Thorne stared at the grim walls of *Blackmoor Orphanage*, the thin light of dawn creeping through the cracked windows. The place smelled of rot—sweat, piss, and despair clung to the stone like a festering wound. But to him, it was *home*. A home he'd seen before. A home he would burn to the ground if he had to.
His body was frail again, weaker than it should have been. His skin was pale, veins thin and fragile beneath the surface. But inside—inside was a fire. A memory. A *purpose* that burned brighter than the ashes that had claimed the world before.
He was back. *Thorne Blackwood*. The survivor. The emperor of shadows.
He clenched his fists, feeling the old scars in his heart, the weight of an entire world that had once crumbled to dust. He had watched it all—his death, the betrayal, the destruction. *The Ash*. He would *never* let it happen again.
The other children in the dormitory slept fitfully, their thin bodies curled in the cold like corpses. The bed was hard and thin, a far cry from the silken sheets and feather beds of noble courts. But this time, Thorne didn't care. He would endure the hunger, the weakness. He would mold this broken place into the foundation of his empire.
A sudden noise broke through the stillness. The sound of a door creaking open.
Thorne's eyes darted to the door, watching through slits as a figure entered. It was a tall, thin girl, her sharp eyes scanning the room, a quiet but unsettling confidence in her movements. *Ruby*, they called her. A girl as ruthless as any of the boys in this cursed place, but with a sharpness that went beyond just survival. She had been one of the few who'd caught Thorne's attention in his first days back.
Ruby had the eyes of a predator. And Thorne knew a predator when he saw one.
> "Up early, *Blackwood*," Ruby whispered as she approached.
"You know the rules here. They'll feed us, but only when they feel like it."
> "I don't plan on staying long," he said, his eyes hardening with cold resolve. "I'm not here for pity. And I'm not here to die. I'm here to change the rules."
Ruby raised an eyebrow, intrigued. But before she could reply, a loud voice echoed down the hallway.
> "*Thorne Blackwood!* Get your ass out of bed! Now!"
It was the voice of *Master Torrin*, the head of the orphanage. A brutal man, fat and lazy, who relished in the power he held over the children. His fists were as hard as his heart, and he enjoyed making their lives hell.
Thorne didn't flinch. He was used to this by now. He stood slowly, his back straight, his gaze never wavering from Ruby.
> "It's time," he said, more to himself than to her.
Ruby watched him, a curious glint in her eyes, as he walked toward the door. He didn't need to say much for her to understand. The fire was already kindled. All she had to do was feed it.
---
🕷️ *The First Strike*
Thorne walked through the dark halls of Blackmoor with a calmness that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He had never been afraid of these people—these monsters who called themselves caretakers. To them, he was just another orphan. But to him? They were prey.
Master Torrin waited at the entrance to the mess hall, standing with his arms crossed and a smug grin on his face. He was a large man, bald and scarred from years of brutalizing children. A lording pig. But he had his uses.
> "Well, well, the little lord decides to show up," Torrin sneered. "Get to work, Blackwood. You're not going to sleep your way through life like the others."
Thorne's eyes flashed with a cold, predatory hunger. But his face remained serene.
> "I'm not here to work for you, Torrin. I'm here to take what's mine."
Torrin snorted. "You'll learn to bend. Like all the rest."
As Thorne stepped forward, he caught Ruby's gaze across the room. She was watching him closely, her arms crossed over her chest as if she were waiting for something. For him.
The others were too busy stuffing their faces or too beaten to care. But Ruby—Ruby was the key. The first piece.
He had no intention of breaking these chains by just surviving. He was going to *control* Blackmoor.
> "Ruby," he said quietly, never breaking eye contact. "We're starting tonight."
---
*End of Chapter 1*