The great hall of Everhart glittered with splendor, but beneath the brilliance lurked venom. Golden chandeliers blazed above, casting light over nobles cloaked in silks and jewels. The air was heavy with perfume and the low hum of restless conversation.
Andy stood at the center, stiff beneath their stares.
They weren't looking at him as a man. They were measuring him—like a weapon, like a tool, like an artifact to be claimed.
"The Dragon Warrior…" a whisper slithered across marble floors.
"Is it true he was chosen by the System itself?"
"A commoner, wielding power meant for nobility? Dangerous."
"Or an opportunity."
Andy clenched his fists. His scars still throbbed, reminders of the Hunter's crimson eyes, of blood spilled and wounds endured. But none of them cared. These nobles saw victory not as survival, but as leverage.
Warmth pressed against his hand.
Nia stood beside him, silver hair cascading like a banner of moonlight. She wore a gown of starlit silk, her presence regal and unyielding. Where the nobles' eyes glittered with greed, hers shone with steady fire. Andy glanced sideways, and her gaze was already on him—calm, defiant.
I'm here. Always.
His chest loosened. He drew in a breath.
Then the great doors creaked.
The sound echoed like a drumbeat. Conversations cut short. Dozens of eyes turned.
And she entered.
A young woman their age, her steps slow and deliberate, as if she had all the time in the world. Her gown was pale lavender, flowing like mist. Hair of silver-rose shimmered under candlelight, unnatural in its perfection. Eyes like polished crystal caught every glint of gold, reflecting back the chamber's brilliance.
The air shifted.
Gasps rippled. Nobles leaned forward as if drawn by invisible strings. A few men dropped their gazes, embarrassed at how openly they stared. Even some women, hardened by politics, faltered at the sight.
She smiled.
"Forgive my intrusion," she said, her voice liquid silk, melodic enough to hush even the murmurs. "I have traveled far… to finally reunite with an old friend."
Her eyes locked on Andy.
The chamber erupted.
"An old friend?"
"The Dragon Warrior's companion?"
"Who is she?"
Andy blinked. "Me?"
The woman's lips curved tenderly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten me, Andy. It's me—Kayla. Your childhood companion."
The words struck like thunder.
The nobles gasped louder, whispers multiplying. Childhood companion? Hidden bond? Could this rival Lady Nia?
Andy's chest clenched. Childhood? He had memories of hunger, loneliness, wandering… but no Kayla. Yet the way she looked at him, as though he were her sun and she his long-lost dawn, made doubt coil inside him.
"I—" his throat locked.
Before the hesitation could deepen, Nia stepped forward. Her grip on Andy's arm tightened, grounding him. Her voice cracked like a whip across the hall:
"My fiancé remembers his past. If he does not recall you, then you are either mistaken—or lying."
Gasps silenced whispers. Dozens of eyes swung between Nia, regal and fierce, and Kayla, flawless and serene.
Kayla's smile never faltered. She tilted her head, laughter soft and melodic. "Oh, how protective. I admire that… truly." Her gaze slid back to Andy, her tone dripping with warmth. "But some bonds are deeper than memory. Not even the System can erase what the heart remembers."
The hall exploded again.
"Not even the System?!"
"If true, then Lady Nia's bond may not be absolute…"
"Could fate have tied him to this girl before?"
Lord Everhart raised his cane once, and silence fell. His eyes glimmered with calculation, lips curved in intrigue.
"A bold claim," he mused, voice carrying. "If true, fate itself has written stranger stories than even the System foretells. If false—" He smiled thinly. "Even lies carry their uses."
Kayla bowed gracefully. "I only speak the truth of my heart."
Then she stepped closer.
Andy's pulse quickened. Her scent reached him—roses mingled with something sharper, intoxicating. Her eyes softened with affection so tender it ached to see.
"Andy," she whispered, just for him. "I searched for you all this time. I never forgot you. And I will not let you forget me."
The chamber blurred. His breath caught. What if she was right? What if there was a bond deeper than memory? What if Nia was just… destiny, not choice?
Nobles murmured eagerly: "Look at his face, he knows her!" … "Could this ruin Everhart's plans?" … "What a scandal!"
Andy swayed.
Then—Nia's voice.
"Andy."
Just his name, but sharp as steel. Her hand gripped his arm harder. He turned, finding her silver eyes piercing through the fog, unyielding as starlight.
This is real. I am here. Choose.
His chest heaved. His fingers curled around hers, holding tight. She's real. She's mine.
Kayla's smile remained soft, but in her eyes flashed something cold, predatory.
And then—the System roared inside Andy's mind.
> [Suspicion Mechanic Unlocked]
ALERT: External entity attempting to influence bond.
Integrity at risk. Defensive protocol active.
Andy gasped, stiffening.
The words blazed across his vision like fire. The System itself was warning him—Kayla wasn't just a stranger. She was danger.
Nobles continued whispering, oblivious to the storm raging within him. Some looked to Kayla with admiration, others to Nia with doubt. Lord Everhart's eyes glittered, lips curved in a predator's smile.
Andy's hand squeezed Nia's tighter.
For the first time since facing the Hunter, his instincts screamed.
This wasn't reunion. This wasn't fate.
This stranger's smile was war.
The palace was quiet after the storm of whispers. The nobles had left, but their gossip lingered in the air like smoke. Kayla's name was already spreading like wildfire through the corridors.
Andy walked beside Nia in silence. She held herself with composure, but he felt the tension in her grip, the slight tremble in her fingers.
When they reached her chamber, the door closed softly behind them. Only moonlight spilled through the tall windows, bathing the room in silver glow.
Nia exhaled, long and shaky. Then she turned, pressing her forehead against his chest. "Andy… when you swayed today, when you almost believed her—I thought I'd lost you for a heartbeat."
His arms circled her instantly, pulling her close. "You didn't. You won't. Kayla's smile means nothing. You're the one who pulled me back."
Her hands curled tighter into his shirt. She lifted her face, silver eyes shimmering not with weakness, but with a raw, aching honesty. "Then don't make me doubt. Prove to me it's us—not System, not fate—us."
Andy didn't hesitate. He kissed her.
The kiss was slow at first, tender with reassurance, but it quickly deepened—hungry, desperate, as though both of them needed to erase every trace of Kayla's illusion.
They stumbled toward the bed, laughter breaking between kisses when Andy's leg bumped the frame. Nia's soft chuckle turned into a sigh as he lowered her gently onto the sheets, his lips never leaving hers.
Moonlight painted their bodies in silver. Shadows danced as their clothes slipped away, not hurried, but deliberate, as if every layer removed was another wall falling between them.
Nia's breath warmed his ear. "Mine," she whispered.
"Always," Andy murmured, his lips trailing fire along her skin.
Their bodies found rhythm, not just in passion, but in trust. Every sigh from her lips was a vow, every caress from his hands a promise. They moved not as two, but as one soul, one bond. The System pulsed faintly, not intruding, but resonating—like a silent witness to the choice they made.
> [Bond Strengthened]
Trust fortified. Emotional resonance stable.
They didn't stop at once. Again and again, they sought each other, until their breaths came ragged and their hearts beat as if in unison. When at last exhaustion claimed them, Andy collapsed beside her, pulling her into his arms.
Nia rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. Her fingers traced lazy circles on his skin, softer now, her voice a whisper in the dark.
"If she tries to take you," she murmured, half-asleep, "I'll burn the world before I let her."
Andy kissed her forehead, smiling faintly. "Then I'll burn it with you."
The System chimed one last time, softer than a lullaby.
> [Bond Reinforced]
Current Level: 101% → 103%.
Outside, the palace bristled with gossip, and Kayla's perfect smile still lingered in every noble's memory. But inside this chamber, two souls lay tangled beneath the stars—unshakable, unbroken, undeniably bound by choice.
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