Chapter1
The Mark of Shadows:
The wind whispered through the dense forest, carrying with it the scent of pine and distant thunder. Selene Draxen crouched behind a mossy boulder, her pulse racing as the distant shouts of the Crown’s enforcers grew louder. Her heart pounded not just from fear, but from a burning need to protect the only home she had ever known.
The cursed mark on her left eye tingled a dull ache that grew sharper with every step they took. She pressed her palm against the scar, tracing its jagged edges under the moonlight. The mark was more than a curse; it was a reminder. A symbol of a past she was too afraid to remember but could never escape.
Her guardian, Althea, had always warned her to stay hidden, to never trust anyone beyond the forest. But tonight, that safety was shattered. The enforcers had come, tearing through the underbrush like a storm, searching for something or someone.
Selene’s mind raced. She had to act fast.
Slipping from her hiding place, she darted towards the small cabin nestled between ancient oaks, the only shelter she had. But as she reached the clearing, she saw the flames licking the night sky. Althea’s home was burning. And with it, the last threads of Selene’s childhood.
A faint cry echoed through the crackling fire. Without hesitation, Selene plunged into the smoke, calling out. “Althea! Where are you?”
Through tears and coughing, a hand grabbed hers. Althea’s eyes, fierce even in pain, met Selene’s. “You must run,” she rasped. “They want you, Selene. The Crown knows...”
Before Selene could respond, a sharp blow sent her sprawling. Darkness swallowed her whole.
When she awoke, it was to cold chains and the harsh glare of torchlight. The enforcers had her.
But Selene was no ordinary girl. The mark on her eye pulsed with hidden power. And as the doors of the dungeon slammed shut behind her, she vowed that this was not the end but the beginning of a battle to reclaim what was stolen and uncover the truth of who she really was.
