The Shattered Crown
The wind screamed through the skeletal trees as Kael pressed his palm against the cold bark of the ancient oak, its surface etched with symbols that pulsed faintly in the dim light. The air reeked of damp moss and something…
Survival
Read MoreThe Shattered Crown
The Dust and the Dawn
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the cracked earth of Gold Hill. Sarah Mercer adjusted her hat, squinting against the glare as she stepped off the wagon, her boots crunching over gravel. The air…
The Dust and the Dawn
Clara’s boots sank into the cracked earth as she pulled the scarf tighter around her face, the wind carving through the fabric like a blade. The sky had turned the color of ash, a low growl of thunder rumbling in…
The Last Light
The air in the command module tasted metallic, like rusted wire and static. Lieutenant Mara Voss gripped the armrests of her seat as the ship lurched, her boots pressing into the floorplate with a dull thud. Outside the reinforced glass,…
The Saltwater Code
Mara’s boots sank into the wet sand as she trudged past the rusted gates of the abandoned pier. The air reeked of brine and decay, a scent that clung to her like a second skin. She hadn’t meant to come…
Ashes of the Forgotten
The air reeked of pine resin and sweat as Sarah Hayes stepped off the wagon, her boots crunching over gravel. The town of Red Creek sprawled before her, a patchwork of sagging wooden buildings and smoldering bonfires. She adjusted her…
The Last Ember of Aetheria
The air reeked of smoke and iron as Lira crouched behind a jagged rock, her breath shallow, her fingers curled around the hilt of a dagger she hadn’t used in years. The village behind her was a smoldering ruin, its…
The Dunes of Elmhurst
The air reeked of salt and decay as Clara knelt in the mud, her fingers digging into the damp earth. The storm had passed hours ago, but the sky still hung low, bruised with clouds that threatened to weep again.…
The Hollowing
Mara traced the grooves in the metal chair with her fingertips, the cold seeping through her gloves. The fluorescent light above hummed, casting a sickly glow over the sterile room. She had no memory of how she’d gotten here, only…
The Unseen Thread
In the shadow of the Boston harbor, where salt-laced winds whispered secrets of rebellion, Elara Whitlock tended to the sick in her father’s apothecary. The year was 1774, and the air crackled with more than just the chill of early…
The Iron Veil
The air inside the station tasted metallic, like rusted pipes and static. Kael Vorn adjusted his gloves, fingers brushing against the reinforced polymer of his suit as he stepped into the dimly lit corridor. The hum of machinery pulsed through…
The Cold Fire
Clara tightened her coat against the wind as she stepped off the creaking wagon, her boots crunching on frozen gravel. The Colorado air bit through her gloves, sharp and metallic, like the scent of iron on a battlefield. She scanned…
Veil of Virelia
The sky above Virelia burned with a sickly green hue, casting an eerie glow over the cracked earth. Kaela Voss adjusted her visor, the thin plastic humming as it filtered the toxic air. Her boots sank into the dust, each…
The Last Ember of Solara
The air reeked of ash and iron as Kael plunged his dagger into the creature’s throat. Blood sprayed across his gauntlets, hot and sticky, mingling with the sweat clinging to his skin. The beast convulsed, its skeletal frame shuddering against…
The Silent Horizon
The air inside the habitat module tasted metallic, a constant reminder of the recycled systems keeping them alive. Dr. Elara Voss adjusted the scanner, its screen flickering with erratic data. Something was wrong with the seismic readings. Kael’s voice crackled…