Tethered by the Storm

The story opens in a storm of blood and rain. Sova Jindel, a survivor of the Chymic Bastion's cruel mutations, is fighting for her life on a jagged cliff against the hounds who bred her. Just as her ruthless strikes falter, a hulking shadow intervenes. Halldor Fenast, a massive, scarred hermit, slaughters her pursuers and drags her to safety inside the Brinespire - an abandoned lighthouse perched on the stormy coast. Halldor suffers from a cursed brand that burns his flesh constantly, while Sova is plagued by crippling panic attacks from her years as a lab experiment. But when they are near, a strange telepathic bond activates, cooling his agonizing brand and silencing her nightmarish memories. As this quiet, slow-burn romance blossoms within their isolated sanctuary, they vow to protect each other at all costs. Yet, Halldor has spent years hunting the unknown witch who branded him, while Sova is hunted by the alchemists who made her a monster. What will happen when they realize the source of Halldor's burning curse and the origin of Sova's traumatic mutations are the exact same forgotten event?