The chamber shuddered as Nia's voice rang out. Silver glyphs bloomed across the stone, glowing like constellations traced onto the walls. Her staff blazed, its gem flaring brighter than torchlight, brighter even than the fire devouring Andy's veins.
System Update: New Skill Activated – Arcane Detection.
Effect: Detect corruption, illusions, divine interference.
Bond Progression: 165% → 167%.
Andy's crimson haze flickered, faltered. For the first time, he saw what hid beneath.
The walls peeled back in his vision, as though layers of falsehood were burning away. The whispers in his head weren't just voices—they were hooks, claws digging into his chest. From the shadows, black hands writhed, their long fingers sinking into his glowing veins. Golden eyes gleamed in the void, Kayla's serene smile framed by nothing but darkness.
Nia gasped, her breath catching. With Arcane Detection, she saw it all—threads of corruption slithering into Andy, trying to root themselves in his soul. The sight chilled her blood, but she steadied her grip.
"She's inside you," Nia said fiercely, raising her staff. "She's trying to hollow you out."
Andy staggered, flames roaring from his body. His claws scraped deep into the floor, stone cracking. His voice was guttural, a half-beast's roar. "Get it out of me!"
The shadows answered with cruel delight. Kayla's voice wrapped around the chamber like velvet. "Why fight it, Andy? This is who you are. The dragon in your blood isn't a curse—it's the truth. Embrace it, and you'll be strong enough to protect her. Strong enough to never be weak again."
Her laughter echoed, soft and divine, but laced with venom.
Andy's reflection twisted further. Scales raced across his arms, horns cracking his brow. His shadow stretched monstrous against the wall, and from it something broke free.
A second Andy stepped forward. But this one's eyes glowed gold, his body covered in jagged scales, flames black as pitch consuming him. His smile was cruel, mocking. "I am you, without chains."
The corrupted clone lunged, claws slashing straight for Nia.
She swung her staff, silver glyphs flaring into a barrier. The claws struck with thunderous force, sparks scattering. The barrier cracked under the onslaught, fissures of light spreading across it.
Andy's breath hitched. He saw himself—this twisted version—trying to tear Nia apart. His chest constricted. "No… not her… please…"
System Alert: Instability escalating. Dragonblood resonance 84%.
The corrupted clone snarled, flames whipping through the air as it struck again. Nia braced, silver light pouring from her staff. The barrier shattered, shards of moonlight scattering across the chamber like broken glass. She stumbled, but her eyes never left Andy.
"Andy! This isn't you!"
He staggered, torn between the beast within and the woman before him. His body shook violently, fire and corruption tearing at his flesh. His claws lifted, unwillingly, ready to strike.
"No… I can't stop it…" His voice cracked, pain raw.
Nia's answer was sharp, unwavering. "Then let me!"
She surged forward, ignoring the blaze, ignoring the claws. Her hand caught his. For an instant, fire and light collided violently, enough to shake the room.
System Notice: Bond Anchor triggered.
Stabilization protocol active.
Andy's breath choked. His crimson blaze flared, threatening to burn everything, but Nia's mana rushed in like a tide, cooling, steadying. Her presence spread through him, wrapping his storm. His claws trembled. His scales cracked.
The corrupted clone howled, its golden eyes wide. Silver fissures spread across its body, glowing like fractures in glass.
Andy lifted his gaze to Nia. She pressed her forehead against his, unyielding. "I'm here. Always here. You're not alone in this."
Her words cut through the haze. The storm inside him buckled, bent. He roared, not in rage, but in defiance.
The clone screamed, then burst apart in a torrent of black fire, shattering into smoke that dissolved into nothing. The black hands recoiled, seared away by Nia's silver light. For a final moment, Kayla's golden eyes narrowed in frustration within the void before vanishing.
Silence crashed down.
Andy collapsed, his body shuddering as the last of his scales flaked into ash. His claws melted back into fingers. Horns cracked and crumbled, leaving only skin damp with sweat. He fell to his knees, breath ragged, tears burning his eyes. "I almost… I almost lost myself."
Nia dropped beside him, arms wrapping around his trembling frame. She pulled him close, pressing her face into his shoulder. "But you didn't. Because you weren't alone."
The System's chime was gentle, like a quiet heartbeat.
System Reminder: Synchronization stable. Bond Progression 167%.
Andy's body sagged into her embrace. His voice broke, softer now. "I thought… if I pushed you away, I could protect you from this. But if I had… I'd already be gone."
Nia pulled back just enough to cup his face, her silver eyes shining with both fire and tears. "If you push me away, you lose. If you hold me, we win. Don't ever forget that."
He stared at her, at the certainty blazing in her gaze. Slowly, he nodded. His hand rose, trembling, but steady enough to lock with hers. "Then I'll never let go."
Their bond pulsed, silver light and crimson fire weaving into one steady rhythm. The air was heavy with ash, but in that quiet moment, it felt like dawn after storm.
They sank to the floor together, leaning against the cracked wall, their hands still clasped. For a while, neither spoke. Their silence wasn't empty—it was full, steady, alive.
Finally, Andy whispered, voice hoarse but sure. "With you… I can fight it. With you, maybe this fire isn't a curse."
Nia's lips curved faintly. "Then let's turn it into our strength. Yours and mine."
The torches flickered back to life, casting long shadows. The night outside remained heavy, but in this chamber, the corruption had been pushed back.
And somewhere, unseen in the depths of Everhart, golden eyes narrowed in silent rage.
Andy collapsed, his body trembling as scales crumbled into ash. His claws retreated into human hands, his skin slick with sweat. He bowed his head, breath ragged, shame burning hotter than the fire had. "I almost lost myself. I almost became it…"
Nia sank with him, her arms sliding around his shoulders. She pulled him into her embrace, pressing her cheek against his damp hair. "But you didn't," she whispered. "Because you weren't alone."
His body shook against hers. He clenched his fists weakly, whispering hoarse. "If you had seen me… the way I looked. Horns, claws, scales—" His voice broke. "How could you not be afraid?"
She leaned back just enough to cup his face in her hands, forcing his eyes up to hers. Her silver gaze was damp with tears, but steady as moonlight. "Andy… I wasn't afraid of you. I was afraid of losing you. There's a difference."
His breath caught. She pressed her forehead against his again, her cool skin soothing against his fevered heat. "No matter what you look like, no matter what surges through your blood… it's still you. And I'll never leave."
He trembled, his hands lifting uncertainly, then settling around her waist. His voice was a whisper. "I don't deserve that."
Her lips curved faintly, tender. "Then earn it. Stay by my side. Trust me as much as I trust you."
Their bond pulsed faintly, silver light and crimson warmth weaving in rhythm. He exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders. In her arms, the storm inside no longer felt like chains—it felt like something he could bear.
Minutes slipped by. They stayed like that, seated on the cracked stone floor, their bodies pressed close, their breaths mingling.
Nia's hand brushed through his sweat-damp hair, gentle, soothing. Her other hand traced along his back, steadying him when his body still shuddered from aftershocks. "You've been carrying this fear alone for too long," she murmured. "You don't need to anymore."
Andy leaned into her touch, eyes closing. He let himself rest against her shoulder, her warmth grounding him in a way fire never could. "…I thought pushing you away would protect you. But if I'd done that, I'd already be gone."
She tightened her embrace, her voice soft but fierce. "If you push me away, you lose. If you hold me close, we win."
For a heartbeat, silence reigned—heavy, full, alive. Then Andy's lips brushed the crown of her head, a faint, trembling kiss. "Then I'll never let go."
Nia's cheeks warmed, but she didn't move. Instead, she nestled closer, her hand finding his. Their fingers intertwined, the faint glow of their bond lighting the ruined chamber like embers of dawn.
The System's hum was faint, almost reverent.
System Reminder: Synchronization stable. Bond Progression 167%.
Outside, the night pressed heavy, shadows lurking. But within their embrace, for the first time since the surge began, Andy felt peace—not because the fire inside him had faded, but because he no longer faced it alone.
And when Nia whispered softly, almost like a prayer—"We'll be fine, Andy. We'll always be fine"—he believed her.
--