Arcane Bonds

Tears streamed down Joy’s cheeks, her small hands clawing at her mother’s arms. “But… but Eden… she’s… I’m going to kill that, that… bastard.”

Valen lifted Eden’s limp body high above his head, flames dancing around his molten claws as the crowd stared in shock. For a moment, it seemed like the battle had ended—Eden’s lifeless form hung from his grasp, her robes singed and charred. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the arena, the tension thick enough to cut with a blade. In the Draymore alcove, Darius’s eyes narrowed while Magnus stood stone-faced, their focus not on the celebration of victory but scanning the battlefield with wary eyes.

The Draymore family erupted in cheers, celebrating what they believed to be Valen’s overwhelming triumph. Yet, amidst the cheers, both Darius and Magnus remained silent, their gazes fixed on the thick mist still swirling around the arena floor. There was something… off.

Back in the arena, the moment of supposed victory was shattered. Without warning, cracks began to spiderweb across Eden’s body, glowing with an ominous light. The crackling intensified, and then—

BOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the arena, a fiery blast that sent molten fragments flying. Valen’s roar of agony echoed through the stands as the explosion blew his massive arm clean off, leaving a mangled stump where his claw had once been. The searing heat and force of the blast sent him staggering backward, his molten lizard form roaring in pain as he clutched his smoldering, disintegrating limb. His body, aflame, began to regenerate, but the pain was evident, etched into his face as the crowd gasped in horror and disbelief.

The spectators reeled, unsure of what they had just witnessed. Mages in the tower leapt from their seats, their eyes wide as they stared down at the arena, struggling to make sense of the chaos. For a moment, the entire stadium stood still, frozen in shock.

As the mist began to dissipate, a figure slowly emerged, stepping through the fading haze like a phantom. The crowd held their breath, all eyes on the shadowy outline that began to take form. There, standing in the center of the battlefield, was Eden—alive.

An uproar exploded from the stands as the audience struggled to comprehend what they were seeing. Eden, though battered and breathing heavily, stood tall. Her clothes were scorched and torn, her skin bruised from the battle, but her eyes blazed with defiance. Her pristine, composed appearance was gone, replaced by the raw grit of a warrior who had just stared death in the face and refused to fall.

In the Emberheart alcove, Joy’s breath hitched as she leaned forward, her fists clenched. “She’s… alive,” she whispered in disbelief, her heart pounding in her chest.

Eve’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile as she adjusted her glasses. “Of course she is,” she murmured softly, but even she was surprised by Eden’s resilience.

Valen, now standing several meters away with his regenerated arm, growled in frustration. His molten eyes locked onto Eden, struggling to understand how she had escaped. He had her. He knew he had her. Yet, there she was, standing in defiance.

The crowd roared, half in awe, half in confusion. Eden magic swirling at the point of her wand, ready to face the fiery beast once more. The battle was far from over.

Eden raised her wand with a trembling hand, but her resolve was unwavering. Above the tip of her wand, a massive magic circle appeared, its swirling red and blue light casting an eerie glow over the battlefield. She began chanting, her voice steady despite the exhaustion weighing on her body. The air around her began to crackle with energy, and the very ground trembled beneath her as an enormous cumulus of mana began to coalesce.

A blazing sphere of flames began to form, but within its center, a pressurized core of ice pulsed like the nucleus of a star. The two opposing elements converged, swirling together in perfect harmony, and as they fused, they formed a five-meter-wide, blazing sphere—half brilliant white flames, half icy blue. It hovered above her like a miniature sun, both enchanting and terrifying in its beauty.

In the royal alcove, the principal of the Mage Academy stood in awe. “That spell... It’s far beyond her level. How is this possible?”

The crowd held their breath, captivated by the sheer power and beauty of the spell. In the arena, Valen, not willing to back down, roared and launched himself toward Eden, his fiery lizard form cutting through the air with terrifying speed. Eden gritted her teeth, her body trembling from the strain, and screamed as she unleashed the spell, hurling the colossal sun directly toward Valen.

For a heartbeat, it seemed as though the spell had vanished. The entire arena fell silent, gasps of disappointment spreading through the crowd. But before anyone could comprehend, in the blink of an eye, the sphere reappeared—slamming directly into Valen’s massive body with a thunderous impact. The force of the explosion was beyond anything the audience had anticipated. Flames and ice erupted in a cataclysmic shockwave, sending Eden flying to the far edge of the arena, her body tumbling helplessly through the debris and chaos. The barrier surrounding the arena shuddered, straining under the pressure of the blast.

“This match is over!” he bellowed. “We need to save them, now! That kind of spell will kill its own caster—it’s too strong, and they’re isolated!”

Immediately, a group of elite mages prepared to rush in, but before they could move, the smoke began to clear. The audience watched in stunned silence as the battlefield was revealed.

Chaos reigned—flames still smoldered, ice covered parts of the arena, and debris littered the ground. But there, lying in one corner, was Valen, his body heavily injured, barely moving. His molten form was cracked and charred, the fiery essence that once protected him now fading.

In the opposite corner, Eden stood, though barely. She was gravely wounded, an ice spear jutting from her abdomen, blood dripping from the wound. Yet, despite her injuries, she smiled—a smile filled with grim satisfaction. With a trembling hand, she grabbed the ice spear lodged in her belly, pulling it free with a scream of pain. Blood poured from the wound, but she quickly pointed her wand at it, freezing the gash to stop the bleeding. Her eyes never left Valen as she slowly lifted her wand again, her breathing labored.

Valen, barely conscious, watched her with half-lidded eyes. He struggled to lift his head, blood dripping from his mouth. “Kill me,” he muttered. “You’re stronger. I’ve always known it... I accept my fate.”

The crowd fell into a stunned silence as Valen, in an act of submission, opened his arms and closed his eyes, ready to accept his death. But just as Eden gathered the last remnants of her strength, ready to end the fight, Valen coughed violently and vomited blood, his body collapsing onto the ground. He had reached his limit.

Eden’s hand trembled as she prepared to cast her final spell, her eyes locked on Valen’s prone form. She was about to cast her final spell when a slow, deliberate clapping broke the silence, echoing through the stadium, breaking the tension like a knife through glass. The sound reverberated through the silence, commanding everyone's attention.

Eden faltered, her wand lowering slightly, as her eyes turned toward the source of the applause.

The battle was over—but the consequences had only just begun.