**A Name in the Dark**

Eliana barely had time to breathe before the pulse of energy struck again, rippling through the clearing like a wave of unseen force. Her knees buckled, the weight of something pressing down on her chest. It wasn't just power—it was a presence. 

Something ancient. Something watching. 

Kieran grabbed her arm, yanking her back against him. His breath was warm against her temple, steady despite the chaos. "Stay with me," he murmured, his voice tight. 

Eliana swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the monolith. The markings carved into its surface pulsed like a heartbeat, the eerie glow illuminating the surrounding trees in brief flashes. Each pulse sent another wave of energy rolling through her body, burning and cold at the same time. 

Caelan had drawn his blade, his stance tense. "This isn't ordinary magic," he said grimly. "It's… alive." 

Eliana knew he was right. Whatever this was—it was sentient. 

Then, the whispering began. 

It slithered through the air like curling smoke, weaving through the trees, brushing against her skin. The voices were layered, overlapping, rising and falling like the tide. She couldn't make out the words, but the intent was clear. 

They were calling to her. 

A sharp pain lanced through her skull, and then— 

A name. 

Not spoken, but felt. As though it had been etched into the very fabric of her being. 

**"Aurelya."** 

Eliana sucked in a breath, her hands clenching into fists. She didn't know the name. It wasn't hers. And yet, it sent a shudder through her, stirring something in the pit of her stomach. 

Kieran must have seen the shift in her expression because his grip tightened. "Eliana?" 

She shook her head, struggling to find her voice. "The name… did you hear it?" 

Kieran's brows furrowed. "What name?" 

Eliana turned to Caelan, but he only shook his head. They hadn't heard it. 

It had been meant for her alone. 

Before she could process what that meant, the monolith pulsed again—harder this time. The glow intensified, swirling outward in streams of dark, twisting energy. The air thickened, pressing in on them, and the ground beneath their feet trembled. 

A warning. 

Eliana staggered back, a deep chill spreading through her bones. "We need to go. Now." 

Caelan didn't argue. He sheathed his sword and stepped closer, his gaze flicking to Kieran. "There's a way out through the eastern ridge. We take it before this thing decides to swallow us whole." 

Kieran nodded, already pulling Eliana toward the trees. "Move." 

They ran. 

The air grew heavier with every step, as if the monolith was trying to pull them back. Shadows flickered at the edges of their vision, unnatural shapes darting between the trees. But the path ahead remained clear. 

Eliana's breath came in sharp bursts, her heart hammering against her ribs. That name—**Aurelya**—echoed inside her, clawing at something buried deep in her mind. 

She didn't know what it meant. 

But she knew one thing for certain. 

The Order of Ash wasn't just hunting her for what she was. 

They were hunting her for who she had been.