Destiny is a blade, and Motecuhzoma, heir to the Aztec Empire, must learn to wield it. From a boy's first taste of blood sacrifice to a warrior's brutal test, his path is paved with trials. But beyond the battlefield and the temple lies a treacherous court, where ancient secrets and conflicting loyalties threaten to tear the empire apart. And from the eastern sea, a storm is brewing—pale-skinned strangers with weapons of fire, heralding a clash of worlds that will demand more than any emperor has ever given.