The Ten-Meter Leash

When Sera woke, the ceiling was unfamiliar. It wasn't the silk-draped canopy of her room in the Jade Courts. It was peeling plaster.

She sat up. She was in a narrow cot in the infirmary.

"Easy, Princess. You've been out cold for an hour."

Sera whipped her head to the left. Ren Jett was sitting in a chair next to the bed, balancing a green apple on his knee. He looked bored, but his eyes—dark and surprisingly sharp—were watching her closely.

"You," Sera gasped. She checked her robes. They were wrinkled. *Wrinkled.* "Why are you here? Leave."

Ren took a bite of the apple. "Can't."

"What do you mean, can't?"

Ren pointed a thumb at the empty space between them. "Try to walk to the door."

Sera narrowed her eyes. She swung her legs out of bed and marched toward the exit. She was Seraphina Lin. She had things to do. She had to apologize to her father.

She took five steps. Ten steps.

At step twelve, it felt like someone had hooked a fishhook into her navel. A wave of nausea hit her so hard she doubled over.

**[Warning: Proximity Alert. Return to Partner immediately.]**

Sera staggered back toward the bed. As soon as she was within arm’s reach of Ren, the nausea vanished.

She stared at the blue screen floating in the air. "You see it too?"

" The blue box telling us we’re magically handcuffed?" Ren chewed his apple. "Yeah. It’s annoying. It keeps telling me my 'Yin levels are critically low' and that I need to 'cultivate intimacy' to level up. Sounds like a scam."

Sera sank onto the bed, burying her face in her hands. "This is a nightmare. My father... he must be furious."

"He was," Ren said cheerfully. "He tried to have me thrown in the dungeon. But every time the guards dragged me away, you started seizing. So, the healers said I have to stay. Doctor’s orders."

Sera looked at him. He was everything she wasn't. His hair was a messy crow’s nest of black. His uniform was modified—sleeves rolled up, collar unbuttoned—violating at least four dress codes.

"We have to fix this," Sera hissed. "I cannot be tethered to... to a Rogue."

"Rogue?" Ren smirked. "I prefer 'freelance cultivator.' And hate to break it to you, Princess, but the box says we have a quest."

He tapped the air.

Sera looked at her own interface.

**[Daily Quest: Resonance.]**

**[Objective: Hold hands for 30 minutes.]**

**[Reward: +10 Spirit Points. Failure Penalty: Mild Electric Shock.]**

"Absolutely not," Sera said, crossing her arms. "I do not hold hands. It is improper."

* ZZZZT.*

A spark of electricity jolted through her spine. Sera yelped, jumping a foot in the air.

Ren winced, rubbing his neck. "Okay, that stings. Come on, Princess. Just grab on. I washed my hands. Mostly."

Sera looked at the door. She looked at the blue screen. She looked at Ren’s outstretched hand. It was calloused, scarred from fighting in the Outer Barracks.

With the dignity of a queen marching to the gallows, she reached out and took his hand.

It was warm. Rough.

**[Timer Started: 29:59...]**

"See?" Ren grinned, squeezing her fingers lightly. "Didn't turn into a pumpkin. Now, we have a problem. You live in the Jade Courts. I live in the Barracks. Where are we sleeping?"

Sera went pale. The Jade Courts were female-only. Men were forbidden on pain of expulsion.

"My dorm," she whispered, horrified. "We have to sneak you into my dorm."