The Silver Oath Between Us

Bound by Destiny

The words on the silver scroll refused to disappear.

...the traitor walks beside the chosen bride.

A chilling silence swallowed the sanctuary.

No one spoke.

No one breathed.

Aria stared at the glowing sentence, her heart hammering so violently she thought it might burst from her chest.

"The... traitor?"

Her voice came out as barely a whisper.

She slowly turned to Lucian.

"What does it mean?"

Lucian's eyes remained fixed on the scroll.

His face had become frighteningly pale.

Cassian instinctively reached for the sword hanging from his waist.

Even Elder Mira tightened her grip on the silver lantern.

Someone among them...

...was a traitor.

---

The first person to break the silence was Cassian.

"It has to be a trick."

His voice was firm, but Aria noticed the uncertainty hidden beneath it.

"Darius has always used fear to divide people."

Lucian remained motionless.

"The Silver Scroll never lies."

His quiet answer struck like thunder.

Cassian's shoulders stiffened.

Elder Mira slowly closed her eyes.

"If the scroll has spoken..."

"...then someone close to us has already betrayed the oath."

Aria looked between them.

"You mean one of us?"

Lucian finally nodded.

"Yes."

The realization hit her harder than any weapon.

There were only four people standing at the sanctuary.

Lucian.

Cassian.

Elder Mira.

And herself.

Her stomach twisted.

"You don't think..."

She couldn't finish the sentence.

Lucian looked directly into her eyes.

"I know it isn't you."

The certainty in his voice caught her off guard.

"You barely know me."

"I know enough."

His answer came without hesitation.

For a brief second, warmth spread through her chest.

Then Cassian cleared his throat.

"My King."

Lucian turned.

"We should leave."

Cassian glanced toward the surrounding forest.

"If the Shadow Pack found the sanctuary once, they'll find it again."

Lucian nodded.

"You're right."

He looked toward Aria.

"We have to move."

---

Less than ten minutes later, they were deep inside the forest.

The moon hid behind thick clouds.

The narrow path twisted through towering trees whose branches blocked almost every trace of light.

Cassian walked ahead, checking for danger.

Mira followed behind, quietly whispering prayers beneath her breath.

Lucian stayed beside Aria.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither seemed to know what to say.

Finally...

Aria broke the silence.

"Can I ask you something?"

Lucian looked at her.

"You can ask me anything."

She hesitated.

"When you looked at me..."

"...after I said your name..."

"You looked happy."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"I was."

"Why?"

"Because for five hundred years..."

His voice softened.

"...I wondered if your soul would remember mine."

Aria looked away.

"I still don't."

"I know."

"I only remember pieces."

"That's enough."

She frowned.

"No, it isn't."

She stopped walking.

"It isn't enough for me."

Lucian stopped too.

"I don't want borrowed memories."

"I don't want to love someone just because another version of me did."

Her words hung in the cold night air.

For a moment...

Pain flickered across Lucian's face.

Then he smiled.

A small.

Gentle.

Heartbreaking smile.

"I don't want that either."

Aria blinked.

"What?"

"If you choose me..."

He took one careful step closer.

"...I want it to be because of the woman you are today."

Not because of yesterday.

Not because of destiny.

Not because of the Silver Oath.

"You deserve that choice."

Something inside Aria trembled.

For the first time...

She realized he wasn't trying to force fate upon her.

He was waiting.

Again.

Always waiting.

Even now.

---

Suddenly—

Cassian raised his fist.

"Stop."

Everyone froze.

The young warrior knelt beside the trail.

Fresh footprints.

Large.

Too large for any ordinary wolf.

"There are dozens of them."

Lucian crouched beside him.

"They're recent."

"Less than an hour old."

Mira's expression darkened.

"They're hunting us."

"No."

Lucian touched one of the tracks.

His eyes narrowed.

"They're driving us somewhere."

Aria frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"They don't want to catch us."

"They want us to follow this path."

Cassian immediately stood.

"Then we take another route."

Lucian shook his head.

"We don't have one."

The forest around them suddenly grew unnaturally quiet.

No birds.

No insects.

No wind.

Only...

Footsteps.

Heavy.

Slow.

Coming from every direction.

---

"They're here."

Cassian unsheathed his sword.

Silver light danced along the blade.

Lucian stepped in front of Aria.

"Stay behind me."

"I can help."

"Not this time."

Before Aria could argue...

The trees exploded.

Gigantic wolves burst from the darkness.

Not black like Darius' soldiers.

These wolves were ash gray.

Their eyes glowed deep crimson.

Unlike ordinary wolves...

Their bodies were covered in strange black markings.

Aria counted quickly.

Ten.

Twenty.

Thirty.

They kept coming.

Cassian whispered under his breath.

"Blood Wolves."

Mira's face drained of color.

"They should all be dead."

The largest wolf stepped forward.

His voice echoed through the clearing.

Not spoken aloud...

But directly into their minds.

"Surrender the Moon Bearer."

Lucian's eyes turned ice cold.

"Never."

The Blood Wolf smiled.

A terrifying sight.

"Then everyone dies."

---

The attack came instantly.

Blood Wolves rushed from every direction.

Cassian met the first one head-on.

Steel clashed against claws.

Mira raised her lantern.

Silver flames burst into the air, forcing several wolves backward.

Lucian transformed.

Silver light exploded around him.

Within seconds, the enormous silver wolf stood before Aria once again.

He roared.

The forest shook.

The Blood Wolves answered with savage howls.

The battle began.

Aria had never witnessed anything so violent.

Lucian fought like a living storm.

Every movement was swift.

Every strike precise.

Yet...

No matter how many enemies he defeated...

More replaced them.

"They're endless!"

Cassian shouted.

Lucian knew it too.

They weren't trying to win.

They were trying to exhaust him.

The curse.

Aria suddenly remembered.

Every transformation weakened him.

Every battle brought him closer to losing himself forever.

"Lucian!"

He glanced toward her.

For just one second.

Too long.

A Blood Wolf lunged from behind.

Its poisoned claws slashed across his back.

The silver wolf staggered.

A dark stain spread through his fur.

Poison.

"No!"

Aria ran toward him.

Cassian shouted after her.

"Stay back!"

She ignored him.

Lucian collapsed onto one knee.

His breathing became uneven.

The black poison spread rapidly through his body.

The Blood Wolves stopped attacking.

Their leader stepped forward.

Smiling.

"It works."

He looked almost delighted.

"The Shadow Poison still weakens the Silver King."

Lucian tried to stand.

His legs failed.

Aria dropped beside him.

"Lucian!"

His blue eyes struggled to focus.

"Run..."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Please..."

His voice was barely audible.

"...run."

The Blood Wolf laughed.

"Touch him."

Aria looked up.

"What?"

"Go ahead."

He grinned.

"Let's see if destiny chooses him again."

---

Without thinking...

Aria grabbed Lucian's hand.

The moment their skin touched—

The silver mark on her wrist blazed brighter than ever before.

A surge of unbearable heat rushed through her body.

She cried out.

The mark spread across her arm like liquid moonlight.

Lucian gasped.

His wounds began healing instantly.

The poison retreated.

The black corruption dissolved beneath brilliant silver light.

The Blood Wolves stared in shock.

"It worked..."

Cassian whispered.

But something else happened.

Silver threads of light stretched from Aria's heart...

...to Lucian's.

Binding them together.

The glowing thread pulsed once.

Twice.

Then settled between them like an unbreakable chain.

Elder Mira fell to her knees.

"The Bond..."

Tears filled her eyes.

"The Silver Bond has awakened."

Aria looked down at the glowing connection.

"What is this?"

Lucian's expression changed completely.

"No..."

Fear filled his eyes.

"This wasn't supposed to happen yet."

The Blood Wolf's smile disappeared.

His crimson eyes widened.

"Impossible."

He immediately stepped backward.

"Retreat!"

Every Blood Wolf obeyed.

Within seconds...

The clearing was empty.

They had fled.

Aria looked at Lucian.

"We won."

He wasn't smiling.

Instead...

He stared at the glowing bond connecting their hearts.

His face filled with dread.

"Lucian?"

He slowly reached toward the silver thread.

"You healed me."

"Yes."

"You also..."

His voice broke.

"...gave me half your life."

Aria froze.

"What?"

"The Silver Bond shares everything."

His eyes met hers.

"My pain."

"My strength."

"My curse."

Her heartbeat stopped.

Before she could speak...

The glowing thread suddenly turned black for a single heartbeat.

A cold voice echoed through the forest.

One Aria had never heard before.

Yet it filled everyone with terror.

"At last..."

The voice laughed.

Low.

Ancient.

Merciless.

"...I can finally find you."

The silver thread snapped tight between Aria and Lucian as an unseen force pulled violently from the darkness.