Overwhelming Firepower

Alexander Wyrd stood in a place that did not feel like a place at all. There was no wind, no sky, no ground he could properly see.

It felt as though he were standing in the space between moments, where sound and light had both grown distant.

He could not remember how he arrived there. He could not remember why he was alone. Then a voice reached him.

”No matter what happens, I believe in the future you will bring.”

It was gentle and filled with warmth. He did not recognize it, yet it stirred something deep in his chest, as if he had once leaned on that voice without realizing it.

Before he could turn toward it, another voice followed.

”There’s nothing left for me but my sword, my pride, and my name. Please... Alex... Let me die as I am. Let me die in the way I choose.”

This one carried weight. It was not pleading for life. It was asking for dignity. Beneath the resignation, there was pride that refused to bend.

Alexander felt his throat tighten. He wanted to answer, but he did not know what to say, or even who he was meant to speak to.

A third voice came, bright and steady despite the circumstances it implied.

”Heh... It has been a fun journey, Alex... But this is where we part ways. For the last time, I will show the world what a true warrior is! So Alex, I hope the end of your journey is filled with smiles.”

There was no bitterness in that voice. There was only a determination and a kind of joy that refused to be extinguished.

Another voice then spoke as if the person was standing behind him, but he could not see anything.

”When this is all over, I plan to settle down. I hope you visit my restaurant.”

This time, it was a voice that was filled with hope for tomorrow. Alexander did not recognize their faces, yet his heart reacted before his mind could. His chest felt tight.

His fingers trembled. There was grief there, deep, personal grief, yet he could not attach it to a memory. It felt like he was mourning for people he had yet to meet.

The darkness then faded, and he saw someone who looked like him, but much older. This older version of him was just standing there, but he had this strong presence.

He simply stood there in the fading darkness, silver armor catching a light that had no visible source. The armor was not ornate, yet it carried weight, as though it had endured countless battles and been reforged more than once.

Alexander stared at his older version. The resemblance was unmistakable. The birthmark on his neck and the structure of his face were truly similar.

The older Alexander’s gaze was steady. His eyes were the same deep black, but they held something else within them.

It was neither darkness nor sorrow. It was something steadier; it was a firm resolve shaped by experience.

Alexander wanted to speak to this older version of himself, but no words would come out of his open mouth.

It was at this moment that an unknown figure appeared in front of him and his older self. Alexander could not see what the figure looked like as the person was covered in fog.

The older version then opened his lips and said something. Alexander could not hear most of what his older self said, but he did hear a bit.

”... For this world... For my companions... For the future...”

His older self then took out a heavy-looking sword and held it with both hands. A divine light then enveloped his sword; it was not an aura or mana but something entirely different.

When the battle between the two felt like it was about to start, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

”Alex! Wake up!” It was his mother’s voice. ”Wake up, already!”

The world shattered. The silver armor vanished first. The light around the blade collapsed inward as though it had never existed. The fog swallowed the unknown figure. Even the older version of himself began to fade.

For a brief moment, their eyes met. The older Alexander looked at him with a rather hopeful look as if he was relieved to see him, and then he nodded once.

It was at that point that everything started to dissolve. Alexander’s eyes flew open. Sunlight filtered through the curtains of his room.

The ceiling above him was the first thing he saw. His chest rose and fell faster than usual, and his hand was clenched tightly against the bedsheets.

He looked around and saw his mother standing by his door. ”If you don’t move now, you’ll be late. Mina is already waiting for you.”

It took Alexander a few seconds to comprehend what was happening around him.

’Right... Today was the day for the Royal Academy practical exams.’

Alexander and his childhood friend Mina were among the few commoners who were chosen that could take the entrance examination of the prestigious Royal Academy.

They had passed the written exam, so now it was time for the practical exam. Alexander shook away the thoughts about the dream he had and started moving.

”Eat first, before you go. Also, don’t forget to bring your sword.”

Alexander blinked a few more times before fully sitting up. The lingering weight of the dream still pressed faintly against his chest, but the warmth of the morning sun and his mother’s familiar voice grounded him.

”Yeah, mom,” he replied, though his voice sounded distant even to himself.

He rubbed his face with both hands and let out a slow breath. The dream was already slipping away like mist under sunlight, yet the feeling it left behind clung stubbornly.

She gave him a brief look, as though checking for any sign that he was unwell, before nodding and stepping away from the doorway.

”Hurry, along then. Mina has been pacing outside for the past ten minutes. If you make her any more nervous, she might start blaming you for the results.”

Alexander let out a small laugh at that. Mina blaming him for her own nerves was not impossible.

She had a habit of pretending to be confident until the very last moment, only for her anxiety to surface when it mattered most.

”I’ll be there in a minute,” he said.

”Be quick about it, will you. Also, your Father has already left for work. He told me to tell ya, there’s no shame in failing.”

Alexander paused as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

There’s no shame in failing. His father had never been a man of many words, but when he did speak, it was rather meaningful.

He understood why his father would say that. The Royal Academy was a place for nobles and prodigies.

Commoners were rarely given a chance, and even more rarely did they succeed. Simply reaching the practical exam was already considered impressive.

But for some reason, the thought of failing did not even register in his mind. To fail to enter the Royal Academy felt like an impossible feat, even if he tried.

It was not because of pride or something like overconfidence. Everyone who knew Alexander understood that this person was the farthest from someone who was overconfident or had excessive pride.

He was someone who trained until his hands bled, who would lower his head if it was to help someone.

Alexander stood up fully and reached for the broad sword his father gifted him. This was something his father saved up for.

He took a few more things, got properly dressed, and headed out. Alexander took a few pieces of bread and stuffed them in his mouth.

”Chew properly, and do your best in the exams.” Hearing his mother’s voice, Alexander took a big gulp and smiled.

”I’ll be sure to do just that.”

Alexander then left the house, and outside waiting for him was his childhood friend, Mina Escartin.

She was standing just outside, arms crossed, one foot tapping impatiently against the dirt road.

She was dressed neatly for the exam. Her light brown hair was tied into a simple half-ponytail, though a few loose strands had escaped and framed her face. She brushed them back every few seconds without realizing it.

She was what others would consider rather cute. Her eyes were a soft hazel, bright but currently narrowed in suspicion as she spotted him stepping out.

”You overslept, didn’t you?” she asked immediately.

Alexander closed the gate behind him and offered an apologetic smile. ”Sorry about that.”

”I knew it,” she said, though her tone carried more relief than annoyance. ”We’ve got to move now, or we might miss the morning train.”

Alexander adjusted the strap of his sword across his back and fell into step beside her.

”We still have time,” he said calmly.

”That’s what you said last time,” Mina replied without missing a beat. ”And we barely made it before they closed the doors.”

He thought about arguing, then decided against it. She was not wrong.

They began walking briskly down the dirt road that led toward the town’s small railway station.

It had been a year now since the railway had reached their rural village at the edge of Norvaegard, but because of it, many things had become better.

The supplies came and went much more easily now, and people who wanted to work in different places could now go to those places and return home on the same day.

The greatest benefit was that clerics, herbalists, and many other kinds of healers could get to their remote village, and if they were truly sick, it took only a few hours to get to the capital to ask for help.

The people were truly grateful to Lucen Thornehart, who had invented such a wondrous thing.

The morning air was cool, carrying with it the scent of damp soil and freshly baked bread from the nearby houses.

A few villagers were already outside, sweeping their doorsteps or preparing their stalls for the day.

”Heading to the exam today, are you?” An elderly man called out.

”Yes, sir,” Alexander replied with a small bow of his head.

”Make the village proud.”

”I will do my best,” Alexander responded with enthusiasm.

Several other elders came to greet them in similar ways. Even a few children came to encourage them. It didn’t take too long for the two to reach the train station.

It wasn’t anything grand; it was just a small station made of wood that had a roof. The two bought their tickets, which cost fifteen copper coins each, and waited at the bench for the train to arrive.

The train rolled into the station with a hiss of steam and steel.

As the doors opened, Alexander felt the faintest echo of something he had seen in his dream.

A promise, for this world, for his companions, and for the future. Without knowing why, he smiled and stepped aboard.