The evening air was cool and quiet, the kind of silence that wasn't awkward but deep — the type that carried weight. Jaden sat outside Master Shang's house, watching the fire crackle under a large pot. The smell of herbs and spices mixed with the earthy scent of the forest. Crickets chirped in the distance. Master Shang stirred the pot, focused, calm as always. But something hung heavy in the air — not tension, exactly, but something unspoken.
Jaden didn't say a word. He just sat there, legs stretched out, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the bubbling pot. It had been a long week. His last mission in the city still echoed in his mind — the screaming, the blood, the sight of the crying child. He hadn't had a moment to just breathe. Now here he was, back in the only place that felt anything close to peace, though even that wasn't whole.
After a while, Master Shang finally broke the silence.
"Will you like to take a contract?" he asked, not looking at Jaden, his voice low.
Jaden blinked and shifted his eyes to the old man. "What's the contract about?"
"It's a demon," Master Shang replied. "But not like the others you've faced. This one doesn't just destroy cities or kill people. It messes with your mind. It speaks… truths. Deep ones. Painful ones."
Jaden frowned, still listening.
"I faced it once," Master Shang continued. "Long ago. I wasn't ready for what it said to me. It doesn't fight with claws or strength — it cuts with words. Things you don't want to hear. Things you've buried."
Jaden remained quiet, but his jaw clenched slightly. He had more buried than he wanted to admit.
"But," Master Shang said, "I think I have something that can kill it."
He stood up, disappeared into the house for a moment, and came back holding a long, wrapped object. He sat it gently beside Jaden and unwrapped it. Inside was a blade — sleek, dark steel with strange markings carved into it. It glinted under the moonlight, almost glowing. The hilt was worn but strong, wrapped in dark leather, clearly old but not weak.
"This blade," Master Shang said, his voice almost a whisper, "was forged by ancient demon slayers. It's not just a weapon. It's made to pierce the mind of demons that feed on pain."
Jaden leaned in slightly, eyes on the blade.
"It's been kept hidden for centuries," Master Shang added. "Only handed to slayers who can bear their own truth."
Jaden didn't reach for it yet. "When am I to go for this mission?"
"Soon," Master Shang said. "I've already spoken with Jun. The demon has been spotted near the old ruins, just beyond the Valley of Whisper. You'll leave at first light."
Jaden nodded, finally picking up the blade. It was lighter than he expected, but he could feel its power — not just in strength but in something else, something deep. This wasn't just another fight. This mission would be different.
Master Shang sat back down beside the fire and stirred the pot again.
"You need to prepare your mind," he said. "More than your body. That demon will drag out every piece of you you've tried to forget. Even I wasn't ready when I met it."
Jaden stared at the flames, his face lit by the flickering orange glow. He thought of his scar. His father. His sister. The child in the city. The things he never said. The things he never wanted to feel again.
"I'll be ready," he finally said, voice low but firm.
Master Shang glanced at him and nodded once. He could see it in Jaden's eyes — the storm was coming, and Jaden was walking straight into it.
The wind rustled the leaves above them. The fire cracked again. And for a moment, nothing more needed to be said.