Dawn crept over the forest, pale and cold.
Smoke still rose from the scorched clearing, curling into the gray sky. The world smelled of ash and iron — the aftermath of battle.
Kale sat by the dying fire, his arm wrapped in a strip of torn cloth. Every muscle in his body ached.
Across from him, Lyra crouched silently, rinsing her claws in a puddle of rainwater tinted faintly red.
Elric slept against a tree, his staff dim beside him, face pale but peaceful. The night had nearly taken all of them.
Kale watched Lyra in the silence, the way her movements were sharp yet graceful — deliberate. Like a predator always ready to strike.
"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly.
She looked up, one silver brow arching. "What, this?" She flicked the blood from her fingers. "No. The dead don't bite back."
"I meant you," Kale said. "You're still bleeding."
Lyra smirked faintly, but her voice softened. "Vampires don't heal like we used to. Not since the witches cursed us."
Kale frowned. "Cursed?"
She nodded, tracing the faint, glowing sigil etched across her collarbone — almost hidden beneath her torn cloak. "They call it the Binding Mark. It limits how much mana we can use… keeps us weak. Keeps us obedient."
Kale stared. "So you're hunted by the same people who made you this way."
Her eyes met his. "Now you see why I fight."
For a moment, silence fell between them again. Only the forest breathed.
Then, Lyra's voice dropped lower, almost hesitant. "That power you used last night — what was it?"
Kale looked away. "I don't know."
"Liar."
He sighed. "It's not mine. At least… not entirely."
Lyra tilted her head. "Then whose?"
He hesitated, hearing that familiar whisper in the back of his mind — amused, patient.
"Tell her, Kale. See how she looks at you after she knows what you really are."
He clenched his jaw. "Someone… something inside me. It's been there since I was born."
Lyra studied him for a long time before speaking. "Then you're more cursed than I thought."
Kale gave a humorless smile. "Guess we have that in common."
Her gaze softened just a little.
He noticed then how pale she was — paler than before. The battle had drained her. The wounds on her shoulder were still open, the blood dried but dark.
"You need to feed," he said quietly.
Her eyes flashed red instantly. "Don't offer what you can't afford, wizard."
"I'm not offering," Kale replied. "I'm saying you'll die if you don't."
She looked away. "I can control it."
"No, you can't."
Their eyes met — blue against crimson. Neither spoke for a long time. Then, slowly, Kale rolled up his sleeve.
Lyra stiffened. "Kale—"
"Do it."
"I could drain you."
"You won't."
She stared at him, torn between hunger and restraint. Then, with a shudder, she leaned forward, her lips brushing his wrist.
The bite was quick — sharp pain, then warmth, then… something else.
He felt her mana mingling with his — dark, cold, but strangely harmonious. It wasn't like losing blood; it was like sharing life.
Lyra trembled, pulling back suddenly, eyes wide. "Your blood… it's not human."
"I told you."
She wiped her lips, still shaking. "There's something ancient inside you. Whatever it is — it recognized me."
Kale frowned. "Recognized you?"
She nodded slowly. "It whispered… one word."
"What word?"
Her voice was barely a whisper. "Aurelion."
Kale froze. The name echoed through his mind like a spark catching fire. The voice inside him stirred immediately, louder than before.
"So she remembers. How delightful."
Kale clutched his head, groaning. "Stop—"
Lyra stepped closer. "Kale! What's happening?"
He fell to his knees, the mark on his wrist flaring violently. The seal Elric strengthened was burning — blue fire seeping through the cracks.
"You can't keep me locked away forever," the voice hissed. "You've tasted blood now. You've begun the bond."
Elric jerked awake at the noise, staff in hand instantly. "What did you do!?"
Lyra backed away, eyes wide. "He told me to feed— I didn't—"
Elric swore under his breath and slammed his staff into the ground. "Hold him!"
"I can't!"
Kale gasped as the energy surged outward, shaking the ground. The light pulsed violently — then suddenly, it stopped.
Silence.
Kale collapsed forward, trembling.
Elric hurried to his side, checking his pulse. "Still alive."
Lyra crouched nearby, guilt flickering across her face. "What just happened?"
Elric's expression darkened. "A blood pact. You've linked your mana to his. It stabilized the seal — but it also connected your lives."
Lyra froze. "You mean—"
"If one of you dies," Elric said quietly, "so does the other."
The words hung in the air, heavy as thunder.
Lyra stared at Kale, her crimson eyes wide. "You fool."
Kale managed a weak smile. "At least now… you can't run away."
Elric groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "By the stars, you two are going to kill me before the witches do."
Lyra stood, crossing her arms. "Fine. I'll keep him alive. For both our sakes."
"Good," Elric muttered. "Because from here on, the easy part's over."
He pointed toward the east, where dark clouds gathered over the mountains. "The witches know you're still alive, Kale. They'll send worse than Hunters next time."
Kale followed his gaze, the light of dawn catching in his eyes — steady, calm, determined.
"Then we'll be ready," he said.
Lyra gave a small, dangerous smile. "You're learning, wizard."
And somewhere deep inside him, Aurelion's voice purred:
"So the bond begins. Blood, mana, and destiny. You've taken your first step toward me."