Novels by MaryRose

The cavern lay in silence. The guardian’s broken shell cooled into black stone, its molten veins fading to dull cracks that still hissed with steam. The once-blazing chamber now felt like a tomb, and Mordaine stood at its heart, still trembling from the fire that hadn’t quite left his veins.His chest rose and fell heavily. The flame within him pulsed like a second heartbeat quiet, restrained, but alive. It felt different now. Sharper. Hungrier.Lyra stood a short distance away, studying the cavern wall with her torch. Her silver dagger was gone, but her expression hadn’t softened. If anything, she looked… thoughtful. Troubled.Mordaine ran a hand through his sweat-damp hair, forcing his voice steady. “That thing… it wasn’t just a guardian, was it?”Lyra’s torchlight flickered across her face, casting shadows in her eyes. She didn’t answer immediately, which told him enough.Finally, she said, “Guardians like that don’t appear by accident. They’re bound summoned to protect something a

The cavern trembled with the beast’s roar, the sound bouncing from wall to wall until it seemed the entire earth was screaming. Mordaine staggered back, shielding his eyes from the shards of crystal raining from the ceiling.The creature loomed before him a hulking mass of molten rock, its chest pulsing with rivers of glowing magma. Jagged wings scraped against the cavern walls, showering sparks with every movement. Its eyes two burning furnaces locked on Mordaine.The guardian had awoken. And it was not pleased.Lyra grabbed Mordaine’s arm. “We have to run’’Before she could finish, the guardian’s clawed hand came down like a falling mountain. Mordaine shoved her aside, rolling across the rough ground as stone shattered where they had been standing.Heat blasted his face. The creature’s molten breath hissed against the air.Mordaine’s instincts screamed to flee but the flame inside him surged, urging him forward. He could feel it tugging at him, like a chain pulling taut.The guardia

The footsteps grew louder, each strike of the boot echoing down the spiral staircase. Mordaine’s heart hammered in his chest. He quickly shut the book, though he hadn’t even opened it, and stepped back from the pedestal.The flame inside him flickered restlessly, as though urging him to fight, to flee, to do something.The air shifted as the newcomer entered the chamber.A slender figure stepped into the blue torchlight. Cloak swaying, golden hair catching the glow Lyra.Her eyes widened when she saw him. “Mordaine?”He froze. His throat felt dry. “I—”“What are you doing here?” she hissed, glancing around the chamber. Her gaze landed on The Forgotten Flame and lingered there with unsettling familiarity. “Do you even realize where you stand?”Mordaine swallowed hard. “I… was searching for answers.”Lyra’s voice dropped to a near whisper, her tone sharper now. “This place is forbidden for a reason. These are not teachings they are warnings. If the Masters find you down here, they’ll ca

The Academy’s library was nothing like Mordaine expected.By day, its vast windows bathed the halls in golden light, illuminating thousands of shelves stacked high with books, scrolls, and tablets. By night, however, the place transformed. The towering arches seemed to lean in closer, shadows stretched endlessly between the shelves, and the silence thickened—broken only by the occasional flicker of enchanted lanterns.It was night now. And Mordaine was not supposed to be here.He moved quietly between aisles of dusty tomes, a candle flickering in his hand. His ribs still ached from Kaelen’s brutal sparring, but curiosity drove him onward. He couldn’t ignore the fire that had burst from him in combat—or Lyra’s cryptic words.Somewhere in these endless shelves, he hoped, was an answer.The air smelled of parchment, ink, and something older—like stone that had soaked up centuries of secrets. He trailed a finger along the spines of books as he walked: The Codex of Elements, Binding the In

The training yards of the Academy were alive before dawn. Frost clung to the stones, and the air bit with winter’s edge. Students gathered in clusters, blades strapped to their backs or staffs gripped tightly, yawning into the morning chill.But Mordaine stood apart.Master Kaelen had summoned him before the others, dragging him into the shadowed corner of the yard where two practice rings sat unused.“Draw your weapon,” Kaelen ordered, his voice clipped as steel.Mordaine unsheathed his sword, its metal catching the faint glow of the rising sun. The memory of last night’s flames flickered through his mind. The thought both thrilled and unnerved him.Kaelen circled him slowly, a predator studying prey. “You’ve talent. But talent is a curse when it lacks discipline.”Without warning, Kaelen struck.His wooden practice blade cracked against Mordaine’s sword, jolting his arm. He stumbled back, barely managing to keep his grip.“Again!” Kaelen barked, striking once more. Faster this time.

The Academy at midnight was a different world.The bustling halls, filled with chatter and clashing swords during the day, lay cloaked in silence. Only the wind whispered through the arches, carrying the faint rustle of enchanted banners that never aged.Mordaine moved carefully through the shadows, heart hammering. He had slipped out of his dormitory unseen, wrapping himself in a simple cloak. Every creak of the floorboards, every flicker of torchlight felt like it would give him away.The lantern tower rose at the far edge of the Academy grounds. It was ancient—older than the dormitories, older even than the dueling halls. Legends whispered it had once served as a lighthouse for ships sailing the skies when the world’s magic was wilder. Now it stood abandoned, its spiral staircase leading into darkness.Mordaine hesitated at the base.The note’s words echoed in his mind: Trust no one.He clenched his fists and started up the stairs.Each step groaned beneath his boots. Dust stirred