Flames of the Bond
The intruder lunges. The seal flares, and a sharp pain shoots through my chest. Heat spreads along my arm, spreading from my hand in pulses. My stomach twists, my breath catches. Steel flashes through the firelit room.
Kaelen blocks the strike. Sparks fly as his blade meets the intruder's dagger. The intruder stumbles back, dagger glowing crimson, hands shaking.
The seal flares again. Light bursts from my hand, and the intruder crashes into the wall. Dust rises. His dagger slides across the floor.
"Stay close," Kaelen says, eyes locked on him.
My feet skid on the stone. The pulse of the seal hums in my chest, sharp and insistent. The intruder lunges again, faster, but the light from my hand flares, knocking him backward. He groans, slumping against the wall.
Kaelen steps forward, blade ready. One strike, and the intruder crumples. The dagger lies broken. Silence fills the room. The seal glows faintly, warmth spreading through my chest.
Kaelen grabs my wrist and pulls me toward the hallway. "We move. They will regroup. You need to know the pact, the Life Anchor, and why they want you dead."
Shadows twist along the walls. The seal flares again, warning me of another presence. Crimson light pulses across the floor. My heartbeat races, and I feel every pulse of the bond, strong and heavy.
Kaelen's grip tightens. "Every step. Every heartbeat. Together. Or not at all."
Our hands stay locked, warmth spreading between us. The manor groans. Dust falls from the ceiling. Outside, the wind whistles through the spires. Whispers linger in the air, faint but impossible to ignore.
A hiss cuts through the hallway. The seal flares violently. Something moves in the shadows, faster than I can see.
Kaelen steps forward, blade raised. Every movement, every step, every strike of danger flows through the bond. My hand flares again, and the intruder—or whatever he is—stumbles back.
He falters. My chest burns from the pulse of the seal. Light spreads through me, warm and frightening at the same time. The intruder collapses, dagger broken, unable to move. Silence falls.
The manor groans again. Dust sprinkles from the ceiling. Shadows pull back, but the feeling of being watched doesn't leave.
Kaelen stays close. "Stay with me," he says, voice low and steady. The bond hums through us, linking every heartbeat, every breath.
The hallway stretches ahead, dark and twisting. My hand stays in his, warmth and strength flowing from him. The seal pulses, warning me. Silver eyes scan the shadows. Blade ready. Every step, every heartbeat, survival is shared.
The wind whistles outside. The shadows twist. Whispers stir. The seal flares violently once more. Something has entered the manor.
I feel it in my chest, sharp and sudden. Fear. Danger. The bond screams. Kaelen doesn't hesitate. Blade raised, he moves forward, keeping me close.
Another hiss comes from the darkness. My hand flares again. The intruder—or someone new—pauses, almost afraid of the light. The bond hums between us. It's not just a tether. It's power. It's protection. It's alive.
We move through the hallway. Every heartbeat in my chest echoes in his. Every step forward is shared. Every instinct, every warning, every spark of fear travels through the bond.
Kaelen's grip tightens. "Don't let go," he says. And I don't. My hand stays in his, warm and steady. The seal pulses, brighter now. I can feel it in my chest, in my arm, in every nerve.
We reach a corner. Shadows shift. Something moves fast. The bond flares violently. My chest burns. Heat spreads. The intruder—or whoever is out there—pauses, sensing it.
Kaelen steps forward, blade raised, silver eyes cutting through the dark. Every move flows through the bond. My hand flares once more, warning, pushing, protecting.
The manor groans. Dust falls. Whispers stir. Outside, the wind howls through the spires. The shadows retreat—for now.
But the feeling remains. The seal pulses. The bond screams. Something has entered. Something dangerous.
And we are ready.