The bathwater lapped gently against the wooden edges, its warmth clinging to her skin, almost too gentle compared to the turmoil in her chest. Steam veiled the room in shifting curtains, sometimes hiding her form, sometimes revealing it in fleeting silhouettes. The lantern on the corner table sputtered, its flame bending under the weight of the haze, throwing fragments of gold against the fog.
Nia leaned her head back against the wooden rim, eyes half-closed, auburn strands plastered against her cheek. Droplets slid lazily from the tips of her hair down to her collarbone, merging with the thin sheen of water already covering her skin. The scent of salt and mineral clung faintly to the air—an echo of the sea outside, even here in her sanctuary.
Her fingers drifted across the surface, tracing idle circles. The water obeyed, ripples spiraling outward like fragile threads—threads that reminded her of something far more fragile: the bond. She placed her palm to her chest. The pulse was there, steady… yet unsteady.
[Bond Thread Status: Active – Interference Detected]
Her eyes opened, lashes wet with condensation. The words cut through her. Interference.
Aurelia's face came to her mind too easily—golden hair like firelight, her confidence that never wavered, her courage to stand by Andy without hesitation. Nia's throat tightened. She bit her lip until she tasted iron. So bold. So unashamed.
She sank lower into the bath, the water nearly reaching her lips. For a heartbeat, she wanted to disappear into the warmth, to dissolve until her fears no longer had a vessel. But closing her eyes only brought back another place: the Forgotten Cave.
Andy on his knees. Shadow pressing from every angle. His blades trembling. And then—her hand catching his, their mana fusing, igniting flame and light together.
Her chest constricted. Back then, it was only us. No Aurelia. No one else. Only me and him.
She jolted upright, water cascading in rivulets down her shoulders. Her reflection trembled on the bath's surface—her face blurred, her lips trembling, her eyes shadowed with doubt. For a moment she hated what she saw. Fragile. Shaken.
Her breath came uneven. "Andy…" His name slipped from her lips, heavy and trembling. "Do you still see me? Or am I being pushed aside… by her?"
Her fists clenched under the water, sending ripples striking against the bath's edge. The bond pulsed again, sharp and undeniable. She gasped. It wasn't gone. It wasn't fading. Perhaps… it was reminding her.
Her voice grew steadier, though low. "No. I won't give this up. I won't surrender to her, or to fear. I'll fight—for you, for us."
As though answering, light flickered faintly across her damp skin. Glyphs—intricate, radiant—crawled across her collarbone, her shoulder, down her arm. They glowed for only a moment, like runes breathing in the steam, before fading. Her breath hitched. Something inside me is changing too.
She rose slowly, droplets chasing each other down the curve of her body. The steam curled around her like clinging veils, every movement sensual in its natural grace. Reaching for the robe, she drew it across her damp form. The fabric clung to her, sheer in the lantern light, yet she pulled it tight as though wrapping herself not in cloth, but in resolve.
Barefoot, she padded across the creaking wooden boards toward the window. Each step left a faint wet print on the floor, trailing behind her like echoes of the path she'd taken. She stopped at the sill, resting her hands against the cool wood.
The sea stretched endlessly, black and shifting. Above it, stars littered the heavens, distant and cold. But as she stared, they seemed to weave faintly into threads, converging into constellations she could almost recognize. For a moment, she imagined their bond mirrored above her—two lights intertwining stubbornly against the void.
Her lips curved into the smallest smile, though her eyes glistened. "Even if she dares to stand beside you," she whispered, the vow slipping into the night, "I'll be the one who stands closest to your heart."
Inside her chest, the bond thread pulsed—no longer trembling. It throbbed with renewed fire, unyielding, as if echoing her words.
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