I woke to sunlight filtering through leaves overhead and the sound of birds chirping in the distance. For a moment, I felt peaceful. Comfortable. Then memory returned in a rush, and I jerked upright, my heart pounding.
'I fell asleep. In the Saber Garden. How am I not dead?'
I looked around wildly, expecting to find myself surrounded by beasts or worse. But the forest was quiet. Peaceful, even. Morning light painted everything in shades of gold and green, and the air smelled of earth and growing things.
The clearing where everything had happened was visible through the trees. The scorched circle where the saber had been revealed was still there, a permanent scar on the landscape. But the silver tree was gone. Abel was gone. Only the evidence of destruction remained.
I checked myself over, patting down my limbs and torso. Everything seemed intact. No bites. No scratches. No indication that anything had disturbed me during the night.
'The curse said monsters would be more aggressive toward me. So why didn't anything attack while I was unconscious?'
Perhaps the residual energy from the soul binding had kept them away. Or perhaps the forest itself had protected me after I'd fulfilled its blood price. I didn't know, and I wasn't going to stick around to find out.
I needed to leave. Needed to get back to the Einsworth estate.
'But what do I tell them? How do I explain coming back alone with the family saber?'
The truth was impossible. That I'd murdered Abel in cold blood, that I'd transmigrated into Kaine's body, that a mysterious system had given me powers and cursed me simultaneously? They'd execute me on the spot. Or lock me in an asylum.
I needed a story. Something believable. Something that would explain Abel's absence and my possession of the saber without implicating me in his death.
'We were separated. Attacked by beasts. I searched but couldn't find him. In my desperation, I stumbled upon the saber's location, and it chose me.'
It was thin. Full of holes. But it was better than nothing.
The real question was whether returning was even the right move. Duke Eamon wouldn't believe me. He'd see through the lies, and even if he didn't, he'd blame me for failing to protect Abel. The man's favorite son was gone, and only his disappointing firstborn remained.
'He'll probably kill me himself.'
But where else could I go? I was sixteen years old with no money, no allies, and no survival skills. The Saber Garden was dangerous, but the wider world was even more so. At least at the estate, I'd have food, shelter, and time to figure out my next move.
And there was one other factor to consider.
I looked down at the saber in my hand, at the way its metal seemed to shimmer in the morning light. This weapon was legendary. It was proof that I'd succeeded where generations of Einsworth heirs had failed. In a family of warriors like the Einsworths, might that count for something?
'The saber might save my life. If Duke Eamon sees that it chose me, that I'm now its wielder, he might spare me. He's a warrior. He understands the significance of a soul-bound weapon.'
It was a gamble. A desperate hope. But it was all I had.
'Alright. I go back. I tell my story. And I pray that the saber's acknowledgment is enough to keep my head attached to my shoulders.'
Decision made, I pushed myself to my feet. My body still ached, but the exhaustion from last night had faded. I felt... different. Stronger, maybe? Or just more aware of my body than I'd been before.
I strapped the saber to my belt using the leather sheath that had materialized along with it during the soul binding. The weight felt right on my hip, balanced and ready.
'Time to go home. Time to face the consequences.'
I oriented myself using the position of the sun, recalling from Kaine's memories which direction we'd entered the forest from. Northwest. That's where the estate lay, several miles beyond the forest's edge.
I started walking, picking my way through the underbrush and between trees. The forest was beautiful in the morning light, almost serene. It was hard to believe that this same place had claimed Abel's life less than twelve hours ago.
I'd been walking for maybe twenty minutes when I heard it.
A growl.
Low. Guttural. Coming from somewhere to my left.
I froze mid-step, every muscle in my body tensing. My hand went instinctively to the saber's hilt, fingers wrapping around the leather grip.
'Already? I haven't even left the forest yet.'
The growl came again, closer this time. I turned slowly toward the source, and through the trees, I saw movement.
Something large. Something with fur the color of dried blood and eyes that glowed with predatory hunger.
A beast.
And it was looking right at me.
The creature stepped out from behind a tree, and my breath caught in my throat. It was massive, easily the size of a horse, with a body that was somewhere between a wolf and a bear. Its fur bristled with aggression, and its jaws hung open, revealing rows of teeth like daggers.
Saliva dripped from its mouth, sizzling where it hit the ground.
'Acid saliva. Great. Just great.'
The beast's eyes locked onto mine, and I saw the moment it decided I was prey. Its muscles bunched, preparing to pounce.
And I realized with crystal clarity that I was about to experience my first real fight.
The curse was already working.
The beast lunged.