I've always been told that the Rite of Resonance is the most important day of your life. It's the day you stand in front of the whole town, call forth your destined power, and prove you're not a complete waste of oxygen.
No pressure.
My problem… ? I'm not exactly "chosen one" material. I'm "that guy who tripped into a magic fountain last year and flooded the mayor's house" material. Haha, funny right.
"Kael Draven," the announcer boomed.
I stepped forward into the summoning circle, trying not to look at the crowd. If I made eye contact with Riven, my so-called childhood friend, I'd see that smug "you're gonna fail" smile of his, and it would throw me off.
The circle hummed under my feet and blue light spiraled upward. My heart pounded. This was it. My one chance to prove I wasn't just the village idiot.
"I, Kael Draven, call forth my Resonance—"
BOOM.
The light didn't just flare… it exploded. The entire platform shook, a shockwave knocked over three officials, and I… kind of got launched ten feet backward into a pile of ceremonial fruit. Gasps filled the square. When the dust settled, everyone stared at the smoking crater where the circle used to be and then… a voice. Smooth - Feminine -ANNOYED.
"You've got to be kidding me. This is the idiot I'm stuck with?"
I froze.
"Uh… hello?" I whispered.
"Hello? That's the best you've got? I've been sealed for three centuries, and my great heroic rescuer greets me like a shopkeeper?"
My eyes darted around. "Where are you?"
"Inside you. Obviously."
"Inside… me?"
"Yes. Congratulations. You've just bonded with the Voidflame, most feared forbidden power in the known realms. Which, unfortunately for me, means you are my host now."
Oh, great. I had a girl living in my head. A snarky, terrifying girl who could apparently destroy entire kingdoms. Perfect.
"Kael Draven," the High Summoner's voice trembled, "you… you've bonded with… that!?"
I grinned weakly. "So… is this, uh… a passing grade?"
"Idiot," the voice muttered. "You have no idea what you've just done."
Nope. Not a clue.
The crowd didn't move. Nobody clapped. Not even a pity cough. In fact, I'm pretty sure an old man in the front row just crossed himself and muttered something about "packing before the firestorm." A woman from the Guild's assessment board stepped forward, her face pale.
"This… this is highly irregular."
Translation: You're a walking disaster, Kael.
Riven, of course, couldn't resist.
"Well, well," he called from the sidelines, "looks like Kael's finally useful! As a warning sign for what not to summon." The crowd laughed except for the part where half of them looked ready to bolt.
Inside my head, the voice — her — snorted.
"That one's your rival, huh? Cute. I could set his hair on fire if you like."
I blinked. "What? No, you can't just—"
"I literally can. I am fire you know... it's not that complicated."
I pressed my palm to my forehead. "Listen, whoever you are—"
"Lyra."
"—Lyra, okay. Can we just… not commit public arson in the first thirty seconds of knowing each other?"
"Ugh. Fine but only because you seem like you'd trip over your own fire."
Before I could answer, the High Summoner cleared his throat.
"Kael Draven… by ancient decree, those who bond with forbidden Resonances must be… registered."
His tone said: locked in a vault and never spoken of again.
Two armored guards stepped forward, flanking me.
"Oh, come on," I said. "I didn't *choose* her!"
"Thanks for making me sound like a bad purchase at the market," Lyra muttered.
"Look, can we talk about this somewhere not in front of the entire village?" I hissed.
Ten minutes later, I was in the Guild's examination chamber. Basically a fancy way of saying windowless room with too many candles. A half-circle of officials sat behind a desk.
One of them asked, "Do you understand the severity of your situation, boy?"
Before I could answer, Lyra did.
"He doesn't. Trust me. I've been in here for five minutes, and he hasn't asked one intelligent question."
I jerked upright. "Hey! I'm still adjusting to having a voice in my head!"
The officials stared at me.
"Who are you talking to?" one asked.
"Tell them it's me or don't. Let them think you're crazy. I'd enjoy that."
I groaned. "This is going to be a looong day."
It was already dark when the guild let me go. They gave me a bunch of papers I didn't read, told me to "report back weekly," and shoved me out the door like I was an overdue library book. Walking home through the quiet streets, I kept muttering under my breath.
"This isn't fair. I didn't do anything wrong."
"You summoned me genius. That's the definition of 'did something.'"
"I tripped on the circle! It was an accident!"
"Wow, you're really selling yourself as a competent partner."
I stopped in the middle of the street, glaring at absolutely nothing.
"Do you ever shut up?"
"Do you ever stop being fun to mess with?"
I sighed, trudging the rest of the way to my apartment, a cramped little room above a bakery that always smelled like cinnamon, which was the only good thing about my life right now. I flopped onto the bed, still in my boots.
"Maybe if I sleep, you'll go away," I mumbled.
"Oh, you have no idea how much more fun I am when you're asleep."
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in my room. The air shimmered like molten gold, and I stood on a platform of glowing runes floating in a sea of endless firelight. Heat licked my skin, warm but not burning and standing in front of me… was her.
Lyra.
She had hair like flowing embers, eyes the color of molten metal, and a smirk that looked like it had been designed to get me in trouble. Her dress (if you could call that much bare skin a dress) seemed woven from flames themselves, licking and curling but never burning.
"W-what—" I stammered, "—you're… real?"
She tilted her head, the firelight catching on her cheekbones. "Of course I'm real. You think all this sarcasm comes from your imagination?"
I blinked. "You're… uh…" My brain temporarily forgot the concept of words.
Lyra smiled slowly, like a predator spotting prey. "Ohhh. You're blushing. That's adorable."
"I'm not—!" My voice cracked. "…Okay, maybe a little."
She stepped closer, the heat from her body somehow even more intense than the dream's air.
"You summoned me, Kael. We're bound now. That means…" Her eyes glittered dangerously. "…I go everywhere you go. Even here."
I swallowed. "This… this is going to be a nightmare."
Lyra's smirk widened.
"Or the most fun you've ever had."
I jerked awake to the sound of something sizzling. The first thing I noticed was that my blanket was on fire. The second thing I noticed was that I wasn't screaming because the flames didn't burn me. They just… curled and danced across the fabric like tame little pets.
"Oops," Lyra's voice purred in my head. "Guess my aura slipped a bit."
"This isn't 'a bit'! You lit my bed on fire!" I hissed, frantically trying to pat the flames out. They just laughed at my hands and kept flickering.
"Relax, mortal. They only burn what I want them to."
"That's somehow worse."
I grabbed my pillow, which naturally burst into tiny glowing embers the moment I touched it. Perfect. Just perfect. By the time I'd convinced the flames to go away (which mostly involved begging Lyra to please stop "decorating"), I was late for work. I threw on my tunic and boots, muttering curses the entire time.
"You know, you're cute when you're angry," Lyra teased.
"I'm not cute, I'm late!" I snapped, grabbing my satchel.
"Oh, right. Your big, important job… doing what again?"
I didn't answer. Mostly because my "big important job" was cleaning magical chamber pots at the Guild's lower floors. Don't judge me, rent's expensive. I ran out the door, halfway down the stairs, I froze. The baker downstairs, old Mrs. Granik was staring at me from behind the counter.
Her eyes were wide.
"Kael…" she said slowly, "why is your hair on fire?"
I touched my head. It wasn't hot, but sure enough tiny orange flames danced along my hair like a crown.
"That's new," Lyra said innocently.
And just like that, my life officially ended.