Chapter 1: The Mountain That Swallowed the Sky

The path up Azure Peaks was a spine of worn stone, wrapped in mist that tasted of iron and pine. Ryu Jin's legs burned with every step, his lungs screaming against the thin mountain air. He had been walking since dawn, and the sun had already begun its long fall toward the western ridges. Behind him, the world fell away into a patchwork of farmland and forest. Ahead, the academy rose like a clench...