The Assassin’s DilemmaShe froze.For the first time since the fight began, Lyra hesitated.The blade in her grip trembled, her violet eyes narrowing as she studied me. Not like a predator sizing up its prey—but as if she was seeing something she couldn’t explain.“What… did you just do?” she whispered.I had no idea. But the system did.[Combat Synchronization: 45%][Bond Compatibility: 72%]A bond? With her?It made no sense. The system never lied, but it had never done this before, either. I barely had time to process it before she ripped herself free, flipping back and landing in a crouch. Her breathing was heavier now, a flicker of uncertainty shadowing her usually unreadable expression.“This isn’t possible,” she muttered. “You’re an enemy. The system should not—”She cut herself off. A realization dawning.Something had changed between us, and she knew it.I wiped the sweat from my brow, keeping my stance firm. My body ached from the fight, but this wasn’t just about battle any

Bonds and BetrayalsLyra was everywhere—and nowhere.For days, she didn’t attack again. But she didn’t leave, either.I felt her presence in the shadows, lingering just beyond my reach, watching. Waiting. The air around me crackled with tension, an invisible wire pulled tight between us.She was in the whispers of the wind against the windows. In the reflection of a passing figure that never fully materialized. In the soft creak of a floorboard where no one stood.The system refused to give me more information about whatever had linked us. I tried bypassing firewalls, running deep scans, and cross-checking every database I had access to. Nothing. Every time I came close to an answer, something pushed back. Hard.This wasn’t just encryption. This was interference.Someone didn’t want me to know the truth.And that meant I had to find it.A Hunter in the DarkOn the fourth night, I was in the training room, pushing my body past exhaustion. Sweat dripped down my spine, muscles burning fr

A Ghost from the PastThe knock came at an odd hour.I wasn’t expecting anyone. The estate was secured—tightly. No one could just walk up to my door, not unless they had a damn good reason.I set my glass down, the amber liquid swirling as I rose from the leather chair. The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows against the high ceilings. Whoever it was, they’d bypassed my guards or, worse, been let through.I opened the door.She stood there, framed by the dim glow of the porch lights—long dark hair and deep green eyes that felt like a whisper from the past. A past I wasn’t sure I even remembered.“Hello, Caden.” Her voice was steady, but there was something beneath it, a hesitation like she was testing the waters.My grip tightened on the door. “Who are you?”A small smile tugged at her lips, sad and knowing. “I wondered if you’d recognize me.”I didn’t. And yet, something in me did. A pull deep in

The Forgotten PastThe night stretched endlessly as I followed Sophia through the dense forest. The wind hissed through the trees, carrying whispers that didn’t belong to the present. My boots sank into the damp earth with each step, the weight of uncertainty pressing heavier than ever.She walked ahead, moving with a certainty that unsettled me. It was as if she knew exactly where she was going, while I—this was supposed to be my past—was fumbling in the dark.“How much further?” My voice sounded rougher than I intended.Sophia glanced back, her expression unreadable. “Almost there.”I didn’t trust her. Not entirely. Not yet. But the flashes of memory, the unbearable pressure in my head—they told me I couldn’t ignore this.Minutes passed before the trees thinned, revealing the silhouette of a small cabin. It sat nestled between towering oaks, its wooden structure weathered and half-forgotten. The roof sagged slightly, vines clawing up the sides as if nature was trying to reclaim it.

Run or FightThe cold mountain air stung my skin as I pushed forward, my breath coming in harsh, uneven gasps. The world had shifted beneath my feet, leaving me grasping for something solid—something real. But the only thing I had left was the rifle slung across my back and the burning need for answers.Behind me, Sophia moved swiftly, her steps barely making a sound on the forest floor. The woman who had reappeared from my past, dragging ghosts and forgotten memories with her. She had led me here—to this remote cabin buried in the mountains, a place that felt both unfamiliar and unsettlingly known.I paused at the doorway, pressing my palm against the worn wood. It creaked slightly under my touch, the scent of pine and aged dust filling my lungs. My estate was gone, my men were either dead or scattered, and the name Obsidian Heitt now haunted every corner of my thoughts.Who the hell was he?And why did the sound of that name make my pulse hammer in my skull like a war drum?Sophia l