The mark did not burn.
That was the first thing Aria noticed.
It lingered.
A pressure just beneath her skin, like an invisible hand resting over her heart, never squeezing hard enough to hurt, but never letting her forget it was there. The designation etched into the Veil followed her as she walked, a silent announcement whispered to those who knew how to listen.
Unaligned.
Unpredictable.
High Risk.
The Crossroads responded accordingly.
Paths once open to her now shimmered uncertainly, their light thinning like stretched glass. Platforms adjusted their routes without explanation. Conversations stopped when she passed. Eyes followed her, not with admiration, but calculation.
“She’s been flagged,” Thane muttered as they moved through a corridor of fractured light. “Not officially co
