Rian stayed still, his back to the sword.
"I don't trust you," he said, without turning around.
"I know," the voice answered, quieter than before. "But… could you at least take me with you? Just that."
Rian frowned.
"Take you?"
"Yes. Just pick me up and carry me at your side. Once we're outside, I can find another bearer. You don't have to make any contract with me…"
'Another bearer?' Rian thought, glancing sideways toward where the sword lay.
Something felt off. This whole situation — the voice in his head, a talking sword, the offer of power — it was exactly the kind of trap that showed up in video games right before everything went sideways.
Rian took another step toward the wall, looking for cracks where he could get his hands in and climb.
"Please!" the voice pressed. "Just take me outside! I'm not asking for anything else!"
Another step.
"I'm begging you! I'll do anything!"
Another step.
"Don't leave me here! Please, please, please!"
'…'
Rian stopped, jaw tight.
The voice kept pleading, repeating the same words over and over, each time more desperate than the last.
It wouldn't stop.
It was like a broken record with no off switch.
And the worst part was that he was starting to feel sorry for it.
"Have you got no pride?" Rian said, finally turning around.
The voice went quiet for a moment.
"…Pride doesn't get you anywhere," it replied, and the tone was different now. Calmer, but emptier too. "Without a bearer, I can't do anything. I can't move, I can't act, I can't… anything."
"But you're speaking directly into my mind," he pointed out. "That's not exactly nothing."
"I can only do that if a human is close enough to me," she explained. "But as you can see… this place is sealed off from the world. Nobody comes here…"
Another pause.
"I've been alone for a very long time."
'…'
Rian looked at her. The sword was still there on the ground, rusted and grimy. It hadn't moved a single inch.
It couldn't move.
It was just an object.
An object that had spent centuries lying in a dark hole, untouched.
'Damn it,' Rian thought, dragging a hand down his face.
He let out a long breath.
"I'll take you outside."
"Really?!" The voice lit up instantly.
"But I'm not promising anything," he added quickly, holding up a finger. "I have no idea if you'll find another bearer up there. That's your problem."
"Yes, yes, of course!" she answered eagerly. "And even if I end up contracting with someone else, I'll repay this debt to you! Your kindness will not be forgotten! I swear it on my—!"
"Relax, you're overdoing it," Rian cut in, walking toward the sword.
He crouched down in front of it, reached out his hand, and the moment his fingers touched the hilt an intense cold shot through his hand and up his arm like an electric current.
"What—?!"
Rian tried to let go of the sword, but his fingers wouldn't respond.
And then the voice started talking. Fast. Very fast.
"I, who have waited for centuries, gratefully accept the contract my bearer has proposed, binding our souls in an eternal bond that—!"
"What are you saying?!" Rian shouted, trying to open his hand. "I never proposed any—!"
A blue light exploded from the sword.
It was so bright it blinded him completely.
Rian shut his eyes on instinct, feeling the cold in his hand spread through his entire body for one single second before vanishing all at once.
And then… nothing.
The light went out. The cold was gone. And when he opened his eyes…
The sword wasn't there.
His hand was empty, clutching air.
"What…?" Rian looked at the floor. He looked at his hands. He looked everywhere. "What just happened?"
A soft laugh echoed inside his head.
"What did you do?" Rian asked, his voice tight.
The laughter stopped, and the voice answered with a tone that blended satisfaction and relief.
"I made a contract with you," she said brightly. "I bound our souls together. From this moment on… I will be your ego sword."