Your story is my story.
Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi’s sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah’s dream, hoping for answers about the elf’s past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers and react to Aliyah’s presence.
When the Archivists—a mysterious organization that has trailed the crew from the very start—capture everyone but Aliyah, however, their journey grinds to a halt. Still reeling from revelations about themselves, Aliyah must infiltrate the Archivists’ base to rescue their group. The place is half ruined city, half magical wonder—a labyrinth to navigate which will require the help of two unlikely allies: Fragment motes from past citizens willing to guide Aliyah.
To confront the Archivists is to uncover more of the inextricable truths between Aliyah and the Fragments. With every new revelation, the fractures in the Wagon crew’s cohesion and Aliyah’s determination widen. Before they can travel onward, they will need to find the strength to bear the weight of their ruined history.
Representation of note
Horace (e/em): aromantic, asexual, non-binary, ADHD
Aliyah (they/them): aromantic, asexual, non-binary
Rumi (he/him)
: aromantic, asexual
Keza (she/her): cis allo polyamorous lesbian
This series experiments with societal structures that don’t center sexual-romantic pairs or binary genders, which impacts significantly how characters relate to their own queerness.
content notes
Imprisonment, Possession
Brief risk of suffocation
Tropes
Found Family, Ancient Ruins
Secret Organizations
OTHER INFORMATION
Genre/Age Category: Adult, Cozy Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Queer Fiction
Publisher: The Kraken Collective
Publication Date: September 9, 2025
Cover Artist: Eva I.
ISBN-13 (paperback):
978-1-0692516-0-2
ISBN-13 (ebook):
978-1-0692516-1-9
FAQ
Can I start with this novella?
Only at your own risk. Every novella has a “Previously On” at the start to serve as a refresher, as well as character art and tiny information about their personalities, but those obviously can’t replace having been through the adventure. This one, especially, unfolds through key elements of the overarching plot and is best enjoyed as part of the series.