🌅 The morning sun ascended gracefully above the sprawling cityscape of New Avalon, casting warm, golden rays that spilled into Kael Voss's penthouse, transforming the space into a captivating tapestry of light. By the time the clock struck 8:00 AM, the urban vibrancy below thrummed like a distant melody, while the air within Kael's luxurious abode still held onto the lingering fragrance of a recent rainstorm, mingling with the soft, sweet scent of ozone emanating from the holo-table.
Kael found himself at the kitchen counter, his sleeves rolled up, steam curling upward from a steaming mug cradled in his weathered hands, each scar marking a story — remnants of forgotten wars and battles fought long ago, tales the world had chosen to overlook. As the glyphs on the holo-table suddenly illuminated, the ghostly symbols flickered to life, bringing with them a familiar surge of warmth deep within Kael's chest — a warmth that felt distinctly otherworldly, almost as if it had a life of its own. It was the same earthy scent of moss and iron that had crept its way into his dreams, the same haunting whisper that had wended its way under his skin when Ezra had first mentioned the name Morvyn.
Taking a slow, measured breath, Kael's gaze drifted to the flickering "Binding Rite" text displayed on his phone. The words may have appeared digital, yet he could perceive them on a visceral level; they felt like echoes of a heartbeat, entwined with memories etched into his very being. His Noctari hunger stirred within him, a quiet yet insistent call, as if the glyphs themselves yearned to be experienced, to be tasted.
Suddenly, the comm buzzed to life. It was Ezra.
With a swift motion, Kael opened the holo-feed, and Ezra's face appeared, wavering momentarily before settling into a more stable image. The exhaustion etched into his features only highlighted his beauty, making him appear unguarded, raw, and achingly sincere. His damp hair clung slightly to his forehead, while his eyes still glimmered with the remnants of sleep, accompanied by a deeper flicker of understanding.
"You felt it... or saw it too, right?" Ezra asked, his voice raspy and laced with a mixture of uncertainty and confession. With just a slight tilt, he aimed his laptop toward the camera, revealing a file that had shifted once again — new glyphs and lines of text swirling into unnerving new formations that seemed to rearrange themselves as they looked on.
Despite their ignorance of the language, an unspoken connection lingered between them, a shared comprehension that transcended words.
Kael's breath hitched in his throat as realization gripped him. The glyphs were far more than mere code; they were promises, vows woven through the air. Flashes rushed through his mind—visions of himself kneeling before an ancient throne, armor battered and worn, while Ezra's voice reverberated around him, echoing through a haze of smoke and blood. Together, they were bound in an oath of survival—or perhaps something infinitely darker and more complex.
"It's us," Kael whispered, leaning in closer until only his silver-glinting eyes filled the camera's frame. "Veyra is manipulating it... shaping our bond into a vessel."
Before Ezra could articulate a response, a harsh voice cut through the atmosphere, metallic and jarring — Luka's unmistakable tones.
> "Parasite detected—rooting in your link."
Suddenly, the screen crackled, static crawling ominously up the edges of the display. Ezra flinched but quickly regained his composure, shoulders straightening with resolve. "Then we bind it," he asserted, his voice a low murmur determined to quell the chaos. "We need to end this—before it rewrites who we are."
Kael felt his heart race, thrumming with determination in response.
They began to trace the glyphs in tandem—Ezra's fingers glimmering with a faint silver on his side of the screen while Kael mirrored his every stroke, guiding the invisible patterns through the air in front of him. The atmosphere grew thick, vibrating with an electric energy that felt ancient, older than the city itself.
In the background, Kael's office comm pinged softly, Luka's anxious voice clamoring for his attention, but that noise faded into insignificance against the mounting hum resonating between him and Ezra.
Their voices intermingled, repeating a chant that neither of them remembered learning:
"One root, one flame, one echo unbroken."
In a brilliant explosion of light, the static shattered, illuminating the space between them. For a fleeting moment, Kael looked not at Ezra through a screen but as he once had — centuries past, beneath a crimson sky, their souls aligned. Then, in the blink of an eye, the light coalesced into a singular pulse of energy that forged itself within their chests.
Kael staggered, gripping the counter as he gasped for breath, the intensity of the moment overwhelming him. On the other end, Ezra inhaled sharply, clutching at his own core, mirroring Kael's struggle.
As the dazzling haze began to dissipate, the glyphs vanished entirely, leaving the holo-table dark but igniting an even brighter connection between them — a bond that was now alive and electric, pulsating with newfound strength.
In that moment, Kael's office comm rang once more, with Luka's clipped, clinical voice cutting through the air.
> "Voss, report to the facility. Now."
With one last look at Ezra's flickering image, still slightly unstable on-screen, Kael steeled himself. "lemme handle Luka," he replied, his voice rough with the weight of unspoken feelings.
Ezra managed a faint smile, the corners of his lips curving tenderly. "You always do,I'll watch for breaches on my end."
As the call ended, only the continuous hum of their bound connection remained—a silent vow, an unfinished incantation. Kael straightened his posture, adjusted his cuffs with a determined flick, and began to walk toward the next chapter of their entwined destinies.