
by T.J. Winter
You don't know the cost of your mistakes until it comes time to pay for them. Planes of magic which Stain the body and the soul, promising power and threatening madness. A sunken city, steeped in corruption and ruled by criminal gangs. Five friends with a plan to take power for themselves and change their future. Bracken has lived his entire life enthralled by stories of Stained heroes. He will lie, steal, and cheat if that is what it takes to follow his dreams. Passage was born to be a preacher, to follow in the footsteps of his father. Though he strives to be a good man, there is a rage inside him that refuses to be ignored. When the chance arises to steal power from criminal enforcers, the boys and their friends hatch a scheme that will alter the fates of themselves, their city, and the world itself. _________________________________________ What to expect: Take Arcane, Cradle, and LOTM, stick them in a blender and you might get something like this. •Dual protagonists and an expanding multi-POV cast•Earned weak-to-strong progression•Slow-burn power growth, with novel-paced plotting•A structured, non-LitRPG magic system where power has consequences Release Schedule Updates 3x a week - M/W/F.
| # | Title | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapter 0 | 137 |
| 2 | Chapter 1 – The Preacher’s Son | 2,154 |
| 3 | Chapter 2 – Principles | 2,219 |
| 4 | Chapter 3 – Worms | 2,362 |
| 5 | Chapter 4 – Youthful Folly | 2,155 |
| 6 | Chapter 5 – Stakeout | 2,236 |
| 7 | Chapter 6 – Gentle Reminder | 2,324 |
| 8 | Chapter 7 – Blessing of the Drowned | 2,197 |
| 9 | Chapter 8 – Master spy | 2,406 |
| 10 | Chapter 9 – Wayward sons | 2,355 |
| 11 | Chapter 10 – A Better Kind of Folly | 0 |
| 12 | Chapter 11 – Supply Run | 0 |
| 13 | Chapter 12 – Practice Run | 0 |
| 14 | Chapter 13 – In and Out | 0 |
| 15 | Chapter 14 – Last Chance to Back Out | 0 |
| 16 | Chapter 15 – Where There’s Smoke | 0 |
| 17 | Chapter 16 – A Good Salesman - Part 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Chapter 17 – A Good Salesman - Part 2 | 0 |
| 19 | Chapter 18 – Prodigal Son | 0 |
| 20 | Chapter 19 – A Stiff Drink - Part 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Chapter 20 – A Stiff Drink – Part 2 | 0 |
| 22 | Chapter 21 – On Unsteady Foundations | 0 |
| 23 | Chapter 22 – Unplanned Variables | — |
| 24 | Chapter 23 – Drowning Isn’t Peaceful | — |
| 25 | Chapter 24 – The Toll | — |
| 26 | Chapter 25 – Salvage, Not Salvation | — |
| 27 | Chapter 26 – Low Profile | — |
| 28 | Chapter 27 – A Matter of Perspective | — |
| 29 | Chapter 28 – A Kind of Stain | — |
| 30 | Chapter 29 – Deal with the Devil | — |
| 31 | Chapter 30 – The Family Business | — |
| 32 | Chapter 31 – Low Expectations | — |
| 33 | Chapter 32 – None Without Sin | — |
| 34 | Chapter 33 – Across the Horizon | — |
| 35 | Chapter 34 – High Seas, High Stakes | — |
| 36 | Chapter 35 – Company Men | — |
| 37 | Chapter 36 – Into the Black | — |
| 38 | Chapter 37 – Grave Robbing | — |
| 39 | Chapter 38 – Condemned by Name and by Nature | — |
| 40 | Chapter 39 – Triumphant Return | — |