Alex_3543

Born a stillborn in the slave pits of Ashraka, Levi Zahir should have never taken a breath. But when an ancient force answers his mother’s desperate cries, Levi is brought back—marked by glowing runes no one in the lower castes understands.

He is Veilborn, touched by a power older than gods, feared by the few nobles who still remember its name. Raised in secrecy on the edge of a dying world, Levi grows up hardened by survival—but the mark on his skin refuses to stay hidden.

When a chance encounter brings him to the gates of a prestigious magic academy, Levi sees a way out: power, knowledge, and coin—all tools to fight the world that branded him lesser. But inside the academy, the stakes are higher than he imagined. He’s met with suspicion, rivalry, and dangerous magic—and the truth about the Veilborn is buried deeper than he ever expected.

As Levi forms unlikely bonds with outcasts and elites alike, he must navigate ancient secrets, political games, and a prophecy tied to demons stirring across the continent. And all the while, something is watching him from beyond the Veil.

Because Levi’s birth was no miracle.

It was a beginning.
It’s a warning.

Ashborne: The Nameless Sun

The sun hadn't even reached its peak, but the camp was already on the move. Tents were coming down. Wagons were being loaded. The scent of sweat and dust hung thick in the air as guards barked orders, shoving people into motion like pieces on a board. Levi moved slowly, his arms sore and trembling, the lashes on his back sticking to his shirt with every motion. He hadn't eaten. Hadn't had water. His muscles burned from carrying the rock earlier, and every breath reminded him of the boot Rusk had planted in his ribs.

"You deaf, boy? Move the crate!" a guard snarled.

Levi obeyed. He bent to lift it—slow, deliberate. If he moved too fast, his back would tear open again.

As he dragged the crate toward the supply wagon, he passed the rusted cage chained to a cart near the edge of camp.

Her legs were crossed, one boot tapping against the bars, her blonde hair tangled around her face. But her eyes—those sharp, bright-green eyes—tracked Levi like a hawk. She grinned when she saw him wince.

Levi didn't answer. He kept his head down and shoulders hunched, trying not to show how badly he was hurting.

"Shame," she added. "Would've made a dramatic ending, you collapsing with that rock. Very tragic. Real inspiring."

He set the crate down with a grunt and shot her a tired glance. "You're in a cage."

"And yet I've still got more freedom in my mouth than you do in your whole spine," she fired back, smirking.

A few nearby slaves flinched, glancing around in panic. One even hissed under his breath, "Quiet, girl!" Sera didn't flinch. She kicked the bars. "What? They already locked me up. What're they gonna do? Lock me up again?" Levi shook his head and started walking away, but her voice followed him.

"Hey!" she called. "You gonna pretend like you didn't almost drop that boulder back there? Thought you were gonna eat dirt and cry for your mommy." He stopped.

"Would you have held it?" he asked, voice hoarse. She tilted her head, brows raised. "Nope. Would've dropped it on Rusk's foot and spit in his face."

"Not if I smiled while I did it." Despite himself, something in Levi's gut twisted—something that felt close to a laugh. But it hurt too much to come out.

"You're insane," he muttered, rubbing his shoulder. She shrugged. "Insane's just a word they use when someone isn't broken the right way."

The guards began chaining the slaves together, barking for them to line up. One of them approached Sera's cage and slammed the door shut, locking it with heavy chains.

"You're lucky you're worth something, girl," he muttered.

Levi took his place in the line near the back, the heat pressing down like a second skin. The wagon with Sera's cage creaked into motion behind them.

"Hey, Levi," she whispered through the bars as he was shackled next to her cage walking with it. She leaned forward through the bars, chin resting on the metal, grinning like a devil. "Next time you feel heroic, maybe try doing it without bleeding all over the place."

He rolled his eyes and kept walking—but not fast enough to hide the way his lips twitched.

weight of sand 4