Chapter 9: Emberforged
The forge room was silent, hidden in the forgotten basement beneath the alchemy tower. Dust blanketed everything but the massive obsidian anvil at the center—still warm despite years of neglect. Kael stood before it, the *Living Flame Crystal* pulsing in his hand like a second heartbeat.
Elira leaned against a stone pillar, arms folded, her eyes fixed on him.
"You're sure this is safe?" she asked.
Kael didn't look up. "No. But I have to do it."
The Soul Devouring System stirred awake.
"Soul Forge Protocol Initiated.
Stage 1 Access: Basic Integration
Materials:
- Living Flame Crystal (1)
- Host Soul Core (Kael Ardyn)
- Catalyst: Bone-Steel Dagger (eligible)"
Kael placed his old dagger onto the anvil. It was worn, chipped but it had tasted his blood more than once.
He pressed the Living Flame Crystal into the blade's hilt. Fire erupted from the connection point, and the entire chamber trembled.
"WARNING: Soul overload imminent. Proceed with stabilizing link…"
Kael gritted his teeth and forced his will into the blade. Elira rushed to his side, placing her hand over his. "Let me share the resonance. You'll burn yourself out!"
The moment their souls touched again, a ripple spread across the room—memories flashing between them, harmonizing. The system surged:
"Dual Soul Resonance Achieved. Stabilizing…
Soulbound Weapon Created: Emberfang (Tier 1)
Effect: Absorbs enemy soul energy on kill. Flame element. Resonates with bonded soul user."
The blade pulsed red-gold, its metal glowing with soulflame.
Kael stared at it, stunned. He could feel it breathing, alive in his grip.
Elira whispered, "You just forged a soulbound weapon. First-year students aren't even allowed to touch artifacts like this."
"I don't care what they allow," Kael said. "I'll make my own path."
---
That afternoon, word spread fast: Kael Ardyn was seen carrying a weapon that shimmered with soulfire. Rumors flew—of the duel, the assassin, and now the weapon. Some said he'd made a deal with a demon. Others whispered he was one.
One person, however, didn't rely on rumor.
*Master Veyren*, a high-level instructor cloaked in ash-colored robes, stood before the headmaster's mirror archive. His eyes narrowed as he replayed the soul signature flaring beneath the west tower the night before.
"So… the boy found it," he murmured. "The forge responds to him."
Behind him, a shadow moved. "Should I remove him, Master?"
"No," Veyren said calmly. "Not yet. The forge hasn't chosen in centuries. Let's see how far he'll go before he burns."
---
That night, Kael sat alone at the edge of the academy's sky balcony, Emberfang resting across his knees. Elira joined him, dropping beside him wordlessly.
"Are you afraid?" she asked.
He stared at the blade, then at the stars. "Every day. But fear doesn't stop me anymore."
She leaned against him gently. "Good. Because we're being watched."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
She continued, "Three students followed you after class today. One had noble crest tattoos Dorne's allies."
Kael smirked. "Let them come. I need more souls to feed the forge."
And from far above, in the observatory tower, Master Veyren watched them with a flick of his hand, whispering into a soulstone:
*"Let the trial begin."*
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