40 parts Ongoing 🥇 1st Place - Best Prologue (Whispers Beneath the Ice mini-awards, 2025)
🥈 2nd Place - Best Writing Style (Enchanted Grave Awards, 2025)
🥈 2nd Place - Best Villain (Starfish Awards, 2025)
⸻ ✧ ⸻
Beneath the earth, the sun is only a memory - and its light is no longer free.
The powerful have bottled it, priced it, and called it holy. Every flicker, every breath, must be paid for in Lumen.
Lucy Farrow was born in the Gloom, where the air tastes of rust and hope is a dangerous thing. Her mother taught her to keep her glow low - to survive unseen. But when the light inside her begins to stir, Lucy's secret could unravel the order that keeps their divided city alive.
High above, in the marble halls of the Halo, Prince Cassian Soleyne uncovers a secret among ink and dust - a forbidden lineage that could unmake the order he was born to protect. His duty is to snuff it out: his heart tells him to save it.
As rebellion brews in the dark and doubt kindles in the light, their paths will cross - and together they will awaken a fire long thought dead.
A Radiant who could bring back the dawn... or burn the world to ash.
⸻ ✧ ⸻
His guest merely nodded sharply. "Until next time, mister Briar".
With that, he turned and marched toward the door - his colleagues followed him close behind. Lucy could hear their footsteps fade away and relief washed over her.
As soon as it did, the lanterns of the chandelier rattled softly - the Lumen danced for a split second, as if celebrating.
But that was enough.
The agents abruptly turned around, having seen the shadows on the floor - slowly, they aimed their emotionless gazes skyward, staring at the chandelier.
"Tell me, mister Briar", the captain spoke, his eyes still fixated upon the lamps, "Does your Lumen always malfunction like this?"
The Lantern Man tapped with a finger on the desk. "As a matter of fact, sir - yes, it does. It's still an old batch: it flickers all the time. I ought to get it replaced soon".
