Chapter 23: Echoes of the Bond

The infirmary lights hummed gently, casting a pale glow over Rae's sleeping form. Her silver-blonde hair was singed at the tips, her fingers twitching as if she were still fighting in her dreams. Brent sat nearby, arms wrapped in bandages, his system slowly cycling his regeneration protocol.

But it wasn't the pain that kept him awake.

It was the quiet tether he could feel now—like a heartbeat at the edge of his mind that wasn't his own.

System Notification – Soul Bond Active

Soul Link Established: Rae Ellanor

Tier: Proto-Class Bond

Status: Unstable – Requires Synchronization

Bond Trait Detected: "Flicker Between Flame and Light"

Unique Feature: Echo Cast – Bonded actions amplify abilities by 12% when performed within 3 meters.

Brent rubbed his temple.

"I didn't ask for this…"

"You didn't have to," the System responded in his mind, voice now smoother—warmer. Almost human.

"You saved her. She saved you. The Bond chose itself."

The Next Morning

Rae woke slowly, blinking against the soft sunrise pouring in from the window.

She sat up, instantly alert, wincing slightly. "Is it over?"

"For now," Brent said. "You vaporized half the cavern."

Rae exhaled. "And you caught the soul crystal?"

He nodded.

There was a pause.

Then— "I felt something," she said. "When you linked with me."

Brent met her gaze. "I know."

They stared at each other for a long moment.

"…What is it?"

Brent opened his system interface, turning it so she could see. A glowing pulse now linked her name to his, threads of flame and light coiling in the shape of a heartbeat.

Soul Bond: Class Incomplete

Next Evolution: "Sync Trial Required"

Requirement: Share pain, battle, and memory

Optional Benefit: Unlock Class Skill – Dual Core Resonance

Rae's eyes widened. "It's not just emotional… It's magic. Ancient."

"The Seer mentioned it once," Brent said. "He called it a 'Flicker Bond.' Said it's rare. Born from a moment of death and salvation between Lightborne."

Rae blinked.

"Wait. Are we—"

Brent held up his hands. "We're not dating."

"…But we are magically synced in a way that could potentially unlock shared elemental traits, mind-state empathy, and… combined soul magic."

Brent groaned. "Please stop using those words."

Rae just grinned, but then her face softened.

"I think it means… you're not alone anymore."

That quieted the room.

Brent looked down at his hands—scarred, bruised, but glowing with a soft, holy pulse. Her pulse, echoing with his.

Later That Day – Sync Trial Begins

Back in the greenhouse, Brent's system initiated the bond's Sync Trial.

Soul Trial: "Memory Mirror" Activated

Participants: Brent Aelius & Rae Ellanor

Objective: Relive each other's most painful memory and endure without breaking sync.

Warning: Emotional trauma ahead. Failing sync will fracture the Bond permanently.

They stood at the center as the world began to shift. Flowers withered, vines pulsed, and then the greenhouse faded—

—and Rae was in the middle of his childhood.

A small cottage. Empty plates. Parents with tired eyes.

The sound of bullies laughing. Of magicless days. Of watching others soar while he was stuck in the dirt.

She felt it all. The ache of being powerless. Of watching others awaken to fire, storm, shadow—and being told he was nothing.

Then the world shattered again.

Brent was now in Rae's nightmare.

A funeral pyre. Her older sister, the prodigy. The one Rae had lived beneath. The one who had died taking Rae's place in a duel she wasn't ready for.

Rae's guilt ran like poison through Brent's chest. The helplessness of watching someone die in your place and wishing it had been you instead.

Together, they stood in the echo of grief.

And they did not break.

System Update – Soul Bond Sync Successful

Trait Enhanced: "Echo Cast" now scales with emotional intensity

New Ability: Soul Veil – Emergency Shield triggers at 1 HP for both Bonded when near each other (Cooldown: 1 day)

Potential Upgrade: Dual Core Resonance – Locked

Requirement: Joint Combat Victory against Elite Tier Foe

They both collapsed into the greenhouse dirt, breathing hard, eyes wide with the weight of memories neither could unsee.

"…So," Rae said, laughing weakly. "I guess we're soul-friends now."

Brent groaned again. "Don't name it."

"Too late. Soul-friends forever."

"…Please stop."

But Rae's hand found his, and this time—he didn't pull away.