Vyren woke up to total silence inside his too clean, too perfect apartment. Everything looked the same as always. Neat. Cold. The lights built into the walls filled the room with this harsh white glow that made the place feel lifeless. Like no one actually lived here. The first thing he noticed was what he did not feel. His chest did not hurt. That dull ache he had been waking up with again and again was gone. The strange leftover feeling, like someone had been holding him just seconds ago.
He rubbed his eyes slowly, hoping the dream would fade, but it stayed stuck in his head. It lingered the same way a sweet taste stays on your tongue after you swallow too fast.
His hand hovered over the console. The screen lit up with the usual stuff. Medical schedules. Hospital reports. Messages from coworkers. Normal things. Real things. But none of it felt important. His thoughts kept pulling him back to that other place. Chandrel. The forest. The small hut. That warmth that felt way too real to be fake.
Vyren let out a tired sigh and pushed his nutrient paste aside. For the first time, his work felt distant. Like it belonged to someone else. This world felt empty. Cold. What stayed with him was not data or charts or long hours in a lab. It was the memory of being close to someone. Of feeling seen. Of feeling real.
He tried to shut it down. It was just a dream. Just a file. Just something to kill time.
But even while he went through his routine, checking reports, drinking juice, scrolling through assignments, his mind kept drifting. That pull would not let go. What even was this connection. How real was it. Was it just his brain messing with him or was there something more. I am a doctor, Vyren told himself. I should be thinking straight. Not about this. Not about him.
When his work was done, he moved on to the next part of his routine. Getting ready to sleep.
Just one more time, he thought. Just to check. Just to see if it still feels the same. After that, I will stop.
He went to sleep the low hum of the city filled his ears as the world of 2521 slowly slipped away. Vyren closed his eyes and let himself fall. I need to know if this is real.
He snapped awake. Or as awake as someone could be inside a dream.
He was back in the hut. The air smelled damp and alive, full of wet soil and leaves. Birds called somewhere far away. Leaves rustled softly around him. Warm sunlight poured in through the window. Vyren blinked, his head spinning for a moment.
It felt real. Too real.
He barely had time to breathe it in before the hut door flew open. Chandrel walked in, and the look on his face made Vyren tense.
No smile. No teasing. Nothing soft. Just sharp focus and tension.
"Vyren." Chandrel's voice was low and serious. Clean. Controlled. "The King has summoned the Historian."
The words hit hard. His stomach twisted. His thoughts raced. The King.
Chandrel did not wait for a reaction. He moved fast, grabbing his things like there was no space for questions.
"The King?" Vyren repeated, trying to steady his breath. "Why does he want me?"
"You will know soon," Chandrel said. His tone stayed flat. "Come. We do not have time."
Vyren's heart thudded hard. He always knew this moment would come. The point where he could not hide anymore. But hearing it like this made everything feel heavy.
Chandrel walked out first. Vyren followed, trying to keep up. His pulse picked up with every step until they stepped into the foggy forest.
The castle stood ahead of them, massive and dark. Its stone walls felt heavy just to look at. The tall bronze gates made Vyren feel like he was stepping into a place where power ruled everything. He felt small standing there. He had never been anywhere that carried this kind of weight.
Chandrel walked beside him like this place meant nothing. Calm. Steady. Like he belonged. Inside the halls, the air smelled like stone and metal. Guards stood still on either side, their faces blank.
When they reached the court, Vyren froze for a second. The King sat high on his throne, his eyes cold as they locked onto Vyren.
"Historian," the King said. His voice was deep and firm. "You stand before me to serve."
The words settled heavy in Vyren's chest. This was it. The moment he could not avoid anymore.
The King lifted a small coin, detailed and strange. "Take it," he said. "Hold it and let it speak."
Vyren hesitated. His thoughts spun. A test. A trap. The start of something he could not undo. His hand shook as he reached out and picked it up. The second his fingers closed around it, something shifted. Pressure filled his head, like voices brushing against his thoughts.
Then it came. A whisper. Cold. Heavy. Betrayal and deep earth.
Vyren's heart slammed hard. He swallowed. What did that even mean.
The King watched him closely. "Speak," he said. "What do you see?"
Vyren stood still, his mind racing. Betrayal. Underground. The Northern Clans. Hidden movements. A future falling apart. Everything blurred together.
"The future is breaking from beneath us," Vyren said quietly. "The kingdom is close to falling."
The King nodded slowly, like he expected that answer. Relief rushed through Vyren, but it faded fast.
"The Vow of Eternal Service," the King said.
A chill ran through Vyren. He knew this was coming, but knowing did not make it easier.
The parchment lay in front of him. The quill felt heavy in his hand as he dipped it into the ink. The words on the page felt like chains. Once this was done, there was no going back.
The King did not look away. Vyren had no real choice. His chest felt tight as he signed his name. Each line felt like it was cutting deeper into him.
When he finished, his legs felt weak.
"I have signed," Vyren said softly.
The King nodded once. "You belong to us now. Bound by the vow. Fail, and there is no escape."
Vyren stood there, staring at the throne. A prisoner. No longer pretending. No longer free. He belonged to the King, to the kingdom, to a future he could not step away from.
Chandrel met his eyes. Silent. But Vyren saw it. Understanding. Weight. Like Chandrel already knew this was only the start, and that whatever came next, it would not be easy for either of them.