The forest grew colder as Elara and Kael pressed deeper into its shadows. The trees here were ancient, their bark lined with silver veins that shimmered faintly—alive with memory.
Kael paused near a stone altar, half-buried beneath moss.
"This is the place," he said quietly.
Elara stepped closer. The mark on her wrist blazed as if in recognition.
"I've been here before."
Kael nodded. "This is where you made the oath."
Her breath caught. "What oath?"
He didn't meet her eyes. "The one that bound your soul to mine."
Wind howled between the trees, carrying a faint whisper—words in an old tongue Elara didn't recognize. But somehow, she understood.
Her hands trembled.
"You're not just my guide, are you?"
Kael looked away. "I was once your guardian. But the pact… it changed everything."
A memory surfaced—Kael bleeding in her arms, a circle of fire around them, a shadowed figure watching from afar.
"You died," she whispered.
"I did," Kael said. "And you brought me back."
The ground beneath them pulsed faintly, and the altar lit up—symbols glowing gold.
Elara stepped forward, her voice steady.
"Tell me the truth. All of it."
Kael met her eyes. "If I do… you might not forgive me."
"I'll decide that."
He took a breath. "The hunter we faced—he wasn't tracking us. He was sent by me."
She froze.
"I summoned him… to test if you were ready."