Blood and Starlight

In a war-torn world divided between the Knight Kingdom (a realm of sword, honor, and anti-magic zealotry) and the Starlight Kingdom (a nation of powerful mages), Zach—a 17-year-old slum orphan—discovers he possesses the forbidden gift of magic. Forced to hide his abilities or face execution as a traitor, he dreams of escaping to the Starlight Kingdom where mages are celebrated and his talents could earn him the fame and respect he's never known. When his magic accidentally erupts during a desperate theft, exposing him to witnesses, Zach becomes a hunted fugitive. A mysterious underground network offers him passage to Starlight—but only if he smuggles a sealed artifact across the war-ravaged border. With the relentless Inquisitor Commander Janita hunting him and nowhere else to turn, Zach accepts. What begins as a quest for personal glory transforms into a harrowing journey across battlefields, through betrayals, and into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens both kingdoms. Along the way, Zach discovers that Starlight is not the paradise he imagined, the artifact he carries is a component for a devastating magical weapon, and his wild, untrained magic hints at an Ancient power long thought extinct. Joined by Lucy—a cynical Starlight operative who becomes his unlikely ally and love interest—Zach must choose between seeking the fame he's always wanted or becoming the hero no one expected. The story culminates in a desperate race to prevent genocide, expose corruption on both sides, and find a path to peace in a world that has forgotten how to stop fighting. Zach learns that true heroism isn't about glory—it's about sacrifice, choosing others over yourself, and building something better from the ashes of war.