For a few minutes, Kael remained silent. Like a stone statue, he stood guard at the edge of the clearing, tight and still.
With shaky fingers hovering close to the mark on her shoulder, Aria sat on the mossy log. The skin around it felt hot—too hot—but not painful. Just… wrong. Like something had settled beneath her skin that didn't belong.
When Kael finally turned to her, his face gave nothing away.
"You need to leave this region. Tonight," he said.
Aria flinched. "I can't just vanish. I have a life. A job. People will—"
"They'll forget," Kael interrupted quietly. "They always do."
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"This world… it has magic. Old magic. It decides who remembers and who forgets. The ones hunting you? They've erased entire bloodlines without leaving a trace. If they come again, your team won't remember you. Not even your sister."
Aria's throat tightened. "You know about Lily?"
Kael gave a slow nod. "They've already looked into your life. They know who matters to you."
Her heart sank.
"What should I do now?" she inquired. "I have neither powers nor training. I pose no threat to them.
Kael squatting in front of her so they were eye to eye, he responded, "That's precisely why you're dangerous." "The mark you carry is ancient. There are those who believe you're a vessel for something... more. Whether you want it or not, they won't let you live freely."
Aria hugged her arms tightly around herself. "So what now? Do I hide in a cave forever?"
Kael's jaw clenched. "No. You come with me. There's a place they can't easily reach."
She hesitated. "Why should I trust you?"
Kael didn't flinch. "Because you are only living because of me."
It wasn't comforting—but it was honest. Aria realized she didn't have the luxury of comfort anymore. She gave a small nod.
"Fine. But if you try anything—"
"I won't," Kael said quickly. "But they might."
He turned and moved into the forest. Aria followed him, the damp earth soft under her boots. Wind whispered warnings through the trees. They arrived at a ridge where the woods descended into a valley after about half an hour.
A little, partially buried building was tucked away among the stone and vines. With its iron door adorned with faded inscriptions and its stairs heading into the ground, it appeared to be an old shrine. Kael knelt and pressed his hand to the symbols. They glowed faintly, and the door creaked open.
Aria hesitated. "What is this place?"
"A sanctuary," Kael replied. "Or it used to be. Before most were burned."
The air was moist and cold inside. Numerous carvings, some exquisite and some unsettling, covered the walls. When he stepped inside, the lantern flickered to life, and Kael took her to a small room with a wooden bench.
"Rest. I'll stand guard."
She sat slowly. "Is it really safe here?"
"For now."
She leaned back against the stone wall. Her heart was racing. Her thoughts were a storm. Then, like a chill brushing her mind, she heard a voice—soft, distant, and cold as moonlight on snow: You've been found.
She sat up, eyes wide. Kael turned quickly.
"What is it?"
"I—I heard a voice."
"In your head?"
She nodded. He stared at her for a long moment, then said, "The gate is opening faster than I thought."
Aria's skin crawled. The mark wasn't just a mark. It was alive. And it was waking up.
The lantern above them flickered violently. The mark pulsed under her fingers, beating like a second heart. Kael stepped closer.
"What did the voice say? Exactly."
Aria swallowed hard. "It said, 'You've been found.'"
Kael's jaw tightened. "It's begun."
"What has?" she asked, her voice barely steady. "What is this mark?"
Kael didn't answer right away. He began pacing slowly, choosing each word with care.
"That mark… it's not just a symbol. It's a seal. A very old one. Placed on people who carry something forbidden inside them."
Her body tensed. "You speak as if I'm not a human."
"You are," he said softly. "But something inside you isn't."
She held her breath.
Kael knelt again, his voice gentle. "Have you ever blacked out during intense emotions? Ever felt like something else took over when you were scared… or angry?"
Her mind flashed back to her teenage years. A single memory rose—her foster brother, pinning her in the kitchen. Her panic. And then… nothing. Just the aftermath: him on the ground with broken ribs. She had no idea how it happened. No one believed her—not even herself.
"I thought I was just traumatized," she whispered.
"That was probably the first time it stirred," Kael said.
A heavy silence settled. Aria looked down at her trembling hands.
"What is it?"
He said, "I don't know." "But someone sealed it inside you. Now the seal is weakening—and others are starting to sense it."
"Like the man in the woods?"
Kael nodded. "He was a Seeker. Trained to find hosts like you and extract what's inside—by force."
She shivered. "What happens to the host?"
Kael didn't reply. He didn't need to.
"So what now?" she asked.
"We find the one who marked you."
"There's someone who knows what it means?"
Kael nodded, hesitantly. "There was an oracle. She disappeared years ago. But she left clues—runes, scrolls, dreams. If we follow them, we might learn how to control what's inside you. Maybe even remove it."
"And if we can't?"
"Then we run. Until we can't anymore."
She exhaled, then stood. "Okay. Where do we start?"
Kael pulled a small chest from the wall and removed a rolled parchment. He spread it on the bench. It was a map—hand-drawn, with rivers, forests, and mountains. At its center, circled in red, was a symbol matching her mark.
"That's our destination," he said. "The Temple of the First Tongue. Buried beneath Eldaryn's ruins, three days from here."
"Isn't that in cursed territory?" she asked.
"It was cursed by those who wanted the truth buried. Which means we're heading in the right direction."
Before she could reply, the lantern dimmed. A low growl echoed down the passage.
Kael was on his feet, dagger drawn. "They're here."
Aria's heart pounded. "How?"
"They're tracking the mark now. We're out of time."
The wall behind them shook. Dust fell from the ceiling. Kael grabbed her hand and pulled her through a narrow tunnel.
"This way! There's a hidden exit by the riverbed."
They dashed along the dim hallway. The scraping of stone by claws became more audible. Her lungs burned. She pushed forward.
Rain pelted down as they burst into the open night. Lightning tore across the sky.
Kael yanked her toward a winding stream. Then it came—a shriek. Inhuman. Ageless. Like thousands of voices crying at once.
Aria stumbled. Her knees buckled as her mark blazed like fire.
Kael caught her, holding her up. "Don't give in!" he shouted. "It wants control. Fight it!"
But her vision was already fading.
A creature slithering out of the rain with coal-like eyes was the last thing she saw before everything turned black. Its mouth moved in a whisper she had already heard.
You've been found.