The morning fog barely lifted when a cloaked figure appeared at the village gates. Unlike the shadow from before, this one exuded calm, almost regal energy. Eyes like molten amber pierced through the hood.
"I've come for the one reborn," the stranger said, voice smooth yet edged with authority. Every villager instinctively stepped back, save for me and Aria.
"Why me?" I demanded, heart hammering.
The figure smiled faintly. "Because your soul remembers what this world has forgotten. And because what is coming… cannot be stopped by the weak."
Before I could react, they vanished as suddenly as they appeared, leaving behind a single black feather glowing faintly in the mist.