“Wounds and Shadows”

Morning came slowly to the temple.

Rain misted against the stained-glass windows, scattering light across the marble floor in fractured colors — red, gold, and gray.

Dunk lay still on a cot near the Sanctum window, his pale skin streaked with faint burns from the holy wards. The bond had spared him from death, but not from pain.

Across the room, Joong prepared a healing charm, his lips moving in quiet prayer.

Every time he pressed his hand to Dunk’s chest, he could feel that shared pulse — two hearts beating in uneasy rhythm.

> “You should rest,” Joong murmured.

> “And miss you scolding me again?” Dunk’s voice was soft but teasing, the usual arrogance dulled by exhaustion.

“No, thanks.”

Joong ignored the smirk, but his eyes softened. “You risked too much.”

> “You’re the one who called them,” Dunk muttered faintly. “Your power called to the hungry.”

The shaman froze. He wanted to deny it — but the truth was sharp. The bond had amplified his light, and light always drew darkness.

Before he could reply, footsteps echoed through the hall.

🕯️ The Arrival

Pond Naravit burst through the door, dragging behind him a smaller figure wrapped in a tattered cloak.

> “Found him snooping around the outer wards!” Pond snapped. “Another one of your kind, bloodsucker?”

The cloaked figure raised his head — sharp eyes glowing faintly gold.

> “If I wanted to attack, you wouldn’t be standing.”

Joong blinked. Dunk, however, groaned from the bed.

> “Phuwin.”

The name landed like a memory.

Phuwin stepped forward, worry flickering in his gaze. “You idiot,” he muttered at Dunk. “You said you’d feed and hide. Not fight half the forest.”

> “Couldn’t help it,” Dunk rasped. “He smelled too holy.”

Joong rolled his eyes. Pond crossed his arms.

> “So he’s your friend. Great. I’ll fetch the stake.”

> “Try it,” Phuwin shot back, fangs flashing.

They stood face to face — Pond’s holy charm glowing, Phuwin’s aura sparking faintly red. The tension crackled, equal parts danger and stubborn pride.

> “Enough,” Joong said, his voice calm but commanding. “He stays. We owe Dunk that much.”

Pond glared but said nothing. Phuwin’s lips curved into the faintest smirk.

The truce had been drawn — thin and fragile as spider silk.

🩸 The Observers

Elsewhere, in the library’s quiet, Gemini Kael sifted through scrolls by candlelight. The faint sound of footsteps made him glance up.

Fourth Ryn leaned casually against the doorway, arms crossed, eyes gleaming with lazy amusement.

> “You really don’t sleep, do you?” Fourth teased.

> “Knowledge doesn’t sleep,” Gemini murmured without looking up. “Someone has to understand this curse before it kills them both.”

> “Someone,” Fourth repeated, stepping closer. “Or you?”

Gemini finally looked up. The vampire’s grin was disarming — wild and beautiful in a way that made his chest ache.

> “You shouldn’t be here,” Gemini said softly.

> “And yet,” Fourth shrugged, “here I am. Guess curiosity’s contagious.”

Their eyes met. For a heartbeat, everything felt too still.

Fourth turned away first, tapping a finger against a dusty shelf.

> “If you find a way to break that bond,” he said, “remember — Dunk doesn’t deserve to die again.”

Gemini watched him go — words caught behind his tongue. He wanted to ask why Fourth cared so much. He wanted to say I understand you.

But the moment passed. Only the candlelight remained, dancing over half-read scrolls and unspoken things.

🕯️ The Night’s End

By evening, Dunk slept again. Joong sat near his bedside, pretending to read, but his gaze drifted often.

Outside, Pond and Phuwin argued softly under the eaves — about faith, monsters, and the meaning of trust.

Gemini watched them all from the library balcony, one hand resting on a candle’s flame until it burned his skin. He didn’t flinch.

Below him, Fourth leaned against the wall, humming a tune older than time.

For the first time since the curse began, the temple didn’t feel like a prison.

It felt like the fragile beginning of something none of them were ready to name.

✨ End of Chapter 4 — “Wounds and Shadows”

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