The Hidden Connection
Kael sat inside the academy's inner chamber, surrounded by powerful magical barriers.
Several instructors examined the mark carefully, but none of them spoke for a long time.
Finally, Professor Valen stepped back.
"I've never seen anything like this," he admitted.
Kael looked down at the mark again.
It pulsed faintly with dark energy.
"It appeared after the gate collapsed," Kael said.
Seraphine nodded.
"Yes."
She stepped closer.
"That means the connection was established from the other side."
Leon frowned.
"So… something marked him?"
Seraphine looked directly at Kael.
"Yes."
"And that something is powerful enough to reach across realms."
The room fell silent.
Kael clenched his fist slightly.
"So I'm being tracked."
"No," Seraphine corrected.
"You're being claimed."
Those words carried weight.
Kael felt it immediately.
This wasn't just a mark.
It was a signal.
A message.
Something beyond the gate had noticed him.
And now—
It wasn't letting go.