Fated in fire and shadows

The night air was thick with the smell of smoke and the distant sound of clashing swords. Selene Veyra stood at the edge of the rooftop, her dark cloak billowing around her, blending into the shadows. The city of Elenor lay beneath her-a sprawling metropolis of stone and steel that once belonged to Eldoria. Now, it was a battleground, consumed by flames and blood.

Nyxaria had come for it. For centuries, the two kingdoms had been at war, and tonight, they would bring the final reckoning.

Selene's fingers twitched, the dark energy that ran through her veins stirring as her eyes scanned the battlefield. Below, the Eldorian soldiers fought fiercely against her fellow Nyxarian warriors, but it was clear who held the advantage. Nyxaria's magic was far more potent, far more deadly. The Eldorians, despite their advanced technology, were no match for the power of the shadowcasters. Not tonight.

Her heart raced-not from fear, but from the exhilaration of the fight. Magic surged around her like a storm as she called on the shadows to cloak her. She leapt from the rooftop without hesitation, landing silently behind the Eldorian soldiers. Her boots barely made a sound on the cobblestone streets as she unsheathed her blade-a dagger forged from the darkest obsidian and enchanted with her own power.

One by one, the soldiers fell. She moved like a wraith, her blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. She was untouchable, an unseen force of nature.

But then, in the chaos of the battle, something caught her eye.

A figure. Standing in the heart of the battlefield. The glow of magic flickered around him like a corona of fire, and his eyes, the color of molten gold, locked with hers from across the field.

Selene's breath caught in her throat.

Kairos Eldrin.

Crown Prince of Eldoria.

She had heard stories of him-tales whispered in the shadows of Nyxaria's war councils. A prodigy in fire magic, a ruthless leader, and the son of the man who had sworn to annihilate her kingdom. And here he stood, at the center of the fight, wielding a sword crafted from the heart of a fallen star. The blade shimmered with magical energy, and with every swing, it sent waves of heat rippling through the air.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other, two opposing forces bound by fate.

He didn't flinch when he saw her. He didn't retreat. Instead, he raised his sword, his gaze unwavering.

"You must be the infamous shadowcaster of Nyxaria," he said, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle. His tone was laced with contempt, but beneath it, there was something else-a spark of curiosity, a challenge. "The one who's been killing my men."

Selene smirked, her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't kill, Prince. I end."

With that, she charged.

Kairos met her head-on, his fire magic flaring as their blades clashed. Sparks exploded from the point of contact, the heat of his magic searing her skin. She twisted her blade, narrowly avoiding the force of his strike, and darted to the side.

"I should've known it would be you," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "Your reputation precedes you."

"Funny," Selene retorted, "I didn't think Eldorians could be so predictable."

They fought with the fury of long-standing enemies, magic and steel colliding in a symphony of destruction. But there was something in the air between them-a tension, a pull, an undeniable force that neither of them could ignore. The more they fought, the more they were drawn together, the more the shadows and fire seemed to converge around them.

And then, just as Selene's blade came down in a lethal arc, something happened.

A pulse of energy radiated from the heart of the battlefield-a shockwave of raw power that sent them both reeling. The ground beneath their feet cracked, and the sky above them split open, tearing apart with an unnatural sound. The magic in the air thickened, becoming oppressive, suffocating.

"What is this?" Kairos muttered, his hand instinctively reaching out for his sword as he steadied himself. "This magic-it's unlike anything I've ever felt."

Before Selene could respond, a voice echoed through the storm, deep and resonant, reverberating in the very air around them.

"The Fated Ones have met. The time of reckoning begins."

The words were ancient, full of power-power that seemed to consume everything in its path. The wind howled, the flames flickered and dimmed, and for the briefest moment, everything stood still.

Selene's heart hammered in her chest. No. No, this couldn't be happening.

Not now. Not like this.

She looked down at her wrist, and her breath caught.

A glowing mark had appeared there-etched into her skin, hot to the touch. It was a rune, ancient and powerful. The same rune that had marked Kairos's arm.

They had been bound.

By fate. By magic.

No. This was a mistake. The prophecy couldn't be true. She had heard the whispers-the tales of a binding that could end the war, or destroy everything. But she never believed it.

"Impossible," she whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "This is-this is insane."

Kairos's gaze was locked on the mark on his own arm, his expression darkening. "It seems the prophecy wasn't just a fairy tale after all."

Selene's chest tightened. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They were enemies-rivals. There was no room for fate or magic to intervene.

"You-" She took a step back, her mind spinning. "You're the last person I should be bound to."

Kairos exhaled sharply, his fire magic flickering in response to the overwhelming force of the rune. "Tell me about it."

Before they could say another word, the sky erupted again, and the battlefield around them seemed to shift. Soldiers from both sides fell to their knees, and in the distance, the sound of horns blared-a call to retreat, to regroup.

But neither of them moved. They stood frozen, connected by magic, and by a prophecy neither of them could escape.

"Well," Kairos said with a wry grin, breaking the silence. "Looks like we have some unfinished business."

Selene's lips curled into a bitter smile. "This isn't over, Prince."

But deep down, she knew the truth. It had only just begun