The library was dim, lit only by the golden rays slipping through tall windows. Dust hung in the air like soft snowfall.
Shane traced her fingers over the strange symbol in the ancient book.
It matched the glowing mark on her palm—perfectly.
Mira leaned closer. "What does it say underneath?"
Shane read the faint, elegant writing:
> Those who bear the Mark of Origin shall awaken the bond that binds the hidden to the light. The Moon and Flame shall reunite what was lost… and feared.
Reas blinked. "Moon and Flame?"
Before they could guess, the air suddenly shifted.
Footsteps.
The girls turned—and standing there was Rio, calm as ever. , but behind him haru stood his expression unreadable.
Shane instinctively closed the book, tucking it under her arm.
"We need to talk," Rio said.
Haru stepped forward, voice low. "Your mark is awakening the pact."
"The what now?" Mira narrowed her eyes.
"The pact between bloodlines that were sealed long ago," Rio said. "Animal spirits… like us."
Reas scoffed. "You're saying you're animals?"
Rio's gaze sharpened. "Not animals. Guardians. Each of us was born with a beast's soul—passed down through the Blood Pact. And now, your marks are calling us back together."
Shane stood slowly. "Why me?"
Rio's eyes softened. "Because your soul... is the Moon."
Haru added, "And you're waking us all up."
The room pulsed. Shane's mark glowed again.
So did Rio's.
And haru's chest faintly lit—under his shirt—where another symbol began to appear.
Mira backed away. "How many of you are there?"
"Ten," haru said. "Like you."
Shane looked between them—between truth and fear.
"Then tell me everything," she whispered. "Before the rest of the girls awaken too."
To be continued…