After breakfast, Lio and I headed toward the harbor path, scanning for a familiar mop of unruly black hair. It didn't take long—Bren Zephyris was already waving at us from the shoreline, bouncing on his heels with his usual boundless energy.
"Took you long enough!" Bren grinned. "Come on! Let's get to the mountain before someone sees us."
He didn't know what we were bringing, but he knew me well enough to sense when I had something… unusual.
The three of us hiked toward the island's rocky ridge—a jagged rise we simply called the mountain, even though it wasn't much more than a large hill of weathered stone and sparse vegetation. Still, it was remote enough for experiments. And today's experiment was unlike anything this world had ever seen.
When I unwrapped the cloth bundle and revealed the revolvers, Bren's eyes widened.
Lio's jaw dropped.
"That… that's it?" Bren blinked. "It's so short! Are you sure it's a firearm?"
"Firearms are supposed to be huge," Lio added, holding his arms apart dramatically. "You know, long barrels, heavy wood, one-shot-and-you're-done."
I smiled. "That's the old way. This is the new one."
They had no idea.
I stepped forward, took one revolver in hand, and aimed it at a large boulder roughly thirty meters away.
I steadied my breath.
Pulled the hammer back.
And squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The sound cracked through the mountain like thunder.
Both boys flinched.
A neat chip blasted off the front of the boulder.
"No way…" Bren whispered.
"That tiny thing did that!?" Lio shouted.
I didn't answer. I simply raised the revolver again.
Five more shots rang out in quick succession.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Six shots. One after another—the first true rapid-fire weapon on this planet.
Dust settled. A large chunk of the boulder was gouged out, nearly all the shots landing in the same region.
The boys were speechless.
But I…
My eyes narrowed.
There—at the edge of the damaged stone—something glowed.
A faint, pulsing red light.
Like a heartbeat trapped inside the rock.
I felt a strange pull toward it, almost magnetic. Before Bren or Lio could say anything, I stepped forward.
"Kael?" Bren called. "What're you doing?"
I ignored him.
As I reached the boulder, the red glow intensified. I placed my hand against the warm stone.
And then—
SHRRRIP!
A streak of red shot out like lightning.
Straight at my forehead.
There was no time to react.
Pain exploded through my skull—sharp, violent, blinding.
I felt myself falling backward.
Then…
Nothing.
A faint ringing.
Hands shaking my shoulders.
Distant voices.
Light stabbing my eyes.
"Kael! Kael! Wake up!"
"Brother! Come on!"
I gasped and bolted upright.
Bren and Lio froze, relief flooding their faces.
"You're alive!" Lio nearly cried.
"What happened!?" Bren demanded. "Something hit you—then you dropped—then—"
"I thought I…"I stopped.
No need to worry them.
"Nevermind. How long was I out?"
"Couple minutes," Bren said, still pale. "Maybe three?"
"That's good enough," I muttered, exhaling.
I forced a smile and held out the revolvers.
"Here. Try them. You can load six at a time. There are thirty bullets in the pouch. Have fun."
Bren's fear disappeared instantly.
Lio's hesitation vanished even faster.
The two grabbed the revolvers like excited children with new toys, running off to load them clumsily.
"Kael! Which end do I put the bullets in again—wait, I got it!"
Lio proudly fired his first shot.
BANG!
And immediately staggered back, nearly dislocating his shoulder from the recoil.
"Ow—ow—OW! Why is it so strong!?" he yelled, flailing.
I snorted and sat under a nearby tree, letting its shade cool my skin.
But inside…
My heart was pounding.
Because the moment that red shard pierced my skull…
Something else had awakened.
____________________________________________
They stopped only when all the bullets were used.
Only after I promised—multiple times—that I would make a revolver for each of them someday did their excitement finally settle. Bren still handled the gun like it was the greatest treasure ever discovered, and Lio kept wincing and rubbing his shoulder, pretending it didn't hurt.
"Next time warn me about the recoil!" he said, glaring.
"I did," I replied.
"No, you didn't!"
I smirked. "I definitely did."
Bren laughed so hard he nearly dropped the revolver.
The rest of the day passed in its usual rhythm.
We explored the island's rocky paths, jumping over tide pools and racing each other along the ridge. Swordsmanship practice came next—steady footwork, breathing techniques, slashes that echoed lightly against the wind.
Every once in a while, Bren would pull out the revolver and fire a single shot into the sea or a distant tree stump, grinning like a lunatic. Lio tried again only after I corrected his stance, this time managing not to dislocate anything.
"See? Easy," I said.
"I hate you sometimes," he muttered.
Later, we parted ways so I could return home.
Mother had sent word for help. I spent an hour assisting her with illusion anchors near the eastern cliff—small crystal nodes she used to maintain the island's concealment. It wasn't complex work, just delicate. Each rune-inscribed pebble needed to be buried at precise distances.
Mother watched me with her usual gentle smile.
"You grow more capable every year," she said.
I shrugged. "Just doing what I can."
After helping her, I wandered toward the forest edge to forage. The clinic needed fresh herbs—holy basil, wild ginger, and the bitter leaf used to bring down fevers. My steps were practiced now; I'd walked these paths for years.
The breeze cooled as the sun dipped lower. The ocean shimmered gold. Everything felt peaceful.
Normal.
Ordinary.
But beneath my calm expression, my thoughts kept circling back to the moment earlier—the red light, the pain, the flash, the feeling of something slipping into my head.
Something was different.
I could feel it.
Like a whisper at the edge of my consciousness.
Faint.
Waiting.
I ignored it… for now.
With a basket full of herbs, I headed home as night fell, unaware that today—despite its peacefulness—was the true beginning.
Because tomorrow, the ocean would stop whispering.
And start speaking