Bound by Fate

Chapter 11: "The Allies and The Enemy"

The world outside Natasha’s window felt eerily calm the next morning, as if nature itself was holding its breath, waiting for her to decide. The sky was overcast, the kind of grey that made everything feel heavy. But Natasha knew this calm wouldn’t last. Aryan’s warning echoed in her mind. The forces were coming, and she was still paralyzed by indecision.

As she hurried across campus to her political science class, she felt a strange sensation, like eyes watching her, but whenever she glanced over her shoulder, no one was there. She quickened her pace, hoping that the familiarity of the classroom would bring her some sense of normalcy.

When she arrived, she found Aisha and Aryan already seated at the back of the room. Aryan’s face was tense, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced by something far more serious. Aisha, always perceptive, gave Natasha a knowing look as she took the seat next to her.

"Did something happen?" Aisha asked in a hushed voice, her concern evident.

Natasha sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Aryan told me the bond is more dangerous than we thought. There are… forces being drawn to it. We’re all at risk."

Aisha’s eyes widened, but before she could respond, the door to the classroom swung open with a force that sent a gust of wind swirling through the room. Natasha’s heart skipped a beat. Standing in the doorway was a man she had never seen before, but his presence sent a shiver down her spine.

He was tall, with slicked-back dark hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to flicker with some unnatural light. He wore an impeccably tailored suit, but there was something about him that felt off—almost too perfect, as if he didn’t belong in this world.

The professor, mid-sentence, paused and looked at the man, confused. “Can I help you?”

The stranger smiled, a chilling, calculated smile that never reached his eyes. "Apologies for the intrusion. I’m a new transfer, and I was told this was the class to be in."

Something in his voice was wrong. It was too smooth, too polished, like he was mimicking human speech rather than naturally producing it. Natasha’s skin crawled.

As the man took a seat at the front of the class, Aryan leaned over to Natasha, his voice low and urgent. “That’s not a student.”

“What do you mean?” Natasha whispered back, her heart pounding.

Aryan’s eyes were hard, his jaw clenched. “I don’t know who—or what—he is. But he’s not from this world.”

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The class passed in a blur. Natasha couldn’t focus on the lecture, her eyes constantly drifting toward the man at the front. He sat there calmly, occasionally glancing back at her with a knowing smirk. She felt the weight of his gaze like a predator eyeing its prey.

When the class finally ended, Natasha quickly gathered her things, her hands trembling. But before she could make her escape, the man was suddenly in front of her, blocking her path.

“Natasha Rao,” he said smoothly, his eyes glinting with amusement. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

A chill ran down her spine. She hadn’t introduced herself, and yet this stranger knew her name.

“I’m sorry,” Natasha said, forcing her voice to remain steady. “Do I know you?”

The man’s smile widened. “Not yet. But you will. I’m Veer. Let’s just say I’m here on behalf of certain… interests.”

Aryan stepped forward, placing himself between Natasha and Veer. “You need to leave her alone.”

Veer’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of something dangerous in his eyes. “Ah, Aryan, always the protector. You really think you can keep her safe from what’s coming?”

Aryan’s fists clenched at his sides, and Natasha could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. “I won’t let you hurt her.”

Veer chuckled, the sound low and mocking. “Hurt her? Oh no, that’s not my intention at all. I’m here to offer her a choice. One that could save her life.”

Natasha’s heart raced. “What are you talking about?”

Veer’s gaze shifted back to her, and for the first time, there was a flicker of sincerity in his eyes. “The forces coming for you are far more powerful than you realize, Natasha. Rajvir can’t protect you from them. But I can.”

Aisha, who had been watching in stunned silence, finally spoke up. “What do you mean ‘protect her’? Who are you?”

Veer sighed, as if bored by the question. “I’m what you’d call an agent of balance. When the realms are threatened, it’s my job to ensure they don’t collapse into chaos. And right now, Natasha’s bond with Rajvir is upsetting that balance. If the bond isn’t severed, the consequences will be catastrophic.”

Natasha’s breath caught in her throat. She had already heard this from Aryan, but hearing it from Veer—someone who clearly wasn’t human—made it feel all the more real.

“What do you want from me?” Natasha asked, her voice trembling.

Veer’s smile returned, predatory and cold. “It’s simple. Break the bond. Sever your connection to Rajvir, and I’ll make sure no harm comes to you—or your world.”

Natasha’s stomach churned. The idea of breaking her bond with Rajvir felt like ripping her heart out. But the weight of the consequences pressed down on her, suffocating her.

Before she could respond, a familiar, deep voice cut through the tension.

“She’s not yours to manipulate, Veer.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Rajvir appeared, stepping out of the shadows with his usual commanding presence. His dark eyes locked onto Veer, fury simmering beneath the surface.

Veer’s smirk didn’t falter. “Ah, Rajvir. I was wondering when you’d show up. You’ve caused quite the mess, haven’t you?”

Rajvir didn’t respond, his gaze never leaving Veer. Instead, he stepped closer to Natasha, his presence calming her racing heart. “You don’t need to listen to him, Natasha.”

Veer rolled his eyes. “Of course she does. She’s not an idiot, Rajvir. She knows what’s at stake. The forces gathering at the edges of your realm are coming for her. And when they find her, there won’t be anything left of this world.”

Natasha looked between the two men—Veer, with his cold logic and promises of safety, and Rajvir, with his fierce protectiveness and dangerous allure. Her mind spun, trying to process the weight of what was happening.

“Natasha,” Aryan said quietly, his voice gentle but urgent. “We need to figure out what’s best for you. Not just for Rajvir, not just for the world—you.”

A silence fell over the room as Natasha took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze on her. She was at the center of this storm, and whichever way she chose, it would have consequences she couldn’t yet comprehend.

But she couldn’t wait any longer. The forces gathering at the edges of her world wouldn’t allow her that luxury.

“I’ll do it,” Natasha said softly, her voice trembling. “I’ll find a way to break the bond.”

Rajvir’s eyes snapped to hers, his expression filled with a mixture of anger and pain. “Natasha, you don’t have to—”

“I do,” she interrupted, her voice stronger this time. “I have to protect the people I care about. And if breaking the bond is the only way to do that, then I’ll do it.”

Veer’s smile widened, satisfied. “Smart girl.”

But even as Natasha spoke the words, her heart ached. She could feel the bond with Rajvir, pulsing like a living thing, tying them together. Severing it would mean losing a part of herself.

And somewhere, deep inside her, a small voice whispered that there would be a price. A price she wasn’t sure she was ready to pay.

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