Chapter 1: Years of Work...
The morning was peaceful, as usual.
Birds chirped from the rooftops while a gentle breeze moved through the village.
Children ran through the streets, playing without a care in the world, while the elders had already gathered in their usual spots for their daily conversations.
Even the forge was quiet.
For several days, surprisingly, nobody had broken a weapon, shattered a farming tool, or somehow managed to destroy something that wasn't supposed to be destroyed every two days.
Strom considered that a miracle.
He sat outside the forge with a cup of tea in one hand, refusing to move the other.
Pain.
Beside him, Wraith calmly sipped her own tea. Unlike Strom, however, she seemed perfectly comfortable.
Peace lasted approximately thirteen seconds after the tea was finished.
A villager suddenly appeared at the end of the street, walking directly toward the forge with something in his hand. His face was slightly red.
Villager: "Strom!"
Strom (awkwardly): "Yeah?"
The villager stopped in front of him and held the object forward.
Villager: "Can you explain what this is?"
Strom looked at it.
It was a door handle.
Well... what remained of one.
The lock was still intact, but the handle itself had been violently ripped away from the wood.
Strom: "It's a door handle, I think?"
Villager: "Yes. Can you tell me why you did this to me?"
Strom (blinked): "To you? What do you mean?"
Villager: "I saw you outside my house last night. You came to my door, and moments later... this happened."
Strom: "Wait, really? Did I say anything?"
Villager: "No."
Strom: "Are you sure it was me? I mean... it could've been someone else."
The villager stared at him.
Villager: "Who else in this village is built like you?"
Strom: "That's a fair point, but still."
Villager: "I'm sure it was you."
Strom immediately shook his head.
Strom: "No. It can't be me."
Villager: "Why?"
Strom sighed and used his free hand to lift his other arm.
Moving it without support was surprisingly difficult.
Red marks covered it.
Strom: "My arm was someone's pillow last night."
Wraith (immediately): "Don't involve me in your criminal defense."
Villager: "..."
Strom: "I'm serious!"
Wraith calmly took another sip from her tea.
Strom looked back at the villager.
Strom: "If you want, I can repair your door handle. But seriously, man... I didn't break it."
Villager: "Fine. But I'll pay half the cost."
Strom looked personally offended.
Strom: "Sir, I have a demon lady to feed. Groceries aren't free."
Wraith slowly turned toward him.
Wraith: "Demon lady?"
Strom: "A beautiful demon lady."
Wraith: "Better."
Villager (sighed): "We'll see about that."
With that, he left the forge, leaving the broken handle on Strom's table.
Strom watched him disappear down the street.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then he picked up the handle.
His expression slowly changed.
The mixture of dirt and water on the metal had preserved several fingerprints.
Clear ones.
Strom carefully positioned his hand over the marks.
His fingers matched.
The size.
The gaps between them.
The position of his palm.
Everything.
Strom's smile disappeared.
Strom: "It's matching perfectly... but it's still not me."
Wraith (soft laugh): "I know."
Strom (serious): "I'm not joking, Wraith. The one who did this still has a stable thumb."
Wraith: "What do you mean?"
Strom raised his hand and pointed toward his thumb.
At first glance, there was nothing unusual about it.
But compared to a normal hand, his thumb was slightly bent inward.
Barely noticeable.
Yet unmistakably different.
Strom: "Result of years of blacksmithing..."
Chapter 2: What Material?
That evening, after locking up the forge, house and every window. Strom and Wraith left for Astrid's house.
Tomorrow was Astrid's birthday.
December 18.
And apparently, failing to attend her birthday celebration was considered a life-threatening decision.
Public execution was a possibility.
Traveling by wagon didn't take long. By the time they reached Astrid's house, night had already begun settling over the village.
And somehow...
Sam was already there.
Normally, the mage had a habit of arriving late.
This time, he had arrived an entire day early.
Strom looked at him suspiciously.
Strom (thinking): Yeah... everyone fears public execution at this point.
After resting for a while, Astrid went out to buy meat for dinner.
Meanwhile, Strom received an unexpected side quest.
Chopping wood—
Outside in the yard, Strom swung a battle axe into a thick log.
Not because he particularly enjoyed chopping wood with a weapon designed for war...
But because Astrid said so.
Sam stood nearby.
Doing absolutely nothing.
After several moments of silence, a questionable thought entered his mind.
Sam: "Strom, may I ask you something?"
Strom (without looking back): "If it's related to logic, shut up. Any random bullshit is allowed."
Sam: "Yeah... it's something like that."
Strom: "Hmm."
Sam scratched the back of his head.
Sam: "What did you think when you saw Wraith for the first time?"
Strom stopped chopping.
For a moment, he stood completely still.
Then he slowly turned toward Sam with the expression of someone seriously analyzing one of life's greatest mysteries.
Finally...
Strom: "Wife material."
Sam (staring at him): "Strom, I want the real answer."
Strom (sighed): "Okay. Let's test your imagination then."
Sam: "Hmm?"
Strom rested the axe against the tree stump.
Strom: "Imagine you're living the most peaceful life possible."
Sam: "Okay."
Strom: "You work all day, make money, go home, eat, sleep. That's basically everything you know."
Sam (nodded): "Okay, fair enough."
Strom: "Then one day, an old friend visits you. You both spend the entire day hanging out and talking."
Sam's expression slowly changed.
Sam: "Why does this story sound familiar?"
Strom ignored him.
Strom: "On your way home, you buy a ring. You reach your house, put the ring somewhere safe... and go to sleep."
Sam: "Something is coming. I can feel it."
Strom: "Then, in the middle of the night, you hear a female voice."
Sam: "..."
Strom: "Even though your landlord specifically said no girls were allowed."
Sam: "You can shut up now."
Strom: "You investigate the voice."
Sam: "Of course."
Strom: "And discover a demon."
Sam: "There it is."
Strom: "Whose first interaction with you is jumping on top of you while holding a dagger against your neck."
Sam: "Okay. I get it."
Strom picked up the axe again.
Strom: "Any doubts now?"
Sam stared at him for a moment.
Sam: "No... not really."
Strom: "Exactly."
Not long afterward, Astrid returned carrying everything they would need for dinner and the upcoming birthday celebration.
The night passed peacefully.
They ate.
They talked.
Sam was insulted several times for reasons nobody could properly explain.
Then everyone eventually went to sleep.
But...
Outside, the night hadn't slept.
A figure moved silently through the darkness of the village.
A spear rested in his hand.
Its blade gave off a faint, unnatural glow.
His footsteps were slow.
Cold.
Deliberate.
____
The next morning began with the birthday girl waking up late.
By the time Astrid finally opened her eyes, almost everything was already prepared.
The house was decorated.
The food was ready.
And the cake...
The cake was enormous.
Astrid walked toward it, still half asleep.
Then she stopped.
Her expression slowly changed into genuine disappointment...
Everything was perfect except the knife.
It was very small.
Astrid: "I have a better plan."
She disappeared into another room.
A few moments later, she returned carrying her giant blade.
The weapon was even bigger than Sam himself.
Sam: "Not really necessary. Please believe me."
Astrid: "Shut up. It's my birthday, so my rules."
Strom leaned toward Wraith.
Strom (quietly): "I'm taking the big slice."
Wraith covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Even she seemed disturbed by the level of violence being prepared against the cake.
And with one decision...
The cake received something it had never asked for.
The birthday celebration continued.
They played games.
They ate until nobody could move properly.
Sang some songs.
Sam was once again bullied for reasons beyond his understanding.
At some point during the celebration, a small stone wrapped in paper flew through an open window.
It landed quietly inside the house.
The window remained untouched.
No glass broke.
And because of the noise inside...
Nobody noticed it.
The celebration continued without interruption.
Not a single person cared about the mysterious object lying on the floor.
Eventually, exhaustion defeated everyone.
The house finally became quiet.
One by one, they went to sleep.
Outside...
Someone remained awake.
???: "Why are you not paying attention?"
But only silence answered him.
____
Midnight:-
Strom woke up thirsty.
He slowly got out of bed and made his way toward the kitchen.
The house was completely dark.
Everyone else was asleep.
As he walked past the main room, something near the window caught his attention.
A stone.
Wrapped in paper.
Strom (stopped): "What is this?"
He picked it up and unfolded the paper.
His eyes moved across the message.
Letter:
"I've heard you're a great warrior... but I don't believe it.
Come and fight me.
The old arena."
Strom stared at the letter for several seconds.
Then he looked toward the dark window.
Strom: "Who cares about you, bro?"
He crumpled the paper and threw it outside along with stone.
And walked toward the kitchen.
A few minutes later...
He returned to bed.
The house became silent once again.
Outside the village, beneath the cold darkness, a figure stood completely still.
The faint glow around his spear slowly pulsed.
??? (Coldly ): "So... you choose the other option..."
Chapter 3: The Other Option...
The next morning came with warm light, the golden glow of the sun mixing with slightly cold winds.
But peace didn't last long...
A bunch of villagers approached Astrid's house, pure anger written across their faces.
Old man: "STROM!!!"
Hearing the noise outside, along with his name, Strom came out.
Strom: "what."
A villager from the crowd came forward with a red face and grabbed his collar.
Villager: "Who do you think you are."
Strom: "What happened at least Tell me."
Voices came from the crowd, filled with questions, taunts, and curses.
"Did you forget what you did?"
"That's why killing humans is safe."
"You tried to kill us."
"Server his head"
"Kill him."
And many more things...
No one was ready to listen to him. They didn't even stop talking.
Just then, Astrid and the others also came out.
Astrid (fury): "THE FUCK YOU ALL ARE DOING HERE WITH MY FRIEND!"
Villager: "You friend? He is the reason we all will die in hunger this winter."
Strom: "What do you mean?"
Villager: "You burned our grains godown last night, and you dare to ask what you mean!"
Strom: "But I was sleeping how could I burn it?"
Villager: "Don't you dare to lie to us... We all saw your face."
More accusations began to come out.
Astrid and Sam tried to calm the villagers, but nothing worked. Wraith and Flora also tried to pull Strom away from the crowd, but the villagers refused to let him go.
Kid: "You monster you tried to kill my grandmother!"
Strom (confused): "But why would I do this"
Villager: "Tell us why you wanted to kill an old woman?"
Before Strom could reply, another villager added something.
Villager: "And can you explain why you freed our animals in forest? Are you going to pay?"
Strom: "I was literally sleeping last night, how could I do this."
In all the chaos, one woman noticed something that made her doubt everything.
Woman: "Wait... Why is his eye colour blue?"
Everyone turns towards her.
Strom (firm): "It since from my birth."
Woman: "This can't be real! I saw black eyes last night."
And with that, everyone went silent.
Strom: "wait What?"
Woman: "Last night why you burned the grains I saw you. I mean your face... With black eyes."
Strom: "you sure it was me?"
Woman: "I... I don't really know."
Villager: "I also saw you last night, when you were walking towards the animals."
Strom: "In the night?"
Villager: "Yes and it feels like you are angry."
Strom: "I walk like I'm tired."
Kid: "And what about my grandma?"
Villager: "You tried to kill an old lady, she is seriously injured but alive."
Strom: "But what will I get from hurting her?"
Slowly by slowly, people started to doubt what they had seen last night. They had seen someone with Strom's face, but now, standing in front of them, Strom didn't seem like the person they remembered from those incidents.
Hours later, after everyone had calmed down and left, the house finally became quiet.
Inside, Strom stood near the window, his eyes locked toward the horizon, one hand gripping his spear tightly.
Everyone in the house was deep in their own thoughts. No one could believe those things about Strom.
Because they knew he was in the house last night, but...
Why would half of the village lie about the same thing?
Wraith approached him softly.
Wraith: "Strom."
But he didn't reply.
Wraith: "what are you thinking?"
He finally replied.
Strom: "It's planned already... Door lock then unknown letter and even trying to kill someone."
Wraith: "what?"
Strom: "Someone wanted my attention, and..."
Wraith: "and?"
Strom: "And they got what they wanted..."
He didn't wait another moment to explain anything. He simply opened the door and walked out with his spear.
He wanted an answer.
Strom walked through the places where people claimed they had seen him the previous night.
For a moment, nothing matched. The last address, the "Old arena," was far away.
Then why?
But after some more walking, he found a clue.
All the places where he had been seen...
Old granny house.
Godowns.
Animals shelter.
Temple.
Fountain.
Statue.
All were near the Verdant Forest.
Each place.
Strom: "Hmm... Intresting."
He walked toward the forest, following the trail of blood and ashes...
It didn't take him much time to reach him.
Someone stood in the forest, carrying an almost identical spear to his own, his face covered with a helmet.
Then their eyes met.
Blue vs black.
No one spoke.
No one said a thing.
But both weapons wanted blood, the metal wanted to clash.
Chapter 4: Bad Habits...
Two figures stood in the middle of the forest.
Strom (cold): "Just tell me why?"
???: "And if I say no, then?"
Strom: "I have a bad habit of asking only once."
Both spears clashed with enough force to release sparks.
Strom didn't waste time trying to fight fair. He instantly struck his chest before diving forward with an uppercut to his jaw. The spear shaft slammed into his stomach.
Strom: "Answer me."
???: "Not interested."
Strom: "Sure."
Strom lifted him off the ground and slammed him down with full force. His spear blade came down immediately after, but he managed to dodge.
???: "You are very slow."
Strom didn't reply with words, but his knuckles spoke more than words.
Between the bushes, a shadow moved quietly.
Someone else was also there.
Strom: "What is your problem with me."
The iron helmet covering ???'s face offered little protection against Strom's attacks. Its only real purpose seemed to be keeping his identity hidden.
Suddenly, a blazing spell struck Strom from behind.
Something completely beyond his understanding.
The moment it hit his body, Strom screamed in pain as though something was pressing deep into his heart.
He staggered backward, barely able to steady himself, before a metal shaft struck the side of his head.
An old wizard stepped out from the bushes, a silent smirk resting on his lips as his eyes remained locked on Strom.
Old wizard: "Hello."
Strom turned toward him, but before he could react, another spell struck his chest.
This time, the pain was different.
It wasn't physical pain.
It was something else entirely.
Strom felt it immediately.
He grabbed his pendant. Its light was dimmer now, and its weight felt slightly heavier in his hand.
Strom (quietly): "What?"
Another powerful punch followed, striking him directly in the forehead and sending him crashing to the ground.
???: "You are so weak."
Old wizard: "Poor boy became motherless again."
For a moment a vision of Rose came in front of his eyes, then Dravyss also and after that...
They both vanished.
Strom slowly stood up, coughing blood. His connection with Dravyss had already vanished because of the spell.
Strom: "What have you done."
Old wizard: "Nothing just a small spell locking your big dragon."
???: "Now it's a fair fight between us."
Strom (coldly): "Why not."
Chapter 5: The teamwork
Strom stood silently for a moment.
The pendant around his neck felt heavier than ever.
No voice. No presence. No connection.
Dravyss was still there. He knew it.
Just unreachable.
Strom slowly looked toward the old wizard, then toward the dark warrior standing in front of him, spear still in hand.
He called his spear back and tightened his grip around the shaft.
Then, without warning, Strom struck his foot.
The blade pierced through the warrior's foot and into the ground.
He screamed in pain and before he could react, a devastating punch struck his face and staggered him backward.
Strom (coldly): "Stay away."
He instantly rushed toward the old wizard at full speed, dodging every spell thrown at him.
His eyes were burning with rage.
Before the old wizard could properly react, Strom's fist slammed into his face, knocking out one of his back teeth.
Strom: "Free her."
The wizard had no chance in front of him. Strom was already too angry to stay calm. Taking Dravyss away from him was already enough to push him past his limit.
And the old wizard had locked her away like it was nothing.
Another kick came down with full force against the wizard's chest.
Strom: "Give her back to me!"
Suddenly, someone grabbed Strom from behind and threw him away.
Strom hit the ground face-first.
He barely had time to recover before the dark spear's blade came down toward his chest.
Then suddenly...
A heavy lightning spell struck ??? with tremendous force.
For a brief moment, his body was outlined by the lightning like an x-ray silhouette.
Sam: "Teamwork!"
Astrid's kick sent him flying away, while Wraith's dagger tore through his armor.
He might have been able to fight Strom alone, but fighting all three of them together was something he clearly hadn't expected.
They surrounded him, attacking together and calling it "teamwork."
Astrid was the frontline. Crossing her was nearly impossible.
Wraith was simply too fast to catch.
And Sam kept casting spell after spell from behind them.
Strom didn't bother fighting the unknown warrior anymore.
He went for the wizard... again.
The old man was already bloodied and barely standing, but mercy was something Strom couldn't show him now.
Strom: "Last warning or I'll rip your soul out."
Wizard: "The spell is irreversible."
Strom's expression hardens...
Meanwhile, all three of them had cornered the dark warrior.
He had nowhere left to escape.
Even Strom was also coming back, the wizard lying motionless behind him.
Astrid: "Let's see who's hiding behind this?"
She didn't simply rip the helmet off.
She tore the metal apart piece by piece until the other half finally fell away.
Then everyone went silent.
His eyes.
His face.
His features.
Everything was exactly the same as Strom.
Astrid (shocked): "What the fuck!"
Wraith (confused): "Twin brother?"
Sam: "Two parts of property."
Strom (offended): "Bitch, I live in rented house, what property?"
They all started laughing.
Strom looked at them for a moment before speaking again.
Strom: "Let's see if it's really me or some kind of mask?"
He started pinching the identical one face like he was checking a tomato at the market.
Sam pulled his hair.
Astrid pulled his nose.
Strom: "Really good mask, I think?"
Astrid: "So, you didn't lose your twin brother in fair?"
Strom: "No."
Sam: "I don't have any joke left in my stock."
The inspection continued, with everyone irritating the dark warrior's bloodied face while trying to figure out whether he was actually another version of Strom.
Then the old wizard finally regained consciousness.
He looked around.
There was no way he could win anymore.
So, without saying a word, he cast a spell.
A portal opened behind him.
The old wizard slowly began crawling toward it.
But...
Wraith saw him.
Wraith (eyes narrowed ): "Not today!"
She rushed toward the old wizard, trying to stop him from escaping.
But the wizard had one trick left.
The portal suddenly pulled Wraith inside.
Strom: "WRAITH!!!"
The portal closed instantly.
Swallowing both the wizard and Wraith.
Chapter 6: Not Again...
All three of them stood in disbelief, watching Wraith disappear as if she had been taken away in an instant.
Now they didn't know where she was, where the portal had taken them, or what might happen if someone attacked her.
Thousands of questions wandered through their minds, but none of them had an answer.
Astrid's hands were already shaking just thinking about it.
Sam tried to stay calm, but his own mind wouldn't let him think positively.
Strom stood silently, almost like a statue.
Then...
A broken laugh came from behind them.
The other Strom. Who was still on the ground, barely able to move, yet somehow he was laughing instead of worrying.
The same face.
The same body.
The same person, but from another world.
Strom: "Why are you laughing?"
The other Strom: "Losers!"
Strom didn't reply. He simply turned and started walking toward his house. He needed to prepare himself and find a way to open that portal again.
But then...
The other Strom: "That's why you always lose... Leaving your enemy behind."
Strom finally stopped walking.
His legs refused to move another inch forward.
His hands still remembered the fight.
And something inside him demanded more.
Strom had always believed that beasts and monsters were meant to be fought, but a human or humanoid villain had never felt like an unforgivable enemy to him.
They deserved another chance.
Everyone deserved another chance.
Strom (in his mind): "You can do wrong if you want... Human, beast, or monster. Everyone has the same value of life..."
And with that thought, Strom slowly turned around.
Toward himself.
Toward a different version of himself.
The other Strom: "There you are... Who wants to kill someone who can't fight back? What a coward!"
Strom: "I'm not going to kill you."
The other Strom: "What?"
Strom didn't answer with words.
His boot slammed into the other Strom's chest, forcing him back against the ground.
Strom: "Don't worry. I won't kill you... But I'll make sure you lose the hope to live another day."
His fists followed.
The other Strom tried to endure the assault, but Strom didn't stop.
The other version of Strom had always believed that this version of him could never truly lose control against a human-type villain.
The other Strom (broken voice): "You never do something like this to others... Then why me?!"
Strom (coldly): "Everyone has a limit to endure..."
Another stomp forced the other Strom back down.
Strom: "For me... Everyone just keeps testing it every day."
A final kick sent the other Strom crashing back.
And with that, he didn't move again.
Maybe he was still breathing, but he was no longer conscious enough to continue.
Strom (quietly): "Just let me live a day without worrying..."
Strom picked up both spears, his own and the other Strom's, then slowly walked away.
Astrid and Sam stood frozen, staring at what they had just witnessed.
The other Strom might be still breathing but...
everyone was sure he didn't want to see the sun the next morning...
Astrid (terrified): "What was that?"
Sam: "Last time I saw Strom like this when... Angela died."
To be continued...