Prologue

The First Death

The wind howled through the jagged peaks of the mountains, a

cold, biting gust that sent shivers down the spines of the men who

ventured too far from the warmth of the fire. In the distance, the

full moon hung like a lantern in the blackened sky, casting its pale

light over the desolate landscape. It was a night like any other—a

night that had seen the deaths of countless souls before.