"It's not such a rare thing as you think," Naomi continued, her voice calm and even, carrying a weight that made my mind buzz. "But as we live for a long time, it takes a painfully long time for it to appear. Sometimes, you don't even notice when it happens. It just kind of slips by without you realizing it until much later. And of course, it doesn't appear for everyone, but it's not that rare either." The way she said it made it sound so ordinary, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this "soulbond" concept was far more complex and elusive than any of us could understand. It felt like some myth, the kind of thing that had been passed down for generations as some sort of tale or legend. Yet, the more they spoke about it, the more it seemed to be becoming an unsettling reality.
"Your parents, for example, had the soulbond," Samantha added, her tone smooth and measured as she leaned back, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "As well as Kai's parents, Kai's younger brother, and even Kakoi's parents." She paused for just a beat, her gaze flickering toward me. Something about the mention of Kakoi made her tone shift just slightly, as if she were testing my reaction. The mention of so many soulbonded families made me wonder what I had missed in my life.
"You have a younger brother?" I couldn't help myself; I had to ask. I was trying to absorb everything Naomi and Samantha were saying, but this was something I hadn't expected.
Kai's eyes flashed with something unreadable, a mix of amusement and annoyance, before he shot me a mocking smile. "Is that the only thing you've heard?" he asked, his voice thick with sarcasm. His lips curled into a teasing grin that made me want to snap back at him, but I held my tongue. The irritation I felt toward him was starting to simmer beneath the surface.
"You bastard," I muttered under my breath, my patience fraying. "I just thought you were an only child."
Kai didn't seem to mind my sharp retort. He responded with a certain lightness, though there was a hint of pride in his voice. "Yes, I have a little brother," he said nonchalantly, though his words carried weight. "He's the actual King of the Night Kingdom, once he marries Julliet, the heir of the throne." The way he said it made it sound like an accomplishment of sorts, like it was nothing out of the ordinary. But it made me pause. "I also have another little sister—she's the youngest of the three of us." There was a certain softness in his voice when he mentioned her, and I could tell he was protective, despite his usual cocky demeanor. "And like Sam already said, Natën and Julliet are soul bonded."
I felt a sharp pang of longing twist in my chest as I listened to him. "I wish I had a sister," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. I tried to brush off the feeling, but the notion of sibling bonds tugged at something deep inside of me. "But well, I'm cool being an only child too. And I can't imagine you being an older brother, poor kids." The thought of Kai in any nurturing role was so out of character that I couldn't help but tease him.
Ryusei and Samantha erupted into laughter at my comment, and the sound was infectious. "Hahaha, you're so funny," Ryusei said, his voice filled with amusement, though there was an odd sincerity in it. Even Kai's smile softened, and for a moment, he actually looked human, not the smug, untouchable figure he usually portrayed. That small smile, despite his usual arrogance, felt like a small victory to me.
"So, you were saying that it's an awesome and rare thing," I said, my mind still spinning, trying to bring my thoughts back into focus. "And we know I don't have this... soulbond. It must be another way for me to cross this gate, right?" I couldn't help but feel like I was being suffocated by all these revelations. The gate had been a constant reminder of everything I was up against, and I needed a solution. I couldn't just keep stumbling through this nightmare without a plan.
Naomi's expression hardened slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line. She met my gaze, her eyes full of quiet intensity. "Well, no," Samantha interjected, her voice cutting through the thick tension in the air like a sharp blade. "If you do it, you will certainly die." The weight of her words hit me like a punch to the gut. The finality of her statement made my stomach churn. I had been desperate for a way out of this—any way—but it seemed like every option led straight to death.
"But I can search for another way to break the spell," Samantha added quickly, as if trying to offer me some sliver of hope. She met my eyes, her expression softening, but there was a hard edge to her voice that made it clear she wasn't making promises. "It won't be easy, but I'll try."
"Thank you," I whispered, the words shaky with a mix of gratitude and fear. It was the closest thing to hope I'd felt in days, and it both comforted and terrified me. "If you need my help, just say it."
Samantha gave a small shake of her head, her lips curling into a slight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I won't. If you just start your training with Kai and the other three boys here, you'll be helping. Because you need to be stronger, Ava. Oh—" Her eyes glinted with mischief, and I braced myself for whatever she was about to say. "And just for the record, your dad had white wings. Angelic wings. It was his shapeshifter thing. All of the faes had peculiarities like him."
I felt my breath catch in my throat. "Are you kidding?" I gasped, my mind scrambling to process what I was hearing. "You're really talking about my dad?" White wings? Shapeshifting? This was far beyond anything I had ever been told about him. Sure, I knew he was fae, but this? This was something else entirely. The thought of him having wings, like something out of a fantastical tale, made me feel dizzy.
"I am," Samantha said, her voice calm, as though discussing something as trivial as the weather. "If we can break the spell your parents cast on you, you will probably have white wings like him. And don't forget the elongated and sharp canines characteristic of the fae." Her gaze flicked over to Kai, who was watching me with an unreadable expression. He seemed to find some amusement in my shock, and I hated that I was unable to hide it. "This will be amazing."
"I'm just one-third fae, right?" I said, the words coming out a little more exasperated than I intended. "Maybe I won't have wings." The idea of wings sprouting from my back felt so absurd that I almost laughed. But with everything else happening around me, it seemed like anything was possible. Still, the idea of growing wings was something I couldn't quite wrap my mind around.
Kai leaned forward, that smug smile of his stretching wider. "You're not afraid of heights, right?" he asked with a cocky gleam in his eyes. "Because it's just heights. Nothing to be afraid of."
I glared at him, my patience rapidly evaporating. "Shut up!" I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. My frustration bubbled over as I glared at him, trying to process everything that had been thrown at me. Soulbonds, wings, fae powers—it was all too much. Was I supposed to accept all of this without question? Was I really supposed to just dive headfirst into this strange, overwhelming reality?
But even as I snapped at Kai, I couldn't help but wonder: What else had my parents hidden from me? What other secrets were buried in my bloodline, waiting to be uncovered? What kind of life had I been living, unaware of the truth?
I wasn't sure I was ready for the answers. But deep down, I knew I had no choice but to face them.