Chapter Two: The Mark of Fire
1030 Words
Aria couldn’t sleep.
The golden symbol on her wrist glowed faintly in the darkness of her room.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the dragon.
Its enormous wings.
Its burning golden eyes.
The way it had looked directly at her.
As if it knew her.
As if it had been searching for her.
The thought sent chills down her spine.
Outside, rain hammered against the castle windows.
Thunder rolled across the mountains.
The storm had continued long after the dragon disappeared.
Almost as if nature itself had been disturbed by its arrival.
Aria sat on the edge of her bed and examined the mark again.
It resembled a dragon curled around a crown.
Tiny golden lines moved beneath her skin like flowing fire.
She carefully touched it.
A sudden flash exploded inside her mind.
Mountains.
Flames.
A giant dragon soaring above the clouds.
Then a man’s voice.
“Protect the inheritance.”
Aria gasped and jerked her hand away.
The vision vanished instantly.
Her heart pounded.
“What was that?”
A knock sounded at her door.
“Your Highness?”
It was Lord Valen.
“Come in.”
The old advisor entered carrying several ancient books.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.
Clearly, he hadn’t slept either.
His gaze immediately dropped to the glowing mark.
“The symbol is still active.”
“You know what it is?”
Valen hesitated.
Then nodded.
“At least partly.”
Aria stood quickly.
“Then tell me.”
The old man placed the books on a nearby table.
“Long ago, before the kingdoms existed, dragons ruled these lands.”
Aria listened carefully.
“They were not monsters.”
“Then what were they?”
“Guardians.”
The word surprised her.
Valen opened one of the ancient books.
Inside was a faded illustration.
A dragon stood beside a human king.
Not as enemies.
As allies.
“The first rulers formed a pact with the dragons.”
Aria stared at the image.
“A pact?”
“The dragons protected the realm.”
“And in return?”
Valen sighed.
“The royal bloodline protected a powerful secret.”
The room fell silent.
Aria glanced at the mark on her wrist.
“The inheritance.”
Valen nodded.
“Exactly.”
Before she could ask another question, another knock echoed through the room.
A castle guard rushed inside.
“My lady.”
“What is it?”
“The royal archives.”
“What about them?”
The guard swallowed nervously.
“Someone broke in.”
Aria and Valen exchanged worried looks.
“The archives?” Valen repeated.
“Yes, my lord.”
The old advisor’s face darkened.
“Take us there immediately.”
Minutes later, they arrived beneath the castle.
The ancient archives stretched deep underground.
Thousands of books lined the walls.
Maps, scrolls, and forgotten records filled countless shelves.
Yet something was wrong.
Several shelves had been destroyed.
Books lay scattered across the floor.
A heavy stone door at the back of the archive stood open.
Aria frowned.
“What is that?”
Valen looked shocked.
“I’ve never seen it open.”
Together they approached.
Beyond the doorway was a hidden chamber.
A secret room.
The walls were covered with dragon carvings.
At the center stood a stone pedestal.
Empty.
Something had been taken.
Valen’s face turned pale.
“No.”
“What was here?”
His voice barely rose above a whisper.
“The Dragonstone.”
“The what?”
“A relic.”
He stared at the empty pedestal.
“The symbol of the ancient pact.”
Aria felt her stomach drop.
Someone had stolen it.
But who?
Suddenly, a cold laugh echoed through the chamber.
Everyone froze.
The torches flickered.
The temperature dropped instantly.
A shadow moved across the far wall.
Then a figure stepped from the darkness.
A man dressed entirely in black.
His silver eyes glowed faintly.
A scar crossed one side of his face.
He smiled.
Not kindly.
“Good.”
The stranger’s gaze landed on Aria.
“You found the chamber.”
The guards immediately drew their swords.
“Who are you?”
The man ignored them.
Instead, he looked directly at Aria’s glowing wrist.
His smile widened.
“So the mark chose you.”
Aria instinctively stepped backward.
“How do you know about this?”
The stranger laughed softly.
“Because I’ve spent years searching for its bearer.”
Valen moved in front of her.
“Leave this castle.”
The man looked amused.
“Or what?”
Dark energy suddenly rippled around him.
The torches extinguished instantly.
Several guards stumbled backward.
Fear spread across the room.
The stranger wasn’t ordinary.
Not even close.
He reached into his coat and revealed a crystal.
A glowing red crystal.
The moment Aria saw it, the mark on her wrist burned painfully.
She cried out.
The stranger nodded.
“As I suspected.”
“What do you want?” she demanded.
The man looked almost disappointed.
“I want what belongs to the dragons.”
His gaze shifted toward the mountains beyond the castle.
“And soon, I’ll have it.”
Without warning, a deafening roar shook the castle.
The walls trembled.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Everyone looked upward.
The dragon had returned.
This time, it sounded angry.
Very angry.
The stranger smiled.
“Looks like he found me.”
Another roar echoed across the kingdom.
Closer than before.
Much closer.
The mysterious man’s expression remained calm.
But for the first time, Aria noticed something.
He was nervous.
The dragon frightened him.
Which meant the creature wasn’t her enemy.
At least not yet.
The stranger stepped back into the shadows.
“This isn’t over, Princess.”
The darkness swallowed him whole.
And then he was gone.
Silence returned.
Everyone stared at the empty space where he had stood.
Finally, Valen spoke.
His voice trembled.
“We’re running out of time.”
Aria looked toward the storm-covered mountains.
The dragon.
The stolen Dragonstone.
The mysterious stranger.
Somehow, all of them were connected.
And deep in her heart, she knew the truth.
Her father’s death was only the beginning.
To be continued…
- Writer
