Chapter 8: The Sword of Life and the Mask of Time

The echo of trumpets rang through the palace courtyards as the Hero Summoning Ceremony concluded. Guests and nobles returned to their chambers, and Ram and Deeksha were escorted by royal guards to the Hero Wing. I—still in my disguise as Sage Ashford—slipped away to the rooftop garden, where Time whispered again in my mind.

"The Sword of Life lies beneath the Moonstone Chapel. You must find it before the Shadow Envoy does."

Moonstone Chapel. That wasn’t far—from what I remembered, it was built atop ancient ruins with deep catacombs. Perfect place to hide a divine relic.

But before I could act, Emilly found me in the garden, clutching a practice sword and panting lightly. “Sage Ashford! I’ve been waiting for our lesson all day.”

I gave a warm smile. “Very well, Emilly. Let’s begin.”

As we sparred under the moonlight, I subtly infused our training with magical cues. I was gauging her instincts, especially how she reacted to energy flow. To my surprise, she was naturally attuned to mana. Within minutes, she’d copied one of my stances perfectly.

"She could become a true magical knight," I thought. "Maybe even a future Time Guardian."

Suddenly, the Time Phone pulsed with a warning. The Shadow Envoy had breached the edge of the catacombs.

I ended our session quickly. “Rest now, Emilly. Tomorrow, your real training begins.”

Midnight. Moonstone Chapel.

In my merchant outfit, cloaked and unseen, I stood before the stained glass doors of the chapel. Serena (Silvia), Lily (Lyra), and Arthur (Jumbo) were already waiting in the shadows, each cloaked and prepared.

"Arthur, guard the entrance. Serena, watch the skies for magical interference. Lily, come with me—we need your elven sensitivity to mana signatures."

We descended into the hidden crypts, each step echoing against ancient stones. Faint runes glowed on the walls, reacting to our presence.

Lily gasped. "There’s a trap sigil ahead—three of them!"

“Copying spell now,” I said, activating All-in-One. I replicated the trap’s energy structure and reversed it using Reversal Magic. The path cleared.

At the chamber’s end stood a stone pedestal. Embedded in it was the glowing Sword of Life—a radiant blade of cerulean and gold, humming with raw divine energy. But before we could approach, a dark wind rushed past us.

From the shadows emerged the Shadow Envoy—a figure cloaked in black robes, his face hidden by a glassy, shifting mask.

"You are not the chosen," he rasped. "Step aside, Sage Ashford… or perish."

He knew my fake name.

"You're one of the Time Breakers, aren’t you?" I asked.

He hissed. "I am a herald of change. The Sword of Life belongs to the Endborn."

He summoned tendrils of void magic. I blocked them with a kinetic shield, but the chamber shook violently. Lily began chanting a holy barrier spell, but I ordered, “Lily—teleport the sword to Serena! Now!”

She did, and the sword vanished in a flash.

Enraged, the Envoy lunged at me, but I activated All-in-One, using Invisibility, Speed Boost, and Kinetic Booster to disorient him with a flurry of hits. But then he whispered something chilling.

“I know who you are… Ash.”

I froze.

“You left your world... but shadows leak both ways.”

Before I could strike him down, he dissolved into smoke. Gone.

Back at the Hideout

We reassembled in our secret lair beneath the old bakery site. Serena held the Sword of Life in her hands, its glow pulsing faintly.

“Is this... alive?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied. “The sword chooses its wielder. We’ll have to wait and see who it bonds with.”

Suddenly, the Time Phone buzzed with a new message:

"Warning: Anomaly detected near Ram and Deeksha. Do not intervene directly. They must face it."

I looked at the map—dark energy was converging near their room in the Hero Wing.

"Time is testing them now," I said, placing my hand over my chest. “They’re about to take their first real step as heroes.”

Arthur frowned. "Shouldn’t we protect them?"

I shook my head. "No. If they’re to be real heroes... they need to grow without me."

Meanwhile, in the Hero Wing...

Ram jolted awake to the sound of glass shattering.

“Deeksha,” he whispered, reaching for his new short sword. “Did you hear that?”

She nodded. “Something’s… wrong. This place suddenly feels like a nightmare.”

From the corner of the room, a black mist crept forward. A creature with a stitched face and long claws slithered through the wall.

Ram stood tall. “No running this time.”

And in the shadows of the palace, I watched from afar… as my friends finally began to awaken as heroes.

To be continued...