Lycius's breath was steady, but his mind was shattered. He stood still, his body trembling—not in fear, nor in exhaustion, but in something far more primal. His golden and violet eyes locked onto Vynessa's bloodstained cheeks, the sight of her pain igniting something inside him. A spark. A catalyst.
A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out the world. His consciousness fractured, his thoughts fragmented, and for the first time—Lycius saw nothing but enemies.
His mother.
His aunt.
The very air around him.
All of it was wrong. All of it was a threat.
Only Vynessa remained untouched by his wrath.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from his throat as his aura darkened, warping space around him like a collapsing void. His once regal posture became predatory, his movements instinctual—like a beast that had just been unleashed from its eternal chains.
Bloodlust. Hunger. A thirst for destruction.
Then, he moved.
The very moment Lycius launched forward, a black vortex erupted beneath him, sending a shockwave so powerful it cracked the very foundation of Elizabeth's indestructible battleground. His figure blurred, vanishing from sight.
Lana barely had time to react—Lycius was already in front of her.
SCREEECH!
A savage arc of his scythe came crashing down, the jagged blade slicing through air with a deafening wail. The impact alone split the ground beneath them, forming a chasm that glowed with unholy energy.
Lana sidestepped at the last possible second, but even she could not escape unscathed. A single lock of her crimson hair drifted into the air, severed.
He nearly landed a hit.
He nearly landed a hit on her.
Lana's lips curled into a rare, pleased grin. She was proud.
But before she could praise him, Lycius was already gone again.
Elizabeth didn't hesitate. She stretched out her hand, her fingers weaving into the air as arcane symbols blazed to life—a spell cast instantly without chant.
"Mystic Art: Celestial Bind."
A hundred golden chains erupted from the void, each one thicker than tree trunks, moving with the speed of lightning. They wrapped around Lycius's limbs, his waist, even his throat—pulling him downward with unstoppable force.
Yet, Lycius did not fall.
Instead—he pulled back.
With a single, monstrous tug, he tore the chains apart. The sound of shattering metal echoed like the death cries of divine beings. Elizabeth's spell—one that had held Demon Lords in place—had failed.
Elizabeth's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
Impossible.
Lana and Elizabeth exchanged glances.
No words were needed.
Their wings unfurled, shadows and ethereal light intertwining as both unleashed 25% of their power.
The world responded in kind.
The ground trembled. The sky above the battleground—though sealed away—rippled like a storm was raging inside.
And Lycius?
He grinned.
With a single step, he vanished.
And the true battle began.
Lycius moved like a storm given flesh. His body no longer fought with mere skill—it was primal, instinctual, terrifyingly perfect. Every strike of his scythe carried the weight of an execution, every movement flowed like an artist's brushstroke, painting the battlefield in destruction.
Lana and Elizabeth—monsters beyond comprehension—were being pushed back.
Though they fought with only a fraction of their power, they had never expected Lycius to adapt so fast. His growth was unnatural, almost divine. Every time they thought they had him figured out, he changed—evolved.
He was reading them. Understanding them.
If this had been a real battle, if they had fought with their true power… he could have won.
That realization sent a shiver of excitement through Lana's spine.
But before she could test his limits further—something unexpected happened.
A soft thud.
A sound so faint, so insignificant amidst the chaos, yet to Lycius—it was everything.
Vynessa.
She had collapsed, her delicate form crumbling like a broken doll. The blood tears that stained her cheeks had dried, her breaths shallow, her body fragile.
Lycius's golden-violet eyes locked onto her.
Something inside him snapped.
The monstrous power that had made even his mother and aunt hesitate… vanished.
Mid-movement.
One moment, he was an unstoppable force. The next, his body gave out.
His scythe slipped from his grasp, the jagged blade sinking into the ground. His knees buckled, his vision blurred, and then—like a puppet whose strings had been severed—he collapsed.
His breathing slowed. His body went limp.
He had fainted.
---
Silence.
Lana and Elizabeth stood motionless, watching the scene before them unfold.
Elizabeth was the first to break the silence, her mystic eyes narrowing in deep contemplation.
"…So that's how it is."
Lana didn't respond. She merely walked forward, kneeling beside her son's unconscious form. Her gaze flickered between Lycius and Vynessa, her eyes darkening with realization.
This was no ordinary attachment.
This was a bond.
A bond even Lycius himself did not understand.
Lana's fingers curled into a fist. She did not like this.
Not one bit.
Elizabeth stood over Lycius and Vynessa, her mystic eyes swirling with knowledge long buried in the archives of the ancients.
She had read of this before.
A bond so rare it was thought to be a myth.
A bond even gods envied.
"…Lana." Elizabeth's voice was measured, but the weight of what she was about to say could shake even the heavens.
Lana's gaze didn't leave Lycius. Her fingers gently brushed his white-silver hair, her expression unreadable.
She already knew what Elizabeth was about to say.
"…It's the bond of soul-bounded gods, isn't it?"
Elizabeth nodded. "It is."
Lana closed her eyes. Damn it.
She had known something was strange from the moment Lycius first looked at Vynessa. There was a softness, a pull—an instinctive connection.
Now, seeing him fall the moment she collapsed… it all made sense.
He wasn't just attached to Vynessa.
He was bound to her.
This wasn't just a soul bond. It was the soul bond.
A phenomenon so rare that even gods prayed for it—yet only the luckiest young deities ever experienced it. If a god failed to find this bond before their ascension… they never would.
And once formed, it was said to be stronger than the bond between a mother and child.
Lana's hands clenched into fists. She was Lycius's mother.
She had nested him, birthed him, raised him… yet this girl—this stranger—was now the most important person in his existence.
She didn't hate Vynessa. Not really. But she loathed this fate.
She had wanted Lycius to experience this later.
Not now.
Not when he was barely at the beginning of his journey.
If he had been a human, this might not have been a problem. A few decades, at most, and he'd mature.
But Lycius was not human.
He was a DragonBorn.
And not just any DragonBorn.
He was a Daedric. A DragonBorn Deity.
Elizabeth's voice was solemn. "…You know what this means, don't you?"
Lana exhaled sharply. "Of course I do."
For a Daedric to fully mature, it would take at least 210 years.
Two hundred and ten years where Lycius and Vynessa would be bound together.
Where they couldn't leave each other's side.
Not by choice. Not by will. Not even by death.
It was a chain stronger than fate itself.
And now, it was Lycius's reality.
Lana's fists remained clenched, her nails digging into her palms. The implications of this were overwhelming.
Two centuries—at minimum.
Two centuries where Lycius and Vynessa would be inseparable.
She wanted to reject it. To find some way to break this fate.
But she couldn't.
No one could.
Elizabeth, however, didn't seem as troubled. Instead, she crossed her arms, her violet eyes gleaming with something unreadable.
"…You're thinking of it all wrong, Lana."
Lana snapped her gaze toward her sister, glaring. "You think this is a good thing?"
Elizabeth gave a small, knowing smile. "Not entirely. But it's far from the catastrophe you're making it out to be."
Lana scoffed, but Elizabeth continued.
"This bond isn't just a chain, Lana. It's a blessing."
Elizabeth knelt beside the unconscious pair, watching the way their breathing subtly synchronized, as if even in their sleep, they sought each other.
"This isn't a one-sided connection, Lana. This bond is as much Vynessa's as it is Lycius's." She glanced up. "Do you understand what this means for both of them?"
Lana remained silent, so Elizabeth continued.
"For one, this bond will shape them both. Instead of growing into solitary figures—untouchable, unreachable—Lycius and Vynessa will naturally develop a sense of deep companionship. They'll be more emotionally attuned, more connected—not just to each other, but to the world around them."
Lana hesitated, her expression unreadable.
Elizabeth wasn't wrong.
Lycius was born to rule, and Vynessa, as a princess of the Desire Kingdom, was raised to lead. Their personalities would have naturally hardened over time, making them colder, more ruthless.
But this bond?
It would ensure neither of them became that way.
Vynessa wouldn't just be bound to Lycius; she would also experience emotions she never would have otherwise. She would grow to understand the strength of unwavering loyalty, of true companionship.
And more than that—they would humanize each other.
Elizabeth's eyes darkened, her voice quieter.
"This bond doesn't just connect their minds and souls, Lana. It connects their strength."
Lana's breath hitched.
Elizabeth nodded. "When one grows, so does the other. They'll instinctively share power, knowledge, and even instincts. If Lycius unlocks a new ability, Vynessa will gain an understanding of it. If Vynessa reaches new heights, Lycius will rise to match her."
It was a never-ending cycle of growth.
A feedback loop of power.
Lana's fingers twitched.
That meant…
Lycius wouldn't surpass Vynessa.
Vynessa wouldn't fall behind Lycius.
They would rise together.
Stronger, faster, limitless.
Elizabeth's voice softened, her eyes trailing over the sleeping Vynessa.
"The biggest advantage, though?"
Lana exhaled. "She's his mate."
Elizabeth smiled. "And he's hers."
That was the core truth of this bond.
It wasn't one-sided. It wasn't Lycius finding a destined partner while Vynessa simply followed.
No.
It was mutual.
Vynessa would never betray Lycius.
Lycius would never abandon Vynessa.
They were now each other's eternal constant.
Most gods never experienced a bond like this. Even among deities, betrayal was a lingering shadow. Power led to greed, greed led to envy, envy led to treachery.
But this bond was absolute.
Vynessa would be unshakably loyal to Lycius.
Lycius would be eternally devoted to Vynessa.
Their lives, their power, their very souls were now forever intertwined.
Even if they hated each other—even if circumstances forced them apart—their souls would always seek each other.
And if this bond had chosen them…
Then that meant both of them were destined to be powerful gods.
Lana swallowed, looking between Lycius and the girl fate had bound him to.
Her mind was at war.
She had no doubt that Lycius would become unstoppable.
She had no doubt that Vynessa, too, would rise to legendary status.
But she wasn't ready.
She wasn't ready to watch her son's future be decided before he could choose it himself.
She wasn't ready for the implications of their bond—for how it would shape them, change them.
She wasn't ready for the day Lycius would look at someone other than her and Elizabeth as the most important person in his life.
But she had no choice.
This bond…
It could not be undone.
And whether she accepted it or not…
Lycius and Vynessa's fates were now intertwined forever.
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