Chapter 6: Awakening
The darkness clung to Shen like a second skin as the nightmare played out before him once more.
"Ah... Rin..."
His own voice sounded distant, muffled by the suffocating weight of guilt.
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Pale.
Silent.
Her eyes burned with pain.
And betrayal.
"Shen!"
Rin's voice cut through him like a blade.
"Why didn't you save me?"
Shen's body trembled.
"S-Sorry, sister! I didn't expect—"
"You don't deserve to live in this world."
Her voice became colder.
Darker.
"Die... just die..."
"Rin!"
Shen reached toward her.
But she vanished.
The darkness swallowed everything.
Then—
His eyes flew open.
"HAAH!"
Cold sweat covered his body.
His heart hammered violently against his ribs.
His breathing was uneven.
The nightmare still felt real.
Too real.
He pressed a hand against his forehead.
"What kind of nightmare was that...?"
His vision blurred.
The room spun.
He looked around slowly.
White walls.
A ceiling.
Medical equipment.
A hospital room.
"Where... am I...?"
Then memories began returning.
The cursed swords.
The strange voice.
The fight.
The darkness.
The void.
Kenya.
Commander Cairo.
Everything.
Suddenly the door burst open.
"Commander! Shen's awake!"
Eliz's voice echoed through the room.
A second later multiple footsteps rushed inside.
Kenya appeared first.
Then Eliz.
Then Ruke.
And finally Commander Cairo.
Ruke immediately pointed.
"What?!"
"You actually woke up?"
Shen blinked.
"What do you mean actually?"
Kenya folded his arms.
"We thought you were dead."
"WHAT?!"
Eliz nodded.
"You destroyed half the headquarters."
"What?!"
"You fought all of us."
"WHAT?!"
"You nearly killed Kenya."
"WHAT?!"
"You became possessed."
"WHAT?!"
"You caused three explosions."
"WHAT?!"
Shen grabbed his head.
"What happened while I was sleeping?!"
Before anyone answered—
BONK!
Commander Cairo punched him directly on the head.
"GYAAAAH!"
Shen immediately rolled across the bed.
"Commander! Why?!"
Commander Cairo stared at him.
"Why did you touch that sword?"
Shen froze.
"...Because it looked cool."
Silence.
Everyone stared at him.
Commander Cairo closed his eyes.
Kenya covered his face.
Eliz sighed.
Ruke looked disappointed.
"That's the dumbest reason I've ever heard."
"It did look cool!"
BONK!
Another punch landed.
"OW!"
Commander Cairo pointed toward him.
"Never touch random cursed weapons again."
"Yes sir."
"Good."
Shen smiled.
"I escaped punishment."
"You didn't."
The smile vanished.
Commander Cairo continued.
"After you recover, you are cleaning every single thing you destroyed."
The room became silent.
Shen slowly looked around.
"Everything?"
"Everything."
"Even the walls?"
"Everything."
"The buildings?"
"Everything."
"The training yard?"
"Everything."
Shen's soul almost left his body.
"Nooooo!"
The others laughed.
For the first time since the battle, the atmosphere became lighter.
A few hours later.
Shen stood outside carrying rubble.
A mountain of rubble.
A very large mountain.
A very unfair mountain.
"I got possessed."
He threw a broken stone away.
"Almost died."
Another stone.
"Saved the headquarters."
Another stone.
"And somehow I'm the one cleaning."
Another stone.
"This world is unfair."
Kenya walked past.
"It's your fault."
"I know."
Eliz walked past.
"It's definitely your fault."
"I know."
Ruke walked past.
"You're lucky Commander didn't kill you."
"I KNOW!"
The three immediately laughed.
Shen wanted new friends.
Hours passed.
The sun slowly descended.
Orange light covered the base.
Finally.
At long last.
The last piece of rubble disappeared.
Shen collapsed onto the ground.
"I finished..."
His soul felt exhausted.
His body felt exhausted.
Even his bones felt exhausted.
Then—
"Shen."
His eyes widened.
The Commander.
Again.
"No."
"Come here."
"No."
"Now."
Shen slowly stood up.
His instincts told him something terrible was about to happen.
And unfortunately his instincts were usually correct.
A few minutes later everyone gathered inside the training yard.
Commander Cairo stood before them.
"Now we begin your real training."
Shen's eyes sparkled.
"Finally!"
"Code-Breaking Power?"
"No."
His smile vanished.
"Then what?"
Commander Cairo looked toward the storage room.
"The swords."
Shen froze.
"The cursed swords?"
"Yes."
Kenya immediately raised his hand.
"I still think this is a terrible idea."
Eliz nodded.
"Agreed."
Ruke nodded.
"Definitely terrible."
Commander Cairo ignored them.
"During the battle, your power increased dramatically whenever you used those weapons."
Shen looked toward the storage room.
The memory of the darkness returned.
The overwhelming power.
The strange voice.
The fear.
His hands unconsciously tightened.
"What if it happens again?"
Commander Cairo's answer was immediate.
"Then I'll kill you."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Everyone became silent.
Shen looked horrified.
"THAT'S YOUR PLAN?!"
Commander Cairo nodded.
"Yes."
"THAT'S NOT A PLAN!"
"It works."
"FOR WHO?!"
The Commander ignored him completely.
"Bring the swords."
Kenya carefully carried the twin blades.
Even now they looked sinister.
Dark crimson metal.
Strange markings.
A faint black aura.
The moment Shen saw them—
Something reacted inside him.
The swords trembled.
The air became colder.
Everyone noticed.
Commander Cairo stepped forward.
"Take them."
Shen swallowed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
He reached out.
And grabbed the swords.
For one second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!
Darkness exploded outward.
Black energy flooded the training ground.
The sky darkened.
The ground cracked.
Kenya immediately drew his sword.
"Commander!"
Eliz prepared her magic.
Ruke summoned lightning.
Everyone was ready.
Waiting.
Watching.
Then something changed.
The darkness stopped growing.
Instead—
It began changing.
The black energy slowly transformed.
Darkness became blue.
Black became sapphire.
Like night becoming dawn.
The terrifying cursed energy became calm.
Controlled.
Beautiful.
The blue light wrapped around Shen's body.
His hair moved with the energy.
His eyes shone brightly.
The twin swords hummed peacefully.
Commander Cairo narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting."
Kenya lowered his sword.
"He succeeded?"
Eliz stared.
"I think he did."
Ruke blinked.
"That's impossible."
The blue energy continued flowing around Shen.
He could feel everything.
The wind.
The earth.
The energy inside the swords.
The movement of every person nearby.
It felt incredible.
Amazing.
Power surged through every part of his body.
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
"This..."
The blue aura intensified.
The ground trembled.
The swords glowed brighter.
"This is amazing!"
For the first time since losing his family...
For the first time since joining the Arcane Drifting Force...
For the first time since being told he was powerless...
Shen finally felt strong.
The darkness had accepted him.
And a new power had awakened.
"I..."
Blue light erupted around him.
The entire training yard was illuminated.
Shen raised the twin blades toward the sky.
A smile filled with determination appeared on his face.
"I did it."
To Be Continued...