Ares Vale worked tirelessly in the forgotten library at the edge of the Arken Empire. Its cold stone walls, covered in cobwebs, echoed with the occasional hum of magic from ancient tomes stacked high around him. Most mages of the empire preferred flashy combat spells and gaudy relics, but not Ares. While others squandered their lives in endless battles, he sought to understand magic at its core—a puzzle he was determined to solve.
On this particular day, the pages of a crumbling book caught his eye. It spoke of the Etherial Conduit, a mythical artifact said to harmonize opposing magical forces. It wasn't a weapon—it was a tool for peace, something Ares had always longed to achieve in a world obsessed with dominance. As he traced the complex formulas etched in faded ink, his brilliant mind whirred, piecing together fragments that had stumped scholars for centuries.
But knowledge came with a price. His discovery wasn't subtle, as every whisper of power in Valdoria eventually reached the throne. The Arken Emperor's spies had been watching Ares for some time, noting his defiance of traditional methods. That evening, footsteps echoed outside the library, and Ares's heart raced. With only a satchel of notes and his sharp wit, he escaped through a hidden passage.
Unbeknownst to him, his work on the Conduit was about to make him the most hunted man in the empire—and the key to its salvation or destruction.