Lucian sat in his study, the weight of leadership pressing down on him like never before. His empire had emerged victorious from the war, but the victory came with immense losses. The battle against the church and its use of forbidden magic had fractured his kingdom, leaving him with the monumental task of rebuilding not just the infrastructure, but the very soul of the empire.
He had always known that this moment would come—when the old ways of ruling would no longer suffice, and the future of the empire would depend on radical changes. Yet, now that he stood on the threshold of this new era, the path forward seemed fraught with uncertainty.
