Alua Kuester

A sixteen-year-old exorcist, whose life will end by the age of twenty, arrives in Xiangyang, besieged by Qin troops. His goal is to find the "God of Martial Defense," the last hope for restoring the world's lost magic. The Heart's Lamp leads him to the city prison, where Alua Küster, the powerful and ferocious Supreme Khan of the nomadic Xiongnu people, has been languishing for a year, deprived of his power and freedom.

Their meeting is devoid of awe: Alua, embittered by his captivity, greets the young man with mockery and disbelief. However, the magical light of the lamp, touching the khan, awakens within him a forgotten strength and an ancient purpose. The chains break, and the God of Martial Defense rises to the defense of his savior.

Their difficult journey begins. Proud, taciturn, and hot-tempered, Alua, accustomed to command, is forced to follow the fragile exorcist whose days are numbered. Their alliance is born of harsh necessity and duty, but with each repelled demonic attack, with each shared victory, the ice of mistrust melts. Beneath the stern warrior's mask, Alua awakens a deep, almost furious concern for the one who condemned himself to death to save everyone. From hatred and compulsion, a bond is born that must overcome not only the darkness but also the relentlessly ticking clock of fate.