by Sin Ribbon
Madison nibbles on his thumbnail. “I mean, even if they’re not God, they sound like gods, don’t they?”
“They’re shadows,” Qiu declares. She slumps beneath the table, small hands curled around the edge. “They wanna eat us.”
Orion shudders. “Well, I’m not sleeping tonight.”
Allister pulls her close before raising an eyebrow at Qiu. “Are we just going to ignore the fact that one of the Fates is a bloody child?”
“This isn’t a joke!” Siha snaps. Allister raises his hands in apology and leans back against the counter. The other faces turn to the tired brunette, ready to listen.
She takes a breath, and her mismatched eyes return to Thane. He watches her distantly, words poised at the edge of his lips. She gestures for him to speak.
“Siha,” he begins. “You’ve said you don’t know what these beings are, but this sounds ... otherworldly. Ancient, godlike, unknowable? Like they’re not from Earth. What is it you’re getting at?”
Orion blanks. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop. Aliens. Are we talking aliens?” Thane casts a chastising scowl her way. With an eye roll, the redhead zips her lips.
“No ... I’ve been vague, and I apologize. It’s just ...” She clutches her jacket, knotting the fabric into her fists. Her shoulders begin to shake, and she covers her face with her hands. “I was afraid how all of you would feel if you knew what you were up against ...”
Without hesitation, Thane strides to Siha and places his hands on her shoulders. He pulls her into his embrace, and she allows herself to melt into his warmth.
“I’m sorry!” she exclaims through muffled cries.
He strokes her back. “It’s all right.”
The others stand and move around Siha, forming a circle of support. Riya sets a gentle hand on the brunette’s back, soon joined by Sebastian and Madison. Isaac and Olivia stand side by side with little Qiu between them, somewhat outside the group but remaining in solidarity. Allister and Orion lean in, extending their own words of encouragement.
“Thank you ... everyone,” Siha manages to say.
For a moment, it is the ten of them and nothing more—each endowed with power to shape the world, each gifted, each plagued.
Siha pulls away, the salted remains of her tears cracking from a sad smile. She looks to each one of them with a thank you, stopping at Thane’s dark eyes. He stares, far away from his center of calm but ready to face the storm anyway.
“Please,” he implores. “We need to know the truth.”
She nods, wiping her eyes. “The Fates ... are forces, wills ingrained into the fabric of the universe itself, shaping all of creation. The abyss each of us has sensed from them? It’s the void of the cosmos, reaching into our souls.”
Siha’s words steal the breath of everyone in the room, as if the movement of a single atom could crumble their delicate reality. Somehow, they each draw closer to one another, their hands and arms finding comfort in the mutual weight of destiny.
The clairvoyant musters a deep inhale. “But we are together, and we alone can resist them.”
With eyelids closed, Thane firms. His chest expands with resolve before he opens his eyes. “We will.”
Siha places a hand over his. “This isn’t just a battle for our lives ... but for humanity.”
Riya’s caring voice follows. “We’re with you, Siha.”
“All of us,” Sebastian adds.
Madison smiles. “Together.”
“I’ve never bowed to anyone before, and I’m not about to start,” Olivia declares.
“To the end of shadows!” Qiu chimes.
Isaac stands tall. “May God show us the way.”
Orion and Allister exchange a look. “Too late to back out now?” the redhead asks.
“Too late,” the blond sighs.
Siha wraps her arms around Thane’s waist and breathes deeply. “Together, we have a chance.”
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to all my readers, to all those who find meaning in this story and comfort in its words. This work exists to connect with you.
An immense thank you goes to my Patreon supporters for believing in me and supporting me this past year as I worked and stumbled to hammer out this story.
Again, thank you to my partner, Denis, and my mom who both read this story countless times and provided crucial feedback. Nadia, thank you for reading as well, for finding errors and encouraging me every single step. Thank you, Mike and Harrison, for always giving your support. To my English helpers who answered my endless questions about British slang and idioms—James, Danny, and Louis—thank you for your input on Allister and Sebastian. To Vishnu, thank you for your consult with Riya’s development. All of you were kind enough to help me on this journey.
About the Author
Sin Ribbon is a storyteller on page, canvas and screen—her work culminated from prose, screenplays, films, and paintings. An eclectic blend, she draws from the philosophical and spiritual to spin existential tales of encouragement and consequence. Her works originate from the caverns of introspection, exploring identity, origin, loss and depression, and the quest for meaning. Sin uses storytelling to deepen her understanding of the human condition and connect with others through the message of growth.
Sin Ribbon earned her BFA in drawing and her MFA in film and television, with much focus devoted to writing along her creative journey. She has placed in screenplay competitions and been published in several magazines. Her audio drama podcast, In Her Burning: A Surreal Diary, won best self-contained audio drama of 2018 in the Audio Verse Awards.
https://sinribbon.com
https://universe.vision
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Giveaways!
Cover Art Giveaway
If you’re interested in receiving a 12 by 18-inch print of the cover art from the book, email a copy of your receipt to [email protected] by April 29th at 11:59pm EST. Please include “Ten Giveaway” in the subject line.
On Tuesday April 30th, two random winners will be drawn and mailed a free, signed print of the cover art. The giveaway is open to all readers, domestic and international. To qualify, you must have purchased an eBook or paperback copy of Ten: Part 1 and emailed your receipt to Sin Ribbon by the deadline.
By entering the giveaway, you will be automatically added to Sin Ribbon’s newsletter. Winners will be announced via the newsletter on April 30th and will have one week to reply and claim their prize. After which time passes, new winners may be announced if a winner(s) has not responded. Please be sure to whitelist [email protected] to ensure you receive the email.
Character Sheet Giveaway
Eager for more Ten? Sign up for Sin Ribbon’s newsletter, and you’ll automatically receive a free PDF character sheet of all ten characters with drawings, birthdays, and other background info not revealed in Part 1!
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TEN Series FAQ
Will each book be a standalone story?
No. With Part 2 and Part 3, it will be absolutely essential to read the preceding books. This is because TEN is one long story, the entirety of which I suspect will be about 200,000 words. A novel that size is not only overwhelming to write but overwhelming to read. I wanted to give readers a chance to follow along with the story as it develops and discuss implications and theories as they do. The parts represent each act of the story.
That being said, it is my hope that when the full trilogy has been released, I’ll be able to release the entire story as a special hardback edition.<
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Do you intend to release an audiobook version of TEN?
Most definitely! Depending on demand, I’d like to commission actors to play each character and read their respective chapters. I think this would create a more interesting and diverse experience for readers rather than a single speaker reading the entire book.
When will Part 2 release?
2019, but exactly when I cannot say. Part 2 is unquestionably the largest volume in the series and will take the most amount of time. (Given the length of Part 1, I’m estimating at least 100,000 words.)
Storytelling for me is an organic, malleable process. A conversation with a friend might provide as much insight into a scene as writing a chapter. I learned years ago as a painter not to force art, to allow a creative work to tell you what it wants to be. While I remain dedicated to my projects and work consistently, I avoid rigid schedules and deadlines because this removes an element of surprise that stories can produce. Any creative work—be it a painting, film, or written work—needs room to become more than what you expected it to be, so I try to account for that in my process.
Preview of Part 2
The abyss calls once again—almost a comfort in its familiarity. It swirls and swells. Invites. A long darkness surrounds him, so black he cannot be sure if his eyes are open.
A tendril of fog brushes against his forearm, and he quivers at the chill. He cannot see the shadow of that man, but he knows the presence is there, somewhere.
All at once, the thick cover of clouds breaks above him. It parts, cut by some mysterious force, to reveal an ocean of stars in the sky above him. He shields his eyes with his hand briefly before setting his gaze on the impressive spectacle. Nebulous billows of orange, red, and purple twist and churn between the flickering lights, glowing warm and welcoming.
In one dense patch of the nebula, an immense sparkle flashes into existence. A sphere of light cascades outward, blowing away a small section of the clouds to form a cradle for the newly born star. It fights to fuse hydrogen, to stay afloat even as the invisible hand of gravity threatens to crush it. Thane watches, awed.
Do you trust her?
The sudden intrusion of words spins him in a circle. His chest tightens as he searches for the source, but he spies nothing, not even a shadow amongst empty limbo of space.
Do you trust her?
Thane grits his teeth and slaps a firm hand over his chest, realizing the source is within.
“I want out,” he hisses. “Wake me up.”
The voice chuckles.
“Wake me the fuck up, and leave me alone.”
Oh, but you know it wouldn’t be so easy. Easy is boring.
Thane narrows his gaze.
Answer. Do you trust her?
Irritated, Thane returns to the view above him and decides to take a seat on the cold, damp slab beneath him.
Answer.
He groans. “I have no interest in talking to you.”
A wave of pain erupts in Thane’s chest and spreads to his head in seconds. He hunches forward, clawing and scraping for relief. Images flood his thoughts—frail and withered corpses, dead seas filled with bodies, rot and loose flesh barely clinging to bones. Lifetimes of agony overwhelm his senses. He feels the threads of his veins, tendons, and muscles yank within his body, threatening to rip him apart.
Answer.
The pain recedes. Thane struggles to find his breath as he twitches on the ground.
Answer.
“I’m ... not sure.” He forces the words out.
How do you know she’s telling you the truth?
“... I don’t ... but what reason do I have to trust you?”
The voice laughs. Harsh. Derisive. That’s why I chose you. Or rather, that’s why she did. I’m looking forward to seeing you live up to expectations.
Thane takes a deep breath, wallowing in reprieve but still unable to move.
But since you still need convincing ... I’ll show you firsthand.
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