Hearts before dawn

The Mark Beneath Her Skin

The dreams returned.

Kaleen jolted awake, sweat slicking her forehead despite the mountain chill. The fire in the hearth had burned low, casting flickers of orange across the stone walls. Her hand flew to her chest—where the burn used to be. But it wasn’t the fire that haunted her tonight. It was the eyes.Emerald, blazing… filled with sorrow. And warning.She pushed the blankets aside and stood, pacing barefoot across the cold stone floor. The cottage Elarion had found for her was hidden among the woods, far from the ruins of Nareth. Yet still, something clawed at her soul, whispering she wasn’t safe.Something had followed her through the fire.---Earlier that day, Elarion had brought news.“The Queen's Guard is searching again,” he said, voice low. “They know someone survived. And they know it was you.”Kaleen clenched her jaw. “Let them come.”Elarion touched her shoulder gently. “That mark on your back... it’s not just a scar, Kaleen. It's ancient. I think it's magic—and not just any magic. Forbidden.”She turned from him, hiding the tremble in her fingers. “What are you saying?”“That you weren’t chosen by accident. Someone bound something to you—before the fire, maybe even before your birth.”Kaleen didn’t respond. How could she tell him the truth? That in her dreams, the fire spoke. That sometimes, when her heart raced, the air around her shimmered with heat. That her skin still glowed faintly in the dark.---That night, she stepped outside under the starlight, where frost clung to the grass and the forest held its breath. She pulled her cloak tighter, yet the cold didn’t bother her like it used to.Then she heard it. A soft crackle. A whisper, carried by the wind.“Ash-born.”She spun around. The trees were silent.“Who's there?” Her voice barely wavered.A figure stepped into view. Cloaked in shadows. No face. No features. Just burning eyes. Like the ones from her dreams.“You survived because you were meant to,” it said.“What are you?” Kaleen demanded, fists clenched.The figure didn’t answer. It raised a finger—and the mark on her back began to burn.Pain flared, searing through her bones, yet she didn’t scream. She dropped to one knee, panting.“You have one choice,” the shadow whispered. “Find the Ember Heart before the Queen does... or watch your world burn again.”And just like that, the figure vanished—leaving behind nothing but ashes floating in the air.---To be continued...