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Souta Kiyoshi wiped the sweat from his brow as the hammer struck the glowing blade. Sparks flew into the dimly lit forge, a dance of light that made the small village workshop feel alive. The rhythmic pounding was comforting—predictable, unlike the world outside, where rumors of war brewed like a storm on the horizon.
"Almost done," Souta muttered, inspecting the blade. It wasn't perfect, but it would do. His master had always said, "Even the simplest tool can save a life when wielded with purpose."
The sharp blast of a war horn shattered the quiet. Souta froze, the hammer slipping from his hand and clattering to the floor. The sound came again, closer this time, accompanied by screams and the thunder of hooves.
He bolted out of the forge, his heart pounding. The sight that met him turned his blood to ice. The once-peaceful village was ablaze. Soldiers clad in obsidian armor tore through the streets, their weapons gleaming red in the firelight.
"Souta!" a voice cried. He turned to see his younger sister, Hana, running toward him, tears streaming down her soot-streaked face.
"They're looking for something!" she gasped. "The elder said—" Her words were cut off by a soldier's spear striking the ground where she'd been standing moments before.
"Run!" Souta shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the forest.
They didn't get far. A massive figure stepped into their path, a soldier wielding a glaive etched with glowing runes. His face was hidden behind a cruel, featureless mask.
"Hand over the Void Seal," the soldier commanded, his voice cold and mechanical.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Souta stammered, shielding Hana behind him.
The soldier raised his weapon. Time seemed to slow as the blade descended, and Souta braced for the end. But instead of pain, there was a blinding flash of light.
When his vision cleared, Souta found himself alone. Hana was gone, the soldier reduced to ash. In his trembling hands lay a strange artifact—a black sphere that seemed to absorb the light around it.
The ground beneath him trembled, and a voice echoed in his mind, deep and resonant.
"Bearer of the Void Seal… Your existence is now cursed and bound to the emptiness of the world."
Souta staggered back, his heart racing. The sphere pulsed in his hand, cold and unyielding.
"What… What have I done?" he whispered, as the screams of his village faded into silence.
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