Library
Search
Home / Fantasy / The God of War Calen Storm / The First Direction
The First Direction
Author: Cindy Chen
last update2025-05-31 15:59:46

Just when Calen felt the weight of the whispers crushing his resolve—the way they slithered into his ears and nested in his chest like parasites—something changed.

A sudden stillness swept through the forest like a spell cast by some unseen hand.

The voices stopped.

The wind died.

Even the rustling of leaves fell silent, as if the very forest was holding its breath.

No sound… except a low, constant hum—distant, rhythmic, and almost imperceptible. Like chanting. Faint and far below.

Calen froze, his breath misting in the cold air. He listened, heart pounding. The hum wasn’t natural. It pulsed in a steady cadence that stirred something ancient in his blood, something he couldn't name.

He slowly crouched down. The ground beneath him no longer felt mossy and damp. It was smoother—harder.

He brushed away the dead leaves and layers of damp soil with trembling fingers. A cold surface met his touch. Black stone, worn by time, revealed itself inch by inch. Faint lines etched across it. Symbols
Continue to read this book for free
Scan the code to download the app
Previous ChapterNext Chapter

Latest Chapter

  • Forged in the Last Hour

    The mountain groaned.It was a deep, jarring sound—as if the spine of the world had cracked—and every soul in Rivermoore understood the meaning. Phoenix blight‑fire had been loosed.Sulfur thickened the air while the northern horizon flared gold‑orange, painting the clouds in sickly ribbons. A rolling concussion followed, rattling shutters, toppling roof tiles, and shaking loose fist‑sized chunks of mortar from the city’s half‑rebuilt towers.High in the eastern spire, Calen Storm bent over the Emberglass Codex, silver‑etched pages fluttering in the wind that hissed through new cracks. Fumes stung his eyes; sweat traced thin rivers through dust on his cheeks. Yet his hands—scorched, trembling—never paused.The door slammed open.“Calen!” Seraphina burst in, breath ragged. “The ravine burned—they fell for it—but they’ve spotted the deception. They’re turning the wagons this way.”Carmen stumbled in behind her, panting. “Watchers count three siege engines heading straight at us.”Footst

  • Embers Before the Storm

    Banners of black and gold rippled above the cliffs of Aerondale’s eastern command ridge, snapping like restless hawks in the midnight gale. Lanterns hissed along the perimeter, their flames forced to lean westward by the mountain wind. Below the ridge, rank upon rank of soldiers stood in frozen formation: pike lines in front, shield‑wall behind, siege engineers farther back, tending to strange machines that glowed with ember‑runes. Armor had been freshly burnished; helms gleamed like winter moons. Yet every face beneath the steel carried the same grim tension—the knowledge that by dawn they would march into fire or glory.The air reeked of forge‑smoke and pitch oil, heavy enough to sting the eyes. Sparks drifted each time a smith hammered a rivet into place or a rune‑wright struck arcane flint against cold iron.King Theron Ashford stood at the granite bluff that overlooked it all. Even at rest, he cut a figure of coiled iron—hands folded behind his back, shoulders set, black cloak wh

  • Ash Against the Dawn

    Seraphina stepped closer to the flickering rune-lamp, her expression hardening as she scanned the Codex one last time. “Whatever happens here,” she said firmly, “Plan A stays in motion. The decoy encampments in Daggerpath Ravine—those need to be lit by nightfall. We can’t gamble everything on this formula.”Carmen looked up from her dispersal mold, soot smudged on her cheek. “She’s right,” she said, surprisingly serious. “We don’t even know if this thing will react the way we want it to. Best case? It fizzles. Worst case? It blows off Calen’s arm.”Liora leaned against the table, arms folded. “We still need the illusion wards active, the fake battalion movement on the west bank, and at least two dozen archers on standby. If Aerondale doesn’t fall for it, we’re boxed in. If they do… we might get ten extra minutes to breathe.”Calen exhaled, rubbin

  • The Weight of Flame and Frost

    The scent of river-smoke drifted through the shattered windows, mingling with the mustiness of old parchment and the sharp tang of alchemical ink. Calen gently closed the Emberglass Codex, the glyphs on its cover pulsing faintly—as if acknowledging his resolve.Seraphina exhaled beside him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’ll need a clean workspace,” she muttered. “I’ll requisition the east tower lab—assuming it hasn’t collapsed.”“Tell Carmen to meet us there,” Calen said. “She’s got precision hands. And she’s not afraid of weird reactions anymore.”Seraphina gave him a sideways look. “She also has a tendency to argue with potions.”“I call it passionate negotiation.”They exchanged a brief, weary smile.As Seraphina swept from the chamber, her cloak whispering over the stone, Calen lingered a moment with the Codex. His fingers brushed the edge of its binding, feeling the subtle warmth it radiated—like a fire undecided between comfort and consumption.Then he turned and f

  • Shadows Before the Flame

    The night deepened around Rivermoore, cold and filled with the scent of ash and moss. Calen stood alone at the highest parapet of the citadel, eyes turned toward the darkened ridgelines to the east. Somewhere beyond them, Aerondale’s vanguard was marching with fire and steel.Footsteps behind him were light but familiar. Carmen.“Thought I’d find you brooding,” she said, her voice gentle.Calen half-smiled, not turning. “Strategizing. Not brooding.”“Same difference with you.”She stepped up beside him, cloak wrapped tight, the pendant on her chest pulsing faintly like a second heartbeat. Below them, preparations stirred. Liora’s scouts rigged decoy tents, Seraphina’s illusions flickered like fading ghosts, and Queen Elara’s voice had just finished echoing through the lower courtyard—another speech to rally the troops.“Are we ready?” Carmen asked.Calen didn’t answer immediately. “No. But we act anyway.”Carmen nodded slowly. Then, her voice lowered. “Liora told me what Hobb said. Ab

  • The Bestfriend Story

    “I ask you to lead,” Calen said gently. “With your voice, with your presence. Rally the broken. Speak to them before the battle. That will do more than your blade ever could.”Silence fell again.Then Carmen broke it. “He’s right, you know. You terrify me, and I like you.”That earned a weak smile from Elara. She placed a hand on Calen’s chest. “If I do this… if I stand down—it’s because I trust you to bring us through.”“I won’t fail you,” he said.From somewhere down the corridor, a bell tolled—low and urgent.Liora’s head turned sharply. “That’s the western gate. Someone’s returned.”Moments later, a young scout burst into the room, panting and wide-eyed. “Messenger from the Tarnish Marches,” he gasped. “Two captains and a whole unit—riverborn. They’ve come to swear fealty.”Seraphina blinked. “The riverborn? They disappeared after the Fall.”“They say the river called them back,” the scout said.Calen straightened. “Then the Sacred River is still answering us.”He looked once more

More Chapter

You may also like

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on MegaNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
Scan code to read on App