Dawn had not yet come, but gray light was starting to creep slowly across the horizon.
The air around the Vale settlement is fresh and cool, carrying the gentle scent of the Highridge Spine mountains.
In such silence, only the night birds returning to the nest and the sound of twigs gently rustling caught the ear.
In a small house on the southern edge, Ardyn sat at a wooden table with an oil lamp burning dimly.
The pale yellow light illuminated the surface of the dark blade lying on the table.
The room looked like it always had, but there was a different silence that filled the air. It wasn't empty silence, but rather as if the room was holding its breath.
Ardyn stared at the sword for a long time, not because he was confused, but because he was trying to separate the facts from the assumptions he had accumulated since the night of the test yesterday.
He lifted the sword slowly, then placed it back on the table, listening to something that had no clear shape.
There was a thin sound, almost like a hiss of air moving within the blade. Other people probably won't hear it, because it's not a physical sound. More like a subtle pressure that touched his peace of mind.
Ardyn still showed no surprised reaction. He's just judging.
"If you talk," said Ardyn quietly. "Then you are not just iron."
He wasn't actually talking to his sword. He was simply testing the boundaries between perception and illusion, ensuring that his mind remained stable.
Ardyn raised the sword once more and slid the blade slowly through the air. There was no wind, but a subtle sliding sound could be heard as the air moved aside. The oil lamp shook slightly, then returned to calm.
Ardyn thought silently. "There is no current. There is no energy. This reaction only occurs when there is intention."
Someone passed by his front door. Toren Hearthwell, a farmer who usually passed by casually, was carrying a straw basket. He saw Ardyn's door open and stopped, seeming hesitant to approach.
"Ardyn? You're awake," Toren said finally.
Ardyn just nodded without calling him in.
Toren glanced at the dark sword in Ardyn's hand, then quickly lowered his gaze. "The rumors are getting bigger. People are starting to fear things they don't understand."
Ardyn sheathed the sword without haste. "Fear doesn't change the facts."
Toren nodded quickly, not knowing what to reply. He is not hostile to Ardyn. He looked more confused than scared. He stepped back slowly before continuing his steps.
A few seconds later, light steps were heard approaching the house. Seraphine appears carrying a blue cloth sash that signifies an official message from the clan. His breathing was regular, but his face looked tense.
"Ardyn. Lord Gaius summoned you. He said it was important."
Ardyn locked the door to the house before asking, "Is it important for the clan, or important for me."
"I don't know," Seraphine answered honestly. "But Elder Sylen's expression just now was different."
Seraphine looked into Ardyn's dim house. There was an atmosphere that was difficult for him to explain. It's like that space holds something that is invisible to the eye. He asked quietly, "Are you asleep?"
Ardyn answered without a change in tone, "It's not important."
Seraphine swallowed the words she wanted to say. He understands that Ardyn is not ignoring health, he is just prioritizing things he considers more important.
The two of them walked towards the old records hall. The building was made of dark stone, the floors were neatly laid, and the wooden shelves were filled with scrolls of ancient records. Sylen was waiting in the middle of the room with several scrolls open.
Gaius stood on the opposite side. As soon as Ardyn entered, Gaius immediately spoke.
"You are at the center of two things," Gaius said. "That anomalous sword and the clan's reaction. We have to decide on our next step."
Sylen unrolled the note, showing a more detailed diagram. There were foreign terms written there: Void Catalyst, Founding Resonance, and Silent Contract. Ardyn looked at him without showing surprise.
"The names do not explain their nature," said Ardyn.
Sylen smiled faintly. "Because its nature is difficult to explain."
Suddenly the door was opened roughly. Renar entered without knocking.
"Gaius," he said in a depressed tone. "Other students are anxious. Some are afraid Ardyn will bring disaster. We can't let this continue."
Gaius looked at Renar with a calmness that made Seraphine stiffen. "Fear cannot be the basis of decisions."
Renar glanced sharply at Ardyn. "That thing can cause chaos."
Ardyn answered before Gaius could speak. "Chaos doesn't come from things. It comes from people."
Renar was silent for a few seconds, unprepared for a consistent and sharp answer. He just stared at Ardyn before finally looking away.
Gaius stood a little closer to Ardyn. "Today I wanted to test something."
Seraphine straightened, but Gaius didn't look at her.
"Ardyn, you walked through the morning market with that sword. Not swinging it. Not covering it. Not showing it off."
Ardyn asked briefly, "For what."
"We want to see how society responds to the presence of swords when they are not hidden," Gaius answered. "Without any provocation."
Sylen added, "This is not a test of strength. This is a test of the direction of change."
Mirra, who had just entered, nodded slowly. "Clans aren't just driven by currents. They're driven by perception."
Ardyn saw no reason to refuse. "Good."
The three of them left the hall towards the clan market. The market is busy. Vendors arrange their wares, children jog around, and the aroma of baked bread fills the air. But the atmosphere changed slowly when people's eyes fell on Ardyn's sword.
Mira Dawnwheat stopped talking to the buyer and moved her child behind her. Fenric Boldforge, the spear maker, stared at the blade with a confused expression. He came a little closer, but stopped halfway.
"What metal is that," Fenric asked slowly. "I never saw it forged in Forge Vale."
Ardyn didn't answer because Fenric himself didn't seem to demand an answer. He was just surprised.
Yenla Oran, a senior seamstress, closed her stall as Ardyn passed by. Not harshly, but cautiously like someone who feels something is unstable.
Lorin Crestwood, a respected senior student, walked up to Ardyn from behind after watching for a long time. Lorin didn't carry a weapon, but his demeanor showed caution.
Lorin said quietly, "People don't know what you're carrying. That's why they're afraid."
Ardyn stared at him for a moment. "Ignorance is no excuse to back down."
Lorin considered the sentence, then nodded slightly. He did not ask for further explanation.
Seraphine walked by Ardyn's side, observing every reaction. He saw patterns. People who are afraid stay away. Curious people approach without daring to touch. And some, especially the students who often saw Ardyn practice, just looked on with a mixture of awe and wariness.
After touring the market, Ardyn returned to the stone hall. Gaius and Sylen were waiting on the veranda.
Gaius asked, "What are you looking at."
Ardyn answered, "Fear, curiosity, and something that resembles hope."
"Hope for what," Sylen asked.
Ardyn stared at the sword for a moment. "For answers that meridians cannot provide."
Sylen stared at the sword, as if wondering how much change it would bring.
Ardyn stepped into the hall. When it crossed the threshold, the sword vibrated very subtly. Not a metallic sound, but a small resonance that only Ardyn felt. The air around the blade changes temperature for a moment before returning to normal.
Ardyn stared at the sword and said calmly, "If you can talk, you picked a strange time."
The sword remained still, but the silence around it felt denser.
Ardyn continued his steps. He realized something simple but important. The sword didn't just respond to will. It also responds to the world. And slowly, the world began to respond back.
He didn't know what form the reply would take. But he was ready to see where it was going.