BLOODLINE

PROLOGUE

Reader Discretion Warning: This story contains scenes of violence, mature themes, and sensitive content that may not be suitable for all readers. Discretion is advised.

In an age obscured by the mists of time, when the heavens thrummed with divine power, the King of all gods held court upon a throne of unassailable might. His dominion extended across the realms, and beneath his watchful gaze, the lands thrived in peace and purpose. Yet, in a fleeting moment, all was undone. The king vanished without a trace, leaving an empty throne that echoed with foreboding silence. The gods, sensing the vacancy, were set aflame with ambition, and a tempest of conflict erupted among them.

Driven by greed, the deities turned upon one another in a savage contest, each seeking to prove their worthiness to seize the throne, which appeared cursed to yield only to its rightful heir. Ancient rivalries ignited into chaos, shaking the very heavens, and the clash of divine wills laid waste to the mortal realm. The blood of gods mingled with that of men, staining the earth and damning the souls of those who once looked to them for salvation.

As the heavens quaked with turmoil, humanity bore the brunt of the gods' insatiable hunger. Cities crumbled, hope flickered, and faith shattered, leaving naught but despair in their wake. In the face of such devastation, the gods bowed their heads in deep humiliation, confronted by the terrible weight of their own avarice.

In a desperate attempt to restore balance, the gods dispatched guardians—beings of celestial light infused with diverse souls—to the realm of men, charged with cleansing the corruption that had seeped into the hearts of mortals. For a time, faith in the divine flickered anew, and humanity began to heal. Yet, as guardians forged intimate bonds with those they guided, their yearning for something beyond their ordained roles ignited unforeseen strife. What the gods deemed harmless sowed the seeds of a new war, ignited by those meant to mend the past's wounds.

Divided into factions—rebels, righteous, and neutrals—the guardians clashed in a brutal struggle that mirrored the very chaos of the divine conflict. The righteous, seeking to reclaim their lost honor, swore fealty to the gods, vowing to quell the war alone. Victorious, they cast the rebels into eternal exile, restoring a fragile semblance of peace.

But this peace was but a thin veil. The gods, wary of rekindling the flames of conflict, retreated into obscurity, conceding that none could usurp the old king's throne. Thus began the age of Kings and Queens, a new era for humanity—one fraught with the echoes of divine war.

Across the continent of Aldevia, kingdoms rose from the ashes of the past. In the prosperous western lands, the houses of Nye and Seter reigned supreme, while the eastern powers of Verpoue and De Vrajitor ascended. The solitary kingdom of Thre claimed the south, and in the north, the might of Clousf and Iron Shore established their dominion, blissfully unaware of the shadows lurking beyond their borders.

Yet, in the void left by gods and guardians, humanity ignited new conflicts. Kingdoms clashed ceaselessly, ambition and greed sowing discord among them. In the heart of this chaos, an alliance was forged between Nye and De Vrajitor through the marriage of King Byron Tate Albright-Beresford and Princess Ratih Beckwitt-Brownrigg—a union that promised peace yet concealed secrets that could unravel their world.

As humanity spiraled into self-inflicted ruin, the gods and guardians found themselves compelled to intervene once more, unwittingly enacting a prophecy long whispered among the stars—an inescapable destiny looming over them all. What they believed to be the culmination of their celestial war was merely the dawn of something far more profound, a reckoning that would shape the fates of gods and mortals alike.