A quiet hum of magic lingered in the air, a remnant of the powerful reconstruction Lana and Elizabeth had performed while the two slept.
The forest cabin, once small and intimate, had expanded. Walls had shifted, the space bending and unfolding under their will. What once held one bedroom now held two.
The newly added room was large, accommodating two single beds, spaced just far enough apart to ensure neither occupant would feel too close—but not far enough to sever the invisible pull between them.
Even as they lay unconscious, their bond persisted.
Their heartbeats mirrored each other.
Their breaths rose and fell in perfect unison.
Lana and Elizabeth had remained silent, watching, waiting.
They understood this bond's requirements.
They knew that separating them—even for a night—was impossible.
This room would belong to both of them.
For the next couple of years…
Whether they liked it or not.
---
Lycius Awakens
A sharp breath.
Lycius's fingers twitched. A dull ache pulsed through his body, remnants of his battle against his mother and aunt. But something else weighed on him—something foreign.
His golden eyes fluttered open.
The first thing he saw was white hair.
Strands of silken silver spilled across the pillow of the bed next to his.
"…What the hell?"
His voice was hoarse. His body felt wrong. There was something heavy—not physical, but present.
Lycius turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing at the sleeping girl beside him.
Vynessa.
The moment he saw her face, something itched at him—something instinctual.
His fingers twitched again, a subconscious urge to poke her forehead.
Before he could think about it, his hand was already moving.
Poke.
"…Tch."
Nothing.
Lycius's eye twitched.
Poke. Poke.
Still nothing.
His irritation spiked for no reason.
With a scowl, he pressed harder.
POKE.
A low groan came from the girl.
Then, suddenly—
Vynessa's hand shot up and slapped his away.
---
Vynessa Awakens
Her silver lashes fluttered open, revealing deep violet eyes still clouded with drowsiness.
Her body ached. Her mind felt foggy. But something else—someone else—was annoying her.
"…What do you want?" Her voice was husky from sleep, barely above a whisper.
Lycius's face twisted in irritation.
"I was checking if you were still alive," he said flatly. "You weren't moving."
Vynessa blinked. Then, slowly, she turned her head toward him, staring blankly.
"…And you thought the best way to check was to poke my forehead?"
"Yes."
Silence.
Vynessa exhaled sharply, throwing an arm over her eyes.
"…You're an idiot."
Lycius scoffed. "Says the one who almost died from just watching a fight."
Vynessa removed her arm and glared at him.
"I thought you died!"
"Well, you thought wrong."
"Excuse me for caring, jackass."
The tension between them thickened.
Lycius narrowed his eyes.
Vynessa narrowed hers.
Then, at the same time—
"Tch."
Both turned away from each other.
From outside the room, Lana and Elizabeth listened silently.
Elizabeth's lips twitched.
"…They're bonding already."
Lana's eye twitched.
"This is bonding?"
Elizabeth chuckled. "They're getting on each other's nerves because they're not used to it. This is normal."
Lana folded her arms, exhaling.
It was odd.
She had expected something more dramatic. A tearful embrace. Shock. Realization.
Instead—
They were bickering.
It was almost comical.
But in a way, it was better.
They weren't overwhelmed. They weren't afraid of what they felt.
They were acting like siblings who had been forced to share a space—annoyed, yet strangely comfortable.
Lana's gaze softened—just a little.
Elizabeth smirked.
"Give it time," she said. "They're mates, but they don't recognize what they're feeling yet. It's foreign to them. They'll fight it, resist it—probably for years."
Lana scoffed.
"…Centuries, more like."
Elizabeth laughed. "Maybe."
But one thing was certain.
Whether they accepted it or not—
Whether they understood it or not—
Lycius and Vynessa were now bound forever.
And no amount of bickering would change that.
----
The morning sun bled through the thick forest canopy, casting long golden rays into the newly expanded cabin. The air was crisp, the scent of damp earth mingling with the lingering scent of burning ether from the duel the night before.
Lycius and Vynessa had both woken up annoyed, but neither seemed capable of putting distance between themselves.
If Lycius moved to the left—Vynessa followed.
If Vynessa moved to the right—Lycius was already there.
Neither acknowledged it.
Neither questioned it.
And yet, it persisted.
Their footsteps aligned.
Their breathing, in sync.
Every time one of them reached for something—so did the other.
It was maddening.
The scent of roasted meat filled the cabin. A large table had been set, dishes spread across it—grilled beast meat, buttered root vegetables, fruit preserves, and fresh bread.
Vynessa, still groggy from her unexpected life-altering situation, reached for a piece of bread.
Only for Lycius's hand to intercept it.
Her violet eyes snapped to his golden ones.
"…That's mine."
Lycius didn't blink. "I touched it first."
Her brow twitched. "I saw it first."
"That's irrelevant."
They locked eyes.
Then, at the same time—both bit into it.
Silence.
Lana and Elizabeth watched.
Lana pinched the bridge of her nose. "I already hate this."
Elizabeth, however, smirked.
Vynessa and Lycius, still biting the same piece of bread, refused to let go.
Finally, Vynessa yanked back, tearing off her half, chewing furiously.
"You're impossible," she muttered.
Lycius simply shrugged. "You'll live."
---
After breakfast—or what should have been breakfast but ended up being an aggressive territorial battle over food—Lana and Elizabeth finally sat them down.
Vynessa and Lycius sat opposite each other, mirroring each other's posture without realizing it—arms crossed, legs stretched out, an unspoken tension between them.
Lana exhaled.
"Vynessa," she said, tone firm. "You will be staying here from now on."
Silence.
Vynessa blinked. "I… What?"
Elizabeth nodded. "You're not a guest. We will not be showing you any hospitality. You live here now. This is your home."
Vynessa opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again.
"…But—"
Lycius frowned. He didn't know why, but his chest tightened at the thought of her objecting.
Vynessa felt it. A strange pull—an unspoken ache that was not her own.
She turned to him.
His expression was unreadable. But his eyes—his golden, burning eyes—held something she couldn't describe.
Something forbidding.
Something demanding.
"…Never mind," she muttered.
Lana and Elizabeth exchanged a look.
Lycius exhaled softly. He didn't know why—but her accepting it made something deep inside him settle.
Something he couldn't name.
With Vynessa now officially part of the household, she and Lycius found themselves—to their absolute horror—stuck together.
At first, they tried to ignore it.
But it became clear that whenever one moved too far away, the other felt a strange pull—like an unseen thread tugging at them.
They refused to acknowledge it.
Instead, they resorted to petty battles throughout the day.
-Vynessa tried to claim a seat on the couch. Lycius got there first.
-Lycius went to the training grounds. Vynessa followed without realizing it.
-Vynessa tried to help prepare dinner. Lycius got in her way.
-Lycius tried to meditate. Vynessa sat next to him and breathed too loudly.
"I can hear you existing," Lycius muttered.
"Good," Vynessa smirked. "I hope it haunts you."
Their banter carried throughout the entire day, much to Lana's growing exasperation and Elizabeth's increasing amusement.
By nightfall, as they stood in the hallway leading to their shared room, Vynessa finally sighed.
"…We have to sleep in the same room, huh?"
Lycius didn't respond. He simply opened the door and walked in.
Vynessa scowled. "Tch. Rude."
But she followed anyway.
Because, whether they admitted it or not—
They didn't want to be apart.
Not yet.
Not ever.
As they lay in separate beds, staring at the wooden ceiling, both of them felt something stir deep inside.
Something neither had words for.
A mystery neither could solve.
A bond neither could escape.
"…Hey," Vynessa muttered in the dark.
Lycius turned his head slightly. "What?"
"…You better not snore."
"…You better not breathe too loudly."
A pause.
Then—
"Tch."
"Tch."
Their bickering faded into the night.
But their bond?
Their bond remained.
---
Vynessa sat at the breakfast table, still adjusting to the strange new normal of being treated as part of the family. Not a guest, not an outsider—just another member of their household. Though Lana and Elizabeth were far from doting, there was a certain ease in their treatment of her, as if her presence had already become expected. Lycius, of course, acted like he had been born with her by his side, his golden gaze flickering toward her every other moment.
She tried not to acknowledge how much she liked that.
Lana finished her meal and leaned back in her chair, regarding Vynessa with an unreadable expression. Then, with the same bluntness she always carried, she spoke.
"You're too weak."
Vynessa froze mid-bite. "Excuse me?"
Elizabeth nodded, as if the statement were nothing more than a fact of life. "Compared to us, you are fragile. We could kill you without even meaning to."
Lycius, who had been expecting this conversation, grinned. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his knuckles, golden eyes glinting with mischief. "What they're trying to say, Vynessa, is that you're getting trained."
Vynessa looked between the three of them, then scoffed. "And what if I refuse?"
"You won't," Lana said without hesitation.
Elizabeth smirked. "Even if you wanted to, we wouldn't let you."
Vynessa scowled but knew there was no real way out of this. Instead, she turned her glare toward Lycius, who looked far too entertained by the situation. "And why do you look so excited?"
"Because," he said smoothly, "I need to know everything. What path you'll take, how strong you'll become, how you'll fight—everything."
Vynessa rolled her eyes. "Why do you care so much?"
Lycius shrugged, but his grin remained. "Because you're mine."
Vynessa choked on her food.
The entire table stilled.
Elizabeth coughed into her hand to stifle her laughter, while Lana merely shook her head, muttering something under her breath.
"What?" Vynessa finally managed.
"My training partner," Lycius clarified, as if that were what he had meant all along. "I meant my training partner."
Vynessa glared at him, but her cheeks were burning, and Lycius—annoyingly—noticed. His grin widened. "You're blushing."
"Shut up."
Still grinning, Lycius leaned closer, his golden eyes practically glowing with curiosity. "So? Are you choosing the warrior path or the mage path?"
Vynessa tried to remain indifferent, but the intensity of his interest made her heart pound. She didn't understand why he cared so much. Why he wanted to know every detail.
"I'm choosing the mage path," she finally admitted.
Lycius's excitement was immediate. His aura pulsed, his wings twitching with anticipation. "Good. Magic is more versatile. You'll have more options for combat."
Vynessa blinked at him, caught off guard by his enthusiasm. She had expected mockery, not encouragement.
For the rest of the meal, Lycius wouldn't stop talking about her training. He wanted to know what spells she was interested in, what elements she was drawn to, what her natural affinities were. At first, Vynessa acted annoyed, rolling her eyes and scoffing at his persistence.
But then something strange happened.
Lycius—without meaning to—felt it.
A flicker of warmth. A sense of... happiness.
It wasn't his.
It was hers.
His gaze snapped to her, sharp with realization. At that same moment, Vynessa stilled. Her lips parted slightly as she, too, felt something that wasn't hers.
An overwhelming sense of curiosity. Of fascination. Of possessiveness.
It was Lycius's.
They locked eyes.
"You felt that," Vynessa whispered.
Lycius nodded slowly. "You did too."
A strange silence fell between them. The world felt too small. The air too thick.
Then, in true Lycius fashion, he smirked. "So you like it when I pay attention to you."
Vynessa scowled and turned away. "Shut up."
But her blush betrayed her.
And Lycius, of course, would never let it go.
---
The morning air was crisp as the family stepped into the clearing behind their cabin. The towering trees cast long shadows across the ground, the light filtering through the dense foliage, creating a serene yet daunting atmosphere. The perfect setting for training.
Elizabeth stood beside Vynessa, her usual smirk in place, arms crossed. "Since you've chosen the mage path, I'll be your instructor. Consider yourself lucky—I'm one of the best."
Vynessa narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you the only option?"
Elizabeth chuckled. "That too."
A few paces away, Lana rolled her shoulders, massive greatsword resting against her back. She glanced at Lycius. "Don't think I've forgotten about you."
Lycius, who had been too preoccupied with watching Vynessa, snapped his head toward his mother. "Huh?"
Lana smirked. "Your training, boy. Or did you think you'd get to sit around and watch Vynessa struggle all day?"
"I wouldn't just be watching—"
Lana didn't let him finish. In a flash, she appeared before him, gripping his collar and hurling him into the air like a ragdoll. Before he could react, she vanished again and reappeared above him, slamming her foot into his chest, sending him crashing into the ground with a resounding boom.
Vynessa winced. "That was uncalled for."
Elizabeth shrugged. "That's Lana's way of saying 'get serious.'"
A groan came from the crater where Lycius had landed. "I was serious," he muttered.
Lana landed gracefully beside him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him to his feet. "You will be. Now stop getting distracted and focus."
Lycius dusted himself off, his golden eyes flickering toward Vynessa. He was supposed to be focusing on his training, but...
He turned his head just slightly, sneaking a glance at her.
She was standing across the clearing, facing Elizabeth, who had already begun the lesson. Elizabeth raised a single hand, palm facing Vynessa. "The key to magic is control. Without control, your mana is nothing more than untamed power."
Vynessa nodded, her brows furrowed in determination.
Lycius couldn't help but smirk. She's taking this seriously.
"Lycius," Lana's voice snapped him back to his own training.
Before he could react, her fist buried itself into his gut.
Lycius doubled over, wheezing.
"No distractions," she said flatly.
Lycius coughed. "You... fight dirty."
Lana only smiled.
Elizabeth had expected Vynessa to struggle—at least in the beginning. Most young mages had difficulty feeling their mana, let alone controlling it.
But Vynessa?
She had already begun shaping mana in her hands with ease.
Elizabeth watched, impressed, as swirling wisps of blue energy formed between Vynessa's fingertips.
"You've done this before," Elizabeth said, narrowing her eyes.
Vynessa shook her head. "No. I've felt mana before, but I've never been trained."
Elizabeth hummed in thought. Then why does she look so natural?
She gestured toward a nearby boulder. "Try channeling your mana into a force strong enough to break that."
Vynessa took a deep breath, extending her hand toward the rock. The energy in her palm thickened, pulsating like a heartbeat. Then, with a sharp exhale, she released it.
A concentrated blast of raw magic shot forward.
The boulder shattered into dust.
Elizabeth's smirk widened. "Oh, you're talented."
Vynessa blinked. "That was... easier than I thought."
Elizabeth chuckled. "Easier than it should have been." She crossed her arms. "You might be more talented than I was when I was your age."
Vynessa's lips parted slightly.
"Don't let it get to your head," Elizabeth continued. "Talent is nothing without discipline. We'll push you past your limits, understand?"
Vynessa nodded, determination gleaming in her eyes.
Across the clearing, Lycius—despite getting pummeled by Lana—had been watching the entire exchange.
And he was grinning.
After an hour of relentless training, Lycius had realized something strange.
No matter how hard Lana pushed him, no matter how many times she sent him flying, his body always turned just slightly toward Vynessa. He caught glimpses of her magic, the way she focused, the way her brows furrowed in frustration when she got something wrong.
It was like his body needed to know where she was.
Lana must have noticed his constant glances because she sighed in exasperation. "The bond's requirement is already taking effect, huh?"
Lycius wiped the sweat from his forehead. "What?"
Elizabeth, who had overheard, chuckled. "You two need to always be within each other's sight."
Vynessa, who had been drinking water nearby, nearly choked. "Excuse me?!"
Elizabeth smirked. "You heard me."
Vynessa turned to Lycius. "That's ridiculous."
Lycius only shrugged. "I don't mind."
Vynessa scowled. "Well, I do."
Elizabeth laughed. "Too bad."
Despite her protests, Vynessa couldn't deny that she felt calmer with Lycius nearby.
And Lycius?
He was thriving.
If this bond meant he got to keep watching her grow stronger, keep witnessing her determination—then he had no complaints.
Even if it meant suffering through Lana's brutal training in the process.
____________
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