**Chapter 4 — Pain of the Bond**
Liora's legs were burning. She had been walking for what felt like hours through the dark forest, and every step made her more tired and afraid.
The heart shard in her chest would not stop pulsing. Sometimes it sent warm waves through her body. Other times it sent sharp pain, especially when Cairis walked too far ahead.
"Slow down," she called out in a shaky voice. "Please… I can't keep up."
Cairis stopped and turned around. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, making him look even more dangerous. "You are weak. That is your problem, not mine."
Liora hugged her arms around herself. Her wet clothes from the river stuck to her skin and made her cold. "I'm not used to running like this. I'm scared, okay? The knights are still behind us, those wraith things are out there, and this… this thing in my chest keeps making me feel strange."
Cairis walked back to her slowly. He towered over her, his horns making him look even taller. "Strange how?" he asked, his voice low and cold. "Tell me exactly what you feel."
Liora looked down at the ground. Her cheeks felt hot. "Sometimes it's warm. Sometimes it feels like… like my body is pulling toward you. I don't like it. It scares me."
A dark smile appeared on Cairis's face. "Good. You should be scared. You stole a piece of an Abyssal Prince's heart. The bond is only getting stronger. Soon you will feel my hunger. My anger. My pain."
He stepped closer until she had to tilt her head up to look at him. "And I will feel yours. Every tear. Every fearful little heartbeat."
Liora took a small step back but bumped into a tree. "Please don't talk like that. I said I was sorry. I only did it because I saw you die in my vision. You were bleeding on the ground and I… I couldn't stop it."
Cairis's expression stayed hard. "Your vision means nothing to me right now. Because of you, my power is slow to return. Because of you, we are being hunted."
He suddenly grabbed her chin with his clawed fingers, forcing her to look straight into his eyes. "If the bond causes you pain when I am hurt, then you will learn to protect me. Understand?"
Liora nodded quickly, tears forming in her eyes again. "Yes… I understand. Just… please don't hurt me."
For a second, his grip softened, but then he let go and turned away. "We need to find shelter before sunrise. The Church knights hunt better in daylight. They use Celestial Light to burn anything with demonic essence."
They started walking again. Liora stayed close behind him, afraid to fall too far back. The bond made sure of that too — whenever she got more than ten steps away, a dull ache started in her chest.
After a while, she spoke in a small voice. "Can I ask you something?"
Cairis did not turn around. "Speak."
"What are you? I mean… really? Are you really a prince from the demon kingdoms?"
Cairis was quiet for a moment. "I was the heir to the Vaelthorn Court in the Abyssal Realms. One of the strongest houses before the Eternal Schism. My own brothers betrayed me and threw me out. That is why I fell into your garden — I was fighting for my life when your ritual pulled me here."
Liora's eyes widened. "The Eternal Schism… I read about it in old books. The gods of Light sealed the Abyss and left cracks between the worlds."
"Yes," Cairis said coldly. "And your precious Church of Eternal Radiance hunts anything that comes through those cracks. They call us monsters. They burn us. They brand their knights with holy runes that melt demonic flesh."
Liora shivered. "I've seen the burnings in the villages. They tie witches to stakes too if they catch us using shadow magic."
Cairis stopped near a cluster of old ruined stones. "This might work for a few hours. Stay quiet while I check it."
He disappeared into the ruins for a minute, then came back and grabbed her arm, pulling her inside. The place was an old broken tower covered in vines. Inside, it was dry and hidden.
Liora sat down on the stone floor, exhausted. "Thank you for not leaving me behind."
Cairis leaned against the wall, watching her with those sharp eyes. "Do not thank me yet. I am only keeping you alive because the bond forces me to. If the shard was not in your chest, I would have killed you for what you did."
Liora pulled her knees to her chest. "You're really scary when you talk like that."
"Good," he said simply.
The heart shard suddenly throbbed hard. A strong wave of heat rushed through Liora's body, making her gasp and press a hand to her chest. At the same time, she felt a echo of Cairis's pain from his still-healing wounds.
Cairis winced too. "See? Your stupid ritual did this. The bond shares everything now. Pain. Power. Even… other feelings."
Liora's face turned red. She looked away quickly. "I don't want to feel other feelings. This is already too much."
Cairis walked over and crouched in front of her. He was so close she could see the sharp lines of his face and the way his fangs showed when he spoke.
"You have no choice anymore," he said in a low, threatening voice. "The more we touch, the stronger the bond becomes. The more we bleed together, the deeper it goes. If you want to survive the knights and the wraiths, you will have to stay close to me."
Liora nodded, scared. "Okay… I'll stay close. Just tell me what to do."
Cairis stood up again. "Rest for now. I will keep watch. But if you try to run while I sleep, the shard will wake me with pain — and I will not be gentle when I catch you."
Liora lay down on the cold stone, using her cloak as a blanket. She was exhausted, terrified, and confused. The demon prince who scared her so much was now the only thing keeping her alive.
As she closed her eyes, the heart shard gave one more slow pulse. A small, warm feeling spread through her — not just heat, but something that felt almost like safety. She pushed the feeling away quickly.
This was dangerous.
She had stolen the heart of a terrifying demon.
And now, whether she liked it or not, she was tied to him in every possible way.
Outside the ruins, the howls of void wraiths started again. They sounded closer than before.
Cairis's voice came through the darkness. "Sleep, little witch. Tomorrow will be worse."
Liora shivered and pulled the cloak tighter around her.
She was starting to believe him.
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