But as the years passed, times changed. The sword, once admired, became hollow, buried by metal and gunpowder.
What remained of its legacy was just a decoration on walls, humiliating.
Yet now, standing before him was a boy who spoke of the sword with sincerity. Seeing that fierce resolve in Kael's eyes, the old man couldn't help but remember the fire that once burned in his own.
"Beautifully said, Kael," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "It seems you have matured alongside your sword."
Kael smiled, bowing slightly in respect. "It was all because of your guidance, Master."
But Kael hadn't always been this way.
He was once just an average high school student—nothing special, nothing extraordinary. His life had one aim: to become a successful engineer. Not because he wanted to, but because that was what everyone expected. His family, his teachers, even his friends—they all had the same dream in mind: doctor or engineer.
So, Kael boarded that train of expectation, swept away by false promises.
But the deeper he went, the more lost he felt.
The theories were endless. The formulas consumed his mind. The diagrams, equations, and mechanical figures all drove him mad. He tried; he really did. But nothing worked.
One day, suffocated by frustration, Kael decided to take a break from his mechanics and projectile lectures. He needed air. Some time alone.
He chose to take a short vacation to a beach not far from where he was staying. He had no real plan—just the need to escape.
There, at the beach, Kael saw a man who changed his entire world.
He seemed fairly young—perhaps in his mid- or late twenties. Alone, he stood on top of the rock facing the sea, holding a sword in his hand.
Kael had never seen a sight like that before.
But what truly stayed with him—what he could never forget—was the expression on the man's face.
He wasn't fierce or intense. There was no bloodlust in his eyes. Instead, he wore a smile, one filled not with pride but peace.
Freedom.
That single moment etched itself into Kael's soul. The man and his sword looked as though they were one. Not warrior and weapon—but companions.
Equals.
Kael remembered whispering to himself, almost unconsciously, "Is that... what freedom truly is?"
Although the scene might have seemed ordinary to anyone else, to Kael, who was buried under the weight of expectations, it was profound.
It was as if the sight of that young man and his sword had peeled away something heavy from Kael's chest.
From that day on, he couldn't let it go.
He found a local dojo a few days later and stepped in with a nervous yet eager heart. There, he met the old man—his master, who took him in, seeing the fire in his eyes.
Under his guidance, Kael began to learn the art of the sword, practicing each movement with growing reverence. Every spare hour he could manage, he spent in that worn-out hall, training with his sword.
This became his peace. His freedom.
***
Hours passed like minutes, and before he knew it, the evening had already painted the sky with orange hues. Kael bowed to his master, thanked him, and made his way home.
As he walked, he absentmindedly swung his arm through the air, mimicking the feeling of the wooden sword.
Vertical swipe... pull back... and lunge again.
He whispered, imagining the combo in his head.
But just as he turned a corner, a loud BEEP shattered his concentration.
"What the fuck—" he muttered, squinting toward the blinding light.
The sound grew louder—distorted, rising into a screech.
And then—BAANGGG.
His world exploded.
His body was flung into the air, limbs twisting, and then —
....
Is this the end?
....
What was the purpose of me being alive?
....
Darkness
….
"Kael… wake up."
A soft, melodic voice pulled him back from the dark. He stirred awake, groaning faintly as strange warmth surrounded him.
His eyelids fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was a woman. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, with golden blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and a pair of dark eyes.
She smiled warmly at him, gently brushing a hand over his cheek.
"There's my sweet little boy," she whispered lovingly.
Who... who is she? Kael blinked, his thoughts still swimming.
Before he could gather a word, she leaned down and planted a tender kiss right on his lips.
"Aww, my baby is so handsome." she beamed.
What?! What the hell is she doing?! Kael flushed in panic, squirming.
He tried to sit up, arms flailing—and then froze.
His arms... were tiny.