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Lian stood amidst the crumbling ruin of a forgotten city, its towering structures shattered by time and forces long since vanished. He had always been drawn into places like this-abandoned relics of a world that no longer existed. Perhaps it was because they reflected the emptiness inside him. Or perhaps it was because the shadows were always so loud in places where the light had faded.

His fingers found the dark markings on his forearm of their own accord. The curse was alive beneath his skin, whispering to him in a language only he could understand. It had been growing louder recently, more insistent. *Use me. You can be free. All you have to do is let go.*

Lian gritted his teeth, clamping down with all his might on the voice to force it back down into the darkest recesses of his mind. He wasn't going to let the shadows control him-not yet. Not ever, if he had any say to it.

It was then that a sudden movement caught his eye. The figure approached from afar, through the misty remains of what once must have been a grand avenue. They moved with purpose, cutting through eerie silence of the ruined city like a blade through fog. Lian's instinctive response was the reach for the hilt of his sword, but he did not draw it. Yet.

As it drew closer, Lian saw it was a woman-their silver cloak shimmered unnaturally in the half-light-and her face sharp, her eyes hard but calculating, like she weighed every move he'd make before he even made it.

"You've been hard to track," she said, her voice calm, too calm for a person confronting a man with a curse as dark as his.

Lian's eyes slitted. "I didn't ask to be found."

The woman smiled, her eyes never leaving his face, yet never quite reaching them either. "No one ever does.

The shadows stirred under his skin once more, the now-familiar urge to let them free rising. Something in the woman stayed his hand, though. She was not afraid of him, and that rankled. Most were, or if not of him, then of the mark he bore. Yet she regarded him as though she knew something she wasn't telling.

"Who are you?" Lian asked, his voice low, guarded.

The woman's smile widened, and she stepped closer. "Someone who can help you. If you let me."

Lian's hand clamped down on the hilt of his sword. "I don't need help."

"Oh, don't you?" She tilted her head to one side, eyes glinting with amusement. "You've been running for years, haven't you? Trying to outrun your past, your curse. But you can't escape something that's inside you, can you?

Lian felt a surge of anger at her words, but he pushed it away. He had heard it all before-people pretending to "help" him, only to screw him over the first instance that they got what they wanted. And he wasn't going to fall for it again.

"You don't know anything about me," Lian said, his voice sharp.

"Oh, but I do." Another step closer. Her eyes never wavered from his. "I know what that mark on your arm really is. I know what it's doing to you."

Lian's blood ran cold. None had ever managed to explain the curse, be they the most astute mage or scholar. They labeled it shadow magic, but it was more than that. It was alive, sentient, always whispering to him, pressing him to give in. And somehow, this woman knew more than any should.

"Who are you?" Lian said again, his voice hoarse.

The woman's expression softened, just a fraction. "My name is Aeris. And I'm the only one who can show you how to control it."

Lian didn't move, his eyes locked on hers. He had learned to trust no one-especially not those who promised easy solutions to his curse. But there was something different about Aeris-something in her gaze that gave him pause.

Why should I believe you?" Lian asked, his voice low and guarded.

Aeris chuckled softly. "You don't have to. But sooner or later, that thing inside you will take over. And when it does, there won't be anything left of you.".

A shiver ran down Lian's back as he felt the veracity of it. He had known that, deep inside, all along. The shadows had grown stronger with time, more insistent. He resisted, but for how much longer?

Aeris reached into her cloak and drew out a small, glowing vial. "This is a temporary solution," she told him, holding it out to him. "It will help suppress the shadows for now, but it won't last forever. If you want a permanent solution, you'll have to come with me.

Lian stared at the vial, his mind racing. He didn't trust her, but the shadows were getting harder to control every day. He couldn't afford to wait much longer.

Without a word, he took the vial from her hand.

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TO BE CONTINUED