The southern fortress was silent at dawn, the black stone walls absorbing the first light of day. I stood in the training courtyard, hands trembling slightly, chains on my wrist glowing faintly.
A circle of warriors and sorcerers had gathered, each eyeing me with varying degrees of curiosity, suspicion, and barely concealed awe.
"Begin," the Demon King said from the raised dais, his gaze piercing, unyielding.
I swallowed, unsure where to start. My body felt light, yet heavy—the artifact on my wrist pulsing like a heartbeat of its own.
"Do you even know what you can do?" a sorcerer asked sharply, stepping closer.
"I… I don't," I admitted, though my pulse synchronized once more with the chains. Heat spread through my veins, almost like a warning.
The Demon King's eyes darkened. "Then you will learn the hard way."
A staff floated into my hands—a test artifact, shimmering faintly red. The chains pulsed violently at the proximity of magic.
"Focus," he commanded. "Let the contract guide you."
I lifted the staff awkwardly. The chains wrapped my senses around the Demon King's heartbeat, his life force guiding my motions. I swung it tentatively—and the artifact responded. Flames erupted along its length, twisting and forming a protective barrier around me.
Gasps echoed from the courtyard. Even I was startled.
"Good," he said, his voice low, almost approving. "Do it again."
Each swing was smoother. Each movement was stronger. The chains pulsed, warm and insistent, feeding the artifact with my fear, my frustration, my determination. It was exhausting, but intoxicating.
The Demon King stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. I could feel him in every motion, his life force entwined with mine. My pulse quickened—not from effort alone.
"Do not rely solely on the contract," he said quietly, so only I could hear. "You must choose control. Your heart must guide the power, not fear."
I met his gaze, startled at the intensity in his eyes. My cheeks heated. The chains pulsed violently, almost as if reacting to the flush of my emotions.
A sorcerer stepped forward to challenge me, firing a stream of dark energy. I raised the staff, hands shaking—and instinctively, the artifact twisted, absorbing the attack and reflecting it back in a swirl of crimson sparks.
The courtyard went silent. Even the Demon King's expression softened slightly—just a fraction.
"You feel it," he said quietly, stepping closer. His voice, low and intimate, brushed against me like a whisper I wasn't meant to hear. "The bond, the chains… it's stronger than any magic in this fortress. That is why you survive."
I swallowed hard, chest tightening. "I… I can't tell where I end and you begin."
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped so close that I could feel the heat radiating from him. "Good," he said finally. "You will learn. You must learn. But do not mistake intimacy for weakness, Ashara. The stronger the bond, the greater the cost if you falter."
My pulse raced—not just from exertion. The chains wrapped around my senses, pulsating with both warmth and warning. I realized, for the first time, that the Demon King's presence alone could strengthen or destabilize the artifact in my hands.
"Enough for today," he commanded. "Rest. But remember this—the contract binds not just magic, but life. And life is fragile. Yours, mine… and our enemies'."
As the courtyard emptied, I lingered, staring at the glowing chains on my wrist. The artifact hummed, alive with energy, responding to the Demon King's heartbeat, his emotions, his will.
A soft voice broke my thoughts.
"You did well," he murmured, stepping behind me, almost too close. The heat from his body brushed my shoulder. "You are stronger than I expected. Stronger than most mortals could ever be."
I turned slightly, cheeks burning. "I… I'm only learning."
He smiled—just a faint curve, but enough to make my heart stutter. "Learning," he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. "Yes. And soon… you will teach me something I never knew I needed."
The chains pulsed once, sharply, almost like a heartbeat in agreement. I swallowed, realizing with a shiver that my life—and something deeper—was now irrevocably entwined with his.
And for the first time, I understood a terrifying truth: the Demon King's claim was more than law or magic. It was power, it was life… and it was growing into something I could not yet name, but would feel every day.