Midnight came softly.
The academy slept behind enchanted windows and dimmed lanterns. Even the floating crystals lining the paths had dimmed to a pulsing blue—like the campus itself was breathing in its sleep.
I moved quietly. Hood up. Shoes silent on cobblestone.
I wasn't even sure if I was allowed to be out this late, but then again—I hadn't read the rulebook.
And really, what were they going to do?
Confiscate my invisible sword ego?
[System Notice: You are entering a restricted area. Surveillance reduced.]
Proceed with caution.
That wasn't ominous at all.
The garden lay at the edge of campus, nestled behind an overgrown hedge and some old decorative archways that no one really looked at. Most students probably thought it was just a prop—an abandoned training yard overtaken by vines.
But not me.
Because the first time I'd wandered here, I saw it.
That sword.
Half-buried in moss and ivy. Long. Slender. Plain, but elegant. Just like in my dream.
And now I was back.
---
The moon hung low, silver bleeding across the treetops. The sword was still there, right where I'd seen it. Leaning slightly, like it had been waiting just long enough to start losing patience.
I stepped closer.
It didn't glow. It didn't hum. It just existed, like it had always belonged to this place. But I could feel it calling—not loudly, not with urgency.
Just… presence.
"That's the one."
Her voice was quieter tonight. Focused.
"This sword?" I whispered. "It's been sitting here for how long, and no one's picked it up?"
"Because they weren't me. Or you."
I reached out.
My fingers brushed the hilt.
The air shifted.
[System Alert: Weapon Resonance Detected.]
Initiate Synchronization?
Warning: Unknown outcome. Risk factor—moderate.
"…Initiate."
My hand closed around the hilt.
And the world went silent.
---
Not quiet.
Silent.
Even the wind stopped.
The garden froze—moonlight halted mid-glow, shadows sharpening like drawn blades.
And then—
Whispers.
Dozens of them. In a language I didn't understand. Male, female, old, young—echoes of something ancient pouring through my skull.
And at the center of it all…
Her.
Not just a voice now.
A form.
Floating behind my eyes—barely there. A shimmer in the dark. Long hair like flowing ink. Crimson eyes glowing like illuminated ruby in the abyss.
She reached out, placing a hand over mine on the sword.
"Now we begin."
---
[Skill Acquired: Bound Weapon – ??? (Growth-Type)]
Synchronization Level: 12%
A pact has been forged. The sword recognizes your will. Its strength now mirrors your own.
Effects:
– Summon Bound Blade
– Passive: Will-based Materialization
– Trait: Ego-Link (Active Communication with Weapon)
System Integration: Complete.
I stumbled back.
The sword was gone.
Vanished.
Until I reached for it—mentally—and willed it forward.
With a faint shimmer of light, the blade formed in my hand.
Sleek. Sharp. Beautiful.
Mine.
"See?" she purred. "We make a good team."
"We'll see."
I dismissed the weapon. It melted into mist and vanished.
I could still feel it. Like a second heartbeat. A presence in my shadow.
"You didn't tell me this would… feel like this."
"You didn't ask. Again."
"Typical."
I looked around the garden once more.
Still empty. Still silent.
But something had changed.
The ground felt firmer. The air, heavier.
Like a step had been taken—and the rest of the world was holding its breath.
---
Back in my dorm, I lay awake in bed. The sword's presence quieted as I drifted.
But just before sleep took me, she spoke again.
Soft.
Almost gentle.
"Felix."
"Yeah?"
"…Thank you."
I blinked.
That was new.
"No problem," I whispered.
---
[System Notice: Countdown to Midterms – 119 Days Remaining]
Event: "A Tired Student"
You have taken a step toward surviving the coming storm.
The blade remembers.
And so does fate.