☠ Crown of Shadows ☠ (#Wattys2018)

♕ Longlisted in the Wattys 2018 ♕

To avoid the world from falling into darkness, rivals will have to work together and forget the past to defeat an old enemy that has festered in the shadows for ages.

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The world of Mithra has known a big secret for centuries. Hiding their true face, creatures from myth and legend protect the lands--and the unknowing humans--from the monsters living in the dark. With a powerful Crown, they rule the world from the shadows and prevent it from falling into complete darkness.

Over the centuries, different Houses of Shadows have held all of the power. First, it were the vampires that wore the Crown and for countless generations, they had a vice-like grip upon the world. Then came the elves, the nymphs, and the unicorns.

For over two hundred years the Crown has belonged to the Lycan House. They have successfully defended it in many a bloody, brutal battle and have now attained relative peace between the Houses, all whilst keeping the existence of the Crown and those who vie for it a secret.

Now though there is a new threat, one unlike any Keeper of the Crown has ever had to face. Hordes of the Undead are rising from the earth, threatening the very existence of all of Mithra. More importantly, they are threatening the Crown itself.

Enemies will have to work together after centuries of war. When the Heirs of the Houses of Shadows discover that the stories they have been told their whole lives are false, old feuds are renewed. Can they keep the peace amongst their Houses, or will Mithra fall prey to the darkness at last?

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Crown of Shadows is a novella written for the Open Novella Contest and is set in a world where the creatures of nightmares are not as evil as the stories say and the creatures of legend are darker than you can imagine. Follow Nox, Celyna, Nyssa, Darren and Verin in their journey to save the world.

☠ Placed in the Rising Fantasy Stories on Wattpad #28 (12/1/17) ☠