by A. K. Varn
Ashren was born to heroes. He inherited nothing from them. No strength. No talent. No destiny. Only expectation. In the empire's capital, failure is not forgiven — it is recorded, counted, and remembered. Every defeat adds weight. Every weakness leaves a mark. And in a world ruled by hierarchy, weakness is the one crime that cannot be hidden. When survival forces Ashren onto a merchant caravan bound for the frontier, he believes he is escaping humiliation. He is wrong. Beyond the walls of civilization, honor becomes currency, and people become cargo. Beneath the earth, deeper than law or mercy, lies a system older than kingdoms — one that feeds on flesh, obedience, and transformation. There, survival demands more than courage. It demands change. Slowly, methodically, Ashren learns the arithmetic of power — what it costs, what it takes, and what must be sacrificed to obtain it. Not everyone who descends into darkness returns unchanged. Some become something else entirely. And some discover that weakness was never their greatest flaw.
