The training arena smelled of fire, sweat, and stone. Torches flickered, casting uneven shadows across the walls, but the danger wasn't from the room—it was from within.
Kael, Riven, and Solen were already present, pacing and watching. Their presence alone made the threads of the bond pulse violently beneath my skin, but tonight something felt… off. Astraea's warning hummed in my mind: She is here. Lyris is ready.
I adjusted my stance, hands at my sides, focusing on the rhythm of the bond. Kael's pulse rippled sharply, jagged, uneven. Riven's flowed erratically, and Solen… Solen's calm only added to the tension.
A faint shimmer near the doorway caught my attention. Lyris. She stepped into the torchlight, deliberately slow, the faintest smirk on her lips. I could feel her energy teasing the edges of the bond, just enough to destabilize it.
"Ready?" she asked, her tone sweet and deceptive.
I gritted my teeth. "Not for your games."
Kael's pulse spiked instantly. His frustration, his pride, and his confusion all surged through the bond. He didn't even need to speak—the threads screamed his emotions at me. Riven's eyes widened, and even Solen's usually controlled pulse tensed sharply.
"Focus on the exercise!" I shouted, forcing the bond to obey my rhythm, pulling their energy into mine.
Lyris's grin widened, and suddenly the threads twisted, flaring in reaction to her subtle manipulation. Kael staggered back, gripping his chest, his eyes wide in shock. "I… I can't…" he whispered, voice cracking.
The bond bit back at him instantly, reflecting his panic and feeding it to the others. Riven stumbled, bracing against the stone wall. Solen clenched his fists, jaw tight, glaring at the shadows where Lyris lingered.
"You think I can't see you?" I hissed, taking a step forward, hands shaking from the intensity. "Stop interfering!"
Lyris tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Me? I'm just… observing," she said softly, the words dripping with venom. But she is lying, Astraea whispered. She wants chaos.
Kael doubled over, clutching the bond as if it were a physical entity crushing him. His pulse flared again, jagged, chaotic. Riven reached out instinctively, trying to anchor him—but the bond's backlash whipped around, cutting across my chest. Pain lanced through me, sharp, fierce.
"Kael!" I shouted, placing both hands on his shoulders. "Anchor! Breathe! Control it, or it will control you!"
Riven muttered, "It's too strong… I can't—"
Solen stepped closer, hand hovering near Kael as if he could physically steady him, but the flare had shocked him too. Even Solen's precision was faltering under Lyris's manipulation.
The energy spiraled, forcing me to act. I pushed the threads into a controlled rhythm, drawing the chaos into me, pulling it into order. Astraea guided me silently, every movement calculated, shaping the bond like molten glass. Slowly, the flare eased. Kael dropped to one knee, panting, while Riven steadied him. Solen exhaled sharply, jaw unclenching, his gaze hard but focused.
I glared at the shadows where Lyris had retreated. "This is your warning. The bond is not yours to toy with. One more step—one more interference—and you will face consequences you cannot imagine."
She didn't flinch. Her smirk was sharp, predatory. "We'll see," she whispered, fading from sight.
Kael leaned back, rubbing his chest, eyes wide and unfocused. "I… I didn't know…" His voice trailed, trembling. "The bond… it—it's like… it's me. Exposed."
Riven nodded slowly, voice low. "It's like it shows you who you really are."
Solen's dark eyes softened ever so slightly. "Then learn, or break."
I exhaled slowly, letting the bond settle, muscles trembling, chest aching. Astraea hummed beneath my ribs, approving yet wary. They learned. But she will escalate.
I straightened, glaring at the empty doorway. "This isn't over," I whispered. "Lyris, you'll regret pushing this far."
The three heirs were silent, still recovering. The tension between them and me had deepened, forged by the bond and the flare. Kael's weakness had shaken all of us—but also reminded me how tightly the threads connected our lives, our emotions, our power.
And Lyris? She had only just begun.
As I stepped back, letting the threads settle fully, I realized: tonight had shown me two things. First, the bond could hurt as easily as it could protect. Second, one false step from any of us—and Lyris would be waiting, ready to turn our strength against us.
The Moon Hall was silent except for our breathing and the faint hum of the bond, now calm but warning us—fractures are already forming.
I clenched my fists, determination coiling inside me. We survive. We adapt. We anchor. And when she comes for us again… we'll be ready.