Part 1: The First Betrayal
The next night, Kael dreamed again.
But this time, the vision came in clearer — sharper.
He stood in golden robes, not armor, on the balcony of a marble citadel overlooking a kingdom of stars. And in his arms… Eiran, radiant in silk, lips curved in a smile so tender Kael's heart ached.
They were lovers — kings, even. Bonded by choice.
In this first life, they had built the world together. Flame and spell. Blade and charm. The two princes of light, born under the first blood moon.
But then… something changed.
The dream flickered — and Kael saw it:
He betrayed Eiran.
Not for power. Not for war.
But for fear.
The bond was too strong. It was consuming Kael — making him feel things he wasn't ready for. So he tried to sever it.
Tried… and failed.
The rupture destroyed the city. Thousands died. Eiran collapsed with a scream, the severed bond tearing his soul in half.
And Kael… fell to his knees, broken and afraid.
> "You swore we would be eternal," Dream-Eiran whispered. "But you chose control over love."
Present Day – The Lake Camp
Kael awoke with a sob, hands trembling. The weight of guilt from a past life pressed on him like stone.
Eiran stirred beside him, waking. "You saw it, didn't you?"
Kael nodded. "I destroyed you. Back then."
Eiran touched his cheek. "I remember it too. I think… part of me has always hated you for it."
Kael flinched. "Do you still?"
Eiran leaned in and kissed him — soft, slow, but full of heat.
"No," he whispered. "I think I only hated that I couldn't stop loving you."
They didn't make love that morning — they just held each other, skin to skin, breath to breath. Something deeper passed between them — not lust, not even magic.
Just forgiveness.
The Court's Ultimatum
At midday, Ilyan returned — this time, not alone.
Behind him were seven members of the Fire Council, robed in crimson and gold. One of them, Lady Vereth, spoke with the authority of knives.
"You will return to Valdros immediately," she said, "or forfeit the crown."
Kael stood tall, Eiran at his side.
"I will not sever the bond," Kael said.
"You would damn your kingdom for a Ciernan sorcerer?"
Kael didn't blink. "I would damn the world for him."
The council hissed. One of them summoned a spell — a severance glyph. It glowed black and red.
"If you won't cut the bond willingly," Vereth said, "we'll do it for you."
Eiran staggered back. "If you do that—"
Kael's hand went to his sword. "You'll tear our souls apart."
The council didn't care. They began to cast.
And then—
BOOM.
A shockwave exploded from the tether.
Eiran collapsed, screaming — his eyes glowing pure white, veins lit with runes. His magic surged uncontrollably, wild and destructive, knocking the council back in a blast of raw arcane power.
Kael dropped to his knees beside him.
"Eiran—!" he shouted. "Hold on!"
But Eiran's body arched, and a voice not his own echoed from his lips:
> "The bond is awakening. The seal is breaking. He comes…"
The air turned icy.
From the shadows of the trees, something stirred. A presence Kael hadn't felt since he was a child.
The Devourer. The first flame-eater.
The reason their bond had been sealed in the first place.
And it was coming for them.
.
.
.
Part 2: The Temple of Reversal
The wind howled like a living thing.
Kael carried Eiran in his arms through the wilds of the Forgotten Vale, his magic flickering with every heartbeat. Eiran's skin burned cold, glowing with chaotic runes. His power had become unstable — corrupted by the council's attempt to sever the bond.
The only hope left was the Temple of Reversal, hidden in the Vale's heart — a place older than war, older than kingdoms. Where bonds could be reforged… or broken forever.
Eiran stirred in his arms, eyelids fluttering. "Where…?"
"We're almost there," Kael said. "Don't speak. Just stay with me."
Eiran's fingers curled around Kael's collar, voice a whisper. "You're crying."
Kael hadn't noticed. But he was.
The Temple
The entrance was carved into the mountain itself — black stone veined with molten gold. As Kael stepped inside, a soft voice echoed around them:
> "To heal what was broken, you must bare your soul… and your body. Truth and desire are the key."
The temple led them to a chamber of light and warmth — a sanctum where magic throbbed like a heartbeat. Floating runes spiraled in the air, and at the center: a glowing spring, lined with obsidian, mist rising like memory.
Kael laid Eiran in the water, stripping off his tunic and armor. Then, slowly, reverently, he joined him — skin against skin, water rising around them.
Eiran opened his eyes, dazed but lucid. "This place… feels like you."
Kael held his face. "Maybe we built it. Once."
Eiran leaned into his touch. "Then make me remember."
Kael kissed him.
The kiss started soft — trembling — but quickly deepened into something hungry. Eiran gasped into his mouth, fingers digging into Kael's shoulders as Kael pulled him closer, straddling his lap, grinding against him beneath the glowing water.
The temple reacted — golden light blooming around them.
Kael whispered against his lips, "Tell me to stop."
Eiran only moaned, "Don't you dare."
They made love in the water, slower than before, but deeper — not just bodies but souls merging, magic weaving between their skin like silk. Eiran's power surged and Kael anchored it, kissing each rune, whispering, "Mine. Always."
And when they reached the edge, their climax shattered the spell keeping Eiran's power locked. His runes stopped glowing chaotically — instead, they shimmered like starlight.
Their bond glowed in a double helix between them.
And a new mark — a shared one — carved itself into the center of their chests.
Eternal Flame.
But peace never lasts…
As they dressed, Kael felt it — a presence, cold and cruel, approaching the temple.
The Devourer had found them.
It stepped into the sanctum, its form shifting like smoke and bone. Eyes like coals. A voice made of ruin.
> "Hello again, Kael'thas. Or have you forgotten your true name?"
Kael froze.
That name — his name from the first life.
> "You broke the bond once before. Now I've come to make sure it never happens again… by devouring the soul tether from the inside."
It lunged for Eiran.
Kael's blade ignited in fire — but it wasn't enough.
Eiran's hand glowed silver, pushing Kael back.
"Don't protect me," he whispered. "Let me protect you for once."
And with a scream of raw magic, Eiran unleashed a spell that turned the air to stars — halting the Devourer for a single breath.
Long enough to run.