NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62: The Blade’s Kiss
Recap – Chapter 61: The Beast Within the Blade
Jemil and the swordmaster faced the predator bound to the Fang—a beast of storm and hunger that tried to consume Jemil's will. With the swordmaster's aid, he resisted its whispers and proved that his oath held stronger than the blade's hunger. Together, they severed the chains and subdued the beast, earning its respect.
But the tower never stops testing. Where one trial ends, another begins…
Main Story
Scene 1 – The Shifting Floor
The stone of the beast's domain dissolved into mist, and the air chilled as the arena walls bled away. Jemil blinked, his legs unsteady from the fight. The swordmaster caught him before he fell, her grip firm on his arm.
"Don't get sloppy," she said gruffly, though her hand lingered longer than necessary.
He smirked despite his exhaustion. "Admit it, you'd miss me if I collapsed."
Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she shoved him upright. "Tch. Don't flatter yourself."
The mist thickened until they could barely see each other. The Predator's Fang hummed faintly at Jemil's side, but its hunger felt muted—watchful, as though it too sensed the coming trial.
A voice echoed in the mist.
"Your oaths bind you. Your blades strengthen you. But can you trust what lies closest to the heart?"
The floor solidified beneath their feet, forming a long corridor lined with mirrors. Each pane shimmered faintly, reflecting not their bodies but fractured versions of themselves—Jemil twisted by hunger, the swordmaster drenched in betrayal.
Scene 2 – Reflections of Betrayal
Jemil paused before one mirror. It showed him holding the Predator's Fang, but in the reflection, he had given in completely. His eyes glowed feral gold, his mouth twisted into a savage grin as he cut the swordmaster down.
The real swordmaster stiffened as her gaze fell on her own mirror. In it, she turned her back on Jemil, shoving her blade through his chest while smiling coldly.
Her fists tightened. "These are lies."
"Or possibilities," Jemil said quietly.
She turned on him, eyes flashing. "Don't you dare think I'd ever—"
He raised a hand, cutting her off. "I know. Just like you know I'd never let the Fang take me that far. That's the test. Not to believe the lies… but to remember who we are now."
The swordmaster hesitated, her breath uneven. Slowly, she nodded, though her hand lingered on her sword hilt as if needing the reassurance.
Scene 3 – Temptation's Illusion
Halfway down the corridor, the mirrors changed. They no longer showed betrayal, but desire.
In one reflection, the swordmaster leaned into Jemil's arms, her armor cast aside, eyes soft and vulnerable. In another, Jemil reached for her, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered promises that made her face burn crimson.
"W-What the hell is this?!" she shouted, flustered, drawing her sword as if she could cut the images down.
Jemil, equally red, coughed into his fist. "Tower's got a cruel sense of humor."
The illusions didn't fade. In fact, the more they tried to ignore them, the stronger they grew. One reflection showed them locked in a kiss—tender, desperate, undeniable.
The swordmaster froze. Her hand twitched, and for a brief heartbeat, she didn't look away. Jemil caught the flicker in her eyes.
Silence stretched between them until Jemil finally muttered, "For the record… that doesn't look like the worst fate."
Her face went scarlet. "I-I'll kill you!" she snapped, storming past him down the corridor.
But her quickened steps, the tremor in her voice, betrayed more than her words.
Scene 4 – The Kiss of the Blade
At the corridor's end stood a single mirror larger than the rest. This one didn't distort. It showed only Jemil and the swordmaster as they were now—standing side by side.
The voice returned.
"Steel binds easily. Flesh falters. Will you cut through doubt… or will you be cut apart by it?"
The mirror split in two, forming a doorway. But the path didn't open freely. Two blades descended from above, crossing in an X, barring the way.
Inscribed along the blades were words: Only truth may pass.
The swordmaster stiffened. "Truth…?"
Before Jemil could speak, the corridor shifted. Illusions of betrayal surged back around them—her stabbing him, him cutting her down, their kiss, their laughter, their rage—all crashing into their minds like waves.
The Fang in Jemil's grip roared for release. The hunger wanted him to lash out, to end the uncertainty with blood. But Jemil forced his voice steady.
"The truth," he said slowly, "is that I trust her. Even when she pushes me away. Even when she doubts herself. She's the one who cut the beast's chains. She's the one who stood by me. I trust her with my life."
The swordmaster's lips parted, trembling. She swallowed hard, then spoke, her voice sharp but raw.
"And the truth is… I don't want to lose him. Not again. Not to betrayal, not to hunger, not to anything. I'll fight the tower itself if I have to… just to keep him."
The blades dissolved into light. The door opened.
For a moment, neither moved. The swordmaster's cheeks burned crimson as she looked away. "Say one word about this and I'll cut you down."
Jemil smiled softly. "Not a word."
But the warmth in his chest said everything.
Scene 5 – After the Trial
They stepped through the doorway, and the corridor of mirrors dissolved into stars. The air softened, no longer oppressive. For the first time, the tower felt… still.
The Fang's whisper stirred faintly, but instead of hunger, it almost purred.
"So that is the taste of truth… stronger than any hunt."
The swordmaster walked ahead, silent, though her ears were still red. Jemil followed, his steps lighter than before.
They had survived hunger. They had survived doubt. But desire… that trial still lingered between them, unspoken.
⚔️ End of Chapter 62: The Blade's Kiss
Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 63: Chains of the Forgotten
The tower reveals the path upward—but not to rest. Another floor waits, and with it, echoes of a past Jemil cannot remember. Shackles, broken vows, and a face from before his memory was stolen will rise to confront him.
And as the next wife reveals herself, her love and her fury may be more dangerous than any beast.
CTA
🔥 Hunger resisted. Trust confessed. Desire left simmering. But the tower's trials are only growing harsher. Can Jemil and the swordmaster hold their fragile bond together when the next floor drags the past into the present?
👉 Don't miss Chapter 63: Chains of the Forgotten!