The sun had barely risen over the valley, yet the village square was already filled with people. Banners made from dyed cloth swayed in the breeze, carrying the colors of each family line. Children pushed to the front, their faces bright with excitement. Today was the Bonding Ceremony—the day when twelve-year-olds placed their hands on the stone and received their first Arc.
Kael stood at the edge of the crowd, hands buried in his pockets, trying to look smaller than he was. He was fifteen now, far past the usual age, but the elders had granted him one final chance. One last chance to prove he belonged. His heart thudded heavily in his chest as the line of children ahead of him slowly grew shorter.
He watched as a girl named Rina pressed her palms against the glowing stone. Threads of light spilled out, wrapping around her wrists before taking shape in the air beside her. A small wolf pup made of shimmering silver mist stepped forward and licked her hand. The crowd cheered. Rina's parents cried.
Kael looked away. Every ceremony was the same: cheers, laughter, proud families. He had seen it too many times before—when he was twelve, thirteen, and fourteen. Each time, he had placed his hands on the stone and waited. Each time, nothing had happened. Only cold silence.
He clenched his jaw. If it failed again today, there would be no more chances. The elders would declare him Arc-less, a useless boy in a world where strength came from bonds. And if that happened… he didn't even want to think about it.
"Kael!"
He turned to see his friend Daren waving him over. Daren had bonded years ago. His Arc, a hawk with bronze feathers, perched proudly on his shoulder. "You'll be fine," Daren said, grinning the way only someone confident in their own future could. "The stone wouldn't let you try again if it wasn't meant to work this time."
Kael forced a smile. "Yeah. Maybe."
But deep down, he wasn't so sure.
At last, his name was called. Whispers ran through the crowd. Some were curious, others mocking. "That boy again?" "Still trying?" "What a waste." Kael felt every word like a stone against his back as he walked toward the pedestal.
The Bonding Stone pulsed with inner light, as if alive. It had accepted countless children over the years, but Kael remembered too well the feeling of nothingness. He placed his hands against the surface, cool and rough like river rock.
He closed his eyes. He prayed—though he wasn't sure who he was praying to. He thought of the nights spent dreaming of adventure, of belonging, of having something to call his own.
Nothing.
The stone was silent. Cold. Empty.
A murmur ran through the crowd. The elders shifted uncomfortably. Kael's chest tightened, his breath coming faster. Not again. Please, not again.
Then—
A spark. Faint, almost imagined.
Heat crawled along his fingertips. The stone shivered under his hands, not with the golden warmth it gave to others, but with a deep, violet glow. Gasps rose from the crowd. The light spread, dark and wild, splitting the air with a sound like cracking glass.
Kael staggered back as a shape emerged—a creature unlike any he had ever seen. It was small at first, hunched, its body a blur of shifting shadows. Its eyes glowed with eerie blue fire as it fixed them on him. The villagers screamed.
"Forbidden!" one elder shouted. "That's a cursed Arc!"
The creature growled, not at the crowd but at anyone who dared step closer to Kael.
The ceremony dissolved into chaos. Parents pulled children away, elders barked orders, and guards reached for their spears.
Kael stared at the creature. Somehow, he knew it wasn't attacking him. Its presence filled him with fear, yes—but also with strange warmth, as if it were… protecting him.
Before he could reach out, a sharp voice rang out: "Enough!"
Elder Morric, leader of the council, pointed at Kael. His voice carried like thunder. "You were given chances, boy. The stone has spoken—your bond is unnatural. Dangerous. You are Arc-less, and worse, you are cursed. Leave this place at once."
Kael's stomach dropped. The words burned more than fire. The crowd's eyes were daggers, their whispers knives.
Daren took a step forward, his hawk spreading its wings. "Elder, wait! Maybe—"
"Silence!" Morric snapped. "Do you wish for the curse to spread?"
Kael wanted to shout. To fight. To beg. But no words came. His throat was dry, his hands shaking. The shadow-creature at his side let out a low snarl, its blue eyes fixed on the guards.
For a moment, Kael thought it would attack. Instead, it vanished, dissolving into mist that sank into his skin. His body jolted like ice water poured down his spine. Then it was gone, hidden, yet somehow still there—like a heartbeat that wasn't his own.
The elders looked horrified. The crowd muttered prayers.
Kael ran.
By the time he stopped, Kael was deep in the forest, far from the village. His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his face. He leaned against a tree, sliding down until he sat on the ground.
"What… what are you?" he whispered.
Blue fire flickered in the shadows nearby. The creature appeared again, crouching low, watching him with curious eyes.
Kael's fear wrestled with something else—relief. For the first time, he wasn't alone.
He held out his hand. The creature tilted its head, then padded forward. It pressed its nose, cold as night air, against his palm.
A strange warmth spread through Kael's chest, like a promise. Not the bond he had dreamed of, but something different. Wilder.
"You're mine," he whispered. Then, with a shaky smile: "Or maybe… I'm yours."
The creature's eyes burned brighter.
Back in the village, the elders spoke in hushed tones. "If word spreads that a forbidden Arc has awakened…" one said.
"Then the boy will bring ruin," Morric finished.
Meanwhile, Kael sat in the forest with his strange new companion. His heart was still heavy, but for the first time in years, he felt something else too.
Hope.