The fog was thicker than ever.
It pressed against the windows of Sage Ethan's study like a living thing, curling and pulsing with a rhythm that felt almost… sentient. Kat Levi sat near the scroll, her fingers twitching with residual energy from the mirror vault. Her body felt normal, but her mind was still echoing with fragments of memory that weren't hers.
Junior Sebastian hadn't left her side. He sat on the floor beside her, silent, his presence steady. The others were scattered around the room—James Williams flipping through a book with exaggerated sighs, Aria Norman scribbling in her journal, and Sage pacing like a caged animal.
"We need to talk about what happened," Sage said finally.
Kat looked up. "The mirror?"
"No," Sage said. "The voice."
James raised an eyebrow. "You mean the creepy whisper that called Kat the flame and the memory?"
Aria nodded. "It wasn't just a metaphor. It was a title."
Junior leaned forward. "It called her the bond."
Sage stopped pacing. "Exactly. That's the part we haven't unpacked yet."
Kat frowned. "What does it mean?"
Sage pulled out a scroll fragment from his satchel. "The original order believed that the seals weren't just magical locks—they were emotional anchors. Each one tied to a specific kind of bond. The first was loyalty. The second was sacrifice. The third…"
He looked at Kat.
"Was forbidden love."
---
The room went silent.
James blinked. "Okay, that's dramatic."
Aria whispered, "It fits."
Junior's jaw tightened. "You think Kat and I are the third bond?"
Sage nodded. "It's not just your bloodlines. It's your connection. The seal responded to you because your love defies the rules. That's what makes it powerful."
Kat felt her chest tighten. "So we're not just bonded by blood. We're bonded by defiance."
Sage sat down. "And that's why Vandal wants you."
James groaned. "Of course it does. Forbidden love is like candy to evil spirits."
Aria gave him a look. "It's not funny."
"I'm not joking," James said. "I'm terrified. I just cope loudly."
Kat stood. "So what do we do?"
Sage looked at her. "We train."
---
They spent the next few days preparing.
Sage taught them how to channel spiritual energy through runes and symbols. Aria practiced emotional shielding, learning to block Vandal's whispers. James discovered he had a knack for deflection spells, which he called "magical sarcasm barriers."
Kat and Junior trained together.
Their bond made them stronger—but also more vulnerable. Every time they touched, the scroll pulsed. Every time they kissed, the fog thickened. It was as if Vandal was watching, feeding, waiting.
One night, Kat sat alone in the courtyard, staring at the cathedral spire.
Junior joined her quietly.
"I read more of my mother's journal," he said.
Kat turned to him. "What did it say?"
"She knew," Junior said. "She knew you were my sister. She helped hide you."
Kat's breath caught. "Why?"
"To protect you. From the order. From Vandal. From me."
Kat reached for his hand. "You're not the danger."
Junior looked at her. "But I'm the trigger."
---
Back in Sage's study, the scroll began to change.
The chains loosened.
The runes glowed brighter.
Sage examined it carefully. "It's evolving. Responding to Kat's emotional state."
Aria frowned. "Is that safe?"
"No," Sage said. "But it's necessary."
James leaned over the scroll. "So what happens when it fully awakens?"
Sage looked grim. "Then Kat becomes the gate."
Kat stepped back. "Gate to what?"
"To Vandal's prison," Sage said. "Or its release."
---
That night, Kat dreamed again.
She was standing in the cathedral, alone. The fog swirled around her, whispering names she didn't recognize. Then she saw the mirror—whole again. In its reflection, she saw herself and Junior, holding hands, eyes glowing.
Then the mirror cracked.
And the voice returned.
You are the flame. You are the memory. You are the bond. You are the key.
She woke with a gasp.
---
The next morning, Sage gathered them in the music room.
"We're running out of time," he said. "The scroll is nearly awake. Vandal is pushing harder. We need to find the original sealing site."
James frowned. "Wasn't that the cathedral?"
"No," Sage said. "That was the vault. The sealing site was deeper. Beneath the city."
Aria looked worried. "How do we find it?"
Sage held up a map. "We follow the fog."
Kat stepped forward. "Then let's go."
Junior nodded. "Together."