|| RISEN ||
The Keepers of Astraela: Book Two

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𝕱𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖆𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖘, 𝖜𝖊 𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖊.

The legendary Phoenix is reincarnated from his ashes every thousand years... or so the story goes. When Emrys wakes days after his death with bare memories, the vengeful deity responsible for his revival is his only guide to figuring out how--or why--he has returned. But months of training and sacrifice have made her motives clear:

Defeat the goddess of death, and slaughter anyone who gets in his way.

Meanwhile, three months have passed since the Barrier between realms was shattered, and a portal has merged Earth and Astraela as one. Otherworldly creatures have carved the once-average city of Havenwood into a shell of death and Corruption.

Eva, Bobbi, and Mystia are the lone survivors of the supposed "end-of-days." With the death of their friend, an angry goddess fighting for control of Eva's body, and the looming threat of a Child of Darkness said to bring ruin upon the realms, they embark on a mission to protect what remains of their homes.

But first, they must find their only chance of survival: the Phoenix... who isn't meant to be reborn for another thousand years.

Fates intertwine, friendships are tested, and evil rings anew in this twisted tale of chaos and ruin, where nothing is quite as it seems.

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EVA

WHITE WAS THE COLOR OF PEACE. The cotton tail of a newborn bunny. The soft peaks of whipped topping.

It was also the color of the fluffy, white flakes falling from above, beautiful and serene... until they mixed with the blood-laden ichor coating the pavement, scarring their purity with crimson and ebony. Standing out in the afternoon sunlight, it looked like a war zone.

It was a war zone.

If it wasn't, Eva wouldn't have been dodging claws and fangs for the better part of thirty minutes. The snow fell in quickening bursts, swirling in the wind and making visibility difficult, but there was no mistaking the humanoid creature that raked its claws down her gray bubble jacket. As quickly as it'd attacked, it disappeared into the thickening white cloud. She searched the area, eyes squinted against the storm for any sign of a hunched silhouette.

She gripped her dagger tighter. As she took a step toward where the creature had last been, her sneaker slid on a patch of ice. Her vision flurried until she regained her balance, planting her feet on trembling legs. She held her breath in wait for the Corrupted human to take her slip as a sign of weakness.

Nothing.

Even as she swept over the area once more, the hunched figure was nowhere in sight. The only visible movement came from another battle raging yards away between a shorter woman and another creature—one more animalistic than humanoid. While the beast attempted to take down Eva's best friend, Bobbi was resilient.

A snarl rippled from behind. Eva whipped around just as the humanoid creature lunged, knocking her to the ground. The knife fell from her grasp and slid across the ice-encrusted street.

Being face-to-face with the beast prevented the blizzard from masking its grotesque features. It had once been a woman—likely a Havenwood resident that Eva had seen every day. Stringy, matted tufts of blonde hair clung to her head, where the skin had shriveled and cracked to reveal blackened bone underneath. Her eyes had been replaced by black voids, with no life outside of a faint, ivy-green glow in the center. Dark ichor oozed from her decayed skin, dripping along the snow and staining Eva's jacket—a brand new one that she had lifted from an abandoned department store the week prior.

The creature's lips widened in what first appeared to be an open-mouthed smile, but the corners of her lips split into a gaping maw. Black goop dribbled from her teeth and splattered against Eva's neck.

Eva thrashed against its hold, but held no weight against the strength of her undead enemy.

You can control it.

The voice echoed in her head louder than if its owner had been the one pinning her to the snow. Eva tried to ignore it, to push it beyond the snow and fuzz clouding her brain from the fall, but it was no use. A low hum rattled her insides to signal the magic coursing through her veins.

Smoke curled in her peripheral vision, pouring from her pinned-down hands. Hesitation swarmed the creature's stare, but it refused to release its hold.

Command our creation, Eva.

"Shut... up!"

An angry cry bellowed from Eva's lips. Smoke erupted from her palms, encapsulating the creature in darkness. Its rageful snarls ripped the air, and its grip tightened on her wrist before the split-faced monster lunged through the fog.

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|| CONTINUE THE ADVENTURE IN... ||

Official Release Date: TBD
The first draft is being written now on Wattpad, available on my profile.

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