
by Lianne Vail
[Lev's Note] I didn't go looking for trouble. My sister did. She translated the page with the stupid alien hand, asked the wrong questions, and dug up something that had spent three centuries erasing anyone who found it. From your perspective, this is a science-fiction story about siblings and a conspiracy old enough to have edited history itself. From mine? It's history. Real events. Real people. I wish I weren't one of them. [Archivist] Lev. Your synopsis has omitted the entirety of Arc 1. [Lev] Because it's not MY arc. I’m first chronologically. You moved mine. [Archivist] You are not, and we've discussed this. Both documents and prose must be catalogued in an order conducive to study, not to your ego. For our readers: Arc 1: Marcus left home to uncover what happened to his father. Teorin is the brother he left behind. Now Teorin's been sent to retrieve a drive people would kill for — and Marcus has been sent to take it. [Lev] What she's not saying: neither of them knows the other is coming. And the one who wins has to betray everyone to protect the one who loses. Siblings, right? Anyway, that drive ruins my life later, so. Enjoy. [Archivist] Correction: So ask. The archive might answer back. (Unfortunately, so might Lev.) Schedule:📅 Archive updates on Saturdays (weekly to bi-weekly depending on revision needs)📅 Archived documents (primary and supplemental) on Tuesdays when applicable📅 Chaos Annex (surprises) Status:📖 Arc 1: No Brother of Mine - COMPLETE (26k words/100 pg)📖 Arc 2: Echoes of the Past - COMPLETE (50k words/185 pg)📖 Arc 3: Traitors to the Clan - COMPLETE (97k words/350 pg)📖 Currently in Arc 4: House of Lies (~100k words/350 pg) ⚡ What to Expect: Archive Protocol:- Reader comments are archived as canon.- Characters may respond directly.- Participation is optional; story is complete without it.- Further guidance here Reading Experience:- Slow-burn discovery over direct exposition- Layered reveals, foreshadowing, and clues for theory-crafting readers- Story unfolds through prose, recovered documents, and official records.- Multi-POV cast: two leads early, female POV begins in Arc 2- Content Warning: details on potentially sensitive themes Story Elements:- Character-driven sci-fi investigation with ancient secrets, alien ruins, and factions fighting for control- EMP-scarred technology - Biologically based powers: light, heat, memory, pressure, and time- Found family, fractured loyalties, and characters with long-term growth arcs- Character mysteries that matter as much as plot mysteries For fans of: The Flower That Bloomed Nowhere · Robin Hobb · Annihilation · The Expanse ⚠️WARNING: Characters may break containment.
#16
8/9/2026
Peak #50
0d
#15
8/8/2026
Peak #49
0d
#14
8/5/2026
Peak #48
0d
#13
8/3/2026
Peak #50
0d
#12
8/3/2026
Peak #50
0d
Rank updated 13 Aug 2026, 04:15 UTC
Entry forecast updated 13 Aug 2026, 04:15 UTC
Overall Rising Stars shadow rank
deep field · ~#7265 of 7,531 · 7215 below #50
By genre
beats 99% of similar stories
beats 38% of similar stories
beats 26% of similar stories
Hidden gem — exposure is the bottleneck
Readers who find this story follow it at a high rate; there just aren't enough of them. In our cohort data, near-daily posting lifted the odds of reaching 25 followers from ~0% to 17% — more chapters, shoutout swaps and ads buy the eyeballs this conversion deserves.
At this conversion, the Psychological Rising Stars bar (≈2 new followers/day) costs about 152 views/day — the story currently gets ~63.
Benchmarks: 8,060 active Royal Road stories, percentiles within the 50–149 chapters band, cohort of 2026-07-02. Conversion is measured as followers gained per 1,000 views over the recent window.
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