It was night, and the sound of crickets echoed from outside the cabin. Fayra, Selna, and Luna had shifted back to their human forms and were sitting around a small campfire. Ethan was off to the side, messing with his sword, but every time he tried to do something heroic with it, his fingers would slip off the hilt and the blade would go flying, spinning through the air and smacking into the ground.
Alice, already halfway dead from laughing, spoke with her mouth full of dry bread.
"Seriously, this is supposed to be the most powerful weapon in the world? Right now it's giving more 'butter-spreader' vibes than 'legendary sword.' I think you just activated the spin-cycle, dude."
Ethan grumbled.
"Sorry! It's not like I've used one of these before. What am I supposed to do, sing to it?"
Right as he said that, the sword gave off a soft little glow.
Everyone went dead quiet.
Selna spoke cautiously.
"Oh no… don't tell me you actually do have to sing to it."
Ethan stepped back and stared at the sword, nervous. The glow was getting brighter. Something was definitely happening.
Fayra moved in fast.
"It's reacting… to energy? Emotion? Sound? Wait… could it be reacting to embarrassment?!"
Alice squinted at it.
"Could be some kind of trigger. A word? A memory? Or maybe… pain?"
Ethan scoffed.
"Great, someone kick me in the gut and let's see what happens."
Alice narrowed her eyes.
"I'm down."
Fayra smacked Alice's arm.
"Hey! Don't take him seriously, he was joking!"
But just then, the sword suddenly let out a pulse of bright blue light. The wave rippled through the cabin and shook the windows. Everyone jumped to their feet, eyes wide.
Alice gasped.
"What the hell was that?!"
Ethan held the sword with both hands. Light was pouring from the hilt, and a sound—very faint—was starting to come from it.
Not quite a sound… more like a whisper.
"You're the only one who can set me free… The power still sleeps… but not forever."
Selna whispered,
"Did you guys hear that?"
Luna nodded, looking spooked.
"Yeah… did the sword just… talk?"
Fayra stared at Ethan, dead serious.
"That sword chose you. But unless you unlock whatever's inside you, it's just a shiny piece of silver."
Alice smirked a little.
"Only one way to fix that… We take Ethan somewhere he's under real pressure. A place where either his power wakes up… or he blows up."
Ethan muttered under his breath.
"Wow. Super comforting, thanks."
Selna slapped his shoulder with a laugh.
"Don't worry, even if you explode, at least it'll be a cool show."
They all burst out laughing. But Fayra didn't laugh. Her eyes were still locked on Ethan, full of quiet fire.
"It's time to find out what this sword really wants from you, Ethan. 'Cause once it wakes up… the world won't ever be the same."
A few hours later, everyone was fast asleep except Ethan.
He'd left the sword sitting right there on the wooden table in the middle of the cabin, but his eyes just wouldn't leave it. That strange whisper still echoed in his head:
"You're the only one who can set me free…"
Ethan frowned. "Set it free? What the hell's even trapped in a sword?"
He let out a quiet sigh and stood up. Tiptoeing over the creaky floorboards, he slipped outside into the cool night. A soft mist clung to the grass, and somewhere off in the distance—between the trees—something flickered.
It wasn't moonlight. And it sure wasn't firelight.
"What the…?" He squinted, heart already picking up pace.
Step by step, he crept toward the glow.
The closer he got, the clearer it became… and the louder the voices. Not voices you hear with your ears—more like something whispering inside his skull.
Then he saw it.
A circle of stone in the middle of the forest clearing. The ground had split open, like the earth itself was yawning—dark, deep, endless. All around it were twisted, dead vines, and right in the center sat a stone tablet, glowing faintly.
Ethan swallowed hard and stepped closer.
The writing was in some old, ancient script… but somehow, he could understand it.
"Only the bearer of the Silent Blade may enter the Trial of Water.
Power waits in the depths.
Not in rage. Not in fear.
But in knowing who you are."
Ethan muttered, "Trial of Water? Great. I signed up for a damn test…"
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
A stream of dark, glowing water burst from the pit, shooting straight up—then coiled and twisted into the shape of a massive serpent made of liquid. It loomed over Ethan, eyes glowing like wet sapphires.
The serpent spoke, voice deep and low:
"If you're ready… step into me.
Inside the water, you'll face your fears.
Your weaknesses… and who you're meant to be."
Ethan took a step back.
"This is insane. I was literally just trying to get some sleep—not sign up for a water snake therapy session!"
But it was already too late for second thoughts.
His sword lit up all of a sudden, shot out of the cabin like a silver comet, and landed right in his hand—shaking like it knew something big was coming.
The serpent's voice rumbled again.
"Power belongs to those who are willing to break themselves first."
Ethan took one breath, deep and shaky…
Then jumped straight into the water.
Ethan felt super cold all of a sudden.
It didn't feel like water anymore—more like he was floating in nothing.
No sound. Not even his own breathing.
Just darkness… and that weird feeling that something was watching him.
Not from outside. From inside.
He opened his eyes.
In front of him was a huge blue space. It looked like the ocean, but without water.
Strange shadows were floating around. They didn't have clear shapes, just moved slowly and whispered things.
Each whisper felt like an old memory… something from his own mind.
"You're not ready…"
"You don't know yourself yet…"
"Your weakness is stopping your power…"
Ethan shouted, "Who's there?! Come out!"
One of the shadows moved closer and turned into a human shape.
Its eyes were closed, and it was holding a sword—just like Ethan's.
Then it smiled.
Ethan froze.
That smile… was his own.
The figure said in a calm voice,
"I'm the Ethan you can become.
But only if you're strong enough… to beat me."