The path to the high caves twisted like a serpent, lined with ice-slick stones and jagged thorns. Liora climbed it anyway, hood drawn low, heart pounding harder with each step. Gran Mereth's warning echoed in her ears: "The mountains are waking, and they remember you."
She didn't know what that meant. Only that the mark on her shoulder still burned, and something deep inside her stirred — like a memory she hadn't lived yet.
At the cave's mouth, she paused. The wind howled around her, carrying whispers she couldn't understand.
"I was starting to think you wouldn't show," a voice said.
Liora spun.
A boy stood against the stone, arms crossed, eyes the color of storm clouds. His cloak billowed behind him like shadow. His expression was bored — and infuriatingly smug.
"Who are you?" she asked, fists tightening.
"Name's Kael. You must be the girl with the glowing tattoo."
She bristled. "It's a mark. And how do you even know about that?"
He gave a lazy shrug. "Word travels fast. Especially when someone awakens a curse that's been sleeping for centuries."
"Are you following me?"
"No." A pause. "Yes. But only because they told me to."
"They?"
Kael tilted his head, half-grinning. "The mountains."
Liora took a step back. "You're insane."
"Possibly. But you're the one marked by dead gods, so let's not judge too quickly."
Silence stretched, thick with frost and distrust. Finally, Kael walked toward her, slow and deliberate.
"I'm supposed to help you," he said. "Apparently, you're important. Lucky me."
"I don't need help," she snapped.
He smirked. "Great. Then I'll just watch while you get yourself killed."
He turned to leave.
"Wait," she said, grinding her teeth. "If you know something... tell me. Why is this happening? What does the mark mean?"
Kael paused. "It means the mountain has chosen you. And it doesn't care if you're ready or not."
Liora stared at him. She didn't trust him — not his smirk, not his secrets, not even his voice. But something in his words rang true.
And in that moment, she knew two things:
1. Her life was no longer her own.
2. She'd rather fight a dragon than spend five minutes alone with Kael.