Chapter 6: The First Encounter

Late one night, as the moon hung high in the sky, the village was attacked. A group of hooded figures, their faces obscured by dark masks, descended upon Varenden with swift precision. They were members of the Obsidian Order.

Elara barely had time to react. Kaelen rushed into her room, pulling her from her bed. "We have to leave, now!" he said urgently.

They fled into the forest, but the Order was relentless. Elara felt the air crackle with magic as spells whizzed past them, lighting the night with bursts of energy. Her heart raced, her mind struggling to keep up with the chaos around her.

Just as they reached a riverbank, one of the masked figures appeared before them, blocking their path. His eyes gleamed with malice as he raised a hand, dark energy swirling around his fingers.

Elara froze, but Kaelen stepped forward, drawing a dagger from his belt. "Stay behind me," he said.

In that moment, something inside Elara shifted. She could feel the mark on her hand burning, pulsing with power. Without thinking, she raised her own hand, and to her astonishment, a burst of light shot forth, colliding with the figure's spell.

The force of the impact knocked him back, and Elara stared at her hand in disbelief.

"You're stronger than you think," Kaelen said, a hint of pride in his voice. "But we're not safe yet."