Asgardium. Phase Two. Heartache[English]

⚠️ BETA READ This is a beta read of Asgardium: Phase Two - Heartache. The chapters are still being refined, so feedback on pacing, characters, prose, clarity, plot, and overall reading experience is very welcome. It is strongly recommended to read Part One of Asgardium first, as Phase Two - Heartache continues the story and contains characters, events, and worldbuilding established in the first part. If something feels confusing, slow, unnecessary, or simply doesn't work please say so. Honest feedback is exactly what this beta read is for. ❤️ --- Time has passed since the war. In the ancient principality of Cardilia, seventeen-year-old Maria ascends to the throne following the death of her aunt. But beneath the gold of the crown, rebellion is brewing. Cardilia no longer wishes to remain part of the United Asagarandia. Old alliances are falling apart, the government is growing weaker, and the young princess must decide what she will become a ruler, a liberator, or the one who leads her land into another war. The Neon War is over. Asagarandia is entering a new era. The neon lights are fading. Cities are being rebuilt. People are trying to forget the past. But far from the great cities, strange things are beginning to happen. Four people die under identical circumstances. A pastor knows of their deaths before anyone else does. Voices begin to appear in mirrors. And in a small settlement that barely exists on any map, people remember one night that no one wants to talk about. Meanwhile, Sarah Nordveig and Circulus uncover the trail of a mysterious force which they believe was discovered in the caves of Lorphotiliad back in 1964. They call it the Matter. They find an old lawsuit.A missing scientist.A note left by Kruk.The town of Marblehead.And the mysterious letter A. The closer they get to the truth, the clearer one thing becomes: The Matter never disappeared. It was waiting. And now that the old war is over, a new story is only beginning.