Brielle was not a gentle teacher.
"Again!" she barked, hurling another sparring disc at Cas's face.
He ducked too late. It grazed his cheek.
"Come on, sweetheart," she smirked. "That's a love tap."
Cas scowled, wiping blood with his sleeve. "You've got a weird idea of affection."
Across the clearing, Evren stood still, eyes closed, sword hovering in mid-air as he practiced bond-enhanced strikes.
He hadn't said much since the trial. Not about the kiss. Not about Selene's warning. Not about anything.
Brielle caught Cas watching and sighed, tossing another disc lazily.
"You're not syncing better 'cause you're staring at his jawline," she said. "Focus."
Cas snapped out of it, cheeks coloring. "I am focused."
"Yeah, on his bone structure."
He groaned.
Brielle stepped closer, this time gentler. "Look, you've got talent. Power. But you've got walls."
Cas raised a brow. "You say that like it's bad."
"You're bonded, Cas. You can't fake closeness. Not with him. Not with yourself."
Cas looked over at Evren again. The bond thread between them shimmered faintly, like it was sleeping.
"He doesn't let people in either," he murmured.
Brielle smirked. "Then maybe you should be the first."
That Night
The bond thread pulsed.
Cas shot awake in the middle of the night, breath hitching.
Something was wrong.
His chest ached—not with pain, but with… fear. Not his. Evren's.
He turned—and saw Evren curled near the fire, face contorted, breathing ragged.
He was dreaming.
Cas moved toward him without thinking.
He reached out—and touched the bond thread.
And fell straight into the dream.
🌌 Bond Dreamscape
He stood in a shattered throne room.
Blood pooled on marble. Firelight flickered on cracked stained glass. And in the center of it all, a younger Evren knelt—alone, shaking, holding a blade over a body Cas couldn't see.
Cas moved toward him.
"Evren…"
The dream-Evren didn't look up.
"I didn't mean to," he whispered. "They made me. I—I didn't know what the bond would do—"
Cas stepped closer and knelt beside him.
"I'm here," he said. "You don't have to carry it alone."
Evren looked up, and for a flash—a split second—their hands touched.
🔔 SYSTEM INTRUSION DETECTEDUnauthorized Memory Access
➤ Emergency Link-Point Created➤ Coordinates Marked: [███: ASCENDANT ARC]
Cas woke up gasping, heart racing.
Evren sat bolt upright beside him, eyes wide.
"You were in my head," he said hoarsely.
Cas nodded. "I didn't mean to. But… I saw what happened. You—someone died. Because of your bond."
Evren looked away. "Not someone. My brother."
Cas felt the air leave his lungs.
Evren stood, back stiff. "That's why I can't trust the bond. Why I can't trust myself."
Cas stood too. "You're not him. And we're not broken."
Evren turned to him—and for the first time, his mask cracked.
"I'm scared, Cas."
Cas stepped forward. "Good. Means you still care."
They stood inches apart again, the thread glowing soft between them.
Then—
🔔 SYSTEM OVERRIDE
NEW QUEST RECEIVED:Path to Ascendant ArcCoordinates EmbeddedStatus: UnknownReward: Class EvolutionRisk: Catastrophic
Cas exhaled slowly. "Guess the system wants us to go deeper."
Evren looked at him, jaw clenched.
"Then we go together."
Cas nodded.
"Always."