Ayra's hands trembled as she tested the glow of the symbols beneath her. They weren't ordinary markings. They pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat, tight and insistent, and when she moved, the pain shot through her chest like fire. Every breath she drew carried the weight of Prince Alric's presence, though he said nothing at first, only watching her with eyes that seemed to measure every twitch of her body.
She wanted to scream, to pull herself free, but the magic would not allow it. And the truth pressed down harder: she had never felt so utterly powerless in her life.
Alric's voice broke the tense silence. "Stand still," he said, firm but low. There was no menace, yet every word carried command. "The bond… it reacts to movement, to emotion. If you struggle, we both suffer."
Ayra's chest heaved. "You,what do you mean? Reacts to" Her words caught. It was too much, too fast. She had survived hunger, pain, and loss, but this was something she could not fight with strength alone.
He leaned slightly forward, still restrained by the glowing magic. "You feel me. I feel you. That is the bond. It has chosen us." His words were clipped, but not cruel. Somehow, in his measured voice, she sensed restraint, not fearlessness, but control earned through years of discipline.
Ayra shook her head. "Why me? I'm nobody. You're… you're the prince. The enemy.This makes no sense."
Alric's eyes softened for a fraction of a second, though his jaw remained tight. "It is not meant to make sense."
She wanted to hate him. She needed to hate him. Every instinct screamed that this man, this enemy, was responsible for the ruin of countless lives, including hers. Yet every time she tried to push the thought, the bond reminded her of its presence, pressing closer, reminding her that they were connected in ways she could not ignore.
The room felt smaller suddenly. The air thickened, heavy with the hum of magic. Ayra's stomach twisted not just from fear, but from the strange pull of something deeper, harder to name.
"Listen to me," Alric said quietly. "We need to understand this bond before it destroys us or anyone else."
Ayra's hands curled into fists at her sides. "Destroy us?" she asked, voice shaking. "Do you know what's happening to me? My chest burns, my head feels like it's splitting… I can't even breathe!"
Alric's gaze met hers, unwavering. "Then stay calm. Focus. Panic will only make it worse."
Ayra wanted to argue, but the truth was undeniable: he was right. The pain eased slightly when she stopped thrashing and forced herself to stand straight. But she could feel the bond responding, every heartbeat, every shaky breath synced with his.
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the low hum of magic and the distant sounds of the village burning beyond the walls. Neither of them moved closer, yet neither could pull away.
After a moment, Ayra spoke again, her voice quieter, almost a whisper. "If this bond if it's real… what does it mean for me? For you?"
Alric's eyes flickered to hers, and for the first time, she saw the weight he carried beneath the crown prince's armor. "It means," he said slowly, "that our fates are tied together. We cannot survive apart, and we cannot ignore one another. What the bond wants… is beyond our choice."
Ayra's chest tightened. She hated that she could not look away. She hated that the words resonated, deep in her bones. She wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all, but instead, she found herself whispering: "Then… what do we do?"
Alric's jaw tightened again, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "We survive. We learn. And we find out who or what wants this to happen. Because I will not let anyone use this bond against either of us."
Ayra blinked. His words were firm, protective, yet something in them sparked an emotion she couldn't name. Anger? Fear? Or something more dangerous, something that made her stomach twist in ways she had not expected.
She clenched her fists, forcing herself to focus. "Fine," she said, voice steadier than she felt. "Then we survive. Together."
Alric's eyes narrowed, unreadable. "Do not mistake this for trust," he warned. "The moment I see weakness, I will act. This bond does not forgive foolishness."
Ayra wanted to laugh, bitter and sharp, but the sound caught in her throat. Instead, she nodded, more to herself than to him. She had survived worse. She could survive this if she could just keep her mind steady, and her heart… contained.
A low rumble shook the floor beneath them. The glow of the symbols brightened suddenly, as if reacting to some unseen presence. Ayra froze. Alric's eyes followed hers, alert.
"Someone or something is coming," he said. "And we need to be ready."
Ayra swallowed hard, the bond pressing tighter across her chest, reminding her that she was no longer alone and that survival would never be simple again.
The war had reached them, but now the war was personal.
And the bond had only just begun.