Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

The moment their feet crossed the threshold of the tear, the emperor's expression twisted. His jaw clenched, his breath caught in his chest, and for a fleeting instant his iron will nearly buckled under the sheer weight of agony that assaulted him. It was as though millions of invisible needles pierced every inch of his body, driving deep into his marrow, ripping through his nerves and vessels. His hands trembled despite the decades of discipline drilled into him. It was not a pain of flesh alone but a sensation that clawed directly at his very soul.

The emperor staggered a half step, his teeth grinding together as he forced a growl past them. "By the heavens… what devilry is this?!"

Lucas, utterly calm, raised his hand and released a pulse of his Qi that expanded outward like a translucent sphere. The energy wrapped around both of them, forming a protective cocoon. Instantly the torment dissolved, replaced by an uncanny stillness hushed the chaotic roar of the void around them.

The emperor exhaled sharply, his breath ragged, and he straightened his back as if reclaiming his pride. He turned his head toward Lucas, his eyes narrowing with a mixture of fury and curiosity. "You knew this would happen. You let me feel that torment deliberately."

Lucas did not flinch under the accusation. Instead, he inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "That is correct, Your Majesty. I could have shielded you the instant we stepped through, but then you would have left this place without truly understanding the danger. I needed you to feel it, even if only for a heartbeat. That was the void clawing at your very being. Had I not encapsulated us, your body and soul would have unraveled in less than a breath's time."

The emperor's face was hard, but beneath the severity lingered a grudging respect. "You dare gamble with my life to teach me a lesson? Bold, reckless, and yet…" He shook his head, a wry smile tugging faintly at his lips. "It was not without purpose. I see now why you warned me about calmness. Even with my resolve, that pain nearly made me lash out. A lesser man would have been destroyed before he could take a single step."

Lucas folded his hands behind his back, his voice even and steady. "This realm does not forgive mistakes. It does not matter if you are a king or an emperor. Power, pride, and armies mean nothing here. Only discipline and control matter. That is why I wished for you to feel its touch, so you would understand not in words, but in truth."

The emperor fell silent for a moment, his gaze shifting away from Lucas and into the expanse around them. His hardened features softened ever so slightly as awe stole over him. The void shimmered like a canvas painted by forces beyond comprehension. Rivers of light stretched endlessly, twisting and breaking into shards of brilliance, while vast currents of darkness wove themselves between them like serpents coiling through eternity. Some parts shimmered like molten glass, others fractured into colors no mortal tongue could name.

The emperor's breath slowed, steady now, as his voice dropped to a hushed murmur. "It is… unlike anything I have ever seen. Beautiful and terrible in the same breath. Chaotic, yes, but there is… a rhythm to it, like the beating of a heart too vast to belong to any living thing. It humbles even me."

Lucas allowed him to take in the sight before speaking again. "That is space itself, unshaped and untamed. It is the foundation upon which worlds are built and destroyed. To most, it is nothing more than emptiness, but for those who dare touch it, it reveals both wonder and peril. Even a fraction of its power, if misused, could collapse a city or sever the ground beneath an empire. That is why mastery of it is so rare. It is not something one can force; it must be understood, respected, and navigated carefully."

The emperor let out a slow, deliberate breath, as though releasing the last of his lingering pain. "So this is the weapon you offer to my empire through alliance. A key that can move armies, trade, perhaps even entire civilizations in the blink of an eye. No wonder you hold your head so high, boy." His voice grew firmer, his pride bleeding through once more. "But do not mistake me. I may respect what I see, but I do not hand my faith lightly. Prove to me this power is not merely for show."

Lucas inclined his head again, his tone measured. "That is what I intended, Your Majesty. You have now glimpsed the chaos and the beauty both. Next, you will experience what it means to step across space itself."

The emperor's lips curved faintly, more in anticipation than doubt. "Then do it. Show me this miracle."

Lucas closed his eyes for a brief moment, steadying his breath as his senses stretched outward into the vast, chaotic expanse that surrounded them. The void was no longer an incomprehensible ocean of light and darkness to him. Slowly, piece by piece, he had begun to discern the patterns hidden within its chaos, the subtle pulses of direction and distance. It was like standing in a storm of countless voices and learning to focus on one clear tone among the noise. His voice was calm as he began to explain.

"Your Majesty, the void may look endless, without form or path, but that is not entirely true. Everything in existence has an anchor, a position fixed within the weave of space. When I wish to move from one place to another, I must first find that anchor. That is what I call a coordinate. The clearer I fix it in my mind, the more stable the tear I open will be."

The emperor watched him closely, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes sharp and searching. "So you do not wander blindly. You choose where you will land before you even open the path. And if you choose wrong?"

Lucas's lips curled slightly, not quite a smile, more of a teacher patient with his student. "Then the tear will open to nothingness, and I will be swallowed. That is why concentration and clarity are everything. Doubt or distraction would mean disaster. To move through space is to balance between creation and destruction with each step."

The emperor grunted softly, though his gaze betrayed curiosity more than skepticism. "A dangerous art. Only a fool or a man certain of his skill would attempt it with another's life bound to it."

"I would not risk your life without certainty, Your Majesty," Lucas replied firmly. He extended his hand, palm upward, as though gathering invisible threads together. "I will show you. Watch carefully."

The void rippled before them, bending like water disturbed by a stone. A faint hum grew in the air as Lucas's Qi sharpened, weaving into lines of power that traced themselves through nothingness. He spoke as he worked, explaining each step. "Here, I am binding one end of the tear to where we stand, and the other to a destination I have chosen. I fix it by focusing on the energy signature of that place. Every point has its own resonance, a subtle hum that marks it apart from all others. Once I hold both ends, I draw them together and the path is formed."

Before the emperor's eyes, a rift appeared, smooth and steady, its edges far more stable than the first he had witnessed. Unlike the jagged rend of earlier demonstrations, this tear was refined, its surface glimmering faintly as though it invited them forward.

Lucas gestured toward it, his tone even. "This time, we will step through not into the void's depths, but directly to the place I fixed. Hold your composure as you did before, and all will be well."

The emperor squared his shoulders, his stern expression unwavering, though his eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Lead the way, boy. Let me see if your talk of coordinates is more than a clever excuse."

Lucas inclined his head, then stepped forward, the emperor close behind.

In an instant, the strange pressure of the void wrapped around them again, but this time there was no stabbing agony. The protective Qi sphere held firm, and the tear seemed less hostile, almost obedient. It lasted only a heartbeat before they both stepped out into open air, their boots clicking against polished stone.

They had arrived on the second floor of the building that overlooked the palace gardens.

The emperor froze where he stood, his eyes darting around, verifying what he saw. He turned slowly, first toward the garden below where they had been standing only moments ago, then toward the young man who had brought him here. His mouth opened, but no words came.

For a long moment, silence reigned, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves. The emperor's usually stern face was slack with astonishment. His lips moved once, twice, as if searching for speech, yet nothing came.

Lucas stood quietly, hands folded behind his back, allowing the emperor to take it all in. Finally, the emperor exhaled heavily, a sound half laugh and half disbelief. His hand rose to his beard, stroking it slowly as his gaze swept over the garden again.

"I…" he began, but the words faltered. He looked at Lucas once more, eyes wide, the fierceness within them replaced by something else entirely, deep respect and a dawning realization of the weight of what he had just experienced.

The emperor of Rus could not find his voice. He was impressed, more than impressed. He was shaken, enthralled, and humbled all at once.