The rebel camp is loud.
Clanging steel, shouting soldiers, fires crackling, the occasional scream in the far distance - probably someone getting patched up or put down. Definitely not the kind of place a modern civilian like me should feel comfortable in.
And yet.
Something about the blood-and-blade vibe… feels weirdly familiar.
Vael's tent sits at the center of it all—bigger, darker, and guarded by two men who eye me like I'm a wolf pretending to be a lamb. They don't stop me, though. One twitch of Vael's head and I'm inside.
The flap drops behind me.
The air changes.
It's… warm. Incense? No. Spiced oil, maybe. Leather and iron. The tent is clean, efficient. A cot in the back. Weapons lined up like a shrine. And in the middle of it all…
Vael.
He's pulled off his armor—thank you, universe—and is down to his black undershirt, which is clinging just unfairly tight to a body forged in battle and bad decisions.
His hair's damp, freshly washed. A long scar runs down the length of his forearm. Another grazes his neck. The man looks like he's survived three wars, two betrayals, and a heartbreak he never talks about.
And he's pacing. Like something's bothering him.
"You're not who you say you are," he says suddenly. His voice is low, controlled, but sharp.
"I didn't say I was anyone," I reply.
"Exactly."
He turns.
We lock eyes.
[System 707]:
"SIZZLING tension! I rate this 8.6 on the 'Are They About to Fight or Kiss' scale. Also, shirt status: unfair. Drool counter activated."
I ignore the system - barely.
"Look," I say, lifting my bound hands. "Clearly this is a misunderstanding. You're the commander, right? So unbind me, give me some food, maybe a hot bath, and I'll happily vanish into the woods and pretend none of this ever happened."
Vael stalks closer.
Each step is deliberate. Measured. Dangerous.
He stops in front of me, close enough that I can smell him. Sweat, steel, and something dark and wild beneath it all. His hand reaches out-
-and in one smooth move, he pulls a dagger from his belt and slices the rope around my wrists.
The tension breaks. Sort of.
My arms fall free, but before I can thank him, he presses the flat of the dagger against my throat. Not cutting - just… holding it there.
His eyes search mine.
"You're not from this world, are you?"
My breath catches.
What the actual fu—
[System 707]:
🚨 "THAT'S NOT IN THE SCRIPT. VAEL IS NOT SUPPOSED TO SUSPECT DIMENSIONAL SHENANIGANS THIS EARLY. HOST - HE'S TOO SMART. I REPEAT: HE'S TOO HOT AND TOO SMART."
I laugh—nervous, but soft. "What kind of question is that?"
Vael doesn't smile.
"You don't carry yourself like one of us. You speak strangely. You look… like you're seeing everything for the first time."
I shrug. "Maybe I'm just confused. Head injury. You people ever hear of concussions?"
He doesn't move the blade. Instead, he leans in closer, his mouth just inches from mine.
"You're not lying. But you're not telling the truth, either."
Gods. His voice should be illegal.
[System 707]:
Glitch detected: Heart rate spiked. Blood pressure elevated. Host might be catching feelings. Please reboot your common sense immediately.
I exhale slowly. "You gonna kill me, Commander?"
Vael stares.
Then finally, he pulls the dagger back and steps away.
"Not yet."
He tosses the blade onto a table and turns his back to me, reaching for something. A cloth maybe? Wine. A map. I don't even know. I'm too busy trying to remember how to breathe.
This man…
There's something more to him. Like he's tied to something I can't name.
But I shake it off. No use falling into that thought spiral now.
[System 707 – Background Process Running…]
Soul signature: Strengthening. Bond remains undetected.
Warning: Unawareness Level Critically High. Host is, as the humans say, "a clueless disaster."
Vael turns back to me, holding a small leather pouch.
"Eat. Drink. Don't run. If you're lying, I'll gut you. If you're not…"
he pauses, then looks away for the first time.
"…we'll see."
He hands it to me.
His fingers brush mine.
Just a second.
Just long enough to feel something spark.
But I say nothing.
And so does he.
[System Update – Nightfall Approaching]
Your choices ripple.
Your pulse races.
And the soul that remembers you… watches silently.