The Province of Pain
Tenzin took a deep but ragged breath and, with it, his first step up the narrow, dark stairs of the tenement building. Step. It had all begun in the spring of 1919, with the letter from Tenzin’s uncle, Naik Irhan Gurung. At that time of the year, it had taken the better part of two […]
The Thorn Prince
The crown fit my head as an organic extension of myself, forged to the exact curve of my skull, yet I could hear the sharp voice of my mother repeating enough times to remind me that nothing was truly mine. They said the circlet was made for me alone, though I suspect it would settle […]
The Artists Cemetery
There is a place in my village, by the sea, where dreams of artistry go to die. A heavy gate and statues of crying angels hold up a sign that reads: “THE ARTISTS CEMETERY.” Inside, there’s nothing much, merely a few benches to sit on, listen to the waves, and weep. No graves as we […]
A Letter from an Old Friend
Herbert Hallaway was a man whose every day of the last decade began exactly at dawn. As soon as the sun rose above the horizon, letting the first rays into his room, he would crawl out of bed, already well aware that he would not be able to sleep in. He would make his way […]
Chameleon
In the glass and steel towers of Candid Caribou Corp, where the air hummed with ambition and the scent of freshly printed contracts lingered in every hallway, there arrived a newcomer named Arielle. She stepped into the cutthroat world of business with determination etched into her fierce yet elegant features, ready to conquer whatever challenges […]
Raven Wing
With blackened wings I flyMy mystic spirit guideAn ever-watchful sentinelThe raven at my sideWith blackened wings I flyMy magic spirit guideAn omen of my transformationOn raven wings I fly – Jon Schaffer Erik walked beneath the shade of the trees. Luckily the woods were not as scorching as the stone-laden city he had left […]
Covid-51
May 14, 2052 It’s been eight months since the outbreak and almost five months since the Nowak Revelation. It seems like this horror has been going on forever. My family and I are safe. We’ve barricaded ourselves in our house with enough supplies to last us at least two more years. It’s a really good […]
Stockholm
Five days have passed and I am still a hostage. There is a certain feeling of longing and sentiment at the back of my head when I remember my mother, probably too busy with my brothers and sisters to notice my disappearance. I tend to think about the good times in the countryside and sleep […]
Almighty
I couldn’t sleep last night, I was too nervous. Excited? No, that’s not it. Or is it? To be honest, I even started to have second thoughts at one point. God forbid; I didn’t just say that. I’ve known what I have to do from the very beginning. Forget that. I’m fearless. I feel like […]
1 UP
Noah Jay Lucero, my dearest friend and a pretty smart fellow for a twenty-eight-year-old, is the world’s savior. Also, probably the richest and the best-known person in the world right now. I met him in college. He was a decent student, slightly above average. However, two years ago he came up with the greatest idea […]