The silence after the flames was deafening.
Ashes still danced in the air, glowing faintly like dying stars. Kael stood motionless, breath ragged, his palm still pulsing from the fiery outburst that had knocked everyone down. Around him, whispers began—soft, uncertain murmurs of fear and awe. Even the town guards hesitated to approach.
"Kael…" a trembling voice called. It was Mira. She pushed through the stunned crowd, eyes wide with disbelief and a flicker of something else—hope, perhaps?
Kael's vision blurred momentarily, and he stumbled. Mira caught him before he fell. "We have to leave. Now."
He looked back at the scorched stone path where the mark on his palm had erupted with blinding light, where the ancient rune circle had appeared. He didn't understand what had just happened—but he knew one thing: something inside him had awoken.
---
They ran.
Through narrow alleyways and forest paths lit only by slivers of moonlight. The darkness felt thick, alive, and watchful. Finally, near the foot of the Emberfang Cliffs, Mira led him into an old forgotten shrine carved into the stone—a ruin most had abandoned decades ago.
Kael leaned against the cold wall, still panting. "What was that back there? Why did the stone react to me?"
Mira didn't answer immediately. Instead, she lit a small lantern, its soft glow revealing faded murals on the walls. Figures cloaked in fire, wielding elemental forces, souls blazing in their chests.
"Because you're one of them," she said at last.
Kael's heart pounded. "One of who?"
She pointed to the mural. "The Soulmarked."
He stared at her, his mind reeling. "But the Soulmarked were wiped out during the Purge. Everyone knows that."
"No," she whispered. "They went into hiding. The truth was buried. But the power never left this world—it just slept."
Kael's fingers brushed the edge of his scar—the one that had glowed for the first time in years. The one he'd always thought was just a reminder of a childhood accident.
Mira stepped closer. "That mark chose you, Kael. You're awakening. And the Empire… they will hunt you now. Just like they did to the others."
A low rumble echoed through the shrine. Kael tensed. Dust fell from the ceiling. Somewhere above, footsteps—heavy, armored, drawing closer.
Mira's eyes hardened. "They've already found us."
Kael looked at his palm again. This time, the mark shimmered faintly without pain. A warning? A promise?
He clenched his fist.
He
no longer had the luxury of being afraid.