Ashen awoke before the sun rose.
The barracks were quiet, filled with the rhythmic breathing of soldiers lost in sleep. A few stirred, but most remained still, wrapped in thin blankets and worn uniforms. Outside, the desert wind howled against the canvas walls, whispering secrets through the seams.
Ashen slipped out of bed, dressed quickly, and stepped into the early cold.
The military camp stretched out in dim silhouettes—tents, armories, watchtowers, and the rusted skeletons of war machines long fallen silent. A few soldiers ran drills in silence, ghosts in the mist.
He walked past them, hand resting on the rusted sword strapped to his side. It had not spoken again since the dream. No visions. No flickers.
But something inside it pulsed, like a heartbeat that wasn't his.
The Shadow Recon building was nestled in the back of the camp—low, silent, and mostly ignored. A black flag with a white eye marked its entrance. Ashen entered.
Inside, a single man sat at a desk, scribbling onto parchment. He didn't look up.
"You're early."
Ashen didn't speak.
The man glanced up. "Name."
"Ashen."
He flipped through a few papers. "You're the one from Unit 9. The one with the 'rusted mystery blade.'"
Ashen stayed silent.
The man grinned. "I like you already. Don't ask questions. Do what you're told. Come back alive. That's Shadow Recon's motto."
He handed Ashen a sealed note. "This is your first mission. It's a joint operation. You'll be with a group—temporary. Standard recon. Small ruins. Some beast activity. Should be nothing."
Ashen took the note.
"One more thing," the man said. "There's a girl in your squad. Try not to let her die. She's the general's niece."
—
The rendezvous point was near the southern watchpost, where the camp met the endless dunes. A small hover-wagon waited, packed with supply crates and weapons.
Three soldiers stood nearby.
Two of them Ashen didn't know—tall, scarred men with pale eyes and quiet movements. Shadow Recon, clearly.
The third made him blink.
It was Elira.
She smiled when she saw him. "Guess I'm the general's niece."
Ashen nodded slowly. "Didn't expect to see you."
"I asked for this." Her smile faded. "I need answers. About the ruins. About the beasts. About us."
Us.
She wasn't just talking about Unit 9.
Ashen nodded again.
They boarded the wagon. The engine hissed to life, and it rolled into the desert.
—
The ruins rose from the sand like broken teeth.
Ancient stone pillars leaned against each other, half-swallowed by dunes. Cracked stairways led to nowhere. Faded murals marked crumbling walls—depictions of winged men, hollow-eyed priests, and what looked like a god kneeling before fire.
Ashen's chest tightened.
He had seen this before.
In his dream.
The squad spread out, sweeping the area. Ashen and Elira moved together, checking doorways and fallen corridors.
"No signs of movement," Elira whispered. "But something's wrong."
Ashen could feel it too. The air was heavy. Like something ancient still lingered beneath the stone.
They entered a half-buried chamber. Faint light spilled through a crack in the ceiling.
The walls were covered in writing—glyphs that glowed faintly when Ashen stepped inside.
Elira touched one. "What is this?"
Ashen didn't answer.
Because the moment he saw the glyphs, a word echoed in his mind:
Remembrance.
His sword pulsed.
Elira turned to him, eyes wide. "Your sword is glowing."
He looked down. The rust had receded slightly. Beneath it, a faint silver shimmer had begun to shine through.
The glyphs brightened.
Then the ground shook.
Elira stumbled. "Ashen!"
Stone cracked. Dust poured from the ceiling. A massive tremor rolled through the ruin.
And then came the screech.
Something burst from beneath the chamber.
Not another centipede. Worse.
It was long and coiled like a serpent, covered in glassy armor, its eyes like molten gold. Spikes protruded from its spine, and its mouth opened with a hiss like steam escaping from hell.
It let out a deafening cry.
The Shadow Recon soldiers ran into the chamber, weapons drawn.
"Fall back!" one shouted. "It's an Echo Serpent!"
Elira shouted. "What the hell is that?!"
"Beast that eats memory and bone!"
Ashen didn't move.
The Echo Serpent lunged at him.
And his blade moved.
Faster than thought.
Faster than anything.
Silver light arced through the air as the rust peeled away.
He didn't remember drawing it.
Didn't remember moving.
The next second, he stood behind the beast, blade humming.
A deep slash burned across the creature's hide, molten memory pouring out like mist.
Elira stared at him.
"Ashen…"
He looked down at the weapon.
It was still changing.
The rust was almost gone.
The hilt pulsed with symbols—runes of memory, names of forgotten things.
He clenched it tightly.
"I don't know what this is," he muttered. "But it's waking up."
The Echo Serpent roared again, furious.
It whipped its tail.
One of the Recon soldiers was impaled mid-shout.
Ashen ran forward.
The serpent lunged—Elira screamed—
And Ashen leapt.
He met the beast mid-air, driving his blade into its eye.
There was a burst of silver light.
Then silence.
—
The creature collapsed.
Its body cracked apart, turning into ash and glass, scattering into the wind.
Ashen dropped to one knee, panting.
Elira ran to his side. "You're insane."
He laughed weakly. "I'm starting to believe it."
She helped him to his feet.
One Recon soldier remained alive. He was staring at Ashen like he'd seen a ghost.
"You're not normal."
Ashen nodded. "I never was."
They returned to the wagon.
Elira didn't speak for a long time.
Then she said, "You saved me again."
"I would have done it for anyone."
"But you didn't have to. And yet you did."
Ashen didn't reply.
Because the truth was, when the beast lunged, he hadn't thought about duty.
He'd only thought about her.
The desert winds rose as they returned to base.
And in his hands, the blade of memory pulsed again, shedding the last of its rust.