In a clandestine realm beyond human perception lies a world where extraordinary beings dwell, shrouded in secrecy from ordinary mortals. Every quinquennium, twenty exceptional children are born, each endowed with a spectrum of magical abilities ranging from benign healing to formidable time manipulation and telekinesis. These powers, as diverse as the individuals who wield them, begin to emerge between the ages of fifteen and thirty.
Though humanity senses the existence of this enigmatic realm, it remains veiled in mystery, concealed by the machinations of governments desperate to suppress knowledge of the inexplicable. Rare encounters with these gifted individuals are obscured, buried beneath layers of official denial, hinting at a covert agenda to suppress the truth.
For those chosen ones, the transition into their powers is marked by a gradual awakening, punctuated by strange occurrences that defy rational explanation. Yet, when their abilities finally manifest in full, they vanish without a trace, as if erased from existence itself. Even their loved ones, their very existence denied, are compelled to forget, their identities expunged from all official records.
Enter our protagonist, Amber Ravenwood, whose past is shadowed by a childhood marred by darkness and despair, now a resident of an orphanage. And opposing her, the enigmatic male antagonist, Fioel Evernight, cloaked in an aura of mystery and foreboding.
In this tale of intrigue and mystique, where the line between reality and fantasy blurs, the journey of Amber Ravenwood and Fioel Evernight unfolds, drawing readers into a realm where the extraordinary meets the ordinary, where secrets lie buried and destinies are forged in the crucible of magic.
When Bryony -- herbalist extraordinaire -- goes missing, Bella knows one suspect stands above the rest. The village's aspiring second witch, Daphne, comes from a family that's tried to take Bryony down before, and Daphne seems determined to carry on that legacy. For someone who's always been terrified of Bryony, she's a little too keen on looking into the disappearance.
There's just one problem. Bella's insufferable fellow familiar thinks the kid is innocent... and he's been right about worse things before.
If Daphne herself is to be believed, clues on the disappearance lead a whole lot closer to home than Bella would like. As the evidence mounts, Bella must choose to either stand by her values and the woman who raised her, or seek what might be a truth she would rather not uncover.
Prompt #81: The town's witch has gone missing and no one is looking for her but her two familiars - a crow and a black cat, plus the teen who has always been scared of her.
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Written for Wattpad's 2024 Open Novella Contest. Longlister. Complete.
Comments and critiques are both welcome and appreciated. I write characters from many different backgrounds, with many different experiences. If you share those traits and find that I have misrepresented anything, please let me know! I am feedback-friendly and here to learn :)