I didn't wait. As soon as the figure vanished, I was up, grabbing my hammer and scanning the room. The forge was dead, the flame extinguished, and the chill in the air was suffocating. The shards of ice still lay scattered across the floor, their edges glinting in the weak light.
Something was wrong. Deep down, I knew that what I'd just faced wasn't just some simple threat—it was something far worse. Whoever that person was, they weren't just here for a blade. They were here because of me.
I took a deep breath, focusing. I had to keep my head straight. If I didn't, I'd end up like every other idiot who tried to play with powers they didn't understand.
But the feeling gnawed at me, the undeniable sense that I was being hunted.
I needed answers. And answers weren't going to come from sitting around like a scared rabbit.
I quickly gathered my things—tools, weapons, whatever I could carry—and shoved them into a large satchel. My mind raced. The noble, the phoenix feather, the dragon—it was all connected somehow. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how big of a mess I had gotten myself into.
The shop door creaked open again.
My heart stopped.
"Did you really think you could hide from me?" the voice was smooth, mocking even. And there it was again—the coldness, like the biting winds of the north.
I spun around, my hand reaching instinctively for a weapon. But the figure was already there, standing just inside the doorway. I hadn't even heard them come in.
They stepped forward, their cloak swirling around them like mist.
"You can't keep running," they said, their voice low and dangerous. "What you've done... is far beyond you."
I raised my chin, trying to mask the unease creeping up my spine. "And what exactly is it I've done?" I asked, forcing the words through clenched teeth.
The figure's eyes glinted with something dark. "You've made the mistake of forging a weapon that was never meant to exist."
I frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've forged hundreds of blades like that one."
They shook their head, the air around them crackling with energy. "You don't understand. That blade... is cursed. And you've just unleashed a power that you can't control."
My blood ran cold. I had heard rumors of cursed weapons before, weapons of immense power that could destroy everything in their path. But I never thought I'd be the one to forge one.
"What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice shaky now.
But they didn't answer. Instead, they extended their hand, and suddenly, the room plunged into darkness.
I couldn't see a thing.
Then, I heard it.
A low growl.
It came from somewhere behind me, deep and guttural. And then another, closer this time.
I didn't have time to react. The ground beneath me cracked, and with a deafening roar, the ice that had frozen the room shattered completely.
A figure lunged out of the darkness, claws outstretched, and I barely managed to dodge in time. The thing was fast, impossibly fast, its glowing eyes burning through the shadows. It was a beast, something I'd never seen before.
And I was its prey.
I scrambled back, barely keeping my balance as the creature's claws raked across the stone floor, leaving deep gouges in the ground. The air felt thick with its presence, as if it was suffocating me.
I grabbed a nearby sword, my hands shaking, and took a defensive stance.
"What the hell is this thing?" I gritted out, my heart pounding in my chest.
The figure's voice echoed in the darkness. "That's only a taste of what's to come. You've opened a door that you can't close. And now, you'll pay the price."
The beast let out another growl, louder this time, its glowing eyes narrowing in on me. It was circling, waiting for the right moment to strike.
And that was when I realized it. This wasn't just a beast. It was a warning.
And I was the one who had ignored it.
The creature lunged again, faster than I could react, and I barely managed to block its strike with my sword. The force of the impact nearly knocked me off my feet. I gritted my teeth, the beast's claws slashing against my armor.
But then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the creature vanished into the shadows.
The room fell silent again, the only sound the pounding of my heart in my ears.
"Get out of here," I spat, still clutching my sword. "I'm done with your games."
But the figure didn't leave. Instead, I felt their presence drawing closer, felt the temperature in the room drop even furt
"Do you really think you can defeat what's coming?" they asked, their voice now a cold whisper. "You have no idea what you've unleashed. And soon, neither will anyone else."
Then, with a flick of their wrist, they vanished—leaving me alone in the dark, shaking from the encounter.
The only thing that remained was the burning question: What had I just set into motion?