LOGINThe Cathedral of St. Jude was bathed in a light so pure it felt like a judgment. Today was the day of the Royal Investiture, the moment Leo Draven would officially become the Protector of the Realm. Thousands gathered outside, their cheers muffled by the thick, ancient stone walls, while the high
The weeks following the "Great Glitch"—as the official palace records called it—were the most delicate in the history of the realm. While the public celebrated a swift recovery of the kingdom’s infrastructure, the Draven estate became a high-security sanctuary for a population that didn't officially
The North Wing of the palace was a place of soft carpets and muted sunlight, designed to be a sanctuary for the future of the realm. But as the Dravens sprinted through the gilded corridors, it felt like a labyrinth of ice. The silence here was worse than the screaming of the machines in the High Co
The High Court chamber, usually a sanctuary of measured speech and ancient law, became a slaughterhouse of chrome and code. The grey smoke was so thick that the only things visible were the glowing blue optics of the Twelve Judges. "Lucien, get down!" Kaiser’s voice boomed over the hiss of the gren
The surface of the harbor was a churning cauldron of black grease and freezing foam. Kaiser, Izora, and Caspian collapsed onto the swaying deck of the salvage barge, the massive crane still groaning under the tension of the warehouse roof it had just ripped away. "Leo!" Izora scrambled to the edge
Benedict paused by the tall window, the rain casting streaks across his reflection. He stared at himself, at the monster he had willingly become, and smiled. Monsters did not regret. Monsters survived. Let her mother protect her now, he thought, a sneer tugging at his lips. Let her husband shield
Aralyn Nathaniel. Owning the golden-lit ballroom, the woman moved quickly across it; her dark green silk gown hung like melting emeralds, her shoes clicking boldly on the marble. Heads turned as the throng moved for her. She approached. She didn’t even glance at Izora. Instead, she walked straigh
Izora lowered her head slightly, her voice soft and clear. “Greetings, Your Highness.” Peter Eirian blinked, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement. He turned to his son, His eyes narrowed in imitation contempt. “You did not tell her, did you?” He said, the words more of a statement tha
As the white Phantom excused her, the White Phantom directed Izora down the marble steps, and the city skyline sparkled like a jeweled crown. Above them, the moon cut glittering pathways across the reflecting pool's water. Lanterns dotting the path danced across Izora's light-pink gown in golden glo
“I’d rather not be the reason you die,” he said flatly. “If you’re going to chew like a rabbit panicking in a thunderstorm. All because you were too busy staring at me.” Izora took the water and drank gratefully, her throat still tight from embarrassment and half-swallowed pasta. “I—I’m sorry for







