(Lián Xinyue POV)
The moon had barely risen when I stirred. My fingers itched with that restless fire again, the kind that hummed under the skin, whispering. Shadows in the training chamber flickered, stretching longer than they should have, curling like black smoke against the walls.
I tried to tell myself it was nothing. Just the Hollow, stirring again. But the whispers were sharper tonight, teasing, insistent. Kaien… he will fail… you cannot stop it…
A shiver crawled up my spine. I clenched my fists, letting the tiny flames trace across my palms, barely above warmth. Even that minimal spark felt like walking on a razor's edge. The Hollow always tested me this way, quiet, subtle, never fully seen until it struck.
A shadow shifted near the far wall. For a heartbeat, it looked like Kaien, his face calm, black hair streaked with ember-red in the torchlight. Relief warmed me, until I saw the faint flicker of malevolence in his eyes, the unnatural curve of his smile.
No.
The illusion cracked like thin ice underfoot. My pulse thundered as the Hollow pulled at my senses, twisting them, turning safety into threat.
"Xinyue," a voice called, not the illusion, but real. My name rolled from the darkness like a shield.
Kaien stepped into the chamber, cloak brushing the floor, boots silent against the blackstone. His eyes, storm-gray in the torchlight, scanned me instantly, calculating, searching. And then they softened, just slightly, when he saw my hands still glowing faintly with errant fire.
"You're awake," he said, voice low, more question than statement.
"I…" My throat tightened. "It's… the Hollow."
He nodded. Not fear, not judgment. Just understanding. "I know."
That single sentence rooted me. Even the Hollow's whispers faded a fraction under the weight of his certainty. He moved closer, deliberately slow, leaving just enough space that the heat of him brushed me without warning.
I had never realized how much presence could feel like fire. Not the kind that burns the skin, but the kind that presses against your chest, makes it hard to breathe, makes every nerve ache with attention.
"Let me see," he said softly, and his hand hovered just above mine, over the lingering ember-spark. I hesitated. One wrong flick, one surge from the Hollow, and everything could ignite.
His hand finally settled over mine, and warmth bloomed through my wrist, a quiet, controlled fire that grounded mine. The tether between us hummed faintly, a whisper only the Hollow could sense.
"Feel that?" he asked. "Steady. Don't fight it alone."
I nodded, letting my own flames curl into his, small threads of white and gold weaving together. For a brief moment, the world outside the chamber ceased to exist. Only us, only the pulse of fire between our hands.
Then the shadows stirred again.
This time, the illusion was more brazen. Black fire licked along the walls, forming the outline of the palace roof in flames. Specters of courtiers screamed, twisted faces half-burned, eyes hollow. And in the center, Kaien fell, a slash of blood blossoming across his chest.
I gasped, flinging my hands forward. Flames erupted, white-hot and screaming, colliding with the black, hissing as they fought for dominance. My legs trembled. My chest burned. The Hollow wasn't just testing me, it was trying to frighten me into losing control.
"Xinyue!" Kaien's voice cut through the chaos. He stepped beside me, hands gripping mine firmly, anchoring the fire, anchoring me. "Focus on me. On us. Not them."
I blinked, and the visions wavered. His touch wasn't just grounding, it was a lifeline. The flames that had once been erratic now danced obediently around us, twisting together into a halo of gold-white light. I could feel his heartbeat through our connection, steady, strong, protective.
"You're holding back," he murmured, close enough that his breath brushed my ear. "The Hollow is pulling at you, yes. But it can't take what you're willing to protect."
I swallowed, heat rushing to my face, to my throat, to my chest. "I—I don't want to hurt you," I admitted, almost a whisper. Almost too much.
"You won't." His hand tightened, just slightly, over mine. "We're not alone in this."
The black fire recoiled at the word we, twisting, hissing, flaring, but never quite touching the gold-white flames we shared. The Hollow was clever, patient, but I could feel it hesitate, aware of our bond.
I took a slow breath, grounding my focus on him. His pulse, his warmth, the quiet strength in his stance, every fragment of him became the anchor my magic needed. The flames responded, stretching upward in intricate patterns, serpents of light coiling around shadow, isolating, restraining, containing.
"I can feel it," I said, voice shaking. "It's… trying to—"
"To test fear," Kaien finished for me, his hand sliding just enough to brush the back of mine, fingers brushing fingers. "But we don't give it fear. Not here. Not now."
The Hollow lashed one last time, a wave of shadow-fire surging toward us. We countered it in perfect synchronization, the spellwork instinctive. For a single breath, our flames entwined completely, white and gold against black, the contrast so sharp it almost sang in the air.
Then it was gone.
Silence fell. The chamber, the walls, the blackstone floor, all untouched, yet still vibrating faintly with residual energy. My chest heaved. My hands glowed faintly, tethered to his for a few moments longer than necessary. I didn't want to let go.
Kaien's storm-gray eyes met mine. He said nothing, but his gaze carried everything: caution, awe, and… something softer.
I took a small step back, suddenly aware of how close we'd been. The room felt colder without his touch, yet the memory of it lingered, warming me from within.
"You're stronger than I realized," he finally said, voice quiet, steady. "And the Hollow knows it."
I nodded, letting my hand drop. "It's… not gone."
"No," he agreed. "It will never be gone. But now it knows who stands beside you. And what it cannot touch."
For a moment, the world outside seemed to pause, the chamber, the palace, the whispers of danger beyond the walls. There was only the tether of fire between us, a silent promise neither words nor flame could fully explain.
Then Kaien stepped closer, but not too close, leaving just enough space between us that the tension hummed, electric. "Rest now," he said. "Tomorrow, we train at dawn. Stronger. Faster. Together."
I nodded, swallowing the ache in my chest. "Together," I echoed softly.
He gave me the faintest of nods before turning toward the exit. His cloak swirled, carrying the scent of embers and iron, leaving me standing in the chamber, trembling, but tethered to something, someone, that made me unafraid.
The Hollow's whisper returned, softer now, almost reluctant: You cannot hide what you've bound together…
I clenched my fists, letting the warmth of my own fire mingle with the lingering echo of his presence.
No. We wouldn't hide. Not now. Not ever.
And as the first light of dawn brushed the palace towers, I felt it, the spark of something stronger than fear, stronger than shadow. A tether that was ours alone, and the fire between us was only just beginning to burn.