The next morning, I woke up to find Skully sitting on the windowsill, staring out at the academy grounds. His rune was still faintly glowing, and he seemed lost in thought.
"Skully?" I called, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "You okay?"
He turned to me, his eye sockets dim. *"Master, I had a dream last night. A… strange dream."*
I sat up, suddenly alert. "What kind of dream?"
*"I was in a dark place,"* he said, his voice unusually solemn. *"There were voices—whispers, really—telling me things. Things I don't understand. They said the Mark is a gift… but also a curse."*
I frowned, my unease growing. "What kind of curse?"
Skully shook his head. *"I don't know. But I think we need to find out. If this Mark is as powerful as the tome says, we can't ignore it."*
I agreed. The Mark of the Ancient One was clearly more than just a fancy decoration. It was tied to something bigger—something we didn't fully understand. And if it was dangerous, we needed to figure it out before it was too late.
"Let's go back to the library," I suggested. "Maybe there's more information about the Mark in the restricted section."
Skully nodded, his usual cheerfulness returning. *"Good plan, Master. But this time, let's avoid the library guardian. I'm not in the mood for another chase."*