The Ashwood Veil
By Eira Valen
She awoke in a forest with no name, no past-only a golden mark pulsing on her wrist and a whisper of power buried deep in her bones.
In a realm ruled by ancient pacts and fading gods, Ash is hunted not for what she remembers, but for what was stolen from her. As whispers of war echo through the trees and monsters stir in forgotten groves, she is forced on a journey to uncover the truth: Who she was, why she was hidden, and what might happen if the world remembers her name.
Guided by a haunted thief with a secret past and pursued by spectral guardians of the old world, Ash must reclaim the scattered pieces of her soul, confront the divine mother who betrayed her, and decide whether to wield the power she never asked for-or burn it all down.
But some oaths were meant to be broken.
And some names were never meant to be forgotten.
-----
The Ashwood Veil is an epic fantasy of rebirth, resilience, and found identity-a short story for anyone who's ever felt silenced, sidelined, or told to play a role they never chose. With lush world-building, powerful emotional stakes, and a heroine who rewrites her fate rather than follows it, this is a journey into the heart of what it means to be free.
