Part 1: The Awakening of the Path-Devourer
Deep within the red dunes, an unnatural vibration rippled through the earth. Thousands of years of silence were shattered by the muffled roar of bones moving beneath the sand. Amidst the giant ribs of a forgotten dragon, a colossal creature—made of vertebrae, fangs, and ancient dust—stirred its endless body beneath the blazing sun.
A single blue eye, engraved with ancient runes, opened, flooding the desert with spectral light.
[INTRUDERS DETECTED.
Fresh blood...
Memories of old pacts...
The cycle of the hunt begins anew.]
On the surface, the shadow of the "Herald of the Void" stretched across the sand. Cries of alarm and flashes of Qi became the first feast in centuries.
Part 2: The Blood Council
Far away, in the icy North, the Valois Throne Hall burned with torches of human fat. The Patriarch gazed at the map of the continent, his fingers trembling and stained with blood.
At his side, the Hidden Ancestor—the Great-Uncle—remained silent, his cold, inhuman eyes fixed on the south.
"The Morningstar clan survives," murmured the Patriarch, a mix of fear and fascination in his voice. "They survive… for now," the Ancestor corrected, his voice tearing through the stillness. "The Desert of Dragon Bones is a prison without walls. Nine out of ten sects have died there. But if they escape, the entire Sovereign Concord will tremble."
The Patriarch nodded, but cold sweat ran down his neck. "Activate the Blood Hunters. No one bearing the Eye of the Dragon must leave alive."
Part 3: Promises in the Sand
Aboard the "Herald of the Void," Samael felt the pressure of the beast stalking beneath the ship. The vessel trembled, the defensive runes flickered. The disciples clung to the rails, some praying, others gritting their teeth in fear—but also in hope.
Lilith drew her left blade with her only usable hand. "There will be no second chances," she warned everyone. "If we fall here, we fall forever."
Kael took his position, the Law Seed vibrating in his chest. Violeta, despite the pain, dragged herself near Eris and whispered: "Don't let go, sister. Not this time."
At the prow, Samael gripped the Odachi. His violet eyes reflected the coming storm.
"We didn't cross half a continent to die at the desert's entrance," he said, his voice heavy with promise. "If the Path-Devourer wants blood… we'll give it enemy blood."
On the horizon, a black sandstorm rose, hiding secrets, horrors, and perhaps the key to their lineage's redemption.
Volume II begins:
—Sands of Blood and Shadows—