Chapter 5

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The forest had gone quiet again, but this silence felt different from before. It wasn’t just empty—it felt like something had just passed through, something violent enough to leave the air unsettled.

Eli was still on one knee, his hand pressed tightly against his chest as he tried to steady his breathing.

The pain was gone.

But the memory of it lingered.

That sharp pull.

That suffocating pressure.

It didn’t feel like anything normal.

“…What was that?” he asked finally, his voice low.

Kieran stood a few steps in front of him, his back partially turned as he scanned the forest like he didn’t fully trust the quiet.

“They were testing the bond,” he said.

Eli frowned immediately.

“Testing it? You say things like that like it’s normal.”

Kieran didn’t respond right away.

Eli slowly pushed himself up to his feet, though his legs still felt slightly weak.

“I couldn’t breathe,” he continued. “It felt like something was squeezing my chest from the inside.”

Kieran finally looked at him.

“That’s because the bond reacted to their intent.”

Eli blinked.

“…Their intent?”

“To harm you.”

Eli let out a dry laugh, though there was no humor in it.

“Well, they almost succeeded.”

Kieran’s gaze darkened slightly.

“They didn’t.”

Eli stared at him.

“That’s not the point.”

A brief silence settled between them.

Eli ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

“I don’t understand any of this,” he said. “First, I get dragged into something I didn’t ask for, then I wake up with a mark on my neck, and now random people are trying to kill me because of you.”

Kieran didn’t deny it.

That annoyed Eli even more.

“So what exactly did you do?” Eli demanded. “What is this bond? And why am I suddenly part of whatever world this is?”

Kieran held his gaze.

For a moment, it looked like he wasn’t going to answer again.

Then—

“It’s a life bond,” he said quietly.

Eli’s expression tightened.

“…Explain.”

Kieran didn’t move closer this time, but his voice remained steady.

“When you were in the forest, your condition was critical. Your body wouldn’t have survived.”

Eli frowned.

“I wasn’t dying.”

Kieran didn’t react to that.

“You were,” he said simply.

Eli went silent.

Something about the certainty in his voice made it hard to argue.

Kieran continued.

“The bond connected your life force to mine. It stabilized you.”

Eli crossed his arms.

“So basically… you tied me to you without asking.”

“It wasn’t a choice,” Kieran said.

“It was for me,” Eli snapped.

That shut the conversation down for a second.

The tension between them thickened.

Eli looked away briefly, trying to calm himself.

“…Can it be broken?” he asked after a moment.

Kieran didn’t answer immediately.

That alone made Eli uneasy.

“…Kieran.”

“No,” Kieran said finally.

Eli’s stomach dropped.

“…No?”

“It’s not something that can be undone easily.”

Eli let out a slow breath.

“Easily?” he repeated. “So it can be undone?”

Kieran’s expression didn’t change.

“There are consequences.”

Eli gave a short, humorless laugh.

“There are already consequences. People are trying to kill me.”

“They’re not just people,” Kieran corrected.

Eli waved that off.

“That’s not the point!”

His voice echoed slightly through the trees before he forced himself to lower it.

“…I don’t want this,” he said again, quieter now.

For the first time, Kieran didn’t immediately respond.

Instead, he studied Eli more closely.

As if trying to understand something beyond his words.

Then he said:

“You’re still here.”

Eli frowned.

“What does that mean?”

“You could have left.”

Eli hesitated.

“…I tried.”

“Not hard enough.”

That irritated him again.

Eli took a step forward.

“You don’t get to decide that.”

Kieran didn’t move.

“Then leave now.”

Eli opened his mouth—

But no words came out.

The forest felt heavier again.

Not dangerous.

Just… watchful.

And that pull in his chest—

Still there.

Still connecting him to the man in front of him.

Eli clenched his fists.

“…This is stupid,” he muttered.

But he didn’t leave.

Kieran noticed.

Of course he did.

“You feel it,” Kieran said.

Eli exhaled sharply.

“Yes, I feel it! That doesn’t mean I like it.”

“It means you won’t go far.”

Eli shot him a look.

“…You’re really annoying, you know that?”

Kieran didn’t respond.

But something about his expression shifted slightly.

Not quite amusement.

But close.

Eli looked away again, trying to ignore the strange tension building in the air.

“…Those guys,” he said after a moment. “What did they mean by Alpha King?”

Kieran went quiet again.

Eli narrowed his eyes.

“You keep avoiding things.”

“And you keep asking questions you’re not ready for,” Kieran replied.

“That’s not fair.”

“It’s necessary.”

Eli scoffed.

“That’s your excuse for everything, isn’t it?”

Kieran didn’t argue.

That only made it more frustrating.

Eli kicked lightly at the ground.

“…So what now?” he asked. “I just go home and pretend none of this is happening?”

Kieran looked at him.

“You can try.”

Eli sighed.

“…That’s not reassuring.”

A brief silence followed.

Then—

Kieran stepped closer.

This time, Eli felt it immediately.

The pull.

Stronger.

But not painful.

Steady.

Grounding.

Eli didn’t step back.

Even though part of him knew he probably should.

Kieran stopped in front of him.

Close enough now that Eli could clearly see the faint glow still lingering in his eyes.

“You need to be careful,” Kieran said quietly.

Eli frowned.

“I’m already being careful.”

“No,” Kieran said. “You’re reacting. That’s different.”

Eli’s expression tightened.

“…So what? I’m supposed to fight people like you now?”

“If necessary.”

Eli stared at him.

“…I’m human.”

Kieran’s gaze didn’t waver.

“Then learn.”

That caught Eli off guard.

“…Learn what?”

“To survive.”

Eli let out a short laugh.

“You make it sound simple.”

“It isn’t,” Kieran said. “But it’s possible.”

Eli studied him for a moment.

“…And you’re going to teach me?”

A pause.

Then—

“Yes.”

Eli blinked.

He hadn’t expected that answer.

Not so directly.

“…Why?” he asked.

Kieran didn’t hesitate this time.

“Because if you stay weak, you’ll die.”

Eli went quiet.

That answer wasn’t comforting.

But it was honest.

And for some reason—

That made it easier to accept.

Eli exhaled slowly.

“…I’m not weak,” he muttered.

Kieran’s gaze softened just slightly.

“Then prove it.”

Eli looked at him again.

Really looked this time.

At the calm confidence.

At the quiet danger.

At the certainty in everything he said.

And for the first time—

Instead of arguing—

Eli said:

“…Fine.”

The word came out quieter than expected.

But it was firm.

Kieran nodded once.

“Then we start tomorrow.”

Eli frowned slightly.

“…Tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

Eli glanced back toward the path leading out of the forest.

Then back at Kieran.

“…This is insane,” he said again.

But this time—

There was less resistance in his voice.

And more acceptance.

The forest remained silent.

Watching.

Waiting.

Because something had already begun.