The sunrise crept higher, washing the rooftop in pale gold. The city below began to stir—students crossing the courtyard, the faint hum of buses on the road—but up here, time still felt frozen.
Ren hadn't moved from where he sat beside Li Wei. Their hands were still loosely joined, the fading glow of the mark pulsing faintly under Ren's sleeve. Every beat of it whispered the same thing: bound.
"What happens now?" Ren asked, voice raw from too many unspoken things.
Li Wei's gaze followed the horizon. "Now, the bond is awake. The heavens will notice soon."
Ren frowned. "You keep saying that like it's a warning."
"It is." Li Wei turned toward him, sunlight catching the edge of his golden eyes. "If the bond completes, you won't be just human anymore. You'll belong to me, as I belong to you. The worlds will not forgive it a second time."
Ren's stomach knotted. "And if I don't?"
"Then they'll take you from me again." The words were quiet but carried a weight that made the air tremble.
A shiver ran down Ren's spine. He looked at the mark on his shoulder, remembering the warmth that had flooded through him only hours ago. He wanted to deny it, to claim that he was free—but his body still hummed with Li Wei's power.
Below, the bell for first period rang, faint and distant. The ordinary sound of it made Ren's throat tighten. "I'm supposed to go to class," he said weakly.
Li Wei gave a small, crooked smile. "You could. Pretend for a few hours that you're still ordinary." He stood and offered a hand. "But every choice you make now feeds the bond or starves it. Decide which life you want to live."
Ren hesitated before taking the offered hand. The warmth of it steadied him, even as it frightened him. He didn't know yet what his choice would be—but he knew he couldn't look away.
Together they walked down from the rooftop, the morning light following them like a silent witness. Somewhere behind the clouds, the heavens were already watching, waiting for the moment when Ren's heart would tip the scales.