MIND vs CURSE ARC
CHAPTER 85 — The Voice That Never Sleeps
The road stretched long and empty, a thin ribbon of stone cutting through dead grass and ruined land. No Council scouts. No storms. No enemies.
And yet—Kael felt more danger now than during battle.
The cursed sword rested at his side, silent for once. Too silent.
That silence broke as night fell.
"You hesitate," the voice murmured inside his mind.
"Even now, you doubt. You think doubt is strength… how adorable."
Kael did not answer. He focused on his breathing. Centering—slow, deliberate. Inhale. Exhale. His body ached, but his mind stayed anchored.
The sword laughed softly.
"Do you know when I was forged? Not for war… but for control. Minds are easier to break than bodies, Kael. And yours is cracked already."
A sharp pain flared behind his eyes.
The world shifted.
Kael stood alone in a familiar place—the academy courtyard. Clean. Bright. Untouched by fire or blood. He saw himself, younger, holding a sword with shaking hands.
Then the illusion twisted.
Council banners rose where academy flags once flew. Students knelt. Instructors lay broken. The younger Kael looked up at him—eyes full of fear.
"This is your future if you fail," the sword whispered.
"Or if you succeed… and become them."
Kael clenched his fists. Iron Mind activated—not forcefully, but steadily, filtering emotion from illusion.
"This isn't real," he said aloud.
"Isn't it?" the sword replied smoothly.
"You already walk closer to this future than you admit. You enjoy the clarity I give you. The edge. The certainty."
The vision changed again.
Now Kael saw himself standing over fallen Council members—alone. His companions gone. The sword glowing brighter than ever.
"Power costs things," the voice said.
"First hesitation. Then guilt. Then names. Faces. Eventually… nothing hurts anymore."
Kael's chest tightened. For a moment—just a moment—his Centering wavered.
The sword pressed harder.
"Let me take the burden. Let me decide when to cut, when to kill. You trust me already."
Silence.
Then Kael straightened.
"No," he said quietly.
The релief the sword expected never came. Instead, Kael anchored himself—feet firm, breath steady, mind clear.
"I don't deny what you give me," he continued.
"But you don't get my choices. You don't get my fear. And you don't get my future."
The illusion cracked. The academy shattered like glass.
Back in the real world, Kael dropped to one knee, gasping. Sweat soaked his clothes. His head throbbed—but his eyes were clear.
The sword was… quiet.
Then, unexpectedly—
"…Interesting," it said.
"You didn't reject me. You didn't submit. You balanced."
Kael swallowed. "You tried to break me."
"Yes," the sword admitted calmly.
"And you resisted without denying what I am. That is… rare."
A faint, new sensation settled into Kael's mind—not power, not domination—resilience.
🔹 Skill Stabilized (Passive): Iron Mind — Tempered
Kael gains moderate resistance to curse-based mental pressure, but only while maintaining emotional balance. Overuse or emotional extremes weaken the effect.
The sword spoke again, quieter now.
"Do not misunderstand, Kael. I am still a curse. I will test you again. Harder."
Kael rose slowly, gripping the blade.
"I know," he said. "And I'll be ready."
From the firelight behind him, Caelin watched silently. He said nothing—but his eyes told Kael everything.
The path ahead was no longer just about fighting the Council.
It was about who Kael would become while destroying them.
And the cursed sword—evil, ancient, and dangerous—had just realized something unsettling:
It could not simply consume this boy.
It would have to grow with him… or be mastered by him.