Kai's eyes lit up with joy as he heard me say that, and he said softly, "Thank you, Anna." He held out his hand, and I placed mine into his. Gently, he pulled me toward him and leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead, then to my cheeks, and finally to my lips. I melted into his touch—I didn't want him to stop kissing me.
When he finally pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his expression had shifted—still full of warmth, but now tinged with something deeper, almost vulnerable."I was afraid," he murmured, his thumb brushing over my cheek. "Afraid that I'd lost you for good… that the past would always come between us. But you're here. You chose to stay."His voice cracked slightly at the end, and I saw it—beneath the strength he always showed, he had been carrying this fear quietly, for so long.
Something in me stirred—like a forgotten echo rising from the depths of time. His words… I had heard them before.
A vision flickered before my eyes. The warmth of a fire, the chill of war on the wind. A battlefield. I was someone else—draped in white and red, my hands stained with blood, reaching for him—for Kai, only he wasn't Kai then. He had another name. Another face. But the same eyes."You came back to me," I had whispered in that lifetime.And just like now, he had smiled through his pain and said, "I always will."
I gasped, the air catching in my lungs. The vision faded—but the ache it left behind was real.I looked up at Kai, tears threatening to fall. "I remember… pieces. Of us."
He gently guided me back against the wall, lifting one of my legs as his hands wandered to my inner thigh, drawing a soft moan of pleasure from me. Leaning in, he whispered against my ear, "I want to take you here and now—but only if you want this too. I don't want you to feel pressured."
His breath was warm against my skin, and though every part of me burned with longing, it was his words—the care behind them—that made my heart ache in the best way. He wasn't just asking for my body. He was asking for me—all of me, with trust, with choice.
I cupped his face gently, forcing him to meet my eyes. "I want this," I said, my voice trembling with emotion. "I want you, Kai—not just now, but fully. Completely."
His gaze darkened with need, but there was softness too—a quiet reverence, like he was holding something sacred. "Then I'll cherish you," he murmured. "No rush. No fear. Just us."
He kissed me again—slower this time. Deeper. As if we had all the time in the world.
And then something shifted.
The air around us seemed to thrum, like a quiet heartbeat pulsing through the stone walls. A soft glow shimmered at the edge of my vision—at first I thought it was a trick of the candlelight, but then it grew. Gold and silver threads of light coiled around us, rising from the floor, the walls, even our skin.
Kai pulled back just slightly, breathing heavily, eyes wide now—not just with desire, but awe.
"Anna… your eyes—they're glowing."
I blinked, but I could feel it too. A warmth flooding through my chest, my veins, my very soul. Like something ancient had stirred awake inside me.
A whisper echoed in my mind—not a voice, but a memory."When your heart chooses freely, the bond will awaken."
The glow around us intensified. Symbols—runes I didn't recognize but somehow understood—began to etch themselves into the air, circling our bodies like a sacred seal. Kai reached for my hand, and the moment our fingers intertwined, a surge of power rushed through us both. He gasped, stumbling slightly, but I caught him.
"What… what is this?" he asked, breathless.
"I think… it's us," I said quietly. "Our bond. Something deeper than memory. Maybe older than this life."
His expression softened, his eyes searching mine. "Then this is fate," he whispered.
The runes flared once more—then sank into our skin, leaving no trace but a lingering warmth and a sense of something permanent, something sealed.
The warmth lingered in my chest like an ember, not burning—but glowing, steady and alive. I could still feel Kai's hand in mine, grounding me, but everything else around us had faded into stillness. Time itself felt like it was holding its breath.
Then the voice returned—clearer now, yet distant, as though echoing through a hundred lifetimes.
"The soul-bond has awakened. Two threads, once severed by blood and betrayal, now rewoven by choice. What was written in the stars shall begin again."
A soft wind stirred around us, though there were no windows open. The room darkened, and suddenly, a vision spread out before us like a tapestry—woven not in cloth, but in starlight.
I saw myself—not as I was now, but as a past version of me. A warrior-priestess in silver armor, crowned with a circlet of flame. And beside me stood him—Kai, or someone who looked like him, cloaked in shadows and stormlight. We stood atop a battlefield littered with broken symbols and crumbling towers.
"She chose him," a whisper came from the vision, "when the world begged her to destroy him."
The scene shifted—our hands bound in light, a blade between us, glowing with power. A ritual, half-completed. A fate, half-written.
Kai gripped my hand tighter. "Anna… that was us."
I nodded slowly, the weight of the memory anchoring in my bones. "We were meant to complete something. A ritual of binding—not just of love, but of power. Of balance."
"And we failed," he said, his voice thick. "Something stopped us before. Something tore us apart."
The vision faded, but the truth remained, burning in my blood.
"This bond…" I whispered. "It's more than love. It's a key. To whatever we were meant to protect—or destroy."
Then, as if summoned by that truth, the wall behind us cracked slightly, revealing a faint symbol hidden beneath centuries of stone: a sun entwined with a shadowed moon.
Kai looked at it, then back at me. "Do you think… this is where it begins again?"
I looked into his eyes, glowing faintly from the magic still inside him, and nodded.
"No. This is where we finish what we once couldn't."
Kai's lips were warm and gentle as they pressed against my skin, trailing slow kisses along my collarbone and over the curve of my breasts. His touch was reverent, as if he was worshiping something sacred. My breath hitched, a delicious shiver running through me.
Despite the growing heat between us, his eyes never left mine—deep pools of tenderness mixed with desire, silently asking if I was ready to go further. Every nerve in my body seemed alive, trembling with anticipation and trust.
I placed my hands on his shoulders, steadying myself. "I'm yours," I whispered, my voice barely audible but filled with conviction.
Kai smiled softly, his fingers tracing light patterns on my skin. "Always," he promised.
The world around us faded into a blur, leaving only the two of us, bound by something stronger than passion—something timeless.
As he moved inside me, every inch felt like fire and silk intertwined, igniting a storm of sensation I hadn't known possible. His careful rhythm matched the beat of my heart, slow and steady, grounding me even as desire soared.
Then, beneath the surface of our touch, something deeper began to stir—an energy weaving through us like a hidden current. A faint glow shimmered beneath my skin, pulsing in time with his heartbeat, reaching through every nerve and vein.
Kai's eyes widened as he sensed it too. His hands trembled slightly as he pressed closer, and I felt his magic mingling with mine—a dance of light and shadow wrapping us in a cocoon of warmth and power.
Whispers of forgotten words brushed through my mind, ancient and sacred, urging us to join fully—not just in body, but in soul.
A surge of magic erupted, bright and fierce, binding us tighter. The world around us faded until only the two of us remained—entwined by love, desire, and the unstoppable force of our shared destiny.
Kai's eyes darkened with irritation as he glanced toward me, a silent question lingering between us. I placed a calming hand on his chest, hoping to ease the tension.
"I'll handle this," he said quietly, stepping away from the bed and toward the door.
As he opened it, Selene stood there with an unreadable expression, her gaze flickering between Kai and me. "I didn't mean to interrupt," she said, voice sweet but sharp. "The chef is worried about you—and the woman you've brought here. The village isn't used to strangers."
Kai's jaw tightened. "She's not just any woman," he replied firmly. "And I won't let anyone interfere."
Selene's smile was thin. "We'll see."
As she left, the door closing behind her, I felt a chill settle in the room—not from the night air, but from the storm I knew was gathering beyond these walls.
Kai turned back to me, his eyes softening. "They don't understand what we are," he said, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "But we'll face it together."
I nodded, determination rising within me. Whatever came next, we wouldn't face it alone.
He went to the closet in his room and handed me some clothes that looked like his, but in different colors—purple and black."I'm sorry for this, my sweet Anna, but we need to get dressed to meet the chef of the village," he said. Then he kissed my lips before walking away to put on his clothes. I couldn't stop watching him.
He smirked over his shoulder and teased, "Anna dear, I know I'm sexy, but can you stop staring and put your clothes on?"
I wanted to blush so badly, but if I did, he might find other ways to tease me. I looked away and started putting on the clothes he'd given me.
As I slipped into the unfamiliar fabric, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of comfort and unease. The clothes smelled faintly of him—his scent wrapping around me like a shield. But meeting the chef meant stepping deeper into this village's world, and I wasn't sure if I was ready.What if they judged me? What if they didn't accept me?Still, Kai believed in me, and that gave me strength. Whatever came next, I'd face it with him by my side.
Dressed in the purple and black clothes Kai had given me, I followed him out of the room, my heart pounding with a mix of nerves and determination. The dim light of Kai's home seemed smaller now, the weight of what awaited pressing down on me.
We stepped outside into the village square, where a small crowd had gathered near the village's main hearth. The air was thick with smoke and murmurs, curious eyes flicking toward us as we approached.
At the center stood the chef—a broad-shouldered man with sharp eyes and a commanding presence. His apron was stained from the day's work, but there was an undeniable authority in his stance.
"So, this is the woman," he said, voice low but clear, as his gaze swept over me. "Kai didn't say much about you."
I met his gaze steadily, refusing to let the unease show. "I'm Anna. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The chef's eyes narrowed slightly. "Pleasure or trouble? Only time will tell." Then, unexpectedly, he gave a small nod. "Kai's got good taste. I can see why he brought you here."
Kai stepped forward, his protective presence a shield at my side. "We're not here to cause trouble. We want to be part of this village—for better or worse."
The chef studied us for a moment longer, then gave a short, curt nod. "Good. Because in this village, loyalty means everything. If you're with Kai, you're with us."
Relief washed over me, but I could tell the real test was just beginning.
The chef then called Selene over and said, "Did you not tell me that Kai brought home a completely untrustworthy woman? You claimed she was a descendant of Anaria and came from a different timeline. But what I see is very different from what you see, Selene. Are you truly saying that my grandson, Kai, would bring an outsider into this village without reason?"
The tension in the air thickened as the chef's words echoed through the gathering. All eyes were on us.
Kai stepped forward, placing himself slightly in front of me, his jaw tight and eyes unwavering. "I brought Anna here because she belongs—not just with me, but to the truth this village has tried to bury. She's not a threat. She's the missing piece of something much older, something greater."
He turned his gaze directly on Selene. "You speak of trust, but you twist truths you barely understand. You don't know her like I do."
I stepped beside him, lifting my chin as I met the chef's eyes. "I never asked for this fate, or these powers. I didn't come here to be feared or hated. But I know one thing—I've lived before. I've been Anaria. And whatever she failed to finish, I am here now to complete. With Kai."
There was a stillness after my words. Even Selene couldn't hide the flicker of uncertainty in her expression.
Then I added quietly, "If being an outsider means carrying the truth and protecting those I care about… then I'll wear that title proudly."
A long silence followed, broken only by the soft crackle of the village hearth. The chef's expression remained unreadable as he studied both of us—Kai's defiant stance and my unwavering voice.
Then, to everyone's surprise, he gave a slow nod.
"You speak like her," he said quietly, his gaze lingering on me. "Anaria once stood where you stand now, with fire in her heart and the world pressing down on her shoulders. I never knew her, not truly—but the stories… the warnings… they live in the bones of this village."
He stepped forward, his voice lowering. "I don't fully trust you, girl. Not yet. But I see something in you. Not just power—conviction. And if my grandson stands by you… then for now, so will I."
A murmur ran through the small crowd. Selene's lips pressed into a thin line, clearly unhappy but unwilling to contradict the chef directly.
"Prove to this village that you are not its curse," he added, looking at me sharply. "Prove that you are its answer."
I met his eyes and nodded. "I will."