The Sun Mark

Lila waited until her mother's footsteps faded away, then sprang to her feet and grabbed her backpack. She had prepared it the night before, stuffing it with some essentials: clothes, food, water, money, a small knife, and a map of the town.

She opened the window and climbed out, landing softly on the ground. She looked around, making sure no one was watching. She saw no sign of her parents or anyone else. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

She was free.

She ran across the field behind her house, heading towards the road that led to the town. She felt a rush of adrenaline and excitement as she ran. She had never been this far from her home before.

She had only glimpsed the town from a distance, or in books and pictures. She wondered what it was like to be there, to see the people, the buildings, the shops, the sights.

She reached the road and slowed down, walking along the side. She saw a few carts and wagons passing by, carrying goods and people. She tried to act casual, as if she belonged there. She avoided eye contact and kept her head down, hoping no one would notice her.

She walked for about an hour, until she saw the town gates looming ahead. She felt a surge of nervousness and anticipation. She quickened her pace, eager to enter the town. She reached the gates and saw two guards standing on either side.

They wore helmets and armor, and carried swords and spears. They looked bored and tired, as if they had been standing there for a long time.

Lila approached them, trying to look confident. Hoping they wouldn't ask her any questions. She had heard stories about the sun god's followers, who wore masks and robes, and hunted down people like her.

She had no idea what that meant, or why they wanted her. Her parents had never told her anything about her birthmark, or her power. They had only told her to hide it, and to stay away from the town. They had said it was for her own safety, and for theirs.

But Lila was curious. She wanted to know more about herself, and about the world. She wanted to see what was beyond her home, and what was inside the town. She wanted to live, not just survive.

She reached the guards and smiled at them, hoping they would let her pass. She pulled her hair over her forehead, covering her mark.

"Hello," she said, in a friendly tone. "I'm here to visit my aunt. She lives in the town."

The guards looked at her, then at each other. They seemed to exchange a silent message. One of them nodded, and the other one spoke.

"Alright, kid. Go ahead. But don't cause any trouble, you hear?" He said, in a gruff voice.

"Of course not. Thank you, sir." Lila said, nodding politely.

She walked past them, entering the town. She felt a wave of relief and joy. She had made it. She was in.

She looked around, amazed by the sight. She saw a bustling street, filled with people and activity. She saw shops and stalls, selling all kinds of goods and services. She saw houses and buildings, some old and some new, some big and some small.

She felt like she had entered a new world, a world of wonder and adventure. She wanted to explore it all, to see everything and learn everything. She wanted to have fun

She walked along the street, following the crowd. She saw a bakery, where a woman was selling fresh bread and pastries. She saw a bookstore, where a man was reading a book and a girl was browsing the shelves. She saw a toy store, where a boy was playing with a wooden horse and a doll. She saw a flower shop, where a lady was arranging a bouquet of roses and lilies.

She stopped at the flower shop, feeling a sudden urge to buy some flowers. She loved flowers, especially the ones that grew in her garden. She wondered if they had any of her favorites, like sunflowers, or daisies, or poppies.

She approached the shop, and saw a sign that said "Flowers for all occasions". She smiled, thinking that this was a perfect occasion to buy some flowers. She entered the shop, and saw a young man behind the counter. He had blond hair and green eyes, and he wore a white apron. He looked up and smiled.

"Hello, welcome to my shop. How can I help you?" He asked, cheerfully.

Lila smiled back, feeling a spark of attraction.

"Hi, I'm looking for some flowers. Do you have any sunflowers?" She asked, shyly.

He nodded, and pointed to a corner of the shop. "Sure, we have some sunflowers. They're over there, next to the daffodils. They're very popular this season. They symbolize happiness and warmth." He said, informatively.

Lila walked over to the corner, and saw a bunch of sunflowers in a vase. They were bright and beautiful, just like the ones in her garden. She picked one, and held it in her hand. She felt a surge of happiness and warmth.

She walked back to the counter, and handed him the sunflower. "I'll take this one, please." She said, sweetly.

He took the sunflower, and wrapped it in a paper. He handed it back to her, and smiled. "That'll be one silver coin, please." He said, politely.

Lila reached into her backpack, and took out a silver coin. She gave it to him, and took the sunflower. She smiled, and thanked him.

He smiled, and thanked her back. He looked at he. He wanted to know more about the cute angel standing before him.

"By the way, what's your name?" He asked, friendly.

Lila looked at him, "My name is Lila."

"What's yours?" She asked, curiously.

He smiled, and introduced himself. "My name is Leo."

"It's nice to meet you, Lila." He said, charmingly.

Lila smiled, and nodded. "It's nice to meet you too, Leo." She said.

They looked at each other, and felt a connection. They wanted to talk more and know each other better.

But before they could say anything more, they heard a loud noise outside. They turned their heads, and saw a commotion on the street. They saw people running and screaming, and smoke rising from a nearby building. They saw flames and sparks, and heard explosions and crashes.

They saw a group of masked men, wearing black robes and carrying weapons. They saw them attacking and destroying everything in their path like they were looking for something.

Lila and Leo stared at the scene in horror. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. They had no idea what was going on, or why the masked men were attacking the town.

"Who are they? What do they want?" Lila asked, panicked.

"I don't know. They look like some kind of cult. Maybe they're after something in the town. Or someone." Leo said, worried.

He looked at Lila, and felt a surge of protectiveness. He didn't know her very well, but he liked her, and wanted to keep her safe. He grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards the back of the shop.

"Come on, we have to get out of here. There's a back door. We can escape through there." He said, with urgency in his voice.

Lila nodded, and followed him. They reached the back door, and opened it. They saw a narrow alley, with a few trash cans and crates. There was no sign of the masked men, or anyone else. They felt a wave of relief, and ran towards the other end of the alley.

They hoped to find a way out of the town, or at least a place to hide. They wanted to avoid the masked men, and the chaos happening in town.

But their hopes were dashed, when they heard a loud voice behind them.

"Stop right there!"

They turned around, and saw a masked man standing at the entrance of the alley. He wore a black robe, and carried a sword. He had a mask that covered his face, except for his eyes. His eyes were red, and glowing.

He looked at them, and smiled. A wicked smile.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A couple of kids trying to run away? How cute." He said, mocking them.

He walked towards them, slowly and menacingly. He raised his sword, and pointed it at them.

"But you can't run away from me. You can't run away from your destiny. Especially you, girl." He said, sinisterly.

He looked at Lila, and his smile widened. He lowered his sword, and reached for her forehead. He pushed her hair aside, and revealed the dark mark.

He gasped, and his eyes widened. He looked at her, and his smile turned into a grin.

A triumphant grin.

"I knew it. I knew it was you. You're the one we've been looking for. You're the one we've been waiting for. You're the chosen one. The sun god's sacrifice." He said, ecstatically.

He grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her towards him. He held her tight, and laughed.

"We've finally found you. We've finally caught you. You're ours now. You're his now."

"Sol will be pleased."

"He will reward us for bringing you to him."

He looked at Leo, and sneered.

"And you, boy. You're nothing. You're worthless."

"You're a pest."

"A problem..."

"And I know how to deal with problems." He said, hatefully.

He raised his sword, and swung it at Leo.

Leo saw the sword coming, and reacted. He pushed Lila behind him, and blocked the sword with his arm.

It sliced his arm off He felt a sharp pain, and a warm blood. He cried out, and fell to the ground.

Lila saw Leo fall, and screamed. She felt a surge of fear, and anger. He was hurt, and bleeding.

The man shifted his gaze back to her and smiled.

"Now..."

"Back to you..."