The sun had dipped low beneath the forest canopy, bleeding amber light through the tangled branches. They had stopped on a small ridge by the roadside, where a cluster of moss-covered stones formed a natural clearing.
Lucien built the fire quickly, his practiced hands striking sparks against steel until the flames finally caught. The warm orange glow licked the edges of the shadows, dancing across Kael's sharp features where he sat against a tree trunk, arms folded, his long golden hair catching the dim light like threads of fire.
Aerin sat cross-legged near the fire, hugging his knees, watching the flames curl and twist. His body ached from walking, but his mind… his mind wouldn't rest.
Every time he closed his eyes, he felt it the faint, constant hum of the bond beneath his skin. A pulse that wasn't just his. A heartbeat threaded with another.
Kael's.
It was maddening.
Lucien handed Aerin a flask of water, pulling him from his spiraling thoughts. "Drink," he said shortly, his black eyes softer than his tone. "You didn't eat much earlier."
Aerin gave him a small, grateful nod before sipping quietly.
From across the fire, Kael's low voice cut through the crackling silence. "You're quiet tonight, little mage."
Aerin stiffened slightly at the sound of his voice, trying not to meet those deep crimson eyes. "…Just tired," he muttered.
Kael's lips curved faintly, though there was no humor in the expression. "Tired minds make foolish decisions."
Lucien glanced up sharply. "And manipulative demons prey on tired minds," he shot back coldly.
Kael turned his head lazily, as though Lucien were barely worth acknowledging, his voice smooth as silk but edged with subtle steel. "If I wanted to manipulate him, knight, you'd know."
Lucien's jaw tensed, but he didn't reply, instead focusing on adjusting the firewood though his hand rested dangerously close to his sword.
Later, as the fire dwindled into embers and Lucien busied himself sharpening his blade near the tree line, Aerin sat quietly, flipping through one of his spellbooks. His fingers trembled slightly on the worn pages, though he told himself it was just fatigue.
But then… he felt it.
A soft tug deep within his chest. Faint, insistent. Like the bond itself was calling him.
He looked up and found Kael watching him from across the dying fire.
The Demon Lord didn't move at first, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the shifting light, unreadable, unblinking. But when Aerin's gaze locked with his, Kael rose in one smooth motion and crossed the clearing, the soft crunch of his boots loud in the quiet night.
Aerin's breath caught. "…W-What are you-"
"Relax," Kael murmured, crouching before him, his golden hair falling like silken fire around his face. Shadows curled faintly at his fingertips as he rested one hand against the ground for balance. "You're shaking."
Aerin swallowed hard, his heart hammering wildly. "I-I'm fine."
Kael tilted his head, crimson eyes searching his face, his voice lowering to something quieter, softer yet impossibly heavy.
"No. You're not."
The weight of his gaze felt suffocating, burning through Aerin's defenses, stripping him bare. And then Kael's hand lifted slow, deliberate brushing a stray strand of black hair from Aerin's forehead.
"Your magic," he murmured, his fingers lingering near his temple. "It's restless. I can feel it."
Aerin's breath hitched. "Because of the… bond?"
Kael's lips curved faintly, but his voice was almost a whisper. "…Because of me."
The space between them shrank until Aerin could feel Kael's breath ghosting against his skin, warm and steady, his crimson eyes locking onto Aerin's wide, uncertain gaze.
The bond thrummed between them, hot and demanding, pulling him closer without permission. Aerin's mind screamed at him to move, to speak, to do anything but his body stayed frozen, caught in the gravity of Kael's presence.
And then Kael leaned forward.
Just a little closer.
Almost there.
A rough jerk yanked Aerin backward so hard he nearly fell.
He gasped, spinning around only to find Lucien gripping the back of his shirt, his jaw tight, his black eyes burning with restrained fury.
"That's enough," Lucien said, his voice low and sharp like a blade sliding free of its sheath.
Kael straightened slowly, unbothered, his crimson gaze sliding toward the knight. "You interrupt poorly timed moments, little knight."
Lucien stepped in front of Aerin instinctively, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "You don't get to touch him like that. I don't care about your damn bond he's not yours."
Kael's lips curved into the faintest smirk, his voice low and velvet-smooth, laced with quiet mockery. "And yet… he is. At least more than he's yours."
Lucien's knuckles whitened around his sword hilt. "I swear, Kael, if you-"
"Do what?" Kael interrupted lazily, stepping closer, shadows curling faintly around his boots. His voice lowered, slipping into something darker, more dangerous. "If I do what the bond requires?"
Lucien's brows furrowed, his grip tightening. "…Requires? You think kissing him is some magical necessity?"
Kael tilted his head, crimson eyes glinting faintly in the firelight, his tone dripping with quiet manipulation.
"Would you know if it was, knight? Do you understand the ancient laws of soul-binding? The tether between us isn't just magic it's life. Sometimes, closeness isn't optional."
Lucien stepped forward, his voice sharp as steel. "Or maybe you're just using that as an excuse."
Kael's gaze didn't waver. "Or maybe you're too blind to see what's happening to him."
Silence followed thick, heavy, electric. The only sound was the faint rustle of the forest wind.
Aerin, breathless and overwhelmed, finally stepped between them, his voice shaking. "Enough! Both of you!"
Lucien's jaw clenched, but he took a small step back, his hand still hovering near his blade. Kael, meanwhile, simply lowered his gaze, shadows retreating slowly as he leaned casually against the tree again though his crimson eyes never left Aerin.
The tension didn't fade even as the night deepened.
Aerin sat back by the fire, hugging his knees to his chest, staring into the glowing embers. He could still feel Kael the lingering pull of the bond thrumming faintly beneath his skin, a constant reminder of the closeness they almost shared.
Kael remained silent now, his crimson eyes half-lidded, but Aerin noticed the faintest curve at the corner of his lips, as though he knew exactly what he'd done.
Lucien stayed on the opposite side of the fire, his hand resting against his sword, black eyes sharp and unyielding as they darted between them both.
The clearing was silent, but under the quiet burned a storm neither of them dared to unleash.
And Aerin… Aerin lay awake long after the others closed their eyes, the echo of Kael's breath against his skin replaying over and over, tangled with the unspoken words he couldn't bring himself to ask.
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End of Chapter Five