lilyfroty

Kael is a wandering swordsman with a haunted past. Rhia is a former healer with a secret that could change everything. When fate binds them together through an ancient oath—Blood, Oath, Fire—their lives are irrevocably altered. The bond doesn’t just link them; it transforms them, awakening a supernatural fire that intertwines their pain, presence, and power.

Hunted by the ruthless Black Hounds and shadowed by a force that watches from the ruins of a forgotten age, Kael and Rhia must unravel the mysteries of their oath before it consumes them. But every answer comes at a price, and the deeper they go, the more they realize: they are not the first to bear this curse.

As their connection deepens into something neither of them expected, they must decide—will they master the fire within, or will it burn them alive?

A tale of supernatural trials, forbidden power, and a romance forged in darkness.

Blood Hounds

The morning after the trial, the air in Vaelthane felt different. Word had spread—Kael had proven himself. The warriors who had once been strangers now walked among his people, speaking of a future with him on the throne.

But a kingdom was more than warriors.

Kael stood at the highest point of the ruined city, looking down at what remained of Vaelthane. Once, this had been a place of power, a beacon in the world. Now, it was little more than scattered stone and whispers of the past.

He turned to the people gathered before him—builders, former warriors, survivors of the old kingdom. "We start today," he said, his voice steady. "Vaelthane will rise again. And it will be more than a kingdom of shadows and ghosts. It will be a home."

There were murmurs, some skeptical, some hopeful. The people had spent too long living in the ruins of their past. It would take more than words to make them believe.

Kael raised his hand, flames flickering to life in his palm—not as a weapon, but as a symbol. "We build. We heal. We make this land thrive again." His eyes met Rhia's. "And no one will be left to suffer alone."

She inclined her head slightly, understanding what he meant.

A moment of silence. Then, the first voice called out—"For Vaelthane!"

And just like that, the work began.

Kael could feel it even as he moved through the streets, speaking with builders, assigning warriors to help clear debris. She wasn't close, but she was always there.

The mate bond was pressing against him again, stronger than before. The more he ignored it, the more it clawed at the edges of his mind.

And worst of all, she felt it too.

At sunset, when the work had slowed, he finally turned to find her standing on the edge of the unfinished courtyard. She was human now, but the wildness in her had not faded.

Kael exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "It's not important."

Fenir's silver eyes narrowed. "It's not something you can just pretend isn't real."

The words were sharp, meant to push her away, but even as he said them, the bond pulsed. His heart beat out of rhythm, reacting to her presence in ways he refused to acknowledge.

Fenir stepped closer. He didn't move away, but he didn't meet her gaze either.

"I didn't ask for this either, Kael." Her voice was quieter now, edged with something she rarely let show—uncertainty. "But it's there. We both feel it."

Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.

Then, as if deciding something, Fenir let out a slow breath and stepped back. "Ignore it if you want." She turned, walking away. "But it won't go away."

Kael watched her disappear into the night, his jaw tightening.

Foundations of a kingdom