April 14, 1912
North Atlantic Ocean

A quiet danger slithered beneath the surface of the midnight sea. For nearly four nights the creature stalked its prey, watching, waiting, until the man-made metal beast traveled deep into the wild depths, far from the salvation of any shore.       

In truth, the ship was doomed the moment its bow kissed the tide. 

I would know. I was there.

I remember every detail. Every life jolted asleep in a bed of ice.   

Beneath the ink that once bled into the newspapers is a darker story surrounding the Titanic, one that never stained the pages of the past, nor the fingers that turned them. 

History has a fickle foundation. It’s a blend of reality and illusion, built by architects who honor one grand design. Their own. 

Though it may sound fantastical, my account of the Royal Mail Ship’s fate is far more accurate. I’m quite incapable of twisting the truth, you see, I leave that to the powers that be. 

And no matter the countless horrors I’ve witnessed, the injustices that go unpunished, I’m unable to alter the course of fate. I have tried, and failed, more times than I can count.   

Who am I to tell a story I had no hand in shaping?

I am the stale breath of tongues long buried. Smoke from forgotten fires. The space that holds your secrets, whether neatly tucked beneath a bed, or held fast in your heart even when lost to your head.   

I am the bridge between what came before and what is yet to be, and what is in danger of repeating should you not learn from me. 

I have observed the best, and worst, of gods and men. And whether they slither beneath the sea or sit in a seat of power, both can become monsters. 

They carve their mark into the skin of history until all you see is their scars. But if you look beyond the ugly rivers of red that run through the past, you’ll see the daring few who stood against the monsters, the ones whose stories are rarely sewn into the spine of this world.  

And so we begin by unraveling a story you thought you knew, on an ill-fated ship in an unforgiving sea, where an unlikely hero harboring a dangerous past, a deaf girl with a dangerous future, and a monster whose malice spans a millennium, turn the tide of humanity.

© 2018 Samantha Redstreake Geary

Cover Photography by Danny Penny Stone

Architects of Illusion Photo Shoot

A visual exploration of the light and dark characters in Architects of Illusion, from the peaceful Muse, to the vengeful Goddess Hera.

Images © 2016 Samantha Redstreake Geary

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Architects of Illusion Quotes

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100 Days of Architects of Illusion on Instagram

A behind-the-scenes tour of Architects of Illusion in collaboration with Biltmore Estate for the #100DayProject
Images & excerpts © 2015 Samantha Redstreake Geary

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BENEATH THE STONE

The statues surrounding Olympus were once living mythical creatures and mighty gods before being turned to stone by the immortal Gorgon sisters during a great battle. Known as Dimidiums, the magic of Olympus allows these souls a brief escape from their stone skin. This is the tragic story of the goddess Artemis and her lover, Orion. 

Cover Photography by Danny Penny Stone

“No matter the space between them, the centuries stolen by sunsets, she fights for a moment of connection, chasing the fading light for a chance to see it dance in his eyes. Artemis would surrender all the stars in the sky to feel the warmth of Orion’s pulse beneath the stone.”