Mira sat up in her bed, breathing heavily.
The dream felt too real to be just imagination. Her heart was still racing, and her palm burned softly beneath her sleeve.
Slowly, she uncovered her hand.
The strange mark was still there.
It glowed faintly, pulsing like it was alive.
Mira remembered the spirit's words.
"If the world knows… it will fear you."
Fear crept into her chest.
"What if someone sees this?" she whispered.
At the academy, magic was everything — but power that could not be measured was dangerous. Those who were different were not protected. They were controlled… or destroyed.
Mira clenched her hand tightly.
She decided then — no one could know.
From that day, she always kept her palm covered. She avoided attention and stayed silent in class, just like before.
But something inside her had changed.
She could feel energy moving through her body — warm, heavy, powerful. Sometimes, when her emotions rose, the mark would heat up dangerously.
She learned to breathe slowly.
To calm her heart.
To hide her presence.
At night, the voice returned in whispers, guiding her gently.
"Control begins with silence," it said.
Mira listened.
Even though fear lived inside her, another feeling was growing quietly alongside it.
Strength.
The weak girl was still there on the outside.
But inside, something far stronger was awakening.