Cas didn't sleep that night. Not really.
He spent the hours after the prince collapsed dragging him deeper into the barn, covering the doors with hay bales, and trying not to think about the glowing golden thread pulsing faintly between their chests.
It didn't go away.
It just sat there—light as a whisper, bright as a god's lie—tugging gently every time Cas moved too far.
He'd tried cutting it. With a knife. A shovel. Even teeth.
Didn't work.
And every few minutes, the same thing flashed across his vision again:
BONDED PAIR: CASWIN ELWIN & EVREN TALVAIN
Class: Warden-KeeperEmotional Sync: 12%
➤ Shared Status Effects Enabled➤ Emotional Link (Passive) – active➤ Ability Slot Unlocked: [Unknown]
!! WARNING: Unregistered Bond !!Report to nearest Sanctuary for purge protocol.
Purge protocol?
Yeah. That sounded bad.
Cas leaned against the wall and stared at the unconscious prince, now propped up against a pile of sacks like some sort of divine mistake. His silver chestplate was cracked. His lip was bleeding. His hair looked like it had lost a war with a fireplace.
He was still gorgeous.
Because of course he was.
Cas hated him on sight.
Also because of course.
"I didn't ask for this," Cas muttered.
"I didn't either."
The prince's voice was rough, low, and very much awake.
Cas flinched so hard he kicked over a bucket.
Evren's eyes—storm-violet and furious—narrowed.
"…You're not a soldier," he said slowly.
Cas crossed his arms. "You're not dead."
"Yet."
"Sorry to disappoint."
A tense beat.
Then Evren winced and looked down at his chest. "The Bond. It linked us."
"You touched me. You started it."
"I didn't have a choice."
"Neither did I!"
Another beat.
Cas sat on a crate, arms folded. Evren didn't speak for a long time.
Then: "I know what this Class is. I've seen it in books. It hasn't appeared in over a hundred years."
"Why?"
"Because it's too strong. Too… intimate." He said the word like it burned his tongue.
Cas blinked.
"Oh gods," he said. "Is this some kind of—romance magic?"
Evren looked away. Jaw clenched.
Cas suddenly felt very warm.
🔔 Emotional Sync Increased: 13%Passive Buff: [Heartshield I] – +5% Resistance to Mental Influence
He blinked again. "Did you just… buff me?"
Evren glared at him. "Don't talk about it."
"You're blushing."
"I will end you."
Cas almost smiled—then remembered the part about purgers.
"Look," he said. "We can't tell anyone about this. You saw the system—this kind of bond is outlawed. If anyone finds out, we're dead."
"I'm already a traitor," Evren muttered.
"Well, great," Cas said. "Now I am too."
Outside, the village was gone.
The fire had burned itself out, leaving nothing but smoldering wood and ash. No soldiers. No neighbors. No home.
Cas stood at the edge of it, Evren beside him, both silent.
The bond thread still glowed between them, faint but alive.
Cas looked up at the exiled prince. "So what now?"
Evren didn't look at him, but his answer was immediate.
"We run."
Cas nodded. "Where?"
Evren finally looked at him—and there was something in his eyes Cas didn't understand yet.
"…Anywhere," he said. "As long as it's together."