Sarya
Several years ago...
"Big sis!"
Targen had barged into my room again without knocking.
I shot up from my bed in irritation and flicked my hand toward him, sending a small gust of wind his way. But the moment he opened the door, he shut it again, effortlessly avoiding the attack.
"How many times have I told you," I shouted, "don't come into my room without knocking!"
"But..." he said from behind the door. "Guess who I ran into."
I didn't care. Even so, I knew he wouldn't leave me alone unless I asked.
"Who?" I said, unable to hide the annoyance in my voice.
He knocked on the door a few times.
"Just tell me already!" I yelled.
"Kutay."
Kutay?
I flung the door open.
Targen stood there with a huge grin on his face.
"What happened to Kutay?" I asked.
"He accepted me as his apprentice!" he said proudly, then stuck his tongue out at me.
What a brat.
I'd been in love with Kutay for a long time.
We had attended the academy together. He was an exceptionally talented witch. He had skipped grades and graduated early. Because of that, the time we spent in the same class had been brief. Then again, could you really call us friends? I wasn't sure. He never talked much, but he had always helped me learn magic.
And now, instead of giving me the chance to stand by his side, he had given it to my little brother.
Maybe he had never liked me at all.
The thought sent a dull ache through my heart.
"Congratulations," I said, forcing a genuine smile onto my face.
But when Targen's excitement slowly faded, I realized I hadn't managed to fool him.
"Big sis..."
Before he could say another word, I shut the door in his face. After locking it, I leaned my back against it. I tried to take a few deep breaths, but the tightness in my chest wouldn't go away.
Being so attached to Kutay was ridiculous.
On top of that, I still hadn't met my fated mate. Maybe he was dead. Or maybe he was sharing his life with another woman.
I didn't know.
All I knew was that no matter how badly I wanted to forget Kutay, my heart refused to let him go.
---
"What do you mean?"
At my question, Targen rubbed the back of his neck.
He had been Kutay's apprentice for three years now, and in that time, he had improved far more than I had expected.
And now he was standing in front of me, telling me that Kutay had been practicing dark magic.
I couldn't believe it.
He might have been cold and distant, but he wasn't someone who would ever get involved with forbidden magic.
"High-ranking witches raided his study," he said. "They took everything they could find."
My heart began to pound. That's when my eyes fell on the black leather-bound folder he was clutching tightly in his hands.
"Then what's that you're holding?" I asked.
"This?" He glanced down at the folder before hiding it behind his back. "I managed to save my notes at the last second."
"What about Kutay?"
Targen's shoulders slumped.
"They..." he said, lowering his gaze. "They bound him with magic and took him away."
It felt as though the entire world had suddenly fallen silent around me.
"Kutay..." Targen finally looked up. "...they're going to execute him."
---
I knew what we were about to do was forbidden.
But I didn't care anymore.
I couldn't bear to lose Kutay completely. Whether he loved me or not no longer mattered. If even a piece of him remained... even if all that was left was his soul, it would be enough for me.
"Big sis... are you sure about this?" Targen asked.
I carefully took the orb out of my bag.
"Yes."
I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't look back. No matter what he thought of me, I couldn't lose Kutay completely.
"They're coming," he said.
We stood by the narrow window overlooking the execution grounds.
"Are you sure you can do it from this far away?"
"They won't let us get any closer," I replied.
Targen gave a silent nod.
"There!"
At the voice rising from outside, we both turned toward the window.
"The punishment for practicing dark magic..."
My hands began to tremble as I tightened my grip on the orb.
Calm down, Sarya. You can do this.
Targen suddenly turned to me.
"They pulled the chair away," he said. "Draw his soul before he dies!"
I cupped the orb between both hands and began to whisper the spell.
---
Kayra
Present Day
A sharp pain shot through my head, making me hiss. I slowly opened my eyes, but the throbbing hadn't eased in the slightest.
I tried to raise a hand to my head, but my arm refused to move. Turning my gaze toward it, I saw a thick chain wrapped around my wrist.
I yanked at it in panic.
It didn't budge.
I looked at my other hand.
It was chained as well.
I struggled a few more times, but it was useless. The chains had been driven deep into the ground. Every time I pulled, the surrounding earth crumbled a little, yet the chains never moved.
But where was I?
I was lying on a raised, table-like structure made of packed earth, and not only my wrists but my ankles were chained to it as well.
As I looked around, I realized even the walls were made of earth. It was as though I were inside a massive pit. Even so, candles burned in every corner, casting a dim glow across the chamber.
Against one of the walls stood a small table made of packed earth. Scattered across its surface were yellowed sheets that resembled old parchment.
I leaned my head back, and the moment I looked up, my breath caught.
The ceiling was made of earth as well.
Was I underground?
What was I doing here?
The thought brought the last thing I remembered rushing back.
Kongar had pulled me out of Soren's arms.
The moment we saw him standing before us, we froze. The next instant, he vanished into a cloud of black smoke. Then the smoke engulfed me, obscuring my vision completely. When it finally cleared, I found myself in Kongar's arms. A heartbeat later, he sent Soren flying into the wall with a single blow.
I couldn't remember anything after that.
Suddenly, I felt like someone was watching me.
A chill ran down my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I turned my head to the left. A faint silhouette was barely visible in the darkness.
"K-Kongar," I whispered. "Is that you?"
I wasn't sure which would be worse—if the figure before me was Kongar... or a complete stranger.
Which was worse?
Especially after learning that he carried a witch's soul within him, my unease around him had only grown. And as if that weren't enough, it was the soul of someone who had practiced dark magic.
What had I bonded myself to?
A witch... or something created by one?
Couldn't I go back to that pit? The cursed pit where all of this had begun.
The thought filled me with a sudden surge of anger.
Why was all of this happening to me?
"Hmm," the silhouette murmured. It was a man's voice.
He slowly stepped out of the darkness.
"Does this situation make you angry?"
It was Kongar.
I hadn't recognized him by his voice. The gentle, understanding tone I knew was gone, replaced by one that was deeper and almost melodic. Every word sent a shiver through my body, and strangely enough… I liked the sound of it.
What kind of ridiculous reaction was that?
The thought made me frown.
Kongar tilted his head slightly. His eyes gleamed black in the dim light.
"And it's only getting stronger," he added, as though he were observing me.
"Why did you chain me up?"
He shrugged.
He actually shrugged at me.
"So you wouldn't run away."
I kept staring at him, fear tightening my chest.
Where was Arkan? He could find me... couldn't he?
Kongar watched me in silence for a moment. Then his gaze slowly drifted down from my face and came to rest on my breasts.
Instinctively, my own eyes followed his.
"Ahh!"
I let out a scream.
My top was gone.
Completely.
Thankfully, I still had my pants on.
I jerked my head up and glared at Kongar.
"Pervert!"
"You're making my heart beat far too fast," he said in that deep, melodic voice.
Was I the one making his heart race like that? What was that supposed to mean?
"What are you even talking about?" I shouted as I started tugging at the chains again.
In the next instant, he was beside me. He cupped my chin and turned my face toward him.
"You're using my heart so mercilessly."
His heart? He didn't have one.
Wait... Targen had said we shared the same heart now.
Was he talking about my heart?
"It's..." I began. "... my... heart."
I stressed every single word.
The corner of Kongar's lips slowly curled upward.
I didn't like that smile one bit.
"For now."