Eclipse of the Azure Flame

Prologue – The Eclipse of Fate

A storm raged across the blood-soaked battlefield, its howling winds carrying the echoes of fallen warriors. The scent of scorched earth and steel filled the air as dying embers flickered among shattered ruins. Bodies lay strewn across the ground—some still clutching their weapons, others reaching toward the heavens in their final moments.

At the heart of this devastation stood a lone figure, his tattered cloak billowing in the wind. His long, dark hair clung to his face, drenched in sweat and blood. His hands trembled as he gripped the hilt of his sword—a blade forged from the very flames that had consumed his past. The Azure Flame danced along its edge, flickering between defiance and exhaustion.

Riven Kaelstrade had lost everything.

His home. His family. His purpose.

And yet, he still stood.

Across the battlefield, atop a crumbling pillar of stone, Lord Obsidian gazed down upon him. His crimson eyes, burning with malice, reflected the storm above. His armor, black as the abyss, was untouched by the battle that had reduced an entire kingdom to dust. A cruel smile played upon his lips as he stepped forward.

"You have fought well, boy," Obsidian mused, his voice smooth yet laced with venom. "But defiance will not change fate."

Riven spat blood onto the ground, his breathing ragged. "Fate?" he growled. "Is that what you call your slaughter?"

Obsidian chuckled. "Fate is a river, ever-flowing, unyielding. No matter how hard you resist, it will pull you under." He raised a hand, and the air around him darkened. Crimson energy crackled, warping reality itself. "You were never meant to stand against me. The Azure Flame belongs to me."

Riven's grip tightened around his sword. His body screamed in protest, but his soul burned hotter than ever. "You can try to take it," he said through clenched teeth, "but I will never kneel to you."

The storm above roared, lightning flashing as the ground beneath them cracked. Two forces—one of darkness, the other of fire—collided with a force that shook the heavens.

And thus, the Eclipse of the Azure Flame began.