SOULBOUND: THE ABYSS WITHIN

Chapter 75: Fuel for the Flame

Ramses stood on the edge of a quiet balcony carved from soulstone, the orange glow of Lafrosa's twin moons glinting faintly off his golden hair. From here, the central district of the capital stretched out before him like a living monument—crackling towers, floating gates, the slow swirl of auric essence. But his golden eyes weren't looking at the skyline.

They were watching Mira Hawthorne... watching Cassandra.

He had done so for months—blending into the scenery, no more notable than a shadow in a hallway. But in that time, Ramses had seen enough. The way Mira stalked. The way her obsession had warped. The way Cassandra remained indifferent, distant, immune.

And most of all—he saw what Muna Ikemba was capable of when her temper flared.

Ramses smiled to himself.

> "Some matches... just need the right spark."

He disappeared from the balcony.

---

Ikemba Estate - Private Courtyard

Muna Ikemba was in the middle of punching through a Soulsteel dummy when Ramses was announced by Sir Albert. She turned, already sweaty and radiating aggression.

"What do you want, golden boy?" she asked, not even trying to hide her distaste for political courtesies.

"I came with information," Ramses said calmly, hands behind his back. "You asked about Hawthorne behavior the last time. You'll want to know—Mira's still following your daughter."

Muna's fist clenched, flaring red-gold energy.

"She dared—even after what happened last time?"

Ramses nodded slightly. "I've seen it personally. Almost every day. Watching. Whispering. I daresay it's even escalated. She… touches her dorm door sometimes. Leaves flowers in training spots Cassandra uses. Watches her sparring with this look in her eyes... something twisted."

Muna's eyes darkened. "That rotten blue-eyed stalker... she thinks this is some game?"

"She's not afraid of you," Ramses said, a subtle edge in his voice. "She told her classmates you wouldn't do anything. That your bark was louder than your bite."

That was the ember.

Muna's aura exploded in an instant—flames licking the edges of her coat, the very air around her humming with combustion.

"That brat!" she growled. "She thinks I'm done? Oh no, I was holding back because Albert begged! Now... I'm going to burn that arrogance off her face."

Sir Albert—listening nearby—sighed audibly. "Madam, please. Just don't destroy the Hawthorne estate."

"No promises!" Muna snapped.

Ramses bowed. "Just thought you should know. I care about Cassandra's peace."

With that, he vanished like a whisper on the wind.

Alone now, Muna cracked her knuckles and turned toward the estate gates, aura blazing behind her like a vengeful star.

> "They want war? Then war they'll get."

And from afar, in a different district, Ramses chuckled quietly to himself.

> "Two flames... set to collide. And while they burn... the real pieces will move."

His golden eyes glowed.

> "Karen Lockwood... you're next."