The thick smoke filled the cold stone room. Kaelen Draven walked forward with a cruel smile on his face. The blue light from his sword cut through the dark dust. Three elite commanders stood behind him in heavy silver armor. They raised their long weapons and aimed straight at Luca. The false god wanted the dragon dead. Kaelen wanted the glory for himself.Luca stood his ground. His injured leg burned with sharp pain but he refused to show weakness. He pushed Amelia behind a thick stone pillar to keep her safe. The young scholar clutched her leather bag and held her breath.Elias Thorne rose to his feet. The ancient general was free from the dark curse. He wore broken armor and his muscles ached from a thousand years of pain. But his dark eyes were sharp and clear. He stepped in front of his king to form a living wall."You will not touch him," Elias said. His voice was rough like grinding stones.Kaelen laughed loud and pointed his glowing blade at the tall warrior. "The mad beast sp

The ceiling groaned. Massive slabs of stone dropped from above. Luca shoved Amelia toward the narrow side tunnel. Elias grabbed his broadsword and jumped through the opening just as the floor gave way. Dust filled the air. The vault became a tomb of broken rock. They stood in the dark passage and coughed as the air cleared."That was close," Amelia gasped. She leaned against the rough wall.Luca looked back at the ruin. The stranger in the velvet cloak was gone. Only the falling rocks remained. Who was that person? They had killed Kaelen to keep the secret. The truth about Dominic Kane was more dangerous than Luca thought."We cannot stay," Elias said. He pointed his sword toward the path leading up. "The tunnel is still stable. We must reach the mountains."They climbed for hours. The path was steep and wet. Luca felt his energy return as his core healed from the battle. He worried about the words of Kaelen. The inquisitor called Dominic a parasite. That meant the god was not just a

The cold snow turned red beneath him. Luca stared at the woman in white gold armor. She held her glowing staff high but she did not strike the golden apostle. She pointed the tip of her weapon straight at the chest of Luca. Her face was calm and cold like a frozen lake. She was not his sister. She was another lie sent by the false god to break his mind. The apostle in the lion mask laughed deep in his throat. He raised his sword made of pure sun. The heat from the blade melted the snow around them in a wide circle. Luca felt his broken ribs grind together as he tried to breathe. He was trapped in the middle of a burning circle. He looked to his left side. Elias fought a dozen heavy iron guards at once. The brave general swung his broadsword with brutal force but more enemies dropped from the flying ships every second. He looked to his right side. Amelia pushed against a heavy gray rock trapping her leg. She cried out in pain but refused to stop fighting. Luca knew he could not wait fo

The broken glass fell to the dark floor like rain. Luca stood on the sharp pieces and stared at the man in front of him. The man wore an old rusted crown and a heavy red cape. His face was pale and tired but his eyes were bright red. It was the face of the old king. It was the face of his own dead father. Luca felt a tight knot form in his throat. He had watched his father die a thousand years ago on the battlefield. This was a cruel trick played by the false god today.The dead king smiled a sad and quiet smile. He raised a hand wrapped in thick iron chains. "You have grown strong my son," the old king whispered. His voice was soft and full of pain. "But you are too late to save the empire. The false god took everything we built." Luca shook his head fast to clear his mind. He knew the purple creature Kaelen was hiding in the shadows. This was another dark illusion meant to break his brave spirit. He raised his right hand holding the bright red fire. He pointed the hot flame forward.

The giant hand of pure white light gripped Amelia tight. She screamed loud as the bright fingers crushed her ribs. The magic burned her clothes and her skin. Luca yelled her name and tried to run forward. His bleeding left leg gave out and he fell hard into the dry dirt. He watched in horror as the giant hand lifted his friend high into the air. The bright light blinded his tired eyes. Elias Thorne did not hesitate for a single second. The brave general grabbed his heavy broadsword from the dusty ground. He roared with fury and leaped toward the huge glowing arm. Elias swung the thick steel blade with all his strong might. The heavy weapon hit the wrist of the giant hand. A loud boom echoed in the execution yard. The sword did not cut the magic flesh. It bounced off the solid light like a weak toy. The impact sent a shockwave of energy back into the general. Elias flew backward and crashed into the broken stone wall. He groaned and rubbed his bruised head. The giant hand pulled Amelia