The sea had gone eerily still, as though it too was listening to the breathless crew. The deck reeked of salt and burnt corruption, ropes sagging heavy with water. Lanterns flickered, their dim light throwing long shadows that danced like ghosts across the ship.
Andy lowered his blades, the glow of Ember Edge and Tide-Singer dying to a faint shimmer. His chest rose and fell hard, sweat mixing with salt spray. The Soulbound ring pulsed faintly against his finger, its rhythm steadying, yet sharp with tension.
[System Notice]
Bond Progression: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 82%
Emotional Surge: Stabilizing…
Nia stepped closer, staff pressed to her side. Her sapphire eyes were fixed, unblinking, on the golden-haired woman who had just turned the tide of battle. Aurelia.
She stood like she had always belonged on that deck. Golden hair clung damply to her shoulders, amber eyes unshaken by the whispers surrounding her. Crewmen, hardened by storms, kept their distance as though afraid her light might burn. Her twin daggers, sheathed now, still gave off faint warmth, like embers refusing to die.
"She's a Hunter," Nia said, her voice sharp as steel drawn in moonlight. The words carried across the hushed deck.
Aurelia tilted her head, lips curving faintly. "Once. Not anymore."
"Convenient," Nia shot back. "Hunters don't just walk away. They kill. They hunt. They—"
"They survive," Aurelia interrupted smoothly, her voice calm, unyielding. Her gaze slid briefly to Andy, catching his eyes before returning to Nia. "But I chose a different survival. Balance, not slaughter."
Andy's grip tightened on his hilts. His mind replayed her strikes—fluid, precise, merciless to the corruption but untouched by malice. She hadn't moved like the Hunters he knew. Yet the word still scraped like a blade against bone.
"You fought like someone waiting," Andy said quietly.
This time, Aurelia smiled. Not warm, not mocking—simply knowing. "Perhaps I was. Some of us don't chase prey. Some of us wait for the right moment… and the right people."
The bond between Andy and Nia pulsed hot. Nia's fingers curled tighter around her staff, her voice low, trembling with fire. "Stay away from him."
The System flickered again, catching the surge:
[System Notice]
Bond Instability Detected
Emotional Spike: Possessiveness
Correction Cycle Engaged…
Andy felt it sear through his chest. Nia's emotions bled through the bond, raw and unfiltered. He turned, hand brushing her arm, steadying her. "Nia."
Her eyes softened for him alone, for a heartbeat. But when they shifted back to Aurelia, the frost returned.
Aurelia didn't flinch. Instead, she stepped closer, slow, deliberate. Her golden aura wrapped the deck in warmth that felt both inviting and dangerous. "You'll learn in time," she said softly, eyes flicking between them. "The sea doesn't care for jealousy. It only cares for strength. And right now… you'll need all three of us if you plan to live."
Murmurs spread across the crew. Some nodded in agreement, others crossed themselves in fear.
Andy exhaled hard, forcing the weight off his chest. "Enough. She fought with us. She's proven her will. If she wants to stand with us, then she'll stand. The System will judge the rest."
The rings pulsed in agreement.
[System Notice]
Temporary Resonance Accepted
Bond Progression: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 83%
For a moment, no one spoke. The sails creaked, the mast groaned. Then Aurelia inclined her head in a subtle bow, amber eyes gleaming. "Very well," she said. "Let the sea decide… but know this—my oath isn't to blood or clan. It is to the golden veil I wear. And as long as I walk beside you, corruption will burn in my light."
Nia's jaw clenched, but she said nothing. Her hand slid against Andy's arm, firm, claiming. Andy held his silence, caught between fire and gold, between love that anchored and light that unsettled.
The Boundless Sea rolled under them again, dark and endless. Somewhere below, something stirred.
And above, the stars burned faint—watching.
---