The forest breathed death.
Andy knew it the moment his Dragon Sense began to pulse, slow and steady, like a drumbeat marking the rhythm of a predator's steps. Every leaf crackle beneath his boots sounded like a scream. The air was wrong—too heavy, too still. No night birds, no insects. Only silence that stretched, oppressive and watchful.
Nia walked at his side, staff tight in her hands. Even her calm silver eyes carried unease. "Andy," she whispered. "Something's here. And it's not hiding."
He tightened his grip on his blade. Fire licked faintly along the steel, restless, ready. "I know. Stay with me."
The silence shattered.
Footsteps—measured, deliberate, each one a statement. Whoever it was wanted them to hear.
From between the trees, he appeared. Cloaked in tatters, hood drawn low, his very presence suffocated the clearing. The aura wasn't wild like dragon-kin, nor divine like System guardians. It was sharp, precise, and merciless. Crimson eyes burned beneath the hood, not glowing, but steady, ancient embers that refused to die.
Twin blades of black steel hung at his sides, edges so dark they seemed to devour moonlight.
Andy's heart seized. "Dragon Hunter…"
The man tilted his head, a faint smile curving his lips. "So it's true. The Dragon Warrior walks once more." His gaze shifted, settling on Nia. "And tethered to a star-born girl. How quaint. How fragile."
Andy's blade roared to life, fire spiraling up his arm. "If you came to talk, turn around. If you came to fight…" His stance lowered, every muscle taut. "…then you've already chosen wrong."
The Hunter chuckled, not cruel, not mocking. Almost… delighted. "Fight? No. This is not a fight. This is a lesson." His eyes glinted. "And every hunt begins not with blood, but with fear."
He moved.
The world blurred. Andy barely registered the shift before steel clashed against his blade. Sparks exploded, the impact rattling down to his bones. He staggered, arms trembling under the weight of the strike.
"Fast—!" He twisted just in time, the second slash grazing his cheek. Heat and blood flared across his skin.
Nia slammed her staff down. "Twin Star Barrier!"
Silver walls rose around them, shimmering in the dark. The Hunter's blades struck—swift, surgical. Cracks spiderwebbed with each precise cut.
"Beautiful," the Hunter murmured, his voice calm even as his strikes rang like thunder. "A shield forged from devotion. Stronger than most. But…" He pressed harder, sparks showering. "…all shields break."
The barrier shattered, shards of light scattering like broken glass.
Andy yanked Nia behind him, fire flooding his veins. "Stellar Flame Judgment!"
A torrent of flame swept outward, a storm that incinerated trees and scorched the ground. The heat was unbearable, the night turned into a furnace.
But the Hunter flowed through it. A shadow cutting through fire, his twin blades flashing.
Pain exploded across Andy's chest. The cut burned deep, blood spilling down his tunic. His knees buckled, breath ragged.
"Andy!" Nia screamed, dropping beside him, her hands glowing as she pressed against the wound. Tears welled as she forced her mana into him, her own body shaking with the strain. "Stay with me—please!"
The Hunter blurred again, reappearing above them, twin blades poised to finish it.
Their rings ignited, Soul Resonance flooding their veins.
> [Soul Resonance: Active]
Affinity boosted.
Andy locked eyes with Nia. They moved as one.
Flame and starlight collided, entwining into a colossal dragon. Wings of fire and silver light stretched across the sky. Its roar shook the earth as it lunged at the Hunter.
The explosion consumed the clearing. Trees disintegrated, earth cracked, night itself split with light.
Andy dropped to one knee, panting. His body screamed, blood soaking his chest. "Tell me… that finished him."
The smoke parted.
The Hunter emerged. Cloak burned away, revealing armor fused into flesh—obsidian scales glowing faintly red. Blood dripped from his shoulder, but his smile was untouched.
"Good," he murmured, voice almost approving. "Very good. But still…" His blade lifted, catching the starlight. "…not nearly enough."
He vanished.
Andy's Dragon Sense screamed—too late. Steel kissed his throat. Only Nia's desperate shield intercepted, shattering instantly under the blow. The force hurled them both across the ground, dirt biting into torn flesh.
Andy coughed blood, vision swimming. His arms trembled, blade slipping from his fingers. Too fast… too strong…
The Hunter loomed over them, twin blades lowered. His crimson eyes glowed faintly. Not hatred. Not anger. Curiosity.
"You survived my opening dance. Few can boast such." He leaned closer, his voice soft as silk, venom hidden beneath. "Survive longer. Grow stronger. Because when the hunt truly begins…" His gaze lingered on Andy's broken body, then Nia's trembling frame. "…I will taste your strength at its peak."
He was gone.
Shadows swallowed him, leaving silence broken only by Andy's ragged breathing.
Nia fell to her knees, glowing hands shaking as she pressed against his chest. Blood seeped between her fingers. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Don't close your eyes, Andy! Not like this—don't you dare leave me!"
His hand, slick with blood, rose weakly to cover hers. He forced a groan, voice hoarse. "We… we lived."
She pressed her forehead against his, sobbing. "Barely."
The rings pulsed faintly, their glow weak but steady.
The System's cold chime echoed.
> [Bond Progression Increased: 60% → 80%]
Shared survival in mortal crisis detected. Bond accelerated.
Andy's world narrowed to her touch, her voice, her tears. Pain screamed through his body, but beneath it something else burned.
Resolve.
The Hunter hadn't even fought seriously. Tonight was only a taste.
And if this was only the beginning, then the road ahead would demand everything.
Andy could barely breathe. Each inhale felt like fire scraping his ribs, each exhale a battle on its own. Blood soaked through his tunic, warm and sticky, his vision hazed red at the edges.
Nia's hands glowed desperately against his chest, light pouring from her trembling palms. She bit her lip so hard it bled, her tears falling onto his skin. "Stay with me, Andy—don't you dare close your eyes!"
His head lolled weakly toward her voice. Her face was blurry, haloed in silver glow, but the desperation in her eyes cut through the fog. He managed a groan, covering her hands with his own bloodied fingers. "Still here…" His voice cracked, shallow as ash. "Because of you."
Nia's breath hitched, her whole body trembling. She pressed harder, pouring more mana until her vision swam, her knees weak. If I stop, even for a second… he'll slip away.
The forest around them was ruined—trees split, ground scorched, silence heavier than death. Every shadow seemed ready to swallow them whole, every rustle of leaves a reminder: the Hunter could return at any moment.
"We have to move," she whispered, though her voice shook. "If he comes back—"
Andy tried to push himself up, but pain speared through his chest, forcing a strangled cry from his lips. His body collapsed back into her arms, shaking.
"Don't," Nia pleaded, clutching him tighter. "You'll tear it open again. Please, just… let me carry you."
He almost laughed, though it came out as a cough, blood flecking his lips. "You… carry me? You'll trip over my armor before we reach ten steps."
Her tears spilled harder, but she shook her head stubbornly. "Then we'll crawl. I don't care. I'm not leaving you."
The rings on their fingers pulsed faintly, like weak heartbeats keeping time.
> [Shared Heartbeat: Active]
Partner status – Critical condition. Mana sync required.
Without thinking, Nia leaned closer, pressing her forehead against his, her breath mingling with his shallow gasps. She poured her mana straight into him, forcing their bond to bridge the gap. Andy shuddered, the warmth filling his failing body, slowing the blood loss.
It wasn't enough. But it was something.
Minutes felt like hours. Andy's consciousness wavered, slipping between the burning pain of his wounds and the warmth of Nia's voice calling him back. Every time his eyelids drooped, her voice rose, trembling but firm: "Look at me, Andy. Just me. Don't leave me here alone."
And every time, he obeyed.
At last, his ragged breathing steadied, just enough that he could rasp, "You're stubborn, you know that?"
Her lips trembled as she pressed a kiss to his blood-streaked forehead. "Then thank the stars for that."
The forest remained still, but the shadow of the Hunter lingered like a curse. They both knew this was only a reprieve, not safety. And yet, in that fragile space between death and survival, their bond pulsed stronger than ever.
> [Bond Progression Increased: 80%]
Shared survival confirmed. Affinity deepened.
Andy's body screamed, his strength was gone, but resolve burned within his eyes as he whispered to Nia. "Next time… we won't just survive."
Nia held him tighter, tears falling silently. She didn't answer. She didn't need to. The vow between them was already carved in blood, fire, and light.
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