![Soul Garden [Slice of life | Dark fantasy | Slow-Burn Progression ]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.royalroadcdn.com%2Fpublic%2Fcovers-large%2F136309-soul-garden.jpg%3Ftime%3D1760711686&w=640&q=75)
by aB2k9
[Soul Garden] She was born beneath a golden sky. And she would live long enough to see it burn. Ryn is a stoic young knight, clinging to duty to drown the weight of failure. Princess Ariel, the heir of Solvara’s radiant line, bears the title of the Sun’s chosen but not its power. Her divine blessing, the mark that once shielded her people, remains locked within her, leaving her vulnerable in a city that worships perfection. Together, they are bound by command and circumstance, sworn to defend a kingdom that no longer believes in its own light. When Varghelm, Solvara’s old ally, begins amassing Blessed soldiers on their borders, and aberrations emerge from beneath the city’s white towers, the fragile order begins to fracture. Power here isn’t free; it’s borrowed, and the cost always comes due To protect his heir, the king assigns Ryn as the princess’s personal guard. What begins as reluctance soon draws both of them into a conspiracy buried beneath centuries of faith and falsehood. Both are forced to face what their gods abandoned: the truth of Solvara’s radiance, purity, and concealment. Their journey will carry them far from the city’s white towers, into lands where old empires and forgotten gods stir again. ...In a world where even light can lie, what will they protect, and what will they let burn? -A tragic story inspired by novels like shadow slave and the Legend of Zelda games -Slow-burn Character-Driven Progression Fantasy -Lots of slice-of-life moments that deepen characters and build the world -Themes of faith, devotion, and self-sacrifice, exploring what it truly means to give your life for others. -A slow-paced beginning that focuses on worldbuilding, atmosphere, and character depth before major events unfold. -Layers of political intrigue woven into the story’s core conflicts. -Layered power/magic system with alot of thought put into it -Multiple POVs, while the story mainly follows two protagonists, other perspectives will appear when important to the plot. -Both male and female main characters, whose journeys intertwine in meaningful and unexpected ways. -Interesting side characters who drive the story forward and shape the world around the protagonists. -Chapter lengths range from 1,000 to 5,000 words, depending on the pacing and intensity of each scene. -Romance... Maybe... Release schedule: 1 chapter every 4 days Cover art by me
| # | Title | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Soul Garden | 0 |
| 1 | Chapter 1 - stone-faced knight | 0 |
| 2 | Chapter 2 - Kings call | 0 |
| 3 | Chapter 3 -Do not fail. | 0 |
| 4 | Chapter 4 - No trick of the light | 0 |
| 5 |
| Chapter 5-what he knew best |
| 0 |
| 6 | Chapter 6-talented swordsman | 0 |
| 7 | Chapter 7- Her Knight | 0 |
| 8 | Chapter 8 -A dead swordsman protects no one | 0 |
| 9 | Chapter 9 - Where did that leave him? | 0 |
| 10 | Chapter 10- Chocolate, chiffon, mille-feuille | 0 |
| 11 | Chapter 11 - Empty throne | 0 |
| 12 | Chapter 12 - Envy his parents | 0 |
| 13 | Chapter 13 - New kind of hell | 0 |
| 14 | Chapter 14- Powerless | 0 |
| 15 | Chapter 15 - I can't do this. | 0 |
| 16 | Chapter 16- Your Knight | 0 |
| 17 | Chapter 17- Stand and fight, worm | 0 |
| 18 | Chapter 18 - An idea? | 0 |
| 19 | Chapter 19 - Surprise ? | 0 |
| 20 | Chapter 20 - last day | 0 |
| 21 | Chapter 21 - looking good, Ryn! | 0 |
| 22 | Chapter 22 - Festival of Sol | 0 |
| 23 | Chapter 23 - solvara’s jewel | 0 |
| 24 | Chapter 24 - Sun And Her Shadow | 0 |
| 25 | Chapter 25- Eldest son | 0 |
| 26 | Chapter 26 - Rescuing You | 0 |
| 27 | Chapter 27 - Gunpowder | 0 |
| 28 | Chapter 28 - Inciting Incident | 0 |
| 29 | Chapter 29 - blessed by a god | 0 |
| 30 | Chapter 30- How had it come to this? | 0 |
| 31 | Chapter 31 - Prince of Varghelm | 0 |
| 32 | Chapter 32 - delivered nothing | 0 |
| 33 | Chapter 33 - The Hour of Ryn’s Death | 0 |
| 34 | Chapter 34 - Princess Ariel | 0 |
| 35 | Chapter 35 - Silver and Song | 0 |
| 36 | Chapter 36 - Death of a soldier | 0 |
| 37 | Chapter 37 - The god who laughs | 0 |
| 38 | Chapter 38 - Did you have fun? | 0 |
| 39 | Chapter 38 - We can't keep going like this | 0 |
| 40 | Chapter 39 - Her fault | 0 |
| 41 | Chapter 40 - Let's do a trial | 0 |
| 42 | Chapter 41 - Before the journey | 0 |
| 43 | Chapter 42 - One or more steps | 0 |
| 44 | Chapter 43 - The Princess and the Absolutely dreadful aberration | 0 |
| 45 | Chapter 44 - Breath of the wild | 0 |
| 46 | Chapter 45 - Before Nightfall | 0 |
| 47 | Chapter 45 - Rain, rain, go away | 0 |
| 48 | Chapter 46 - Run to the trial | 0 |
| 49 | Chapter 47 - Always Bigger Fish In The Sea | 0 |
| 50 | Chapter 48 - Desperate for normal | 0 |
| 51 | Chapter 49 - Quest for a meal | 0 |
| 52 | Chapter 50 - One to nine, Never 10 | 0 |
| 53 | Chapter 51 - Warmth | 0 |
| 54 | Chapter 52 - Knight Wakes | 0 |
| 55 | Chapter 53 - Burden | 0 |
| 56 | Chapter 54 - Close to normality | 0 |
| 57 | Chapter 55 - Normal again. | 0 |
| 58 | Chapter 56 - Not while you’re still alive. | 0 |
| 59 | Chapter 57 - Far from normal | 0 |
| 60 | Chapter 58 - Most selfish creature in the world | 0 |
| 61 | Chapter 59 - Wax bird | 0 |
| 62 | Chapter 60 - Im Sorry | 0 |
| 63 | Chapter 61 - Escalation | 0 |
| 64 | Chapter 62 - First Trial | 0 |
| 65 | Chapter 63 - Travel City, Thessapoter | 0 |
| 66 | Chapter 64 - We survive | 0 |
| 67 | Chapter 65 - Grass and ruin | 0 |
| 68 | Chapter 66 - Day one, Wave one | 0 |
| 69 | Chapter 67 - Wake Up, Lilia! | 0 |
| 70 | Chapter 68 - Entertaining the Gods | 0 |
| 71 | Chapter 69 - Piggyback ride | 0 |
| 72 | Chapter 70 - Limits, Desperation, Plans, and Success | 0 |
| 73 | Chapter 71 - Cracks beneath the skin | 0 |
| 74 | Chapter 72 - Tentacle mass | 0 |
| 75 | Chapter 73 - Smarter and faster | 0 |
| 76 | Chapter 74 - Trial Meals | 0 |
| 77 | Chapter 75 - Journaling | 0 |
| 78 | Chapter 76 - Keeping it up. | 0 |
| 79 | Chapter 77 - Bone-deep exhausted | 0 |
| 80 | Chapter 78 - The Gods Must Have A Sense Of Humour | 0 |
| 81 | Chapter 79 - Using our bare teeth | 0 |
| 82 | Chapter 80 - Seven days and Seven nights | 0 |
| 83 | Chapter 81 - How To Misuse A Star | 0 |
| 84 | Chapter 82 - Cradled | 0 |
| 85 | Chapter 83- Night and the stampede of one | 0 |
| 86 | Chapter 84- Ariel dreamt once more | 0 |
| 87 | Chapter 85- Again And Again And Maybe Once More | 0 |
| 88 | Chapter 86- why do we act the way we do | 0 |
| 89 | Chapter 87- After everything | 0 |
| 90 | Chapter 88 - Final Night, Final Round - Part 1 | 0 |
| 91 | Chapter 89 - Final Night, Final Round - Part 2 | 0 |
| 92 | Chapter 90 - Final Night, Final Round - Part 3 | 0 |
| 93 | Chapter 91 - Final Night, Final Round - Part 4 | 0 |
| 94 | Chapter 92 - Final Night, Final Round - Part 5 | 0 |