WebNovels

Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: When Magic Meets Madness

The silence that followed Astra's confession stretched like a taut string between them. Her heart pounded in her chest, every beat echoing louder than thunder. She had told him the truth—the one truth that could damn her or save her. And now she stood there, under the pale moonlight, wrapped in a silence so heavy it nearly crushed her.

Killian didn't move.

He didn't speak.

He just looked at her.

His silver eyes shimmered with something unreadable—shock? Confusion? Or was it rage?

"Say something," Astra whispered, voice trembling like a leaf caught in a storm.

Killian finally blinked, inhaling deeply as if he were trying to breathe in all the chaos between them. "You… kissed me," he said slowly, his voice rasping like dry leaves. "Knowing what it could do. Knowing what you are."

Astra flinched. "Yes."

Killian's hand balled into a fist at his side. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

She swallowed. "I couldn't. You wouldn't have—"

"Damn right I wouldn't have!" he snapped, stepping closer. The air sparked between them. "You cursed me, Astra. Do you understand that? I'm feeling things I shouldn't. Dreaming of fire and shadows. Hearing voices that are not mine. Your kiss... it did something to me."

She winced, her soul aching at the pain in his voice. "I never meant to hurt you. The curse—it's complicated. It only activates if—"

"If what?"

She hesitated. "If you're meant for me."

The wind howled around them, as if the night itself gasped in disbelief.

Killian stared at her. "What?"

Astra stepped forward, tears glimmering in her eyes. "The curse is called the Heartbind. It only awakens when the cursed touches their fated. A kiss from me activates it. But only if—only if the person I kiss is... my destined mate."

He took a step back, as if the very idea burned him. "That's impossible."

"I wish it were," she whispered. "I wish I didn't feel the pull every time I look at you. That my magic didn't flare every time you're near. But I do. And it's killing me."

Killian turned his back on her, raking a hand through his hair. The moonlight caught the strain in his shoulders, the way he trembled—not with fear, but with fury... and confusion.

Astra approached carefully, her voice softer now. "The curse wasn't supposed to affect you this way. But you're different. Your blood... there's something ancient in it. Something that resonates with my magic."

"You're saying this is fate?" Killian growled. "That this madness in my veins, this fire in my bones—it's destiny?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. And no. We can resist it, if we choose to. But it'll hurt. The Heartbind doesn't let go easily."

He spun to face her. "What if I don't want to be bound? What if I don't want you?"

That cut deeper than any blade.

Astra's lips quivered, but she stood tall. "Then you'll fight it. And maybe you'll win. But you'll never be the same again."

His gaze dropped to her lips, and she could see it—the war raging behind those silver eyes. The pull and the push. The desire and the denial.

He hated what she made him feel.

But gods help him, he wanted more of it.

Suddenly, he surged forward, grabbing her wrist. "What happens if I kiss you again?"

Astra's breath caught. "The bond deepens."

"And if I keep kissing you?"

Her voice barely came out. "Then the bond becomes permanent."

Killian leaned in, his lips just a whisper from hers. "And what if I want to undo it?"

"You can't," she whispered. "Not without losing part of your soul."

They stared at each other—two storms on the verge of collision. And then...

He kissed her.

Hard.

Desperate.

Hungry.

Astra gasped into his mouth, her magic exploding in a surge of warmth and light that danced along her skin. The kiss wasn't gentle. It was war. Fire clashed with fire. And somewhere deep inside her, the Heartbind pulsed like a second heartbeat, singing of union, of fate, of a magic so old it made time itself weep.

When they broke apart, breathless and wide-eyed, Killian looked like a man on the edge.

"Why the hell does it feel like I just kissed the universe?" he muttered, gripping her shoulders like she was the only thing tethering him to the world.

"Because you did," she whispered. "You kissed your destiny."

Before either of them could speak, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A low hum filled the air, deep and menacing.

Killian's head snapped toward the forest. "What the—?"

Astra's eyes widened. "No. Not now. They've found us."

"Who?"

"The Nightshrouds," she hissed. "The ones who cursed me. They've come to finish what they started."

Before he could ask more, shadows erupted from the trees—creatures made of smoke and snarling flame, eyes like molten gold. Killian pushed Astra behind him, his sword already drawn.

She reached out, a swirl of violet magic coiling around her fingertips. "You're not doing this alone."

He glanced at her, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Didn't plan to."

And together, they faced the darkness.

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