Novels by Manuel Sterling

The long break was in Motion.Anna had spent three hours working on his injuries. The cuts from Samson's sword were the worst - they wouldn't heal properly, like the holy energy was still burning inside them. She'd done what she could, but her light healing struggled against Church consecration."I can't fix everything," she said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "That sword did something to these wounds. They'll heal, but slowly."Miko sat on his bed, feeling like he'd been hit by a truck. His ribs ached where the sword hilt had caught him. His burned hand was wrapped in bandages. The cut across his chest pulled every time he breathed."How bad is it?" he asked."Bad enough that any sane person would forfeit tomorrow's match."Akiya paced by the window like a caged animal. "This is crazy. They brought a Church weapon to a student tournament. That's not competition, that's assassination.""Technically legal assassination," Liam added from his corner. He'd been researching all evening,

There was a ten-minute break.The ten-minute break felt like ten hours.Miko sat in his corner while Anna worked on the cut along his ribs. The wound wasn't deep, but it stung like hell. Every time the holy sword's energy had touched him, his skin burned."This is insane," Anna muttered, pressing a healing cloth against the cut. "That sword is designed to hurt people like..."She stopped talking, but they all knew what she meant. People like Miko. People connected to the Abyss."Can you keep going?" Akiya asked. Her face was tight with worry. "Because if you can't, nobody's gonna blame you for stopping."Miko looked across the arena at Samson. The Church boy sat perfectly still, the glowing sword resting across his knees. He looked like he could fight for hours."I'm not quitting," Miko said.Liam shook his head. "That thing cut through your fire like it wasn't even there. What are you gonna do different in round two?""Survive longer than twenty seconds."It was a joke, but nobody la

Silence held the arena as Miko considered his options. The light sword hummed in Samson's grip, its energy pulsing with controlled power that even spectators could feel from the stands."I'll continue the match," Miko decided, voice carrying clearly across the arena.Murmurs rippled through the crowd – surprise, approval, concern blending into collective response. The officials exchanged glances, clearly not expecting this answer."You understand this constitutes waiver of regulatory protection regarding specialized artifacts?" the lead official confirmed, following required protocol."I understand," Miko nodded. "The championship should be decided by capability, not technicalities."Appreciation swept the arena – even Church supporters acknowledging the sportsmanship of accepting disadvantageous conditions rather than seeking victory through regulatory intervention.The official turned to Samson. "The match will continue with the artifact permitted. However, full documentation regard

The night before the championship match, Central Academy buzzed with speculation. Gambling houses across the capital adjusted odds continuously as money poured in, divided between those backing the Church champion's flawless record and others drawn to the unknown AAU operative's improbable rise.In his quarters, Miko reviewed tournament recordings with his team, analyzing Samson's techniques with careful attention."The light sword is concerning," Anna said, replaying the moment of materialization. "Church techniques usually can't maintain solid form for extended periods.""Unless he has some form of amplification," Liam suggested. "A focus object or enhancement artifact."Akiya nodded agreement. "Church champions often carry blessed items to stabilize advanced techniques. Nothing visible during his matches, though.""Concealed, then," Miko concluded. "Something he's saving for the finals."They continued analyzing until exhaustion forced rest. Morning arrived too quickly, bringing wi

The match began with explosive intensity. Cabin immediately launched his signature attack—a massive fire wave that engulfed half the arena in roaring flames. The Northwestern champion was known for overwhelming opponents in opening exchanges, his raw power typically sufficient to establish immediate dominance.Samson made no attempt to dodge. Instead, he extended one hand, palm forward. Light radiated from his fingers, forming a translucent barrier that parted Cabin's flames like water around stone."Basic light shielding," Liam observed from the competitors' section. "Standard Church technique."Cabin pressed his assault, channeling more power into increasingly intense fire barrages. The temperature in the arena rose dramatically as he unleashed techniques that had crushed previous opponents in minutes.Samson's defense remained impenetrable. His light barriers showed no strain despite the overwhelming assault, his expression remaining placid as Cabin's frustration visibly mounted."

Gravity warped around Miko as Zoe's final attack closed in. The semi-final match had pushed both competitors to their limits, the arena's temporal fluctuations creating a battlefield where time itself became an unpredictable factor.Zoe's expression showed absolute concentration as she manipulated gravitational forces into a crushing convergence pattern. "This ends now," she called, hands weaving complex patterns that distorted space between them.The crowd held its collective breath. Zoe's ultimate technique had never failed in previous matches, the gravitational pressure sufficient to force immediate surrender from any opponent caught within.Miko felt the air thicken as gravity intensified around him. His options narrowed rapidly – conventional fire techniques would be insufficient against this level of spatial distortion. Without ash element, which the detection wards would immediately flag, he needed something unexpected.He studied the temporal fluctuation patterns across the ar

The press conference was a masterclass in corporate theater. Zen stood on the podium at the future site of Skyline, the skeletal framework of the unfinished building rising behind him like the bones of a slumbering giant. Construction equipment gleamed in the afternoon sun, workers in Mega-branded safety gear positioned strategically in the background.Camera flashes punctuated his arrival as journalists frantically took notes. The city's most prominent business reporters had rushed to the site following Mega's cryptic announcement of "significant developments regarding the Skyline project."Zen adjusted the microphone, his expression betraying nothing of the calculated vengeance driving his actions. Sinclair stood to the side, scanning the crowd with practiced vigilance, while Keisha managed the press at the perimeter."Good afternoon," Zen began, his voice carrying across the assembled media with commanding precision. "Thank you for joining us on such short notice. Today marks a sig

Night had fallen across the city as Zen sat alone in his office, the only illumination coming from his desk lamp and the soft glow of his computer screen. The Rossi loan documents were spread before him, each page meticulously annotated with his observations. The evidence was damning—predatory terms, hidden clauses, and what appeared to be deliberate manipulation of financial projections to ensure default.Mrs. Rossi had overplayed her hand, and now Zen had everything he needed to take control of the Skyline project.A soft ping from his security system alerted him to movement in the outer office. Zen glanced at his watch—11:47 PM. The cleaning staff had already finished hours ago, and his assistant had left shortly after six.He wasn't expecting anyone.With calmness, Zen closed the folder containing the loan documents and slid it into his desk drawer. He then pressed a concealed button beneath his desk, activating the silent recording system he'd installed for exactly this type of s

The Skyline project dominated the horizon, its partially completed towers rising like monoliths against the afternoon sky. Construction cranes swung in choreographed precision, while teams of workers navigated the massive structure with efficiency. Despite being 15 percent complete, the development already commanded attention—a testament to Tom's architectural vision and business ambition.Zen stood at the edge of the site, ostensibly reviewing progress reports while actually conducting a far more strategic assessment. Following Wilson's revelations about the underground infrastructure connections, a personal inspection had become necessary."The north tower foundation is proceeding ahead of schedule," James Wilson explained as they walked the perimeter. "Structural integrity tests exceeded specifications by twelve percent.""And the sublevel excavation?" Zen asked, his attention focused on the massive pit that would eventually become the project's underground parking and service are

Back in Zen’s Home country, after the whole heat has died down.Evelyn Rossi's office occupied the entire top floor of the Rossi Enterprises headquarters, a testament to both her inflated sense of importance and desperate need for the appearance of power. Floor-to-ceiling windows provided a 360-degree view of the city, including—Zen noted with satisfaction—a perfect sightline to the Skyline project rising in the distance. A project she'd foolishly leveraged her company to infiltrate."Mr. Diel," she greeted as he was ushered in by her assistant. Her voice carried the brittle warmth of someone trying to mask anxiety behind social pleasantries. "What an unexpected pleasure. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."Zen moved into the spacious office with confident strides, each step calculated to remind her who truly held power in this room. He didn't wait for her invitation before settling comfortably in the chair opposite her desk."Avoiding you, Evelyn? Quite the contrary. I've

The yacht cut through darkening waters, its engines humming at three-quarter power as it navigated away from Saint-Malo's harbor. Security personnel had settled into cruising positions—two on the aft deck, one on the forward observation point, and two inside the main cabin with Zharkov and Nia. The remaining guards were likely positioned on the bridge and in the engine room, maintaining operational security throughout the vessel.Zen and Henri remained concealed near the outer deck storage compartments, using the shadows cast by the yacht's exterior lighting to avoid detection. The increasing distance from shore worked in their favor—intervention from harbor authorities becoming less likely with each passing minute."Approaching optimal position," Henri noted quietly, checking the GPS coordinates on his tactical device. "Five minutes to designated extraction point."Zen nodded. They had identified a stretch of water approximately three nautical miles from shore—far enough to avoid imm

Saint-Malo's ancient granite walls rose against the darkening sky, silhouetted by the setting sun as it dipped into the English Channel. The medieval fortifications had withstood centuries of sieges and storms, but now they served as mere backdrop to a far more immediate conflict. NiaZen studied the waterfront property through high-powered binoculars, his position on a neighboring rooftop offering optimal surveillance while maintaining adequate distance. The target—a modernist villa constructed with obvious disregard for the historic surroundings—sat directly on the water, complete with private dock where a sleek yacht waited, engines idling."Preparations for immediate departure," he noted, observing increased activity around the vessel. "Security detail?"Beside him, Henri adjusted his own observation equipment. "Eight visible. Professionally positioned. Two on the main approach, two patrolling the perimeter, four on the property itself.""Armed?""Concealed, but evident from their