Finn’s boots dragged across the surface of the floor as he moved, head down and eyes low as he felt suffocated by the pressure of his utter failure.

All he wanted was an average guardian. Even if it was a dog, he would gladly accept...

Not this.

Finn stopped for a moment, his eyes turning resentfully back to glare at the sword he had been dragging all the way here. It left a trail behind in the soft muddy plains.

The awakening ceremony had ended earlier after a few more candidates had gotten Awakened.

During that time, Finn stayed silent.

A loud ringing in his ears prevented him from hearing the noise and mockery of his peers around him.

In his mind, all he had was at its end.

The ceremony that was supposed to change his life had left him with nothing but... Finn stared at the hilt of his sword in his hand... ’Nothing.’

Nothing but a sword.

He groaned at the idea of having to return back to his home a trash son just as he left.

A waste to all the resources and efforts his mother had fought to give.

The thought of it was truly suffocating.

He held his head down at that moment. A scream threatened to leave his lips when...

The instructor had approached him with her clipboard, saying a few words that stunned him.

"Finn Vaywill... You pass. You will be transferred to the Military Academy in 3 days."

Recalling all that made Finn’s chest tighten into a knot.

He stared back at his sword which he had been dragging, then at his small arms, and then forward at a house that seemed very small in the distance, golden rays of light licking out of its windows.

Then he continued walking forward.

Traversing the distance between him and the cottage within a few minutes.

When he was finally at the door, he stopped again, the smell of sweet green mushroom stew crashing into his nose.

His stomach grumbled in rebellion, betraying his somber mood.

It was his favorite dish after all.

"..."

Still, Finn remained at the door contemplating where he stood in life while the weight of his supposed guardian did not fail to remind him of how big of a failure he was.

’Stupid sword, I can’t even make it disappear like others can,’ he frowned, glaring resentfully at the sword. ’It’s only been a burden all the way here.’

Finn paused, his expression remaining full of disgust before softening into sadness.

"Why couldn’t it just be all different? Why did you have to come into my life and curse me like this?" Finn said in a low tone.

The vicinity fell silent for a brief moment, and Finn waited, staring at the sword as though awaiting a reply.

Then, he turned to the door once again and knocked.

It didn’t take long before he heard the approach of footsteps, heavy and rushed.

A mere second passed and the door swung open. Behind the door stood a woman in her mid-forties, with long black hair and a beautiful face even with all the forming wrinkles. She wore a sand-brown surcoat, and on her face was a brilliant smile that radiated from her stunning blue eyes.

Her expression alone broke Finn’s heart further, so much that he avoided her gaze.

"Finn! My baby boy, how is..."

"..." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Finn’s expression said it all. His tired eyes were already shaking as tears welled up in them, his hands trembling.

She instantly knew something was wrong.

"Finn?" she said softly, her eyes trailing to the sword he had in his hand, dragged through the dirt. "What’s wrong?"

Finn shook his head. "I want to be alone."

He walked in, maneuvering past her with the ancient sword raised up and pointed forward.

"Finn," his mother called out, her voice filled with worry.

Yet he did not stop for one moment, not until he reached the door that led directly into his room did he linger.

"I’m sorry I failed you again," Finn said, his voice broken and shaky.

"No... My boy, it’s ok," his mother Tera Vaywill raised both hands up to cover her lips, her face growing pale as tears began building up in her eyes.

"No, it’s not alright," Finn continued, his voice growing louder. "Dad left you with all the heat he caused, and you suffered through it all, raising me in your struggles."

"And Now..." He paused faltering for a second, before continuing pain evident in his voice, "I have wasted all that suffering!" He tightened his grasp around the hilt of the ancient sword.

He wished it had never come to be. He wished it could have been different. Why wasn’t it a dragon? Or a squirrel at least? Or even any living organism? Even a pathetic fly would do?

Why the hell was it a fucking sword?!

His mother wiped her eyes. "No matter what happened, no matter the results, it’s going to be fine." She said in a low tone, closing the door. "I know you, my sweet baby," she forced a smile clearly trying to encourage him but her tone betrayed her.

"Even if it seems you have failed, you will always turn the failure into success. You are my little miracle Finn."

Finn swallowed hard, his face grew pale and then he grabbed onto the knob of the door, opening it slowly.

He lingered for a second, and walked into the room shortly after, leaving his mother with a few final words.

"Not anymore."

***

Minutes had gone by since Finn had walked into his room, leaving his mother in a very tensed state.

He sat down on the floor, back rested against the door of his dark room, the ancient sword placed at the edge of his bed where he could glance at his failure and wallow in self-hatred.

’I got into the Military Academy, which has been my dream for a while, yet.’ Finn paused, eyes glaring at the sword. "Apart from my useless talent now I have a useless sword to go with it."

He scoffed, taking off his shoe and hurling it at the sword on his bed.

His aim was precise. The shoe hit the sword and bounced off its surface with a low clang and...

"Owwwy!"

A groan escaped the sword from the impact of the shoe on it.

Finn, who had been sitting somberly up to this moment, sprang onto his feet, folding two balled fists.

Both fists looked rather like sorry tennis balls rather than dangerous knuckles.

"You bloody brat."

The sword sounded again, bright wisps of smoke exuding out of it, growing larger and denser with each passing second.

Finn was stunned. "What is—"

"This?"

A soft crackle emanated from the sword and then the wisps grew so dense it became hard to see the sword through it.

The red smoke grew larger and larger, spanning up to several feet up in the air and a few feet around the bed.

Yawn!

"You dragged me across the ground."

The smoke began to clear.

"And now you throw shoes at me..."

"Have you no respect?" The last part came as a yell, the voice a female’s, rather than the distorted one that had exited the sword earlier.

Still, Finn watched as the smoke settled.

When it cleared, Finn’s eyes grew so wide they almost fell out of their sockets, his face paled and his breath hitched.

Before him was none other than a woman. Beautiful... No, beautiful was understating her looks. She was gorgeous beyond compare, more stunning than any woman Finn had ever set his eyes upon.

She had long black hair, two horns sticking out of her head almost completely buried by her long silky hair. Her body was extremely curvy, and her entire being scented like the wonderful blossoms of rose and dandelion flowers.

And... She was naked.

Finn’s cheeks reddened, his legs aligning closely as he felt a particular bulge between them.

"Who the hell are you?"

"..."

Her gaze fell down in confusion at her nakedness, and then her cheeks reddened. She raised her face and landed her alluring gaze on Finn with a wide grin on her face.

"Are you perhaps blind," she began rudely. "I am your Guardian! Estes the legendary."

Finn’s gaze widened even further in shock. "What? You!"