Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Lucas returned her embrace with a small, relieved smile, but before he could say anything, he felt the urgency in her grip, the tension in her body that had nothing to do with emotion and everything to do with danger. She pulled back quickly, her eyes scanning their surroundings before settling on him again. "There’s no time," she said in a low, hurried tone. "You shouldn’t be out here. Curfew is about to begin, and anyone found outside..." she paused briefly, her expression tightening, "...they don’t ask questions anymore. They just take you."

Lucas’s expression sharpened instantly, the shift in her tone enough to tell him everything he needed to know about the current state of things. Without hesitation, he gave a subtle signal to his men, a quiet command to move, and they responded immediately, falling into step behind him as Cecilia turned and began leading the way.

They moved quickly but carefully, keeping to the shadows, avoiding open paths as Cecilia guided them through narrow routes and less obvious passages, her familiarity with the town evident in the way she navigated without slowing, always choosing the safest direction, always listening for movement before committing to each turn. The distant presence of patrols could be felt even without seeing them, the faint clink of armor, the disciplined rhythm of marching boots, and more than once, they paused briefly as a group passed nearby before continuing again.

The atmosphere had changed completely from what it once was.

This was no longer a town.

It was controlled ground.

After several minutes of careful movement, Cecilia finally led them to a modest building tucked away from the main paths, its exterior unremarkable, blending in with the surrounding structures in a way that drew no attention. She moved to the entrance quickly, checking once before slipping inside, and Lucas followed immediately, the others filing in behind them.

The moment the door closed, the tension that had been riding on every breath eased slightly, not completely, but enough for them to finally stand without the constant need to disappear into shadows.

Cecilia let out a quiet breath, her shoulders dropping just a little as she reached up and removed her cloak, revealing herself fully now that they were safe, at least for the moment.

Then she turned back to Lucas.

And this time, there was no restraint.

She stepped forward and pulled him into another embrace, tighter than before, her arms wrapping around him firmly, as though confirming that he was truly there, that he was alive, that he hadn’t been lost like so many others.

They slowly broke away from the embrace, Cecilia stepping back just enough to look at Lucas properly, as if reassuring herself once more that he was truly standing before her, alive and whole, and not just a fleeting hope in a place that had grown accustomed to loss. Lucas gave her a small nod, but before either of them could speak further, his awareness shifted, his gaze moving past her as he finally took in the rest of the room.

He wasn’t the only one.

The others had noticed too.

There were two more people inside.

One sat quietly near a corner, an elderly woman whose presence carried a certain calm despite the tension in the air, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp with awareness, the kind that spoke of experience and endurance. The other stood not too far from her, a young girl, no older than eighteen, her features soft but her expression cautious, as though she had learned to be wary of everything around her.

Cecilia followed Lucas’s gaze and quickly spoke, her tone shifting back into urgency despite the brief moment of relief. "They’re with me," she said, her voice steady. "You can trust them."

The old woman inclined her head slightly. "Flora," she introduced herself simply, her voice aged but firm.

The young girl hesitated for a second before speaking. "Gwen," she said softly.

Lucas gave a small nod in acknowledgment, his men doing the same, their guard lowering just enough to accept the situation, though their awareness remained sharp out of habit.

Cecilia didn’t waste another moment. She turned to the two women, her expression now focused. "We don’t have much time," she said quickly. "Prepare baths and food for them. They’ve probably been traveling for weeks."

Flora nodded immediately, already rising to her feet without question. "It will be done," she replied calmly, moving with surprising steadiness for her age.

Gwen followed just as quickly, her earlier hesitation gone as she moved to assist, clearly accustomed to acting fast when told. "I’ll get everything ready," she added, her voice a little more certain now.

Cecilia watched them for a brief second to ensure they had begun, then turned back to Lucas and his group, her expression softening slightly again, though the urgency never fully left her eyes, because even within these walls, safety was only temporary.

Lucas didn’t sit, didn’t relax, even with the promise of food and water being prepared, because the moment of relief had already passed and what mattered now was information. His eyes stayed on Cecilia, sharp and searching, his voice calm but direct. "Tell me everything," he said. "How did this happen? How did the town fall... and Valerion?"

Cecilia’s expression tightened slightly, the question clearly reopening wounds that had not yet healed, but she didn’t hesitate. She had expected this. "This town fell first," she said, her tone steady but heavy. "Before the capital."

Lucas’s brows drew together slightly. "Before?"

She nodded. "Yes. They didn’t strike Valerion head-on at the beginning. They spread outward first, taking smaller towns like this one quietly, efficiently. No grand battles, no warnings. Just sudden control." She paused briefly, her gaze distant for a moment as if recalling it. "By the time word reached the capital... it was already too late. The surrounding regions were either occupied or cut off."

Tom leaned slightly forward. "So they isolated Valerion before taking it," he said.

"Exactly," Cecilia replied. "No reinforcements. No escape routes. Nothing."

Lucas exhaled slowly, his mind already aligning that with what they had discussed earlier about the Abyss being used as a tool of separation. "And the Abyss?" he asked, his tone sharpening slightly.

Cecilia didn’t look surprised by the question. Instead, she nodded immediately. "It was here," she confirmed. "Not long... but long enough."

The room grew quieter.

Lucas’s jaw tightened slightly. "So we were right," he said under his breath.

Cecilia looked at him, her expression darkening further. "You’ve seen traces?"

Lucas gave a slight nod. "Outside. The land is contaminated."

Flora, who had paused briefly in her movement while listening, muttered quietly, "Then it wasn’t just a rumor..." before continuing what she was doing.

Cecilia took a slow breath, then spoke again, and this time, there was something heavier in her tone, something that made even Lucas’s focus sharpen further.

"It didn’t stay here," she said.

Lucas’s eyes locked onto hers. "Where did it go?"

There was a brief pause.

And then she said it.

"It’s over Valerion."

The words landed like a weight.

"The Abyss... is covering the capital," she continued, her voice quieter now, but far more grim. "The entire city is engulfed. Blackened skies, no light, no clarity... just darkness."

No one spoke immediately.

Because they all understood what that meant.

Lucas’s expression hardened, his mind already racing through the implications, the scale of it, the intent behind it, and the danger it represented.

Valerion wasn’t just occupied.

It was buried.

Under the Abyss itself.

The room fell into a heavy silence after Cecilia’s revelation, the weight of it pressing down on everyone present, because it was no longer just a matter of occupation or defeat, it was something far worse, something unnatural, something cruel beyond reason. Lucas stood still for a moment, his gaze lowered slightly as the image formed in his mind, the capital of Valerion, once filled with life, now buried beneath an unnatural darkness, its people trapped within, defenseless against whatever horrors the Abyss might bring with it.

His jaw tightened.

"It’s too cruel..." he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. "They’re civilians..."

No one interrupted him.

Because there was nothing to say.

Valerion hadn’t just been taken.

It had been broken.

Lucas slowly lifted his head again, his expression no longer carrying uncertainty, but resolve, sharp and unwavering as he turned to Tom, Patrick, and the others. "We move at first light," he said firmly. "We head straight to Valerion. We see it ourselves."

Patrick nodded immediately, his tone serious. "And after?"

Lucas didn’t hesitate. "We go to Blackmare," he said. "The king needs to know exactly what we’re dealing with."

Tom crossed his arms slightly, his expression hard. "Then we don’t linger," he added. "In and out."

Lucas gave a slight nod. "Exactly."

Before anything else could be said, Cecilia stepped forward, her voice cutting through the moment. "Then we’re coming with you."

Lucas turned to her, his brows narrowing slightly. "No," he said instinctively. "It’s too dangerous."

Flora, who had been quiet until now, spoke calmly but firmly. "Danger is already here," she said. "Staying behind doesn’t make us safer."

Gwen stepped closer as well, her earlier hesitation gone, replaced with quiet determination. "We know the routes," she added. "The hidden paths, the patrol patterns... things you don’t."

Cecilia met Lucas’s gaze directly, her voice steady, but there was something deeper in it now. "We won’t slow you down," she said. "I swear it. But staying here..." she shook her head slightly, "...I’m not safe here. None of us are."