Leon’s jaw tightened, his breath unsteady. “She’s mine. I didn’t come here to lose her—I came here to make sure she stays with me.”

The sorcerer studied him for a long moment, then leaned forward, his voice a whisper of poison. “And yet, she is the key to his destruction. You cannot have both, Leon.”

Leon’s fists shook. He refused to believe that.

“There is another way,” the sorcerer mused. “If you will not sacrifice her…” He tilted his head, watching Leon closely. “Then you must bind her.”

Leon stilled.

“Seal her to you. Make her yours in every way that matters. If she belongs to you completely—body, soul, mind—then she cannot be used against you. But such magic is… irreversible.”

Something dark and possessive stirred in Leon’s chest.

“She would never leave,” the sorcerer continued. “Never betray you. Never be touched by another—even fate itself.”

Leon exhaled slowly.

A choice.

To lose her—or to keep her forever, whether she wanted it or not.

His lips parted.

“Tell me how.”

The sorcerer’s smirk widened, sensing Leon’s resolve harden.

“You already have a claim on her,” he mused. “I can feel it—the way your soul clings to hers, the way your thoughts are bound by her presence. But a claim is not enough. You must make it absolute.”

Leon swallowed, his mind racing. “How?”

The sorcerer leaned back, tapping his fingers on the armrest. “Blood magic.”

Leon’s breath hitched. He knew of it—magic that entwined fates, that left no escape. Dangerous. Eternal.

“She must drink from you,” the sorcerer said. “And you from her. A willing exchange. Her life will be tied to yours—her thoughts, her desires, her very being. She will never crave another, never stray, never dream of anyone but you.”

Leon’s pulse pounded in his ears. “And she will be safe from him?”

“She will cease to exist for him. He will not sense her, not reach for her. She will be yours alone.” The sorcerer’s eyes gleamed. “But be warned, Leon. If she resists, the bond will break—and it will destroy her.”

Leon exhaled sharply. He could not risk losing her. But he also knew her. She would never willingly tie herself to him like this.

Unless…

His mind settled on the only path left.

She wouldn’t have a choice.

He would make sure of that.

His fingers curled. “Tell me what I need to do.”

The sorcerer grinned, pleased by Leon’s surrender to his darkest desire. He gestured to the table beside him, where an ancient dagger lay—a relic steeped in power, its hilt wrapped in faded leather, its blade etched with forgotten runes.

Leon’s jaw tightened as he reached for it, feeling the weight settle into his palm. The air crackled around him, thick with unseen forces.

“You must act before your brother breaks free,” the sorcerer warned. “Once he returns, his bond to her will strengthen. If that happens, even this ritual won’t be enough.”

Leon’s fingers clenched around the dagger. He didn’t need the reminder. Every second wasted brought his brother closer.

“Do it ,” the sorcerer continued, his voice laced with amusement. “Make her drink from you—bind her, before it’s too late.”

Leon said nothing. He turned sharply on his heel, his cape billowing behind him as he strode toward the exit. His heart thundered with a singular, consuming thought.

She was his.

she would know it too.

***

It was the middle of the night, and the world outside lay in a deep, dreamless slumber. Inside her dimly lit room, she was curled up beneath her sheets, breathing softly, lost in a peaceful sleep.

And that was when it began.

A whisper. Faint, distant—like a breath against her ear.

Her brows furrowed slightly, her sleep disturbed by the eerie sound. The whisper came again, threading through the silence, tugging at the edges of her consciousness. This time, it was clearer.

"Come to me."

Her eyes fluttered open. The room was still, draped in darkness. The only sound was the soft ticking of the clock on her nightstand. She sat up, blinking away the haze of sleep, her heart beating a little faster.

"Must be my imagination," she mumbled to herself. With a sigh, she lay back down and pulled the blanket over her shoulder, willing herself to drift off again.

But just as her mind began to sink into slumber, the whisper returned.

"Come to me."

Her body stiffened. The voice was deeper this time, insistent. She shot up, turning on the bedside lamp. Light flooded the room, chasing away the shadows. Her wide eyes darted around.

Nothing.

An uneasy breath escaped her lips. Was she dreaming? She shook her head and reached for the switch, plunging the room back into darkness.

The whisper came instantly.

"Come to me."

She gasped and switched the light on again. Silence. Her fingers trembled slightly as she gripped the edge of her blanket.

Off.

"Come to me."

On.

Silence.

Her chest rose and fell in uneven breaths. This wasn’t normal. Something—someone—was here. She turned off the light once more, expecting the voice.

But instead, the lamp exploded.

A sharp crack echoed through the room as glass shards flew, making her flinch backward against the headboard. The room plunged into darkness, and an unnatural vibration rattled the walls. The bedframe trembled. The floor quaked beneath her feet as if the very foundations of her world were shifting.

Her pulse pounded wildly.

"W-what’s happening?" she whispered, pressing herself against the headboard, fingers clutching the sheets.

The whisper returned—but this time, it wasn’t just a whisper. It was layered, overlapping voices, murmuring, hissing, pleading, demanding.

"Come to me. Get me out. Get me out!"

The sudden rage in the voice sent a jolt of terror through her veins. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head as if to block it out. But the voices only grew louder, angrier, surrounding her, suffocating her.

And then—

Silence.

Panting, she opened her eyes. The room was eerily still, yet an odd sensation prickled at the back of her neck. Slowly, her gaze shifted to the mirror across the room.

A chill crawled up her spine.

"Come to me…" The whisper slithered from the glass, softer now, almost pleading.

She hesitated. Her feet felt glued to the mattress, but something compelled her forward. Her breath came out in short gasps as she slid off the bed and padded toward the mirror. Her fingers trembled as she reached out, placing her palm against the cool surface.

Nothing.

She let out a shaky laugh, feeling foolish. "I knew it—"

A shadow moved.

Her breath hitched. The reflection behind her had shifted. Her real body stood frozen, but in the glass, her reflection tilted its head, its lips stretching into a slow, knowing smile.

"Come to me," the reflection whispered.

She stumbled back, her heartbeat a wild drum in her chest. The mirror darkened, the glass turning murky, as though something was clawing its way through from the other side. The whisper grew distorted, a guttural, echoing chant.

She spun around, intending to run—but something snatched her wrist.

A cold, unnatural grip latched onto her, yanking her backward. A scream tore from her throat as she was pulled into the glass. Her reflection warped, her body disappearing into the endless void beyond the mirror’s surface.

And then—

Silence.

The room stood empty.

The broken lamp flickered once before the bulb gave its final dying breath.

The mirror sat still, untouched.

But if one looked closely, if one dared to listen, they would hear it—a faint whisper from the other side.

"Come to me…"

___

As she’s pulled into the mirror, reality distorts. The glass ripples like water, swallowing her whole before she can scream.

She lands hard on a cold, stone floor. The air is thick, damp, and reeks of something ancient. Shadows stretch unnaturally, moving even when nothing is there. A whisper slithers through the darkness.

"You came to me."

Her heartbeat pounds. She scrambles to her feet, spinning in place. The room is endless yet suffocating, the walls shifting like they’re alive. Then—footsteps. Slow, deliberate.

A figure emerges from the dark.

It’s him.

The voice that called her. The presence that haunted her. But his face—distorted, half-real, like something trapped between existence and oblivion.

"I've waited for you."

The walls tremble. The mirror behind her seals shut, trapping her inside.

To be continued...