Challengingly, I swam to the surface of the water, leaving the Blightcursed behind to wither.
With the weight of my steel in hand, it was difficult, but swimming had been one of the many exercises I had been trained diligently in by Ryder.
A man that I'm sure you will soon hear all about.
As I broke through the surface of the water and lifted myself to the grass beside the lake, I lay on my back, staring up at the moon above.
It was a beautiful sight, but I had no time to take it in. All my focus is on the change happening in my chest.
It was a painful feeling. Like something inside of me was trying to crawl out from my flesh.
I clutched at my chest, wondering whether I was having a heart attack.
Wondering whether I was going to die.
But moments later, the pain began to die down, and with it, came a strange feeling.
One of... Strength.
Despite the previous events which should have tired me out. My body felt rejuvenated by an unseen power. It felt like I could jump onto my feet and climb the tallest trees in the forest without using my arms.
Slowly, I sat up and looked down at my hands, clenching and unclenching my fist.
And then, understanding washed over me.
⟡⟡⟡
Something inside me had shifted. The blight within the world was no longer just an external essence. It had now entered me.
Answered me.
I had awakened a Pathway.
The Sword Path.
It was said that the soul and body shape one's path. When you reach the age of awakening and take in your first breath of battle, the path you walk reveals itself.
But mine was different.
My core, newly formed, pulsing faintly in my chest, had already opened its second seal. A level of attunement typically reached only after months or years of training, when one was able to pass the second trial.
And it seemed that killing the Blightcursed was what had pushed me through.
That was the trial for opening your second seal!
I could feel the flow of blight building inside of my core and spreading through my veins.
Most importantly, a name whispered itself to me. An event that happened in the minds of all those that had awakened.
The current Saint of my Path.
Elanis Lionheart.
But for now, I brushed away the thought.
I sat there for a few moments, trying to process what had just happened. And once I was done, I leapt to my feet and thrust my sword into the air.
"I've awakened... I've awakened!"
I shouted so loud that the birds were startled from the trees once again, flying off into the distance, but I didn't care.
I could hardly contain myself.
Still, something wasn't right. I was not yet sixteen, the age said that humans can awaken their core.
I understood that to awaken the second seal of your core, you needed to slay a Blightcursed. However, what about the first tier? The one that required you to reach the age of awakening.
Was It really just possible to skip it?
Rubbing at my chin, I struggled to contain my excitement.
Not only had I awakened prematurely, but I had also skipped an entire seal. That meant that the amount of blight that I could draw into my core was many times greater than those at the first tier.
My mind was filled with thoughts of techniques that I'd someday be able to use. Plus, I had awakened in the Sword Path, which my family and I had worked diligently towards.
...
My family!
The sudden thought made me realise how late it was. They would be worrying about where I was at such a time.
Wasting no time, I sheathed my sword and began to head back in the direction of our estate.
However, as I put my weapon away, I noticed a drastic change take place in my body. All movements seemed to require more effort.
And so, I unsheathed my blade once again, instantly noticing its effects.
My body moved faster with the sword in hand! It was like I had tapped into the full potential of my body.
My movements felt sharper, more efficient like the blight within me responded to the weight of the blade.
It wasn't a spell or a trick. It was a passive truth of my Path. A technique etched into my core.
So, with my sword drawn, I sprinted through the underbrush of the forest and headed back home.
⟡⟡⟡
The Cadence estate was large in comparison to commoners' houses, but if you put it next to some of the richest noble estates of the Zaleth kingdom, it would look like a hut.
Out front was a garden with a paved path running down its centre, leading into the forest from which I had slain the Blightcursed. As the estate was located at the top of a large hill, you could see the land stretch out beneath it.
In the distance, I could see the capital city of Zaleth. Truest.
I could also see the Eternal Mountain further ahead.
"Vale!"
A cry came from the garden, as I noticed two people running towards me. It was my mother and father.
My mother had tears of worry running down her face, whilst my father was letting out a deep sigh.
I had worried them gravely, but it was hardly the first time.
My mother wrapped her arms around my shoulders, bringing me into a tight hug. She had pink hair, which was where I got my own from.
"Vale. Oh, my sweet boy, we thought something had happened to you." She said, burying her head into my damp chest.
As she pulled away, she and my father looked down at my sword, noticing that it was drawn from its sheathe.
"V-vale?" My father muttered. His hair was brown, but his eyes were golden, and his ears pointed like an Ordenian Elf. It was where I had gotten my other peculiar features. "Your sword... Did you come into trouble?"
My parents stared deep into my eyes, inspecting me up and down as I sheathed my blade.
"Honey..." My mother said, nudging my father's shoulder. "Isn't there something... Different about him."
I struggled to keep the smirk from his face. My parents were both awakened, but they had only reached the first seal.
Such was common for people who did not wish to become knights. They would awaken their cores, and progress no further. It wasn't looked down upon, just the way the world worked.
However, with the Zaleth Kingdom losing the war, it had been encouraged for as many youths to continue down their paths to aid their people.
It was the path that I wished to follow. The reason why my parents had spent all our money on making sure that I had the best swords trainer.
And now I was there. At the age of fifteen, I had already surpassed my parents in strength.
"I've done it, Mother and Father," I said in a low tone, outstretching my arms as if to present my core to them. "I have awakened."