The Forgotten Catalyst
By @john1208
Branka Voron’s family didn’t maliciously abandon her during the Great Harrowing - they simply forgot she existed. Entirely consumed by the 'prophetic' medical breakthroughs of her reincarnated sister Jelena, the Vorons fled the toxic smog and left Branka behind to die. Instead, she wakes up floating in a bioluminescent terrarium belonging to Dr. Mirkov, the continent’s most feared and eccentric bio-scientist. Recognizing Branka's miraculous, hidden ability to metabolize the deadly miasma into pure energy, Mirkov adopts her as his true heir. Told through the alternating perspectives of Branka and Stoyan - Mirkov's brooding, terminally ill apprentice - Branka trains relentlessly in the shadows. A bittersweet, unspoken love blossoms between them as Stoyan's body begins to fail. Meanwhile, the Voron family desperately searches for the anonymous prodigy poised to win the Zlata Crucible, the global alchemical award Jelena desperately needs to secure their empire. But as Branka prepares to steal her family's coveted prize and crush their legacy, she discovers the terrifying truth about Lord Ivanek, the terrorist causing the toxic storms. If his apocalyptic warnings of a worse, impending ecological collapse are true, will winning the world's adoration be enough to save the only boy she loves?
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