A Mate's Strengthening

I recalled the day Aria initially selected me—her eyes ablaze with great will, her voice solid as she said we would face destiny together. I told her at that moment that I would always be by her side, shielding her from every darkness and every treachery. Now as I was staring into the night, that vow kept repeating in my head, giving me nearly unbearable pressure. The world was changing, and if I kept my promise, I had to discover a power within me that went beyond my own constraints.