They called us to the Grand Hall.
A space so vast it swallowed sound. But there was no silence—only the thrum of too many people in one place. Thousands of Marked. Standing. Breathing. Waiting.
The air pulsed like a heartbeat.
Too loud.
Too much.
Voices echoed. Aspects flared. Emotions bled into the air like color into water. My thoughts blurred. My pulse quickened. Something in me recoiled.
I need to disappear.
I activated Hide.
And the world forgot me.
But not the weight. Not the pressure pounding at my skull like a slow drum.
Even unseen, the presence of thousands pressed in.
I turned, one step from slipping away entirely.
Then I felt it.
Someone brushed past.
She didn't touch me—but I felt it all the same . A breath of frost. I looked.
She had already stopped.
Short,sky-blue hair. Pale skin like winter glass. Eyes that didn't search, just saw.
Right at me.
Straight through the veil.
She shouldn't have been able to. No one could see through Hide.
But she could.
And she did.
Then—she walked over. No fear. No hesitation. Just presence.
She extended a hand.
Not forceful. Just… open.
I didn't move at first. My mind ran wild, trying to place her, name her, understand.
But nothing came.
Only a feeling.
Something old. Something warm.
I reached out. Took her hand.
"Hi," she said softly. "I'm Silver."
Her voice barely carried through the air.
But something in it—
Felt like remembering.