As dawn's first light brushed the vast expanse of the Durandaya Region, the heartland of the Freedom Confederation of Sandigsal, Judio stirred from slumber.
The laughter of his family, the warmth of friends gathered together in Kabunlawan—it had been a momentary reprieve from the harsh realities of their world. But that brief joy was now behind him, replaced by the heavy awareness of the journey ahead.
Today, he would leave the safety of Kabunlawan, crossing into a world far bigger and more complex than the village they had called home.
Beyond the shelter of their town lay the vast expanse of the Southern Kingdom, the Freedom Confederation of Sandigsal.
It was a world of wealth, power, and danger, far removed from the simple life he knew.
