Strength left Alicia's limbs. The news of her impending death rattled the girl. Her mind began to race. She released a drawn out sigh, as possibilities came to mind. The girl glared into the darkness.

“This sounds like a scam,” Alicia said. “How do I know you're telling the truth? What do you want from us?”

“I want to make you an offer,” Wanda Weaver said. “But should you be dead, there would be no point to it. Let me show you something.”

A shadowy hand, glimmering with starlight manifested in front of Alicia. The girl jumped back, stumbling over her chair. The chair slid back to catch her.

“Relax,” Wanda said. “If I wanted to hurt you or do other nefarious things I would have already done so and you would not be able to resist in the slightest.”

The darkness pulsed with a mighty resonance.
“I'm going to show you what's killing you. Let me open your eyes, Alicia.”

Alicia looked into the darkness, wondrous. The girl faced the hand in front of her.

“Okay,” she managed in a small voice. “Show me.”

The hand floated towards her face, shooting two blue rays into her eyes.

Jack's jaw dropped.

“Your eyes are glowing.”

“Jack, don't use those cheesy lines on me.”

“Gotta' say, the blue eyes definitely add some weight to the robot bitch Alicia theory.”

“I've temporarily granted you soulsight,”Wanda said. “This should awaken your soul awareness. Jack, I think it would be best if you also were able to see what she is seeing now.”

The hand appeared in front of Jack's face, shooting the blue rays into his eyes. The dark space came to life, swirling with nebulas and galaxies and massive forms moving in the darkness. The boy's mouth dropped, as did Alicia's when she realized the view around her.

“You said this is soul sight,” Alicia said. “Whose souls am I seeing right now?”

“Souls?” Wanda asked. “You mean soul? This is my soul.”

“Your soul? What are you?”Jack asked.

“I'm Wanda.”

“Yeah... but what is Wanda?”

“Anyways, you can marvel at me later. As I was about to say, the problem is with your soul, Alicia. Take a look.”

Alicia looked down at herself, watching an armory filled with swords of all kinds appear. She saw a female humanoid figure, training with the swords, then polishing them. She frowned as her eyes stopped on a massive sword in the center of the room. It lay in a broken glass case, radiating a sharpness that hurt even to look at. Still, she couldn't help but stare at the sword despite the pain and growing sense of wrongness.

She let out a sigh of relief when she finally managed to tear her eyes away. As she continued to look around elsewhere she realized she could push her awareness harder and feel out her soul, like a muscle she'd never used before. She tried using it to get a better look at the problematic sword, pushing and prodding. As her awareness brushed upon the central sword, she saw the slashes around it spreading, awakening a baleful aura. Alicia swore, withdrawing her awareness but the aura spread more and more. The female figure in her soul noticed this and held out a sword in her own hand, pushing back against the sword of Alicia's Innate.

Alicia grit her teeth in agony. She felt her consciousness crumbling beneath the searing pain. The starlit hand patted her on the head causing the girl to gasp out a sob of relief. Alicia looked at herself and then at Jack. A scrunch of concern showed on the boy's brow. She looked back into the dark.

“Wh-what's wrong with my soul?”

“You've awakened your Innate, your inborn ability. Normally this is a cause for great celebration for any intelligent being. But for you... your Innate is much too powerful even in its most basic, unadvanced form. Its power is damaging your very soul.”

“But... I... I don't understand...”

“Think of it as having muscles so strong they break your bones just by moving.”Wanda said. “But this problem is much more difficult than that of simple muscles. It is not possible to safely manipulate anything further than the shallowest aspects of another's living soul, let alone something as vital as an Innate. Put simply, there is no 'soul surgery' or boon or elixir that can save you. You pushed yourself beyond your limits too many times and awakened something far too powerful for you to handle.”

“But how did I awaken it if it's too strong for me?”

“One of the remarkable things about mortals is their ability to break past their limits, even at the cost of their health. I suspect you became aware there was a deeper level to achieve, perhaps sparring with another who'd awakened their own Innate and worked to awaken your own.”

Alicia clenched her teeth.

“Probably Hailey from fencing,” she said. “Its not like their weren't little things I did better than her in spars but she was just on another level. It was so amazing, I wanted to be as strong as her.”

“Jack may have also factored in to this as well,” Wanda said. “He has awakened his Innate for several years now, this might have subconsciously increased your awareness of your own potential to do the same. ”

“Can't you ever do something good for once in your life?”

“How is it my fault?” Jack asked. “She said you had to push yourself beyond your limits for it to happen. Obviously your stupid masochist brain is too fucked up to distinguish another day in the dungeon from serious shit.”

“Shut up, Jack.”

“What are you going to do, stab me with one of your soul swords?” Jack paused. “She can't do that right?”

“Can I?”

“With training, of course,” Wanda said. “I think we're getting off topic. Alicia, you are going to die in less than two years and there is little I can do to directly prevent this from occurring.”

Alicia gulped.

“You wouldn't have brought me here if there was nothing you could do, right?”

“Smart, why do you think I brought Jack?”

The boy blinked.

“This isn't some dark sacrifice or nothing right?”

“No Jack, it's a process that will change both of your lives forever. It's not without limitations... but not without great benefits either, more than just protecting Alicia's soul from itself.”

“I don't like the sound of that.” Jack said.

“Second that, that sounds not okay.”

“There are many, sane of mind, who of their own free will, made an informed choice to undergo this process and have enjoyed its benefits with no regrets.”

“Is the no regrets thing common?”

“Yes. And those that do regret it are generally not horrors of the body and soul type regrets.”

“I guess... if imminent death is my only other option, that doesn't sound terrible?” Alicia said.

“Why me?” Jack said.

“For one, you've awakened your own Innate, this means your soul is strong enough to offer Alicia's some support. Second, because your innate promotes recovery, the sharing your Innate through your bond will help speed up the recovery of her soul damage. Third, establishing a soul bond requires intimacy and you are the closest person to Alicia.”

Alicia's jaw dropped.

“Did you just say soul bond?”she asked. “I have to bond my soul with this thug to save my life?”

“Can it,” Jack said. “What do you mean by me being the closest person to her?”

“Her deepest connection, out of anyone in her life is unequivocally you. Also, your connection has spanned the majority of your lives, a crucial foundation necessary to grow the soul bond from.”

Jack exhaled letting his cheeks puff out. A silly grin spread over his face.

“Man, I knew you were a nerd with no friends but-”

“-shut up Jack-”

“-this is really something else isn't it?”

“Fuck you.”

“Just to be clear, Jack,” Wanda said. “Your deepest connection is also with her.”

Jack's eyebrows flew up.

“What?”

“Oh?” Alicia giggled, a smug smile on her face. “How could this happen? Could it be that all your groupies and friends are just around because of your big bad reputation and your dirty dollars? Poor Jack, always trying to be cool but it's all hollow.”

“Fuck off,” he said. “Wanda, why did you bring me here? Clearly, you've been watching us for some time. There's no way you think I'm getting hitched to this self-righteous, snobby, pain in the ass cunt.”

“Please,” Alicia said. “Do me a favor and reject it. Two years of life sounds far better than a lifetime soul-bonded with you.”

“Settle down,” Wanda said. “You are both young and full of emotion. Alicia, there is much in life to appreciate. You have only just scratched the surface of mastering the blade, would you not like to spar against swordmasters that can split clouds with a single slash?”

Alecia's eyes sparkled,

“And Jack, aren't you bored of facing common thugs? What about growing strong enough to brawl against mighty monsters in the Gorecave Sector, smashing claw and bone apart with your bare fists?”

“I could fight with monsters?”

“If you two bond, I will send you both to the world of Licirmon, A world of monsters and magic, regulated by the System of The Pantheon. Once you arrive, You may roam Licirmon freely or you may take up tutelage with great beings interested in your potential. On the other hand, if you refuse, I will send you both back to Earth, where you may continue on with your lives. ”

Jack took a deep breath.

“Alright... do it.”

“Jack!”

“Shut up, Alicia,” he said. “Fighting monsters and getting stronger is a man's dream.”

“Splendid,” Wanda said. “Both of you get closer. Jack, take Alicia's hands in yours.”

“Wait,” Alicia said. “I don't know about this.”

“Bullshit,” he said. “There's no way a sword dork like you would miss a chance at this. Don't pretend like you wouldn't sell your firstborn to learn sword stuff from one of the people Wanda was talking about.”

Alicia eyes flashed with excitement. The boy held out his hands to her.

“Attagirl,” he said. “May I have this dance, milady?”

“You're... sure about this Jack?”

He shrugged.

“Monsters, fighting and swords, Alicia,” he said. “Does it matter?”

“Who am I fucking kidding?” She asked. “It's going to save my life. Can't swing a sword if I'm dead.”

Alicia took his hands, excitement drowning out the unease running through her. She looked at him, to see how he was. He was breathing faster, talking to himself under his breath. She felt better knowing he was as nervous as she felt. As she kept looking at him, his body gave way to his soul. She squinted. His soul was filled with chains with a massive dark figure in the center exercising with the chains. She laughed.

“How edgy can you get?”

“Better edgy than broken.”

“Asshole.”

“Bitch.”

The starlit hand reached towards Alicia's soul, hesitating as it approached the sword that was her Innate. It struggled to get as close as it could before attaching a slender strand of light to her soul. Her eyes shot open as she felt something deep within her shift. Then the hand moved towards the boy, the strand of light trailing behind the finger as the bond slowly touched upon Jack's soul. The bond pulsed with a a questioning intent. They both gasped.

“You must both agree to share the bond between your souls,” Wanda said. “This is it. Your chance at a new life.”

Jack felt Alicia's agreement through the bond.

“Don't get any funny ideas,” Alicia said. “Just because we're soul-bonded or whatever doesn't mean I'm one of your groupies now or ever.”

“You're supposed to keep your fantasies in your head, Alicia,” he said. “Don't get too excited about this, you kooky virgin.”

Jack agreed.

The bond between them opened with a flood of sensations. At the edges, Alicia could faintly but clearly feel Jack's emotions, vague outlines of thoughts and feelings but those were secondary to feeling his soul itself. Feeling his soul supporting hers filled her with comfort, like laying against a solid tree in the sun or snuggling in a blanket. Then she felt the refreshing touch of his Innate, rejuvenating her soul. She sighed in pleasure before confusion filled her face. 'It couldn't be', she thought, 'there's no way connecting my soul to this asshole could feel so natural.'

The bond between them glowed with shifting runes building and merging into new shapes. They both stared at it until their heads began to hurt just looking at it. Her soul awareness grew stronger as their bond took shape. The wrongness of her damaged soul grew more and more obvious to her senses. A pulse of familiar warmth surged through the soul bond through her. The unease in her faded slightly. She looked up, meeting his eyes, knowing it was Jack.

“Man,” Jack thought at her. “I knew you were a piece of work but I didn't think it was this bad.”

“Screw you, Jack.”

“I see you both have noticed the enhanced telepathy that comes with the bond,” Wanda said. “Other benefits include increased resistance versus illusions and mental attacks, improved interpersonal coordination and increased benefits when leveling up. Now while, I'd like to chat more, the more time you spend with me, the more likely it is unsavory types will be able to track you down through traces of my aura.”

“Why? You're not actually some evil god, right?” Jack asked.

“I am not a divinity, although I do exist in a similar realm of existence as they do.”

“What about the evil part?” Alicia asked.

“Grow strong and you can judge me for yourself. Anyways, I'm sending you two now. I'm also going to store some useful information in the runework of your bond, a little something to help you on your journey. Good luck you two.”

They couldn't get another word in before the horrible squeezing of interdimensional travel took them.

“A few final things. There shouldn't be any monsters inside the rocks for half a day,” Wanda said, her voice distorted. “Don't fight anything before identifying it. Try not to be too wild, you crazy kids.”

Jack and Alicia appeared next to a charred stump in a forest clearing. Blue screens popped up in front of them.

Initializing. Analyzing Innate. Confirmed Innate awakened. Rank 1 human detected.

Confirming Akashic handshake.

The screens turned red. A faint pressure built in the air, shaking the grass beneath them.

Warning! Akashic Handshake null!

Warning! Detecting foreign dimensional flux!

Main Dimensional Incursion Protocol activat-

Main Protocol passed. Individual has been recommended as a Dimensional Legion Special Recruit.

“What the hell is this?”Alicia asked. “ A dimensional legion?”

“Looks like Wanda is a military recruiter. And it seems like she has the same kind of scruples as the ones in our world too.”

Running Secondary Dimensional Incursion Protocol

Mana Analysis returns no unusual aura signatures, materials, geasses or alignments.

Secondary Protocol passed.

The pressure building around them vanished. The screens turned blue again.

Initializing Akashic Integration. Initializing Faith Transfer Distribution.

Initializing Quest Pipeline. Initializing Dimensional Defense Mar-

The panel flashed red then back to blue.

Recalculating. Initialization altered.

Welcome Future Recruit. Please check your status and select your faith distribution.

“What the hell did we get ourselves into?” Jack asked.

Alicia felt a spike of lust from Jack.

“I feel like Wanda- oh my god turn around!” Alicia said. “I'm still naked! Shoo! Don't look!”

Jack gave her a quick once over again before sighing and turning around.

“Relax,” he said. “I already saw everything before. Now isn't the time. We need to explore this place. Wanda said there would be no monsters but honestly, I'm getting a funny feeling.”

“Just keep your eyes to yourself. I can feel you getting off on looking at me. Don't try to play it off. We're soul-bonded, idiot.”

“Well, get used to it,” he said. “I didn't keep all my girls around because I wanted to have long talks about meaning of life.”

“Pig.”

“Whatever,” Jack said. “I think I hear water that way. C'mon.”

He started trekking away.

“Fine but I-”

When Jack reached fifteen paces away from her, she felt a shudder through their soul bond. The support her soul was getting from his dropped significantly. Alicia scurried towards him, like she was walking on hot coals.

“Soul bond my ass,” Jack said. “This thing is a fucking leash.”

The boy sped away from her.

“Wait- Jack!”

When he reached thirty paces away, a flash of pain went through him. He heard a grunt of pain come from behind him followed by running footsteps. He ducked as Alicia swatted his head.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she hissed.

“You're what's wrong with me,” he said. “And I was trying to fix that with a little distance.”

“Wasn't it obvious us separating wasn't smart before you started running away?”

Jack shrugged.

“I don't like being tied down,” he said. “Not going to apologize for that.”

“As expected of a criminal.”

“Can you lay off for once in your life?”

She squinted at him, pursing her lips. Jack tried to ignore the girl, distracting himself with a blue panel which just appeared after he felt pain from his soul from separating from Alicia.

New Skill gained! Soul Perception Lvl 1!

See yourself as you really are.

Slightly increased awareness of your Soul space per level.

Minimally increased awareness of your Innate per level.

The boy took in a deep breath, examining their surroundings, taking careful note of the rock enclosures around them. He thought once more about the messages he'd just seen upon arriving in Licirmon and frowned. He didn't really understand what everything meant and he didn't like it at all. He cleared his mind, focusing on what he could control.

“There's a lot we need to do,” Jack said. “We might be able to find good shelter in those rocks if there's a cave in them. Water should be fine. I can hear it running. It should be fresh but we should still go and find it. As for food, this kind of lush forest should have enough to provide for us two, whether it's foraging or hunting.”

Alicia stayed silent but he could feel her curiosity through the bond, poking and needling.

“What's the matter?” he asked.

“Men,” she grumbled. “Wanda said she'd provided us information. I'd much rather listen to her than you.”

The poking sensation through the bond grew in intensity.

“Welcome to Licirmon,”Wanda's voice echoed in their heads through the bond. “I'm afraid given our previously limited time, I was not able to explain many of the complexities of your situation. I've slipped you into the Dimensional Legion's recruitment process so you wouldn't be flagged by Licirmon's System and hunted down. Don't worry, you won't need to actually enlist in the Legion, if you don't want to.

As Wanda's voice came through their bond, they could feel a type of strain on their minds growing, Alicia especially.

“Second, your soul bond is a bit more strict on intimacy requirements than others due to the support Alicia's soul needs. You should not separate further than a hundred feet, do so at your own peril. You will also need to spend six hours a day minimum in direct contact with another. This is the bare minimum, other things you can do that will help-”

Alicia stumbled, sweat pouring down her face. Wanda's voice faded out while Jack rushed towards Alicia.

“I'm fine,” she said. “I'm fine. Turn around.”

He snuck another quick look at her before turning around. He felt her hand reaching towards him and he prepared to dodge but stopped instead. There was a deep strain in her soul but also a sense of relief as she got closer to him. Her palm rested on his shoulder, her hesitation palpable to him even without their bond. He felt a slight sense of ease in her growing.

“So much for an easy dinner,” she said. “At least she said something about the bond...Since, you know, Wanda said we need direct contact... W-We're walking like this, okay? Try anything and-”

“Alright alright,” he said. “Calm down, I'm not into cripples.”

“Then why are you checking me out every second you can?”

“You are naked!” he said. “What am I going to do? Not look?”

“Yes!”

“You're the one laying your hands on me.”

“That's- it's helping my soul heal!”

“Yeah, it'd help my soul heal too.”

She pinched his shoulder.

“Ow!” he said. “Alright, no more of this conga nonsense.”

He shook her arm off and sped up. He felt a surge of dissatisfaction from her as she zipped after him. Alicia reached out to grab him again but he slipped away.

“Don't even think about it.” he said. “You don't get to put your hands all over me and not act right.”

“But Wanda said-”

“It's your fucked up soul,” Jack said. “ Why should I help you? I came here because I heard I can fight monsters and get stronger.”

Alicia's nostrils flared.

“Even in another world, you're still a heartless thug,” she said.

“Better than being an obnoxious, blackmailing snitch.”

Dark, smoldering anger boiled in their soul bond. Alicia stomped away, then walked back, swearing as the distance limit gave her a stinging reminder. She found a solid branch on the ground, smooth, balanced and as thick as four fingers. She picked it up, thinking about giving Jack a good whack with it for being an ass when she was in so much pain.

Pressure came from behind Jack, the kind he usually only felt when facing multiple tough opponents at once. He turned around to see Alicia holding a branch like a two-handed sword. He cracked his neck.

“What's the matter, nerd?” he asked. “Did I strike a nerve? You about to go all school shooter on me?”

“Fuck you, Jack,” she said.

He smirked, trying to hide his rising anger towards Alicia. His face contorted as he noticed another part of himself 'rising' as well.

Alicia hated the little glances he kept taking at her, especially now that she could feel her body heating up under his hot gaze. She saw a split second of recognition cross the boy's face before he raised an eyebrow at her. She wondered if he knew her reaction, while she tried to control her reaction.

The boy gave her a quizzical look, before staring at her even more brazenly than before, mocking her with his eyes. Alicia felt herself blushing as embarrassment and anger burned through her. In her frustration she'd already formed a stance, her body poised to charge. Then she noticed his erection.

“You filthy pervert,” she said.

Her arms trembled as she held her branch. Her anger faded as she felt the spark of desire she pushed down ignite within her. Jack's anger melted away as well, as he watched the furiously blushing girl in front of him. He took in her delicate curves and firm tummy, locking onto her perky breasts with rock hard nipples.

Alicia's anger grew again but as her furor grew it was sublimated into white hot lust. She blinked, frowning at the complete and utter betrayal by her body. She dropped her stick in her absentmindedness. Jack started paying more attention to their bond, confused by her actions and erect nipples.

“How come you're horny too?” he asked.

Alicia immediately covered herself with her arms.

“I am not horn- don't get closer! D-Don't even think about...”

He stepped toward the girl, towering over her, but stopping just before his erect cock touched her stomach.

“Put t-that monstrosity away,” Alicia said. “I swear if you do things to me I-I-”

“Nobody's doing anything, Alicia, take it easy. You pissed me off. We were about to fight. I was ready to put you in the dirt! Why are we both so fucking horny right now?”

She furrowed her brow, thinking for a moment

“Before my anger was changed into... excitement, I felt something pulsing from our soul bond,” she said. “I bet it's Wanda's idea. She knew we didn't get along. To prevent us from fighting, the soul bond turns anger into arousal.”

“You think?”

“P-probably... can you move away now?”

“Let's test your idea first.” Jack said. “All I need to do is make you angry and then you get turned on, right?”

Alicia felt his intention to grab her before he even moved his hands.

Author's Note:

Bit dense on exposition, but its a big world and I want to get to action fast. I'll try and weave it in better but I don't think I can avoid certain big chunks of it.

If you see any typos or inconsistencies please let me know in the comments! I'm doing all the editing myself so I'm bound to miss something.