Magic, the power to bend the laws of reality. All because of a mystical substance known as mana.

Mages follow the Paths to achieve power, for there is no more addictive chase. Each Path winds and twists, forcing mages through the flames of adversity and challenge. Though the operative word is "path", the reality is far less straightforward. Instead of a road, Paths are like the branches of world trees, erupting into the heavens, intertwining, and ending in sharp snaps. Only the strongest reach the sky. There are several Paths, and many Ways to walk them—variations of the same Path, and like the stars, they are endless.

Magic is the sacred flame that scours the fat, rendering the truest self. Superfluous flesh melting away to show the skeleton of one's being. A chance for ascension—apotheosis. Though not every mage works to godhood, if they survive long enough, It is inescapable.

Witness the lives of those that tread the knife's edge of self-destruction. Each one intertwined in their search for answers, revenge, and, most of all: power.

An orphan loses everything once more. The lone-survivor of a band of mercenaries, looking for adventure, has his friend taken from his clutches. The heir to a powerful bloodline uncovers the secrets to redeem his family. And many more. These individuals have all lost something. In search of filling the void left behind, they have taken up the mantle of a mage.

Per aspera ad astra.

(Through adversity to the stars.)

New chapters once every week when I feel like it. There's like a thousand pages, how can—you already read it? Goddamn. Oh, and there is a two month hiatus between volumes as I intend to edit and rewrite a lot.

What to Expect:

This story is progression fantasy, so expect a healthy dose of training, but don't expect the characters to always progress fast. Each has their own speed. It's also heavy on slice of life, and it isn't entirely plot-driven. Expect characters to live their lives, and not always be on some quest to save the world. This is also heavy on prose.

There's a lot of magic theory and discussion about it in the story. So, if you don't like impromptu lessons on sorcerous theory by traveling monster slayers, this might not be for you. But if you do like it, rejoice! For there is a lot of it.

There will be combat scenes that are brutal and horrifying. Not to be gratuitous, but quite the opposite. War and fights leave people disfigured. This is no different. Even with magic, some scars never truly fade. They are instead etched unto the soul. Beside that, there will be traumatic events that are best left unread. I do not detail certain acts I find heinous enough (like the graphic description of rape), instead leaving some parts unwritten.

This is not for the faint of heart.

Chapters with certain dark situations will have trigger warnings when I deem appropriate. If you have that specific trigger, please do not read that chapter. I do not want you to suffer and relive your trauma. And neither do I want to limit the story, as I base a lot of it in the world we live in. Evil goes, at times, unpunished. You have been warned.

And that's it, hope you enjoy.