She Accidentally Bonded With the Devil

I’m Lyra Vale—and I was built to be thrown away. My magic’s weak, my rank’s nothing special—just another sealing mage the Council keeps around until they need bait. They sent me into that ancient circle to die: a sacrifice to lock up Kaelreth, the Primordial Devil King. The monster who’s shattered empires, who makes gods look like children, who’s never let a single human walk away from him alive. I wasn’t supposed to be different. I wasn’t supposed to live. But the ritual broke. Instead of chaining him to stone and shadow… it tied his soul to mine. Now he can’t lay a finger on me. Can’t vanish into the dark like he always has. Stumbles and fades if he strays too far. And I? I feel every breath he takes, every thought he has—his presence a heavy, burning weight in my head and veins. He’s always there. Always watching. Always waiting. Stuck with me—a girl who can barely light a candle with her magic. The world found out fast. Now I’m not just Lyra Vale. I’m the Devil King’s only weakness. Empires chase me to turn him into their weapon. Ancient horrors creep from the void to kill me and set him loose. And Kaelreth? This being who’s existed alone since time began—he glares at me like I’m the worst mistake he’s ever made. He doesn’t soothe me when I wake up screaming. Doesn’t lie and say we’ll get through this. Doesn’t pretend this bond is anything but a curse. But he never leaves. Not when armies flatten kingdoms to find me. Not when the fabric of reality starts tearing apart at our heels. Not even when they hold out the key to his freedom on a silver platter. Because somewhere between being forced to stay… And choosing to stand by me… The monster everyone fears stopped seeing me as his cage. He started seeing me as something worth burning the whole world to protect.