It felt like Eclipse was hit with a boulder. How could Storm accuse her of being a murderer?! Killing in battle was a low move, but killing in your own Pacree was absolutely unacceptable! She would be exiled or fed to rabid bears if she did such a thing!

     "Storm," HailClaw began slowly. "You're mistaken... none of our Pacree-mates have been murdered!"

     "She's a monster!" Storm hissed, flaring his wings.

     Eclipse stepped back, utterly shocked, and hurt by her father's words. She wished her mother were still there to protect her. But her mother was dead, and her father was more abusive than ever. Then, seeing all her Pacree-mates' eyes on her, Eclipse fled. She raced out of the camp, and into the forest. She found a big bush far from camp, and she curled up beneath it. There were too many emotions swirling around in her at the same time.

     As soon as she'd settled, the tears started falling. She cried her heart out. She squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them to find that she was no longer in the forest. She was in a very dry, hot, dark space, surrounded by oddly-shaped rocks. There was a reddish tint to the air, and there was an awful stench of rotting prey.
     A shadow flashed before her, and Eclipse stepped back in shock. She looked around, and saw shadows peeking out from behind many of the rocks. Her hackle-spikes pricked up uncomfortably.

     Suddenly, a low and ominous chant sounded out.

     "The Mark! The Mark! The Mark! The Mark! The Mark! The Mark!"

     Then one voice kept speaking as the other voices died off.

     "Opal was the first with The Mark. She failed us. So now we turn to you, Eclipse. Help us take our rightful place as the rulers of Pyræla. But if you fail us as well, we will come for you, and destroy you like we destroyed Opal. But we need you to understand that it is a great honour to become the next Dark One. If you succeed, you will be a high-ranked ruler beside us. And you will have the power to destroy any Drolgon who wrongs you."

     Eclipse crouched to the ground in confusion. Who was speaking to her? And what did they mean? They mentioned the mark, and Opal... did that mean they were the same beings that sent her the prophecy?

     "What do I have to do?" Eclipse asked. "And what's the mark?"

    "The only thing you'll have to do is bring us information about the Pacrees. And The Mark is a sort of thing that focuses your strength and keeps you... with... your best intentions... It's a pretty great offer. Incredible power for Information and loyalty... what could be better than that?"

     Eclipse thought about it. She was awfully tempted by the idea of power over the Drolgons that wronged her. Like Storm, and FierceTalon... she'd be able to make them pay for what they'd done.

     "Okay," Eclipse agreed at last. "I'll help you."

     At that, there was a flash, and Eclipse stepped back, frightened. But the bright ball of whatever it was hit her left eye. She howled in agony. It felt like a hundred bullet ants were stinging her eye and her eye was on fire. At last, the pain receded.
     When Eclipse opened her eyes again, she was back in the forest. A sudden calm spread over her, and she felt like the only thing that mattered was getting that power.

     She found a puddle, and looked in it to see what had happened to her eye.

     She gasped, her hackle-spikes sticking up in shock.

     No one can ever know about this...