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Kairos grabs my hand, pulling me towards the cave entrance. But as we reach the tunnel, a massive boulder crashes down, blocking our path. I scream, more out of frustration than fear.
"Dammit!" Kairos snarls. He raises his hands, blue runes glowing along his arms as he summons his magic. The boulder trembles but doesn't budge.
The chamber shakes violently again. I watch in horror as cracks spider-web across the ceiling, showering us with debris. The heat is becoming unbearable, sweat pouring down my face and back.
I close my eyes, trying to focus through the chaos. My newfound magic pulses beneath my skin, raw and untamed. I've barely begun to understand it, but now it might be our only chance.
"Kairos!" I shout over the rumbling. "I think I can help!"
He turns to me, silver eyes wide with surprise. "What are you planning, little one?"
I don't answer. Instead, I place my palms against the trembling cave wall. The stone feels alive beneath my touch, thrumming with energy. I take a deep breath and reach out with my mind, searching for the threads of magic I've only just begun to sense.
There. A web of energy, crisscrossing through the rock. I grab hold, willing it to stabilize. The effort is immense, sweat beading on my forehead as I pour everything I have into holding the cave together.
"That's it," Kairos murmurs, his voice filled with awe. "You're doing it, Naia."
I grit my teeth, straining to maintain my grip on the magic. "I can't hold it forever," I gasp.
Kairos steps up beside me, his own magic flaring to life. I feel it intertwine with mine, bolstering my efforts. The tremors begin to subside, the shower of rocks slowing to a trickle.
"Look," Kairos says, nodding towards the inscriptions "It's reacting to our magic."
I turn my head, careful not to break my concentration. The swirling energy pulses in time with our combined power, growing brighter and more defined.
"What does it mean?" I ask, my voice strained.
Kairos's eyes gleam with excitement. "It's a sign, little one. The portal is calling to us."
He lifts his hands, helping to cement my magic in place. Feeling everything click together like It belongs, I slowly lower my hands, panting.
"We have a little more time to decide," Kairos says. "But not long."
I blow a piece of hair out of my face, already knowing what my decision will be.
13
KAIROS
Istare at the instructions for the portal, its swirling energy calling to me. Everything I've worked for, everything I've theorized about, it's right here in front of me. And yet...
I turn to look at Naia, her face illuminated by the blooming magic in here. Her eyes are wide, a mix of fear and wonder etched across her features. She's come so far from the frightened slave I first encountered in the Dark Market. Now, she stands tall, her newfound powers crackling at her fingertips.
As another jolt shakes the cave, instinctively, I reach out to steady her, my hand gripping her arm. I know it would hold for a little longer, a few days most likely. But as I touch Naia, the contact sends a jolt through me, and suddenly, everything becomes clear.
I don't need her anymore. I've found the portal and what called me down here. By all logic, I should step through alone, leaving her behind to face whatever fate awaits her on this dying island. It's what any sensible soz'garoth would do.
But I can't. The mere thought of it feels wrong, like tearing off a limb. It's as if an invisible tether binds us together, defying all reason and self-preservation.
"Fuck," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and off-balance.
Naia's eyes widen, a mix of confusion and concern etched across her face. "What?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kairos, what's wrong?"
She's my mate. The words echo in my mind, undeniable and earth-shattering. Everything I thought I knew about myself, about my purpose, shifts in an instant. This human woman, this former slave I rescued on a whim, has become essential to me in ways I never imagined possible.
The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. All this time, I thought I was using her, that she was just a means to an end. But now, faced with the prospect of leaving her behind, I understand. She's become essential to me, not because of her powers or her ability to help me find the portal, but because of who she is.
I'm stunned as it hits me, and my possessiveness stirs up. I can't leave her. I can't. And I'm strangled by the sudden aggressive need to keep her by my side and never let her go.
