Riven staggered on, Maelis clinging to him like a lifeline, her breaths sharp and rapid. The forest had shifted into a predatory silence, the kind that makes every snapping twig scream in your ears. He didn't need the Ledger to tell him danger was close; it throbbed against his skin in the tightness of Maelis' grip, in the way her body moved instinctively to shield his, in the jealousy that simmered through her every motion.
"You know," Maelis muttered, voice trembling but laced with the brittle humor she always tried to force, "for a guy who just died, you seem way too calm. It's unsettling. Are you sure you're human?"
Riven smirked despite the ache that bit into his ribs. "I'm human enough to complain about how heavy you make me."
She swatted him lightly on the chest—more reflex than threat. "I can't help it. If you fall on me again, I'll actually kill you. Or maybe myself. Not promising either way."
The Ledger hummed faintly in the back of his mind.
[Affinity Bond Strengthening – Maelis Thorn]
[Jealousy Detected – High]
Riven groaned internally. He could feel it, that invisible thread pulling him toward her, and him toward the thread. He should have been annoyed. He should have tried to shake it off. But there was no time for that, and besides… it was far too entertaining to watch her scramble to protect him.
A twig snapped sharply to their right. Both flinched, but only Maelis' reaction carried the weight of fear and something else—something possessive. Riven couldn't help the dry, almost bitter laugh that escaped him.
"You're ridiculous," he muttered. "Completely and utterly ridiculous."
"Hey! Ridiculous how? Ridiculous for surviving? Ridiculous for laughing at me while I'm trying to drag a near-dead man through a forest? Or ridiculous for thinking—"
Riven put a finger to her lips, silencing her with a soft but firm pressure. "All of the above."
She scowled, but the corners of her lips twitched. A laugh threatened, almost breaking the tension for half a second before it snapped back into fear.
From the trees, the shadows shifted. Movement. Slower this time. Strategic. The presence of hunters—or whatever they were—was unmistakable. Riven could sense it, could feel the anticipation radiating from Maelis as she adjusted her hold on him. Her protective instinct was tangible, her heartbeat a drum he could almost match with his own.
[Affinity Ledger Update: Protective Response – Maelis Thorn]
He wasn't entirely sure he liked the feeling. Human attachment was messy, unpredictable, and exhausting. And yet, it was now a tool he couldn't ignore.
"Riven," Maelis whispered, her voice suddenly sharp, almost commanding. "I will fight them if they try to take you. Do you understand?"
Riven's lips twitched. "I do. But I was kind of hoping you'd save some of that fury for your own survival."
She gave him a pointed glare, though he could hear the laugh threatening behind it. "You never take me seriously, do you?"
"I do," he said slowly, letting a rare sincerity slip through. "Just… selectively."
The forest seemed to pulse around them. The footsteps drew closer. Maelis' hands clenched and unclenched his jacket as if willing him to live through sheer force. Her jealousy—already growing—was palpable in her every gesture. She didn't trust him with anyone else in this forest, anyone else who might threaten the fragile balance of survival they'd carved out together.
Riven sighed, leaning heavily into her shoulder. He could feel her tension, and he realized, for the first time, that he didn't mind being tethered to it. Not entirely.
"Funny," he murmured, "how you're terrifying when you protect me, but adorable when you panic about the exact same thing."
Maelis blinked, her face heating, though her hands didn't loosen. "Terrifying? I'm terrifying?" She laughed, sharp and bitter, then groaned. "Why am I laughing? Why do I always laugh when it's most inconvenient?"
[Affinity Ledger Update: Emotional Resonance – High]
The Ledger wasn't subtle. Every surge of her protectiveness, every flicker of jealousy, every desperate, stubborn laugh added power—his power, the bond's power, their intertwined survival. It was intoxicating, and he hated how much he enjoyed it.
A branch cracked loudly to their left. Maelis hissed, spinning just enough to shove him behind her as a tall figure emerged. He moved like a shadow that had grown flesh: deliberate, controlled, predatory.
"You're persistent," the stranger said, voice low and sharp. "Most would have… quit already."
Riven forced himself to stand, leaning slightly on Maelis' supportive grip. He could feel the Ledger thrumming—this bond is alive, fragile, and infinitely complicated. And yet, it was working.
Maelis' eyes narrowed, fury and fear mingling in the sharp lines of her face. "Step closer," she said, tone deceptively light. "I dare you."
Riven coughed, blood lightly staining his lips. "She really doesn't negotiate," he said dryly. "I kind of like that about her."
The stranger's gaze flicked between them, noting the bond like an analyst reading an open ledger. He smirked, faintly, and took a measured step back. Clearly, he wasn't ready to test Maelis' resolve. Or perhaps he had underestimated the weight of their connection.
Riven leaned into her, a rare grin tugging at his features. "See? You're not just dramatic. You're effective."
Maelis huffed, shaking her head. "Effective at annoying you maybe. Effective at surviving… we'll see."
Riven let out a low laugh, a harsh, human sound. "Trust me. Between the two of us, I'd bet on you every time."
Her eyes softened for a split second, just enough for him to see the warmth beneath the terror. Then, as though remembering their circumstances, she stiffened. "Move," she ordered, voice sharp again. "We don't have much time before they regroup. We run together. Or we die separately."
[Affinity Ledger Update: Bond Critical – Survival / Dependency]
Riven allowed himself a thought he rarely admitted aloud: this bond—this ridiculous, human, exasperating bond—was dangerous. It would hurt him later, possibly irreversibly. And yet, it was the only thing keeping him alive right now.
They moved through the forest in a tense, uneven rhythm, Riven half-supported by Maelis, half-propelling himself forward. Every step was a negotiation of strength, wit, and fragile trust.
And all the while, the Ledger watched, recording, nudging, and shaping them both.
By the time the first pale light of dawn touched the forest floor, Riven realized the truth: survival was no longer about avoiding death.
It was about surviving each other.