The air in the Northern Shadows no longer smelled of stagnant water, ancient rot, or thesuffocating metallic tang of absolute terror.It smelled of fresh pine, melting snow, and undeniable, absolute victory.Six months had passed since the True King exploded into ash beneath the bedrock of thecontinent. Six months since King Silas Vane had carried my unconscious, broken body out ofthe abyss and into the freezing light of a new era.I stood on the highest balcony of the upper keep, resting my hands against the smooth,polished obsidian parapet. The morning sun was cresting over the jagged eastern peaks,casting a warm, golden glow across the valley.The scars of the war were still visible, but they were healing. The massive crater Silas hadblasted into the permafrost had been filled and paved over with heavy stone. The shattered,iron-reinforced gates that the Colossal Husks had destroyed had been entirely replaced. Thenew gates were forged from solid, enchanted silver
Last Updated : 2026-04-28 Read more