The vision came to Marcus in the dead of night.
He sat bolt upright in his cot, his body drenched in sweat, his heart pounding against his ribs. The image was burned into his mind—a vast underground chamber, pulsing with dark energy, and at its center, a figure suspended in a crystalline structure.
The figure was familiar. It was the First One.
But it wasn't the First One. Its body was withered, its eyes hollow, its power drained. Something had happened to it. Something terrible.
"Marcus!" Evelyn's voice was sharp with fear, her hand on his shoulder. "Marcus, what's wrong?"
Marcus turned to face her, his expression haunted. "I saw something. The First One. It's in danger."
Evelyn's face went pale. "How is that possible? It sacrificed itself. It merged with the dark energy."
Marcus s
