Cas didn't sleep.
Not really.
He lay with his back against the cool metal wall of the outpost, eyes on the ceiling, senses stretched thin—like the bond itself had become brittle. Faint. Off-key.
Evren hadn't come back to bed.
He'd stayed on the roof, silent, watching the edge of the broken skyline like an army might appear any second.
Cas hated the space between them. Hated how one crack had echoed through everything like a faultline in their foundation.
But more than that, he hated the silence.
And the fact that… part of him wasn't sure the vision wasn't true.
🔔 SYSTEM NOTICE: Bond Sync Irregularity Detected
➤ Compatibility Deviation: 3.2%➤ Emotional Integrity: Unstable➤ Warning: Interference may be present. Investigate immediately.
Cas stared at the message. "Interference?"
He stood.
Outside, Evren stood like stone, cloak fluttering in the wind. He didn't turn as Cas approached.
"You're mad," Cas said softly.
"No," Evren replied. "I'm scared."
That stopped Cas cold.
Evren turned at last, and his eyes—those cold, steady eyes—were anything but. They were full of pain. Full of him.
"I felt you slip," he said. "Like someone cut you out of the world. And the second I pulled you back, it was like something else had touched you first."
Cas hesitated. "What if something did?"
Evren stiffened. "Then we need to kill it. Fast."
🩸 Blood That Remembers
They weren't alone for long.
A portal shimmered behind them—soft, gold, different from the Reaper's terrifying energy.
From it stepped an older woman, tall and regal, dressed in ceremonial robes with the exact same eyes as Cas.
Evren moved instantly, hand to weapon.
The woman raised a hand. "I am not your enemy. And I think it's time Cas knew the truth."
Cas stared at her. "Who are you?"
She smiled softly. "My name is Serath. And I'm your aunt."
Silence.
Evren's eyes narrowed. "Bullshit."
"No," she said, eyes locked on Cas. "I'm part of the bloodline that created the first bonded class. The Arc-Bearers. And so are you."
Cas's blood ran cold. "What?"
"You're not just a bonded wielder," Serath said. "You're the key to why the system was created. And the Reaper knows it. He doesn't want to sever your bond, Cas. He wants to rewrite it—through you."
Evren stepped closer, placing himself in front of Cas. "Why now? Why show yourself?"
Serath didn't flinch. "Because your bond just activated something ancient. Something buried in your blood. And now… it's waking up."
🔔 GENETIC MATCH CONFIRMED
➤ Bloodline: Ascendant Prime➤ Status: Dormant Seal Breaking➤ Side Effects: Memory Fractures, Temporal Overlap, Bond Flux
[NEW CLASS UNLOCKED: Heir of the First Arc]
Cas stumbled.
He gripped Evren's arm. His vision was splitting. Past and future, flame and frost, cities crumbling, Evren screaming his name—
Then everything snapped back.
He was on the ground.
Evren was beside him, arm locked around his waist.
"Cas," he said sharply. "Cas, stay with me."
Cas gasped, "It's… inside me. Something's… opening."
Serath crouched beside them, voice quiet but intense. "The Reaper's watching, but he's not the only one. There are others—some who want the power you carry. Others who want to kill it before it fully awakens."
Evren growled, "They'll have to get through me."
💔 The System Cracks
Later that night, while Cas recovered, Evren stepped outside. Alone.
He didn't trust this Serath. He didn't trust the system. He didn't even fully trust the bond anymore—not after what it had shown Cas.
He needed answers.
And that's when she appeared.
The cloaked woman. The Reaper's mirror. Same silver eyes. Same twisted calm.
"You don't know what he is," she said softly, stepping out of shadow. "But I do."
Evren didn't draw his blade. Not yet. "Talk."
"He's not just an heir," she said. "He's a seed. The system planted him—one last hope, or one last weapon. Depends who gets to him first."
Evren's voice was cold. "And you?"
She smiled, haunting and sad.
"I'm just here to watch love burn the world."
Then she vanished.