Cheap Power

Benson thought the knife made him important.

The polished stone emblem of the Judge gleamed on the crosspiece — white oval over a crescent of black. It demanded attention. It wanted reverence.

Atriya had seen knives like it before.

Decorative plasma edge. Bright glow. Loud.

Useless.

Real plasma blades carried a black-light charge so hot the metal edge barely mattered. The air shimmered around them, invisible unless you had enhanced optics.

Those blades were tools.

This one was theater.

Atriya looked at the symbol one last time before kicking the knife into the gutter. It spun once, flashing the Judge’s emblem, before vanishing into darkness.

Benson whimpered.

Atriya felt a quiet satisfaction settle in his chest.

Power that demands attention usually doesn’t deserve it.

Continue Atriya’s Story

Atriya’s journey through war, hierarchy, and the hidden forces shaping his path begins in the Echo Saga.

New readers can enter the story here:

or start the full book:

Curious about the rest of Kent Wayne’s worlds?