A soft whistling sound in the air.
It grew louder, until Vaen finally turned.
"Wait… what's that?"
The light grew fast, and it wasn't slowing down.It was heading straight for the harbor.
"Oh, come on. That's—oh no. That's coming here."
The bridge shook under his feet.Before Vaen could move, it flash everything.
The shock threw him backward. The railing snapped, and he fell into the sea. Cold water slammed into him, dragging him under. He tried to scream, but bubbles filled his mouth. The surface vanished above him.
The world went dark.
The water pressed against his chest. He stopped struggling.
So, this is it, he thought weakly.
"I finally get dinner with a view."
Then something beat.
A slow, rhythm echoed through the water, shaking everything around him. A Light rose from below a circles of symbols, moving. Strange writings glowed faintly beneath him, wrapping around his arms, his chest, his face.
And then came a voice low and calm.
"You saw the world's cruelty and smiled."
"You sought peace in imbalance."
"Then you shall carry Me."
Light burst upward, and everything went silent.
When Vaen opened his eyes again, he was lying on the shore. He coughed hard, spitting out seawater. Sand clung to his hair, and his clothes stuck to his skin.
"Ugh… that's the last time I eat by the bridge," he groaned.
He rubbed his face and froze.
Beside him, half-buried in sand, was a huge stone tablet. Carved lines covered its surface, glowing faintly blue. It looked old, ancient.
"What the hell…?"
He brushed the sand away. The markings shimmered under his touch. They looked like letters, but from no language he knew.
When his fingers grazed the surface again, the tablet vibrated softly.
"Oh, that's… that's probably bad," he muttered. "Rocks aren't supposed to hum."
He tried to lift it, but it barely moved.
"Okay, heavy. You win. But maybe you're worth something."
He grabbed the edge and began dragging it across the sand, inch by inch, toward his apartment.
"You better not be cursed, buddy. I just wanted to eat."
By the time he reached home, he was half-dead from exhaustion. He pushed the tablet beside his bed and collapsed onto the floor.
The markings on the tablet flickered.
Then, from its center, something moved a small metallic handle sliding out from the stone.
Vaen frowned. "Were you… always like that?"
The handle gleamed under the dim light. It almost looked like it wanted him to grab it.
"…Alright, fine. But if I die, I'm blaming you."
He gripped it and pulled.
The tablet split open, light spilling out from it. A dagger slid out small, sharp, glowing blue.
Vaen blinked. "No way… this came out of you?"
He turned the blade in his hand, watching it. It felt light, perfectly balanced, almost… familiar.
"Well," he said, smiling, "guess the sea wanted me to have a souvenir."
He placed the dagger beside his bed and laid down. Within minutes, he was asleep.
The markings on the tablet began to move again, forming words.
Outside, the waves under the moonlight.And far beyond the sea, a whisper speak through the sea.
"The Balance… has chosen."