The entire world seemed to ripple and distort as Chris slowly drifted back to consciousness."Sire," a voice huffed nearby.Chris blinked against the torchlight, recognizing the familiar, plush surroundings of his royal bedchambers."Thank the spirits," Marcus sighed, stepping into view. The guard captain was glaring fiercely toward the far corner of the room, where Sarata stood quietly, flanked by her remaining seventy men."What the fuck happened?" Chris grunted, rubbing his temple. He pushed himself up, groaning. "I feel like I drank every vintage of wine in Alced.""You let your sword sing," Sarata said, stepping out of the shadows. Chris noted a profound, newfound reverence in her voice. "I am deeply sorry, but I had to know if you could survive it. Events are outpacing us by leaps and bounds, and I can only hope you will forgive me one day. I can only imagine the pain you feel."Chris frowned, looking down at his clean hands. "Pain? What pain? I remember your men drawing their swords... and then nothing but a dream."Far from the comfort of the palace, the air at the mountain pass was thin, biting, and smelled faintly of impending snow. A lone traveler stopped at the crest of the grueling hill, leaning his weight onto a gnarled wooden staff that was mostly for show. His journey had begun so long ago that he could scarcely remember his real name. His boots were caked in the dust of three different realms, the leather worn so thin that he could feel the cold heartbeat of the stone beneath his feet.But the torment was nearing its end. He was a mere matter of days away from completing his master's ultimate request, and the thought brought a sinister, heavy joy to his heart. He had never doubted his success. After all, his master had made him entirely invincible. He was a man of renown, an unstoppable force.He closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath. The border of Alced lay just a few miles down the ridge, marked by the ancient, towering stone pillars that hummed with the protective wards of the Temple of Time. To any normal man, or even a seasoned mage, those wards would feel like an invisible wall of suffocating pressure. To him, they felt like a welcoming breeze.A smirk pulled at the corner of his chapped lips. The master had stripped his past away, along with his mortality, his weaknesses, and his fear. In its place, the master had given him a singular purpose, a title whispered in the dark corners of the wilds."Stop," a voice boomed from the shadows of the crag.Three border scouts stepped onto the path, their armor a stark contrast to the rugged wilderness. They wore the silver and deep blue of Alced's outer rim guards, their hands resting firmly on the hilts of their blades. The captain of the trio, a scarred man with cautious eyes, raised a hand. "The pass is closed by royal decree. No travelers, no merchants, no exceptions. Turn back."The traveler didn't move. He kept his eyes half-closed, listening to the frantic, rhythmic thudding of their hearts. They were terrified of the dark, he could tell. The energy of the world was shifting, and even these low-level guards could feel the edges of reality fraying."I have traveled a very long way, captain," the traveler said, his voice smooth, completely devoid of the exhaustion that should have racked his body. "And my master is not a patient man. I am afraid turning back is a luxury I do not possess.""This is your final warning," the captain snarled, drawing his sword. The steel hissed in the quiet air. "Identify yourself or be cut down where you stand."The traveler let out a low, melodic laugh that echoed uncomfortably against the rock faces. He let go of his staff. Instead of falling, the wood hung suspended in the air, floating perfectly upright as a dark, oily vapor began to bleed from the grain."You ask for a name, but I am merely the echo of what is to come," the traveler whispered, stepping forward.The two guards flanking the captain lunged, their movements precise and fast. The first blade sliced cleanly through the traveler's shoulder, while the second buried itself deep into his chest, right where his heart should be.Neither guard pulled back. They stared in absolute horror as no blood spilled. The traveler didn't even flinch. He looked down at the steel buried in his chest, then reached out and gently tapped the flat of the blade with his index finger.The steel shattered like fragile glass."My master made me a man of renown," the traveler whispered, his eyes suddenly flashing a hollow, swallowing black that mirrored the very void Sarata had sensed in Chris. "He made me invincible. And he sent me to ensure that the crown of Alced sits upon a throne of ashes."Before the guards could even scream, the dark vapor from the floating staff surged forward, wrapping around them like liquid shadow. Within seconds, the path was silent again. The traveler retrieved his staff, stepped over the empty, dust-filled armor left on the dirt, and looked down at the glittering spires of the palace in the distance.The savior had awakened. It was time to begin the reckoning.