The Unbroken Blade
In the harsh, stratified world of Aerthos, where the might of a sword master dictates destiny, Kaela Vane is a whisper in the wind – an orphaned scavenger from the slum-ridden districts of Ostrum. Born with "muddy" spiritual veins, a condition that stifles aura cultivation, the grand aspirations of the Sword Guild seem impossibly distant. Her only companion is Rust-Eater, a battered, forgotten blade she salvaged from a battlefield, humming with a faint, ancient song that only she can hear.
But the world is a forge, and Kaela is iron. Taught the "Formless Style" by a disgraced Grandmaster turned beggar, she learns to wield cunning and precision where others rely on brute strength. From the dusty streets of Ostrum to the gleaming spires of Aethelgard's Academy, Kaela fights not for glory, but for survival, for her adopted family, and for the echoes of power within her rusted sword.
As war erupts and kingdoms clash, Kaela will be tested by fire, blood, and loss. She will face rival prodigies, ancient beasts, and the crippling doubts within her own heart. Her journey will force her to confront the very nature of strength, pushing her Aura from a faint Ember to a blazing Radiance, and her skill from a Novice's stumble to a Grandmaster's dance.
Ultimately, Kaela will stand against the tyrannical Sword Sovereign, a man who bends reality to his will, threatening to plunge Aerthos into eternal subjugation. To break his reign and protect the innocent, she must not only master the blade but transcend the very definition of what it means to be a Sword Sovereign. Her path is fraught with despair, but her spirit, like her blade, remains unbroken.
