Chapter 1: War-Scarred Proclamation

The grand throne hall of Lupis Imperium glittered with a thousand golden chandeliers, their light reflecting off polished marble and tapestries that told tales of past triumphs. The air was thick with anticipation as the council gathered, the murmurs of noble houses echoing off the stone walls. Kael Stormfang, the Alpha Prince of the empire, stood at the head of the room, his face impassive, his eyes unreadable.

He had returned from the border campaign a mere three days ago, weary but unbroken. The campaign had not been the resounding victory the empire had hoped for. The enemy forces had been strong, and the bloodshed had been unbearable. But it was the treaty that Kael was about to propose that would change the course of their future.

“I announce, to end this bloody conflict,” Kael’s voice rang out, cutting through the whispers, “a Soul-Oath will be forged between myself and an enemy Omega. It will bind our lives, our souls, for peace.”

The council members froze. A hushed silence fell over the room as the weight of his words settled in. The Soul-Oath was forbidden, a bond that could not be undone once forged. It meant shared pain, shared life, shared death.

“No!” One of the councilors, Lord Orlin, stood, his face pale with disbelief. “Your Highness, you cannot—”

“I can,” Kael interrupted, his voice as sharp as a blade. “This is the only way. To stop the bloodshed, to end the endless wars. This is the price of peace.”

His gaze flickered across the room, landing on the prisoners being marched in, shackled and bowed. Among them, a figure stood out. Selene Dawnveil. Her pale face was obscured by a borrowed veil, but Kael’s eyes never wavered from her. Her heart was hammering, and though she couldn’t see him, she could feel his gaze like a physical weight on her chest.

She had been captured three years ago, her life seemingly lost in the chaos of the battlefield. The same battlefield where she had betrayed him, leading to the destruction of his army. She had feigned death, escaped the wreckage, and now, years later, she was about to be bound to him in a way that defied both logic and fate.

Selene’s stomach churned. The Soul-Oath was known to bind two souls so tightly that they shared pain, emotions, and even memories. She had never thought she would be forced to undergo it, and certainly not with the very man she had condemned to his suffering. But now, it seemed the inevitable had arrived.

Her eyes locked with Kael’s from across the room, and for the briefest moment, something stirred within her. A flicker of recognition? No, that was impossible. He hadn’t remembered her, not yet. And it would be better that way.

Kael stepped forward, his posture regal yet burdened. The council held its breath as he addressed the crowd, his voice steady despite the storm brewing in his chest.

“I will bind myself to this Omega,” he continued. “Selene Dawnveil, a warrior of the enemy. Her life will be my own. And this is my sacrifice to secure ten years of peace.”

The room erupted in a cacophony of disbelief, but Kael ignored them. His eyes never left Selene, and in that moment, she felt a shiver run down her spine. Was it fear? Or something else? It was too soon to tell, but she couldn’t escape the feeling that fate was closing in on them both.

As the ritual began, Kael’s mind drifted, his thoughts clouded by the visions that had plagued him since the campaign. A ghostly figure, a girl, reaching for him through flames. He had seen her in his dreams—had heard her name whispered in the dark. But who was she?

The silver chains that bound their wrists were cold, their edges sharp as they cut into their skin. The ritual began, and the blood mixed—his, hers, together as one. The room gasped as the bond flared into existence, a pulse of power that sent a shockwave through the hall. Kael felt it first—pain, raw and unbidden, coursing through his body. A second later, Selene felt it too.

The room fell into an eerie silence as Kael and Selene collapsed to their knees, the shared agony overwhelming them both. The oath had taken. There was no turning back.

---

Selene awoke on a cold servant pallet in a room far removed from the court, her breath shallow, her heart still racing. She had not expected the pain to be so intense, so all-encompassing. The bond was alive between them now, woven into their very souls. She could feel him, even now, somewhere in the palace. Could he feel her too?

Kael, in his private chambers, awoke with a start, his skin burning as though touched by flames. His body was drenched in sweat, his pulse erratic. He had been dreaming again, but this time, the dream was more vivid—more real. A girl in flames, reaching for him. Her voice, her name—Selene.

The oath was real. They were bound.

But as the hours passed, Kael’s mind lingered on something far more troubling: the girl in his dreams wasn’t a stranger. And he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had met her before.

---

The tension in the air was thick as Kael sat in the royal war library, surrounded by ancient scrolls. He flipped through them, desperately searching for answers, but all he found were warnings. The Soul-Oath was a dangerous thing. It amplified memories, heightened emotions, and bound the souls of those who shared it.

He didn’t care about the warnings. He needed to understand why he kept dreaming of her, why her name felt so familiar. Selene.

The door creaked open, and Captain Lynox stepped inside, his expression unreadable.

“Your Highness,” Lynox said, his voice low. “The prisoner, Selene. She’s been placed in the servants’ quarters. We’ve been instructed to monitor her.”

Kael didn’t respond immediately. His mind was elsewhere. “Monitor her closely,” he said finally. “And make sure she doesn’t leave the palace. Not until I say otherwise.”

Lynox gave a curt nod and left without another word.

Kael stared at the scrolls in front of him, his mind racing. The bond was already taking its toll. His body ached from the shared pain. And he had no idea what to do about the girl in his dreams. Or the woman in his palace.

The stage was set. Destiny was waiting, just beyond the threshold.

---

Selene lay on her pallet, her eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. She could feel Kael’s presence, his emotions—confusion, frustration, and something else. Pain. His pain had become hers, and hers his. She could not escape it. The bond was alive, and it would only grow stronger from here.

She had once thought that the greatest burden she would bear was the guilt of her betrayal. But now, she realized, that was nothing compared to the weight of this.

Their lives were intertwined, their fates sealed.

And the price of peace was far higher than either of them could have imagined.