Fantasy
Shadows in Velvet - Part 3
Rain traced the curved windows of the Skyglass Hall in thin silver lines, casting wavering shadows over the ballroom’s polished floor. Outside, Verashtel’s highest spire moaned faintly in the wind, but inside, the laughter was too loud, the music too sharp, and the masks far too fixed. Danger lingered beneath the perfume and poise.
By Richard Bailey10 months ago in Chapters
Shadows in Velvet - Part 2
The House of Falling Stars looked like something stitched from the dreams of an opium-drunk tailor. Its three towers leaned in opposing directions like dancers caught mid-spin. The walls were made of pale pink stone imported from some ruined temple in the east, veined with gold and soft to the touch. Water spilled in silent sheets down the front façade, catching the light of the sunrise in a thousand fractured colors. And on the threshold, etched above a set of polished blackwood doors, were the words: What you reveal, we record. What you hide, we sell.
By Richard Bailey10 months ago in Chapters
RAVEN'S GAMBIT. Content Warning.
The sun had barely moved in the sky, but the mood outside White Plume Mountain had shifted from anticipation to dread. The torchlight flickered as Group Two emerged from the mountain’s maw—water-soaked, breathless, and carrying six unconscious bodies between them.
By W.S. Klass10 months ago in Chapters
Shadows in Velvet - Part 1
The city of Verashtel didn’t sleep. It dreamed. Gilded bridges arched over canals where swan-headed gondolas glided silently, their lanterns glowing in shades of rose-gold and sea-glass green. Perfumed smoke curled from rooftop hookahs. Courtesans and spies wore mirrored masks that shimmered with spells to hide their true faces. Even the moon, pale and proud above the city’s spires, seemed half-masked behind silver clouds.
By Richard Bailey10 months ago in Chapters
The lord's Silent Bride Part 2
The golden light of morning spilled gently through the open silk curtains, casting soft patterns across the polished floors of the castle dining hall. The clink of porcelain echoed faintly, delicate and refined, as breakfast was served in elegant lacquered dishes.
By Tsume's tales10 months ago in Chapters
