Chapter 39
Lisa’s POV_
The cold ointment the doctor gave me soothed my skin only a little. The burn on my wrist was still there. It was hot and sharp. Even while lying in my hospital bed, wrapped in soft sheets and surrounded by silence,
I couldn’t relax.
Sleep refused to come.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that symbol. It was glowing and pulsing like it had been seared into my
soul and not just my skin.
I tossed and turned under the blanket. I bit back a groan as the mark flared again.
Sierra…
I’m here, she whispered, her voice soft in my head. I can feel it too. The magic around that symbol… it’s
still active. It’s like it’s calling to something.
Calling? To what? I asked, trying not to cry.
I don’t know but it’s not finished with us yet.
I curled up tighter and pressed my wrist against the pillow. Rylan had stayed in my room until I was settled. He even argued with the doctor until they agreed to let me rest in a private room. But now he was gone. I was alone in the dark.
And scared.
The pain wasn’t just physical anymore. It felt like something inside me had cracked open. Like this mark wasn’t just some accident… but the beginning of something I didn’t understand.
What if this changes everything? I whispered to Sierra.
Maybe it’s meant to, she said. You’ve always known you were different. This… this might be the proof.
I stared at the ceiling, blinking away tears. But I didn’t ask for this.
I know. But maybe it’s time to stop running from who you really are.
The next morning came too soon.
My eyes were heavy, and my whole body ached, but I forced myself to get up. I was still in the hospital gown. The mark on my wrist had darkened overnight, but it no longer glowed. It looked like a burn. It was ugly and mysterious.
Rylan returned not long after sunrise. He brought me clothes, coffee, and something else.
“The Seer is coming,” he said and sat beside me.
I looked up sharply. “Now?”
He nodded. “She agreed to come as soon as I told her what happened.”
I swallowed hard. My heart beat faster. “What if she doesn’t know anything?”
“She’ll know something,” Rylan said gently. “She has helped the pack before with strange magic. If anyone can read that mark, it’s her.”
I didn’t answer. I just stared at the mark again. The skin around it was still raw, and even though the pain
had dulled, I could feel the heat simmering beneath the surface. It hadn’t left me.
When the Seer arrived, I felt the air change.
She stepped into the room, and her gaze locked on mine immediately.
“You’ve been marked. The symbol has appeared on your skin,” she said before I could even speak.
I nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“Tell me everything,” she said, her voice low and calm. “From the beginning.”
I took a deep breath and then began.
“There was a rogue attack… last night. Rylan and I were at a restaurant. It was supposed to be a normal evening. But then… they came. The rogues. Dozens of them. They crashed through the windows and
started attacking everyone. People were screaming and running.”
I looked down at my hands. I was trembling as I spoke.
“I don’t know what happened. I was scared, but something inside me woke up. I felt… power. Like a storm
in my chest. And before I knew it, I was blasting them away. Light shot from my hands. There was fire and energy. I don’t even know what it was.”
The Seer’s eyes didn’t blink.
“And then?” she asked.
“Then the pain started,” I whispered. “On my wrist. It was like my skin was being ripped open. The symbol appeared out of nowhere. I screamed. I fell. It was so painful I couldn’t move.”
I held out my wrist to show her. The triangle and crescent moon were still there. The symbol was burned into my skin like a permanent brand.
“I’ve never seen this before,” I added. “I don’t know what it means. But it hurts. It still hurts.”
The Seer stepped forward slowly. She pulled a small pouch from her side and took out a vial of strange liquid. It was shimmering, deep purple, and glowing faintly.
“This may help,” she murmured.
I watched as she uncorked the vial and poured a few drops over my wrist. The liquid hissed when it touched my skin like rain hitting fire. I cried out. I was startled but then, the burning stopped.
I blinked.
The pain was gone.
It felt cool now.
“W-What is that?” I asked, breathless.
“Old magic,” she replied. “It’s meant to quiet energy that isn’t ready to be used.”
She closed her eyes, then pressed two fingers gently over the mark. Her brows furrowed in concentration.
Silence filled the room.
Even Sierra was quiet.
After what felt like forever, the Seer finally spoke again.
“I see a gate.”
My breath caught.
“A massive black gate. Iron. Covered in ash. There are walls… high, thick walls behind it. A fortress. Hidden
deep in shadow. And on the gate… this very symbol. Burned into the metal.”
She paused.
“I can see something more. Let me focus.”
Her lips moved silently. Her eyes fluttered under her lids.
Then she gasped softly. “Nightcrest.”
She opened her eyes and looked at me.
“This symbol… it belongs to the Nightcrest Pack.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Nightcrest Pack?” I repeated, frowning. “I’ve never heard of them.”
“Few have,” the Seer replied. “They are old. Very old. Some believe the pack vanished long ago. Others
think they never truly existed but only in legend. But I’m telling you now… this symbol is their emblem.”
I stared down at my wrist. I was stunned.
Nightcrest? I asked Sierra. Does that mean… I’m connected to them somehow?
It must, she replied. A pack doesn’t brand someone unless there’s a reason. There’s something buried in
your past, Lisa. Something hidden.
The Seer continued, “For this symbol to appear on you, child, you must share a bond with them. Maybe by blood. Maybe by fate.”
“Fate?” I whispered.
She nodded solemnly. “This is not a random mark. It is a calling. You’ve awakened something that has
been sleeping a long time. If you go to the Nightcrest gates, perhaps… you’ll find the answers you seek.”
I looked at Rylan. He was silent. His eyes were full of concern but also curiosity. He didn’t speak, but I could tell he was thinking what I was thinking.
If Nightcrest Pack held the truth about me…
Then maybe it was time to find them.
Maybe it was time to learn who I really was.
Even if the truth changed everything.
