Time returned to the present.
Ren crossed the Mandaley desert with narrowed eyes, dry wind sweeping fine sand in all directions. His heat-resistant jacket fluttered lightly, in sync with the rhythm of the massive wheels of a heavily modified van that rolled confidently over the dunes. This was no ordinary van—its undercarriage was reinforced, its tires were colossal, and its body coated in a dust-repellent layer. In the distance, the hazy silhouette of Eks slowly came into view like a dead city hidden behind a curtain of sand.
Eks was no ordinary place. It was the territory of the brutal. A society without formal laws, without conventional political structures. The only thing respected there was power. Duels determined ranks. Blood determined reputation. It was a haven for hunters, warriors, gladiators, and half-monsters who had built their own civilization.
