Cian von Valerius didn't just walk into a room; he occupied it.
He was no longer the dying star Ren had seen in the North Tower's main hall.
He was cleaned up, his golden hair brushed back from his forehead, and his royal uniform—a sharp, high-collared coat of deep midnight blue—was buttoned to the chin. Every inch of him screamed perfection, status, and a cold, unreachable distance.
As he stepped over the threshold, Ren felt the air in the tiny cell begin to vibrate.
It was subtle, a hum that only Ren seemed to hear.
"Your Highness," Ren whispered, quickly dropping to his knees. His heart was a frantic drum against his ribs. He made sure to keep his eyes on the Prince's polished black boots.
Cian didn't tell him to rise. He walked past Ren, his presence like a cold front moving through the small space. He stopped at the stone slab that served as Ren's bed, his gaze falling on the open velvet box.
"The meal was to ensure you don't faint on me." Cian said, his voice smooth and devoid of emotion. "The collar is to ensure you don't run."
Ren's fingers curled into the dirt of the floor. "I have nowhere to run, sir. I'm a scholarship student. My father's contract—"
"Your father's contract was with the Academy," Cian interrupted, turning around. He looked down at Ren, his blue eyes as sharp as ice shards.
"This collar is a contract with me. My magic is volatile. You saw what happened today. If I lose control and you aren't nearby, the feedback will level this tower. I cannot afford to have my 'Ground' wandering off to lectures or hiding in the laundry rooms."
Cian reached out, picking up the black iron collar. The sapphire in the center pulsed, a rhythmic blue light that seemed to call out to the void core in Ren's chest.
"Put it on," Cian commanded.
Ren looked up, his breath hitching. "Sir... the bonding lead... it ties our lives together. If something happens to you—"
"If something happens to me, the kingdom falls," Cian said coldly.
"In that scenario, your life is the least of my concerns. Put it on, or I'll have the guards fit it for you. I prefer my tools to be cooperative."
Ren's hand trembled as he reached for the iron. It looked like it was just a plain black collar with a big sapphire gem that was probably worth more than his entire life.
But his mind screamed Run, just like the message on the wall had warned. But as his fingers touched the sapphire, he saw the same silver thread inside him again.
It leaped.
The moment his skin touched the stone, a shock went through Ren's body. It wasn't painful—it felt like a missing piece of a puzzle snapping into place. The hunger he had felt earlier roared to life, a deep, primal urge to consume the blue light inside the gem.
He lifted the collar to his neck. The iron was cold, smelling of ancient forge-fire.
As the clasp clicked shut, a visible ripple of blue light shot out from the sapphire, wrapping around Ren's throat before sinking beneath his skin.
Ren gasped, his hands flying to his neck.
Suddenly, the world changed.
He didn't just see the Prince. He felt him. It was like a string had been tied from Ren's heart to Cian's. He could feel the low thrum of the Prince's mana, the cold undercurrent of his blood, and a strange, lingering ache in Cian's chest that spoke of exhaustion.
Cian let out a sharp breath, his hand flying to his own chest. His eyes widened, his composure breaking for a split second. He looked at Ren as if waiting for him to collapse from the effect of his resonance.
"The resonance... it's different this time."
"Your Highness?" Ren asked, still clutching his throat.
Cian stepped closer, his shadow swallowing Ren. He reached out, his gloved fingers brushing against the iron of the collar.
"Usually, a bonding lead feels like a weight. A tether that drags. But this..." Cian's brow furrowed. "It feels like the pressure is... leaving. You're draining me even now, aren't you?"
Ren shook his head frantically. "I'm not doing anything, sir! I—I'm just a Null."
"Stop lying," Cian hissed, his grip on the collar tightening, pulling Ren upward until he was forced to stand on his toes. Their faces were inches apart.
"I've had a dozen Grounds. None of them could take my mana without shaking. None of them could filter the 'noise' like you. What are you hiding?"
Ren's heart was racing so fast he thought it might burst.
The silver thread in his void core was spinning now, as if weaving a shield around his thoughts, protecting his secret from the Prince's prying gaze.
"I don't know," Ren whispered, his eyes filling with tears of sheer terror. "I'm just... empty, sir. There's nothing in me but a hole."
Cian stared into Ren's eyes for a long, agonizing minute.
As if he was looking for the Weaver's spark, for anything at all that betrayed who he said he was, but the "Null" mask was too strong.
All Cian saw was a terrified, low-status boy with a blank soul.
Finally, the Prince let go.
He stepped back, his expression returning to its mask of royal indifference.
"It doesn't matter," Cian said, straightening his coat.
"Whether you are a fluke of nature or a very clever actor, you are mine now. You will sleep when I sleep. You will eat what I provide. You will attend lectures at my this side of the school. And twice a day, you will come to my chambers for grounding. If the sapphire turns red, it means my resonance is peaking. You will find me immediately, no matter where I am. Do you understand?"
"Yes… sir," Ren murmured, bowing his head.
"Good. Eat your meal. You'll need your strength. Tomorrow, the Council of Sages arrives to inspect the 'incident' from today. You will be by my side. If you say a single word to them, I'll have your tongue."
Cian turned to leave, but as he reached the door, he stopped. He didn't turn around, but Ren saw his shoulders tense.
"And also?"
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"The boy you met earlier. Julian. Stay away from him. He doesn't want a Ground. He wants a pet he can dissect. Do not let him touch you again."
With that, Cian stepped out, and the bolt slid back into place.
Ren was left alone in the silence. He collapsed back onto the stone slab, his hand moving to the sapphire on his neck. It was warm now, pulsing in time with his own heartbeat—and Cian's.
'Attend lesson with the rest of the golden people?' His life was about to become hell.
He looked back at the washbasin mirror. He expected to see the "RUN" warning again, or the Golden Loom.
But the mirror was just a mirror.
Then, he felt it.
A small, sharp itch on the palm of his hand that made him gasp.
He turned his hand over.
A tiny, glowing silver stitch had appeared in the center of his palm. It looked like a needle-mark, but it was glowing with a soft, moonlight brilliance.
He hadn't just grounded the Prince. He had stolen a piece of the Prince's light.
He was confused.
'Was this some kind of disease? Was the prince poisoning him?'
Ren stared at the silver stitch, a realization dawning on him that was more terrifying than the collar.
He wasn't just a prisoner of the Prince.
It seemed like the prince was becoming the very thing that would destroy the his world, if he had one.
And deep down, in the dark, empty void of his chest...
Ren realized he wanted more.
And that scared him more than anything.