Serenya ran.
Her boots pounded the forest floor, snapping twigs and crushing leaves as she ducked under branches and leapt over roots. The woods roared with sound—whispers in the wind, the distant flap of wings, the rustle of something unseen just beyond her vision.
She had been running since Kaelith touched her wrist and told her not to.
Typical. Tell her no, and her instincts screamed yes. But this wasn't just stubbornness.
She was scared.
Not of Kaelith. Not even of the hooded man or the strange smoke that had twisted through the clearing.
She was scared of herself.
Magic wasn't supposed to feel like this. Like wildfire under her skin. Like thunder trapped inside her chest.
Ever since she'd touched that dead tree, something inside her had cracked open. And whatever came out wasn't tame anymore.
And then there was him.
Kaelith. The name echoed in her mind like a drumbeat. The prince from the Light Court. Bow in hand. Arrows silver-tipped. Eyes too sharp to trust.
He had stood in front of her like a shield.
Why?
A branch snapped behind her.
She whirled, heart in her throat.
Kaelith stepped into view, calm as ever. Not out of breath. Not even scratched.
Of course he wasn't. He probably made running through cursed forests part of his morning routine.
"You really like running," he said, closing the distance between them.
"I really don't trust strangers with weapons," Serenya shot back, eyes narrowed. "Especially ones who point arrows at me."
Kaelith rolled his eyes. "You healed a deer. I didn't think you'd stab me for it."
"Depends what you say next."
He stopped a few paces from her. His gaze met hers, steady. "They're coming for you. That man in the hood? He's not alone."
"I figured."
"If you go back to the school now, you'll lead them straight to everyone else."
Her chest tightened. "So what? I just hide in a cave and hope they give up?"
"I'm saying," he said quietly, "you don't have to do this alone."
She stared at him.
Something in his voice caught her off guard. Not arrogant. Not smooth. Just honest.
He knew things. He had seen things.
And he didn't flinch when he looked at her. Not even now.
Kaelith stepped closer. "You want to protect them? Then stop running in circles like a scared rabbit. Because next time, I might not be there to stop them."
"I didn't ask you to."
"But I did," he said softly. "And I will again."
The air shifted.
Heavy. Still. Like the forest had stopped breathing.
A whisper slid down her spine—not in her ear, but deep in her bones.
Kaelith's stance changed. He drew his sword in one smooth motion. "Stay behind me."
"I'm not helpless."
"Then stay beside me. Close."
The smoke was back. Thicker this time. It curled over the ground like it knew where to go. Like it could see.
From the shadows stepped the hooded man.
This time, his hood was down. His skin was pale and almost see-through, stretched thin over sharp bones. His mouth curled in amusement.
Serenya's fingers twitched, magic sparking in her palms.
"You both glow now," the man said, smiling. "How romantic."
Kaelith didn't answer. His sword didn't move.
The man's gaze flicked to Serenya. "You felt it, didn't you? The surge. The way the world bent for you. That's no
simple spell. That's legacy magic. Deep. Old. Pure."
Serenya swallowed hard. "What do you want?"
"I want to see what happens next."
More whispers. More voices. Unseen, surrounding.
Kaelith moved closer, putting himself between her and the man. "I warned you."
"Oh, I heard," the man replied. "But this girl is… exceptional. And I like watching exceptions."
The smoke struck like a whip.
Kaelith sliced it down, fast, but more came.
Tendrils wrapped around their wrists. Their ankles. Cold, living chains.
Serenya gasped, choking on the thick air. She couldn't move. Could barely breathe.
Then—
Her hands lit up.
Not fire. Not gold.
Silver.
Moonlight-bright and sharp as glass.
Magic surged through her like a wave, and she pushed her palms out with a soundless cry.
Light exploded around her.
The fog screamed—screamed—then shattered into mist and vanished.
Silence.
Kaelith's sword lowered an inch. His face was pale. "Remind me never to piss you off."
She stared at her hands. "That… that wasn't normal."
"No," he agreed. "It was incredible."
A slow clap broke the silence.
The hooded man smiled, eyes gleaming. "Beautiful. You truly are the one."
"I'm no one," Serenya said. "I just did what anyone would have."
"No. Anyone else would be dust. But you… your blood remembers."
She stepped back. Kaelith moved with her, silent and ready.
Then her skin began to glow.
Symbols—soft, radiant—rose along her arms. Spirals. Stars. Flowing shapes that shimmered beneath her skin.
She stared in shock.
Kaelith gasped.
His own arms were glowing.
Same symbols. Same strange light.
His sword dropped.
"What is this?" she whispered.
Kaelith didn't answer. He just stared at her. Like she was something out of a story.
The hooded man's grin widened. "The bond reveals itself. As it always does."
Kaelith's voice was rough. "What bond?"
"One forged by fate," the man said. "By war. By blood."
Serenya shook her head. "This has to be a mistake."
"It's not," the man said. "And now that it's started… you can't stop it."
Kaelith stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "You don't speak in riddles because you're clever. You do it
because you're afraid of the truth."
The man bowed low, mockingly. "Then let the truth terrify you."
A gust of wind ripped through the clearing. Leaves swirled. Smoke coiled.
The man vanished.
But his voice lingered. A whisper in the wind.
"The fun has just begun."
Serenya swayed.
Kaelith caught her, arms steady and strong.
Her fingers clutched his tunic. "This can't be real."
"I wish I could say it wasn't."
Her knees buckled.
He held her close. "Serenya. Stay with me."
But her eyes had already closed.
And somewhere deep in the forest, the wind whispered a name—
A name neither of them yet understood.