Lyra's eyes turned hard. "There is always a war being waged—out in the skies, beneath the ground, behind locked gates no one speaks of. A war between the Four God Nations and the Seven Overlord Forces of the Middle Domain… against the Ascendants. The so-called cursed beings believed to be behind the origin of the Nulls."
The name Ascendants echoed in Max's mind causing his expression to turn solemn as well. He hadn't seen them since his last encounter with them.
"But those battles are not yours to fight—not yet," Lyra continued, voice cool. "Those are the fights of Monarchs and Saints, of rulers and the truly ancient. Your job… is to support that war. To hunt and eradicate the Nulls from our lands. To burn away their nests, destroy their shadows, and keep the Middle Domain from crumbling into void."
Then she turned and looked at the six of them—all of them—her gaze sharp and unwavering. "I only want two things from each of you."
