As the mirror's shards melted into nothingness, the chamber began to shift, the green glow fading.
Alysia looked at Aragos, her voice soft. "I feel…"
"Changed?" he offered.
"Yes," she said, her heart lighter than it had been in a long time. "I feel like I'm finally"I feel like I'm finally reclaiming a part of myself," Alysia said, her voice steady despite the lingering tremor in her hands.
Aragos gave her a small nod, his expression unreadable. "You've faced something most people wouldn't survive. That takes strength."
Alysia glanced around the now-empty chamber, the oppressive darkness replaced by an otherworldly calm. "But there's so much I don't understand. About myself, about this place… even about you."
Aragos' gaze darkened briefly, and he turned toward the exit. "Answers don't come all at once, and some answers you might wish you'd never sought. Let's go."
As they walked toward a newly revealed pathway, Alysia felt a shift within herself. Her magic, once chaotic and uncertain, now hummed steadily under her skin, as though it had been waiting for her to confront her fears before fully awakening.
She looked at Aragos. "What's next?"
He glanced back at her, his tone grave. "The hardest part. The path ahead won't just test your magic—it'll test your soul. If you're not ready to lose more, turn back now."
Alysia squared her shoulders. "I'm not turning back."
Aragos' lips twitched into something resembling a smile. "Good. Then let's move before this place decides to trap us again."
The path twisted and turned, the air thickening with every step. Alysia could feel the magic around her changing—stronger, more volatile.
Suddenly, a searing pain erupted on her forearm, and she cried out, clutching at her skin. A glowing symbol began to etch itself into her flesh, the lines intricate and pulsating with energy.
Aragos stopped and turned to her, his eyes widening. "The Mark of the Chosen," he murmured.
Alysia gritted her teeth against the pain. "What… what does it mean?"
"It means the forest has accepted you," he said, awe lacing his voice. "You're bound to it now. Its magic will answer to you, but its trials will be relentless."
The glow faded, leaving a faint, shimmering sigil on her skin. Alysia stared at it, her breath shallow. "Why me?"
"Because you're stronger than you think," Aragos said, his tone softer now. "And because your destiny is tied to forces even I don't fully understand."
Alysia clenched her fist, feeling the power of the mark thrumming within her. For the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't feel lost. She felt ready.
"Let's keep going," she said, her voice firm.
Aragos nodded, and together, they stepped into the unknown, the path ahead glowing faintly with the promise of new trials—and new revelations.