Circling The Sun Novels & Stories

With the Master Link secured, Aethelgard began its ascent toward the "Great Chain"—the ring of orbital platforms that circled the world’s equator. As they climbed, the temperature inside the city became the primary enemy. Without the planet’s atmosphere to insulate them, the sunny side of the city baked at 200°C while the shadow side plummeted to -150°C.

Slowly, the dark shadow of the moon began to creep across the bright face of the sun. One by one, people raised their glasses. Cheers and gasps rippled through the gathering as the sunlight dwindled. Then, in a breathtaking moment, the sun was completely covered. The sky turned deep twilight, the brighter stars became visible, and around the dark silhouette blazed the brilliant white halo of the sun’s corona.

The stone corridor of Blackthorn echoed with the sound of snapping bone and the hiss of superheated air. The two remaining Blood Moon wolves didn't hesitate; they saw the silver light flickering around my fingers and redoubled their aggression. They weren't just attacking; they were hunting an asset.

Wanted to be proven right about her being cursed. "Do not look at them," Vera said quietly. "Look only forward. At the circle." Miranda forced her eyes ahead. The sacred circle sat in the center of the clearing, drawn in salt and silver powder that gleamed under the moonlight. The pattern was intricate, symbols and lines weaving together in ways that made Miranda's eyes hurt if she looked too long. Hundreds of candles surrounded it, their flames perfectly still despite the night breeze. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

I told him and turned my back beside him with his hands wrapped on my waist while I leaned backwards to his chest and steady breathing. "This is so beautiful, Sebastian, the sun is no longer red but bright yellow. It's as if it's seeking entrance to sneak out. Do you know where the sun goes later in the night?" "Hmmmm….to another world. Once it's done with this planet, it rises to another planet. It never rests, it rotates every time." "That's sad!" "Why do you say so?" "Because something as special as unique as the sun works so hard but never gets any return for its good deeds."

Rays of light flashed around him, and an extremely hot air instantly rose from his body. A scorching hot sun suddenly appeared in the surrounding sky. The sun was rising in the sky, and the surrounding air waves were bending and rolling in the heat. Riley, who was under the shadow of the sun the size of a millstone, suddenly shouted, "Nine Suns shine in the sky!"

The round red sun hung low on the horizon, casting a glowing golden trail across the surface of the water. “Well, look who’s awake.” Rinjani startled and turned. A campfire burned nearby. The air around it was warm. Comforting. On the other side of the fire, Ki Caraka tossed dry branches into the flames, making them flare higher. Rinjani looked around again. Nothing but dense forest surrounded them. “Where is everyone else? Where are my parents?” “They’re safe,” Ki Caraka said. “You fell asleep here because you liked the view.”

The forest’s own power protects it from something that would destroy it. I sat up and looked at the wolf, his fur vibrant in the firelight. Was he the Sun, the one to bless the dragons? The Sun God to compliment The Moon Goddess? He was stunning and oh so terrifying to look at. Like looking directly into the sun. You know it’s going to hurt, maybe blink you, but it was just too beautiful to look away from. I never put much stock in the Sun God before, but seeing this beautiful wolf was proof enough for me. The Sun had answered my prayer...now I just had to fire out which ones? And why the Sun and not the moon?

"Shift… The Big Dipper… The solar system… That should be the key." Cian asked, "But how do we unlock the mechanism? I've heard of fables where a catastrophe strikes whenever the solar system aligns in a straight line. Do you think we should line up the oil lamps so that they form a single line? Would that activate the mechanism?" He linked the three keywords in a simple fashion.

Ash will bring food at some point during the reading, because Ash always brings food at the point in any significant effort when the people engaged in it have stopped noticing they are hungry. That is what the circle looks like when it is working. That is the design, alive. That is the line, continuing. I pick up my pen. I write. The moons are where they have always been. The vine is blooming. The work is here. So am I.