The Conservatory isn’t just a school. It’s a cage. And sometimes, the things growing inside the cage are scarier than the jungle outside.
While I finish editing the main manuscript for The Conservatory of Thorns (coming December 2026), I realized something: I couldn’t keep the gates locked forever. The world of the Exclusion Zone is too vast, too dangerous, and too full of dark secrets to stay hidden until the book launch.
So, I am officially opening the files.
Introducing: The Exclusion Zone Archives
This is a collection of prequel novellas, lost logs, and “found footage” horror stories set in the same universe as the upcoming novel. These aren’t just deleted scenes; they are deep dives into the corners of the world where the sunlight doesn’t reach.
Expect body horror. Expect industrial grit. Expect to see exactly why the students of the Conservatory are so afraid of detention.
File 001: The Night Shift
We start today with a story about the people who keep the lights on.
Koram is a Null—a maintenance worker with no magic, no graft, and no desire to be a hero. He just wants to fix a rattling ventilation fan in Greenhouse 9 and go home. But in the Conservatory, a rattle in the vents is rarely just a loose screw.
Sometimes, it’s a warning.
Read Part I for FREE on Wattpad right now: Click Here to Read “The Night Shift”
What’s Next? I will be updating the Archives every Friday. Make sure you add the story to your Wattpad Library so you get notified when the next file is decrypted.
See you in the dark, Sylvia 🥀
