The surface of the crystal-clear lake shimmered under the pale moonlight, hiding centuries of secrets in its depths. Liora stood at the edge, her reflection fractured by ripples — a fractured mirror of the truths she was beginning to understand.

“Why did the Binding Mark choose me?” she whispered, tracing the glowing rune on her wrist.

Kael joined her, his voice low and steady. “Because you’re connected to something old. Something the Otherworld forgot to bury.”

Suddenly, the water’s surface erupted, and from the depths rose an ethereal figure — a guardian spirit cloaked in water and light, eyes like liquid stars.

“You carry the mark of the Forgotten,” the spirit said, voice echoing like a ripple through time. “Your destiny is tied to the balance of worlds, but beware — enemies lurk in the shadows, eager to claim what you possess.”

Liora’s heart pounded. The truth was more dangerous than she’d imagined.

Beneath the serene surface, darker currents swirled, and the fight for the Otherworld’s future was just beginning.