《The Thief, The Trickster, and The Stolen Kiss》 Chapter 1: The Heist of a Lifetime (Or How I Ended Up Wearing a Cursed Gauntlet) Kain Veldora had long accepted that he was not hero material. At 18 years old, he had the reflexes of a seasoned rogue, the sharp tongue of a professional smartass, and the kind of reckless decision-making that had kept him alive by sheer luck. He was lean but athletically built, his body honed from years of running, dodging, and stealing from people who really wanted to stab him. His messy orange hair always looked windblown from too many close calls, and his sharp golden eyes carried the unmistakable glint of someone who probably just did something illegal. And tonight? Tonight was his biggest job yet. --- Kain crouched low behind a cracked stone pillar, peering into the Duskwind Ruins'' final chamber. The ancient dungeon stretched before him, lined with flickering blue torches embedded in the moss-covered walls. Dust hung thick in the air, and the hum of old magic pulsed through the stone beneath his feet. At the chamber''s center stood the real obstacle¡ªa colossal stone golem, its unmoving body looming over an ornate treasure chest. Kain smirked. "Jackpot." The Duskwind Ruins were infamous, not for their treasures, but for this unbreakable guardian¡ªa golem that had crushed every adventurer who dared enter. But unlike those guild-affiliated muscleheads who thought "strategy" meant hitting something really hard, Kain had a plan. The golem followed a pattern, a strict patrol route. It didn''t attack unless something approached the chest directly. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. All he had to do was time his approach, grab the loot, and slip out before the guardian even noticed. Simple. At least, it was. Right up until the absolute dumbasses showed up. --- "Guys! We did it! The chest is open!" Kain froze. From the opposite side of the chamber, a group of clueless adventurers were celebrating like they had just discovered immortality. One of them¡ªa grinning swordsman¡ªhad his hands on the chest lid. "No. No, you absolute dumbasses¡ª" The dungeon shook. A deep, earth-shattering roar filled the air. The golem''s runes flared, molten-orange light burning through the cracks in its stone body. With the sound of grinding mountains, it moved. Kain ran. The golem''s massive stone arm lashed out, crushing the floor with enough force to send cracks racing across the chamber. The air boomed with the impact, and chunks of stone rained from above. Kain didn''t wait for an invitation. He vaulted over a collapsed pillar, narrowly dodging falling debris. The adventurers had already broken into full panic mode, screaming as they scattered. And Kain? He was headed straight for the chest. If he was gonna die, he might as well steal something valuable first. Inside the chest was a single object¡ªa sleek, black-metal gauntlet, covered in glowing blue runes. It was humming. Kain didn''t hesitate. He grabbed it. The moment his fingers closed around the metal¡ª A shockwave of magic surged through his body. His vision blurred. His heartbeat synced with the pulsing runes. Heat spread up his arm as the artifact clamped onto his wrist with a metallic snap. The air shifted. Kain yanked at the gauntlet. It did not budge. "...Crap." --- The golem''s eyes locked onto him. With an earth-shaking stomp, it charged. Kain barely had time to process what was happening before a colossal stone fist came down like a meteor. He threw himself to the side, rolling just as the impact obliterated the ground beneath him. The shockwave sent dust and debris flying. Kain''s instincts screamed. And then¡ª Something shifted. The gauntlet flared, its runes pulsing in sync with his heartbeat. A new energy surged through his veins. His muscles responded faster, his movements felt sharper, his balance unnaturally precise. He wasn''t just running anymore. He was moving like a shadow. His footsteps blurred, his body barely visible. The next strike came down¡ªKain twisted mid-air, narrowly escaping as the ground cracked apart beneath him. He hit the ground running. His body moved on instinct, like he had trained with this power for years. "What the hell?!" The golem roared, its massive frame shifting after him. But Kain was already ahead of it. His eyes locked onto the exit¡ªand in a single blurred movement, he shot forward. --- By the time Kain reached the outside, his breath still hadn''t caught up. He stopped. Blinked. Looked down at the gauntlet. The power still hummed beneath his skin. The runes on the metal pulsed steadily, as if waiting for something. He exhaled. Then, cautiously, he looked back. The golem¡ªthe unstoppable guardian of the ruins¡ªwas now kneeling. A cold chill ran down Kain''s spine. "...That''s probably fine," he muttered. And then, from nowhere¡ª "Ohhh~? What do we have here? A little thief playing with my relic?" Kain whipped around, heart pounding. A golden tail flicked into view. Then two. Then nine. And from thin air, a beautiful woman emerged. Her long, flowing pink hair shimmered in the dim light, cascading down her back in waves of silken mischief. Her golden eyes gleamed with playful amusement, her fox ears twitching as she grinned. "I smell mischief~." Kain froze. And just like that¡ª His life as a simple thief was officially over. --- A Fox, A Kiss, and One Very Angry Princess Kain barely had a second to react before the air itself shifted. One moment, he was standing outside the Duskwind Ruins, heart pounding from his recent escape. The next¡ª The world blurred. A rush of blue light surrounded him, and the ground vanished beneath his feet. His stomach twisted, and he felt a pulling sensation, like something had just yanked his very soul through space. Then¡ªimpact. Kain groaned. He was lying on something soft. A bed? The scent of lavender and expensive perfume filled his nose. His vision swam as he forced himself to sit up¡ª Only to find himself face-to-face with a girl. A very beautiful girl. Their faces were inches apart. Her long silver hair cascaded over silk pillows, framing a delicate, noble face. Her eyes¡ªstunningly blue, like a sapphire reflecting moonlight¡ªwere wide with shock. More importantly¡ª Their lips were pressed together. Silence. Kain blinked. The girl blinked. "...Well," Kain said, his voice oddly calm given the situation. "This is awkward." The girl''s face turned red. The door burst open. "PRINCESS¡ª!!" --- The next few seconds were chaos. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A group of royal knights flooded into the room, swords drawn. The girl¡ªwho was now very clearly a princess¡ªlet out a sharp gasp and shoved Kain away. Kain, still half-dazed, barely had time to dodge as a dozen steel blades slashed at the bed where he had been lying. "ASSASSIN!" one of the knights bellowed. "Who the hell is an assassin?!" Kain shouted, rolling off the mattress just before a spear impaled the pillow next to him. "HE''S ATTACKING THE PRINCESS!" "NO, I''M NOT!" The princess¡ªstill red-faced and now furiously wiping her lips¡ªfinally managed to shout, "WAIT! STOP!" The knights froze mid-attack, their weapons inches from Kain''s head. An uncomfortable silence settled in the room. Kain let out a slow breath, still trying to process what just happened. Then, slowly, he turned to the princess. "...I feel like we got off on the wrong foot," he said. She glared at him. "Who are you?!" "Believe me, I''d love to know the answer to that myself," Kain muttered. He rubbed his temple, his brain still spinning. One minute, he was outside a dungeon. The next, he was in a palace, on top of a princess, stealing a royal first kiss. Something very, very wrong had just happened. And judging by the soft giggle echoing through the air, he had a very strong suspicion who was behind it. --- "Oh my~! This is even better than I expected!" Kain whipped around. The Trickster Goddess was now lounging in midair, lazily floating above the bed like she had been there the whole time. Her long pink hair shimmered in the candlelight, her nine golden tails lazily flicking behind her. Her golden eyes sparkled with absolute delight. Kain felt a headache forming. "...YOU," he groaned. The fox goddess smirked. "Me~." The princess¡ªwho had been attempting to regain some dignity¡ªnow looked utterly bewildered. "W-Wait. That''s a fox spirit!" "A goddess, actually," the Trickster corrected cheerfully, twirling a lock of pink hair around her finger. "And this lovely thief here just happened to put on my favorite little artifact~." She tapped the gauntlet on Kain''s wrist. It flared with magic in response. Kain scowled. "Oh, great. So not only am I stuck with a cursed relic, but you decided to teleport me into a royal scandal just for fun?" The goddess tilted her head innocently. "You did steal my treasure. This is simply punishment." Kain threw up his hands. "What kind of ''punishment'' involves throwing me into a princess''s bed?!" The Trickster giggled, tails swishing behind her. "Well, I couldn''t let you get away too easily~. Besides¡­" She cast a mischievous glance at the still-flustered princess. "It seems like fate has an interesting plan for you two." Kain and the princess immediately turned away from each other, both muttering under their breaths. --- The knights, meanwhile, were still standing there, looking utterly lost. "So¡­ uh¡­ is he an assassin or not?" one of them asked. The princess exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead. "No. Stand down. I need¡­ a moment to figure out what''s happening." The knights hesitated, then slowly lowered their weapons. Kain, relieved that he wasn''t about to be stabbed to death, took the opportunity to shoot a glare at the Trickster Goddess. "You could''ve just explained the damn gauntlet instead of teleporting me into a death trap." The goddess pouted dramatically. "Where''s the fun in that?" Kain resisted the urge to strangle her. The princess sighed. Then, with an authoritative tone, she crossed her arms. "Start talking. Who are you? Why are you here?" Kain held up a hand. "Okay, before anything else¡ªcan I at least get an introduction? Seeing as I apparently just had a very royal first kiss, I think that''s fair." The princess turned pink again, but managed to compose herself. "...Princess Lysara von Eldoria. First Princess of the Kingdom." Kain blinked. Then sighed. "Oh, fantastic. Of course I end up in the lap of royalty. My luck is so great." Lysara scowled. "And you?" "Kain. Freelance artifact retriever." The princess frowned. "A thief?" Kain shrugged. "That''s just a less polite way of saying it." Lysara looked exasperated, but before she could reply, the Trickster Goddess clapped her hands together. "Well! This has been wonderfully entertaining, but we should probably get moving before the entire royal court gets involved, yes?" Kain stiffened. "...Wait. What do you mean, ''gets involved''?" As if on cue¡ª The castle alarm bells began ringing. Outside, the sound of armored boots and shouting guards echoed through the halls. Lysara paled. "Oh no." Kain stared at the Trickster Goddess. The Trickster beamed. "Oops~." Kain groaned. "You''re gonna get me executed." The Trickster hummed. "Oh, don''t worry~! I have plans for you, my little thief." Kain had a very bad feeling about that. Escaping the Castle and The Trickster鈥檚 Game Kain had been in plenty of bad situations before. Getting caught red-handed stealing artifacts? Done that. Nearly being crushed by a dungeon guardian? Just last night. Pissing off a royal princess? Apparently, that was a new achievement. But being teleported into a princess''s bed, accidentally kissing her, and then having the entire palace guards chasing him for his life? That was a first. --- Kain vaulted over a marble railing, landing on the floor below with a sharp roll. The palace hall echoed with the sound of armored boots, shouts of knights ringing through the air. "FIND HIM!" one of them bellowed. "HE CANNOT ESCAPE THE CASTLE!" Kain groaned. "Oh, for the love of¡ª I didn''t even DO anything!" "You stole the first kiss of the princess of the kingdom," the Trickster Goddess teased, floating beside him as if this were just another fun game. "IT WAS YOUR FAULT!" Kain hissed, ducking behind a massive decorative vase as more guards stormed the corridor. The pink-haired fox goddess giggled, tails flicking. "Oh please, don''t act like it wasn''t a little fun~." Kain gave her a murderous glare. "I swear, if I survive this, I''m gonna¡ª" A knight swung a halberd at his face. Kain jerked backward, barely dodging as the blade slashed through the air, slicing cleanly through the marble vase he had been hiding behind. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. "Shit¡ª!" He sprang back, narrowly avoiding another brutal swing from the knight. The Trickster Goddess clapped her hands in delight. "Ooooh~! Now the real fun begins!" --- The next few moments were chaos. Kain ducked, twisted, and flipped over swinging weapons, using his enhanced agility to evade every attack. The palace knights were well-trained, but they weren''t prepared for someone like him¡ªa thief with a cursed artifact that made him faster than humanly possible. He kicked off a wall, flipping over a spear thrust, then landed behind the knight. Before the man could turn, Kain delivered a swift kick to the back of his knee, sending him toppling. Another guard charged. Kain sidestepped, grabbed the man''s wrist, and twisted¡ªflipping him over his own momentum and slamming him to the ground. "Damn," Kain muttered. "This thing really does make me stronger." The Arcane Gauntlet pulsed with a blue glow, its magic coursing through him like a second heartbeat. It was making him faster, stronger, sharper. And¡­ it wasn''t just reacting to him. Kain could feel it. Like it was watching. Like it was¡­ waiting for something. --- "Enough games," a cold voice cut through the battle. Kain turned¡ªjust in time to see a new figure enter the hall. Unlike the palace knights, this man wore an officer''s coat, marked with golden insignias. His long dark hair was tied back, and his steel-gray eyes locked onto Kain like a predator spotting prey. The other knights immediately stood at attention. "General Varian," one of them saluted. Kain sighed. "Great. Now there''s a mini-boss." The Trickster Goddess laughed. "Oh~ this one looks serious." Varian drew his blade¡ªa long, silver-etched saber, its edges glowing faintly with magic. "Thief. I''ll give you one chance to surrender." Kain grinned. "And I''ll give you one chance to pretend you never saw me." The general moved. Faster than Kain expected. The blade flashed, and Kain barely dodged, the saber slicing cleanly through the air where his neck had been just a second ago. "Shit¡ª!" Varian was on him in an instant. Kain backpedaled, narrowly avoiding a series of precise, calculated slashes. Unlike the clunky palace knights, Varian''s strikes were measured and deadly, each one aimed at a vital point. Kain ducked, then rolled under an arcing cut, coming up behind the general. He threw a kick¡ªbut Varian blocked it effortlessly, grabbing Kain''s leg and hurling him backward. Kain crashed into a decorative suit of armor, sending metal pieces flying. "Ow," he muttered. "Okay, yeah. You definitely fight like a mini-boss." Varian didn''t react. He simply adjusted his grip on the saber and charged again. Kain gritted his teeth. He couldn''t win a head-on fight. He had to think like a thief. --- The next time Varian struck, Kain didn''t dodge backward. Instead, he stepped in. He let the saber barely graze his side¡ªthen lunged forward, twisting around the general''s guard. In that split second, he grabbed a handful of the officer''s coat, yanked him off balance, and¡ª Smashed his knee into Varian''s stomach. The general staggered back, caught off guard. Kain grinned. "Guess you weren''t expecting me to fight dirty, huh?" Varian''s eyes narrowed. Then he smirked. "Good," he said. "This might actually be fun." Lightning crackled around his saber. Kain''s stomach dropped. "Oh, COME ON." --- The Trickster Goddess, still watching from the sidelines, smiled knowingly. "Oh, my dear thief~. You''re in for quite the adventure." Her golden eyes gleamed as she flicked her fingers¡ªjust enough to stir the magic within Kain''s gauntlet. Kain felt it instantly. A surge of energy¡ªsomething powerful, something ancient. Something dangerous. His body moved on its own. And in the next heartbeat¡ª The fight truly began. The Gauntlet鈥檚 Power and The General鈥檚 Challenge The air crackled with tension. Kain braced himself, eyes locked onto General Varian, who now stood poised with his saber¡ªits blade wrapped in flickering arcs of lightning. This was bad. Varian wasn''t just some random knight¡ªhe was a high-ranking officer, and judging by the way his weapon hummed with elemental energy, he was also a magic-enhanced swordsman. Which meant Kain was massively outclassed. Not that it had ever stopped him before. --- Varian vanished. Not literally, but his speed was so fast, Kain barely saw him move before the man was already upon him. Instinct took over. Kain ducked, narrowly avoiding the saber''s electric arc as it sliced through the air. The force of the swing sent sparks flying, the ground where Kain had stood now seared black from the lightning. "Holy shit¡ª!" Kain twisted, trying to put distance between them, but Varian was relentless. He came at Kain again and again, each strike lightning-fast, his movements fluid and precise. Kain barely managed to weave through the attacks, his enhanced agility just barely keeping him alive. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! But he couldn''t keep this up forever. The moment he made one mistake¡ª Varian''s blade grazed his shoulder. A sharp jolt of electricity coursed through Kain''s body. His muscles locked up, pain spiking through his nerves. "GRAH¡ª!" Kain stumbled, barely regaining his footing. Varian didn''t even look winded. He simply raised his saber again. "You''re fast," the general admitted, his steel-gray eyes analyzing Kain with cold calculation. "But you have no discipline." Kain gritted his teeth. "Yeah? Well, I prefer not dying over discipline, thanks." But his body was already reacting. The Arcane Gauntlet pulsed, its runes flaring brighter than before. And for the first time¡ª Kain felt something responding to him. Like a second presence, coiling beneath his skin. Something old. Something powerful. Something very, very awake. --- Varian moved in for the finishing strike. And Kain''s body moved on its own. His vision sharpened, his reflexes accelerating beyond human limits. Before the saber could connect, Kain sidestepped¡ªfaster than he ever had before. Not just dodging¡ªbut vanishing and reappearing a few feet away in a blur of motion. Varian''s strike hit nothing but air. The general''s eyes narrowed. "What?" Kain stared down at his hand. The gauntlet was glowing. And his entire body felt like it had just caught fire¡ªexcept it didn''t burn. It felt strong. Unbelievably strong. The Trickster Goddess, who had been lounging nearby watching the fight like it was a theater performance, let out a soft, knowing hum. "Well, well. Looks like my little thief is finally tapping into his potential~." Kain clenched his fingers into a fist. He didn''t know what was happening, but he knew one thing¡ª He wasn''t losing here. --- Varian wasn''t going to wait for him to figure things out. The general lunged, his saber crackling with fresh lightning. But this time¡ª Kain reacted. Faster than he thought possible, he ducked under the attack, feeling the static hum as the blade barely missed his head. Then¡ª He moved in. Kain''s arm snapped forward¡ªa strike that shouldn''t have been possible with his speed. Varian''s eyes widened as Kain''s fist slammed into his torso, knocking the general off his feet. The impact sent a shockwave through the room. Varian skidded backward, his boots scraping against the floor as he forced himself to a halt. The general looked at Kain, his eyes calculating. Then, for the first time¡ª He smirked. "Interesting," Varian said, gripping his saber. "You''re not just a thief, are you?" Kain exhaled, still trying to process what just happened. "Nope," he muttered. "But I sure as hell fight like one." --- The Trickster Goddess was grinning. Her golden eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched Kain''s power begin to awaken. "Oh, my dear thief~. You have no idea what you''ve just unlocked." Her nine golden tails swayed behind her as she leaned back with satisfaction. This was only the beginning. Unleashing the Gauntlet鈥檚 True Power Kain''s breath came fast and shallow. His entire body thrummed with raw, pulsing energy¡ªthe kind that didn''t just surge through his muscles, but commanded them. For the first time, he wasn''t just dodging attacks out of instinct. He was reacting before they even happened. And that scared the hell out of him. --- General Varian straightened, brushing off his coat as if Kain''s punch hadn''t just sent him skidding across the castle floor. The air around him crackled, his saber humming with stored electricity. "You''re learning fast," Varian admitted, eyes sharp with calculating interest. "That''s rare in a fight." Kain flexed his fingers, still feeling the unnatural speed coursing through him. "I''d be happier about that if I actually understood what the hell was happening." The Trickster Goddess, still floating above the chaos, giggled. "Oh, don''t worry~! You''ll figure it out soon enough!" Kain shot her a deadpan glare. "You''ve been saying that for three near-death experiences now." The fox goddess smirked, her golden tails flicking lazily. "And yet, you''re still alive. See? I''m a great mentor!" Before Kain could properly express how much he wanted to strangle her, Varian moved. This time, Kain saw it coming. The lightning-clad blade slashed toward him¡ªdeadly, precise. A single hit would fry him alive. But his body reacted first. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Kain didn''t dodge. He caught the blade. --- A shockwave of energy exploded through the hall. Kain''s hand closed around the edge of the sword, lightning sparking violently where steel met the arcane gauntlet. The energy surged through him, but instead of pain¡ª The gauntlet absorbed it. The runes on the artifact flared brighter than ever, the crackling magic feeding into it like a conduit. Kain''s golden eyes widened. Holy shit. Varian''s expression flickered with the first hint of surprise. "You can¡ª" Kain didn''t wait for him to finish. The stolen lightning surged through his arm, and before he could even think¡ª He released it back. A burst of raw energy shot out, hurling Varian backward with enough force to shatter the stone wall behind him. Kain stumbled back, eyes wide. "I just¡­ what the hell did I just do?!" The Trickster Goddess clapped her hands in delight. "Oh, that was beautiful! Such a natural talent~!" Kain turned to her, still reeling. "You KNEW I could do that?!" She wagged a finger. "I had theories~." Kain groaned. "Oh, fantastic. My survival is based on your ''theories.''" --- From the debris, Varian rose. His uniform was torn, his coat singed, but the fire in his steel-gray eyes had only intensified. He wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, then smirked. "You''ve definitely got my attention now." Kain''s stomach sank. Varian wasn''t angry. He was excited. "Aw, come ON," Kain groaned. "Why is every strong bastard I meet a battle junkie?!" --- Before Varian could resume the fight, a new voice interrupted. "STAND DOWN!" The command rang through the halls with enough force to make even Varian freeze. Kain turned, breath still heavy, as Princess Lysara strode into the room. Her silver hair shimmered under the torchlight, her sapphire-blue eyes steely and unyielding. She still looked flustered, but there was commanding authority in her stance. "This fight ends now," she said sharply. Kain, who had been fully prepared to die fighting a mini-boss, blinked. Varian straightened, his sword still humming with faint lightning. "Your Highness, this man¡ª" "¡ªIs under my protection," Lysara cut in. Silence. Kain stared at her. The Trickster Goddess let out a low whistle. Even Varian seemed caught off guard. "...What?" Lysara crossed her arms. "This man is no ordinary thief." She glanced at the glowing gauntlet still humming on Kain''s wrist. "And I refuse to have him executed when I don''t even know what he is." Varian frowned, clearly struggling against his own instincts. "...You''re making a mistake." Lysara''s gaze didn''t waver. "That''s for me to decide." Varian exhaled sharply but finally lowered his blade. Kain, whose entire survival had just been decided by a single noblewoman, exhaled too. "Man," he muttered, grinning despite himself. "Didn''t expect to get a princess to vouch for me today." Lysara shot him a deadly glare. "You are incredibly lucky I need answers." The Trickster Goddess cackled. "Ooooh, I like her." Kain sighed. "Of course you do." --- The castle guards backed down reluctantly, though their eyes still burned with suspicion. Kain, meanwhile, was still trying to process what just happened. A few minutes ago, he was seconds from death. Now, he was a royal guest. Sort of. And somehow, he still didn''t know what the hell the gauntlet was. But one thing was clear: He had just gotten himself tangled in something much bigger than a simple heist. And he had a bad feeling it was only getting started. --- A Deal with the Princess and the Truth About the Gauntlet Kain wasn''t in chains, but he might as well have been. Standing in the center of the royal court, surrounded by ornate marble pillars, high-ranking nobles, and a dozen heavily armed knights, he felt very, very out of place. And very, very screwed. --- Princess Lysara sat on an elevated throne, her sapphire eyes locked onto him like a hawk watching prey. Varian stood to her side, arms crossed, looking mildly annoyed that Kain was still alive. The Trickster Goddess? She was lounging on a pillar like this was her personal drama show, nibbling on a fruit she had stolen from the royal banquet table. Kain hated her so much. "Let''s get to the point," Lysara said, her voice crisp. "You''re in possession of a dangerous artifact, you appeared inside my chambers without explanation, and you¡ª" She paused, lips pressing together. "...Stole my first kiss." The entire court murmured. Kain sighed. "Are we really bringing that up again?" Lysara''s cheeks flushed, but she straightened her posture. "You will answer my questions." Kain muttered something under his breath. "Fine. Ask away, Your Highness." --- Lysara''s gaze flicked to the gauntlet still clamped around his wrist. "Where did you find it?" Kain exhaled. "Duskwind Ruins. Was doing my usual business¡ªyou know, acquiring valuable things before actual adventurers get them¡ªand I figured, hey, why not grab the ancient artifact of unknown origins?" If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "You mean steal," Varian interjected. Kain shrugged. "Tomato, tomahto." Lysara ignored them both. "That gauntlet¡ªdo you understand what it is?" Kain frowned, glancing at the glowing runes. "Not a clue. Except that it **won''t come off, it boosts my speed, and it apparently lets me steal magic from people who try to kill me." The court gasped. Lysara''s expression darkened. "That isn''t just any relic," she said. "That gauntlet is the Arcane Bind, an artifact from an era long before our kingdom. It was created to bind itself to a chosen wielder and¡ª" She hesitated. Kain narrowed his eyes. "And what?" Lysara''s fingers curled against the armrest. "...And it was designed to be wielded by a warlord." Kain''s stomach dropped. The court broke into whispers. Varian''s hand drifted to his sword. And the Trickster Goddess finally decided to chime in. "Ooooh~," she sang, flipping onto her feet. "So that''s why it reacted so well to you!" Kain shot her a deadly glare. "You knew?!" The goddess grinned. "I had suspicions~." Lysara''s jaw tightened. "The Arcane Bind is said to have chosen wielders in times of great conflict. The last time it appeared, it belonged to a conqueror who¡ª" She stopped, then sighed. "...Who nearly burned the world to the ground." --- Silence fell over the court. Kain took a slow breath. "So what you''re telling me¡­ is that I''m wearing a weapon meant for a world-ending warlord." Lysara nodded. Kain rubbed his temples. "Great. Fantastic." "Which is why," Lysara said firmly, "I cannot allow you to roam free." Kain stiffened. "Wait, hold on¡ª" "You don''t seem to fully grasp the gravity of this situation," Lysara cut in. "You''re walking around with an artifact that could¡ª" She hesitated again. "...That could bring war to the kingdom." Kain felt a headache forming. "Look, I get it," he said. "I didn''t ask for this stupid thing, okay? If you have a way to remove it, I''ll gladly hand it over and walk away!" Lysara grimaced. "...There is no way to remove it." Kain froze. "What?" "The Arcane Bind only releases its wielder upon death," she said softly. A cold chill ran down Kain''s spine. He couldn''t take it off. Ever. Lysara watched him carefully. "Which means, as long as you''re alive, you are bound to it. And that means¡ª" Kain groaned. "Let me guess. You''re gonna arrest me?" Lysara shook her head. "I''m going to hire you." --- Kain blinked. "...What?" Lysara leaned forward. "You said you steal artifacts, correct?" Kain narrowed his eyes. "It''s a fine-tuned skillset, but yes." The princess nodded. "Then I have a proposition for you. In exchange for not executing you¡ª" Kain coughed. "Love that that''s an option." Lysara ignored him. "You will work under me, using your skills to retrieve and secure dangerous artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands." Kain stared at her. "Are you seriously asking a career thief to help protect royal artifacts?" Lysara''s lips curled. "You are uniquely qualified." Kain sighed, running a hand through his messy orange hair. "Right. And what happens if I say no?" Varian''s saber glinted in the torchlight. Kain sighed again. "Yeah, thought so." The Trickster Goddess cackled. "Oh, this just keeps getting better!" Kain shot her a glare. "You could HELP, you know." The goddess grinned. "But then it wouldn''t be fun~." --- Lysara folded her hands. "So? Do we have a deal?" Kain exhaled. This was insane. Then again¡­ so was his entire life up to this point. And really, what was the worst that could happen? "...Fine," he said, grinning despite himself. "Guess I''m a royal thief now." Lysara''s eyes narrowed. "Official artifact retriever." Kain shrugged. "Same thing." The princess sighed. "I already regret this." --- The Trickster Goddess leaned closer, smirking. "Oh, my dear thief~." Her golden eyes sparkled with mischief. "You have no idea what you''ve just signed up for." --- A Room, A Fox, and an Unwanted Kiss Kain wasn''t in a dungeon, but he wasn''t exactly free, either. After the royal court decided not to execute him, Princess Lysara arranged for him to stay within palace territory¡ªbut outside the main castle. Which was just a polite way of saying: "We don''t trust you, but we need you, so don''t run." His new room was a modest guest chamber inside the outer wing of the palace. It wasn''t bad¡ªdefinitely a step up from sleeping in abandoned ruins¡ªbut it still felt like a gilded cage. And the worst part? He wasn''t alone. --- Kain flopped onto the silken bed, sighing loudly. The Trickster Goddess was sprawled across a lounge chair, lazily twirling a lock of pink hair around her finger, her golden fox tails flicking behind her. Kain groaned. "Do you ever leave me alone?" She grinned. "Nope~! You''re far too entertaining." Kain muttered something very rude under his breath. "Alright, spill it," he said, sitting up. "Who the hell are you really, and why is this gauntlet such a big deal?" The Trickster tapped her chin playfully. "Oh? You want story time~?" Kain rolled his eyes. "No, I want to hear about how I won a grand vacation and a lifetime supply of alcohol. But since that''s not happening, yes¡ªstory time." The fox goddess chuckled, sitting up. "Very well, my dear thief~. Allow me to introduce myself properly." She flicked her wrist, and golden energy swirled around her, casting dancing shadows against the walls. "I am Tsuki no Myobu," she said dramatically. "Goddess of trickery, illusions, and mischief. One of the oldest deities in this land." Kain raised an eyebrow. "So¡­ you''re an ancient prankster." Tsuki pouted. "Rude! I prefer ''divine orchestrator of fate and chaos.''" "Right. That sounds so much better." Tsuki huffed but continued. "And that gauntlet you''re wearing? That was made for war." Kain glanced down at the glowing runes on his wrist. "Yeah, the princess already gave me the scary speech. Said it belonged to some warlord." Tsuki''s expression darkened slightly. "Not just any warlord. The Demon Warlord, Raizel." Kain frowned. "Sounds like a fun guy." Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "He nearly conquered the world." "Yup. Sounds about right." Tsuki flicked her tails, golden light reflecting off them. "But he wasn''t the first wielder of the Arcane Bind." Kain''s eyes narrowed. "Wait, what?" Tsuki leaned in, her golden eyes shimmering. "That gauntlet wasn''t originally made for a warlord. It was made for a hero." Kain''s breath hitched. "¡­You''re kidding." Tsuki smiled¡ªnot her usual playful smirk, but something almost¡­ nostalgic. "The Arcane Bind was created by gods and mortals working together. It was meant to be the ultimate weapon against darkness. But¡­" Her smile turned sharp. "Power is funny like that. It doesn''t care who uses it." Kain clenched his fist. So this thing was meant for a hero¡­ and instead, it became a warlord''s weapon. And now¡­ it had chosen him. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Great. So I''m wearing an artifact that can''t decide if it wants to be a savior or a mass murderer." Tsuki laughed. "Oh, I like you, thief~." Kain pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright. What''s your connection to it?" Tsuki grinned mischievously. "Oh, that''s the fun part! I was sealed inside it!" Kain stared. Then threw his hands up. "OF COURSE YOU WERE!" Tsuki giggled. "For hundreds of years, I was trapped inside, watching history unfold. Waiting for someone to break the seal." She leaned in closer, her pink hair brushing against his arm. "And then you came along~." Kain scowled. "So I just¡­ accidentally freed a divine fox menace from an ancient relic?" Tsuki nodded cheerfully. "Correct~!" Kain groaned. "I hate my life." Tsuki flicked his forehead. "Awww, don''t be like that! You and I are destined partners now." Kain glared. "The only ''destiny'' I see is me jumping off a cliff." Tsuki beamed. "Oh, don''t be dramatic. You should be honored!" Kain rolled his eyes. "Yeah, honored to be stuck with a fox gremlin." Tsuki pouted. "I am NOT a gremlin!" "You sure as hell act like one." Tsuki huffed, crossing her arms. "You wound me, thief." Kain smirked. "Good." She stuck out her tongue. "Fine, then. I won''t tell you the coolest part about the gauntlet." Kain paused. "...What?" Tsuki''s golden eyes twinkled. "Nope! You called me a gremlin, so now I''m keeping secrets." Kain growled. "Oh, for¡ªjust tell me!" Tsuki giggled. "Make me~." Kain groaned, reaching for her collar. "That''s it, you little¡ª" The moment his fingers brushed her sleeve¡ª Tsuki shifted. Or rather¡ªshe pretended to. And Kain, who wasn''t expecting it, lost his balance. Badly. He toppled forward¡ª Right onto Tsuki. His weight pinned her down on the bed¡ªand before he could react¡ª Their lips collided. --- Silence. Tsuki froze. Kain''s brain flatlined. Then¡ª A huge explosion of golden energy erupted, sending Kain flying off the bed and crashing face-first into the floor. He groaned. "Ow." Tsuki sat up, cheeks pink, ears twitching. She touched her lips. Then¡ª She burst out laughing. "Oh my gods, this is hilarious!" Kain, still sprawled on the floor, groaned louder. "I hate my life." Tsuki smirked. "You know, if you wanted to kiss me that badly, you could''ve just asked~." Kain grabbed a pillow and threw it at her face. Tsuki just cackled harder. Somewhere, in the heavens, the gods were laughing at him. Kain lay on the floor, arms spread out, contemplating every single life decision that led to this moment. The room was still radiating with the aftershock of Tsuki''s divine energy explosion, a few stray golden sparks floating lazily in the air. And on the bed¡ª Tsuki hadn''t stopped laughing. "That was¡ª" she gasped between fits of laughter, clutching her stomach, "¡ªthe single most ridiculous accident I have ever seen in my eternal life!" Kain groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "I didn''t mean to¡ª!" Tsuki wiped away a fake tear. "No, no, this is perfect. First the princess, now me? You''re just collecting accidental kisses at this point!" Kain sat up, glaring. "This is NOT a collection!" Tsuki smirked. "Oh? Then what do you call it?" "BAD LUCK." Tsuki grinned wider. "Or¡­" She leaned forward, golden eyes twinkling. "A curse?" Kain scowled. "You know what? I hope it''s a curse. At least that would explain why my life is turning into a pervy romantic disaster." Tsuki wiggled her pink fox ears, looking far too smug. "Mmm, I wouldn''t call it a disaster~." Kain shot her a flat look. "I was flung across the room by a divine energy explosion." Tsuki shrugged. "Sounds like a normal kiss reaction to me." Kain pointed at her. "You. Are. The. WORST." Tsuki giggled. "Oh, you love me." Kain opened his mouth to argue¡ª Then stopped. His brain replayed her words. His stomach dropped. Oh no. Tsuki''s fox ears perked. "Oh? What''s wrong, little thief?" Kain''s face paled. "Wait. WAIT. Hold on." Tsuki tilted her head innocently. "Hmm?" Kain shot to his feet. "THAT WAS A KISS FROM A DIVINE BEING, WASN''T IT?!" Tsuki''s smile turned devious. "Why yes~. Yes, it was." Kain''s soul left his body. "Oh, FUCK ME." Tsuki burst into laughter again. "Oh my stars, you JUST realized?!" Kain grabbed his head, panicking. "THAT MEANS¡ªSOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN, ISN''T IT?!" Tsuki beamed. "Well~," she twirled a lock of pink hair, pretending to think, "A kiss from a goddess can mean many things." Kain''s eyelid twitched. "¡­Like what?" Tsuki grinned devilishly. "Ohhh, I could tell you¡­" Kain''s stomach dropped further. "...But it''s more fun to let you find out." Kain genuinely considered throwing himself out the window. "THIS IS WHY I DON''T TRUST GODS!" Tsuki laughed harder. The worst part? Somewhere, deep inside his very unfortunate soul, Kain had the distinct feeling¡­ This wouldn''t be the last time. Fox And Unwanted Kiss 2 Kain slept soundly, sprawled out in the most undignified position possible, one arm dangling off the bed, his orange hair messier than ever. Tsuki watched him from her spot on the windowsill, her golden tails swaying lazily. She had been watching him sleep for a while now, but not out of concern¡ªoh no, she was far too entertained for that. "My, my~. You really do move fast, little thief," she murmured, tapping a finger against her lips. "First, you steal a kiss from the princess¡­" Her golden eyes twinkled mischievously as she gazed at his sleeping form. "Then, you come straight for me. So bold~." Kain let out a soft snore, utterly oblivious to the trouble waiting for him when he woke up. Tsuki giggled to herself. "Oh, I do wonder how you''ll react when you realize what that kiss actually did." She leaned forward, close enough that her breath could have tickled his ear. "Shall I tell you, little thief? Or shall I let fate¡­ surprise you?" She stretched her arms, letting out a lazy yawn. "Mmm~. Decisions, decisions~." Kain twitched in his sleep, muttering something incoherent. Tsuki smirked. He really had no idea. She hadn''t been lying¡ªa divine kiss did have consequences. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. What kind? Well, that was something for Kain to figure out on his own. And she was going to enjoy every second of it. --- Kain woke up with a jolt, heart pounding. Something felt¡­ off. He wasn''t sure what, but there was that strange, nagging sensation at the back of his mind. His groggy eyes darted around the room, scanning for danger. Then he saw her. Tsuki was still perched on the windowsill, watching him with barely contained amusement. The moment their eyes met¡ª She smirked. Kain groaned. "Oh gods, what now?" "Good morning, my dear thief~. Did you sleep well?" He rubbed his face. "I would''ve, if I wasn''t constantly dealing with bullshit." She tilted her head, grinning. "Aw, still grumpy? You should be happy, Kain~." He gave her a suspicious look. "¡­Why?" Tsuki giggled. "Because I''ve decided to keep our little kiss a secret." Silence. Kain blinked. "...What." Tsuki beamed. "Oh, you don''t remember? Well, let me remind you~!" She held up a hand, counting off on her fingers. "One: You tried to grab me, because you were throwing a tantrum." "I was NOT¡ª" "Two~! You tripped like a fool and fell right on top of me." He winced. "That part''s¡­ technically not wrong." "Three! You kissed me again!" Kain''s soul left his body. He stared at her. "That¡­ that was an ACCIDENT." Tsuki clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "Oh my, was it~?" Kain groaned, falling back onto the bed. "Kill me." She grinned. "Now, now. You should be thanking me! I haven''t told the princess about it. Imagine her reaction~!" Kain shot up again. "DON''T." Tsuki laughed. "Ohhh, you''re so fun to tease." Kain exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay. Look. I have a job now. I have to be semi-respectable. So let''s just¡ªmove on." She pouted. "You''re no fun." He glared. "I have plenty of fun¡ªjust not when it involves being set up for accidental kisses by a fox demon." Tsuki gasped. "Goddess," she corrected, flicking his forehead. "And you''ll find that fate is a funny thing, my dear thief~." Kain rubbed his forehead, muttering under his breath. "Fate can go screw itself." A knock sounded at the door. Kain blinked. "Huh?" Tsuki stretched lazily. "Ooooh~, looks like duty calls." He sighed, standing up and moving toward the door. When he opened it, a palace attendant stood there, stiff and professional. "Sir Kain," the man said, his tone strained, like he didn''t quite approve of addressing a thief as ''sir''. Kain grinned. "Sir? Fancy." The attendant''s expression didn''t change. "Princess Lysara has summoned you. Your first mission awaits." Kain raised an eyebrow. "Already?" Tsuki clapped her hands together. "Ooooh~. How exciting!" Kain sighed, cracking his neck. "Alright, fine. Lead the way." As he stepped into the hallway, Tsuki floated beside him, grinning. "My, my~. I wonder what your first mission will be? Something easy, I hope." Kain snorted. "You and I both know that''s not happening." Tsuki chuckled. "Oh, absolutely not." Kain sighed, running a hand through his hair. He had a very bad feeling about this. And knowing his luck? He was probably right. A Rival Thief and the Mark of the Trickster Kain sat across from Princess Lysara, trying his best to look like a respectable "official royal artifact retriever" and not a thief who had accidentally kissed two women in less than a week. He could feel Tsuki''s presence beside him, lounging comfortably, her smug energy radiating amusement as if this whole meeting was nothing more than entertainment. Lysara folded her hands on the table. "Your mission is simple. There''s an ancient artifact hidden within the Ruins of Vel''Anir¡ªa relic known as the Phantom Jewel. I need you to retrieve it before it falls into the wrong hands." Kain raised an eyebrow. "Sounds easy enough. So what''s the catch?" Lysara''s eyes narrowed. "There is¡­ competition." That got his attention. "Oh?" "A rogue thief known as Nyssa the Black Gale has also set her sights on the Phantom Jewel. She''s been after royal artifacts for years, and she''s not above using underhanded tactics to get them." Kain smirked. "A rival, huh? Finally, something fun." Tsuki grinned, golden eyes gleaming. "Ooooh~, another thief? Maybe she''ll be better at handling you than I am." Kain ignored her. "Alright, anything else?" Lysara sighed. "Just¡­ try not to burn down the ruins." Kain grinned. "No promises." --- Kain sat on the edge of his bed, sharpening a dagger, when he felt a presence dangerously close. He looked up. Tsuki was leaning in, way too close, watching him with a sly smirk. "My, my~. A rival thief? I wonder how you''ll fare~." He sighed. "Can I have one night without you messing with me?" She pouted dramatically. "Aw, but teasing you is my favorite pastime!" Kain gave her a deadpan look. "Ever thought about getting a hobby?" Tsuki tilted her head. "Mmmm, I have one." Kain narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah?" She leaned in closer, whispering near his ear. "You~." Kain''s brain short-circuited. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His entire thought process shut down as Tsuki lingered just a little too close, her warm breath brushing against his skin. She was doing this on purpose. "You¡ª" Kain started, but Tsuki pressed a single finger against his lips. "Shhhh~," she cooed. "What''s the matter, thief? Heart racing?" Kain jerked away, scowling. "Oh, you are so asking for it." Tsuki''s grin widened. "Oho~? Am I?" Kain grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward¡ª But Tsuki moved at the same time. And then it happened. They toppled over together, Tsuki landing on top of him, their lips crashing together¡ª But unlike last time¡­ Neither of them pulled away immediately. Their breath mingled, the warmth of their bodies too close, too intoxicating. For just a moment, neither of them moved. Then¡ª A surge of energy erupted from Kain''s chest. His entire body tensed, the glow of magic spreading from where their lips touched. Tsuki''s golden eyes widened. "What¡ª?" She felt it. A burning sensation spread across Kain''s skin, a mark appearing on his chest, glowing with divine energy. It was the same color as Tsuki''s tails. The air crackled with power as Tsuki snapped back, eyes wide. Kain, still catching his breath, blinked at her. "¡­Okay. That was definitely not normal." Tsuki stared at the glowing mark on his chest, her expression unreadable. "This¡­" she murmured, voice quieter than usual. Then, suddenly, she grabbed him by the collar. Kain barely had time to react before she kissed him again. Hard. Kain felt the warmth of her lips before his brain even registered what was happening. Again. For the third time. His body tensed as Tsuki, grinning like a fox who just raided the henhouse, pressed into the kiss. She was doing this on purpose, and Kain could already hear her teasing words forming before she even pulled away. But then¡ª Something changed. A strange pulse of energy erupted from his chest, sending shivers down his spine. The air crackled as a bright golden glow flared between them, and suddenly, the teasing atmosphere vanished. Tsuki jerked back, eyes wide. Kain froze, staring at her. The room went silent. Slowly, almost mechanically, Kain looked down at his chest. There, glowing faintly against his skin, was a symbol¡ªan intricate fox-like marking in swirling divine script. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved. Then¡ª Tsuki, for the first time since Kain met her, completely lost her composure. "¡­Wait. WAIT. HOLD ON¡ªWHAT?" Kain, still looking at the glowing mark, snapped his head up, horrified. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" "ME?!" Tsuki grabbed his shirt, shaking him violently. "YOU''RE the one who kissed ME!" "TWICE! BY ACCIDENT!" "AND I DID IT FOR FUN!" "THAT''S NOT BETTER!" They both pointed at each other, staring in utter disbelief as the realization hit them at the same time. They screwed up. Badly. Kain clutched his head. "Oh gods. Oh no." His voice broke. "WHAT DID WE JUST DO?!" Tsuki grabbed her own face. "I¡ª I DON''T KNOW! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A JOKE!" Kain threw his arms in the air. "THEN WHY THE HELL IS THERE A MAGICAL GOD MARK ON MY CHEST?!" Tsuki spun in place, tails frazzled, golden eyes flicking between him and the glowing symbol. "Oh no. Ohhh no, no, no. This is BAD. This is REALLY BAD." Kain grabbed her shoulders. "WHY?! EXPLAIN!" Tsuki sputtered, ears twitching wildly. "Because, YOU IDIOT, I JUST¡ª" She hesitated. Kain''s stomach dropped. "You JUST WHAT?!" Tsuki shook him aggressively. "I JUST DID A DIVINE BOND RITUAL WITH A MORTAL, YOU ABSOLUTE MORON!" Kain went pale. His breath hitched. Then, very quietly¡ª "¡­I''VE ONLY KNOWN YOU FOR A FEW DAYS!" Tsuki screamed into her hands. Kain screamed into his hands. They both screamed into their hands. Kain turned, pacing frantically. "Okay, okay, let''s just think. Maybe this is reversible. Maybe there''s a way to¡ª" He looked up at her. She was silent. Too silent. Tsuki, normally full of smug arrogance, was frozen, completely stiff. Kain felt ice crawl up his spine. "Tsuki." She looked at him. And then, in the smallest voice he had ever heard from her¡ª "¡­I don''t know how to undo it." The silence was deafening. Kain broke first. "YOU WHAT?!" Tsuki waved her hands frantically. "I DIDN''T KNOW THIS WOULD HAPPEN! IT''S USUALLY A BIG FORMAL CEREMONY! WITH INCENSE! AND CHANTS! AND WITNESSES! NOT JUST¡ª" She gestured at them. "¡ªWHATEVER THE HELL THIS WAS!" Kain fell to his knees. "I ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED A FOX." Tsuki collapsed onto the floor. "I ACCIDENTALLY TOOK A HUSBAND." They sat there, both staring into the void of their collective dumbassery. Kain slowly turned to her. "So, just to be clear¡ª" "YES, WE ARE STUCK." Kain groaned. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT." Tsuki slapped his shoulder. "HOW?! YOU KISSED ME FIRST!" "TWICE! BY ACCIDENT!" "AND THEN I KISSED YOU BACK, SO WHAT?!" "SO APPARENTLY, IT MATTERED, TSUKI!" Tsuki flopped onto the floor, staring at the ceiling. "Oh gods, what do I even call you now? My¡­ my consort?" She gagged. "Ew." Kain grabbed his pillow and screamed into it. She rolled onto her stomach, grinning despite the chaos. "Oho~. My divine mate~." Kain threw the pillow at her face. "I''M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND!" Tsuki cackled into the mattress. "Oh, my dear thief~. You have NO idea what you just got yourself into." Kain flopped onto the bed, utterly defeated. "I''M SO SCREWED." The Trickster鈥檚 First Fear Kain stared at the ceiling, completely motionless, the glowing mark on his chest pulsing like a cruel joke. Tsuki lay beside him, face buried in a pillow, legs kicking in sheer frustration. Neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. Then, after a long, painful silence¡ª Kain slowly turned his head toward Tsuki, his face utterly blank. "¡­Tsuki." She grumbled into the pillow. "I think we just got married." Tsuki shot up like she had been electrocuted. "DON''T SAY IT. DON''T YOU DARE SAY IT!" Kain pointed at his glowing chest mark, wild-eyed. "THIS IS A WEDDING RITUAL, ISN''T IT?!" Tsuki grabbed his shirt collar, shaking him violently. "IT''S NOT A WEDDING RITUAL! IT''S JUST A VERY STRONG DIVINE BOND THAT CAN ONLY HAPPEN BETWEEN TWO SOULS WHO ARE COMPATIBLE¡ªOH GODS, IT''S A WEDDING RITUAL." Kain''s soul left his body. "NO! NO, NO, NO! THIS ISN''T REAL!" He clutched his chest, as if he could somehow rip the mark off by sheer willpower. Tsuki rolled off the bed dramatically, flailing. "I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A FREE GODDESS FOREVER!" Kain threw his hands in the air. "I''VE NEVER EVEN HAD A GIRLFRIEND! HOW DID I SKIP STRAIGHT TO BEING SOUL-MARRIED TO A FOX GOD?!" Tsuki grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. Kain grabbed another pillow and screamed into it too. They both threw their pillows at each other. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Tsuki sat up abruptly, wild-eyed. "WAIT. DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE TO CALL YOU ''HUSBAND'' NOW?!" Kain pointed at her aggressively. "DON''T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" She grinned evilly. "Ohhh~ my dear divine consort~." Kain collapsed onto the bed face-first. "I''M GONNA DIE." Tsuki cackled. "Oh gods, wait¡ªwhat if my followers find out?!" Kain snapped back up. "YOU HAVE FOLLOWERS?!" Tsuki clapped her hands together. "I USED TO HAVE A WHOLE CULT! WHAT IF THEY THINK YOU''RE THEIR NEW DIVINE LEADER?!" Kain felt actual tears forming. "NO! NOPE! I AM NOT DOING THIS! I AM NOT BECOMING A RELIGIOUS SYMBOL!" Tsuki flopped backward onto the floor. "Ohhh nooo, what if they start worshiping you?" Kain clutched his head. "I CAN''T EVEN TALK TO WOMEN PROPERLY, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LEAD A CULT?!" Tsuki wheeze-laughed, gasping for air. "Oh gods, imagine if they start praying to you¡ª''Oh, holy consort of the Trickster Goddess, bless us with your divine thievery''!" Kain groaned into the mattress. "I HATE EVERYTHING." Tsuki rolled over, wheezing. "I CAN''T BREATHE. THIS IS TOO GOOD." Kain slammed his hands onto the bed. "Okay. NO. We are fixing this!" Tsuki nodded aggressively. "YES. BREAK THE BOND. DIVINE DIVORCE. WE''RE DOING IT." They froze. Then, at the same time¡ª "¡­How do we do that?" A heavy, suffocating silence filled the room. Tsuki''s ears twitched. "¡­I dunno." Kain''s eye twitched. "YOU MEAN WE''RE STUCK LIKE THIS?!" "TEMPORARILY! MAYBE! PROBABLY?!" Kain flung himself backward onto the bed. "I AM NEVER STEALING FROM A DAMN RUIN EVER AGAIN." Tsuki flopped down beside him, staring at the ceiling. "You say that, but we both know you''re lying." Kain groaned. "I HATE THAT YOU''RE RIGHT." Tsuki grinned. "Aww~ you''re already such a great husband~." Kain grabbed a pillow and tried to smother himself with it. --- Kain let out a long, exhausted groan and collapsed onto the bed, face-first into the pillow. "Alright," he muttered, voice muffled. "I''m done. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually¡ªjust done. I refuse to think about this anymore. I''m going to sleep, and when I wake up, this will all have been a fever dream." Tsuki sat cross-legged on the bed beside him, still staring at the glowing mark on his chest. Her usual smug expression had long since faded, replaced with something far more serious. She nudged him. "You know that''s not how reality works, right?" Kain groaned louder and buried his face deeper into the pillow. "Let me have this, Tsuki." She pursed her lips, golden eyes narrowing slightly as she flicked her tail against his side. "Fine, sleep. But when you wake up and realize you''re still magically bound to me, don''t come crying." Kain lifted one arm weakly, flipped her off, and then promptly passed out. Tsuki watched him in silence. The room was calm now, the energy from the chaotic disaster earlier having settled. But her mind was anything but calm. She leaned in closer, eyes locked onto the divine mark on Kain''s chest, her ears twitching as a strange, foreign emotion twisted in her gut. This wasn''t supposed to happen. This wasn''t a game anymore. Tsuki had been alive for centuries. She had played tricks on kings, led heroes astray, and caused more chaos than most gods dared to dream of. She had never¡ª Not once¡ª Been bound like this. Her tail flicked anxiously as she reached out a trembling hand, fingers hovering just above the glowing sigil. She could feel it. It wasn''t just some silly magical contract. It wasn''t an enchantment that would wear off in a few days. This was real. Something deeply ancient, deeply divine, and far too personal had just occurred between them. And the worst part? She hadn''t meant for it to happen. Her pulse quickened, and she snatched her hand back like she''d been burned. This wasn''t funny anymore. This wasn''t just a trick gone too far. She had to fix this. She had to fix this fast. But as she sat there, watching Kain sleep, watching the rise and fall of his chest, feeling the faint, invisible thread of magic now linking them together¡­ Her heart lurched in a way she did not understand. And for the first time in her long, chaotic life¡ª Tsuki was scared. Waking Up to a Problem (Or, I鈥檓 Still Married to a Fox) Kain woke up to the unsettling feeling that something was very, very wrong. Not the usual "Oh no, I stole the wrong artifact and now the guards are after me" kind of wrong. No. This was a different kind of existential disaster. Something felt off. There was a weight on his chest. Something warm and soft pressed against him. His still-groggy brain took too long to process what exactly was happening. Then¡ª His eyes shot open. And he found himself nose-to-nose with Tsuki, who was sleeping soundly on top of him. Silence. Kain¡¯s soul left his body. His entire being tensed as he realized¡ª She wasn¡¯t just sleeping near him. She had somehow sprawled across his chest, one of her arms draped over his stomach, legs tangled with his, and her face dangerously close to his. Her ears twitched slightly, her soft breath tickling his neck. Kain froze. His brain screamed internally. He very, very slowly turned his head and looked down at his own glowing chest mark. Still there. Still mocking him. This wasn¡¯t a dream. This was real. "Oh gods." Tsuki stirred slightly, mumbling something incoherent in her sleep. Her tails flicked lazily behind her. Kain clenched his jaw. "Okay. Stay calm. Don¡¯t panic. There¡¯s a logical explanation for this. Probably." He took a very slow breath. And then¡ª "TSUKI, WHAT THE HELL?!" Tsuki¡¯s eyes snapped open. For a brief moment, she looked confused. Then, she blinked at him sleepily. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Then¡ª Her expression changed entirely. "¡­Oh." She tilted her head, realizing exactly where she was. Her golden eyes flicked down. She saw her arm resting across his chest. Her legs tangled with his. Her face far too close to his. A beat of absolute silence. Then¡ª "AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" In a frantic explosion of movement, Tsuki shot backward, rolling off Kain and tumbling straight onto the floor with a loud thud. Kain jerked upright, gripping his blanket like a lifeline. "WHY WERE YOU SLEEPING ON ME?!" Tsuki popped up from the floor, ears flattened against her head, completely flustered. "I DON¡¯T KNOW!" "HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW?!" "I WAS JUST¡ª!" She pointed at the bed, then at herself, then at him, her hands flailing wildly. "I FELL ASLEEP AND¡ª I DON¡¯T USUALLY STAY ASLEEP¡ª BUT¡ª I WOKE UP THERE AND¡ª!!!" They both stared at each other, breathing heavily. Then, as the full weight of the situation hit them, they both turned bright red. "Oh gods," Kain groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This just keeps getting worse." Tsuki clutched her head, ears twitching violently. "This CAN¡¯T be happening! I don¡¯t even sleep near people!" Kain froze. "Wait. What?" She looked at him, panicked. "I mean¡ª I don¡¯t¡ª! I just¡ª!" She pointed at his chest mark again. "THIS STUPID THING! It¡¯s probably YOUR fault!" "HOW IS THIS MY FAULT?!" "BECAUSE YOU¡¯RE THE ONE WHO ACTIVATED IT!" "YOU KISSED ME THREE TIMES!" "YOU KISSED ME TWICE FIRST!" "WHY ARE WE YELLING?!" "I DON¡¯T KNOW!" They both collapsed back onto the bed, groaning. A long, painful silence followed. Then¡ª "So¡­" Kain said slowly, still staring at the ceiling. "This is a thing now?" Tsuki let out a suffering sigh. "Apparently." "I hate this." "So do I." They both knew that was a lie. But neither of them said it. Kain exhaled sharply. "Alright. We need to get serious. What the hell is happening?" Tsuki grumbled, rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in the blanket. "Mmm¡­ something about the bond strengthening. Probably. Maybe. I don¡¯t know." "You are the worst goddess ever." "You married me, so whose fault is that?" Kain grabbed a pillow and whacked her with it. "WE ARE NOT USING THAT WORD!" Tsuki wheeze-laughed, her tails flicking as she smacked him back with her own pillow. "Hnnn, my dear divine partner, I think you¡¯ll have to accept reality sooner or later~." "I am going to strangle you." "You wouldn¡¯t dare~." Kain glared at her. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over onto the bed, pinning her down. "Try me." For a moment, silence. Tsuki¡¯s golden eyes widened slightly. Kain realized exactly what he just did. They stared at each other. The room suddenly felt ten degrees hotter. Kain¡¯s brain screamed at him to move, but Tsuki¡­ Tsuki just grinned. "Oh? Taking the initiative now, are we~?" Kain jerked back immediately, nearly falling off the bed. "NOPE. NOPE. I¡¯M DONE. I¡¯M DONE WITH TODAY." Tsuki burst out laughing. "Ohhh~, I am NEVER letting you live this down." "I hate my life," Kain muttered. Tsuki just grinned wider. She had never felt more entertained. --- A loud knock at the door jolted Kain out of his spiraling thoughts. He had barely come to terms with waking up to Tsuki using him as a pillow, and now, reality refused to give him a break. Another series of sharp, impatient knocks. "Nope." Kain turned over and buried himself under the blankets. "I¡¯m not dealing with whatever fresh hell this is today." Tsuki, sitting cross-legged on the bed, grinned as she flicked one of her tails against his head. "Ooooh~, but what if it¡¯s an invitation for a lovely breakfast~?" Kain muttered into the pillow. "Then they can slide it under the door." The knocking turned into loud, authoritative pounding. "Sir Kain," came a very unamused voice from the other side. "The Princess has summoned you. Immediately." Kain let out a long, suffering groan. "Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m coming." Tsuki stretched lazily. "Ooooh~, this is going to be good~." Kain whipped around, glaring at her. "You¡¯re not coming." Tsuki gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "My own husband, denying me?" Kain launched a pillow at her. "DON¡¯T. USE. THAT. WORD." She dodged effortlessly, giggling. "Aww, you¡¯re so cute when you¡¯re in denial~." Kain stomped toward the door, muttering under his breath, "I hate my life." --- The moment Kain entered the royal hall, he felt every single noble, knight, and attendant¡¯s eyes lock onto him. The air was tense, thick with an energy he did not like. Princess Lysara sat at the head of the chamber, her usually stoic expression betraying something much sharper¡ªsomething unsettled. Beside her, a high-ranking priest stood stiffly, his hands slowly weaving through the air, feeling something unseen. Kain¡¯s stomach dropped. This was bad. "Ooooooh~," Tsuki whispered beside him. "They look like they¡¯ve seen a ghost." Kain muttered through clenched teeth. "I swear to every god, Tsuki¡ªnot now." Lysara''s gaze sharpened. "You. Explain. Now." Kain blinked. "Uh. Good morning to you too?" The priest stepped forward, eyes scanning him with thinly veiled unease. "Your Highness¡­ I fear something profound has happened to this man." Kain immediately felt attacked. "Alright, can we cool it with the ominous phrasing?" The priest lifted a hand, murmuring something under his breath. A wave of golden light pulsed outward, washing over Kain. Then the priest stumbled back. His eyes widened in pure disbelief. "This presence¡­" Kain internally screamed. Lysara sat forward, her frown deepening. "What is it?" The priest, visibly disturbed, hesitated. "I¡ª There is¡­ divine energy radiating from him. It¡¯s¡­ unlike anything I¡¯ve ever sensed before." The entire hall stiffened. Lysara¡¯s gaze snapped to Kain. "Explain. Now." Kain held up his hands. "Okay, listen, it¡¯s not as bad as it sounds¡ª" Tsuki cut him off immediately. "This idiot just married a divine being." Silence. The entire hall stopped breathing. Lysara¡¯s jaw dropped. The priest staggered back, gripping his staff like it might protect him from the sheer stupidity in the air. A knight nearly dropped his sword. A noblewoman choked on her drink. Kain, expression frozen in pure horror, slowly turned to Tsuki. "YOU SAID IT. YOU ACTUALLY SAID IT." Tsuki beamed. "Oh yes~. And I regret nothing." Lysara, still in pure shock, slowly stood. "I¡¯m sorry. You WHAT?!" Kain collapsed onto the nearest chair, rubbing his temples like a man at his absolute limit. "I hate everything." Divine Marriage is Not in My Contract Kain sat at the center of the royal hall, surrounded by nobles, knights, and one very smug fox goddess, while his brain slowly melted out of his ears. Across from him, Princess Lysara had not blinked in the last minute. To her right, the priest clutched his staff like it was his last line of defense against insanity. To Kain¡¯s left, Tsuki sat cross-legged on the table, ears twitching, grinning like a menace. Nobody moved. Then¡ª Lysara slammed her hands on the table. ¡°YOU MARRIED A GODDESS?!¡± Kain threw up his hands. ¡°NOT ON PURPOSE!¡± The priest, still pale as death, muttered something about cosmic disasters. Lysara rubbed her temples aggressively. ¡°Kain, you absolute imbecile. Do you have any idea what this means?!¡± Kain clawed at his face. ¡°NO! I DON¡¯T! I¡¯VE ONLY KNOWN HER FOR TWO DAYS!¡± Silence. A noble choked on their drink. A knight dropped his sword. Lysara¡¯s eye twitched so hard it looked like she was going to snap. Tsuki, meanwhile, was having the time of her life. ¡°Ohhh~ what a whirlwind romance~,¡± she purred. ¡°Two days together, and he just couldn¡¯t resist claiming me~.¡± Kain whipped toward her, eyes bloodshot. ¡°DON¡¯T MAKE IT SOUND WORSE!¡± Lysara threw her hands in the air. ¡°TWO. DAYS. TWO DAYS, KAIN?!¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The priest clutched his chest, wheezing. ¡°This¡­ this level of divine connection¡­ it¡¯s unheard of. An unbreakable celestial bond forming in two days¡ªthis should not be possible.¡± Kain shot both hands toward the ceiling. ¡°THANK YOU! Someone with sense!¡± Tsuki snickered. ¡°Mmm~ Or maybe we were just fatefully destined to be together~.¡± Kain turned back to Lysara, looking like a man on the verge of a breakdown. "Princess. Please. You know me. You know I would never voluntarily sign up for something this stupid." Lysara pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Unfortunately, that part I do believe.¡± The priest looked ready to pass out. ¡°This bond will not go unnoticed. Other divine beings¡ªother gods¡ªmay take an interest. Or worse¡­ see it as a threat.¡± Kain sat bolt upright. ¡°WHAT?!¡± Lysara¡¯s face paled slightly. ¡°You mean¡­?¡± The priest nodded grimly. ¡°If this bond is real, it means Kain is now directly tied to divine affairs. Beings from other realms may seek to test him¡ªor eliminate him.¡± Kain let out the loudest, most dramatic groan of his life. ¡°HOW DID MY LIFE TURN INTO THIS?!¡± Tsuki leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Mmm~ Marriage can be difficult, dear~.¡± Kain grabbed a goblet from the table and threw it at her. She dodged effortlessly, cackling. Lysara exhaled sharply, turning to the priest. ¡°I want answers. Gather whatever scholars you need. I need to know exactly what this bond means.¡± The priest nodded quickly and hurried away, likely to consult every holy text in existence. Kain slumped into his chair. ¡°I should have just stuck to stealing artifacts.¡± Tsuki tilted her head, grinning. ¡°But then we never would have met~.¡± Kain looked at her, completely dead inside. ¡°Exactly.¡± Lysara crossed her arms. ¡°Until we figure this out, you are not leaving the palace.¡± Kain sat up immediately. ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Lysara¡¯s eyes gleamed. "Congratulations. You''re now an official diplomatic hazard." Kain gasped in betrayal. "YOU CAN¡¯T JUST DECLARE ME A POLITICAL ISSUE!" Tsuki giggled. "Oh, but you ARE, dear thief~." Kain groaned into the table. ¡°I hate everything.¡± Lysara stood. ¡°Kain, welcome to your new life. Whether you like it or not.¡± Kain let out a very long, very dramatic groan. Tsuki grinned wider. ¡°Oh, my dear husband, this is only the beginning~.¡± Kain threw another cup at her. --- Lysara¡¯s jaw remained open, her mind still struggling to process what she had just heard. Then, after a long pause, she finally exhaled sharply, fingers digging into the table. "Kain." Her voice was eerily calm¡ªtoo calm. "How. Did. This. Happen?" Kain froze, suddenly feeling like a rat trapped in a corner. His brain screamed for an **answer¡ªany answer¡ª**that didn¡¯t make him sound like a complete and utter moron. "Uh¡ª" He ran a hand through his hair, glancing toward Tsuki. She was grinning. She knew he was scrambling. She loved that he was scrambling. Her golden eyes sparkled mischievously, her tails swaying lazily behind her. "Ohhh~" Tsuki purred, leaning forward. "Yes, Kain. Tell her how it happened~." Kain felt every ounce of blood drain from his face. "You¡ª" He whipped toward her, voice barely restrained. "You stop that right now." Tsuki¡¯s grin widened. "What¡¯s wrong, my dear thief? Feeling shy?" Kain¡¯s eye twitched violently. "I will throw you out the window." "So violent! And after everything we¡¯ve been through?" She sighed dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "I thought what we had was special~." "IT''S NOT SPECIAL!" Lysara slammed a hand on the table. "Enough! Just explain the damn bond!" Tsuki rolled her eyes, sighing. "Fiiiine, but you¡¯re not going to like it~." Her usual smug arrogance wavered, just for a moment. Then¡ªshe sighed. "This¡­ isn¡¯t supposed to happen." Kain and Lysara both stiffened. "I mean exactly that, Princess." Tsuki gestured between herself and Kain, motioning to the glowing mark on his chest. "This? It¡¯s not how my magic is supposed to work." Lysara¡¯s frown deepened. "Then what is it supposed to do?" Tsuki sighed. "A prank. A harmless trick." She exhaled sharply. "And yet, somehow, this absolute dumbass¡ª" she jabbed Kain¡¯s arm, making him flinch, "¡ªactually triggered it correctly.¡± Lysara stared. ¡°So you can break it, right?¡± Tsuki went silent. Too silent. Then¡ªshe sighed. "I have no idea how to break it." Silence. Lysara and Kain exchanged a horrified look. Tsuki beamed. "The fun hasn¡¯t even started yet~." The Bond鈥檚 Side Effects (Or, I鈥檓 Not Falling for a Fox, Shut Up) Kain sat in his assigned palace chamber, arms crossed, legs propped up on the desk, and eyes burning with frustration. This was day one of his house arrest. Lysara had banned him from leaving the palace grounds until they ¡°figured out what the bond does.¡± That meant no missions, no artifact hunting, no gold-making schemes¡ªnothing. Instead, he was stuck under constant watch like some kind of royal pet. And to make things worse¡­ Tsuki was having the time of her life. She was lounging upside down on his bed, tails flicking lazily, smirking as she watched him suffer. "Awww~ my dear husband, are you pouting?" Kain whipped toward her. "I AM NOT POUTING!" Tsuki grinned wider. "Mmm~ you totally are~." "I SHOULD BE OUT THERE WORKING!" Kain flailed his arms, pointing at the window. "Instead, I¡¯m stuck here like some caged animal, waiting for some mysterious divine side effects to kick in! This is ridiculous!" Tsuki rolled onto her stomach, resting her chin in her hands. "Ohhh~ but it¡¯s so exciting~." "IT¡¯S NOT EXCITING!" "Mmm, but it is~." Tsuki giggled, flipping onto her back again. "What if you suddenly develop fox ears? Or start craving mischief? Maybe you¡¯ll wake up and¡ªohhh~ feel the **overwhelming urge to steal a kiss~?" Kain turned red instantly. "*I AM NOT GOING TO¡ªWHY DO YOU ALWAYS MAKE IT WEIRD?!" Tsuki cackled, tails swishing. "Because your reactions are adorable~." Kain groaned loudly into his hands. "This is torture. This is actual torture." --- Night 1: The First Side Effect Hits Kain collapsed onto the bed, absolutely drained. "Alright. Maybe if I sleep, I can just¡­ pretend none of this is happening." Tsuki perched on the windowsill, grinning. "Ooooh~ sleep? Yes, sleep, dear thief~. Go right ahead~." Kain squinted at her. "Why do you sound like you know something I don¡¯t?" Tsuki giggled but said nothing. Kain ignored her, rolling over and burying himself in the blankets. "Stupid fox. Stupid bond. Stupid everything¡­" Then, the moment his eyes closed¡ª He wasn¡¯t in his bed anymore. --- Dreamscape: A World That Shouldn¡¯t Exist Kain stood frozen in a strange, moonlit garden. Everything around him felt wrong, yet familiar. The air was thick with something indescribable, carrying a soft, sweet scent that he couldn¡¯t place. Foxfire lanterns floated lazily in the air, casting a warm, golden glow over the endless field of swaying blue flowers. It was quiet. Not the eerie kind of silence, but something deeper¡ªsomething empty. And then¡ª He saw her. Tsuki. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. But not the Tsuki he knew. She wasn¡¯t teasing. She wasn¡¯t smirking. She wasn¡¯t grinning like a fox who had just outwitted a hunter. She was sitting alone beneath a tree, knees drawn to her chest, her long pink hair shimmering under the moonlight, her golden tails resting still behind her. She looked¡­ peaceful. And yet¡ª Something about the way she sat there, the way her eyes were closed but not relaxed, the way her fingers absentmindedly curled into the grass beneath her¡ª She looked lonely. Kain¡¯s breath hitched. He didn¡¯t know why, but the sight of her like that made his chest feel¡­ tight. She wasn¡¯t playing a role here. She wasn¡¯t the smug, teasing goddess that thrived on his suffering. She was just¡­ someone sitting alone in a quiet, endless space. His mouth opened before he even realized it. ¡°¡­What the hell is this?¡± Tsuki¡¯s ears twitched slightly, but she didn¡¯t react right away. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes. Golden. But this time, they weren¡¯t filled with their usual mischievous glint. For the first time since meeting her, she looked at him without amusement. She looked at him like she was actually seeing him. Something warm. Something real. Kain felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn¡¯t a normal dream. And it definitely wasn¡¯t just his imagination. He took a slow step forward. Then¡ª The look in her eyes shifted. And just like that, the moment was gone. Tsuki¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Oh~? Taking the initiative now, are we~?¡± Kain snapped out of it instantly. His face twitched. ¡°**WHAT¡ªNO¡ª**I WAS JUST¡ªWHAT IS THIS?!¡± Tsuki burst into laughter, rolling back onto the grass, all traces of her earlier stillness gone. ¡°Ohhh, this is too good~! You should¡¯ve seen your face~!¡± Kain clutched his head, overwhelmed. ¡°THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! WHY AM I DREAMING ABOUT YOU?!¡± Tsuki grinned knowingly. ¡°Ohh, that¡¯s just the bond kicking in~.¡± Kain froze. His stomach dropped. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Tsuki winked. ¡°Mmm~ our souls are linked now, dear thief~. That means when you sleep¡­ well~¡± She gestured vaguely to the glowing surroundings. ¡°Welcome to our little shared dream space~.¡± Kain¡¯s entire body shut down. His brain lagged. ¡°NO. NOPE. NOPE. ABSOLUTELY NOT.¡± ¡°Ohhh, yes~.¡± ¡°THIS IS INVASION OF PRIVACY! I WANT A REFUND!¡± ¡°Mmm, but you paid nothing for this bond~. No refunds, only endless companionship~.¡± Kain fell to his knees. ¡°I AM NEVER GOING TO HAVE A MOMENT OF PEACE AGAIN, AM I?!¡± Tsuki blinked. Then¡ªher expression flickered. Just for a second. So fast, Kain almost missed it. But he didn¡¯t. She hesitated. For the first time. Her golden eyes flickered with something unreadable. Then¡ª She grinned again. ¡°Nope~!¡± Kain groaned loudly, throwing his head back. ¡°I HATE EVERYTHING.¡± Morning: Denial Kicks In Kain shot up from bed, drenched in sweat, heart pounding like he had just run from a dungeon guardian. "NO. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" His breath was ragged. The dream was too real. The moonlit garden, the floating lanterns, the way Tsuki had looked at him¡ª It was still burned into his mind. He turned frantically, looking around¡ª And there she was. Tsuki was already sitting at his bedside, arms crossed, waiting. She looked far too pleased with herself. ¡°Good morning, my dear husband~.¡± Kain jerked back so hard he nearly fell off the bed. ¡°WHY ARE YOU HERE?!¡± Tsuki tilted her head, innocent. ¡°Mmm? It¡¯s morning~. I was just waiting for you to wake up~.¡± Kain grabbed his pillow and hurled it at her. ¡°GET OUT OF MY DREAMS!¡± Tsuki dodged effortlessly, laughing. ¡°Ohhh, but I live there now~.¡± Kain froze mid-panic. ¡°¡­What.¡± Tsuki leaned in, grinning. "Ohhh, did I forget to mention? The bond lets us share dreams~. So every time you sleep¡­" She rested her chin in her hands, tails flicking behind her. "I¡¯ll be there too~." Kain felt his soul leave his body. His entire existence flashed before his eyes. He stared at her, horrified, as the realization sank in. "I AM NEVER GOING TO HAVE A MOMENT OF PEACE AGAIN, AM I?!" Tsuki giggled, absolutely thriving in his despair. ¡°Nope~!¡± Kain buried his face in his hands. "I HATE EVERYTHING." --- The Side Effects Get Worse Kain thought it couldn¡¯t get worse. He was wrong. It started small. A faint tug in his chest whenever Tsuki was too far away. A weird warmth whenever she was close. But then¡ª It got worse. --- Unwanted Thoughts (The Horror Begins) At random moments, without warning¡ª Flash. Tsuki grinning at him during the dream. Flash. Her hair shimmering in the moonlight. Flash. Her **golden eyes looking at him¡ª**not playfully, but gently. Kain shook his head violently, gripping his skull. "NO. STOP IT. BAD THOUGHTS. AWAY WITH YOU." --- The ¡®Noticing¡¯ Phase The worst part? He started noticing things about Tsuki. Things he had never paid attention to before. --- 1: Her Hair "Her hair is actually really nice¡­" "It looks soft¡­ Wait, why am I thinking about this?!" --- 2: Her Lips Kain glanced at Tsuki while she was smirking at him, mid-tease. His eyes flicked downward. "Wait, why am I looking at her lips¡ª" His entire body froze. His stomach dropped. Then he internally screamed at himself. "NOPE, NOPE, NOPE. GET THAT THOUGHT OUT OF HERE. EXORCISM! WHERE¡¯S A PRIEST?!" --- 3: Her Scent (The Final Betrayal) One day, walking past her, something hit him like a truck. A soft, faint scent. Not strong, not perfumed¡ªjust¡­ pleasant. His body stopped moving. His mind broke. "WHY DOES SHE SMELL GOOD?!" Tsuki noticed him freezing and smirked. "Ohhh~? Something wrong, dear thief~?" Kain immediately bolted. "NOPE! NOTHING! EVERYTHING IS FINE! GOODBYE!" --- The Denial Phase: Kain vs. Reality By the third day, Kain was in full mental warfare with himself. He paced his room aggressively, muttering. "SHE''S A MENACE. A GREMLIN. A FOX SPAWNED FROM CHAOS. I REFUSE TO FALL INTO THIS TRAP!" "It¡¯s just the bond messing with me." "It¡¯s just the bond messing with me." "IT¡¯S JUST THE BOND MESSING WITH ME." But the bond didn¡¯t feel like it was forcing anything. That was the problem. It just¡­ heightened what was already there. Which meant¡ª Kain suddenly stopped pacing. His stomach sank. His face paled. "¡­Oh no." --- The Absolute Worst Moment At dinner, Lysara was mid-conversation about his training schedule when Kain¡¯s eyes briefly flicked to Tsuki. It was just a second too long. And Tsuki noticed. Her grin widened. She leaned in slightly. "Oh~? Looking at me again, dear thief~?" Kain immediately choked on his drink. Lysara blinked, then scowled. "What¡¯s wrong with you?" Kain slammed his hands on the table. "NOTHING. NOTHING AT ALL. EVERYTHING¡¯S FINE." Tsuki rested her chin on her hand, watching him squirm. "Mmm~ I wonder what you were thinking about just now~." Kain stood up abruptly. "I NEED TO GO DIG A HOLE AND DIE IN IT." Lysara sighed aggressively. "Can you two just be normal for five minutes?" Kain stormed out, fully panicked. --- Kain Accepts the Unacceptable Later that night, alone in his room, Kain stared at the ceiling. His face was blank. His soul was dead inside. And then, quietly, to himself¡ª "¡­I think I like her." Silence. Then¡ª "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tsuki, listening from the rooftop, grinned. "Took you long enough~." A Glimpse into the Fox鈥檚 Loneliness Kain found himself standing in the dreamscape again. But this time¡­ it was different. The soft glow of foxfire lanterns was gone. The breeze that once carried the sweet scent of flowers was still. And the garden¡ª It was empty. --- A Memory, Not a Dream Kain didn¡¯t move at first, just taking in the silence. The place was eerily frozen in time. No playful whispers. No flickering tails. No laughter. Then¡ª In the distance, he saw her. --- Tsuki, But Not The One He Knew She was alone again, sitting beneath a dead tree, gazing up at a sky with no stars. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders, not styled into its usual playful waves. Her golden eyes, usually filled with mischief and mirth, were dim. She looked¡­ small. Vulnerable. --- The Fox That Stood Alone Kain frowned. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. He had never seen her like this. She was always so loud, so confident, so impossible to fluster. But here? She wasn¡¯t teasing anyone. She wasn¡¯t causing problems just to watch people squirm. She just sat there. Alone. And something about that didn¡¯t sit right with him. --- "Why is she alone?" He took a step forward. Then another. His boots barely made a sound against the cold, empty ground. For some reason, he didn¡¯t want to disturb her. Or maybe¡­ Maybe he just wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. --- A Glimpse of Her Past The scene shifted. Suddenly, he wasn¡¯t in the empty garden anymore. He saw **figures¡ª**other gods, spirits, beings of power. They were laughing. Not cruelly. Not maliciously. But Tsuki wasn¡¯t laughing with them. She was watching from a distance. Her usual grin was nowhere to be found. She stepped toward them¡ª And the moment she did¡ª They dispersed. No one said anything. No one looked back. They just¡­ left. Kain¡¯s stomach tightened. It was too familiar. --- The Similarity Hits Kain For a brief moment, he felt something sharp twist in his chest. That feeling. That moment of thinking you were part of something only to find out you weren¡¯t. That distance. That isolation. It was the same feeling Kain had felt a thousand times before. In every guild that turned him away. In every tavern where adventurers spoke of great quests while he was just a thief with no place. It was the feeling of being outside, looking in. It was the feeling of being alone. --- "You¡¯re not supposed to be here." Kain jerked back. Tsuki was right in front of him now, standing far too close, her golden eyes wide with shock. But not just shock. She was red. Embarrassed. Maybe even panicked. --- Caught in Something Personal Kain opened his mouth to speak, but¡ª She grabbed his wrist. The moment her fingers touched him, the world around them shattered. --- Kain woke up with a gasp, body jerking upright in bed. His heart was racing. His room was quiet, but the weight of what he saw clung to him. Then¡ª "You saw." Kain whipped his head to the side. Tsuki was standing there, her arms crossed, her ears flattened slightly against her head. She looked annoyed. But not her usual, playful kind of annoyed. She looked flustered. Genuinely flustered. Kain swallowed. ¡°¡­What was that?¡± Tsuki¡¯s tails flicked sharply, her face still slightly red. "Nothing." Kain narrowed his eyes. "Nothing?" Tsuki turned her back to him. "Forget it. You weren¡¯t supposed to see that." Kain hesitated. Then¡ª "...It was real, wasn¡¯t it?" Tsuki stiffened. Just for a second. Then¡ª She sighed dramatically, flipping back into her usual smirk. "My, my~. Peeking into a lady¡¯s past without permission? How scandalous~." Kain glared. "Don¡¯t change the subject." "Oh, but I must~." She turned to face him, wagging a finger. "It wouldn¡¯t be any fun if you started understanding me, now would it~?" Kain scowled. "That¡¯s not an answer." Tsuki grinned, but it was a little too sharp, a little too forced. "Then stop asking." And just like that¡ª She vanished. --- Kain Is Left With Too Many Questions Kain ran a hand down his face. He was still processing what he saw. That wasn¡¯t a dream. That was real. That was a memory. And if it was a memory¡­ Then that meant Tsuki wasn¡¯t always the carefree, playful goddess she pretended to be. She had been lonely. And for some reason¡ª That bothered him. A lot more than he wanted to admit. --- A New Thought Creeps In Kain sat in the dimly lit room, staring at the wall. For the first time, he wasn¡¯t annoyed with her. He wasn¡¯t thinking about how smug she was or how much she enjoyed torturing him. For the first time since meeting her¡ª He felt something else. Something dangerous. Something he refused to acknowledge. He buried his face in his hands. "No. No, no, no. This is just the bond messing with me." "It¡¯s just the bond." "It¡¯s just the bond." But somewhere, deep down, he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. --- The Fox Who Was Left Behind Kain sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the empty space where Tsuki had been. One second, she had been standing right in front of him, golden eyes flickering with something unreadable. Then¡ª She vanished. No teasing remark. No smug laughter. No sign of where she went. Just... gone. He rubbed his temples, exhaling sharply. Good. That meant peace. A whole day without her invading his space, taunting him, making his life miserable. He should have felt relieved. Instead, he sat there for several long minutes, just staring. Something about it didn''t sit right. His fingers twitched against his knee. Shaking his head, he pushed himself up. Didn''t matter. He had a day to get through. --- The morning went by slowly. He stopped by the training grounds, humoring some of the palace guards who still didn''t trust him. Wandered into the courtyard, avoiding a scribe who tried to rope him into some kind of report. Even made a detour to the kitchens, snagging an extra bread roll without being caught. Everything felt normal. Except¡ª Something felt off. Not wrong. Not dangerous. Just¡­ off. Like an itch in the back of his mind that he couldn''t scratch. Like he was waiting for something. Or¡­ someone. --- "Kain." He snapped out of his thoughts as Lysara appeared, approaching with her usual sharp gaze. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She studied him carefully, arms crossed. "You seem oddly restless." Kain scowled. "I''m fine." Lysara arched an eyebrow. "Are you?" "Yes." She didn''t look convinced. "Have you experienced any side effects from the bond yet?" Kain froze. His breath hitched. The dream. The empty garden. The weight of that loneliness. The absence he felt now. The tug in his chest that he was trying to ignore. His fingers twitched at his sides. "I¡ª" His voice caught in his throat. Lysara narrowed her eyes. Kain cleared his throat sharply. "Nope!" He forced a casual grin, giving her two aggressive thumbs up. "Totally fine! Nothing to report!" Lysara stared at him, unimpressed. "Uh-huh." "All good!" "Right." "Zero weird magic things happening." Lysara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Kain." He avoided her gaze. "What?" She sighed. "You''re a terrible liar." Kain immediately turned and walked the other way. Lysara let him go, but he could still feel her stare boring into his back. --- By evening, Kain was genuinely restless. He found himself leaning against a balcony railing, staring at the rooftops. Waiting. Not for trouble. Not for danger. For something else. Something he wasn''t ready to admit. "...What, did she get bored of messing with me?" His words were casual. They didn''t feel that way. That dream¡­ that memory. The way she had looked¡ªsmall, distant, alone. He scowled. She was a trickster goddess. She thrived on chaos. She wasn''t lonely. Right? His fingers curled against the stone railing, jaw clenching. Where the hell did you go? That was when he felt it. A shift. Something tugged faintly in his chest. It wasn''t strong. It wasn''t painful. But it was there. A presence. A connection. His pulse quickened. That wasn''t normal. That was the bond. And now? He could feel it. And she wasn''t far. --- Kain stood there for a long time, fingers still gripping the balcony railing, staring into the darkness of the palace grounds. The tug in his chest hadn''t faded. The bond was still there, whispering at the edge of his senses. It wasn''t pulling him toward anywhere specific¡ªjust¡­ reminding him that she existed. That she was out there. Somewhere. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Dumb ideas." He needed to stop thinking about this. About her. She''d come back when she wanted. And when she did, she''d probably ruin his morning like always. Shaking his head, he turned on his heel and walked back inside. Sleep. That was the only thing left to do. Maybe in the morning, things would feel normal again. --- The moment Kain closed his eyes, he was somewhere else. The dream came fast. Too fast. And it wasn''t like before. This wasn''t the moonlit garden. This was darker. Colder. --- He saw Tsuki. But she wasn''t alone this time. There were **others¡ª**gods, spirits, celestial beings. They stood above her, distant, looking down. She was smiling at them. That usual fox-like grin still on her face, like she had just played a prank too clever for anyone to understand. But there was something different. Something off. No one was smiling back. Then¡ª One by one, they turned away. Leaving her standing there, alone. --- The scene shifted violently. The sky darkened. The air shook with power. And suddenly, Kain was standing in the middle of a battlefield. Screams. Steel against steel. The stench of blood, fire, death. Everything was wrong. His head whipped around, searching. And then¡ª He saw him. A man clad in shadows, eyes burning with golden fire. The same golden runes that lined the Arcane Gauntlet glowed across his body, the air around him thick with raw, uncontained power. He stood above an army, his presence alone commanding destruction. The ground beneath him cracked and burned, as if the world itself was rejecting his existence. The Warlord. The man who had nearly consumed the world. Kain stumbled back, heart hammering. He saw heroes clashing against him, divine beings rallying together. A final desperate attempt to stop the power that was spiraling out of control. And there¡ª In the center of it all. Was Tsuki. Standing at his side. --- It wasn''t a battle. It was a condemnation. A gathering of gods and heroes, all joining forces. Their purpose was clear. To end it. To seal the power away. To stop the Warlord. To stop them both. Kain''s breath hitched as realization struck. They hadn''t just sealed the Warlord. They had sacrificed her, too. Her existence, her power, her very essence¡ª Everything had been sealed away alongside him. Not because she had been the villain. Not because she had been the Warlord''s ally. But because her nature¡ªher chaos¡ªwas too dangerous. She wasn''t just collateral. She had been the key. And they had left her behind. --- Kain snapped awake, gasping for air. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, sweat sticking to his skin. For a second, he didn''t know where he was. The dream was so vivid, so real¡ª His hands shook. His breaths were uneven. His mind was racing. Then¡ª His eyes landed on the figure sitting by the window. Tsuki. She was facing away from him, staring out into the night, her profile illuminated by the pale moonlight. She hadn''t noticed him. Or maybe¡ª She had, and just didn''t say anything. The room was silent. For the first time in a long time¡ª She wasn''t smirking. She wasn''t laughing. She was just sitting there. Watching the sky. Like she was waiting for something. Or maybe¡ª Like she was remembering. Kain swallowed hard. The dream lingered. The feeling in his chest didn''t fade. And suddenly¡ª He didn''t know what to say. The Warlord鈥檚 Fall and the Fox鈥檚 Betrayal Kain didn''t move at first. The dream¡ªno, the memory¡ªstill clung to him. His mind kept flashing back to the battlefield. The burning sky. The Warlord, consumed by power. The gods and heroes sealing him away. And Tsuki, caught in it all. Not as the villain. Not as the hero. Just¡­ caught. His fingers twitched at his side. The room was quiet. Tsuki hadn''t spoken. She still sat at the windowsill, staring out at the moon, her golden eyes distant. For the first time since he met her, she didn''t look untouchable. Didn''t look like the invincible, all-powerful goddess who never let anything shake her. She just looked¡­ Alone. Again. Kain gritted his teeth. No. She wasn''t alone this time. Not if he had anything to say about it. --- He pushed himself up, stepping toward the window. Tsuki didn''t acknowledge him at first. Her gaze stayed fixed on the sky, her tails flicking lazily behind her. But there was a tension in her posture. She knew he was there. She was waiting. Kain sighed. "You gonna pretend you don''t see me standing here?" Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Her ear twitched. A beat of silence. Then¡ª "You ask too many questions, thief." Her voice was lighter than usual. Not playful. Not teasing. Just¡­ tired. Kain folded his arms. "Well, maybe if I wasn''t seeing things I wasn''t supposed to, I wouldn''t have questions." Tsuki finally looked at him. Her golden eyes were sharp. Not amused. Not annoyed in the way she usually was when he complained. There was something else there. Something colder. "Forget it." Kain frowned. "No." She blinked, as if surprised by how fast he answered. Her tails flicked sharply. "Forget it, Kain." She turned away again. Like that was the end of it. Like he was supposed to drop it and walk away. But Kain wasn''t good at walking away. Not from something that mattered. And for some reason, this did. He stepped closer. "Why?" Tsuki sighed through her nose, visibly tense. "Because it''s not your problem." "Because you''re fishing too much into something you don''t understand." "Because I don''t want to talk about it." Her voice was harder now. More like a warning than an excuse. But Kain wasn''t that easily scared off. He smirked, leaning on the windowsill. "Ohhh~? You mean to tell me that the all-powerful Trickster Goddess isn''t enjoying a game of curiosity?" Tsuki''s eye twitched. She turned toward him fully now, her arms crossed, expression sharp. "This isn''t a game, thief." Kain raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you running from it?" Tsuki''s breath hitched¡ªjust barely. Her grip on her sleeve tightened. For a moment, he thought she was actually going to answer. Then, in the next instant¡ª "You are the most irritating mortal I have ever met." Kain smirked. "Not my fault I''m persistent." "It is literally your fault." "Shut up." Tsuki sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. Then, after a long pause¡ª She finally spoke. "You saw him, didn''t you?" Kain blinked. "Him?" "The Warlord." --- Kain stiffened. The memory hit him again. The man burning with raw power. The golden runes of the Arcane Gauntlet surging across his body. The world cracking beneath his feet. Kain swallowed hard. "Yeah." Tsuki''s gaze dropped slightly. "Then you know what happened to him." --- She didn''t wait for him to ask. She just kept talking. Like she was tired of hiding it. Like she wanted someone to finally hear it. "The Warlord wasn''t always like that." "He wasn''t born a monster." "He was a man. A warrior. Strong. Clever. Ruthless. But¡­ he was still just a man." "Then the power came." "The Gauntlet consumed him." "Not all at once. Slowly. Like a whisper in his ear. Like a voice that told him he could do more¡ªbe more." "And he listened." Her voice lowered. "I watched him change. I watched him become something else. Someone else. He was still the same person, but at the same time, he wasn''t." "And by the time I realized what was happening¡­" "It was too late." Kain''s fingers curled against the windowsill. The memory flashed in his mind¡ªthe battlefield, the sealing. He already knew how the story ended. But he wanted to hear it from her. "The gods and heroes gathered." "They had one goal: To end it. To stop him before there was nothing left to save." "And I¡­" Her voice caught. "I wanted to help him." "I wanted to stop him before it got worse." "But when I tried¡­" "They used it against me." Kain''s breath hitched. "They sealed him. And I was just¡­in the way." "So they sealed me too." Silence. Tsuki turned back to the window. Her fingers pressed against the glass, golden eyes unreadable. "I wasn''t a hero." "I wasn''t the villain either." "I was just¡­ there." Her lips curled into a bitter smile. "And because of that, they made sure I''d disappear with him." Kain didn''t know what to say. Because what the hell could he say? She had been sacrificed. Not because she was evil. Not because she had done something wrong. But because she had been too close to the one they feared. The anger was immediate. He clenched his fists. He hated it. That feeling. The idea of being discarded. Used. Left behind. It was too familiar. Too real. Too much like the world he knew. He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to relax. "¡­That''s a pretty messed up story, Fox." Tsuki scoffed lightly, but there was no real amusement in it. "Mmm. It is, isn''t it?" Silence settled between them. This time, not tense. Not charged. Just¡­ there. Kain hesitated, then¡ª "You''re a pain in the ass." Tsuki blinked, then laughed softly. "Oh?" Kain smirked slightly. "Yeah. But at least now I know you''ve been a pain in the ass for centuries." Tsuki rolled her eyes. "Tch. Whatever." But she didn''t push him away this time. And somehow¡ª That felt like progress. --- The Bond Reacts As Kain turned away to leave, something shifted. A warmth. A pulse. The bond flickered¡ªstronger than before. Tsuki stiffened slightly. And in the back of his mind, Kain swore he heard a whisper. Not his voice. Not Tsuki''s. Something older. Something waiting.