The Eastern Sanctum was silent when they stepped back through the fading gate.
The air smelled of scorched stone and ash, the aftertaste of the Trial lingering in every breath. Knights who had gathered outside the temple stared with wide eyes, their faces pale from the light they had witnessed moments before. None spoke; none dared to. The only sound was the soft crunch of gravel beneath Andy and Nia's boots as they walked side by side, hands still clasped tightly.
They were exhausted, their bodies bruised and drained, but something had changed. The silence around them felt charged, alive. It wasn't only the fear of those watching — it was something inside them, something stirring, unfinished.
Andy glanced down at their rings. The constellations etched into his gleamed faintly, pulsing with each beat of his heart. Nia's star responded in rhythm, a quiet dialogue between two souls.
The System's chime filled the air, soft but unmistakable.
> [Bond Progression Increased.]
1-Star Bond: 60%
Nia's breath caught, her silver eyes shimmering. Andy's lips curved into a faint smile despite the weight pressing on him. "Halfway there," he murmured, though whether he spoke to her or himself, he wasn't sure.
But even as the numbers appeared, he knew it wasn't about percentages. It was about this — the warmth of her hand, the strength in her gaze, the silent vow they had made and remade a hundred times.
Yet the Trial wasn't over. Not truly.
He felt it then — a heat beneath his skin, not the kind that burned uncontrolled, but a steady flame, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. His steps faltered, his free hand going to his chest.
"Andy?" Nia asked, worry flickering across her face.
He swallowed hard, sweat beading on his temple. "Something's… changing."
The ground seemed to vibrate faintly, as if answering him. The torches along the temple walls flared higher, shadows stretching. Andy fell to one knee, his blade clattering to the floor.
Nia dropped with him instantly, her arms around his shoulders. "Stay with me! What's happening?"
Flames licked across his arms, golden at first, then deeper, more radiant, taking the shape of faint scales that shimmered against his skin. His back arched as fire burst along his shoulders, not uncontrolled, but shaped — wings that weren't wings, shadows of a dragon made of light and fire.
His eyes snapped open, burning gold brighter than ever. His voice was ragged, but steady. "It's… stabilizing."
The System's voice thundered.
> [Star Resonance Unlocked]
New Form Achieved: Dragon Warrior – Tier 2 (Stabilized)
Strength +5, Mana +5
Andy gasped, clutching his hands into fists as the fire settled. For the first time since he had gained this cursed power, it wasn't slipping from his control. It wasn't threatening to devour him. It was his.
"I…" His voice cracked, a laugh bubbling out despite the tears in his eyes. "I can finally breathe."
Nia's own body was trembling, but not from fear. Her staff glowed in her hand, brighter and brighter until she had to release it. It hovered before her, spinning slowly, silver light cascading like falling stars.
Her hair rippled as if caught in a cosmic wind, every strand shimmering. A faint crown of light appeared above her brow, and for a moment, wings of pure starlight unfurled behind her, vast and radiant.
Her gasp filled the sanctum. "I can feel it… the stars themselves. They're listening."
The System rang again.
> [Partial Awakening Achieved: Starlight Empress]
Mana +7, Spirit +5
Nia's eyes shone with tears. She looked at Andy, her voice trembling. "I… I was always told to be nothing but my father's daughter, bound to his schemes. But now—" She reached for him, clutching his hand tightly. "Now I know I was meant to stand with you. This is my path."
Andy stared at her in awe. Her light reflected in his flames, and for once he saw not chains, not curses, but something divine. "Nia… you're beautiful."
Their rings pulsed again, brighter, stronger. The air thickened, mana surging. Neither of them moved, but the power answered anyway.
The fire around Andy twisted upward, threads of silver weaving through it. Nia's starlight poured out, entwining with his flame until neither could be told apart. Heat and serenity, chaos and order, storm and calm — all converged.
The System's tone deepened, resonant like the toll of a celestial bell.
> [Ultimate Skill Acquired: Stellar Resonance – Dragonheart Unity]
Twin souls converge. Fire and light harmonize into celestial force.
Andy gasped, clutching Nia's hand. "It's… it's happening."
The air ignited. Flames and starlight erupted, coiling into a radiant dragon above them, wings stretching wide across the ruined sanctum. It roared, the sound shaking the earth, reverberating through every stone. Knights fell to their knees, shielding their eyes as banners tore free from their posts.
The dragon soared upward, a blazing arc of fire and silver cutting the night. For a moment, the heavens themselves seemed to split.
When the light faded, Andy and Nia collapsed together, drained, their breaths ragged. Their rings still glowed faintly, like embers after a wildfire.
Andy lay on his back, staring up at the cracked ceiling of the sanctum, chest heaving. He laughed once, quietly, disbelieving. "We… we actually did that."
Nia leaned into him, her head resting against his shoulder. Sweat plastered her silver hair to her cheek, but her smile was radiant. "We did. Together."
The System's final chime echoed gently, like a lullaby.
> [Bond Progression: 60%]
[Rewards Confirmed:]
– Andy: Dragon Warrior Tier 2 Stabilized (+5 STR, +5 MANA)
– Nia: Starlight Empress Partial Awakening (+7 MANA, +5 SPIRIT)
– Shared: Stellar Resonance – Dragonheart Unity (Ultimate Bond Skill)
[Bond Stability: High. Shared Affinity Amplified.]
Andy closed his eyes, his smile faint but sure. "For the first time… I feel whole."
Nia turned her face toward his, her lips brushing against his cheek. "And for the first time, I feel free."
The sanctum grew quiet, the storm of power fading into memory. The knights watched in reverent silence, too afraid to approach, too awed to speak.
But not everyone saw it as salvation.
From the shadows of the palace miles away, Andrew watched the light in the distance flare and fade. His jaw clenched, fists trembling. The glow painted his features, but it was not admiration in his eyes — it was envy, black and gnawing.
The shadow curled tighter around him, whispering in his ear.
"They have ascended. But even stars can be hunted."
Andrew's lips curved into a smile, thin and cruel.
"Then I'll be the one to hunt them."
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