Novels by Jason Kz

NEAR BAHYITHThe following morning, Allain had more visitors. He knew the previous night’s confrontation would have one of two outcomes. Either the men of the village would return in greater numbers, hoping to overwhelm him by force, or they would come peaceably, bringing their elder to make an alliance with the powerful stranger. Allain hoped the latter was true and that his demonstration was sufficient to prevent any further attempts at violence. When he saw the small group of Chatsiyram traveling in the open, his hope increased.They walked slowly beside the stream, understandably cautious. The youngest men with smooth faces walked in front. They carried khafars in their clenched fists. Older males followed closely behind, with close-cropped, bearded faces that shifted continually, looking for additional signs of danger. When they were within speaking distance, the group halted. The young men in front parted into two groups.The elder, whose beard fell well past his chest, moved fo

NORTH OF KRUTHELFrom his home city on the grassy plains, Enoch traveled due north. Somewhere beyond the eastern horizon lay the mountains of Nagah, but Enoch kept the shores of Da-Mayim visible on his western side as he picked his way carefully across the terrain. Traveling at a pace that he knew would be sustainable for quite some time, he moved only by the light of day, continuing on a straight route for three weeks until he reached a body of water that spread to the north, east, and west as far as his eye could see. Turning westward, he kept the shoreline on his right side for another three days until the land narrowed between it and another body of water to the west. Across this strip of land, which he named Ad-Banyim*, he traveled with relative ease until the shorelines on either side began to widen and the terrain began to slope upward. In his mind, he could still see clearly the path that had been laid out before him. And with confidence, he kept to the right-hand shoreline as

LAENINGARWhy did I say that?Allain still had his hand outstretched in the direction Sheyir had run. The branches and leaves still swayed from her passage, but she was gone. He slowly curled his fingers inward and lowered his arm. I just came here to escape. To regroup. Didn’t I?But his words to Sheyir still hung in the air, revealing a deeper motive that he himself wasn’t aware of until the moment it took the form of words.I’ve come a long way to see you.Allain lowered his gaze to the ground beside him while he searched his memory for confirmation or denial of what he’d just spoken. Laeningar had become a place of refuge for him in recent times. In the Golden Kingdom, there was a sharp contrast between it and the territory of the Evil One. Even among the luminescent terrain of his own territory, the Valley of Healing stood out as a special place. It had drawn his attention at first sight, but what succeeded in capturing his fascination was the realization that it had all been cr

LAENINGARTHE TERES KINGDOMSheyir sat on a low, flat rock, dangling her feet in the still water of the pond. It felt cool between her toes and gave her a momentary distraction from her frustration. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise when her father announced Sheyir’s forthcoming betrothal to her uncle, but it did anyway. She had many uncles, but it seemed as though she would have to marry the most repulsive one. Unfortunately, her father didn’t have much say in the matter; such things were dictated by the customs of her people. Nevertheless, she wasn’t comforted by this. It only made her angry to think about the fact that there wasn’t another option. Someday this would all seem more bearable. Someday … when she had given up hope for something different.But now was not that time. Now, she wasn’t able to bear it. And the feel of the water wasn’t able to dispel her feelings. In fact, the whole valley felt different today. The trees around her looked strange and dull, like the life ha

OUTSIDE LAENINGARTHE BORDERLANDS OF THE GOLDEN KINGDOMA luminescent trail of blood meandered along the soil. Its path was erratic, disturbed occasionally by footprints on one side and lateral scuff marks on the other. Allain tried his best to deny the fact that somewhere, on the other end of the glowing line of evidence they were leaving behind, the demonic hordes were tracking them. It would hardly be a difficult task.The liquid light that coursed through angelic veins would have been lost against the radiant backdrop of their own territory. But they were now behind enemy lines, and the dark, barren soil of this place only made their presence blatantly obvious.“Come on,” Allain said, bearing almost all of Amthardel’s weight.The Iryllur was looking duller by the second. His legs were covered in his own blood, spilling freely from the gash on the left side of his abdomen.They both knew it was fatal, but Allain didn’t want Amthardel dying in a place like this. As he hefted the sol

KRUTHELTHE TERES KINGDOMThe sky overhead loomed black, fading to the deepest blue as it reached the horizon. The dark silhouette of mountains marked the end of one Kingdom and the beginning of another. All was enveloped in a blanket of silence. Within the endless expanse of the firmament, small points of light pierced the darkness. Scattered against the backdrop of nothingness, their light swelled in intensity until their multitudes covered the heavens. Their brilliant whiteness pulsed, sometimes in unison, sometimes individually. In the moments between pulses, hints of color played around their edges.Gradually, some stars dimmed, revealing their distinct colors. Drifting closer to each other, they began to draw inward and spiral around a vortex, their speed increasing with proximity to the large, fiery star at their center. Quickly, they coalesced into one multicolored orb.In reaction to this movement, the remaining points of light parted and momentarily hovered as if confused, m

Charlotte's sigh was heavy with the weight of her disappointment. Her eyes locked onto the paper she held, searching for hidden meaning in the inked numbers. The quiet room seemed to echo with her despondence. Her brows knitted together, and her lips pursed in a faint frown. "I only got 200 points... so I'm ranked 13th," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, each word laced with a palpable sense of frustration and regret. "Katia got 235 points and is ranked 11th."Ever attentive to his friend's emotions, Haruki moved closer, his expression softening with empathy. His blue hair fell into his eyes as he leaned in, a small, comforting smile on his lips. "You both were so close, weren't you?" he said, his tone gentle and encouraging. "If it hadn't been for those demon worshippers at the end, our whole group would have made it into the top 10.Charlotte's gaze shifted from the paper to Haruki, her mind replaying the chaotic events of the competition's final moments. Her brow f

"What on earth is going on?" he muttered, utterly bewildered by the sight before him. The scene was so unexpected that it left him momentarily stunned. Although he lacked the courage to step inside, his curiosity got the better of him, and he cautiously peered in. Just at the entrance of the dormitory, Haruki and Charlotte were deeply engrossed in an unusually intimate conversation, their heads close together, sharing words he couldn't quite hear."They look so close... why does this scene seem so familiar?" he thought, a profound sense of déjà vu washing over him. The familiarity was unsettling. "This is the scene right after that cold, unfeeling guy Midnight—supposed to be a Star student—challenges the academy."Reflecting further, he realized, "Because I've temporarily taken his place, now everything is unfolding as it should... according to the script of the game Rainfall Disorder."As he stood there, lost in his thoughts and trying to piece everything together, a group of other

"See you later... but... next time, please don't pull on someone else's shirt like that..."At that precise moment, it seemed that the petite angelic girl had just realized she was clutching the hem of Ryoshu's shirt. Her eyes widened in sudden awareness, and she quickly let go as if the fabric had burned her fingers. What stood out most in this scene was the incredible proximity of their heads. Their faces were so close that even the slightest movement could have resulted in an undeniably awkward situation, almost as if the air between them had thickened with tension.Ryoshu's mind raced, struggling to process the sudden nearness. The image of a tomato was the only thing he could conjure to describe Luna's face, which had flushed a vibrant, almost luminous shade of red. Her cheeks seemed to glow with embarrassment, and he could practically feel the heat radiating from her skin.This moment was incredibly challenging for someone like Ryoshu, who was acutely sensitive and easily flust

"Instead of paying for tuition right away, I'll invest in the shares of potential guilds with promising futures," he mused aloud, his eyes shimmering with a glint of ambition. Securing financial growth through guild investments excited him; it seemed a wise move in a world where connections and wealth often determined one's success. "And if I gather enough goods, I might even consider starting a small business in the Trading Guild."The thought filled him with a sense of purpose and hope. He could already see the possibilities unfold before him—ventures that would bring wealth and establish his reputation in the bustling city. Money, he understood, was not merely a tool for survival but a powerful key to opening doors to numerous opportunities and connections.In the quieter corners of his mind, the stark reality of his ambitions loomed large. "In the future, the amount of money I'll need is no small sum," he murmured, his tone shifting to one of sober reflection. Supporting the ta

Upon hearing the alarming beep of the error sound, the saleswoman immediately hurried over. Her steps were quick and purposeful, a clear indication of her concern. As she approached, she leaned closer to the counter, her eyes searching for the source of the problem, and asked, "Are you out of money, dear?"The young man, visibly flustered, responded with a slight tremble, "No... please wait a moment. It seems there might be an error." His fingers moved swiftly over the device, trying to troubleshoot the issue with an almost palpable urgency. Sweat began to form on his brow as he frantically tried to resolve the situation.Standing right beside Ryoshu, the saleswoman scrutinized him with a look that betrayed her suspicion. Her eyebrows knitted together, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to decipher what was going wrong. Her eyes darted between Ryoshu and the device, seeking any clue that might explain the unexpected error.Ryoshu felt the weight of her gaze bearing do

"Ryoshu... What are you looking at out there?" Charlotte called out to him, her voice tinged with concern after he had been silent for an unusually long time.Startled from his thoughts, Ryoshu turned towards them, his face pale and eyes wide as if he had just seen a ghost. The unsettling expression made both Charlotte and Haruki exchange worried glances.'Could it be... these two?' Ryoshu wondered internally, his mind racing. 'Is it because they know me or because they are actively engaging with me? If that's the case... I need to come up with a plan quickly. These scenes are making me sick!!!'Desperately trying to compose himself, Ryoshu quickly blurted out, "Oh, um... I saw a white cat passing by, but it's nothing special." He cringed inwardly, realizing it was one of the lamest excuses he had ever concocted.Charlotte raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued but not fully satisfied. "A white cat, you say?""Yeah," Ryoshu stammered, nodding a bit too vigorously. "It just caught my