13 Thorne
“An emperor or empress cannot merely rule their subjects. They must inspire them.” – Empress Janais, The Fifth Age of Umbra
Meimi and I step inside the run-down garage. The scent of engine grease and mothballs fills the air. One side of the interior is piled high with beakers and vats of questionable chemicals. The opposite part is crammed with gears, wires, and all things electronic. A kind of no-man’s land lies between the two halves, a space that’s filled with old rags and dust.
I instantly recognize the layout. My brothers and I have multiple rooms like this. We’re like magpies, finding and piling up our junk. Battle gear for Justice. Fortune-telling tools for Slate. And stacks of books for me. We like to think of ourselves as having an organized mess.
Mostly, we just hav
