After standing in silence for a few moments, Sofi found herself deep in thought. Her eyes wandered toward a sword embedded in the wall. Slowly, she walked over to it. As she reached out her hand, the sword suddenly dissolved into dust and shot across the chamber, embedding itself into another part of the wall.
Sofi blinked, confused.
Then a voice echoed through the space—it was Solmira.
"Every weapon here has a free will of its own. If it does not find you worthy, it will leave you."
Taking those words to heart, Sofi began trying every weapon she could see—one by one. Yet each time, the results were the same. Every weapon rejected her, disappearing or fleeing her touch.
Eventually, her determination began to fade. Wounded by rejection, she turned to leave, without a weapon in hand.
But then… something caught her eye.
It was a ring—simple, quiet, almost hidden. Doubt filled her heart again. "Would even this reject me?" she wondered.
Still, a voice within urged her forward.
She reached out and touched the ring.
This time, it didn't vanish. Instead, it burst into black smoke and flowed into her hand—disappearing within her skin. Her arm pulsed with strange energy. Then, from the air, Solmira's voice returned.
"Now that your weapon has chosen you… the match begins."
Sofi looked down. In her hand now appeared a rusty scythe, forged of dark, ancient metal. She held it tight, her confusion mixing with curiosity.
"Is this… really mine?"
Determined to understand, she stepped forward—toward the massive creature that lay resting at the center of the chamber. As she approached, it stirred.
With a deafening roar, the beast awakened. The floor cracked under its weight. A tremor shook the room. Rising tall, it opened its jaws and lunged at her.
Sofi leapt aside—but not without injury. She was thrown to the ground, blood dripping from fresh wounds. Pain surged through her body.
She struggled to stand. Her knees trembled.
"Maybe… this is how it ends," she thought. "Maybe this is my fate."
But then—
"Those are useless thoughts," Solmira's voice rang out again, calm yet sharp.
A memory surged in Sofi's mind—of the promise she once made, of the chance Solmira had given her… and of the betrayal she had suffered.
Her eyes hardened.
She clenched her fists.
With renewed will, Sofi stood.
In that instant, time itself froze. The world stood still. Only Solmira could move—and only she could observe.
Then, a second voice echoed—not Solmira's, but a female voice, flowing directly from the weapon in Sofi's hand.
"You've made a wise choice. I truly accept you as my master."
The voice continued:
"And I see many soul remnants surrounding you—pieces of spirits still clinging to your presence, even beyond death."
Sofi furrowed her brows.
"If you're offering to help me now, I know it won't be for free. So… what do you want?"
A soft chuckle echoed.
"You're clever. Good."
"I've grown bored of this place. There's nothing left here for me. Take me with you. Let me feed on the souls of those you slay. That's all I ask."
Sofi paused, thinking. Then she said:
"Fine. I accept."
In that moment, a strange mark appeared on her forehead, glowing faintly like etched steel. Power surged through her limbs. Her body felt lighter, stronger—sharper.
Then time resumed.
The weapon's voice whispered one last time:
"You now have control over a 50-meter-long metallic chain… and full command of your scythe."
The beast roared once again, charging at her with terrifying speed.
Sofi leapt high and dodged. She summoned the chain and flung it around the beast's mouth, sealing its jaw shut. The beast spun, trying to throw her off, and managed to hurl her through the air.
She crashed against the floor but stood again, blood trailing from her lip.
Without hesitation, she called the chain back and summoned her scythe. Using its weight, she launched a powerful attack—slamming the blade into the beast's skull.
The beast staggered—hurt, but not defeated.
Roaring, it charged again, landing a crushing blow that threw Sofi far back. Her breath hitched, her vision blurred—but she wasn't done.
As the beast rushed again, she summoned the chain and wrapped it around its limbs. It pulled back violently, dragging her toward it.
She let it.
In the final moment, she drew her scythe and dodged to the side, letting the beast's own force betray it.
Then, with quiet precision, she slipped in—scythe-first—and plunged it into the beast's mouth. With a sharp pull, she tore out a glowing fragment of its core.
The beast collapsed.
Finally defeated.
Breathing heavily, Sofi stood over its body. That's when Solmira's voice returned—soft, resolute:
"Now, Sofi… choose your path."
Sofi glanced up, then to the side—where a white pearl had materialized in the air. She walked over to it, raised her hand, and touched it.
Light surged around her—and in an instant, she was gone.
Solmira, still standing silently in the shadows, watched the light fade.
A small smile touched her lips.
"As expected…"
Then she turned and disappeared into the mist.