Prologue: The Summoning
The winds howled through the trees, and the ancient forest groaned beneath an unnatural weight. The air was thick—almost alive—with power that did not belong. Somewhere deep in the woods, the earth cracked, protesting the ritual etched into its soil.
Kateryn stood alone in the clearing, her breath fogging in the cold night air, her fingers streaked with blood—some of it her own, some not. The summoning circle glowed crimson at her feet, pulsing like a heartbeat, and the runes around it hissed with energy.
Lightning split the sky with a sound like the heavens tearing open. A blinding bolt struck the earth at the circle’s center, throwing sparks and dirt skyward. The earth buckled. A seam opened like a wound in the world, and from it rose a figure wrapped in shadow and fire.
Kateryn’s voice rang out calling upon an ancient name.
His boots touched the ground as if it bent to him. Long black robes moved like ink in water, and his eyes burned gold beneath the hood. Power clung to him like a second skin.
“You are bold, little witch,” he said, voice smooth and amused. “Summoning me is not an act for the faint of heart.”
Kateryn stared him down, despite the way her pulse thundered in her throat.
“You don’t seem faint-hearted,” he added, stepping from the circle. The runes flickered out.
“I need power,” she said.
He arched a brow, curious. “Many do. But what you want is revenge.”
Kateryn’s silence was answer enough.
The smile that crossed his face was full of cruel delight. “Then tell me, girl… what did they take from you?”
The forest held its breath. The circle faded from red to ash. And in the silence, Kateryn remembered.
