The forest path twisted ahead of her like a coiled serpent, damp with morning mist. Aria walked in silence, her limbs still sore and her mind heavier than ever. The healer—Elda, as she’d introduced herself—had given Aria a leather satchel, filled with salves, dried fruits, and a thin journal filled with notes about the mark. Then, without fanfare, she’d told Aria to run.

  “Leave the village. They’ll come for you again. And next time, they won’t fail.”Aria had wanted answers—deserved them—but Elda had warned her that the truth would be dangerous in the wrong place. And so, she walked. Alone, but watched. She could feel it—eyes in the dark, voices in the wind.

  She paused under a crooked tree to catch her breath and read from the journal. Elda’s handwriting was sharp and rushed:

  > The Mark appears only when the Veil weakens. Its bearer is the tether between what was and what will be. Legend speaks of the Crescent Seeker—half-light, half-shadow—who must choose what remains and what falls to ruin.

  Aria traced the words slowly. None of it made sense. What veil? What was she supposed to choose. A twig snapped behind her.She spun around, eyes wide, heart in her throat.

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  A tall figure stepped from the trees, his dark cloak soaked from the mist. His face was shadowed by a hood, but she could see the gleam of steel at his side—and the sigil on his shoulder: a sun pierced by three swords.She’d seen that emblem before. On the man who burned her village.

  Fear surged through her. She turned to run, but the figure raised a hand—not in attack, but peace.“I’m not here to harm you,” he said, his voice deep, calm. “If I wanted you dead, you'd already be.”“Comforting,” Aria snapped, still backing away.

  The man lowered his hood. He was young—no older than twenty-five. His hair was dark, tousled by the wind, and his eyes... his eyes were gold. Not amber. Not hazel. Gold, like firelight trapped in glass.“You’re her,” he said softly. “The girl with the mark.”“How do you know that?”He stepped closer. “Because I’ve been searching for you for years.”Aria’s breath caught.

  He knelt before her and placed one fist over his chest. “My name is Kael. I swore an oath to protect the Seeker—whoever bore the Crescent Star. I was told you would come when the balance tipped.”I didn’t come,” she said quietly. “I was pushed.”Kael met her eyes. “Then it begins.”