The bond between humans and spirits was one of the most sacred rituals in Sector 8.
To bond with a spirit was to share your life with them, your victories, your failures, and your burdens. It was a union that extended beyond mortality, tying the human and spirit together for as long as the human lived.
In Eldoralth, there were no known methods of separating a bond, it was considered impossible.
For humans, the rewards were immense. The bond granted them access to powers they could never achieve on their own.
They gained the spirit's strength, abilities, and knowledge, evolving alongside them. Over time, as the human grew stronger and reached the spirit's established strength, both would grow together, advancing to unimaginable heights.
But this partnership came at a cost.
For the spirit, bonding required a great sacrifice. Centuries of growth and accumulated power were stripped away, reducing their strength to match the level of their human partner. To give up so much was not a decision taken lightly, especially for the most powerful spirits.
And yet, they made this sacrifice for one reason: potential.
Spirits didn't choose humans for their current strength; they chose for what the human could become.
For the promise of growth and evolution. A human with untapped potential, one who could break limits and rise to greatness, offered the spirit something invaluable, a chance to transcend their own limits through their partner's ascension.
This was why the highest-tier spirits, the ones revered as kings and queens in the spirit realm, would only bond with those they deemed truly worthy.
And now, in the underground world of Sector 8, Ozeroth, a spirit who had fought and held his own against the Spirit King, a being so powerful that paragons seemed like children before him, had made his choice.
As Ozeroth's booming voice echoed through the domain, the entire foundation of Sector 8 shook.
"Strength calls to strength. You have earned my power, and now the world will bow before us."
The air grew heavier as Ozeroth's massive form stood before Atticus. His golden eyes burned with pride, his aura radiating dominance and unshakable confidence.
Ozeroth suddenly stretched his arm forward, his ethereal hand glowing with a blinding light.
Atticus didn't hesitate. He didn't falter.
Without a word, he stepped forward and reached out.
Their hands met, and in that moment, the world seemed to stop.
The instant their hands touched, the ground beneath them cracked, and a surge of energy exploded outward, shaking the entire sector.
Purple and blue light intertwined, spiraling upward into a massive column that pierced through the underground world.
It shattered the ceiling above, blasting apart a portion of the Eternal Canopy and illuminating the entire capital.
Far away, Magnus, Seraphina, and Oberon froze mid-flight, their eyes widening as the immense energy radiating from Sector 8 reached them.
"What is happening?" Oberon muttered, his eyes narrowing.
But there was no answer. Only the sound of air tearing as Magnus and Seraphina surged forward at even greater speed, leaving Oberon to follow.
In the Starhaven temple, Celestial and the elders stopped in their tracks, their eyes locking onto the brilliant light piercing the heavens. Every person in Sector 8 turned their shocked gazes toward the sky, their bodies trembling.
Back in the underground world, Blackgate and the branch heads had been pushed far away by the force of the light.
Blackgate's eyes narrowed to pinpricks, his heart racing as he fixed his gaze on Atticus and Ozeroth.
The were standing in the middle of a blinding purple blue pillar of light that pierced the underground world.
The underground world quaked. The atmosphere became very heavy as every single person found it hard to breathe.
'What is this?'
Blackgate's thoughts raced. His perception as a paragon allowed him to see and sense things far beyond the understanding of others.
He could see it clearly, somehow, Atticus's energy and Ozeroth's were mixing. As they did, the overwhelming aura that had blanketed the entire sector was beginning to wane.
Blackgate, being in charge of the human domain, had extensive knowledge about every tied family, especially the tier-one families. Because of this, he instantly deduced what was happening.
'They're bonding.'
The realization hit Blackgate like a thunderbolt, shaking him to his core. If they were truly undergoing a bonding process, it could only mean one thing: the overwhelming presence that had descended upon them was a spirit that the monster boy had summoned.
The thought sent a shiver down his spine. 'She can't be compared to him.'
His mind flashed back to that day, the day Zoey Starhaven bonded with her spirit, Lumindra. The phenomenon that had occurred then was monumental, but even that paled in comparison to what was happening now.
On that day, Seraphina and the Starhaven family had managed to suppress the news, keeping it from spreading far.
Because of Zoey's potential, Blackgate had added her to his highest-priority kill list. But now, Atticus, this boy who had repeatedly defied logic with his monstrous growth, was summoning and bonding with a being that made even Blackgate, a paragon, feel like a mere child in diapers.
He didn't need to overanalyze; his instincts screamed the truth. If this bond succeeded, there would only be one outcome: death.
'I have to stop them,' Blackgate thought urgently.
But as he tried to move, he froze. His eyes narrowed in disbelief.
'I can't move.'
No matter how hard he tried, his body refused to obey. He couldn't even lift a single finger. 'It's him.'
Blackgate's gaze turned cold as he focused on the smiling Ozeroth. Despite the fact that Ozeroth's power was waning due to the bonding process, it was still strong enough to completely immobilize him.
He was utterly helpless, forced to watch as the bond unfolded.
While the stunned onlookers watched the scene in silence, Atticus was experiencing an overwhelming transformation.
It felt as if his entire body was being torn apart and rebuilt simultaneously. A powerful surge of energy coursed through his veins, burning and freezing him all at once. Yet, paradoxically, it felt natural, like a missing part of himself was finally being restored.
His mind expanded, suddenly flooded with Ozeroth's memories, an endless cascade of knowledge and experiences, so vast and heavy that it threatened to drown him completely.
But Atticus wasn't one to give in.
With a sharp clench of his fist, he activated [Pain Resistance].
The excruciating pain that had wracked his body dulled instantly, reducing to a level just barely manageable. His breathing steadied, his resolve unwavering as he endured the process, step by step.
Atticus knew he had to survive this. And he would.