Arcanium x Arcana

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

What if every myth, every prophecy, every fate—was just a draft waiting to be rewritten?

There are 100 Quintarii—a group of post-human agents who serve the mysterious Shadow Garden. Each Quintarius embodies a uniquephilosophy, specialization, and symbolic function. They are not traditionalheroes, butnarrativeengineers: characters who rewritefate, destabilize systems of oppression, and operate in the blurry space between science, magic, and myth.

Each Quintarius is shaped as much by their ideals as by their abilities, representing contradictory forces—ideas that clash, cancel out, or reshapereality.

Their mission is meta-fictional: acting across layers of existence to ensure unparalleled freedom and the solution to everyone’s problems.

After an alien invasion by the Xianxia and the death of Mammon, Empyrean's silent war against the powers that perpetuate the losing side of eternity escalates. Their battle with the Theogony and its apex elite spills into the public eye as Empyrean declares themselves beyond any government’s reach. As tensions rise, the multiversal civilization the Theogony has built and expanded over millennia begins to shimmer.

Meanwhile, Dakini's grounded, hands-on sense ofjusticeandheroismcollides with the morally grayrealitythe Quintarii inhabit. She uncovers unsettlingtruthsabout its members and the manyevilsthat pollute countlessrealities.Update Schedule:- Monday

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Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: Oridamomo

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.3/ 5.0
Followers: 73
Views: 20,365

Chapters(110 total)

What readers say about Arcanium x Arcana

“Like the other reviews said, Arcanium x Arcana is a genuinely captivating read. It's wild this isn't blowing up yet. Arcanium x Arcana may be new, but the quality easily puts it at the top. The story gets straight to the point, opening with haunting meta-fi…”
SoraNai2424Royal Road5.0 / 5
“Honestly, this is one of the better fictions on this site. I'm an author myself, and he got me insecure about my prose. His metaphors are vivid, sometimes too vivid I had to reread it (I believe this is a skill issue on my end). I had to reread lines multip…”
Walter WeissRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(8)

SoraNai2424Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Like the other reviews said, Arcanium x Arcana is a genuinely captivating read.
It's wild this isn't blowing up yet. Arcanium x Arcana may be new, but the quality easily puts it at the top. The story gets straight to the point, opening with haunting meta-fictional horror that promises something extraordinary. The narrator's existential dread and the Shadow Garden's complex mythology pull you in fast, making every chapter feel like a descent into a labyrinth of gods, monsters, and philosophical warfare rather than mere exposition.
Lucifer and Arcelius are standout leads whose interactions are razor-sharp and magnetically complex. Their dynamic, Lucifer's weary omniscience paired with Arcelius' tragic prophetic burden, creates tension that crackles across every scene. These aren't your typical heroes; they're walking contradictions who carry the weight of infinite timelines and impossible choices. The chemistry between characters like Dakini's grounded heroism and Cinder's chaotic precognition adds layers that make each conversation feel loaded with meaning and consequence.
The world-building is handled masterfully; there are no heavy info dumps, just organic reveals woven through philosophical dialogue and action sequences. The Shadow Garden's structure as post-human narrative engineers operating across reality's layers unfolds naturally through character interactions and strategic conversations. The pacing strikes an impressive balance between dense conceptual material and visceral moments, so you're never overwhelmed by the metaphysical complexity but never left behind either.
The power system shows massive potential, hinting at layers of metaphysical warfare we've only begun to glimpse. From Lucifer's incarnation scrolls that channel familiar essence to Arcelius' blade mastery that transcends simple telekinesis, each ability feels rooted in philosophical principles rather than arbitrary magic rules. The glimpses of Dakini's electromagnetic manipulation and Cinder'
Walter WeissRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Honestly, this is one of the better fictions on this site. I'm an author myself, and he got me insecure about my prose. His metaphors are vivid, sometimes too vivid I had to reread it (I believe this is a skill issue on my end). I had to reread lines multiple times just to process them, and there was joy in figuring them out. The series grows with you. The world grows beyond what you can imagine, literally. You'll see what I mean if you read it.
I spent nearly half an hour reading and I only finished the 4th part of the first chapter. I plan to continue, but to any reader out there, good luck. And to the author, phenomenal job.
Don_CRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Arcanium x Arcana is a strange, beautiful, and ambitious meta-fantasy that blends magic, philosophy, and the mechanics of storytelling into something unlike most fiction on Royal Road. It follows the Quintarii, post-human agents who rewrite fate and wage war on oppressive systems, all while wrestling with their own contradictions. The worldbuilding is dense but fascinating—myth, magic, and metaphor bleed together in ways that keep you guessing.
Kintsugi is the core philosophy of the first arc. To be broke is inevitable, but mending with meaning can make the result more profound than the original. We see this in each of the Quintarii, people are aren't just powerful, but deeply flawed. Much like pottery repaired with gold, their flaws are integral to who they are as people.
The story is driven by an ensemble cast, yet each of them have a strong philosophy that shapes their powers. My favorite characters are Kintsugi, Rai, and Lucienne. I love Rai's brashness and strength as opposed to magic.
The prose is lyrical and evocative, at times feeling like poetry, which makes the world feel vast and dreamlike. It’s the kind of story that rewards close reading, with ideas about destiny, identity, and the power of stories themselves woven through every scene. But that depth comes with a cost: the nonlinear structure, abstract descriptions, and heavy symbolism can be disorienting, especially early on. There are also moments where the grammar or flow falters just enough to pull you out of the moment.
If you’re looking for a straightforward, fast-paced plot, this isn’t it. But if you want something thoughtful, surreal, and willing to take risks, Arcanium x Arcana is a rare find—messy in places, but compelling in a way that lingers after you’ve put it down.
KennyTheAwkwardDonutRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
The way this is written is wholly unique compared to anything I've ever read before. The descriptions and contradicting truths behind the characters is so neat. I love this fracture feeling that the story carries. I really can't wait to find the time to read this when I'm not working on my own stuff or hanging out with my wife. Seriously, really damn cool writing.
smilodon88Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This story hit different. It's intense, emotional, and beautifully weird in the best way. The writing style is poetic and jagged, like a broken mirror that still reflects something true. Every sentence feels crafted, every scene layered with meaning, and the characters? Absolutely unforgettable. Lucifer Zagreus is a chaotic force of nature, sharp and weary. Cinder’s whole vibe is unhinged clairvoyant with a heart, and Arcelius is the kind of tragic myth you don’t just read—you feel.
Now, real talk: it’s dense. Like, you gotta pay attention. Sometimes it throws you off a bit with all the nonlinear jumps and surreal detail, but it’s worth the effort. It respects your intelligence as a reader without spoon-feeding anything. Some moments made me pause just to sit with a single line, or reread a chunk because I needed to catch all the layers.
Still, despite the complexity, the emotional core is clear. It's about pain, transformation, identity, belief—messy, raw stuff wrapped in divine chaos and magnetic storytelling. There's heart in the madness, and it doesn’t flinch from darkness or beauty.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Just don’t expect light reading. It demands a bit from you—but gives a lot back. A bold, brilliant, unfiltered experience. I’m honestly still thinking about it. And probably will be for a while.
Archer ElfRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
this is an incredibly good looking fiction, its a bit hard to follow on occasion due to the swapping of persepctives and scrunched up paragraphs but it has a lot of potentiol to be incredibly intersting in the future, especially with the direction it is going. i love how the magic has been displayed so far, so many good things have been shown, i want to see the rest
D.N. NewynRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
This is super, super unique, I must say, even from the hand-drawn cover; lovely stuff. The opening chapter is one of the most creative and unconventional starts I’ve read on Royal Road. Rarely does a story’s first chapter feel like an experience in itself, but this one does, with a daring but poetic opening that can get a bit dense sometimes, and fractured at others, but coherent as a whole. It certainly doesn't shy away from philosophical themes, and that can be heavy for quite a few people, but those who like it will like it. I really enjoy some of the attempts at breaking the fourth wall, with sly, cheeky lines like 'narratively unavailable' that's going to stick with me for a long time.
The prose itself is confident; sometimes florid, but with intention. There’s an occasional tendency toward long, winding sentences, yet they match the atmosphere and theme rather than bogging it down. Grammar is clean for the most part, with only a few spots where comma splices or unusual phrasing might trip up a reader
Let's talk characters. Standouts for me are Cinder, with her mix of charm and menace; Keneshara, whose off-page presence somehow steals scenes she’s not even in; and Arcelius, the haunted anchor of the cast. Even the 'minor' characters feel like they’re carrying secrets that will matter later.
RatzerRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Arcanium x Arcana is a bold and poetic dive into a world that feels as mythic as it does metaphysical. The prose is striking from the start, with a clear voice that isn’t afraid to explore complex themes or experiment with structure. There’s an almost dreamlike rhythm to the early chapters, blending philosophy, identity, and fractured memory in a way that feels intentionally disorienting — but in a good way.
I especially enjoyed Cinder’s character; her perspective is sharp, strange, and strangely grounded, making her internal narration one of the highlights for me. The story’s cosmic layers and fragmented theology definitely stand out from most of what I’ve read on Royal Road — it’s ambitious, confident, and clearly written with care.
That said, the tone and pacing won’t be for everyone, especially early on. The dense style and philosophical weight mean it asks for a bit more patience and focus from the reader. There are also some grammar and punctuation issues scattered throughout — not enough to undermine the work, but noticeable enough to occasionally trip the rhythm or clarity of a line.
But if you’re someone who enjoys lyrical, high-concept storytelling that rewards attention, this is a great read. I’m curious to see how the more grounded narrative threads evolve going forward.