"Show yourself," Marcus Vance shouted into the glowing darkness, his voice trembling as he backed up against the massive trunk of an alien tree. The rhythmic clicking noises grew sharper, echoing from the thick brush directly in front of him. Marcus clutched his stomach, his body incredibly weak and starving after days of prison starvation. He looked down at his wrists, where the heavy iron prison cuffs still bound his hands together, the short chain dangling between his scraped knuckles. He had no sword, no shield, and no armor to protect himself in this strange place. "Come on, what are you waiting for," Marcus provoked, trying to hide the terror in his chest. "I did not escape an execution squad just to be eaten in the dark." The bioluminescent bushes parted with a loud rustle. A creature the size of a large timber wolf stepped slowly into the faint green light of the mossy clearing. Marcus caught his breath, his eyes widening. The beast had no fur. Its entire body was covered

"I am running out of time," Marcus Vance muttered, his hands moving frantically as he ripped the heavy loose brick out of the prison wall.The moment the stone slid free, the starlight-blue vortex flared to life, illuminating the damp corners of Cell 44 with its brilliant, cosmic glow. Marcus did not hesitate for a single second. The thought of the royal Inquisitor arriving at dawn to tear apart his mind was enough to make his blood run cold. He took a sharp breath, dove straight through the shimmering blue rift, and let the portal pull him away from the human world once again.He tumbled out onto the glowing green moss of the Wilds, his enhanced eyes adjusting instantly to the vibrant, bioluminescent jungle. He did not stop to admire the giant trees or the massive cosmic eye watching from the upper sky. He sprinted through the dense brush, his legs moving with incredible speed and power, driving him deeper into the unexplored territories of this dangerous parallel realm. He needed to

"Move to the left, Marcus," Lyra screamed, her voice cracking as she threw her body across the rocky cavern floor.The giant stone golem charged through the darkness like a runaway mountain. Its massive feet shattered the ground with every single step, creating small craters in the stone. Marcus did not have time to think. He twisted his body, utilizing his enhanced agility to leap backward just as a giant stone fist slammed into the earth right where he had been standing. The shockwave blew hair into his eyes and sent sharp gravel slicing through the air."Why is this thing only chasing me," Marcus yelled, scrambling back to his feet as the monster pivoted its massive body, completely ignoring Lyra who was standing just a few feet away with her crossbow raised."It is the amulet," Lyra shouted back, ducking beneath a shower of falling rocks. "The guardian is locked onto the specific magical signature of that dragon relic. It thinks you are an intruder trying to steal the ancient roya

"Shoot him, you cowards, shoot him down," Warden Thomas choked out, his voice hoarse and panicked as he thrashed against the stone ceiling, the solid tendril of shadow magic squeezing his throat tighter by the second.The surviving guards in the corridor panicked, their fingers twitching on the triggers of their rifles. Three of them fired simultaneously, the deafening cracks of black powder echoing through the narrow hallway."I do not think so," Marcus Vance roared, stepping directly in front of Captain Briggs.He thrust his hands outward, calling upon the dark energy swirling in his chest. His shadow shroud responded instantly, expanding into a thick, swirling wall of impenetrable black smoke that completely filled the doorway of Cell 44. The lead bullets slammed into the shadowy barrier, losing all momentum and dropping onto the stone floor with a flurry of dull metallic clinks.The guards took a collective step backward, their faces pale with pure terror."Tell them to drop their

"Do not touch me, you old bastard," Marcus Vance spat, coughing up a mouthful of dark blood as the glowing purple spears held him pinned to the freezing stone floor.His grand-uncle chuckled softly, the sound dry and hollow like dead leaves scraping against cement. He stepped closer, the long, curved silver sacrificial dagger catching the volatile red glare of the floating mirror."You do not understand the grand design, Marcus," the old man said, his voice entirely calm as he raised the blade above Marcus’s chest. "Your father wanted our lineage to hide in the dirt like common peasants. He thought keeping the gate sealed was a noble duty. But we are kings, boy. We need the blood of a pure Vance knight to stabilize this bridge between worlds. Once the gateway is permanent, our full-scale conquest of Earth begins.""I am no king," Marcus snarled, his muscles straining against the magical spears with everything he had. "And I will never be your pawn.""You do not have a choice in the ma