Ayra did not wake gently.
Power surged through her before thought, before breath,sharp, restless, alive. Her eyes flew open as the bond flared, not in warning, not in pain, but in movement. Something inside her refused to stay quiet anymore.
She sat up abruptly.
The shelter they had taken was small, hidden beneath a collapsed archway and thick brush. Morning light filtered in through leaves and broken stone, dust motes drifting lazily in the air. Alric was still asleep beside her, his breathing steady, posture guarded even in rest.
She stared at him.
The bond hummed softly, no longer pulling her toward him, no longer tightening like a leash. Instead, it flowed,wide, responsive, alert to her emotions in a way it never had before.
This is different, she realized.
Carefully, Ayra stood.
The moment her feet touched the ground, awareness sharpened. She could feel the space around her, the press of stone, the weight of air, the distant movement of creatures beyond the trees. It was subtle, but undeniable.
Power had settled into her bones.
She lifted her hand experimentally.
The bond responded.
A faint shimmer rippled over her skin, then faded.
Ayra sucked in a breath.
"So it wasn't a trick," she murmured.
Behind her, Alric stirred.
"You're awake," he said, already sitting up, eyes locked on her. Then his gaze sharpened. "No… you're"
"Different?" she supplied.
"Yes."
The bond pulsed once, affirmative.
Ayra crossed her arms, grounding herself. "How long were you awake?"
"Long enough to know you're not the same person you were yesterday."
She met his gaze steadily. "Neither are you."
That earned a faint, uneasy smile.
Alric rose slowly, as though approaching something unpredictable. "What you did in the forest… that wasn't a reaction. It was control."
"I didn't know I could do it," she admitted. "I just knew I wouldn't let them touch the bond again."
"That kind of instinct," he said carefully, "usually comes from training. Or lineage."
Ayra laughed softly. "I have neither."
The bond pulsed, warm, almost amused.
Alric frowned. "That response wasn't normal."
She hesitated. "You felt it too?"
"Yes," he said. "Like the bond… listened to you."
Silence stretched between them.
Ayra looked down at her hands. "All my life, I've been told what I am. Weak. Replaceable. Someone who survives because she hides."
She looked up again, eyes hard. "Yesterday, something decided I was done hiding."
Alric exhaled slowly. "If my kingdom realizes the bond favors you now"
"They'll come faster," she finished.
"Yes."
"And harder."
"Yes."
She nodded once. "Good."
That stopped him.
"Ayra," he said quietly, "this isn't a challenge you taunt."
"No," she replied. "It's one I prepare for."
The bond tightened,not painfully, but firmly. Alignment.
They packed quickly and moved before the sun rose fully. Ayra noticed things she hadn't before, the way paths naturally bent away from danger, the subtle hum in the air when magic lingered nearby. The bond no longer drowned her senses; it refined them.
After hours of travel, they reached higher ground overlooking a narrow valley. Smoke curled faintly in the distance.
"Outpost," Alric said. "Neutral traders. And spies."
Ayra studied the valley. "If we avoid them, they'll follow."
"If we approach," he countered, "they'll report us."
She tilted her head. "What if we let them see what we want them to see?"
Alric turned sharply. "What are you thinking?"
Ayra met his gaze, something calm and dangerous settling in her expression. "You've been shielding me since the bond formed."
"Yes."
"That made sense when I was vulnerable."
His jaw tightened. "And now?"
"Now," she said evenly, "you stand beside me. Not in front."
The bond pulsed decisive.
Alric stared at her for a long moment. Then, slowly, he inclined his head. "Very well."
They descended into the valley together.
Eyes followed them immediately.
Ayra felt it, the flicker of attention, the subtle probing of magic. Instead of shrinking, she let the bond expand, not aggressively, but unmistakably present.
I am here, it said.
A woman approached them near the market stalls, her smile practiced, her eyes sharp. "Travelers," she said. "You don't look like merchants."
"We're not," Ayra replied before Alric could speak.
The woman's gaze flicked to her, surprised. "Then what are you?"
Ayra smiled faintly. "Trouble."
The bond flared softly.
The woman stiffened, then masked it quickly. "You should move on. This place isn't safe."
"That's why we're here," Ayra said calmly.
Alric watched her closely, tension and something like awe mixing in his expression.
"You carry royal magic," the woman said slowly. "Both of you."
Ayra stepped closer. "And you carry messages. Tell whoever's listening that the bond isn't broken."
The woman swallowed.
"And tell them," Ayra continued, voice steady, "that touching it again will cost more than they're willing to pay."
Silence fell around them.
After a long moment, the woman nodded once. "Understood."
They left the outpost without incident, but the air felt charged.
Alric finally spoke when they were out of earshot. "You just declared yourself a threat to every power on this continent."
Ayra exhaled slowly. "No. I declared myself a factor."
The bond hummed approvingly.
Alric stopped walking. "You know what this means, don't you?"
"Yes," she said. "It means I stop reacting… and start choosing."
He studied her face. "And if your choices put you above me?"
She didn't hesitate. "Then you decide whether you walk with me or fall behind."
The bond tightened, waiting.
Alric smiled then. Not the sharp smile of a prince, nor the guarded one of a survivor but something real.
"I was trained to rule," he said quietly. "But I've never followed anyone."
Ayra met his gaze. "You don't have to."
The bond pulsed agreement, not submission.
They stood there, the future stretching uncertain and dangerous before them.
For the first time, Ayra didn't fear it.
She welcomed it.