Chapter 2

A Gathering of Flaws

Victory.

I gazed into the pale reflection in the mirror, focusing on my left eye.

Victory. The dark symbol spanning my entire blood-red iris, replacing a pupil. The symbol of the Empress, of the one carrying the blood of the Crimson Dragon, bearing responsibility for the Empyrean Empire of the Earth Realm. An ancient symbol reserved for the throne I’d inherited from my mother’s bloodline. The blood of a Primal Beast.

My gaze shifted ......