Lyra's POV
The shadow wrapped around my wrist like living smoke.
I gasped and tried to pull my hand away, but it tightened instead.
Cold energy rushed through my veins.
It felt like ice and fire at the same time.
"What is happening?" someone shouted behind me.
The villagers began stepping back.
Fear spread across their faces.
I stared at the black smoke twisting around my fingers.
It moved like it was alive.
Like it belonged to me.
The crystal cracked again.
A loud snap echoed through the square.
Suddenly the shadow shot back into the crystal.
Everything went still.
The smoke disappeared.
The crystal went completely dark.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the elder pointed at me with a trembling finger.
"Step away from the stone."
I quickly moved back.
My heart was racing.
Something had definitely happened.
I could still feel the strange power moving under my skin.
Like a sleeping creature that had just opened one eye.
The villagers started whispering.
"Did you see the smoke?"
"That wasn't normal magic."
"Something is wrong with that girl."
I lowered my head, trying to ignore them.
But the elder's voice suddenly became sharp.
"You must leave the square."
My stomach twisted.
"Why?" I asked quietly.
The elder's expression had changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
"We need to report this to the capital," he said.
My chest tightened.
Report it?
Why would they do that?
Before I could ask another question, a deep voice spoke from the crowd.
"Shadow magic."
The words spread through the villagers like poison.
Everyone turned toward the old hunter who had spoken.
He looked pale.
"Long ago," he continued slowly, "shadow magic belonged to the queens who nearly destroyed the world."
The square went silent.
The elder's face drained of color.
"That power was forbidden centuries ago," he whispered.
Then he looked straight at me.
And for the first time in my life…
The entire village was afraid of me.