Kingdom of Mildelar (Elyndra), 28 years earlier.
The long chime of ringing bells marks the end of the morning training and the start of the lunch break at the Care and Vocational Training Center.
More than a hundred orphans scatter across the massive training grounds in small groups.
Everyone except a fifteen-year-old vampire named Costantine Serev.
He sits alone on top of a rock, quietly eating his lunch.
That day's lunch is a simple savory snack made from dried lycan tongues seasoned with spices.
It tastes awful, but it's packed with nutrients. More importantly, it's cheap thanks to the huge number of lycan packs roaming in and out of the Kingdom of Mildelar.
Hunting lycans is part of the Scarlet Army's daily routine.
Hundreds of them are killed every single day, and not just to keep people safe.
Once it's properly prepared, lycan meat is safe to eat, and their thick fur is turned into warm clothing for Scarlet Army soldiers marching through Elyndra's coldest regions.
