Author's Review: Listen Up.
So, you wanna read a story, huh? One with heroes, glory, and everything tied up with a neat little bow? Yeah, you're in the wrong place. If that's what you're looking for, feel free to turn back now. No hard feelings. Mostly.
I didn't write Aurafall: Fragments of Power to tell you who the hero is. Honestly, I'm still figuring that out myself sometimes. I wrote it to make you ask if one even exists when the dust settles, and to ask a much bigger question that might keep you up at night: Is Aura a divine blessing, or the ultimate damnation? Because, trust me, the answer isn't as simple as it looks when the blood starts to flow.
This whole mess kicks off with Leo Melanthos. The universe itself decided this kid was a glitch, a cosmic typo in the grand design. No Aura. No fancy system blessing. Just a big fat 'error' tag floating over his head, visible only to me, the poor soul writing his misery. He had no past, no future, not even the decency to be rejected. Just… an error. A blank slate in a world screaming with new powers and ancient histories.
But here's the thing about errors?
They break things. Oh, do they break things.
And sometimes… they don't just rewrite the code for themselves, but for every generation that follows. Think butterfly effect, but with more explosions and existential dread.
In a world where Aura literally rips apart heaven and hell – where gods aren't just myths but genuine assholes you can meet (and probably punch, if you're brave/stupid enough), demons are busy conquering, and what's left of humanity is fighting over scraps – Leo shouldn't even be a footnote. He's less than that. He's the statistical anomaly that should be ignored. Until the Crimson Rain starts pouring harder whenever he's around… Until the Cradle Orb, that giant, ominous eyeball in the sky, starts whispering his name. Yeah, his name.
That's when the real breaking begins. And the legacy of his choices, for his son and future generations, truly starts to unfold. You might want to grab a comfortable chair for this, because it's going to be a ride.
🧩 So, You Wanna Know Things? (Without Actually Knowing Things)
*## Yeah, Leo dies. Like, for real. Multiple times. It's not a spoiler, it's a warning. Consider it a running gag, if you're into dark humor. And trust me, death? That's just the warm-up. The real pain comes after. Sometimes for him, sometimes for you.
* ##"Villains"? Nah. Everyone's a hero in their own head. That's the beauty of it. Or the horror. Everyone here is doing what they genuinely think is right, even if it involves tearing down cities or sacrificing millions. Which, spoiler alert, usually makes things infinitely worse and hurts a whole lot more. Don't come looking for easy answers.
*## Your "main cast"? Not just Leo's cheerleaders. These aren't cardboard cutouts. Every single one of these poor souls has their own baggage, their own broken dreams, their own moment to shine, and their own capacity to screw things up royally. And their choices? They can—and will—fracture everything, including their own sanity. Don't get too attached. Or do. I won't stop you. I'm not your mom.
*## The world itself? It's alive. And it's definitely not on your side. Think of it as a cosmic antagonist with a wicked sense of irony. Yeah, it's got a beef with you, specifically. And everyone else.
*## There's a character in here who loves peace so much, they're perfectly fine with just… eliminating everyone to achieve it. Because sometimes, the most peaceful solution involves a lot of violence. Efficiency, right? And then there's another who wouldn't hurt a fly... until they do. And then they just don't stop. Ever. It's a whole character arc, trust me.
* ##The Aura Princes? Don't picture royalty. Forget the knights in shining armor. Think less "charming prince" and more "eldritch horror wearing a crown made of your worst nightmares." They're nastier than gods and far more desperate than any monster you've ever imagined. You might even feel a tiny bit of pity for them. Probably not, though.
* ##Legacy warriors? Born to save the world? Sure. That's what the prophecies say. But sometimes, "salvation" involves hitting the reset button on reality, or making choices that would make a demon blush. And who pays the price for that kind of "saving"? Usually, the innocent. And sometimes, the readers.
*## Power? That's cute. In Aurafall, raw strength is nice, but memories are the real game-changers. The true currency. The ultimate weapon. And Leo? He's got precisely zero of those. Which, in this world, should make him utterly useless.
* ##(…or does he? You'll just have to stick around and find out, won't you? My lips are sealed. For now.)
🧠 Themes You'll Probably End Up Thinking About (Don't Say I Didn't Warn You)
*## Is Aura a blessing or a curse? (Yeah, this one's gonna stick with you. Prepare for some existential crises.)
*## Identity vs. purpose: When you're an error, a blank slate, what defines you? Does destiny pick you, or do you pick your destiny?
* ##Chosen vs. unchosen: What happens when the world doesn't pick you, doesn't give you a golden ticket, but you choose yourself anyway?
* ##System vs. free will: Just how much control do we really have when the universe seems to have its own agenda, its own rules, its own errors?
*## Is being right more important than being good? Prepare for some moral dilemmas that will chafe. No easy answers here.
*## What do you become when no one chooses you—but you choose yourself? (This one's a personal favorite, and it's a journey I'm just as excited to explore as you are.)
📝 A Few More Notes from Yours Truly:
*## The fights? They won't be constant. I promise I won't bore you with endless, pointless skirmishes. But when they hit, they'll hit hard, and they'll mean something. They'll leave a mark. On the characters. On you.
* ##Emotional arcs? Yeah, we do those here. Characters will break. They will grow. And sometimes… they just won't make it back. Sorry, not sorry. My characters suffer so you don't have to (unless you like that kind of thing, in which case, welcome aboard!).
*## Information? Don't expect to be spoon-fed. This isn't a lecture. You're gonna earn it, piece by agonizing piece. You'll discover it, connect the dots, and probably scream at your screen. That's part of the fun, right?
*## Oh, and for those who enjoy a bit of romance? It's here. It's definitely here. But remember, this is dark fantasy. So think less "happily ever after" and more "will they survive this trauma together, or just drag each other further into the abyss?" Expect complicated, often painful, connections.
*## So, if you dig action mixed with a generous side of unraveling cosmic mysteries, and you're not afraid to get your heart broken a few times (or, let's be real, many times)… then this is definitely for you. Prepare to question everything.
The Grand Plan (Maybe)
This isn't just one story, folks. This book, Aurafall: Fragments of Power, is planned as the first of a four-book saga, looking something like this:
* Aurafall: Rebirth of Aura
* Aurafall: Requiem on Earth
* Aurafall: Final Verdict
But whether we get to embark on that full, glorious, heartbreaking journey? Well, that's entirely up to you. Your support dictates if Leo's saga, and the legacy of his choices for generations to come, continues beyond this first installment. Let's make this happen.
Final Thoughts:
This is not a story where the protagonist magically wins every battle. Nope. If that's what you're here for, you might be disappointed.
This is a story where every single win comes with a price, and sometimes that price is so damn high, you'll wonder if it was worth it. There are no easy victories, only less painful losses.
It's a slow-burn. A messy, chaotic descent into a world where true right and wrong are subjective, and all that matters is what you're willing to do for the few people you genuinely care about. It's about the very nature of power, and whether it ultimately saves or destroys.
So no, I won't promise a happy ending. I can't. That would be lying.
But I will promise this: you'll feel something. Deeply. You'll laugh, you'll probably cry, and you'll definitely get angry.
And maybe… that's enough.
Thanks for stepping into the rain with me.
Let's fall together.