THE WORLD WASN'T KIND TO THOSE WHO DEFIED FATE.

THE NAME ASHFORD HAD ONCE BEEN LEGENDARY, SPOKEN IN AWE AND REVERENCE. THEY HAD BEEN A FAMILY OF DRAGON PACT-BEARERS, WARRIORS WHO ONCE STOOD ALONGSIDE DRAGONS, BOUND BY UNBREAKABLE OATHS.

BUT HISTORY WAS CRUEL.

WHEN THE ASHFORDS REFUSED TO SERVE THE DRAGONS IN THEIR WAR, THEY WERE CONDEMNED.

THE LINEAGE THAT HAD ONCE HELD POWER RIVALING KINGS WAS BRANDED AS TRAITORS, HUNTED, AND SLAUGHTERED.

RION NEVER KNEW.

HE HAD NEVER QUESTIONED THE WHISPERS OF HIS FAMILY’S DOWNFALL, NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY HE HAD NO HOME TO RETURN TO—WHY HIS MOTHER VANISHED AND HIS FATHER WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A GHOST IN HIS MEMORIES.

UNTIL NOW.

UNTIL THE TRUTH SHATTERED EVERYTHING.

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THE HORROR UNCOVERED

IT HAD STARTED WITH A SINGLE MESSAGE, HIDDEN WITHIN AN ANCIENT RUIN DEEP IN THE LANDS OF THE ASHEN VALE. A SHRINEKEEPER—ONE OF THE LAST LOYAL TO THE OLD WAYS—HAD RISKED EVERYTHING TO LEAVE A WARNING BEHIND.

AND WHEN RION AND HIS TEAM FINALLY FOUND IT, THEIR BLOOD RAN COLD.

HIS MOTHER… WAS ALIVE.

BUT SHE HAD BEEN TAKEN—BY ANOTHER DRAGON SHRINE.

NOT THE SHRINE OF LIGHTNING THAT HAD STOLEN HIS SISTER.

NO—THIS WAS SOMETHING FAR WORSE.

THE SHRINE OF ETERNAL FIRE.

A FACTION EVEN THE GODS FEARED, KNOWN FOR THEIR BRUTAL EXPERIMENTS IN FUSING HUMANS AND DRAGONS INTO MINDLESS MONSTERS.

AND THE WORST OF IT ALL—

RION’S FATHER… HAD ALREADY SUFFERED THAT FATE.

THE WORDS FELT LIKE BLADES CARVING INTO HIS SOUL.

HIS FATHER HAD BECOME A DRAGON.

NOT BY CHOICE.

NOT BY WILL.

BUT THROUGH THE UNHOLY RITUALS OF THE SHRINE—A TRANSFORMATION FORCED UPON HIM UNTIL HE LOST HIS MIND, HIS MEMORIES, HIS VERY IDENTITY.

A MAN WHO HAD ONCE HELD RION IN HIS ARMS, WHO HAD FOUGHT TO PROTECT HIS FAMILY, WAS NOW NOTHING MORE THAN A BEAST OF WAR.

THE PAIN WAS UNBEARABLE.

A SILENCE FELL OVER THE TEAM AS RION CLENCHED HIS FISTS, HIS ENTIRE BODY TREMBLING. FLAMES FLICKERED AROUND HIM—UNSTABLE, CHAOTIC.

EVERYTHING HE HAD FOUGHT FOR, EVERYTHING HE HAD BELIEVED—HAD IT ALL BEEN A LIE?

WHY HAD HIS FAMILY SUFFERED?

WHY HAD FATE CURSED THEM SO?

HIS BREATHS CAME SHARP AND UNEVEN, HIS RAGE BUILDING. FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE WANTED TO DESTROY SOMETHING.

NOT FOR SURVIVAL. NOT FOR JUSTICE.

FOR REVENGE.

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THE ASHEN BLADE – A WEAPON OF ANCESTRAL MIGHT

“THERE IS ONE LAST HOPE,” THE SHRINE KEEPER HAD SAID.

A WEAPON.

FORGED FROM THE VERY ESSENCE OF HIS FAMILY’S POWER.

HIDDEN DEEP WITHIN THE RUINS OF THE ASHFORD SANCTUARY, BURIED BENEATH THE ASHES OF THOSE WHO HAD DIED DEFENDING IT.

THE ASHEN BLADE.

A SWORD OF LEGEND.

IT WAS SAID THAT THIS WEAPON HELD INCITE ENERGY FAR BEYOND MORTAL COMPREHENSION. A RELIC OF THE PAST, A FORGOTTEN GIFT FROM THE FIRST DRAGONS THEMSELVES.

BUT RION DIDN’T CARE FOR THE MYTHS.

HE DIDN’T CARE FOR HISTORY.

IF IT COULD GIVE HIM THE STRENGTH TO BURN THE SHRINE OF ETERNAL FIRE TO THE GROUND, THEN HE WOULD CLAIM IT—NO MATTER THE COST.

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THE TRIAL OF THE ASHEN BLADE

THE RUINS OF THE ASHFORD SANCTUARY WERE UNTOUCHED BY TIME.

STONE PILLARS, CRACKED AND WEATHERED, STOOD LIKE TOMBSTONES, MARKING THE GRAVES OF THOSE WHO HAD ONCE CALLED THIS PLACE HOME. THE WIND HOWLED THROUGH THE BROKEN HALLS, WHISPERING FORGOTTEN NAMES.

AT THE VERY HEART OF IT LAY THE BLADE.

IT RESTED ON A STONE PEDESTAL, ENCASED IN FLAMES THAT DID NOT BURN. THE SWORD WAS LIKE A DYING EMBER, ITS BLACK STEEL TRACED WITH GLOWING VEINS OF CRIMSON.

BUT AS RION STEPPED FORWARD, A VOICE ECHOED THROUGH THE CHAMBER.

“YOU WHO BEAR THE NAME ASHFORD…

YOU COULD BE READING STOLEN CONTENT. HEAD TO THE ORIGINAL SITE FOR THE GENUINE STORY.

ARE YOU WORTHY?”

THE GROUND TREMBLED.

A FIGURE EMERGED—A WARRIOR OF FLAME AND SHADOW, AN ANCIENT GUARDIAN OF HIS OWN BLOODLINE.

RION DIDN’T HESITATE.

THE BATTLE BEGAN.

THE GUARDIAN MOVED WITH INHUMAN SPEED, ITS BLADE CLASHING AGAINST RION’S IN A STORM OF EMBERS. EVERY STRIKE SENT SHOCKWAVES THROUGH THE RUINS, DUST AND STONE CRUMBLING BENEATH THEIR FEET.

BUT RION FOUGHT WITH FURY UNLIKE EVER BEFORE.

HIS INFERNAL INCITE ARTS ROARED TO LIFE, HIS FLAMES CONSUMING THE AIR ITSELF. HE MET THE GUARDIAN BLOW FOR BLOW, HIS RAGE FUELING HIS EVERY MOVE.

UNTIL FINALLY—HE STRUCK.

A DEVASTATING ARC OF FIRE TORE THROUGH THE GUARDIAN’S CHEST.

THE FIGURE STAGGERED—THEN VANISHED INTO FLAMES.

THE TRIAL WAS OVER.

THE ASHEN BLADE PULSED.

AND THEN—POWER SURGED THROUGH RION LIKE AN EXPLOSION.

HIS INCITE ENERGY—AMPLIFIED TENFOLD.

HE HAD NEVER FELT STRENGTH LIKE THIS BEFORE.

THE WAR AGAINST THE SHRINES HAD BEGUN.

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A BROTHER’S BETRAYAL

AS RION EMERGED FROM THE RUINS, THE ASHEN BLADE STILL BURNING IN HIS GRASP, HIS MIND WAS SET.

HE WOULD NOT WAIT FOR THE SHRINES TO MAKE THEIR NEXT MOVE.

HE WOULD STRIKE FIRST.

HE WOULD END THEM BEFORE THEY COULD TAKE ANYONE ELSE FROM HIM.

BUT FATE HAD ONE LAST TWIST.

AS HE AND HIS TEAM REACHED THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VALE—

A FIGURE STOOD IN THEIR PATH.

A MAN CLOAKED IN BLACK, HIS GOLDEN EYES FILLED WITH A COLD, FAMILIAR FIRE.

RION’S BREATH CAUGHT IN HIS THROAT.

IT WAS HIM.

THE BROTHER HE HAD THOUGHT DEAD.

THE LAST HEIR OF THE ASHFORD LINEAGE.

AND HE WASN’T HERE AS AN ALLY.

HE WAS THE NEXT ENEMY.

THE BATTLE FOR HIS FAMILY’S FATE HAD BEGUN.

AND THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK.