Lucien stepped beyond the ruined gates of the Citadel, his pale figure cutting a silent line against the horizon. The air felt different here — lighter than the choking smoke and chaos of the city, yet heavy with the weight of distant threats. The streets emptied as he walked, the few witnesses lowering their heads in awe or fear. Shadows clung to him, shifting and stretching unnaturally, but he paid them no mind. His mind was already moving forward, calculating paths, assessing the world beyond this bastion of stone.
The Citadel itself was only one jewel in a continent of intrigue, power, and danger. To the north lay the Frostspire Mountains, jagged peaks that split the skies, where the northern tribes carved out a brutal life, hardened by bitter winds and savage politics. Legends said that in their frozen holds, old gods slumbered, waiting for someone — or something — to awaken them.
To the east stretched the Sunken Expanse, a vast jungle of half-submerged ruins and thick, mist-choked swamps. Trade caravans avoided it, speaking only in hushed tones of the spirits said to inhabit the flooded temples and the monsters that thrived in the murky waters. Merchants whispered of treasures beyond imagining — yet none who ventured deep returned with their minds intact.
The southern deserts, known as the Shattered Sands, were no less perilous. Endless dunes swallowed travelers whole, and rumors told of cities buried beneath the sand, ruled by scholars and sorcerers who practiced forbidden magics. Some said that the sands themselves were alive, moving subtly to reshape the world, testing those who dared cross them.
And far to the west lay the Verdant Kingdoms, rolling plains dotted with fertile valleys, wealthy cities, and rival noble houses vying for dominance. The political intrigues there were just as lethal as open war; alliances shifted like the wind, and spies were as deadly as swords.
Lucien's path would not be straight. He knew he could not linger, not while the remnants of the champion's power and the unknown figure's warning lingered in his mind. Somewhere in this sprawling world were forces yet unseen, some allies, some enemies, and some whose motives were hidden even from themselves.
As he traveled, he glimpsed distant mountains shaped like jagged teeth against the sky, swirling clouds over distant deserts, and forests that stretched farther than the eye could see. Each region, each continent, held its own dangers and mysteries. And somewhere within them, perhaps, were those who shared his connection to the void — shadows of power, arrogance, and destiny, waiting for their moment.
He did not know it yet, but the world itself was alive with murmurs of beings that moved differently, their presence subtle yet undeniable. Whispers of shadows that carried weight, of figures who arrived without wind or sound, and of those whose mere posture could silence armies. Lucien's survival in The White had marked him. The world was vast, and in its corners were powers that would either challenge him or join him — and he would discover each in turn.
For now, he walked alone, pale cloak flowing without wind, shadows bending as he moved. The path ahead was uncertain, but the Sole Exception had never feared the unknown. The world awaited, and he would face it on his own terms.