Long before he became the feared Chimera Sovereign, he had been nothing more than a young man struggling to survive in a savage and forsaken land.
Unlike the civilized planets of the Magus Alliance, where cities were protected by formations and powerful clans maintained order, his world knew only brutality. Villages were built from bone and stone, hidden behind crude walls that could be torn apart overnight.
Every dawn was uncertain. Every night was worse. Children were raised knowing that one careless step beyond the settlement might end with claws around their throat or fangs tearing through their flesh.
Men there did not fear war.
They feared being eaten.
He had not been weak. Even in youth, he possessed sharp instincts, fierce determination, and uncommon talent. But on such a world, strength alone was never enough.
