In theory, healing magic wasn't supposed to hurt.
Elias groaned, clutching his ribs as he leaned against the splintered wall of an old farmhouse. His hands trembled, sweat pouring down his neck, as a swirl of pale green light flickered weakly from his fingers.
"Just one more... one more..."
A groan ca from the man lying before him—a farr, mid-thirties, poisoned by a corrupted wyvern bite and still unconscious. His breath rattled.
Elias didn't hear it.
He collapsed to his knees.
[You have exceeded your mana threshold.]
[Critical fatigue detected. Risk of system collapse.]
[Would you like to activate Ergency Override?]
"No!" Elias hissed. "No override. No more... stupid... pop-ups..."
[You sure? You're about to pass out again.]
And pass out, he did.
He woke up to the sll of burning potatoes.
And sothing tugging on his sleeve.
"Elias," ca a small, urgent voice. "Wake up. You sll like dead leaves and dumb."
His eyes blinked open. Slowly.
Rhea hovered above him, face scrunched in worry, cheeks puffed out in a frown that, on anyone older than six, would've looked furious. Her eyes shimred crimson, dim but alive. Her tiny hands gripped his sleeve with all the strength of a determined kitten.
He blinked again. "Did you... call dumb?"
"You fainted again. That's dumb."
Elias groaned. "I was healing soone. Saving lives is not dumb."
"You look like you lost a fight with soup."
He tried to sit up—and imdiately regretted it. Pain lanced down his spine. "Okay. Fine. Point to the demon child."
She puffed up. "That's Princess Demon Child to you, peasant."
"Sure. My liege. Can I die now, or is that still off the table?"
Rhea sat back on her heels, studying him. "You're leaking. Inside."
"I know. I used too much mana."
"Then why did you keep going?"
"Because the man would've died."
Rhea looked down, lips pressed into a line. "You're stupid. But also nice."
"I'll take that as a complint."
She hesitated.
Then, without warning, placed her palm flat against his chest.
"Rhea?"
"I saw it in a dream," she murmured. "I think I can fix you. Like you fixed . Like when you cald down in the plaza."
His heart jumped. "No, wait—that's dangerous. You're too young to—"
Too late.
Power rushed between them.
Elias gasped as sothing massive moved through the bond between them—not raw mana, but sothing deeper. Core energy. The very essence of what made Rhea... Rhea.
[Core link established.]
[WARNING: High-density demon energy detected.]
[Attempting interface with foreign essence...]
[Compatible.]
The mark on his palm flared. His vision blurred—not from pain, but heat. Warmth poured into every limb, knitting muscle, soothing bone. His breath caught.
"I... I feel..."
"Don't talk," Rhea said, eyes glowing faintly red, hair lifting in a breeze that wasn't there. "Just... not die."
He didn't.
Instead, strength returned to his limbs like sunlight breaking through fog.
The ache was still there—but muted, as if Rhea's energy had ford a cushion around his wounds, keeping him from breaking further.
Monts passed.
Then the light faded.
Rhea slumped forward into his arms.
"Whoa—hey, hey!" Elias caught her. "Rhea?!"
She stirred, nose scrunching. "I'm okay. Just sleepy."
"You gave your life energy."
She blinked up at him. "You give sandwiches all the ti. I figured it was fair."
"That is not the sa thing!"
"But you're not dead now."
"...Point to the tiny demon again."
He scooped her into his arms and stood shakily, still holding her close. Her head lolled against his shoulder. For once, she wasn't pretending to be a dragon or poking his ears.
Just a girl. A tired, powerful, oddly generous girl.
A child with the weight of sothing enormous inside her.
"Elias?" she mumbled.
"Yeah?"
"I don't want you to die. You're the only idiot who makes breakfast."
He smiled softly, heart squeezing. "Well, lucky for you, I'm contractually obligated not to die now."
Rhea yawned. "Mmm. Good."
Back in Ashvale, Guildmaster Tyrin stared at Elias like he'd grown horns.
"You bonded her deeper?"
"Not on purpose," Elias said, arms folded as he sat in the infirmary, Rhea curled up asleep on a cot beside him. "She did it instinctively."
"She shared core energy," Tyrin hissed, pacing like a stormcloud in motion. "Do you have any idea what that implies?"
"She didn't just stabilize . She synced with . I felt... safe. Warm. Like I wasn't dying for once."
Tyrin halted, hand to his brow. "Elias. That's the kind of bond only soul-bound creatures make. Familiars. Life-bound companions. Fated pairs."
"You forgot 'adorable demon girl' in your list."
"This isn't a joke!"
"I'm not joking. She's not trying to hurt anyone. She's trying to help."
Tyrin rubbed his temples. "You're not just her guardian anymore. You're her tether."
Elias's face softened as he looked toward the sleeping girl. "She called her ho."
Silence hung in the air.
Then Tyrin said, quietly, "You'll need to be more careful from here on. The guild is watching. Not all of them are as... tolerant."
"I know."
"And Marek's still recovering. He hasn't forgiven you. Or her."
"I know that too."
Tyrin gave a long sigh. "I've pushed your demotion paperwork aside—for now. But I can't protect you forever, Elias."
"Just help keep her safe. That's all I ask."
Back at their cottage, Elias laid Rhea on her bed of blankets and stuffed animals. Her tail—sothing that had only recently started to manifest—flicked gently under the sheets. It had tiny sparkles at the tip.
Like everything she did, it was a weird mix of terrifying and adorable.
She stirred, half-awake. "Did I do bad?"
"No," Elias said softly, brushing her hair from her forehead. "You did good. You helped."
Her lips curled into a sleepy smile. "'Kay."
She rolled over and mumbled, "No dying, rember?"
"Right," Elias whispered. "No dying."
He sat beside her for a long while, just watching her breathe.
This girl—this forr queen of destruction—had saved his life today.
And she didn't even ask for anything in return.
Elias stared at the mark on his hand again. It pulsed gently, the lines now more intricate, more alive than ever. Not just a contract.
A connection.
A promise.
He tucked her in and whispered into the quiet, "I'll protect you. No matter what."
Outside, the wind whispered through the trees. In the distance, the stars blinked into view.
And sowhere, in the shadowy reaches of her dormant mory, sothing stirred.
A burning throne.
A na spoken in a voice like thunder.
But for tonight, it stayed quiet.
And so did she.
To be continued...
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