The room was scented with wet stone and old paper, a hint of something cold, metallic—a taste of lightning in the air. The pulse still lingered beneath my feet, gentle and persistent, as if the city itself reminded me it was there. Elara faced me, her coat against the floor, arms folded. Silver light from the prism danced across the walls, drawing strange glyphs that seemed to change when I blinked.
"Before we do this," she said, "there is one thing you should know."
I cocked an eyebrow. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"
"Maybe," she said, though there was a soft smile playing on her lips. "But you have to know the rules. Or, at least… the limits."
I could feel a chill running down my spine. I didn't know what she was saying, but I knew what was coming wasn't normal.
---
### *First-Person – James' Point of View*
She drew closer, her eyes softly glowing in the prism light. "Everyone who touches the pulse leaves a mark," she said. "It's subtle. Invisible to everyone else. But it's there. And it reveals the city… and the ones who observe it… who you are."
A mark. I swallowed. "Like… a tattoo?"
"No," she said. "Not exactly. It's… a resonance. A signature. And it's yours alone. The city recognizes it. The council recognizes it. And some… other entities do, as well."
I glared at her, pounding heart. "Other things?"
Her silver eyes grew dark. "Creatures. Spirits. Forces. Things that don't often get involved in mortal affairs. But they've seen you. And James… curiosity is a deadly thing."
I tried to laugh, but it sounded hollow. "I'm starting to think my life will never be ordinary again."
"Good," she said, and her lips curved in a ghost of a smile. "Because ordinary is gone. For you. Forever."
---
We stepped further into the center of the room. Twisted glyphs floated and whirled in the air about us. Elara held out her hand, and the prism complied, refracting the light into a score of shining threads.
"Stretch," she ordered.
My fingers trembled as I stretched them out towards the nearest strand. As soon as my fingers touched the light, I felt it: a numbing thrill, like sparks under my skin. And then… a heartbeat. A vibration, a rhythm that seemed… alive.
I gulped. "It's… moving?"
Elara nodded. "It moves through you. And it watches you. The mark is taking shape."
I flexed my fingers, watching faint ripples of silver glow beneath my skin, visible only to me. A surge of awe—and fear—flooded me.
"You're doing well," she said. Her tone was soft, almost intimate. "Few humans adapt this quickly."
I looked at her, realizing how close she was to me. The prism light caught in her eyes, silver sparks sparkling like stars. My heart pounded—had nothing to do with the magic, but with being near her.
"Get your eyes off me," she chided, though her tone was warm. "Focus. This is serious. One misstep, one slip. and the mark can reject you."
I nodded, gulping hard. The last thing I wanted was to fail before her. Not here, not now.
---
### *Third-Person Limited – Council Observation*
High in the city, the council observed the pulse through crystal lenses. A figure hunched forward, whispering, "The mark… it's coming together more quickly than we predicted. The boy's resonance is growing strong. Too strong."
Another face, shadowed, remained inscrutable. "Continue watching. Don't interfere—yet. But stand prepared. If he learns the pulse to completion, containment could be out of the question."
---
Back inside the room, I could feel the mark throb under my skin once more. This time, it was not only the prism—it was the city itself, resonating through walls, floors, streets miles above. I could hear it now, originally faint, then more clearly: a vibration below silence. A low hum woven with small chords, such as a heartbeat that was not mine own.
Elara's voice pierced the feeling. "Pay attention to it. Don't resist it. Let it harmonize with your own beat. Sense the city through you."
I shut my eyes and breathed in, allowing the pulse to flow, to travel through me. The numbness spread through my arms, into my chest, and somewhere deeper. I was alive as I had never been—tied, exposed, and strong at the same time.
When I opened my eyes, the filaments of light curled around me, coiling into shapes and patterns that were almost known to me. The mark under my skin shone softly, unseen to everyone else.
"You're ready for the next step," Elara said. Her voice was less harsh, nearly approving. "But that step. is dangerous."
I swallowed. "How dangerous?"
"Depends on how much you trust me," she replied, moving closer. "And how much you trust yourself."
---
### *First-Person – James' Point of View*
I couldn't help but watch her. The way she walked, the way she manipulated the pulse without touching it, the barely visible aura of power surrounding her—it was addictive. My heart constricted. A part of me ached to move closer, to reach out, to sense something beyond magic. Something human.
"James," she said, voice low, near whisper. "Do you feel it?"
I nodded. "Yes. I feel… everything."
"Good," she replied, and for an instant, the lethal edge was gone, replaced by something warmer. "That's the mark. That's the start. And soon, you'll see why it is important. and why they are watching."
I chilled. The rush of danger and the tug of desire mixed in my chest. I wanted to know more, to see more, to feel more. And I was afraid of the price.
The city's pulse beat beneath it, insistent and alive. And out of sight, in the dark, I knew that the council waited, waiting for when I erred.
---
### *Third-Person Limited – Elara Watches James*
She observed him silently, seeing the way his gaze hung on the threads floating free, on her, on the gleam of the prism. The mark was taking shape well, stronger than she had imagined. But peril loomed.
"They've seen," she whispered to herself, out of sight. "Tonight, things change. And James… he has to live."
---
I sensed it then—a thrum more keen, nearer, like a blade following the walls. The room drew tight, air growing heavy. I glanced at Elara.
"They know," I breathed.
She nodded, gaze coldening. "Yes. And James… you've already led them here. This is merely the start."
I swallowed hard. My heart thudded against my chest. The city below us pulsed like a living creature, its secrets whispering through the air and yet beyond my reach. And I understood: regular life was over. Magic, danger, and an inescapable, inexplicable draw to her were what was left.
And somehow. I didn't mind.