The bond is fate. The choice is war. Severus Snape has lived with a secret since he was eleven: James Potter, the arrogant, privileged tormentor who makes his life a misery, is his destined Soulmate. Severus has meticulously hidden the shimmering silver constellation on his skin, determined to defy a destiny he believes will only lead to further degradation. In a chaotic duel, fate forces James's hand against Severus's, and the mark flares, searing the truth onto James’s own skin. James, blindsided by the revelation, trades his hostility for clumsy attempts at truce. Severus sees only a new, crueler game. He refuses the bond, hardening his heart against the boy whose past cruelty is unforgivable, no matter what magic dictates. As their worlds collide—forced together by concerned friends and suspicious parents, with allies like Lily Evans, Regulus Black, and Lucius Malfoy watching from the sidelines, James must prove his sudden allegiance is rooted in genuine respect, not compulsion. But how can Severus accept a future with the very person who defined his poverty, his pain, and his profound sense of worthlessness?