CHAPTER 30: SUMMONED

"Lauren… Lauren, wake up… wake up," a small voice whispered.

Lauren stirred, her eyelids heavy as she slowly opened them. The blurry outline of a little boy came into view.

"Ryan?" she said, her voice groggy. She blinked a few times, focusing on the child before her. "How are you here? You should be grown... What's happening?"

The boy didn't answer her questions. Instead, he smiled gently, tilting his head as he pointed ahead into the mist. "Go that way," he said. "She's waiting."

"She?" Lauren repeated, her heart racing. "Who is waiting?"

"She's waiting," the boy replied cryptically, his tone unwavering.

Lauren hesitated, confusion swirling in her mind. She looked in the direction he pointed, but the mist obscured everything. When she turned back to question him again, the boy was gone. The space where he had stood was empty, replaced only by the eerie silence of the forest.

Panic prickled at the edges of her thoughts, but Lauren pushed it aside. Whoever "she" was, Lauren knew she needed answers. Deciding to follow the boy's direction, she began walking cautiously through the dense mist.

The forest felt familiar and yet alien, an unsettling combination that gnawed at her nerves. How could she be here—deep within the very woods her mother had once warned her never to enter? This forest, once enchanting from afar, now seemed otherworldly and oppressive.

As Lauren continued, the mist thickened. It clung to her skin, almost tangible, and with each step, her feet grew heavier. She stopped, her chest tightening with frustration.

"Lauren…"

A voice pierced the silence. It was soft, distant, and yet unmistakably directed at her.

"Who's there?" Lauren called, spinning around. Her voice echoed faintly in the void.

"Walk a little further," the voice urged. "You'll see."

Despite the fear gnawing at her, Lauren pressed on. She pushed through the dense mist until, as if commanded by some unseen force, it abruptly cleared.

Before her stood a gigantic cave, its entrance looming like the maw of a great beast. The sight took Lauren's breath away. The air hummed with energy, thick and alive with magic. For reasons she couldn't explain, she felt a strange pull—like the cave was calling to her, inviting her home.

Home? The thought startled her. How could this place feel like home?

Drawn forward, Lauren stepped toward the entrance. The hum grew louder, resonating deep within her chest. She barely noticed as her feet crossed the threshold, and in an instant, she was inside.

The cave was vast, its walls adorned with glowing runes, strange drawings, and unfamiliar writings. Lauren wandered through the space, her eyes tracing the symbols, trying to decipher their meaning.

Then she saw it—a rune that was unmistakably familiar. Her fingers brushed against the locket around her neck, hidden beneath her clothes. Pulling it out, she held it up, comparing the rune on her locket to the one etched into the cave wall. They were identical.

As Lauren stared, a strange sensation washed over her. The symbols on the wall began to shift, their meaning unraveling in her mind. Almost instinctively, she started to read them aloud. The words felt heavy on her tongue at first, clumsy and foreign, but as she continued, they became lighter, flowing like a melody.

The cave responded. The air seemed to vibrate as Lauren's locket began to hum and vibrate against her chest. Golden threads of light spilled out from the locket, swirling around her like silk. The hum of the cave grew louder, harmonizing with her voice as she chanted the strange words.

Lauren's feet lifted off the ground. The golden threads encircled her, weaving around her body with gentle precision. She stretched out her hands, and the threads responded, moving as if they were an extension of her will.

Power coursed through her veins, filling her with a sense of purpose she had never felt before. She danced with the threads, her movements graceful and instinctive, as though she had been waiting her entire life for this moment.

"Finally," a voice broke through the hum, soft yet commanding. "You've accepted who you are."

Startled, Lauren spun toward the voice. The threads reacted to her fear, surging forward like striking serpents.

"Peace," the voice said calmly, and the threads halted mid-air, retreating like a tide.

Lauren's eyes widened as she took in the figure before her. Suspended in the air was a woman of ethereal beauty, her hair white as snow, flowing like liquid silk. She radiated a presence both serene and powerful.

"Who are you?" Lauren demanded, her voice trembling.

The woman smiled gently. "I am Amaya," she said. "And I've been waiting for you."

Lauren's mind swirled with questions. "Waiting for me? Why? What is all this?"

Amaya's gaze softened. "There is much you don't know, Lauren. But in time, all will be revealed. For now, you must focus on mastering your powers. You cannot leave them dormant, or the consequences will be dire."

"Dire? What do you mean?" Lauren asked, her voice laced with fear.

Amaya's expression grew serious. "If you do not learn to control them, they will destroy you. It has been so for all who are marked, from the beginning of time."

Lauren's chest tightened. "But how? I don't even know where to start. There's no one to teach me—"

"I will teach you," Amaya interrupted. "That is why I am here. You were summoned to this place so we could meet."

Before Lauren could respond, Amaya floated closer, pressing her forehead gently against Lauren's. Her touch was warm, comforting. She whispered an incantation, and suddenly, Lauren felt a rush of energy as Amaya disappeared into her locket.

"Amaya!" Lauren cried, looking around frantically.

"Do not fear," Amaya's voice echoed from within the locket. "I am still here, and I will guide you. But listen carefully—you must never lose this locket. It is your anchor, and mine. Only you can hear me now."

Lauren opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, her surroundings began to blur.

"It's time to return, Chosen One," Amaya's voice whispered faintly. "We'll meet again."

Lauren jerked awake, her heart pounding.

"Slave!" a stern but familiar voice barked. "Wake up!"

She blinked, disoriented, as the harsh reality of her surroundings came into focus. The guard loomed over her, his expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," Lauren murmured, rising to her feet. "I must have dozed off."

The guard stared at her for a long moment, then nodded curtly. "Get back to work."

Wordlessly, Lauren obeyed, her mind racing. She replayed the events in the cave, the locket's power, and Amaya's warning.

Standing at the river, she gazed at her reflection. The glow in her eyes was faint but unmistakable. Whatever had happened in the forest, she knew it was only the beginning.

Lauren clenched her fists. No more running, she thought. Whatever lay ahead, she would face it head-on.