Ashes of the Velvet CityChapter One: The Bride in CrimsonThe rain in Velmora fell like ash—fine, silent, constant. It turned the stone streets silver, made the lantern light blur and flicker, and cloaked the people in a
The city buzzed beneath the morning haze. Traffic screamed. Horns spat fury. But all of it was drowned in Isabella's head by the echo of one sentence: "Stop digging, or your family loses more than money."
The city of Hano Chi roared with scandal. By morning, Pikolo Benz was no longer a ghost—he was a criminal with a name on every radio station and social feed
The city skyline of Hano Chi blurred through the dusty car window as Isabella slumped in her seat, every inch of her body aching with exhaustion. She had crossed the borders of Greyward, stared into shadows, and still—Esther was gone.
I was in the habit of wandering about our garden every evening on the look-out for rooks. I had long cherished a hatred for those wary, sly, and rapacious birds.
Nightfall in Hano Chi was never truly quiet. The sky buzzed with distant choppers. The city lights shimmered against dark clouds, and beneath it all, in the steel-spined corridors of power, a family once brought to its knees was finally standing up.
The courtroom echoed with quiet murmurs and shifting feet. Reporters lined the walls. Cameras weren’t allowed, but the energy was undeniable—the Atomy Binko trial had gripped Hano Chi like a wildfire.
My name is Samuel, and I am the fourth child in a family beset by financial hardships. My parents, unable to afford my university education, motivated my journey to Lagos in search of better prospects.
