The Crystal Bearer

Children were born with crystals embedded in their bodies—fragments of pure magic fused to flesh. Some gained strength. Others bent fire, shadows, or steel. Governments collapsed. Corporations rose. The Temple took control.



Now, crystal augmentation is a privilege—sold, regulated, and tightly controlled. Power belongs to the highest bidder, and freedom is a debt few can afford to pay.



Kaine knows that better than most. Once a weapon forged by the Temple’s hand, he disappeared into the fog of Haven’s Rest, a quiet port town far from the eyes of his former masters. For three years, he’s lived in peace. No blood, no orders, no past.



But debts don’t die quietly.



When a silver-haired commander arrives at his door, Kaine is offered a choice:

Kill a senator fighting to make crystal augmentation accessible to all, or spend the rest of his life in chains, hunted by the very people who made him what he is.



The mission is simple.

The target is innocent.

The reward is freedom.



And the clock is ticking.