The mark appeared the next morning.
Not on stone. Not in visions.
On her.
Aria woke with her skin burning, her shoulder aching like it had been branded. She sat up with a gasp, fingers clutching her shirt—and stopped cold.
A crescent moon, etched into her skin just below the collarbone. Thin vertical line down its center, glowing faintly, like starlight caught beneath flesh.
She stared at it, breath shallow.
It hadn’t been there the night before.
She’d checked.
***
By the time she stepped into the council hall, the whole Academy was humming with tension.
The mark hadn’t stayed hidden long.
Lena had seen it while helping her wrap a bandage. She hadn’t said much—just muttered, “Looks like prophecy decided to stop playing subtle.”
Now, word had reached Thorne.
Kade was already in
