The house was colder that morning. The lanterns flickered though there was no wind, and the faint smell of incense couldn't mask the tension seeping through the walls.
Asher sat at the kitchen table, barely touching his breakfast. His hand rested over the locket hidden beneath his shirt. Even when he didn't look at it, he could "feel" it—warm, pulsing in time with his heart. Every few moments, a whisper brushed the edge of his mind. Sometimes it was his name. Sometimes, a single word: "bound."
Eli's chatter broke through his thoughts. "Grandma says we're not allowed outside after sunset anymore."
Elara turned sharply. "Eli." Her tone silenced him instantly. Then she looked at Asher. "You went into the forest again, didn't you?"
He hesitated, and that was enough of an answer.
Her shoulders sagged, but her voice remained steady. "You've seen him."
Asher met her gaze. "Lucian."
The name made her flinch.
"I don't understand any of this," Asher continued. "You said Amara was our ancestor. That she was cursed because of him. But why do I feel like… she's still here? Like she's *inside* this?" He pulled the locket out, its faint glow reflecting in his violet eyes.
Elara's expression softened with grief. "Because she is. When Amara died, she sealed her bloodline's fate. The locket carries her spirit—her love, her sorrow, her guilt. It binds itself to whoever bears her blood."
"So I'm—what? Replacing her?"
"No." Elara's voice trembled. "You're reliving what she left unfinished."
Before Asher could reply, a sound echoed outside—a faint metallic click. Elara stiffened. In one swift motion, she blew out the candle and motioned him down.
Through the window, shadows moved—three figures cloaked in black, weapons glinting under daylight.
"Hunters," she whispered. "They've found him."
Asher's blood ran cold. "Lucian?"
Elara grabbed his wrist. "Listen to me, Asher. You cannot go after him. If the bond pulls too far, you'll be dragged into his darkness. And once you cross that line…"
Her words trailed off, her eyes glistening. "You may never come back."
But Asher barely heard her. The pulse in the locket had quickened, thrumming fast, desperate. He felt it like a heartbeat not his own—Lucian's heartbeat.
He stood suddenly, chair scraping the floor. "He's in danger."
"Asher—"
"I can *feel* it."
And before she could stop him, he was already running out the door, the locket glowing brighter with every step, the forest calling him once more.
To be continued...