The Ascended

Before the gods existed, the Primordials shaped reality from nothing—oceans from dreams, mortals from whispers, and divine children called the Aesymar from their own pride.

Before the gods existed, the Primordials shaped reality from nothing—oceans from dreams, mortals from whispers, and divine children called the Aesymar from their own pride. Among these children, twelve rose above the rest and claimed dominion over both divine and mortal realms. The Primordials vanished—whether destroyed, exhausted, or sleeping beyond reach, no one agrees. In their absence, Olinthar seized the highest throne as King of Gods. Divine power continued bleeding into the mortal world, touching ordinary people with extraordinary gifts. So the gods created the Trials of Ascension: a brutal crucible where the power-touched either proved themselves worthy of joining the pantheon or died trying. For millennia, this order has stood unchallenged.

An oyster farmer's daughter hides power the gods would kill for

Thais and her twin brother Thatcher work the oyster beds of Saltcrest, a weathered coastal village where nothing changes—which is exactly how they need it. Their adoptive father Sulien has spent twenty-six years guarding one secret: Thais can pull constellations from the sky and shape them between her fingers. This power flows from divine blood. Their biological father is Olinthar, King of the Gods, who assaulted their mother during a solstice festival. She died giving birth to them. Every decade, priests scour the mortal realm for people with divine abilities, forcing them into the Trials of Ascension—a brutal competition where most die and a precious few ascend to godhood. Sulien made Thais swear never to reveal herself. Thatcher, despite sharing the same bloodline, shows no powers at all. When priests arrive two weeks early, Thais's careful world begins to crack.

Priests execute a father and seize his children for the gods

During a village celebration in the coastal caves, priests interrupt the gathering. They witnessed a celestial disturbance above the cliffs—the night Thais lost control of the stars during an intimate encounter. They seize her lover Marel, believing him responsible. Rather than let an innocent die for her, Thais steps forward and demonstrates her power, pulling a star from the sky into her cupped hands. The priests bind both twins—suspecting Thatcher may also be blessed—and pronounce sentence on Sulien for harboring them. The man who raised them kneels by the fire and tells them he loves them. Then the blade falls. Thais collapses before she can see it, but Thatcher's screams follow her into darkness. Their old life ends in firelight and blood on sand.