Ashes of the Old World

The Kingdom of Aurelia has stood for generations. Its golden capital is ruled by a royal family, protected by knights, and divided between those born to power and those born beneath it. To the nobles, the kingdom represents order. To the common people, it is simply the world they were born into. And the world is not fair. Shal Valerius was born into everything the kingdom could offer: noble blood, wealth, education, influence, and a connection to the royal family. Quiet and reserved, he is known as little more than a bookish young nobleman who has no interest in swords. But beneath that harmless appearance lies a secret. Shal is a once-in-a-generation swordsman. He has spent years hiding his ability while studying something far more dangerous than swordsmanship—the kingdom itself. Its laws. Its nobles. Its armies. Its wealth. Its weaknesses. And most importantly, its people. After witnessing the suffering of commoners who have no protection from those above them, Shal comes to believe that the problem is not a few corrupt nobles, but a system that allows power to protect itself. He does not dream of becoming king. He does not seek wealth. He does not want revenge against an entire class. He wants to destroy the world that makes men untouchable simply because of the names they were born with. And he is willing to become something terrible to accomplish it. At the Royal Academy, Shal meets Ash—a brilliant Commonborn swordsman who possesses the talent, courage, and popularity to become a hero. Ash believes the world can be changed without destroying it. Shal believes some things must be destroyed before anything better can be built. They begin as friends. They will eventually become enemies. As kingdoms clash, ancient powers awaken, noble houses struggle for control, and the foundations of Aurelia begin to crack, the two young swordsmen will find themselves standing on opposite sides of a question that has no simple answer: How much of the old world must burn before a new one can rise? Because revolutions do not begin with armies. They begin with someone deciding that the world as it is can no longer be accepted. And Shal has already made his decision. Before a better world can rise, someone must be willing to burn the old one.