Kalden opened his eyes as beams of sunlight streamed in through the blinds. He normally woke up well before the sun, but he’d been distracted last night and forgot to set his alarm.
Akari breathed softly in the bed beside him. Her face was half-buried in her pillow, but the citrusy scent ...
2022-12-24 15:53:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe match ended soon after Kalden destroyed the power plant. Unlike the qualifier rounds, which kept going until the last group of survivors, this exam focused more on the major objectives. Now that Kalden had blown up the plant, it was impossible for any faction to win.
Moon Army had been ...
2022-12-21 12:33:24 +0000 UTC View PostKalden crept down the hallway, searching for his hidden opponent. The plant lay eerily quiet, even as the distant sounds of battle approached from outside. A few more specialized Artists had probably gotten inside, but his map showed most of Blood Army fighting for key positions around the city.<...
2022-12-14 13:17:34 +0000 UTC View PostNimble dropped his Invisibility Cloak and scurried away from his spot on the catwalk. Operation Crusher was a total failure, and it showed on his pale face.
“They dodged it,” he said as he rejoined the group on the concrete platform.
“Awesome,” Sadie whispered. “Now we’ve ...
2022-12-11 13:27:37 +0000 UTC View PostAkari surveyed the arena, taking in the abandoned city streets. The shops and restaurants were all closed, with no lights shining behind their glass windows. Apartment buildings loomed above them, and the sky was dark with storm clouds.
Her teammates stood in a loose half-circle, fidgeting ...
2022-12-09 02:17:42 +0000 UTC View Post“Seatbelts on,” Camila Warder said from the front of the airship’s cabin. “We’re descending in two minutes.”
Kalden closed his theoretical aspects textbook, returned it to his backpack, and then secured his seatbelt in place. A hundred other students did the same all around the ...
2022-12-04 02:20:37 +0000 UTC View PostAkari’s fingers flew across the keyboard as she waited for her team’s next duel. She and the others sprawled out in a corner of the training hall, and her job was to crack the generators’ updated security.
“How much longer?” she asked the group.
“Boznak and Windstrider are...
2022-11-27 13:45:19 +0000 UTC View PostKalden paced through the Darklight’s estate, waiting for the results of his soulscan.
He’d met with Irina that afternoon, right after his lunch with Sozen. He’d asked her for a scan, but he’d secretly hoped she would laugh the idea away, followed by some smug comment like, “Your b...
2022-11-21 12:53:06 +0000 UTC View PostKalden stared at a ghost from across the green lawn. He’d already seen his brother in his dreams, the same way he’d seen his father. But this was different. Elend’s dreams had felt like reality, but they were still dreams. For all their detail and immersive power, they could still shatter w...
2022-11-19 15:21:38 +0000 UTC View PostHere's a preview from Chapter 2 of the upcoming TLR audiobook! (I chose a spot near the end of the chapter because it had more dialog and action.)
The audiobook is narrated by Suzy Jackson, who I think did a great job overall. She was my #1 choice for a narrator because I was a huge fan of ...
2022-11-13 13:03:13 +0000 UTC View PostAkari had a free hour after lunch, so she headed to the Mana Arts and Sciences building to find Elend. She pulled open a heavy wooden door and found a room that resembled a small theater. Seats rose in tiered semicircles around a raised stage where Elend paced back and forth, amplifying his voice...
2022-11-13 12:47:52 +0000 UTC View PostKalden stood with his peers while Grandmaster Raizen covered the day’s obvious lesson.
“There were a thousand paths to victory, and you should never underestimate your opponents.”
He mentioned Akari by name, along with Arturo Kazalla, and two other students who’d supposedly ha...
2022-11-06 17:44:03 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone,
As a quick refresher, all the names in this series start with "Web." So far, we have:
Book 1: Web of Secrets
Book 2: Web of Dreams
Book 3: Web of Knowledge
With many more to come.
But I'm having second thoughts about the first book, "Web of Secrets...
2022-11-02 21:01:31 +0000 UTC View Post“Prepare,” Sen’s voice said from the invisible speaker.
Akari stood in an abandoned neighborhood, facing a man beneath a misty gray sky. The pairings had all followed a pattern until now, and she’d researched her potential opponents beforehand.
Nico Talez was a Fire Artist fro...
2022-11-01 12:11:06 +0000 UTC View PostThe dreamscape faded around Akari, replacing the stone ruins with the arena’s simple brown walls and a padded floor. She felt suddenly naked without her armor, and her hands still vibrated from the machine gun.
"What the hell was that?" Landon blurted out from across the ring.
Akari...
2022-10-29 12:10:38 +0000 UTC View PostAkari strode out of the locker room and joined the waiting crowd. Combat Arts 120 took place in a domed chamber, big enough to park two airships side by side. Four regulation dueling rings filled the space below, with various catwalks for spectators. Each circle had a band of sigils around it, ju...
2022-10-21 22:53:58 +0000 UTC View PostThe following morning, Relia pulled her blue Ethereal into a free parking spot by the pier. She unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her Jumpstart cup, and stepped outside into the salty morning breeze.
Relia had never been a morning person. Sure, she could wake up early if she had to, but she...
2022-10-16 18:07:06 +0000 UTC View PostThey left for the party at around nine o’clock that evening. Akari wore the outfit she’d bought from Warder’s—a red patterned skirt and a leather vest over a bright red top that showed off her missing belly button. Kalden’s eyes lingered on her as they left, and she gave herself a menta...
2022-10-15 23:11:13 +0000 UTC View PostKalden and his friends were eating lunch when Elend strode into the kitchen, waving a pair of white envelopes over his head. “Gather ‘round, everyone. I bring tidings of your fate.”
Across the table, Akari froze with her soup spoon halfway to her mouth. Then it splashed back into the ...
2022-10-11 00:58:52 +0000 UTC View PostAkari Zeller had never been one for swaggering. More often than not, the girl shuffled around with her eyes on her shoes. Unless she was angry or desperate, then she’d stomp her feet and glare at you.
Today, she strolled into the dojo like she owned the place. And while the others had all...
2022-10-08 12:30:05 +0000 UTC View PostThe next few weeks passed in a blur of training, and exam day finally came. Akari sat in the front seat of Relia’s bright blue Ethereal, watching the wipers slide back and forth against the slick windshield. The sun had actually shown its face this morning, but the rain still fell in a steady s...
2022-10-02 18:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostKalden stepped out of the poolhouse into the light of the evening sun. His route took him along the edge of the pool where his friends reclined on inflatable rafts. Relia wore a red bikini that matched her hair, while Akari’s a was dark chocolate brown. Did they coordinate that on purpose, or w...
2022-09-23 12:13:48 +0000 UTC View PostIf resting every night wasn’t bad enough, Elend also made them take a full recovery day once every weekend. As in, a whole twenty-four hours with no serious studying or training.
His exact rules were vague. But if Akari thought she could sneak in training on these days off, then Relia had...
2022-09-17 20:31:19 +0000 UTC View PostAkari stretched out her arms and formed a full-body shield. Relia struck the shield with a barrage of pure Missiles, threatening to shatter it like a glass plate. Akari’s body shook as she cycled harder, packing the Construct with more mana.
Until now, she’d focused on her shaping skill...
2022-09-13 01:08:22 +0000 UTC View Post"Just Kalden?" Akari said as she marched into the gym. The room was massive, taking up more than half the Darklight's basement. Navy blue mats covered the wooden floor, and the walls had twice as many mirrors as the rooms upstairs.
Elend turned around to face her. “Beg pardon?"
"You...
2022-09-05 20:33:58 +0000 UTC View Post“Hey!” Glim said. “You’re in the wrong place.”
“What?” Akari turned to face the blue mana spirit in the mirror. “They said to meet in the dining room.” She gestured back to her surroundings with the tile floor and the long wooden table. “Looks like a dining room to me....
2022-09-02 00:35:00 +0000 UTC View PostPRESENT DAY
Akari leapt forward, shooting a Missile from her palm to intercept the manaball. The ball bounced and spun around the court, striking the glass walls and ceiling. Her eyes tracked its path, and her muscles vibrated as she cycled, ready to unleash more techniques at a second’s ...
2022-08-28 12:14:24 +0000 UTC View PostRelia followed her master down the winding mountain path. They’d walked for over four miles that morning, and the older woman had barely said a word. The only sounds were the birds chirping in the trees, and their leather boots crunching against the dirt.
Despite the dim light, her master...
2022-08-24 00:03:33 +0000 UTC View Post
Here's a more detailed map of Espiria and Cadria, as promised! (I left out Shoken because I've done the least worldbuilding work over there)
As a reminder, Web of Secrets took place mostly in Last Haven Archipelago. Web of Dreams took place in Creta, Cadria. And Web of Knowledge will take p...
2022-08-23 00:04:31 +0000 UTC View Post