Planet Ignis | Prologue

Aag ignited the cells in his muscles. They burned hot, vibrating, pushing past their limits. He gathered the energy and forced it into his hands for just a moment. Then he let it go.

Fire erupted from his palms, rushing down the tunnel in a blinding wave. Heat blasted back at him, scorching the air. His strength drained in an instant. His knees nearly buckled. Sweat dripped from his forehead. He had so little energy left…

Staggering, he funneled what remained into his brain and eyes. The world sharpened, details snapping into painful focus. The shadows were deeper now. Something lurked within them. Waiting.

Aag drew power to his skin. It was easier than creating fire—less strain, less cost. A feverish red glow pulsed from his body, casting flickering light across the tunnel walls. He moved forward, careful, scanning.

A ripple of motion. There.

He turned and ran. The energy surged to his legs, making them burn, expand, stretch. His steps struck harder. The stone cracked beneath his feet. The whir of the Raptor grew behind him. Faster. Closer.

A voice inside told him to stop, to save himself. He ignored it. His kin were gone, but the other settlements still had a chance. He would honor his oath. He would send the warning.

At last, the tribe’s Beacon came into view.

Aag triggered a Burst, sending what little power he had left into his arms. His muscles swelled. He grabbed the heavy metal doors and wrenched them open, then threw them shut behind him. The locks engaged.

The tower shook as the Raptor struck. The doors would hold—but not for long.

He climbed, forcing his body upward, his mind flickering between past and present. The Blue King, who had failed them. His fallen kin, left behind in the Harrows. His friends. His family.

Soon, he would join them.

At the top, he stepped into the transparent globe at the heart of the Beacon. The machine stood silent, waiting.

The tower trembled. It was coming.

Aag gripped the metal bars, forcing all remaining Longevity into one last Burst.

Light exploded from the tower, carving his final message into the sky.

The Raptor comes. Grows stronger. Anaximanders smoked. Gather…

The Beacon fell silent. The signal leaped into orbit, hitting repeater after repeater, carrying the promise of doom.

Chapter 1