The first resembled a small black dragon. The creature was intricately drawn with its wings unfurled and its maw frozen in a menacing snarl.

Small obsidian scales coated its entire body, and with the pulsating flow of umbralis, it seemed almost alive.

With each pulse of blood through her arm, the energy now intertwined within it moved with a life of its own.

"Umbralis...in a Talented..."

"The girl is special, no?" Merlin said with a lopsided smile.

Damien nodded, scrutinizing her with renewed interest.

"She’s special indeed."

The second mark was even more intriguing.

Just next to the dragon, a single unblinking eye was artistically etched, encircled by concentric rings. Thin lines spread outward from i,t twisting into bizarre symbols that Emily had never encountered.

Quite a while had passed since she’d last seen the mark.

For a while, everyone stood in silence,ce simply observing the two obscure marks.

Then abruptly, something seemed to change in the room.

No one had moved, yet the tension in the air became somewhat palpable.

"The girl is a harbinger," the woman muttered quietly.

Marcus shifted slightly.

Merlin casually moved forward until he stood next to Emily.

"So what if she is? What does that change?"

Rebecca let out a weary sigh.

"Well, best case scenario, the two marks will eventually grant her unimaginable power if she’s able to discover the secret behind how to use them, that is. In the worst-case scenario, she can be taken over by the Lord who gave her his mark.

While the second mark is not directly threatening, the first is an altogether different story. It’s almost something that’s straight out of a legend."

Merlin lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

"And why is that?"

"We believe it’s the mark of one of the most calamitous beings to ever walk the Earth. And that doesn’t bode well for us. Or for the girl,l for that matter.

Merlin dismissively waved his hand.

"I believe there’s nothing to worry about. She’s my apprentice after all. I can keep her safe. Unle, ss of course, you doubt my ability to do so."

Rebecca held his gaze for a few moments. Merlin’s lips slowly curled into a sinister smile, and his appearance rapidly changed to that of a younger man in his prime.

When no one made a move, he laughed, shaking his head in amusement at the abrupt tension in the room.

The crackling dome around them slowly faded, leaving only residual sparks behind.

"Besides, I’ve met quite a few calamitous beings myself and lived to tell the tale. And—I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of the Lords you’re all so wary of. While those weren’t particularly gun experiences, I’m still here."

He turned, slowly making for the door. He then paused, then smirked.

"I’m also quite the calamity myself," he said with a snide smile.

"Come with me, girl. We’re leaving."

Emily fought back the urge to roll her eyes.

"Emily, she whispered furiously. "My name is Emily."

Merlin chuckled in amusement.

"Molly, Emily, Katie, let’s go."

Emily shook her head and slowly trailed after him.

*****

"Unlike what you modern-day Talented believe, the powers that we wield are not an accident," Merlin said.

Emily nodded, listening with rapt attention to every word he said. The two of them were slowly making their way around Merlin’s sizable property, if it could even be called that.

It was quite the bizarre sight from the ground. Snow fell from outside and simply vanished on contact with the anomalous dome while warm light streamed through from an illusory sun.

"How is this possible?"

The only other place that had seemed capable of such a feat was Tenebris, and yet the man walking before her had somehow managed to effortlessly recreate it.

Merlin can’t help but give an amused glance, shaking his head slightly.

You’re distracted. Are you even listening to what I’m saying?"

Merlin let out a sigh, clapping his arms behind his back.

Today he was dressed in a wooden black turtle neck sweater and fitting black pants.

He’d taken on the appearance of a younger just managing to look slightly older than her.

Merlin exuded an aura of confidence and power, even in this form, which was almost bordering on intimidating.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how terrifying his power was.

In fact, he was not someone to be trifled with.

He had mentioned that he was several centuries old.

In retrospect, with the power he wielded, the reverence and the respect the rest of the Talented had for him made a lot of sense.

"It’s effortless for him."

"It is not effortles,s child. It is simply what happens when you diligently grow your powers and influence over the years."

He sigh,ed then stopped, plopping down on the ground.

He glanced up at her, then patted the spot beside him.

"Here, sit down beside me."

Emily settled down and stared at him curiousl.y

"Even with your abilities, to truly change the world, you need influence. You need an abundance of wealth and resources. If you’re not one of those lofty talents that have everything handed to them, it takes hard work and grit. None of this was effortless. My powers, my influence, and the things I’m able to do are a culmination of the sweat and effort I’ve put in over the years.

He grinned, shaking his head slightly. His silver eyes glinted with a hint of amusement.

"Of course, I also had to survive against harrowing odds, and now here we are."

"Why did you take me on as an apprentice? If you’ve refused all the other Talents that would kill for such an opportunity..."

She paused her gaze, hardening.

"You said it yourself, I’m the first person to make it here in centuries."

Merlin stared at her for a few moment,s then chuckled. He turned away, somberly staring at the distant horizon.

"Let’s just say you remind me of an old friend of mine. "

"Wow, "Emily thought, "I didn’t think you were the sentimental type."

You might as well speak aloud if you can’t shirk your thoughts."

Emily threw him a bewildered look.

Merlin shook his head, rising to his feet.

"You forget too quickly. That doesn’t bode well for either of us. I hope I haven’t overestimated your intelligence for nothing of our sakes."

He casually waved his hand, gesturing for her to follow him.

Emily snarled, shooting to her feet.

"Cocky jerk."

Merlin chuckled.

"Please, if you want to hurl insults at me, have the decency to do it in the privacy of your own mind, like every other normal person."

He pause,d raising a finger as though he’d just discovered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot! You can’t even do that. "

Emily gritted her teeth, begrudgingly following him while feverishly trying to ’shield’ her thoughts from him.

The sound of Merlin’s laughter at her attempts echoed into the distance.