The night was unnaturally quiet.
Too quiet.
Aria felt it before she saw it—a prickle across her skin, the taste of static in the air. Kael did too. His grip on her hand tightened.
> "We're being watched," he murmured.
A flash of silver. A whisper of air.
A dagger flew toward them—silent and fast.
Kael reacted instantly, pulling Aria behind him as his hand snapped upward. A shadow barrier shimmered into existence, absorbing the strike mid-air. The blade clattered to the ground.
Another followed.
> "Run!" Kael shouted.
But Aria didn't run. Her bond flared, and instinct took over. She reached for the energy between them—her palm glowing as she conjured a blast of radiant light that sent the third assassin flying out of the shadows.
Three cloaked figures stepped into view, their faces hidden, but their aura familiar.
> Umbra-trained.
"Why are they attacking us now?" Aria asked, breathless.
Kael's jaw clenched. "This isn't a test. This is a warning."
---
The Duel Beneath the Moon
Kael stepped forward, summoning twin blades of shadow from his arms—sleek, deadly, humming with old magic. Aria moved beside him, eyes glowing, the bond pushing her toward strength she hadn't known she had.
> "I'll take left," she said.
Kael didn't argue.
The garden erupted into chaos—flashes of light and shadow danced among the roses. Aria ducked, flipped, and blasted an attacker into the fountain. She turned—just in time to see one assassin sneak behind Kael.
> "Kael!" she screamed.
But Kael was faster. His blade sliced through the air, the assassin collapsing in silence.
Panting, blood splattered across his shirt, Kael turned to her.
> "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "You?"
He staggered slightly.
Aria rushed to him.
> "You're bleeding," she whispered, pressing her hand to his ribs.
"I've had worse," he said, trying to smirk, but failing.
Her palm glowed again—warm, soft, instinctual. Her bond reached out to him, and to her shock, his wound began to seal.
> "You're healing me," Kael breathed.
"I didn't know I could…"
The moment stretched between them—vulnerable, breathless. The air between their lips sparked with magic and something far more dangerous.
> "Kael…" she whispered.
He leaned closer. "Say it again."
"Kael."
Their foreheads touched.
And when their lips finally met, it wasn't gentle—it was desperate, full of fire and hunger and fear of losing one another.
The bond exploded with silver flame.
Their magic entwined, their souls brushed for a heartbeat—and something ancient stirred in the earth beneath them.
A rune, buried under the garden stones, began to glow.
From the shadows, a fourth figure watched.
> "The bond is nearly complete," the figure whispered. "Soon... the Gate will open."
---
In the Headmaster's Tower
High Mage Corvan stood before the crystal mirror.
> "They're ahead of schedule. The bond wasn't supposed to activate this soon."
Beside him, Serel simply smiled.
> "Then we adjust the prophecy. Or rewrite it."
---