Chapter 3 - The Blood Mark
The cold stone met my fingertips.
For a second, nothing happened. Lord Garron began to smile, turning toward the council to declare the test a failure.
Then, the red cord at my throat snapped with a sharp crack.
A wave of blinding golden light erupted from my chest, flooding the entire hall. The stone sphere didn't just glow—it cracked down the middle, unleashing a blinding beam of light that shot upward into the vaulted ceiling.
The air in the room sizzled with raw energy. The nobles gasped, falling backward, shielding their eyes.
A vision flashed through my mind—a ancient battle beneath a crimson moon, a fallen kingdom, and a child hidden away in secret to protect a sacred lineage. I saw my mother’s face, tear-streaked and bloodied, tying the red cord around my neck when I was just an infant, whispering: “Hide your light until the King finds you.”
I stumbled back, gasping for air as the light faded. The black crystal sphere lay shattered in pieces at my feet.
The court was dead quiet.
Lord Garron’s face was pale, his jaw slack with disbelief. "This... this is impossible. The legend of the Eclipse Lineage... it died a hundred years ago!"
Walter descended the steps of the dais in long, deliberate strides. He stood between me and the stunned council, his body acting as a shield against their hungry, frightened stares.
"The test is complete," Walter boomed, his eyes burning with a dark, triumphant fire. "She stays."
Before anyone could speak, the heavy main gates of the castle burst open. A blood-stained messenger ran into the hall, dropping to his knees.
"Your Grace! An army approaches the southern pass!" the messenger panted. "It is the Southern Fringe Coalition... led by Alpha Corvin!"
My heart stopped. Alpha Corvin. The man who had rejected me, humiliated me, and sold me away like trash just days ago.
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"Why is a dirt-clan Alpha marching on my borders?" Walter demanded coldness in his tone.
"He... he claims the bride was given under false pretenses!" the messenger stammered. "He demands her immediate return, or he will burn the outer villages to the ground!"
