Episode 3-Bound by blood
684 Words
The forest had fallen silent again. The creatures lay in scattered piles of ash, their snarls nothing more than whispers lost to the wind.
Aria's chest still heaved, her hands crackling faintly with crimson sparks that refused to fade. She couldn't tear her gaze away from them.
What just happened to me?
Darius stood only a step away, his blade lowered but his eyes—those molten crimson eyes—were fixed on her with unsettling intensity. He studied her as though she were a puzzle only he could solve.
"You lied," he said softly, though his tone held no surprise, only certainty.
Aria's head snapped up. "I didn't—"
"You claimed to be human. But no human burns a Shadow Beast to ash with their bare hands." His lips curved in a dangerous half-smile. "Unless, of course, you're something far more interesting."
Her pulse stuttered. "I didn't know. I swear. I didn't even know they existed until tonight."
Darius tilted his head, considering her words. His shadow seemed to stretch along the ground, curling toward her feet. "Then it appears your family kept more secrets from you than I thought."
Aria's throat tightened. "Tell me what I am."
He stepped closer, his presence wrapping around her like heat and smoke. Her body betrayed her, leaning ever so slightly forward even as her mind screamed to run.
"You are Nightshade blood," he murmured. "And that means you are bound—to me, to this forest, to the war that has been brewing in silence for centuries."
Her skin prickled. "Bound? I don't even know you."
He chuckled low, the sound dark and velvety. "Oh, little flame... your blood already does."
The words sent a shiver down her spine, equal parts fear and something she refused to name.
Before she could respond, a searing pain shot through her wrist. Aria gasped, clutching her arm. The skin just below her palm glowed faintly crimson, a mark etching itself across her flesh as if burned there by invisible fire.
She screamed, collapsing to her knees.
Darius knelt beside her instantly, one gloved hand gripping her arm with surprising gentleness. His eyes narrowed as he studied the mark.
The glow faded, leaving behind a sigil—sharp lines and curves that pulsed faintly with life.
Her breathing hitched. "What... is that?"
His gaze lifted to hers, steady and unyielding. "A bond."
Her stomach dropped. "No. No, I didn't agree to this. I didn't—"
"You don't have to agree." His voice softened, though his eyes still burned. "Nightshade blood binds itself when awakened. It chose me... because I awakened it in you."
Aria shook her head, fear and fury warring inside her. "Then undo it."
Darius's lips curved, not cruel but knowing. "It cannot be undone."
The world tilted around her. She scrambled to her feet, backing away. "This is a mistake. I don't want to be a part of your world. I just want to go home."
"Home?" His voice sharpened. "You still think they'll take you back once they know what you are? You're marked now. To them, you'll be a threat. To me..." His eyes lingered on the glowing sigil, then on her trembling lips. "...you're a weapon."
Anger sparked in her chest, drowning out the fear. "I'm not yours to use."
The air grew thick, charged. Darius rose, slow and deliberate, closing the space she had tried to put between them.
"Perhaps," he said, voice low, "but you are mine to protect. Whether you like it or not."
Her breath caught as his hand brushed her cheek, rough gloves grazing her skin. The touch was fleeting, almost tender—but it burned.
Then, as suddenly as it began, he stepped back. His crimson eyes shifted toward the horizon, where the fog had begun to ripple unnaturally.
"They know you're here now," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "The bond calls to them."
Aria's blood ran cold. "Who?"
Darius's jaw clenched. His blade flashed back into his hand.
"The ones who will kill you before you even understand what you've become.
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