Chapter 1: The Evolution Stone

In a world where zombies are treated as the lowest of all supernatural beings, survival means enduring a life of ridicule, fear, and oppression. Hidden away in a decaying settlement known as The Hollow, Evaris and Maeris scrape by at the very bottom of society—until an unexpected visit from the ruling vampire, Lord Sylvaeron, changes everything. Ordered to recover a mysterious stone buried deep within the toxic mines, the zombies are given an impossible twenty-four-hour deadline. Knowing no one understands the mines better than Evaris, Mayor Phegus entrusts the dangerous mission to him and Maeris. But what begins as a desperate search becomes something far greater when the pair stumble upon an ancient chamber containing the mysterious artifact. A single misstep changes Evaris’ life forever. As the stone fuses itself into his body, Evaris awakens days later transformed into something no zombie has ever become. His newfound evolution immediately attracts the attention of the vampires, forcing him into a confrontation that reveals a terrifying truth. The Evolution Stone was never unique. For generations, every powerful supernatural race has used stones like it to evolve beyond their limits… while zombies were deliberately left behind. Now, with Evaris carrying a stone that should never have belonged to his kind, The Hollow is set ablaze, and a forgotten race finds itself at the center of a war that could reshape the supernatural world forever.