Chapter 1: The Price of Power
The wind howled through the desolate streets of the kingdom of Valeroth, carrying with it the scent of rain and decay. In the heart of this crumbling empire stood Ishar Blackthorn, the son of a fallen noble house. His family had once ruled the vast lands of the Ashen Peaks, but now, they were nothing more than a forgotten name in the annals of history.
Ishar stood at the edge of the castle ruins, staring out at the barren landscape. The dark clouds above seemed to reflect his mood—ominous and foreboding. He had spent his life as a shadow in the courts of the kingdom, mocked and scorned for his lineage. But now, that scorn would become his weapon.
"Ishar, you seek power in the wrong places," his old tutor, Master Veran, had warned him. "The path you walk will lead you to ruin, to madness."
But Ishar didn't care. Power wasn't something you begged for. It was something you took. And if the heavens themselves stood in his way, then he would make them kneel.