Hello! The Unknown is planned to be a series. Each and every story features one kingdom from all Valora, as well as the Ghost Kingdom and Ivanka. Violet and her comrades will meet challenging opponents and endure many hardships prior to achieving her goal.

There are additional plots I want to share with you; The Ripple Effect is just the beginning of Violet’s adventure towards saving Valora.

Some things are explained, but some are not. Those that weren’t explained will come out later on in the series.

Email me at violetspells22@gmail.com if you have any questions or suggestions regarding this story! Even if it is a simple comment, I would love to hear your thoughts! Feedback and critique is always welcome! If you look further, you’ll discover a glimpse of the next portion, called The Library of Everything.

The Future Awaits!

V.A. Knight

Table of Contents

Map of the Unknown

Prologue

Ch 1: An Unexpected Twist

Ch 2: A Mysterious Voice

Ch 3: Memory

Ch 4: Slaughter

Ch 5: The Hairpin

Ch 6: Pheonix and Yinghua

Ch 7: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

Ch 8: Killing Spree!

Ch 9: A Miracle

Ch 10: What’s Going On?

Ch 11: Helpless Desert

Ch 12: The Final Test

Ch 13: Back to Reality

Ch 14: Icicle

Ch 15: A Complicated Situation

Ch 16: Just my Luck

Ch, 17: Spoiled Princess

Ch 18: The Banquet

Ch 19: Guardian Xiao

Ch 20: Mec Glade

Ch 21: A Gift

Ch 22: Amethyst

Ch 23: Shooting

Ch 24: Vi

Ch 25: The Little Boy

Ch 26: Ambush

Ch 27: Where Are You?

Ch 28: I’ll Have Your Head!

Ch 29: The Dreams

Ch 30: Confession

Ch 31: Misunderstanding

Ch 32: Recollection

Ch 33: Meant to Be

Ch 34: How was it?

Ch 35: Is it Jealousy, or Heartbreak?

Ch 36: The Envoys of Ivanka

Ch 37: Aaron Azelias

Ch 38: It’s Raining Lemons

Ch 39: Dr. Azelias

Ch 40: Eroding Fire

Ch 41: Lady Miracle

Ch 42: Queen of Lotuses

Library of Everything

Map of the Unknown

Valora, the elite kingdom, rules over six smaller kingdoms. Each and every kingdom possesses a core life element, though no one knows where they are. Together combined creates the barrier of Valora.

The kingdom of Valora holds the Everlasting Stone. Therefore, this land cannot fall unless the stone is found. As long as the stone is present, no one can get past the protective barrier that shields the kingdoms from outsiders and unwanted companions.

The stone is made up of seven parts and is scattered all over the smaller kingdoms. Each kingdom has one fragment of the stone, be it a flower, sword, jewel, or something else.

The kingdom of Olina is not as fancy and flashy as the other five kingdoms of Valora, but it is well known for its academics. The Academy of Medicine and Healing is one of the most prestigious schools in all of Valora. Countless well-known physicians studied there, which is why Olina is the Medicine Kingdom. People from all over, those that have all sorts of problems, from injuries such as poison to near death, will come to Olina.

This kingdom also has another attraction: The Library of Everything. This is the library that possesses all the knowledge of the entire Unknown world. Whether it be poison, magic, or creatures, it is all there. However, the library is only available to the physicians of the school, for if this knowledge falls into the wrong hands, the world can be destroyed.

Incredor is the Kingdom of Truth; no one is allowed to lie. The Sword of Truth lies in this kingdom. The civilians of this kingdom are a kind of watchdogs of Valora, known as guardians. The guardians of Valora are trained here in the Blade Institute. When they reach a certain level, they are given an opportunity to obtain this sword. However, the sword has to choose its master.

Eveteran is the neighbor of Incredor, and is known for its liveliness and beauty. Butterflies, birds, fairies, elves, all existed in Eveteran. Like Olina, Eveteran also has two main attractions: The Trees of Laughter and the Divination Forest. Hence the name of the Magic Kingdom.

Teleran is the Kingdom of Charity. Unlike the other kingdoms, Teleran is a bit…odd. Magical beasts and creatures who want to serve the king and queen of Valora reside here.

Next to Teleran lies Lothaska. It is a rather lonely place, for it is isolated with not so many citizens. It is a nice place for solitude, so it is the Solace Kingdom.

There is one last territory that Valora overlooks, and that is Melinarge. Melinarge is the Fire Kingdom. Volcanoes are everywhere.

Valora shields these six smaller kingdoms from two bigger ones. One of them is the Ghost Kingdom, and the other is Ivanka.

Everyone gets the shivers just thinking about the Ghost Kingdom. As the name goes, this kingdom is full of ghosts. Even though this is a really creepy place to go to, people all over Valora and Ivanka try their best to go there. Why? Because at the edge of this kingdom lies the Lotus Mountain. It lies towards the east of it, while Ivanka lies toward the west.

Ivanka is the evil kingdom. The citizens here worship power and wealth, as well as trickery and deceit. If a goal is not achieved, the messenger dies. This is why it is the Silence Nation.

The kingdom of Valora is a place known for its glory and life. It is a place full of wonderous miracles, where the best doctors are. Not just anyone can enter Valora though. To be in Valora, a civilian has to be either born from lineage or possess at least three magical powers.

Because Valora overlooks six smaller kingdoms, it is known as the elite kingdom. It is hard to get into, but this does not stop civilians from trying to join. Some of them train their whole lives, just to see if they can pass the Valorian examination. If the exam is passed, they can live in this kingdom.

The Spells royal family was a virtuous and gracious one. They ruled Valora for over one thousand years. Their civilians loved them, due to the peace and fairness of their reign.

Despite how strong the Spells family were, they were still susceptible to poison. They were not immortal, but everyone considered them so. This was because every single one of them had a Lotus, somewhat similar to a guardian spirit animal.

The rulers of Valora also had another challenge that haunted them: The Eroding Fire, an extremely rare poison that no one knew the origin of. Those that ruled Valora carry this burden.

The Eroding Fire could kill. The Lotuses were the only ones who knew how to cure this mysterious poison, which was why it was so important to have one as a ruler.

A Lotus is also very rare but powerful. If someone has a Lotus, it is like they are invincible. They can aid you in healing, divination, and all the skills combined that common folks have. This is why everyone wants one. However, just like the Sword of Truth, the Lotuses only choose those that are worthy.

Even if the Spells family were strong enough to handle usurpers, people still tried. This was exactly what happened on Violet’s fifth birthday, in the castle of Valora.

It was a warm sunny day. All the royalty under the rule of Valora were there: Incredor, Olina, Lothaska, Teleran, Eveteran, and Melinarge. The guardians of Valora were also there.

It was a very happy time, for the age of a 5- year old was the typical age for the appearance of a Lotus. There was laughter, there was fun. Jesters, dancers, and all sorts of entertainments were present. There were even magicians and actors! Every kingdom presented their own talents, and everyone enjoyed the show. However, this all ended when they came.

An arrow shot out of nowhere.

It aimed right at Violet, whizzing past her ear. Violet could sense that something was wrong but didn’t know why. However, her parents did.

The room was in utter chaos. More arrows were shooting, aiming at Violet. The guardians of Valora surrounded the king and queen, hoping to protect them.

However, the guardians of Valora couldn’t do everything; they only had two eyes. Therefore, they fail to see another arrow shooting towards Violet. Violet didn’t see it; she was too busy arguing with her companions about what their favorite foods were.

Isabelle, the queen, had a special power that could slow down time. She was the adult closest to Violet and stepped in front of her daughter. The arrow pierced her instead of Violet. Violet was left unharmed, but the queen dropped to the ground, blood seeping through her clothes.

The king was elsewhere, a bit too far away to reach his wife. He was trapped between five assassins, so he had no choice but to stay and fight. Two guardians were fighting against five other assassins, and one was landing a blow on another killer. Other royalties were also fighting, but their shadow guards were too busy fighting the enemies surrounding them to pay attention to the king and queen of Valora. After all, their masters were from the very kingdom they had sworn to protect. Bloodshed was inevitable.

No one was nearby except for a little boy and Violet’s friends: Yinghua, Pheonix, Qingying, Yanling, and Alana. The guardians of Valora were all out and scattered about, fighting here and there. One was near the exit on the right, another at the left. Three were by the window, and a bunch of the guardians are also outside. Noises of swords clashing with each other can be heard throughout the entire palace.

Yinghua came from a family well known for medicine and poison making in all of Valora. She was Violet’s companion when learning the art of poison and healing. She often studied with Violet. Qingyin’s skill was stealth. Violet and her trained on taking actions unnoticed by their enemies. Pheonix’s mother was the master of deception; she taught Pheonix and Violet the art of making something seem like something else. Yanling was adopted from an organization known as the Nightshades. She was often Violet’s sparring companion during her lessons. Alana was also from the Nightshades organization. She possessed the gift of divination.

It was Alana that informed the queen that this would happen. Upon hearing this, the queen then instructed all of them on what to do when this happens. As Isabelle laid on the floor, she looked at them. They understood and tried to pull Violet away from her mother.

Violet, however, was crying her heart out beside her mother. She was hitting and screaming, yelling at her mother about how stupid she was and what an idiot she was for saving her. She was also clutching her mother’s hand tightly.

This went on a while, but time was of essence. Because Violet refused to let go and kept on yelling at her mom, the queen had no choice but to ask Yinghua to feed her the Dreamweaver Bead. This bead was a sleeping pill. As soon as one swallowed it, they drop down sleeping. You cannot wake up until the next day.

It was Alana who dragged Violet away, while the rest of them stayed and fought. The queen had told her that in case an emergency happened, she was to teleport Violet to the mortal world. Violet was to stay in the mortal world; it was too dangerous in Valora.

Hello! My name is Violet Spells. I work as an assassin for a group called The Nightshades. Our current mission is to wipe out the Zheng family, due to the unethical way that they conduct their business for human trafficking.

The Nightshades are a notorious group with top killers. I had been in this group since I was five years old. The leader of our group, whom we called our master, took Alana and I in as we were out dying in the cold. I don’t know how this came to be, as the last thing I remembered was being force fed a pill of some sort.

__________________________________________________________________________

“Violet! Stop this now! Or I will really kill you! It doesn’t matter if you are the top assassin or not! Today will be your last day on earth!”

“…”

“What’s the matter? Are you mute now? What luck! This makes killing you much easier.”

Lilly, I, and Alana grew up and did everything together. We played hide and seek and participated in events. We sparred during class and went on our first mission together. Lilly was always the one that asked if she could play with us, though. We thought everything went well, until the Slaughter came and asked to see Lilly.

The Slaughter were a strong organization opposite of the Nightshades. While the Nightshades upheld justice and peace, Slaughter encouraged the opposite. Its members were vile and hateful; they did not care about anything but themselves. Doing things with morality and ethics meant nothing to them. Everything they wanted they would get.

I don’t know what happened, but after Lilly came back from their visit, she was like a different person. Before she would not be outspoken about her thoughts and disrespectful to others, but after she was. She was annoying, but even more so after. She also looked down on others and constantly bullied the weak. She followed me everywhere, joined in all my discussions with Alana, and even eavesdropped behind closed doors! It was like being locked in a cage with her! Alana and I became suspicious, though we tried our best to not let her know.

Lilly’s dagger comes into view.

She aims right. I step towards the left.

She aims left. I step towards the right.

She aims her dagger directly at my face and rushes forward. I step out of the way at the last second, taking her momentum to my advantage.

We go on and on like this. After a while, Lilly begins to get frustrated.

“Violet, you’re good. I always knew you were the fastest assassin, that was why I was so jealous of you. Why don’t you come join the Slaughter with me? It’ll be just like old times.”

“…I’ll pass.”

“You…”

Taking note of her distraction, I slash at her with my dagger. Unfortunately, she sees it coming and blocks it with her dagger.

I know there are other people from the Slaughter, but my martial brothers and sisters are here too. We are all in this together, willing to dedicate one hundred percent to this mission. There’s just no way that they will beat us.

At last, Lilly backs me to the edge of a roof. Alana was beside me, but she is now surrounded and trying to fend off five assassins.

“Poor little Violet, all alone. You’ll die by my hands and the Slaughter. Do you regret it? Lilly mocks me with a sneer.

“Lilly, how could you? Why would you betray the Nightshades?”

“Why? Because of you! You had everything I want! Our master adored you; you were like her favorite! I mean sure you got kicked out, but you were so talented in other areas that I felt like I was nothing compared to you! On top of that, Alec liked you! Everyone knew I had a huge crush on him, but he chose you! Why could you have everything that I couldn’t have? We all started at the same time. Why did you get all the best while I could only be in your shadow?!”

Well, as far as I know, she deserved it. Where was she when our master instructed us to do our daily trainings and chores? Where was she when master asked us for help? I hated it, but I did what I could.

“You fool, how was it my fault that Alec liked me? Did you not see yourself and how desperate you clung to him? If I were a guy, I’d be disgusted by you too! You would follow him and dropped everything just to help him, yet he would only smile at you and say thanks. And even that gave you hope? Kill me if you want, but that will not change anything! Alec, however, will hate you forever!”

Lilly is now seething with anger. She points her dagger at me, ready to aim. I close my eyes; I never fear death. Why should I? Death is just part of the life cycle.

“NO! Lilly, spare her! PLEASE!”

I look up to see Alec running toward me hurriedly with worry in his eyes.

“Lilly, I know you like me. I’ll give you whatever you want, just let Violet go. PLEASE!”

“Oh yeah? Then give up Violet and come with me.”

Alec looks at me with sorrow. “Violet…I’ve had a crush on you ever since I first saw you. I wanted to marry you ever since I first met you when master took me in. Looks like I’ll never get the chance to do that now. This is all my fault. This is the least I can do for you before we part ways.”

He then turns back to Lilly.

“You promise that you won’t hurt her, Lilly?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Lilly turns her back and walks away from where I am. Alec follows closely behind her. It is only a couple paces forward when she turns back to face Alec.

“But really? I don’t think so!”

Alec tries to explain, trying to make her believe that he really does like her.

“She’s in the past. What benefit can I gain from her? You, however, are the leader of the Slaughter group. Why won’t I like you?”

Lilly looks uncertain.

“Well…fine. Sure. Whatever.”

She turns around to continue walking.

Foolish girl. This is so disgusting.

Just then, Lilly whips her head back again towards me and raises her dagger. She rushes at me with full speed.

“No! I must kill you! Without you, this would’ve never happened in the first place! Even if Alec is with me physically, his heart is yours!! Only if I kill you can I be satisfied! Bye!” Lilly sneers.

“Lil-”

STAB.

I’m such a weakling. I thought I can train to become strong to protect those I love, but what use is it in the end? But I’m only twenty! I haven’t lived my life yet! Curse you, Lilly Evizlo!