Rong Xi sat perfectly still and the strange sensation inside him refused to fade.
Was it the way she responded to the portal? Or her presence? It all felt so familiar.
Too familiar.
And then, as if the world around him began to blur, the noise of the arena faded, replaced by the sharp clarity of a memory he had buried long ago.
He was no longer in the colosseum.
Instead, he stood at the edge of a garden, the night air was fragrant, like blooming flowers mixed with the scent of fresh clean water.
And there she was.
A young girl.
Her eyes were amber, while her light blonde hair framed the gentle curve of her cheeks and the soft arch of her brow. Beneath her gaze, there was quiet strength that radiated from within, soft yet unyielding.
The girl stood at the heart of the garden, where grassy paths meandered alongside small streams of water, winding their way through the ground. Tiny goldfish swam through its currents, their scales sparkling. Her hands reached towards the water, her fingers hovering just above the surface as though guided by an invisible force.
With each gentle movement, the goldfish followed, rising from the water and defying gravity as they floated, dancing gracefully in the air. They breathed without water, their scales shimmering in the moonlight, reflecting a spectrum of rainbow colors as droplets of water drifted around them, suspended in midair.
In that moment by the garden, he hadn't realised it would be the last time things felt so simple.
The vision slowly faded, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
His mind, still lingering on that strange familiarity, snapped back into focus.
When Rong Xi first met Yao Yao, it was purely out of curiosity. She is the child of one of the most powerful families in the kingdom, hidden away in the shadows due to illness, yet also the one who had thrown magic so recklessly, injuring her own mother and sisters in the process.
Her personality intrigued him. She was far too different from any normal child, and in some strange way, she reminded him of himself. He didn't want to admit it, but there was something about her that attracted him…something he could feel but couldn't quite comprehend.
It was only now that he realised there might be more to this than he had initially thought.
Just when Yao Yao felt like collapsing under the weight of the magic, a warmth wrapped around her. Shang Jun shifted his arms, slipping it around her shoulders in a movement so fluid, it was barely noticeable. He pulled her in closer, his grip was steady and firm, anchoring her down with a soft pressure that grounded her in place.
From his touch, she felt something else, an aura, like an invisible energy swirling inside her. It wasn't obvious, nor was it as overwhelming as the pressure she had felt earlier, but it was unmistakably there, wrapping around her like a mist. The pressure on her chest lessened, the trembling in her fingers stopped and she could breathe again.
Yao Yao blinked up at him.
Shang Jun's eyes were locked on her, burning with concern. He knew something was wrong and he was shielding her.
Yao Yao looked around, noticing that no one else seemed affected. Right beside her, Min Min appeared perfectly fine.
She turned back to Shang Jun, her voice barely audible. "Is it always this heavy… during a summoning? Or… am I just weak?"
Shang Jun hesitated. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something else. But then his grip on her shoulder tightened, and he answered simply, "No. You're not weak."
Yao Yao swallowed, her throat dry, recalling the unbearable pressure from earlier.
What is this, then? A message from the world itself? Or maybe it's the portal trying to tell me something?
Her eyes narrowed as she stared intently at the crack of darkness, as if waiting for it to respond, like some system ready to communicate with her.
But there was nothing.
So she squinted harder at the portal.
Come on, show me something. Anything. Just give me a sign!
No spark of magic, no voice in her head telling her she was about to summon a powerful beast.
Not even a cool sound effect.
Just… silence.
You can do it. Say something to me.
A beat passed.
Then, as if the universe had finally heard her, a voice boomed across the arena.
"The portal is now ready. Kal of the Nero family, step forward for the first summoning."
Yao Yao sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. But then her eyes flicked sideways at Shang Jun, narrowing slightly.
Is he somehow blocking the waves?
Yao Yao turned her attention back to the ground, the pressure and discomfort was gone as the slit in the air widened into a full portal.
A black void twisted in the air, its surface rippling like oil beneath the light. Its edges curled inward, slow and hypnotic, like smoke caught in reverse.
It didn't feel like a doorway.
It felt like a mouth, waiting to consume.
And then—
A boy stepped forward.
He was dressed in deep green robes trimmed with silver, the sigil of the Nero family stitched over his chest—a twisting vine wrapped around a shield. His boots barely made a sound as he walked across the platform. The crowd fell utterly silent as if the very air had paused in anticipation.
Yao Yao curled against Shang Jun's side, her fingers still cold despite his warmth. She had never seen a summoning before, but she could feel the tension.
There were no incantations.
No grand gestures.
Kal simply lifted his hands, palms open towards the black void.
The moment he did, his energy surged. A white aura streamed outwards from his body, pouring into the vortex like smoke and light intertwined. The magic flowed steadily into the portal, as though feeding something ancient and hungry.
The portal responded instantly with a gentle pulse, its rhythm echoing softly in the air like a heartbeat.
And then—
A shadow stirred within the swirling dark and a silver-furred wolf stepped through. Its blue eyes gleamed with intelligence and each step it took was graceful, yet powerful.
The beast's ears flicked once, its gaze locking onto Kal like it already knew him.
And then—magic bloomed.
Numerous silver threads unfurled in the air around them, luminous and fine, like strands of light drifting in silence.
The threads spiraled slowly, entangling themselves into delicate arcs, forming glowing patterns that encircled them both. As they swirled, they seemed to create an invisible barrier, enclosing them in a space separate from the outside world, as if no one could enter or touch them. The threads felt strong, but also fragile, as if they could snap if either side wavered, or if their hearts didn't align.
It was both beautiful and haunting.
They resembled bonds.
Connections.
But also ropes.
Binding and restrictive.
Yao Yao couldn't look away, entranced by the sight as it was simply too captivating.
The wolf slowly lowered its body in a graceful bow, as if acknowledging the boy who had summoned him. The silver threads tightened gently, winding faster around Kal and the wolf, before rippling into two infinite glowing strands.
As the strands separated, faint remnants of silver threads lingered in the air. The glowing strands drifted towards their foreheads, etching an infinity mark into their skin with a pulse of light before finally fading away.
The contract has been sealed.
Yao Yao furrowed her brow and tugged lightly at Shang Jun's sleeve. "What just happened?"
Shang Jun's remained calm, a faint trace of familiarity crossed his features as he spoke, "The contract has been sealed. That symbol marks their successful bond."
Yao Yao's pink eyes followed the boy and wolf as they stepped away from the platform. The remnants of the threads were fading now, dissolving into the air like mist.
Something about the silver threads felt familiar to her.
She frowned. "So… that means he succeeded, right? The wolf bowed…the threads..the mark…"
Shang Jun nodded. "Yes, he succeeded. But there's more to it than just forming the bond."
She blinked. "More?"
"What kind of spirit answers the call is what matters most," Shang Jun said, casting a brief glance at her. "That's what everyone here is really watching."
"In most cases," he explained, "those with strong innate magic and high potential tend to summon rarer, more powerful spirits. The spirit that appears often reflects the summoner's strength, soul resonance, and magical affinity."
He paused, his gaze becoming distant.
"But… not always." he continued.
"Not always?" she echoed, still trying to process the layers of what he was saying.
"There have been rare cases," he added, "where a powerful summoner calls forth a seemingly weak spirit. And sometimes, someone with no great talent summons a spirit no one expects."
"That doesn't make sense," Yao Yao said. "Shouldn't power decide everything?"
"Not everything," Shang Jun replied. "Power plays a role, yes. But spirits don't respond to strength alone. They answer something deeper. A call."
"A call?"
He nodded. "A pull. A connection. More often than not, it's something we don't fully understand. Some say it's the resonance of two souls."
His gaze softened as it dropped to hers. "But if I had to give it a name… I would call it fate."
Yao Yao fell silent, staring at the space where the silver threads had vanished.
Fate.
The word lingered in her mind, though she couldn't quite understand it yet.
Still watching the last wisps of light, she tugged at his sleeve again. "But only one came through… Is that normal? The Spirit World's supposed to be huge, right? Shouldn't more spirits respond?"
Shang Jun glanced down at her, his tone amused. "What were you expecting? A stampede of spirits fighting to be chosen?"
Yao Yao shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe." Her lips curved into a playful smile. "It would be more exciting if there were more options to choose from?"
He chuckled under his breath. "Well, it's also not about how many spirits there are, it's whether any of them resonates with you at all. And you don't get to decide, Yao Yao. The spirit must choose you as well."
Her brows lifted. "Huh?"
"If the spirit deems you unworthy," he said, voice firm now, "it can reject you. And if that happens, the summoning fails."
Yao Yao blinked, her mind processing Shang Jun's words. "Wait, you mean a spirit can appear… and just walk away if it doesn't like me?"
She paused in her mind. Lily did mention it was supposed to be a partnership.
"Yes," Shang Jun replied. "They're not yours simply because they appear. Their arrival is just the beginning. The decision to stay and form a contract is a mutual one, made by both sides."
A sharp exhale came from Yao Yao's other side.
Min Min, who had been silently fuming, narrowed her eyes—not at the summoning, but at how comfortably Yao Yao leaned into Shang Jun. Her gaze flicked to Yao Yao's hand still curled around his sleeve.
"Well, obviously," she said aloud, not bothering to whisper. "Even spirits have standards. They're not going to bind themselves to someone who looks like they just crawled out of a supply crate."
Yao Yao turned to Min Min, her gazed unbothered as she arched a brow. "Oh? That's good to know," she said sweetly. "I'll be sure to tell the spirit that when it picks me over you."
Min Min's smile vanished, her eyes darted again to Yao Yao's fingers.
"And maybe stop clinging to my brother. It's looking a little… pathetic."
Yao Yao blinked. Then, without missing a beat, she replied, "Oh? I didn't realize he was just your brother. Because last I checked…" Her smile widened, all innocence. "He's mine too."
Shang Jun hid a cough in his sleeve. His shoulders shook just a little too much.
Min Min's face twitched.
Yao Yao turned her attention back to Shang Jun. "So the silver wolf… is it powerful, then?"
Shang Jun nodded. "Yes. That spirit belongs to the Veyr'ra Clan. Known for their loyalty. Powerful but not rare. Probably classified as a Highborn."
"What do you mean by Highborn?"
Min Min huffed. "Do you know nothing?"
Yao Yao turned to her, completely deadpan. "So you know everything? Great. Explain it to me."
Min Min flipped her hair with far too much flair. "Gladly." She sat up straighter, voice just loud enough to carry. "There are different rankings based on the types of spirits, depending on various factors obviously. Some are elemental, some with lineage, some beastkind or ancestral. That wolf, while powerful, is considered upper-middle class, a Highborn rank. Strong, but not elite."
Yao Yao stared at her, unimpressed. "And here I thought you were about to say something useful."
Min Min's eye twitched.
Shang Jun pressed his knuckles to his lips, gaze lowered as if suppressing laughter.
Yao Yao turned back toward the arena, her smile lingering.
She still didn't know if a spirit would come for her.
But if one did—
She was going to make sure it stayed.