# Episode 4: The Mark
811 Words
Heaven couldn’t stop thinking about the mark.
She had seen it on Conrad’s wrist.
She was sure of it.
A small golden shape had appeared beneath his skin just before they returned to class. It had looked almost exactly like the symbol that had appeared in her book the night before.
But when she looked at his wrist again, there was nothing there.
She wondered if she had imagined it.
Maybe she was tired.
Maybe the strange things happening around her were making her see things that weren’t really there.
Still, she couldn’t forget what she had seen.
During their next class, Heaven barely listened.
Her notebook remained open in front of her, but she hadn’t written anything for several minutes.
She kept glancing toward Conrad.
He was sitting behind her, unusually quiet.
That alone made her nervous.
Conrad was rarely quiet.
Normally, he would whisper something, tap his pen against the desk, or find some way to distract her.
Today, he hadn’t said a word.
Heaven finally turned around.
“Are you okay?”
Conrad looked at her.
“Yeah.”
“You’ve been quiet.”
“So have you.”
“I’m studying.”
He smiled.
“You’re worried about me.”
“No.”
“You asked if I’m okay.”
“Because you’re acting strange.”
“Maybe I’m tired.”
She studied him.
“You’re lying.”
His smile faded slightly.
“Maybe.”
Before she could ask another question, the teacher called for everyone’s attention.
Heaven turned around.
But something felt wrong.
She could feel Conrad looking at her.
Then she felt something else.
A faint warmth moved through her body.
It started in her fingers.
Then traveled up her arm.
Heaven’s breath caught.
She looked down.
Her fingers were glowing.
Not brightly.
Just enough for her to notice.
She immediately closed her hand.
The warmth disappeared.
She looked behind her.
Conrad was staring.
He leaned closer.
“Again?”
Heaven nodded.
“Don’t say anything.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“You were.”
“I was going to ask if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.”
Conrad’s eyes remained on her.
“You don’t look fine.”
Heaven turned away.
She wanted to tell him everything.
She wanted to explain how frightened she was.
But she didn’t know what was happening herself.
How could she explain something she barely understood?
After class, Heaven rushed out.
She wanted to be alone.
She walked toward the quietest part of the school and sat on a bench.
She closed her eyes.
For a few minutes, nothing happened.
Then she heard footsteps.
She didn’t need to look up.
“You’re getting predictable.”
She opened her eyes.
Conrad sat beside her.
“I wanted to be alone.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I didn’t want you to be alone.”
Heaven looked at him.
That answer caught her off guard.
He wasn’t flirting.
He wasn’t joking.
He was simply there.
She looked down.
“I don’t understand what’s happening to me.”
Conrad was quiet.
“Last night, something happened.”
“What?”
“I saw a symbol.”
His expression changed.
“What symbol?”
Heaven hesitated.
Then she drew the shape in her notebook.
Conrad stared at it.
His face became pale.
“You know it.”
“No.”
“You do.”
Heaven watched him carefully.
“I’ve seen it before.”
“Where?”
He looked down at his wrist.
Heaven’s eyes widened.
The mark was there.
Golden.
Faint.
But unmistakable.
Her heart began racing.
“You have it.”
“I know.”
“When did it appear?”
“I don’t know.”
Heaven reached toward his wrist.
The moment her fingers touched the mark, a burst of light flashed between them.
Both of them pulled away.
The world seemed to go silent.
For a moment, Heaven could hear nothing except her heartbeat.
Then she saw something.
Not with her eyes.
Something inside her mind.
A dark hallway.
A glowing door.
Conrad standing beside her.
And a voice repeating the same words.
He’s coming.
Heaven pulled away completely.
“What did you see?”
Conrad looked frightened.
“You saw it too?”
She nodded.
Neither of them spoke.
The vision disappeared.
The mark on Conrad’s wrist faded.
Heaven slowly closed her notebook.
“We can’t tell anyone.”
Conrad nodded.
“Agreed.”
“Whatever this is…”
She looked at him.
“…we figure it out together.”
His expression softened.
“Together.”
Heaven smiled faintly.
She didn’t know whether trusting Conrad was the smartest thing she had ever done.
But sitting beside him, she felt something she hadn’t felt in years.
Safe.
And that scared her almost as much as the magic did.
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