Aisa stood at the entrance of Bran's manor, and in the morning sun, the crooked golden words on the sign above the gate read "Bran Manor," with smaller characters on the side, written by Bran himself. On either side of the gate stood two massive mountain cat statues, exuding an air of dominance. The gate was wide open, and a few meters inside, a smooth shadow wall blocked any prying eyes.

  Aisa couldn't help but marvel at how much the manor had changed in just a few days. This boy sure knew how to make things happen.

  Walking around the shadow wall, Aisa discovered a round stone table behind it, with Bran sitting on a stone bench, a massive two-handed sword lying bare on the table. Aisa, excited, asked, "Is it done?"

  Bran nodded and said, "Try it."

  Aisa swung the sword a few times and immediately felt a connection, as if the sword was an extension of his body, natural and familiar, without the usual awkwardness of using a new weapon. It felt like it had been with him for years.

  He raised the sword to inspect it, noticing that the bde was covered with small, scale-like patterns, yer upon yer wrapping the sword. As his gaze followed the scales from the bde to the tip, the scales seemed to come alive, twisting and spiraling, as if a monstrous serpent was coiling around the sword, eventually becoming the weapon itself. When the vision disappeared, Aisa felt his throat dry, and when he looked around, Bran was nowhere to be found.

  ...

  In the loft at the top of the manor, Dani and Bran sat by the window, watching Aisa below, who appeared lost in thought. Dani asked curiously, "What's wrong with him?"

  Bran sneered, "He's dreaming, living in fantasy."

  Dani was speechless...

  Bran continued, "Something’s changed with my abilities. I can't really expin it, but it feels... wrong. By the way, Dani, about the snake you caught for me st time, what happened to it?"

  Dani raised an eyebrow. "It was eaten."

  "Can you catch me another one?" Bran asked.

  "How dare you! Last time, you ate more than I did! And what do you mean by 'compensate'? You were the one who suggested roasting it! And besides, it's winter, where am I supposed to find another one?"

  Bran had been a little startled by the experience himself. He had simply picked up some materials that morning, and without hesitation, naturally completed the creation of the sword. It felt as though he was a mere observer, a puppet maniputed by forces beyond his control.

  He had originally pnned to call Aisa to help with the work, to adjust based on Aisa’s grip and habits. But he had ended up doing it alone.

  ...

  In the afternoon, Bran and Dani visited the warehouse. Bran stood before some leftover materials from making Aisa’s weapon and asked Dani, "How do you feel when you're around these materials?"

  Dani touched Bran's head and muttered, "They're not burning."

  Bran frowned deeply...

  "Have you ever heard that everything has a spirit?"

  "I've heard the elders say that, and also Smaug."

  "Do you believe it?"

  "I do."

  "Why?"

  "Before my coming-of-age ceremony, I heard a calling. When I entered the trial wilderness, I could feel that the wilderness itself was alive, breathing."

  Bran looked at Dani’s serious expression and shivered. What did she mean by a ‘living wilderness’? Bran had always thought of the coming-of-age ceremony as a test of survival, where only the strong survive, leaving the weak behind. But now, it seemed there was more to it than he had imagined.

  Dani wasn’t lying, and Bran realized he had overlooked many things. He had accepted the reality of magic in this world, but stubbornly treated certain legends as mere stories. Thinking about it made him feel frustrated.

  Seeing Bran lost in thought again, Dani quietly left him to his musings.

  ...

  Before dinner, Bran was on his way to the castle, holding a single-handed sword in his arms, the product of the afternoon's work. As he held the sword, it felt more like a living fish than a weapon.

  This didn’t make sense. What was magic? What was going on in this world? These questions flooded Bran’s mind, making him feel increasingly lost.

  Upon entering the castle, Bran headed straight for the Duke's study, where he found Aisa already there. The rge sword was lying ft on the table. When Bran entered, Aisa looked at him with a mixture of awe and reverence. The Duke’s gaze was more complicated—he seemed to want to show some kind of closeness, but his smile was stiff.

  Bran walked around the desk and gestured for the Duke to take the sword from his arms. "What do you think?"

  The Duke took a deep breath. "It’s... alive."

  Upon hearing this, Bran’s thoughts deepened, and he turned to leave the room. Behind him, the Duke called out, "The sword?"

  "It’s for you," Bran replied.

  Knowing that the Duke had understood, Bran walked away, thinking to himself, This isn’t an illusion. I’m not crazy, the world is.

  ...

  At dinner, the Duke ate in silence, occasionally gncing at Bran, who seemed lost in thought. Bran had the same expression—lost in contemption. The young dy sitting between him and Hua Hua seemed quite displeased with the atmosphere, tugging at Bran's sleeve to snap him out of his thoughts.

  With a bit of irritation, Bran turned his face toward her. But when he saw the little girl’s eyes, his expression softened, and he smiled.

  The Duchess smiled and shook her head, as everyone knew Bran had an unusual amount of patience for his little sister.

  Interrupted from his thoughts, Bran decided to give up thinking for now. He casually interacted with his sister, and the Duke seized the opportunity to say, "Bran, you can visit the family’s weapon collection anytime."

  "Thank you," Bran nodded. "The more I see, the more I learn."

  ...

  On the way back to the manor, Dani asked, "What’s up with you today? You seem... off."

  "It’s nothing, just a little shaken."

  "Still so timid, huh? Come sleep with me tonight."

  "It’s not that kind of being shaken."

  "What do you mean?"

  "There are just some things I can’t figure out."

  "Then stop thinking about it."

  Bran gnced sideways at Dani and then shifted the topic, saying, "Actually, the knights in the castle are pretty poor and stingy."

  Dani looked at him seriously, almost as if she were reconsidering him, before hearing Bran’s next words, "The materials they sent over—I’ve been calcuting for a long time, and it just doesn’t feel like enough."

  Dani instinctively said, "That’s impossible."

  "It’s true. After I finish with theirs, we won’t have enough for ours."

  Bran’s pyful ughter rang in the air, and Dani couldn’t help but ugh along with him.

  ...

  "If you’re scared, you really can come sleep with me."

  "I’m not scared at all!"

  "Alright, my door won’t be locked tonight, no need to knock." Heh…