The pulse came again.
Soft at first. Then stronger. A rhythmic thrum that vibrated through Arlen's bones, syncing with the faint glow beneath his skin. The Echo Mark warmed, then heated, then almost burned.
Mira stepped closer. "Arlen, your hand—"
"I know," he said through clenched teeth. "It's reacting to something."
The forest answered with another pulse.
Not light. Not sound.
Presence.
The system chimed:
Echo Mark Resonance: 32%.
Proximity Match Detected.
Warning: Another Marked Entity Approaching.
Mira's hand went to her sword. "Another what?"
Arlen swallowed. "Another one like me."
The trees rustled — not from wind, but from movement. Slow. Deliberate. Heavy.
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
Not the cloaked watcher from the vision.
Not a monster.
Not a villager.
A young woman — maybe Arlen's age — with dark hair braided tight and eyes glowing faintly blue. The same blue as his mark. The same blue as the fracture.
Her clothes were torn, burned at the edges. Her breathing was ragged. She looked like she'd been running for days.
But her gaze was sharp. Focused. Terrified.
She lifted her hand.
A symbol glowed on her palm — identical to Arlen's, but brighter. More complete.
Mira tensed. "Arlen…?"
Arlen stepped forward slowly. "It's okay. I think she's—"
The woman's voice cracked as she spoke.
"You have to run."
Arlen froze. "What?"
She stumbled forward, grabbing his arm with surprising strength.
"They found me," she whispered. "They're coming. And they want the marks."
Arlen's blood ran cold. "Who's coming?"
The woman looked up at him, eyes wide with fear.
"The Remembered."
The forest behind her erupted with a roar — deep, ancient, and impossibly close.
The system screamed:
Global Event Escalation.
Hostile Entities Detected.
Classification: Remembered Hunters.
Threat Level: Lethal.
Mira drew her sword. "Arlen—"
Arlen's mark flared, searing hot.
The woman's mark answered.
And from the darkness, something massive stepped into view.
A shadow swallowed the tree line.