DEADALUS author of AETHERBORN

CHAPTER 22

Thorne crouched on the rooftop of a building across the street from the Thornfield estate, the cool night air brushing against his face. The darkness clung to him like a second skin, his only true ally tonight. His heart pounded steadily, an uneasy mix of fear and excitement churning in his chest. Failure wasn't an option—not this time. Uncle’s counting on me, he reminded himself, tightening his grip on the cold stone beneath him. He couldn’t affor...

CHAPTER 21

As soon as their conversation about the forest ended, Uncle's expression shifted, his eyes glinting with something sharp and calculating. "Let's play a game," he said, his tone light but carrying that familiar edge that always made Thorne uneasy.

Thorne wanted to groan but knew better than to show any frustration. Uncle’s games were never just games. They were tests. And failing usually came with harsh consequences. No use trying to get out of th...

CHAPTER 20

Thorne woke to the unfamiliar creaks and groans of a room that felt as broken as he did. He blinked groggily, trying to take in his surroundings. The small, dilapidated space had walls with cracks wide enough for beams of sunlight to slice through, and a salty breeze from the sea gently ruffled his hair. The floor beneath him was uneven, the wooden planks groaning with each subtle movement. In one corner sat an old, rickety table, cluttered with scraps of fabric, discarded object...

CHAPTER 19

Thorne lay flat on the forest floor, his chest rising and falling slowly as he stared up at the patch of sky visible through the canopy. The high-pitched squeals of the dying boar gradually faded, leaving the forest unnervingly quiet. His body was screaming in pain, his muscles weak and trembling, but despite it all, a grin slowly spread across his dirt-streaked face.

He’d done it. He had gained a new skill and—finally—leveled up.

His limbs felt like dead weight...

CHAPTER 18

Thorne moved cautiously through the dense forest that bordered Caledris and the neighboring Elven kingdoms. Dawn had barely broken when he slipped out of the western gate, unnoticed, blending into the morning mist. His mission was singular and clear: he needed to gain experience, and the only way to do that was to hunt. His hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his dagger, ready to find aether beasts.

The trail leading into the forest was barely...

CHAPTER 17

Thorne sat on his small bed, wincing as he gingerly probed the ugly bruise on his side. Uncle had been right: Sid was treating him worse than ever, as if he had a personal vendetta. Since that last meeting with his uncle, Sid had made it his personal mission to make Thorne's life a living hell.

The training sessions stretched longer each night, ending only when the first light of dawn crept into the sky. By then, Thorne was beaten to a pulp, barely able to stand. Sid no lon...

CHAPTER 16

Thorne followed Sid through the streets of Alvar, trying to hold back his curiosity, but questions kept flying out of his mouth. "Where are we going? Why can't you just tell me? Is Uncle really waiting for us?"

Sid never once answered, only smirking and chuckling evilly, clearly enjoying Thorne's frustration. As they marched towards the center of the city, the small winding roads turned into bustling, well-maintained streets. Thorne's curiosity turned into appr...

CHAPTER 15

Thorne's heart pounded as the metallic sphere's bell-like ring echoed through the air, shattering the calm of the night and alerting the entire estate to his presence. "Oh shit!" he muttered under his breath, panic surging through him like a tidal wave.

His mind raced as adrenaline took over. He had to act fast. Without hesitation, Thorne scrambled to the edge of the balcony, using every bit of his acrobatics skill to leap toward the nearest tree. ...

CHAPTER 14

Thorne perched on the thick branch, savoring the last morsel of his blueberry pie. He licked his fingers, searching for any forgotten crumbs, but finding none, he sighed in resignation and tried to get comfortable. A simple shift made him wince as pain shot through his body. His entire form was a tapestry of bruises and cuts, courtesy of his training with Sid.

The past week had been a relentless cycle of dodging, running, and fighting through the labyrinthine streets of Alv...

CHAPTER 13

"Well, well. Maybe you are not a lost cause after all."

Thorne turned to see Sid standing there, his thin, weasel-like face twisted into a predatory grin. His yellowed, rotting teeth glinted in the dim morning light, even from a distance, Thorne could smell the stench of alcohol wafting from him. The man was bristling with daggers, each blade glinting menacingly like the eyes of a hungry wolf.

“Sid,” Thorne said, his voice steadier than he felt. His heart hammered...

CHAPTER 12

“Attack!”

Thorne hesitated, then lunged forward, his hand gripping the knife awkwardly. The blade felt foreign in his grasp, and his movements were slow, hesitant. Sid sidestepped effortlessly, a blur of motion, and Thorne’s clumsy thrust met only empty air.

“What in the forgotten bastard son’s pimple was that?” Sid barked, his voice laced with contempt. He glared at Thorne, his eyes flashing with irritation.

Thorne looked at him, bewildered and brea...

CHAPTER 11

Thorne was woken early the next morning by a gentle nudge. His body ached, every movement reminding him of the brutal beating he had endured the previous night. As he tried to sit up, pain radiated from the bruises and cuts that marred his skin, making him wince.

“Uncle said to wake you early and give you a good breakfast,” Gilly, one of the kinder barmaids, said with a soft smile. She placed a small plate on the rickety table near his bed. The...

CHAPTER 10

Thorne sat uncomfortably at the worn wooden chair, trying his best to suppress a grimace. His entire body ached from the beating Jonah and his gang had given him, and every shift sent jolts of pain through his muscles. But the pain wasn’t the only reason for his discomfort—sitting directly across from him was Uncle.

The older man’s sharp, intelligent eyes tracked Thorne’s every movement like a hawk watching its prey. Uncle shoveled a mouthful of melted cheese and bi...

CHAPTER 9

1 year later

Thorne dashed through the bustling fish market, weaving between pedestrians as he fought to hold his breath against the overpowering stench of old fish. The air was thick with the smell of salt and rot, making his stomach churn, but he pressed on, forcing himself through the crowded street.

Sundown’s coming, he thought bitterly, glancing up at the sky. The sun was already sinking below the horizon, casting long shadows acro...

CHAPTER 8

Thorne sat beside his father for what felt like hours. He wasn’t sure how long he had cried, but at some point, the tears had stopped, leaving only an emptiness in their wake. His face was wet, and he wiped at his cheeks with the back of his hand, but something sticky clung to his skin, refusing to go away.

He rubbed harder, his sleeve smearing the substance even further across his face.

“Go away,” he whispered brokenly, his voice barely more than a breath.

CHAPTER 7

Thorne jolted awake, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. The room was pitch black, the moonlight barely able to pierce the thick gloom that enveloped him. His breath came in short gasps, but he couldn’t understand why he was so scared. Something had startled him awake, something loud, but his mind was too foggy to grasp what it was.

As the haze in his mind slowly cleared, a deep, thundering sound reached his ears—growing louder with each passing second. The...

CHAPTER 6

“HOW MANY?” his mother yelled, her voice filled with shock.

Thorne froze, terrified he had said something wrong. His mother’s eyes were wide, her disbelief so clear that he felt his heart leap into his throat. Seeing his reaction, she visibly forced herself to calm down, taking a deep breath. After a moment, she bent down so their eyes were level, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Honey, how many points did you say you had?” she asked, her voice softer now, tr...

CHAPTER 5

Thorne stood frozen, his hand clutching at his chest as if to protect the core inside him. Fear gripped his body, making it hard to breathe. His mother’s serious expression only made the terror worse, and for a long moment, all he could do was stare at her, his heart racing.

Eventually, his heartbeat began to slow, but the fear lingered, a heavy weight pressing down on him. “But...” he murmured, his voice weak and desperate. “But I’m human, right? So, it’s okay....

CHAPTER 4

The meal was strange. Thorne could feel the weight of his father’s and Bea’s gazes on him, as if they couldn’t help but steal glances every few moments. They looked at him like he was something dangerous—like a wild animal that could lash out at any second. Every time Thorne looked up, their eyes quickly darted away, as if they were trying to hide their concern. His father, in particular, looked guilty, and every now and then Thorne would catch his mother nudging him unde...

CHAPTER 3

Thorne heard murmurs all around him—indistinct voices that swirled in the fog of his mind, too far away to understand. He thought he could hear his mother’s voice, soft and soothing, but no matter how hard he tried, his eyes wouldn’t open. He willed them to move, to lift, but it was as if his body no longer belonged to him.

The murmurs faded, and he became more aware of the dull ache that permeated every inch of his body. It wasn’t sharp pain, just a constant, throb...

CHAPTER 2

"Thorne!"

Thorne grimaced, quickly shoving his wooden soldiers under the bed. The valiant Ser Knight had been on the verge of defeating the evil wizard, and now—of all times—his mother had to call him. Why now? He let out a huff of frustration. Ser Knight’s sword was about to deal the final blow. Ugh.

"Coming!" he hollered back, pulling on his boots. He cast one last glance at the half-finished battle, then sprinted outside.

He found his mother in her gard...

CHAPTER 1

Nine Years Ago

The hare was munching on some wild ederwheed, completely oblivious to the arrow aimed at it. Thorne’s small arms trembled as he struggled to keep his bowstring taut, his fingers beginning to cramp from the tension. His breath was shallow, his heart pounding in his ears as he tried to steady himself. The hare’s nose twitched, sensing something amiss in the stillness.

Thorne let the arrow fly.

Even before it left hi...