Heya everyone. It's been a while since my OG Intro post, and it needed some updating, so here we are!
I'm Molten, I mostly write fantasy! My current main project is called How Our World Ended, which is a part of the larger Souls Collide universe!
I post about that story, and any others I'm working on.
As for How Our World Ended, I'm really bad at making blurbs, but I'll try!
" Four Million coins, just about 80 years of pay. That is how much Dimitri, King of Itzhack, was willing to pay for the death of Res Ozayius, a vigilante known as the Cold Blooded. Wielding the element of ice, Res must manage his life being turned upside down, not only by the bounty, but by a new companion he must protect. Meanwhile, the king's son Nelios, and the royal scientist, Raven, try to uncover an ancient mystery that could destroy the world as they know it… "
If you want to read it, every public chapter is here
I also have made a few other random things, which you can read here
I will be posting about other random things, shows I'm watching, random opinions, etc, but I think you all get the gist.
If any of you ever want to contact me, my dms and asks are always open :)
Heya everyone, I know it's been a bit since i posted anything, but there's been life reasons for that hah. Anyways, this post is more for the writing update.
After realizing that some plot points were fucked up, I did a complete replanning of How Our World Ended ( not a new story per say, just changing stuff around and adding a bit ) to the point where I am now like 70% confident this is how the release will go.
How Our World Ended will officially be split up into 2 ( maybe 3, probably 2 ) books so that it can actually release within a reasonable time. I don't have the titles figured out yet, but that'll come with time Im sure
What i AM fairly sure of is the length. HOWE 1 will be 23 full chapters, with 3 smaller chapters as a prologue, epilogue, and interlude, and will be around 50,000~ words.
It will have a definitive ending so that it can stand alone, i am going to try my best to not make it feel like " just the first half " of something. The main goals of the characters will be resolved in that book, although the ending will be a setup for the rest if that makes sense-
Anyways that's a yap session done, I will update the AO3 and Tumblr pages soon with updated descriptions and this being a book 1.
Speaking of those, Ch1 & 4 will be getting minor changes to account for the plot changes, and CH3 will be getting an overhaul soon.
Anyways that's all for me, I'd like to have the posted chapters updated before the end of the month, and then try to get back to monthly ( or maybe even bi weekly ) chapters.
might have to put how our world ended on an official break while i figure out some plot shit. 4 years of winging it has caught up with me and i am realizing some really bad structural issues. ill probably try to work on a mini series to post while im figuring that out, plus itll be nice ot have a break from that story-
anyways, thats all. probably no writing release this month, but once may is over there will be monthly releases again, hopefully weekly or bi weekly at some point in the future.
might have to put how our world ended on an official break while i figure out some plot shit. 4 years of winging it has caught up with me and i am realizing some really bad structural issues. ill probably try to work on a mini series to post while im figuring that out, plus itll be nice ot have a break from that story-
anyways, thats all. probably no writing release this month, but once may is over there will be monthly releases again, hopefully weekly or bi weekly at some point in the future.
Small how our world ended update. The chapters have been reordered on AO3, basically just put the first night to the end and reworded some chapter notes in preparation for the prologue chapter. I also did a draft of that, but it's way too short ( deadass less than 200 words ) but idk how to make it longer atm so i might just start on CH3+4 reworks
Hey ya’ll, a quick progress update on how our world ended stuff. I’m working on a new prologue chapter, which will probably be the next one released. And also, as a result of this being, yknow, not the final draft, CH3 is getting a pretty major overhaul, as I want to introduce a new chapter. CH4 will also get minor changes to account for this character, but 3 is the one that will be majorly changes. I lowkey haven’t started CH6 yet, so the prologue may be the chapter release for the month.
TLDR: CH3 is getting an overhaul, a true CH0 is in the works, CH4 will be getting minor changes, and CH6 will be done soon ish probably.
As awful as I've been feeling, and as busy as stuff has been, I will say chapter 6 rewritten will be out before April ends barring anything drastic happening.
Nope, this is not an April fools joke, chapter 5 of How Our World Ended is officially released! If you want to read it, its linked below, along with the general master post! I also reformatted all of the old chapters to be a bit more visually appealing, so if you haven't read any of How Our World Ended before, now is the best time to
Heya guys, know ive been gone for a while. It's been a hell of a time, but I'm feeling decent and i finished the ch5 rewrite, so here we are! No more stalling from me, i hope you have fun reading
One of the most interesting things about us, or should I say humanity, is how reactionary they are. Even the calmest can be turned to rage if pushed far enough. You could argue I was that way. Before [REDACTED]’s death, I was more in a constant melancholy rather than the anger that dominated the final years of my former life. Tragedy can turn even the most timid into monsters. I have seen it happen over, and over, and over. Perhaps, in some way, this is my punishment for being one of them.
The Artist - Entry 92
An ear piercing CRASH echoed through Lyra's house as she slammed the wooden front door shut. The walls shook as the door was settled into its resting position. Lyra's hands, similarly to the building, were trembling.
“ Lyra- “
Val’s attempted consolation was cut off by Lyra’s sharp words.
“ What the HELL was that?? “
She let out a small, angered, yell.
“ First they could have gotten that poor girl killed, and then… “
Lyra’s hand balled into a fist. Her facial muscles were tense, her mouth forming into a scowl.
“ Lyra, please- “
Val attempted once again.
“ ‘Please’ what?! We can barely afford to keep this house, there’s people rotting on the streets, and he chooses to give out enough money to fix hundreds of lives just to kill some vigilante! “
Lyra stomped into the house, throwing herself onto the felted green couch.
“ I couldn't care less about what cold blooded is doing, but this- “
Val sighed and approached Lyra, sitting beside her. Lightly, Val placed her hand on her sister's shoulders. Lyra flinched slightly at the contact. The knots in Lyra’s shoulders began to come undone as Val rubbed her shoulder slightly.
“ If Dimitri wanted the icy idiot dead so badly, he could have just let him keep fighting! He would have gotten himself killed eventually, and there would be less filth on the street. “
Lyra rolled her eyes, her tone turning from pure anger, to an angered sarcasm.
“ But no. No, he has to die now. Who knows what’ll happen because of this? How will they even know if it’s him?! “
Val sighed and shook her head.
“ Well, there’s always the possibility he takes the king's deal. “
There was a slight quiver in Val’s voice as she presented the alternative. Lyra turned to look her sister in the eyes for the first time since the announcement. A deep frown stained Val’s face. A slight fog hung in her eyes, dulling the normally beautiful red. There was a moment of silence between the sisters.
The moment extended, only broken by a quiet quiver from Lyra.
“ What’re we gonna do Val? “
Val shook her head.
“ I don't know. It’s hard to do anything in times like this. “
Lyra sighed, her voice regaining some of its spark.
“ But we can’t just- not do anything! This is wrong. We can't be the only ones who see it. “
Val’s eyes moved to the couch. She absentmindedly used her free, gloved, hand to twirl one of the brown curls in her hair“
Well, I remember when you were about twelve, there was a conflict between us and one of the neighboring kingdoms. “
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“ Ryback or Murna? “
“ Ryback. “
Lyra nodded slowly
“ Why bring that up now? “
Val squeezed her sister's shoulder, staying quiet. Lyra smiled softly back
“ If you don’t want to, you don’t have to- “
Val shook her head.
“ No, it’s just hard talking about her. “
Lyra's smile instantly dropped
“ As everything escalated, the citizens went to protest. Mom said she was one of them. I think she didn’t tell you so you didn’t worry. But the event itself wasn’t pleasant. Apparently, the first try went… bad. She didn't see what caused it, but a fight broke out. The guards killed at least 10 of them. “
Lyra’s face twisted in disgust.
“ Scum. “
She muttered. Val nodded.
“ The outrage from that, mixed with the already high tension at the time, actually got King Adam to back off. A treaty was made, and we still have fairly good relations with Ryback now.“
Lyra rested her chin on her hand.
“ Hm, well, that sounds good to me! “
A wide smile crossed her face. She shot out of her seat and turned to Val.
“ Let’s get to it! You should still have some poster supplies from work, yeah? “
Val shook her head
“ Lyra, listen. “
Lyra widened her eyes, putting a fake squeal in her voice.
“ Oh come on, you won’t do this for your little sister “
A dramatic puff of air came from Lyra. Val frowned.
“ If you get arrested, I’m not bailing you out. “
She said, standing with a sigh. Lyra smirked back, chuckling.
“ No promises “
About an hour passed as the two sisters put together a set of twenty or so fliers, each with a bold heading
“ BAN THE BOUNTY“
A smaller set of text laid out the details of the event.
“ Tomorrow, at sunrise, peacefully and legally protest the bounty on the mercenary. Let our king know that this bounty is a waste of money! “
Some smaller details, including the address of the castle, and resources that can be brought, accompanied the text. As they finished the final poster, the sisters turned to each other.
“ I’m gonna go hang em up Val. Thank you. “
Val smiled
“ Of course. If I may, I have a suggestion as to where to put the posters. “
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“ From what I've read, the Cold Blooded seems to frequent the midnight and twilight districts. That, and the center of town, are where I would guess those who support him are gathered, and they would be the most likely to support your message. “
Lyra nodded, thanking her sister. She grabbed the fliers and strode to the door. As she twisted the doorknob, she inhaled deeply. Throwing open the door, Lyra was greeted by the falling gaze of the sun.
It only took Lyra a few minutes to find a bulletin board near her house. It was an average sized, spruce plank held up by two nailed down vertical boards of wood. On it lay a set of fliers and posters. All but one were held up with small, silver drawing pins. The exception, plastered in the middle of the board was a poster advertising the days earlier assembly.
Lyra’s eyes darted around. The view to her left and right was nearly identical. Lines of buildings stood seemingly endlessly through the empty brick street she stood on. Lyra smirked. Seeing a loose corner, Lyra moved her free hand to the poster. Tightly grasping the paper, she tore down with full force. The paper followed, making a satisfying screech as it was ripped from its home.
Lyra let the scraps fall to the floor, the wind shoving it down the street. Quickly, Lyra moved her free hand to the pile of papers she had been carrying. Picking one up, she placed it against the board. She grabbed two drawing pins, plucking one into each of the top corners of the poster.
She repeated the steps with the bottom two corners before stepping back and admiring her handywork. Unmissably, in the middle of the bulletin board, her advertisement stood.
Lyra nodded at the poster and began to repeat the cycle. Going from street to street, Lyra tore down more of the outdated advertisements and replaced them with her own.
Tear, pin, leave.
Tear, pin, leave.
She repeated the cycle thirty or so times. The sun quickly set, the moon casting its gaze down to the world. With just one poster in hand, Lyra entered the town square. A large clock tower marked the intersection of Itchzack’s 4 districts.
To the north was the midnight district, a poor area with unpaved dirt roads and small, decaying houses. To the east was the sunset district, a collection of shops and parks. If any space would be considered the industrial center of the province, it would be the sunset district
To the west, the twilight district, a middle class area with decent housing and neat gravel roads. To the south was the sunrise district, the wealthy area of town. Bisecting them was the towering stone castle that the royal family resided in.
Lyra looked up at the clocktower. Its presence was both comforting and intimidating. She examined it for a minute, watching how the moon reflected off of the glass backing. The hands marked that it was nearly midnight.
Yawning, Lyra shook her head. She turned her attention back to the task at hand. Right across from the clock tower entrance stood the final bulletin board. Within the darkness of the night, she could barely see it. She paced over to it, ready for the same routine to play out. Another yawn slipped from Lyra’s lips as she grabbed the corner of the paper.
Tear
Lyra reached to pin the final flyer when a voice spoke from behind her.
“ S- stop right there. “
Lyra tilted her head, her body as still as a statue, to see the speaker. Behind her two armored guards stood. On the left stood a lanky man whose armor didn't seem to quite fit. He had a slight slouch. Through the eyeholes of his helmet, dull gray eyes could be seen. His arm was extended, a gauntlet covered finger pointing at Lyra.
Beside him stood a taller, seemingly much more confident guard. He had black eyes and a bulkier build. In his hands a hatchet was gripped tightly. Lyra snorted, turning to face the guards fully.
“ What do you two want? “
She scoffed.
The grey eyed guard's hand shook slightly, as did his words.
“ You’re under ar- arrest for treason. “
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“ What? I was just setting up a pro- “
She was cut off by the words of the black eyed guard.
“ You are supporting an enemy of the kingdom by starting this protest. For that you are to be arrested. “
The black eyed man tilted his head toward Lyra. The gray eyed guard hastily nodded back and began shuffling toward her. Lyra sighed, scanning the environment. The town square connected the city's main sections, each separated into large paths. The buildings comprising the square itself consisted mostly of various shops, each with small alleyways between them.
That will work.
Lyra thought. The poster fell from Lyra’s hands as she broke into a full sprint, her eyes deadset on the alleyway
“ No- Wait! “
The gray eyed guard called out. His comrade sighed beside him.
“ Useless “
He muttered. The man's black eyes began glowing brightly. Suddenly, an impossibly black shadow formed under him. The shadow quickly coated his body, and as it completed, he melted into the floor. The other guard flinched as the floor where his comrade once stood was coated in a pitch black shadow. The shadow lurched forward, going much faster than any human could ever run.
Lyra dashed forward, quickly clearing about half of the alleyway. She could see the ending split into three sections. The left would lead to a main path, but if she kept going straight, she was sure she could lose them. A confident smirk painted her face.
The confidence was quickly replaced by fear as a shadow rushed under her. Lyra dug her heels into the ground, kicking up. With a squelch, the shadow reformed into the shape of the guard.
The guard wasted no time, immediately using his hatchet to swing at Lyra’s neck. Lyra ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow. The guard immediately retaliated by bashing into Lyra with his shoulder. A stifled cry came from Lyra as she fell.
Lyra hurled her hands forward in a desperate attempt to catch herself, which would have worked, had a brick not been directly below her left hand. Her palm struck the sharp corner of the brick, creating a wound that only deepened as her hand dragged down the rest of the brick.
Lyra managed to use her non-injured hand to stop herself from faceplanting. Her injured hand shot to her side, tightly grasping the brick that had bloodied her.
Before she could readjust, she threw her body to the side, dodging a quick downward blow from the man's hatchet. Lyra propped herself up. The man tumbled forward, reeling from the force behind his missed swing. Lyra saw her opportunity.
She adjusted both hands to grip one edge of the brick. She raised it high above her head before slamming it down with all her force onto the guard's helmet.
The impact shattered the brick and sent out an ear piercing THWANG from the helmet. The man yelled and fell to the ground. He put his hands to his head as the helmet vibrated, a metallic screech filling his ears. Lyra, seeing her opportunity, began to sprint away.
She rushed through the city, clutching her hand.
As the adrenaline faded, pain filled her hand. Eventually, she reached her house, She threw the door open, nearly hyperventilating. The house was lit by candle. Sitting half asleep on the couch of the living room was Val. She spoke in a half asleep grumble.
“ Mngh, what took you so long sis “
Lyra clutched her still bleeding hand as she called out.
“ Val- “
Val opened her eyes further, examining her sister. As she saw her sister's bloodstained hands and clothes, she shot up.
“ Lyra! “
She cried, rushing to her sister. Val grabbed Lyra's hand.
“ Come on! “
Val said. She held her sister's hand and back as she led her to the couch. Val sat Lyra down and rushed to the kitchen. When she reentered the room she held a bottle of water, a towel, and a roll of bandages. Val began by cleaning the wound
“ What happened?! “
She asked. Lyra recapped her encounter with the guard, and how she attained her injury. Val looked at her, shocked.
“ Lyra- you can’t go to the protest tomorrow. “
Lyra raised an eyebrow. She wanted to snatch her hand back, but Val was now bandaging it.
“ What, no! I almost got killed trying to set this up, I’m not going to let that be for nothing. “
Val shook her head and sighed as she finished with her sister's wound.
“ That’s exactly why you can't go to Lyra. If they wanted to hurt you for setting it up, who's to say what they’d do if you actually went! And what if they took the posters down? What if it’s just you? “
Lyra frowned.
“ No. I have to believe. I have to hope that at least one person is willing to stand up to Dimitri that at least one person will see how wrong he is. And this, this would be public. They wouldn’t have the guts to kill us in front of everyone. “
Val narrowed her eyes.
“ No. I won’t let you risk it. “
Lyra mirrored her sister's glare.
“ That’s not your decision. I'm going to go. “
Val scoffed, standing.
“ Lyra, as the oldest of the house- “
Lyra stood, cutting off her sister.
“ Oh no, you don’t get to pull that. God Val I’m in my twenties when are you going to start treating me like it?! “
“ Maybe when you stop acting like an impulsive teenager! “
Val shot back.
Lyra scoffed, pushing past her sister and approaching the stairs.
“ Whatever. I'm going to bed. “
She muttered.
Val sighed as Lyra stomped up the stairs. Lyra slammed the door behind her, locking it. Quickly, she walked to her bed. Without even changing, she fell to the mattress, and let the exhaustion of the day take her.
If you want to catch up, the last chapter is here
Chapter 6 is not finished, but will be linked when it is
Thanks for reading, ch6 might take a while due to some formatting stuff, so it will probably be a dual release with ch7.
