[TRIAL INITIATED – Ember of Gold]
[Subject: Melissa Bloom]
One moment I was watching Laef shout at the golden ember. The next... I was encased in a wall of flames.
The blood-red ember glowed brighter than any other so far. The sky literally bled red as a figure manifested in front of the beast.
I stepped forward, the flames crackling beside me. But... they didn't burn. They didn't hurt or feel warm; they just... existed.
Suddenly...
The ember's light dimmed, and the shadow of a figure remained.
Hesitantly, I took another step, my foot squishing into the ash-covered dirt.
I flicked my fingers. Once, twice. Until five sword fragments floated around me.
My class is WeaponSmith. My subclass... Memory Blade.
I can summon any weapon by flicking my fingers and use it to the abilities of a previous owner. A perfect copy.
The only catch...
I don't think I'm doing it right. My swords come out fragmented and incomplete. Just jagged half-copies of blades.
The figure suddenly turned around. That's... when I saw her.
My younger sister.
"No... not her," I choked under my breath.
I thought I was hallucinating inside the village. I saw a momentary glimpse of her, but now... my nightmare has come to life.
She was laughing. Not cruel or malicious.
Just... soft and free. Something she hadn't done in years.
Her figure walked further from the fire, towards me. Until she vanished. Her hands suddenly grabbed mine.
"Hey, sister..." she whispered. Her blue, icy eyes locked on mine. "Look at you, Mel, still playing soldier."
I pulled away, and one of the jagged swords from the painting in the throne room flew into my hands.
Suddenly...
She teleported, her hands grasping my blade as it gently exploded into blue dust.
"It's been a while. Let's talk first," she muttered sweetly. She sighed dramatically, "You never did learn how to smile, did you?"
"You're not real," I whispered, my hands trembling. "You can't be."
"Neither are regrets, but that didn't stop you from carrying them."
Her voice was so light. It felt wrong, nothing like how she sounded in the end.
I took a breath, glancing at the four fragments floating above me.
Even if this world pushes me, I can't.
"I won't fight you," I said quietly, my gaze faltering.
Her eyes widened, too wide as she grinned. Mocking.
"Why not? You fight everything else. Monsters, men, demons, even Laef's ego," she chuckled.
I didn't laugh.
"You didn't fight me, though," she whispered. "Not when it counted."
I flinched, a sharp chill striking my spine. "I—"
She cut me off, stepping closer. "You knew I was hurting."
"I didn't…" My voice caught. "I didn't see it. I thought you were okay."
Her expression twisted.
"No, Melissa. You hoped I was okay. You just chose not to see."
One of my blades fizzled, vanishing into dust.
I stared as it fell. What's happening? Why... are they disappearing?
"Every time I cried in my room, you were sharpening a blade. Every time I begged with my eyes, you trained harder." She continued, her finger inches from my chest. "You wore that cold mask so well even I started to believe you didn't care."
She stepped back, turning away.
"I cared," I sobbed, barely a whisper. "I cared so much it hurt to breathe sometimes."
"But you never said anything. Never hugged me. Never asked if I was okay. You were too busy being Father's perfect weapon."
Another blade disappeared.
"You were the one who taught me to be strong." My voice cracked. "Just like Dad wanted. I thought I was helping you… protecting you by being everything he wanted. To take the focus off you."
"You were helping yourself," she spat. "Because if we were soldiers, then we didn't have time to be broken."
Silence...
I just stared at her, standing there in the middle of the burning village, her finger curling her bright blonde hair.
"Ellie..." I finally whispered. "I'm sorry."
"Not enough," she said softly. "Not until you feel what I felt."
Her smile broke. She raised a hand and slashed it across her own throat in a taunting motion.
"Do you know what it's like to feel invisible in your own home? To be pushed so far it hurt."
Tears welled in my eyes. Another blade evaporated.
Only one remained.
"I never knew you were drowning," I whispered. "He wanted us to be perfect soldiers. Pushing us until we dropped. I didn't... realize.
"You didn't look." Her voice screeched.
The fire around us responded, flaring far higher than before. Even the skies trembled as thunder boomed. Red waves erupted from the monster like smoke. Harmless.
But all I saw was her. The ghost of someone I never got to save.
She stepped closer, her laughter fading, her face tilting with curiosity.
"Will you finally fight me now, big sister?"
I grabbed the last blade… raising it, but not at her.
At me.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I pressed it against my throat. "If it would bring you back… I would."
Her eyes widened. "What…?"
"You want to know if I care?" My voice trembled, breaking. "You want to know if I noticed? I did. Every haunting day after. I noticed."
The blade shook in my hands. But, I continued.
"After you died, he pushed me even further. Said the family is relying on me now."
I paused, the broken sword drawing blood.
"I'd give anything to take your pain. To hold your hand. To drag you out of the darkness. I failed you. I know that."
Ellie stood frozen, shaking as tears rolled off her cheek.
"I should've said something," I sobbed. "Should've hugged you. Should've dropped the sword sooner."
"Then why didn't you?" she cried, louder than before.
"Because I was afraid!" I screamed. "Afraid that if I stopped being strong, I'd fall apart too."
All that remained was silence.
And red. So much red.
Then… her voice broke through.
"Your tears…" she whispered. "They're enough."
I looked up, stunned.
"I never needed you to fight," she said. "I just wanted you to feel. To miss me. To love me enough to grieve."
"I do," I whispered. "I always have."
She walked forward, kneeling in front of me.
"I forgive you."
She reached forward, pressed her forehead to mine as her hands wrapped around the blade.
"Take me with you. You shouldn't have to fight alone anymore.
Her body suddenly exploded into red light. Not like the embers exploding, but different.
The light spun around me, weaving through the sky, gentle and free.
Until... it came down, shimmering before my eyes. I watched as it solidified, almost as if it was creating something from the air.
First, a hilt: bright blonde golden cloth weaved throughout the dark crimson checkered pattern.
Then...
A long, bright red blade with a crimson outline to fit the sword. A katana.
With the letters "E L L I E" etched in black across the blade.
"Together," the light echoed softly as the ember cracked. "I love you, Mel."
It wrapped itself around the katana as a bright red, vine-like design erupted across the metal blade.
[Ember of Red— 3/5 Sources Extinguished]
The light was gone; the wall of fire had faded.
I was sobbing, kneeling across the ash as I grabbed the katana.
[SYSTEM ERROR: Emotional artifact improperly translated as 'Ellia.' Source: Ellie Bloom.]
[BladeSpirit: "Ellia, Blade of Regret." Obtained: This weapon holds the essence of the one you couldn't save. Warning: Emotional tether detected.]
My hands shook; it didn't feel like a weapon. It was warm... almost alive.
"Thank you... Ellie," I whispered, standing up, ash falling off the clothes the king had lent us. "But, you've sacrificed enough."
[NEW Skill UNLOCKED: BladeSpirit Release—Break a soul-bound weapon into its purest form. Born from love and refusal]
[You may now deconstruct "Ellia, Blade of Regret."] Warning: This will permanently dissolve the weapon. Proceeding will remove it from your arsenal.]
I hesitated. A weapon made of her memory… or a way to let her go? At that moment, I made my decision.
"You wouldn't want to be used as a tool." I choked through the tears. "It's time I put you first."
I held the blade across my hands and shouted,
"Weapon Deconstruct!" The blade lifted in the air, spinning wildly as it burst into sparkling light.
"Thank you, Mel... for finally seeing me."
[SYSTEM: "Ellia's Heart, Sisterblade of Regret" was destroyed.]
[RARE ITEM OBTAINED – Crystal of Love: Socket into crafted weapons to gain [Heartbled Twinslash].]
"At least get her name right," I scoffed, wiping the tears from my eyes. Then to the drifting light, "You just wanted to be a sister, not someone's weapon."
[WEAPONSMITH PATH UNLOCKED – Crystal Sockets: Socket crystals into future crafted weapons to unlock special abilities.]
Across from me, Laef was watching, his trial having finished shortly before. His eyes were still glossy as if he'd been crying. Eli and Isaac stood nearby. Eli was sitting by a rock, his hand loosely pressed to his chest. He said nothing, just smiled softly.
Isaac was mumbling to himself as usual. The guy creeps me out.
Dagger Girl was smiling, her eyes locked with the lava glob monster.
"System open," I whispered, my voice still soft.
Thirty-five minutes for two more embers. We were going to cut it close.
And if on cue... the remaining embers lit up, flaring the sky.
Blue and Violet.