THE MARK OF THE STARBORN

Aella Rowan had just turned eighteen, and life in her village was normal in a quiet, predictable way. She lived with her aunt, Mara, who owned a small herb shop on the corner of Avenfall’s marketplace. Every morning, Aella opened the wooden windows, swept the floor, and arranged jars of dried herbs so customers could easily find what they needed. She liked things neat. It made her feel calm. Some customers came just to see her. She always welcomed them with a warm smile, even when she was tired. If someone had a headache, she mixed them a simple tea blend and explained how to use it. If a mother came in worried about her child’s cough, Aella found the right herbs and reassured her. She never rushed anyone. Aella remembered people’s favorite scents and small details about their lives, which made them feel important. That was why they liked her. She didn’t try too hard — she was just genuinely kind. Her aunt often said, “You’re the reason this shop stays alive.” On the day everything changed, her work was the same as always. She spent the morning helping a group of travelers choose herbs for long journeys. She packed the herbs in little cloth bags and told them which ones were good for sore muscles and which ones helped with sleep. They thanked her, saying, “You’re very helpful,” and Aella felt proud, though she didn’t say anything. She closed the shop at sunset and stepped outside to get some fresh air. That was when she noticed the bright light in the sky. At first, she thought it was a star, but it moved slowly downward. Too slow for a falling star. Too bright to be normal. Aella stood still as the light floated toward her and stopped right in front of her face. It was warm, almost comforting. Before she could react, it touched her forehead. A glowing mark appeared on her skin. She stumbled back, shocked. Her heart raced. She had never seen magic before — not real magic — and certainly not like this. She touched the mark, but it didn’t burn. It just glowed softly. Then she heard hooves. A rider emerged from the mist on a dark horse. He stopped when he saw the mark on her skin. He looked around twenty-one — tall, alert, and clearly trained to fight. His clothes were dusty from long travel, and a sword hung at his back. He got off the horse and approached her slowly. “My name is Kael Thorne,” he said. “I’ve been searching for the person with that mark. You’re the one.” Aella shook her head. “Me? I work in an herb shop. I don’t know anything about magic.” “You will,” Kael said. “But we need to leave. It isn’t safe for you here anymore.” Aella didn’t know him. She didn’t understand the mark. But something deep inside told her he wasn’t lying. Her quiet, ordinary life had just ended. Lyra didn’t expect Kai to show up the next morning, but he did. Right outside the bakery, leaning on the wall like he’d been waiting all night. His hoodie was still torn from yesterday’s fight, and his hair was a mess, but his eyes carried something new—something that made her stomach tighten. “Ready for work?” he asked. She almost laughed. Work? She wasn’t even sure she belonged there. But Kai followed her inside like it was normal. The bakery had the smell of sugar and old wood. Customers lined up early, like always. Lyra felt the usual pressure: keep moving, don’t slow down, smile even when your heart feels like broken glass. But Kai kept sliding in beside her, quietly helping—picking up trays, wiping tables, carrying boxes twice as heavy as her. She didn’t ask why. She didn’t dare. But she noticed. Every time she struggled, he was already there, almost too fast. His hand would warm a frozen lock. His breath would turn steam into harmless air. His eyes would flicker when someone yelled at her, as if holding back light behind them. She pretended not to see it. Pretended it was normal. But the truth planted itself in her chest: Kai was using something he wasn’t supposed to. Magic or power—whatever it was—she felt its weight in the air. Each time he helped her, something behind him dimmed. His shoulders drooped for half a second. His pulse flickered strangely. He was spending himself. For her. And she didn’t know whether to be grateful or terrified. ⸻ When Kai Started Liking Her It wasn’t loud or dramatic. It began the moment she picked him up yesterday—when she didn’t walk past him like everyone else did. People see a stranger bleeding and turn away. Lyra stopped. So now, Kai kept watching her with this quiet focus, like he was memorizing her. When she tied her apron. When she tucked loose hair behind her ear. When she tried not to argue with rude customers. He watched everything. He started doing extra things—things she never asked for: • He walked her home. • He made sure she ate before her shift. • He left little things on the counter—tea, bread, a new hair tie. • He stood between her and problems without being obvious. She didn’t know how to accept it. People didn’t do this for her. Not until Kai. ⸻ When She Found Out The moment happened late at night. They were closing the bakery. The lights were half-off, shadows stretching across the room. Lyra turned to pick up a tray and saw a flash behind Kai’s back—a glow, like someone struck a match inside his skin. She froze. “Kai… what was that?” His whole body stiffened. He didn’t look at her. “Nothing. You’re tired.” But she wasn’t stupid. The glow wasn’t normal. The air around him wasn’t normal. Every time he helped her, the glow repeated—small, quick, like he was leaking sparks. “You’re hurting yourself,” she whispered eventually. “Aren’t you?” He still wouldn’t face her. That was the answer. She wanted to grab his hands. She wanted to shake him. She wanted to scream at him for risking himself for her. But she couldn’t say any of it. Because she had a secret too. A worse one. A dangerous one. She was falling for someone else— someone she shouldn’t even speak about. Someone she met in the forest. Someone powerful in a different way. Someone the whole city feared. Mark. The villain in every whispered story. She didn’t mean to fall. She didn’t want to fall. But he understood her silence, her scars, her anger. Mark made her feel seen—like she wasn’t just another forgotten girl. Loving him felt wrong. But trying not to love him felt impossible. And now Kai… Kai was giving everything he had for her safety. She felt sick from the weight of both truths. She couldn’t tell Kai the truth. Not now. Maybe not ever. ⸻ Tension Rising After closing, Kai walked her home. The night was quiet except for the sound of their footsteps. He kept glancing at her like he sensed something shifting. “Lyra… did I do something wrong?” he asked softly. She opened her mouth. Then closed it. “No,” she whispered. “You didn’t.” But he still looked hurt. The glow in him was faint tonight, like someone dimmed a lantern. Lyra reached for the star necklace she always wore—Mark’s gift, the one she hid under her clothes. It warmed her skin as if it could feel her guilt. Two boys. Two worlds. Two dangers. One of them spent his magic to keep her alive. The other could burn down the city for her. And she stood between them, shaking, unsure which gravity would pull her first.