BLADE OF THE FALLEN

Chapter 1- The Day I Died-B

Good, the goddess purred. Now swing, Axel gritted his teeth and brought the blade up, but the weight wasn’t what he expected. For its size, the sword felt almost weightless, as if it moved with him rather than against him. The crimson runes pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.

The first knight lunged. Axel’s arm moved before his mind caught up, the blade carving a black arc through the air. When it met the knight’s armor, there was no clang of metal, the steel split like paper, the man inside crumpling as the sword drank in something unseen.

Axel staggered back. “What”

Their souls, she said, almost lazily. A delicious little snack. You’ll get used to it, Two more knights came at once. Axel’s body blurred, the sword pulling him into a spin that ended with both enemies collapsing in unison, their visors dark.

He was panting now, not from exhaustion, but from the strange exhilaration flooding through him. It wasn’t just fighting, it was as if the sword knew exactly where to move, exactly how to kill, and was guiding his body like a marionette.

The remaining two knights hesitated, their glowing visors flickering. One barked something in a language Axel didn’t know, and they both turned to flee, Not yet, the goddess hissed.

His arm jerked upward, and a black wave of energy exploded from the blade, ripping across the chamber and swallowing the retreating knights. When the darkness faded, there was nothing left, no armor, no bodies. Only silence.

Axel dropped to his knees, the sword clattering to the stone beside him. His hands were trembling. “What the hell did I just do?”

The voice was closer now, as if she were standing right behind him, though he knew she wasn’t. You survived.

He swallowed. “You killed them.”

We killed them, she corrected. And they would have done far worse to you. Those were Inquisitors, hunters of the holy order. They’d have cut you down just for standing near me.

He stared at the blade. “You mean standing near a weapon.”

Not a weapon, she said, her tone softening unexpectedly. A prison. A curse. And now… a partner, Somewhere above, a deep horn sounded, the blast reverberating through the stone like an earthquake. The goddess’s voice sharpened instantly.

More are coming. Many more, Axel scrambled to his feet, gripping the hilt again. “Where the hell do we go?”

Follow my lead. And try not to die this time, it’s tedious dragging mortals back from the brink, The blade pulled him toward a side corridor, the torches along the wall flickering violently as they passed. The passage twisted and narrowed until it ended in a heavy iron door.

Kick it.

He did, the wood splintering under the force, though he wasn’t sure if it was his strength or hers. On the other side was a steep staircase spiraling upward into darkness. “Up?” he asked.

Unless you’d prefer to wait for the execution squad, They climbed. With every step, Axel’s mind kept circling back to the same questions. “Why me? Out of everyone you could’ve summoned, why someone from another world?”

Because you were broken, she said, matter-of-fact. And broken things are… malleable.

His jaw tightened. “So you think I’m just going to do whatever you want because my life fell apart?”

No, she murmured, almost amused. I think you’ll do whatever you must… to find the one who made it fall apart.

Axel stopped mid-step. “What?”

The goddess’s voice was a whisper now, but it carried the weight of a dagger pressed to the skin, The one who killed you, betrayed you, destroyed your first life… is here.

The air seemed colder suddenly, the torchlight weaker. Axel’s grip on the hilt tightened until his knuckles whitened. “You’re lying.”

I never lie, boy. But the truth… oh, the truth will cut deeper than any blade, From above, footsteps thundered, heavy, armored, and far too close. Now run. Axel ran.

The staircase twisted tighter, the steps slick beneath his boots. The weightless pull of the blade guided his balance, but his lungs still burned. Above, the footsteps were getting louder, closer.

The door at the top of the stairs was already shuddering under the pounding of fists and blades, Not that way, the goddess snapped. Left!

A side passage yawned open to his left, narrow, almost claustrophobic. He ducked inside just as the door above burst open, the shouts of soldiers echoing down the stairwell.

The passage ended in a wall. “No exit,” he hissed.

Yes there is. Trust me.

The runes on the blade flared bright, casting jagged shadows across the stone. Axel raised the sword and, with a single swing, split the wall as though it were made of parchment. Beyond was open air, the night sky, and the sprawling city far below.

They were on the side of a fortress tower. The wind roared up from the streets, carrying the smell of smoke and the distant sound of bells. Axel stepped back. “You’ve got to be kidding me”

Jump. “I’m not suicidal”

Do it, or they’ll cut you down where you stand, Behind him, the clatter of armor grew deafening. The glow of torches spilled into the corridor, Axel’s heart pounded. He took one step back, then another, The soldiers burst into the passage, He jumped.

For a heartbeat, there was only the wind tearing at his clothes and the dizzying spin of the world below. Then the sword’s runes erupted in crimson light, and the air shifted. The fall slowed, the wind whipping past him in unnatural patterns, until he landed hard, but alive, on a slanted rooftop.

He rolled, barely catching himself before sliding over the edge. Below, the street bustled with late-night markets and the shuffle of cloaked figures. No one looked up.

Move, the goddess urged. They’ll be after you any second, He sprinted across the rooftops, the sword’s pull leading him through jumps and drops that should have been impossible. The city was a maze of stone bridges, narrow alleys, and looming spires and he was running blind.

Shouts rose behind him. A squad of soldiers had taken to the rooftops, their armor catching the moonlight. Arrows hissed through the air, one splintering a tile inches from his head.

Faster, Axel. “I’m trying!”

The rooftops ended abruptly at a wide canal, its black water reflecting the flicker of lanterns. On the other side was another cluster of buildings, but the gap was far too wide to jump. Don’t think. Leap. “I can’t”

The goddess’s voice turned into a snarl, You can. Axel roared and pushed off with everything he had.

For an instant, the world slowed, the canal stretching beneath him, the soldiers shouting behind, the moon’s pale light glinting off the sword’s blade. Then gravity reclaimed him, He didn’t make it, His foot struck the far ledge, slipped and he fell.

The water surged up to meet him, black and bottomless. The last thing he heard before it swallowed him was her voice, low and almost… amused. Now… let’s see if you can swim, partner.