Bled Dry

"I had fought before. I had bled before. But this was different. This was madness. One moment, I was sat on my throne, ruling my clansmen and the next… I'm met with a graveyard of empty eyes and frozen faces. And now these mongrels hunt me through the storm, blades drawn and their voices sharp with laughter. Echoes in the snow continue to call out to me as I drown in snow and steel. Were they guiding me? Or had I already lost my mind?" A World Without Reflections is a novel steeped in Eastern fantasy and Dark Souls-like desolation, following Chael, a warrior chief who returns to a home that no longer breathes. The voices are gone and the fires are cold. They still stand, but they do not live. And somewhere beyond the frost and silence, unseen hands pull at fate’s threads. Shadows move in the snow. Mirrors lie. Figures from the past emerge, and with them, a question that should have never been asked.

In the galaxy of Shunya, where astral energy reigned supreme, war was the natural order. Middle and low-level worlds clashed endlessly, each striving to break the elusive Level 25 cap, a threshold that only a rare few could surpass. What began as small skirmishes, driven by greed and necessity, soon spiraled into full-scale wars. Empires bled, kingdoms burned, and cities crumbled to dust. But when conquest within a world was no longer enough, warriors turned their gaze outward, invading distant realms, subjugating worlds, and harvesting the astral cores of beasts and humans alike. For those who sought power, the path forward was paved in blood. And amidst the carnage, something unnatural was born. From a sea of blood, an Entity awakened, adrift in a world of war, with no memory of his past or identity. Accompanied by a wolf and an old man, he set forth on a journey to uncover the truth, unknowingly carrying the power to reshape the fate of worlds.

HEED MY ADVICE, TO ALL WHO WILL LISTEN, THE FURY OF A WOMAN WHO LIVES ON REVENGE, EVEN IN THE FACE OF DEATH, IS A RECKONING THAT SPARES NO ONE. The Dukedom Heiress Luella Van-Rensselaer thought that by doing everything her family needed, she would have the beautiful and loving family she had always wanted. However, she ends up getting betrayed by her own twin sister and her fiancé. Having gotten fed up with her family and how badly they had put her through, Luella wishes for death, which her sister gives to her as she ends up dying in the hands of her sister and fiancé. Finally, finding the peace she had always wanted, she wakes up to when she was eighteen (18) years old as the funeral service of her father. And now filled with nothing but rage and memories of her past, she now aims to destroy the entire dukedom with its name. The Van-Rensselaer dukedom will end WITH her and BY her. ~+~ A MAN WHO LOVES HIS WOMAN WITH NO POWER OR WEALTH IS NOTHING BUT A DREAMER; BUT A MAN WHO LOVES HIS WOMAN WITH POWER AND WEALTH IS A PROTECTOR, WORTHY TO BE BY HER SIDE. And that was what Grand Duke Ozed Rhinelander was. A man who went to war for his woman, accumulated wealth for his woman, lives for his woman. And he would kill for his woman. When Luella decides to take revenge on her family, she goes to one person she fully trusts. ~+~ ~Fragment~ "Do you want this?" His voice was low, almost a growl, but there was a hint of something else beneath — something that made her heart skip a beat. She swallowed hard, her throat dry. The question hung in the air between them, heavy and tangible. "I… I don't know," She finally answered, her voice barely above a whisper. His lips curled into a smirk, a slow, dangerous smile that sent shivers down her spine. "Liar" he murmured, his voice a deep rumble that vibrated through her. "You want this. You want me." She opened her mouth to protest, to deny it, but he didn't give her a chance. His hand shot out, gripping her chin roughly, forcing her to look up at him. "Do you want me to prove it?" He asked, his voice dripping with challenge. ~+~ Tags: #Revenge #Strongfemalelead, #norape, #reincarnation, #Fakeidentity, #EdwardianEra, #VampireRomance #Smut #Supernaturalpowers #magic #darkfantasy #long-distance pining (The main characters are aware of each other's feelings but can't be physically be together yet. IN THE BEGINNING CHAPTERS). ~+~ Cover is mine. DO NOT USE ____ @AR

Yang Qing sighed as he gazed upon the black building that stood tall piercing the skies above with an inviolable aura around it. "The Order sure is black-hearted," he angrily thought as he made his way into the building begrudgingly. The building could be considered his home away from home and a source of endless grief for him due to its unforgiving working hours. The building housed the courtrooms of the Cultivation Order Society, an organization founded to maintain a semblance of order in the ruthless cultivation world of the southern continent who if left to their own devices would sink the whole continent to the ground. Due to how impetuous cultivators were, the cases never stopped. "Yi Jie, what do we have today?" "Two cultivators at the palace realm fought over a treasure and destroyed half of the territory of the blue deer kingdom in their fight, A rogue cultivator is suing the owner of the falling meteor blacksmith shop for selling him a faulty saber that keeps attracting lightning tribulations. A cultivator suffering from pill poisoning is blaming it on the white hilltop restaurant as he suspects they are feeding their spirit beasts pills to make them bigger and fatter. And the last case is 500 families are suing a cultivator by the name of Ren Fu for being negligent as a husband and a father whilst also pilfering their resources dry as he moves from place to place.," Awkward silence ensues........... Join me as we follow Yang Qing in his role as a judge in the Cultivation Order Society with cases and troubles that never seem to end. Fair warning the story has multiple POVs. Re-edited chapter (50/50) Second milestone (50/150) All support matters whether it's power stones, comments, reviews, golden tickets, subscriptions, or those who buy privilege chapters or even lurking readers..I welcome all your support in whatever format it comes in and I thank you for it, It really does mean a lot, especially to rookie authors like myself.

Ten thousand years ago, the sky shattered, the earth bled, and reality screamed. Gods and awakeners clashed against horrors that should not exist—things that twisted minds, devoured souls, and laughed at the concept of death. The world did not win. It survived. The Veil Barrier was forged, sealing away the nightmares at an unfathomable cost. Time passed. The world forgot. But the barrier is rotting. Cracks spread. Whispers crawl. Monsters pour through, dragging something far worse behind them. And in the midst of it all, something else stirs. Not a hero. Not a villain. Not a god. A being that should not exist. One even the horrors feared. The world thinks it won the war. It was wrong.

The story begins on a rainy night when Leon Blackwood, a man known for his ruthlessness, finds a half-starved little girl curled up near his estate. He has no reason to help her. She is just another forgotten soul in a world that doesn’t care. But for some reason, he hesitates. Maybe it’s the way she refuses to beg, or the way she looks straight into his eyes without fear. Against his better judgment, he takes her home. The twins, Elias and Elijah, take an instant liking to her. They cling to her, drawn to her quiet nature, to the way she doesn’t treat them like fragile dolls. She isn’t like the nannies who fuss over them or the strangers who only see them as Leon Blackwood’s children. She treats them like real people. But Annora is not a normal child. She does not flinch when voices rise in anger. She does not cry when she is scolded. She does not ask for things. And at night, when the house is silent, she sits awake, her small hands gripping the sheets, eyes wide open as if she is waiting for something—or someone. Leon, a man who built his life around control, finds himself disturbed by her presence. She is just a child, but she unsettles him in a way he cannot explain. He watches her carefully, trying to understand what it is about her that feels… wrong. Then strange things start happening. The twins begin having nightmares. They wake up crying, speaking of a man in the dark. Their laughter turns to whispers, their joy to unease. Annora never speaks of it, but Leon notices the way she grows even quieter, the way she avoids certain rooms, the way her small fingers tremble when she thinks no one is looking. Mrs. Halloway believes the child is cursed. Victor Alden, Leon’s business partner, seems too interested in her. And Annora? She knows something. She remembers hands grabbing her wrists, voices telling her to be silent. She remembers running, running, running until her feet bled. But she does not remember why. Not yet. The deeper Leon digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Annora is not just some abandoned child. She is something else. Something that someone wants back. And they are coming for her.

The Silverston Empire teeters on the edge of ruin. A foolish emperor and his reckless sons cling to power, while the nobility, consumed by greed and ambition, bleed the empire dry. The people live in crushing poverty, women are silenced by systemic oppression, and magic—once a source of wonder—has been branded as sin. The ancient dragons, symbols of balance and strength, are no more, leaving the land vulnerable and fractured. All hope rests on the Alcons, a forgotten bastion of power. Its guardians? Six princesses, dismissed as spoiled and unfit for anything beyond luxury. But beneath the silks and jewels lie secrets and strengths even they do not fully understand. In a world spiraling into darkness, can these unlikely heroines rise to reclaim their empire and restore the balance?

--WSA 2025 ENTRY-- Kai should be dead. Instead, he wakes up in the past—seven years before the nightmare began. Before Nyxfall 6: Dark End shattered his reality. Before he and thousands of others were forced to fight a war of survival for their entire world. It’s the same day he first bought the game, the same winter chill in the air, the same streets he once walked. But something is wrong. The game in his hands isn’t Dark End. It’s Nyxfall 7: The Veilbreakers. That shouldn’t be possible. He remembers everything—the brutal survival, the alliances, the betrayals, the moment they realized Nyxfall wasn’t just a game. The Beyonders had been watching, manipulating, testing them like rats in a maze. He had fought, bled, lost everything. He had died. So why was he back? And why had the timeline changed? Standing in front of his home—his real home—he hesitates. His mother is inside. The woman he lost years ago. The game is already rewriting reality. The people he once fought alongside—his friends, his enemies—are they back too? Or is he alone in this? If they’re here, if they remember… where are they? More importantly—can he risk searching for them? The Beyonders had ruled the game from the shadows. They had access to every piece of technology, every network, every system in the galaxy. The only way to hide from them was to stay offline. But in a world where even the poorest cities had the fastest Internet, where everyone was connected, where technology was inescapable… was hiding even possible? He can’t trust anything. Not the game. Not the timeline. Not the very world he walks in. One thing is undeniable—Kai isn’t just a player anymore. He’s an anomaly, a rogue element in a game that was never meant to be played twice. And if the Beyonders realize he remembers? They won’t just come for him. They’ll erase him—completely, utterly, without a trace. The world thinks the game is only beginning. Kai knows the truth—it’s already in motion. The cycle has started, the pieces are falling into place, and the past is no longer just memory. This time, he won’t run. He won’t break. He won’t lose. Because this time, he’s not just playing to survive. He’s playing to win.

Saving people wasn't exactly Shen Yuan's thing, but if you paid him enough to do it, then you'd get yourself a deal. Whether someone lived or died was never his concern, but what end it brought was his job to direct. He was the perfect agent for the military to commission. His job: To wake the great war hero out of his coma. Of course, only after he squeezed their pocket dry did he finally accept. But what would happen if he met his destiny there? And that destiny was the exact thing he was ordered to terminate. Alternate Title: ‘Die for Me’ Schedule: Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 21:00 GMT+7 A/N: Full story is available at my ko-fi shop page (ko-fi: K_Jira). Your support will help me continue my work as an author and is greatly appreciated!

In a world where power ruled and trust was a blade waiting to strike, Lu Yan walked alone. Not out of fear, not out of weakness, but because solitude had always been his greatest strength. As a plant summoner, the earth itself bowed to him. Forests obeyed his whispers, roots coiled at his command, and even the wildest of flora bent to his will. There was no need for allies—until he met them. Fan Zhi. Lila. Jian Mo. The strongest of the strong. A warrior whose blade could cleave mountains, a magician who wove destruction with a flick of her fingers, and his most trusted—his shadow—Jian Mo. Not a friend, not family, but the one person Lu Yan had allowed closest. Their strength was undeniable. Their presence, unavoidable. And so, for the first time, Lu Yan walked beside others. Together, they ventured into the final dungeon, an ancient ruin pulsing with power long lost to time. Every step deeper tested their skill, their will, their loyalty. They bled together, fought together, survived together. Or so he thought. The betrayal wasn’t reckless. It wasn’t obvious. It was precise, patient—rooted in greed, waiting for the perfect moment to surface. Every look, every word, every shared battle had been a thread in their web. They had studied him, learned the way he thought, anticipated his every move. They knew his strengths, but more importantly, they knew the weaknesses even he had overlooked. So when the final trial came, when the dungeon itself trembled with the weight of the power they had sought, the trap was already set. The air was thick with heat, the walls licked with molten fury, the ground unstable beneath their feet. And then, Jian Mo struck first. A blade—not of steel, but of something darker, something ancient—sank into Lu Yan’s back. A paralyzing force surged through him, seizing control of his body, locking his power away in an instant. The one person he had trusted most had known exactly how to sever him from his strength. Fan Zhi’s sword followed, slicing deep. Lila’s magic wrapped around him like a serpent, binding him in chains of searing energy. They had calculated every detail. No dramatic speeches, no arrogance—just cold, efficient betrayal. And then, without hesitation, they cast him into the abyss. The last thing he thought about was Jian Mo’s face, expression unreadable as the molten depths swallowed him whole. Pain. Fire that melted flesh, burned bone, and tore through his very essence. For the first time, Lu Yan truly knew what it meant to die. But fate was not done with him. In the heart of the inferno, something stirred. A force beyond comprehension. A power that did not belong to this world. The fire did not destroy him—it remade him. The pain became something else. Something worse. Something greater. Then, darkness. When Lu Yan awoke, it was not to fire, nor stone, nor the ruins of the dungeon. It was to a world reborn. The sky above him was a fractured canvas of impossible colors, shifting and writhing like a living thing. The air was thick, charged with an energy that thrummed beneath his skin. And all around him, the earth pulsed—not as he had once commanded it, but as something wild, untamed, ancient beyond reason. The plants here were not mere tools of a summoner’s will. They were alive in ways he had never imagined. And they watched him. He was no longer the betrayed summoner. He was something else. Something far greater. As he stood amidst the endless forest, his body still echoing with the power that had saved him, one thought burned brighter than all the rest: if fate brought me here I would master it all. The winds whispered his name. The trees bent, waiting. The Life begins with a seed --- .... (Hello Author here, I'm open for any suggestions)

I will be posting this story on RoyalRoad.com **** It did not matter who you were. A noble’s blood, a scholar’s wisdom, a merchant’s wealth—none of it meant a damn thing inside the dungeons. Once you stepped beyond those gates, past the threshold where light faded and the unknown swallowed all, there was only one truth that mattered. The strong ruled. The weak perished. It did not matter if you were a prince or a beggar, a decorated warrior or a nameless fool. The dungeon did not care. It did not discriminate. It only tested, again and again, until your bones lay among the countless others who had thought themselves worthy. For most, dungeon diving was not a choice—it was survival. In this city of towering walls and endless ambition, men and women bled for the chance to carve their names into history. They fought for coin, for glory, for the slim chance of rising above their station. They fought because, in Dragnir, power was the only thing that truly mattered. Some dove for wealth, their eyes glimmering with the promise of fortune buried in the depths. Others sought fame, desperate for their names to be whispered in awe, their deeds recorded in legend. And then there were those who fought for power—not for riches, not for glory, but for strength itself. Because in the end, power was the only thing that meant anything. And so, they fought. Again and again, against monsters that never died, in dungeons that never emptied. They struggled, they endured, they bled, and still, the dungeons called for more. For some, the call was a curse. For others, a promise. But no matter the reason, no matter their fate—once they stepped inside, they belonged to the dungeon. And the dungeons… never let go. Right Dungeons, because it's not only one but Three of them with different kinds of hell to offer, will you dive?.

It is the year 2027, and mankind's greatest RPG game 'Sekai' was released with over half the world's population on the market trying to buy it. Stocks run dry, and Kamisato Daiki a worker in the company gets one of the first-hand copies by stealing it. During a game night, Daiki falls ill and rests in his bed. The computer was still open all this time having the game online. The next morning, neighbours rush into Daiki's apartment. The door was wide open, a robbery perhaps the neighbours thought. All they could see was Daiki's dead body. The scene was investigated and the computer was taken into custody. Little did they know, Daiki's soul was now stuck in the game world of 'Sekai'.

The world is in ruins, torn apart by a brutal war over a single artifact—the Shard of Origin, a relic said to hold the power to rewrite existence. For nearly two decades, Victor Julius Edwards fought, killed, and bled for a chance to claim it. But in the end, it cost him everything—his wife, his daughter, and the future he once believed in. Now, dying and delirious, Victor makes a final, desperate choice. Instead of handing the Shard over to the power-hungry elite who started this war, he consumes it. What happens next is beyond comprehension. Thrust into an existence where past and future collide, where echoes of lost lives whisper in his mind, Victor must navigate the chaos of time itself. Will he use his newfound power to fix what was broken? Or will his wrath consume what little remains? One thing is certain—the war is far from over.

He did everything he could to save his world from destruction. He fought, he bled, and he sacrificed, but in the end, he lost everything. The gods, the very beings humanity believed were their protectors, turned out to be the architects of their doom. Betrayed and defeated, he met his end at the hands of the Goddess of Death herself. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself reincarnated into his favorite novel, not as the hero, but as a side character—a member of one of the world’s most powerful families. A family renowned for their strength and influence, yet he was born talentless, destined to be doomed Or so he thought. Until… [Ding! Template System Activated.] [Congratulations! You have obtained an SSS-Level Template.] [Template Name: Primordial Dragon.] [The Template Has Awakened.] [Ding! You have obtained the Primordial Bloodline.] [Ding! You have obtained the Heart of the Dragon.] [Ding ...] - Cover does not belongs to me - The novel is re-uploading

James was a hustler who'd succeeded in retiring early, only for the pandemic to ruin all of his plans. He spent two years locked up inside playing video games and watching movies, only to be spiritually abducted just as the situation started improving. Now his name is Jin and he's a part of the Illusion Room Sect. A cultivation sect that creates scenarios for combat-focused cultivators to hone their skills. In other words, fully immersive video games. Will the gaming knowledge of his past life help him succeed in such a cut-throat world? Will he manage to break his two-year pandemic induced dry-spell? And most importantly, will he ever manage to surpass the rank of cannon fodder?

Xu Yinyin's last memory was the blaring sound of her phone alarm. She had been working late into the night, drowning in financial reports and endless deadlines. A single moment of dizziness, a sharp pain in her chest, and then… darkness. When she opens her eyes, she is no longer in her modern high-rise apartment but in a **tiny, dimly lit room** that smells of damp straw and mildew. The air is thin and cold, and her body feels incredibly weak, as if she hasn't eaten in days. Her gaze lands on the cracked ceiling, the wooden beams above her looking fragile, as if they could collapse at any moment. Her body aches, and when she moves her hands, she feels her own **bony fingers**—thin, fragile, with calluses that don’t belong to her. Her throat is dry. Her stomach twists in hunger. **"Where… am I?"** She struggles to sit up, only to feel sharp pain radiating from her limbs. Her wrists are marked with old scars, faint traces of bruises scattered across her arms. The shabby quilt covering her is thin, barely providing warmth. A sense of unease grips her. Then, memories **flood** her mind. Her name is no longer Xu Yinyin. She is now **Su Wan**, a nineteen-year-old orphan in a poverty-stricken village in 1960s China. Her parents passed away early, leaving her at the mercy of her uncle’s family. Instead of caring for her, they treated her as an unwanted burden—a servant who worked from dawn to dusk with barely enough food to survive. Just yesterday, the original Su Wan had collapsed from exhaustion while carrying heavy buckets of water from the river. No one helped her. No one cared. She had been left in this tiny storage room to either wake up or die. The realization makes her shudder. Before she can process more, a cold, mechanical voice **echoes in her mind.** **[Host detected. Survival Space System initializing.]** A translucent blue screen appears before her. ### **Inventory:** ✔ **Fresh vegetables, rice, and flour** ✔ **Bottled clean water** ✔ **A first-aid kit with modern medicine** ✔ **Basic survival tools like a knife and matches** Su Wan's eyes widen. **"A cheat system?!"** She instinctively selects a loaf of bread. The next moment, a **warm, soft bun appears in her hand.** The scent of freshly baked bread fills the air. Her stomach growls. With trembling hands, she **takes a bite**—the fluffy warmth melting on her tongue, sending an almost overwhelming sensation of relief through her starved body. Warmth spreads through her, chasing away the biting cold. Her eyes flicker with determination. **"I have a second chance. I won’t let anyone trample on me again!! "

For fifty years, the world bled. The Ouranios Alliance crushed the demonic Daimonas, ushering in an era of uneasy peace. But from the ashes of defeat, a single spark of vengeance ignites. Nyx, son of the fallen Daimonas leader, swears an oath: to tear down the victors and avenge his people. His journey into the dark arts begins with a single, ancient grimoire, but the path to omnipotence is paved with blood, betrayal, and the ghosts of a war that refuses to stay buried. Will Nyx become the savior his people crave, or will his thirst for revenge consume him entirely?

When every news outlet published reports on a certain rising star having a daughter out of wedlock, Song Qianming's personal image crumbled, despite his positive work attitude and constantly striving to improve himself. However, while the public was eagerly awaiting his downfall, they suddenly found out that the father-daughter pair were something else! When they took part in a variety show that left them in the wilderness, the daughter's luck proved extraordinary, allowing them to gather whatever resources they needed. Even the antis were left fuming and ranting that Song Qianming was useless, yet had somehow landed such an amazing daughter! Antis: Come on, sweetie! Your daddy is a fossil, come to Mommy! Baby: My daddy is a superb actor, and is unmatched in horse-riding and archery! Also, everyone should be learning his calligraphy instead! I'm not leaving, but I can bring a mommy home. The fossil flashed a tsundere smile. The baby could only belong to his family because he was the best daddy she could get! But why was she trying to get him a wife too? Thoughtful antis: Can we still be baby's mommy if we used to flame Song Qianming?***Song Qianming was the prince of an old dynasty. After usurping his brother to claim the throne, he was living carefreely, passing his time with operas and bird-watching. One day, he transmigrated to an unfamiliar era, where blackhearted companies squeezed him dry for any penny he had, and he had barely any savings. Still, the sight of his smart and adorable daughter made him work hard again... It was just being a celebrity. Was it any more difficult than eluding assassination attempts and usurping his brother?

After killing his closest one, the Elite of Light, the Elite of Darkness is left alone in a shattered world. Once part of the Elite 7, he now walks a path of isolation, haunted by his actions, as the remnants of the elite cling to fading hopes. The scars he bares with the maps of battle won and lost and through the road may bleed him dry, he reaches out yearning to grasp the hand of someone who can carry the future forward. Guided by the sorrow-laden whispers of his fallen friends. A tale of unmatched power, yet powerless to save; a chronicle of lives lost beyond the grasp.

The moonlight spilled through the canopy of the dark forest, casting an eerie glow on the man lounging against an ancient tree. Morris was impossibly handsome—too handsome to be real. His sharp jawline, framed by tousled black hair, was shadowed by the flicker of firelight in his golden eyes. He swirled a goblet of wine lazily in his hand, his lips curved into a devilish smirk. Elowen froze, captivated. He looked like a prince from a forbidden story, but something in the air warned her he was no mortal. “Lost, little lamb?” His voice was velvet, dark and smooth, wrapping around her like a spell. “I was...just—” she stammered, but he stood in one fluid motion, closing the distance between them. “Just wandering into my domain,” he interrupted, his tone teasing yet dangerous. “How bold of you.” His gaze raked over her, and her heart pounded under the weight of his attention. “You shouldn’t be here,” he murmured, stepping closer until she could feel the heat radiating from him. “Do you know who I am?” She shook her head, her throat dry. “I am Morris,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, seductive growl. “The devil. The one your kingdom fears, the one your priests curse. And now,” he leaned in, his golden eyes glowing like embers, “you’ve wandered straight into my hands.” The shadows around him seemed to ripple with his amusement as a smirk played on his lips. He extended a hand, his voice both a command and an invitation. “Come closer, Elowen. Let me show you what happens when innocence meets the devil.”

Accidentally becoming a terrorist wasn't on my college bucket list, but here we are. One anonymous post, a bit of dry ice, and a suspiciously trusting browser later, I'm the government's newest "criminal mastermind." Spoiler: I'm just a broke student who failed 11th grade. Now the internet thinks I'm Moriarty's long-lost cousin, my parents are questioning my life choices, and I'm starting to wonder if Nietzsche was onto something about chaos and power. It's not easy juggling tuition, intrusive thoughts, and a reputation I didn't mean to build-but hey, at least I'm trending! If you've ever thought "This can't get worse" and life said "Hold my coffee," welcome to my world.

In the quiet town of Eldridge, where stories of old lingered like rain on dry earth, lived a boy named Nathaniel. At just twenty years old, he was not an ordinary teenager; he had a deep curiosity about the unseen world—the spirits and energies that lay just beyond what we can see. Many nights, he would lie under the stars, thinking about life’s mysteries, the ideas of good and evil, and the balance between light and dark. One evening, as night fell over Eldridge, Nathaniel wandered into the woods that bordered his town. The trees stood tall and ancient, their twisted branches reaching for the sky. He often found peace in this natural space, where the rustling leaves shared secrets and the cool breeze took away his worries. But on this night, a strange energy filled the air—a tension that made him uneasy. As he walked deeper into the forest, Nathaniel came upon a clearing glowing with an eerie light. In the center stood a figure wrapped in shadows, its shape shifting like smoke. The air buzzed with energy, and Nathaniel’s heart raced with fear and curiosity. He had read about spirits that could grant wishes or give power at a price but never thought he would meet one. "Welcome, young seeker," the figure said in a soft voice that slipped into Nathaniel's mind. "I am Zareth, a being tied to realms beyond your understanding. I have watched you closely, sensing your desire for knowledge and power." Nathaniel stood still, captivated by the figure's presence. "What do you want from me?" he asked softly. Zareth laughed, a sound both charming and chilling. "I offer you a pact—a deal that will give you great power for seventy years. You can shape your future, command forces beyond your dreams, and influence those around you. In return, when the time comes, I will claim what is mine: your body and soul." The weight of Zareth's words pressed down on Nathaniel. The thought of having power was thrilling; he pictured himself as someone important—a hero or even a ruler. But deep inside, doubt crept in. Could he trust this shadowy figure? What did it mean to trade his soul for power? Sensing his hesitation, Zareth leaned closer, his form swirling around Nathaniel. "You want knowledge, don’t you? You wish to understand the world? With my gift, you will unlock secrets hidden from mortal eyes. You will be admired and feared." The promise stirred something within Nathaniel—a tempting call that echoed in his heart. He imagined standing tall, commanding storms and bending fate to his will. The fear of losing himself felt distant compared to the excitement of potential. With a mix of fear and excitement, Nathaniel reached out to Zareth. "I accept your offer," he said, sealing his fate with those words. As their hands touched, an electric shock ran through Nathaniel’s body, igniting every nerve with raw energy. A dark symbol appeared on his palm—a mark binding him to Zareth’s will. In that moment, Nathaniel gained power but also became vulnerable; he had traded his future for fleeting desires.

"I'm only going to ask you this once, so you better tell me the fucking truth." She tenses up. "A-About what?" "Did you fuck someone else?" Frozen in place, my mouth goes dry, and I have a hard time forming words. I'm not sure how he found out, but I'm scared to move. I just had his cock in my mouth and now I'm being questioned about sleeping with Dimitri. Every time we get to a point where we aren't arguing, something else brings us right back to square one. ********************************************************** 25 year old Sienna Williams hooks up with a handsome stranger. As a result of her time with the charming stranger, she later gives birth to a son. It isn't until she learns he's the leader of a Mafia that her entire world is completely flipped upside down. 27 year old Tristan Lucci hooks up with a beautiful stranger. As a result of his time with the enchanting stranger, he finds himself needing to have her. So he tracks her down. It isn't until he learns that he's a father that his entire world is completely flipped upside down. **** All it takes is one time to create a life. And all it took was one life to bring two people together. But can that life keep them together, despite being a part of two completely different worlds?

The universe is, by its very nature. vast, unpredictable, bountiful, and yet random to the point of being unfair. Simply being born in the wrong place at the wrong time can damn you for life.. and yet with that risk comes with it the possibility of reward. Those who persevere in such adversity can rise above their given lot in life. For while life is truly unfair it is also without limit to potential. I would remind those who disagree that most limits are in the mind and can be overcome with enough effort. For the rest of life's limitations, we have technology. - Excerpt from the popular lecture of Professor Vermillion Azamir Ternum was stuck early in life at a young age, his father contracted the Vrax plague while on leave of his deployment and his mother took over the family support in his father's declining health. Left with few options to make a living after his father's pension suddenly drying up he is forced to make a decision that will unknowingly put him at the center of planetary strife. He must use his wits, charm, and a bit of sheer luck just to survive life on his own.

Say it with me: "We listen, and we don’t judge." Okay, so hear me out. I may have made a small mistake. But to be fair, how was I supposed to know that the cherry blossom tree I fell asleep under was home to the cutest squirrel ever to exist? Like, ever. A squirrel that just so happened to be the beloved pet of a powerful demon goddess from another world. I didn’t mean to grab it in my sleep and cuddle it to death. I swear! Its tail was just so fluffy! I think... I can’t be too sure since I was loopy on cough medicine. I had this really bad cold thanks to my idiot brother, who can’t seem to cover his fudging mouth. I’m getting off track, aren’t I? Sorry, sorry. Anyway, after the demon goddess sensed her pet’s life come to an untimely end, she teleported to its last location and found my sleeping self cuddling the dead thing. Remember, "We listen, and we don’t judge!" I can’t be the only sleep-cuddler here! So, in her rage and pain, the demoness kicked me into another tree—at least, I’m assuming that’s what happened, because when I woke up in agonizing pain, my head was stuck in said tree. As you can imagine, I died soon after. Bled out, the whole shebang. Long story short, the drop-dead gorgeous (hehe, see what I did there?) demoness—whom I may or may not have developed a major crush on—ended my life. Hey! Don’t judge. She gave me warm chestnuts. Golden chestnuts. That’s clearly love, right? Wait, where was I? Oh, right. My future wifey turned me into the cutest, most adorable squirrel ever! The upside—besides being able to nap on the demoness’s perfect chest? It’s the fact that, while I’m no longer a human girl, I could eventually evolve back into a human form. All I have to do is level up. If only people would stop trying to capture me and make me their pet! Back off! I know I'm cute, but I belong to my Wifey. You can't have this cute squirrel!"

****CONTESTANT IN THE 2025 WSA**** «Sometimes, home isn't a place - it's a person. » Yoon Sana has mastered the art of running – from people, from pain and even from herself. Park Ji-Hoon has learned to keep his heart locked away, haunted by the scars of his past, he believes love is a cruel force that only brings ruin. When fate intertwines their lives beneath the city lights of Seoul, they discover in each other a sanctuary they didn’t know they needed. But love is more than just a fleeting escape – it’s a test of courage, patience, and the willingness to confront wounds that never bled but cut the deepest. As their bond grows, Sana and Ji-Hoon must learn to forgive, to trust, and to let go of the fears that chain them to the past. Together, they will navigate the fragile path of healing, discovering that love, when nurtured with understanding, can become a place to call home. ‘A Love to Call Home’ is a tender exploration of love’s power to mend what’s broken and illuminate what’s been lost. ***THE BOOK COVER IS MINE, ALL RIGHT RESERVED!***

At the moment his life ended, Ye Zhongming found himself thrown back ten years—to the afternoon when the apocalypse began. Was this a second chance granted by fate? Or was it yet another punishment? Did he truly have to endure the brutal, icy horrors of the end times all over again? Ye Zhongming was determined to survive. Not for himself, but for the comrades who had fought and bled alongside him, and for the love that had never abandoned him. But survival wasn’t enough. He needed answers. Why had countless roulettes emerged from the void? Why had thousands of deadly zones descended from the skies? Who—or what—had transformed this once-beautiful blue planet into a blood-soaked wasteland of corpses and ruin?

**His eyes were sharp, filled with anger. "What. The. Hell," he said, each word dripping with barely controlled rage. "Who are you, and what did you do?" Lily blinked, her mouth dry. "I—I didn’t do anything!" she stammered, finally finding her voice, though it wavered. "I don’t even know how I got here. I swear, I didn’t—" Logan cut her off, his expression darkening further. "You expect me to believe that? That you just happened to end up in my bed?"** Lily’s life was turned upside down when she woke up in the bed of Logan Carter, her billionaire boss she’d been secretly drooling over for months. One minute she was attending a high-society event as a last-minute invitee, and the next, she was tangled in bed with the guy she thought was untouchable. It turns out, Logan’s sister Bianca, who thought it’d be fun to play matchmaker, spiked her drink and tossed her into a whirlwind she wasn’t ready for. Logan’s reaction was pure fury. He flipped out, accusing Lily of drugging him (which she hadn’t), and kicked her out of his house in disgrace. But the drama didn’t end there. Lily’s life took another wild turn when she found out she wasn’t just an unwelcome guest; she was a scandalous headline. Logan’s family was furious, and suddenly, she’s the target of every socialite’s scorn, especially since she’s now the wife of the most eligible bachelor in town. Despite Logan’s intense dislike for her, his business and family demands forced him into a quick marriage with Lily. And so, Lily’s new job wasn’t just to navigate the treacherous waters of high society; it was to tame Logan, the nation’s hot headed mess of a husband. Lily found herself fighting not only for her place in Logan’s life but also for her right to be recognized and respected among the elite.

In the realm of Elyria, where the sun dips into the horizon and paints the sky with hues of crimson and gold, the land is dying. The once-lush forests are withering away, the rivers are drying up, and the creatures of the realm are fleeing in search of a new home. Amidst this chaos, a young apprentice named Eira discovers a ancient prophecy that speaks of a chosen one, destined to save Elyria from destruction. Believing herself to be the chosen one, Eira sets out on a perilous journey to unite the fragmented realms of Elyria and restore the land to its former glory. Along the way, she meets a motley crew of allies, each with their own unique skills and abilities. There's Arin, the cunning thief with a heart of gold; Lila, the wild and fierce warrior-mage; and Jax, the charming rogue with a talent for getting out of tight spots. Together, they brave treacherous landscapes, battle fearsome creatures, and solve ancient puzzles, all in the hopes of reaching the fabled Eldrid Tree, the source of Elyria's magic. But they're not the only ones searching for the Eldrid Tree. A dark sorcerer, Malakai, seeks to claim the tree's power for himself and rule over Elyria with an iron fist. As Eira and her companions draw closer to their goal, they realize that the fate of Elyria hangs in the balance. Will they be able to overcome their differences and work together to save the realm, or will Malakai's darkness consume everything in its path?.

“Let’s make things right now, shall we?” An otaku, socially awkward, 20 years old Airi Shin, was peacefully living her university life, without a hitch. Until her life changed overnight, as she faced an accident on Christmas by a white car running over her. Soon the light before her eyes started to fade away. But when she woke up, she found herself somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. While she was wondering when and how she landed up there, a man came to her, offering her a chance. To make everything right where it went wrong, and change her fate. Getting to know her entire situation, she met new people, some new situations, and some new feelings bloomed. —————— “That guy is a threat to her, and I will do anything to prevent them from meeting, even if they are fated, to protect her smile,” Ryo swore to himself, while seeing a bright smile on Airi’s face. —————— “I know it might be rude of me now, but can I be your acquaintance once again?” Carter expectantly asked Airi, when the bright moonlight poured over her, making her the most beautiful in the world. —————— “Get the hell out of my sight! Get out! You should’ve been dead all along!” Airi was never bothered by any harsh words, and Shiro was no one to her. Yet somehow, him saying all of this while looking at her with hatred, pierced her heart so badly that she couldn’t stop the tears rolling down her eyes. —————— “I won’t let your lifetimes be filled in despair ever again, I will help you to resolve your regrets in every lifetime, so can it be me?” eyes filled with emotions, Ryo said it to her. And there is this voice, which keeps ringing in her head. A voice so deep, pleading to her every time on her deathbed. “Don’t go! Don’t die on me again!” “I don’t deserve to be by his side, but I want to… and it hurts…” Airi broke into tears, while nature was also harmonizing with her, pouring rain. So many loose ends to tie, so many regrets to resolve. Amidst all of this, will Airi be able to make her life better? Will she be able to deal with the unknown yet oddly familiar events unfolding before her? In between all of this, will their love really bloom? Or it will dry out before that, and fade away in the pages of their lives? —————— Yosh, y'all! This is my very first attempt to write something down. And it’s totally my imaginary world, where I used a tid-bits of reality, so if anything hurts or triggers you, allow me to let you know that whatever I did here, totally for the sake of my story, and of course no harm intended. Caution alert! There are multiple male leads, but who would be the main lead that is the question! Say it love triangle, rectangle, pentangle, whatever you fit ;-; *The cover photo is something I found and edited according to my choice and preferences, so definitely credits to the rightful owner!* Join my discord: https://discord.gg/22JepJWX4D IG: @namcandy101 FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073239561050 (Search Nam Candy)