A Light Novel of the Fantasy & Romance genres.
Written by Cristina L. / Serene Hearts (DeviantArt).

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Cristina L. / Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.Please note that all Characters, details of characters, and story are original ideas by me (Serene Hearts).Any resemblance to other characters, names, places, or systems, (fictional or real), are purely coincidental and are completely unrelated. Please do not copy or use any of my materials without permission unless purely for fan content purposes.

Welcome to the Continent of Ardrera

Enter Ardrera, a small continent that is secluded from the rest of the world--a world whose nations each started 1600 years ago with a Deity born of Conceptual power. The continent of Ardrera is no exception to this.The two Kingdoms of Ardrera, Hilgard and Lucent, were once governed by the Deity of Light and Deity of Shadow respectively. Though the two Kingdoms thrived peacefully with the union of Light & Shadow, the unexpected death of the Deity of Shadow caused a series of events that would throw the Kingdom of Lucent into a spiral of complete self-destruction. The Concept of Shadow grew evermore unstable, causing creatures imbued with Shadow to reign free across the continent, threatening the peace of Hilgard. The efforts of the Lucent Kingdom would inevitably cause itself complete destruction. The events would lead the kingdom to entirely cease to exist, and its once beautiful lands being covered with a dense, treacherous shadow. With this, the future Hilgardians named the remains of their once-strong allies, "the Farlands".Four hundred years later, however, the free-spirited adventurers, known as Expeditioners, will do whatever it takes to fulfill their dreams to venture beyond Hilgard's borders to see the beautiful world that they believe exists beyond the lifeless Farlands.Although not many Hilgardians have the Goddess's Blessing, granting them massive power beyond the average Expeditioner, this doesn't stop the Unblessed from chasing their dreams of endless adventures and hidden destinations.

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Cristina L. / Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.

Teaser Illustrations

Spoiler-free.

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Cristina L. / Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.

Meet Team Lightwing

Great things await them.

Serene
the Spirit Bowman

'Destined for Greater Things'

Serene has always wanted to be a great Expeditioner and venture the world unknown, but being Unblessed made her a much less desirable teammate, like many other wide-eyed Expeditioners.After years of not finding an Expedition Team, the 19-year-old spirit bowman's adventure is set to begin. But as things start to become more than it seems, holding onto her dreams begins to feel like a terrible weight on her shoulders.

Delicate
Disciple of Ninjutsu

'Compassion has a Swift and Deadly Blade'

One of Ardera's few Disciples of Ninjutsu, Delicate is a Lightblessed who ventures alongside his trustworthy friends in Team Lightwing. He is close friends with the Team Leader, Flow, and the boisterous Atlas. He is one of the founding members of Team Lightwing.Despite what his name may imply, Delicate is a double-edged blade of both compassion and swift lethality. It's easy for someone to underestimate his ability with the warm smile he usually wears on his face.Realizing that there's more to Serene than what she shows on the surface, he finds himself more and more interested in her dreams and goals.

Atlas
The Fierce Lance

'Passion that Burns Brighter than the Stars'

Fiery and excitable, Atlas is one of the few Unblessed on Team Lightwing. When it comes to protecting and caring for his teammates, Atlas is unmatched. He wields a colossal lance, and although he may lack dexterity, he makes up for it in raw strength, giving one-thousand percent to keep up with his Blessed allies.Even though he can be rowdy, he won't think twice to put himself between one of his allies and a tough opponent (usually ending up getting himself in a sticky situation). He is close friends with Flow and Delicate, and is one of the founding members of Team Lightwing.

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Cristina L. / Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.

Deities & Concepts

The start of everything.

1600 years before Serene's story begins, the Five Concepts were born as crystals containing immense Conceptual energy, and with each one of them, a Deity whose whole life would be to share that Concept's power and nuture it within the world that was destined to be born.Hilgardia, the Deity of Light.
She, who governs the Concept of Light.Arcadeus, the Deity of Shadow.
He, who governs the Concept of Shadow.Ceilyne, the Deity of Arcana.
She, who governs the Concept of Arcana.Elaina, the Deity of Earth.
She, who governs the Concept of Earth.Irydus, the Deity of Life.
He, who governs the Concept of Life.Ouroval, the Deity of Corruption.
He, who governs the Corrupted Concepts.The One Above Us All, the Deity of the Heavens
They, who govern the 7 Concepts of Creation.These five Deities, who were born the day humanity first saw life on this world, would go on to be the first sovereigns of the Kingdoms that would be created in their name, aligned with their Concepts.Hilgardia and Arcadeus, who were born of Light and Shadow, were fated to keep one another in an eternal balance. These two entities took to the small continent located to the southeast of the mainland--where the three other Deities would establish their Kingdoms. Regardless of the events that took place on the Mainland, Hilgardia and Arcadeus kept to themselves, and refused to meddle in the affairs of the other three Deities. They'd had a sort of agreement--that if the Mainland Deities didn't trouble Ardrera, then they wouldn't bother them either. It was an easy agreement.Both Hilgardia and Arcadeus rose their Kingdoms with the belief that they were the only two Deities in the world. Neither of the Deities outright told them that this was fact. Some believed that other Deities existed beyond Ardrera. Others believed that Hilgardia and Arcadeus were the only ones. As harsh conditions and vicious creatures surrounded the seas near Ardrera, neither Lucent nor Hilgard would be able to venture the seas beyond their small continent, so their suspicions would never amount to anything. Thus, the two Kingdoms lived peacefully alongside one another on the little continent they called home.To this day, nobody on Ardrera knows what lies beyond the seas surrounding them. They don't know that there are other Deities out there. They don't even know that there is a larger continent that's not so far away.But one day, they might.

Deities & Blessings

Deities are the beings that were born with the Concepts. They are almighty and superior, and control the Concept of their alignment with ease and superiority. Although powerful and seemingly invincible, Deities can be killed by a being of equal or greater power. As Serene's story begins, the Deity of Shadow will have been deceased for 600 years.Each Deity is able to grant a small portion of their power to a human being. This is called a Blessing.Blessings appear in the form of a brand somewhere on the person's body. It depends on the Concept, as the brand was born along with the Concept itself. For example, a Shadowblessing would appear on the individual's left hand while a Lightblessing would appear on an individual's right hand.

Lightblessing, Right Hand

Shadowblessing, Left Hand

Arcanablessing, Neck

Earthblessing, Upper Chest

Lifeblessing, Forehead

Corruptedblessing, Overwrites the Former

Heavensblessing, Unknown

Divine Blessings

Deities are also able to each have one Divine Champion, a mortal that they can grant more than just simply a portion of their power. A Divine Champion is rewarded with a Divine Blessing--an advanced form of a Blessing that appears as a different brand. They are normally referred to as 'Divine Blessed' or, for example, 'Divine Lightblessed' or 'Divine Shadowblessed'. As there can only be one Divine Champion or one Deity of each Concept, being crowned a Divine Champion is no small feat.However, it is also known as a curse to mortals.Not only is the mortal unable to do certain things anymore, but they are given a hefty responsibility that is akin to the Deities themselves. Godlike power is known to drive mortals into Madness--a state where the individual loses control of their body and mind, giving in to the dark desires within their heart. The consciousness of the victim is forever sealed in the depths of their soul, and are subject to stay that way until the individual dies.Becoming a Divine Champion is known to the be 'first stepping stone' on the path to Godhood, as this is the moment that a mortal becomes a demigod, becoming ageless in appearance. Although their lifespan is still limited and they are not immortal, Divine Champions are able to grow infinitely in power and even reach the power level of a Deity before their death (though it is gravely uncommon). Because of this, some Deities are very wary when it comes to crowning a Divine Champion, because if they aren't careful, the individual they choose may very well end up being the one to kill them in the future.

The rite of passage

When a Deity dies, the Concept of that Deity still lives. However, there can be no more Blessings granted of that Concept. If a Deity dies without a Divine Blessed in their name, then it's possible for the Concept to die out completely. Once everyone with that Concept's Blessing inevitably dies, the energies surrounding the Concept's crystal will continue to fade over the years and eventually will stop existing completely, never to be reborn again. However, if a Divine Blessed does exist for that Deity, then the person in question is able to undergo the Rite of Passage.The Rite of Passage is a Divine test that is taken within the crystal of a Concept and can only be taken by the Concept's own Divine Champion, and if the current Deity of that Concept is deceased. It is a test of strength, will, determination, and power, as the Concept will determine if the Divine Champion is powerful enough to become the new Deity of that Concept. If the Divine Champion fails the Rite of Passage, the uncontrollable Conceptual energy will spill out of the crystal and destroy everything in its path. Therefore, undergoing the Rite of Passage is something that is taken very seriously.

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Cristina L. / Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.

Welcome to
The Expeditioner's Guild

Where all of your Expeditioner dreams will come true!
...That is, of course, if you're Blessed.

The Hilgardian Kingdom and all of its denizens know just how exciting the Expeditioner's Guild can seem. It's the place to go for those who yearn for something more exciting than a casual life of an every day citizen.

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Cristina L. / Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.

Author's Note

Cristina L.
Author & Illustrator

First and foremost, I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your interest in my story! I've been writing since I was 8 years old, but I've never been much of a professional writer, so by no means do I claim to be one.With that being said, "Everlasting - The Dreams that We Share", is not meant to be a professional, deep, or advanced novel. It is my own dream, the imagination that I delve into everyday, that I want to share with everyone. It is the story of my beloved characters, Delicate and Serene, and the beautiful journey that they go on together."Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share" is the first official novel and novel series I will ever have created, despite the many worlds I've developed over the many years...and it will likely be the only story I ever write as an actual book. I have immersed myself in its world, and have finally found a story that I truly love. Now, all I want to do is share their story with as many willing listeners as possible, because deep within my heart, I believe it to be a beautiful one.So brace yourselves, and prepare to walk beside Delicate and Serene as they trial and triumph through a world where your worth is determined by the favor of the Deities!I hope you enjoy their story as much as I do!

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.

Credits

A special thank you for those who made this dream a reality.

Writer & Creator

Cristina L. / Serene Hearts

Illustrators

☆ Cristina L. / Serene Hearts

Beta Readers

(To be decided)

Kofi Supporters

(None)

Everlasting - The Dreams that we Share [ Novel / Webtoon ]
© Serene Hearts. All rights reserved.