Chapter 1
The church smelled of salt and ashes.
Every candle had melted into a pale puddle, and the air itself seemed to tremble — heavy with whispers that didn't belong to the living.
Aera Han tightened her grip on the silver cross hanging from her wrist.
Her boots clicked softly against the marble floor as she stepped past the altar, eyes scanning the dark corners where shadows refused to obey the light.
> "Third sight active," she whispered into the comm bead. "Residual demonic energy confirmed. Proceeding alone."
Static crackled, then the low voice of her superior answered.
> "Be careful, Han. Level-three manifestations don't play by the rules."
She smirked faintly. "Neither do I."
The line went dead.
Aera drew a talisman from her coat — a strip of old parchment etched in sacred ink. As she pressed it against her palm, golden light flared, filling the hall with rippling warmth.
For a heartbeat, the church was calm.
Then the candles blew out all at once.
Something moved — not with footsteps, but with sound, like a sigh breaking through time. The stained glass trembled. A low voice spoke from the dark, rich and smooth as silk, carrying a trace of amusement.
> "An exorcist… at midnight. How poetic."
Aera spun, raising her blade.
"Show yourself!"
The shadows obeyed. They poured down from the ceiling like black smoke, gathering into the shape of a man.
Tall. Barefoot. Dressed in torn black garments that didn't belong to this century.
His eyes — crimson, faintly glowing — met hers, and for the first time in years, Aera's breath caught.
He was beautiful in the way only dangerous things could be.
> "You shouldn't be here," she said, voice steady despite her pulse. "This ground is sacred."
He smiled, baring fangs that gleamed faintly in the dim light.
> "So am I."
Her talisman burned in her hand.
"Name yourself."
> "Names are dangerous things, little exorcist."
He took a step closer, shadows curling around him like a living cloak. "But you can call me Lucien."
The air pulsed. The demonic aura around him was suffocating — cold and ancient, like a memory of hell itself. Yet beneath it, she felt… sorrow. A deep, quiet ache that didn't fit a creature of darkness.
Aera steadied her stance, whispering a verse under her breath. Holy runes lit the floor, forming a circle of gold beneath her boots.
Lucien's smile faded.
> "Ah… an exorcism seal. How quaint."
"By the name of the Archons, I command you—"
Her voice cut off as he moved — faster than she could see, faster than thought itself. His hand caught her wrist, crushing the talisman before it could ignite.
The seal shattered.
The gold light flickered and died.
Their eyes met — hers filled with fury, his with something far more dangerous.
> "You've no idea what you're playing with," he murmured.
"Then enlighten me," she hissed.
He did.
The world exploded in light — not holy, but unearthly. Symbols flared between their bodies, burning into her skin like molten gold. She gasped as the power surged, knocking her backward into the altar.
Pain ripped through her chest. Her vision blurred — but when she looked up, Lucien was on his knees too, clutching his chest in the exact same place.
> "What— what did you do?" she demanded, staggering to her feet.
He laughed softly, though blood traced his lips.
> "You tell me, little exorcist. You're the one who tried to seal me."
Aera looked down — and froze.
On her wrist, beneath the silver cross, a faint symbol glowed — a perfect mirror of the mark burning on his chest. It pulsed once, twice, in time with her heartbeat.
Her breath hitched. "No… that's impossible."
Lucien's gaze darkened, equal parts awe and dread.
> "A binding ritual… You've linked us."
She stumbled back, shaking her head. "That can't be. The seal was one-sided—"
> "Not anymore," he said softly. "Now, your soul is tangled with mine."
Her pulse hammered in her ears. She raised her blade again, but her arm trembled — not from fear, but because pain lanced through her body… right as Lucien winced.
They stared at each other, realization dawning.
> "You feel it too," he whispered. "Every wound. Every breath."
Aera's mind raced. A soul-bonded connection — forbidden, irreversible. If one died, the other would too. She had read about it in old, sealed manuscripts — magic outlawed even by her Order.
> "Break it," she demanded.
Lucien tilted his head, an ironic smile tugging at his lips.
> "You think I wouldn't if I could?"
Outside, thunder rumbled. The church windows shattered, and rain poured through the roof as if the heavens themselves rebelled. Aera pressed a trembling hand to her heart — the mark burned hotter, sinking deeper under her skin.
The voice of her superior crackled through the comm bead again.
> "Han? Han, report! What's your status?"
She swallowed hard, gaze locked on the demon before her.
Lucien's eyes softened, just for a moment.
> "You can tell them the truth," he said quietly. "Tell them you failed."
> "I never fail," she whispered back. "Not twice."
Before he could reply, she raised her blade and slashed the air, conjuring a blinding wave of light. It threw him backward through the broken glass, sending shadows scattering into the storm.
The world fell silent.
Aera sank to her knees, panting, staring at the faintly glowing sigil on her wrist.
It pulsed once.
Then again.
And somewhere out in the rain, she felt his heartbeat.