Hollow Core by Gage Lee

Author:Gage Lee [Lee, Gage]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: s adventure video game adaptations young adult, action dark epic metaphysical vengeful myth asian, supernatural fantasy magic occult legends thriller, MMO litRPG role playing steampunk quest gamelit, coming of age sword sorcery dungeon core demon, men&#8217, Chinese manga wuxia xianxia martial arts kung fu
Publisher: Shadow Alley Press
Published: 2019-09-09T16:00:00+00:00

The Call

THE SCRIVENING UNFOLDED, each of its loops a blooming flower of ruby light, the bridges stems of purest silver brilliance. The jinsei bouquet rose above the class, its radiance filling the room with a kaleidoscope of luminous shards. Delicate chimes rang out from the unfolding flowers, drawing the attention of everyone in the class.

“Congratulations, Ms. Hark,” Professor Ishigara said, and then in a tone that made it very clear she absolutely did not mean it, “and congratulations to you, Mr. Warin. I’m sure your clan wardens will want to thank you personally for your efforts today.”

Ishigara’s last sentence fell onto the class like a lead weight. The threat in the professor’s words was crystal clear: I was going to pay very dearly for what I’d just done.

And I didn’t care.

Grayson had set the other students against me. He’d convinced the professors to look the other way while I was nearly murdered in the hallway by an upperclassman. I was in debt to Tycho and the Disciples of the Jade Flame Clan as the price of my admission to the School of Swords and Serpents. If I let them steal the Core Contest from me, I wouldn’t have anything left.

I couldn’t live like that.

“That was amazing,” Clem said. She squeezed my shoulder, her eyes fever bright and cheeks flushed. “I knew we could beat them all.”

There was an undercurrent to Clem’s words that told me she wasn’t just talking about the challenge. A wave of gratitude swelled up inside me and I realized just how much I owed my friend. She’d shown me the truth and kept me in the fight. I didn’t know how I’d ever repay her for what she’d just done.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice low. “But I’m afraid you’re in it up to the neck with me, now.”

“I always was.” She grinned and shot me a quick wink.

Ishigara awarded five ranks to Clem, me, and both of our clans. She then went on to explain in great detail the subtleties of the challenge’s broken scrivenings. The bouquet of jinsei light stayed above Clem and me for the rest of the class, a constant reminder to the other students that we’d beaten them all.

The other students’ hate weighed heavily on my aura. They were pissed to have lost the challenge, and even more pissed they’d lost to me. If I hadn’t had bigger problems to worry about, their anger might have hurt my feelings.

Standing up to Tycho and Grayson had been a nice boost for my ego, but it came with a potentially horrifying cost.

Reyes knew where to find my mother, and I wouldn’t put it past him to punish her for my defiance. I had to get word to my mother that she was in danger. She was a strong woman, far more powerful than she let on. With enough warning, she’d be able to escape from Tycho’s grasp before he could turn her new life into a nightmare. But if the sage’s people caught my mother off guard.

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