Gith-Za-Rai's words eluded my understanding, her meaning beyond my grasp. The sight before me proved equally incomprehensible—utterly beyond belief. Inside the pit, the most astonishing scene unfolded.0

Bones of ogres, trolls, orcs, and humans formed an army of thousands of skeletons. They clattered and surged toward the emperor's carriage and the imperial guards like waves. Their numbers were so overwhelming that annihilation felt inadequate to describe it. White bones filled the massive pit, reducing the emperor's procession to a mere speck within it. Gith-Za-Rai’s army hadn't followed her—they had arrived long ago and had been eagerly waiting.0

Most striking of all were the headless knights, cloaked in black mist, emitting streams of pitch-black energy. Though faceless, they expressed themselves by swinging their swords.0

One of the black knights shouted, "Receive the sword of Ser Gilaut!" 0

His voice came from his throat— an empty, severed throat spewing dark miasma that enveloped him.0

They called themselves "Ser" and not "Sir," a term used by knights over two centuries ago. The headless black knights moved swiftly among the white bones. They reached the front lines with explosive momentum and slashed at the guards.0

The guards, however, didn't simply stand by. Each was a masterful...0