The sky bled red.
Every student of Aetherfall Academy stood frozen, eyes lifted to the heavens. A rare celestial event—the Crimson Eclipse—cast its glow across the grounds, turning every shadow sharp and every hidden truth restless.
But for Aria and Kael…
> It did more than paint the sky.
---
The Lunar Surge
The moment the eclipse reached its peak, the bond between them surged—a violent, pulsing thrum that knocked them both to their knees.
Aria cried out, clutching her chest. Kael's shadows coiled around him like they were alive.
> "What's happening to us?" she gasped.
The mark on her wrist split open—not with blood, but with light.
Kael's own sigil mirrored hers, glowing like embers.
Their connection was being rewritten.
Awakened.
And then came the call—a whisper neither could ignore.
> "Below… beneath… come home…"
---
Beneath the Academy
Guided by instinct and something older than magic, Aria and Kael followed the pull through forgotten tunnels behind the library. With each step, torches lit themselves. The air grew colder.
They stopped before a sealed stone door covered in ancient runes—runes that matched the marks now burning on their wrists.
Without a word, they pressed their palms to the surface.
The door dissolved into mist.
Inside was a chamber unlike anything they'd seen—half buried, crystalline walls, floating relics, and in the center...
> A glowing heartstone, cracked, chained, and pulsing weakly.
---
The Soul Engine
A projection flickered to life—a recording from a woman with long silver hair.
> "If you're seeing this... then the Soulbond has awakened once more."
She introduced herself as High Oracle Selene, a seer from centuries past. Her voice trembled with urgency.
> "The heartstone powers Aetherfall. It is tied to the bond that binds two souls. It must be nurtured… or it will collapse. And when it does, so too will this world."
Kael stepped closer. "Is she saying… our bond is what's keeping this school alive?"
Aria's voice shook. "No. I think she means our bond is replacing the old one."
The bond wasn't just theirs anymore.
> It was the world's.
---
Truth and Choice
Another message followed, darker this time.
> "To fully awaken the bond, you must each give something up—something sacred. A memory, a fear, a desire. Only then can the Soul Engine stabilize."
Kael turned to Aria, pain in his eyes.
"We're being used," he said bitterly.
But Aria whispered, "Or... we're being called."
Suddenly, the door behind them slammed shut. The eclipse had reached its end.
And above ground, something was happening—
---
Above: Chaos Unleashed
At the moment the bond awakened, something else broke free.
From the western wing of the Academy, a tremor shook the walls.
Students screamed. Magic crackled uncontrollably.
A massive crack split the training grounds open, and from it, a cloaked figure emerged—surrounded by ghostly warriors, their eyes glowing red.
> "The bond has returned…" the figure hissed. "Then the Gate shall open."
And at that moment, every ward protecting Aetherfall shattered.
---
Back Below
Kael and Aria stood in the underground chamber, the heartstone now glowing stronger.
But they knew—
> The trials were no longer hidden. The war wasn't in the future.
It had begun.
---