A light mist covered the plains of South Vale as dawn rose over the ridge of Highridge Spine.
The morning air carried the scent of wet earth and the soft sound of practice gongs in the distance.
New sunlight penetrated between the trees, reflecting silver on the grass that was still wet with dew.
The Clans of Southern Vale prepare for an important day; an annual testing day that determines the future of aspiring swordsmen.
On the east side of the village, a young man stood facing the dawn light.
Ardyn Vale, sixteen years old, was slim with slightly narrow shoulders, but there was a subtle tension in the way he stood.
His gaze was cold and sharp, as if he was reading patterns in the world that others were unable to see.
His black hair was slightly messy in the wind. He held the edge of the wooden fence beam, looking at the training arena from a distance without expression.
Ardyn didn't wait for anyone. He just wanted to make sure that the moment would actually come, the day that might confirm that he really had nothing.
The sound of light footsteps came from behind.
"Ardyn. You've been here since dawn again." Seraphine Vale's gentle voice broke the silence. His cousin stood up while hugging a small notebook to his chest.
Her golden brown hair was flowing neatly, and her eyes were full of worry that she didn't hide.
"Are you sure you want to take the test today?"
Ardyn looked around for a moment. "I need to know the extent of my emptiness."
"Not emptiness... you just..."
"Seraphine." Ardyn stopped him in a flat tone. "There's no need to defend the obvious."
Seraphine swallowed her words. He knew Ardyn wasn't angry, but the wounds he carried were too deep to be patched with sweet words.
From the front gate, an old guard named Edran Torvale waved a small hand at them.
"Hurry up, kids. Elder is already prepared." His voice was hoarse but friendly, one of the few people who never looked away from Ardyn.
Ardyn walked without haste. Seraphine followed behind him, occasionally stealing glances at her cousin's face which had not changed since morning.
They passed a small settlement of wood and stone, where the clansmen were busy preparing their sons and daughters for today's test.
On the way, several young people who were practicing basic sword movements stopped and watched Ardyn.
Ronan Vale, a thirteen year old boy with shaggy blonde hair, grinned.
"Look, the Cavity is coming."
The other kids laughed. Ardyn stared at Ronan for a moment.
"If you spent less time insulting me and more time paying attention to your own feet, you wouldn't have fallen three times during practice yesterday."
The children's laughter was interrupted. Ronan blushed but couldn't reply. Seraphine turned to Ardyn, surprised but unable to hide the small smile on her lips.
The testing arena was in the center of the camp. The circular stone building is surrounded by statues of Vale ancestors.
The morning light fell on the statues, casting long, sharp shadows on the ground. The atmosphere turned more serious when the elders had already sat down in their high chairs.
Lord Gaius Vale, head of the southern branch, sat in the very center. His face was hard, covered in the scars of years of guarding the clan.
He looked at the participants expressionlessly, but his eyes contained an authority that no one could deny.
On the right side, Elder Renar Vale arranged the Stone of Meridian Resonance, a black stone with silver veins that would determine each child's talent.
Meanwhile, Darion Vale stood at the front of the line with his trademark crooked smile, accompanied by two of his followers, Kelvin Duskhold and Tristan Emberfall.
When he saw Ardyn enter the arena, Darion laughed softly.
"How dare you show up again. Aren't you tired of failing?"
Ardyn passed them without hesitation. "If I fall, I fall because of my choice. Not because of your voice."
Several elders stared at each other. Ardyn's words were not loud, but felt like blades pressing against the back of his neck.
One by one the participants come forward, placing their hands on the stones. Lysa Farndale got the medium meridian. Brent Valorwind only slightly flared but still got away.
Milea Crestwind received a thin silvery glow. Each success was greeted by cheers from their respective families.
Then, Elder Renar called out a name which made the arena suddenly quiet.
"Ardyn Vale."
Ardyn walked to the center. The sound of his footsteps could be heard clearly as everyone held their breath.
The black stone gleamed faintly, waiting for the touch of the young man who had been labeled as having no meridians since childhood.
Ardyn put down his hand. Cold. The surface is smooth. No reaction. No vibrations, no light, no current flow like other children. Only the harsh silence felt piercing.
Elder Renar stared at the stone for a long time. His voice was heavy as he said, "Not… not even a single meridian fiber."
Darion's laughter exploded the loudest. "Did I say? A Hollow Child is still a Hollow Child."
Whispers started to rise among the crowd.
"Completely empty."
"Too bad."
"Shouldn't have come along in the first place."
Ardyn showed no change in expression. He knew this would happen. But his inner voice was not completely calm. He just said to himself, "I already know. But it still hurts."
Seraphine covered her mouth with her hand, turning her face away so as not to see people's gazes.
Lord Gaius sighed, not because Ardyn was embarrassing, but because clan rules required that children without meridians be excluded from the training path.
The crowd slowly dispersed when the testing was over. Seraphine ran over.
"Ardyn, I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be treated like that."
"Seraphine." Ardyn looked straight ahead. "There's no need to apologize for their choices."
He looked at the arena which was starting to empty. The elders spoke in their seats, the talented disciples gathered around laughing. Ardyn is not jealous. He just wanted to understand why his body was so different.
Darion stepped closer again, his face full of triumph.
"Don't ever show up at training again. You're just getting in the way."
Ardyn glanced at him briefly. "If you're worried that someone without meridians will make you look bad, then you're weaker than I imagined."
Kelvin and Tristan held their breath. Darion was silent for a moment. Seraphine held Ardyn's arm, partly afraid of Darion attacking, but Ardyn continued walking without paying them any attention.
Ardyn's steps took him away from the crowds to the oldest building in the south: the old Vale Clan weapons warehouse. The wooden building tilted slightly,
the walls are mossy, but still stand strong. Inside there are hundreds of rusty swords that are no longer used.
Old Harven, the warehouse keeper, sat leaning against a wooden crate smoking a small pipe. He turned around when the door creaked.
"You again, Ardyn? The other kids are celebrating their talents."
Ardyn walked past a worn weapons rack. "This place is more honest than the arena earlier."
Harven chuckled softly. "You are indeed different. But this place full of dead iron... has no answers."
"That's why I'm looking for him," answered Ardyn. He bent down, checking the broken blade, the fragile hilt,
and metal fragments that were once the battlefield of the predecessors. Every object has a story, and Ardyn always felt that only here could he be at peace.
He sat in a dark corner of the warehouse. Sunlight poured in from the gaps in the roof, illuminating the falling dust like tiny bits of light.
Ardyn looked down, looking at his empty palms. No aura, no power. Just an ordinary body that he forced to endure for years.
He didn't cry. There's no reason for that. All he felt was the cold realization that the world would not make a way for him. If he wanted to move forward, he had to cut his own path.
While looking for a place to lean, his eyes caught something behind a pile of worn swords. A piece of rusty iron, darker and quieter than the others. Hidden, forgotten, but radiating something strange.
Ardyn didn't touch him that day. But for some reason, it seemed as if the sword was waiting for him.
with a long silence in the old warehouse, while outside, the training gong began to ring again for children who had a future.
Ardyn remained seated, looking at the rusty sword, as if the world had finally shown a small sign that it was different from usual.
One sign that could change everything.