Prologue The First Death The wind howled through the jagged peaks of the mountains, a cold, biting gust that sent shivers down the spines of the men who ventured too far from the warmth of the fire. In the distance, the full moon hung like a lantern in the blackened sky, casting its pale light over the desolate landscape. It was a night like any other—a night that had seen the deaths of countless souls before.