It had been almost a full month since my talk with Cecilia. I had been going through motions. Whenever I saw misuse of power I wanted to step in but I knew it was either going to get me in more hot water, or was a trap.

  But their screams. Their cries for help were more than real. Even if the events were machined to draw out the Coalescence, it was just stirring something dark within me. Something that felt locked.

  Forbidden.

  Even people who I never talked to at school saw the change in my posture. My walk, my stance, my spells and blade wielding felt off. Still impressive, but it almost felt like I was compressing myself for Veran’s enjoyment.

  I hadn’t felt any strange gaze from Veran at this point. I was wondering if I could just go back to living this way. Just not caring about regular civilians? It seemed absurd a month ago, but if I just held my head low…

  “Cade.”

  A familiar voice broke through my incoherent thoughts.

  I remembered I was at school.

  “Cade.” The voice broke through again.

  I turned to the voice — it was Jerek.

  “Hey, man. I know you’ve been down lately, but c’mon you got a date with Mariel soon. Get in the mood man.”

  He was right. I adjusted my posture and fixed my attention.

  “You’re right.” I replied. “I should focus my attention elsewhere.”

  He nodded. “Let’s get a lift in, take your anger out, and your mind off shit.”

  I agreed.

  We made our way to the school gym and did everything. Normally it was best to do different things on different days, do certain reps, focus certain muscles. I just did everything.

  Two thirty five bench, three eighty squat, and a five hundred deadlift. That’s the absolute unit of a fifteen year-old I have for a best friend.

  Jerek was absolutely massive by now. Compared to the scrawny noble loser I first met, this man was an absolute titan.

  I wasn’t quite as strong as him, but I was faster. I still put up good numbers in the gym. It felt like I could run for days though.

  We’d lift weights and go for a run to clear my head.

  I didn’t realize I had been a terrible friend. I haven’t actually checked up on Jerek in so long.

  “Hey Jerek.” I said in the middle of our run. “How’ve you been man?”

  He slowed to a stop so we could talk easier.

  “We’re alright. My family is cowards. Remember the hot water we were in a couple years back?”

  I nodded.

  He chuckled. “They were advocating for being an independent supplier to the sick, poor and needy. Which isn’t cowardice. But they backed down without a protest and submitted to the empire's will without hesitation.”

  “Oh” I nodded. “I see.”

  He put his hand on my shoulder. “Look man, I know I am a noble. I don’t care about that. You’re just shy of one but you’re beating yourself up because you can’t go help the very people my family neglected.”

  Jerek took a sip of water from his bottle. “Now, if you wanna get all teary eyed on me go ahead, but I will punch you if I see you sobbing. You’re my best friend, and more of a brother than anyone else. But you’re that man because of your strengths.”

  I saw in his eyes he was telling the truth. He was seeing me as a member of his family and that meant something. Especially to someone like me — an officer's adoptive child.

  I nodded and we finished our workout.

  We took a quick shower to rinse the sweat off, then went with him and Mariel to our homes.

  On the way we were mostly quiet. The formal was in just a few days. But we weren’t quiet out of excitement. Today’s walk home was worse than the previous days were.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The empire throughout the days since Cecilia’s talk was worse and worse. They’d do more and more horrible things in broad daylight.

  This was the last straw.

  The regular shit they did already pissed me off. Choking the pregnant women, running blades across people’s bodies, beating the sick and weak to their knees.

  But this?

  I walked in the middle of the two of them. They were trying to have a conversation but I wasn’t focusing on that. I was listening to my own heartbeat.

  It felt like drums again.

  I knew the Goddess was watching.

  I knew everyone was watching.

  As we turned the corner I saw a public display of the most vile, most unnatural, most cruel display of soldiers forcing themselves on women as I had ever seen in my stay with the empire.

  I couldn’t take it.

  I didn’t need to kill the soldiers, I needed to protect the women. I needed to heal the sick. I needed to provide for the poor.

  Something in me snapped.

  I stood completely still in the middle of the alley.

  The two of them stopped just a couple feet in front of me.

  Before they could ask what I was doing, I told them my vow.

  “I’m going to Fenrick’s.” My voice was low.

  It wasn’t fear in their eyes. But it was close. They saw their best friend stepping so close to a line he swore he’d never cross. Defiance sure, but full scale illegality, breaking countless laws, and killing sub-thirty soldiers?

  This was new.

  But they couldn’t stop me, I was already on my way to Fenrick’s main shop.

  He saw me and was happy, then saw the look in my eyes and already knew what I wanted.

  “Meet me at this location near the southern badlands at nightfall.” He said quietly and wrote an address on a piece of paper then gave it to me.

  I nodded. I told my friends they could go home but they were both scared for the future, and excited to see a relic being made with their own eyes.

  We simply waited until nightfall when Fenrick arrived.

  The door creaked open. I could tell just by his footsteps it was him.

  “So, boy.” He walked down into the forge area. “You need a weapon. A powerful one at that.” His voice was low but in pitch, not volume.

  I stood up to meet his gaze. “Yes sir. I know you’re going to say no, but I wanted to ask because–”

  “Listen close boy.” He cut me off. “I have many reasons to say no. All I need is one reason to say yes. I can think of a few myself. But I need you to give me your reason.”

  I nodded. “I can’t protect the innocent as of right now. And if it gets me killed then so be it. However, I cannot sit idly by as they die. Or live in misery.”

  He didn’t move a muscle. Just thought.

  “Acceptable.” Was all he said and walked into the back.

  It was completely empty in this forge, but furthermore it was almost like the forge itself was kept a secret.

  He returned with black mithralite in hand.

  “You’re aware how this works I assume?” He dropped the huge chunk of metal on his workbench.

  I adjusted my posture and spoke from my core. “Yes sir, I do.”

  He nodded.

  He began to work and heat the metal.

  Fenrick glanced over at me. “Sword I assume?”

  I approached him. “Yes, and my sword fighting style is breakcurrent.”

  He smiled. “A heavy greatsword it is.”

  That felt like it’d be perfect.

  The furnace grew with a fiery blaze.

  “So, you’ll do most of the magical work behind this. But I will do one thing for you.” He said as he began swinging his mallet.

  Fenrick began chanting a spell I hadn’t heard yet.

  When he finished I wanted to ask what it was he did but he cut me off before I could start.

  “What I just did was I added an additional seal to this. Sometimes when a relic is made the imprint the user leaves is so significant that the runes could in theory run along the length of the whole damn thing. Normally that’s fine, but you want a low profile, right?”

  I was shocked. “Yes, that’s perfect. What does the spell you cast do?”

  He grinned. “This has such a stable connection to your mind that you can activate the sword's unique ability or abilities or if it just acts as a regular sword. Perfect for you kid, just turn off its abilities and say it’s blackened steel.”

  Makes sense.

  I was still confused though. “What do you mean ability or abilities?”

  The furnace’s flame roared.

  “Great question. Dark mithralite is the most mana sensitive metal on the planet. When you pour your blood and mana into it, it connects with an imprint with the wielder. But also manifests an ability, or sometimes additional abilities or side effects.”

  “Gotcha.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, so I can maybe use my detection magic to see what it is that manifests but I am only at B-rank with that. If this is A-rank or S-rank, I can decipher part of it for you.”

  I scrunched my forehead. “You don’t determine the rank of the relic?”

  He shook his head. “That’s all in the mana and intent. If you pour your intent into your fullest but only half ass mana, you’ll wind up with likely a C-rank or B-rank.”

  He paused. “If you do the inverse, same story. But if you form a connection so deep with your blade that it connects to your body, mind, and soul then your weapon will be an extension of all three.”

  I nodded. “Okay. I get it now.”

  Fenrick worked for the next few hours but ultimately he told me it was such an extravagant weapon before I even put my blood or mana into it that it’d take another day or two before I could actually wield it.

  I did pour my blood and mana into it, as well as my intent. My resolve beckoned, so I told it the answer lies within the slab of dark mithralite awaiting its host.

  Fenrick thanked me for giving my all with such an important device, then asked for the time to ensure finishing touches and sharpening.

  I accepted but my friends knew I was boiling within.

  We walked Jerek back to his house then I was alone with Mariel on our walk.

  “Cade. You’re one of the most amazing people I know. I will support you no matter what. However, I cannot bear to see you hurt yourself. I know the toll this is taking on you, but I’m worried.”

  I took a deep breath to help me think. “I appreciate that Mariel. I need to do this. It’s not my fault people are without the luxuries you and I have, but I need this. I need to save as many people as I can, because they can’t save themselves.”

  She nodded. “I understand Cade. With that in mind I need to ask a follow-up question.”

  I nodded.

  She was nervous I could tell. “Make me your girlfriend. I know that’s sudden and random. But I want it to declare that I am permanently by your side, and always will back you up.”

  She had water forming in her eyes. Not tears, but it declared her sincerity.

  “Yes.” Without hesitation. I said it so fast I surprised myself.

  She was a little surprised. “That was fast.”

  I nodded. “My heart beats faster when I see you.”

  Her face was red.

  We stopped in the road and we hugged, reminiscent of a few years back.

  “I won’t cross over the edge, unless the empire crosses a line they can’t step back from.”

  She released the hug. “I understand.” She kissed my cheek and held her gaze on my eyes. “Thank you, Cade.” She started to walk away. “Goodnight.”

  I smiled. “Goodnight Mariel.”

  I made sure she walked inside safely and then I made my way home. It felt even when I tried to abide by their rules I would fall short. When I lived by my rules I fell short. When I followed Cecilia’s rules I fell short.

  It was bullshit. But it was inevitable.