on the battlefield in the past, and now… it will be passed down to you."
He raised his blade towards me, and a sense of unease enveloped me like a heavy fog. However, before I could say anything his figure vanished in front of my eyes. The next thing I knew was that I saw my arm being severed in one clean swing and a blade resting against my neck. His movements were so swift they blurred beyond sight, giving me no time to react.
"The first phase is called Dusk," He murmured into my ear. "A swift, precise strike that can decapitate several heads at once if executed properly. That's what you will be learning for now."
"It's certainly beautiful and deadly but…"
"Hmm?"
"Was it really necessary to sever my hand? Even though it didn't hurt, I still lost it."
An unsettling smile crept up on his face."We are inside your domain right now, you can't die even if your head has been severed."
"Don't be afraid. I will make sure to make you into the true successor of Nightfall's legacy. You'll bear the name of the Revenant in the future after all."
"Revanant?"
"Ahh, I must have forgotten to tell you, that's what they used to call me back in the day, my memories are hazy, so I must have forgotten to tell you," He replied, waving his hand nonchalantly