Soul Bound

11 | Born to Die

[Music recommendation: Lana Del Rey - Born to Die]

Narae was an adult and she had decided that she would damn-well act like one.

So she grabbed the business card and put it in her pocket. For later use. Maybe.
Or maybe not. Who knew.

A deep breath in. And a deep breath out. Narae looked across the city to her feet. She wanted to get rid of her bracelet. She really did.
But Kija had so easily overpowered her. Had so easily broken her ice...
It just showed how weak she still was. If she were to take the step forward and show for everyone to see who and what she was...then she definitely needed more training. And they all needed a good plan on how to deal with the Council.
Because there was no doubt in Narae's mind that the moment she would show her magick, the Council would know about it, too.

But first things first.
Solar.

Kija had made it sound like Solar was the bad guy. But...was there ever truly a bad guy outside of stories?
The world was painted in greys and not in black and white.

Narae had no problem to admit to herself that, yes, if Solar needed to decide between her soul circle or Narae that there was no doubt about the choice. And Narae wouldn't want it any other way.
Truly. Now that she could think about it with a clear mind. Without fear and panic running rampant in her magick, she could acknowledge Kija's words for what they were: The truth.

Not to plant doubt — maybe — but to simply state facts.
If Narae followed those thoughts further...turning them towards her own coven...

It hurt.
A lot.

But Narae knew that if there was the choice between a soulmate and a coven mate...that it would always be the soulmate.

And she wanted for her coven to choose their soulmates over her. Wanted them to be safe even at the cost of her own safety.
Because she loved them so dearly and so recklessly that she rather have them abandon her than go through hell with her. Not that they would ever choose to abandon her.
Narae was aware enough that they loved her just as much. It made her heart ache with love and pain.
Because sooner or later there would come a time where they needed to face the consequences of their actions and Narae was determined to keep them from harm as much as she could.
Even if that might mean to hurt them. To make them hate her. No matter how much it would hurt herself. Her heart already aching at the very thought of it.

And yet...within all the agony she felt, something settled within her at that thought.
As if a lock had finally clicked into place and the world had shifted to an entirely different angle.

This was it. Wasn't it?
This was what her fate had been ever since she took that cursed rattling breath at the ground of the lake.
Wasn't it?

Narae blinked rapidly as she had made her decision. Eyes stinging and throat uncomfortably tight, she looked into the twilight and accepted.
Accepted what she was.
Accepted who she was.
And the path she vowed to herself to take.

For a blissful moment it was just her, the twilight giving her her name and magick. Nothing but existing. Nothing but feeling the hum of power and life within the magick surrounding her and the magick coursing through her veins.
A wistful smile graced Narae's lips. Vibrant ice-blue eyes heartbreakingly sad.
If it just could always be like this.
If it just could—

Narae harshly wiped away a few stray tears and pushed some of her magick into the talisman she had gotten from Solar. There was no point in crying over what-ifs.
The ancient mage appeared only a heartbeat later, eyes cautious and posture ready for a fight. But Solar relaxed the moment she saw Narae alone. A smile made its way onto her lips as she sat down next to her young student.
"Did this place help?", she asked. "I love to come here to think." She turned her head to look over the city, where the sky was slowly darkening in muted purples and burning oranges. Where the lights of the city came alive like little dancing fireflies.
"It did", Narae answered and let herself cherish the view for another moment. Basking in the familiar feeling of Solar's magick.
Only for a moment. Another stolen moment of peace. Free of worries.