The first vine came for her throat.
Elara threw herself sideways, the rough bark scraping her cheek as it whipped past. Where it struck the ground, the moss blackened and curled like burnt paper. Another vine lashed at Thorne; he severed it with a single stroke of his silver-flame sword, but two more rose in its place, thicker, pulsing with sickly green light.
The Sacred Spring churned behind them, its surface now a mirror of chaos: reflections of the vines writhing beneath the water, as if the spring itself were screaming.
Quest Updated
Endure the Binding Vines – Survive the Glade's Trial (0/3 Phases)
Reward: Access to the Spring's Blessing + Hidden Truth Fragment
Failure: Eternal Entanglement (Death)
"Three phases," Elara muttered, dodging another strike. "Of course, there are three phases."
Thorne's voice cut through the whistling vines. "Stay close! These wards were forged to test bonds, not individuals."
He carved a path toward her, blade singing. When he reached her side, the golden thread between them flared brighter, [Shared Resolve] kicking in automatically.
[Shared Resolve] (Lv.1) Activated
Your Vitality → Thorne (+4)
Thorne's Strength → You (+5)
Elara felt it like molten iron pouring into her limbs. She vaulted over a sweeping vine that would have taken her legs, landed in a crouch, and punched the ground. The impact cracked the earth, sending a shockwave that staggered the nearest tendril.
Thorne gave her a startled look. "You fight like a warrior born."
"Video games," she panted. "Lots of video games."
Phase 1 → Complete
The vines retreated a fraction, then burrowed. The ground erupted beneath them.
Phase 2 began without warning.
Now the vines came armoured: plated with stone and crystal, sprouting thorned flowers that spat violet acid. One droplet hissed through Thorne's cloak and ate a hole straight to the skin beneath. He hissed in pain but didn't slow.
Elara's [Veil Whisper] lit up the battlefield like a heat map. Weak points glowed along the vines' joints—tiny nodes of pure light. She shouted coordinates. Thorne trusted her instantly, moving where she pointed, severing nodes with surgical strikes. Each severed node caused a chain reaction; entire vines withered and fell.
But there were too many.
A whip-like tendril caught Elara around the ankle and yanked. She hit the ground hard, air exploding from her lungs. Before she could react, the vine dragged her toward the spring. Toward the water that now showed not her reflection, but a faceless silhouette with arms outstretched.
Thorne roared her name and dove after her. He sliced the vine at the base, but momentum carried them both skidding across the moss. They landed inches from the spring's edge.
The water rippled. A whisper—clearer than before—slithered into her ears alone.
"Child of the fracture… you will break what was never whole."
Thorne hauled her back. Their bond thread burned hot, almost painful.
Bond Stress Detected
Current Bond Level: 1 → Strain Threshold 87%
Risk: Fracture
Elara gritted her teeth. "We have to finish this together. Like, literally together."
She grabbed his wrist. The moment skin touched skin, the Bondforge interface exploded with new text.
Synchronization Opportunity
Merge combat rhythms for Phase 3?
Success: Unlock [Dual Resonance] (temporary)
Failure: Bond Backlash (both stunned)
She met Thorne's storm-gray eyes. "Trust me?"
A muscle jumped in his jaw. The scar on his face flared brighter, almost angry. Then he gave a single, sharp nod.
"Yes."
She accepted.
The world slowed.
Their heartbeats aligned—thump-thump… thump-thump—like one creature with two bodies. Elara felt his centuries of discipline, the weight of lost kin, the cold fury he carried like armour. Thorne felt her raw determination, the loneliness of a life spent behind screens, the sudden fierce refusal to die again.
[Dual Resonance] Activated
All stats shared and amplified ×1.8
New Skill: [Veil Severance] (Lv.1) – A single joint strike that cuts both matter and veil threads.
Phase 3 began.
The vines rose as one organism: a titanic bloom of stone and crystal, a living cage descending to crush them both. At its heart floated a single golden flower—the trial's core.
Elara and Thorne moved as one.
He leapt; she leapt with him, her lighter body riding the momentum of his stronger one mid-air, their swords—his flame, her improvised crystal shard from a broken vine crossed.
"Severance!"
They struck.
Light poured out of the impact, white and blinding. The golden flower split down the middle. Every vine in the glade screamed—a sound like a thousand chains snapping at once—and collapsed into ash.
They landed hard. The spring calmed instantly, its surface once again showing only starlight.
Quest Complete: Endure the Binding Vines
Rewards:
+8 Levels (Elara → Level 15 | Thorne → Synergy Level 3)
Skill Acquired: [Dual Resonance] (Lv.1 → Lv.2)
Title Acquired (Elara): [Binder of First Chains]
Hidden Truth Fragment #0001 Unlocked
Item Acquired: Springwater Tear (x3) – Restores health and reveals one veiled memory when consumed
Elara collapsed to her knees, laughing and crying at the same time. "We… we did it."
Thorne sheathed his sword, breathing hard. For the first time, the guarded mask slipped. Something almost gentle crossed his features.
"You fight with a warrior's heart, Elyra Veilborn. The glade has accepted you."
He offered a hand. She took it, letting him pull her up. Their bond thread pulsed, warm and steady—no longer straining.
Then the spring spoke.
Not in words, but in images that poured straight into their shared minds.
A circle of ancient figures standing around this very spring.
One of them—a woman with Elara's face but eyes of molten gold was raising a blade made of pure light.
Chains of light exploded outward from her, wrapping the world.
A single caged bird watching from the branches above, tears falling like feathers.
The vision ended as suddenly as it began.
Elara staggered. Thorne caught her elbow, face pale beneath the scar's glow.
"What… was that?" she whispered.
Thorne's voice was rough. "A memory the spring was never meant to keep."
He stared at the water as if it might bite him. The scar on his face burned brighter than ever, casting blue light across the ripples.
Far above, unseen, the caged bird circled once more—then flew deeper into the glade, carrying something small and glittering in its beak.
[To be continued]