Ashvarn trembled.
It was the middle of the night—an hour usually defined by stillness and solemn quiet…
Yet tonight, a violent tremor shook its very foundations.
This was no ordinary earthquake.
Every single soul within Ashvarn without exception ... felt it.
A sinister energy.
One that planted terror in some… stirred unease in others… and even the most powerful elders were not spared from its influence.
The tremor lasted only a few seconds—barely even a minute.
But it was enough.
Enough for the entire Heart clan to realize the magnitude of the danger.
Deep within Ashvarn, in one of its most concealed locations…
A hidden sanctum lay at the core of the dark city.
Within it stood a grand hall, illuminated by a colossal flame.
A sacred structure.
At its center rested a massive vessel that held the Flame of Lord Vassel ... the very fire that sustained the strength of the bonfire flames throughout the region.
A fire born from the ashes of thousands of the Heart.
