Aiko landed on the concrete floor with a jarring thud. Dust flew up around her. The air in the control room was stale, thick with the scent of old electronics and despair.
She coughed, scrambling to her feet. Her head throbbed. Every muscle screamed in protest. She was alone. Again.
The faint sounds of Kael fighting echoed from deeper in the bunker. The clash of energy whips. The hum of the Collectors. He was still out there. Still fighting.
Aiko clutched her phone. The anonymous text message burned in her hand. More are coming. Run. She was running. But it hadn't been enough.
She looked around the control room. Dusty consoles. Flickering lights. A relic from a forgotten era. It offered no immediate escape.
Her powers. Useless against the Collectors. They were physical constructs. Not spiritual. What good was a medium against a robot?
A wave of helplessness washed over her. She was trapped. Useless. And Kael was fighting alone because she couldn't help him.
No. She wouldn't break that rule. The rule of their binding. The shared fate.
She had to go back. Even if it meant facing those terrifying constructs. Even if it meant dying.
Aiko turned, heading back towards the ventilation shaft she'd crawled through. Her heart hammered. Each step was heavy.
Suddenly, a shimmer of light. Kael materialized in the control room, right behind her. He looked... battered. His uniform was torn. There were scorch marks on his skin. The faint, glowing cracks were visible again. Pulsing with a soft, ethereal light.
He was bleeding light. Again.
Aiko gasped. "Kael! Are you okay?"
He ignored her question. His eyes, though still sharp, were narrowed. Scanning the room. "The Collectors. They bypassed the outer defenses. Their tracking capabilities are superior to anticipated."
"Never mind that! You're hurt!" Aiko rushed to him. Her hands hovered over his chest. The glowing cracks were more pronounced now.
"A minor inconvenience," he stated, his voice clipped. "They are retreating. For now. They have registered our location. They will return."
"Retreating?" Aiko frowned. "You mean you beat them?"
"I created a temporary diversion," Kael corrected. "They are programmed for efficiency. Prolonged engagement without guaranteed success is illogical."
Aiko snorted. "So you basically just annoyed them until they left."
Kael ignored her sarcasm. He walked to one of the dusty consoles. His fingers, still faintly glowing, brushed over the controls. A few lights flickered on.
"This bunker," he murmured. "It possesses rudimentary shielding. But it is compromised. We cannot remain here."
"So, where do we go?" Aiko asked, her shoulders slumping. "Another alleyway? A sewer?"
Kael turned to her. His gaze was intense. "We go somewhere they cannot follow. Somewhere Heaven's influence is minimal. And where we can complete the necessary preparations."
"Preparations for what?" Aiko asked, a knot forming in her stomach.
"The binding," Kael stated. "The previous one was... irregular. Unsanctioned. It has caused unforeseen complications. We must rectify it."
Aiko stared at him. "Rectify it? What does that even mean? And what's wrong with our current 'binding'?"
"Our essences are intertwined, Aiko," Kael explained, his voice flat. "Your life force sustains my form. My spiritual essence reinforces yours. It is a shared existence. A shared fate."
"Yeah, I got that part," Aiko muttered. "The 'if you die, I die' part was pretty clear."
"This connection," Kael continued, ignoring her. "It is unstable. Like a bridge built on shifting sands. It amplifies your signature in the spiritual realm. Making you a beacon for entities like the Collectors. And the Nox."
"So, it's my fault we're being hunted by cosmic bounty hunters now?" Aiko snapped.
"Your uncontrolled power is the catalyst," Kael corrected. "The binding merely made it more apparent. More... luminous."
Aiko rolled her eyes. "Great. I'm a cosmic glow stick. What's your brilliant solution this time?"
"A formal, sanctioned binding," Kael stated. "A ritual. It will stabilize our connection. Integrate our essences properly. And provide a more robust shield against detection."
Aiko scoffed. "A ritual? You mean like, chanting and candles? Are we going to sacrifice a goat?"
Kael's lips twitched. A faint, almost imperceptible movement. "No goats. It is a celestial ritual. Ancient. Powerful. It requires mutual agreement. And complete honesty."
Aiko crossed her arms. "Mutual agreement? You're still holding a cosmic gun to my head, Kael. And what's this 'complete honesty' nonsense?"
"The ritual requires both parties to reveal their true selves," Kael explained. "Their fears. Their desires. Their hidden truths. It is a complete spiritual and emotional surrender."
Aiko's eyes widened. "Emotional surrender? You want me to spill my guts to you? The guy who thinks emotions are 'unproductive'?"
"It is a necessary component for a stable binding with a human medium," Kael stated. "Your emotions are chaotic. Unpredictable. They must be integrated into the binding. Understood. Accepted."
"And what about your emotions, Kael?" Aiko challenged. "Are you going to reveal your 'ancient guilt' and your 'profound sorrow'?"
Kael's face went utterly blank. His eyes became like frozen lakes again. A wall of ice.
"My emotional state is irrelevant," he stated, his voice flat. "It does not affect the ritual."
"Oh, really?" Aiko scoffed. "Because I felt it before. When we bound. Your pain. Your grief. It's all tied to that Yuki person, isn't it?"
Kael flinched. A subtle, almost imperceptible movement. But Aiko saw it. She had struck a nerve.
"That is none of your concern," he stated, his voice clipped.
"It is my concern when I'm literally linked to your soul!" Aiko snapped. "If your 'irrelevant' past is going to make us a giant target for cosmic bounty hunters, then it's my concern!"
Kael was silent for a long moment. His gaze was distant. Haunted.
"The ritual requires honesty from both parties," he finally said, his voice low. "But it does not require... revelation of all personal history."
"So you get to keep your secrets, but I have to lay my soul bare?" Aiko retorted. "That sounds fair. For you."
"It is for the greater good," Kael replied. "The balance of the realms depends on it."
"The balance of the realms seems to depend on me getting screwed over a lot," Aiko muttered.
Kael sighed. A long, exasperated sound. "Your sarcasm is still unproductive."
"And your celestial bureaucracy is infuriating!" Aiko shot back. "So, let me understand this," she said, pacing around the dusty control room. "You want me to sign my soul over to Heaven's HR department for a 'sanctioned binding' that requires me to be emotionally honest, but you get to keep all your secrets, and in return, we might stop being hunted by robots and shadow monsters. Oh, and you'll still be slowly dying because of me."
Kael watched her, his expression unreadable. "A rather... simplistic summary. But accurate in its core components."
Aiko stopped pacing. Stared at him. "And if I say no?"
"Then the current irregular binding will eventually destabilize," Kael explained, his voice calm. "Your power will grow unchecked. The veil will collapse. And your reality will be consumed by the chaos you inadvertently create."
"So, basically, I destroy the world," Aiko concluded, her voice flat.
"Or you allow Heaven to eliminate the anomaly," Kael added. "Which would be you."
Aiko closed her eyes. Her options were always so charming. Destroy the world. Get erased. Or become bound to an arrogant, secretive Reaper.
"Some choice," she muttered.
"Indeed," Kael conceded. "Now, shall we proceed with the preparations?"
Aiko opened her eyes. Looked at him. He was still bleeding light, faintly. The erosion. Her fault.
She sighed. "Fine. What do I have to do?"
Kael nodded. "First, we must travel to a location suitable for the ritual. A place of ancient spiritual significance. Untouched by modern human interference."
"So, basically, not Tokyo," Aiko deadpanned.
"Precisely," Kael replied. "I have located a suitable site. An ancient shrine, hidden deep within the mountains of Nagano."
"A mountain shrine," Aiko mused. "Sounds... rustic. No Wi-Fi, I bet."
Kael ignored her. "The journey will be arduous. And dangerous. The Collectors will be searching for us. And Heaven's agents may also be dispatched to prevent an unsanctioned binding."
"Wait," Aiko frowned. "If this is a 'sanctioned' binding, why would Heaven's agents try to stop us?"
"It is a nuanced situation," Kael explained. "The binding itself is sanctioned. But the circumstances of its initiation are irregular. And your unique nature makes you a... subject of debate within the celestial hierarchy."
"I'm a debate topic now," Aiko muttered. "My life is peak entertainment for the cosmos."
"Indeed," Kael said, a faint glint in his winter eyes. "Now, we must move. The Collectors will have pinpointed this bunker's location by now."
He walked to a hidden panel in the wall. Pressed a series of symbols. The wall slid open, revealing a narrow, dark tunnel.
"This way," he ordered.
Aiko hesitated. Another dark tunnel. Her life was becoming a series of dark tunnels.
"Lead the way, oh wise Reaper," she grumbled, following him into the darkness.
The tunnel was long. Cold. Damp. Kael moved silently, his ethereal light illuminating their path. Aiko stumbled behind him, her backpack heavy.
"So, about this 'emotional honesty' part," Aiko said, breaking the silence. "What exactly does that entail? Do I have to tell you about my embarrassing high school crushes?"
Kael sighed. "No. It is a spiritual honesty. A recognition of your core self. Your deepest fears. Your truest desires. It is not a confessional."
"Oh," Aiko said, a little disappointed. "So no juicy secrets?"
"My secrets are my own," Kael replied, his voice flat. "As are yours. The ritual merely requires mutual spiritual transparency. Not a full disclosure of all personal data."
"Right, because that's so much better," Aiko muttered. "So, you'll feel my deepest fears, but I won't know why you're so obsessed with rules?"
Kael was silent. A long, uncomfortable silence.
Aiko sighed. "Fine. Whatever. Just tell me what to do."
They walked for what felt like hours. The tunnel eventually opened into a vast, underground cavern. It was lit by faint, bioluminescent moss on the walls.
In the center of the cavern, a small, ancient shrine stood. Carved from rough, dark stone. It radiated a powerful, yet peaceful, spiritual energy.
"This is it," Kael stated. "The sacred ground. Untouched by the chaos of the surface world."
Aiko looked around. It was beautiful. And terrifying. The air hummed with ancient power.
"Okay," Aiko said, taking a deep breath. "So, what's the first step of this 'sanctioned binding'?"
Kael walked to the altar. Placed his hand on the cold stone. A faint light pulsed beneath his palm.
"We begin by cleansing," he stated. "Purifying our essences. Preparing for the integration."
He turned to her. His eyes were serious. Intense.
"This ritual is irreversible, Aiko," he said. "Once we begin, there is no turning back. Our fates will be irrevocably linked. Forever."
Aiko felt a knot in her stomach. Forever. That was a long time. Especially with him.
"I know," she whispered. "Let's just get this over with."
Kael nodded. He gestured for her to stand before the altar.
Aiko walked forward. Her heart pounded. This was it. The moment her life would change forever. Again.
"Place your hands on the altar," Kael instructed. "Focus on your intent. Your desire for balance. For control."
Aiko did as he asked. The stone was cold beneath her palms. But a faint warmth began to spread from it.
Kael stood opposite her. His hands also on the altar. His eyes closed. His form shimmered faintly.
He began to chant. Words in an ancient language. They vibrated through the cavern. Resonated deep within Aiko's bones.
A faint, golden light began to emanate from Aiko. It swirled around her. Intertwined with a pure, silver light that flowed from Kael.
The two lights danced. Merged. Formed a helix of shimmering energy that rose towards the cavern ceiling.
Aiko felt a strange sensation. Like her very essence was being stretched. Pulled. Realigned.
She felt a profound sense of peace. And fear. All at once.
The chanting intensified. Kael's voice grew stronger. More resonant.
Aiko felt a surge of energy. Not a drain. A connection. Deeper than before. More profound.
She felt Kael's presence within her. Not just his emotions. But his very being. His ancient wisdom. His cold logic. His hidden pain.
And then, the twist. The binding ritual requires complete emotional honesty—they'll be able to feel each other's emotions.
Aiko gasped. It wasn't just his pain. It was her pain. Reflected. Amplified.
She felt his guilt. His regret. His centuries of solitude. His fear of making another mistake.
And he felt hers. Her trauma from childhood. Her fear of being seen. Her self-sacrificing nature. Her deep-seated loneliness.
It was overwhelming. A torrent of raw, unfiltered emotion.
"What... what is this?" Aiko choked out, her voice strained.
Kael's eyes flew open. He looked at her. His gaze was no longer cold. It was filled with a raw, agonizing pain. His own pain. And hers.
"The ritual," he rasped. "It requires... complete transparency. Our emotions. They are... shared."
Aiko felt tears stream down her face. Not just her tears. His. His ancient sorrow. Her fresh terror. All mingled.
He was feeling everything she felt. Every fear. Every insecurity. Every moment of weakness.
And she was feeling his. His crushing burden of duty. His profound sense of loss. His desperate longing for redemption.
It was too much. Too intimate. Too vulnerable.
"You didn't tell me this!" Aiko cried, her voice a raw sob. "You said 'spiritual transparency'! Not... this!"
Kael's face was contorted in pain. "It was... an unexpected side effect. Of our unique compatibility."
Aiko shook her head. No. This was a nightmare.
She tried to pull her hands away from the altar. To break the connection. To escape the overwhelming flood of emotion.
But her hands were stuck. Rooted to the stone. The light intensified. Binding them tighter.
Kael's eyes, still wide with shared pain, began to change. The winter blue faded. Replaced by something darker. Deeper.
Black.
His eyes had gone completely black. Like twin voids. Empty. Bottomless.
Aiko felt something break inside her chest. Not just her heart. Something deeper. Something fundamental.
A connection. A bond. Not just between them. But between her and the world.
The cavern spun. The light intensified. Consuming everything.
And in the depths of Kael's black eyes, Aiko saw it. Not just his pain. Not just hers.
But a reflection of something ancient. Something terrifying. Something that had been sleeping. And was now awake.