The sun hadn't risen yet.The sky was pale gray — that quiet moment between night and morning when everything is fragile.
Elena stood beside Kael on the balcony, her thoughts tangled. The danger was real. The memories were real. But so was something else — the feeling that her heart recognized the boy who tried to kill her.
Not love. Not hate.Something in between — something dangerous.
Kael spoke first, voice soft:
"You don't have to be strong right now. You can fall apart if you need to."
Elena shook her head. "If I fall apart, I won't be able to stop him when he comes again."
Kael looked away, jaw tightening.
"You still think you have to face this alone."
Her voice cracked. "Everyone keeps treating me like a prophecy. Like a weapon. Like some prize. But no one treats me like… like a human being."
Kael's eyes softened. "I do."
She looked at him — surprised and unsure — until a knock at the bedroom door broke the moment.
Liora peeked in. "Elena… the Council summoned us."
Of course they did.
🏛️ Back to the High Council
This time, there was no dramatic echoing entrance. No crowd. No ceremony.Only urgency.
The council leader rose from her seat immediately.
"Elena, the male you encountered last night — the one connected to your death — his presence shook the magical barrier of the entire academy."
Kael's face darkened. Lucian — already present, swords strapped at each hip — crossed his arms silently, refusing to sit.
The leader continued:
"We have confirmed his identity."
Everyone tensed.
A projection formed in the air — the boy's face, silver hair, dark eyes full of longing.
Even though she had only seen him once, Elena swore her pulse reacted — too fast, too familiar.
The leader spoke gravely:
"His name is Azel Ravenn. In your past life… he was your betrothed."
Elena's chest tightened.
Kael looked like he'd been stabbed.Lucian's rage was silent but explosive.Liora looked between all of them, confused and hurting.
Elena forced her voice not to shake:
"If he loved me… why kill me?"
The council leader lowered her eyes.
"In your past life, you were not destined to marry him. Fate intended you to be with another. When he learned the truth… he tried to break destiny."
A chill spread through the room.
"He thought killing you would erase the prophecy. Instead… it triggered reincarnation."
Elena swallowed the pain.She was paying for a tragedy she didn't even remember.
A council member in black robes added coldly:
"He still loves you — obsessively. To him, reincarnation was proof the two of you are soulbound."
Liora's voice trembled with fury. "That isn't love. That's possession."
Lucian nodded sharply. "If Azel steps foot inside these walls again, I will—"
The leader cut him off.
"No. Killing him could damage the balance of fate further. We need to neutralize him without ending him."
Kael snapped. "I won't spare a murderer."
The leader glared. "He is not merely a murderer — he carries the Soulbound curse. If he dies, Elena will share his fate. If his heart stops, so will hers."
The room went dead silent.
Elena felt the air vanish from her lungs.
Kael whispered, horrified, "If he dies… you die."
Lucian stared at the ground — shock breaking through even his control.
Liora's hand found Elena's. "We'll figure this out. We always do."
The council leader's voice turned solemn:
"Elena, the only way to break the curse is to confront Azel and force him to release you willingly."
Kael shook his head violently. "He'll never let her go. She's his obsession."
Lucian's voice was cold steel. "Then we'll make him."
But Elena felt sick.The boy who loved her enough to kill her… now held her life in his hands.
🌫️ Training Grounds — Later That Day
The academy prepared her immediately.
Elena was assigned a full guard detail — but she refused most of it. She chose only:
Liora
Kael
Lucian
The three took responsibility seriously — but tension between them was unbearable.
Lucian trained her in defensive magic.Kael trained her in physical combat and movement.Liora helped her stabilize her emotions and prevent panic attacks.
During training, Elena kept remembering Azel's voice:
"You were going to leave me."
She didn't remember loving him — but somewhere inside her…
the idea of someone loving her enough to break the world…
unsettled her on a level too deep to ignore.
During sparring, her movements faltered.
Kael caught her wrist, breath sharp. "You're thinking about him again."
"I'm trying not to."
Lucian approached, frustration raw in his voice. "You don't owe him your thoughts."
Elena snapped — finally breaking:
"I don't want to think about him! But WHAT IF I loved him too? What if I promised him something? What if I said words I can't remember?!"
Silence crashed.
Kael's voice shook. "Even if you did… you don't belong to him now."
Lucian's eyes burned. "Your life is yours. Your future is yours."
Liora hugged her from behind. "You're allowed to be confused. It doesn't make you guilty."
Elena closed her eyes — feeling loved, protected, and completely torn apart.
🌙 That Night
Everyone slept in the same room to protect her.
Kael sat against the far wall — awake, guarding.Lucian leaned in a chair near the door — sword across his lap.Liora slept beside Elena — hand linked with hers.
And yet — Elena couldn't sleep.
Her heart hurt.
Her past and present were going to collide — violently.
She stepped onto the balcony alone.
This time — no figure waited.
But the wind carried a soft whisper only she could hear:
"I'll come for you soon.I promised, Elena. You're mine — in every life."
And her necklace glowed red again.
Not in warning.
But in answer.