Kazi stared at the glowing silver tattoo on the stranger's arm. It was shaped almost exactly like hers; same swirl, same central symbol, but the color and energy felt different. It was cooler. Older.
"What does this mean?" she asked.
The man lowered his sleeve slowly. "It means you're not crazy."
"That's not an answer."
He smirked. "Fair. It means the mark you carry isn't just ink. It's a key. A link to something much older than you or me."
"A mark? I didn't ask for this," she said, folding her arms.
"No one ever does."
Kazi stepped back, uneasy. "Then why me? Why now? I've had this tattoo for years."
The man tilted his head, studying her. "That's the part I haven't figured out yet. You activated without a guide. That's… rare."
Kazi frowned. "Activated? A guide?"
"There are usually steps. Rituals. A trigger of some sorts. But, you skipped all of that. Which means either you're exceptionally strong…" His silver eyes narrowed. "…or something else woke it up for you."
She thought back to the dark figure in the club. The hum in her room. The voice that whispered her name.
"Something found me," she said quietly. "I don't know what it was, but it was looking. And when my tattoo lit up, it saw me."
The stranger's face darkened. "Then we don't have much time."
He turned and began walking deeper into the alley.
"Hey... wait! I don't even know your name."
He glanced back over his shoulder. "Call me Rhazir."
"Rhazir," she repeated, testing the shape of it. "Have you had your mark long?"
"All my life."
They came to a metal door tucked behind a dumpster. Rhazir pressed his palm against it. The mark on his arm flared, and with a heavy click, the door unlocked.
Kazi hesitated. "What is this place?"
"A sanctuary. Of sorts."
He pushed it open, revealing a narrow staircase spiraling down into darkness. A faint light glowed from beneath, amber, like her mark.
Kazi's pulse raced. Her instincts buzzed, caught between curiosity and fear.
"Come on," Rhazir said, already descending.
She followed, step by cautious step.
The stairs led into a vast underground chamber, stone walls, old carvings, a massive mural stretching across the far side. Candles flickered in sconces carved from the rock. At the center of the room sat a raised platform etched with circular symbols that matched the ones she'd seen on her wall.
She walked closer, drawn to it.
"This is where the first ones gathered," Rhazir said. "The original marked. It's old magic, Kazi. Elemental. Ancestral."
She looked around slowly. "Why show me this?"
"Because your tattoo lit up without warning," he said. "And when that happens, it usually means the balance has been disturbed."
"Step onto the platform" Rhazir said.
Kazi stepped onto the platform and as she stood there the tattoo on her arm surged in response, glowing bright amber again. She then began to hear faint whispers stirring from the walls of the sanctuary.
Rhazir's voice was low, urgent. "You were chosen for a reason, Kazi. You just haven't remembered what it is yet."