A Test of Shadows

The training grounds beneath the Dark Sovereign's fortress were an endless labyrinth of stone and shadow, illuminated only by torches burning an unnatural violet flame. The air was thick with tension, anticipation vibrating in the very stones beneath my feet. I stood in the center of the arena, the echoes of my heartbeat pounding rhythmically in my ears, eyes narrowed as I assessed the figure across from me.

General Vorath stood calmly at the opposite end, his towering form cloaked in shadows that seemed to cling to him like obedient hounds. He was a monstrous being—broad shoulders, obsidian skin marred with centuries of battle scars, massive horns curved back over his skull. Eyes burned with crimson light, cunning and dangerous. He'd served the Dark Sovereign since the very beginning of her reign, loyal beyond reason, powerful beyond measure.

And today, he was my opponent.