Sebastian appeared, and this time all three of them could see him. "Allow me to explain."
Both Carmilla and Natasha looked surprised seeing a floating mini butler next to Rick. "W-What is that?!"
"Oh, sorry for appearing suddenly. You can call me Sebastian, and you can say I'm one of his companions." He introduces himself like a gentleman while doing his little bow.
"Trust me, Sebastian is an excellent companion." Rick had to agree with a forceful smile that it made them both trust him right away.
"So... this Spirit Bond makes a spiritual link between the user and the person they are bonded to that lasts forever."
"Both sides can use shared skills, be aware of each other's emotions, and send power through the bond. It cannot be made by force or trickery because both sides have to really want the connection."
"So we could feel what the other person was feeling?" Natasha asked.
"Yes, to some extent. You would be able to see strong feelings, but it's not a mind-reading thing... it's more like being aware of others' feelings."
Carmilla crossed her arms, but she didn't look angry. "Rick, why didn't you tell me this before? We've been working together for a week now."
Rick said, "Because I didn't know how to explain it properly to you all without it being weird... you know what I meant..."
"Like... how do you tell someone that you get power from their love without sounding like you're using them? I was afraid you two would think I was using you the whole time."
"Were you?" Natasha asked directly.
"No. Of course not! Everything I've done and said to you was real."
"I won't lie and say that the experience points weren't a factor, but that's not why I value our relationships!"
"Carmilla, you've been both a mentor and a friend and I really needed both."
"And Natasha, you have pushed me to be better and shown me what real strength is. I care about both of you as people, not as sources of information."
Another long period of silence. Then Carmilla smiled. "I trust you. And to be honest, this explains a lot about how quickly you've grown. I was beginning to think you were a secret genius who was hiding your skills."
Rick said with a weak laugh, "Definitely not a prodigy."
"But you are honest," Carmilla said next. "And that is more important than natural talent."
"Alright. I'll make this Spirit Bond with you because I trust you, Rick."
Rick and Natasha both turned to look at her in shock. Carmilla shrugged. "What?"
"The boy has shown that he is trustworthy in battle, treats me with respect, and just told me something very private that could have hurt his reputation. That's worth a shot."
Rick felt something warm grow in his chest. "Thanks, Carmilla. That means a lot to me."
Everyone looked at Natasha. The ice mage sat perfectly still, and her face was blank. At last, she spoke. "I don't like talking about feelings... They're not neat and don't work well."
"Natasha, you don't have to—" Rick began.
"I'm not done." Natasha got up and walked closer, her ice-blue eyes staring straight at Rick's.
"You're weak, and your fighting style is awful. But you don't give up. You've gotten better every time you've run a dungeon. You follow directions, don't complain, and have never tried to take credit for my work. That's rare for a beginner..."
She put her arms across her chest. "I don't have many people I trust. Most adventurers are dumb and rush into danger, which gets them killed."
"But... you're a fool for listening to me when I tell you not to rush into danger. I think that's fine by me..."
Sebastian asked, "Is that a yes?"
Natasha gave him an angry look. "Of course. If I was going to say no, I wouldn't waste time explaining why."
Rick couldn't help but smile. That was almost a heartfelt statement from Natasha.
Sebastian clapped his small hands together. "Very good. Let's start the Spirit Bond ritual now that we know everyone is willing to take part."
"Stand in the middle of the room, Rick."
"Natasha and Carmilla, stand on either side of him."
They did what they were told and arranged themselves. Rick was in the middle, with Carmilla on his right and Natasha on his left. Sebastian floated above them, and his monocle glowed with a golden light.
Sebastian told Rick to put his hands on his shoulders. "Rick, close your eyes and think about how you are connected to each of them."
"Think about why they are important to you, what you have learned from them, and how they have changed you. Let those feelings pass through the bond."
Rick followed the instructions and closed his eyes. He felt warmth spreading through his body right away.
Carmilla's presence on his right felt like a steady flame, safe and caring. Natasha's presence on his left was like winter frost because of how sharp and clear it was. Both were very different, but they both felt right.
A bright golden light burst out around all three of them. Rick could feel something deep inside him changing, as if new paths were being cut into his very soul.
The warmth grew stronger, and then, all of a sudden, he could feel them. Not their bodies, but their feelings and their essence.
Carmilla's strong will, her sadness over losing her husband, and her real concern for Rick's health. Natasha's strong pride, her loneliness hidden under layers of ice, and her grudging respect for Rick's determination.
And they could feel him, too. Rick's fear and lack of confidence, his desire to prove himself, and his genuine love for both Natasha and Carmilla were palpable.
The light got so bright that it hurt my eyes, and then it was gone. When Rick opened his eyes, he saw that both women were staring at him with wide eyes. They had felt it too, like puzzle pieces finally fitting together.
[SPIRIT BOND FORMED: CARMILLA CRIMSONFORD]
[BOND LEVEL: 1]
[SHARED ABILITY UNLOCKED: GUARDIAN'S RESOLVE]
[RESULT: +20% ENDURANCE WHEN PROTECTING OTHERS]
[PASSIVE: REGENERATION BOOST +5%]
[CARMILLA'S LOVE: 9 → 10]
[SPIRIT BOND FORMED: NATASHA RAVENSCAR]
[BOND LEVEL: 1]
[SHARED ABILITY UNLOCKED: FROST MIND]
[RESULT: +25% MAGIC RESISTANCE, BETTER MENTAL CLARITY IN BATTLE]
[PASSIVE: SPELL LEARNING SPEED +10%]
[NATASHA'S LOVE: 8 → 10]
[CONGRATULATIONS: YOU HAVE TWO SPIRIT BONDS]
[SPECIAL BONUS: MATURE SPIRIT SYNERGY]
[ALL BONDS GIVE MORE BENEFITS WHEN THEY ARE ACTIVE AT THE SAME TIME]
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: BOND RESONANCE LV.1]
[DESCRIPTION: WHEN FIGHTING WITH BONDED PARTNERS, ALL PARTY MEMBERS GET STAT BONUSES BASED ON HOW WELL THEY ARE IN SYNC EMOTIONALLY]
Rick's vision was filled with notifications, but he could barely make sense of them. He was too focused on how the two women in front of him looked.
With wide eyes, Carmilla touched her chest. "I can feel you... being there... It feels like you're a part of me now."
Natasha looked just as shocked, even though she tried to hide it. "This is odd. I don't like how much I know about how you feel right now..."
Sebastian said in a cheerful voice, "You'll get used to it. The first sensory overload goes away after a few hours."
"You three are now spiritually linked. Congratulations! Rick is no longer completely useless."
"Thanks," Rick said with a straight face. He looked back and forth between Carmilla and Natasha. "What do you both think about this?"
Natasha said, "Weird," in a blunt way. "But not weird in a bad way. It's just different..."
"I think it's great," Carmilla said with a smile that made her look warm. "I haven't felt this close to someone in a long time..." She stopped talking, but Rick could still sense her bittersweet emotions through the bond, which were influenced by her husband.
Rick gently squeezed their shoulders. "Thanks, Carmilla, Natasha. Thank you for trusting me with this."
"Don't make me regret it," Natasha said, but her words didn't have much power.
"I'll do my best not to."
...
For the next hour, they tested the connections to see how far they could go with them. They could feel strong emotions but not specific thoughts.
They could tell when one of them was in trouble or danger. They found that physical contact made the connection much stronger, which was the most intriguing thing.
When Rick held Natasha's hand, she felt a surge of magical energy and said, "This could be tactically useful with the direct contact that lets you share power."
"It also feels nice," Carmilla said with a knowing smile, which made Natasha look embarrassed.
In the end, they chose to end the night. Carmilla had to patrol early, and Natasha said she needed to look into the bond's magical powers. Carmilla surprised Rick by hugging him quickly before they left.
"Thank you for being honest with us," she said in a soft voice. "That took guts."
She let him go and walked to the door before Rick could say anything. Natasha followed, but when she got to the door, she stopped and looked back at Rick.
"Don't die doing something dumb," she said. "I'd feel it through the bond, and it would make me mad."
Rick said, "I'll do my best."