Kaelen’s blade burned with an unnatural energy, carving through the entity’s form with every swing. The shard’s power coursed through him, sharp and unrelenting, but he couldn’t afford hesitation. Each tendril he severed hissed and dissolved into wisps, forcing the entity to reform constantly.

Sigrid, her hands ablaze with magic, pushed forward with calculated precision. Bolts of shimmering light struck the entity, each one forcing it to recoil. Her movements were fluid and controlled, in stark contrast to Kaelen’s raw, unrestrained approach.

“You’re getting the hang of this,” she said through gritted teeth, dodging a swipe.

“I had a great teacher,” Kaelen quipped, slicing through another tendril. He shot her a glance. “That’s you, by the way. In case it wasn’t obvious.”

Sigrid rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched with the ghost of a smile. “Focus.”

With their combined assault, the entity began to falter. Its form flickered, its movements slower and more disjointed. Finally, with one last strike of Kaelen’s glowing blade, the creature let out an ear-splitting shriek, its smoky body imploding in a burst of dark energy.

The chamber fell silent. Kaelen exhaled heavily, planting his sword into the ground to steady himself. The glow from the shard dimmed, leaving him with a faint, lingering ache in his chest.

“Well,” he said, glancing at the dissipating smoke. “That wasn’t so bad.”

Sigrid, leaning against a nearby pillar to catch her breath, raised an eyebrow. “You call that ‘not so bad’?”

Kaelen shrugged. “Could’ve been worse. At least it didn’t have fangs.”

She gave him a flat look, but there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Comes with the charm.” He straightened, sheathing his sword. “You good?”

“I’m fine,” she replied, brushing dust off her cloak. “Though I’m curious... That power. The shard—what did you do?”

Kaelen hesitated, his hand instinctively moving to his chest where the shard’s light had burned moments ago. “Not sure, exactly. It’s like it... listens. I focused, and it just sort of—”

“Turned you into a walking weapon,” Sigrid finished, her tone measured.

“More or less.” He grinned. “Bet you didn’t see that coming.”

She folded her arms, studying him carefully. “It’s dangerous, Kaelen. You don’t know what it’s doing to you.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “Dangerous is part of the job description. Besides, it saved our hides, didn’t it?”

Sigrid sighed, shaking her head. “You’re reckless.”

“Reckless and alive,” he shot back, smirking. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

She opened her mouth to respond, then stopped, her expression softening slightly. For a moment, she looked at him not as an unpredictable nuisance, but as a man who had fought beside her and stood his ground.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Kaelen blinked, caught off guard. “Did you just—? Was that an actual ‘thank you’?”

“Don’t make me regret it,” she said sharply, though there was no real bite in her voice.

He chuckled, stepping closer. “Well, look at that. I’m growing on you.”

“Hardly.” But she didn’t move away.

They sat on the edge of the chamber, catching their breath while Nessa examined the remains of the altar. The girl seemed lost in her own thoughts, giving the two hunters a rare moment of quiet.

Kaelen leaned back, his arms resting on his knees. “You know,” he said, glancing at Sigrid, “for someone who insists on being all business, you’re not half bad company.”

“High praise, coming from you,” she replied, her tone dry.

“Hey, I’m serious. You’ve got this whole icy, lone-wolf thing going on, but you’ve got... layers.”

She frowned, unsure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult. “Layers?”

“Yeah. Like an onion. Or a very dangerous cake.”

Sigrid stared at him, utterly unimpressed. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet, here we are,” he said with a grin.

She sighed, shaking her head, but there was no mistaking the faint smile tugging at her lips.

As the silence stretched on, Kaelen’s gaze wandered to the runes carved into the walls. “You think we’re done here?”

“For now,” Sigrid said. “But this place isn’t just some forgotten ruin. There’s more to it.”

“Great,” he muttered. “More things that want to kill us.”

She looked at him, her expression softening again. “You handled yourself well back there.”

Kaelen raised an eyebrow. “You mean when I saved your life? Yeah, I thought so too.”

“I mean it,” she said, her voice serious. “That power you tapped into—it wasn’t just luck. You’re... capable. More than I expected.”

He tilted his head, smirking. “Careful, Sigrid. That almost sounded like a compliment.”

“Don’t get used to it,” she replied, but her tone was lighter than usual.

Kaelen leaned back, grinning to himself. For the first time since they’d met, he felt like they were more than reluctant allies.

And while he woul

dn’t say it out loud, he was beginning to understand why the thought of earning her trust mattered to him.