The night air felt heavier than iron. Lianna's breath came fast, uneven, her wrist burning like molten gold under her sleeve.
Before her stood the strangers—figures wrapped in pale silver and crimson, their runed armor glowing faintly like embers. Their leader's helm gleamed sharp in the ashlight, his voice still echoing in her ears.
You are his bride.
The words lodged like a blade in her chest.
Kael stepped forward instantly, shadows coiling around him like a storm barely restrained. "Step back," he growled, his storm-gray eyes narrowing. "She belongs to no one."
The leader tilted his head, unperturbed. "And yet the bond speaks otherwise." His gaze slid past Kael and Auren, landing squarely on Lianna. "Can you deny it, girl? The mark on your wrist burns for him. You feel his pull with every breath."
Lianna swallowed hard, her voice raw. "I didn't ask for this. I don't want to be anyone's bride—"
"Want has nothing to do with it," the man cut her off smoothly. "You were chosen before you were born. The vow binds you, whether you accept it or not."
Her stomach twisted. She shook her head violently. "No… no, that's not true. I—I'm just me. I'm no bride, I'm no throne—I'm no one!"
Kael's shadows surged protectively around her, sharp as blades. "Enough riddles. If you've come for her, you'll find your corpses in this ash before I let you touch her."
Auren's glow pulsed, though his voice was steadier. "Who are you? What order do you serve?"
The leader raised a hand, and the runes on his gauntlet flared bright. "We are the Oathbound. Guardians of the vow sealed in eternity, sworn to watch for the day the Bride of Fate would awaken. That day is now."
Whispers rippled among the survivors who still lingered, battered and afraid. Some dropped to their knees, pressing foreheads to the ground in frantic worship. Others seized stones and broken blades, shouting with wild relief.
"She's his bride!"
"The vow is true!"
"They'll take her—good, take her away!"
The mob's fear shifted, no longer scattered but pointed—at her.
Lianna staggered back, her pulse racing. Their eyes burned into her like brands, no longer seeing her as girl or savior, but as something else entirely. Something claimed.
Her wrist throbbed harder, answering their voices, answering the Oathbound.
Mine, the whisper coiled through her chest. They only repeat what I already know.
Her breath hitched. "Eryndor…"
Kael spun on her instantly, his shadows flaring. "Don't you dare say his name again."
Her lips trembled, but she bit back the sound. Her whole body shook.
The leader of the Oathbound stepped closer, his presence steady, suffocating. "Do not fear it, child. To be his bride is not a curse, but a destiny greater than all kingdoms. With you, the Forgotten King will rise again—and the world will bend as it was meant to."
Kael's shadows lashed out, striking the ground before the man's feet with explosive force. "Over my dead body."
The Oathbound leader did not flinch. His helm tilted slightly, as though amused. "So be it. If you will not surrender her willingly, then she will come bound in chains."
The runes on his gauntlet blazed, and suddenly the ground split. Silver threads of light snaked upward, glowing chains snapping through the air. They whipped toward Lianna, fast as lightning.
Lianna gasped, stumbling back—
But Kael was faster. His shadows tore through the chains, devouring them in black smoke. Auren's glow flared, forming a shield of light around her. The temple shook with the collision of forces, sparks of silver, black, and gold colliding in violent bursts.
Survivors screamed, scattering into the ruins. Some stayed, watching in awe, their faces lit by the clash of powers beyond their comprehension.
Lianna clutched her burning wrist, her body trembling. The chains, the voices, the bond inside her—they all pressed down, suffocating her.
They will take you. They will bind you. Unless you claim me.
His voice surged inside her, stronger than ever, his presence searing her chest.
Call to me, little flame. I will come. I will burn them all.
Her knees buckled. She wanted to scream—at him, at Kael, at the Oathbound, at the whole world that seemed determined to use her.
But no sound left her lips. Only light.
Her mark erupted, golden brilliance flooding the ruins. The Oathbound staggered, Kael hissed, even Auren shielded his eyes. Chains shattered, shadows trembled, stone cracked under the force.
Lianna collapsed to her knees, the glow searing out of control. Her tears spilled hot, mixing with ash.
"Stop!" she screamed finally, her voice breaking. "Just stop! I don't want this—I don't want any of you!"
The light dimmed. The city fell silent.
When she lifted her head, all eyes were on her—the Oathbound, Kael, Auren, the survivors.
She saw it in their gazes: fear, reverence, hunger. None of them saw her as Lianna anymore.
She was only the Bride.
The Oathbound leader's voice rang cold and certain. "It is as the vow promised. You cannot run from what you are. The only question that remains is…"
He lifted his hand, pointing directly at her.
"…will you claim your place beside the Forgotten King—or will you be dragged to it in chains?"
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