Rowan's footsteps echoed through the cold, abandoned hallways of the Bloodstone Fortress, the stone walls pressing in on him. His thoughts raced as he followed Ardyn's instructions to meet him outside the fortress. Each step felt heavier than the last, as the weight of his situation settled deeper into his bones. He wasn't just a passive reader anymore; he was living Between the Pages, trapped in a world where nothing made sense and where every choice he made could pull him deeper into the story's tangled web.
He couldn't keep relying on the Shardbound System forever. The power it gave him felt temporary, fleeting. It mimicked abilities from the people around him, but each use drained him. He'd barely survived the encounter with Ardyn earlier, and now the thought of facing real combat without his ability was terrifying.
The fortress, once bustling with the sounds of war, was now eerily quiet. The screams of battle from the day before had faded, leaving only an oppressive silence. Rowan had learned quickly that the world he'd been thrust into was unforgiving—every battle could be your last, and no one cared if you were just a nameless soldier.
As he reached the fortress gates, a cold gust of wind greeted him. The sky was overcast, the clouds heavy with the promise of rain. Rowan shivered, adjusting the sword at his side. His grip was still shaky from the earlier confrontation. It felt unnatural—he wasn't used to wielding weapons or stepping into a fight with any kind of purpose. But that had to change.
The courtyard outside the fortress was just as deserted as the inside. The walls were marked with scorch marks, remnants of the battle that had raged through the night. Rowan glanced around, trying to spot Ardyn. His eyes narrowed when he saw the mercenary leaning against a crumbling wall, arms crossed, eyes scanning the horizon as if waiting for something. Or someone.
"You're late," Ardyn remarked without looking at him.
Rowan didn't bother apologizing. "I had to make sure I wasn't being followed."
Ardyn's eyes flicked to him, and for a moment, Rowan saw something like approval in them. "Smart. But you're not going to make it far in this world just by being cautious. You're going to need to fight."
Rowan exhaled sharply. "I don't know if I can fight."
"You don't have a choice," Ardyn said bluntly. "And if you think you're just going to sit on the sidelines, you're wrong. This world doesn't let people sit out. Not for long."
Rowan clenched his fists. He didn't like the sound of that, but he couldn't deny it either. His mind went back to the first battle—the one he had barely survived—and the Shardbound System that had been his only lifeline. The truth was, he was out of his depth here. His knowledge of the world came from the pages of a book, not firsthand experience. And now, there was no way back.
"Alright," Rowan said, his voice more determined than he felt. "What do I need to do?"
Ardyn grinned. "First lesson: don't think you're going to survive without learning how to fight with your own two hands. You'll use the shard when it's necessary, but I'm not going to let you rely on it. We'll start simple—hand-to-hand."
Rowan's stomach twisted. He had never been in a real fight before. The closest he'd gotten was watching some poorly choreographed action movies.
"Hand-to-hand?" Rowan repeated, his voice hollow.
"Yep." Ardyn pushed himself off the wall and walked toward him. "And I don't care if you can't throw a punch. You'll learn. Today."
With that, Ardyn lunged forward, his movements a blur. Rowan barely had time to react before Ardyn's fist came at him like a bolt of lightning. It landed on his shoulder, knocking him off balance. Rowan staggered back, trying to catch his footing. His mind screamed for him to do something, anything—but his body froze.
Ardyn didn't give him the chance to recover. He was already on him again, a swift kick aimed for Rowan's midsection. Rowan barely managed to block it with his forearms, the impact knocking the breath out of him. He fell to his knees, gasping for air.
"Get up," Ardyn growled. "You're not dead yet."
Rowan pushed himself to his feet, shaking off the dizziness. "You're not giving me a chance to think!"
"That's the point. In a real fight, you don't have time to think. Your instincts need to take over." Ardyn's eyes glinted with something dangerous as he lunged again. This time, Rowan managed to sidestep him, using his body's momentum to twist and throw Ardyn off balance.
Ardyn stumbled, but he recovered instantly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Better. But don't get cocky."
Rowan tried again, putting more force into his strikes, but it was obvious that he wasn't even close to Ardyn's level. The mercenary blocked everything with ease, countering with strikes that pushed Rowan further back. Each time Rowan tried to land a hit, Ardyn was already three steps ahead.
The pain in Rowan's muscles began to intensify, and the warmth from the Memory Echo shard flickered to life within him. The power felt different now—more intense, more focused. Rowan's mind flashed with images of Ardyn's fighting style—the fluidity of his movements, the way he anticipated every attack.
"Activate Memory Echo," Rowan whispered under his breath, willing the power into his limbs.
For a moment, everything went still. Rowan's senses sharpened, and his movements became more fluid. He threw a punch, and this time, it connected with Ardyn's side. Ardyn grunted, stumbling slightly before raising an eyebrow in approval.
"Better," Ardyn said. "But that power's not going to last forever. You've got to make it count."
Rowan felt the power fading. His limbs felt heavier, his vision blurry, and the exhaustion from the fight threatened to overwhelm him. He could already feel the familiar drain from using the shard.
"I'm starting to think I'm not cut out for this," Rowan said, panting heavily.
Ardyn wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded. "You're not. But you're not here for the easy way out. And you're certainly not going to be able to read your way out of this. You need to build yourself up from the ground."
Rowan exhaled sharply, looking around the courtyard. The walls loomed over him, as if the fortress itself was a reminder of the task ahead—surviving this world. It wasn't just a game, it wasn't just a novel. This was life. And if he didn't want to be swept away by the tides of fate, he had to learn how to fight.
"You said this world doesn't let you sit out," Rowan said, determination creeping into his voice. "Well, I'm not sitting out. I'll learn."
Ardyn smiled. "Good. You've got a long road ahead of you, but at least you're getting the hang of things. Now, let's see if you can last more than ten minutes in a real fight."
Rowan's stomach churned. He wasn't sure if he was ready for what came next, but he knew one thing for sure—he wasn't going to back down.
And as the wind howled through the courtyard, Rowan realized that the Shardbound System wasn't just about power. It was about survival. And in this world, if he didn't fight, he would die.