Soulbound Ascension

Present

Sibiu, Transylvania

Central Romania

Voivodina.

The word was soft, almost tender, brushing against Valia's consciousness like the ghost of a kiss. A name spoken in the dark, pulling her from the abyss of slumber. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to sink back into the velvet folds of unconsciousness, to let the centuries slip by in peace. But the whisper grew louder, more insistent, and its gentleness curdled into something jagged and vile.

Darkness closed in, suffocating and insidious, wrapping around her like a serpent. She could taste its rancid presence on her tongue, a bitterness that made her recoil. The shadows squeezed tighter, and then came the scream. A sound so raw, so piercing, it shattered the fragile veil of her rest.

Her crimson eyes snapped open, and she inhaled sharply, drawing in a mouthful of stale, damp air. It reeked of decay and dust, the scent of time forgotten. Her fingers twitched against the cold stone beneath her, testing the limits of her weakened body.

Voivode.

Her king.

Panic jolted through her, sharp and immediate. The scream—his scream—still echoed in her mind, a raw wound that refused to close. She tried to rise, but her muscles betrayed her, trembling with disuse. Her body, long dormant in the bowels of an abandoned building, was a shadow of its former self. Yet her mind remained sharp, a blade dulled by neither time nor slumber.

She reached out, not with her hands but with her mind, her ancient power stretching beyond the confines of her crumbling tomb. The world unfurled before her in threads of energy and sound, each strand humming with life. Somewhere, far from this desolate place, she felt him. The seal was cracking, his power bleeding into the void. And something else—something malevolent—was feeding on it.

Her jaw tightened. She could not let this happen.

Valia's consciousness surged forward, leaving her frail body behind. Her form dissolved into a wisp of energy, streaking across the seas of frozen lives. As she moved, she scanned the seas of suspended animation, countless bodies frozen mid-motion. Mortals, their lives paused by a celestial ripple. But one among them stirred, faint and flickering like a candle against the wind. She honed in on him.

Present

Copper Box Arena,

London

"Move, darn it! Why won't you move?"

Lee 'Gumayusi' Minhyung strained against the invisible weight pressing him down. His limbs felt like lead, his body unresponsive no matter how fiercely he willed it to obey. Around him, the world hung in eerie stillness. The roar of the crowd, the flashing lights, the cacophony of the arena—all silenced. Even the hum of his thoughts felt muted, as though he were caught in a liminal space between consciousness and oblivion.

"What's happening?" he thought, panic threading through his mind. "Why do I feel like I'm… trapped?"

"Because you are," came a voice, soft but resolute, like the rustle of silk against steel. It was a woman's voice, low and melodic, yet laced with urgency.

His eyes widened. "Who—what—are you?"

"A friend," she replied smoothly, with an accent where Rs are distinct and pronounced. "And I'm impressed. Despite the celestial sleep that binds everyone here, your mind remains active. You're no ordinary human."

"Ordinary or not, I can't move!"

"I can fix that," she said. "But I need something from you in return."

Suspicion flared in him. "You want to use me, don't you? Piggyback on my body?"

"Yes. And before you protest further, know this: time is not on our side. Your friend is in grave danger."

The mention of Faker—Sanghyeok-hyung—cut through his wariness like a blade. He remembered the way Faker had collapsed, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light, his body suspended mid-air. And his teammates… the way their eyes had changed, the barrier Zeus had erected. Nothing about the situation made sense, but the urgency was undeniable.

"What's happening to him?" Gumayusi demanded.

The voice softened, tinged with desperation. "His seal is breaking. If it shatters completely, it will destroy him. And something far worse will emerge."

His jaw tightened. "What do you need me to do?"

"Lend me your body. I'm too weak to intervene physically, but with your help, I can cross the barrier and stabilize him."

"And you promise this will save him?"

"It's the only way to save him," she replied. Her voice carried a weight that made him believe her, even as doubt gnawed at the edges of his resolve.

He hesitated, his mind racing. The idea of letting some strange presence take control of him was unsettling, but the image of Faker's pained expression burned in his memory. He couldn't stand by and do nothing.

"Alright," he said at last. "Do it."

" Vă mulțumesc frumos," she whispered. "You won't regret this."

The moment he gave his consent, Valia surged forward, her essence weaving into his like a thread pulled through fabric. She felt his hesitation, his lingering doubt, but beneath it was something stronger: loyalty, fierce and unwavering. It warmed her, a fleeting reprieve from the cold void she had endured for centuries.

As she settled into his form, she marveled at the strength of his body. Mortal, yes, but honed and disciplined, a vessel of potential. Her control was gentle, her presence a guiding hand rather than a forceful grip.

Through his eyes, she saw the frozen arena. The barrier erected by the celestial sentinel shimmered faintly, a translucent dome that pulsed with protective energy. And there, at its center, was him. Her Beloved. Her Voivode.

He was suspended mid-air, his body encased in a crimson glow that flickered like a dying flame. Dark tendrils coiled around him, feeding off the power leaking from his fractured seal. The sight sent a jolt of fury through her, and she felt Gumayusi's muscles tense in response.

"Stay calm," she murmured. "We cannot act rashly."

"What's that thing around him?" Gumayusi asked, his voice tight.

"A parasite," she replied. "A being of pure malice, drawn to his power. If it is not stopped, it will consume him."

He gritted his teeth. "Then let's stop it."

She allowed herself a small smile. "Not yet. First, we must cross the barrier."

Gumayusi felt her draw on his strength, a strange warmth spreading through his limbs. His vision sharpened, and for the first time, he noticed the faint threads of energy crisscrossing the barrier. They pulsed in time with his heartbeat, each thread a strand of celestial magic.

"You're using me as a conduit," he realized.

"Yes," she admitted. "Your latent abilities make you an ideal anchor."

The realization sent a ripple of unease through him, but he pushed it aside. There was no time for doubt. As she guided him forward, the barrier rippled, the threads resisting to let them through.

With its collision, the malevolent presence hit him like a wave, its malice a palpable weight. He staggered, but the female presence steadied him, her voice firm in his mind.

"Do not falter."

He nodded, clenching his fists. "Hang on Sanghyeok-hyung. We've got you."