ONLINE: Blades of Eternity

"Ok then, you may leave"

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"Yes Vice chancellor"

As Charlotte left the office, the atmosphere in the room was still thick with the echoes of revelation. Just as the door closed, Carmilia let out a low chuckle, breaking the silence.

"Who would’ve thought…" she murmured, crossing her arms. "The daughter of the ’Shield Beast’ has been right under our noses all this time."

The others nodded, their expressions tinged with surprise and faint admiration. Reeves, however, remained quiet, his gaze fixed on the closed door, lost in thought. The title "Shield Beast" stirred memories in his mind—images of a younger, more vibrant time when he and Charlotte’s father had been close friends, back when they’d both been students at the Academy.

General Cao leaned back, glancing knowingly at Reeves. "It’s been years since we last spoke of him, but I remember the rumors. To wield that kind of shield technique... they were legendary even back then."

Reeves nodded slowly, a faint smile crossing his face. "He was always two steps ahead of everyone. He trained relentlessly, obsessed with the shield. But he kept to himself after leaving the Academy, and only I stayed in touch for a while. Even now, I still wonder… how he stumbled upon those techniques of the Elves."

"Ancient techniques," Carmilia added thoughtfully. "The Elves guarded their secrets like priceless treasures. For him to have discovered and mastered them? That was no small feat."

Reeves clasped his hands together, his voice quiet, almost reverent. "He never said how he came upon them, no matter how much I asked. It’s as if the knowledge was entrusted to him directly by someone—or something. And now his daughter is here, carrying that same legacy. It feels like fate, in a way."

The others nodded in agreement, a profound sense of respect lingering in the room.

.....

Kelvin sat cross-legged in the dimly lit room of an inn, eyes closed, the Orb of Chaos hovering just before him, pulsing in rhythm with his breath. Each beat of its dark energy seemed to deepen his concentration, as if he and the ancient artifact were one, bound by some unspoken pact.

Suddenly, Griffo appeared, almost as if he’d materialized out of the shadows themselves. His sharp eyes took in the scene with a subtle, approving nod. "You’ve come a long way with the Orb of Chaos, Kelvin. Your control over its energy grows with every day."

Kelvin’s eyes remained shut, but his lips curled into a barely perceptible smirk. "You sound impressed, Griffo," he replied, his voice low, carrying a coldness that seemed to permeate the air. He finally opened his eyes—two dark, piercing orbs that seemed to have a glint of something malevolent.

Griffo, though composed, felt an unusual jolt. He’d known Kelvin’s drive for vengeance, but this newfound aura—almost a void—was unsettling. It was as if the young man’s soul had grown closer to the very darkness he wielded.

"If you’re afraid, Griffo, you can leave," Kelvin said, his tone flat and devoid of warmth. He studied his benefactor with a gaze that held an unnerving emptiness. "The Orb is part of me now. And unlike before, I no longer have anything—or anyone—to hold me back."

Griffo’s face twitched, and for the first time, a flicker of doubt crossed his gaze. He forced a faint smile and, after a moment, cleared his throat. "I trust that you’ll wield that power wisely, Kelvin. Power like this demands… perspective."

Kelvin’s only response was a cold stare that seemed to pierce right through him, leaving Griffo silent as he watched the dark aura swirl around the young man and the orb.

’I need to tell him about this before it gets too late’ Griffo suddenly thought before he suddenly vanished from that room. But Kelvin was fazed by it as he continued in his deep meditation.

As for Griffo, Griffo moved swiftly through the shadows, gliding over rooftops and alleyways under the cover of night. Within moments, he reached the royal grounds, the grand palace perched atop the city like a silent sentinel. The courtyard was quiet, illuminated by the soft, ethereal glow of enchanted lanterns, casting an otherworldly light over the polished marble and ancient stonework.

He approached a secluded section of the palace gardens, an open space lined with towering statues of legendary warriors and scholars, each face chiseled in flawless detail. In the center stood a figure, a man cloaked in a subtle, powerful aura that radiated authority and something far deeper—an untamed strength that Griffo knew too well not to take lightly.

Griffo stopped a respectful distance away, bowing slightly. But before he could open his mouth to speak, the man with the aura lifted a hand. "Wait," he said, his voice barely louder than a whisper yet charged with an undeniable command.

Griffo fell silent, his eyes following the man’s gaze toward the center of the open space. There, in the quiet, was a young boy, standing stock-still, eyes closed as if lost in deep meditation. Despite the boy’s youth, Griffo sensed an intensity that belied his age—a controlled calm that felt as dangerous as it was disciplined.

The boy’s breathing was slow, rhythmic, each breath seeming to pulse with raw energy that shimmered faintly in the air around him. Griffo could feel the gravity of the boy’s presence, an energy too potent for someone his age. This wasn’t merely a student in training; this boy was a force in the making, a controlled storm on the edge of unleashing itself.

The man with the aura, observing Griffo’s reaction, spoke softly, "Do you feel it, Griffo? The clarity of his focus, the restraint in his stance. Few possess such calm, and even fewer so young."

Griffo nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the boy. "He’s remarkable," he murmured, a tinge of genuine admiration coloring his tone. "A prodigy, if I’ve ever seen one. I assume he’s—"

"One of the seeded chosens for the Battle Convention," the man finished, his eyes never leaving the boy. "But he’s not like the others. His path is different, destined for something beyond what even this kingdom can offer." There was a pause, the man’s gaze hardening slightly. "And, as you know, Griffo, paths like his tend to cross with those who walk the edge of darkness."

Griffo’s mind flashed back to Kelvin, the chilling power of the Orb of Chaos, and the detached coldness he’d felt from the young man only moments before. "You believe he and Kelvin will cross paths?"

The man nodded. "In time, yes. Each will sharpen the other, though their methods differ as light differs from shadow. But for now, let’s observe." He cast a contemplative glance at the boy. "There are lessons still to be learned here, and time yet to grow."

Griffo glanced back at the boy, feeling a strange weight settle over him. The boy’s calm was unnervingly focused, as if his very spirit was attuned to a level of discipline beyond mere training.

Breaking the silence, Griffo finally asked, "What would you have me do about Kelvin?"

The man’s eyes flicked toward him, filled with an intensity that Griffo could feel in his bones. "Watch him closely. He grows stronger, but his path is dark, and his heart colder than ever. Ensure he stays on course, for now, but do not interfere with his choices. The trials ahead will demand that he confront his true self."

Griffo gave a small bow of acknowledgment. As he took one last glance at the boy in the center of the courtyard, he couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of storm would arise when these two forces—Kelvin, wielding the chaotic power of darkness, and this boy, rooted in a rare, steadfast calm—would finally meet.

But as Griffo mused over the impending clash between Kelvin and the resolute boy, he remained oblivious to another presence—a factor that could tilt the balance in unforeseen ways.

Far from the royal grounds, on a solitary cliff overlooking the sprawling Veilwood forest, Kaelen knelt in silence. The moon cast a pale glow over his figure, and the air around him was still, as if in reverence of his presence. Before him lay the Blade of Eternity, its hilt resting lightly in his hand while the tip embedded in the earth. The sword pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that seemed to echo Kaelen’s own heartbeat.

Kaelen’s eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in concentration. His breathing was deep, even, but there was a tension in his posture—a sense of restlessness lurking beneath his calm exterior. He’d reached an impasse, one that seemed insurmountable, yet tantalizingly close to yielding.

His mind’s eye traced through his inner realm, the intricate lattice of the Sword Dimension he had luckily acquired from the Mysterious swordsman. But there was a missing piece—a single element that held the potential to push him beyond his limits. He could feel its presence just out of reach, a flicker of energy elusive as a shadow and yet powerful enough to change everything.

Images flashed across his mind: the clash of steel, the unyielding focus of his past battles, the moments where victory and defeat hung by a thread. But none of these memories held the answer he sought.

Then, almost instinctively, he lifted his blade, feeling its weight and the familiar hum of energy it held. The Blade of Eternity pulsed with latent power, responding to his touch as though it understood his struggle.

"What is it I’m missing?" he murmured to himself, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

Suddenly, a faint wind swept across the cliff, carrying with it the scent of the forest below. Kaelen opened his eyes and looked out over the dark expanse, his gaze distant yet resolute. A sudden thought struck him, a memory of his first duel at the Academy. Back then, he’d fought with raw determination, untamed and wild. Over time, he’d refined that wildness into precision, discipline, but perhaps...perhaps he had also lost something vital in that process.

"Balance," he muttered. His grip on the blade tightened. He had to find the harmony between his inner calm and the relentless edge he’d once wielded with instinctual ferocity. The balance between control and chaos.

He lifted the Blade of Eternity once more, letting its weight ground him in the present. As he did, he felt a faint spark within his sword dimension, a ripple that began to spread, like the stirring of a long-dormant force.

The answer was there, he could feel it now, but he’d have to pull it forth with everything he had. With renewed determination, Kaelen rose to his feet, his stance resolute. The Blade of Eternity shimmered under the moonlight, its glow intensifying as if in response to his will.

He knew now that the upcoming convention would test him in ways he’d never faced before. And while Kelvin and the others might seek power and vengeance, he would pursue something different—something beyond mere victory.