All Chapters of BOUND BY ECHOES : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The guards rushed forward.Lena barely had time to breathe before two of them grabbed her arms and hauled her to her feet.“Let go of me!” she snapped, struggling.The golden line on her wrist burned hotter under the leather band.One of the guards tightened his grip.“Don’t fight.”“I’m not…”Her words died when the elders stepped into the center of the square.The crowd parted quickly for them.Everyone went quiet.Lena’s stomach dropped.Five elders.Which meant this wasn’t just curiosity.This was judgment.The oldest of them, Elder Marrik, stepped forward slowly. His sharp eyes landed on Lena like a blade.“Bring her here.”The guards dragged Lena closer to the ritual post.Right back to where Kai had been holding her moments ago.Her throat still hurt from his grip.She looked up.Kai was standing a few steps away now, arms crossed again, face completely blank.Like none of this mattered.Like he hadn’t just told her to run.Anger flared in her chest.Traitor.The guards forced

Steel scraped against leather as the three warriors stepped forward.The sound alone made Lena’s stomach tighten.Each of them carried a weapon.One had a curved blade.Another held a heavy iron spear.The third rested a hand casually on the hilt of a short sword at his waist.None of them looked nervous.Why would they?This wasn’t a fight.It was an execution.Murmurs spread through the square as the warriors formed a loose circle around Lena.The crowd leaned closer.Some excited.Some uneasy.Most just curious to see how fast she would die.Lena slowly pushed herself to her feet.Her wrists still burned where the rope had been.The golden mark pulsed faintly under her skin.She looked from one warrior to the next.They were all bigger than her.All trained and ready.Her pulse thudded loudly in her ears.Across the square, Kai stood near the council platform.Arms folded.Watching.His face gave nothing away.But Lena remembered the whisper only seconds ago.Someone just framed yo

The gates slammed shut behind them with a heavy clang.The sound echoed through the trees like a final warning.Lena didn’t look back.The iron doors of the enclave were already sealed again, cutting her off from the only home she had ever known. Cold wind rushed through the forest ahead, carrying the smell of damp earth and wild things that didn’t care about clan laws.Kai’s grip stayed firm on her arm as he pulled her down the narrow path.“Walk.”His voice was low and controlled.Lena yanked her arm free.“I am walking.”For a moment they stood there, facing each other in the dim forest light.Inside the walls, Kai had looked untouchable. A commander surrounded by guards, power, and authority.Out here, something about him felt different.More dangerous.More alone.The silence stretched between them.Then Lena spoke first.“You knew.”Kai didn’t react.“You knew they were going to do this,” she continued, her voice tight. “You knew the council wanted me dead.”He watched her for a

Lena stared at him.Her chest still rose and fell too fast. Her ribs ached where the rogue had kicked her. Dirt clung to her hands.Three bodies lay scattered across the clearing.Dead. Just like that.The man who had killed them stood calmly among them as if none of it mattered.He slid the blade into its sheath with an easy motion.Only then did Lena find her voice.“What did you mean?”His green eyes shifted to her.Sharp. Assessing.“What?”“That.” Lena swallowed. “What you said.”He didn’t answer immediately.Instead, he walked toward one of the fallen rogues and nudged the body with his boot, checking it like someone making sure a job was finished.Then he looked back at her.“You’re still alive,” he said.“That wasn’t the question.”A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth.“You’ve got nerve,” he said.Lena pushed herself to her feet.Her legs shook, but she forced herself to stand straight.“You called me a weapon.”The man studied her for a moment.Then his gaze dropped

The forest was too quiet.Kai noticed it the moment he crossed the outer ridge.No birds. No wind in the leaves. Even the insects seemed to have gone silent.Bad sign.He slowed his pace slightly, eyes scanning the trees.Behind him, the rest of the hunting party moved through the dark forest in a loose formation. Six trackers in total. Skilled. Fast. Loyal to the council.At least on the surface.Kai didn’t bother looking back at them.“Tracks were last seen near the lower valley,” one of the men said quietly from behind him.Kai nodded once.“I know.”Of course he knew.He had been the one who escorted Lena to the border.The memory flashed through his mind before he could stop it.Her standing there at the edge of the forest.Alone.Trying not to show fear.Stay alive.He had told her that.Now the council wanted her dead.Kai pushed the thought away and kept walking.A few minutes passed in silence before one of the trackers spoke again.“You think she made it this far?”Kai didn’