The Story Behind The Deal
It started with a dream. Most of my stories do, but this one lingered differently quietly, steady, like a song I couldn’t stop humming.
I dreamt of two students: he was the bright, golden type (everyone’s friend, sunshine in human form) and she was the quiet girl who always sat near the window, sketching in the margins. They weren’t supposed to cross paths, yet somehow, they did. When he had to leave for a month, he made her a promise: I’ll write to you every day until I’m back. That promise became their deal.
When I woke up, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. The way connection can begin in something as simple as a note passed across a desk. I told a friend about the dream, and her excitement sparked something in me. Within days, the story began to unfold, and The Deal was born.
I wrote it during a break from my Bound Series. After living so long inside the chaos of Elemental war and politics, I needed something small, soft, and human. Just two people are teaching each other. No powers, no armies, just ink and feeling.
The Deal is a short novelette: about 90 pages, 11 'episodes' of slow, simple love. It’s about finding comfort in routine, about how words on paper can bridge a distance that feels impossible, and maybe it’s also about how we all crave to be remembered, even in the smallest ways.
It’s different from Bound by Fire or Bound by Secrets. Quiet. More personally. But I think that’s what makes it special.
I can’t wait to share it with you this November.
Until next time! Keep wondering, keep creating, and let the night light burn a little longer. Van LaCar
Follow my journey through the Bound Series and beyond on Instagram: @vanlacar New stories are stirring in the dark. Stay tuned for Bound by Secrets coming February 2026.
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