by King_Harding
Marcus Cole died on a factory floor in Ohio. He woke on a battlefield in hell. In the Empire of Valdris, everyone is born with a Core. A crystalline heart that determines their power, rank, and worth. Marcus Cole has nothing. They call people like him Hollow. Conscripted into the Fourth Legion's battalion of expendable soldiers, survival means keeping his head down, learning the blade, and never letting anyone discover the truth. But on the blood-soaked frontlines, Marcus learns that being Hollow doesn't mean being powerless. Hard-won competence. Brutal progression. A secret that could save the Legion or doom it.
