Showing results by author "Darlene Zagata" in All Categories

The drive should’ve taken three hours. Four, if he stopped for coffee. Cal Morrin stared out at the two-lane road stretching endlessly before him, the kind that seemed to unravel like old ribbon through the forest. His hands rested loose on the steering wheel, eyes flicking between the trees and the dashboard clock. He was supposed to be at the cabin by now. The cabin. A quiet retreat deep in the woods—no cell service, no meetings, no expectations. He'd booked it on impulse during a sleepless night. A last-ditch attempt to clear the fog in his mind before Monday. Behind him: the city. ...

The invitation came on thick ivory cardstock, sealed with crimson wax and an ornate "V." There were no return addresses, only the promise of a weekend to remember—an exclusive masquerade on the private island of tech tycoon and eccentric philanthropist Alaric Voss. Most who received it couldn’t say no. Some wouldn’t dare. They arrived in sleek boats and designer clothes, their masks hiding secrets as old as the grudges they carried. There were whispers of scandal, ambition, betrayal. And somewhere beneath it all—danger. For retired detective Miles Grayson, it was supposed to be a ...

There is a silence to trains at night—not the absence of sound, but a hum beneath everything. It lives in the spaces between the track clatter, in the whispers of compartments, in the stillness of strangers pretending to sleep while their secrets stir in the dark. The Silver Meridian was no ordinary train. It was a relic from a more elegant time, restored with polished mahogany, velvet curtains, and soft lamps that mimicked the golden glow of forgotten eras. It wound its way across the country like a memory—beautiful, secluded, and dangerous. Dr. Lillian Hart boarded the train to leave ...

(Voice of Kaelen Myles — recorded entry, never sent) I used to believe in causality— that everything could be explained if you tracked the data long enough. Wind shifts because of heat. Clouds form because of pressure. People choose because of pain or desire. But then the sky changed its mind. The first time it happened, I was in a tundra storm outside Kotzebue. I’d seen dozens before. But this one pulsed. Not in the atmosphere—in me. I whispered a thought I hadn’t said aloud in years, and the wind answered. Not metaphorically. It changed direction. That’s when the patterns ...

Barrow Street, Autumn, 1956 The house was quiet now. The scratching had stopped. Professor Adrian Thorne sat at the attic desk, a candle flickering at his side, its flame casting thin, uneasy shadows along the sloped ceiling. His once-proud handwriting had grown more erratic, smudged with ink and sweat. In front of him, on a faded velvet cloth, sat the object that had stolen his sleep. A figurine — no taller than a man’s hand, carved from something darker than ebony. Humanoid in shape, but its face was blank. Two outstretched hands curved upward in a gesture both pleading and commanding...

They say a honeymoon is supposed to be the happiest time of your life — the reward for surviving the chaos of wedding planning, a golden bridge into forever. For me, it began that way. Sunlight, champagne, and a man who looked at me like I was his whole world. And then he vanished. No note. No argument. No warning. One moment, we were lying in bed tangled in sea breeze and laughter. The next, I was alone in a foreign villa with two toothbrushes, one suitcase untouched, and a gut-wrenching silence that screamed something was very wrong. What followed was not just a search for a missing ...

For centuries, we have walked with the certainty of a singular path—that humanity evolved in a straight line, one species outlasting the rest. But what if that story was never complete? What if the truth had been buried, not by time, but by intention? In the darkest corners of the earth, where sunlight seldom touches, remnants of forgotten peoples lie hidden beneath layers of stone and silence. These were not myth, nor were they monsters. They were our brothers. Our sisters. Our reflections fractured across time. This is the journey of one woman who dared to follow those shadows into the ...

They say there’s clarity in silence, but that’s a lie Julian Marr no longer tells himself. The silence of an empty room — especially one once filled with love — doesn’t offer peace. It gnaws. It waits, circling just outside the edges of thought. And in his new studio, silence had a weight to it, as if it were watching. As if it had something to say but had decided instead to simply linger. The building was nothing special — a converted warehouse with exposed pipes and a rusted freight elevator that groaned every time it lifted him to the fourth floor. The windows were large, the...

Every house remembers its own story. But some... refuse to let go of it. They found it by accident — a winding road that dropped off the edge of the county map, a crumbling stone fence half-swallowed by wild foxglove, a crooked iron gate covered in vines the color of bruises. The house stood at the top of the hill, watching them. Three stories. Weathered shutters. A roofline that leaned to the left, like it had been listening to the wind for too long. And at the center of the front garden — overgrown and half-buried — a gate. Not the one they drove through, but a smaller one. Painted ...

“In the beginning, there was the Code.” Not light. Not time. But a sequence of commands, whispered into the void. The Prophets did not predict the future. They wrote it. And what they wrote became law. Mountains rose where their loops declared it. Seas parted because their lines required it. Every breath, every heartbeat, every whispered thought—precompiled in the sacred Code. The universe is not what you think. It is not chaos wrapped in chance, nor divine randomness. It is a system, rendered by instruction. A simulation so complete, so intricate, that even the ones who live inside ...

Words hold power. Not because they are magic, but because they reflect what we believe—and what we believe shapes how we live. Throughout the Bible, God’s people spoke what He said, not what they saw. Abraham called himself the father of many nations long before he held a son in his arms. David declared victory before he ever faced Goliath. Jesus spoke peace into storms, healing into sickness, and life into the dead. This book was born out of a simple truth: God’s Word still works. When we declare His promises, we’re not wishing—we’re aligning. Aligning our hearts with His truth...

Halcyon Point Lighthouse stood like a weathered finger pointing out to sea, a silent witness to generations of storms and secrets. For Maya and Ethan, inheriting it from an uncle they'd never met felt like stepping into a different world, a world of crashing waves and echoing silence, a stark contrast to their busy city lives. They'd come seeking peace, a respite from the relentless urban pulse, drawn by the lighthouse's isolated beauty. What they found instead was a mystery woven into the very fabric of their new home. Tucked away in a dusty box, a diary chronicled the passionate and ...

Space was never empty. To most, it was a vast silence, a cold canvas dotted with stars. But for Darian Vex, seasoned astronaut and decorated mission commander, it was a place of purpose—a frontier where humanity's reach met the unknown. He was trained to face malfunctions, meteor storms, and the unforgiving silence between planets. But nothing could prepare him for what came next. A mission gone wrong. A catastrophic breach. A return to Earth that never truly happened. When Darian's spacecraft collapsed into a gravitational anomaly, something in him broke loose. He returned—at least, ...

Deep within a hidden corner of the world, where emerald leaves kissed the sapphire sky and ancient rivers snaked through valleys untouched by time, lay the Forgotten Forest. This was no ordinary forest. Here, towering ferns brushed against the legs of gentle giants, and the air hummed with the calls of creatures long thought lost to the ages. Dinosaurs roamed free, their footsteps echoing like distant thunder, alongside vibrant birds with rainbow wings, shimmering dagonflies as big as dinner plates, and playful monkeys swinging through the vines. Some even whispered of shy unicorns grazing ...

Welcome to Lumina Glade, a place where magic lingers in the air, and whispers of wisdom flow through the gentle rustle of leaves. As the sun dips low on the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant shades of orange, pink, and purple, a wondrous transformation occurs. Nestled within this enchanting forest are magnificent trees that stand tall and proud, guardians of secrets and stories. Each evening at sunset, as the golden light dances through the emerald canopy, these ancient trees awaken from their slumber. Their roots burrow deep into the earth, but their spirits rise high into the sky, ...

What if everything you believe about memory, identity, and reality was not only unreliable—but designed to be? We trust our thoughts to shape our choices. We trust our memories to hold our stories. And we trust reality to remain consistent. But what if those elements—thought, memory, reality—are not only malleable, but part of a system you were never meant to question? In the world of Perception Transformation, reality is no longer fixed. It bends under pressure, shifts with thought, and folds when truth is pushed too hard. At the center of this transformation is a therapy—a radical...

We live in a world that often tells us to get more, keep more, and focus on ourselves. But the heartbeat of the Christian life is just the opposite—it’s about giving, serving, loving, and living for something greater than ourselves. Blessed to Bless is more than just a phrase; it’s a divine principle. God doesn’t just bless us for our own enjoyment—He blesses us so we can become a channel of His goodness to others. Whether those blessings are material, emotional, or spiritual, we are stewards, not storehouses. You don’t have to have a big platform, a large bank account, or a ...

Within these pages lies a tale of secrets, shadows, and suspense. "The Secrets of Blackwood Manor" invites you to step across the threshold into a world where the line between reality and the supernatural blurs, where the past refuses to stay buried, and where love blossoms amidst an atmosphere of chilling dread. Eleanor Van Worth, a young governess with a keen intellect and a courageous heart, arrives at the imposing Blackwood Manor to care for the children of a recently widowed father. The grand yet decaying mansion immediately reveals its enigmatic nature—locked doors, hidden ...

In a quiet valley, tucked between towering cliffs and golden fields, lies Ember Hollow—a village unlike any other. For generations, its people have lived in harmony, not just with one another, but with two magnificent dragons who watch over them. Blaze, fierce yet kind, and Zephyr, wise and gentle, are more than guardians—they are teachers, friends, and protectors of both heart and home. But courage is not born from strength alone. As the children of Ember Hollow learn, bravery comes in many forms. It is found in the willingness to try, in the kindness shared between friends, and in the...

They say when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. But what if it doesn’t end there? What if, instead of fading to black, your story quietly continues—on a street you’ve walked a hundred times, surrounded by familiar faces, doing the things you’ve always done? You wake up. You breathe. You live. And you don’t remember dying. At least—not at first. There are whispers in the cracks of memory. A fleeting moment of déjà vu so strong you stop mid-step. A dream so real you wake up gasping, clutching your chest, your mind chasing images you can’t explain. People tell you ...