Ghostwriterr

"They say power corrupts... but what if corruption was the price of power?"

Lucian never sought power—he only wanted to save his grandfather. But when he inherits the Book of Envy, a cursed tome that grants desires at a terrible cost, he is thrown into a world where the strong devour the weak.

To master the book, he must train under Veyren, the twisted holder of the Book of Lost. Along the way, he meets Kael, a skilled swordsman with the Book of Blades—a boy whose abilities Lucian secretly covets.

Betrayal, obsession, and an unstoppable hunger for strength drive Lucian down a path of no return.

But what happens when he faces a power too great to steal?

A dark fantasy tale of ambition, sacrifice, and the descent into power.

Hollow Crown: The Book of Envy

Lucian exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stand firm. The weight of Veyren's words still lingered in his mind, but he couldn't afford hesitation—not now.

"You wish to save your grandfather, yet you hold the Book of Envy."

Veyren's voice was calm, but there was something underneath—an amusement born from knowing exactly how this story would end.

"Tell me, Lucian... do you even understand what it is you've inherited?"

Lucian clenched his fists. "I know it grants desires. I just need to control it."

Veyren let out a slow, deliberate chuckle, turning away. "Control? Ah, how naïve. Envy does not yield. It does not obey. It does not give—it takes."

Lucian felt his patience slipping. I don't care. I just need to learn how to use it.

Veyren suddenly snapped his fingers.

A soundless pulse spread through the room. The shadows on the walls flickered—then stretched. The floor beneath them seemed to shift, as if the space itself was unraveling.

Lucian gasped, his knees nearly buckling as something coiled around his very thoughts. His hands shook. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. He knew this feeling—the Book of Envy was reacting.

Veyren watched him with a serene, almost detached gaze.

"Your first lesson, boy. Do not wield your book as if it is merely a tool."

His ink-stained fingers gestured toward Lucian's trembling hands.

"It is alive. It is hunger itself. And right now, it is looking at me—wondering what it can steal."

Lucian gritted his teeth. He had felt this before—that creeping, sickening sensation whenever he used the book.

A whisper curled around his thoughts. Not Veyren's voice—something else.

"He is stronger than you. He is wiser. Wouldn't it be easier... to take his knowledge?"

The book pulsed against his chest, pressing deeper into his mind.

"You cannot learn. You cannot surpass him. But if you take what is his, you will no longer be weak."

Lucian's vision blurred—his body moved on instinct. He lunged at Veyren.

He hadn't seen him move. Hadn't felt anything change. Yet somehow, in a single breath, the entire space had shifted.

Veyren's voice was close now, whispering at his ear.

"Tell me, Lucian... did you act of your own will just now?"

Lucian stiffened. His mind was still foggy, his body burning with the aftershock of the Book's influence.

Veyren leaned back, letting out a small sigh, as if disappointed.

"Lesson one: If you cannot resist its whispers, you will never command its power."

Lucian swallowed. He understood now—this was not normal training.

The First Lesson