Novels by Joria

🎀 CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR🎀Remiel thrashed against the vines, the thorns tearing through his tunic and drawing beads of blood that seemed to make the mist glow even brighter. He gritted his teeth, refusing to give the shadow the satisfaction of a plea. "What do you say?" the entity asked, its voice vibrating through the very marrow of Remiel's bones. "One word, and the pain stops. One word, and the power begins." Remiel only struggled harder, his face flushed with a mix of exertion and defiance. He remained silent, his jaw locked tight. "Deep down, you want to kill them ALL!" the entity roared, the sound hitting Remiel like a physical blow, making his ears ring. "I can feel the heat of your rage! It’s a beautiful, burning sun inside that pathetic chest of yours! You want to see the palace crumble! You want to see them beg for mercy!" "What... exactly are you?" Remiel finally wheezed, his strength spent. The entity erupted into a jagged, mocking laugh that echoe

🎀 CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE🎀 Remiel finally breached the final thicket, his chest heaving with a wet, rattling sound. His cloak was in ribbons, and the leg he had injured earlier felt like it was being seared by a branding iron. He collapsed against a jagged rock wall, his eyes searching the gloom. The whispering had stopped entirely, replaced by a silence so heavy it felt like lead in his ears. "Mother?" he croaked, his voice cracking. "I'm here. Where are you?" No answer. He began to scramble through the undergrowth, his hands shaking as he pushed aside a curtain of rotting, pale vines. That’s when he saw it. The cave entrance yawned like a hungry mouth, and deep within the shadows sat an altar. His eyes widened as he approached the stone coffin. It wasn't a prison for a queen; it looked like a tomb for a monster. Heavy, rusted iron chains were coiled around the stone like snakes, and ancient seals flickered with a dying, ghostly light. Clack. Clack. The

🎀CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO🎀 Remiel bent down, his fingers tangling roughly into Cayren’s hair and yanking his head back to force him to look up. Something dark seemed to shimmer in Remiel's pupils. "What am I?" he repeated, his voice trailing off into a chilling, airy whisper. Cayren choked on the metallic taste of blood, his eyes narrowing despite the pain. "You are obviously... not Remiel," he hissed. Remiel let out a sharp, jagged laugh that echoed off the trees, sounding more like a bark than a human emotion. "Wow... is it really that obvious? I thought I was doing such a convincing impression of the 'fragile' little prince." "Where is he?" Cayren wheezed, his hands clawing weakly at the dirt. "Where is the real Remiel?" Remiel's expression flattened instantly, the mock-amusement vanishing. He released Cayren’s hair with a shove, acting as though he had suddenly grown bored of the game. "Enough asking questions. You're starting to give me a headache." With

🎀CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE🎀 Cayren took the lonely path leading toward the stream, his hand resting instinctively on the hilt of his sword. He pulled the reins, bringing the horse to a halt a short distance away, his eyes scanning the area. There was no one in sight. The only thing filling the silence was the relentless, heavy roar of the waterfall. He urged the horse onto a narrower, secondary path that cut deeper into the thicket. As he moved, the forest seemed to close in around him. The air grew thick and damp, and for a moment, the only sounds were the soft thud of hooves on wet earth and the distant, melodic chirping of birds. But then, the horse snorted, sidestepping in a sudden panic. Cayren blinked, his gaze dropping to the ground. His breath hitched. Dead bodies. He pulled the horse to a sharp stop and leaped down before the beast had even settled. He moved forward, his boots crunching on fallen leaves, and knelt beside the first body. He turned the m

🎀CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY🎀 "Irene! Irene, talk to me! Are you okay?" Zayla cried, her voice frantic as she lightly slapped Irene’s pale cheek. Irene’s eyes fluttered open, rolling back before finally focusing on Zayla’s worried face. She let out a jagged, painful wheeze. Zayla quickly hooked her arms under Irene’s shoulders, helping her sit up against a damp mossy rock. "What the hell... just happened?" Irene managed to croak out, her voice sounding like it had been dragged over gravel. She gingerly touched her throat, where the red marks of Remiel’s fingers were already darkening. "Wasn't that him? The Last Prince? The one you’ve been so... worried about?" She winced, leaning her head back. "Jas, why did he attack us? He looked like he wanted us dead." Zayla looked toward the treeline where Remiel had vanished, her heart aching even through her fear. She shook her head violently. "I think something is controlling him," Zayla insisted, her voice trembling. "I swear o

🎀 CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN🎀 The trek to the stream was smooth, even if they were doing it on foot. They spent most of the walk talking over each other and laughing like absolute lunatics, their voices echoing through the quiet woods. To get to the water, they had to cut through some dense bushpaths where the greenery grew thick and tangled. Zayla started slowing down, her eyes darting nervously between the shadows of the tall trees. "Aren't there, like... wild animals out here?" she asked, her voice dropping an octave as she stepped over a gnarly root. Irene leaned in close, her expression turning dead serious. "Oh, definitely. There’s one in particular, a massive, man-eating boar with tusks as long as your arms. Raaaa!" "What?!" Zayla shrieked, nearly jumping out of her skin. She spun around, ready to bolt. "Nope! Let's turn back right now!" Irene immediately burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching her stomach. "Oh my god, your face! I was kidding, Jas!