The Fate Mark did not let Ethan rest.
From the moment the sun rose, a strange pressure followed him everywhere. His chest felt warm, heavy—like a sleeping beast slowly opening its eyes. Every sound felt sharper. Every movement felt faster.
Power was waking up.
Ethan tried to hide it, but destiny had no patience.
Near noon, the village alarm bell rang wildly.
"Monsters!" someone screamed. "They're coming from the hills!"
Ethan ran toward the village gate. Dust filled the air as three wild beasts charged forward, their claws scraping the ground, eyes glowing with hunger. The village guards panicked. Their spells were weak, unsteady.
One beast broke through.
It leapt toward a group of children.
Ethan didn't think.
He moved.
The Fate Mark burned.
Pain exploded in his chest, but his body surged forward faster than ever before. Instinct guided him. He grabbed a broken spear from the ground and swung—
Slash!
A blade of pure silver energy formed around the spear.
The beast was cut in half.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Ethan stood frozen, breathing heavily, staring at his shaking hands. The spear crumbled into dust. The silver energy vanished like smoke.
"What… did I do?" he whispered.
The other beasts hesitated, fear flickering in their eyes.
Then they fled.
The villagers stared at Ethan in shock.
"That wasn't magic," one guard muttered.
"It came from his body," another whispered.
Lyria ran to him. "Ethan!" She grabbed his arm. "You're hurt."
Only then did Ethan notice the blood. Cracks of red light spread across his skin like broken glass. Using the power had injured him.
But despite the pain, he smiled.
"I protected them," he said softly.
Before anyone could speak again, a loud horn echoed from beyond the hills.
Armored riders appeared—bearing the crest of the Magic Academy.
Their leader stepped forward, eyes fixed on Ethan.
"So," he said calmly, "the Fate Mark has awakened."
Ethan met his gaze, his heart steady.
This was no longer the life of a powerless boy.
The awakening had begun.