The first signs of change came not with fire, but with silence.
Kael sat alone in the Academy's east courtyard long after the others had left. The sparring bells had long since gone quiet. Even the sky had darkened to deep indigo, the stars just beginning to show themselves. He could still feel the heat from the dream—that golden battlefield, the warrior cloaked in light, and the weapons.
No—not weapons. Weapon.
One form, two faces.
The bow, curved like the horizon, humming with radiant force.
The spear, bladed like a god's judgment, wreathed in gold flame.
A single artifact that could shift between forms: Vijay Dhanush, the Sunforged Bow—and Vasavi Shakti, the Spear of Solar Wrath.
The dream had whispered no instruction. But the message was clear: the weapon was real. And it was his to claim.
> [System Quest Triggered]
Legacy Weapon: Trial of the Sunforged
Artifact: [Sealed]
Forms:
– Vijay Dhanush (Bow Form)
– Vasavi Shakti (Spear Form)
Bond Status: Dormant
Location: Trial Chamber Locked
Status: Training Recommended
Hint: "Not all flames ignite in battle. Some are forged through discipline."
Kael exhaled slowly, the quest notification fading.
The message was loud in its silence: he wasn't ready.
Not yet.
No coordinates. No flashing markers. No forced teleportation into danger.
This wasn't a story that handed him power. It expected him to earn it.
He would need to train. To refine both body and will. To sharpen instinct, endurance, and control—especially if the trial demanded mastery over both spear and bow.
Because in this world, he couldn't rely on the System to carry him. Only effort would awaken divinity.
---
The Next Week
Kael built his own training regimen—away from the others, in the abandoned upper courtyard, where an old shrine wall still stood and the grass had grown wild. Few students came here anymore. It suited him.
Every morning before dawn, he trained in silence.
For the spear, he practiced balance, lunges, and control using weighted wooden staves. He drilled precise movements—thrust, sweep, spin, brace. Not for show, but for stability. A true spear wasn't for dancing; it was for ending.
For the bow, he practiced breath control, posture, and visual alignment. Since he had no magical bow yet, he fashioned a crude training bow with limited draw—but he used it to train focus, not power.
He meditated between sessions, sometimes visualizing the spear igniting in his hand or the golden string of Vijay Dhanush tightening under his grip.
> [Spear Technique Familiarity: +9%]
[Bow Technique Familiarity: +6%]
[Stamina Reserve Increased]
[Balance Trait Enhanced]
It was slow.
Lonely.
Unforgiving.
But necessary.
---
One Afternoon
Kael paused mid-swing as he heard soft footsteps behind him.
He turned. Sylara Wyncrest stood at the edge of the courtyard.
Her white hair was tied back loosely today, her expression unreadable as ever. She held a book, but for once, she wasn't reading.
She watched him for several moments in silence.
"Why here?" she asked at last.
Kael wiped sweat from his brow. "No one comes here. It's quiet."
"You train alone."
"I prefer it."
"You won't learn teamwork by ignoring the living."
"I'm not preparing for a group fight," he said, before he could stop himself.
Her head tilted slightly. "Then for what?"
Kael hesitated. "Something... personal."
She didn't pry. Just watched for another moment, then quietly added, "Your form is too tight. You hold tension in your left shoulder."
Kael blinked. "You've used a spear?"
She didn't answer.
Just turned and left, as quietly as she came.
> [Observation: She Notices You]
[Affinity: +1]
Kael returned to practice—but her words stayed with him.
He relaxed his shoulder.
The motion flowed better.
---
Three Days Later
Kael stood atop the cliff overlooking the mist-covered valley east of the Academy. His pulse had settled into a quiet rhythm after a full morning of training.
That's when it happened.
The sun reached its highest point—and something shifted.
He felt it.
A deep warmth, not on his skin, but in his chest—like something ancient had stirred inside him.
And then—
> [Quest Update – Trial Location Detected]
Trial Chamber: The Cave of the First Ember
Status: Locked
Entry Requirement: Mental Discipline, Physical Readiness
Suggested Level: "When you stop flinching at yourself."
Timer: None
Kael stared at the message. The location was real.
But it wasn't time yet.
He understood.
The System wouldn't send him in unprepared. The Trial wasn't just about fighting—it was about whether he could hold the power without losing himself.
He clenched his fists.
Soon. But not yet.
---
Back in his dorm that evening, Kael opened his journal—a new habit he had started after the dreams began.
He wrote only one line tonight:
> "To wield the sun, I must become the flame."
He stared at it.
And smiled.