.
---
Chapter 1 – Part 7 O
(First Personal Enchanted Creation Attempt)
The forge hall was quiet that night, its braziers dimmed, its students long dismissed. Only the faint glow of molten embers remained, a heartbeat of warmth against the vast stone chamber.
Jofyn sat cross-legged before the rare shard, its soft pulse beating in rhythm with his Forge Core. He steadied his breathing, centering himself as the robe floated lazily nearby, its fabric fluttering as if stirred by invisible winds.
"You're sure about this?" the robe asked, its tone half-serious for once. "No instructor, no safety wards, no backup scrolls. Just you, me, and a shard that may or may not bite."
Jofyn exhaled slowly. "Every forge master starts with a first. Mine begins now."
He placed his palms around the shard, allowing strands of Core energy to flow into it. The shard pulsed in response, colors shifting erratically—deep crimson, shimmering silver, streaks of faint emerald. Energy leapt between shard and Core, sparking against the air like static lightning.
The robe hissed. "Easy! You're feeding it too much, too fast. This isn't a hungry dog—you don't throw the whole meal at once."
Jofyn slowed, tightening his focus, controlling the flow. The shard's erratic pulsing softened, settling into a steady rhythm. And in that moment, Jofyn felt it—the subtle click of resonance, as if the shard had acknowledged him.
A thin thread of light wove itself upward, curling into shapes above the shard. It was faint, imperfect, yet undeniably alive.
Then, the backlash struck.
The shard quivered violently, sending a shockwave through the forge hall. Tools rattled, flames hissed, and a workbench cracked down the middle. Jofyn's hands trembled, his Core flaring with resistance.
The robe darted forward, wrapping its enchanted threads around the shard, stabilizing it with practiced precision. "I knew it! Too eager, too soon. You'd have fried your own channels if I wasn't here."
Jofyn gritted his teeth, sweat beading his forehead. Yet despite the failure, he couldn't help but smile. "But it worked… even if just for a moment. The shard responded."
The robe sighed, hovering back, voice somewhere between scolding and amused. "Responded? It nearly turned you inside out."
Jofyn shook his head, determination burning in his eyes. "No. It recognized me. That was the first step. Next time, it won't resist as much."
The robe studied him for a long moment before snorting softly. "You're reckless. But… I can't deny it—you've got something. Most students wouldn't dare without a master's hand guiding theirs."
Jofyn placed the shard back onto its stand, Core energy still humming faintly inside him. The resonance remained, fragile yet persistent—a seed planted, waiting to bloom.
And though the forge hall bore the scars of the attempt, something deeper had been forged that night: recognition between wielder and shard, and the faint stirrings of his bloodline awakening, drawn ever closer by the power he sought to command.
---