chapter five: The awakening
243 Words
Lila sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the faint glowing mark on her collarbone. No matter how many times she tried to rub it away, it stayed. Not a bruise. Not ink. Something deeper—something alive.
“What happens when it fully awakens?” she asked Cassian, who stood quietly in the corner of her room like a shadow made flesh.
“It won’t be subtle,” he said. “The fire within you… it will burn through everything you thought you were.”
“That’s not comforting,” she muttered.
Cassian approached slowly. “It’s not meant to be. Your awakening isn’t just a change—it’s a signal. Once the fire is fully lit, you’ll be hunted. And not just by people.”
Lila looked up sharply. “What does that mean?”
“There are creatures that exist in the veil,” he said, his voice low. “The space between life and death. I keep them there. But fire… your fire can tear that veil.”
“And you think I’ll be the one to do that?”
Cassian nodded once. “If not controlled… yes.”
She stared at the mark again. It pulsed gently beneath her skin.
“What if I don’t want this?” she whispered.
He knelt before her, his voice barely audible.
“Destiny doesn’t ask for permission, Lila. It demands surrender.”
And her heart ached at the truth.
- Writer
