Cassandra Morphy

To some, it looks like a normal, innocuous, black pebble. It has been smoothed and shined over the years of hiding out in people's pockets, making its surface almost reflective. All the better to see the undead stalking you from behind. Because this stone isn't a normal stone. It is the death stone, and you're just as likely to die from seeing it as from the undead that stalk the world. No one knows where the death stone came from, or how long it's been creating the undead that have ravaged half the world. All they know is that it can't be stopped, it can't be destroyed, and it's only a matter of time before it goes off again, creating more undead, and killing all that were unlucky enough to be close by.

Griffin, Annette, and Julian were set to be the death stone's next victims. When they found the death stone in their nut jar, they immediately took it to the mayor of their small town of Cly Catar, in the hopes that maybe there was a way to get rid of it forever. But the death stone would have none of that. He wasn't done playing with the world, or his newfound toys. After all, these three humans seem way to fun not to play with them.

Jenny Hudson is the daughter of the mine foreman. With the mine being the old major business in the area, that makes her and her father rather important figures in the town of Jonsonville. But when the mine starts running dry, with the only vein practically unreachable, fewer and fewer of the miners are getting the shifts that they need to feed their families. It breaks Jenny's heart that she can't do more to help them.

But when Jenny's crush, the mysterious black haired girl that moved to town just a couple of years earlier, finally talks to her, thoughts of those miners and their concerns end up taking a back seat for this new love affair. However, when the mysteries surrounding the girl take a turn for the dark, Jenny is left to wonder just who she needs to be saving: the girl, the town, or herself.

From a young age, Cary Simms knew that she wasn't like the other boys her age. While she still wasn't sure the hows or whys, she was starting to think that it was more than just that she was a sorcerer. Moreover, that her parents were sorcerers too. But with her grandparents refusing to tell her anything about them, or how they died, Cary is left digging up the past herself.

Cary is home for summer break, after an interesting first year at Thorbjorg Prep. But as she tries to settle into her usual summertime activities, something feels a bit off. Things aren't quite the same as they usually are at home. With her preference of the AMV bible over the old KJV that her grandparents raised her on, there aren't many options for churches in the human realm. More and more, Cary feels at odds with her grandparents and with the life she had once known.

Not much happens in the small town of Chicagorn. The mages rumored to still roam the kingdom of Fandor don't come there, as they would soon be caught and turned in. Most of the people born there head out into the world soon after they come of age. Those stuck behind often find themselves with few opportunities in life, much to Megana's dismay. But then, as long as no one finds out that she is one of those mages, she just fine with her sleepy little life there. However, when her boyfriend heads out to join the troopers, the group responsible for hunting those mages, she's left behind with only her best friend Claire.

That is, at least, until Claire kissed her. Such relationships don't happen in Fandor. Suddenly, she had two secrets to keep from the people of her small town, who always seemed to be in everyone's business. Always looking for reasons to turn on those that don't quite fit in. The stress of it all quickly seemed to become too much for Megana, though not enough to turn her back on this new love that she found in the most unlikely of places.

Closed off from her mountain kingdom of Hilland, Queen Talia VI is stuck in the palace of her closest rivals, the royal family of Lolland. Fortunately for her, they were stuck in the mountains for the moment, though not for much longer. However, her ascension to their throne would do little to save her skin, let alone her kingdom.

Stuck in a nest of vipers, Talia, Adrial, and Simon try to make allies wherever they can, in an effort to save their kingdom. But with their time running out, with the return of Stoland imminent, things aren't looking up for them. With their relationship strained, Talia is afraid she might lose Adrial along with her throne. And possibly her head.

From a young age, Cary Simms knew that she wasn't like the other boys her age. While she still wasn't sure the hows or whys, she was starting to think that it was more than just that she was a sorcerer. Learning magic at the Thorbjorg Prep School was interesting, once she got past the fears for her immortal soul. But with fifth graders not being allowed out of the magical realm, Cary and her friends are stuck behind at school for Christmas break.

When the school's own traditions are waylaid by ogres breaking onto campus, the students at TPS realize that their world isn't as safe as they think it is. With mysteries surrounding them, filling the magical realm, the students fight back with knowledge and a new newspaper to spread it. Although, a few gifts from Santa can help in any challenge.

From a young age, Cary Simms knew that she wasn't like the other boys her age. She didn't know why or how that was, but it seemed apparent to the bullies of her school. They would often call her names, chase after her after school, and beat her up when they could catch her. Her only protection, besides escape, was in the words of the Good Book.

But that was before she stumbled into the supposedly haunted house at the end of her street. When a mysterious ring and a drawing on the back wall of the post office opened up a whole new world for her, things quickly went from weird to scary. At a new school, in a new world, surrounded by people who had access to magic, all Cary could think of was how to escape the witches that had her trapped there. It was only having her best friend by her side that gave her any comfort at all.

The world of Pliant, known colloquially as Sport's World, isn't like most of the planets in the Terran Alliance. People don't go there to grow mana or to just make a living. They go there to make a name for themselves. To excel at the one thing that most of the people there lived for.

The Game.

But Dan didn't come to Sport's World to make a name for himself. He grew up there, lost in the economy that was built around pliant, the sport that everyone focused on. Made and lost fortunes betting on. He just wanted to live his life, without being bombarded by sports. Assaulted by the one thing that he hated the most.

Except, when the recruiter came knocking, he couldn't say no. The world wouldn't let him. Suddenly, Dan was stuck doing the one thing he never wanted. Suddenly, Dan was getting everything that he never wanted. But he would soon find out that everything wasn't enough.

Maya San Lucas had been lost in her dreamworld for the better part of five years. But Desparia was no longer a fantasy world for her. It was a nightmare, full of powers and creatures beyond her control. Going to that world took everything from her, destroying her sanity, and bringing her and her friends to certain doom. The life of a thief, and a mage, was so much more exciting than high school, but in all the wrong ways.

After returning from that world of horrors, Maya is left with nightmares plaguing both her sleeping and waking life. Demons stalk her from the corner of her eye, or even out in broad daylight. Therapy was doing little to help, though she knew that her therapist was likely to have her committed for telling the truth. The only thing that lent her any solace was the new girl Meg. For some reason, the demons never came when she was with her.

But as Maya's powers grew, summoning magic to a world that had none, she got a disheartening look at the world that she had left behind. A new evil has come to the empire, taking the place of the fallen emperor as if nothing had changed. When her friends became more determined than ever to return and carry on the fight, Maya ran from them, seeking the safety of the new girl. But Meg has secrets of her own, mysteries that Maya wasn't quite ready for. And as the two of them grew closer, there were other powers coming into the picture that Maya wasn't expecting.

Once again, graduation is upon Dor and Kenya, as their basic training comes to an end. But this was only the beginning of their time training under the fleet. Unfortunately, their A-schools were on different planets, bringing the two to yet another separation. This one, however, was set to be a short one. This one, supposedly, was set to be their last.

Except, with Dor and Derryl heading to the same A-school, the feelings that always lingered between them quickly reared its head once more. And as the tests prove to be more difficult than either had been expecting, than either had experienced before, they only got closer as they strived to get through their program in one piece. However, how close is too close when hiding out alone in a classroom together?

With the larger than normal demon population at their A-school seemingly having no trouble getting through the coursework, Dor starts to think that something else is going on in their strange, secretive program. For Dor, failing isn't an option. Especially since, in space, no one can hear you thrive.

After escaping the pirates that had captured them, Dor and her friends crash land in the badlands of New Triton. But even with their emergency beacon running, no one seemed ready or willing to help them. The politics of the oncoming war has followed them from the space station. Even those that don't know about the war could feel it in the wind of the Terran Alliance. The only way for the group to be rescued was for them to take the dangerous trek across the inhospitable desert, hoping to make it to the terraformed section of the colony.

Once saved from their destroyed ship, Dor, Derryl, and Worse resume their original plans, heading to Earth for basic training. Dor's wife, Kenya, had arrived ahead of them, greeting her like the old friend that she was. Only everything isn't the same between them. Not after that kiss. Not after the time apart. Not with Kenya flourishing in training, and Dor falling behind. But at least Dor isn't alone in failing. At least, not at first.

But not everything at basic training is on the level. Something is happening in the shadows. A mystery that Dor can't quite figure out. But not for lack of trying. Besides, in space, no one can hear you train.

Dor and Kenya have been best friends since they first met in middle school, when Dor had just moved to the planet New Kansas. As they graduated at the top of their high school class, their futures were looking bright. But when their applications to The Pilgrims, the space exploration agency, was denied, they were left scrambling for some way forward. Their other options were limited, and none would keep them together. Or so they thought.

Both of Dor's parents had retired from The Terran Alliance Fleet, the main military and policing force of the known worlds. She always thought that she'd rather be caught dead than signing up. That is, until the recruiter insisted that they could stay together while enlisted. The catch? They'd have to get married. 33rd century or not, that sort of thing just wasn't done on New Kansas.

On the way to basic training, their group was waylaid by pirates. With help too far off, they take it upon themselves to try to escape their captors. After all, in space, no one can hear you travel.