The king proposed an idea to test my newly discovered healing ability. As he looked at me, I gave him a flat stare. After a brief pause, I agreed With a serious tone, the king ordered the knight standing silently beside him. At his command, Valenor moved, unsheathing his blade, and looked at me.
Then, like how life vanishes from a body after death, he disappeared. But this time, I could see him—barely. I didn't understand what was happening, but suddenly, pain shot through my body. Looking down, I saw my clothes torn, blood seeping from small cuts. None were fatal.
Seconds passed, and I watched as my wounds slowly started to disappear. Scars remained for a brief moment before vanishing completely, leaving my body perfectly fine.
My face remained expressionless, but somewhere deep inside, I felt a strange relief. I wasn't necessarily happy I simply felt reassured. I had something now.
"With this ability, I can fight even after taking damage."
That was my only thought. Every second I spent here needed to be worth something.
The king's voice dragged me out of my thoughts.
"Let's move."
With that, he led the way, Valenor following behind.
We started moving towards the weapon storage. As we walked, I recalled what Ray had said to his father. After a long journey through the basement, we moved through a tunnel and finally stopped in front of a massive door, Two angels were engraved on it one had a severed wing, blood dripping from the wound, while the other laughed, holding an eye in his hand.
"What kind of engraving is that?" I muttered.
The king, standing beside me, glanced at me and spoke.
"Those two angels are symbols of the Angel Clan... That clan exists in the " Above World of Keys "
His words hung in the air. Then, he stepped forward and placed his forehead against the door. Nothing happened at first. But then, a bright light flickered a glowing circle with intricate lines appeared on his forehead. The light from the circle passed into the massive door, and as it faded, the king slowly stepped back.
With a loud groan, the door started to open on its own No golden glow or mystical light shone from within. Instead, a thick cloud of dust rushed out to greet us. Coughing, all three of us moved inside.
There, neatly arranged in sets, were all kinds of weapons armor, swords, blades, spears, shields, bows. Before I could step forward to inspect a blade in front of me, the king's voice stopped me.
"Be careful. Don't touch anything here… This isn't your typical weapon storage. These weapons and items that can kill you."
A simple warning, but the weight behind his words was clear.
"These weapons…"
It wasn't the idea of non-living things harming people that made me hesitate. It was something else the dust and cobwebs covering them.
I asked why they were like this.
With a serious tone, the king replied, "These weapons will choose you… if you are worthy of them."
I gave him a silent look before wandering around, searching for something that caught my interest.
As I moved, I noticed many strange objects stored among the weapons things that didn't belong here. A flute, a feather, a mirror, a bottle, a pair of earrings, a ring, a chain, a pillow, seven stones of the same size, and even a bottle containing an eye its iris a deep shade of purple. There was also a bundle of papers and, lastly, a long wooden stick, abandoned in the corner, covered in dust.
I ignored it and started walking away.
Then, suddenly
A surge of energy exploded from within me.
Once again, black fog burst from my body, bringing sharp pain. But this time, I remained conscious. I could see the fog clearly, and unlike before, it didn't engulf my entire body. Instead, it focused solely on my left hand Then, I screamed.
Not because of the fog—but because of the pain erupting from my forehead.
My horns were growing again.
I tried to move my hand, but it wouldn't respond. It was as if my body was no longer under my control.
Then, I started moving on my own.
My body approached the displayed items the bottle, the mirror, the flute and finally, it stopped at the wooden stick.The black fog covering my hand thickened. My hand reached forward, grabbing the stick.
"What is happening to me?! Why can't I control my body?!"
I rised my voice looking at the king , he stood there watching me
My body turned toward a nearby table.
Still unable to resist, I placed the wooden stick onto the table. Then, that same fog-covered hand moved again this time toward my own neck. Slowly, it passed over my throat, then my eyes—finally reaching my newly sprouted horns Then, I grabbed one of my horns And I started pulling it out
Agonizing pain tore through me. My screams ringing through the chamber, but my body refused to obey me The king, the so-called ruler of this land, merely watched in silence.
Not because he didn't want to help Because he couldn't The moment the black fog appeared, something surged through them.
Fear.
The almighty king and his knight, Valenor, stood frozen in place, bound by an overwhelming fear of death Valenor spoke in a hushed voice. "Shouldn't we do something?"
The king shifted his gaze but remained still.
"Even if we move, do you think we can do anything? We don't even know what that thing is."
This was a man who had spent half his life on battlefields. He did not fear death. But he feared something , was that something could lead rudra to death
"If I try to suppress it forcefully, it could harm him even more. We can't act without understanding it first."
Meanwhile, I continued pulling it out i could feel the pain clearly With one final, unbearable yank
The horn tore free from my forehead.
Blood dripped down my hand, staining the ground.
My vision blurred with pain, but I still managed to look at the horn in my grip.
With a shaky breath, I muttered, "It's… beautiful."
It wasn't madness that made me say that.
It was the truth the horn in my hand was far too exquisite like something belonging to a higher existence rather than a mere human.
Blood trickled down my fog covered hand. As it dripped, not a single drop touched the ground.
Instead
It was absorbed by the wooden stick.
A sudden shockwave exploded from the stick, powerful enough to send me, the king, and Valenor flying backward.
I hit the ground hard but forced myself to my feet
King and valenor was standing still on there feets
The black fog was gone.
My forehead despite the pain had no wound.
I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. Then, my gaze returned to the wooden stick.
It was glowing bright and the next Second passed the glow faded in the thin dusty air
I didn't move out of consurn of getting hurt but slowly i need to look what I have done
Slowly, I stepped forward, approaching the stick with cautious footsteps....