The Tether Burns Both Ways
Kien woke gasping, heart racing—not from a nightmare.
From his.
On the far side of the room, Christian clutched his chest, heat radiating from his body in pulses.
She could feel it—his fear, his confusion, his pain—as if it were her own.
The tether was deeper than she expected.
---
Training Grounds – A Strange Power Emerges
Later, during a sparring match, Kien hesitated—and Christian's flame froze mid-air.
Not stopped.
Frozen.
Blue ice laced with red-gold streaks.
Both of them stumbled back.
> "That wasn't me," Christian said.
> "It wasn't me either," Kien whispered.
Their bond was beginning to merge elements. Fire didn't just burn. Ice didn't just freeze. Together, it could stop time.
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The Sigil – A Legacy Revealed
That night, Garran brought them an old scroll from the pre-First Fracture era.
On it: the same sigil burned into Kien's wrist.
> "This… is the Mark of Dual Flame."
> "It was once a symbol of those chosen to bind the Flame's will through union—not just of power, but of soul."
> "They were the first line of defense against the First Sin."
Christian and Kien exchanged a glance.
They weren't just bonded by chance.
They were becoming something… ancient.
---
Shared Vision – Echoes of a War Forgotten
Without warning, they were both pulled into a vision.
A battlefield of scorched skies.
Armies of light and ash.
A figure cloaked in endless fire, crowned with horns of light, laughing as he turned a sun into a weapon.
> "You let the Flame speak."
> "Now it remembers us."
> "Now it will burn again."
They snapped awake at once—screaming, shaking, marked by the vision's pain.
---
Final Scene – Elsewhere in the World
Cracks spread through the sky near the edge of the world.
A temple buried in lava pulsed back to life.
And the First Sin's voice echoed through fire and shadow:
> "Two sparks. One bond."
> "Break them before they burn the truth free."
---
To Be Continued…