“I didn’t mean for any of this,” he murmured, voice low and raw. He glanced at you, the lines of guilt etched deep across his tanned, scarred skin. “The bond, the danger… everything that’s followed us since. I was reckless, I know that now.”

He paused, his fingers tracing one of the sigils on his leather bracers. The flames flickered, casting wavering shadows over his angular jaw. “But we’re in this together, whether either of us likes it or not. I swear I’ll fix this,” he said, eyes meeting yours with a fire that mirrored his own magic—equal parts determination and regret.