My first story, feedback is appreciated.

Fifteen-year-old bookworm Joan lived a poor but sheltered life, her only worry was the upcoming rite that granted individuals of her age a soulbound magic weapon called an Animus-blade. Failure to acquire one labelled you as an outcast who is left to rot by society at large and Joan has good reason to believe that she will be among them.

But after her only friend, Alessia goes missing Joan is slowly dragged into the cruel world and is forced to decide how she will confront the darkness in the recesses of humanity or be broken by it.

[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge - April 2022]