Novels by Dep Flair

The road to the Ashworth estate was long.Three days of travel through forests and farmland. Draven could've hired a carriage, but he wanted the time alone. Time to think. Time to prepare.His team had left a day earlier. They'd be in a town near the estate by now, out of sight but close. Just in case.Draven walked at a steady pace, his pack light. The weights were gone for now. His body felt quick and strong after six weeks of training.But his mind was heavy.Every step brought him closer to his father. To Garrett. To the expectations and games and everything he'd left behind when he came to the academy.He didn't want to go back.But he didn't have a choice.The first two days passed without incident. Quiet roads. Small villages. Normal travel.On the third day, everything changed.Draven was cutting through a section of old forest. The kind with trees so thick they blocked the sun. Ancient. Untouched.He heard the sound first. Like tiny bells ringing in the wind.Then he saw the

Draven woke before dawn.He dressed quietly, grabbed his sword, and headed to the training grounds before anyone else was awake. The academy was silent. Dark. Just the way he wanted it.He stopped by the equipment shed first. Found what he was looking for in the back corner.Training weights.Heavy iron bands designed to strap around the waist, wrists, and ankles. Old school conditioning. The kind that built real strength, not just magical power.Draven picked up the waist belt. Twenty pounds of solid iron. He strapped it on and felt the weight settle against his hips.Then the ankle weights. Ten pounds each.Then the wrist weights. Five pounds each.Fifty pounds total. Every movement would be harder. Every swing slower. Every step heavier.Perfect.He walked to the training grounds and started with basic forms. The sword felt different with the extra weight. His arms burned faster. His legs protested.But that was the point.Draven worked through the first form. Then the second. By t

The letter arrived three days after Garrett left.Draven recognized the seal immediately. The Ashworth family crest pressed into dark red wax. Official. Formal. The kind of letter that demanded attention.He took it from the messenger without a word and walked back to his room.The door closed behind him. He sat on his bed and stared at the envelope.He already knew what it said. Garrett had warned him. But seeing it made everything real.Draven broke the seal and unfolded the paper.The handwriting was his father's. Precise. Military. No wasted strokes.Draven,The Ashworth family gathering will take place in seven weeks at the main estate. Your attendance is required. Representatives from allied families will be present, including the Thornspikes, the Valerons, and the Drakes.You will arrive three days before the main event for preparation and briefing. Appropriate attire will be provided. You will be expected to demonstrate your progress at the academy during the exhibition portio

Garrett found Draven alone on the third day.Not by accident. Draven could tell from the way his brother walked up. Calculated. Purposeful."We need to talk," Garrett said."About what?""About why I'm really here."They were in the library courtyard. Quiet. Private. Garrett sat on the stone bench and gestured for Draven to join him.Draven stayed standing.Garrett smiled. Not the warm smile he showed others. This one was sharp. "Still stubborn. Good. You'll need that.""What are you talking about?""I wasn't just visiting, Draven. Father sent me."The words hung in the air between them."To check on me," Draven said flatly."To assess you." Garrett leaned back. "The family's been hearing stories. Draven Ashworth destroying the Dragonfire Sovereign Art. Surviving impossible tombs. Making a name for himself. Father wanted to know if the stories were true.""And?""And they are. You've gotten stronger. A lot stronger." Garrett's eyes were calculating. "That's a problem.""For who?""For

Garrett woke Draven up at dawn. "Come on, little brother. Training time." Draven groaned and pulled his pillow over his head. "It's too early." "The sun's up. That means we're late." Garrett yanked the blanket off. "Up. Now." "I hate you." "I hate you too. Get dressed." "if you hate me then why do you want to train? You've hated me my whole life," There was silence. "I was given an obligation to do this, don't make me more angry than I am," Five minutes later, Draven found himself on the training grounds while the rest of the academy still slept. Garrett was already stretching, looking far too awake for this hour. "Why are we here?" Draven asked. "Because I want to see what you can do. Really do. Not the stories. Not the legends. You." "You could've waited until after breakfast." "Breakfast is for after training." Garrett tossed him a practice sword. "Show me what the tomb survivor can do." Draven caught the sword and rolled his shoulders. Fine. If Garrett wanted to see

Draven found a quiet spot behind the library.A stone bench tucked between two trees where no one really went. Perfect for thinking. For processing.He sat down and let himself breathe.The pendant was warm against his chest. Not calling. Just present. Waiting.Draven closed his eyes and let the memories surface.Pyrion's tomb. The trials. The Dragonfire Sovereign Art burning in his hands before he destroyed it. The weight of that choice still sat heavy sometimes.King Aldrich's soldiers. Their memories flowing into the pendant. Centuries of loyalty and service. Knowledge that made him stronger but also more aware of his limitations.The mill. Running through the forest. The jump into the ravine. The cold water. The failure.Draven opened his eyes and stared at the trees above. Leaves rustled in the breeze. Birds called. Normal afternoon sounds.So much had happened in just a few months. He'd gone from a nobody student to someone people whispered about. The man who rejected power. The

The System message appeared in Michael's vision as he stood backstage, still breathing hard from his improvised runway performance: [Emergency Task Completed: Create something revolutionary from nothing. Reward: Enhanced Creativity - Level 3 Activated] Michael felt the enhancement take effect immediately. Ideas began flowing through his mind with unprecedented clarity and connection. The collaborative demonstration he'd just performed wasn't just a solution to sabotage—it was the foundation for an entirely new approach to neural-responsive technology. "Michael," Sophia called urgently, "the media wants statements about the collaborative presentation. They're calling it a breakthrough in interactive fashion technology." "Because it is," Michael replied, his Enhanced Creativity revealing possibilities he'd never considered before. "What we just demonstrated accidentally is more revolutionary than anything we planned deliberately." Louise approached, still glowing from the successfu

Michael watched in horror as Louise stepped onto the runway wearing the compromised prototype. His enhanced intuition was screaming warnings, but there was no way to stop her without creating an even bigger disaster in front of the international audience. "Systems failure in prototype six," Rebecca announced urgently from the technical station. "Neural interface is malfunctioning, color responses are erratic." "Can we fix it remotely?" Sophia asked, frantically working at her tablet. "Not without shutting down the entire outfit," Rebecca replied. "And that would leave Louise wearing a dead garment on live television." Michael felt his heart pounding as Louise reached the center of the runway. The prototype was supposed to demonstrate their most advanced emotional visualization technology, but instead it was flickering randomly between colors that had no connection to Louise's actual emotional state. The audience noticed immediately. Murmurs rippled through the venue as fashion ex

The atmosphere at Lincoln Center was electric with anticipation. Fashion Week had returned, and this time So Black wasn't the mysterious newcomer—they were the main event. Michael stood backstage wearing his Black Investor mask, watching final preparations for what the media was calling "the most anticipated fashion show of the decade.""Pre-orders are already at two million units," Sophia reported, checking her tablet. "And the show doesn't start for another hour."Louise approached, radiating the confidence that had become her signature since her breakthrough performance months earlier. She was no longer the struggling model taking desperate risks—she was the undisputed face of revolutionary fashion technology."The international press is incredible," Louise said, adjusting one of the new So Black prototypes. "Journalists from thirty countries, technology reporters, medical professionals. This isn't just a fashion show anymore."Michael nodded, feeling the weight of expectations tha

Michael's phone buzzed with an urgent text as he was leaving the Crawford board meeting. The message was from Kylie, and the fear in her words made his blood run cold: "I think someone's following me. Same car for three days. Help?"He immediately called her, his enhanced intuition picking up genuine anxiety in her voice even before she spoke."Kylie, where are you right now?""The university library," she replied, trying to sound calm but failing. "There's a man in a dark suit who's been sitting across from me for two hours, pretending to read but watching everything I do."Michael's jaw tightened. Eric's investigation had clearly expanded beyond targeting Michael directly to include family members who might provide leverage."Stay exactly where you are," he instructed. "I'm twenty minutes away."As he drove toward the university, Michael called Olivia on his secure line. "I need a team at the university library immediately. Kylie's being surveilled, and it's not friendly.""Corporat

Michael stood in the Buzzer Tech conference room, surrounded by screens displaying global market data that would have been impossible to imagine just months earlier. Olivia was coordinating with manufacturing partners across three continents while Megan reviewed distribution agreements that spanned twelve countries."The Asian rollout exceeded every projection," Olivia announced, pulling up sales figures that made Michael's head spin. "Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are reporting demand that's literally crashing retailer websites.""European pre-orders are similar," Megan added. "London, Paris, Berlin—every major fashion capital wants exclusive launch events for So Black."Michael felt a mix of pride and anxiety as he watched their revolutionary technology spreading across the globe. The therapeutic applications Louise had developed were genuinely helping people manage mental health challenges, but the success was creating visibility that made his double life increasingly precarious.

The Crawford family dining room hadn't hosted a dinner like this in years. Richard sat at the head of the table, still pale from his recent cardiac episode but determined to project strength. Eric and Katherine flanked one side, while Michael sat alone on the other, the seating arrangement making the family divisions physically obvious."I thought we should celebrate," Richard announced, raising his wine glass with deliberate ceremony. "Michael's Project New Day has received preliminary approval from the Department of Energy. Federal recognition of our renewable energy initiative."Michael's enhanced intuition immediately picked up the complex emotional currents around the table. Richard's pride was genuine, but mixed with concern about something he wasn't sharing. Eric's congratulatory smile masked fury and calculation. Katherine's supportive expression hid deep anxiety about something specific."Congratulations, brother," Eric said, his voice perfectly calibrated for family harmony.