Days have passed since the ritual's shadows first settled in Lyra's mind, the image of the black lotus lingering like a flame that refuses to die. Each time she closes her eyes, she sees Kael—his body battered, a faint glow pulsating beneath his armor, and that same dark flower etched on his chest.
Driven by a mix of curiosity and urgency, Lyra seeks him out at the fortress walls. The air is crisp, carrying the distant clang of training swords and murmurs of soldiers preparing for the unknown.
Kael stands alone, his silhouette sharp against the fading sunset, eyes fixed on the horizon. The weight of command presses heavily on his broad shoulders, but the faint glow beneath his tunic betrays a secret burden.
She approaches cautiously, the soft rustle of her silk gown barely audible. "Kael," she calls softly, her voice carrying the urgency she feels inside.
He turns slowly, his gray eyes meeting hers—hard, guarded, yet flickering with something deeper. "Lyra," he says, voice low, "you shouldn't be here."
Ignoring the warning, she steps closer, catching sight of the mark on his chest—a seal glowing with an eerie, shifting light, etched into his skin like a curse and a promise all at once.
"What is that?" she breathes, fingers trembling as she reaches out tentatively to touch the glowing symbol.
Kael's jaw tightens, and for a moment he hesitates before answering. "It appeared the night the prophecy was spoken. A binding seal. They say it marks the bearer's fate… one that even I cannot change."
Her fingertips brush the warmth of the mark, and a sudden surge of energy courses through her veins. The seal reacts to her touch—her magic intertwining with his destiny in a way she never imagined possible.
The air thickens between them, charged with a current of power and something more intimate, more dangerous.
Kael's voice drops to a near whisper. "This bond… it connects us in ways we don't yet understand. Whatever this seal means, it's tied to both our fates."
Lyra meets his gaze, eyes blazing with fierce determination. "Then we face it together. No matter the cost."
But as their hands remain close, the shadows around them shift. From the darkness beyond the walls, unseen eyes watch, waiting for the moment to strike.