The Boundless Sea shuddered violently as it scraped against black stone. Sparks of lightning raked the night sky, staining the horizon in white scars. The Island of Storms rose high before them, cliffs jagged like fangs, its crown wrapped in lightning that chained itself to a peak where something ancient waited.
Salt stung every breath. The deck was chaos—sailors yelling orders, others clinging to ropes with knuckles white, some muttering prayers. Yet despite the storm's fury, many eyes kept straying to the bow, where three figures stood, locked not just against the storm… but against each other.
Andy gripped the railing, body trembling, Soulbound ring pulsing as though his blood was molten lightning. His silver-streaked hair clung wet to his forehead, eyes blazing as if they already reflected the storm's heart.
[System Notice]
Access Point Reached: Stormbreaker Fang – Synchronization Trial
Status: Active
Nia pressed close, one hand gripping his arm, her staff glowing in the other. Her sapphire eyes shimmered with terror and devotion, voice fierce against the wind. "We'll climb it together, Andy. No matter what this trial demands—we'll survive."
Amber fire cut into her words. Aurelia stepped forward, cloak snapping in the wind, her golden hair whipping around her face like a burning halo. She stopped close enough that the storm seemed to bend around her presence. Her hand settled firmly on Andy's shoulder, fingers warm even through soaked fabric.
"You're shaking," she murmured, her voice low, private, intimate. "But not from fear. From resonance. You're holding it in when lesser men would have broken already. Gods, Andy… you're—" her words caught, unguarded for the briefest moment, "—magnificent."
Nia stiffened, sapphire eyes flashing with jealous fire. She pulled Andy's arm tighter against her chest, her voice sharp as a blade. "Don't you dare say that to him."
Aurelia tilted her head, golden locks brushing Andy's cheek as she leaned closer, amber eyes steady. "Why not? You can't deny the truth. He feels the storm through me as well… don't you, Andy?"
[System Notice]
Bond Instability: Severe
Resonance Overlap Detected
Andy's breath faltered, his pulse hammering not just from the storm but from the fire clashing between the two women.
Behind them, the crew whispered even as they fought to keep the ship steady:
"By the gods, are they… fighting over him?"
"The mage looks ready to strike her down."
"And the hunter—she's fearless. Bold as steel."
"Who's winning?"
"Doesn't matter. Poor lad's caught between fire and lightning."
Lightning cracked again, the ground ahead glowing white. The island pulled at them like a living thing.
Andy forced himself forward, boots hitting the jagged shore. His swords burned in his grip—Ember Edge roaring crimson flame against the rain, Tide-Singer spilling azure waves in arcs that cut through falling debris.
[System Notice]
Skill Activated: Dual Surge – Fire & Tide Resonance
Damage Output: 145%
He swung both blades in a cross slash, fire and water colliding into steam that shattered a lightning strike mid-air. Nia rushed after, sapphire light bursting from her staff. "Barrier of Lumina!" A dome spread, shielding them from the next crash of thunder.
Aurelia darted in at his side, twin daggers flashing gold. She cut through falling rock, then planted herself close enough her shoulder pressed to his. Her voice was low, fervent. "You fight like the storm belongs to you. And gods help me, Andy—watching you like this… it's impossible not to want to stand at your side."
Nia's jaw locked. "Stay away from him, Aurelia! He's mine!"
Aurelia's amber gaze slid to hers, unflinching, confident. "Maybe. But the storm doesn't think so. It called me too." Her lips curved, dangerous and soft. "Perhaps it knows he needs more than one bond to carry him through."
The bond threads sparked visibly, golden and sapphire weaving chaotically around Andy as he pushed forward, climbing the storm-lashed path. Every step burned muscle and tore lungs. The storm's voice thundered in his skull:
—Warrior of flame and tide. Climb. Claim me.
At last, the peak came into view. There, bound in chains of living lightning, was the blade—Stormbreaker Fang. Its surface pulsed with ancient runes, the air bending around it as though the world itself bowed to its presence.
[System Notice]
Trial Commencing…
Synchronize with Stormbreaker Fang – Resist or Perish
Lightning speared directly into Andy's chest. He screamed, knees buckling, vision searing white.
Nia cried out, pressing her glowing staff to his back. "Stay with me, Andy! Don't you dare leave me!"
Aurelia's hand clamped on his arm, grip iron, amber eyes fierce with something raw, unguarded. "Breathe, Andy. Look at me. You're not breaking—not while I'm here."
Two voices, two flames—Nia's desperate devotion and Aurelia's fearless steadiness—wrapped around him as the storm tried to tear him apart.
And in that blinding moment, Andy realized… this trial wasn't just about claiming a sword.
It was about what kind of bonds could carry him through destiny.
The storm roared. The blade pulsed.
And Andy's trial had only just begun.
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