Yet Vir’s demonic blood carries him through the ordeal, and though painful, he slowly acclimatizes. Over the next days and weeks, Vir learns more about his status as a demonic prince as the two travel deeper into the Ash, where time flows faster, and the prana runs as thick as blood.
The pair eventually come upon a Mahakurma—a turtle the size of an island—where Vir begins the next stage of his training, fighting several Domain Lords atop the Mahakurma’s back to gain access to areas of denser prana.
As he confronts the final half-snake half-demon Domain Lord, however, an Ash Gate spontaneously appears, and Vir is helpless against the Ash Wolf that bounds through, dragging him within.
To Cirayus’ horror, the Gate snaps shut before he can help Vir, and the giant is left behind to despair.
On the other side, Vir encounters a strange ancient city and a prana density so great that his body begins to unravel. It is only through his predecessor’s intervention - burning away what little remained of their collective psyche—that they grant Vir a stopgap measure to protect himself.
Using his little time, Vir comes to the rescue of a woman in white - a being he later learns is the last remnant of the ones known as the gods.
Ashani reveals to Vir that the city they find themselves in is, in fact, the fabled Mahādi—lost city of the gods.
As thanks for saving her life, Ashani gives Vir a way to survive the onslaught of prana ravaging his body by bestowing him with pranites—tiny machines from the Age of Gods that actively repair his body, even as the prana destroys it.
She also confides that it was her and her wolves who brought Vir through her Ash Gate, and she shows Vir the legacy of her people and the miracles they performed. She reveals that she was created by the Janak—a being widely recognized as one of the leading gods—as a companion for his ailing daughter Siya in her final days.
Vir experiences firsthand the incredible heights to which the Imperium soared. Heights that have long since been lost to time and ash. For Ashani also shows the incomprehensible explosion that changed everything forever, splitting the world into three broken realms, and ending the mightiest civilization in history.
In the process, Vir learns that the goddess’ energy core is nearly spent, and that her life is nearly at an end.
Refusing to let this mythical being die, Vir takes it upon himself to recharge her cores. After failing and breaking her spare core, Vir delves into the depths of the and ultimately succeeds at replenishing her core.
As they prepare to depart back to the Ashen Realm, Ashani confides that she cannot travel through her own Ash Gates. For thousands of years, she has been imprisoned in the mausoleum of her kind.
Swearing to come back for her one day, Vir returns to Cirayus’ side, albeit with a new wolf companion and with tens of times the prana he possessed upon entering the Mahādi Realm.
From there, Cirayus and Vir brave the wastes as Vir grows into his new powers, ultimately reaching the tower of Saunak the Deranged—mad Thaumaturge.
There they find all manner of bizarre experiments and Vir learns the surprising connection between Cirayus, Saunak, and his late mother. Upon learning of his identity, the mad Thaumaturge lays a trap for Vir, attempting to imprison him so that he may run experiments upon him.
Working with his wolf and Cirayus, Vir enacts a daring escape, commandeering one of Saunak’s Automatons in the process.
After successfully slipping from Saunak’s clutches, they head deeper into the Ash, seeking a stable Gate to the Demon Realm, with only only Cirayus’ Artifact to guide them. Their route is arduous and long, forcing them to fight off countless hordes of monsters until their lives are consumed with fighting.
They arrive at the destination pointed to by the artifact, yet no Gate presents itself. Thousands of mythical beasts surround them and when all seems lost, both Vir and Cirayus are suddenly transported by an unknown force. Now separated, they are each shown illusions so lifelike as to blur the boundary between reality and fiction.
Vir then experiences a series of confusing and stressful events in which he meets an incorporeal Maiya and fights down a corrupted form of Ekanai. During the battle, Maiya is injured, and though he emerges victorious, he does so with more questions than ever.
Had Maiya’s presence been a deeply accurate illusion, or was she truly there in spirit? If so, what fate had befallen his dearest friend? Who was behind this illusion, and for what purpose?
Wracked with a thousand worries and no answers, Vir reunites with Cirayus, who has overcome a similar trial of his own.
Nearby, their destination of years—a passage to the Demon Realm—awaits.
Vir and Cirayus step through. Their toils in the Ash are finally over. Their tribulations in the realm of demons, however, has only just begun.
1A TERRIBLE MISTAKE
We’ve made a terrible mistake.
Vir raged at the gods—at Adinat, at Janak, at Badrak, Chala, Vera, and especially Yuma—for cursing them with such terrible luck.
He hadn’t even had the chance to bemoan the muggy air, and the utter lack of prana in the area, or to appreciate the gorgeous, bloodred sunset that dyed the cracked desert crimson.
It wasn’t luck, of course. A stable Ash Gate in the middle of demonic lands was bound to attract a crowd. It’s a wonder they hadn’t met anyone on the other side.
Actually, I suppose it isn’t. They might not be able to handle the prana density there. The illusion world might’ve lacked prana, but the area the gate had been certainly didn’t.
“Drop your weapons! Hands where I can see them. Now! If you know what’s best for you.”
The demon’s voice carried a tone of absolute authority, though his speech was oddly inflected. It wasn’t just the accent—the dialect was unlike any Vir had heard. While similar enough to understand, it took Vir a moment to parse the words.
What did not take any time at all to understand was the weight of authority his words bore, compelling Vir to obey.
Standing with their backs against their aggressors’ speartips, Vir and Cirayus exchanged a subtle glance.
Cirayus shook his head. Do not kill them.
Vir nodded his assent, while Shan continued to growl menacingly at their foes. Vir was half-sure they hadn’t attacked primarily on account of the wolf.
He’d only just stepped out of the Ash Gate when he’d discovered they hadn’t been alone.
Ash Gates allowed one to peer through, but what lay behind them was another story.
Soldiers, apparently. Using Prana Vision, Vir put their number at thirty.
His mind cleared—there was nothing to be worried about. These were friendly demons who were just being careful. Who wouldn’t be, after seeing them emerge from an Ash Gate in the middle of nowhere?
Vir slowly lowered his katar, before Cirayus’ Chakra-laden command stopped him dead in his tracks.
“Snap out of it, Vaak!” Cirayus hissed.
Cirayus’ voice warred with Vir’s compulsion to disarm and please the enemy demon.
Vir turned to the giant in confusion. Confusion became alarm when he realized what he’d nearly done.
A Chakra attack? He quickly dismissed the thought. He’d had his Foundation Chakra opened the moment they stepped through, per Cirayus’ advice. Then what was that?
“Listen closely, lad,” Cirayus whispered, relying on Vir’s enhanced hearing to carry his words.
Vir’s time in the Ashen Realm had done more than just strengthen him. Prana was the energy of life, and as such, nearly every physical aspect had seen an improvement. His eyesight was better and his hearing keener. Even his sense of taste and smell had grown more sensitive—though sometimes he wished they hadn’t. Some scents should not ever be smelled.