Chapter 5: Between Fire and Shadow

Chapter 5: Between Fire and Shadow

Silvia's POV

The battlefield was eerily silent now, save for the distant howls echoing beyond the hills. Silvia clenched her fists, her body still humming with the aftershocks of her unleashed magic. The power had felt foreign, overwhelming—like something that had been lying dormant inside her for too long, waiting to be awoken. And now, she couldn't push it back down even if she wanted to.

Dragon stood a few feet away, his golden eyes unreadable as he studied her. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Silvia beat him to it.

"This...bond," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "If it's making me stronger, does that mean I can't control it on my own anymore?"

Dragon's smirk was nowhere to be found this time. "Magic doesn't work that way, sweetheart. Yours is still yours. But it's like fuel to a fire—our bond is making it burn hotter, faster. If you don't learn to control it, it could consume you."

Silvia inhaled sharply. She wasn't sure if it was fear or frustration curling inside her chest. "And what if I don't want it? What if I want to break the bond?"

Dragon went still.

Something dark flickered behind his golden gaze, but he masked it quickly. "You can't."

Her heart pounded. "What do you mean, I can't? There has to be a way."

His jaw tensed. "Our bond isn't just some simple contract you can tear apart, Silvia. It's written into our magic. Into our very souls. The moment I healed you, the moment I shared my power with you—there was no going back."

Silvia took a step back, shaking her head. "So I had no choice? This just...happened to me?"

Dragon sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "It happened to both of us."

She exhaled, feeling a mix of emotions twist inside her. Anger. Fear. Uncertainty. But beneath all of it, there was something worse—an undeniable pull toward him, a warmth she couldn't explain. And she hated it.

"We should move," Dragon finally said, breaking the heavy silence. "If more of those things are coming, we don't want to be here when they arrive."

Silvia wanted to argue, to demand more answers, but she knew he was right. They had more pressing concerns. She nodded, falling into step beside him as they made their way toward the nearest ridgeline.

Dragon's POV

Silvia was trying so damn hard to pretend she wasn't affected by this, but he could feel it—the way the bond pulled at her just as much as it did him. It was like gravity, inescapable and relentless.

She wanted to reject it. He understood that. But that didn't change what they were now.

As they walked, Dragon kept his senses sharp. He could still feel lingering magic in the air from the battle, but something else made his skin prickle. They weren't alone.

Silvia must have sensed it too because she slowed her pace, glancing around. "We're being followed."

Dragon didn't acknowledge it outright, but he shifted subtly, placing himself between her and the unseen presence. "Yeah. I know."

A sharp rustling in the underbrush was all the warning they got before three figures emerged from the trees. They weren't Hunters—at least, not the monstrous kind Silvia had fought earlier. These were humans.

And heavily armed.

"Well, well," the leader of the group drawled, a wicked smirk on his face. "What do we have here? Two little runaways from the battlefield?"

Dragon exhaled, already irritated. Great. Bandits.

Silvia crossed her arms, unimpressed. "If you were watching that battlefield, you should know I don't have patience for interruptions."

The bandit leader chuckled. "Feisty. I like that. But see, the way I see it, you two look like you're carrying something valuable. Maybe supplies, maybe weapons... or maybe just yourselves."

Silvia rolled her eyes. "Gods, you're predictable."

Dragon smirked, relaxing his stance slightly. "Do yourself a favor and walk away."

The bandit leader's grin widened. "Oh? And what if we don't?"

Dragon's golden eyes flashed. "Then you're going to regret it."

For a second, the bandits hesitated. They weren't fools. Something about Dragon made even seasoned fighters wary. But arrogance had a way of making people do stupid things.

The leader signaled his men. "Take them."

The moment they moved, Dragon struck first.

His panther form exploded from his body in a blur of sleek black fur, closing the distance in an instant. He slammed into the first man, knocking him clear off his feet and sending him crashing into a tree with a sickening crunch.

Silvia didn't hesitate either. Power surged through her veins as she raised her hands, summoning a wall of fire between them and the attackers. The second bandit skidded to a halt, eyes wide with terror, but Silvia was already moving, sending a bolt of crackling lightning straight at him.

He collapsed before he could even scream.

The leader stumbled backward, suddenly realizing he was alone. His face twisted in panic, and he turned to run—

But Dragon was faster.

In a blur, he shifted back into his human form, grabbing the man by the throat and slamming him against a tree. The bandit gasped, clawing at Dragon's grip, his cocky confidence replaced by sheer terror.

Dragon leaned in, his golden eyes glowing with predatory menace. "Now. Let's try this again. Why were you following us?"

The bandit's breath came in ragged gasps. "W-we weren't! I swear! We—we just saw an opportunity!"

Dragon's grip tightened slightly. "Wrong answer."

Silvia stepped forward, placing a hand on Dragon's arm. "Let him go. He's not worth it."

For a moment, Dragon considered ignoring her. His instincts screamed at him to finish the job, to make sure this man never became a problem again. But then he felt the warmth of her touch—the bond pulsing between them, grounding him.

With an annoyed growl, he released the bandit, letting him collapse to the ground. "Run."

The man didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled to his feet and disappeared into the trees, not daring to look back.

Silvia sighed. "That could have gone worse."

Dragon shot her a look. "It could've been over a lot faster if we killed them."

She arched an eyebrow. "So we're just murdering people now?"

Dragon rolled his shoulders. "It's practical."

Silvia scoffed. "And barbaric. We don't kill unless we have to."

He studied her for a long moment, then sighed. "You're too soft."

"And you're too ruthless."

A smirk tugged at Dragon's lips. "Opposites attract, sweetheart."

Silvia groaned. "Come on. We need to find shelter before nightfall."

As they walked, Dragon couldn't help but grin to himself. She could deny the bond all she wanted, but there was one undeniable truth between them now:

She was his.

Even if she didn't realize it yet.