The red winter

In the frozen northern wastelands known as the Frostbite Wastes, the southern Crown arrives for the brutal tradition known as the Cold Night—a deadly survival trial held once every generation in the ruins of the dwarven kingdom. From the safety of the southern throne, King Aldren Vaelor and the great houses travel north to watch the event unfold, treating it as both tradition and spectacle. Thousands of nobles gather on carved mountain terraces above the basin, while below them dozens of warriors are released into the Black Trees to fight, survive, and be judged. Among the contenders is Kaelen Draven, a hardened survivor with no interest in glory—only in making it through the night alive. Around him stand knights, mercenaries, and killers all forced into the same frozen arena, where alliances mean nothing and survival is everything. As the horns sound, the gates open, and the Cold Night begins, Kaelen enters the forest and quickly realizes the truth: this is not just a test of strength. It is a controlled slaughter disguised as tradition. But as the night deepens, something far worse than the other contestants begins to stir beneath the ruins of the dwarves. Strange tremors, impossible sounds, and rising chaos suggest that the Cold Night may be awakening something ancient—something buried long before the Crown ever came north