Melora was woken up by the sound of swords cshing. She slowly got up as her blurred vision regained focus. She looked around at what seemed to be a vast garden with no one in sight but a singur road. She slowly got up and walked down the path as the sound became louder. The ground beneath her started to change as the garden ignited into a fiery bze, and cracks appeared on the ground. Weapons of all kinds started to fall as the sky slowly darkened. This felt oddly familiar to her.

  “Do you not fear, child?”

  Melora started to look around, searching for the distorted voice, but she was all alone.

  “It has been over three hundred years since a Stormville has ascended to my realm.”

  “I am sorry, but I don’t know what ascending means.”

  “Hoho, you should know. Your friend Adeline ascended before your eyes. You helped her a lot.”

  “Are you the god of war?”

  “That I am. Welcome to my pne. You can call me Osiris."

  “How did I ascend?"

  “Every realm has its rules, but for mine, it was when you surpass your capabilities. That outburst was enough to meet that criteria, but in other cases, the gods simply will it, though it has its consequences.”

  “That was reckless of me. I could have hurt so many people.”

  “A fire keeps you warm outside and protects you, but left unchecked, a fire can burn everything around you to the ground, including your loved ones. You need to be both: a protector and a lethal guardian. Don’t lose sight of your goal.”

  The voice warned. Melora understood the warning and took note. She was indeed reckless and had forgotten the most important part of being a knight: controlling one's emotions.

  “Why am I here exactly?”

  “To inherit the strength of your ancestor, of course. The first Stormville was a very strong individual. He even earned the favor of a dragon he slew once. I suppose this is a gift for those with his blood. You simply have to find me.”

  “There are so many swords. How do you expect me to find you?”

  “You already have the answers you need. It is important to always be honest with yourself.”

  Melora paused her search as she quietly fell into thought. She stared up at the cloudy skies as the emotions she held at bay slowly crept back.

  “I need to protect my people and all those I love. I need to be better,” Melora silently spoke.

  “Is that truly all? Aren’t you strong enough to accomplish that? What is truly in your heart?”

  “I should have known about his impending betrayal. Everything was in my face, but I ignored it. I could have saved my knights’ lives and avoided this humiliation. I need to redeem myself and my people and repay in kind the suffering we had to endure under Segar.”

  “There is no such thing as perfection. Even gods make mistakes, so don’t put that pressure on yourself. You care about them, so I believe you will make the right decisions.”

  Melora remained silent for a short time. The words of Lucius still rang in her head. She thought about her te mother and the final words she spoke to her.

  ‘My beautiful daughter, there are still many things I need to tell you, but remember this: you will always be a Stormville, and I will always be by your side.’

  In that moment, her mind raced as she looked around the sea of different weapons. What does it mean to be a Stormville? She had sworn that oath so many times it was ingrained in her—her true drive, her purpose. She saw a bright silver sword which was slightly higher compared to the others. She quickly made her way to it. The sword was battered and had a dull edge. The handle was broken, and there was a rge crack running along its spine. It reminded her of the rusty dagger she carried with her. She reached down and held the broken handle, then slowly pulled it out, revealing a broken sword, and yet it glowed brilliantly.

  “The winds may roar, and the earth may quake. The sun may burn my skin, and the cold may rattle my bones. As long as there is blood in my veins, the fight for my people will never end, for I am a Stormville.”

  The sword started to glow as Melora turned away from the bright light. When she opened her eyes, the beautiful garden had returned, and in her hand, she held a beautiful silver longsword which was thin and light.

  “You found me. Congratutions.”

  “I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t left so many clues behind.”

  “But it’s you who came to the realization. The few who came here seemingly failed. Congratutions on being the third Stormville to wield the power of Arbegon, your ancestor.”

  A small light appeared as it slowly turned into a rge humanoid figure which looked down on her. She slowly kneeled with the sword thrust into the ground. A warm, dark light slowly descended onto her. Her body grew rger as she gained muscle mass. Her hair grew slightly longer, and her beauty amplified. A sharp pain hit her head as her pupils contracted, then returned to normal. Her ears slightly stretched, and her nose was slightly enrged. Her canine teeth became rge, making her look like a vampire.

  “We will always be watching over you.”

  Melora raised her head and saw the entirety of the Stormville line. A familiar face was at the forefront as she broke out and ran towards her. She tried to hug her te mother, but she was intangible. Her mother pced her hand on Melora’s cheek as a tear slowly fell from her eyes.

  “I am proud of you, my beautiful daughter.”

  “Mom, I have missed you so much. A lot of things have happened. I have so many things to tell you.”

  “No need to tell me, for I see you.”

  The afterimage slowly disappeared as the entire world turned dark. Melora suddenly shot up from her bed, and the person she saw first was Stephen, who was passed out on a nearby table surrounded by herbs and magical cores. She felt the familiar sensation of a snake slithering around her body as Scales revealed herself.

  “Welcome back. You have grown stronger.”