Novels by Lightpen

After the hard training and the effort he had put into building his shelter, Everett finally fell asleep, expecting to wake the next day and continue the harsh and dangerous training that waited for him in Mage-Mountain. The long walk through the forest, the exhausting exercises, the uncertainty of his situation, and everything he had been carrying in his mind had left him more tired than he realized. As he slept, the unfamiliar songs of the birds filled the forest while the waterfall provided a steady sound in the background, almost like a quiet symphony. There was something strangely calming about it, and before long, Everett had fallen into a deep sleep.For a while, there was nothing but darkness.It was the same blackness he had been seeing whenever he slept, an empty space without a beginning or an end. Everett had become used to it, but this time something suddenly appeared inside the darkness.A glowing female arm covered in strange tattoos.The image flashed before him so sud

Darian explained the training rules again before Everett left.Everett had already heard them more than once, but he listened anyway. From the way Darian kept repeating the instructions, it was obvious that the commander was more worried than he wanted to admit.Everett was dressed in a black cloak and carried his two-handed training sword across his back. He also had a small sack containing enough food and water for a day, a change of clothes, and a book Darian had insisted he read during his stay on the mountain.Once everything was ready, Everett stood at the edge of the forest and looked toward Mage-Mountain.This was the first time Darian had sent him somewhere without staying nearby.Darian walked with him until they reached the point where the proper path into the mountain forest began. Then he stopped.“This is where I leave you,” he said. “From here, you continue alone.”Everett looked at him.Darian's expression remained as calm as ever, but the concern in his eyes was harde

Three months of training had finally started to show results.Everett could now hold the two-handed sword without immediately dropping it. He could swing it with some control, defend himself for longer, and even force Darian to take him seriously during certain moments of their sparring sessions.But Darian had made one thing clear.This was only the beginning.It was early morning when Darian opened Everett's bedroom door.The door swung open with enough force to wake anyone who might still have been sleeping.Everett looked up at him.Darian stood there silently for a moment.“Morning training time,” Everett said, stretching his jaw. “I'm ready. Are we going?”“Yeah. We're going,” Darian replied. “But not to our usual training ground. Follow me.”Everett frowned.He had assumed they would be heading toward the lakes for their morning workout, but Darian took him in a completely different direction.As they moved through Veyrith, Everett found himself looking around more than usual.

Morning had already arrived in Veyrith, and Aurelis hung high above the city, casting a pale blue-white light across the training grounds.Everett was on the ground doing another set of crunches while Darian watched him closely.It had been a month since Everett had left the dungeon, and for almost every morning and evening since then, Darian had trained him. The rest of the day was rarely free either. Whenever they were not fighting or exercising, Darian was teaching him about Valdoria, its history, its people, and the things Everett needed to understand about the world he had somehow forgotten.In some ways, the routine reminded Everett of the life he had lived before everything changed.He used to wake up and go to school every morning.Now he woke up to physical training.There were no classrooms waiting for him, only long hours of exhausting exercises, sword practice, and lessons that often left his head just as tired as his body. Still, there was something strangely satisfying a

Darian, Everett, and the blue-eyed girl left the underground tunnels and emerged into the grounds of the Sovereign’s castle.They had barely stepped outside when the large bell above the castle gates began to toll.The girl stopped and looked toward the castle.“Darian, you and Everett will have to wait outside. The Sovereign wants me to report to him alone.”Darian nodded, then glanced at Everett.“Then what should I do with him?”“Take him somewhere nearby. I won't be long.”She turned toward the castle gates and walked away.Everett watched her disappear through the large doors before looking around. He was still trying to understand the world around him. The castle grounds were nothing like the underground prison where he had spent the past days.There were statues scattered around the grounds, most of them depicting warriors carrying swords, shields, and other weapons. Some stood alone, while others were carved alongside another warrior, as though they had fought together.Everet

“Give me your hand.”The girl’s voice was soft. Almost musical.Everett hesitated. He still didn’t understand why Darian brought her here. The commander had just stepped aside. That made him careful. After a moment he held out his hand.She took it. Her fingers were cold.She lifted his hand. The sleeve of her dark blue cloak slipped back. More black markings showed on her skin. The tattoos under her eyes ran down the sides of her face. They disappeared under her collar. Similar patterns went down her arm to her wrist. The lines connected. It looked like one big design. Too precise for normal tattoos.She tightened her grip.A faint breeze touched Everett’s skin. Cold spread through his hand. Then warmth climbed up his arm. The heavy feeling that had stuck to him since he woke up started to fade.He looked into her deep-blue eyes. The color changed.A soft light appeared in them. It grew brighter as she stared at him. Her gaze went past his face. It reached into a part of his mind he

Walking toward them from the far end of the hallway was Mr. Bennett, the managing director of Pendragon Group’s Ruby City branch. His polished black shoes and perfectly tailored suit gave him an air of wealth and authority that was difficult to ignore.The hospital director recognized him immediately, and so did nearly everyone else in the billing area. There was hardly anyone in Ruby City who did not know Mr. Bennett, the man responsible for overseeing one of the most influential companies in the city.“Mr. Bennett!” the director exclaimed, his attitude changing so quickly that Adrian could hardly believe what he was seeing. The same man who had been threatening to ruin Adrian’s life moments earlier now bowed respectfully before the Pendragon Group executive. “What brings you to my hospital, sir?”“I came here with him.” Mr. Bennett replied, pointing directly at Adrian.“Him?” The director stared at Adrian in disbelief, as though he could not understand how someone dressed in such wo

Adrian and the accountant turned toward the voice and saw the hospital director approaching them with a deep frown on his face.“Why are you holding up the line?” the director demanded.“Thank goodness you’re here, sir,” the accountant said with relief.“That is not an answer to my question,” the director snapped. “Why are you holding up the line?”“I’m sorry, sir,” the accountant replied, lowering her head slightly. “This man came here with an empty credit card to pay his sister’s hospital bills, and now he’s insisting that I try it again as though the first attempt wasn’t enough.”“What? You brought an empty credit card?” the director shouted, turning toward Adrian. “Does this hospital look like a charity organization to you?”Adrian stared at him in disbelief. He had expected the director to listen to both sides of the story before passing judgment, but instead, the man had immediately joined the accountant in humiliating him.“What? Have you suddenly lost your tongue?” the directo

The elderly man turned toward Mr. Bennett and quietly whispered something to him. Mr. Bennett listened, nodded in response, and then turned to Adrian, asking him to follow him out of the office.Still confused by what was happening, Adrian followed the managing director into the corridor.“What was that about?” Adrian asked. He had expected the elderly man to offer him money immediately, but the look on his face after hearing his sister’s name had left him worried.Mr. Bennett sighed before answering. “Well, your grandfather has never liked your mother.”“Huh? Why?” Adrian asked, unable to understand why his grandfather would hold such a grudge against the woman who had raised him.“When your father brought your mother home and announced that he intended to marry her, your grandfather strongly opposed the marriage. He wanted your father to marry a woman from a noble family, someone whose background matched the status of the Pendragon family. Your father refused to accept his decision

“Now, are you sure about this? Because if you're lying or that pendant turns out to be fake, trust me, you'll have serious problems leaving this building.”Adrian swallowed nervously at the man's threatening words but still reached into his pocket and brought out the pendant. “I don't know whether it's fake or real. All I know is that I have a pendant with your family's crest on it.”Mr. Bennett's eyes widened as soon as he saw the pendant. He took it from Adrian and examined it carefully, even running his fingers over the engraved crest to confirm that his eyes weren't deceiving him.“It's the real one... It's the real one...” he muttered excitedly. “Could this young man be the missing heir? No, I need to conduct a test first.”He looked up at Adrian, his expression suddenly filled with interest. “Young man, who are you?”Adrian couldn't help noticing the sudden change in the man's tone. Only moments earlier, he had been treated like a criminal, but now Mr. Bennett was addressing hi

STERLING CITY HOSPITALAdrian arrived at Sterling City Hospital with his head still aching from the beating he had received at the workshop. He had barely recovered enough strength to walk properly, but the thought of his sister kept him moving. He had to find a way to pay her medical bills before it was too late.However, the moment he entered the ward, his heart sank.His sister was no longer in her room. Instead, she lay on a narrow bed in the corridor, surrounded by other patients who had also been moved out of their rooms. Her face looked pale, and the sight of her lying helplessly in such a place made Adrian’s chest tighten with pain.He hurried toward the nurses’ station and approached the nurse responsible for his sister’s care.“Why has my sister been moved out of her room?” he demanded, struggling to keep his voice steady. “Why is she lying here in the corridor?”The nurse looked up at him with an irritated expression, as though his presence had become an inconvenience.“Is

Adrian’s eyes opened to a golden chandelier. He was on a sofa in the Sterling mansion’s living room. When he tried to sit up, pain flared through his skull and ribs. His fingers found the bandage around his head, and the workshop came flooding back.“The idiot’s awake,” someone said.Victor’s younger brother stood nearby, clearly entertained. Lady Eleanor watched with mild interest and no concern.“Easy,” she said, smiling faintly. “Those men did a thorough job on you.”Victor spoke from an armchair across the room. “Over here.”Adrian turned. Most of the family had gathered, waiting. None of them looked worried.Victor leaned forward. “What were you doing at that workshop? Don’t get the wrong idea—I don’t care if you live or die. I just want to know what mess you’ve dragged yourself into.”Adrian hesitated. He could tell them Isabella sent him, that two men had been waiting for a document he knew nothing about. But he didn’t know if the truth would protect him or bury him deeper.He