Optima. A nation of prosperity, peace, and control. As life goes on within the island's perimeter, so do the forces that keep the mysterious country in power. The Black Herons, a team of agents working for an underground Optiman agency, are tasked by their nation's vice president to retrieve a relic linked to the country's first president. The prized artifact was given away to the American government decades ago, and the Optiman vice president is eager to have it back. Viv West has been in this business for over twenty years alongside her partner, Fern Undergrove. The two co-founded the Black Herons long ago and have since seen a constant change in their roster. Cato Rose, the team's weapons specialist, and Naomi Hale, the resident hacker, work alongside Viv and Fern through dozens of missions every year, yet these heists have never tired them. But their lives are about to take a turn, for better or worse. For the herons, this task is no harder than all the other heists they have completed in the past. That is until the team of four is forced to train a new member. Enter Emaline Kit, a teenage agent with an attitude and attachment issues. Despite a road of obstacles ahead of them, the Black Herons must prepare for anything that could lead them astray-even if these problems may involve the other members of their own agency. New chapters updated every Friday! Cover Art - @/pandaparadise (on Linktree)

THE LOST ONES - A Short Story Collection What if everything was connected? What if every branch of a whole tree had its own story to share? What does it mean when a branch falls and breaks everything it holds? THE LOST ONES is a collection of short stories set in different realities. These stories hold themes of love, loss, mystery, regret, and yearning for an alternative fate. Every action makes a difference. So, who would dare to change fate if it's already set in stone? In this collection, follow a plethora of different protagonists as they face life-changing struggles and overcome unique obstacles. What happens when the world catches on fire? How does the hunter become the hunted so easily? How does one come face-to-face with an angered deity and live to tell the tale? Perhaps Fate could answer those questions. Or maybe they will come to us in Time. (Updates will be posted monthly!)