My breath hitched as Kaelen's eyes locked onto mine. Our bodies were still tangled in the dim light of the cave. My arm was still around him, his head just inches from mine. My heart, already doing overtime from the earlier 'Echoes' and the sheer physical exertion of moving him, decided to perform a full-blown drum solo.
Then, he blinked breaking the moment. As he became aware, the intense connection in his eyes was replaced by his default: 'pissed off and bewildered.' He stiffened, immediately putting distance between us, pushing himself upright. His movements were still weak, but the royal pride was already kicking in.
"Wha… what happened?" he asked, his voice sounded rough. He looked around the cave, over the damp walls and then back to me. Staring suspiciously, "why am I here?"
I almost laughed. But only a dry, humorless sound came out. "Oh, you know, just thought I'd drag your unconscious royal butt into a comfy, dark cave after you decided to take a nap on me. Your Highness."
My voice sounded rougher than I wanted. The exhaustion from stabilizing him was hitting me hard. My whole body felt like I'd just run a marathon while carrying a very heavy bench press. My scars that were usually vibrant were now dull and almost numb.
He frowned, pressing a hand to his temple. "My curse…" He trailed off, his gaze landing on our still-connected hands (even though he'd technically broken away, the bond was still there). His eyes narrowed. "You… you stabilized it." It wasn't a question, but an observation.
"Someone had to," I retorted, pushing myself away from the cave wall, even though my muscles ached. I felt so wobbly, like a newborn foal. "It looked like it was going to tear you apart. The 'Shared Mana Pool' thing is active, by the way. Apparently, I'm your emergency battery pack now."
He stiffened at "emergency battery pack."
Suddenly a wave of exhaustion washed over me, knocking me down. It wasn't just my own fatigue; it was his. It seems the shared mana pool was a two-way street for more than just magic.
"Uugh," I groaned, holding my head. "Seriously? I feel your exhaustion? This is officially the worst bond ever."
He eyed me with something unreadable in his gaze. He clearly felt the exhaustion too, but unlike me, I guess he was used to fighting through it. "It seems… the bond allows more than just mana transfer," he murmured, almost to himself. "Emotional resonance."
"Emotional resonance?" I practically screamed, pushing myself to my feet, determined not to look as weak as I felt. "I've got enough of my own emotions, thank you very much. I don't need a direct feed of your eternal gloom, Kaelen." I said, running a hand through my messy hair. "Besides, I'm not exactly good with… emotions. Especially not happy ones."
Curious, he raised his eyebrows asking, "and why is that?"
I shrugged casually. "Hard to be 'good with emotions' when every time you let yourself care, the world, or some cursed system, finds a way to rip it away. Or turn it into a weapon against you." I kicked a loose pebble across the cave floor.
"I learned early on that loving someone just makes you… unlovable. It makes you a target. It makes you vulnerable. And it always ends with tears and scars." I gestured at the glowing lines on my arms. "These aren't just battle wounds, you know."
Kaelen's gaze softened, just a little. The intensity of his usual sternness giving way to something that looked like… understanding. Or maybe empathy. Which was just terrifying.
"I understand," he said, in a surprisingly gentle voice. "More than you know." He looked away then, his gaze fixed on nothing, lost in his own thoughts. "My curse… it is fueled by emotions. Strong emotion. Anger, fear… even joy. When I feel too much, it twists me. Transforms me."
"My stepmother… she bound it to me. Not to kill me, but to control me. To ensure I would always be… her puppet. A weapon, but one that could be turned against me if I dared to defy her. To ensure I could never truly connect with anyone. Because any strong feeling could make me… lose myself. Become a monster."
Just as he finished speaking, the air shimmered. Not the golden text of the system, but something else. A flicker. A glitch.
And then, I suddenly found myself there.
____
The luxurious throne room, dimly lit by flickering torches. The air was thick with the scent of bitter herbs and dark magic. A young Kaelen of around ten or eleven, stood stubbornly despite the terror in his eyes. His stepmother, Queen Lyra, a woman whose beauty was as chilling as her smile, stood before him. Her hand, adorned with rings of dark stone, reached out. Ancient, insidious words dripped from her lips like poison. A sudden, searing pain flared in Kaelen's chest. It bursted outwards, twisting something inside within him. His small shadow, stretching behind him, flailed and grew, saturated with a terrible, living darkness. His screams were swallowed by the chanting.
____
The vision snapped away and I gasped, stumbling backward. I hit the cold cave wall feeling a nauseating mix of my own 'Echoes' and Kaelen's raw, terrified childhood memory. It was just a glimpse, but it was enough. The betrayal and sheer cruelty of it.
"The system… it showed you," Kaelen breathed, his voice raw, his eyes wide and stunned. He had seen the memory, too, or perhaps felt my reaction to it. The bond didn't just share mana but trauma too.
Before either of us could even process that accidental intimacy, we heard movements. Not the gentle rustle of leaves, but the unmistakable crunch of armored boots on dry twigs. And it was close. Too close.
"Temple guards," Kaelen muttered, pushing himself up, his gaze shifting towards the cave entrance. He was still weak, but the princely instincts and the warrior's awareness, were kicking in.
"They're after me," I whispered, holding the cold stone of the cave wall. I was still shaking from the double dose of trauma and exhaustion. "They tracked me from the Temple. And they won't stop."
Suddenly, three figures came out holding torches dressed Temple standard-issue helms. They scanned the cave, their heavy crossbows raised.
"Chainbreaker!" one of them shouted, his voice muffled by his helmet. "Surrender! The Contract on your head is valid! We have orders to bring you in!"
My heart sank. My curse-breaking ability was my defense, my shield. But now I was drained. My mana felt like a sluggish stream, not a raging river. And the memories… they were still lingering, making my concentration splinter.
Kaelen stepped forward, putting himself between me and the approaching guards. "Stand down!" he commanded, his voice surprisingly strong, despite his exhaustion. "You trespass on royal land. And you will not lay a hand on her. She is… under my protection."
The guards, surprised to see the prince hesitated . But then, the lead guard laughed. "Prince Vostra? Our apologies, Your Highness. But our orders are clear. Step aside. We are not here for you. The Chainbreaker is wanted for high treason. This is Temple business."
"I am the Crown Prince!" Kaelen snarled, his voice dangerously low. "And I say you stand down!"
"With all due respect, Prince," the guard replied, taking another step forward, his crossbow leveling at me, "our loyalty is to the Eternal Contracts. And the Temple's authority is absolute. Step aside."
I couldn't just stand here. I had to do something. Despite my exhaustion and the ringing in my head, I forced my mana to respond. I focused on the lead guard's crossbow, intending to use my curse-breaking ability to destabilize its magical integrity, make it shatter in his hands. It was a simple, quick spell, something I could do in my sleep.
I thrust my hand out. My scars flared, a desperate, raw burst of light.
But something went wrong.
The mana, instead of flowing out cleanly, surged back, a sickening wave of pain. My curse-breaking energy, usually precise and destructive, twisted, rebounding inwards. The 'Echoes' from the system, the lingering trauma from Kaelen's flashback, my own exhaustion – it was too much.
My spell misfired, the feedback lashing back at me, making my head explode with sharp, white-hot agony. I screamed, clutching my head, collapsing back against the cave wall. My power was a wild, untamed beast, broken by my vulnerability.
The guard smirked, raising his crossbow further. "Looks like the great Chainbreaker isn't so tough after all!"
He pulled the trigger.
Just as the bolt hissed through the air, Kaelen moved. Almost at the speed of light.
He lunged forward as a guttural roar tore from his throat. The shadows that had been dormant and contained around him, suddenly exploded outwards. Not as wisps or tendrils this time but as solid, razor-sharp claws of living darkness.
He brought them up, intercepting the crossbow bolt with a sickening thwack. The bolt shattered against the impenetrable shadow, useless. And then, Kaelen wasn't just shielding me. He was attacking.
His eyes, full-blown pulsing red again, locked onto the guards. The full transformation was happening. His body twisted, growing larger, more powerful. The shadows on his hands elongated, forming large, predatory claws that seemed to drink the light.
He was a blur of dark rage. He slammed into the nearest guard, his shadow claws shredding through armor and tearing flesh. The guard barely had time to scream before he was torn apart. The other two guards froze as their crossbows became useless against this sudden, monstrous assault.
Kaelen's form, now a massive silhouette of muscle and shadow stood over me, his back to the remaining guards. His head was turned slightly, his red eyes burning with a possessive, predatory fury as he glared at the terrified soldiers.
He was protecting me. He was becoming the monster to do it.
And I could only stare, wide-eyed, at the terrifying, magnificent beast he had become to save me.