Elira's breath misted in the cold air of the Vault as the tattered borders of the rift disintegrated behind her. She and Kael were silent, the eerie whine of the place still humming in her bones. The whispers were gone, but their presence lingered like frostbite in her soul. When she glanced at Kael, the glow of the void still shone softly in his eyes.
"They're watching us," Kael snarled, his voice little more than a whisper. "Even now. The council. The things beyond. All of them."
Elira swallowed. The Vault had shown her more than echoes—it had shown her truth. About the prophecy, about Kael, about herself. And now everything was different.
They emerged from the Vault to be met by Professor Rathen, who stood with his arms crossed, his face inscrutable. Three other instructors stood behind him, one of whom Elira knew as Council Agent Meryn—a gaunt woman with black eyes that cut through flesh and bone like obsidian.
"You entered the Vault without sanction," Meryn stated matter-of-factly. "You interfered with sealed magic. That's grounds for expulsion in itself."
Kael stepped forward. "We stopped a rift from tearing open beneath the Academy. If we hadn't—"
"Spare me your dramatics, Void Prince. The Council is aware of your. flair for devastation."
Elira's fists clenched. "We saved lives."
Meryn's gaze flicked to her, resting briefly on the soulmark glowing softly beneath Elira's collarbone. "And at what expense will the realm continue to sustain your bond's existence?"
Professor Rathen cut in before Kael could say anything. "Meryn, the Council requested observation, not detainment."
"For the time being," Meryn said coldly. "But this will be reported. The prophecy speaks of the Bound Soul. She's waking too fast."
Elira's heart ached with a painful thud. Too fast? What did that mean?
Later that evening, Elira sat beneath the ancient Glass Tree in the academy courtyard. Moonlight filtered through its crystalline branches, casting prismatic shadows across the ground. She traced her finger across the mark on her skin, watching as it pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Kael joined her in silence, dropping onto the bench beside her with a quiet sigh. He looked weary, deeper shadows under his eyes than she'd ever seen.
"They're scared of you," Elira whispered. "Scared of us."
Kael took a moment to respond. He lifted his hand and summoned a sliver of voidflame, letting it dance on his palm like a living shadow. "Fear is easier than understanding. They see the bond as a threat. The prophecy only encourages it."
Elira leaned her head against his shoulder. "What does it mean. the Bound Soul awakening too early?"
Kael hesitated. "I think it's trying to tell us that your magic is growing faster than it normally would. The bond could be accelerating it."
"But why me?"
He turned to her, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Because you were never powerless. Just. dormant. They never expected anyone like you. That's why the bond chose you."
Elira longed to be able to believe him. Yet, doubts gnawed at the edges of her mind. Why had the soul-bond happened at all? Why her, and not one of the hordes of noblewomen who'd virtually thrown themselves at Kael?
The stillness was shattered by a scream before she could reply.
They rushed toward the sound, weaving through the moonlit arcades of the academy. Students were clustered in frightened groups by the East Tower, whispering in dismay. A girl lay unconscious on the stone ground, her complexion pale and marred by black veins.
Professor Varin was already there, tracing containment runes around the body. When he saw Kael and Elira, his body stiffened. "Another attack. Just like the others."
"The others?" Elira's voice was a jolt.
"You haven't heard?" Varin's jaw tightened. "Five students collapsed in the past week. Same symptoms for all. Magical exhaustion, shadow poisoning, and something we can't recognize."
Kael stepped forward. "You think it's connected to the rift?"
"Or something that leaked out of it," Varin snarled. "We need answers. Before more fall."
—
In the dorm, Elira did not sleep. Her dreams knotted with visions of dark roots uncurling underneath the academy, of students shrieking in silence. Kael stirred restlessly beside her in the soul-dream, but even he seemed lost in his own shadow.
As morning seeped in, Elira rose and found herself going—not to class, but to the Restricted Wing of the library.
The ward on the door undulated threateningly. She pulled out the key rune Kael had stolen weeks ago, making a silent apology to the regulations.
The interior hummed with ancient energy. Dust particles danced in morning sunlight beams. She trailed the aisles until she stumbled upon a book titled The Fractured Bonds and Forbidden Marks.
She opened it and breathed in sharply.
A drawing duplicated the mark on her chest exactly.
The text beneath read:
When a soul-bond is created unnaturally, called by prophecy or interference from artifacts, it is not curse or gift—it is a tether. The marked pair may unlock latent power or seal away terrible truths. Sometimes the bond is a key. To what, no one agrees. But this they know: if the mark burns black, the end is near.
Elira stretched out her hand to touch the page. Her mark had shone before. Had it ever burned black?
She heard footsteps behind her. She spun around, heart racing—only to find Kael.
"You don't belong here," he said.
"Neither do you," she replied, extending the page.
Kael's expression darkened. "We need to get out of here. Now."
"Why? What's going on?"
He didn't answer. He closed the book, grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the Restricted Wing.
It wasn't until they were outside, near the mystical greenhouse, that he spoke.
"The Council knows about this book. It was hidden for a reason. If they catch us reading it, they'll separate us."
Elira's heart was pounding. "Then what do we do?"
Kael turned to her, eyes burning with resolve. "We learn everything we can. We uncover every facet of the prophecy, every hidden truth about the Void. And we fight."
She looked into his eyes. "Together."
He nodded.
But far below them, in a room beneath the East Tower, hooded individuals stood around a stone basin. Inside, writhing void essence shaped itself into two soul-bonded partners.
"They awaken," one of the masked onlookers whispered. "Soon, the seal will break."
A second voice, older and empty, responded:
"Then prepare the Scourge. If they do not die. the world will."
---