Trust Bond – Shyne’s View
I didn’t know if I could do it.
I didn’t even know if I should.
The air in the server core was thick with heat and static, humming like it was holding its breath. Ryze was still — too still — and all I could feel was the weight of the unknown. My power had never been tested like this. I’d seen what it could do in moments I didn’t mean for it to happen… and the thought of aiming it now, here, at him… terrified me.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard my father’s voice — Athros, god of the horizon — not offering comfort, but reminding me of who I was supposed to be. The expectation pressed against my ribs, but it didn’t tell me how to move.
And then there was Luma.
Perched on Ryze’s lap, eyes steady, purring like the sound alone could hold him here. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t doubt. If a cat could believe in something so fiercely, maybe I could too.
The pounding on the door grew louder — security was seconds from breaking through. My chest tightened. My hands shook. And then… it wasn’t a decision anymore. It was instinct. Light gathered in my palms, spilling out before I could think of the consequences.
For a moment, there was nothing but the glow.
When it cleared, Ryze’s eyes found mine.
“We did this. Together.”
And just behind him, Luma’s fur was puffed like she’d touched a lightning bolt, eyes wide as if even she couldn’t believe it had worked.
I’m not sure if my power saved him… or if the trust we shared saved us both.
Maybe that’s the truth I need to hold onto — that trust isn’t something you wait to feel. It’s something you choose, even when you’re not sure how it will end.