Shadows And Pain

In a world where everyone is a slave, someone is born who cannot be controlled. At the same time, an unstoppable villain rises on a quest for revenge. But the truth is darker than he ever imagined, and now he must face an unbeatable enemy — including himself. *** Bruno was a young man born on Earth, the son of an influential modern Emperor. Despite having everything money could buy and receiving the best and most rigorous training to succeed his father, he chose the opposite path, defying his family’s ruthless rule. The price of his innocence? A merciless death and the complete erasure of his existence by the deity controlling his fate. On Earth, the law of the powerful was absolute; a slave could never rebel. But then, he wakes up again. He’s reborn in a world of cultivation, where freedom was promised to those strong enough to claim it. Now, he could soar like a free bird and carve his own destiny... or so he thought. The harsh reality of this new world soon showed him how insignificant he still was. He realized he had only changed masters. The freedom he sought was an illusion. The heavenly laws treated everyone as servants, and their rules were unbreakable. Bruno learned this bitter truth after losing everything that made him happy due to an unjust rule. But who was he to question? Hopeless, Bruno died... and was reborn as Alm, an unstoppable villain. With a soul poisoned by pain and vengeance, he sowed chaos across the universe. Planets were destroyed, countless lives taken, and his name became synonymous with terror. A hero rose to oppose him, wielding a sacred sword of hope. People from all corners of the universe united against Alm, raising their voices and weapons to stop the villain who defied the heavens. But Alm was no longer just fighting for revenge. He was challenging the heavenly laws that sought to control him, fighting fate and all living beings. And against all odds... the sacred sword shattered. The alliance of the entire universe was defeated. The villain won! Now, Alm found himself alone in the empty void of a dead universe, facing his own inner demons. Who could be more ruthless to him than himself? “What have I done?” At that moment, the doors of truth opened to him. Everyone was a puppet of a supreme figure, an entity that manipulated minds and even the heavenly laws. “I will find you, no matter where you are!” Thus, the last emissary of the true Heaven’s Will awakened. Alm, who once only relied on his sheer will and rage, now had a system to guide him. But his opponent was an immortal existence, above even the heavens. The villain who destroyed an entire universe now faced a new beginning. He discovered that the universe he devastated was just a tiny grain of sand in an infinite cosmos, where countless other universes existed. And so begins the legendary tale of the villain’s rise... and the Sacred Round God? A strange Duality of Shadows existed within one person. But this time, he wouldn’t be alone. *** To clear up any potential confusion or frustration, here are some key points about the story. I’ll avoid major spoilers, but a few things will be revealed. You might find this concerning at first, but just check the book cover—it shows the main character and his only partner. She first appears at 10 years old, but rest assured, there’s no inappropriate content or early romance. At around 13, SHE starts developing feelings for the protagonist, but he doesn’t respond until she’s an adult. With her determined personality, she tries to seduce him at 17/18, but it doesn’t work. Their relationship only happens much later. The book has nods to other works, with my own spin on them, and focuses on avoiding elements I find problematic in other stories. Lastly, the beautiful book cover was commissioned and created by HDIArt.

"I should have stayed home and played video games." This was Ray's last thought before darkness engulfed him after he was hit by a car. But surprisingly, instead of finding himself before the gates of hell after dying, Ray found out he was transmigrated into another world. The world Ray was transmigrated to was called Arora World, a place where you can use different kinds of skills, magic, and even acquire powerful classes. Ray found himself in the body of a young boy named Evan, who was studying in a hunter academy after awakening his abilities at the age of fourteen. At first, Ray was happy that he was transmigrated into the body of someone who had awakened his abilities and could use the magic he always wanted to use. However, as Ray went through Evan's memories, he finally realized that everything was not as simple as he had expected. Evan had a unique physique that didn't allow him to increase his power like other people. Because of this useless unique physique, Evan was the weakest hunter in the entire academy. And that was not all; the more Ray looked at Evan's memories, the more he realized just how troublesome his situation was. "I know I entered this body without buying a ticket, but isn't this too much?" Ray said in a depressed voice after going through Evan's memories. Will Ray be able to survive in this new world? Is the physique of his new body really useless? Join Ray on his adventure to find out.

Tragedy strikes when Alex's parents are brutally killed, and his clan is destroyed. Consumed by grief and guilt, Alex blames himself for their deaths and vows revenge. Abandoning his former life, he immerses himself in the shadows, plotting to destroy those responsible. As he delves deeper into his quest for vengeance, he begins to lose himself, driven solely by the desire for retribution against the nobles who wronged him and his family. From the Author: Hello, dear readers! This is my first time writing, and I am excited to share my story with you. Writing this book has been a journey of passion and hard work. I humbly ask for your support and encouragement. Please read my book and share your thoughts. Your feedback is invaluable and will help me grow as a writer. Thank you for giving my story a chance. I hope it captivates and entertains you.

With war on the horizon, a spreading epidemic, and corruption festering in Kiltar, Tye faces a harrowing mission: to risk everything to save his country from ruin. But in a land where doing good attracts evil's gaze, how far is he willing to go—and at what cost?

The world of Abberith thrives on wonder and magic, where the age of Aura Magic has propelled humanity into an era of unimaginable progress. Aura is the latent potential within most humans, enabling them to channel their will into casting spells or creating magical technology that powers an industrial revolution like no other. Each person’s Aura glows with a unique color, reflecting their abilities on the spectrum of power. But a world that shines this bright is bound to have its shadows. The nation of Gina, a rising magical superpower, teeters on the brink of war, seeking to expand its borders to fuel its ravenous hunger for resources and maintain its Aura-driven empire. Gina is ruled by the Harrow Sect, a collection of elite Aura Knights whose mastery of magic and combat has solidified their cruel dominion. Every year, children who come of age are offered a chance to partake in The Trial, a grueling test that determines whether they can join one of the great knight sects within Gina, granting them the training and prestige needed to rise in a society where power defines freedom. But not everyone is so fortunate. Some cannot grow their Aura, and a few- like Joker- are born with none at all. Those born without Aura are branded as a Harlequin and cast to the lowest rung of society. Joker survives in the shadows of Sing, a city built around the Harrow Sect- and a place subject to the majority of their tyranny. Here Harlequins are slaves, tools, and scapegoats, robbed of opportunity and humanity in a world that values strength above all else- acknowledged only to be the playthings of knights. Yet beneath the city’s glittering spires and oppressive streets, the embers of rebellion begin to smolder. The Harlequins are reaching their breaking point, and the whispers of the hidden Revolution Cult grow louder. When a chance encounter pulls Joker into their secret world, he discovers a shocking truth: his parents, who he never knew, were leaders in the rebellion—martyrs who gave everything to ignite a spark of hope amongst the Harlequin. Now, as the Harrow Sect tightens its grip on Gina and rebellion rises from the shadows, Joker must decide where he stands. Will he remain a pawn in a system designed to break him, or rise as a symbol of defiance? In a world where power is taken, not given, Joker’s path will blur the lines between survival and revolution as he faces the legacy of his parents and the potential buried deep within himself.

After the tragic suicide of his older brother, Damon Allard, a privileged young heir, is consumed by grief and confusion. Raised in a world of opulence, Damon had always been shielded from the darker realities of life. But the loss of his brother—who had been a golden boy at a prestigious elite school—shatters that illusion. Determined to understand why his brother chose to end his life, Damon returns to the private academy his brother once attended, now a place shrouded in secrets and whispers. Behind the ivy-covered walls, Damon discovers a world of hidden rivalries, unspoken pressures, and dangerous games played by the ultra-wealthy. As he digs deeper into his brother’s life, Damon unearths shocking truths, including a web of manipulation, betrayal, and a scandal that could destroy the privileged school's carefully curated reputation. But the deeper Damon goes, the more he is consumed by a thirst for revenge. Convinced that his brother’s death was no accident, Damon will stop at nothing to expose the truth and take down those responsible—no matter the cost.

A weak, powerless boy in a modern-medieval world of monsters, powers, magic, and guns, on his way to become the strongest man in the world, but at what cost...?

Who's to say that their arranged marriage won't also be a disaster? Isn't love underrated? Love's never enough in a marriage, so why bother with it in the first place? Is it to prove to everybody else that they're different and won't hurt each other?

In the sprawling, magical metropolis of Lumina City, Silas Calder lives a double life: by day, he’s a bartender at *The Alchemical Flask*, a speakeasy that caters to both humans and magical beings. By night, he secretly experiments with forbidden enchantments, yearning for a purpose beyond his mundane existence. When Kael—a mysterious and brooding shadowbinder with a dangerous past—walks into the bar, Silas’s life takes an unexpected turn. Drawn together by an undeniable connection, Silas and Kael discover they share a rare soulbond, a magical link that intertwines their fates. But their bond makes them targets in a city teetering on the edge of chaos. The Sentinels, an elite force tasked with policing magic, relentlessly hunt Kael for his shadowbinding abilities, while Silas struggles to harness the volatile magic within himself. As their feelings deepen, so does the danger. When the Sentinels raid *The Alchemical Flask*, Silas risks everything to save Kael, setting them on a path of rebellion against the oppressive forces controlling Lumina City. Together, they uncover the dark secrets of the Sentinels and the true nature of their soulbond, which may hold the key to saving not only themselves but countless others persecuted for their magic. In a city where shadows hold secrets and sparks ignite revolutions, Silas and Kael must confront their fears, embrace their powers, and decide how far they’re willing to go for love, freedom, and each other.

Beneath Secrets and Scandalous Pain When a one-night stand with a CEO results in pregnancy, a reluctant marriage binds two strangers together, but as tackle scandals, conflicts, and their own demons, they discover a love that heals their deepest wounds. ** "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her as he began the ride to his house. "You had your men drag me out, remember?" She laughed and closed her eyes, the soft curve of her smile a stark contrast to the tension between them. Leo stared at her, his gaze lingering for a moment before he looked away, his expression unyielding. Nothing can make him fall in love with her. "Did you understand my terms?" he asked, his voice low and detached. "My lawyer will arrive soon, but first, I need you to understand." Abi's eyes fluttered open, her gaze meeting Leo's in the rearview mirror. "You told me that we are going to be married because of our scandal and the baby," she began, her voice even. "We are free to be in other relationships. We are not going to share any slightest form of intimacy, and we would go our separate ways when the baby is born. And, of course, I'll still have access to the baby." A small smile settled on his face, approval flickering in his eyes. "Seems like you're not that useless. You're a little smart." Abi's smile grew, a spark of pride igniting in her voice. "I was the most brilliant kid in my class. I had a GPA of 4.7 when I was graduating." Leo's smirk was lightning-fast. "That's so low. I would have graduated with a 10.0, but unfortunately, I was still the highest with a 5.0 in my department. You may go back to school to match my score."

This is a story comprising of two different stories in honor of Domestic Violence month. The stories are short and concise to draw the reader into the perspective of the character.

In a world where magic is as common as the air you breathe, the kingdoms of the Great Kingdom of Colombia teeter on the brink of a devastating war. Darkness threatens to devour the light, and ancient alliances falter under the weight of millennia-old secrets. Darian, a young warrior marked by a past he barely remembers, is thrust into a desperate mission: to unite the kingdoms before an ancient force consumes them all. Guided by the mysterious Orb of Everlasting Light and accompanied by allies whose fates are intertwined with his own, Darian must face epic battles, political challenges, and the constant temptation of the darkness within him. In a world where magic can grant power or unleash destruction, the true challenge will be discovering who the real enemies are, and whether the light is enough to conquer the shadows. "The Gleam of Shadows" is an epic fantasy tale filled with intrigue, magic, and a journey that will take readers through vast realms, pit them against mythical creatures, and reveal that sometimes, the darkest shadows lie within.

Life's a bitch but I'm a bigger bitch Kesha is a difficult person to be with, she is different and hates everyone, building a fence around her heart. Painful experiences from the past, bad occurrences has made her harder and difficult to please. Sebastian moved to a new country, different and new people, he falls in love Kesha and tries to win her over. Will she accept him? Will she learn to love him? Will she be finally accept him? With the lovely childhood and all the love Kesha couldn't get, will Sebastian be able to win her over excerpt: I am not your everyday teenager. Well I am sixteen and a whore. I guess that makes me a Villain. I would look mad ass sexy in a Villain suit. "You have to learn to knock mom. You do not want to see me in bed with a boy, fucking my brain out"I snapped at her walking out of the bathroom. Excerpt : Just drive us to my sudden doom" I said and placed my legs on the dashboard. My top might have ridden up a little and I just could not possibly stop myself from grinning whenever I caught him staring "Does someone love my tattoos?" I asked with a teasing smile and a silly look plastered on my face "They are beau--ti--ti--ti--ful--ful" he stammered and held the steering wheel tighter "Cats got your tongue or are you just nervous around a sexy thing like me" I said and purred, enjoying how he was getting red. He was a tough one, he refused to stare at me, he just kept his focus on the road. "Awww, am I not tempting enough to steal your attention?" I said mocking how focused he was. I caught his eyes moving from me to the road. I have gotten a reaction "So I am tempting?" I asked with a  smirk plastered on my face. I got my legs off the dashboard and moved closer to him resting on the armrest and holding my amused face  "Do you want to see a very cute tattoo?" I asked and purred in his ears, he did not answer me but I knew I was affecting him. "So you do not want to see?" I asked faking a   frown and pouting  "I do" he said in a rushed tone, someone is excited, he turned to look at me and caught my smirk "I knew you would" I said. I tugged the neck of my shirt to make it lower to reveal the tattoo I had on my chest. "You like?" I asked He nodded and turned to look at the road. "Aww you are looking all red and stuff" I teased and poked him for added effects. "I had no idea boys could be this red" I added and continued to tease him with my laughter 'I think he has had enough teasing for a day'   my subconscious reminded me. I turned to look at Sebastian, he was red and was gripping the wheels like his life depended on it. He really makes teasing easy but not fun, he is not flirting back, making me look like a whore 'You are one' my subconscious reminded me again, I gasped and smirked 'Am I?' I wanted to laugh at my own joke but I do not think Sebastian is ready for more craziness. I sort of miss Regina, sorry my room, I might be asleep right now or trapped in a book, got to keep straight A's. I looked up and realized the dirt path we were driving through looked familiar "Sebastian?" I called, he hummed to tell me he was listening "Where are we?" I asked "I have brought you to your doom...

Born to poverty, Nathan Beaumont is an unlikely candidate for the prestigious Virellian Academy, where young mages train to master their magical affinities. At fourteen, Nathan discovers he possesses two rare powers: gravity and shadow,—forces no one has ever seen combined. His awakening marks the beginning of a journey that will challenge his very identity and force him to confront dark secrets hidden within the academy. As Nathan begins to form his core—the heart of his magical powers—he faces fierce competition from Quinn Voss, a brilliant and dangerous student seeking forbidden powers. With rivalries escalating, Nathan must unlock the ancient, forbidden arts hidden in a mysterious dungeon beneath the academy, arts that could either save or destroy everything.

Ashon is a young hardworking man living in a small slums outside the city and is struggling to make ends meet to provide for his mother who is struggling with an illness. He struggles with doing different jobs from hawking ornaments to selling second-hand clothes to working as a shop attendant at a petrol station, working as a waiter in a small restaurant, working as a city cleaner for the government to even working as a construction worker. Throughout his many jobs, he gains a lot of different skills but doesn’t care about any of them at first due to his focus on saving his mother from a very curable illness. One tragic day he gets a call from his childhood friend that his mother was rushed to the hospital after collapsing, selling groceries on the streets. She was then rushed to the hospital and was later discovered that she had cancer and was in the late stages. After six months of treatment, his mother dies, even when Ashon tried everything. That’s when one of the staff at the hospital gave him his mother’s belongings which consisted of her old phone with a voice note and a letter which had a message of a long lost relative. Ashon reads it and finds out that her mother was from a very wealthy family and that Ashon’s grandfather Adorn left Ashon with One billion dollars and realised the mistake he made by abandoning his daughter. Ashon then disappears for nine months trying to understand why his mother was abandoned and he later starts to uncover the secrets of the family including how the new president who is Ashon’s uncle of the manufacturing company named after Adorn is now in control and tricked Adorn into chasing out Ashon’s mother. Ashon starts to plot to take down his uncle and together with the help of his uncle who comes back from abroad, his childhood friend, and his former associates and starts to take down the president of the company together with His uncle's accomplices and close confidants.

A strong underground group tricked and abducted Theodore Vassilakis when he was 14 years old, promising him a steady job. He was subjected to rigorous physical training, mental torture, and constant manipulation for seven exhausting years. At the age of 21, Theodore shows himself to be a fierce individual with unrivaled mixed martial arts abilities and a strong desire for justice. Theodore embarks on a journey of liberation and retribution, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious disappearance of his parents, who were connected to the same vicious group. He fights a network of former prisoners, some of whom are friends and some of whom are enemies, and he encounters strong opponents and forges alliances. He battles to restore his lost humanity as well as to destroy the organization's evil empire, driven by tenacity and rage. Theodore has to determine how far he is prepared to go in order to regain his destiny as the group's power becomes apparent. [Chained Shadows] follows Theodore as he battles past traumas and faces a web of secrets that have the power to either mold or break him. It tells a dark story of survival, retaliation, and the quest for freedom. -2 Chapters Every Week-

And then, one stormy night, Mara finds herself alone with Ryder, arguing over the future of the studio and her own stubborn pride. In the heat of anger, their faces mere inches apart, Mara loses her words as Ryder pulls her close, his voice low. “You fight so hard, Mara… but you have no idea what you’re fighting against.” The air between them crackles, and as her heart races, he kisses her fiercely, intensely, with a hunger that leaves her breathless. She wants to hate him. She needs to resist him. But Ryder has awakened a fire in her that’s as dangerous as the secrets he’s keeping. And as Mara dives deeper into his world, she’ll have to decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for her art, her father’s legacy, and the man she never wanted to love. In Through Fire and Shadows, pride, ambition, and desire collide, testing the strength of two people who never wanted to need each other.

In a gray, rain-soaked Tokyo, Valentin Yuichi is a hitman, immersed in the city's shadows and the coldness of his work. He follows orders without question, and solitude is his only companion. But when his boss instructs him to form a forced partnership with a young thug, Valentin finds himself facing a new dynamic that challenges his control. Hiroshi Takeda, with a look of indifference and a scar across his face, is no ordinary lackey. He hides a history of pain and loss that has made him more complex than he appears. His rebellious stance and unshakable curiosity provoke Valentin in unexpected ways, while the hitman tries to keep his distance, adhering to his code of never getting involved. As the two navigate the dark alleyways of Tokyo on missions that test their limits, the tension between them intensifies. In a world where loyalties are fragile and trust is an illusion, Valentin and Hiroshi find themselves trapped in a dangerous game, where every glance and every unspoken word reveals more about who they are and what they truly seek. In Shadows of Tokyo, where the line between allies and enemies is thin, two lost souls may discover that the only truth that matters is the unexpected connection that arises in the darkness.

Demon lord Lenier. A truly vile, evil and cruel monster who united the entire world against him. But there is one word that describes him best: Masochist. He loves pain, everything he had done was for the sake of experiencing the most excruciating pain possible. And he had achieved exactly that, dying in the most painful way possible and with a smile on his face... what he didn't expect was that time would rewind... he, along with the party of heroes who defeated him, regressed back in time...

Frosthold’s history is marked by its storied battles with the Obsidian Empire, always emerging victorious against overwhelming odds. However, as the 17th birthday of Prince Jovian arrives, it heralds the start of a devastating conflict that puts Frosthold’s legendary defenses to the ultimate test. As the empire’s forces breach the kingdom’s defenses, Jovian and his sister Selene are forced to flee their crumbling home. Navigating through a hostile world, they must not only survive but also forge a path to reclaim their kingdom and restore its lost glory.

Having transmigrated into a fantasy world of magic and knights , the son of humble merchant prioritizes safety above all else. Armed with a system and cautiousness that is sometimes unnecessary watch Gray slowly turn him and his organization into shadows. Hidden and only existing in the night." For a shadow can never be truly destroyed and fought aganist."

Mumbai, a bustling metropolis filled with contrast, from the rich skyscrapers to the grimy alleyways, a city where heroes and villains clash in the shadows. Amidst the chaos, one individual stands between the world of everyday people and the forces of evil: Arjun Desai, a young man with the ability to predict the future by five minutes. He’s not a god, not all-knowing, but just enough to give him a fighting chance against the criminals and conspiracies threatening his city.

Arius Volkris, once a renowned general of the kingdom of Narathos, meets a gruesome end in the final battle of his life—his army decimated, his body torn apart by the very soldiers he once commanded. Betrayed by his closest allies, abandoned in the field of battle, and consumed by guilt over the lives lost under his command, he dies in complete isolation. There is no peace in his death, only the gnawing weight of his failures and a world irredeemably broken by war. But death, it seems, is not the end. Arius wakes, not in some bright and hopeful afterlife, but in the same ruined world, ten years in the past, on the eve of the conflict that would lead to his destruction. With the full knowledge of his previous life, the horrors he will face, and the crushing guilt of his past decisions, Arius finds himself trapped in a loop of misery and inevitability.

I lived happily with my family when I was young, but both of my parents disappeared without a trace. Before Dad died in a staged accident, he married a wealthy woman who had two daughters. The people who made my life a living hell, but accidentally discovering secrets I wasn't suppose to know. Leaving my hometown which I haven't ventured out since I was young, here my journey begins.