Chapter 46: The Promise She Never Meant to Keep

Chapter 46: Chapter 46: The Promise She Never Meant to Keep Kai never thought silence could feel like a blade. But Seris hadn’t said a word in over an hour. Not since Liora’s reveal. Not since the word "kill" was spoken like a prophecy already fulfilled. He didn’t press her. The campfire crackled. Astra slept on her sword, muttering names of stars. Yuri was gone—again—out hunting or spying, no one could tell anymore. Nyx hadn’t returned since she was last seen watching Kai from the rooftop. And Seris just... sat. Watching him. Like she was trying to decide if she still knew him. Or if she even wanted to. Meanwhile... "Liora," Kai said, voice low, "you said Chapter Fifty was when I die. What Chapter are we in now?" She didn’t look up from the scroll she was scribing. "Forty-six. Give or take. Depending on how much filler the world insists on." "Then we’ve got four Chapters." "No," she said. "You have four moves. That’s all the timeline gives you before the bond fractures." Kai frowned. "What bond?" "The one none of them will admit they’ve already broken." [System Warning: Emotional Proximity Threshold Breached] Subject: Seris Veyron Affection Sync: 38% Status: Cold Withdrawal Threat Assessment: High ???? Hint: The closer they were, the deeper the knife goes. "You still love her?" Liora asked, almost casually. Kai didn’t answer immediately. He stared into the fire. "She’s the only one who never tried to control me." "That’s not true," Liora replied gently. "She just did it quietly." Flashback: Six months ago The blood moon hung over a battlefield. Kai was wounded, delirious. Seris had dragged him from the edge of death and whispered a promise into his ear. "I’ll protect you. Even if it kills you." He had thought it was loyalty. He hadn’t heard the second part. Now. The fire popped. Seris looked up. "You think I’m your enemy now?" "No," Kai said. "I think you’re mine later." She blinked, pain crossing her face like a cloud covering a star. "I never wanted this." "I know," he said. "But wanting doesn’t change the script, does it?" Elsewhere in the ruins... Nyx stood in front of an ancient mirror, brushing her hair with a dagger. The voice behind her was soft. "Have you made your decision?" "Yes," she said. "I’m killing Kai." "No regrets?" "Only one," she said, and looked into the mirror where her reflection smirked back with Kai’s eyes. Back at camp, Astra stirred. She stretched, noticed Seris, and then her gaze landed on Kai. Her golden eyes flashed. "Why does it feel like everyone’s planning your murder again?" she yawned. "Because they are," Kai muttered. Seris rose. Her movements were too smooth. Too rehearsed. "Walk with me," she said. They left the camp, boots crunching against frost-covered stone. Kai followed, because he always had. "Do you remember the first city we burned?" Seris asked. "Yes." "You smiled." "You kissed me after." She stopped. "Would you take it back?" "...Would you?" She didn’t answer. Instead, she touched his chest. Over his heart. The spot her chakram had once grazed by accident. "I don’t want to be the one who ends your story." "Then don’t." "I can’t promise that anymore." [System Thread Instability: Emotional Sync Fragment Detected] Personality Core: Seris Veyron Memory Loop Breach: 3 of 5 ⚠️ If she remembers the real ending... she won’t stop it. Kai stared into her eyes. "Then tell me the truth." "What truth?" "Why did you look relieved when Liora said you kill me?" She froze. A long silence. Then, in a whisper: "Because... it means I finally did something right." System Pulse. Flash. Fracture. [Thread Split Triggered – Divergent Bond Path Created] Affection Type: Sacrificial Hostility Trait Gained: Mercy Executioner Seris can now kill Kai with love and override death-lock fail-safes. Kai stepped back. "You knew all along." Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she didn’t deny it. She couldn’t. He turned to leave. "Where are you going?" she asked. "To find someone who hasn’t chosen my death yet." "Good luck," she said softly. "That list is shrinking." And far above them, on a high cliff, Nyx watched it all. She licked her lips. "Three moves left, Kai. Hope one of them saves you." End of Chapter 46 ???? The truth hides between lines of code and shattered vows. ????️ Did you catch the hidden clue this Chapter? ???? Add to your library and decode what’s next. ???? Drop your theories—Kai’s fate depends on them. ???? Vote to unlock secrets, illusions, and mind games.