Welcome, Bonder, Beast, or Bystander!
Hi. Hello. I see you've stumbled into my world. I'd offer tea, but I don't have thumbs. What I do have is a tangle of imperial politics, forbidden soul magic, and one (1) terrifying villainess who may or may not use me as a pillow.
This is my Lore Volume, aka How Not to Get Reassigned, Collared, or Exploded. Ready? No? Too bad.
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What's a Soulbeast Anyway? (Besides Adorable)
A soulbeast is a magical creature born with something called a soul spark. Think of it as a glowy little piece of fate that lets me bond to a human. Or bite one. Both happen.
Bonding 101:
Named Bonds: Your human names you. You're registered, protected, and legally owned. Fun!
Unnamed Bonds: No name, no registry, total freedom. Also total legal vulnerability. Guess which one I am.
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The Spark Problem (A.K.A. I Was Someone Else?!)
Apparently, I'm what they call a Fallen Bond. Sounds cool, right? Wrong.
It means my spark isn't fresh. It's recycled. I was someone — or something — else before I hatched in the lap of a villainess. Now I've got memories I can't remember, power I can't control, and enemies I didn't order.
The worst part? My spark is forbidden. Illegal. A walking court case. Yay me.
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Empire Politics (Help)
I live in the Nightveil Empire, which is ruled by:
Empress Lysandra Nightveil: Scary. Elegant. Might have erased my past.
The Binder's Assembly: Bureaucrats with too much power and not enough snacks. They run the Registry that tracks every bonded soulbeast. I'm unregistered. They hate that.
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Arwen Nightveil – My Bonder (Do Not Pet)
She's the villainess. Yes, that villainess.
Cold. Brilliant. Absolutely terrifying. She refused to name me, which is romantic if you ignore the fact it puts me in danger.
She burned a collar the Empress gave her. Then told the whole Empire they could "pry me from her cold, noble hands."
I think I love her. Platonically. Probably.
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The Trial (They're Trying to Take Me)
Because I'm unregistered, some noble jerks decided they can claim me. Cue Trial by Soulbond, where they try to steal me legally. Ha.
Arwen? She invoked something called the Challenge Clause — an ancient law that forces a public duel in the Arena of Threads.
Apparently, I'm worth fighting for. Fluffs feathers proudly.
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The Vault of Secrets (I Shouldn't Have Gone In)
We broke into the Nightveil Vault — totally legally, with a key from a weird cloaked stranger. Inside? My erased past. A scroll that confirmed I'm a lost soul spark. Name gone. History gone. Only the Empress knows who I was.
Do I want to know? Maybe. Depends if knowing gets me vaporized.
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The Arena of Threads (Trial Time)
This is where I might get:
Reassigned
Unbound
Or spectacularly explode if my spark wakes up mid-trial.
Arwen's betting on Option D: Victory.
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Final Thoughts (Before I'm Summoned Again)
This world is dangerous. The Empire is powerful. But I've got claws, chaos, and the most stubborn villainess on my side.
Stay tuned, reader. I'm going to change fate — from the lap upward.