Novels by Joseph Louis

Meanwhile, Asta was pulling Flora through the crowd, his hand wrapped around hers."Asta, slow down! Where are we going?!"Flora's voice was breathless,they'd been moving fast, weaving between groups of festival-goers."Following the aura. The Emperor Dragon can sense it. Says it's this way."Asta's eyes were focused, scanning ahead."It's getting stronger. We're close."They pushed through another cluster of people, turned down a side pathway that was less crowded…And emerged facing a narrow alley between two festival buildings.Dark. Shadowed. The lantern light from the main pathways barely reached into it.Asta stopped at the entrance, staring into the darkness."We're here."His voice was quiet. Certain.Flora looked at the alley, then at Asta, her expression uncertain."The vessel is in there? In that dark alley?""Yeah."Asta's grip on her hand tightened slightly."She's in there."Flora's head snapped toward him, her eyebrows raising."Wait. SHE?"Her tone was thick with curio

‘’’"Jabber."’’Loki's voice cut through his consciousness again, more insistent this time.‘’"We need to find Asta. RIGHT NOW. Not in a minute. Not after you finish processing this. NOW."’’‘’Alright, alright!’’Jabber responded mentally, already turning to scan the crowd for any sign of Asta.‘’I'm moving. Just give me a second to…’’He spun around quickly,too quickly and slammed directly into someone behind him.The impact wasn't hard, but it was enough to make him stumble."Oh! Sorry! I didn't see…"He looked up and found himself face to face with Mira.Who was staring down at the ground.At the shattered remains of her dragon candy, now scattered across the sandy pathway in glittering fragments.Jabber's brain immediately went into panic mode."Mira! Hey! So, funny story,I just felt something really important and I need to tell you about it right now because…"He was talking fast, trying to get the words out before she could react."...there's another vessel here at the festival a

"I think you look really handsome right now. With the lantern light on your face. And that serious expression. It's... it's nice."Asta felt heat rising to his face."You're just saying that to make me feel better.""I'm not."Flora's voice was firm, sincere."I mean it. You look handsome. You always do, but especially right now."Asta turned to face her fully."You know what I think?""What?""I think you look beautiful. Not just right now. Always. But especially when you're being genuine like this. When you're not hiding behind politeness or shyness. Just... you."Flora's breath caught.They were close now. Very close.Looking into each other's eyes."Asta...""Flora..."She leaned in.He leaned in.Their lips met in a gentle kiss,tentative at first, then becoming more certain as seconds passed.Flora's hands came up to rest on his shoulders.Asta's hand moved to gently cup her cheek.The kiss lasted maybe five seconds.When they pulled apart, Flora's eyes were wide, her face bright

By the fifth, he was actually smiling, pointing out things he recognized in the distance.When the ride finally came to an end, lowering them back to the platform, Asta stumbled slightly as he stepped out.His legs felt like jelly,partly from the ride, partly from residual exhaustion from the fight.Flora caught his arm, steadying him."Easy. I've got you.""Thanks."They walked away from the ride, Asta moving slowly, clearly more tired than he wanted to admit.Flora spotted a bench near one of the quieter pathways and steered them toward it."Sit. Rest for a minute. I'll go grab us some of that dragon curtain candy. The strawberry kind. You like strawberry, right?"Asta nodded, already sitting down gratefully."Yeah. Strawberry's good. Thanks."Flora smiled and headed off toward the nearest candy stall, leaving Asta alone on the bench.…………..She returned about five minutes later, carrying two sticks of dragon curtain candy,delicate, translucent sheets of crystallized flame sugar wra

The walk to the festival grounds took about fifteen minutes.Long enough for the embarrassment from the clinic room incident to fade into background teasing, Jabber occasionally made comments that earned him elbows from Mira and eye-rolls from everyone else.As they got closer, the sounds of celebration reached them first.Music,not recorded, but live musicians playing traditional instruments mixed with modern ones. Drums that used flame resonance to amplify their beats. String instruments that hummed with harmonic fire techniques.Then came the smells.Roasted meats seasoned with flame-infused spices. Sweet pastries that incorporated dragon sugar,a special crystallized form of flame energy that tasted like caramelized honey. Candied fruits on sticks that glowed faintly with residual heat.And finally, the sights.The festival grounds spread out before them like something from a dream.Hundreds of stalls lined wide pathways, each one decorated with dragon motifs,carved wooden dragons,

Asta nodded immediately. "No problem. I understand."Jabber, however, let out a groan."We're going to be babysat? At the festival? Really?"His tone was thick with sarcasm."Nothing says 'fun evening' like having two High Officials watching your every move."Flora walked over and grabbed his arm, her earlier shyness forgotten in her excitement."Come ON, Jabber! It'll still be fun! We can go on rides! Get festival food! Play the games! Having them along won't ruin anything!"Jabber looked at her face,so full of genuine enthusiasm and hope and felt his resistance crumble."Alright.”He said, his tone softening. "Alright. We'll go. And it'll be fun."He managed a small smile."You're right."Jabber moved to Asta's bed and helped him stand, supporting him as his legs adjusted to bearing weight again.Asta wobbled slightly but stayed upright.Together, they walked toward the door."We need to go freshen up!" Asta called back. "Get cleaned up, change clothes. Can't go to a festival sm

The beam from Mr Henderson’s staff struck her, but the mirror seemed to absorb the energy, reflecting it back at him with such force that the air itself vibrated.Stiles stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the light, feeling the ground beneath him rumble. His father recoiled as if the light burned him, the staff slipping from his grasp as if the power within it had turned against him. Mr Henderson's hands shot up, trying to shield himself, but it was no use."You don't control the darkness, Father.”Stiles muttered, his voice shaky but defiant.The princess stepped forward, her expression resolute as the mirror's light intensified.Mr Henderson's face twisted in pain and rage as the light enveloped him, the dark tendrils of power that had once flowed through him now flickering and dying. For a moment, the man that Stiles had known, the father he’d trusted ,seemed to return, his eyes filled with guilt and regret. But it was fleeting. The darkness clung to him like a

The beam from Mr Henderson’s staff struck her, but the mirror seemed to absorb the energy, reflecting it back at him with such force that the air itself vibrated.Stiles stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the light, feeling the ground beneath him rumble. His father recoiled as if the light burned him, the staff slipping from his grasp as if the power within it had turned against him. Mr Henderson's hands shot up, trying to shield himself, but it was no use."You don't control the darkness, Father.”Stiles muttered, his voice shaky but defiant.The princess stepped forward, her expression resolute as the mirror's light intensified.Mr Henderson's face twisted in pain and rage as the light enveloped him, the dark tendrils of power that had once flowed through him now flickering and dying. For a moment, the man that Stiles had known, the father he’d trusted ,seemed to return, his eyes filled with guilt and regret. But it was fleeting. The darkness clung to him like a

He barely registered Miss Laura's presence as he shoved past her, heading straight for the garage door. The cold metal felt like a barricade to the truth, and he needed answers,now.His heart hammered in his chest, every step more frantic than the last. He reached the door, and before he could push it open, Mr Jonathan caught up to him, grabbing his arm."Stiles, slow down. We need to think this through." His voice was calm, controlled, but the anxiety in his eyes betrayed him."I can’t.I have to find my father.”Stiles replied, his voice tight with urgency.The door creaked as Stiles swung it open, his breath catching in his throat. The garage was dark, the air stale with the scent of oil and dust. His eyes scanned the room, but it was empty, save for a few parked cars and scattered tools. No sign of his father."Where is he?.”Stiles muttered to himself, stepping further into the room, his hand grazing the cold metal of a car door."Stiles, we don’t even know if he’s in here,this i

“You’re the one who did this?You set me up, Sophia? You know how much I care about Raya, and you…”Stiles’ voice broke through the silence, the accusation sharp and raw.His words faltered for a second as if the betrayal was too much for him to fully articulate, but the anger in his voice made it clear how deeply this hurt him.Sophia’s gaze flickered, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her face before she masked it with a thin, victorious smile. “I did what I had to do, Stiles. You wouldn’t have learned your lesson any other way. She deserves better than someone like you.”“What, Sophia I can't believe you are being all this shit.”Raya spoke as she gazed at her scornfully.“Cousin, I did it for the betterment of your future.”Sophia spoke as she grabbed Raya's hand.“My BETTERMENT, or do you mean the betterment of the THOMAS’S FAMILY, yes Sophia, I know about everything you guys have been doing, you guys have been trying to take me out from the exclusive contract that was g

Raya finally turned her head, meeting his gaze. Her eyes were hollow, distant, like she was looking through him rather than at him. “Explain? What is there to explain, Stiles? You don’t get to just walk in here like everything’s fine. Not after what you did.”Stiles’s heart clenched at the weight in her voice. She was breaking, but the walls around her were solid as ever.“I didn’t…” His voice faltered. He didn’t know how to make her see. How to make her believe him when every word she’d heard painted him as the villain.“I didn’t mean for it to happen. I never wanted to hurt you, Raya. I swear, I…”“Enough,I don’t want to hear it. You made your choices. You made your bed. Now lie in it.”Raya cut him off, her voice quiet but firm.Her words were like a slap, and they stung worse than anything she could have thrown at him. His chest tightened as if all the air had been sucked from the world, leaving him with nothing but his own failures.The silence that followed felt heavier than b

Mrs Lisa’s gaze softened slightly, but her voice was sharp. “You’re not telling us everything. What did you do, Sophia?.”Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “I told her. Everything. About Stiles kissing a random girl in a restaurant I even sent her a picture of the both of them. She’ll never trust him again. And once that trust is gone, everything falls apart.”Mrs Lisa Thomas face was marked with a smile as she turned and gazed at Mr Thomas, whose face was also marked with a smile.“No wonder why she has not come out of her room since today.”Mrs Lisa spoke.“ I should go and check up on her, you know, for family reasons.”Sophia spoke as she stood up from the couch and walked towards the stairs.“Sophia!”Mr Thomas called out her name.“Yes, uncle.”She replied as she stood halfway up the stairs.“Tell her to get ready for the Henderson Global Conglomerate company Anniversary, which should start in a few minutes, he said he his going to introduce his long lost son to all Oxford valley.”Mr J