The rustling in the undergrowth grew louder, and before Thorne could fully turn, something massive collided with him. He hit the ground hard, his body slamming into the forest floor. Dirt and leaves scattered as he rolled to his feet, daggers already drawn. His breath came in sharp, controlled bursts, eyes scanning the dark.
In the clearing ahead, the moonlight ...
2025-01-21 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post 
The dark, narrow corridors of the base blurred as Thorne strode through them, each step driven by the need to escape. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were pale, and his jaw ached from grinding his teeth. Every inch of this place, every shadowed corner, reeked of lies. Of betrayal.
Not one of them had stopped him as he left. Not the older rec...
2025-01-20 18:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostPART 1
Name: Eliza
Level: 26
Race: Human
Age: 19
Health Points: 500/500
Aether: 300/300
Stamina: 460/460
Core Attributes (5 points per l...
2025-01-19 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Thorne slipped through one of the hidden entrances of the base, his body moving on instinct through the familiar maze of dark, narrow passageways. The stale air, the faint smell of damp stone—it should have been comforting in its familiarity, but instead, it felt suffocating. He had left Uncle’s mansion only hours ago, and the weight of the day still pressed heavily on him.
His mind wandered back to his afternoon with Arletta, where he had been...
2025-01-17 18:00:12 +0000 UTC View Post
The shop was, in Jonah’s words, a “charming little hole-in-the-wall.” In reality, it was more hole than charm—a cramped, dirt-filled space no bigger than a closet, with debris scattered across the floor and a thick layer of dust coating every surface. The stone walls were cracked, and the wooden beams holding up the ceiling looked like they had seen better days—a centur...
2025-01-16 18:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Thorne took a slow sip from his goblet, letting the cool wine trickle down his parched throat. It did little to soothe the dryness after speaking for nearly an hour, recounting every detail of his mission. He had gone over everything—almost everything. He had omitted two key details, and the knowledge of what he held back simmered beneath his calm exterior.
Across ...
2025-01-15 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne pushed the heavy oak doors open, stepping into the dimly lit hall of Uncle’s mansion. The two guards stationed at the entrance fixed him with their usual death glares, but Thorne ignored them, his gaze trained forward. He had no energy left to waste on their petty attempts to intimidate him.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Arletta appeared,...
2025-01-14 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne leaned back against the wooden planks of the cart, feeling the rough texture dig into his shoulders. The cart jolted slightly as it rolled over uneven patches of the dirt road, but Thorne barely registered the movement. His thoughts were elsewhere, tangled in a web of uncertainty and unease.
Jareth and Rhea, seated across from him, had wasted no time in b...
2025-01-13 18:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne awoke with a start, the darkness of the room pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. The night was silent, save for the distant creaking of the inn's wooden beams. His body screamed in protest as he tried to sit up, the effects of the poison still lingering in his veins despite the antidote's partial success. Every movement tugged at the fresh wounds, sharp ...
2025-01-10 18:00:12 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne lay paralyzed on the cold floor, his body a prisoner to the poison coursing through his veins. Each breath felt like a monumental effort, his muscles refusing to respond to his commands.
All he could do was lie there, helpless, as Corwin approached with slow, deliberate steps. The usual jittery energy that characterized Corwin was absent; instead, t...
2025-01-09 18:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne and Rhea huddled in the shadows of a small park two tiers below the palace. The park, nestled between narrow streets and fortified buildings, was their designated fallback point—the place they’d agreed to meet if they were separated during the mission. As it turned out, the plan had been necessary.
Their journey here had been nothing short of ha...
2025-01-08 18:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne moved cautiously through the labyrinthine servants' quarters, his nerves stretched thin as he waited for Rhea. The quarters were vast, a network of chambers and hallways that seemed to stretch on forever. Each space buzzed with activity, a stark contrast to the tense, quiet anxiety building inside him.
He passed through cavernous kitchens, where dozens of cooks...
2025-01-07 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post 
The whispers spread through the ballroom like wildfire, a low, creeping buzz that rippled from one corner of the grand hall to the other. Thorne stood amidst it all, the carefully constructed mask of a carefree noble still in place, even as tension coiled tight within him. He could feel the shift in the atmosphere, the way the laughter had dulled and the music now seemed a ...
2025-01-06 18:00:13 +0000 UTC View Post
I was in the mood for something lighter, so here you go—a fun bonus chapter!
Enjoy a small adventure featuring Thorne's friends!
The scent of herbs and something distinctly... burnt filled Darius's nose as he pushed open the crooked door of Jonah's shop. The small bell above the frame jingled cheerfully, bu...
2025-01-05 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne walked down the main hallway leading to the ballroom, doing his best to hide the flinch every time he moved. The obnoxious lord had landed some solid hits, leaving his ribs bruised and his movements stiff.
He checked the notifications that had piled up during the night, pleased to see that the mission had turned out more profitable than he had initi...
2025-01-03 18:18:14 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne remained still as he watched Lord Valewyn sit alone in his office, his once-proud form now hunched over the large desk. The noble’s hands clutched his head in frustration, his posture betraying the effect the noble’s earlier meeting with the mysterious man had.
Thorne’s mind raced through possible approaches for the assassination, but he knew time w...
2025-01-02 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Happy New Year, Everyone! 🎉
As we step into a brand new year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your incredible support.
Here’s to a year filled with more stories, adventures, and growth!
Wishing you all a joyful, prosperous, and inspiring New Year!
Thank you for being amazing! 🖤
Prokopis (my actual name!😂)
Th...
2025-01-01 18:21:41 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne followed Seraphina, utterly captivated by her presence. A notification flickered at the edge of his vision.
Skill Level Up: Mindguard!
But it barely registered in his mind. Every fiber of his being was focused on her—her cascading waterfall of hair, her slim waist that swayed with every step, and the hypnotic rhythm of her h...
2024-12-30 18:11:57 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne entered the grand ballroom alongside Alden, the sounds of music and laughter washing over him as they descended the marble staircase. The room was a sea of color and light, a dizzying display of opulence that took his breath away.
Everywhere he looked, nobles moved about in elaborate outfits, the men in finely tailored suits, the women in gowns that glit...
2024-12-27 17:58:50 +0000 UTC View Post
Thorne sat at the small table in his room, the late afternoon light casting long shadows across the wooden floor. The others—Jareth, Rhea, and Corwin—were gathered around him, each holding a copy of their assigned tasks for the evening.
Everyone was tense and uneasy, the weight of the night’s mission hanging over them like a storm cloud. <...
2024-12-26 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne kept his expression cool as he watched the group of men enter the alley, their weapons drawn and bloodthirsty grins on their faces.
Rhea quickly recovered from her shock, her eyes narrowing as she took in the situation. "Why didn’t you say anything sooner?" she hissed.
Thorne didn’t respond immediately. He merely observed the approaching m...
2024-12-24 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne sat beneath the shade of a cherry blossom tree, the delicate pink petals creating a soft, ethereal canopy above him. The gazebo in which he and Alden sat was nestled in the heart of an exclusive garden, a secluded sanctuary within the bustling city of Valewind.
The garden, hidden from the public eye, was known only to the most privileged nobles of the ci...
2024-12-23 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
Just some locations mentioned in the novel.
As the story progresses I will be adding more locations.
It has been fun (and incredibly frustrating) to try and make images for what I am picturing inside my head!
2024-12-20 18:23:47 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne stood in front of the ornate mirror in his room, scrutinizing his reflection with a critical eye. Tonight’s excursion required him to look the part of a noble, and he had taken great care in preparing himself.
He wore a finely tailored coat of deep midnight blue, the fabric rich and smooth to the touch. The coat was embroidered with intricate silv...
2024-12-20 18:15:54 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne turned around slowly, his muscles tensing as he prepared to face whoever had caught him sneaking out. His eyes landed on Rhea’s massive frame, her figure barely illuminated by the dim light from the sconces lining the hallway. She stood at the foot of the stairs, arms crossed over her chest, looking down at him with an inscrutable expression.
“I was thinking of ta...
2024-12-19 18:04:01 +0000 UTC View Post 
The cart rumbled through the streets of Valewind, its wooden wheels clattering over cobblestones polished smooth by centuries of foot traffic. As they climbed higher into the city, Thorne took in the sights around him, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and unease.
Valewind was more fortress than city, its structure built into the side of a large hill, tiered and for...
2024-12-18 18:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post 
Thorne wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily as the latest aether beast collapsed at his feet. Its death rattle signaled the end of the fight, a sound both satisfying and eerie. He could feel the tension in his muscles easing as the adrenaline began to fade, replaced by a deep, weary satisfaction. It had been a while since he’d faced such a satisfying fight.
The...
2024-12-17 18:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post
Thorne awoke at the break of dawn, the first light of morning filtering through the heavy curtains of his opulent room. He stretched, feeling the stiffness of sleep in his muscles, then swung his legs over the side of the bed.
He dressed quickly, slipping into his travel clothes and packing a small bag with a few essentials—items carefully c...
2024-12-16 18:00:16 +0000 UTC View Post 
Three year later
Three years had passed since Thorne had finally been allowed to use his skills freely. The brutal training and deadly trials had never let up, leaving only 21 recruits still standing.
Thorne had played his part in thinning the herd, having killed two of his classmates. Both had tried to kill him first, but...
2024-12-13 18:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post
Thorne was heading back to his sleeping quarters between classes when he saw her—Eliza, standing in the narrow corridor just outside the entrance. Her posture was stiff, her eyes scanning the faces of passing recruits. The moment she spotted him, a mix of emotions flashed across her face: relief, tension, and something else he couldn’t quite place.
He wasn...
2024-12-12 18:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post