Night fell faster than usual. Thin clouds covered the half moon, leaving behind a pale light that fell on the roof of the Vale clan's house.
Blue oil lanterns were lit along the main path, reflecting a cold light that made the air look thicker than usual.
Not because of the weather. Since the afternoon, rumors about Ardyn's dark sword spread through the kitchen, training, to the records hall.
The night brought with it the scent of damp earth and something almost like tension.
Ardyn walked from the public arena to the inner building which was rarely opened to students.
The building looks like a huge stone dome with a thick door that rarely anyone touches.
He put the nameless sword on his back, wrapped in a thin cloth that he tied himself.
His steps were not heavy, but steady, like someone who had accepted that there was nothing on the path he was taking that he could use as a benchmark.
Arriving in front of the large stone door of the inner training room, Ardyn saw Seraphine standing leaning against the wall. The light from the lantern made his face look a little paler.
Seraphine straightened her body when she saw Ardyn. "Sylen is looking for you. The elders are waiting."
"I know," answered Ardyn.
Seraphine bit her lip for a moment. "You don't have to do everything alone."
Ardyn looked at him, not with rejection, but affirmation. "If I ask for company, will that make this path easier?"
Seraphine fell silent. He didn't know what to say.
"I'm just making sure," said Ardyn. "I don't need an answer."
Seraphine lowered her head slightly. He realized that Ardyn did not refuse help, but he was also not someone who wanted to depend on anyone.
Ardyn walked through the large doors, and the sound of his steps echoed within the stone hallway.
The inner training room was a wide circle with a black stone floor that reflected the blue fiery torchlight.
This room is only used when the clan wishes to test objects deemed dangerous or unusual. The air temperature is cooler here, as the stones of the walls bear the traces of past experiments.
The elders were already waiting inside. Lord Gaius stood on the north side of the room, his body straight and calm.
Sylen carried an ancient note in his left hand. Mirra Thorncrest stood with her arms folded, her eyes alert.
Brom Gavelmar stood closest to the wall, his bulk a contrast to his calmness. Renar Vale stood on the other side, his face full of distaste for the whole situation.
Renar spoke first. "We wasted time on an old, nameless sword."
Mirra averted her gaze. "An old sword that can affect the air is no small thing."
"We judge facts, not prejudice," Gaius said calmly.
Sylen handed an ancient note to Gaius. Mirra and Brom came closer to see.
The notes contained diagrams of the shapes of dark blades from the past, as well as rarely used terms such as objects that do not follow currents and weapons that respond to will.
Mirra read quickly. "If this record is accurate, the sword is not an artifact. It is closer to a current anomalous object."
Brom looked at the sword still wrapped in cloth. "The current does not touch the sword."
"That's why he's an anomaly," said Mirra.
Renar looked increasingly anxious. He always rejected anything that could not be measured through the clan system.
The huge stone door opened. Ardyn entered.
His steps were calm, not rushed. He stood in the middle of the room. The elders looked at him, especially the sword on his back.
Gaius asked, "You brought the sword?"
"Yes." Ardyn opened the cloth wrapping it. The dark blade looked like a solidified shadow. Not shiny, but seems to absorb light.
Mirra gave instructions. "Just swing once. No special technique."
Ardyn stepped into the center of the circle. He took a breath, regained his balance, then swung the sword forward.
No energy exploded. No light. But the air seemed to shift backwards for a moment. The blue torch flickered subtly. The bouncing sound from the stone floor was heavier than a normal swing.
Renar sounded impatient. "That's not strength. Just a coincidence."
Sylen stared at him sharply. "Coincidences do not repeat patterns."
Ardyn heard that, but his mind was focused on the sensation he felt. The sword did not strengthen his physical strength, nor did it take anything from him. He just adjusted his direction, following something that Ardyn felt like an invisible line.
Mirra gave the next instructions. "This time, swing the sword while focusing on one goal."
Ardyn raised his eyebrows slightly. "What goal?"
"Choose one. As long as it's clear."
Ardyn closed his eyes. He does not think about power or strength. He just chose something simple. A straight line in the air, not a slash, but a decision.
He opened his eyes and swung the sword once more.
The sound of the air splitting was sharper. The blue torches swayed more vigorously, and one torch dimmed briefly before lighting up again. The stone floor shook lightly. Brom shifted his feet, not out of fear, but because his body caught the slight resonance. Renar took half a step back subconsciously.
Gaius watched without blinking. "The sword responds to will, not current."
Renar immediately answered. "That's dangerous."
Ardyn looked at him calmly. "It is dangerous only if it is directed at the wrong one."
Renar opened his mouth to reply, but Gaius raised a hand and silenced him.
Renar pressed his stance again. "Ardyn has to be stopped. We can't let someone without meridians hold onto something like that."
Brom took a deep breath. "We haven't seen the dangerous side yet."
"That is precisely the problem," Renar replied.
Mirra looked directly at Renar. "Fear is not the measure of judgment."
Gaius took a step forward. His voice remained calm, but firm. "We are not closing this child's path. But we will also not put him on the path to official warrior training."
Renar looked like he wanted to protest, but Gaius continued.
"I grant limited permission. Ardyn may use the public arena and this place with supervision. Sylen will record the progress. Mirra will assess the sword's potential direction. Brom will arrange site security during testing."
Renar couldn't fight the decision directly, even though his face showed dissatisfaction.
Ardyn spoke in a calm tone. "I'm not asking for an official route. Just a path I can take."
Gaius nodded slightly as if he understood.
The elders slowly left the room. But Sylen stayed. He approached Ardyn, but stopped a few steps before touching the sword.
Sylen said quietly, "If these accounts are correct, the sword holds echoes of the past. Don't rush into using it without understanding its nature."
Ardyn stared at the dark blade. "I didn't intend to use it. I just wanted to know why it was quiet to everyone, but not to me."
Sylen looked at him with an unreadable gaze. He saw a young man who did not seek power, but sought structure in a world that denied him existence from birth.
Ardyn walked out through a long, dimly lit hallway. Seraphine was still waiting at the end of the hall. When Ardyn approached, he tightened his sleeves.
Seraphine asked slowly. "How is the result?"
Ardyn stopped in front of the exit and answered, "The world doesn't give answers. But at least now I know the question."
Seraphine didn't fully understand, but she knew Ardyn wasn't saying empty words.
The night air greeted them when Ardyn came out of the building. The sword looked darker than before. At the tip of the blade, a small shadow moved very subtly, almost imperceptibly. As if the sword was waiting for something.
In the deserted room, Gaius was still holding an ancient note. He stared at the last page, let out a soft breath, and said to himself, "Anomalies don't appear without a reason."
Ardyn stepped into the darkness of the night, without hesitation, without haste, carrying a sword that even the elders could not fully understand. The road remains open. And even though the world gave no answers, Ardyn stepped forward to look for them.