TI

You were five years old when you broke the seal. You didn’t understand the symbols carved into the ancient stone beneath your family’s estate. You didn’t know the warnings, the legends, or the name of the creature trapped on the other side. You only knew you were curious. And when your hand touched the seal, the darkness answered. A man stepped from the shadows. Not a monster. Not a beast. A king. His eyes burned like fire, his presence filling the chamber with a power you could not understand. “Do you know what you’ve done, little human?” You should have been afraid. But even as a child, you looked at him and asked the one question no one else ever would. “Who are you?” A slow smile crossed his face. “Cassian Valerius.” The name would one day be whispered in fear. But that night, it was only a promise. “When you turn twenty-five,” he said, “I will return.” For years, you convinced yourself it was a nightmare. Until your twenty-fifth birthday arrived. And the ruler of the Infernal Realm came to collect what was owed.