chapter three

The Mark Beneath the Skin

The moment Evelyn stepped inside her room, a weight settled over her chest, heavy as the night sky outside. The Harper estate, once a symbol of her family’s proud history, now felt like a cage — its ancient walls pressing in, shadows stretching longer than they should. The whispers from the night clung to her skin, like cold fingers tracing a warning she couldn’t ignore.

Her gaze fell on the leather-bound journal resting on her desk — the journal she had received from Liam just hours ago. She hadn’t yet dared to open it since the bridge encounter, but the lure of secrets too potent to resist pulled her toward it now. With trembling fingers, she flipped the cover open and scanned the delicate script penned by her mother’s hand.

“To Evelyn, if you find this — know that our blood carries a burden. Powers that can heal or destroy. You must learn to control what you fear, or it will consume you.”

The words echoed inside her head like a distant bell tolling in a forgotten cathedral. Powers? Burden? Control? Until now, Evelyn had tried to suppress the strange things happening around her — the sudden flashes of light, the shadows that moved on their own, the whispered voices only she seemed to hear. But those moments were no longer random accidents. They were signs. Warnings. And she was terrified of what she was becoming.

She ran a hand through her hair and let out a shaky breath. The journal was thick with pages — notes, drawings, cryptic symbols. She wondered how much her mother had endured, how many secrets she had buried inside these pages. Evelyn had always believed her mother was ordinary, like anyone else. Now, doubt gnawed at her heart.

Suddenly, a sharp prickling sensation erupted on her left forearm, stealing her breath away. She looked down and gasped.

Beneath her skin, a swirling mark was forming — intricate, glowing faintly blue like an otherworldly tattoo. It twisted and pulsed with a slow, mesmerizing rhythm, as if alive.

“Not again…” Evelyn whispered, voice trembling.

The mark burned beneath her palm as she clawed at it in desperation, trying to make it disappear. But it was stubborn, an undeniable imprint etched deep into her flesh.

Tears blurred her vision. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want the power or the fear or the darkness she felt creeping closer.

A soft knock at the door startled her. “Evelyn? You okay?”

It was Liam’s voice — calm, steady, grounding.

She wiped her tears away and called softly, “Come in.”

He stepped inside hesitantly, his dark eyes immediately drawn to her arm.

“What is that?” he asked, voice low and urgent.

Evelyn lifted her sleeve, revealing the glowing mark. “It’s the mark... from the journal. The ‘Mark of the Veil.’ I don’t know what it means, but it’s happening again.”

Liam swallowed hard, stepping closer until he was only inches away. “It means your power is awakening. Your mother left clues because she knew this day would come.”

“Power? What kind of power? I’m scared, Liam. What if I lose control? What if I hurt someone? I don’t want to be like those stories — the ones who become monsters.”

His expression softened. He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face with gentle fingers.

“You’re not a monster. You’re stronger than you realize. And you won’t be alone. I promise, we’ll figure this out — together.”

For a fleeting moment, warmth blossomed inside Evelyn’s chest, pushing back the shadows of fear. Liam’s touch was a beacon in the darkness, something real and safe in a world that felt like it was unraveling.

But just as hope stirred, the house groaned as if protesting their fragile peace. The wind howled against the windows, carrying with it a warning — one they couldn’t ignore.

---

Evelyn woke hours later to a strange sensation — as if invisible eyes were watching her. She lay still, heart pounding, ears straining in the silence. The house felt alive again, creaking and whispering its secrets.

She reached for the journal, flipping to the next page Liam hadn’t shown her.

“The Mark of the Veil is a sign and a shield. It binds the bearer to the otherworld, allowing passage between realms — but it also marks a target.”

The words chilled her. Passage between realms? Target?

A sudden chill swept through the room, and Evelyn’s skin prickled. She wasn’t alone.

Before she could react, a faint, shadowy figure flickered near the doorway — barely visible, but unmistakably watching. She gasped and instinctively reached for Liam’s name — but he wasn’t there.

Panic surged. The figure vanished into the shadows as quickly as it appeared.

Her phone buzzed on the bedside table. A message from Liam.

“Meet me at the woods. We need to talk. It’s urgent.”

Evelyn hesitated only a moment before grabbing her jacket and slipping out into the cold night.

---

The woods behind the Harper estate were dense and tangled, a maze of twisted branches and whispering leaves. The moon cast a pale, ghostly glow, and the silence was broken only by the crunch of Evelyn’s footsteps on dead leaves.

Liam was waiting near an ancient oak, his face grave.

“We don’t have much time,” he said, pulling out the journal again. “There’s more in here — about your mother’s past, and the dangers that come with your gift.”

He opened to a page filled with symbols and a rough map of the woods.

“See this? The ‘Veil’ is thinning here. It’s a crossing point between our world and the other — the realm of spirits and shadows. Your mark lets you cross it, but it also draws attention from those who want to control or destroy you.”

Evelyn swallowed hard. “Who? Why me?”

Liam’s eyes darkened. “Because your family has been guarding secrets for generations — secrets some would kill for.”

A sudden rustle in the underbrush made them both freeze. Liam reached instinctively for Evelyn’s hand, grounding her.

From the shadows stepped a woman — pale, with eyes like liquid silver and an unsettling calm that made the air itself seem to hold its breath.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the woman said, voice soft but edged with danger.

Evelyn’s heart thudded painfully. “Who are you?”

The woman smiled, a slow, knowing curve of her lips. “I’m a friend... and a warning. Your power is awakening faster than expected. The forces hunting you are closer than you think.”

Before Evelyn could reply, the woman vanished — leaving behind only the faint scent of something cold and ancient.

Liam looked at Evelyn, worry deep in his eyes. “This is bigger than either of us imagined. But I promise, we’ll face it all — together.”

Evelyn nodded, feeling the mark on her arm pulse with a strange energy — a reminder that her life was no longer her own.

As they walked back through the woods, the whispers returned — but this time, Evelyn listened carefully. The shadows weren’t just threats. They held answers.

And somewhere deep inside, beneath the fear and uncertainty, a fragile hope took root — that maybe, just maybe, she could control the darkness.

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