The Shadow Heir - Everveil Chronicles: Book I
By Stephen M. Ovak
Beneath the mist-veiled forests of Duskford, shadows whisper of a legacy long buried.
For fifteen years,
Stephen Umbra
has lived quietly within the safety of his ancestral home-unaware that his bloodline carries the mark of ancient power. Born of the
Umbra Clan
, the First Shadow and Walker Between Worlds, his fate is bound to secrets older than Everveil itself.
When Stephen's fifteenth summer arrives, his parents,
Cael and Elara Umbra
, reveal the truth of his heritage: the call of the
House of Shadows
and the awakening of the blood. With the family's ancient crest watching over him, he is sent to
Everveil Academy
, a fortress of learning hidden deep in the Northwest, where seven Houses train the gifted heirs of magic to walk the line between light and dark.
But Everveil is not what it seems.
Beneath its gothic towers and candlelit halls lies an unseen network of ancient oaths and shadow-forged secrets. When Stephen's gift finally manifests, it comes in the form of a bond unlike any other - a
shadow wolf named Ashael
, born from his soul and the legacy of the Veil itself. Together, they uncover a hidden chamber beneath the academy - a relic vault sealed by the power of the Umbra Crest. Within it lies a prophecy, a set of ancient relics, and a truth that will shape destiny.
There, the first four are chosen.
Lunaris, Corvus, Nyx, and Veyr
- heirs of shadow, flame, mind, and storm.
Together, they form the
Ebon Vow
- a pact bound by oath, blood, and darkness.
As the year unfolds, their friendship is tested by training, secrets, and the gathering storm of an approaching war. A tear in the
Veil
threatens to release creatures of nightmare, and whispers speak of a rising entity named
Malrec
, a figure of the old dark who seeks to claim the Heir of Shadows for his own.
With his familiar by his side and the relic sword
Veritas
in hand, Lunaris must face the duality of his birthright - half light, half void - and decide what kind of Shadow Heir he will become.
For in Everveil, every truth is written in darkness.
And some were never meant to be revealed.
Themes & Tone
Epic dark fantasy rooted in gothic atmosphere and emotional realism
Magic as blood inheritance, shaped by ancient clans
Found family, loyalty, and moral ambiguity
Coming-of-age within power and destiny
Prophecy, shadowcraft, and the cost of truth