The Time Guardian: Althuria Chronicles, #0.6

By Ryver Knight

Fourteen-year-old Audrey enjoys her peaceful life in the royal castle. She loves avoiding her tutors, planting flowers in the gardens, and going on wild adventures with her younger sister, Lilith. But when she discovers that she has a rare ability, the future crashes down on her with a deadly weight.

She's seen everything. She knows how she will die. But can she prevent her terrible fate?

Or will she seal it?

This short story complements the four-book Althuria Chronicles series.

Reading order:
Smoke and Spells
Shadows and Shifters
Runes and Rebellion
Void and Valor

• Language: English
• Publisher: GPV Publishing
• Release date: Apr 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224524556

Ryver Knight

Ryver Knight is a YA Fantasy author from Ontario, Canada. When she's not studying alchemy with goblins or drinking tea with elves, you can find her crafting nonsensical stories in her writing cave. She's an avid reader (duh) who eats an unhealthy amount of sugar, loves listening to rad tunes, and may or may not be lacking vitamin D. Smoke and Spells is her debut novel.

Book preview

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Part I

Once Upon a Time Guardian

She was born on a stormy evening—the stormiest Althuria had ever seen. Not a soul walked about the city square, not when rain flooded the streets. The shops closed early, so the only light left in the city shone from dimly lit lanterns. The flames, encased in brightly colored glass, swung back and forth dangerously against the fierce winds. Thick thunderclouds clustered together as if in conspiracy, and everyone could hear their hushed whispers beneath the pounding rain.

It’s time, the thunderclouds said. It’s time.

Time. Every home in Althuria felt the power of that word, sending ripples down their streets. The trees in the forests of Amberwood shivered. In their many years of life, those trees sensed ancient magic drifting through the air. Their leaves retreated, shrinking as if to protect themselves.

And at the very top of the hilly kingdom, nestled in the depths of a castle, wails filled the air.

Princess Audrey was born.

She was loud, screaming her presence to all who dared come near. Swaddled in a royal red cloth—the colors of her nation—her tiny fists remained tightly clenched. Auburn wisps of hair peeked out from the cloth, the only part of her that was calm. As her screams finally died down, her eyes took in the world around her with awe.

Her mother, exhausted, cradled the baby in her arms. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared down at the beautiful newborn.

Audrey, she said. Hello, little Audrey.

The baby babbled incoherently, staring up at her mother curiously. It wasn’t long before they both fell into a deep sleep. They slept without a hint of worry in their hearts, only gentle solace curling around their forms.

It was at this moment that the ancient magic awakened. This was the magic maintained by the towers of Eternos, the void manipulators of old, starting with a girl named Mala. This was magic borne from life and death, love and hate, light and darkness. It was the space between breaths and the magnificence of eternity, wrapped into a single strand of dark smoke.

That strand lingered at the castle windows, observing their peaceful slumber with faint interest. It could see the love seeping into every corner of the room, breathing life into the scene.

But it could see so much more than that.

The void basked in the past, present, and future. This was not one moment—no, it was many, cascading upon each other like dominoes. This was a moment that could not be undone.

The void chose Audrey.

Although, perhaps chose was the wrong word. The void didn’t choose. That would imply it had a will, and one should know better than to assume that such a thing even existed. The void simply did what had to be done in the manner that it was meant to be done, whenever it had to be done. The future in this realm would follow a certain path. The past, in all its iterations, was set.

And the future, in all its iterations, was set. As far as it could be set, at least. This was the cycle of life.

Satisfied, the void drifted