Chapter 1: A Blade Bound by Time

The moment I pulled the sword from the altar, the air itself seemed to shudder. A pulse of energy rippled outward, sending dust swirling in ghostly patterns around my feet. My heart pounded in my chest as I gazed at the weapon a masterpiece of craftsmanship, its obsidian blade gleaming under the dim torchlight.

The inscriptions along its length were ancient, written in a script older than the kingdom itself. The handle, wrapped in deep crimson leather, felt strangely warm to the touch, as though the weapon recognized me. This was it. My legendary weapon.

At long last, power was mine.

A grin spread across my face as I turned to my companion, Rowan. He was still panting from our battle with the temple's guardians, his dark eyes wary. "You actually did it," he murmured, shaking his head. "You actually found it."

I lifted the sword, feeling a surge of raw energy coursing through me. "The Blade of Aeons," I whispered. "Said to be powerful enough to cut through time itself."

Rowan chuckled, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. "Right. And next you're gonna tell me it lets you rewrite the past."

A thrill of excitement rushed through me. The old texts had been vague, speaking in riddles, but they all agreed on one thing: this weapon was legendary. A blade forged by a god, meant only for a chosen warrior.

And that warrior was me.

I turned toward the temple entrance, where the golden light of dawn spilled in through the cracks in the stone. "Let's get out of here. I can't wait to test this thing."

Rowan grunted, sheathing his dagger. "We still have to make it out alive."

The moment we stepped outside, I realized something was off. The forest was eerily silent. No birds. No wind. Just an unnatural stillness that set my nerves on edge.

And then I saw them.

A dozen figures stood between us and the path home black-cloaked men with their faces obscured by masks. Their leader, a towering figure clad in silver-plated armor, stepped forward, resting his hand on the hilt of an enormous broadsword.

"Hand it over," he said. His voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of absolute authority.

I tightened my grip on the Blade of Aeons. "Not a chance."

The man exhaled slowly, as if he had expected that answer. Then, without another word, he charged.

Everything happened in an instant. I swung the sword, expecting it to slice through him like a hot knife through butter.

But nothing happened.

The blade passed through the air as if it were made of smoke. No resistance. No impact. No power.

My stomach dropped.

The knight's sword came down like a meteor. I barely managed to dodge, feeling the ground quake beneath me from the force of his strike.

Panic surged through me. I swung again, aiming for his side but the blade refused to cut.

Rowan darted forward, slashing at the knight's exposed flank with his dagger. Sparks flew as steel met steel, but my weapon my so-called legendary weapon was utterly useless.

I stumbled back, confusion clouding my thoughts. "What the hell is going on?"

The knight advanced, his massive blade rising for another strike.

And then

A deafening bell rang through the air. A chime so loud, so deep, it felt as though the world itself had been struck.

The knight froze mid-motion. The cloaked figures behind him stiffened. Even Rowan clutched his head, wincing in pain.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the sound vanished.

A new voice cold and amused echoed in my head.

"Oh? You actually tried to use it? Hilarious. Pity it's not Tuesday."

I went rigid.

"Who said that?!" I demanded, my voice sharp.

"Me, of course. The sword."

My breath hitched. The sword was talking to me?

Rowan shot me a glance. "Uh… are you okay?"

But I could barely hear him.

"Did you not read the inscription, boy? The Blade of Aeons is only active on Tuesdays. I'd call you an idiot, but frankly, this is more entertaining."

I stared at the useless weapon in my hands, my face drained of all color.

The legendary blade I had risked my life to obtain the weapon I had dreamed of wielding was completely powerless.

Rowan grabbed my arm. "We have to go. Now."

The knight had recovered from his hesitation. His eyes, now filled with pure, murderous intent, locked onto me once more.

And I knew, in that moment

I was completely screwed.

---

Adrenaline surged through my veins as I clenched the useless sword, my mind screaming at me to do something anything before the knight's blade carved me in half.

"Run!" Rowan's voice snapped me out of my shock.

I didn't need to be told twice. I turned and bolted, my boots slamming against the dirt as I dove into the dense forest. Rowan was right beside me, his breath ragged but determined. Behind us, the knight and his men gave chase, their heavy armor clanking with each step.

Branches whipped at my face as we weaved through the thick underbrush, our path illuminated only by the thin light filtering through the canopy. The forest had never felt this suffocating before. Every shadow, every twisted root beneath my feet felt like a trap waiting to send me sprawling.

"How far do we need to go?!" I shouted between breaths.

Rowan glanced back a mistake.

An arrow hissed through the air, barely missing his head before embedding itself into a nearby tree with a sickening thunk.

His eyes widened. "Faster!"

Another arrow whistled past.

Shit.

We weren't going to outrun them. Not like this. They had the advantage they knew the terrain, they had ranged weapons, and worst of all, they weren't carrying a goddamn useless sword.

I grit my teeth. This was supposed to be different. I was supposed to be unstoppable. The Blade of Aeons was meant to be my trump card, my path to greatness. Instead, I was running for my life, clutching a glorified piece of scrap metal.

A rock caught my foot. I barely managed to catch myself before slamming face-first into the dirt.

"Left!" Rowan barked, yanking my sleeve.

I followed, veering sharply.

Then, suddenly the ground disappeared beneath me.

We tumbled.

Gravity yanked me down as I plummeted through thick foliage, branches snapping and tearing at my clothes. I hit the ground hard, pain exploding through my ribs. Rowan landed somewhere beside me, groaning.

I gasped, struggling to push myself up. We had fallen into a ravine.

Above us, the knights came to a halt at the edge.

I expected them to jump. Instead, they simply stared down at us.

The leader, the silver-armored knight, peered over the edge, his expression unreadable behind his mask. His voice, however, carried the unmistakable weight of confidence.

"We'll be seeing you soon," he said.

Then, without another word, they turned and left.

I sat there, panting, my body aching from the fall.

Rowan groaned, pushing himself onto his elbows. "Well… that went great."

I let out a bitter chuckle. "Yeah. Perfectly according to plan."

He shot me a look. "What the hell happened back there, Theo? That sword—why didn't it work?"

I exhaled sharply, gripping the weapon's hilt. "Because it's a joke."

"A joke?"

I wanted to scream. To break something.

Instead, I swallowed the frustration and met his gaze. "It only works on Tuesdays."

Rowan stared at me, unblinking.

Then, slowly, he leaned back and covered his face with his hands. "You have got to be kidding me."

"I wish."

Silence.

Then he started laughing.

Not the good kind of laugh—the broken, disbelieving kind. "We almost died… because of a sword that doesn't work today?"

I could barely say it out loud. It was too humiliating. "Yeah."

Rowan sighed, rubbing his temples. "You better pray it's Sunday or Monday, because if it's Wednesday, we're screwed for a whole damn week."

That thought made my stomach twist.

I glanced at the sky, trying to estimate the time. The problem was, I had no idea how long we'd been in that temple. Had we spent more than a day inside? What if it was Wednesday already?

No. No, I had to focus on something else.

I pulled myself up, dusting off my torn jacket. "We should move. They're not going to just let us walk away. If they're not chasing us, that means they have another plan."

Rowan groaned but got to his feet. "Yeah, yeah. Lead the way, Chosen One."

I shot him a glare. "Shut up."