The night was restless. Cold winds howled through the shattered ruins of Eldoria, a once-glorious kingdom now tainted by greed and corruption. The moon bathed the land in silver light, revealing the lone figure standing amidst the ruins—Astrid Valeria.

Her crimson cloak fluttered behind her as she tightened the grip on her twin swords, their silver edges glinting ominously. She wasn't here to admire the past. She was here for vengeance.

Once, she had been the kingdom's most loyal knight, a warrior of unmatched skill. But loyalty meant nothing when betrayal ran deep. Framed for treason, hunted like a beast, and left to die in the wastelands, she had clawed her way back from the brink. Now, the very people who had cast her aside would pay in blood.

A rustling in the shadows snapped her from her thoughts. She wasn't alone.

Her golden eyes flickered with suspicion as figures emerged from the darkness—cloaked assassins, their faces hidden behind obsidian masks.

"The exiled knight," one of them sneered. "Still alive, I see. Pity. The king has placed a bounty on your head, and I plan to claim it."

Astrid smirked, rolling her shoulders. Fools. They had no idea what they were up against.

With a swift motion, she unsheathed her blades. The assassins lunged, but they were met with a storm of steel. Astrid moved like a shadow, dodging effortlessly and striking with deadly precision. Within seconds, three men fell, their bodies collapsing in the dust.

The last assassin hesitated, his sword trembling. Fear. A delicious weakness.

"You should run," she whispered, stepping forward. "Tell your king that Astrid Valeria does not die so easily."

The assassin turned and fled into the night. Astrid exhaled slowly, wiping blood from her blade. Tonight was only the beginning.

But just as she sheathed her weapons, the ground trembled beneath her feet. A deep growl echoed through the ruins, sending a shiver down her spine. She turned, her eyes widening as something huge emerged from the shadows