Chapter 31 - The Chosen One

Ella leaned against the rough wood, closing the door to her small room and blocking out the noise of the camp. It had been a long and tiring day, full of tasks and new people to meet, all of them assessing her with distrust or curiosity. Although she was far from her old life at Lydia's estate and the comforts of home, she felt a strange sense of peace as she stood in the quiet of her room. Here, among soldiers and rigid routines, she had a chance to start anew, to prove herself in ways she could never have in her previous life. She moved to the tiny chest at her bed's foot and opened the lid while bending over. Simple clothes, a book, and a few personal trinkets were among the few things she had carried from Lydia's estate. However, beneath those, cautiously tucked away at the base was something considerably more important, the tome. Ella inhaled deeply before reaching out and making contact with the totem. It felt like the totem had been waiting for her to finally acknowledge