JOVANI’S POV
The ruins near the border had been forgotten by most.
I wasn’t even sure what had drawn me there, only that the unease hadn’t left me since I saw the mark on Ellie’s back. The same mark etched in ancient scrolls that warned of bloodlines lost and power buried. The same mark that hadn’t appeared in centuries, save in dusty myths.
So when the border scouts reported signs of unusual activity near the old pass. They saw broken branches, ash remnants, a whisper of magic. I volunteered to go myself. No entourage. No Beta Dane. Just me, and the silence of the forest.
The trek took longer than I expected. The terrain was rough, tangled in roots and thorns. It was the sort of place time had swallowed, where even the birds hesitated to sing, and the wind held its breath.
By the tim
