Lena's breath came in soft, uneven gasps as she sat up on the forest floor. The moss beneath her was cool and damp, a cushion that smelled of pine and ancient roots. Above her, the night sky stretched wide and unfamiliar, stitched with stars she had never seen before.
Her fingers instinctively reached to her palm. The mark—the strange symbol that had appeared days ago—now throbbed faintly beneath the silk wrapping she had hastily made in her apartment. But here, in this place where magic whispered through the leaves, it seemed to pulse with a life of its own, sending ripples of heat and cold across her skin.
Lena shivered, trying to steady herself. "Where am I?" she whispered to the night.
The only reply was the rustling of leaves.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind again. Calm, ancient, and edged with urgency.
"You must hide it."
Lena froze. Her heart jumped. The voice wasn't outside—no sound filled the forest—but inside her head, clear and certain.
"Hide what?" she breathed."The mark on your skin. The symbol you carry… It is a beacon, a flame in the dark. It calls to those who seek to control, to destroy."
Lena's hand moved to the covered palm. The silk felt thin, fragile—as if any moment the glowing mark could burst free.
"Why? Who's after me?" Her voice cracked, fear pressing on her throat.
The voice softened, but the warning sharpened.
"The Others—creatures born from shadow and hunger—hunt for the marked. They smell the power that stirs within you. If they find it, if they see it, you will not last long."
Lena swallowed hard, the forest suddenly feeling colder, more alive.
"Others? I don't understand. What power? I'm just… me."
"You are not just yourself anymore. The mark ties you to this realm and its secrets. You stand at a crossroads. The line between worlds thins around you."
A breeze swept through the branches, carrying with it whispers she could almost catch—voices of creatures unseen, moving just beyond sight.
Lena's chest tightened. "How do I hide it? How do I keep safe?"
"Cover it always. Conceal it beneath layers that even the moon cannot pierce. Do not reveal it to friend or foe. The slightest glimpse can draw them near."Her mind raced. She thought of the bright lights, the endless cameras, the perfect life she'd left behind. Now, in this wild place, a new kind of danger awaited.
"But I'm not strong like them. I don't belong here."
The voice paused, then said with gentle strength:
"Strength comes in many forms. Fear is not weakness. You will learn, but first, you must survive."
Lena closed her eyes, clutching her hand to her chest.
"How long do I have?"
"Until the moon sets twice. Then, they will come."
The urgency in the voice pressed upon her like a weight. She knew she had to act fast.
Her fingers brushed the silk wrap again. It was her only shield, fragile but vital.
"Will I be alone?" she asked.
The voice hesitated, then whispered:
"No. There are those who walk the shadows, allies in the darkness. But trust is a rare gift. Choose carefully."
A crackling sound came from the woods, a movement too quick for her eyes. Lena's pulse hammered in her ears.
"I need to find help."
"First, find safety. The old ruins to the north—they hide secrets older than this forest. Go there. Do not look back."
A sudden rustle exploded nearby, leaves crunching sharply.
Lena jumped to her feet, heart racing.
The voice faded, leaving behind only the whisper of the wind.She wrapped her arms around herself, the weight of the mark heavy beneath the silk.
The forest no longer felt like a place of wonder.
It was a battlefield.
And she was marked for war.
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