Magical World: The Chosen One

2. "How Did I Teleport?"

The tension permeating the room, combined with Stephen's helplessness, filled the atmosphere with unease. The command "Don't resist, give it here!" seemed to press down on the atmosphere. Stephen could feel his heartbeat accelerating with each passing second. It felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

"I swear on the lives of all my loved ones that I don't know where the sword is," Stephen pleaded.

Despite Stephen's oath, the guards still seemed skeptical. He thought he had clearly stated that he didn't know where the sword was. But his defense only left some of the guards uncertain.

"You were the last one with the sword. Why did you touch it?" This question, followed by the howl of a wolf, further intensified the mystery and uncertainty in the forest.

"I don't know either. It's like I was possessed," Stephen explained, expressing the strange sensation he felt, arousing curiosity that there was something more to the events. A brief silence ensued. The guards pondered over the situation. However, one of them suddenly grabbed Stephen by the collar, lifting him up, then releasing him, breaking the silence in the forest.

Amidst the bewildered gazes of the guards, another guard asked, "Why isn't this kid running away?"

Stephen, breathing rapidly, was contemplating a way to escape and was in an internal conflict. As if the other guards weren't enough, more were coming after him. "I'm just an 18-year-old kid. Why do I need so many guards after me?" This situation escalated the tension even further. He tried to take a step backward, but couldn't. It was as if his feet were glued to the ground.

"You can't run anywhere without our permission!"

Then he felt a magical energy surge. "I guess they've cast a spell on me," he thought. In his world shaken by this magical energy, freeing his arm from the grip of the guards, who were forcefully squeezing it, felt like solving a spell difficulty. He forcibly opened his hand, which was still clenched into a fist. A glowing ring lay in the palm of his hand, serving as a bearer of great mystery. The ring's band was identical to the one on the sword, and the stone in the ring was exactly the same as the one in the Justice Sword.

"Could this ring be that sword?" a guard echoed, and the words echoed through the forest, followed by his skeptical gaze, which was then followed by the others. "It looks just like the stone in that sword," he added.

What they said made sense to some and seemed nonsensical to others. "But it's an inanimate object. How can it change shape without anyone else's intervention?"

"This is the Magical World. Anything can happen here."

The one who asked the question decided not to question further. Then another guard reached out towards the ring. When the ring recoiled slightly, the eyes of the guards were lost in bewilderment, like a traveler chasing a vanished legend. "Is this ring alive? It's as if a soul has entered it," one guard asked, with a lingering unease. "The Justice Sword is a magical and powerful item. It should be normal for such things to happen," another guard said, trying to accept the situation and calm himself down. The guard tried again for a second time, but this time the ring had vanished. He drew his sword from its scabbard and pressed it against Stephen's throat.

"Where did you teleport the sword?"

Facing the threat of the sword, Stephen struggled with cold sweat brought on by fear. He could barely open his mouth and his voice trembled, "I can't do magic," he said. With his words, he could only display a helpless resistance.

"Do you expect us to believe that?"

Stephen, now unsure of what to say, accepted the situation and lowered his head in shame and helplessness. He chose to remain silent.