The tremors grew stronger—deep, thunderous rumbles shaking the land beneath the boots of over ten million soldiers. And then, before August, Orfry, or anyone else in the Zanis command center could issue an order, it happened.
Twelve separate points across the Asaris Continent erupted violently. The ground shattered in perfect synchronization, creating gaping maws in the earth from which massive towers began to rise—each one stretching thousands of meters high, forged from dark alloy and embedded with runes that pulsed like veins of fire.
August and the gathered officers of the Zanis family stared in stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief.
