Hope's Light

Chapter 27

by Erisian

Book 6

Part Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Pursuits

Entire chapters spin past.

A terrible encompassing war visits destruction’s touch to every level of Creation - slaughter and fire, anguish and ruin, all spreads ahead. Victories and losses pile on, culminating in the great rift cleaved across the tapestry, and a Gate forever locking one side from the other.

Hope's Light

Chapter 26

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Twenty-Six - Threats

Cassiel was helping Turiel to his feet when Krux’s military force finally swarmed the cavern, his soldiers bursting through the steel doors or clambering over the broken stones of the walls. Seeing three angels as the only ones moving, they didn’t know what to do. Deciding it was safer to simply leave us alone, they spread out to check the numerous cultists unconscious or dead splayed messily across the cracked tiles.

Hope's Light

Chapter 25

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Twenty-Five - Unknowable

How does one describe the indescribable?

The rampaging anomaly was a rift in the pattern of not just this realm but the very fabric of existence, and words cannot encompass that which is beyond all meaning. Even memories of such contact naturally fail to record the true measure of horror and struggle.

Hope's Light

Chapter 24

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Twenty-Four - Leap

When I was a teenager, I once made the mistake of tossing uneaten candy into the plastic bin besides my bed. During a hot summer’s night, up through the floorboards small black ants had acted on the report of whichever scout had discovered the bounty, and all swarmed the can.

They also hadn’t stopped there.

Hope's Light

Chapter 22

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Twenty-Two - Necessity

We kept at it, shoveling and schlepping, until each pen in turn was clean. Though at that point, we ourselves certainly weren’t.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

The group struggles with what to do next, getting only more questions with each answer.

Chapter 11

“Lyra is gone. I don’t know where she went or… or how to get her back.” I say my voice trembling.

Hope's Light

Chapter 21

by Erisian

Book 6

Part Five

Chapter Twenty-One - Harvest

Pages flip past, a time-lapse of images documenting the expansion of a grand city rising in sacred service to the Throne. Structures of meaning and empowered will, each unfolding as perfect edifices of collaboration and interchange, each glittering under the eternal illumination shining from Above as channeled through the forged unity binding all to one, and one to all.

And below this glory of infinites, to a tower of dazzling brilliance a dark angel comes.

Hope's Light

Chapter 20

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Twenty - Music

Twitch let my head rest against his chest, his close presence reassuring and solid just as it had been on all those wagon journeys taken together through the dark. Thoughts rampaged anyway behind closed eyelids like a herd of startled graxh tearing through sharp-ferned forest. Between the blurred collapsing leaves and trunks crashing aside from the mental onslaught hung a simple circlet of gold.

And all it represented.

I didn’t know if I could do this.

Akari's frustration had been building for days, a relentless storm in her heart that she could no longer contain. As she sat alone in her dorm room, the weight of everything—the rumors, the fear, the isolation—crashed down on her. She slammed her fist against the desk, her breath quickening with anger, her eyes brimming with tears of helplessness.

Cameron is thrust back into the role of "Captain" and it's not a role she's interested in assuming as quickly as she's required to take it on. It's yet another transformation, not a physical one, but a mental shift that will challenge her perception of self as a woman now. Adding to her troubles the Planetary Guild has some hoops for her and those held captive to jump through. She'll be told the true nature of the Exhibit Housing facility and it will shake her to her core. She'll wrestle with whether she should telling the others, but one slip on a small ship could jeopardize her command.

WARNING: The true nature of the Exhibit Housing is revealed in this chapter and it might be a bit disturbing to read. I can assure you the contents of this chapter do not dwell on that disclosure much and are only included to explain the 'why' humans were being held - which in the scope of the story is necessary. I tried very hard to not make this uglier than necessary. Can you skip this chapter and pick up knowing what's going on in the next one and not miss much? Eh, maybe, maybe not. There are pieces of the puzzle in every chapter and why they were held is a piece that gives their captivity scope - it isn't the story though. Please consider this warning as I do not EVER want to purposely cause anyone distress while trying to entertain. Thank you - Rachel M. Moore

Hope's Light

Chapter 18

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Eighteen - Threads

“Do not thou, when thou art king, hang a thief.”

I’m Lisa Wilson, biologist. In the winter of 2079, a viral cold swept the world. It caused people to briefly experience spots of blood in the urine and feces, but otherwise was unremarkable, and people recovered from it like any other cold, so not much was thought about it at first. But it was persistent, with more and more outbreaks among people who had not yet suffered from it throughout the year.

On Midsummer's Night Lars is injured but fortunately help is close at hand. His injuries will take time to heal and that causes problems for Eriana, who expected to spend the Rains planning the future structure of the Navy. Of course, Ursula has an idea.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

94 - Embers and Plans

Hope's Light

Chapter 13

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Thirteen - Traces

“Alright dude, how’s this supposed to work?”

Nick and I were standing on the tower’s rooftop. A wide variety of antennas, all made of clumped bundles of wire or actual dishes pointed at distant targets, surrounded us. The power and signal cables, hardened against the ridiculous heat from the uncomfortably close burning sky, coiled about like massive snakes having a grand ol’ party.

A party we’d intruded upon, though we had done our best not to trip over anyone.

Max never truly believed that his dream of becoming a magical girl could become a reality - but he never even imagined that becoming the villainess of the magical girls was a possibility! 

***

Ever since the first Magical Girls appeared, to fight against the Violet Ooze threat, Max has dreamed of joining their ranks. Not that he’s particularly interested in the girl part - no way! - but the magical bit? The being a hero bit? That’s everything he’s ever wanted in life! So when a Magical Crystal offers him an out from the mundanity of college life, he agrees without a second thought! 

Unfortunately, the Magical Crystal gets attacked by Violet Ooze during the formation of their contract! Instead of a purehearted magical girl, ready to face the forces of evil, Max ends up as the Violet Queen - the new leader of those very same monsters!

Of course, the problems don’t end there! She's got magical girls aiming for her head, powers that are fueled by people lusting after her, and - worst of all - a ‘corrupted’ crystal that insists the true threat to the world is actually the (unwitting) magical girls themselves!

Cover by my lovely friend Lulla.