Absolution A Southern Reach Novel Novels & Stories

They were waiting for me to let my guard down. Well, that’s not quite true. I mean, I’m not sure if that’s true or not. “Waiting” implies they had ill intent, and all these years later, I still don’t know what their intent was. The beating in my head ceased, and I opened my eyes. The muted, neutral cream-colored hotel walls were gone, displaced by the open air of Carcosa’s dark shoreline. The briny stench from the hissing tides of Lake Hali wafted over my face, and black stars twinkled in a dusk-lit sky overhead. I sat up on the bed and watched in astonished horror as a pair of reddened moons rose upon the horizon, one eclipsing the other in an eternal cosmic dance. When I turned to follow t

I rode beside him, the cold biting my cheeks, my thoughts caught between fear and resolve. Every mile north, the world grew darker. The trees thinned, their trunks charred black as though fire had kissed them and left nothing but scars. The air grew heavier, humming with a low vibration that made my teeth ache. Then, finally, we saw it. At the edge of the frozen valley stood a fortress of obsidian stone. It hadn’t been there before—the ground still steamed around its base, like it had clawed its way up from the underworld itself. Black fire flickered along its walls, casting no light.

Chapter 22 Liora's POV “The Lord is ready to accept all who come to him. He is ready to welcome them into his fold. Abandon your ways...“ I zone out the rest of the preacher's words as I walk into the little church in my community—a place I swore never to return to. But it's inevitable. I'm doing this for Aunt. I know she won't be happy, but I'm willing to take her anger as long as she's alive.

“Lena, don’t think that Nico still pining for you means you’ve won. Let me tell you, when the Sorrentino family fell, he played a part. He sold your family’s business secrets to our rivals. “He originally wanted you as his mistress, but you escaped to Nassau.” She sneered, her eyes sharp as a blade. “And look at you, lucky enough to land Vincent. But your good days are over. A murderer only deserves prison!” With that, she let out a scream and tumbled into the raging sea like a kite cut loose. Nico arrived in a rush. His eyes were fixed on the waves, but he didn’t move forward. I expected him to explode in rage, but instead, he turned away, expressionless.

The air around them crackled with energy as the seal on the ancient text began to break. Ava gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain as the power of the Underworld pulsed through her. She could feel it—the connection growing stronger, the missing piece of her soul finally falling into place. With a final surge of energy, the altar cracked open, revealing a glowing scroll within. Ava collapsed to her knees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Hayden was at her side in an instant, pulling her into his arms. “You did it,” he whispered, his voice filled with awe.

"Go." He stands. His legs are unsteady. He has to brace himself against the wall to keep from falling. For a moment, he just looks at me—this broken, bleeding, burning woman in the corner of a dungeon cell. His face is a mask of grief and guilt and something that looks like love. Then he turns. He walks to the door. He doesn't look back. The door closes. The lock turns. And I am alone with the fire and the darkness and the terrible, burning knowledge that the man who saved my life as a child just poisoned me to save his own.

My parents look up just a little bit causing me to see a weird glow in their eye's like a way to show me that their okay, but that couldn't have been real. The heat in the room increased "shit, fire" a man's voice said as he grabbed onto my arm pulling me up towards him. "Night night" the man in the trench coat said from infront of me and everything went black.

My ghost trembled on the verge of unraveling. I was dead. I'd been sold to the brothel, tortured beyond measure, devoured by dogs until nothing was left of me. And all of it—every last shred of suffering, every ounce of guilt I'd carried for "killing" my brother—had been one colossal, sick joke. A tidal wave of absurdity and bitter rage crashed over me. My spirit screamed in silence, howling, splintering apart. But when the crying was over, all that remained was a hollow, unfamiliar calm.

My vision blurred as a surge of hatred and dissatisfaction flooded my chest. Why, even after starting over, could I still not escape? Why did these damned people get to live again? What had I done wrong? Then suddenly, the grip on my throat loosened. Air rushed into my lungs, and I broke into violent coughing. The Lane family protested, “Mr. Kane, what are you doing?” “How can you let someone like her go?” “You think you can tell me what to do?” Victor swept them with a cold glance. Instantly, silence fell.

" I moved my hands and feet. In the faint clinking of metal, I looked down at the cuffs and shackles locked around me. Familiar behavior, familiar lines, familiar Adrian. People say you cannot step into the same river twice. But Adrian could. For a moment, I was in a daze. I almost thought I had gone back in time. "Why did it take you so long to find me this time?" I did not know which part of that sentence had struck him. His pupils shrank violently. He raised a hand and pressed hard against his temple. His whole body swayed. The next second, he collapsed straight toward me. At that moment, the door was violently pushed open. Vanessa stood at the very front. Behind her were Mr. and Mrs. Bla