At the age of seventeen, all humans with Elementalists blood undergo the transformation and become a full Elementalist. This brings forth your element along a change in eye color to signify your path into a new world. Astoria Elroy has always been a simple girl. She had no idea what destiny was planned for her when she arrives at Gemore. Join her as she discovers her secret past and fights to become one with her element.

I woke up in a lab. I don't know anything about myself and I'm not sure that I want to. I don't even know my own name, or what I'm doing here. There are other children here, too, some younger than me and some that are older; but none of them are...normal. We are all different in some way. I'm the only one that can talk and I probably will be the oldest as well. They usually live for a week at the most. We're usually caged, and we only leave the dark room when they want to experiment on us. Or kill us. The evil people call me their Ultimate Specimen that could change the world... But I'm just a girl who doesn't have an inkling of anything before this torture. The men and women here call me dangerous, harmless, a secret, a solution. I don't know what any of it means, but they continue their work and experiments on me. Why am I so fascinating? Why am I here? If you want to know what is happening behind your backs, then you must read this. I don't know many things at all, but I do know that I will somehow escape. Never to come back. ©2013 by E. Barnes.

The world as we know it ended 209 years ago. From a desert wasteland springs a single kingdom, ruled by a tyrannical King and trapped in an endless war against the shadowy desert warriors. As a desperate bid to save what remains of humanity, society has been split into two distinct classes, nicknamed the Court and the Commons. For an oppressed population on the brink of revolution, a common thief could be the last hope. Up until now, Kay has survived by her wits alone. Reckless and impulsive, wanted by the King's guard, Kay has become known as the Runner. Using the city's rooftops as her personal domain, she manages to keep one step ahead of the King with one hand buried in the purses of the courtiers. Driven by the plight of the commoners and the unjust death of her family, Kay seizes the chance to graduate from small-time thievery to full-scale rebellion. Her opportunity comes in the form of Will, a wealthy ex-soldier with a dark past. Plucked from the streets and thrown into the shimmering palace court, Kay must use her every strength to blend into a world where she doesn't belong, closer to the enemy than she ever thought she would be.

COMPLETE #1 in Fantasy #1 in Adventure #1 in Historical Fiction ---------- Sometimes, believing helps us to see truth. Other times, we need a little evidence to believe. But there is truth behind everything; every false manoeuvre, ever little lie...a small piece of truth is hidden. Just like truth is wound into legends too. Growing up best friend to the future King, Arabelle never really thought her life could go wrong. Whenever she wanted something, or needed something, she would get it. Then she lost her father at a young age and Arabelle was forced into a world of dresses, balls, and lies. Being a tomboy, Arabelle would have rather been out on her horse doing archery practice with her brothers. When Arabelle gets curious and sneaks into a forbidden area of the castle, she discovers a deadly secret: her bloodline is sacred, dating back to a legend surrounded by the one thing she knows not to be true. Unsure what to do, she gets caught up in a series of events that lead to her being hidden and whisked away from the only familiar place she knew. After making some unlikely allies, Arabelle sets off on a journey to find the legend of the last dragon egg. Fate has something big in store for her; will she be able to withstand the pressure of it all?There is one thing Arabelle needs to learn to survive this new place... Some things are more than a legend. ---------- © Isabella Espe 2013 - 2019 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This work is unedited. Your patience and leniency towards any grammatical or spelling errors is requested while you read this story. This story was written in 2013, and the author knows there are a lot of errors in this work. Thank you for understanding. ---------- Credit to @Abyss-of-Crazy for the cover!

Sometimes all you really need is a place to call home. *** Claire is lost and scared and utterly alone. Her family is in shambles after the death of her older sister Ina, and she's left to pick up the broken pieces of herself as her life heads into a downwards spiral of loneliness. Her heart leads her to 5:48, a little cafe by 33rd street, where she finds her new home. With a broken heart and a speech disability, Jasper has his heart and mouth sewn shut by the winding threads of hurt and fear. Painting and serving coffee in cafe 5:48 are one of his last few saving graces, but the smile he's been painting on himself will soon fade away as everything he's ever held dear slips away from his grasp. Ezra is out-of-sync and oddly cold by the way life has treated his young self. Abandoned by his single mother at an early age, he has grown up thinking that he is a mistake. His constant shaking hands are a reflection of what he often thinks of himself, but the delightful pastries he bakes for 5:48's customers are a reflection of what others see of him. Drew is a quirky rarity. He is a dash of loud, a pinch of exuberant, and a cup of eccentric - just like the meals he serves in the cafe as the only chef there. Behind his playful grins and outlandish clothes, however, are his jutting ribs, hollowed cheeks, and too-thin arms. Sometimes he cannot stomach being in his own skin as much as he cannot stomach food. This family has gone a long way from finding each other, and they'll be going a long way together too as reality comes catching up to them, threatening the newfound happiness they've found with each other. Secrets are revealed, pasts become presents, and lives are changed. Slowly but surely, they find their way back home. *** NOTE AS OF 08/2026: This is the old version of the story from 2012, posted in FULL. Another story that will be considered a reprise of this old version is in the works, and will be posted under the name "Hiraya House."