The night sky stretched wide, blanketed in heavy clouds that veiled the stars. Lianna stood at her window, arms wrapped around herself, staring into the dark.
Her phone was silent, yet the memory of that message—those glowing words etched into her screen—refused to leave her mind. Crescent Lake. Midnight.
She repeated the words like a curse, trying to convince herself not to go.
And yet… she felt it. A pull deep inside her chest, as though invisible threads tugged her forward. The mark on her wrist throbbed softly, pulsing with each beat of her heart.
"Don't do it," she whispered to herself. "Don't be stupid."
But when the clock struck eleven-forty, she was already lacing her boots.
---
The streets were eerily silent as Lianna slipped through the city. The drizzle from earlier had stopped, leaving the air damp and cool.
Each step toward Crescent Lake tightened the knot in her stomach. Her rational mind screamed at her to turn back, to call Elena, to do anything else. But her body moved as though it belonged to someone else.
The lake wasn't far—a place she had visited often as a child, drawn to its glassy surface and the way the moon always seemed to bend perfectly across its waters. But tonight, Crescent Lake felt alien.
The trees loomed taller, their branches clawing at the sky. Mist curled along the ground, clinging to her ankles. The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the soft lapping of water.
Lianna shivered. Every instinct screamed danger.
Then she saw him.
Standing at the edge of the lake, his back to her, the stranger waited. His dark coat fluttered slightly in the breeze, his presence commanding the very space around him.
"You came," he said without turning, his voice carrying easily across the water.
Lianna froze several paces away. "I shouldn't have."
"You couldn't resist," he replied, finally facing her. His eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the pale moonlight. "Fate wouldn't allow it."
Her fists clenched at her sides. "Stop saying that! Stop acting like you own me. I don't even know your name."
He studied her for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "Then I'll give you that, at least."
Stepping closer, he bowed his head slightly, his movements precise and old-fashioned. "I am Kael. And whether you accept it now or not, you are bound to me."
Lianna's breath hitched. The name felt heavy on her tongue, ancient somehow. "Kael…"
"Yes," he said softly, almost like a vow.
"I don't understand any of this," she admitted, voice trembling. "Why me? What is this mark? What do you want from me?"
Kael's gaze lowered to her wrist. "Show it to me."
She hesitated, then slowly lifted her sleeve. The crest was brighter than ever, the lines shimmering faintly. Kael reached out, but stopped just short of touching it, his hand trembling as though restraining himself.
"That," he murmured, "is the Seal of Binding. It appears only once in a lifetime. To one soul… and its destined other." His eyes lifted, piercing into hers. "Yours chose me."
Her heart raced. "That's impossible. I never asked for this. I never agreed—"
"Do you think Fate waits for permission?" Kael's voice was low, edged with sorrow. "It weaves as it will, no matter how much we resist."
Lianna shook her head violently. "No. You can't just show up and tell me my life isn't mine anymore. I refuse!"
Kael's jaw tightened. "I expected your anger. Your denial. I had mine, too, once."
His words startled her. "…Yours?"
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, but his voice softened. "I lived centuries without it. Without you. And when the Seal finally awakened, I cursed it. I cursed you—the stranger who tethered herself to my soul."
Lianna's lips parted. The weight of his confession pressed against her chest. "Then why—why are you here?"
"Because no matter how I tried to fight it… I couldn't," Kael admitted, his tone raw. "The bond only grows stronger with distance. And when the mark burned on my skin, I knew the time had come."
Silence stretched between them, the lake shimmering faintly with the reflection of the hidden moon.
Lianna's throat felt tight. Part of her wanted to scream at him, to reject everything he was saying. Another part—the part that throbbed with the same rhythm as the mark—ached to believe him.
"This isn't fair," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "I didn't ask for this. I don't even know you."
Kael's expression softened, though shadows lingered in his gaze. "You will. In time."
Her tears spilled over. "And if I don't want to?"
For the first time, pain flashed across his features, so raw it made her chest ache. "…Then it will destroy us both."
The wind shifted, carrying his words into the night.
Lianna stepped back, shaking her head. "No. I can't—this isn't—"
But before she could finish, the water at the center of the lake began to ripple violently. Waves surged outward, though no wind touched the surface. The mist thickened, curling upward like fingers.
Kael's eyes sharpened. "They've found us."
Lianna froze. "Who?"
He turned sharply toward her, his expression grave. "Run."
But the water erupted before she could move. From its depths rose dark figures, their forms twisted and fluid, eyes glowing with unnatural light. They emerged silently, their presence chilling the air.
Lianna stumbled back, horror flooding her veins. "What—what are they?!"
"Shadows," Kael said grimly, his body tensing. "Born of broken bonds. They hunt the marked."
One of the creatures lunged forward with terrifying speed, its watery form stretching toward Lianna. She screamed, but Kael moved faster, his hand snapping out. A burst of silver light exploded from his palm, striking the shadow and sending it shrieking back into the lake.
Lianna's heart pounded as more shadows rose, circling them. She could barely breathe.
"Stay behind me!" Kael barked, his voice commanding.
But before she could even react, one shadow slipped past him, its clawed hand slashing toward her. Lianna stumbled backward, raising her arms instinctively.
Her mark blazed.
A pulse of light burst from her wrist, blasting the shadow away. The creature dissolved into mist, vanishing into the night.
Both she and Kael froze.
"…You awakened it already," Kael whispered, awe threading his voice.
Lianna stared at her glowing wrist, her chest heaving. "I… I don't understand…"
Kael turned to her, his expression fierce. "It means you're not powerless. The bond has chosen you, Lianna—and now the world will come for you because of it."
Before she could answer, another shadow lunged, and Kael caught it mid-strike, his voice thundering with command. "Enough!"
A shockwave of silver light radiated from him, scattering the remaining creatures back into the lake. The waters calmed almost instantly, leaving only the sound of Lianna's ragged breathing.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Kael turned to her slowly, his face unreadable. "Now do you understand?"
Lianna stared at him, trembling, her heart racing too fast to control. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I don't want this. I can't—"
"You don't have to want it," Kael said, stepping closer, his voice low and steady. "You only have to survive it. And to do that… you must stay with me."
Lianna's tears spilled freely, but her body refused to move. The mark still glowed, bright and undeniable.
Her fate had already begun.