Category: Short Stories

Sarah Winters knelt in the damp grass, ignoring the drone of the eulogy and the biting chill of the mist. Her slender fingers traced a barely visible symbol on the cracked tombstone, a mark she’d only seen once before, in a hidden alcove of old Mr. Abernathy’s study. The air in Aurora Falls, thick with… Read more

Maya Sinclair hunched over the console, nimble fingers, etched with fine scars, dancing across the illuminated interface of her analysis device. Around her, the towering, sleek spires of New Horizon pulsed with soft, artificial light, a stark contrast to the wild data stream flickering across her screen. It depicted impossible structures, vibrant coral and teal… Read more

The neon-lit rain of New Eden smeared across Maya Chen’s viewport. Inside her sterile hab-unit, she hunched over a small, metal cylinder. It was the ‘pulsating object’ from the dataghost auctions, cryptic symbols etched into its surface – stylized leaves of dark blue and metallic gold against a deeper, void-like shade. Her slender fingers traced… Read more

Alexander Reed adjusted the collar of his coat, the dense fog of Ravenwood clinging damply to the old cemetery grounds. His eyes, piercing and sharp, scanned the small, somber group gathered around the grave. He wasn’t here for grief; he was here because the deceased, Elias Thorne, owned a piece of history Alexander suspected was… Read more

Alex Vega, agile and scarred, navigated the fog-choked alleys of Neon City. Cybernetic cats hissed from overflowing bins as Alex, resourceful and determined, hotwired a grav-scooter, their gloved hands moving with practiced ease. Suddenly, the towering skyscrapers flickered, plunging sections of the city into darkness. Alarms blared, not of panic, but of systemic failure. The… Read more

Alex Morgan, slender and agile, navigated the neon-drenched alleyways of Neo-Tokyo, their rugged jacket collar pulled high against the pervasive fog. Eyes narrowed, they focused on the flickering readings of their wrist-mounted scanner. A sharp, discordant whine erupted from the device, plunging the immediate vicinity into a localized blackout. Streetlights sputtered and died, plunging Alex… Read more

Alia Sterling traced a glowing finger across the cascading lines of code, her reflection shimmering in the neon-slicked skyscraper window. The holographic cityscape of Neo Seoul pulsed around her, a symphony of geometric light, but a discordant flicker snagged her attention. A circle, perfect moments ago in the Art Deco display, now wavered, its teal… Read more

Dust choked Ava’s lungs as she pried open a jammed metal drawer in the skeletal skyscraper. Rats scattered, their eyes gleaming in the gloom. Not food. Disappointment tightened her chest – hunger was a constant ache in New Haven. Then, a soft glow emanated from the back of the drawer. Not metal, but something else,… Read more

“Not again,” Lily Hartwell muttered, adjusting the floral duffel bag slung across her slender frame as a raven landed on the freshly turned earth beside the open grave. Fog, thick as grief, clung to Ravenswood Cemetery, each breath tasting of damp soil and unspoken sorrow. She wasn’t here for the spectacle of mourning, but for… Read more

Rain lashed against the stained-glass windows of Ravenwood Manor’s chapel, mirroring the storm in Alexandra’s chest. She gripped the edge of the pew, the scent of lilies and damp wood heavy in the air. Not for grief, but for a prickling unease, she watched the casket lowered. Then the lights flickered, plunging the chapel into… Read more