Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 63: Spiritually Bound

“I did not get hurt,” Amelia defended confidently. “And I already told you I am not leaving you.” Luz’s amber eyes searched her face as her confidence settled something within him. “You are impossible,” he said, a hint of his old warmth creeping into his voice. “Every time I try to push you away, you just stand there looking at me like I am still the knight who promised to protect you.” His armoured hand moved from the wall to rest gently against her shoulder, the black steel a stark contrast to the soft fabric of her tunic. The hidden white ribbon on Luz’s wrist caught the torchlight as he leaned closer. “Fine,” he conceded, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. Amelia went up to her tip toes and lightly kissed him on the corner of his lips. “Go to the cathedral, I will be fine,” she said softly.

The black veins along Luz’s jawline flared violently at the touch of her lips. For a fraction of a second, the commander facade shattered completely– his free hand came up to cup the back of her head, fingers tangling in her red hair as if to pull her closer. Then the mask slammed back down. His amber gaze hardened as he pulled away, the brief moment of vulnerability gone. “Do not think this changes anything,” he said sharply, his voice regaining its commanding edge. “I am still going to try and keep you safe from here on out.” Without another word, he turned and strode toward the archway leading to the upper levels of the city. His armoured boots echoed against the cobblestone floor as he followed her path toward the cathedral.

The cathedral’s ruined shell loomed against the bruised sky, its shattered stained-glass windows casting jagged patterns of light across the courtyard. At its centre stood Mastre Escuro, a figure of absolute power. His presence was a physical weight, crushing the space with authority. He did not turn as Luz approached, his red eyes fixed on some distant point beyond the rubble. “Commander,” his voice echoed through the ruins, carrying the weight of centuries. “Your efficiency in the siege is… noted.” Luz’s armoured boots crunched against shattered marble as he approached Mestre Escuro, his amber eyes fixed on the figure who held his very existence in balance. “Mestre,” Luz’s voice carried the deference of general addressing his commander, though his grip on the black sword at his side remained firm. “The city is secure. Their commander and high-ranking officers are in out custody.”

“Good,” Mestre Escuro said and turned to him. “I think it is time we talked.” He walked over to a charred corps and look down at it. “All this time… you never asked about the darkness I forced upon you,” he stated casually. Luz’s amber eyes followed his casual gesture toward the corpse, his armoured for remaining perfectly still. “Asking would imply I have a choice in this arrangement,” Luz replied evenly, his voice carrying the same cold authority it held when commanding legions. “You made your terms clear six years ago– one soul for peace.” His black gauntleted hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. The hidden white ribbon in his wrist caught the torchlight as he shifted his weight.

“I know what this darkness does to me,” Luz continued, his amber gaze meeting Mestre Escuro’s red one without flinching. “I do not thing you do,” Mestre Escuro said and smirked. “So noble. Like a true Santo’s knight,” he said lightly. “What I did you you… I bound you to a spiritual entity. Something that feeds on unrequited desire.” Luz’s amber eyes widened almost imperceptibly with understanding as Mestre Escuro’s words registered. “Unrequited desire,” he repeated slowly, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You mean… it feeds on what I can’t have.” His armoured hand tightened around the hilt of his black sword until the leather creaks beneath his gauntlet. The hidden white ribbon on his wrist seemed to burn against his skin as realization dawned in his crimson gaze.

“That is why it has gotten worse lately,” Luz continued, pieces clicking into place. “Every time I see her– every time she touches me– it feels like fire under my skin.” Mestre Escuro’s smirk widened into something amused as he watched Luz’s controlled façade begin to crack under this new revelation. “Every time you deny yourself your feelings,” Mestre Escuro corrected. “All these years serving me, you never once indulged. Never once gave into your desires. always the noble stoic knight…” Luz’s amber eyes flashed with something dangerous, the black veins along his jawline pulsing erratically as Mestre Escuro’s words struck a nerve deeper than any blade could reach.

Luz’s armoured hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, knuckles turning white beneath the black steel. “You are enjoying this,” he said, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “Twisting my past into some kind of psychological weapon.” The hidden white ribbon on his wrist seemed to burn against his skin as memories of Amelia– her laughter in the sunlit village, her courage during the fight– flooded his mind like a torrent. “I have denied myself everything since that day on the battlefield,” Luz continued, taking a step forward despite the oppressive aura radiating from Mestre Escuro. “Yes, you did. That was your mistake,” Mestre Escuro said and turned to look straight in Luz’s amber eyes, his eyes boring into Luz’s gaze.

Mestre Escuro’s smirk widened as he watched the commander’s carefully constructed façade begin to crack. The oppressive aura radiating from him seemed to intensify, feeding off the emotional turmoil brewing beneath Luz’s armoured exterior. “Do you not want to know why?” Mestre Escuro asked amused. “Or are my desires so transparent?” Luz’s amber eyes narrowed, studying Mestre Escuro’s amused expression with growing suspicion. “Why?” his voice was flat, devoid of the earlier anger. “You enjoy watching me suffer. That is reason enough.” He took a step back, creating distance between them as if to reclaim some semblance of control over this conversation.