《Always There》10. Gem
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I survived the first day. Mr. Symthe is okay for a teacher. He looked impressed when he caught me drawing in class. "There's an art class later this month. Deadline is in three weeks." I wanted to refuse, but I couldn't.
I know Jem was watching me. She thinks I'm worried about Ms. Stanley. I told her that I wasn't. She was not convinced. She knows and means well.
Speaking of Jem, she became popular. I can tell from the amount of her friends. I decided to try to stay out of school. Mom thinks I'm trouble at home. I don't want to be a criminal everywhere.
The offer for the art class came around at dismissal. I explained it to Jem. She said, "That's great! You should do that." I wasn't too sure about it. Mom probably won't approve, anyway. Give or take.
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NOVA INTERIT.US
It's 2063, and the town along with much of the nation are in disarray. The decay started years before the Great Event. Our town still had hope thanks to the five families, who'd created a blockchain based water distribution system for the locals, a valuable secret hidden from the Global Water Commission and their network of mercenaries. Earlier in the mid-2040's, right after the state secessions of Idaho, Montana, and Texas, the Global Council of Water Commissioners made their deals and moved into towns throughout the country. They called it "the integration." The Commission and their contractors integrated with municipal water departments, using their organized network to invade like parasites on local services. It all coincided with the 29th Amendment to the United States Constitution, later referred to as the Regional Trident Plan. Nova is a story about survival, power structures, the turning of relationships, and the networking between people and the systems to which they belong. It’s about A.I. blockchain possibility, and its potential for human betterment versus our detriment. It’s about the question of whether or not we need to be saved from ourselves, and by who or what? The Great Event at the end of the first chapter might just be what actually saves us. The epilogue will take place in 2517. This scene is fully sketched and the full arc of the novel is set. I expect to finish Nova Interitus by summer of 2023. This is realist hard-sci-fi dystopian fiction. I hope you find Nova to be a challenging and consuming story. This is not something I planned to write. It all came to me in a dream and I haven't been able to stop writing it. This Royal Road posting is basically a beta test with chapters and drafts to get some feedback and see if there's any readership for this narrative. For the full experience read Nova on Substack. I will be narrating a podcast version later this year there. https://novainteritus.substack.com/
8 145 - In Serial49 Chapters
Catalyst: Avowed
The year is 605, and in your home— the country of Corcaea— the souls of mankind belong to demons. A phenomenon known as the "Catalyst" is what's to blame. This diabolical phenomenon lurks within every man, woman, and child. It can turn any human into a demon, if they fall prey to one, all-consuming element. It can be anything. Fear. Grief. Generosity. Even love. In a land where Gods are real and Corcaea's theocracy is the last hope for mankind, you follow in the footsteps of Father Richard Anscham: a deeply disturbed young priest, the leader of the Church of Mercy, and the foremost researcher of the Catalyst. Despite completing a holy mission from the Goddess of Mercy, obtaining a holy Relic, and escaping from demon-infested ruins, Father Anscham is in greater peril than ever before. Ravaged in mind, body, and soul, the solace he begs to receive from the Church of Flesh is impeded by a cruel lesson: the ramifications of a life spent sacrificing everything one has for others. See through the harrowing eyes of a man at his wit's end; through a dark fantasy tale of horror, hope, and desperation. Search for the cure. Conquer your personal demons. Welcome to Catalyst! As this is an archive of Catalyst Quest (an interactive, collaborative story), the prompts that were included with the original run of Avowed have been stripped, and the story is presented like a traditional novel for your reading convenience. If you would like to read Catalyst in its original format or participate in current events, you can find us here, on Sufficient Velocity. This book is complete! The story will continue with Catalyst: Calunoth, just as soon as I am done revising its content for here on Royal Road.
8 254 - In Serial15 Chapters
Warrior's Oath
What did the past forget and what had history remembered? Witness the memorable stories of three ancient warriors from distant lands: Norway, Japan and France. Connected by fate spinning webs that tie to many other kingdoms, controlled by a god lurking in the shadows. An 11th-century tale of truths and lies, the misdeeds of humans. A viking from the north guilty of sins swore an oath to live. A samurai from the east hungry for revenge swore an oath to kill. A knight from the west desiring strength swore an oath to protect. Answer me this, not as a feeble mortal but a disciple of war whose fame is immortal. Are you brave enough to swear the warrior’s oath? Edit: I do not own the cover, weekly updates on Tuesday and Saturday
8 524 - In Serial10 Chapters
MAGIK
Magik - LitRPG Join Samuel Hyzaar, a burgeoning [Apprentice Magi], gifted, and talented beyond many others, in exploring the underlying threads of reality in this new Fantasy fiction. Born to the Hyzaar family, part of the modern nobility, Samuel has to prove himself to others as well as his own family. After developing a never-before-seen skill, he is whisked off to the Royal Arcane Academy. --- Expect very slow updates since writing is just a hobby of mine.
8 100 - In Serial57 Chapters
Cyber Mage
Veiss is the heir to a cult hacker group despite not being a believer himself. He eagerly awaits the day he can take his rightful place on the throne. (Perhaps too eagerly to wait.) What seemed like another simple undercover assignment to root out dirty cops, takes Grieselda into the darkest pits of Gau City's corruption. Ray Dawn leads his cybercrime unit on a relentless chase against a notorious hacker but his motives for catching the outlaw aren't as pure as he would have his colleagues believe. The Collective are a simple entity. They want freedom. They want vengeance. And they'll risk any amount of their members for just one of them to attain their goals because they are many in one and one in many. Follow our "heroes" as their lives intertwine and they clash as each pursues their own goals. But most of all, observe how each perceives their dystopian world within their own biases.
8 102 - In Serial8 Chapters
The Lord of Mischief
In an epoch where transcendental entities roamed the lands and religions of opposing doctrines contend for ideological supremacy, Mephistopheles, an ancient evil had emerged from the deepest crevice of the abyss onto the mortal realm.He ventures throughout the land to reclaim his lost authority and return to his rightful throne as the Venerable Lord of Mischief and Deceit. Although with his profligate and debauched nature, he is bound to take countless detours before he could achieve his ultimate goal. Will his inevitable encounters with unique individuals redefine his hardened perspective and reshape his philosophy in life?Honestly, no one knows.
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