It's unbearable, like my body is splitting apart at the seams. I feel them. Not individually at first, but then the bonds snap into focus one by one, each with its own distinct sensation burning through me.
Kieran's bond hits first, ancient and golden, like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. It carries wisdom and power that feels older than time itself, steady and unwavering. But there's something else there too, a familiar ache, like we've done this dance before.
Malrik's connection flows like liquid shadow, cool and deep. It resonates with my own shadows, which writhe and reach for his instinctively. His bond feels like midnight and starlight, like secrets whispered in darkness. My shadows coil tighter, recognizing their prince even as I struggle to process what's happening.
Finn's bond crackles with barely contained chaos, wild and bright and dangerous, like lightning captured in a bottle. It fizzes through my veins like champagne, making my skin tingle with untamed magic that somehow feels perfectly right despite its unpredictability.
The twins' bonds hit together—Aspen and Torric's connections intertwined but distinct. Aspen's feels like spring steel, flexiblebut unbreakable, while Torric's burns like banked embers, all controlled power waiting to ignite. Their berserker strength hums through the connection, raw and primal.
My shadows dance erratically around me, responding to each new bond as it locks into place. Bob seems particularly agitated, his usually rigid form rippling with tension. Patricia's shadowy movements become frantic, like she's trying to document everything happening all at once. Mouse just presses closer, his violet eyes fixed on me.
The Hall itself seems to pulse in response, the ancient runes flaring brighter with each connection that solidifies. The air grows thicker, heavy with power that swirls visibly around us like golden mist. The stone beneath my hands warms, thrumming with energy that seems to reach up through my palms and into my chest, anchoring each bond in place.
I can see the others feeling it too. Kieran's muscles flex and shiver beneath his skin. Malrik's shadows writhe around him, reaching toward mine. Finn's chaos magic sparks visibly in the air around him, while the twins' branded runes transform—Aspen's ice rune frosting over completely, Torric's fire rune burning through his shirt like molten light.
The realization sends a wave of panic through me.
This isn't supposed to be real.
I've been pretending this ache I felt was something I could ignore, something I could fight.
But now I feel them. All of them.
Tangled threads pulling tighter, locking into something solid, unbreakable. Each connection distinct but harmonious, like pieces of a puzzle I didn't know needed solving. They don't compete, they complement, strengthening each other in ways I don't understand but can feel deep in my bones.
My stomach twists with both terror and something dangerously close to belonging. I try to shove it down, tryto push it away, but the Hall isn't letting me. It's cementing something that I am not ready for.
"Make it stop," I whisper, pressing my forehead against the cold stone. "Make it stop."
No one answers.
Because they can't.
The bonds are real. I can't pretend anymore.
Kieran exhales sharply, his eyes glinting with ancient power. His voice is lower when he speaks, strained in a way I've never heard from him. "It's done."
The words send a bolt of white-hot rage through me. He brought us here knowing exactly what would happen. Knowing it would force these bonds into place whether we were ready or not. My shadows sharpen in response, their edges becoming lethal.
I don't move.
I don't breathe.
My hands curl into fists against the stone floor, anger burning hotter than the pain of the bonds.
And then, just as suddenly as it started, the pain fades.
Not completely, not all at once, but enough that I can take a breath without feeling like my ribs might shatter. The rage, though—that doesn't fade at all.
My hands are still shaking as I push myself up, but now it's as much from anger as from the aftermath of what just happened. I barely register the way Finn moves forward like he's debating whether or not to help me, my glare fixed on Kieran.
Torric takes a step back, his expression carefully blank. Aspen is looking anywhere but at me.
No one speaks.
No one knows what to say.
And then, as I force myself to my feet, my body stiffens.
