Keeper of balance

The Temple Archives were trembling slightly from the distant sounds of chaos — muffled explosions, the clang of steel, the occasional inhuman shriek — but the room itself remained undisturbed, wrapped in an aura of protective magic.

The guardian didn’t flinch. He only looked at Camilla, as though he’d been waiting centuries for this moment.

“Your mark,” he said, stepping forward slowly, “is not just a symbol of union. It’s a seal — one that binds, and one that awakens.”

Camilla instinctively placed her hand over the glowing symbol on her collarbone. “Awakens what?”

“The part of you that has been dormant until now,” he said, producing a crystal that shimmered between violet and silver. “Place this against your mark. It will reveal what you carry inside.”

Thane moved to stop him. “If this hurts her—”

“It won’t,” the guardian assured. “But it will change her.”

Camilla took the crystal, her fingers trembling slightly. Without hesitating, she pressed it to her skin.