The invitation arrived just after sunset.
A single envelope bearing the royal crest — a silver sun partially eclipsed by a crescent moon, sealed in violet wax. The moment Kael touched it, the temperature around his fingertips dropped half a degree.
Magic-infused parchment. Designed to ward off tampering.
Inside was a single message, written in elegant script:
"Kael Faelwinter. You are summoned to the Moonlight Pavilion at the third bell.
— Crown Princess Seraphine Valebliss"
The Moonlight Pavilion was nothing like the grand halls of the palace or the echoing might of the Arcseal chambers.
It was quiet.
Private.
Set within a glacial garden built for the royal family — where enchanted water lilies bloomed under moonlight and snow never melted from the obsidian stones.
Kael walked through the frost-stained archway, the cold air kissing his skin like it recognized him.
She was already there.
Seated at the center of the pavilion in a throne of silver petals and mist, Seraphine Valebliss looked every bit the royal she was born to be.
She wore a flowing gown of sapphire lace that shimmered like starlight across still water. Her long silver-blue hair fell past her waist. A faint ripple of light magic danced at her fingertips as she held a crystal teacup in one hand — untouched.
She didn't look up at first.
But Kael knew she had sensed him the moment he entered.
"You came," she said softly, finally raising her gaze.
Her eyes met his.
And for a heartbeat, the world went still.
Silver met silver.
Hers glowed like morning light on ice.
His gleamed like frost under the moon.
Both beautiful.
Both unreadable.
Kael bowed slightly, voice calm. "You summoned me."
"Formally," she replied. "But not politically. This isn't about war or nobility."
"Then what is it about?"
She tilted her head, studying him. "Truth."
[Bond Link System Notification:]
[Seraphine Valebliss – Affection: 6% → 10%]
[Emotion Detected: Intrigue]
[Warning: Bond path origin diverged from destined trajectory (Ravian Arklen)]
Kael didn't react outwardly.
But inside?
He was already preparing his next move.
Seraphine rose, her bare feet silent against the enchanted stone. She walked slowly toward him, a perfect mixture of grace and gravity. When she stopped, they were close enough to feel the tension between their auras — water and ice brushing like layered mirrors.
"I've read every royal record," she said. "Your name was marked as magically frozen. Zero output. A failed awakening."
Kael's lips curved faintly. "I thawed."
A soft exhale escaped her. "You don't act like someone who just awakened to power. You act like someone who's been waiting for the world to notice."
He didn't answer.
Not because he didn't want to.
But because she was right.
[Seraphine Affection: 10% → 14%]
Suddenly, her mana stirred.
Water shimmered from her fingertips, forming a perfect blade of translucent ice—suspended midair.
"I want to test something," she said.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "If this is a duel, I'm not interested."
"It's not." Her voice was soft now. Almost… hesitant. "I want to see what your mana does when I'm close."
She stepped forward.
Their auras touched.
And the Pavilion reacted.
Frost bloomed in patterns around Kael's feet. Mist rose like a veil around her. Their mana began to spiral—two storms brushing along the edge of fusion.
Seraphine's breath hitched. "This shouldn't be possible…"
[System Alert: Mana Sync Detected — 18% Compatibility]
[Warning: Unregistered affinity resonance forming]
Kael gently took her hand.
For just a second.
The world pulsed.
[Bond Link Compatibility Rising: 14% → 21%]
[Passive Acquired: Royal Stillness — Presence suppression in formal settings. Charisma buff +25%.]
She stepped back suddenly.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed.
Seraphine Valebliss — the calm, untouchable Crown Princess — was speechless.
"I…" she began, then stopped. Her fingers curled slightly. "You're… not what I expected."
Kael turned, his voice low and smooth. "Neither are you."
As he walked from the Pavilion, the air behind him remained cold.
But not from his magic.
From the moment.
From the shift.
From the first pull of a bond that was never meant to be his.