The path to the Abandoned Dragon Cave was a treacherous ascent through jagged limestone and suffocating mist. Here, the air did not carry the scent of black roses or the ozone of imperial artifacts; it smelled of damp earth, sulfur, and the raw musk of beasts. This was the edge of the world, a place where the map of Aethelgard faded into grey, home to the half-humans who had been hunted, mocked, and discarded by every civilized throne. Constantine moved through the narrow ravine, his boots crunching on loose shale. He was alone, having commanded Isabella and his guard to wait at the base of the ridge. He did not seek to conquer this place through a display of military might, but through the weight of a shared darkness.
"I can hear them breathing in the shadows," Constantine murmured, his
