mara-z@gmx.de The tea room was no longer a sanctuary; it was a courtroom where the laws of physics no longer mattered. Mago Samshin, the Goddess in Red, stood by the window, her silhouette sharp against a sky that had turned an unnatural purple. Beside her, the Almighty, inhabiting the body of the young boy, sat nonchalantly … Read more
The air in the abandoned warehouse didn’t just feel cold; it felt heavy, as if the shadows themselves had gained mass. Zhao Yunlan adjusted his coat, his eyes scanning the darkness. He had expected to meet a messenger, perhaps a captain of the guard. He didn’t expect the shadows to bleed together in the center … Read more
Three years in a cell had taught Matthias Corvain many things. How to count time by the changing light through the single barred window. How to recognize the footsteps of different guards. How to silence the voice in his head that whispered he’d made the wrong choice. He hadn’t. He would make the same choice … Read more
The captain’s cabin was filled with the scent of precious essences and the distant rhythm of waves against the hull. Joffrey sat at his heavy ebony table, maps spread out before him, the candlelight dancing across his scarred face. He was politeness personified — a politeness that hurt Angélique more than any open hatred. “You … Read more
The late afternoon sun stood low over Broken Flats, casting long, harsh shadows across the dusty main street. The town lay in the middle of nowhere, a cluster of weathered wooden buildings and empty lots surrounded by an endless stretch of cracked earth and low, brittle scrub. Once, people had come here full of hope—farmers, … Read more
The Breaking of the Shield The chamber was silent, save for the wet, rattling gasp of a dying King. The curse was like a shard embedded in Arthur’s chest, pulsing with dark energy and overpowering his heartbeat. “I can’t pull it out,” Emrys whispered, his hands hovering inches above Arthur’s skin. They were shaking. For … Read more
The Unseen Servant Despite the peace that had settled over Camelot, the air in the council chambers remained thick with suspicion. To knights like Sir Leon, the sight of the High Lord of the Druids—the man who had commanded the dead—standing at the King’s side was a constant threat. They did not see a friend; … Read more
Jadezauber: This snippet was a draft for the epilogue. I liked the thought of Jack telling James, “Don’t kill too many pirates,” and James answering, “I can’t promise that. I am still doing my duty.” It shows James is still the Commodore and pirate hunter, and Jack is acknowledging it. This scene did not fit … Read more
The Black Pearl cut through the Caribbean swells, her black sails drinking in the moonlight. But on deck, the atmosphere was thick with a tension that had nothing to do with the wind. James Norrington felt the rough wood of the deck against his knees. His hands were bound tightly behind his back, the hemp … Read more
Chapter 1: The Edge of Shadows The night was cold, but not in the way winter wind bites—it was the kind of cold that seeps into your bones, whispering of death and inevitability. Abyssinian stood in the abandoned cathedral, the cracked stone floors echoing faintly with each deliberate step. His hand gripped the hilt of … Read more