Emery touched the bark, and his breath caught.
He recognized the pattern immediately. It bore a resemblance to the legacy he had studied thirty years ago: the Jade Thread Bindings, the Daywolf legacy the Earth Mother herself had once compelled him to learn. He had believed he had mastered it, yet the runes glowing across the bark were different. Their strokes were more intricate, their patterns deeper, woven together in ways he had never encountered before.
At first glance, he could see the connection. Yet the more he examined the runes, the more he realized that this was something entirely different.
Then a faint golden glow spread across his forehead.
The Fey Sovereign Mark emerged on his skin, as though awakened by the ancient bark. The moment it appeared, the runes seemed to unfold before his eyes. Their intricate patterns revealed layers of meaning that would otherwise have remained hidden, allowing him to perceive the profound principles woven into the technique.
