The mountain pass howled with bitter wind as Alex descended, his wings folding with a hiss of flame and cinders. The glow of his arrival lingered in the air like the aftertaste of a lightning strike. When his boots struck the jagged stone of Ember’s Watch, the ancient outpost groaned beneath him—as if remembering its purpose.
This place had once been the last stronghold before the Hollow Spine, built during the War of Ruin. Now it was forgotten. Broken walls. Cracked towers. Frostbitten silence.
Perfect.
He wasn’t alone for long.
They emerged from the mist like revenants, clad in fire-forged leather and marked by the sigil of the Phoenix Crown—a burning eye encircled by feathers, inked over hearts that had sworn themselves to him long before the throne had crumbled.
Four.
Only four r
