chapter 3

THE MARK

Amara sat in her room, the faint glow of her bedside lamp casting long shadows across the walls. Her wrist ached faintly, though there was no visible mark anymore. She couldn't stop replaying the events of the day—the shadow creature, Lysander's otherworldly speed and strength, and the way he had vanished into the darkness after calling her by name.

She traced her fingers over the spot where the glowing spiral had appeared. It felt warm, as if the mark lingered just beneath the surface.

Unable to sleep, Amara opened her laptop and searched for anything that might explain what she had seen. "Glowing mark on wrist," "shadow creatures," and "mysterious rescuer" yielded nothing but myths and fictional tales. She groaned, shutting the laptop.

The pull in her chest—that strange feeling she had experienced earlier—was still there, faint but constant, like a string tethering her to something she couldn't see.

Around midnight, Amara drifted into a restless sleep. She found herself back in the dark forest from her dream, the silver moonlight filtering through the trees. The whispers were louder this time, urgent and unintelligible.

She stumbled forward, her bare feet sinking into the soft mossy ground. Ahead, a faint glow appeared, drawing her closer. It was the spiral mark, floating in the air like a beacon. She reached out to touch it, and as her fingers brushed the light, it burned.

Amara jolted awake with a gasp, clutching her wrist. The mark was back, glowing brighter than before. The intricate spiral seemed alive, pulsing in time with her heartbeat.

Her breath came in short gasps as she watched the mark spread, thin lines of light branching out across her skin like roots. She cried out in pain, falling to the floor as a surge of energy coursed through her body.

The pain subsided as quickly as it had come, leaving Amara weak and trembling. She was still sitting on the floor when she felt it—that same chill in the air that she had experienced earlier in the market.

A voice broke the silence.

"You shouldn't have touched it."

Amara's head snapped up, and there he was—Lysander—standing in the corner of her room, shrouded in shadow. His expression was calm but stern, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.

"How… How did you get in here?" she stammered, scrambling to her feet.

"I told you to stay away," he said, ignoring her question. "But it seems the mark had other plans."

Amara held out her wrist, the glowing spiral still faintly visible. "What is this? Why is this happening to me?"

Lysander's jaw tightened. "It's a sigil—a mark of binding. It means you're a Catalyst."

"A Catalyst for what?"

"For power," he replied. "Supernatural beings are drawn to you now. You amplify our abilities, whether you want to or not. That's why the shadow creature attacked you earlier. It was feeding on your energy."

Amara shook her head, backing away from him. "No. This is insane. I'm just… normal. None of this should be happening."

"You were never normal, Amara," Lysander said quietly. "The mark doesn't appear on just anyone. It chose you for a reason."

Lysander stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. Amara's back hit the wall as she tried to process his words.

"So, what now? I just live my life being hunted by monsters?"

He frowned. "No. I'll protect you. But that comes with risks—for both of us."

"What risks?"

His gaze darkened. "The bond between a Catalyst and a Shadeborn like me is… dangerous. The closer we are, the stronger the connection. It will make you a target. And if we aren't careful, it could destroy us both."

Amara's heart raced as she tried to make sense of everything. She felt a strange mix of fear and curiosity. Lysander was unlike anyone she had ever met, and despite the danger, she couldn't ignore the pull she felt toward him.

Before she could respond, he turned toward the window. "Stay in tonight. Don't leave this room, no matter what you hear."

"Wait!" she called after him. "I have so many questions—"

He glanced back, his expression softening slightly. "I'll be back. But for now, just… stay safe."

With that, he vanished into the night, leaving Amara alone with the faint glow of the mark on her wrist and the growing realization that her life would never be the same.