Part 1: The Broken NightThe night smelled of smoke and iron.
Elena pressed her back against the cracked wall of her family's hut, clutching the wooden charm her mother had left behind before the raid began. Her chest heaved with shallow breaths, her body trembling not only from fear but from the weight of screams that had already gone silent.
Ash rained from the burning roofs of Darsin Village, carried by winds that carried the stench of blood. Shadows darted in the distance—hulking figures of the beasts that had descended from the northern cliffs. Wolves the size of horses, with bone masks fused over their heads, tearing through homes as if they were parchment.
Elena had grown up hearing stories of monsters. Healers, she was told, were protected by the gods. That no beast would dare raise claw against one sworn to the art of mending. Tonight proved that the gods were either liars, or had abandoned them.
Her hand pressed against a wound at her thigh. The cut was shallow but bled freely. She'd tripped on shattered pottery while fleeing, and the pain sharpened her every step. Still, she forced herself onward, dragging her body across the dirt road, her long brown hair sticking to her sweat-streaked face.
Her healer's satchel bounced at her hip. Inside, herbs rattled in jars, bandages unrolled in loose threads. All useless now. She had tried—oh, she had tried. She had pressed leaves against wounds, stitched flesh, poured what little energy she could into soothing the fever of a child who no longer breathed.
Her magic had failed her.
"Elena…"
The whisper came from her right. She turned and nearly wept when she saw Taren, her childhood neighbor, crouched beneath an overturned cart. His leg was pinned under a beam, his face pale with sweat.
She rushed to him, ignoring the sting in her thigh. "Taren, hold on."
He laughed weakly. "Always the healer.
Even now." His eyes darted to the darkened sky where howls still echoed.
"You should run."
"I'm not leaving you," she said firmly, kneeling beside him. Her hands glowed faintly green as she pressed them to his crushed leg.
Warmth pulsed, soothing the agony, but she knew she couldn't restore bones shattered so badly. At best, she could numb him.
At worst—
The beam shifted. Not by her hand.
The earth trembled as something heavy approached.
Elena froze.
From the smoke, a wolf emerged. Larger than any she had seen, its bone mask etched with cracks that glowed faintly red. Blood dripped from its maw, staining the ground as it sniffed, searching.
Taren's breath hitched. "Go."
Elira's pulse thundered in her ears. She pressed harder against his wound, tears blurring her vision. "If I run, you die. If I stay—"
The wolf's head snapped toward them.
She couldn't breathe.
Her mother had once told her that when death came close, the soul felt it—a pull, like a tide drawing one out to sea. Elena felt it now.
The wolf leapt.
Something inside her snapped.
Light erupted.
Not from her lantern, not from fire—but from within. Elena's chest burned with sudden brilliance, spilling green-white radiance across the dirt. The wolf howled mid-air, struck back as though by unseen force. Its massive body crashed into the burning husk of a barn, scattering embers.
Elena gasped, staring at her trembling hands.
A voice rang clear in her mind.
[System Awakening… Bond Core identified. Initializing Host: Elena of Darsin.]
She staggered back. "What…?"
Taren groaned, shielding his eyes from the glow. "Elena—your body—"
She looked down. Across her vision floated faint translucent words, lines of light only she could see:
Bond System Interface – Activated.
Your strength flows from the bonds you forge. The deeper the bond, the greater your power.
First bond detected: Taren of Darsin.
Bond Level: 0 – Fragile.
Her breath hitched. The voice was cold, divine, and yet—comforting.
Another line shimmered.
Trial Commences: Save him, or lose him. Failure will result in Bond Severance.
Elenaa's heart slammed against her ribs. "Save him? I'm trying!"
She pressed her glowing hands to Taren's wound again. This time, instead of her usual feeble warmth, a wave of energy surged outward. The crushed flesh shifted. Not fully restored, but the bleeding slowed. Taren gasped, color returning faintly to his cheeks.
The glowing text flickered.
Bond Strengthened: Level 0 → Level 0.5 (Unsteady).
The wolf roared, dragging itself free of rubble. Its eyes glowed red as it stalked toward them again, angrier than before.
Elena knew she couldn't fight it. Not alone.
But the system whispered again.
A bond forged in desperation may unlock hidden resonance. Reach him. Believe.
She clutched Taren's hand. "Do you trust me?"
He blinked at her through pain. "…Always."
Her chest surged with warmth. The bond meter flared.
The system voice chimed:
Bond Level 1 Achieved – Fragile Trust.
Skill Unlocked: Healing Pulse (Shared).
Elena barely had time to comprehend before the wolf lunged again. Instinct took over. She cried out, light bursting from her hands—not just onto Taren, but outward, a wave of healing force that repelled the beast. The wolf hit the ground with a screech, its bone mask cracking.
And then—
A sword pierced through its chest.
The wolf convulsed, then collapsed lifelessly.
Elena froze.
Standing over the beast was a man cloaked in black, his blade gleaming crimson in the firelight. His hair fell dark across his face, his eyes a startling silver that seemed almost unnatural.
He pulled the sword free, flicked blood from its edge, and looked at her. For a moment, his gaze softened—then sharpened, as if realizing something dangerous.
Elena's heart skipped.
New Bond Potential Detected: ??? (Cursed).
The system pulsed brighter.