Tied by Fate Bound by Time

Chapter 7: Chapter 7:The Pact



The storm had passed, but the tension hadn't.

Luna Hart stood outside the university library, soaked to the bone, rain clinging to her blue hoodie and curling the ends of her wild black hair. Arms crossed. Jaw clenched. Glaring up at the looming clock tower.

11:02 PM.

"He's late," she muttered. "And if he blames traffic again, I swear I'll turn him into a toad. A smug, six-foot toad with perfect cheekbones."

Her backpack sagged heavy against her back, weighed down with ancient books she'd smuggled out of the restricted section—most unreadable, written in glowing glyphs that shimmered under moonlight.

"Of course he wouldn't show," she huffed, stomping in a puddle. "Probably curled up somewhere reading Latin spells like bedtime stories—"

"—You know, I can hear your insults from two blocks away," a dry voice cut in behind her.

Luna spun, hair sticking to her face. There he was.

Asher Reed.

Her academic rival. Her magical nemesis. The boy who haunted her dreams.

And not in the fun way.

"You're late, Mr. Storm-God," she snapped.

Asher stepped under the flickering streetlamp, somehow managing to look like a walking magazine ad. His designer trench coat was miraculously dry, his dark hair damp but stylishly tousled, like even the rain didn't dare mess with his aesthetic.

"I brought coffee," he said, holding out a cup like a peace offering. "That should earn me something."

She snatched it, eyeing the label. "'Luna — Extra Bitter'? Seriously?"

He smirked. "Felt appropriate."

She took a sip anyway. "You're lucky I didn't hex this sidewalk."

"You wouldn't waste magic on me," he said casually. "You need me too much."

"In your dreams."

He stilled at that. Just for a beat.

So did she.

Because lately, dreams weren't so harmless.

---

Inside the Library – 11:10 PM

Technically, the library was closed. But Luna had a key—one of the perks of being Professor Aldren's youngest (and most stubborn) research assistant.

The lights were off, except for the soft glow of reading lamps in the back corner. Dust floated lazily in golden shafts of light. The storm had faded, but thunder still growled somewhere far away.

Luna unrolled the scrolls onto the oak table between them. Her fingers trembled—not with fear, but with the weight of what she was holding. The glyphs carved into the old parchment mirrored the ones that had appeared on her wrist last week.

Asher pulled up a chair, scanning the scroll. He tapped a crescent-and-star symbol.

"This one. I've seen it."

Luna looked up. "In a dream?"

He nodded. "Two nights ago. You were there."

Her breath caught. "You were wearing black armor," she said quietly.

His eyes widened. "And you… silver robes. You stood at an altar."

Their eyes locked.

A spark of recognition.

Or maybe… memory.

"You promised never to curse me," Luna whispered.

Asher's jaw tightened. "You said I already had."

Before either could speak again, the scroll flared with light.

Their hands brushed.

A jolt of energy surged through the table—sharp, electric. The air shimmered, warping like heat on pavement.

And suddenly, the library was gone.

They stood in a vast temple bathed in moonlight, beneath an open sky scattered with stars. The stone beneath their feet was cool. Windchimes sang somewhere distant.

Luna looked down—her hands were robed in silver. Across from her, Asher wore a silver circlet and dark ceremonial armor.

"You promised to protect me," she said again, voice echoing.

"I broke too many promises," he whispered. "And I've waited so long to say I'm sorry."

Her chest ached.

Snap.

They were back.

Luna stumbled away from the table, gasping. Her coffee cup clattered to the floor, forgotten.

"What—what just happened?" she breathed.

Asher looked pale. "That wasn't a hallucination."

"We were there." Her voice shook. "Like… before. Like another life."

He ran a hand through his hair. "This is insane."

"No," Luna said, straightening. "What's insane is pretending this is coincidence. We've both had the same dreams. The same symbols are showing up on our skin. And now—now we're slipping into moon temples?"

She slammed a palm on the table.

"Face it, Reed—we're caught in something way bigger than a term paper."

Asher let out a breath. "You're right. So… what do we do now?"

---

The Pact

Luna opened her leather-bound journal, flipping past pages of sketches, notes, and half-translated glyphs. She circled the crescent-star sigil.

"We find answers. Fast. This symbol? It shows up in every old myth about forbidden soul bonds. My theory? We're cursed. Not in the 'oops I touched a relic' way. This is ancient. Deep. Past-life kind of deep."

Asher frowned. "You believe in reincarnation now?"

"I didn't. Until I started dreaming about being burned alive while you stood over me in tears."

His mouth parted slightly. "You had that dream?"

"Last night."

"I had it… two weeks ago."

Silence.

Thick with something that felt a lot like fate.

Luna extended a hand across the table.

"Truce," she said. "Temporary. Until we figure this out."

Asher hesitated, then took it.

"Agreed."

She lifted her coffee cup. "To dangerous soul bonds with my academic nemesis."

He clinked his cup against hers. "And to curses that won't take a hint."

---

After Midnight – Rooftop of the Library

They climbed the back stairs to the rooftop—one of Luna's favorite hideouts for stargazing, or screaming into the void.

The clouds had parted, revealing a sky painted in violet and stars.

Luna sat on the ledge, legs dangling into open air. Asher stayed a few feet away, quieter than usual.

After a while, she spoke. "Do you ever wonder who you were before this?"

He glanced over. "I used to think past lives were poetic nonsense."

"And now?"

"Now, every time I look at you, it feels like I've already lost you once."

Her heart twisted.

She shook her head. "Don't get sentimental. We don't know anything yet. And just because we might've been something before doesn't mean I trust you now."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"Good."

Pause.

"But," she added, softer, "I want to understand."

Asher met her gaze. "Then let's figure it out. Together."

---

A Warning in the Wind

As they stood to leave, a sudden wind swept across the rooftop—cold, sharp, unnatural.

Luna clutched her journal. The crescent-star symbol on the page was glowing again, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"What the—"

Her phone buzzed violently in her pocket. She yanked it out.

One message. Anonymous.

> You're awakening. But others are watching. Be careful who you trust.

Luna stared at the screen, her pulse spiking.

Asher glanced over. "Everything okay?"

She nodded too quickly. "Just… a weather alert."

But her hands were shaking.

---

End of Chapter


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