The doors slammed with a metallic echo that made the floor vibrate. Kael spun around, pulling at the handles, but they wouldn't budge. Locked. Sealed.
The auditorium felt like a tomb. Dark, cold, suffocating. The cloaked figure stood on the broken stage, his presence heavier than the silence itself.
Riven took a step forward, fists clenched. "Let him go." His voice was calm, but Kael could hear the fury under it.
The figure tilted his head, as if amused. "So quick to demand, but you don't even know what game you're playing."
Jordan squirmed in the chair, muffled cries tearing at Kael's nerves. He wanted to rush forward, to cut the ropes, but something in the figure's stance screamed trap.
Kael's voice cracked through the tension. "Who are you? What do you want with us?"
The figure didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slowly lifted his hand and pulled back his hood.
The air left Kael's lungs.
The man's face was lean, sharp, with cold eyes that glimmered like steel. A thin scar cut across his cheek, a mark of old battles. His hair was silver at the temples, though he couldn't have been much older than thirty-five.
But it wasn't his face that shook Kael—it was the feeling. The moment Kael's eyes met his, another memory surged forward.
Stone walls, torchlight. The same scarred man standing before him, centuries ago, wearing armor marked with the two-circle symbol. His sword drawn, dripping blood.
"You can't win," the man had said then, his voice the same as now. "Your bond makes you weak."
And Kael—his past self—had lunged forward with fury. Beside him, Riven's past self had fought too, back to back, their breaths one, their blades flashing.
The memory burned away, leaving Kael trembling in the present.
"You…" Kael whispered. "I've seen you before."
The man's lips curled into a half-smile. "Good. At least one of you remembers."
Riven frowned, confused but steady. "What are you talking about?"
The man ignored him. His gaze was fixed on Kael, sharp and merciless. "You should have stayed buried in your books, boy. Instead, you dig up ghosts."
Kael's fists tightened. "What do you want with Jordan?"
"Collateral," the man said smoothly. He paced across the stage, every step echoing. "A message. You two—" his eyes flicked between Kael and Riven "—were never meant to be together again. Fate keeps twisting, trying to pull you back. But I'll cut the thread before it knots."
Riven's patience snapped. "Enough." He charged forward, vaulting onto the stage with the grace of an athlete. His fists clenched, ready to fight.
The man didn't move. He simply raised a hand.
Suddenly, the lights above crackled. A blinding flash burst through the auditorium, followed by a deafening bang. Sparks showered, plunging the room into deeper shadow.
Kael shielded his eyes, heart hammering. When his vision cleared, Riven was on his knees, clutching his head, groaning.
"Riven!" Kael shouted, rushing forward.
The man chuckled. "He doesn't understand yet. But you do, don't you, Kael? You've seen the fragments. You've felt it. The bond that ties you together, lifetime after lifetime. Strong enough to make you fight, strong enough to make you fall. But strong enough, also, to destroy."
Kael's chest heaved. He glanced at Riven, then at Jordan—still bound, terrified. Every word felt like a hook digging into his skin.
"What are you saying?" Kael demanded.
"That the very thing you cling to," the man said, his eyes narrowing, "is the weapon I'll use to tear you apart."
Kael's instincts screamed that they were running out of time. He sprinted toward Jordan, grabbing at the ropes. "Hold on, I'll get you out."
The man didn't stop him. He just watched, silent, calculating.
Kael tore at the knots, his fingers burning. Jordan's wide eyes locked on his, begging for safety. The ropes were tight, but they were loosening.
Then Kael heard it—Riven's voice, low, urgent.
"Kael… don't turn your back on him."
Too late.
A rush of air. A shadow moving. The man was suddenly right behind Kael, faster than thought. A blade gleamed in his hand, curved and cruel.
Kael froze, breath catching.
But before the blade could strike, Riven launched himself forward with a roar, tackling the man sideways. They crashed to the floor, the knife skittering away.
"Run!" Riven shouted.
Kael's heart lurched. He wanted to stay, to fight, but Jordan was still trapped. He yanked harder at the ropes until, with a final snap, they broke free.
Jordan gasped, clutching his raw wrists. "We need to get out—"
A crash cut him off. Kael turned to see Riven and the man grappling violently, fists flying, boots slamming against the broken stage.
Riven fought with raw fury, but the man was trained, precise, every movement calculated.
Kael's instincts screamed. He grabbed Jordan's arm, dragging him toward the doors—but they were still locked, heavy as stone.
Trapped.
The fight slowed, both men circling each other, breathing hard. Riven's lip was split, blood trickling down his chin. The man's scarred cheek glistened with fresh scratches.
"Why are you doing this?" Riven demanded.
The man's smile was bitter. "Because history repeats. And every time you two find each other, others pay the price."
Kael's voice cracked. "What does that mean?"
"You'll learn," the man said darkly. "The truth isn't ready to be revealed yet. But when it comes, it will burn."
Then, with terrifying speed, he dashed toward the broken window at the back of the stage. Before Riven or Kael could stop him, he leapt through, glass shattering around him.
By the time they reached the window, he was gone—vanished into the night.
The three of them stood in silence, the auditorium heavy with dust and the sting of smoke from broken wires.
Jordan trembled, clutching his wrist. "Who… who was that? What did he mean?"
Neither Kael nor Riven answered immediately.
Kael's head throbbed with confusion, fear, and the echo of the man's words. Every time you find each other, others pay the price.
He glanced at Riven, who was still breathing hard, his hands clenched, jaw tight. Their eyes met for a second—charged, unspoken.
Kael looked away first.
Back outside, the rain had started again, cold and steady. The campus was mostly empty now, the shadows deep.
They walked in silence toward the dorms. Jordan stayed between them, shaken but safe.
Finally, Riven spoke, his voice low. "We can't keep ignoring this."
Kael swallowed hard. "Ignoring what?"
"Whatever's happening between us. Whoever that man was… it's tied to us. To you and me." His eyes burned into Kael's. "You know it too."
Kael's chest ached. He wanted to deny it, to dismiss it, but he couldn't. The visions, the flashbacks, the pull between them—it was too strong. Too real.
But before he could answer, Jordan stopped walking. His face was pale, his eyes wide with fear.
"What is it?" Kael asked.
Jordan raised a trembling hand. "Look."
On the dormitory wall, scrawled in dripping red paint, was the same symbol.
Two interlocking circles with a slash.
Fresh. Wet.
Waiting for them.
Kael's heart hammered as the symbol burned into his vision. Riven's fists clenched at his sides. Jordan whispered, voice shaking:
"They know where we live."
And the rain kept falling.