Rennar's condition worsened in the days that followed. Though healers tried, no remedy could fully mend the poisoned wound. Before Kael left, Rennar pressed a small pendant into his hand.
"This… will guide you," the old master whispered. "The answers you seek lie beyond Eldoria. Seek the Dragonkin Peaks… only they understand the Mark's true meaning."
Kael gripped the pendant tightly, his heart heavy. He had no choice but to leave his village behind. Liora insisted on joining him, her determination stronger than Kael expected.
"Don't think you're facing this alone," she said, crossing her arms stubbornly. "You'd trip over your own sword without me."
Together, they set out along the winding forest path. For the first time, Kael saw the vastness of the world—the towering mountains on the horizon, the endless forests, and the distant glow of strange cities.
On their journey, they encountered wandering merchants, beastmen scouts, and whispers of war spreading across the realms. The balance of power was shifting, and Kael's Mark seemed to be the center of it all.
One night, as they camped beneath the stars, the pendant Rennar had given him began to glow faintly, pointing toward the north. Kael followed its light, only to discover footprints in the dirt—massive, clawed, and unmistakably Dragonkin.
Before he could investigate further, a loud roar echoed across the forest. The ground trembled, trees shook, and Kael's breath caught in his throat.
Something enormous was coming.
—To be continued—