Night fell quickly over the Draven estate, as if the sun itself sensed the tension in the halls and decided the darkness should shoulder the burden instead.
Tomorrow morning, I would leave for the Arcane Blade Academy.
Early admission. Special intake.
A miracle… or a warning.
After dinner, which was a quiet affair filled with unspoken thoughts, I returned to my room to pack. A heavy silence clung inside me, like thick fog refusing to dissipate.
The ornate wardrobe stood open, clothes neatly arranged inside. Robes I barely wore, cloaks too elegant for someone who still didn't feel like he belonged here, and boots polished enough to blind someone.
"Travel light," I muttered to myself.
I didn't need half of this.
In the end, I packed only the essentials:
A few sets of training clothes
A mana-resistant cloak
A small journal I found buried in a drawer
A plain steel sword with worn leather grip
My fingers lingered on the sword.
Aiden Draven, the original one, had used this very blade. His clumsy grip, trembling swings, mockery from other nobles — fragments of his memories flickered in my mind.
But when I wrapped my hand around the hilt now…
It felt different.
It felt right.
As though the sword recognized me.
I exhaled slowly.
Tomorrow, everything changes.
A faint knock sounded on the door.
"Aiden," a familiar voice said.
Damien.
I opened the door, and he stepped inside without waiting for permission. His cloak draped like shadows, his crimson eyes sharp yet troubled.
He took in the half-packed bag, the sword resting nearby, and then looked at me.
"You're really leaving."
Not a question. A statement. Heavy and unsteady.
I nodded. "It's for the best. If I stay here, I'll just attract more attention. The academy can protect—"
"No," Damien interrupted, his voice low. "You're leaving because you awakened something extraordinary. Something that will pull danger to you… and to us."
I froze.
Damien rarely showed emotion. He rarely expressed anything beyond cold calculation.
But right now…
There was fear in his eyes.
Not for himself.
For me.
"Damien…" I began softly.
He stepped closer, jaw tightening. "Aiden, the academy is not as safe as they claim. Factions infiltrate. Students are tools. Teachers are biased. And those who possess rare powers become targets."
I blinked. "You're talking about yourself."
He looked away. "Perhaps."
Silence stretched between us, thick and fragile.
"I can handle myself," I said gently. "Besides… I won't be alone."
Damien's eyes narrowed. "You trust Stormborn that much?"
I couldn't stop a small smile. "He's an idiot—but he's reliable. And probably the only person in this world who could make a demon laugh."
Damien scoffed. "He's insufferable."
"But he's strong," I added.
"That too," Damien muttered reluctantly.
I stepped closer and touched his arm. He froze — not used to affection, not used to closeness.
But he didn't pull away.
"I'll be fine," I said. "I'm not the weak Aiden you remember. Things have changed."
Damien's eyes softened. Barely. But enough for me to see it.
"You are different," he said quietly. "I don't know how or why… but you feel stronger. Brighter."
Brighter.
A dangerous word for someone like me.
I forced a playful smile. "So I'm glowing now? Good. I was hoping my new power came with sparkles."
Damien gave me a flat look. "Idiot."
But the corner of his lips twitched.
Just a little.
Just enough.
"I'll return stronger," I promised. "Strong enough to protect both of us."
Damien inhaled sharply.
"No," he said. "I protect you. That is how it has always been."
"And how did that work out in the original timeline?" I muttered under my breath.
Damien frowned. "What?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just thinking out loud."
He stepped back toward the door. "I will escort you to the gates in the morning. Be ready."
As he turned to leave, I called out softly:
"Damien?"
He paused.
"Thank you," I said. "For worrying."
He didn't turn, but his voice — softer than I'd ever heard — replied:
"You are my brother."
And then he was gone.
The door closed.
But the warmth lingering in the air did not.
A Visitor in the Night
I had barely taken a breath when my window creaked open.
Lightning flashed — literally — as Kael Stormborn tumbled into the room upside down.
"I'm heeereee— oof!"
He landed face-first on the floor.
I sighed. "Why do you enter rooms like a bandit?"
Kael jumped up, grinning widely. "Window entries are 10x cooler! Also your guards know me now, so they stopped chasing me."
"That's not a good thing," I said.
Kael flopped onto my bed with no shame, arms behind his head, lightning crackling at his fingertips.
"So," he said dramatically, "how are you feeling, future academy roommate?"
I snorted. "Nervous. Excited. Confused. All the emotions at once."
Kael nodded seriously. "Perfect. That's the correct state of mind before starting an adventure."
"…Thanks?"
He grinned. "Also—"
Kael suddenly leaned forward, eyes more serious than I'd ever seen.
"Whatever happens," he said, "you're not alone, okay?"
I blinked.
Kael's smile softened, electric energy fading to something warmer.
"I know you're scared," he said. "Anyone would be. Awakening a power no one's seen for centuries? That's insane. But trust me…"
He placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You're strong. Stronger than you think."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because in this world, no one ever said anything like that to Aiden.
Kael grinned again, energy returning. "And hey! Worst case, if you faint in front of a teacher, I'll drag your body away before anyone sees."
"That's not comforting."
"It is for me!"
I shook my head, laughing softly.
Kael winked. "See you at dawn, partner."
And with a burst of lightning, he leapt through the window again — this time landing on his feet.
Barely.
The Dream of the Ancient Sword
That night, after everyone left, sleep came slowly.
But when it finally arrived…
The dream took me.
I stood in a vast field of endless white fog, stretching into infinity. The ground beneath me felt like polished stone. Air thick with power.
A voice echoed.
A whisper.
A chorus.
A resonance.
"Magic… Swordsman…"
My breath hitched.
The fog parted.
A massive stone platform emerged, floating in nothingness. Runes glowed along its surface. In the center of the platform stood…
A sword.
Suspended in midair.
Forged of silver and cerulean light, its form ethereal yet undeniable. Like a piece of the sky shaped into a blade.
It pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
The sword spoke.
"You have awakened me, Chosen Resonant."
I staggered back.
"W-What—?"
The voice vibrated through the air like music forged from steel.
"The world shifts. Fate bends. You walk the path of extinction… and rebirth."
"My path?" I whispered. "Who are you?"
"I am Aurelia."
A chill ran down my spine.
Aurelia.
The mythical Sword Spirit.
The companion of the First Magic Swordsman.
Lost for centuries.
"I will await you," the sword said. "At the Academy. Find me… before Fate does."
The ground cracked.
The fog shattered.
The sword dissolved into light—
And the dream collapsed.
Awakening
I shot up in bed, drenched in sweat, chest heaving.
Morning sunlight spilled through the curtains.
The dream was fading — but the name echoed in my mind:
Aurelia.
A Sword Spirit.
A legendary one.
And she was calling for me.
I swallowed, feeling my heartbeat race.
This world wasn't just changing because of me.
Something — someone — was responding.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Aiden," Damien called. "It's time."
I stared at my clenched fists.
Time for the academy.
Time for destiny.
Time to chase a sword lost in myth.
I took a deep breath.
"Coming."
As I grabbed my bag and opened the door, the resonance in my chest whispered again softly.
"Find me."
And I knew—
This was only the beginning.