The truth echoes from the Rift, and the silence of the past begins to shatter.
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The early morning air was thick with fog as Ethan and Juno trekked through the dense forest, the weight of the previous night's revelations still heavy on his shoulders.
They had only taken a few hours of rest, and now they were moving deeper into the wilds. The sun barely pierced the mist, casting everything in muted shades of grey. The forest around them seemed unnaturally still, as though even the creatures of the Rift were holding their breath.
Juno walked ahead, her long cloak trailing behind her like a shadow. She glanced over her shoulder at Ethan, her expression unreadable.
"You ready to train?" she asked, her voice cutting through the silence.
Ethan didn't answer immediately. He was still processing everything—his parents' connection to the Guild, the mark on his hand, and now the terrifying possibility that the Beast he had encountered as a child was no mere animal. It was something far older. Something that had waited for him.
The echo of its voice still lingered in his mind. You are mine.
"Yeah," Ethan finally replied, his voice steady, but the doubt was still there. "Let's get this over with."
They reached a clearing, the trees thinning out to reveal an open patch of land. Juno stopped and turned to face him, her eyes narrowing.
"This is where you'll start learning control," she said, unsheathing her own weapon—a sleek, curved blade. She held it with ease, as if it was an extension of herself. "Your mark isn't just a power. It's a connection to the Rift. To the Beasts. And if you don't learn to channel it, you'll become just another victim of its hunger."
Ethan felt the mark on his hand throb as if in response to her words. The air itself seemed to grow heavy, thick with an unseen pressure. His pulse quickened.
"How do I control it?" he asked, his voice rough with impatience.
Juno's lips twitched, a ghost of a smile. "The first step is understanding what you're dealing with. You've felt the power, right? It's not just the mark that's dangerous—it's what's inside of it. The Rift."
The Rift. Ethan had learned just enough about it to understand it was more than just an anomaly. It was a tear in the fabric of the world, and the Beasts came through it. They were born of it, and they existed because of it. But what did that have to do with him?
She pointed at the ground in front of him, and the air around them shifted. "Focus. The first thing you need to do is calm your mind. You won't be able to control the mark until you understand how to control yourself."
Ethan nodded, dropping to a crouch. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. The last few days had been a blur of running and fighting. He hadn't had a moment to himself. Now, for the first time, he could hear the rhythm of his own heartbeat, the wind rustling through the leaves, the distant cry of a beast hunting somewhere far away.
But there was something else—an undercurrent beneath it all. A cold, vibrating hum that seemed to come from within him. The mark on his hand pulsed softly, as if answering his call.
"Good," Juno's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Now, picture the mark. Picture it inside you, like a flame. Don't try to control it. Just… feel it."
Ethan obeyed, letting the image of the mark fill his mind. It wasn't just a symbol. It was a living, breathing thing. A link between him and something far older, something that wanted to tear through his soul.
For a moment, he felt a surge of panic—of something pulling at him from deep within—but then he caught himself. The mark responded to his emotions. If he gave in to fear or rage, it would consume him. He had to stay calm.
He focused on the rhythm of his breathing again, grounding himself.
Slowly, the panic faded. The mark stopped pulsing so violently. Ethan opened his eyes and let out a slow breath. "I did it," he said quietly, feeling the weight of his own power, now more manageable.
"You did it," Juno acknowledged, a hint of approval in her voice. "But that's just the first step. Controlling it isn't enough. You need to learn how to use it. And for that…" She held up her blade, the metal gleaming in the misty light. "You'll need to fight."
Before he could respond, she lunged forward, her blade moving in a blur. Ethan barely had time to react as she struck, aiming for his side.
His body moved on instinct, twisting away just in time to avoid the strike. But he didn't land on his feet. He stumbled, the energy from the mark swirling inside him, but not yet under his control.
Juno's eyes flashed with amusement as she stepped back. "Too slow. You need to let the mark guide you, not fight against it."
She struck again, this time faster, more precise. Ethan raised his sword, blocking the blow, but the impact knocked him off balance. His knees hit the ground.
Frustration flared inside him. He was tired of being weak. Tired of being hunted.
The mark surged, like a tidal wave crashing through his veins. His vision blurred as the power took over, and for a split second, he saw everything—the world seemed to warp around him. He could see the faintest outline of Juno's movements before she even moved. The wind, the trees, the air itself—all of it felt like a part of him.
He sprang to his feet, his blade meeting hers in an explosion of force. Juno's eyes widened in surprise as their weapons clashed, sparks flying.
For a moment, Ethan felt like he had all the time in the world. Every movement was fluid, calculated. The mark wasn't something to fear anymore. It was a part of him.
Juno pulled back, her grin wide. "Now that's more like it."
Panting, Ethan lowered his sword, sweat dripping down his forehead. The mark still hummed inside him, but he wasn't afraid of it anymore. He'd learned how to listen.
"You've got potential," Juno said, lowering her own blade. "But this is just the beginning. The deeper you go, the stronger the Rift becomes. And you're going to have to face things far worse than me."
Ethan nodded, a fire burning in his chest. "I'll be ready."
The mist seemed to grow thicker around them, and the distant sound of something huge moving in the trees sent a chill down his spine.
Juno's face grew serious. "You'd better be."
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