(Unknown location)

  Kaelis's eyes fluttered open, blurry shadows slowly sharpening into vivid crity. He blinked several times, fusion knitting his brows together as he took in his surroundings. His head throbbed faintly, ah him, cold stone pressed firmly against his back. He slowly sat up, notig the crude bck sackcloth c his body, scratchy and unfortable against his skin. The cool stone floor bit at his bare feet, sending shivers crawling up his spine.

  ‘Where am I...?’

  He touched his face, trag the familiar scar on his cheek with trembling fingers. His ash-white hair fell messily into his eyes, which darted around the dimly lit chamber in growing bewilderment. Pulsating talismans floated zily around him, eagraved with strange runes and symbols, casting a faint, eerie glow that barely illumihe cramped space.

  ‘Dreaming...? This has to be a dream. But... why does everything feel so real?’

  He squinted, attempting to make sense of the magical inscriptioched into the talismans as they bobbed gently through the air. Suddenly aware of an oppressive force, Kaelis tried to move again, struggling against invisible restraints that bound him firmly in pce. Gng down, he saw threads of dark magic coiled around his wrists and ankles, holding him captive in the ter of the room.

  ‘This is... oddly realistic, even for a lucid dream. Guess I'm finally getting one of those immersive dreams I've always wished for. Not bad…!’

  The er of his mouth curled into an amused smirk, matg the flicker of curiosity in his dark browwenty years old, divorced, aually exhausted by the monotony of reality—surely he deserved this little escape, even if it was temporary.

  Before he could ponder further, the room seemed to darken even more, the faint glow of the talismans overshadowed by a looming presence. From the shadows he doorway emerged a figure cloaked pletely in darkness, only a pair of fiercely glowing crimson eyes visible. The air thied with tension, radiating an oppressive aura that made Kaelis's heart flutter with excitement rather than fear. He chuckled softly, fasated by the intricacies of his own imagination.

  "You dare ugh in my presence?" Her voice echoed through the chamber, deep and anding, infused with a dark, resonating magic that sent chills across Kaelis's skin.

  Uo hold back, Kaelis burst into open ughter, shaking his head slightly. Before he could fully enjoy his defiahe shadow surged forward with unnatural speed, grabbing him fiercely by the throat and lifting him effortlessly from the ground. The strength of her grip ainfully real, cutting off his ughter and repg it with a choking gasp. Panic surged briefly before fasatioook him again.

  ‘Wait... I feel this? Pain? In a dream?!’

  His hand moved instinctively, reag out to the blurred visage of his captor. He felt skih his fiips, soft and warm, undeniably real. His touch was gerag the delicate line of her jaw in quiet awe.

  Surprised and immediately flustered, the figure stammered ily, her voientarily losing its fierce edge. She hastily released him, dropping Kaelis roughly to the floor as she stumbled babsp;

  “AGH! My face! It’s been tainted by a human hand!”

  Instantly, dozens of dles fred to life around the room, bathing it in a warm, flickering glow. Kaelis coughed, massaging his bruised neck, but his eyes widened in surprise as the shadowy figure came fully into view.

  She was stunningly beautiful, albeit terrifyingly intense. Glossy midnight-bck hair cascaded down her shoulders, atuating pale por skin that seemed to glow in the dlelight. Her crimson eyes, once menag, were now wide and uain, framed by long dark shes. Ornate robes of bd crimson hugged her slender form, adorned with intricate ribbons, ce, and mysterious symbols that seemed to dance faintly. She paced anxiously bad forth, muttering angrily under her breath.

  "Stupid... stupid, Espen. Why 't you do it like your mentor? This interrogation shtick is impossible..."

  Kaelis watched her, mesmerized, his lips parting slightly as he took in the sight. "You're—you look good…for some evil witch person…” he murmured without thinking, his voice sincere and awed.

  She froze mid-step, eyes narrowing dangerously as she whipped around to gre at him. Her cheeks flushed vividly, embarrassment mixing with fury. "I'd rather die than be plimented by a filthy human," she spat venomously, turning her head stubbornly away.

  Before Kaelis could respond, a sudde settled onto his shoulder. He turned his head slowly, eyes widening in pure horror as he saw a sleek bck cat perched casually there, its arrogant smile far too smug for fort. Crimson horns protruded from its skull, and its red eyes glittered mischievously, strange crests dang within its pupils.

  "Her name is Espen," the cat purred smugly, whiskers twitg. “Your wele.”

  Kaelis screamed in a decidedly unheroiner, his voice high-pitched and panicked as he filed wildly, rolling across the floor in an utterly undignified fashion. The cat g on effortlessly, bemused airely unbothered.

  Ness rolled his eyes, “Okay he’s totally being dramatic.”

  "Ness…you dare sell my to a human…?” Espen snarled, her embarrassment intensifying as she thrust her hand toward the cat, tendrils of dark magic surging forth and pinning the feline edically to the wall. Breathing heavily, face flushed deep crimson, she pointed an acg finger. "I ought to end you now.”

  Kaelis slowly sat up again, eyes dartiween the pinned cat and the furious witch. A pyful gleam shone in his eyes as he whispered softly, testing the name curiously. "Espen..."

  She spun sharply, hair fring around her, cheeks still flushed as she looked pointedly away, crossing her arms defensively. "Tch. That's not my name."

  A tense silence hung in the air as the strario watched each other warily, their fates now irrevocably iwined, and their chaotic journey only just beginning.

  Kaelis sat cross-legged, rubbing his wrists as the dark magic restraints dissipated, leaving behind a faint tingliion. He peered up at Espen, a pyful smirk tugging at his lips despite the increasingly bizarre circumstances.

  “So, Espen—or whatever your name isn’t—mind expining what exactly is going on here?” Kaelis asked casually, leaning back slightly. “I mean, if you're into abdug random guys into dlelit chambers, there are probably easier ways to find a date.”

  Espen’s eyes fshed dangerously. She pointed a slender finger menagly at Kaelis, her cheeks flushing again. "You—shut up. I’m the one asking questions here. And don't call me Espen again. My name is Master to you. And you will refer to me as such.”

  Kaelis shrugged, his grin widening. “Fuo, respectfully.”

  Espen waving her hand sharply. A surge of dark energy shot from her fiips, and in the blink of an eye, Kaelis was transformed into a small white rabbit. He blinked in fusion, whiskers twitg, nose wriggling furiously. Ness, still pio the wall, burst into ughter, his feline voice shaking with amusement.

  “Oh, this is rich!” Ness cackled. “Nice going, Espen. He’s somehow less intimidating now. He was kinda badass at first.”

  Espen shot Ness a gre, snarling. “You want to be , cat?”

  Kaelis hopped angrily around in circles, pausing to gre up at Espen with beady little rabbit eyes. “Alright, alright! I get it! No Espen!” he squeaked indignantly. “Now you turn me back? This fur is itchy as hell.”

  With a huff, Espen waved her hand agaiantly rest Kaelis to his inal form. He stumbled awkwardly, patting himself down in relief.

  “ question,” Espen demanded, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Why exactly do you bear the Mark of Bondage? And more importantly—why does your mark match mine? Which leads to why do I have the mark?”

  Kaelis blinked slowly, fusion clear on his face. He gnced down at his palm, noting the strange rune glowing faintly there and matg hers perfectly. Still believing this urely imaginary, he smirked again, amused. “Who knows? Maybe the dream gods think we’d make a cute couple.”

  Espewitched. Without another word, she flicked her wrist, and Kaelis found himself abruptly transformed into an awkward, misshapen duck with one wing signifitly rger thaher. He toppled sideways, quag furiously.

  “Okay, okay!” Kaelis honked, scrambling tain his bance. “I’ll stop! Just—just turn me back!”

  Espeed again, sighing irritably. “You’re annoying. Are you a demon? An imp perhaps, sent by Mae to test me?”

  Kaelis tilted his head to the side, still grinning smugly. “A demon? Not that I know of. I mean, my ex-wife might disagree, but—”

  This time, Espen didn’t hesitate. Kaelis was immediately transformed into a tiny, excessively fluffy hamster, squeaking indignantly and scampering in panicked circles.

  “Why do you keep doing this?!” he squeaked, fur puffed in annoyance.

  “Because your mouth is insufferably irritating,” Espen snapped back, folding her arms across her chest. “Now, try again. Do you have ties to Mae, my mentor? Did she set you up as some sort of magical test to embarrass me?”

  Kaelis, now restored once more to human form, blinked ily, leaning in with exaggerated curiosity. “Wait, am I here to fight you or teach you? Because I’m really not qualified for either.”

  Espen’s shoulders slumped slightly, frustration creeping into her voice. She began pag again, ranting to herself more than Kaelis. “I mean, it makes sehat Mae would give me some challenge, right? She knows I’m terrible at dark magic—well, magi general—a, sending a human, of all things? She knows I despise humans. Unless...”

  “Unless?” Kaelis prompted, raising an eyebrow.

  Espen paused, gng back at him suspiciously. “Unless you’re supposed to teach me something. But that’s ridiculous because—look at you! You’re clearly a human fool.”

  Kaelis chuckled, unfazed. “Ouch. And here I was thinking we were starting to bond.”

  Espen scowled deeply. “Name?”

  “Kaelis,” he replied simply, mogly saluting her. “o meet you, Esp—ah, mystery witch.”

  Espen’s hand twitched, but she refrained from transf him again—for now. “Age?”

  “Twenty,” Kaelis replied casually. “Why, you ied?”

  She rolled her eyes, ign his teasing. “ce then. I'm also twenty.” Her lips pursed tightly before she sighed heavily, looking him directly in the eyes. “Fine, let’s try this another way. What's your story? Your background? What type of Kenda do you wield?”

  Kaelis’s expression faltered, fusion creeping into his voice. “Kenda? What’s that supposed to be?”

  Espen groaned softly, pressing her fio her temples. “You don’t even know Kenda? What kind of useless spe did Mae sehat’s IF you’re a part of her little project.”

  Kaelis’s face softened, and he hesitated. For a brief moment, the smugness vanished. His voice dropped, suddenly serious and somber. “Look, I don't know what Kenda is, alright? But if you're asking for my story—I was married once. Briefly. It didn’t work out. It was my fault, mostly. I wasly a great husband. I made mistakes, a lot of them, and ended up divorced before I eve.” His eyes darkened, distant with sorrow. “I guess that left me feeling pretty worthless. Kind of pathetic, holy.”

  He stopped abruptly, a bitter ugh esg him. ‘Why the hell did I just say that out loud? This is supposed to be my dream, my getaway from reality. Why am I ruining it with this crap?’ For a fleeting sed, Kaelis desperately wao wake up.

  Espen was silent for a long moment, her gaze softening slightly. She averted her eyes, quietly waving her hand and fully releasing Kaelis from the lingering bindings. “You... really don’t know anything, do you?” she murmured relutly. “I find that hard to believe, but fine. I’ll keep an eye on you for now.”

  Kaelis rubbed his wrists again, surprised at her suddeleness. “So you're finally letting me go?”

  Espen shook her head sharply. “No. Yoing to help me find Mae. Only she break this ridiarriage pact between us.”

  Kaelis ughed again, incredulous. “Yeah, this is definitely a dream. Marriage pact? Everyone knows real marriage involves, you know, mutual sent, some fancy rings, big ceremonies and all that.”

  Espen’s face twisted in disgust. “Are you pying me for a fool? Marriage pact magic is serious, binding, and powerful. It’s no ughing matter, especially with a human involved. I abhor the thought of me being attached to a human that way.”

  Before Kaelis could retort, Ness finally stepped fain, sniffing curiously at Kaelis’s hair and clothing. He inhaled sharply, red eyes wide in surprise. “Espen... He doesn't smell familiar. Not at all. I don't think he's from Kalhal. He might be from another world entirely.”

  Kaelis's smirk faltered, his eyes widening slightly. "Another... world?"

  ‘Mae always mentioher pces, but he here’s bigger things out there away from

  Kalhal. Could it really be..’

  Kaelis hung suspended upside-down in midair, blood rushing to his head, ash-white hair dangling awkwardly beh him. o him floated Ness, who seemed entirely more irritated by the situation, red hlinting mogly as he tried to twist his feline body upright.

  “Oh, e on!” Ness pined loudly, thrashing his paws in the air. “I didn’t even do anything this time! This is btant abuse! Just wait until Mae hears how horribly her precious apprereats her beloved familiar!”

  Espen rolled her crimson eyes, letting out an exasperated sigh. With a mere flick of her wrist, Ness tly transformed into a squawking chi.

  “This is an insult!” Ness clucked, fpping wildly. “I am a noble familiar, not poultry!”

  Another flick, and Ness became a tiny squealing piglet.

  "I swear by all the Spirits, Espen, wheurns—"

  Another flick, and he became a rather disgruntled goat, bleating indignantly, his arrogant voice muffled by thick white fur.

  Kaelis, watg the spectacle, couldn’t suppress his ughter. “You know,” he teased, still upside-down, “you make a great farm animal.”

  ried to gre at him through goat’s eyes and growled, “Watch yourself, human. You’re !”

  Espen sighed again, ping the bridge of her nose. “Enough,” she muttered, finally rest o his inal cat form. He dropped unceremoniously to the floor, nding gracefully despite his indignation.

  The witch turned her intense crimson gaze onto Kaelis, her voice firm and measured. “You,” she began sternly, “are ing with me ao find Mae. She’s the Saint of a Magic Spirit, Darkenss—someone who did the impossible and broke free from her tract.”

  Kaelis tilted his head in fusion. “tract?”

  Espen’s eyes softened slightly as she realized he truly had no knowledge of their ways. She lowered Kaelis gently, pg his feet bato the floor. “Saints,” she began calmly, “are not gods or deities. They’re chosen mortals—vessels marked by Spirits from the Astral World. These Spirits are a, timeless entities, fragments of something older thaeself. Saints don’t ask for their powers; they’re chosen, bound forever to their patron Spirit. They must obey its will, or suffer terribly.”

  Her voice grew quieter, almost reverent. “Mae was unique. She found a way to sever the bond. She freed herself from the Spirit’s grip, something nobody else had ever managed before. That’s why I think she vanished—I think she left to discover the truth behind the Spirits' iions. Maybe that or something else, I don’t know. But now she’s missing, leaving me alone. Or maybe…”

  Kaelis watched her carefully, seriousness flickering briefly in his eyes. “So... you’re her apprentice?”

  She scoffed softly, red eyes narrowing. “Obviously. But that’s beside the point.” She straightened her back, regaining her posure and fixing Kaelis with a stern, unwavering stare. “If we’re going to travel together, I have some ground rules.”

  Kaelis raised his eyebrows, amused at her sudden seriousness. “Sure, whatever you say.”

  “One: ing too close,” Espen said firmly, stepping toward him to emphasize her point.

  “Okay,” Kaelis replied, holding back a smirk.

  “Two: No toug.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Three: No flirting, no plimenting, absolutely none.”

  Kaelis tilted his head ily. “No promises, but—okay.”

  Espen’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Four: No talking to me about anything unless it directly bes our mission.”

  “Got it. Mission-focused unication only.”

  “Five: No wandering off alone. I don’t trust you, and for all I know, you might plot something idiotic.”

  Kaelis shrugged. “I mean, I probably would, so fair point.”

  “And finally, six—” Espen’s voice dropped, the fai hint of uainty creeping in. “No dying. The Mark of Bondage is not a joke. It binds husband and wife pletely. If you die, I die—and vice versa.”

  Kaelis’s smile faded slightly, finally sensing the seriousness beh her words. He nodded slowly, meeting her eyes directly. “Uood. No dying.”

  “Good,” Espen murmured quietly, turning away sharply. “The’s go.”

  She led the way out of the dlelit chamber into a shadowed corridor, Ness padding along behind her, still grumbling to himself. Kaelis trailed after them, his expression thoughtful as he sidered Espen’s words. He still half-believed this was all a dream, but something in her voice had felt too real, too raw to dismiss pletely.

  Espen walked ahead silently, her thoughts drifting deep into painful territory.

  ‘Humans…’ she thought bitterly, memories surfag like jagged gss beh her skin. She remembered cold nights, curled up alone in dark ers, bruises blooming across her slender limbs. She remembered harsh voices, cruel ughter, hands that grabbed roughly, eyes that stared hungrily. Humans had been nothing but moo her, creatures who had tried to break her spirit, to use her magic for their selfish desires. They had taken advantage of her innoce, punished her for every small defiance, leaving scars that even magic could not erase.

  Those nights alone, Espen had sung softly to herself, whispered songs she had written into the darkness, desperate for fort, desperate for warmth. But fort rarely came. Instead came Mae, the Saint whose darkness matched Espen’s own pain. Mae had reached out, not just sympathy but purpose—a shared vision to take their pain and reshape it into power. Together, they'd vowed to tear down the corrupt foundations of the world, to punish those who’d inflicted harm, to cast shadows over the monsters in human skin.

  And now this—this ridiculous twist of fate. How could she, of all people, find herself bound in marriage to a human? She despised this situation, hated it with every fiber of her being. Kaelis was strange, smug, irritatingly flippaly the kind of human she had always detested. Yet beh his irritating fidehere was something else—something somber, hidden, perhaps even broken. Something real.

  Espen shook her head slightly, f away the troubling thoughts. ‘No. He’s just another human. He'll betray me eventually. They always do.’

  She gnced back discreetly, her crimson gaze nding briefly on Kaelis as he walked behind her, eyes wandering curiously around the corridor. For a split sed, he looked up, meeting her gaze directly. Embarrassed at being caught staring, she turned atly, cheeks flushing faintly. A gehump sounded as Ness, smug airely uant, leaped onto Kaelis’s shoulder.

  Kaelis g the cat relutly, muttering quietly, “A little warniime? Seriously, yoing to give me a heart attack.”

  Ness purred arrogantly, flig his tail against Kaelis’s cheek. “You’ll get used to it, human. Besides, annoying you is the highlight of my day.”

  Espen rolled her eyes at their banter, f herself to suppress the strange, flicted feelings stirring within. She quied her pace, determio ignore any lingering doubts. Her path was clear—find Mae, break this cursed bond, and rid herself of this infuriating human ond for all.

  Yet despite her resolve, something small and uain echoed faintly within her chest. Something she refused to aowledge.

  ‘What if he’s different?’

  She shook the thought away fiercely, tightening her grip oaff and pushing onward into the unknown, Kaelis and Ness following close behind. The path ahead was uain, tangled with shadows and unanswered questions, but Espen knew ohing for certain:

  She wouldn’t let herself trust another human again.

  But as she stole one more fleeting gnce back at Kaelis, a tiny whisper echoed deep inside her, quiet yet persistent:

  ‘What if...?’

  Kaelis blinked as they stepped outside, shielding his eyes briefly as bright, vibrant sunlight flooded his senses. His mouth fell open slightly in awe, a breath catg quietly in his throat as he took in the impossible beauty before him. Kalhal was nothing short of magnifit, and utterly surreal.

  Three suns hung in the sky, each distind mesmerizing. One sun bzed golden like molten gold, bathing the world in warmth. Another shone a deep crimson, casting a rich, bloody glow across trees and meadows. The third sun was a tranquil sapphire blue, serene and calming, radiating ahereal ess. Together, they paihe sky in a swirl of ever-shifting color, like a living work of art.

  Kaelis took a slow, deep breath, sav the fragrant aroma of exotic flowers and fresh earth. The air was crisp and invigorating, sweetened by the st of blossoms unlike anything he had ever known. A gentle breeze rustled through the t trees, their branches swaying gracefully in harmony with the soft whispers of the wind. The leaves shimmered in hues of violet and emerald, sparkling as if dusted with stardust.

  “Damn..” Kaelis murmured softly, eyes wide with wonder. “This is… beautiful.”

  Ness, still perched smugly on his shoulder, purred with arrogant pride. “Of course it is, human. This is Kalhal, formed from the very bodies of fallen gods and demons. Those three suns you see? They are essential. The golden sun grants warmth and life, nourishing the pnts and creatures here. The crimson sun invigorates our spirits, awakening our hidden powers, and charging us with passion and vitality. The blue sun brings tranquility, bance, and crity. Without these suns, Kalhal would crumble into ruin.”

  Kaelis listened ily, drinking in every word with fasation. His heart swelled with excitement, curiosity bubbling up inside him as he followed Espen along a winding forest trail.

  Irees above, magnifit creatures glided gracefully through the air. They had shimmerihered wings, translut like stained gss, refrag the tri-colored sunlight into dazzling rainbow patterns. Their bodies were sleek and serpewisting elegantly as they danced among the leaves. Ness winked knowingly. “Sky Seraphs,” the cat said smugly, “gentle and wise guardians of these forests. They sing to the trees, nurturing growth and renewal.”

  Alongside the path, Kaelis noticed stras shaped like spiraled crystal structures, their delicate petals glowing softly in shifting colors. They pulsed gently, releasing tiny motes of lumi pollen into the air, drifting serenely around him. Fasated, Kaelis reached out, fingers brushing softly against the petals.

  As he walked, Kaelis felt a strange blend of awe and tranquility. He breathed deeply, sav the sweetness, the gentle warmth of sunlight on his skin, the soft whispering of leaves above him. Yet, beh his amazement lihe surreal sensation that none of this could possibly be real. He had wished so desperately for an escape from his mundane life, and now, he was here—in a world more vivid araordinary than any dream he'd ever imagined.

  ‘It feels so real,’ he thought, heart rag with excitement. ‘If this is a dream, it’s perfect. I don’t ever want to wake up.’

  Beside him, Espen walked silently, her thoughts dark and reflective. Her crimsoared ahead, unfocused.

  ‘Mae… What have you gotteo?* Espen thought bitterly, fingers grippiaff tightly. *You knew how much I hated humans, how much I suffered because of them. Yet here I am, bound to one by magic, forced into a marriage pact. Is this some twisted test? Did you foresee this, Mae? Do you truly believe this human has something to teach me?’

  Her expression darkened, a shadow of pain flickering behind her eyes.

  ‘Or is this my punishment? For my arrogance, my hatred, my bitterness?’ Espen sighed deeply, gaze softening. ‘I miss you, Mae. I miss your wisdom, your strength. You saved me from darkness, showed me how to wield it. But now yone, and I’m left fumbling blindly. How I possibly trust this Kaelis, this strange, foolish human?’

  She stole an Kaelis, who walked quietly at her side, eyes wide with childlike wonder. Her heart lurched strangely, and she quickly looked away, jaw tightening stubbornly.

  ‘No. He’s nothing but trouble. He’ll betray me, just like all humans do. I must stay focused on finding you, Mae, and freeing myself from this ridiculous bond.’

  Espen stopped abruptly, raisiaff and speaking clearly. “Stand back. I’m going to summohe crow we use for transportation.”

  Kaelis took a step back, curious, ready to witness more magic.

  But he never had a ce.

  In the blink of an eye, reality shattered.

  KATHRACK!

  A massive bde of pure, blinding white lightning exploded through Kaelis’s chest, impaling him brutally and violently. Blood erupted in a visceral torrent, spttering Espen’s pale fad Ness’s bck fur scarlet. Pain unlike anything Kaelis had ever known tore through every nerve in his body, agonizing aless. His vision blurred, limbs spasming untrolbly.

  “Kaelis!” Espen screamed in shod horror, her crimson eyes wide with panic.

  A violent force hurled Kaelis backward, the lightning sword still pierg grotesquely through his chest. He crashed through massive trees, splinters exploding around him, wood shattering on impact. His body smmed violently into a massive rock, breaking it apart with a deafening crack. Kaelis y crumpled amidst the rubble, coughing violently, choking on blood that bubbled up his throat, thid metallic.

  “G-Gah...!” he gasped desperately, tears streaming down his trembling face, body vulsing in agony. Every breath was torture, like shards of gss scraping through his lungs. He reached weakly for the sword embedded brutally in his chest, but the lightning crackled viciously, scorg his hand, searing through flesh. Blood poured freely from the new wound, staining the soil beh him a deep crimson.

  Kaelis’s eyes widened in horror and realization, his mind screaming in disbelief, terror flooding his veins.

  ‘This… this isn’t a dream,’ he thought, heart thundering desperately. ‘This pain is real. This blood… real. Everything… it’s all real!’

  Agony surged again, tearing another cry from his throat. Images fshed violently through his mind—blurred memories of happiness, of ughter, of warm arms ed lovingly around him. He saw his ex-wife’s gentle smile, felt the tender brush of her lips against his own, the warmth of her embrace. He saw himself again, younger, happier; he saw hope and love, trust and passion.

  Then darkness flooded the memories, bleeding into cold isotion. He saw the fights, the tears, the loneliness. He saw divorce papers, felt the crushi of abando, of failure. He saw himself alone in shadows, empty bottles scattered around him, cold steel in trembling hands, moments when despair nearly won.

  Kaelis sobbed quietly, choking weakly on blood, his body vulsing iless pain. His vision darkened slowly, panic fluttering desperately in his chest.

  ‘Has it all caught up with me?’ he thought brokenly, despair overwhelming him. ‘I wished for death so many times. Begged for it. Wao end my pain. But now… now that it’s here, now that I’m dying…’

  His breath rattled weakly, tears blinding him.

  ‘I don’t want to die. Not like this. Not alone. Not in agony. How… how did I eve here? Did I die before? Is this punishment?’

  Kaelis’s body twitched, eyes flickering shut as darkness closed in around him, agony fading into numbness.

  ‘Why… why is this happening?!’

  His thoughts drifted into darkness, broken and raw, drowning i, fear, and sorrow—a desperate, terrified soul lost in the abyss.

  The pain faded, leaving only silence.

  Kaelis y trembling in the rubble, the massive bde of bzing white lightning still impaled grotesquely through his chest. Blood filled his mouth, bitter and choking, drowning his desperate attempts to breathe. Tears blurred his vision, mixing with streams of crimson p from his lips. His mind screamed in agony, reality spinning around him.

  ‘Wake up... please... wake up…!’

  He tried to speak, but the words refused to e, blocked by the thick, metallic taste of blood. His throat stricted, panic rising in his chest as he fought to force the words out, desperation g at his fading sciousness.

  “I… want… to wake… up…” Kaelis choked out weakly, voice gurgling and strained. But even as he said it, he knew in the deepest pit of his soul—this was no dream. This agony, this terror, this despair—this was real.

  Suddenly, a shadow blurred ience beside Kaelis, a t figure dressed in strange armor of obsidian and silver, marked with jagged crimson aint. The Hunter raised a cwed gau crag violently with white lightning, preparing a finishing blow, his growl eg beh a metallic mask.

  “Her head will fetch me a fortune, outsider,” he snarled coldly.

  Kaelis closed his eyes, brag for the end. But death never came—only a deafening, bone-g impact.

  In an instant, Ness appeared, now t in a muscur humanoid form with his familiar feline head, sharp crimson hleaming fiercely. Ness's fist smmed brutally into the Hunter's masked face, shattering bone and sending him hurtling backward. The Hunter's body crashed violently into a distant mountain wall, exploding into a gruesome sptter of blood and shattered armor.

  Kaelis stared at Ness in stunned disbelief. The feline familiar’s muscur body ierced gruesomely with half a dozen swords fed from the same blistering white lightning, sizzling violently in his flesh. Blood poured freely from the wounds, soaking into dark fur and staining his hardened muscles crimson.

  “N-Ness…?” Kaelis gasped weakly, vision flickering in and out of crity. “What… the fuck… is going on?”

  Ness leaned down, carefully lifting Kaelis onto his broad back, his breathing bored, eyes weary yet determined. "Hunters," Ness growled bitterly, his voice strained and tired. "This world is full of Adventurers and Hunters. Adventurers explather resources, and take tracts for exploration. Hunters are different—brutal killers paid by kings and o hunt targets down. Whether animal, beast-kin, mythical creature, or human, they bring their heads back as trophies."

  He paused, wing as lightning crackled painfully through him. "Espen is a witch, Kaelis. Powerful, infamous, dangerous. She has a bounty of ten thousand gold s—enough for any Hunter or Adveo retire fortably. We’re surrounded, Kaelis. Hunters everywhere. If we linger here, we'll both die."

  A sudden, painful memory fshed through Ness's mind—a cold field of snow, blood soaking through his fur, his tiny kittens g weakly as he dragged them desperately through the storm, g at survival. Ness shook his head fiercely, banishing the haunting images.

  ‘Here..now? That damned memory..’

  Kaelis coughed violently, blood dripping from his lips. "Espen… where… where is she?"

  Ness’s blood-red eyes darkened. "She’s holding them off like a badass. We o hurry."

  …

  Espen stidly in the clearing, knuckles white arouaff, heart hammering violently against her ribs. Around her, silent as phantoms, stood Huerrifying and merciless. Their armor shimmered with lightning-infused Kenda, ons crag dangerously, illuminating the shadows beh the t trees in ghostly, flickering light.

  Fear cwed at Espen’s throat, but she forced it down. Her grip tightened, dark magic swirling violently arouaff, bzing bd crimson. Her eyes bled into pitch-bck voids, darkness spilling down her cheeks in rivulets of shadow. Her body trembled slightly, struggling to keep trol of her votile magic.

  ‘Mae…’ Her thoughts echoed desperately, dark magic surging painfully through her veins. ‘You alrotected me. Always stood between me and danger. Now yone, and I’m alone. I really do this without you?’

  A vivid, fleeting image fshed across her mind—Mae’s gentle smile, her pale hand reag out patiently, reassuringly. Espen’s jaw tightened fiercely, determination surging. She raised her head defiantly, addressing the woman standing boldly in front of the gathered Hunters.

  “I’ll be damned if I let you bastards take my head for some measly human s.”

  The leader of the Hunters stepped forward slowly, her presence chilling and anding. She wore a flowing bck gown of silken darkness, trailing gracefully about her feet. A thin bck veil covered her head, red gloves eng her delicate hands. Her blindfold was ed in bck silk, glowing white runes pulsing softly across the fabric. Beh it, Espen could sense eyes that saw far more than mere mortal sight.

  The woman smiled coldly beh her veil, voice silky yet venomous. "Espen, Witch Apprentiae. Your bounty grows each day, my dear. The Apostles themselves have decreed that whoever brings your head will also asd, being one of their own. Riches, power, immortality—ours for the taking."

  She moved a graceful step forward, red gloves csped elegantly before her. "In this ti of Yarfan, you have nowhere left to run. The three kingdoms—Vjosgard, Ih, and Varnhalin—have grown impatient. Soon they will have Saints against you. Surrender noerhaps your death will be swift."

  Espen’s dark eyes narrowed dangerously, magic swirling violently around her, crests of red and bing in yers, ruer rune painstakingly etched ience. Blood trickled from her nostrils, her body trembling visibly from the immerain.

  “Your threats mean nothing to me,” Espen spat defiantly. “And yreed will be your end.”

  The Hunters around her slowly drew bdes, lightning-infused ons humming hungrily, eager for blood. The woman smiled coldly, stepping back slightly, allowing her warriors to prepare.

  Espen’s heartbeat quied. She’d never fought so many e once. Her magic was uable, unstable—yet she had no choice. Memories of childhood torment flooded her senses, humans ughing cruelly, hands g at her innoce. Anger surged violently, dark magic exploding furiously around her, whipping her hair wildly about her face.

  She raised her staff, its intricate carvings bzing with raw, chaotic magic. Her voice trembled with rage and desperatio held iron resolve.

  “I won’t show any mercy.”

  The woman’s smile widened beh her veil, cold and final. "her will we."

  Espen’s vision blurred briefly, Mae’s voice whispering softly, urgently, within her mind.

  ‘Fight, Espen. Protect yourself at all costs. Trust your darkness.’

  Espen’s heart surged, and she smiled grimly, magic erupting violently. Bd crimson runes exploded outward in waves, shadows screaming through the air, ripping into nearby Hunters. The clearied into chaos, lightning and darkness colliding in blinding fury.

  Espen stood at the storm’s ter, eyes bzing bck, dark magic surging violently through her veins as she fought for her life, for revenge, and for survival.

  ‘Damn human…you better be alive!”