angel_writes00

A story about a place that neither exists in maps or history books, this place was called Athame.

•••

"The root of every fear is the unknown, yet how can one fear what they cannot grasp? Tch... how misleading." His voice, deep and rough, sent an involuntary shiver through her as he closed the distance between them with deliberate steps, his presence suffocating in its intensity.

With a slow, predatory grace, his fingers brushed along her jaw, settling on a strand of her scarlet hair, his touch deceptively tender. "Knowing me will matter little," he whispered darkly, his breath warm against her skin. "For even in the shadows of uncertainty, you will come to fear... and desire me all the same."

•••

Aricia, born with extraordinary abilities in a world that fears anything out of the ordinary, was destined for a marriage alliance to secure peace between kingdoms. 

But on the day of her engagement, her entire family is slaughtered—by the very family she was meant to marry into. 

Grief-stricken and consumed by vengeance, Aricia swore to destroy those who betrayed her. She would wield the very power they had feared against them, seeking justice with no mercy. After years on the run, she found shelter within an elemental clan, hiding her abilities and keeping to the shadows.

But her carefully constructed peace shattered in a single moment. A burning touch, a chance encounter with his haunting gray eyes—an unknown force within her stirred, threatening to unravel her carefully guarded secrets and the fragile balance of magic, madness, and vengeance she had built....

Vengeance Through Passion

The steam from the broth filled the room, heavy and cloying. It curled through the stale air, coiling like ghostly fingers around their shoulders. It carried the scent of herbs and salt, but there was no warmth in it—only the oppressive reminder of how little comfort remained in their confinement. Just like the silence, it lingered too long. 


The only sound was the occasional scrape of Caelric’s spoon against his plate, a grating rhythm that chipped away at the tense quiet, making the moment all the more unbearable. He didn’t seem to mind the discomfort his eating caused, nor the way the others stiffened at the sound. 


Aricia sat motionless, her shoulders slightly hunched, her head bowed. Her thoughts drifted, unbidden, to the dream she had in the old bookstore. That strange, vivid illusion had haunted her ever since. She couldn't shake it. It clung to her like a shadow, coloring her waking moments with unease. 


Chapter 73| Veil Room