The Empire of Ashes – Introduction
They said the Empire would last a thousand years.
They said its walls were eternal, its blood divine, its throne untouchable.
They lied.
Now, the streets of the capital run black with soot and crimson with blood. The once-golden banners hang in tatters, torn by storm and sword. Palaces are tombs, temples are ruins, and the whispers of the gods are silent—save for the faint echo of laughter in the ash.
For centuries, the royal line claimed fire as their birthright. It was said that the first Emperor struck a bargain with the flame-spirits, binding their power to his blood. His heirs burned brighter than mortals, wielding fire to forge an empire across deserts, seas, and mountains. But power breeds hunger. Betrayal seeped into the throne long before the crown cracked.
Now the empire crumbles, torn by rebels, shadow-born assassins, and noble houses drunk on their own greed. In the chaos, forgotten powers stir—flame and storm, shadow and bone—seeking vessels bold enough, or desperate enough, to bear them.
And somewhere, in exile and obscurity, a girl who should have been queen awakens to a truth older than any crown:
Only in ashes can fire be reborn.