Early morning draped the forest beyond Asterra in a silver mist, light slanting gently through the boughs. The dew was fresh, and every step along the mossy trail felt like trespassing into a sleeping realm.

  The Stray Dawn moved in formation-girls at the center, boys at the flanks. No one spoke much. Not out of fear, but reverence. This wasn't just another hunt.

  This was initiation.

  The world didn't wait for you to be ready.

  Kristie darted ahead, her boots barely touching the underbrush.

  Kristie: "I swear I saw something shiny that way. If it's a phoenix, I'm keeping it!"

  Cedy chased after her, one hand on her staff, the other swatting at leaves.

  Cedy: "If we get eaten, it's your fault. I mean it. Ghost-haunt-you kind of fault."

  Elly trailed behind with Seri clinging to her arm, silent but alert. Her fingers flexed at her sides, bandage still fresh. Lily walked beside her, blade unsheathed-not to fight, but to feel its weight. Her grip never loosened.

  At the front, Rica marched with Ren and Iver. Her gaze dissected everything-the claw marks on bark, the disturbed dirt, the direction of wind. Calculating. Cold. Focused.

  Rica: "West side has heavier prints. Medium weight. Four-legged, probably herbivore... Might be nesting soon."

  Iver nodded beside her, glaive at ease but ready.

  Iver: "Noted. Eyes sharp. They'll test resolve before they offer trust."

  Ren scanned the treeline as well, voice low and steady.

  Ren: "Let them come to you, if it feels right. Don't chase something that's not meant to stay."

  Lily and Elly exchanged a knowing glance.

  Lily: "Yeah, sure."

  Elly: "Yeah, sure."

  Ren raised a brow.

  Ren: "Did I say something weird?"

  Iver slapped his forehead, groaning softly.

  Iver: "I don't know if you're perceptive... or just really dense."

  Kristie, from ahead, snorted.

  Kristie: "Welcome to the club, Iver. He says stuff like that all the time and acts like it's normal."

  Ren frowned.

  Ren: "I was being philosophical."

  Cedy: "You sounded like you were breaking up with the air."

  Lily, suppressing a grin, looked away.

  Lily: "...Honestly, it was kind of poetic."

  Elly: "It was. Just... also sounded like a line from a drama."

  Ren sighed.

  Ren: "Remind me never to give advice again."

  Marian (in the distance): "Too late! I'm writing that one down!"

  ...

  Kristie stumbled upon a Snapclaw crouched by a stream. It looked like a raptor carved from bone and muscle, its flame-orange eyes locking with hers, curious but cautious.

  Kristie: "Alright, come on. I'll call you Clawsie. You and me-legendary duo. Deal?"

  She grinned and raised her hand in mock salute.

  The Snapclaw tilted its head, sniffed the air... then gave a short, almost offended huff before darting back into the underbrush without a sound. No glow. No bond.

  Jonax, leaning against a tree nearby, didn't miss a beat.

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  Jonax: "Pretty sure it just said you smell weird."

  Kristie spun on her.

  Kristie: "Excuse you-this is high-grade jungle sweat."

  Jonax smirked.

  Jonax: "Exactly."

  Kristie: "Unbelievable. Rejected and roasted."

  Cedy's encounter was more elusive. A Duskwatcher, feathers dark as midnight, sat perched above her, eyes glowing like moons. She locked eyes with it, whispered something under her breath.

  Then it simply turned and glided away.

  Cedy: "Figures. I'm too loud for birds."

  Elly crouched near a grove, heart hammering as she came face to face with a wounded Stoneling-a massive beast, its body like cracked granite, breathing heavy, eyes dim with pain. Just meters away, another predator lurked, teeth bared, inching closer.

  Elly froze.

  She could've stepped in. She could've raised her blade.

  But she didn't.

  The Stoneling let out a low, guttural roar-more disappointment than threat-then swept its massive tail sideways. It didn't hit her hard, just enough to push her aside.

  Then it fled. The predator with it.

  Elly stayed on the forest floor, staring at the dirt where it had stood. Silent. Shoulders trembling slightly.

  Ren approached slowly, knelt, and offered a hand-not forceful, just there.

  Ren: "You alright?"

  Elly looked at your hand... then took it. Her grip was soft but steady.

  Elly: "I... I hesitated."

  Ren: "It's okay. You learned something. That's what matters."

  She didn't respond, but her nod was enough.

  Lily stood still near a resting Mossdrake, its stony, vine-covered back rising with each slow breath. Her hand hovered just inches above its hide, eyes soft, movements deliberate. The Mossdrake turned, sniffed, then snorted sharply, tail lashing the ground before slinking back into the forest shadows.

  Lily (sighing): "...Guess I was too careful."

  Ren, standing nearby, reached forward and gently plucked a small leaf tangled in her hair.

  Ren (smirking faintly): "Or maybe your eyes were scary."

  Lily gave him a light nudge with her elbow, muttering something under her breath-half insult, half laugh.

  Just then, Kristie popped out from behind a tree root, arms crossed, a wide grin on her face.

  Kristie (teasing): "Well, well, I thought we were out here catching monsters, not building a harem."

  Ren blinked.

  Ren: "It's not like that."

  Kristie (dramatically): "Mossdrake ran off 'cause it saw competition. Poor thing."

  Lily (groaning): "Kristie..."

  Kristie just laughed, skipping off toward the others, her voice echoing through the trees.

  Kristie: "Don't worry! I'll keep the fanclub organized!"

  A few steps away, half-hidden by the tall grass, Elly stood watching. She said nothing, only lowered her gaze with a soft, unreadable smile-then quietly turned to follow the others.

  Lily looked at Ren, half-exasperated, half-smiling.

  Rica had found a Bladewing perched near a cliffside, its wings gleaming like glass-edged steel, refracting morning light into deadly shimmer. It hovered with eerie precision, every movement deliberate-controlled.

  Rica stood still, watching. She studied its flight rhythm, the way its talons gripped loose stone, how it paused mid-air when the wind shifted. She was reading it like a puzzle, waiting for the perfect moment to move.

  But before she could take a single step forward, the Bladewing lifted its head, gave a single beat of its wings-and vanished into the sky without so much as a glance back.

  Like she'd never been there at all.

  She didn't speak right away. Her brows furrowed slightly, lips tight-but she quickly wiped the look clean and turned away from the cliff with her usual composed stride.

  Iver, watching from a distance, stepped up beside Ren, arms crossed.

  Iver: "Sharp eyes, perfect timing, clean logic... but even the wild doesn't always follow the rules."

  Rica, without missing a beat: "Then I'll just have to rewrite the wild."

  She didn't look back-but the edge of a smirk tugged at her lips as she walked past.

  Marian had slipped away. Not recklessly-just following something her gut felt was calling. Vultherin trailed behind her, quiet but protective.

  In a thicket clearing, she found it.

  A Scruffler-dog-like, horns curled back, leafy mane tangled in a thorn trap. It growled in pain, trying to chew its way out.

  Marian: "Easy... hey, hey, none of that."

  She dropped to one knee, whispering nonsense words-gentle, steady. Every snarl it gave, she answered with patience. No sudden movements. No show of power.

  One by one, she cut the thorns away with a broken knife.

  When the last vine fell, the creature didn't run.

  It stared.

  Then its body glowed, softly-then brighter-and a warmth pulsed through the glade.

  A Mark flared on Marian's forearm, golden and leaf-shaped. Essentia rippled like wind through every nearby bond.

  Kristie skidded into view seconds later.

  Kristie: "You serious?! Marian?!"

  Cedy, panting behind her, blinked.

  Cedy: "Not gonna lie... kinda proud of her."

  Elly managed a faint smile, though her hand clenched unconsciously around her wrist.

  Lily stepped closer, voice quiet.

  Lily: "...That was brave."

  Rica was the last to speak.

  Rica: "That's one. We'll get ours soon."

  Ren turned to all of them, meeting their eyes one by one.

  Ren: "It's not about who's first. It's about who's ready."

  Marian rubbed the back of her neck, flushed and grinning.

  And like that, the forest felt lighter.

  Not because the danger was gone-but because one of them had stepped forward.

  And now, the rest would follow.

  ...

  The sun dipped low by the time the group returned from the forest. Dirt-stained boots and quiet steps marked their arrival, each face carrying a story-some tired, others thoughtful. There was awe in the air, a touch of envy too-but no one could deny the fact:

  Marian had done it.

  Back at the house, the fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow across the room. Marian stood near the hearth, shifting her weight awkwardly as the newly bonded Scruffler curled beside her feet, its leafy mane rising and falling with steady breaths.

  Kristie: "Okay, but how? Did it just decide you were worth it or something?!"

  Cedy: "I swear, you were gone for five minutes. Five."

  Josh stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed and lips pulled into a half-grin.

  Josh: "Alright, respect. You didn't even brag about it."

  Marian scratched behind the creature's horns, a little bashful.

  Marian: "He was stuck in a trap. I just... helped. Guess he liked that?"

  Rica stepped forward, cool and composed, kneeling beside the beast. From her satchel, she retrieved a leather-bound notebook marked Field Notes: Fauna & Bonds of Varnak. She flipped it open without missing a beat and tapped the Scruffler's horn with the end of a twig. The beast gave a wag of its tail but remained calm.

  Rica: "Alright everyone, gather up. Let's identify Marian's new companion."

  The group closed in around her, curiosity lighting up tired eyes.

  Rica (clearly in lecture mode): "Species: Scruffler.

  Class: Support-Beast.

  Temperament: Loyal, territorial, semi-intelligent.

  Natural Element: Earth.

  Combat Role: Disruption and Defense."

  She pointed at the roots curled into the beast's mane and paws.

  Rica: "Those roots store energy. If it paws the ground, it can summon thorny growth-good for controlling terrain. Also, it can emit a bark that disorients-not by sound, but a pulse of Essentia that throws off your balance and focus."

  Kristie blinked.

  Kristie: "Wait, you're saying it yells so hard people trip?"

  Rica (deadpan): "In a manner of speaking, yes."

  Josh let out a low chuckle.

  Josh: "Support role, huh? That actually fits Marian. She's the glue of this group when chaos hits."

  Elly, now seated by the arm of a chair, allowed herself a faint smile.

  Elly: "And the only one who got a bond today..."

  Lily, calm and thoughtful, nodded.

  Lily: "We'll get ours. But today's a win for her."

  Ren stood by the doorway, observing how the group reshaped around the moment. There was admiration, even subtle pride. Envy didn't stick-not here. It was a spark, not a wedge.

  Ren: "You set the bar now."

  Marian laughed, rubbing the Scruffler's leafy ear.

  Marian: "I just didn't want it to suffer. Didn't think I'd get a leaf-dog in return."

  The Scruffler gave a happy grunt, its tail thumping once.

  The bar had been set-and now, the hunt for balance had truly begun.

  If you’re enjoying Bondforged so far, don’t forget to rate the story, drop a review, and leave a comment — I’d love to hear your thoughts and theories! ??

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  – Rein Silvers ???