Soulstice Briar Novels & Stories

The creature thrashed, snarling, teeth snapping at air, but the ash held—thick, black, boiling. I stared at my hands, horrified. I wasn’t pushing. I was… deciding. Dax’s eyes widened the slightest amount. “Aria.” My name sounded different in his mouth. Not warning. Not command. Recognition. The pendant flared so bright it painted my fingers copper-gold. And in that light, I saw it. A mark blooming on my wrist beneath the cloth Dax tied there: a crescent split by a line, the same symbol on the gate-stone, burning through fabric like ink made of fire.

Chapter Two: The Sanguine Ascent Dawn didn't break over the island – it bled. A jagged line of red sliced through the horizon, lighting up the Obsidian Ridge. The heat was already a physical weight pressing against my chest. I stood at the base of the trail wearing a matte – black tactical suit that clung to my skin like a second layer of armour. On my wrist, the haptic band glowed a steady, menacing blue. Beside me, the competition was a study in panic. Sloane checked her boots with cold precision. Xavier was sweating through his shirt. And then there was Brent.

"That's impossible. Briar's mother died when she was young. She's been told this her entire life." "Has she?" Guardian Kale's smile was sharp as a blade. "Or has she been told what was necessary to protect both her and the tribe?" "You're saying her mother is alive?" "Very much alive," another Guardian confirmed, stepping forward. "And ruling a tribe so powerful that they've managed to hide from us for over two decades." Slade's mind raced, pieces of a larger puzzle beginning to form. "But how? Why would she abandon her daughter?" Guardian Kale's expression grew heavy with ancient sorrow. "She didn't abandon Briar—she sold herself to join the locked sirens, sacrificing her own freedom so tha

Misinterpreting my quietness, he spoke softly, as if trying to reassure me. "It’s okay. Your mom loves you, you know. Maybe… talk to her about how your grandmother favors boys and keeps leaving you stranded here." When he mentioned my mother, his voice wavered, and he looked uneasy. It seemed like he was frightened of something. After a brief pause, he grew quiet, as though lost in thought. Then, he slowly reached into his backpack and took out a tube of ointment. With visible concern on his face, he hesitated before speaking in a low voice, "You should… use this. I asked my grandmother, and she said that for girls, it’s… important. That area is delicate and needs care."

"But the weakening of the barrier—that's happening faster than in previous cycles." "Because of the corruption," Cain says. "Each cycle makes it stronger, more determined." Mrs. Holloway nods grimly. "Precisely. And I believe Vivian may be actively helping it." "How?" I ask. "By performing preliminary rituals designed to thin the barrier early." She pulls out another document—a calendar with various dates circled. "These are reported sightings of Vivian and her followers at key locations around Moonhaven over the past month. Each corresponds to a minor celestial event—a meteor shower, a planetary conjunction."

He watches Briar’s skin, covered in dark veins that seem to be spreading across her whole leg. “A curse! You said she was just one person!” Astra yells at him, her red, fiery hair matching her fury. Crescenda, the third of the women, chimes in. “But she was, Astra. She has no coven.” “She did not feel like one, Crescenda. She was too powerful to just be one person.” “She wasn’t,” Briar says, crying, clutching her thigh. “What do you mean, Briar?”

Nio stood still, waiting for the attack, when several goblin archers on the barricades shouted: "Sunbringer, that's the Sunbringer." The shout spread among the crowd and while some called him by his new nickname, others shouted: "King slayer!" The shamans at the barricades hesitated. That hesitation gave Shieena just enough time to yell: “I am bringing home your brothers and sisters, all of them former prisoners from Canestor. I bring with me the Sunbringer, killer of the dwarf king. You will not use force against us. If you do, he will destroy you with his terrible black magic. He will rain terror and death upon you!”

I whispered, my voice sounding like sandpaper. A low, rhythmic humming filled the hollow. The air coalesced, shimmering with the scent of dried lavender and old parchment. From the hilt of the dagger, a wisp of blue-violet smoke spiraled upward, knitting itself into the translucent, flickering image of Briar’s face. She looked like hell. Her hair was a tangled mess, and a smear of dark blood ran down her forehead. Behind her, I could see the stone walls of the Council’s high-security archives.

Every second I stood here felt like another crack in what little pride I had left. A few minutes later, she came back holding a tiny bottle. The liquid inside was dark blue, almost black. It shimmered under the lab light. “Here,” she said, handing it to me. “This is it. A solstice Thorn blend. Mythic herbs, rare roots. It’s been refined and liquefied for faster absorption. It is used to nullify all soul bonds. Even the most powerful ones." I held it up, eyeing the strange contents. “So how does this work, huh?”

It's like she's inviting' you to embrace the beauty of the season and get lost in the magic of nature's transformation. And last but not least, let me put you on this mind-blowing masterpiece called "Celestial Symphony" that Ayana just dropped. Here, you are chillin' under the stars, your vibes hella high as you gaze up at the night sky. But this ain't just any ol' sky—this is like the most epic, jaw-dropping, out-of-this-world sky you've ever seen.