Chapter One – The Mark

(Lyra’s POV)

The stars felt off tonight.

Not in some metaphorical sense. The stars’ behavior couldn’t be explained with simple astrology apps or typical late-night thoughts.

Something about the stars tonight sent shivers down my spine and twisted my stomach as if they knew something I couldn’t see.

I teetered on the rooftop’s edge with my hoodie zipped against the cold while my boots gripped the cracked concrete as I watched an unusually vibrant sky.

The wind moved around me in a wavering manner while holding its breath as if uncertain.

Above, the constellations flickered out of sync.

The Phoenix pulsed. The Dagger tilted. The Serpent appeared and disappeared in rapid succession similar to a camera shutter’s motion.

I blinked and considered whether exhaustion or imagination were responsible—but it wasn’t either.

My breath still hung in the air.

The wind kept pulling my hair while strands flew into my mouth.

And the stars… were shifting.

Not metaphorically.

Literally.

As if they were watching me.

“Get inside!” Mrs. Hensley’s voice called from the yard, thick with cigarette smoke and her usual blend of crankiness and half-hearted warnings. “You’ll catch a cold or get possessed or worse.”

Possessed. She had wandered so close to the truth without realizing it.

“Coming!” I shouted but I didn’t budge. I rolled up my sleeve with hands that tried to remain steady yet struggled against trembling.

The mark glowed softly in the moonlight. The sigil appeared both wrong and right as it stood twisted and ancient. It wasn’t ink. It wasn’t a scar. I hadn’t put it there.

My sixteenth birthday coincided with its awakening.

Some nights it faded to nothing. Other nights, like tonight—it blazed.

Not with pain. With purpose.

The mark beneath my skin beat with its own rhythm. It wasn’t simply an extension of who I am but represented something ancient and dormant within me until it found its purpose.

The wind shifted.

Not across my face. Up. From the ground.

Leaves swirled around my boots. Dust lifted. The air buzzed with electricity that served as a cautionary signal.

Not even the briefest moment existed between the sky ripping open before I could inhale.

The clouds didn’t move slowly across the sky but instead tore themselves apart while clawing at the heavens as if something underneath was pulling them upward.

And then the light came.

Silver. Cold. Blinding.

A forceful strike of lightning struck my chest. No warmth. No heat. Just raw force.

I didn’t scream. Didn’t fall. Didn’t jump.

I was taken.

The moment I crashed onto the ground delivered a harsh impact without any warning or gradual descent, resembling an otherworldly transition through the darkness. The crash was so powerful the grass beneath me sucked the air from my lungs while my body crumpled like a piece of paper.

While gasping for air on the ground I detected the presence of a sharp acrid smell filling my lungs. The air carried both ozone and an additional sharper, metallic element. Every breath I took had my ribs were screaming while my heart slammed against my chest as I struggled to breathe.

The pain was intense but I was able to roll to my side and look up at the sky. The spinning motion slowed down yet continued to turn as if a wheel of fate moved through slow motion before me. Countless stars twinkled across the intensely indigo sky which was softly illuminated by the moon’s glow.

I spotted them through the grass beyond the fading traces of my breath. The sky featured tall black towers that stood jagged like enormous teeth reaching upwards. The glowing constellations decorating each tower appeared familiar as though they had always existed only in my dreams. The tall towers surrounded the central structure which emitted a breathtaking and impossible pulsing energy.

Five massive spires surrounded the central structure and emitted distinct elemental forces from each one. Molten lava consumed one spire while it dripped from its sides in a way that resembled candle wax. A shimmering mist concealed a series of floating lakes from view while their smooth surfaces reflected light like mirrors. Strong winds thrashed against the third spire as they echoed through open stone arches to produce a hauntingly beautiful symphony. The fourth spire emerged from the ground as crystalline cliffs which rose sharply like glass shards while their sharp peaks gleamed under the moonlight.

A perfect celestial circle floated above everything like a living entity that breathed. The stars moved through space as their cosmic patterns merged to create an incredible display of light and darkness. The sensation of their breath on my skin seemed real as they watched me with their intense, almost living gaze.

I rose to my feet with unsteady limbs that refused to cooperate while I swayed and searched for stability. I gasped for breath and experienced a tight sensation in my chest while attempting to understand my surroundings. I possessed an unshakable certainty deep within myself that my current location was no longer Earth. Despite not knowing my location or how I arrived, the environment clearly showed that humans were not intended to exist in this place.

I heard them while I stood there attempting to make sense of my current reality. The wind carried faint murmurs that sounded like gentle whispers in the distance.

“She’s early,” one voice grumbled, sounding annoyed, as if my arrival had thrown a wrench in some carefully crafted plans.

“She’s unmarked,” another voice chimed in, colder and sharper than the first, like a knife cutting through the night. “She doesn’t belong here.”

A third voice, smooth and teasing, buzzed like static. “Are we sure about that? Just take a look at her wrist.”

I turned—fast.

Three boys stood just outside the clearing where they emerged from the trees’ shadows as though summoned from the darkness itself while they took possession of their surroundings with confidence. The moon loomed tall above as silvery illumination brightened the environment but an extraordinary energy charged the atmosphere beyond the night’s calmness.

The first boy radiated intense energy which made his presence undeniable to everyone around. His fingertips controlled flames which moved with mesmerizing yet slightly terrifying fluidity similar to well-trained serpents under their master’s command. A fierce gaze appeared to slice through the darkness as his golden eyes locked onto mine causing me to gasp. The edges of his jaw were sharp and defined like a weapon poised for battle while his expression signaled a complete absence of fear and doubt. His persona held both an appealing charm and a threatening edge because he seemed energized by perilous situations.

The second boy presented a strong visual difference when compared to his fiery companion. He wore black from his head down to his feet with every element of his attire meticulously selected to blend into darkness while delivering deadly precision. His gaze was utterly emotionless as shards of ice because both his eyes and their expression were cold and hard. He maintained military precision in his posture while his stillness indicated constant fight readiness. He exuded a predatory force that made the atmosphere tense with his readiness to strike while a metaphorical ticking clock echoed the countdown to an inevitable event in my mind.

And the third boy? He looked like a captivating mystery while casually leaning against a stone column as if waiting for me to approach. He portrayed relaxed confidence through his body language which stood in stark contrast to the tension present in the clearing. Tattoos wandered down his arms like illustrations of rebellion and adventure while his lips maintained a mischievous smile that suggested his perpetual advantage over others. Between his fingers danced sparks which displayed a fierce energy that seemed to challenge fate to act before him. His presence radiated irresistible charm that captured my attention and sparked inner curiosity.

Surrounded by these three formidable figures I felt the heavy presence of their strength and potential danger envelop me like smoke tendrils in the air. The moment I stepped into their territory I understood that I was surrounded by shadows that danced and that every pulse beat faster with expectation.

I didn’t know their names.

I didn’t know the rules.

But my instincts were screaming at me.

Predators.

And me?

I was an unexpected guest in their territory.

I had no idea where I was.

No clue why I’d been brought here.

But one thing was crystal clear:

Whatever this place was - It wasn’t going to embrace me.

It was going to try to shatter me.

And I?

I wasn’t going down without a fight.