by Lianne Vail
She’s half American, half Kirathi. He’s full “chosen-one magical civil servant.” Now Trina is hiding him from assassins in her mom’s guest room while he taste-tests tacos. Earth was supposed to be safe. A no-magic zone. That’s why her father thought sending Syrin through the family portal was the perfect hiding place. Too bad he was wrong. Syrin’s bond to the Light breaks all the rules. Between assassins slipping through portals into San Diego and trying to avoid becoming the “glowing boy” trending on TikTok, Trina’s summer is becoming the exact opposite of the quiet break she envisioned... And she still has to teach her new roommate to use a microwave. It’s a perfect recipe for disaster. Or love. For fans of Howl's Moving Castle and Stardust, this is a warm, emotionally driven portal fantasy full of humor, dangerous magic, slow-burn romance, and quiet moments of care before everything inevitably catches fire. 🌟 What to Expect:-Slow-burn romance (soft, awkward, real) -Emotion-tied magic + catastrophic consequences -Cozy scenes… punctuated by “for the love of all things holy NOT NOW” explosion-Fish-out-of-water fantasy and culture-clash chaos -Grief, healing, and quiet moments of care -Competent parents with opinions -A warm portal fantasy where emotional intimacy and magical danger are deeply intertwined Additional Tags: Reverse Isekai, Sentient Magic, Political Intrigue, Cozy Moments Schedule:📅 Updates every other Monday Status:📖 Book 1: Between Light and Shadow - COMPLETE📖 Book 2: The Light in Chains - CURRENTLY POSTING🖊️ Four Planned Volumes ✨ Who You’ll Meet: 👟 Trina – a college student who grew up across worlds and absolutely does not know what to do with her feelings 🔥 Syrin – a glowing magical civil servant with the soul of a paladin and exactly zero training for Earth’s nonsense ☕ Mom – a competent, unflappable ex-portal adventurer who refuses to be sidelined 🗡️ Dad – the Kirathi adventurer who did not think through the consequences of marrying a girl from California 🌑 Shadow-things & assassins – because magic problems don’t respect international borders (or interdimensional ones) 🐼 A panda who does absolutely nothing… which Syrin takes extremely personally * Winner of the Royal Road Nov 2025 Writathon challenge *
| # | Title | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Once Upon a Divorce | 0 |
| 2 | 1: Exit Interview (Via Magic Portal) | 0 |
| 3 | 2: Family Reunion, Featuring Assassins | 0 |
| 4 | 3: Parental Guilt Trip (And Gelato) | 0 |
| 5 | 4: Glowing Anxiety Disorder | 0 |
| 6 | 5: Magic Defaults to Tacos | 0 |
| 7 | 6: First Contact (with Public Transit) | 0 |
| 8 | 7: Bean Juice Diplomacy | 0 |
| 9 | 8: The Great Tea Incident | 0 |
| 10 | 9: Cultural Exchange: Aisle 12 | 0 |
| 11 | 10: Controlled Burn (Mostly) | 0 |
| 12 | 11: The Sacred Rite of Morning Dessert | 0 |
| 13 | 12: A Cruel Kindness | 0 |
| 14 | 13: When in Doubt, Grab a Frying Pan | 0 |
| 15 | 14: Nightmares and Other Inconveniences | 0 |
| 16 | 15: Emotional Support Hoodie | 0 |
| 17 | 16: The Water Cow Is a Demon | 0 |
| 18 | 17: Pandas Are a Scam and So Are My Feelings | 0 |
| 19 | 18: The Zoo Gets a Light Show | 0 |
| 20 | 19: Shadow Wolves Are Not Zoo-Approved | 0 |
| 21 | 20: People Herding Is Somehow Worse | 0 |
| 22 | 21: We Are Definitely Not Getting Arrested (Probably) | 0 |
| 23 | 22: We’re Not Running Off Together (Mom Said No) | 0 |
| 24 | 23: Trial Partnership, Earth Edition | 0 |
| 25 | 24: Mom Walks In on Literally Everything | 0 |
| 26 | 25: I Accidentally Spy on the Government | 0 |
| 27 | 26: Hair Dye, Our Version of Normalcy | 0 |
| 28 | 27: Apparently Joy Is a Warning Sign | 0 |
| 29 | 2.1: Once Upon a Magical Emergency | 0 |
| 30 | Interlude 1: Nina | 0 |
| 31 | 2.2: Our Living Room Becomes a Metallic Hazard | 0 |
| 32 | 2.3: I Learn Where Chains Belong | 0 |
| 33 | 2.4: I Get Locked in a Room with My Worst Fear | 0 |
| 34 | 2.5: Everyone Agrees This Is a Terrible Place to Nap | 0 |
| 35 | 2.6: The Game Where No One Wins | 0 |
| 36 | Glossary: Names and Places | 0 |
| 37 | Trina’s (Probably Incomplete) Guide to Syrin’s Glowing | 0 |
| 38 | 2.7: The Light Is Not OSHA Compliant | 0 |
| 39 | 2.8: How Not to Burn Down the Tower | 0 |
| 40 | 2.9: Extremely Normal Behavior | 0 |
| 41 | 2.10: I Am Accused of Being a National Security Asset | 0 |
| 42 | 2.11: We Attempt to Have a Normal Evening | 0 |
| 43 | 2.12: We Develop a System (I Object) | 0 |
| 44 | Interlude 2: Alisto | 0 |
| 45 | 2.13: Subtlety—Newly Supported! (No Substitutions or Refunds) | 0 |
| 46 | 2.14: Babysitting a Magical Disaster | 0 |
| 47 | 2.15: Fault Is Assigned (Incorrectly) | 0 |
| 48 | 2.16: A Perfectly Reasonable Debate with a Homicidal Force | 0 |
| 49 | 2.17: Containment Strategies for a Walking Disaster | 0 |
| 50 | 2.18: Baked Goods and Questionable Life Choices | 0 |
| 51 | 2.19: How to Weaponize a Speech in Under Ten Minutes | 0 |
| 52 | 2.20: This Is For Public Safety | 0 |
| 53 | 2.21: I Invent a Magical Doorstop | 0 |
| 54 | 2.22: Holding Hands Definitely Doesn’t Look Suspicious | 0 |
| 55 | 2.23: Mom Abandons Us to Our Fate | 0 |
| 56 | 2.24: I Lose an Argument to a Crying Infant | 0 |
| 57 | 2.25: We Schedule a Miracle | 0 |
| 58 | 2.26: I Still Don't Understand the Broom | 0 |
| 59 | [BONUS] Deleted Scene | 0 |
| 60 | 2.27: I Fail to Read a Single Page | 0 |
| 61 | 2.28: I Discover My Mind Has Terrible Security | 0 |
| 62 | Interlude 3: Kernor | 0 |
| 63 | 2.29: The Definition of Dead Is Apparently Cultural | 0 |
| 64 | 2.30: Windows Are Sometimes Doors | — |
| 65 | 2.31: I Learn Why My Boyfriend Broadcasts His Feelings | — |
| 66 | 2.32: My Boyfriend Doesn’t Believe in Girlfriends | — |
