The Things We Burned

Well… here we are.

Welcome to The Things We Burned.

This story has been sitting in my head for a while, and I’m incredibly excited to finally let it exist outside of my imagination.

If you've read anything from me before, you probably already know that I have a weakness for complicated people, messy emotions, secrets that refuse to stay buried, and stories where nothing is quite as simple as it first appears.

This one is no different.

Actually, I think this one might be worse. 😉

The Things We Burned is a romance, but it isn't just a romance.

It is a story about memory.

About secrets.

About the things people do when they believe they're protecting someone.

About the lies that begin with good intentions and become impossible to untangle.

And, of course, about two people who probably should have stayed far away from each other… and absolutely refuse to do so.

Julian and Clara are not perfect people. They will make mistakes. They will make choices that frustrate you. They will keep things from each other. They will misunderstand each other. They will hurt each other.

And yes, there may be moments when you want to reach through your screen and shake one of them. 😂

But I want you to understand them before you judge them.

Because this isn't a story about good people versus bad people.

It's about people carrying pieces of a past they don't fully understand and making choices based on the truths they believe they know.

Some of those truths will be wrong.

Some will be painfully right.

And some… well, you'll have to keep reading for those.

There will be romance.

There will be chemistry.

There will be tension.

There will be moments that make you smile, moments that make you suspicious, moments that make you want to scream, and probably a few moments where you need to put your phone down and stare at the wall for a minute. 😭

There will also be intimacy, and when it appears, it won't exist simply for the sake of it. Their relationship is an important part of the story, and the physical and emotional intimacy between them will matter to the characters, their choices, and the consequences that follow.

So yes, there will be heat. 🔥

But underneath all of that is a mystery.

And I want you to pay attention to the story as it unfolds.

Not because I'm going to tell you exactly what to look for.

I won't.

I want you to experience the discoveries alongside Clara.

I want you to question Julian.

I want you to form your own theories about the people around them.

I want you to notice the little things without knowing whether they're important yet.

Because sometimes the smallest detail is the one that stays with you.

And when something finally comes together, I want you to be able to look back and think:

Oh.

It was there the entire time.

That is the kind of mystery I want to build here.

Not twists thrown in simply to shock you, but revelations that change the meaning of what came before.

This story is going to have secrets within secrets, and not every person who appears trustworthy will necessarily be telling you everything.

So trust carefully.

Question everything.

And maybe don't get too comfortable with your theories. 😉

Most importantly, I want you to fall in love with the characters before the story asks you to question them.

I want you to see Julian beyond the control, the reputation, and the secrets he carries.

I want you to see Clara beyond her strength and determination.

I want you to understand why they are drawn to each other, why they fight it, why they eventually stop fighting it, and why the truth between them will matter so much when everything begins to unravel.

There will be tenderness.

There will be heartbreak.

There will be mistakes that cannot simply be apologized away.

There will be things that cannot be undone.

And there will be moments where the only question isn't whether they love each other.

It's whether love is enough when the truth finally comes knocking.

So, to everyone who decides to start this story with me…

Thank you.

Thank you for giving these characters your time.

Thank you for reading, theorizing, screaming at your screen, defending characters I may eventually make very difficult to defend, and questioning every suspicious little detail you come across.

If something makes you suspicious, tell me.

If you have a theory, I want to hear it.

If a character makes you angry, tell me why.

If a chapter leaves you staring at the ceiling wondering what the hell just happened…

Please come tell me. 😂

Your comments, votes, and reactions genuinely mean a lot to me. They make writing these stories feel less like I'm sitting alone with a blank page and more like we're experiencing the chaos together.

And I promise…

There is going to be plenty of chaos.

So settle in.

Get comfortable.

Maybe keep your theories close.

And whatever you do…

Don't assume you know the whole story.

Welcome to Blackwood Manor.

Welcome to Julian and Clara.

Welcome to The Things We Burned.

I hope this story makes you feel something.

Even if that something is occasionally:

“ELARA, WHAT THE HELL?” 😂🖤

Let's begin.

— Elara Vane 🖤