---
Riven lay unconscious in my arms, his breath shallow and uneven. The glow from the cursed sigil had faded, but his skin remained feverishly hot. I pressed my hand to his forehead—burning.
He was dying.
Or worse—changing.
I carried him to his bed, the weight of his limp body a terrifying reminder of how fragile he really was beneath the layers of dominance and power. As I covered him with a blanket, my fingers brushed over the place where the mark had burned. A faint trace remained—still pulsing faintly red.
---
Suddenly, the windows shattered.
I ducked instinctively, shards of glass raining down as three masked figures leapt into the room like shadows. They wore black robes with crimson lining—and the exact same sigil that had appeared on Riven's chest.
The Crimson Order.
Masked One (coldly):
"You've tainted the heir. He has made his choice."
Me (defiant):
"He chose to live. That's not a crime."
Masked One:
"No. But love is."
---
They lunged.
I reached for the dagger Riven kept in the drawer—but one of them was faster. He slammed me against the bookshelf, pinning me by the throat.
I kicked, scratched, fought—but their strength wasn't human.
Just as I felt my vision dimming—
Riven's voice echoed, deep and furious:
"Let. Him. Go."
---
The air shifted.
A storm of energy burst from the bed. Riven stood, shirtless, eyes glowing with power. His sigil blazed bright crimson now, veins etched with ancient symbols.
He looked like something out of a myth.
Terrifying.
And beautiful.
---
Riven (growling):
"If you touch him again, I'll burn this world and every cursed rule with it."
The Order members hesitated. Fear flickered.
Masked One (to the others):
"He's awakened. We fall back—for now."
They vanished in smoke.
---
Riven collapsed to his knees. I rushed to him, catching him just in time.
Me:
"What the hell was that?"
Riven (hoarse):
"The Crimson Bond… you triggered it. By staying. By choosing me back."
---
He looked at me then, eyes wide with something more than just pain.
Riven:
"You've marked me too, haven't you?"
I blinked.
Me:
"What?"
He pulled down my collar gently. There, just above my heart, faint but real—a matching sigil, smaller, still glowing faintly red.
We were bound.
---
Riven:
"You've cursed yourself."
Me (whispering):
"Or maybe I saved you."
He looked at me for a long moment, then kissed me—not out of hunger, or heat—but something desperate. Something sacred.
But as our lips parted, he whispered:
"They'll come for you now."
And I knew, the real war was only beginning.
---
[End of Chapter 26]
---