Lone Defender

The prison was never meant to be merciful. And mercy may be what finally destroys it.

For centuries, the Defenders of the Forbidden City have held the line between the world and the horrors buried beneath it. Serran was raised to guard those foundations — until an escaped entity begins slaughtering centaur elders with a purpose that feels all too familiar.

The killings aren't random. The knowledge stolen is precise. And the magic echoes a legacy his bloodline tried to forget.

As ancient seals weaken and prisoners stir, Serran uncovers a binding woven into the prison's very bones — one that links his family to the stone. One the entity knows how to exploit.

If he doesn't act, every ward will fail. But stopping it may mean breaking the prison from within.