Dawn's light seeped through the cracks of the storage closet where Ethan and Lira had hidden for hours, painting dust motes gold. The broken sword from the Whispering Woods lay wrapped in Ethan's coat, its runes dim now, as if exhausted from the night's chaos. The Cursed Blade at his hip was quiet too—but Ethan could still feel it, a low thrum beneath his palm, as if it sensed the tension in the air.Lira leaned against the wall, cleaning the ice powder from her robe with a scrap of cloth. "The academy's on high alert," she said, her voice low. "I heard patrols talking—Kael told Headmaster Voss the 'traitorous F-rank' stole a forbidden book and attacked him with dark magic. Voss has ordered every dorm, every closet, every corner searched."Ethan's jaw tightened. He pulled the broken sword from his coat, tracing the cracked blade. "He's framing me. To get the Blade and the Heart.""More than that," Lira said. "The Order—what's left of it—still answers to Voss. If Kael convinces him you're a threat to the academy… they'll hunt you down without mercy. And they'll use my family's name against me if I help you. My parents died for defying the Order. I can't let that be for nothing."Ethan set the broken sword down. He thought of his grandfather's ghost, trapped in the Heart of the Woods, of the words scrawled in blood: The Heart feeds on the guilty. The Blade frees them. He couldn't let Kael get his hands on either. Not when he was finally starting to understand what the Blade—and his grandfather—had fought for."I need to get back to the forbidden section," he said. "The book—The Blades of the Fallen—it must have more about the Heart. About how to stop Kael from using it."Lira shook her head. "Voss will have guards there now. You'd be walking into a trap." She paused, then pulled a small, leather-bound journal from her bag. "My mother's. She wrote about the Order's plans before they banned her work. Look." She flipped to a page marked with a dried flower, pointing to a passage: The Heart's power is tied to the Blades. To destroy it, one must wield two Blades—one whole, one broken—and channel the wielder's truth, not their rage.Ethan's eyes widened. He looked at the Cursed Blade, then at the broken sword. "That's us. That's what we have.""Maybe," Lira said. "But channeling that power… it'll take more control than you've got. The Blade's truth—your grandfather's guilt, your own fear—it could overwhelm you. And if you fail, the Heart will consume you too."A loud knock echoed through the hallway outside the closet. Ethan froze. Lira stuffed the journal back in her bag, grabbing the broken sword and tucking it behind a stack of old crates. "Hide," she whispered.Ethan pressed himself against the wall, gripping the Cursed Blade's hilt. He focused on the quiet shield he'd used in the library, letting the Blade's power wrap around him like a blanket. The hum dimmed to nothing.The closet door creaked open. A patrol mage stood in the doorway, his staff glowing blue. "Lira Voss," he said—Ethan's stomach dropped; she was the headmaster's niece? "The headmaster wants to see you. Now."Lira nodded, her face calm. "What about?""The F-rank," the mage said. "Kael says you've been helping him. The headmaster wants to hear your side."Lira walked past him, her shoulders straight. "I'll come. But if you're here to search… there's nothing but old junk. You can check."The mage stepped inside, sweeping his staff across the room. The blue light passed over Ethan, but the mage didn't pause. He grunted, turning to leave. "Hurry up. The headmaster's not patient."Once the door closed, Ethan exhaled. He stepped out from the wall, grabbing the broken sword from behind the crates. Lira was the headmaster's niece? She'd never mentioned it. Why had she hidden that?He didn't have time to think. He slipped out of the closet, keeping to the shadows as he made his way to the library. The hallways were busy—students rushing to classes, mages in silver robes (the Order's colors, Lira had called them) patrolling with staves raised. He ducked into a empty classroom, waiting for the patrols to pass.A soft tap on the window made him jump. Ella stood outside, her red hair tied back, holding a small jar of salve. She waved him over.Ethan unlocked the window, pulling her inside. "What are you doing here? You could get in trouble."Ella held out the salve. "Heard Kael's been spreading lies. Figured you'd need this—for the Blade's burns. And… I found something." She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, handing it to him. "In my mom's old notes. It's a map. To a hidden passage—leads straight to the forbidden section. The Order doesn't know about it."Ethan unfolded the map. It showed a narrow tunnel beneath the herb garden, ending at a door in the library's basement. "How did you—""My mom used it to hide her books from Voss," Ella said. "She said knowledge shouldn't be locked up. Like your Blade—like the truth about the Fallen Knights." She paused, her green eyes serious. "Be careful, Ethan. The Order's not just hunting you. They're watching everyone who's ever asked questions. Me. Lira. Even the herb garden's been patrolled since last night."Ethan nodded, folding the map and tucking it in his pocket. "Thank you. For this. For not turning me in."Ella smiled, pushing the salve into his hand. "I'm not Kael. Now go—before the patrols come back."He slipped out the window, heading for the herb garden. The tunnel entrance was hidden beneath a patch of mint—Ella's doing, he guessed—and it was narrower than he'd expected, barely wide enough for him to crawl through. The air smelled like damp earth and old paper, and the only light came from the amulet in his pocket, which glowed faintly.The tunnel ended at a wooden door. Ethan pulled it open slowly, stepping into a dark basement. Shelves lined the walls, filled with dusty books and glass jars of strange liquids. He climbed a set of rickety stairs, pushing open a trapdoor that led to the forbidden section.The room was quiet—too quiet. The books were still there, but the air felt cold, like someone had been watching. He spotted The Blades of the Fallen on the shelf where he'd left it, but as he reached for it, a voice spoke."Looking for this?"Headmaster Voss stood in the shadows, the book in his hand. His robes were black, embroidered with silver runes, and his eyes were cold as ice. Behind him, Kael leaned against a shelf, smirking."Ethan Cross," Voss said, stepping forward. "The F-rank who thinks he can wield a Blade he doesn't understand. The grandson of a traitor."Ethan gripped the Cursed Blade. "You knew my grandfather."Voss laughed, a sharp, bitter sound. "I trained him. He was my best student—until he turned his back on the Order. Until he hid the Blade in your world, like a coward." He held up the book, flipping through the pages. "He thought he could stop us. Stop the Order from restoring the Blades' power. But he was wrong. And now… you're going to help us finish what he started."Kael stepped forward, summoning a fireball. "Give up, Ethan. The headmaster's right. You're just a loser with a lucky sword. Hand over the Blade and the broken one, and we'll let you live. For now."Ethan backed away, his hand drifting to the broken sword at his side. He thought of Lira's mother's journal, of the two Blades. He thought of his grandfather's ghost, of the Heart waiting in the woods. He couldn't let them win.He focused on the Cursed Blade's power, not the rage, not the fear—but the truth. His grandfather's guilt, his own desire to protect, not destroy. The Blade hummed, warm now, not burning. The broken sword in his coat glowed, its runes merging with the Cursed Blade's.Voss's eyes widened. "Stop him!"Kael threw the fireball. Ethan swung the Cursed Blade, a black arc slicing through the air—but instead of destroying the fire, he redirected it, sending it crashing into a shelf of books. The room filled with smoke."Run!" Ethan shouted—but there was no one to shout to. He was alone. He grabbed The Blades of the Fallen from Voss's hand, ducking under a wind whip from a patrol mage who'd just burst through the door. He ran for the trapdoor, the two Blades glowing in his hands.He didn't stop until he was back in the tunnel, gasping for breath. The book was tucked under his arm, the Blades humming in unison. Behind him, he heard Voss's shout: "Find him! Don't let him reach the Woods!"Ethan crawled through the tunnel, the amulet glowing brighter. The Heart was waiting. Kael and Voss were coming. And this time, he was ready to fight. Not just for himself, but for his grandfather. For Lira. For everyone the Order had hurt.When he emerged from the tunnel, the herb garden was empty. He stood up, brushing dirt from his clothes, and looked toward the Whispering Woods. The sky was darkening, storm clouds rolling in.The Cursed Blade's hum turned loud, eager. The broken sword glowed.It was time.
Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: The Headmaster’s Gaze
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