Chapter 1: The First Stroke “We should garrison Mars in order to protect ourselves.” Lord Salisbury, 58 Anno Reginae (1895 in the old style.) Her majesty’s martian colony: New Victoria in the crown colony of Hellas. 81 Anno Reginae. (1917) I, Gordon Arthur, have set these words to paper, as much as memory will let, years of twisting memories have made these events more like dreams. I cannot be certain what befell us on th...

Liverpool Lime Street train station, nestled in the heart of the city, pulsed with an undercurrent that was felt rather than seen. A grandiose edifice of Victorian ambition, its arched roof and labyrinthine platforms masked an eldritch resonance that only the sensitive could perceive. By daylight, it was a bustling hub of transit, but as dusk descended, the station’s true nature unfurled in subtle, sinister whispers. Magg...

Chapter 1 Once upon a time, in a quaint little village nestled at the foot of a majestic mountain, there lived a man named Benjamin. Benjamin was not like the other villagers; he possessed a unique ability that set him apart. You see, Benjamin could only walk backwards. From the moment he took his first steps as a child, Benjamin realized that he couldn't move forward like everyone else. His legs would refuse to cooperate...