Chapter 25: Artifact

The moment Reynard stepped closer to the pedestal, the whispers sharpened.

They weren't distant murmurs anymore.

They were clear, distinct voices.

Take it.

Remember.

You were always meant to find us.

His breath hitched.

The artifact pulsed, its crimson glow flaring as if sensing his presence. The markings on its metallic surface were unlike anything he had seen before—intricate, swirling runes that seemed to shift under his gaze.

Selene tensed beside him. "Reynard… don't."

He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to step back. His mind was still spinning, the familiarity of these symbols gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.

Why did the Academy have records of this language in their archives?

And why had they hidden them?

---

Before anyone could speak, the chamber trembled.

The carvings along the walls flared to life, the soft glow turning into a blinding radiance. The air hummed, charged with unseen energy.

Then—the whispers changed.

They weren't words anymore.

They were commands.

The scattered artifacts lifted into the air, trembling violently.

One of them—a broken, rusted gauntlet—snapped forward with unnatural speed.

Straight toward Orin.

Orin barely had time to move before the gauntlet latched onto his wrist.

Pain erupted through him, a sharp, searing force that shot through his arm and into his chest. His knees buckled as something ancient and powerful flooded into him.

The whispers filled his mind.

Claimed.

Marked.

His vision blurred, his body burning with something not his own.

And in that moment—Reynard saw it.

The artifact wasn't choosing Orin.

It was testing him.

And Orin was losing.

Orin's body convulsed violently, muscles straining as the rusted gauntlet tightened around his wrist. It wasn't just pain—it was like fire searing through his veins, spreading from the metal's touch.

The whispers grew louder, swirling in his mind like a dark storm. They weren't just voices—they were commands. Urgent, insistent.

"Accept it"

"You were chosen"

'We will make you whole"

Orin's knees buckled, his free hand clawing at the gauntlet, but the artifact seemed to fuse tighter with each passing second. His heartbeat thudded erratically, matching the frantic rhythm of his breaths.

Reynard's voice cut through the chaos. "Orin! Get it off him!"

Selene rushed forward, her fingers glowing with soft magic. "Hold still—let me try to dispel it."

But as soon as her magic touched the artifact, it reacted violently, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. Selene was thrown back, crashing against the cavern wall with a cry.

"Selene!" Amara darted to her side, eyes wide with alarm.

Reynard's eyes narrowed. "Darius, help me—"

But before they could approach, the artifact pulsed again, the black veins on its surface spreading, intertwining with Orin's skin. It looked almost like roots digging in, claiming him.

Orin's eyes snapped open, but they weren't focused on anything in front of him.

They were glazed over—lost in a vision only he could see.

---

Orin's Vision

In his mind's eye, Orin wasn't in the cavern anymore. He stood on a vast battlefield, shadows swirling around him, figures bowing at his feet. Power surged through his veins, raw and untamed.

He could see it—himself standing above them all.

Reynard, Darius, even the supposed heroes of this world—all beneath him.

The whispers sweetened, turning into promises.

"You will be more than they ever allowed you to be"

"You are destined for greatness"

The power was intoxicating. For once, he felt seen, acknowledged. No longer an extra, but the main player—the one with the true strength.

His fingers flexed involuntarily, the metal of the gauntlet heating against his skin. It wasn't just offering power—it was giving him a chance to rewrite his destiny.

---

"Orin, snap out of it!" Reynard's shout was laced with urgency.

Darius moved forward, swinging his claymore with all his strength, aiming to sever the gauntlet from Orin's arm.

The blade struck, but the artifact absorbed the impact, sending a shockwave that forced Darius back, his arms trembling from the recoil.

"This thing's not normal," Darius spat, his knuckles white around his sword hilt.

Orin's breaths were coming in short gasps now, his eyes wide, pupils dilated. It was like he was seeing something none of them could.

Amara stepped forward cautiously. "Orin—if you can hear us, you have to fight it!"

But Orin didn't seem to hear her. His body trembled as the artifact's influence deepened, the black veins crawling up his arm, reaching toward his shoulder.

Selene, regaining her composure, staggered to her feet. "It's merging with him." Her voice was barely a whisper, tinged with fear.

Reynard's expression hardened. "We need to break that connection."

"Easier said than done," Darius muttered, eyeing the artifact warily.

Amara's eyes met Reynard's. "What if… what if he doesn't want to fight it?"

The suggestion hung heavy in the air.

Orin's face twisted, not in pain, but in some strange mixture of ecstasy and agony. The power was undeniable, coursing through him, promising everything he'd ever wanted.

But deep inside—beneath the allure—he could still hear his own voice, faint but determined.

This isn't me.

Orin's fingers twitched, struggling against the artifact's control. His jaw clenched, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.

He wouldn't give in. Not like this.

Reynard's eyes widened as Orin's free hand slowly moved, reaching toward the gauntlet, fighting against the unnatural force.

"He's resisting," Selene whispered, hope flickering in her eyes.

But the artifact pulsed harder, sensing the rebellion, and the whispers turned to hisses.

'Submit. Accept your fate"

Orin's voice was barely audible. "No…"

The cavern trembled around them, the air thick with unseen energy. The battle wasn't just physical—it was within, a struggle for Orin's very soul.

Orin's body trembled, caught between two forces.

The artifact's whispers were seductive, wrapping around his thoughts like vines, promising power, recognition, dominance. A vision flickered in his mind—him standing at the top, unmatched, unstoppable.

But beneath that, his own voice struggled to surface. The part of him that refused to be controlled. The part of him that had fought tooth and nail to get this far, even when the world treated him as nothing.

I am not an extra.

The gauntlet's grip tightened, its black veins pulsing violently.

"Submit"

"Accept"

"Become"

Orin gritted his teeth, a low growl escaping him.

"I said… no."

With a sudden surge of will, he pulled back.

---

The cavern shook as Orin wrenched his arm away, trying to pry the gauntlet off. The dark veins fought back, digging deeper into his skin, refusing to let go.

Pain burned through his body, searing into his bones. His vision blurred, but he could feel it—the artifact wasn't just clinging to him.

It was afraid.

Afraid of being rejected.

Orin's breath came in ragged gasps as he focused every ounce of his will, pushing against the force invading his mind.

The whispers turned to hissing.

"Fool"

"You were nothing before us"

"You will be nothing again"

But as the artifact's grip weakened, so did its hold on his mind. The visions faded, replaced by clarity.

And suddenly—he could hear the voices around him again.

---

"He's fighting it," Selene whispered, eyes wide.

Reynard didn't hesitate. "We help him break free."

Darius raised his sword. "If we can't cut it off—"

"No," Selene snapped. "It's still connected to his soul. If you sever it the wrong way—"

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to.

Reynard cursed under his breath. His Legacy System was still disrupted, unable to guide him. This wasn't a normal fight.

But then, an idea struck him.

Artifacts bind to the will of their wielders.

What if they forced Orin's will to the surface?

"Orin!" Reynard stepped forward, gripping Orin's free wrist. "Listen to me. You're stronger than this. Focus on who you are, not what it's offering you!"

Orin's eyes flickered toward him, still clouded with the artifact's influence.

Reynard gritted his teeth. "You said you weren't an extra, right? Then prove it!"

Orin's fingers twitched. The gauntlet's energy flickered.

The whispers screamed.

---

Orin clenched his jaw.

He wasn't an extra.

He wasn't just some tool for an ancient force.

And he refused to be controlled.

With a final, defiant roar, he tore his arm back, pouring every ounce of his will into rejecting the artifact's hold.

The gauntlet shattered.

A pulse of dark energy exploded outward, sending Orin crashing backward. He landed hard, his body trembling, his breath ragged.

The whispers vanished.

The cavern fell silent.