Robed figures performing a ritual around a glowing magic circle, with a horned figure summoning a beam of energy.
Chapter 1: The Binding of Shadow and Flame The room pulsed with arcane energy. A wide, circular platform dominated the chamber, etched with ancient runes and glowing with steady light from the boundary warding—the only thing preventing the potent ritual from unraveling into catastrophic chaos. The guardians, cloaked in ceremonial silks, formed a ring around the edge. Their hands moved in precise gestures, their voices rising in tonal harmony, a chant older than memory. At the center of the See more
