Kael cherished the quiet interludes spent with his mother, and his teasing older sibling, Zephyra. Yet a striking realization began to take root. His handsome bound formed from him... was no longer just a tool. It was developing an independent sentience and self-consciousness that different from him.
It was an uncanny sensation, akin to holding a conversation with himself and watching his bound answer back with its own ideas. Yet, beneath the initial strangeness was a comforting warmth: Kael realized he would never be alone and accompanied by his friendly bound.
He was caught up in an interesting conversation with his bound, Kael didn't notice his mother entering the room. Before he could utter another word, Vestera's telepathic voice was heard in his mind.
"Listen to me, Kael. Your bound is not your friend. It is an extension of your will... an instrument to see what you cannot see, to hear what you cannot hear. It is an accessory, nothing more. You and your bound must enter a formal contract immediately, lest it could learn to betray you."
Kael undid his bound as it dissolved back into himself. "What? Is it truly possible for a bound to turn against its bearer?"
Vestera stepped forward. "It is more common than you think. When a bound grows too willful, it can overpower its bearer's mind, dominating their consciousness until the bearer becomes a puppet for its bound. In some cases, they can free themselves free from the bearer entirely. Because of this, a strict law was appended to the Book of Nocthe. The Edict mandates that every bearer shackle their bound via a contract. Within that contract, you can choose how much free will to grant it or strip away the freedom entirely. The punishment for defying this law is severe: the bearer is permanently severed access from the Light Angles, and the rogue bound is eliminated."
Kael looked at her with his piqued curiosity. "And what about you, Mother? How do you command your bound?"
Vestera's bound smiled. "I can alter my bound's will depending on the circumstance. Sometimes free will is a liability; sometimes it is an asset. It all depends on how you write the terms of your contract."
She paused, smoothing the lapels of his bound's tunic. "You would have naturally learnt about all of this once you joined the Vel Vraeth Academy. But you, my son, are a prodigy as the First Child. To perfectly sustain a bound immediately following your First Divide event is an unprecedented feat."
Her eyes softened as she remembered. "Did you forget what veil it is? Your carriage is waiting. You are finally going to the academy."
Kael's eyes lit up. "Let's go then!" he urged with excitement. "I can finally join Big Sis Zephy on her mission to the Southern Surface!"
Vestera placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will meet many people there, Kael. Make sure you choose your companions wisely. Because of your lineage and status, there are those who will pounce on you, seeking to use you. Honest friends are rare to find but if you find even one, guard that bond and never let them go."
~~
When they stepped out of the concubine quarters, a Night Rider was already waiting in the courtyard. The beast was a terrifying amalgamation of skeleton and armored sinew, its eyes burning with low embers. It had been dispatched specifically to carry the First Child to the Vel Vraeth Academy.
The Vel Vraeth Academy stood as one of the three prestigious academy within the Nocthe Kingdom, nestled within the heart of the capital city, Dareldht. The other two academy were in north and south of the kingdom.
Kael hadn't cared which academy he joined, as long as it didn't separate him too far from his mother. But as the Night Rider tore through the dark corridors of the city with occasional street lights, just as he could have long thought about what his mother said about bound. Before he could fully untangle his thoughts, the sudden slowing of the carriage signaled their arrival.
The speed of these Night Riders is terrifying, Kael thought, peering out the dark glass. "Could these beast be from the Black Hole?
The academy loomed ahead, a breathtaking structure of ethereal black. Its architecture was a forest of pointy, high-rise towers that seemed to pierce the Cocoon Sky.
The armored door of the Night Rider chariot clicked open. Kael's bound glided out first, and Kael stepped out right behind it. The moment he stepped out, a collective murmur through the gathering crowds of newly joined students.
"Isn't that him? The First Child of Black?"
"I heard he was the reason behind that anomalous surge of black light in the center of Dareldht." said an NPC as he pointed at the Convergence hall.
"Look at him... he's the prodigy who can maintain a fully formed Bound indefinitely without breaking a sweat."
The murmurs were from a synthetic whirring echoed from the shoulders of several passing students. These were the unfortunates... who could not maintain their bound without collapsing from exhaustion of ether.
They relied on shoulder-mounted A.I., a mechanical companion to handle basic tasks and converse normally without a bound. Though the invention itself was paramount, the device was widely looked down upon, viewed as a crutch for the weak.
Ignoring both the mechanical whirrs and the envious stares, Kael moved his shadow silhouette, walking calmly toward the grand entrance.
~~
He entered the vast expanse of the Astral Hall. The whispers followed him as the incoming students gathered for the formal induction program. The hall was a massive amphitheater, and Kael walked down the circular stacked steps, heading toward the very front.
Standing at the center of the stage was Headmaster Draxen Umbraxis carrying the legacy of his father, Lestel Umbraxis... the legendary hero who had survived the tide of the last Void War.
Draxen raised his hand, as noise in the hall died instantly. His bound's voice boomed as he started the induction.
"The finest talents of the Nocthe Kingdom have gathered here in Vel Vraeth academy," Draxen's gaze sweeping across the fresh faces. "And among you stand those destined for true greatness... our academy's newest prodigies. Kael Eidolon, son of the Black Sovereign, Bestel Un Eidolon."
"Valerion Morvath," Draxen continued, gesturing to the left, "son of the High Silhouette Lord, Orion Morvath. And Soren Vespera, daughter of the High Silhouette Lord, Lucan Vespera."
Kael turned his head slightly, his eyes locking onto the two nobles a short distance away. The names struck a memory from a Lustre back; he vaguely recalled their faces from the First Divide event.
He hadn't remembered much from back then... he had been far too overwhelmed by his own awakening... but seeing them now, Kael knew his time at Vel Vraeth would be anything but ordinary.