The Iron Hand of Clara Vale
Clara Vale’s fingers trembled as she adjusted the last gear on the contraption, the scent of oil and scorched metal thick in the air. The workshop hummed with the low groan of steam valves, a sound she’d come to know…
conflict
Read MoreThe Iron Hand of Clara Vale
The Ember of Silent Skies
The air hummed with the scent of burnt cedar as Kael pressed his palm against the charred oak, feeling the ember pulse beneath his skin. The village had called it a miracle—how he could summon fire without match or flame—but…
The Last Light of Summer
The salt air clung to Clara’s skin as she locked the library door, the click of the latch echoing off the cobblestones. Summer had bled into August, and the town of Marrow’s End felt like a forgotten place, suspended between…
The Last Light of Emberfall
The air in Emberfall reeked of burnt iron and ash, a scent as familiar to Elira as the pulse of her own heartbeat. She stood at the edge of the marketplace, her calloused fingers tightening around the hilt of her…
The Claimant’s Shadow
The air reeked of iron and damp earth as Elara hauled the pickaxe into the quartz vein, her hands raw from the grip. The mine’s mouth yawned behind her, a jagged wound in the hillside, while the sun beat down…
The Ember in the Ashes
The first bullet struck the oak tree at dawn, splitting its trunk like a knife through wax. Elias Mercer crouched behind the splintered bark, his breath ragged as smoke coiled from the musket in his hands. The air reeked of…
The Shrouded City
The air in Veyrith stank of iron and decay, a metallic tang that clung to the back of Lira’s throat. She pulled her cloak tighter, fingers brushing the cold steel of the dagger at her hip. The city’s spires loomed…
The Dust of Forgotten Trails
The sun hung low over the mesa, casting long shadows across the cracked earth as Clara Voss stepped off the stagecoach, her boots crunching on gravel. The air reeked of dust and pine resin, a scent that clung to her…
The Ember of Unspoken
The air in Lirien stank of ash and iron. Kaela knelt at the edge of the clearing, her fingers digging into the soil as she willed the fire to die. It didn’t. The flames roared, licking the sky with tongues…
Whispers of the Verdant Veil
The forest breathed in Lira’s presence, its ancient roots coiling like serpents beneath the moss-laden earth. She knelt at the base of the elderwood, fingers brushing the gnarled bark until it hummed beneath her touch—a sound like wind through hollow…
The Weeping Stones
The air hummed with the weight of forgotten whispers, a sound only Lira could hear. She pressed her palm to the cold stone of the village well, her breath fogging in the early morning chill. The memory surged—images of a…
The Weave of Embers
The air hummed with the scent of burnt cedar as Kaela stepped into the clearing, her boots crunching over brittle leaves. The sky above was a patchwork of gray and gold, the sun struggling to pierce the thick canopy. She…
The Weight of Ashes
Clara’s hands trembled as she lifted the iron key from the hollow beneath the floorboard, its rusted edges biting into her palm. The air in the attic reeked of mildew and forgotten years, the dust motes swirling like trapped ghosts…
The Dust and the Dawn
The sun hung low over the mesa, casting long shadows across the cracked earth as Jace traced the faded trail through the sagebrush. His boots crunched over gravel, each step a reminder of the miles behind him and the ones…
The Veil of Zeta
The air tasted metallic as Lieutenant Mara Voss stepped onto the crimson soil of Zeta-7, her boots sinking into the dust that shimmered under twin suns. The horizon stretched in jagged waves, a sea of obsidian rock fractured by veins…