The footsteps grew louder.
Kael stood still, letting the forest speak to him. The air shifted—cooler now, tinged with steel and perfume. She was close. He could feel her… not just physically, but spiritually. Like her soul hummed against the threads of his own.
Then she appeared.
A woman moved through the trees like a shadow draped in red leather. Her cloak whipped with each step, revealing dagger sheaths strapped to her thighs, a crossbow at her back, and emerald eyes that burned like cold fire.
She froze when she saw him.
Naked. Bloodied. Alive.
"You're not supposed to be awake yet," she muttered, hand sliding to her weapon.
Kael tilted his head. "Funny. Neither are you."
She moved fast—faster than most humans should. A dagger flew at his face. He caught it mid-air, the metal singing against his palm.
Her eyes widened.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
Kael didn't answer. He stepped forward, tossing the dagger aside. She threw a second, and he caught it again.
"You're marked," she whispered, eyes narrowing. "The Seal... on your chest. You're one of them."
"One of what?" he asked, voice low.
"The Chosen," she hissed. "The cursed. The ones who wake with power and... women bound to them."
She said the last part like poison on her tongue. But she didn't run.
Kael looked closer. Her aura pulsed faintly, resonating with his own.
She's one of them.
His first.
"What's your name?" he asked, already stepping closer.
She scowled. "Why do you care?"
He reached out slowly, fingers brushing her cheek. She didn't flinch—but her breath caught.
"Because," he murmured, "the bond's already begun."