BOUND BENEATH ROOTS AND SOULUpdated at Jan 21, 2026, 00:20
Ember, a whimsical girl with a heart still stinging from fresh heartbreak from her best friend and boyfriend, stumbles drunkenly into a shimmering portal and falls into another world.To her astonishment, the strange folk of this realm welcome her with open arms. Their joy, their music, their warmth — it all settles into the cracks of her aching soul. And as days pass, Ember feels a strange transformation: her usually sickly body grows stronger and her spirit steadierBut wonder quickly sours into dread.Because their acceptance was not of kindness — but tradition. Every three years, the townsfolk offer up a human sacrifice to the Dragon Protector, a vengeful beast still grieving the mate they once killed.Now Ember must choose between running, fighting, or surrendering to the strange ache in her chest — the one tied to the town she has come to love… and the unexpected pull she feels toward a mysterious, handsome outcast only she can see. Ember faces a choice that would change her world forever, and redefine her own existence.