"Even knowing what's coming, the chaos you'll attract with how fast you're rising, and my father's talk about invaders, I'm not afraid," she murmured. "Not as long as you're here with me."

Bruce exhaled a quiet, amused breath. "That's a fair warning though. But yeah… I doubt things are going to calm down from this point on."

"I know." Her eyes lifted to meet his, steady, sure. "And I'm not afraid of that anymore, that's why no matter how fast you progress I'll try my best to keep up...."

A quiet knock of emotion crossed his features, subtle, but there.

He brushed one last slow kiss against her lips, the kind that didn't try to claim or prove anything. Just connection. Just presence.

When he finally pulled back, he lingered, gaze tracing every quiet detail on her face, the softened lashes, the faint flush on her cheeks, the way she rested against him like she trusted his arms more than she trusted the world.

But then his hand slipped down to her hip, slow and gentle, easing just enough space between them so he could sit up.

Sophie watched him. And that simple motion told her what she hadn't yet asked aloud.

"You're leaving," she said softly.

Bruce nodded, thumb brushing over her knuckles before letting go.

He'd already shifted half a breath away when Sophie stopped him with a light drag of her fingers along his wrist.

"Before you go," she murmured, voice steadier now, "I want to say something… and I don't want you to misunderstand it."

Bruce paused, eyes returning fully to her.

Sophie turned toward him, sheets held loosely around her, shoulders bare, not vulnerable, but honest.

"I'm not going to keep you here like you belong only to me," she said quietly. "You have people waiting for you. And I know the very first one is your little sister."

A warm, soft smile curved her lips, layered with something tender and real.

"Lily must be expecting you tonight. I'd be a monster if I tried to pull you away from someone who loves you like that."

Bruce blinked, caught by how quietly that landed. Then he smiled, slow, warm, and leaned in to press a lingering kiss against her neck. Not heated. Not hungry. Just grateful.

"She's probably pacing already," he admitted against her skin. "She waits up if I'm out late, and since they know I'll be back today she'll probably be out and waiting."

Sophie's smile brightened, eyes soft with amusement, affection shimmering just beneath the surface.

"I thought so. I'll visit tomorrow. She seems to like me now… I just hope she doesn't start glaring at me someday for stealing her brother." She teased lightly.

Bruce chuckled, pulling back just enough to see her face. "When she's older? Yes, she'll glare. But once she figures out you're the reason I look so annoyingly happy, she'll adore you."

Sophie let out a warm laugh, tapping two fingertips lightly against his chest.

"Speaking of not losing touch… give me your bracelet code. The new ThornTech bracelets connect across whole regions, long-distance messaging, calls, even location pings if we enable them."

Bruce nodded, bringing one of the sleek black bands from his spatial ring with a thought. It appeared in his palm, and Sophie's eyes flicked to the ring, recognizing it as a spatial item. She guessed instantly it was likely from Ozai, an attempt to appease Bruce.

Bruce tapped the bracelet's side ridge. A cyan pulse blinked to life, expanding into a crisp hologram above the device.

Not crude tech, refined, crystalline, clean lines and sharp formatting.

The information organized itself:

[Name: Bruce Ackerman]

[Rank: S-Ranked Adventurer]

[Bracelet ID: 01-3412-96841]

[Issued By: Adventurer Guild, Special Recognition Tier]

[Current Location: Reignland, Northern District] [Bonded to: None]

[Money: 0]

[Network Sync: Active]

A small icon pulsed in the corner, a miniature storefront symbol.

Bruce brushed it, curiosity sparking.

Listings bloomed into place: weapons, rations, maps, enchanted tools, guild-certified potions, delivery routes, estimated arrival times. A functioning marketplace. Real. Practical.

His brows rose, a slow grin pulling at his mouth.

"This smart bracelet is amazing."

Sophie leaned over his shoulder, wearing a knowing smirk. "The Thorne inventors don't sleep. Their chief engineer is terrifying, building tech years ahead of what this world even understands."

Bruce's gaze softened, admiration evident in his tone. "Whoever that genius is… they're changing everything."

Sophie nudged him lightly. "Focus, Mr. Tech Philosopher. Your ID."

He chuckled and read the code aloud. She repeated it under her breath while inputting each digit. Her bracelet flickered, blooming its own hologram display.

[Connected Contact Found: Bruce Ackerman] [Add to Network?]

A small tone chimed from Bruce's bracelet at the same moment.

Sophie tilted hers toward him so he could read:

[Name: Sophie Reign]

[Rank: A-Ranked Adventurer]

[Bracelet ID: 01-3412-96865]

[Issued By: Reign Family Registry]

[Current Location: Reignland, Northern District] [Bonded to: None]

[Money: Hidden]

[Network Sync: Active]

Bruce arched a brow. "Hmm… yours isn't guild-issued?"

Sophie laughed, shaking her head. "I already had one long before all this."

"So… now what?" he asked, genuinely unsure.

Sophie brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "To link properly, it needs mutual authorization. Chatting, calls, pings, all of that stays locked until both sides add each other. There are tiers."

She scrolled lightly through the projected list:

"Friends. Guild-linked. Teammates. And…" her voice softened with quiet amusement, "Family."

Bruce leaned closer. "Family comes with more features?"

"Location sharing. Status updates. Emergency alerts." She chuckled, cheeks tinting faintly.

Bruce hummed, clearly impressed. "So… family?"

Sophie's eyes slid toward him with a slow, playful tilt. "There's no 'girlfriend or boyfriend' tag." Her cheeks warmed a shade deeper. "So the closest option is family."

Bruce blinked as the bonding prompt projected automatically above his bracelet.

[Relation Selected: Family]

[Specify: Parent / Sibling / Guardian / Spouse]

A small, almost shy silence stretched between them.

Sophie cleared her throat. "Damn… what we're about to pick is bold."

Bruce didn't say anything. He just tapped the option.

[Spouse]

Sophie pressed her own.

Both bracelets flared with a gentle gold glow, subtle, but meaningful.

Side by side, identical new tags appeared:

Bruce's: [Bonded To: Sophie Reign (Wife)]

And Sophie's: [Bonded To: Bruce Ackerman (Husband)]

They stared at the labels. Then at each other.

Not flustered. Not awkward.

Just a shared breath… and a slow, amused smile.

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