NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 3: THE CLOAKED STRANGER
Kai woke up in his bed, drenched in sweat, his heart hammering in his chest. The room was dim, the early morning light creeping through the cracks in the shutters. His head throbbed, and his thoughts felt scattered, as though he had just woken from a deep, unrememberable dream.
His hand instinctively went to his chest, but it was the mark on his palm that he felt—the faint glow still present, as though it was trying to communicate with him. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the symbol, still unable to comprehend what had happened. Had it been real?
Before he could contemplate further, a loud shout erupted from outside. The townspeople were in an uproar, voices raised in anger and confusion. "Whoever did this will pay!" they shouted, their voices full of fury.
Kai grimaced. He'd barely made it out of the forest alive, and now this… The fire he had caused was spreading through the village, and he knew that, sooner or later, someone would put the pieces together and realize that he was the one responsible.
Heart pounding, he quickly dressed and slipped out of the house. The crowd had gathered at the village square, and he heard muttered accusations being thrown around.
"It's the boy who started the fire!" one man yelled. "He must be brought to justice!"
Ignoring the whispers and angry glares, Kai made his way toward the forest. He needed to confirm what had happened the night before, to understand the power that had awakened inside him.
As he entered the woods, a figure appeared from the shadows—cloaked in black, with only a sliver of pale skin visible beneath the hood. A woman stood before him, her green eyes glowing with a sharp intensity.
"You're late," she said, her voice calm but with an underlying authority.
Kai froze. "Late for what?" he asked, his voice shaky.
"For your destiny," she replied cryptically. Then, without waiting for him to speak, she stepped closer, revealing a medallion around her neck—the same dragon mark as the one now burned into his palm.
Her eyes locked onto his. "I'm Lyria," she said. "A mage tasked with finding you. You have power, Kai, but you lack control. If you don't learn to wield it, you will destroy everything you love."
Kai opened his mouth to protest, to tell her that he didn't want any of this, but the words died in his throat. There was something in her eyes—a mix of determination and an unsettling seriousness—that made him hesitate.
Lyria placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me. You have a lot to learn."
Reluctantly, Kai agreed. With no other options and the weight of his newfound power pressing on him, he followed her. The journey to uncover his true potential had began.