Chapter 19 - Chapter 19 - The Bow Beneath the Stones

The three siblings stood before the half-buried statue as dust drifted lazily through the stale air. The cavern felt ancient now—older than the dungeon, older than any questline. Lumi's glow illuminated the carved stone as if awakening something long dormant. Riley knelt beside the rubble, heart thudding with a quiet sense of gravity. "Alright, Lumi… let's see what you found." The tiny whelp hopped down from his arm with a determined wobble. His glow brightened, pulsing softly as he approached the broken pedestal. Aria and Sofia followed a step behind, their breaths warm in the cold air. The statue revealed itself slowly as Riley brushed aside centuries of dust—an old humanoid figure, its face worn down to a smooth oval, arms cupped reverently around an empty space in its chest as if it had once held something precious. But around its neck… A perfect, intact stone loop.Circular.Smooth.Shaped unmistakably like— "A bow," Sofia whispered. Aria squinted. "That's not a real bow. That's a carving. A… necklace? A stone necklace-bow? Whatever it is, Dot thinks it's dumb." Dot clicked twice in agreement. Riley didn't answer. Lumi padded forward until his tiny paws pressed against the carved stone loop. And then— CRACK— The sound wasn't violent.Not destructive.It was the soft crack of something unlocking. The loop shimmered under Lumi's paws, faint lines of pale silver racing through the stone like veins igniting with power. Light flickered, grew brighter— "Uh, Riley?" Aria backed up. "Your lizard-kitten is doing magic." Lumi chirped proudly. The carved bow began to loosen.Shift.Slide. And with a final pulse of light, it detached from the statue as if it had always been a real object, only trapped in stone. It floated for a moment—softly, gently— and settled into Riley's open hands. The glow faded instantly.The alcove fell quiet.Only the faint hum of the dungeon crystals remained. Aria stared. "…That's it?" She pointed accusingly at the bow. "That—thing—just made a light show worthy of a final boss entrance and what you're holding is literally a stylish piece of firewood." Sofia bit her lip. "It looks… simple." And it did. A plain wooden bow.No carvings.No enchantments.No aura.Something a beginner would toss aside on Day One without hesitation. But in front of Riley— a system window shimmered silently. SYSTEM:ITEM ACQUIRED — STARSEAR BOW (SEALED) RARITY: MYTHICTYPE: SPIRIT WEAPONTIER: 0 / 10STATUS: UNLOCKEDREQUIREMENTS:• Spirit Affinity (Starlight) — COMPLETE• Spirit Level 5 — COMPLETE• Player Level 5 — COMPLETE• Emotional Bond (Stage 1) — COMPLETE Riley's blood ran cold. Mythic. One of the Hundred. And then a lore poped up in Riley's vision Hidden Weapon Number 23 of The Hundred "A weapon that remembers the first light." Forged before the world had a name, the Starsear Bow was crafted in an age when Spirits and humans did not speak — they listened.Its curve mirrors the horizon of the first dawn, and its string is said to echo the song of newborn stars. The bow does not choose its wielder.It answers one. Only those whose Spirit carries the Starlight Affinity may awaken its sealed potential. Without that spark, the bow remains an ordinary relic — wooden, brittle, unremarkable. But in the hands of the chosen, the Starsear Bow is known to: Awaken tier by tier Mirror the wielder's emotional state Weave Spirit energy into arrows of light Bend fate toward its master with subtle guidance Grow stronger not with metal or crafting, but with bond It is said the original Starsears walked the world with no armies and no crowns — only their Spirits at their side, and the light of the stars at their backs. Most records of the Hundred Hidden Weapons were lost.But fragments remain: > "When the bow awakens, the night itself will bow."— Fragmented Scripture of the First Forge No sealed Starsear Bow has ever been fully awakened in recorded history. Its final tier is unknown. Some believe it can split the sky.Others believe it can silence gods.Most believe it is a myth. The bow itself has no voice. But the stars are watching. Aria leaned in impatiently. "Well? What does it say? Don't you dare stand there silently like you're reading a prophecy." Riley turned the bow, showing the public stats instead of the sealed ones. [Sealed Wooden Bow]Rarity: Mythic (Sealed)Attack: 3–5Durability: 40/40Effects: NoneSynergy: None Aria's face crumpled. "…It actually is firewood." Sofia tried to help. "Maybe it's… uh… symbolic firewood?" Riley exhaled slowly."Guys… this is one of the Hundred Hidden Weapons." Both girls froze. Aria almost dropped Dot."THE Hundred? Those ultra-secret relic things from the dev's lore drop? The ones we all thought were trolling because no one knows where they spawn?" "Yeah." Sofia's eyes widened. "The weapons that only appear once per server?" "Yep." "But the game's literally on Day Two!" Aria shrieked. "Nobody's even FOUND one yet!" Riley shrugged—trying to downplay the roaring inside his chest. "There were datamined hints before launch. Stuff about sealed mythic-class weapons hidden in very specific worldpoints. Devs never confirmed them, but… well. This lines up." Aria threw her hands in the air."Riley just casually finds a one-of-a-hundred mythical relic weapon because his baby star-lizard felt nostalgic?!" Lumi chirped smugly. Sofia giggled. "He's very proud." Riley swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. "These… these things are supposed to grow over time. They unlock their power slowly. Spirit weapons adapt to their partner. So right now…" he lifted the bow, feeling its subtle warmth, "it's sealed. But if I meet the requirements…" Aria's eyes sparkled. "It won't suck anymore?" "It'll be… something else entirely," Riley said softly. Inside his mind, though… In my first life… only twenty-one of these were ever found.A hundred exist.And the players who owned them became monsters in tournaments, PvP zones, raid clears… wars were fought over just the one. He squeezed the grip tightly to steady himself. "This bow is real," he whispered. "And it's ours." Sofia touched Lumi's head. "So Lumi really sensed it?" Lumi glowed faintly and nudged the bow with his nose. Riley smiled. "Yeah. He led us straight to it." Aria snorted. "I knew he was special the second I saw him almost get us killed. True hero energy." Riley rolled his eyes. "Let's not talk about that part." Dot clicked, offended. Echo barked softly. The alcove dimmed again as the last remnants of glow faded from the stone. The statue's cupped hands seemed emptier now, like releasing the bow had been its final purpose. Riley slid the Starsear Bow across his back. Even sealed… even weak… the moment the string brushed his fingers, he felt something ancient hum beneath the wood. Sleeping.Waiting.Recognizing him. He turned toward the tunnel. "Let's get back to the village," he said, voice steadying. Aria threw a fist into the air. "Shopping spree!" Sofia smiled. "We should get your gauntlets repaired first." Aria gasped. "Don't you shame my art." They laughed softly as they stepped away from the alcove, their spirits trailing behind—Dot scuttling, Echo trotting, Lumi perched proudly on Riley's shoulder. As they approached the exit tunnel, Riley cast one final glance back at the statue. A weapon from legend.On Day Two.In his hands. And for the first time since waking up sixteen again… he felt like fate wasn't something to fear. It was something he could rewrite.