Chapter 3: The Mark Awakens
The fire crackled gently between Kavin and Lyra as night settled deeper into Duskreach. Strange stars gleamed overhead—larger, closer than any he had seen from Thornhollow. Trees whispered above like spirits in prayer. Everything in this forest felt alive.
Kavin rubbed his hand again. The Starborn mark now pulsed faintly with golden-blue light. It was warm—comforting, yet powerful. Like something had been unlocked inside him.
Lyra handed him a carved wooden flask. "Drink. It will clear your mind."
He took a cautious sip. The liquid tasted of mint, wildflowers, and starlight. Almost instantly, the fatigue weighing his limbs faded.
"You said this mark hasn't appeared in a hundred years," Kavin said, voice steady now. "Why did it choose me?"
Lyra's silver gaze lingered on the fire. "The mark doesn't choose lightly. It appears in times of great change... or great danger. You are a catalyst, Kavin. Something ancient stirs in you. Something that once shaped this world."
He frowned. "But I'm just a blacksmith's grandson. I grew up helping harvest herbs and patch roofs."
Lyra tilted her head. "Stars don't ask if they're worthy before they rise."
The next morning, Kavin and Lyra moved deeper into Duskreach. Trees arched like cathedrals above them, their leaves glowing with a soft silver hue. Birds with crystalline wings fluttered overhead. Small creatures peeked from the underbrush—foxes with antlers, glowing-eyed squirrels, even a floating jellyfish-like spirit that hovered near Kavin's head before darting away.
"Duskreach doesn't attack unless it's threatened," Lyra explained. "But the deeper we go, the older—and wilder—the magic becomes."
"And we're going deeper... why?" he asked.
"Because the Starborn's journey always begins at the Hearttree," she said. "It's the oldest living being in Elarion. And it will test you."
Kavin hesitated. "Test me how?"
Lyra smiled faintly. "By showing you your truth—and your weakness."
They reached a wide clearing by nightfall. In the center stood the Hearttree, taller than any tower, its bark glowing with shifting symbols. Its roots curled above ground like serpents, and its branches stretched so wide they seemed to hold the sky.
As they stepped forward, the sigil on Kavin's hand flared. The tree responded, the symbols pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
A voice—ancient and deep—echoed through the clearing."Starborn... prove your spirit."
A wave of wind slammed into Kavin, and suddenly—he was alone.
The forest vanished.
He stood in Thornhollow again, but something was wrong. Smoke rose in the air. Houses burned. Screams echoed. He turned—and saw Eyla, his grandmother, on the ground. Her eyes wide. Her chest unmoving.
"No!" Kavin ran to her, dropped to his knees—but when he touched her, she vanished into ash.
Behind him, shadow creatures rose—black silhouettes with glowing red eyes. They laughed.
"You left them. You ran into the forest. You let them die."
Kavin shook his head. "No. No!"
One by one, the people he loved turned into shadows. His village collapsed into flame. Even Lyra appeared, sneering, "You are not a hero. You are the beginning of the end."
He dropped to his knees, clutching his head—until he remembered:
"This is a test. It isn't real."
The mark on his hand burned with light.
He stood. Faced the shadows. "I will not be ruled by fear."
Light exploded from him.
When he opened his eyes, he was back in the clearing. The Hearttree shimmered. Lyra stood across from him, wide-eyed.
"You passed," she whispered. "You faced the test... and survived."
Kavin swayed, exhausted. "It showed me everything I was afraid of."
Lyra stepped forward. "That's what the Hearttree does. And now... it gives you a gift."
From the trunk of the tree, a tendril of bark reached out, wrapping gently around Kavin's wrist. The star-shaped mark on his hand burned brightly—and then shifted, expanding into a glowing vine-like tattoo down his forearm.
Kavin gasped.
"I can feel... something inside me," he whispered.
"Yes," Lyra said. "The first spark of your true magic."