The hidden chamber beneath the academy was colder than Liora expected, but the roaring fire in the hearth cast a warm, almost hypnotic glow. Ancient runes etched into the stone walls pulsed faintly, like the heartbeat of a slumbering beast.

Liora’s fingers trembled as she stepped closer to the flames. Kael’s presence was steady behind her, but she could feel the weight of his worry pressing down like a storm cloud.

“The Binding Mark,” Kael began quietly, “isn’t just some random curse or a simple gift. It’s a key — a key that unlocks truths long buried by time.”

Liora’s eyes fixed on the flames, watching as they twisted and danced unnaturally. She reached out, hesitating before her fingertips grazed the fire’s edge. Instead of burning, the fire whispered to her — voices from the past, flickering images that melted into one another like shards of broken glass.

Visions of betrayal filled the chamber: a trusted mentor speaking in hushed tones with shadowy figures; the academy’s founders hiding a dark secret; alliances forged in desperation rather than trust. And then—an ancient prophecy, written in the stars, spoke of a chosen bearer of the Binding Mark whose destiny could save or destroy the Otherworld.

Her heart pounded. The flames showed a name — a name she never expected — someone she thought was an ally.

“The truth is a flame,” Liora whispered, voice trembling, “It can illuminate the path, but it can also burn everything we hold dear.”

Kael’s gaze sharpened. “We need to decide—do we face this truth together, or do we let it tear us apart?”

Liora swallowed hard. The weight of the revelation settled deep inside her. The battle ahead wasn’t just against external forces—it was a war for trust, for identity, for the soul of the Otherworld itself.

As the fire crackled, shadows shifted in the corners of the chamber, hinting that the past wasn’t done revealing its darkest secrets.