Zodiara: The Thirteenth

In a fractured world ruled by the twelve signs of the Zodiac, balance is enforced through ancient rites, celestial power, and ruthless control. Every citizen is born into a Sign, bound to its traits, its destiny, and its place in society. Order is maintained through fear, tradition, and the unshakable belief that the stars never lie. But when a forgotten symbol — the Thirteenth — begins to stir after centuries of silence, the foundations of Zodiara tremble.

Sixteen‑year‑old Nova Astaell has never fit into her assigned sign. Her visions defy explanation, her instincts rebel against the life chosen for her, and a strange mark she cannot hide pulses with a power she doesn’t understand. When she uncovers fragments of a conspiracy buried by the Zodiac Order, Nova is thrust into a dangerous world of secrets, rebellion, and ancient prophecies. As alliances fracture and whispers of uprising spread, she must decide whether to embrace the truth of the Thirteenth or surrender to the fate the stars demand.

Kael, the Order’s most lethal Shadow Operative, was trained to kill without hesitation. His loyalty has never wavered, his blade never faltered — until Nova. Assigned to eliminate her before her awakening threatens the Zodiac hierarchy, Kael instead finds himself protecting the very girl he was ordered to destroy. Torn between duty and a connection he cannot explain, he must choose whether to uphold the Order’s command or follow a fate that could cost him everything.

Bound by a destiny that could shatter their world or unite it, Nova and Kael face an impossible question: do they let destiny decide their fates, or do they blaze a new path no matter the cost?

Zodiara: The Thirteenth is an emotionally charged dystopian fantasy about identity, power, and the courage to rewrite destiny.

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Premise Nova

Zodiara is a beautiful place. Long after the wars had ended, 200 years after civilization’s global collapse. Zodiara is a place of peace. A place for harmony. A place where people can live together again. Everything that Zodiara is and will become, we owe to our founding members of the Order. The Order had been our saviors. Without them our world would still be destroyed. Our homes would be painted in blood and life as we know it would have never existed. The Order had created Zodiara many years ago. The Order had realized that people were both similar and completely different. In order to keep the peace, they had fought to create, the Order had divided the world and everyone in it into twelve different sections. These sections were the twelve zodiac signs.

At birth, every person was placed into one of the twelve signs. Under each sign, our life paths were determined. Our jobs, social rank, education, and the region we lived in was assigned to us. No choices, only givens. The Order had created this system to prevent the world from dividing and fighting amongst themselves again. Each of the twelve Signs played a significant role in forming the backbone of society. Each sign fulfils a vital role to keep the world stable.

Libras are our diplomats. They serve as our mediators and advisors. They were in charge.

Capricorns are our society’s Pillars.

Cancers are the caregivers of our society.

Aries are our soldiers. They help to enforce the laws of the land and keep the peace.

Leos are our political leaders. They consisted of high ranking officials.

Taurus are the artisans of our society, our crafters and creators.

Virgos are the analysts.

Gemini was the messenger.

Then you had Aquarius. They were our innovators. Our engineers and inventors.

Pisces are the visionaries. They are our prophets, illusion weavers, of both our past and future.

Scorpios consisted of the world’s Shadow Operative. A group of trained killers that moved in the shadows.

Finally, there is Sagittarius. Those who are assigned to Sagittarius are the most prized signs. They are the Seekers. They explore our uncharted lands, helping us to understand the world we live in.

Together the signs lived in harmony, leaning on each other to balance the world. Signs weren’t allowed to form relationships with other signs, for fear of conflict starting among the signs. Children who weren’t born to their parent’s signs were taken and given signs that match their births. This helped to maintain order and peace.

Even in perfect societies, there are those who threaten the balance. There are those who simply wish to see the world destroyed. We call them Emarginatos. They are those who disobey and fight against the peace that the Order has created. These poor souls and people who are broken and don’t belong in society.

Everyone has a role to play and those who don’t play by the rules are punished. They’re shunned by society and removed. In order to protect the spread of Emarginatos, the Order created a correctional outreach program to help signs who are at risk of becoming an Emarginato.

Everyone has a role. Everyone.

Zodiara was a peaceful, harmonious place. A place where people belonged and were needed…

Or was it…

Thank you, guys for reading my book. I know that this chapter is small, but I want it to stay short and simple. The goal was to just introduce everyone to the zodiacs- despite a majority of everyone knowing the signs- and their roles for this dystopian world. I promise everything will begin to make sense, but I think this chapter helps to introduce everything. I hope you all will continue to read my book and enjoy it.

As you read, please, keep in mind that this is my first book. I am very new to Inkitt. If you guys find any error or have comments, please, let me know. I deeply value your insights and opinions.

I will NOT tolerate any kind of rudeness or bullying of any kinds in the comments. Everyone is unique and precious in their own ways, so we should value everyone. Once again, thank you for taking the time and for choosing to read my book.

Sincerely,

write_fictions03 <3

Hey! Do you guys like the cover I have now, or should I change it to the one below? Let me know in the comments. Or if you guys have an idea for a brand new cover idea, email or reach out to me through Inkitt messages.