The rain fell in steady sheets, drenching the crooked cobblestones of Greyvale. Aria’s boots splashed through puddles as she dashed through the alleyways, her wet cloak trailing behind her like a ghost. The cold air bit at her skin, and the weight of the stolen bread and apples pressed against her chest.She wasn’t proud of it—she never had been—but there was no choice. The streets of Greyvale were unforgiving, and no one cared about a hungry girl trying to survive.The baker’s voice echoed behind her. “Thief! Stop her!”

  Aria didn’t dare look back. She’d learned long ago that looking back in this city was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She rounded a corner, heart pounding, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally long, and she felt something—someone—watching her. But there was no time to worry about that now.

  She ducked into a dark, abandoned smithy, the door creaking shut behind her. She pressed her back against the wall, closing her eyes and trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. The storm outside continued to rage, the thunder shaking the walls, and yet, a strange stillness settled over her in the cold, dim interior.A moment passed.

  And then, she heard it: the sound of footsteps, steady and purposeful, approaching from the street.Aria’s eyes snapped open, her pulse quickening. She instinctively glanced toward the door. Someone was here—someone who had found her.

  The door creaked again, and through the darkened threshold stepped a figure. Cloaked in black from head to toe, the man’s face was hidden beneath the shadows of his hood. The only thing that stood out were his hands, where the faint glow of silver was visible beneath the cuffs of his sleeves.But it wasn’t just any glow.It was the symbol."The Eye of the Order."

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Aria’s heart skipped a beat. She stepped back, her hand instinctively flying to the collar of her shirt, where her own mark—hidden for so many years—burned against her skin. The crescent moon cradling a star. Her only connection to her past. Her mother, who had left her as a baby in a bundle of cloth, and the strange, cryptic mark that had haunted her ever since.“I told you,” the man’s voice was soft, but firm. “You’re not safe here.”Aria’s throat tightened. She took another step back, her mind racing. “Who are you?”

  The man didn’t answer immediately. He stepped closer, his movements graceful, almost predatory, as if he knew exactly how to read the room. He pushed back his hood, revealing silver hair that shimmered in the dim light. His eyes, a startling shade of blue, seemed to glow faintly, like the moonlight on the horizon.“My name is Kael,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of something ancient. “I’ve come for you.”

  Aria felt the floor beneath her seem to tilt, her legs going weak. “For me? What are you talking about?”Kael’s gaze didn’t falter. “You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The mark you carry. The one that you’ve hidden all your life.” He took another step forward. “You’re the one they’ve been searching for. The one who will either save Eloria—or watch it fall.”

  The rain outside seemed to pick up, pounding against the roof like a thousand tiny hammers. Aria’s thoughts were racing, but one question surfaced above the rest.“Who’s been searching for me?”

  Kael took a deep breath, as if preparing for something monumental. “The Order. And they won’t stop until they have you.”Aria’s hands shook as she lifted them, unconsciously touching her collarbone again. The mark beneath her skin burned as if it had just been awakened.

  “What does this have to do with me? I’m just… me. I don’t know anything about prophecies or orders.”Kael’s gaze softened, just for a moment, before he gave a small nod. “I know. That’s why I’m here. To take you to the place where you belong.”

  Aria’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t belong anywhere.”You belong in Eloria,” Kael replied, his voice as steady as the rhythm of the storm. “It’s time you knew the truth.”