Chapter 1
A Human Named Cade

“Goddamnit!” Cade shouted as the massive shield bore down on him. A red barrier emanating from his chest plate sparked wildly as it took the brunt of the ancient, 150-pound, one-meter-high shield. Cade grimaced as sweat and blood from his forehead flowed into his left eye. Tossing his broadsword aside, he gripped the opponent’s shield with his large, gilded, armored hands and struggled to slowly lift it from the red barrier, which was now flashing and cracking under the strain of the weight.

Cade’s ambusher stared down at him—dead, glazed eyes behind a rusted helmet. He was most likely a hero of his time, loved and admired by his peers. He was large but quick, highly skilled with his specialty shield. Cade had never seen anyone in his era wield a shield like this husked soldier—using it expertly for both offense and defense. He must have entered this dungeon for a good reason. Perhaps the same reason Cade was here now. But like so many others, even this hero of a man had failed. His soul had rotted from the inside, and now he was still here. All these centuries later. Wearing armor that showcased a great house long since fallen, swinging wildly at any living creature that crossed his path.

“C-come on, you dick,” Cade grunted, his forearms shaking wildly from the struggle to hold the shield even half an inch above the red barrier. Cade forced a bloody smile. “Don’t you think at least one of us should get to the end?”

But the husked warrior didn’t respond. Instead, he put even more weight behind the shield and used his heel to dig into Cade’s busted knee. Cade screamed in agony and frustration.

No one was really sure how much the husked understood about the world in front of them—whether they could employ strategy or use any form of critical thinking. But one thing was for sure: whether this husk understood it or not, if that shield slammed down on the red barrier one more time, it would shatter. Cade knew that much. And he knew that once the barrier shattered, it would send a powerful force in all directions, likely pushing him deeper into the stone floor he now lay on. That would surely break a few ribs—and be a huge pain in the ass.

Cade thought of Faren’s face. It annoyed him that now, of all times, he still couldn’t get that face out of his head. She had been looking at him from across the room in a crowded tavern. He had looked back at her. They both smiled, nodded, lifted their drinks, and turned back to the conversations they were having. Both pretending they hadn’t been thinking about each other nonstop all night. Both pretending the other’s face wasn’t the first thing on their mind in the morning and the last thing on their mind every night.

Cade’s forearm muscles were giving out. The shield slowly lowered as Cade’s strength failed him. Sparks from the magical barrier flew in every direction as the edge of the shield finally touched its outer wall.

“Don’t do this,” Cade pleaded as the pain from his busted knee overtook all of his senses. His vision became dark and blurry. He shook his head, trying to fight the daze, and screamed, “Please not like this, you motherfucker!”

The husk didn’t respond. Instead, it sent one final burst of strength down through the shield.

Cade was about to die—and with him, in a few short years, so would the rest of the world.

Chapter 2 PREVIEW
Good Morning, Faren

Faren kicked down the tavern door and fervently scanned the dark room. Empty bed. No gear. Supplies picked over. He was gone.

“Fuck,” she said quietly, running her fingers down the length of her face in exasperation before screaming, “FUUUUCK! That stupid fuck!”

A gallop of boots came pounding down the hall as the rest of the party slid to a halt in front of the open door. They stood in the hallway silently, watching Faren silently heave out her anger.

A small elf with dark skin pushed past the party. She looked no older than her early twenties, but was probably several centuries old. Her particular faction was sensitive to light.

In the dead of night, she could make out anything a mile away in excruciating detail. But without any special equipment, she was useless during the day. Even in this dark room, she needed to wear her blindfold—woven with specially blessed cloth that allowed her to see “everything under the sun as if it were under the moon.”

Of course, that was just the sales pitch. She often complained about how she’d been oversold on the overpriced rag. But she could navigate and fight just fine. Everything just looked blue.

With some hesitation, she placed a hand on Faren’s shoulder. “We'll find him, Faren. He couldn't have gone far. I saw him leave the bar last night with a blonde lady of the evening. Maybe he's just in her room.” She shrugged with a wicked grin. “Bound. Gagged. And robbed. But alive.”