Episode 5 — After the Storm

The ride back to the High Council tower was quiet, but not in the peaceful way. The air inside the transport felt thick, charged with the same energy that had surged between them during the fight.

Rowan sat across from Alder, his gaze fixed on the blur of the city outside the tinted windows. Every now and then, his chest would tighten with the memory of that moment—the sheer, overwhelming flood of Alder’s power rushing into him, the heat of it in his veins.

When they arrived, Alder didn’t take him to the Guides’ wing.

Instead, he led him down a quieter corridor, away from the hum of operatives and clerks. The door at the end opened into a private debrief room—though calling it a “room” was generous. It was dim, soundproofed, and far too close. A single table sat in the middle, but Alder ignored it, stopping only when Rowan had stepped fully inside.

The door clicked shut behind them.

“Why here?” Rowan asked, glancing around.

Alder took a slow step forward. “Because what happened out there wasn’t standard.”

Rowan folded his arms. “You mean I actually managed to keep you from burning down half the district?”

“You did more than that.” Alder’s eyes caught the dim light, sharp and assessing. “You matched me. Perfectly.”

Rowan felt heat crawl up the back of his neck. “That’s my job.”

“No,” Alder said, his voice low, almost dangerous. “That was more than guiding.”

Before Rowan could answer, Alder closed the distance, stopping so close Rowan could feel the faint brush of his coat against his arm. “You didn’t just steady me. You tuned to me. That doesn’t happen without—”

“Compatibility?” Rowan cut in. “Yeah, I’ve heard the Council briefing. You think you’re the only Esper I can work with?”

Alder’s mouth curved, not quite a smile. “I don’t think. I know.”

The bond between them pulsed without warning, a hot spark that shot straight through Rowan’s chest. He took a half-step back, only for Alder to follow, keeping the space between them nonexistent.

“You felt it too,” Alder said.

Rowan’s heartbeat picked up, but he forced his tone flat. “Even if I did, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means,” Alder murmured, “that the next time we’re in the field, you won’t just be keeping me stable. You’ll be mine.”

Rowan’s throat went dry. He told himself to move, to put space between them, but the bond thrummed again—stronger this time—and his feet stayed rooted.

Alder tilted his head, studying him like a puzzle he’d already started solving. “The Council will tell you it’s dangerous to bond too deeply. That it compromises a Guide’s judgment.”

“And you’re ignoring that advice?” Rowan asked, his voice low.

“I’m rewriting it,” Alder said simply.

For a long moment, they just stood there, the air between them humming with something unspoken. Then Alder finally stepped back, the tension snapping just enough for Rowan to breathe again.

“Rest,” Alder said, turning toward the door. “Tomorrow, we test this connection again.”

The door opened, spilling in a strip of light from the hallway. Rowan stayed frozen until it shut behind Alder, leaving him alone in the quiet.

He exhaled slowly, but the bond was still there, warm and electric in his chest.

And no matter how much he told himself otherwise, part of him wanted to feel it again.

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