The army’s torches burned like a river of fire beneath the pre-dawn sky.Ahead, the bridge stretched over a chasm so deep it seemed to fall into eternity.Mist churned in the abyss below, thick and dark, as though the world itself were bleeding shadows.Selene sat astride her warhorse at the vanguard of the army.Her armor gleamed dully in the cold light, and her sword was steady in her hand.Behind her, Adrian rode silently, his cloak fluttering in the biting wind.The bridge was the only way to the fortress, and the perfect place for a massacre.Darion surveyed the narrow span with a scowl.“Too exposed. We’ll be slaughtered before we reach the gates.”Selene’s voice was firm, unyielding.“That’s why the main army stays back. Only the strike team crosses.”Kael frowned, his golden eyes narrowing.“Six of us against whatever waits in there? Even with Adrian…”Selene cut him off.“We don’t need to defeat the entire garrison. We just need to get inside and kill the Master. The army wil

The fortress trembled as the last echoes of Elias’s death faded into silence.A cold, oppressive stillness settled over the courtyard, as if the entire stronghold were holding its breath.Adrian stood over his brother’s body, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.Selene stayed close beside him, her hand resting lightly on his back. She said nothing — there were no words that could ease his grief.There was only the mission.Darion’s gruff voice broke the silence.“We don’t have much time. The Master knows we’re here now.”Kael wiped blood from his blade, his golden eyes wary.“And after what just happened, he won’t stay quiet for long.”Adrian turned slowly to face the massive obsidian doors at the far end of the courtyard.Their surfaces were etched with intricate runes, glowing faintly red, like veins beneath a creature’s skin.He could feel the Master’s presence beyond them — a vast, hungry void, pulling at him with every beat of his heart.“Come to me,” the Mas

The fortress was dying.The throne room shuddered, sending showers of black stone and molten shadow crashing from the ceiling. The runes that had once glowed on the walls were fading, flickering like dying embers.Beyond the shattered doors, the sound of collapsing corridors echoed through the vast citadel, like a titan breathing its last.Selene held Adrian tightly as he swayed on his feet. His skin was pale, his breathing shallow, and sweat plastered his dark hair to his brow. Even standing seemed to cost him more strength than he had left.“Adrian,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “Stay with me. Please.”Adrian opened his eyes, storm-gray irises dulled with exhaustion.“I’m… here,” he rasped.His gaze drifted to the throne — now nothing but dust scattered across the cracked floor.“It’s… finally over.”Selene wanted to believe that. Gods, she wanted to.But deep inside, a cold knot of dread coiled tight in her chest.Darion limped toward them, leaning heavily on his massive a

The wind howled through the broken streets of Redhaven, carrying with it the scent of ash and old blood.Adrian moved silently through the narrow alleys, Mira at his side, her steps as light as a whisper.Above them, banners of crimson and black fluttered like wounds against the night sky. The symbol etched on them — a jagged crown, marked the territories controlled by the Shadow Regent.Mira crouched near a crumbling wall and raised a hand, signaling Adrian to stop.“They’ve doubled patrols,” she murmured.“Either they know something… or they’re expecting trouble.”Adrian’s jaw tightened.“Then we move carefully. The longer we wait, the stronger they get.”Mira shot him a sidelong glance. “Careful isn’t your style.”Adrian’s lips twitched with the barest hint of a smile.“Tonight, it has to be.”Their goal loomed ahead — an abandoned temple repurposed into a command post for the Regent’s forces.From the outside, it looked like a ruin. Inside, Mira assured him, it was a nest of spies

The night air in Redhaven was thick with smoke and tension.From the rooftop, Adrian could see the eastern district ablaze, the fire painting the sky with an ominous crimson glow.Below, screams mingled with the clash of steel as the Regent’s forces descended on the decoy route.Adrian’s jaw tightened.It worked.The attack confirmed which path had been compromised.Beside him, Mira crouched low, her sharp eyes scanning the chaos.“East route,” she muttered. “Exactly as you predicted.”Adrian nodded once, his face unreadable.“That means our traitor was in the group I gave those directions to.”Mira’s hand hovered near her dagger.“That narrows it down to four people.”“Three now,” Adrian corrected coldly.“One of them didn’t make it back from the raid.”“Then two,” Mira said darkly, “because I know I didn’t betray us.”An hour later, the survivors limped into the safehouse, soot-streaked and bloodied.Adrian and Mira waited in the shadows, silent and watchful.The first through the d