The forest was silent, save for the whistle of Leo's blade slicing through the air. Sweat poured from his brow as he repeated the same motion again and again—strike, breathe, step, flow. His body screamed for rest, but something within pushed him forward.
His master watched from a distance, eyes narrowing. The boy is close.
That night, the blood moon rose, painting the forest in crimson. Leo sat by the river, gazing at the reflection of the moon rippling across the water. His chest tightened.
Why… why do I always feel this burning inside me?
The water suddenly rippled without wind. The reflection of the moon twisted, shifting into eyes—eyes that glowed with a pale, godlike light.
A whisper echoed in his head:
"Child of the Moon… flow, do not resist."
Leo gasped, stumbling back, but the river's pull drew him in. His body sank into the water, yet he could breathe as if it were air. Around him, shadows and light swirled together, and he saw glimpses—his father standing against the four legends, his mother's tears, the villagers whispering curses.
And then—his own face, older, standing upon mountains of corpses, his blade dripping with both fire and water.
"Wh-what… is this…?" Leo trembled.
The voice spoke again:
"Strength is not given. It flows through those who accept both ruin and creation. You are the current that cannot be stopped."
When Leo opened his eyes, he was back on the riverbank, drenched but alive. His master was kneeling beside him, concern in his face.
"What happened, boy?"
Leo's blade, lying beside him, now shimmered faintly with a bluish glow. The wooden edge had split slightly, but it pulsed as if alive.
"I… I don't know," Leo whispered, staring at his trembling hands. "But I felt it… something vast, like the whole world's breath."
His master's eyes widened, a rare flash of fear breaking his calm. "That… was no simple awakening."
Leo looked up, determination blazing. "Father, Mother… I swear, I'll master this power."
Far away, within the dark temple, the cloaked watcher fell to his knees before the hidden master.
"The boy… he has awakened."
For the first time, the shadow stirred, its eyes glinting like obsidian.
"Good," the voice rumbled. "The river begins to flow. Soon, it will either drown the world… or be dammed forever."