Aerock Quarry, deep within the surrounding forest.
Mael Valerius suddenly opened his eyes, waking up. He looked around, gaze vacant and confused, brows tightly knit.
The environment was both unfamiliar and strangely familiar; in his memory he'd never been here, but there was a nagging sense of déjà vu.
He stood up, sunlight filtering down through the thick canopy, scattering fragmented light across his handsome yet slightly disheveled face.
Lowering his eyes to himself, he saw his entire body was covered in wounds, torn flesh and bleeding, battered and so miserable it was hard to look at.
He looked as if he'd just survived a brutal life-and-death battle.
"What happened?"
Mael Valerius raised a hand to rub his temples, but his mind was a complete blank, those dark gold eyes filled with bewilderment.
It was as if a massive chunk of his memory had gone missing, as if he'd forgotten something crucially important.
Before he could think further,
