The golden eyes never left mine.
The world was still frozen — the wolf demon above me unmoving, its claws still buried in my chest. The villagers' faces were locked in mid-scream. Not a sound, not even the crackle of fire.
Only his voice.
"Accept me, and survive. Reject me, and die."
My heart hammered weakly. I couldn't move my arms. My body felt heavy, the cold creeping up from my legs.
"I… don't want to die," I whispered.
His lips curved, but it wasn't a smile. "Then say the words."
"What words?"
"Say you accept me."
I swallowed. My throat was dry. "I… accept."
The moment the words left my mouth, the golden glow in his eyes flared brighter. The black smoke around him surged forward, wrapping around my body like chains.
It wasn't gentle.
It was like being dragged underwater. The smoke poured into my mouth, my nose, my skin. My chest burned. My vision turned black.
And then — I was somewhere else.
A vast, dark place. No floor, no ceiling. Just endless shadows.
The Demon King stood before me, but here his form was sharper, more real. His armor gleamed as if newly forged. His horns were whole. His presence was crushing, making it hard to breathe.
"This is your soul," he said. "This is where we will be bound."
Bound. The word sent a shiver down my spine.
"You are no mage," he said. "You have no spirit to answer your call. But I… I am no spirit."
I didn't need him to explain. Everyone knew about spirit bonds — the way mages called on wind, fire, or water spirits to fight beside them. Everyone also knew what demons were: monsters from the underworld.
And the Demon King was the worst of them all.
"You will carry my power," he continued. "And in return, I will carry you until you can stand without me. Our lives will be one. If you die, I die. If I die, you die."
My fists clenched. "Why me? You said I'm weak."
"You are," he said. "But weakness can be shaped. You are not clouded by pride, nor tied to the rules of your kind. That makes you… usable."
The way he said "usable" made my stomach twist.
"Do we have an agreement?" he asked.
I hesitated. Every part of me screamed this was wrong. If anyone found out… bonding with a demon was forbidden. Mages who tried it were hunted, executed without trial.
But I could feel my heart slowing in my chest. If I didn't accept, I'd never leave this place alive.
"Yes," I said.
The Demon King stepped forward. His armored hand reached for my chest.
The moment he touched me, fire ripped through my body. Black markings spread across my arms, curling like chains under my skin. My heartbeat roared in my ears. My vision turned white.
Then — I was back in the real world.
Time moved again.
The wolf demon above me finished its lunge — but I caught its claws in my hand.
I caught them.
My fingers dug into its fur and bone like iron. The monster's red eyes widened in surprise. I pushed it back, feeling strength in my body that had never been there before.
The villagers gasped.
I stood up. The hole in my chest was gone, replaced by faint black lines that pulsed with heat.
The wolf demon growled and leapt again. This time, I didn't step back. I stepped forward.
My fist connected with its jaw. The impact was like hitting a wall — but the wall broke. The demon's head snapped sideways, and it crashed into the far wall hard enough to splinter the wood.
It staggered up, shaking its head, then lunged once more.
"Strike," a voice whispered in my mind — the Demon King's voice.
I moved before I thought. My arm cut through the air, and a blade of black energy shot from my hand, slicing clean through the wolf demon's neck.
Its head fell to the floor with a heavy thud. The body collapsed beside it.
Silence filled the shed.
The villagers stared at me.
I stared at my own hands. The black markings were fading, sinking under my skin until they were almost invisible.
"Hide my presence," the Demon King's voice said in my head. "Do not speak of me. If they know, they will kill you before sunset."
I stepped back, breathing hard. The little girl I'd tried to protect was still clutching the hem of the young woman's dress, eyes wide.
"Are… are you a mage?" one of the old men asked.
"I—" I stopped myself. "No. Just lucky."
Lucky. That was the word I chose. It was easier than explaining the truth.
Outside, the battle was still raging. I could hear Reko's wind magic tearing through the streets, the clash of swords against demon claws.
I stepped toward the broken wall and looked out. Two wolf demons ran past, their fur scorched by magic. Knights were shouting orders, trying to push them back.
"You have power now," the Demon King said in my head. "Use it."
I didn't want to move. My legs felt heavy. I wasn't a fighter. I wasn't like Reko.
But another howl came from the east side of the village — closer than it should have been. I saw a wolf demon break away from the main fight, running straight for a group of children trying to escape.
Before I knew it, I was running too.
The Demon King's voice was cold in my ear. "Good. Let us begin."