The air in the observatory still burned with the remnants of magic.
The summoning circle's glow had long since faded, but the stone beneath Aerin's boots still hummed faintly, like a heartbeat buried deep within the earth. The heavy silence that followed was louder than the storm outside, filled only by Aerin's ragged breaths and the frantic pounding in his chest.
His trembling fingers brushed the faint crimson sigil etched into his skin, hidden beneath his sleeve but pulsing softly alive, undeniable.
Bound.
He was bound.
The memory of Kael's voice echoed relentlessly inside his head:
"A soul-bond. Ancient magic. Dangerous magic. Our lives are tied now one falls, the other follows."
Aerin's throat tightened, and he swallowed hard against the weight of it. He hadn't summoned Kael for this. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen.
Kael stood silently near the shattered circle, tall and unyielding, the stormlight catching in the cascade of his long golden hair. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dimness, the color sharp and predatory beautiful and terrifying all at once. Shadows curled at his boots, faint and restless, coiling like smoke caught on an unseen wind.
Through the bond, Aerin could feel him the quiet strength beneath his calm, the restrained violence of something ancient barely contained within mortal flesh.
Lucien stood near the doorway, shoulders tense, his long red hair damp and clinging to his armor. His black eyes burned with an intensity Aerin had rarely seen, sharp and stormy as he studied Kael. One hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready, waiting.
It was Lucien who broke the silence first.
"We shouldn't stay here," he said, voice tight but steady. "The Order will sense this kind of magic. If they find us, we won't have time to explain anything."
Aerin hesitated, his voice small and uncertain. "Then… where do we go?"
Lucien glanced at him, his expression softening slightly, but his jaw remained tight. "Home. We regroup there, figure this out together."
Kael's smooth, deep voice cut through the quiet like a blade.
"Home?" His lips curved faintly, his tone threaded with cold amusement. "You think four walls and a locked door will protect him?"
Lucien's hand tightened on his sword hilt, knuckles pale. "Better than staying here like prey waiting for the predator."
Kael tilted his head slightly, the faintest hint of a smile touching his lips. "Prey only believes itself safe until the predator decides otherwise."
"Enough." Aerin's voice cracked slightly as he stepped forward, his short black hair falling into his eyes. His chest rose and fell rapidly, frustration sharpening his tone. "Can we… not fight right now?"
Kael and Lucien locked eyes for a long, tense moment, neither yielding. Finally, Lucien exhaled sharply through his nose and looked away, though the tension in his shoulders didn't ease.
"Let's just go," Aerin whispered.
The night air was damp and cold when they stepped outside. The drizzle had slowed, but the faint mist clung to their skin, carrying the smell of wet earth and pine.
The cracked path from the observatory cut through the edge of the forest, where shadows gathered thick beneath ancient trees. The moon slipped between drifting clouds, casting shifting silver light across the darkened trail.
Aerin walked between them, shoulders tense, feeling as though the silence pressing in around them was alive somehow heavy, expectant.
Kael matched his pace effortlessly, tall and graceful, his long golden hair catching fragments of moonlight as it moved with the breeze. He didn't speak, but Aerin could feel him the weight of his presence, the steady burn of his crimson gaze even when Kael wasn't looking directly at him.
Lucien followed a few steps behind, boots sinking softly into damp soil. He kept his black eyes locked on Aerin, protective and alert, but Aerin caught the flicker of his gaze toward Kael more than once sharp, suspicious, untrusting.
Finally, Kael broke the silence, his voice low and measured.
"You haven't answered me."
Aerin glanced up, startled. "…Answered what?"
Kael's crimson gaze slid toward him, glowing faintly beneath the misted canopy. "Why summon me, little mage?"
His voice wasn't angry, but there was weight in it an edge that carried quiet command, the kind of patience that ran out quickly.
Aerin hesitated, his breath catching, before looking away toward the uneven trail beneath their feet. "…I wanted answers."
Kael arched a brow. "Answers."
"My parents," Aerin whispered finally, voice low, strained. "When they died… it wasn't natural. There were things no one could explain. Magic surrounding them. And lately, I've been having dreams shadows, fire, whispers I can't understand." He hesitated, fingers curling into fists. "…I thought summoning you might tell me who I am."
Kael regarded him silently, his crimson eyes unreadable, sharp and searching. Then he said, almost softly, "And yet you opened a door you cannot close."
The words struck like cold steel, sinking deep beneath Aerin's ribs.
Lucien, however, couldn't stay silent any longer. He stepped closer, boots crunching softly against damp earth, his voice tight with restrained anger.
"This is exactly why I warned you to stay away from forbidden magic," he snapped, his long red hair falling forward as he glared at Kael. "You've tied yourself to a creature older than our kingdoms. Do you even understand the danger you've put yourself in?"
Kael didn't look at him. "And yet, knight, we're both still breathing."
Lucien's black eyes burned hotter. "For now."
Kael's shadows stirred faintly, curling at his boots like restless serpents, but his voice remained smooth and cold. "Choose your words carefully. Threaten me, and you threaten him too."
The reminder cut deep if Kael died, Aerin died too.
The silence that followed was heavier than before. Aerin lowered his head, tightening his grip on his sleeve to hide the faint red glow beneath it.
"Can we… just walk in silence?" he whispered finally.
Neither Kael nor Lucien replied, but both obeyed.
By the time they reached Aerin's cottage, the drizzle had faded entirely, leaving the night unnaturally still.
The small wooden house stood on the forest's edge, bathed in dim moonlight. It looked fragile, quiet, familiar but tonight, it offered little comfort.
Aerin pushed open the door and stepped inside, the creak of the hinges loud in the silence. The cottage smelled faintly of dried herbs and old parchment, shelves stacked high with books and unrolled scrolls. A small firepit lay cold and dark in the corner, untouched.
Kael entered behind him, his tall frame almost too large for the small space, his crimson gaze sweeping the room with sharp calculation every window, every shadow, every possible exit.
Lucien lingered at the doorway, arms folded tightly, posture rigid and defensive. His presence was steady, but his black eyes stayed fixed on Kael, unyielding.
Aerin sank onto the edge of his bed, running a shaky hand through his short black hair. "…So… what now?"
Kael leaned against the far wall, folding his arms, his long golden hair falling like liquid sunlight over his shoulders. "Now, you rest," he said simply, his voice smooth, unwavering. "And you try not to use more magic than your fragile body can bear."
Aerin shot him a tired glare. "That's… not exactly comforting."
Kael's lips curved faintly. "Good. It shouldn't be."
Lucien stepped forward, jaw tight, his voice sharp. "Stay away from him."
Kael didn't even glance his way. "I stay close because I must."
Aerin blinked at him, confusion creasing his brow. "…Must?"
Kael's crimson gaze slid to him, and for the first time, something softer something almost human flickered in his expression.
"The bond demands it," he said quietly. "I feel what you feel now. If you falter, I falter. If you fall…" He didn't finish the sentence, but the silence spoke for him.
Aerin's throat tightened, and he lowered his gaze, the faint glow beneath his sleeve burning brighter with every beat of his heart. "…I didn't ask for any of this."
Kael's voice was low, unyielding. "And yet, here we are."
Before Aerin could respond, Kael suddenly went still.
His head tilted slightly, strands of his golden hair falling across his crimson eyes, which burned brighter, sharper, alert. Shadows rippled faintly around his boots, alive, restless.
"What is it?" Aerin whispered, instinctively lowering his voice.
Kael's gaze slid toward the window, his voice calm, but quiet too quiet. "We're not alone."
Lucien was already moving, drawing his sword, the black of his eyes hard and steady as the faint blue runes along the blade began to glow faintly. "…Hunters?"
Kael's lips curved faintly, but there was no humor in his tone when he answered.
"No," he murmured, voice like distant thunder. "Something worse."
And as the sigil beneath Aerin's skin burned faintly, sending a shiver down his spine, he realized with cold clarity
The night wasn't done with them yet.
End of Chapter Two