Datasets:

RyokoAI

/

ScribbleHub17K

like 7

Follow

Ryoko AI 18

The gentle rays of the morning sun pierce through the windows, as the sunflower fields elegantly dance to the winds tune. The curtain draws on a deceptively beautiful morning as Xavier is awoken by the memories of last night half hoping they were just a dream that their world wouldn't be ending in a day, what would usually be another routine beautiful morning in the paradise simply referred to as the 'Oasis' now has a disgusting and uncomfortable air about it. "Haaa…" Xavier sighs drably it's a lot of information for an 8 year old to process. At that moment his door swings open and a familiar sight is seen. Beautiful white hair shining in the gentle rays of the morning sun. His crimson eyes meeting his mothers, she calls out in a soft tone. "Oh… you're already up…." She says uncharacteristically, without her usual confidence and enthusiasm. "… Yeah…" He responds equally as downcast as he sits up on his bed waking Mylo in the process. "… breakfast…breakfast is ready…." The break in between signifying a mind deep in thought. Xavier catches on… quite honestly hoping he didn't but his mother isn't herself today and that only further reinforces the reality of what he had been hoping was a dream from the moment he opened his eyes this morning. Everything that he heard last night was real. "Oh… I'll be right down…" He says while giving a faint smile to his mother in a subconscious effort to lighten the mood. "..Alright..." She simply responds giving back a small smile unable to hide her mental exhaustion. Risa soon leaves the room as Xavier falls back to the bed… "…It wasn't a dream boy…" He quietly mutters to himself as he pats Mylo's head. Soon after Xavier heads downstairs and is met by the sight of his mother and a set table top for breakfast, her head tilted down towards the kitchen island clearly still locked in thought. Silently he makes his way to the island and grabs a sit. "Rice?" He asks quietly smiling as he looks her way. She simply nods with a smile on her face. He grabs the bowl of rice next to the basket of buns to serve himself. This isn't his traditional meal, or his traditional happy morning and cheer. It might look the same, smell the same, feel the same and even taste the same but it's not the same. The silence in the room is amplified. You could feel it. You could actually hear it too if you tried hard enough. Such is the gravity of the atmosphere. A loud silence. Then a sudden gust of wind rolls in as the door opens. The all too familiar figure of his father walks in as he says… "Good morning everyone!" In his usual manner, grinning ear to ear, bright and cheery as always. He is a light, a noise. A noise that breaks apart the silence residing in the room as he walks straight to his wife and kisses her good morning patting his son's head as he takes his usual sit beside him. "Hmmm… what with all the doom and gloom." He says starkly as he takes a big bite off a bun from the basket. With a rather surprising and genuinely confused expression. "Hey Xavi you gonna finish that…" He says. Xavier simply staring at him confused. "…Uhmmm, hunnie I can always make more…" Risa cuts in, in a somber tone... "Nah it's alright… anyway Smart Mark said he's got something to show you today Xavi..." Victor says turning his attention back to his son with a big laugh. "You should pass by there today it could be important." He finishes smirking at his son as he scruffs up his hair. "Uhmmm. Yeah okay father…" Victor stares at both his wife and son with a blank expression as if genuinely shocked at the atmosphere in here. Why is the mood so dead? He thinks to himself, and in that moment as if realizing what could actually be the problem he says. "You know…. It's a beautiful day…." Letting out a soft breath of air as he stares out the window, eyes glittering as the wind blows the leaves softly. "I think…" "I think sometimes you just gotta take what the world gives you and make the best of it….because you'll never know if its gonna come around again…." "You know…" He says softly, passionately. A short silence comes after, like an understanding of their shared fate had just occurred….albeit in silence…. Staring at each other for a while… eventually Victor stands up and pats his son's head again. "Well, best be off to work… Jerry said the deliveries today are going to be rough I'll be back before dinner though…" Victor says with a light smile. His job is delivering the oil they make from their sunflower fields. "Make sure you go see Mark, Xavi..." He ends as he grabs the whole basket of buns and kisses Risa's cheek leaving through the kitchen door and leaving behind a both awkward and confused short silence. "… You wanna maybe help me do the dishes before you leave..." Risa asks Xavi. "I respectfully decline." Xavi responds holding up praying hands and getting off his sit. "Okay… okay… be back before dinner…" Risa says softly laughing to herself "Bye mom… c'mon Mylo." Xavi replies somberly smiling at her, before making his way out the door. "Haaaaaah…. Right... time to get to work…" Risa sighs to herself as she slaps her cheeks in an attempt to psych herself up. Xavier walks through the flower laden path and passed the field as their little town comes into view. Sand molded houses similar to igloos populate the area. As the thick gold sand is the only thing you can see passed their house on the rocky hill. The area is covered by a high wall of sand and rock. Their home sitting at the top of one of two rock hills. One hill at the back end of the area, where their home sits, and the other the entrance to the Oasis. Staring down into the town a large pool of water is visible. It's beautiful emerald green color resonating even more with its gold surrounding. This water body the only source of water for miles and miles is their livelihood not just as a source vitality for the townsfolk but also as a source of income for their sunflower farm. There aren't many beautiful places out here besides the fields that encircle his home. But the sand filled area itself shares its own charm. Like a giant gold tablet with an emerald at its center, it shines. As he approaches the town the sounds of chatter and life spring forth. From the vendors selling their various foods and accessories in their makeshift stands to the shop owners looking to draw attention to their establishments shouting outside. The energy of the town is unmatched. The peace of his home on the hill is beautiful but nothing beats the vibrant energy and life of the town center. "Oh look Mylo there's Uncle Mark's place." Xavier says to Mylo as the view of a big sand building attached to the front rock hill comes into view. 'Smart Mark's Handy Shop' it reads. Pushing the door open, a dark eyed chubby figure with frameless glasses, brown hair, a goatee and duster in hand comes into view as Mylo quickly runs in straight through a door that leads to the back of the shop. "Hey Uncle Mark…" Xavier says. "Oh hello there little 'Grey' boy what can I do for you?" Mark replies. "What can you do for me? What do you mean father said you have something to tell me…" Xavier replies. "Me?" The chubby man ponders while stroking his goatee eyes closed. "Hmmmmm… I don't recall ever having anything to say to you kiddo but if your old man said it, it most likely must have been…." He says thinking back as he draws to a conclusion. Just then Mark is cut off by the sight of what appears to be a scrawny little girl with brown hair knotted in pigtails and deep dark eyes slowly making her way towards Xavier, biting down on her lower lip exposing several missing teeth as she sneaks ever so quietly from the back trying her hardest not to be caught… "Huuuhhh… sorry Xavi…" Mark mumbles to himself as he squints his eyes and adjusts his glasses while turning away. "Huh?" Xavier responds rightfully confused. "Uh huh!! Got you!!!!!" The little girl shouts in a high pitch tone that'd put a soprano opera to shame as she jumps on him and pins him down quickly maneuvering around his side and folding his hand behind him. "Ow..ow..ow..ow!!" Xavi shouts in agony "Lu-Lu-Lucy!?!" He says struggling as he recognizes the figure currently dominating him. "ARGHH! HEY! ARGHHH!! I tap I tap…" He says as he quickly begins to tap his hand on the ground as the pain begins to increase "So you thought you'd get away with not visiting me yesterday huh??" She says in a cute but pretty devilish and frustrated tone. "I got busy! I got busy I swear!!" Xavier replies hurriedly tear in eye, hand still slamming the floor as hard as possible. "So what?!? I have nothing to do with whatever you were busy with, why are my plans the ones getting dropped for something else." She replies angrily as she wretches his arm even tighter making Mark wince. "Sorry Kid." Mark mumbles to himself as he makes himself busy dusting whatever is nearest to him. "Lucy! I tap!! I tap!!!" Xavier shouts back again tears almost flowing out "Mylo!!!" Xavier shouts to his dog which springs forward from the back in full speed. "Arooooo!!!" Mylo jumps into the air throwing himself at Lucy but just when he is about to land, he is knocked out of the air and onto to the ground by what appears to be a cheeky bird with green feathers. "Arouuuu." Mylo screams in agony. "Mylo!!! Arrrgghh…" Xavi shouts in equal agony as Lucy tightens her hold. "Hmmmm…so you thought you'd make it two on one huh? Nice job Rusty!!!" Lucy says as she throws a thumbs up to the majestic creature "Cockadoododoo!!!!" The green bird spreads its wings to reveal a beautiful array of colors, the majestic creature that just dropped kicked a dog out of the air is a peacock. Mighty majestic if I do say so myself. And yes ladies and gents there is still a 7 year old girl currently pinning down the main character with only one arm. One arm!!! "Now back to 'Mr I… got… busy…'" Lucy says in a mocking tone looking down at Xavier "Arrrrrh…" Xavi lets out, drained and in between life and death as he passes out. "Uhmmm… Xavi?" Lucy responds with a hint of worry and confusion mixed in. "Ouuu maybe I pushed you too hard." She says guiltily as she softens her hold before shouting. "Uncle Mark!!!!!" …Sometime later Xavier opens his eyes to the sight of toothless Lucy his demon child of a friend staring down at him… "I still can't believe how weak you are. Who passes out from something as simple as that?!? You're supposed to be a boy Xavi." Lucy says pouting as she pulls her face away and readjusts the chair she's sat on. Xavier who's laid on the bed with a towel on his forehead proceeds to respond saying. "Yeah and you're supposed to be a girl toothless." Xavier mumbles to himself without thinking. "What did you say?" Lucy responds clenching her fist at Xavi in rage. "No-nothing!!! Gee it's a beautiful today huh!!!" Xavi responds hurriedly breaking into a cold sweat. "Geez. How are you gonna take care of your wife in future if you're so cowardly." Lucy says pouting and relaxing back in her chair as she crossing her arms and turning her face away. "Ehehe…. No need, I'll just marry a really strong girl like you who can protect me all the time." Xavier says eyes closed and grinning as he places the towel over his face and lays back to bed and getting comfortable. "Hu-Huh!!!" Lucy lets out subconsciously cheeks flushed clearly not expectant of that response from Xavier. "What??" Xavier responds taking the towel off his forehead with a hint of confusion "No-nothing… yo-you idiot! As if I'd-I'd marry a coward like you." Lucy says as she slaps the towel back into his forehead. "Argh…" Xavier responds from the pain, yup definitely should have seen that one coming. "Alright… alright enough you two." Mark says as he enters the room slightly chuckling to himself. "So how do you feel Xavi? Also how's the family it's been awhile since I saw Marissa?" Mark asks smiling as he gets closer to where Xavier is laid and pulls a stool for himself from the nearby desk. "Huh… oh they're fine thanks for asking Uncle Mark" Xavi responds with a small smile on his face pulling the towel off his forehead again. "And as for me… well I'd be better if toothless over here didn't attack me every chance she gets..." He says grumpily as Lucy stares daggers at him. "So what brings you here?" Mark chuckles and asks smiling back. "Oh nothing really father said you had something to say to me so I came to see what it was… if I'd known toothless had arranged the whole thing I probably would have rethought my visit." Xavier responds looking back at Lucy as she gives him a stern look. "Thou-though on second thought I just figured it would be a good idea to go out and get some fresh air. Besides, it's been awhile since my last visit anyway…" Xavi responds slightly fearful but also with a sense of peace and comfortability. "Well am glad you decided to stop by." Mark replies with a soft smile as he gets off from his stool and makes for the door "You're welcome to stay as long as you like, just none of that rough stuff again its embarrassing enough you got pinned down by a girl smaller than you, I don't want you going back home with scars too Marissa would never leave me alone…" He chuckles to himself as he leaves. "Ah…haha…riiight…" Xavier responds a little embarrassed and laughing to himself. The door slams shut leaving the two in an awkward silence as Lucy stares holes through Xavier without saying a word. "Aaah- what now??" Xavier says hesitantly and a little creeped out. "Hmmm…is something wrong?" She replies bluntly widening her eyes with no hint of emotion in her speech which catches Xavier off-guard. "Huh?" Xavier sounds out a little confused. "Well… Something feels off the color of your energy has been different since you got here." Lucy replies her eyes as if under a trance. "My energy?" Xavier asks… "Yes your energy" She replies… "Well my dad did eat all the buns today that kinda pissed me off…" Xavier replies pouting eyes shut just a little tighter. "Not that energy you idiot…" Lucy sighs her concentration broken. "Hehe- I know don't worry about it, I'm fine…" Xavier replies with a smile on his face as he bursts into a small laughter. "Hmmmm…fine…" Lucy responds as she softens and gets into his face quickly catching him unexpected and making his cheeks flush "Eh…" Xavier audibly lets out. Realizing her face is a little too close to his, her cheeks begin to flush a bright red too but her pride won't have her backing out now. Shell look just as silly as his stupid face does right now too if she got all weirded out. As they continue their awkward unplanned staring contest the door suddenly slams open! And in come a flurry of white and green flashes as Mylo sprints in followed by Rusty not too far behind him… Mylo barks and launches himself onto the bed startling Lucy who falls off the chair. Onto the bed and behind Xavier the little white husky dives as the super peacock continues the chase. "Rusty stop!!!" Lucy shouts at the majestic bird as it attempts to jump after the dog but gets its leg caught by its owner and falls onto her chest. "Aha-ahaha…" Lucy chuckles in shock of the bizarre events that just occurred. "Haha- hahahahha…" Xavier continues after her breaking into a small laughter as well. "Hahahahha…" They both break into laughter as Mylo continues to cower behind Xavier whimpering and barking. "Yeah this isn't so bad." Xavier thinks to himself. "I wish the world could stay like this…" He sighs to himself passionately and at peace… "I needed this..." The pair remain laughing and chatting as the bad memories of yesterday are replaced with the smiles of today. Yeah this brief moment of happiness isn't so bad…. Meanwhile, as the sun begins to set on the second rock hill that overlooks both the utopia and outer-lands of the Oasis. Two men clad in all black one with deep dark shiny black hair and another a fading blonde stand at the edge in silence staring into the vast nothingness beyond the Oasis when they are joined by a hooded figure… "Sir we just got the reply from 'Damion Valdis'..." The hooded figure hesitates to speak as he gets on one knee seemingly a subordinate to the men. "Go on…" The man with blonde hair responds his voice gentle with a small bass. "It-it says you're passed the point of negotiations and that he couldn't care less for the flocks of weakness that inhabit the Oasis." The hooded figure reports audibly shaken… "Tch." The man with dark hair audibly sounds clicking his tongue still staring into the nothingness, as another figure clad in all black joins the trio. "A-a report from the 'Guard' branched in the 'Outer-lands'… Sir." The seconded hooded figure adds equally as shaken. "…" The dark haired man stays not saying a word. "It-it says to evacuate the city enemy sighted numbers in..." He pauses unable to let out his voice… "Enemy numbers in what how many are they?" The blonde haired man responds a hint of urgency uncharacteristic with his gentle composed tone. "Five… five hundred sir." "Tch…Well that doesn't sound too bad huh Vic? It seems they're taking you lightly now that you're not in the picture." The blonde haired man responds grumpily with a little hope in his voice. "Le-led by…" The second hooded figure continues getting the attention of both men as the silence is followed by a sense a defeat and inevitability as he finishes his sentence. "Led…led by the current 'Sense Of Sight' Yasser Freid…" The reporting agent stops. "Aaah fuck..." The blonde man audibly sounds out as the dark haired man turns stiff. A silence passes after the report as the wind blows a cold breeze atop the hilltop… "Haaa… looks like this just became unavoidable." The blonde haired man exhales softly as a worried grin appears on his. "It was never going to be easy Jerry." The dark haired man responds silently as he sighs his voice is warm and brash... "Am sorry Risa...." 32 Hours before the incident.. -To Be Continued-

Hey there, I just wanted to provide a short content warning for you because, if you were expecting something like Second Life, you are not at the right place. I will try to write something that fits better to me. But Second Life will get a new chapter when I am in the mood to write it. I will try to write a Dark Sci fi story this time. I hope you have fun with this. The year 2023 was remembered as the year that an object entered the atmosphere and changed the future of the planet. Most cities were overrun by an unknown life form. Only a few cities per country survived. The mysterious life form reached earth through this object. These creatures were mostly called wyverns but had many synonyms. They didn't use any technology but our guns were useless against them. Big parts of Russia and America have become nuclear wastelands. But there is only one known case where wyverns have been killed by a nuclear weapon, they adapt when one of their species finds a problem. The various armies of the world were helpless against the wyverns. Normal bullets cannot penetrate the natural armor of a wyvern. At the beginning explosions worked, but as time progressed, they became more resistant to explosions. At the time the first nuclear weapons were used, the wyverns had full immunity to explosions that were smaller than nukes, which was in the year 2024. Today is the ninth of August in 2030, it's friday. The few human cities that survived, had built giant walls to protect them from the wyverns but recently some wyverns somehow got past the walls. Our city has started a system where civilians can obtain a license to acquire or build weapons to fight the wyverns. When a wyvern is spotted, the town government sends an e-mail to companies in the area to eliminate it. The person who spots the wyvern gets the monopoly on this wyvern and can ask other companies to help or he can kill it by himself. As for the question of how to kill the wyvern there are many ways to do it but obviously it isn't easy. Most companies use some kind of melee weapon because bullets made of material that can pierce wyverns are too expensive. Though the big companies have special units with fire weapons. But science always advances. And the newest idea to fight the wyverns is to place a giant railgun on the moon. However, no city has the infrastructure to send so much material to the moon. That is the reason I find that ridiculous. Oh you probably ask yourself who I am. I am Leo, a 17 year old wyvern eradication company owner. I am in my last year of school. This whole wyvern killing thing is currently just a hobby for me. But I don't have time to explain more. The class is almost over. Any questions? No? Perfect! I used to bring my scythe with a wyvern tooth as a blade to this presentation, but one time I heard someone call me the death god of wyvern which today almost everyone at the school knows off. I really hate the teachers for always inviting me into their classes to explain how this whole wyvern thing started. However, at least my grades will probably benefit from it. Still, I have just another presentation this week and I hate it. Let's check to see if there is a wyvern that I can hunt to have an excuse to miss my next lesson. Oh come on, no request. After school I have to kill one or else my landlord will kick me out because I'm paying late again. Oh school is so boring. After hours that feel like days, it's time to head home and wait for an email. Oh, finally a request. I grab my scythe. I still can't get used to it, every time I get in my armor and go searching with my scythe, people always ask me if I go to an anime con. I mean a scythe is probably not the weapon you would expect to be wielded by anyone seriously. I normally don't use them either. But nobody wanted to buy this scythe and I got a discount on it because of this. Normally I wouldn't have the budget to get such a large weapon. So yeah if I had more money I would probably buy me a new weapon. Let's hurry. I don't want to let someone else find the wyvern first. After a half hour I spot the wyvern but another person has found him first. Oh, he has no weapon. He must be focused on spotting wyverns.   I scream: "Hi, can I help you? I am from a company."   The other person seems to not have much time to talk to me but says shortly: "No"   No? That was unexpected. But he is in danger, since he does not possess the skills or equipment to survive the wyvern´s attacks for long. However, when I decide to fight the wyvern without his permission he will get the money. Then I won't be able to pay my rent. But letting him die would also be unwise since spotters are rare and a spotter that owes you a favor is useful. Damn it, I will kill the wyvern, maybe I am lucky and he will give me some money. I charge at the wyvern, and in one swift move I slice his head from his body. The spotter can´t even say anything before the enemy falls to the ground.   I say a bit unsure "I know that I don't ask for your permission, but I need some money to pay my rent and would appreciate it if you could give me some. At least I saved your life."   The other one seems to be nervous and says: " Let me take a call, after that I can say more."   The other person on his smartphone kept apologizing for several minutes.    He puts his smartphone in his pocket, turns to me and tells me: "The boss wants to talk to you about how we can resolve this issue. Come to our office tomorrow."   He hands me a business card.    I reply: "See you."    After that I go home and search for the name of the company Prometheus Inc. They are a huge company with one squad with firearms. That explains why the spotter that I met said no, he probably works for them.That could be problematic, perhaps they are mad because I stole this wyvern as training material for their recruits. Maybe they want money for their loss. Maybe they want to eradicate my business or at least threaten me to not hunt in their areas. I heard many nasty rumors about them on the internet. However, the internet is also filled with idiots who think the walls are the only reason that the wyvern attack us or that Richard Livermont sent them. He is a weapon producer that makes weapons against wyverns. Or that the earth is flat or that vaccination doesn´t work. So informations from the internet are always to be taken with a grain of salt. It might be a wise idea to vanish for a few days. I could ask a friend of mine if he wants to go in the forest for two days on a small survival trip. He is a big fan of this. But he can’t go because of the danger of a wyvern attacking him. But when I ask him he probably is going to jump on this opportunity. Maybe a day more might be a good idea, they could come to my school. I can say to the school that I have a very important mission to eradicate a wyvern. They mostly say yes because they like a safe city too. After I call my friend, I head to bed. In the early morning, we go to the forest for two days. In the forest, there are no animals because most are extinct. I only saw animals in my early years when zoos were still a thing. The ocean is probably the only place where you still can see animals. That was a very big topic in my childhood. Many people said that we must keep the animals alive at all costs. Throughout the first few months, it was becoming clear that the zoo animals died too early to keep a stable population and almost every large species became extinct. This was not a wise option. The scientists weren't very surprised but many people were shocked and felt betrayed by politicians. This is because some ran for office with the promise to save the animals in the zoo. Democracy is still distrusted because of that.   On monday, I received a request and wasn't able to attend school. In the same forest we had camped, a wyvern was spotted. After 4 hours of searching, I found him. He was a special kind of wyvern with a unique ability. They are uncommon, dangerous, and are often the explanation for how the wyvern came inside of the walls. This one has the ability to teleport. According to my observations, he can only teleport every 5 minutes and not over a long distance, but he still seems mysterious. I would love to know how he does that. But there is no time for that. I probably should search for another company to help me with him. Let's search which of the big companies are responsible for this forest. Oh shit, it's Prometheus Inc. Before I ask them, I will try to kill it myself or this whole weekend would have been wasted. That actually could be quite interesting since unique wyverns also have a unique combat ability.  

Muffled screams and cackling laughter echoed through the forest. He wasn’t the toughest guy around, not in this world or the other. But Nergal had been cursed— cursed with a hero complex and a suave bearing. So he ran toward the noise without hesitation.     With confident strides and a roguish grin on his face, he parted a thicket of purple-leaved bushes. And immediately he found himself in what was, by all appearances, a murder ritual. Black candles arranged on the perimeter of the clearing, puffing with a sweet-smelling purple smoke. Wild patterns drawn on the flattened earth with a mixture of ash and indiscernible red stuff. A boy who could have been no older than twelve gagged and bound with rope, eyes wide in horror.     And with good reason, for strewn about the clearing were piles of goblins. Most of them sans heads. The rest with jagged, split throats. Blood- green blood- pooled all through the clearing. The instigator, naked as the day he spawned, stood over the boy with arms outstretched. His mouth upturned in an ugly grin. Crude lines drawn all over his green-skinned body with a putrid smelling black mixture.     He was a goblin. Despite being around eight feet tall, his features were undeniably the same as those of the... corpses. He was two feet taller than Nergal but had noticeably shorter legs. His face sported an over-sized, fleshy hook nose and beady, black eyes.     The giant goblin paused mid-cackle, eyes turned to the sudden visitor.     "Anyone call for a hero?" Nergal asked in as confident a tone as he could muster.     Complete silence. The giant goblin frowned in distaste. The corpses were unresponsive. Even the gagged boy didn't seem to want him there if the rapid head gestures and annoyed features were any indication.     Nergal realized that he had zero chance of fighting off this hulking, steroid-popping behemoth of a goblin. Who was pretty vicious and possibly a cannibal if the dead bodies gave any clue. He couldn't win even if the stars aligned and he got lucky. Not with his... condition. "Maybe I should go? I mean, I should totally go. I left the air-conditioner on back home and my power bill has been insane. So if you would excuse me-" he said, taking a step back.     With a sharp crack, roots as thick as his arm burst from the forest floor, crisscrossing to block off any chance of his escape.     The goblin, left arm held toward the roots, smiled at him dangerously. "No. I think you should stay."     Nergal glanced back at the wooden wall and sucked in a breath. Just his luck. The serial-killer goblin was a damn wizard. "Ah. Shit. Well, if there's no way out..."     He charged at the goblin. Or tried to. Within three strides the Goblin seemed to teleport within grabbing distance, gnarled green hand large enough to palm his face. And strong enough to lift him off the ground with no visible effort.     "Really? That's the best you could do?"     Nergal bit at the palm. It's flesh was hard as stone and smelled disgusting. All he succeeded in doing was hurting his teeth. If he’d bit down much harder he would have chipped a tooth.     "Ah-ah-ah. That's enough from you." The goblin said, shaking him roughly.     He gurgled.     A queasy feeling overcame him, the background shifting as the giant goblin moved back beside the boy he had- very quickly- failed to save. He was dropped to the ground and, with a hand wave, bound and gagged as well. A crude necklace was draped over his neck, its brilliant blue gem shining the moment it made contact.   A sealing stone. A very rare- and very expensive- material. And his captor had somehow found the resources to get two of them. An identical necklace hung from the younger boy's neck, shining with a pretty light. Any hopes at form switching were immediately quashed.   "I'd planned to take the boy back with me, but what am I to do with you?" The goblin thought aloud, idly scratching at his chin. It was a decidedly human gesture. Of course it was. A goblin spawn couldn't usually talk. Nor were they this large. And they definitely didn't hold secret, sacrificial rituals in the forest.   They preferred to assault and murder anything within view. They were simple that way.   "The ritual is all but over, too. His sacrifice wouldn't benefit me much at all..." The Goblin King muttered to himself.   That's right... I'm not worth your time... I never wanted to be stuck in the middle of a blood ritual in the first place! Just let me go already...   The Goblin's cruel smirk grew wider. "I could do with a snack, though. It may not fill me all that much but every bit adds up. And I am very hungry, after all."   A shiver ran down Nergal's spine. The Goblin King pinned him down with one arm and bent over, mouth wide. Inside were two rows of shark-like teeth. Jagged, sharp and dotted with bits of bloody meat. It smelled utterly disgusting too.   He struggled against the weight of the goblin arm, muscles burning with effort. It was no use. The strength difference was too vast and the ropes weren’t making his escape attempt any easier.   But then, with a loud thwack he was free and the Goblin stumbled back.   Nergal eyed his savior with bafflement. Because there, fist outstretched, was the very same brat he’d rushed here to save. A few shredded bits of rope still clung to him. He couldn’t have reached much higher than Nergal’s belly button in height if they stood beside the other. But he looked confident, unflinching. Unafraid at the murderous goblin who’d had him tied up a moment before.   "Tch." The kid spat a messy glob on the floor "Took me three weeks to plan every aspect of this infiltration. And only five minutes for a bumbling idiot to ruin it all."    

The four operatives were sitting down with the to boys sitting opposite the girls in the jet on the journey to Egypt in complete silence until Connor decided to break the awkwardness by starting a conversation "What did you think about that guy" and Claire replied by saying "That guy has an overinflated ego" everyone except from Mei were talking bad about him and what they would do to him if they could until they fell asleep. When they were flying over Cairo, specifically Rehab, they were woken up forced out the plane mid-air they were hurtling down at high speeds and they thought it was actually quite comical because their faces were contorted in weird shapes because they were sure that Connor would slow down their descent with his Air abilty so that it was more like they were gliding not falling to their death but Connor was a bit angry because he was basically their parachute, so he let them fall a bit longer then he usually does to frighten them and sure enough, they were terrified. When they could see the details on the housing, he then activated his ability and they landed on an apartment complex. Claire, Mei and Alex were mad at Connor so they started yelling at him but stopped because they were starting to gain attention from the pedestrians so they stopped and quickly jumped over to a park and into a tree with the help of Connors ability and sat down on a branch. Claire then pressed her wristwatch and said "We are ready and in position." A voice seemed to have come from the watch and told them the location of the house. They then went to the roof of the building and used Connor's ability as a sort of rappel and went to the windows and Alex then used his fire ability to melt the window and Mei then used her water ablity to quickly cool it down.The four hopped through the window and into a room. It was very dark so Alex instinctively activated his ability and looked around. They were in a room with wallpapers of superheroes and a cupboard and a wardrobe and a bed with a child who looked like a 13 year-old. "Isn't he, like our age?" asked Claire. "This is kind of messed up, aren't we taking away the father of an innocent child." Alex got mad "DIDN'T YOU HEAR THE BRIEFING, THEY TOLD US THAT THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING TO KILL US LIKE THEY DID OUR PARENTS!" The child woke up and started screaming at the fact that there were there were four people were standing in his room and one of them was holding fire. Claire ran to him to shut hos mouth but they already knew that the damage was done. "DAMMIT ALEX" yelled Connor. Roman ran into the room.

"Child, please, listen to m- *BANG* there was a deafaning sound and the fire was quickly put out, followed by the sound of a large thud on the floor. The man with the suit was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood and the "Child" was gagging at the sight of it. A man with long flowing white hair waltzed into the room through a hole with broken glass and holding a steaming glock 47 and said "Next time, don't hesitate to end these scheming, manipulative traitors to society, how else are you going to achieve your dream of getting revenge on who killed your mother, next time, I expect better of you operative Alex Smith." Three other children came out of the hole wearing the same black clad outfit except they had minor differences, like one of the kids was wearing a cape which was tied around his neck and one of them was wearing a bandana and another had a full set of jet black armor and rushed towards Alex concerned if he was injured or not.

I want to tell you what I know of my grandfather’s disappearance. The Judge, everyone called him, which wasn’t all that creative since he was actually a courtroom judge before retirement. My mother called and said that the Judge wanted to see me. ‘You’ve been summoned’ was the joking way she always put it. The Judge was my grandfather on my father’s side and mom had always found him intimidating for his stature in the community and the legal world. I hurried to his apartment in the city on the tail of a long shift at work. Truth was I felt a little bit frightened about what he might want to see me about. The large, hale man who was my grandfather had lost vitality shockingly fast in the last few years since my grandmother passed, and he stopped working. Every time someone called me about the Judge, I couldn’t help but think that at some point that call would be to tell me his health had taken a final turn for the worse and he was gone, and all his wisdom, stories and generosity would have passed out of reach forever. We had always had a connection. My mother said when she’d handed me to him as a baby, I had turned silent and all I could do was stare at the creases on his face. It was a common joke in the family that I was his favourite grandchild, even though he had so many to choose from. The Judge could be a bit eccentric. For all his gravitas in the courtroom, when he played with his grandchildren he could be just as enthusiastic and imaginative as a young boy. I was studying Law in an attempt to follow in his footsteps but that was only one of the things we seemed to share in common. It was dark as I reached his apartment building. His residence was in one of the oldest and most developed parts of the city. You could hardly see a single tree or touch of green in any direction from the stoop. He buzzed me up and I found him sitting by a window overlooking the street, dimly lit by a reading lamp. He offered me cocoa and we sat, facing one another, from a pair of antique chairs. The expression on his face was grave and as serious as I’d seen him since the day my grandmother died. Nagging concerns about his health started at the back of my mind again. “When I was a boy, my favourite thing to do was to walk through my father’s cornfield,” he said, face still serious. My grandfather never talked about his childhood. It wasn’t something everyone would notice but I had seen it from a young age. Whenever one of my cousins would ask him what things had been like when he was their age, his look would go far away and he would change the conversation. When someone would ask where the family line had started he would start muttering and gesture vaguely to the west. I’d asked my own father about it once and he’d said the Judge had a difficult relationship with his parents, who hadn’t wanted him to travel to the city and study. They had wanted him to stay on the farm, grow corn and follow in his family’s footsteps, and the disagreement had fractured their relationship right up until my great-grandparents’ death. Somehow, I’d always known that wasn’t the full story. It was just things my father had gleaned over the years and pieced together in a narrative that made sense to him. “When I was a boy, my favourite thing to do was to walk through my father’s cornfield,” the Judge said. “I’m sure the farm was nowhere near as big as it seemed back then. It would be nothing compared to your industrial farms today. But to me, as a child, it seemed endless. And in those endless green stalks, all pressing down on me at once, I thought there were endless possibilities. I could be a jungle explorer, cutting through vines with my trusty machete, looking for a fabled lost city of gold. I could be-, at the bottom of the ocean, I could be underground, I could have crashed on some alien planet, not sure if I was hunting some strange beast or it was hunting me. Sometimes, I would just enter on one side of the field and try to walk in the straightest line I could through to the other side, concentrating on every step. Never could understand how I would still come out crooked on the other side, sometimes dozens of feet from the row where I started. I was sorry every harvest season that he ever had to cut the stalks down.” “When I was about eight-years-old, the spring when I was eight, there was a problem with the crops. A couple of late frosts and some kind of plant disease, I’m not really sure. I’ve forgotten almost everything I ever knew about farming. But it was obvious, the stalks were limp and withered, and you could see too much light between them when they should have been densely packed together. I overheard my parents talking about how one bad harvest could mean the end of the whole farm. So I went walking through the cornfield trying to imagine them fuller and healthier, trying to make it real with my mind and wish all our problems away. I don’t know how long I was in there before I realised I wasn’t alone. Something was there in the corn with me. It was silent and I don’t think I would have seen it moving if the crops had been healthy as they should have been. But I realised there was this-, dark shape, moving through the rows alongside me.” The Judge paused and took a sip from his mug, which was already going cold. I realised mine was as well, as I nursed it between my hands. He looked worried, and I couldn’t remember seeing him worried like that before. The web of shadows on his face made his look very, very old. For a man who’d always been a pillar of unshakable confidence all his life, both in his professional field and his family, he suddenly looked afraid that I would stop listening to him. “There was a monkey in the cornfield, or at least I thought it was. I suppose it was more like a chimp or a very small gorilla, or something like that. I’d only seen them in comic books and one time at the circus that passed through town as a child. But I just thought of it as a monkey, this small, furry shape that moved like a chimp and was roughly half my size even at eight-years-old.” I waited for the twinkle in his eye or the sly smile on his lips to tell me we were nearing the punchline of this strange story. It would have been out-of-character but not outrageously so for the Judge to go so far for a practical joke of some kind. Neither came, and in spite of the turn the story had taken my grandfather looked just as serious, even haunted. “I know how this will sound, some of your cousins I’m sure would make jokes about me losing all my marbles, but-, I expect you’ll know better. If you leave here thinking your grandpa needs to be committed then that's one thing but I swear everything I tell you is true. My first thought, naturally enough, was that the monkey had escaped from a circus or some kind of traveling zoo. It seemed to know it had been spotted, and it smiled. And it wasn’t one of those horrible primitive sneers that primates make to show off all their teeth, although it had plenty of those-, teeth that is. It was a real smile full of warmth, or so it seemed. As you can imagine my young mind was already going wild with thoughts this monkey was going to become my best friend and we would go on all sorts of adventures together, perhaps after rescuing him from a cruel and crooked circus ringmaster. I’d be the boy with a monkey for a best friend, but then, it spoke.” The Judge took another sip from his mug. Still there was no change in his expression. The Judge knew exactly how crazy what he was telling me sounded but he wanted to get through it. “It said hello and it asked me what my name was, and I was so stunned I just told him. It asked what I was doing in his cornfield and I told him that it was my father’s cornfield, not his. I knew I had something amazing here, even more amazing than being the boy with a monkey for a best friend but I-, all I could do was talk as if we were having a normal conversation. He shrugged it off when I said it was my father’s field, and when I asked where he had come from he seemed to shrug that off as well. I asked, ‘Why can you talk?’ and he said, ‘Why can you?’ and it just went on like that. I don’t know, we might have talked about other things as well.” “When I asked if he wanted to come into the house he said no and then, ‘What do you want most in the world?’ it said. I asked whether it meant like-, wishes or that sort of thing, and it said not quite, but maybe we could make some kind of a deal. So I said, I wanted my family to be rich, and lucky, and happy, and for the corn to all grow healthy. The monkey, this talking monkey, he said he could do it but there would be a cost. He seemed happy about it though, like it was no problem to give me any of those things. He seemed happy so I was happy, and I was getting more and more excited now that the shock was wearing off. We kept talking and when the monkey slipped in something about the deal I just agreed to it without even really listening. I wanted the monkey to come back to the house but it said he wouldn’t leave the cornfield, but it would be waiting for me there and we would talk again soon.” “The monkey told me to keep our deal a secret from my parents or it wouldn’t come true. I was grinning from ear to ear for days afterward. Before my parents seemed to catch on though they had their own reasons to be happy. The corn made a turn for the better, you could call it miraculous. Almost every day it looked healthier and greener, and by the time harvest rolled around it towered over my father’s head by more than any crop I could remember before or since. I kept my secret and I didn’t see the monkey again but I used to imagine his face at my window at night, and I’d talk to him about my day or whatever was on my mind as if he were really there. As I grew up, I guess it became all the same. I convinced myself that the monkey was some imaginary friend I’d had as a child, that the day in the cornfield was just some particularly vivid dream and not a real memory. What I didn’t realise until years later though was that even once the crop got full and healthy-, I didn’t go back into the rows to play. Not that spring and maybe not the year after that or the year after that. I didn’t even like to look at the cornfield from the windows of the house or pass too close by it. Much as I told myself I’d seen something amazing on that day, part of me didn’t want to risk having that conversation with the monkey over again. Part of me was frightened to look too hard and see movement between the stalks, and shatter some part of the illusion I’d built around the encounter.” “When the harvest came there was no place for a monkey or anything else to hide. By the time I was eighteen I hadn’t thought about it in years, even when our crops grew best in the county year after year, except perhaps to remember what an embarrassing little idiot I’d been with my imaginary monkey friend. We were reaching the last part of the growth cycle and I had my chores to do. I was thinking about graduation though, and what I was going to do afterward. Even then I didn’t want to stay where I was forever, in that little town, but I wasn’t sure what my other options were. To put my mind off it I decided to wander into the cornfield. I hadn’t played those boyhood games of imagination in years of course, possibly not since that spring when I was eight. Still I used to do that one game now and then, when I would try to walk in the straightest line I could from one side of the cornfield to the other, once the stalks reached a height where they had grown over my head. I’d never worked out why I always came out crooked, judging by the markers placed around the field. I’d walk through as careful as a tightrope walker but still somehow I’d come out somewhere other than where I’d planned to be on the other side. Anyway, the point was I went deep into the cornfield and there he was. My monkey.” “He was-, nothing like I remembered him, and yet I recognised him right away. Over the years thinking of him as just my nameless imaginary friend I’d changed his appearance in my mind. His fur was much darker than I’d remembered it and he had no tail, I already told you it was much more like a chimp than an actual monkey. It was his face though that I had gotten the most wrong, it was so much more human than I remembered. Fringed with hair and grey-skinned but it was-, human or uncomfortably close, and full of intelligence. Its mouth was very wide and its eyes-, I don’t know how I’d forgotten those eyes, intelligent and amber and very, very bright, like shiny pennies, but so bright they were almost like looking at the sun. Do you know the word homunculus? Yes, well, I think that’s what I would have described him as if I’d known the word then, or as an imp or something. Still much like a chimp, covered in dense fur, but far more human than I’d realised. I didn’t want to recognise him, I didn’t want to even acknowledge that I could see him sitting there, but I couldn’t move. He was still only about as tall as my knee, crouched over, and we just stared at one another in the middle of the corn. ‘It’s only a few days until our deal is closed’ he said, like he was picking up on the end of a conversation we’d had only minutes ago instead of years.” “I should have run screaming, I suppose, but-, do you remember when you were a boy and you had that imaginary lizard in the basement you kept wanting to feed all your leftovers to? Imagine if your imaginary friend just showed up right in front of you, as real as I am to you right now. He said, ‘You do remember our deal, right?’ and when I still didn’t say anything there was-, sort of a throat-clearing noise and I realised there was another one there with us as well. It was more of a ginger colour and its eyes were blue, but they burned just as bright. It looked older than the first monkey and it seemed angry with him. It gave me a moment to recover and said, ‘This one has broken our rules in making a deal with one as young as yourself. However, as the deal was struck all the same, there is nothing I or the others can do. So we are here to give you a warning instead.’ At least, it was something like that.” “Again, I know how this all sounds but it went on to explain that in three days the deal would be complete and I would be-, forfeit. Payment would be due on the deal I had made as a boy and there was nothing that could be done about that. It was all very officious. I was too deep in shock to move or speak. But I realised the warning was giving me a sort of-, loophole? The other monkey, creature, whatever it was, made it very clear that I needed to be there for the payment to be taken. I would have to return, I don’t know if it was that exact spot or return to the cornfield, or just be anywhere on the farm, but if I wasn’t there of my own free will in three days then the payment couldn’t be taken.” “When I started to get over my surprise, well, I didn’t know what to believe. I could hardly remember this deal or what I’d asked for, and I couldn’t remember what payment had been promised, and-, this was supposed to be my childhood friend, wasn’t it? Even if I’d only imagined most of that friendship, I felt some sort of attachment to the first monkey. It wasn’t until I looked back at the monkey, my monkey, that it hit home. I expected it to be angry about what the red one was saying. Angry that it was being accused of breaking the rules, that its deal was being interfered with or that I was being given a loophole but-, it wasn’t. I’ll never forget the look on its face. It was empty, calm, there was no recognisable emotion on it whatsoever. It didn’t care about me, or this, it was just waiting for the conversation to end and it would-, what? When the other one was done it said, ‘I’ll see you soon,’ and that was it, they were both gone.” “Some decisions you make straight away or you don’t make them at all. I was still in the middle of my chores but I tore back to the house and I packed up a suitcase of my things. I scraped together what little money I had. Three days-, I didn’t feel like I had three minutes, I got out of there as quickly as I could. I hitchhiked into town, was picked up by a neighbour who I told some story about going to visit a sick aunt, and I got the first bus out. Next station, I wrote a letter to my parents and mailed it while I was waiting for the bus into the city. I told them I couldn’t explain why I had to leave but it was alright, I was safe and I’d talk to them again soon. I couldn’t tell them what I’d seen or about the deal, or how I couldn’t come home again.” “I know your father, I know he thinks I didn’t get along with my parents. That they disowned me when I decided I wanted to study Law and moved to the city. That’s not really true, I wrote letters back and forth with my mother for a while and I agreed to meet them several times. The first time my father was angry, they thought I’d gone crazy of course. I couldn’t explain to them why I’d had to leave, I knew that the monkey in the cornfield would only come to me, somehow. But after a while they did come to accept my decision even if they couldn’t understand it. They couldn’t drag me kicking and screaming back to the farm so they tried to keep a relationship with me whatever it took. Maybe that was unusual in that day and age, I don’t know, they were good people. “I had to bury them when I was not much older than you. It was a stormy night on the road near the farm. It wasn’t anyone’s fault exactly, a little bit the fault of the truck driver, a little bit the fault of my father. Just an accident on a wet, slippery and dark country road. The coroner told me they were lucky, they both died instantly in the crash. Lucky. The only time I went home was to bury them and that was only as far as the graveyard on the outskirts of town. Family I’d never seen before or since were there, and people from town whispering to each other about the horrible son who’d snapped and ran to the big city to become a burnout hippie. I stayed only for the funeral and made sure I was out of town before nightfall, not that I’m sure night or day would have made any difference. I sold the farm through a proxy to a neighbour who wanted to expand, and I believe he was later bought out by a large corporation, and then their land was absorbed by a larger conglomerate. It’s all industrial farms there now, corn for biofuels, no room for little family farms. I was told he paid far above market price. It gave me the money to start a family earlier than I might have otherwise, more comfortably. I never went back to see what became of the farm but I’ve seen the area on the-, computer map, on the internet, out of curiosity.” “I’m getting off the point I guess, I’ve never told anybody else this story, not your grandmother or anyone else. My parents and, everyone, would have thought I was insane. Sometimes I envied the insane. Sanity has its own drawbacks, the crazy always seem so convinced they’re right, the rest of us have to make do with the reality we’re given. The thing of it is-, I don’t remember what I promised the monkey exactly. I’ve lain awake a lot of nights, you don’t know how many nights, for longer than you’ve been alive, trying to remember what payment I promised the monkey when I was eight-years-old. I can’t, and I was too stunned to ask on that second time when I was eighteen. I don’t-, remember, I don’t know what payment is actually owed if I ever returned to that cornfield.” We were silent for a long time while I tried to absorb the story. Eventually, the Judge said he’d told me because he thought I was the only one of his children or grandchildren who would understand, but I admitted I didn’t really understand at all. “Do you remember what I said? What I asked for?” The Judge said. “For my family to be rich and lucky, and for the corn to grow back. I worked hard to get to where I was before I retired, as I’ve encouraged you to do, but-, how much of that was due to chance and hard work, and how much due to luck? I have such a large family and we’ve always been lucky, in investments, property, careers, and rich in prospects, money, and children. How much of that could be due to the natural course of events and how much to a deal made with a creature I didn’t understand when I was eight-years-old? And what kind of-, snapback, might there be if the deal isn’t completed?” “Some deals there aren’t any backing out of, my boy. Some debts demand to be paid. I’m getting old, I’m not going to see another harvest. Oh, there’s nothing specifically wrong exactly but I can feel it. The biggest killer of men is retirement as they say. You might go out from here and tell the rest of the family I’ve lost my mind to dementia and old age, but I hope you don’t. I’m sorry, I don’t want to burden you, but I wanted to tell someone. Just an old man who wants to get it all off his chest before he goes.” A week later, my grandfather, the Judge, disappeared from his city apartment without warning. They found his BMW several states away, on the side of the highway with the keys still in the ignition. The road was surrounded by an endless sea of corn, an industrial farm that produced biofuels and seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. It was as if he had just pulled over to the side of the road, gotten out of the car, and then wandered into the rows. The search for him went on for weeks. Lines of volunteers and people from the local sheriff’s office combed through the massive cornfields, moving so close together they were almost touching through the dense rows so they wouldn’t get lost. State police came in with body-sniffing dogs and found nothing. Eventually, they allowed the company that owned the land to harvest before their crop was ruined and they swept over the blighted landscape that was left behind by the harvesters as well to no avail. The popular theory was that the Judge had been picked up by the side of the road, although investigators never found anyone else who had been in the area. It turned out the Judge had a busy week leading up to his disappearance, not just the talk he’d had with me. He’d had dinners every night with his sons and daughters, and my many cousins. He’d had lunches and drinks with old friends and colleagues from the legal world. Someone had visited my grandmother’s grave, leaving fresh flowers and cleaning up around the plot. No one pieced it together until after he’d vanished. The Judge had left detailed instructions behind, on his desk, on what to do in the event that he disappeared, like a kind of living will. I tried to tell them after a while to give up, to stop searching, but I couldn’t tell them why. That was a year ago now, the last harvest. He left me his apartment and more than enough money to get by without working while I concentrated on my studies. The rest of the Judge’s considerable assets were divided among the rest of the family. I drove out there to the spot where they had found his BMW on the anniversary of his disappearance and arrived near nightfall. The town had been mostly siphoned away by the industrial farms, so much so that it almost didn’t show up on maps anymore. The farmhouse where my grandfather had grown up had been razed to the ground. It was just a few bumps of the foundation in a clearing off to the side of the road. The cornfield looked truly infinite, wave after wave of husks moving gently in the fading purple light. Stopping by the side of the road, I waited until the sun had fully slipped below the horizon but at the last second I looked away from the field. I turned on the ignition instead and kept driving. Some decisions you make all at once or you don’t make them at all. I’d been over the story the Judge had told again and again in my head, every word of it, but never come to an absolute decision of what it meant and how it fit his disappearance. At that moment though, I decided I didn’t want to look into the cornfield and risk seeing a pair of very, very bright amber eyes, like shiny pennies, looking back at me.   =====   Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the story, please give it a vote or drop a comment, and feel free to share. All support greatly appreciated. For other stories and book excerpts, check out seanebritten.com

"Hurry up, hide in there!" said a woman with a blurred out face and long black hair while shoving him into a cupboard. Suddenly, there was a noise like wood breaking and a loud thud on the floor and a deafening crash like glass breaking and thudding footsteps. "HEY! HEY! ALEX!". Alex woke up to feeling something wet on his cheeks, "Gosh, why am I friends with such a weirdo" sighed a black haired boy with messy hairdo "Shut it James, if I am a weirdo, what does that make you?" Alex said with a grin on his face. "EW!, THATS CREEPY" Alex woke up in a bed with a grin on his face and realised that all of that was just a dream. He looked around the room and glanced at his surroundings. He was in a room with one other bed on his left and a huge Tv hanging on the wall opposite him and on the bed to his left someone with brown hair and green eyes and freckles with a disgusted look on his face, "What Connor?" inquired Alex. "You were smirking ear to ear" said Connor in a creeped out tone. "Honestly, the fact that you were watching me while I was sleeping was creepier" retorted Alex while hopping off his bed. He checked his wristwatch which displayed 08:10 and walked to the toilet where he brushed his teeth and when he walked out his wristwatch was vibrating while shining neon red. Alex looked at his watch and knew what to do. He sprinted back to the room in time to see two parts of the wall swing open like those secret bookshelves and on the newly swung open wall was a black suit that he pulled on and looked right and saw connor in his suit with the cape jumping down a hole and followed suit. The pair saw Two other people in the same suits and one serious looking man in a white suit and red tie and approached them.They then proceeded to look at their surroundings, and were still wowed even though they see it so often, it was a huge room with shiny white walls, a black jet, a black hummer, a helipad with a black helicopter and a multitude of suits and a huge mechanincal door that slides down with a runway on the other side and another door above them and it was all built on top of the house that the four operatives, Alex, Connor, Claire and Mei lived in, but of course they lived in 2 different sections and the only place they could interact was the living room and the kitchen. "Right, are you kids ready?" the man in the suit said. They all were slightly ticked off by that comment, because they had gone on life threatening missions and they were still treated as kids but, they knew that there was no point in talking back so they all grumbled, "okay" in a deadpan, annoyed voice in unison. "You are going to Egypt today to capture on of the top dogs and because he is an infiltrator from the group that has the aim to overthrow the government and kill the elementals. His name is Roman Christianson." He then pulled up a picture on his phone and showed it to the group.

        001  The System.             “Solar flare?” Paison looks at the sky that is changing its color to a bright, red-shaded aurora. Like that in discovery shows.             “Yes, solar flare. The earth is going to be burnt within sixty seconds. Except for some bacteria and some virus, no living things is going to survive this” Man in black worn-out leather bike suit spoke from inside his helmet.             Chopstick in Paison hand stops mid-air, a pork ball stops with a chopstick that is holding it. Other customers of this street-stall noodle shop point their fingers to the sky and discuss about the source of such phenomenon. Some say it is a supernatural event. Some say it is an electro-magnetic field that causes such Aurora.             “And … you … Mister Bancha. What do you want from me? ” Paison feeds a pork ball into his mouth. He knows what a solar flare is. And he also knows that if it really is a solar flare, the best he could do is wait for death.             “Like I told you just now. I’m a dimensional traveler. I have a custom, whenever I travel to another dimension, I will give out a System to the dweller of that dimension. Depends on whom ever is destined to meet me.” A man in black gave a hand-held game console to Paison. The console has a big screen with d-pad, buttons, analog stick, and everything.             “What is this? Hand-held console? I never saw this before. No brand?” Paison asked while munching the pork ball.             “Game Elements System. It is a System with a theme of computer games.” Answered, Bancha.             “… Was it because I’m a gamer?” Asked, Paison. He is a gamer. He is also familiar with the ‘System’ He read more than five web-comics about a System in which the protagonist gained game-like ability. Status point, Skill, Items, and quest.             “I don’t know if it is because you are a gamer. I have no control over which System you will get. But I know that most of the receiver is single, no family, and have nothing to worry in life.”             ‘Are you looking for a fight?’ Paison put down his chopstick then asked. “What if I dropped and lose it?”             “Nah. You can use your though to control it. Imagine yourself as a game protagonist, you can store it inside your body like game inventory system.”             Paison nods after tested and saw the game console turn into a tattoo on his left arm near the back of his wrist. The sky that turns brighter and brighter also shortens his decision-making time. It's easy to accept these kinds of things when the world is ending in front of your eyes.             “So, … What’s next? You are not going to let me die after gave me this System, right? Mister Bancha.” Asked, Paison.             “The System will send you to the appropriate dimension when you turn your game console on. After that, you follow the System instructions. Usually, this kind of System would not force you to do anything. But if you do, you will get a reward. A supernatural power kind of reward. Highly recommend.” The guy in black explains.             Paison put his backpack full of stuffs on his back and switched the game console on. Everything around him turns bright almost instantly. He felt the change in the atmosphere around him. It’s not fast but obvious. The temperature change from mid-day road-side dry-heat to refreshing-cool. The scent also changes from burnt gas machine fumes to a green and somewhat moist. When light faded Paison found himself on the edge of a sparse forest and a shin height light green grass field.             The hand-held game console in his hand vibrates lightly. Some lines of text appear on the screen.             [Modification of bacteria and virus inside the user body to match the environment - Completed]             [Embed native language translation system - Completed]             [Game Elements System initialization - Completed]             [Game Elements #1 Main Quest: Randomize to match native Xianxia civilization  - Completed]             [Main Quest: Set up a Sect - Reward: Game elements (random)]             He doesn’t play many RPG games, but Paison is familiar with Information panels like this. Actually, he doesn’t have any hand-held game console because he is a computer gamer who mainly plays a game on a computer.             On the screen present many tabs of information can be found in many games.             [Events] [Items] [Quests] [Tasks] [Minigame] [Achievements] [Settings]             [Events] tab contains a log of events like received items or triggered quests.             [Items] tab shows a grid to hold an icon of items. Currently blank.             [Quests] and [Tasks] causing minor confusion for Paison because English is not his main language. Only after he reads the explanation that he understand the difference. Quests are more grand, wider scope, such as setting up a sect. While [Tasks] cover a narrower scope like daily tasks.             [Minigame] is self explanatory. A simple game within the hand-held game console. He can play a match card game to gain a reward.             [Achievements] is currently empty.             [Settings] is the tab that he must visit every time after installing a new game. He used to have a low power computer, adjusting a setting was unavoidable. Lower the graphics quality in exchange for performance. The [Settings] in this hand-held game console also contain a special setting like the VR interface that  does not require him to use a physical console.             Paison changes the game console into a tattoo form then looks around. The ‘Set up a sect’ in [Quests] is too demanding for his current self so he decides to look for other things instead.             “The air is good” Paison breathes in a big lungful of fresh clean air. He felt like he could taste the oxygen in the air he just breathed in. Then he remembered that oxygen is poisonous and caught multiple times.             From where he stands, waking into a grassy field seems not wise. Even though the air is fresh and cool he still needs a cover from the sun. The trees around him are massive, the smallest is at least six people holding hand hugs.             The vibration of the tattoo causes him to get the game console out before he could take any steps.             [Tasks] Dress up - Change into a hunter outfit - Reward: 1 Small Wardrobe             [Items] Gained - 1 set of Generic hunter outfit.             Nodded, Paison. He understood the System's intentions. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. To blend into native civilization, he must dress like a native to get rid of unnecessary hostility.             He opens [items] tab and finds an icon of folded cloth and shoes in the first slot. He uses his though to pull the cloth out of the item slot and it fell to the ground.             Paison shakes his head. He was careless. Well, what did he expect, this is new to him. He doesn’t think there is anybody nearby, but he still looks around before undressing his t-shirt and pants. He changed into a long-sleeved shirt and pants that felt like rougher jeans. This pair of pants doesn’t have a belt loop. He uses a waistband to hold the shirt and pants together. Very inconvenient. The shirt also doesn’t have a button.             Paison started to miss his advanced civilization already.             The shoes made of harden leather. Uncomfortable but he can get used to it.             The game console vibrates immediately after he puts on his new leather shoes.             [Tasks] Dress up - Completed             [Items] Gained - 1 Small Wardrobe             Paison pulls the wooden wardrobe out of the inventory slot. The wardrobe appears and stands firmly on the ground. Looks like the System will place bigger items on the ground instead of over his head or his hand. Inside the wardrobe is nothing special. Just a rack on top part and wooden cloth hanger and a drawer at the bottom. Paison places his cloth and backpack inside since the wardrobe doesn’t weight anything inside the inventory slot.             Paison felt that he had a bit of luck because he had just come back from the supermarket. His backpack filled with the grocery he just bought.             His tattoo vibrates again after packing his stuff into the wardrobe and storing it inside an inventory slot.             [Tasks] Qi Sense - Use Qi sensing diagram to sense the existence of natural Qi - Reward: 1 Qi Bamboo seed             [Items] Gained - 1 Four direction Qi sensing diagram             Paison’s knowledge about Formation, Diagram, and talisman comes from Xainxia cultivator comics. There is a talisman in Thai culture but mostly in the theme of witch doctor magic or religious charms, so he is not sure about this ‘Four direction Qi sensing diagram’.             The icon in [Items] inventory slot shows a big scroll with the name ‘Four direction Qi sensing diagram’. When he gets it out then he sees a scroll of one-meter-wide paper. It’s long and big.             The paper is thick. The texture is similar to that of cardboard but a bit softer and bendable. When unrolled, shows, drawing of weird characters pack tightly. The most noticeable is the four arrows that form from a character, all point to the middle of the big paper sheet.             There is one palm-size sheet of paper place in the middle. In different alphabet and language Paison can read the sentence like Thai language.             ‘This must be the translation function of the System’ he thought.             [Spread this diagram on flat surface. Sit cross leg within the square border. The diagram will gather natural Qi nearby and circle around the user. Helping in Qi sensing and lay foundation of Qi gathering of the user in the future.]             Paison is getting excited. He is a gamer. Which gamer doesn’t excite to have a chance of getting a supernatural ability. He places diagram paper on the ground and sits over it immediately.             He closes his eye and concentrates his sense. At first, he could only feel the wind blow pass his skin. But about ten minutes later, a new feeling emerges. Like a different kind of wind that flows a little bit deeper under his skin. He can’t describe this feeling in a word, but he can differentiate between the two types of flow easily. One represents fire, one represents water.             ‘This must be fire Qi and water Qi. So, natural Qi is a mixture of different kinds of Qi’ thought, Paison. He also felt a vague sense of another kind of Qi but can’t pinpoint it down.             Paison opens his eye when the game console vibrates again.             [Tasks] Qi Sens - Completed.             [Items] Gained - 1 Qi Bamboo seed             Paison opens [Items] to check his newly received reward.             [Qi Bamboo seed - Seed of a bamboo that grows by absorbing natural Qi. When planted in a living body, it will spread roots inside and work as a Qi meridian line. Helping those who don't have Qi meridian to be able to cultivate Qi and practice Qi art.]             After reading the description, Paison understood immediately. He doesn't have Qi meridian because he is not native to this world. The System gave him Qi Bamboo seed so he could practice Qi art and become a cultivator.             Paison activates Bamboo seed. The Qi Bamboo seed floats up and shoots itself through his shirt, piercing through his skin and muscle. Bury between his intestine and geminate quickly like time-lapse video.             The young man fell on the grass floor and screamed in agony. The bamboo root climbing around inside his body violently. It twists around his tendon and muscle, spiraling between his nerves and blood vessels, drilling into all his bone.             He fell unconscious when the root reached his brain.            doublefish Author notes. I translate this chapter using Microsoft Editor and Writer plugins. I’m not good with grammar because I learned English from the internet. It is a pain to use ‘s’ in a verb. Everything seems arbitrary. Well, whatever.

*Semi-Flashback Scene* As I was closing up shop, turning off the lights and getting ready to go to bed, I noticed that there was a flash of light outside, and then everything went dark. I did not fall unconscious, just everything outside of my building was completely dark, no light at all, 'cept for the flicking of an arcade cabinet. Walking over to see why it was still on I was met with a menu like screen, which was interesting as I supposed that it was in calibration after this seemingly random blackout. Though color me confused when something was still working despite the blackout. Checking the screen it had a few odd options.  %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Dungeon: Simon's Arcade Status: Transporting... Starting DP: 50,000  (Converting Cash to 50% DP, 25% Tokens, 25% Tickets) Starting Traps: Arcade Games (Vr; Controlled; Arcade Cabinets; Luck-based) Status Updated: Dragon's Cave (Unoccupied) %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% *End of Flashback* Suddenly there is a light outside, and I am so confused right now, but I quickly get over myself. I suppose what has happened to me is one of those in another world stories, that I read way back, but instead of coming by myself I was transported in my arcade, And I'm a dungeon now? I makes a bit of sense as now the screen that had been on that cabinet is now hovering in front of me, and it is not going away. Though I am a bit pissed as it converted my money into other stuff, I luckily(?) had most of my savings in the bank and only around 10,000 or so from purchases today, as well as a safe in the back. It seemed to have converted it to some degree that I wont calculate for now. Everything in my arcade seems to have changed as well, and it is like playing a tower defense game on the hovering screen, but I think it's real life. So I read through the so-called "tutorial" And I've got the gist of everything. My old two story Arcade has now turned into a long maze like tunnel system in this old cave, and I control everything, which isn't much different from before when I was the owner, the area is just a lot bigger now, hopefully I don't have to sweep everything by hand.    %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Dungeon Auto-cleans unless Dungeon Master says not to. %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Ah, well that's good to know. Can I ask you questions?   %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% If system can answer, yes. %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Great, Where am I?   %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Dungeon Master Simon is in the Agraphos Continent in an Empty Dragons Cave, Now known as Dragon's Arcade Dungeon.  %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Now It's time to start designing this place. I make designated areas with luck based games in all of the places, with my old rides as being in the back and powered by tickets. I made tickets and tokens the main currency in this dungeon as tokens are used to obtain tickets and I still have a lot in stock to use, and now its time to check out the DP Shop.    %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% DP Shop -> Games -> Items -> Food/Drink -> Traps -> Monsters DP = 50,000 %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   I immediately cross of traps on my list, I want this to be an arcade, So for prizes I check out the Items Menu   %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Items Menu: Tokens x1,000: 10 DP (Transactions between the Tickets and Tokens generates DP) Tickets x1,000: 10 DP (Transactions between the Tickets and Tokens generates DP) Mana Potion x5 (Inferior to Greater): 50 DP to 200 DP Health Potion x5 (Inferior to Greater): 100 DP to 400 DP Stamina Potion x5 (Inferior to Greater): 150 DP to 500 DP Weapons/Sword Skills (Various/Random): 250 DP/500 DP Magical Weapons/Magic Skills (Various/Random): 300 DP/600 DP Mana Upgrade (Various/Random) 1000 DP Stamina Upgrade (Various/Random) 1500 DP Health Upgrade (Various/Random) 2000 DP Ultimate Upgrade (Various/Random) 5000 Dp %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Hmm these prizes are mostly randomized, but That's better for me, more variety. I buy 10 each of the potions, all 5 normal quality and 5 inferior quality of each. I can pretty much admit I bought 5 of everything 'cept tokens and tickets I got plenty of those in my stock. I did not buy the Ultimate Upgrade as that would have been a big chunk of my savings and I can always save up to afford it later, as for now I need to get a few ser-I mean employees to help out so I check the monsters menu.    %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Monster's Menu: -> Humanoid -> Animal -> Mythological -> Elemental %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Oh there are a bunch of different types of monsters. I suppose Humanoid should suit my purposes more.    %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Humanoid Sub-Menu: Goblins (Individual or Spawner): 10 DP to 1000 DP Beastkin (Individual or Spawner): 20 DP to 2000 DP Undead (Individual or Spawner): 30 DP to 3000 DP Orcs (Individual or Spawner): 40 DP to 4000 DP Kobolds (Individual or Spawner): 50 DP to 5000 DP Cyclops (Individual Price Only): 100 DP Cursed Humans (Individual Price Only): 200 DP Demons (Individual Price Only): 300 DP %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   It seems the ones most suitable as well as interesting would be the Cursed Humans or Demons, though they seem to be the most expensive. Ah what the hell I can afford it. I buy five more of each and they show up all kneeling. I also had to buy a decent spawner for token generation. "Thank you, Master." "For what?" "Binding us, and freeing us from the underworld." "Oh I thought you guys just got like I dunno created or something, not putting you in a servitude contract with me, well that's all fine. Works well enough anyway. Time for business." "What do we need to do?" The one who asked was a young man who looked to be like 16 or so, I have no clue how such a young boy managed to get to the underworld or what's it called.   "Well first I need to get all of your names, you will be my employees here." "Em-ploy-eeeees?" "Ah you might not know what they are, well... they are sort of servants that get paid and can do what they want after their work." One of the littler ones perked up with a smart remark. "Isn't that just a normal servant?" "I mean yes an no, you won't understand anyway so just think of yourselves as servants."  The little one perked up again. "Yeah isn't that why you summoned us?" "Alright enough with the questions, I will go over the rules your supposed to follow here." " Number one; You are to work in your designated work areas that I assign to you, and at the end of the week I shall give you pay based on how you have worked. Number two;  Any troublemakers who attack you or other patrons are to be sent out, with force if needed." I crack my knuckles. "Number three; No swearing or using vulgar language as there may be children entering here." Everyone looked confused when I said that. "This place is to be for entertainment as that is always how I set my establishment out to be, so we will not be killing the residents to grow, it will be symbiotic relationship." I saw the cursed humans relax but the demons frowned. If I were to stereotype, they wanted to fight I guess, I'll leave them in charge of the monsters spawner.  "Now what are your names?" "We don't have names" said one of the cursed humans, "It's your job to name us." Great I now have to think out good names for like 10 people, give me a second here. "Paula," "Felix," "Elizabeth," "Zuzia," "Albert," "Marcus," "Seth," "Gaia," "Titan," "Andrew," "Salia." I pointed to each one of the and for some reason just like I imagined there was a generic "HI MY NAME IS" Sign tag adhered to their clothing. I now have around 8,750 DP left to check out everything else.    %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Food/Drink Menu:  -> Gourmet -> Medicinal -> Buffed -> Drinks %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Oh yay more sub menus, Lets check out gourmet first.   %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Gourmet Sub-Menu (Insert Ingredients to Make Delicious food or choose one of the set options below) Pizza (Delicious Option): 5 DP Burgers (Delicious Option): 5 DP Fried Chicken (Delicious Option): 5 DP Fries (Delicious Option): 3 DP %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Checking through the other sub menus in the food aisles except for drinks They are all the same options, just with different properties. The others are said to be decent, but the delicious option seems to taste the best, So I will buy those when someone wants them or when I get hungry. I decide to check the drinks menu out.   %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Drinks Sub-Menu: -> Soda -> Energy Drinks -> Kids Drinks -> Experimental %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   Oh isn't that perfect a sub-sub menu, At least I got more options now. Now what truly interests me is the "Experimental" Option.    %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Experimental Drinks:  Carbonated Coffee (Dark to Light): 2 DP Mist Ice (Unflavored): 5 DP Mana Energy: 10 DP Boost Stamina: 15 DP %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Cool, I buy two of each menu and equip them inside my universal soda fountain, With around 8,713 DP left I decide to wait for customers           

Allen's POV It seemed everyone bought something different as we all said what we were gonna buy beforehand to try some of it out. Jonathan and Jack decided to buy from the food menu spending around 35 Tickets each while Tina and I who had the bigger amount would buy the drinks, though Tina personally wanted to buy Mist Ice for herself and that she did. Each of us getting fruit punch while she bought the Mist Ice.  Soon we had a wide assortment of food and drink, a large "Pizza" That we were sharing and a bunch of odd looking cups that we could drink from. The fruit punch drink was super sweet but not bad while Tina herself commented on the Mist Ice.  "It tastes like I am drinking really light cold water. Like it's really clear and like the perfect type of water. I like it a lot, are we going to try out some more games?" Jack agrees, "Yeah, none of the games so far were dangerous, and I never even felt any danger when we were battling skeletons too." I respond,"Sure, lets try to get as many tickets as we can." And that we did, playing all sorts of games and ended up having a really good time, totally forgetting why we were here in the first place, soon we get a last notification.  You have spent all of your tokens and will soon be sent to the prize corner. Hold on to everything as you get transferred. As soon as the notification ended a white magic circle appeared under all of our feet. We grabbed all of our belongings and waited for the so called transfer. After the bright light faded we were all standing in a small room with three doors labeled: {Rides} {Prize Corner} {Restaurant} We were all curious to the other options but we all ended up going to the one we were the most anxious, the {Prize Corner}. We stepped through the door and there was a corridor leading to a a medium sized room with a counter similar to the ones in the adventurers guild but it was clear and had a bunch of little toys in it, but on the wall behind there was a bunch of items that made us all gape at the wall, until the person standing behind the counter yelled for our attention. "Hey!!" I stopped drooling and looked at the person shouting. He looked like a young middle aged man who was waving his hands at us. "Uh sir what is this place?" Tina was the first to ask as usual, she was quick on the uptake.  "This is my prize corner if you pay me the appropriate tickets you can buy these items!" The man responded with a smile.  "Yeah but all of those items that you are selling are expensive! I mean some of the ones on the top shelves are things barely heard about even in myths!" Jack said still in awe.  All the man responded was with "Well, this is a special arcade of mine... So what would you like to buy?" We looked over the items and the amount of tickets we had, each of us had around 500 tickets some a little more some less as we had bought some of the snacks earlier. We could totally not afford some of the prices on the shelf but we checked the tickets and got a comprihensive list of what we could buy.  %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% [Health/Stamina/Mana] Potions (Inferior/Normal): 50 - 200 TP Enchanted Weapons (Melee): 250 TP Melee Skills: 500 TP Enchanted Weapons (Magic): 300 TP Magic Skills: 600 TP Orb of Mana: 1000 TP Stamina Bonus: 1500 TP Iron Heart: 2000 TP Dragon Heart: 5000 TP (Hidden): 10000 TP %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% We all had enough to get either the Melee Skills, Enchanted Weapons, and the Potions, that was until the person behind the counter butted in with some advice. "You can do two things with your tickets, either give them to someone else and share a prize, or you can save them for later for when you have more tickets to use them." This time Johnathan asked something."So we can combine our tickets to get a bigger prize?"  "You can though sharing the prize would reduce its effects, its a good idea to exchange your tickets for a big ticket and come back for more. " "Big Ticket?" Jack asked "A big ticket is about the size of your palm and it records all of the tickets you have on hand for future use. That way you can get more tokens to play more games, leading to more tickets to spend later, its what we arcades commonly call 'Save up for a bigger prize'." I see, so my team and I talked about what we were going to do next.  "I say we should save our tickets and battle more skeletons," Said Tina, I could tell she wanted to have more fun here but i started to remember our reason for coming here. "We should go back and report to the guild, we have been here for quite awhile they might have though we died or something." Everyone remembered what we had come here for when I said that. They all looked contemplative about what to do next but Tina was kinda pushy about staying.  "Yeah well if they think we died they will postpone another search of this place and we can continue to farm this place that no one knows about." It was a very convincing argument and we decided to get enough tokens to got a weapon and magic skill, so around a thousand tickets. We thanked the person at the counter and asked where could we earn more tokens. "Oh if you leave through that door you can choose to either go back to the beginning and fight to get more tokens. oh and another thing if you go to the third level you can battle to get 100 tokens instead of just 50, but you might get defeated and sent to the beginning with the tokens you have." I was curious to how he knew this stuff so I asked, and got an unexpected response.  "Oh I am the Dungeon Keeper. That's why I know, did you like my games?" My group goes back to gaping at him. He was the the Dungeon Keeper! Normally the dungeon keepers are powerful monsters! He looked just like us, except in a weird bit of clothing, that was dark orange and red. We should try to kill him but he has been so nice to us and technically we are the exploration group not subjugation, so using that loophole we don't have to kill him.  Suddenly jack speaks up, "We should buy a few stamina potions to battle for longer." We all agreed and bought two each and as they were the most expensive potions we were left with around 200 Tickets left. We walked towards the door and found ourselves in the familiar cavern with a gate at our back but we knew that this place wasn't as dangerous as we thought, and started fighting more skeletons too. 

Allen's POV I was getting bored, each of the quests designated by the guild were too easy, they say being an S-rank has its perks but now I wish I refused the promotion, because there is nothing special about being S-rank. They force us to go to emergency missions whenever and also to take the first descend in a dungeon when they are discovered, but that isn't even the worst part of those dungeons, usually the reason the guild sends S-ranks is so no one else can go to the dungeon and they get all of the loot for themselves, barely giving any of the S-ranks in question.  There is a new dungeon alert, and I get ready to be sent out by the greedy guild masters, and they do. "Allen git yer ass in here!" An old dwarf shouts. Figures, he is the most greedy of them all, constantly taking all of the rare materials for a cheap price, but it seems only from S-ranks and the lowest F-ranks, because they have us by contract and them by naivety.  "Yeah yeah, hold your hammers Tony, I got it, you want me to hurry up and leave to get the loot as soon as possible." They don't mind when I say such things in their face because it is completely true.  "The little shit's right." The Guildmaster got a glare from the dwarf. "This dungeon seems to have inhabited an old dragons cave, seems to have formed when the dragon died. You all know what that means..,."The Guildmaster gave a wicked grin. "Lots of treasure. If a dragon had died there the mana had to be thick enough to create the dungeon so there will probably be a lot of strong monsters, but the reward will be worth it. Allen here will be leading the first team to clear the way for the harvesters and foragers to loot the place clean, but we must leave immediately so the church cant get there first." The Guildmaster then formed the group and told my squad to go ahead and so that's exactly what we did. My squad had to hurry and thankfully, the place was still uninhabited by other groups but the dungeon was weird. It had a signboard much like the shops in the market and it was practically glowing "Dragon's Arcade..." "Allen, what could that mean?" the healer on the team, Tina, asked "I dunno, but there is 'Dragon' in the name, so this has got to be the dungeon." "You don't think this dungeon will have any dragons do you, Allen?" Jack the scout asked "We cant deal with dragons." says Johnathan our tanker. This team of ours was common, Me the Leader and main attacker; Johnathan the tanker; Jack our scout and ranger; Tina our healer and support mage. Johnathan was right though, we weren't the best team to be dealing with dragons, dragons were categorized as an SS-rank threat. We were an exploration party not subjugation, but the guild commanded us to do so and we had to go regardless of the danger.  "Whether or not dragons are in there will have to be once we get inside, who knows maybe there are only slimes inside." I responded much to the relief of my companions. We walked inside and passed through what seemed to be a small barrier of sorts leading into the cool cave. My squad and I grew a little panicked but as we found out, the barrier was only there to keep the dungeon cool, not lock us in as we might have thought. We got to the end of the passage and a gate locked us in. The dungeon had been eerily empty up to this point and we knew something was coming, but all we could do was to continue on. Once we got locked in we heard a voice in our heads. Once Every person obtains 20 Tokens they may attempt the Games or Move on. Once all tokens have been used you will be moved to the prize corner. If you do not have enough tickets, you will go to the entrance with the tickets you have earned, all tokens return to the Arcade. The voice fades and a bunch of skeletons start attacking us. My squad and I get into position. There was three and they seemed manageable to handle, but it reveals that the dungeon is an undead type, there is probably a lich for a boss somewhere, maybe a necromancer. Once my group finishes off the last skeleton 6 silver coins drop and the undead disappear. The coins are weird looking nothing like the siver coins used to purchase anything in the markets, they are not labeled with the royal emblem, they are labeled with a dragon breathing fire on one side and the other just reads "Arcade". More skeletons spawn from nowhere and instantly my team is on the offensive again. Beating back now 5 skeletons they all fall down and this time 10 of those coins are in there place. Everyone in my group split the coins equally, each of us getting four and after that short break more and more skeletons surrounded us. In the end I ended up with 23 of the coins, Jack with 21, Tina with 24, and Johnathan with 22, and the skeletons stopped coming. We were all out of breath when the voice spoke again.  All of you have obtained enough tokens to play some games or move on to the next stage. When you play a game you put in the number of tokens it asks for and you will get and amount of tickets depending on how well you play. Tickets are the currency of the dungeon and you can buy all sorts of food, drinks, and prizes with your tickets.  Happy Playing! Our team was out of breath but Tina was the one who noticed what happened not Jack. A bunch of boxes with different looking items sticking out of them, two of which had weapons attached to them, and two of which that had odd looking helmets attached to them. Jack got up and stumbled to one of them that was holding a bow. As the voice had instructed Jack put two of the "Tokens" into the slot of the contraption  and soon a holographic screen was shown and words hovered above it. [Shoot all of the Apples to Win] When Jack pulled back the bowstring of the weird bow, a see-through arrow took the empty space and with some difficulty he shot at the apples that were being thrown on screen, missing a lot due to his tiredness. once he had finished with a ding the machine started to procure some sheets of paper out of its other slot. Each one had the word "Ticket" on both sides. Jack walked over a little excited. We were all a bit shocked too.  "Did you guys see that? I put in the coins and it let me practice shooting! and then these things came out! I could well in fact say that was more fun then gambling and I was surprised that it wasn't a trap, but I can tell if things are traps, and none of those are traps, they are games. Also I got a weird notification or something." "What notification?" Johnathan had been the first to ask but we were all curious to what Jack could have gotten."It says 'Move to Prize Area or Continue'. and there is a second menu saying I can buy some food in exchange for these tickets." We were all surprised. Menu Magic was difficult to due as it required lots of small details to work properly, often it was carved into status plates so you could project your information. Seeing as he got the menu as soon as he got those ticket things they must be enchanted with menu magic, which is exceptionally difficult. Jack told us to go ahead and get some tickets to find out for ourselves.  We went ahead and did that each choosing a different game. Tina was surprisingly courageous and moved to the helmet game and when she put it on she stopped moving for a decent amount of time worrying all of us. When she finally moved and took the helmet off, the bottom of the machine spit out much more tickets then Jack's did.  "That was soooo cool! It was asking me to create my own spells and test them against training dummies, but the fun part was it let me use offensive magic!" She seemed to want to go back into the machine again but Jack told her we should go one by one to watch the others back and she roughly agreed.  it was Johnathan's turn and he went to the game that had a shield on it. Soon there was another holographic message. [Block all incoming arrows] The game showed a bunch of arrows that started flying towards Johnathan but much like the arrows in Jack's game, the arrows where all transparent. He blocked a decent amount but many went over his head and we watched as his point total decreased for each one he missed. Soon the game ended and the point total became tickets and the tree of them started to talk about what to get with their tickets. I was still in the dark as I had yet to play a game and there was one last game available that no one played. I walk over and stick the helmet on my head.  I am now in a grassy plain and I am still wielding my twin swords in my hands. Soon I get a prompt much like the others, but this time something interesting pops up.  [Slash and Burn the projectiles flying towards you] I saw that there was an icon below me, when I thought about it I knew exactly what it was. It was a spell, and i knew how to shoot a fire ball using it. Soon arrows and apples started flying my way, and the arrows I would deflect, and the apples I would shoot a fireball out of my sword. I'm not going to lie, everyone was right, this is pretty fun.  I got out of the machine and got my amount of tickets and now I saw the menu screens, Tina was right there were two menu's One asking if I wanted to go to the prize corner, and one asking if I wanted to get some food and drinks. I suppose as long as we kept playing these fun games we wouldn't go hungry, but as it would have it while I was in thought another door had opened and Tina and the others went inside, and they were waiting for me. I walked over and set foot inside the door refreshed from the battle and a new notification appeared.  You may take the test and gain 50 more tokens as the next few games all are double the price as before, but more monsters will appear for you to fight. You will not die if overwhelmed you will only be kicked from the dungeon until  you choose to go to the prize corner. We each got a notification that we assumed came from the tickets in our hands and it asked us if we wanted to fight for more tokens as tokens and tickets seemed to be the currency of the dungeon we all said yes in exclamation to the concept of more.  Soon more skeletons arrived but this time it was in a group of ten which were of moderate strength, but we managed to beat them all without wasting our breath and two more groups of ten came after that. As the skeletons continued to come we stopped counting them and started to count the tokens being dropped instead and realized that the skeletons dropped between 1 - 3 tokens per kill. We all managed to get roughly over 50 tokens each but we were out of breath and sore, but there was more stuff in the next room. the skeletons stopped and we each got the message we could go to the prize corner at any time, but we decided to check out the food and drinks menu.  %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% ->Food ->Drinks %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%   As I was thirsty I chose the Drinks option and was met with an interesting list.    %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|% Flavors and Choices: Lemon-Lime: 5 TP Cola: 5 TP Fruit Punch: 3 TP Lemonade: 3 TP Water: 2 TP +Energy (Blueberry): 8 TP +Energy (Tropical): 8 TP Mist Ice: 10 TP Stamina Boost: 15 TP TP = Ticket Points %|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%|%          

“What is it?” An elf with a green hat asked its colleague. They were both out on a cookie break when they came across something lying in the snow. “A human,” an elf with a red hat answered. “What is a human doing all the way out here in the cold? Don’t they know they could die here?” The one with the green hat asked. “I don’t know, but we cannot leave him here. Let’s take him to Santa. He’ll know what to do,” the other answered. “He has much on his plate already, with it being Christmas Eve. Why don’t we put him somewhere else for the time then inform Santa,” the one with a green hat suggested. The elf with the red hat shrugged. “I don’t think so. If you won’t say anything, I will.” They picked his body up and dragged it over to the primary facility. The doors opened and when they walked in, heads turned their way. Santa was up on a platform, looking down, and saw them. He stood up from his seat and asked in a booming yell, “What happened here?” The elf in the green hat said, “We found him passed out down the hill.” Santa nodded his head, “Okay, let’s move him to the guest house.” “We have not used the guest house in years,” one elf said. He looked at her and frowned, then said, “Take him to my room.” They nodded their little heads and carried him off with some help from three other elves. They walked into the oversized room and placed him on the oversized bed. After undressing him, they covered him, left cookies and milk on the nightstand in case he woke up, then left. “My lunch break was ruined,” the one in the green hat complained. The elf in the red hat looked at him and couldn’t agree more, but this was better than finding a dead body later on. They looked up at Santa, who was back at work, and sighed. He had so much to do with so little time. A siren blared and the head elf announced over the intercom, “Ten minutes to rush hour. I repeat ten minutes to rush hour.” Santa stood tall and looked down at his workers and said, “Okay everyone, you heard mother elf, let’s wrap every present as fast as we can and into the sack.” They all cheered happily, then started the rush work. Santa stepped down from his working station and walked towards his room. His assistant came running behind him and asked, “Santa, where are you off to?” He looked down at her and said, “Off to see how our visitor is doing. It’s cold here in the North Pole. We need to make sure that he is okay.” “Alright, I will get your clothes ready. Please make sure you wash this year. We can’t have you smelling up the place again.” She said and walked off. Santa chuckled with a deep belly laugh and shook his head. She had a point to her words. He stopped at his door and knocked. Opening it, he looked in at the person on the bed, but there was no movement. Santa made his way into the room and walked over to the bed.  He saw that the milk and cookies were still there, but instead of the usual three that they give there were two and the glass of milk was half filled. He frowned and sat down on the edge of the bed.  He reached over, grabbing a cookie, and started eating it. The crunching sound woke up the man who had fallen asleep, and he opened his eyes. He turned his head and looked at the man beside him, and frowned. The sigh he released caught Santa’s attention. Who turned to him and asked, “Why do you look disappointed.” “Because you are not the man I am looking for,” he mumbled, then closed his eyes. Santa looked at him, confused, and asked, “What do you mean? Who are you searching for?” He sat up on the bed and looked at Santa, saying, “The man I am looking for is older, has wrinkles and a white beard, not white hair, looking young and handsome like you.” Santa sat there looking at him as he thought of who it could be, then asked, “Are you talking about my father?” “Your father?” He asked back. He looked at the man in front of him and asked, “If your father is Santa, who are you?” “The current Santa,” he answered with a raised brow. The man on the bed huffed and lied back down. Santa could see that he was upset and asked, “What are you doing all the way up here?” He turned to Santa and asked, “What is your name?” “Santa Claus,” he answered. The man on the bed laughed and shook his head, “I know that, but what is your real name? That one was just inherited.” He smirked, saying, “Nikolai Claus, what is yours?” “Jurgen Marshall,” he answered. Nikolai gazed at him and asked, “What are you here for?” Jurgen looked at him and, as much as he wanted to demand it, he couldn’t. “I just wanted to get what I wanted all these years,” he answered and closed his eyes. “And that is?” Nikolai asked, but the room was silent. He felt awkward waiting for the response. Sighing, he looked at the time and he began to shiver, thinking about how much time he had left to deliver the gifts. He turned to Jurgen and said, “I’ll be back in twelve hours, enjoy your rest.” Nikolai walked off and met with his assistant. “Felicity, can you bring up information on Jurgen Marshall?” He asked her. She was chewing on a gingerbread biscuit and nodded her head. “I can. Is it the name of the man in your room?” He nodded his head. “Yes. I am going to get ready for the deliveries.” “I will have it ready for you when you return, but for now, let me go make sure everything is sorted out,” she said and ran past him. Nikolai shook his head, amused and went to do his business. He returned to the ground floor and saw that everything was ready and waiting. Felicity walked up to him with her clipboard saying, “Everything is sorted out Santa and I got you an early Christmas present too.” He was buttoning up his red coat while she spoke and looked down at her. Raising a brow, he asked, “What is it?” She handed him a green folder saying, “It’s the information on Jurgen Marshall.” He nodded his head accepting it, then walked up to the platform and cleared his throat saying, “Everyone listen up. We do this every year and I just want to thank you all for being by my side. This is my first year playing as Santa and as much as I thought, all of this was not for me, but I was proved wrong by the help of you all. And for that, thank you by giving you a month off from work starting today.” The elves cheered in excitement and immediately ran out of the room to their lockers and left the building. Nikolai rubbed his brows frustrated, “I still had more to my speech.” Felicity walked up to him saying, “Good luck, we did all the hard work for you now you do what you need to and sort out your other problem.” She said, pointing to the green folder, then left. Nikolai looked at the reindeers and walked to the slay. He sat down and opened the file. Jurgen’s information was about from his birth till date. He frowned when he read that he still believed in Santa to this day, and then his eyes landed on what he wanted for Christmas and why. Nikolai’s eyes widened in surprise, and his heart beat fast. He put the folder down, grabbed the reins, hit them once, and off they went. He went on an eight hour nonstop delivery spree and was exhausted when he returned home. He went to his room to take a shower and started undressing. And froze when he saw Jurgen sitting on the bed reading a book. Jurgen looked up at the man who entered and saw that he was shirtless and his jaw dropped. Nikolai clearly saw the lust dance in his eyes. He cleared his throat and said, “I see you have been through my personal stash of books.” Jurgen nodded his head with a smile and said, “Welcome back home.” Nikolai nodded his head, “I am going to use the shower, then I’ll be out and have dinner prepared for us.” Jurgen nodded his head and asked, “Do you want some company in the bathroom?” Nikolai ignored him and slammed the door behind him. Jurgen chuckled with a shake of his head and got up. He looked at himself in the mirror, fixing himself up, then remembered why he was here. He sat back on the bed and started reading again. Nikolai came out dressed in his night clothes and saw that he was still on the bed and said, “The kitchen is this way.” “Don’t you have servants to work for you?” Jurgen asked, following him. “Elves, not servants, and I gave them the month off, so it’s just us here,” he answered. “What do you want to eat?” He asked. “Roasted Ham?” Jurgen suggested. Nikolai nodded his head and started cooking. When everything he prepared was in the oven or cooling in the fridge. He walked over to the couch that Jurgen was sitting on and watched horror movies on the wide screen television. Jurgen turned to him as he sat down and asked, “What is that?” referring to the cups in Nikolai’s hands. “Hot chocolate,” he answered and handed it to him. “My favourite and you added the marshmallows,” he said with a smile. Nikolai gazed at him carefully as he asked, “How can you watch these movies when you should be in the Christmas spirit?” Jurgen smirked, saying, “I am in the Christmas spirit, especially now that I have found Santa Claus. Just imagine, everyone in bed right now does not know that I am here with you.” Nikolai nodded his head slowly and sipped from his cup. His eyes flicked over to the screen where he witnessed two men having sex and was reminded of Jurgen’s credit score. He placed his cup down on the coffee table in front of them and asked, “So, why are you here?” “I know you aren’t stupid, Nikolai. I travelled all this way for one reason only,” he answered. “Unfortunately, I am not the one who you met all those years ago. You and I could be said to be of the same generation,” he said apologetically. “Then who is he?” He asked. “My brother, who are happily married,” he answered. Jurgen took in a deep breath and let it go, “So much for the Christmas spirit.” Nikolai gazed at him carefully and said, “I’m not much of a replacement but it is within my responsibility as the current Santa to fulfil any request and you, since the day you met my brother, you have been good. You still believe in us and you even gave back to the community.” Jurgen stared at him surprised and asked, “So you will have sex with me?” Nikolai raised a brow and nodded his head. “I do not see the problem with that?” “Are you gay?” Jurgen asked, stunned. “I do not think so, but I find you attractive, if that is what you want to know,” he answered. Jurgen could smell innocent coming off of him and shook his head, “You are kind, but no. I wouldn’t want to take you advantage of you, Nikolai.” Nikolai nodded his head firmly and was slightly relieved. He was inexperienced in that area and needed to be for some time more until he found his partner.  Jurgen saw the look of relief and shook his head. He may be a virgin, but was not innocent within his mind. Nikolai stood up when he heard the oven bell ringing and went to it. He opened the oven and the entire kitchen smelled delicious. He pulled out the ham and placed it on the cooling rack and switched off everything.  Standing in front of the stove, he took off the lid of the slow cooker and poked the lamb leg with a knife to feel the doneness, then pulled it out and switched off the plug. He looked up and Jurgen was already in the kitchen, “I was just about to call you.” Jurgen nodded his head and walked around the kitchen island. He stopped behind Nikolai and ran his hands up his back, making shivers on the spots he touched.  Nikolai’s hands clenched around the knife he was about to cut the ham with as he asked, “What are you doing?” Jurgen placed a kiss on the back of Nikolai’s neck answering, “I changed my mind.” “Why?” He asked. Wrapping his arms around Nikolai’s waist he said, “I realized that it’s not your brother that I love, but the Santa everyone knows.” Nikolai sucked in a deep breath and said, “Okay but let’s eat first, I can’t let you go to bed hungry.” Jurgen chuckled and let him go. Standing beside him, he said, “Sure, what are we going to eat?” Nikolai looked down at him and said, “All your favourites except for the mac and cheese, I never learned how to make that.” Jurgen nodded his head as he watched Nikolai nervously slice the ham. He leaned his head on his shoulder as he asked, “Where are the plates?” “The Christmas plates are in the cupboard above the stove,” he answered. Jurgen turned his head to look where it was, then walked over and opened the cupboard. He rolled his eyes when he saw he couldn’t reach it and said, “You know what? Never mind, I’ll just not help you.” He closed the cupboard and walked off, back to the couch, and threw himself down.  Nikolai looked at him and shook his head. He leaned down, feeling the weight of the world on him. He was so relieved when Jurgen said no earlier on and now he had to mentally prepare himself again. “The food is delicious,” Jurgen commented. Nikolai smiled gently saying, “Thanks, all my mother’s recipes.” “Where are your parents?” He asked. “In New York,” he answered. Jurgen frowned, “I thought they would be somewhere near here.” He shook his head, “When the magic wears off, not even they can stand the cold of the north pole.” “I actually thought I was going to die out there,” Jurgen said as he shoved ham in his mouth. “You would have if the elves didn’t find you,” Nikolai said with a frown. Nikolai returned to his room and found Jurgen sitting on the edge of the bed naked, only covered in his red coat. He narrowed his eyes then composed himself, saying, “I see you are already ready for me.” Jurgen shifted in place and shuddered his head, “I actually am not.” Nikolai nodded his head and tugged his pants at the waist. It dropped to the floor, showing Jurgen all his glory. Jurgen’s eyes doubled in size as he stared on at the organ he held. Looking down at himself, Nikolai smirked, feeling his emotions escalate with the appraisal in Jurgen’s eyes. He bent down and took off his boots and socks, then walked towards the bed slowly, which in Jurgen’s eyes looked seductive. He stopped in front of Jurgen and helped him out of the coat around his body, “You are so much smaller without your clothes on.” He commented, garnering a glared from Jurgen who said, “Well excuse me for not being gifted like you.” “I do not mean that, I just mean that you are built small,” he said, embarrassed. Jurgen felt like burying himself under a rock. He suddenly felt a shiver and hugged himself. Nikolai took the hint sent by nature and picked Jurgen up, wrapping his legs around his big waist.  Jurgen wrapped his arms around the human bear and looked into his eyes as he stood up on the bed and walked towards the middle. He went down on his knees and placed Jurgen down gently, then stroked his hand against his cheek saying, “I am inexperienced, please forgive me if I do a poor job.” Jurgen wrapped his arms around his neck again and pulled him in closer. He placed a kiss on Nikolai’s lips ever so gently and said, “I do not expect the best, but just to be with the man I’ve loved for over thirty years. I want you to please yourself as you please me.” Nikolai said nothing and started peppering kisses all over Jurgen’s body and even took his manhood into his mouth, which Jurgen soiled. They went all the way until the end, leaving them both breathless, excited but mostly exhausted. Jurgen lay there in bed with the sheets covering his body while Nikolai lied, looking up at the ceiling in disbelief and uncovered. Jurgen turned on his sighed and ran his fingers down Nikolai’s hairy chest. Twirling his fingers round and round, he asked, “Was this really your first time?” Nikolai turned his head confused then nodded his head, “I do not have time to myself and if it was not for you, I would not have experienced intimacy so soon.” “Well, I am honoured, that’s literally the best Christmas gift anyone could receive,” he said. Nikolai laughed at his remark and said, “Let’s get some sleep, you must be tired.” “I am, but I wish we could do this again,” he said. “I do not see why we cannot,” Nikolai answered innocently. Jurgen chuckled and climbed on top of him. He looked down at him asking, “I mean right now Santa, not later.” “Oh!” Nikolai’s brows flew up and so did his manhood. Jurgen was happy that he could get Nikolai turned on. Flipping them over, Nikolai ripped the sheets out from between them and mounted Jurgen, not stopping until they both passed out.  Jurgen woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. The smell of cinnamon waffles baking in the air was delicious and inviting, but he was just too tired to even get up out of bed. He sat up on the bed, trying his best to not wince from the pain. He climbed off the bed, taking the sheets with him and made his way to the kitchen. Nikolai smiled his way when he saw Jurgen come in. “Good morning,” Nikolai greeted. Jurgen walked up to him and pouted his lips up for him to kiss, and Nikolai did. “Good morning, handsome,” Jurgen greeted and gave him a hug. “I made breakfast but I won’t be here long,” Nikolai spoke. Jurgen went to sit on a barstool and looked at all the delicious food. He picked up a juicy sausage and bit on it as he asked, “Where are you off to, aren’t your Santa duties over?” “They are, but I still have family to visit. Speaking of which, you are out here, but what about your family?” He asked. “I thought you read everything about me,” Jurgen asked him. Nikolai watched him grab the pancakes and shove them in his mouth. “Only your good and bad stories, nothing more. Your family history is not what we care about, only how you, as a person, behave,” he explained. “My mother and father divorced when I was young. He had many children and scammed her out of her money and the other women, too. She died trying to feed us and I was left alone in the system. My aunt took me in but she too was poor and my first Christmas with her, she bought me what I wanted the most—a box of white chocolate chip and cranberry cookies. The next year was when I met your brother. I asked him to get a husband for my aunt and he said that he only gives presents to children but the next year, she married a rich man who sent me to boarding school and because I am gay, he wanted me to marry a man he does business with. I left obviously because the guy was an asshole and now I am here with you.” Jurgen explained and started eating without disruption. Nikolai sat down beside him and started eating, too. Jurgen looked at him, and shirtless, Nikolai looked like a bear. He smirked and licked his lips. “So where do we go from here?” “What do you mean?” Nikolai asked. “I already had sex with Santa, basically got my wish and I do not see a reason to still stay here.” He answered him. The reality hit Nikolai and the good that happened last night. With his words, it meant that this wouldn’t continue. Jurgen picked up on the sadness in his eyes and smiled. Poking Nikolai with his finger, he asked, “You don’t want me to leave, do you?” Nikolai nodded his head, “Please won’t you stay, we’d both be alone if you leave.” “I do not mind making this place my permanent home,” Jurgen said and continued eating while Nikolai smiled. Nikolai left Jurgen after breakfast and went to visit his family. He arrived later than he should because he needed to convince Jurgen to stay and by doing that; he showed him that if he stayed, he could be pleased whenever he wanted. “Son, you are late!” His mother greeted him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then a hug. “I’m sorry, mom, I had something I needed to do before coming here,” he apologised and went to greet the others. They all made conversation and when Nikolai saw his brother, he was so happy that he was the current Santa and not anyone else. “You look tired,” his sister-in-law noted, and everyone looked at him. Nikolai sighed and rested his chin on his hand and smiled, “I made the mistake of letting everyone off for the next month so I had to clean.” The family laughed, and dinner was served. Nikolai was unusually quiet today, and they all sighed it off as exhaustion from his lie. Sitting in front of the fireplace, he drank eggnog. Looking at the flames, the flame in his heart was raging high.  “Uncle, uncle,” Charlie called him. He placed his cup down and picked the little boy up. Looking at Charlie he asked, “So when are you going to be Santa, uncle is so tired?” Charlie giggled. Looking up at his uncle with his bright eyes and said, “You are so silly uncle, you know only your child will be the next Santa. I want to go to school with all my friends.” ‘But if I stay with Jurgen, we won’t even have kids,’ Nikolai thought as a strange feeling grew in his heart. Charlie jumped off of him and ran towards his father and whispered something in his ear. Brain walked over to his brother and sat down beside him. “So what is bothering you?” “What do you mean?” Nikolai asked. “You have that thinking face on you and you even look sad,” Brain stated. Nikolai smiled weakly and shook his head. “I was just wondering how my child would look. Charlie is so adorable and Tiffany is pregnant with a baby girl, so I just know she’ll be beautiful.” Brain placed his hand on Nikolai’s shoulder saying, “Don’t worry brother, you will find your special someone.” “But what if she cannot bear a child?” He questioned. “Then you could alway adopt one of the obedient children,” he said encouragingly. Nikolai smirked, “Thank you, brother.” He arrived home late in the evening and found Jurgen asleep on the couch in front of the television. He stared at it after sitting down and saw that it was another horror movie, but this time it was zombies. He looked at Jurgen, wondering, ‘How can you look so peaceful after watching this?’ He switched it off and picked him up, and carried him to the bed. As he placed him down, Jurgen said, “You left me alone all day.” Nikolai climbed in behind him, saying, “I’m sorry. I had to put distance between us so that I could think this through.” Jurgen laughed in his arms as he asked, “Did you find you answers?” “I did,” he answered, and placed a kiss on his cheek. Jurgen nodded his head. He turned around in Nikolai’s arms and opened his eyes. Staring into his he said, “I think it might be too late to tell you this, but I realised while you were gone that you did not use protection on me and I have the DNA in me that allows me to fall pregnant.” *One Year Later* Nikolai walked around the facility with a screaming baby who expressed her vocals for fun. The elves were all annoyed because this baby was growing bigger than them and she was abusing their ears, knowing very well that she got on their nerves. Jurgen walked over with a shake of his head and pointed his finger at her, “You little demon, it’s Christmas not make-my-day-miserable.” Nikolai chuckled. He pulled the earplugs out of his ear and said, “Do you want to take her? I need to leave.” “No, I do not, but I will because you have to leave,” he answered and took the bouncing baby. Nikolai kissed Jurgen on the lips and baby Elle on the cheek, then climbed into the slay and blew them a kiss. He shook the reins and off they flew. Elle’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched her father disappear. Her eyes watered and her usual scream turned into a whimper and she started crying. Jurgen patted her back gently and said, “Don’t worry Elle, dada will be back soon to bring you your presents.” The head elf walked over with a gift in hand and said, “Here is your gift from all of us. It’s not much though.” Jurgen accepted it with a smile and said, “Thank you very much, but if you think you are getting time off this year, you are wrong. Clean all of this up then you can go home.” All the elves groaned but got to work while Jurgen took Elle to her room. He placed her in her cot and said, “Dada won’t be home for at least twelve hours, so you need to sleep until then and don’t you dare scream because I will ignore you!” She took her bottle from him with a pout and went to sleep, watching the stars painted on her ceiling. Jurgen went to the kitchen with the baby monitor and started getting their Christmas dinner started. Nikolai came grumbling back home and hugged Jurgen from behind, who was still preparing dinner.  “What happened?” Jurgen asked as he leaned back against him. “This is my first Christmas with you and Elle, but I couldn’t even be here on Christmas morning,” he complained. Jurgen shook his head, amused, and turned around. Looking up at him he said, “To have you home is the best gift of all.” “To have you both is the best gift I could ever ask for,” he said, and placed a kiss on his forehead. Jurgen sighed against his chest, happily thinking that none of this could ever be possible if he did not keep believing and stayed determined. MyLadyQueen Merry Christmas

They were sitting next to a lake with their arms wrapped around their knees that they brought to their chest. They were reflecting on what they did in the past during the Belkan War, what they nearly brought upon this world…  Everyone in the world was lucky that she stopped them from succeeding and putting an end to what they were doing. They shook for a moment before they brought their jumper closer to them. They should've remembered that the low temperature was in the single digits due to the winter cold air. 'I'm not upset about what she did, I… just wish I'd seen my mistakes sooner…' they thought somberly. They nearly flinched from hearing leaves crunching. There shouldn’t have been anyone else with them since the place was quite far in the middle of nowhere, but there would only be one person who could find them… "I was wondering where you went…" the voice of the one who shot them out of the sky's voice cut through the air with an icy chill. The two stayed quiet for a while, they were trying to figure out why the ace demon even came out here. She sighed as she figured she wasn't going to get a reaction from the world's common enemy from the world war. She waited patiently for the other to say something, after all, she wasn’t the one to start conversations. "What do you want?" They asked so quietly and softly that you would've missed it, and she looked back at them. "I was worried since you've been out here for 2 hours… And I wanted to talk" she said while rubbing behind her neck and walking over to her rival(lover). She sat down next to them and pulled them to her side, they had flinched but she didn’t want them to be uncomfortable if she said anything about it. “Look… I already forgive you for what happened, I’m pretty sure the others have mixed feelings but I’ll help you have another chance…” she spoke calmly to make sure they didn’t worry about upsetting her. “How can I after launching the–” they were about to finish the sentence before she covered their mouth. “It wasn’t your fault nor was it in your control, you were ordered to launch them by those idiotic politicians,” she said to them before she gently grabbed their chin and turned their head towards her.  Tears were streaming down their face as she gently cupped their cheeks in her hands, she softly and gently kissed them. They made an alarming noise as they shuddered from her touch, she pulled away after they relaxed. “I’ll always choose to protect you over the country…” she told them gently as she got up to leave with them, both of the aces left hand in hand… “Also… Akumi, happy birthday…” “Thank you… for remembering… Mikito…”

Just read the original version. Its basically the same.

"Do you mean those words?" Asked Aria with a stunned expression. "Yes, I do!"  Mia replied "I believe you know the weight of what you're asking..."  "You... Just help me get rid of her, to secure my position as favorite to inherit my father's company, that's all" Mia said in a serious tone as she took a quick sip of her drink. Mia was the second daughter of the present chairman of Conrad Industries, a renowned company that had branches in Polaris city and other parts of the world. They also deal with international trading affairs being favored by the government, while Aria had become the overall head of the Dahee group after her father's death. Conrad Industries and Dahee group had some ties, as both companies own shares in other small businesses together, so they had a pretty good relationship. Mia held the position of vice-chairman along with her half-sister. Both, right from a young age never had a good relationship. Their position at the company only made things worse, because they knew that sooner or later, there was going to be an inevitable power struggle. "Well, I'm not surprised, it has been like this. Ever since I knew you, you always liked to emulate me in every way possible. I know you're doing this because of what I also did to get to my position right?" Asked Aria with a hint of ridicule. "Why do you say such nonsense? I'm doing this because... I know if I don't, she could still get rid of me the same way, when the time comes" "So then, why do you think I'm the right person for such a task? You could ask any of your favored agents to get the job done." Aria said with a slight frown. Mia didn't reply hastily, she thought for a while before she said "The situation isn't as it seems... my sister's position in the company has grown solid as of recent. She has become the favorite for the position of chairman, and that's because of her accomplishments during her two-year mission in China. She has a lot of support from the company, so it won't be possible to get the company's agents to do the job. "Then how do you expect the Dahee group to accomplish this?"  Relax, I just need you to assign me one of your seven-star agents... Age 22, with a hundred percent mission completion rate over the last four years. She said with a smile. Aria had a stunned expression after hearing this. What made her surprised was because the Dahee group always kept the identity of the agents under them a top secret. she then looked at Mia directly in the eye and said  "How did you know? It seems you've been prying into my companies affairs..." "It doesn't matter how I got to know. It's Conrad, remember? Is there any information or secret deals in this country we don't know about?" Mia retorted. "Agent Silva... He's got one mission left right? She asked as she leaned closer. "It's... it's not possible, I can't let that happen. He's different from the rest, so just forget about it." "How bout  I give you the Tenet Database in return? I know it's in your top priority list" Aria, who had been subject to constantly changing expressions, couldn't help being petrified by Mia's statement. The Tenet Database contains information about political misconducts of government officials, such information was priceless, especially for a company like Conrad and Dahee group, because it could be used as a blackmailing chip against the government for certain benefits to the company. "G-give me some time to think of this," She said "Sure" Mia replied with a carefree expression.                                   ***   Knock, knock "Oppa! Are you awake?"  An anxious voice called out from outside the room. Jaewon who had just been awoken from sleep by the sound of the knock had a sick expression on his face. He stretched out to the side of the bed and grabbed a small alarm clock. "Huh? It's eight already! Why didn't it ring out" he muttered as he put away the clock. "Oppa! Aren't you coming for breakfast?"  The voice called out once more. "Yes Seohyun, give me a minute"  he said as he came down from the bed and walked towards the mirror, revealing his figure. He looked a little slender but had well-defined muscles and body shape. He had an average height, with handsome facial features. He brushed back his hair with his hand as he thought... [It's weekend and I have nothing doing today, might as well take this chance to rest] He walked downstairs, to the dining area where his sister was having breakfast. "Why are you eating so early on the weekend?" He asked. Seohyun narrowed her eyes, with a hint of surprise and said "What's wrong with me eating this early?"  Jaewon didn't give her a reply, glancing at the opposite side of the room, he asked with a low voice "Where's mum?"  "Ah...  She's gone to work, obviously. Why do you ask?" He turned to her, grinned lightly and said "What's wrong with me asking about mum?" from how he spoke, it was obvious that it was a tease. Seohyun pressed her lips together and pouted. "Oppa you've started again". " What's wrong? Can't I joke with my little sister?" He said with a chuckle. "You saying that makes it look like I'm a kid"   "So what are you then?"  She stared at him helplessly and said in a low voice "I'm not going to be mad for sure, and that's only because you're paying for my vacation to the moraine lake" Hearing this, jeawon furrowed his brows. " didn't you say you needed seven thousand dollars?" "Ten, It's ten!" She said hurriedly increasing the pitch of her voice. "I see, you're trying your best to extort me huh?  "What! Don't you have a lot of money? You work as an executive manager in a big company, a trivial ten thousand dollars shouldn't mean anything to you" she said. The truth was that jaewon is very wealthy. He was a seven-star secret agent at Dahee group after all. The money he had earned from completing missions all this year amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars. He could live a very luxurious life if he wanted, but he always acted low-key. Seohyun was a very smart girl,  although she didn't know jaewon worked as a secret agent, she had taken time to notice that he earned a lot of money from his job. This was because of the way he spends money at times without worry.  Though she was younger than him by a year, she always acted like she was older. They were very fond of themselves, right from when they were young. Even when they were reunited after so many years, their attitude towards each other didn't change by the slightest bit. Just then, a call came into jaewon's phone. Seeing the caller, he raised his eyebrows in shock and then walked to the corner of the house to answer it, changing to a cold expression. "Hello, boss!"

"Rumble!" The sound of thunderous lighting could be heard deep in the night sky, followed by a downpour of rain. A young man stood on a lonely road, having a cold expression, while holding a small handgun, with the figure of another who appeared injured and seated on the bare floor as the smell of blood wafted the air. One could tell that a decisive battle had occurred some moments ago. He stared directly at the injured man and spoke... "Who sent you?" [...] "I won't repeat myself..." Hearing this, the injured man chuckled, not showing any sign of panic. "What do you think?" Was his reply. "You don't seem to know your situation, Agent Silva. Your name has appeared in the alpha kill order, I believe you know what happens to people who do..." He added while putting up a fierce grin. "You shouldn't act recklessly... there's still a chance for you, you know? I'm offering you your last opportunity to be liberated from the shackles of the Dahee group". "Do you know why I work for them?" The man holding the gun said while maintaining his usual cold demeanor. "I truly don't know why you still work for them despite being treated like a hunting dog. Many top organizations are scrambling for you. With the perfect record you have, you'd be treated as a VIP agent" "It's because of my family... I can't let the same situation happen a second time" "What do you mean?" "They're using my family to get to me... and now you know of it, I just have to kill you" "W-what are you saying? How would I know if you didn't tell me?" said the injured man in a serious note. "I don't know either, I just have a feeling that killing you could save me a lot of trouble" "Haha, you're crazy. Do you think your resolution is reasonable? It'll only make your fate worse than death. Have you thought of what..." "Pooh!" He was shot directly in his forehead before he could finish the statement, and his body plopped to the floor. The young man stood in the same position, staring at the night sky with a blank expression as he thought. Jaewon ming who was born into a wealthy family, was the son of the late scientist, Dr. Hwan Ming. After an incident that caused a total blackout in the entire Polaris city 14 years ago, he developed amnesia which caused him to lose the memory of his past, including his family. He was moved to a human research facility, where after proper study, was discovered that he had developed an ability known as 'Super Sensitivity. His ability enabled him to foresee things in a flash, before they happen, and also move with reflexes much faster than that of a normal human. Anytime there was danger approaching, he was always given notice by his ability. His vision would distort, turning brick red. With this discovery, the research institute spared no time to inform an intelligence agency known as Dahee Group, which in turn took him in, training him as a top secret agent. Jaewon made his debut for the agency at the age of eighteen and became renowned for his extraordinary prowess earning him the name 'Silva', which held a significant meaning in the organization. He always undertook solo missions and never left any witnesses. As time went by, he began to regain his lost memories of the past. Soon, he realized he has a family and what had transpired that made him gain his abilities. Jaewon learned about the shocking death of his father tagged as suicide, and his family had become destitute due to lack of financial support. He then reunited with his family. After this was discovered by the company, and due to concerns about losing him, they resolved to use the threat against his family to keep him bound with them. However, he made a deal to work for them for five more years which was reluctantly accepted. Four years had passed since then, and with the end of the contract approaching, jaewon couldn't help but wonder what his final mission would be. Obviously, the company wouldn't let go of someone of his value that easily. They might pull off some tricks to keep him tied with them once more or might as well as send him off to his death in the final mission, to prevent him from falling into the hands of a rival organization. [Why would I ever hope of finding true happiness in this life? Death lurks around me every time, who knows how the end will be?] Thinking this, he walked to the side of the road where a car was parked, entered, and drove off the scene.               Two young beautiful women sat in a luxurious lounge, both were drinking a glass of cocktail as they spoke. Their fashion was top class coupled with the expensive jewelry they wore. The first was dressed in a velvet gown, while the other was dressed in black. From their appearance, one could infer that they were no ordinary women. Two guards in a jet black suit stood by the entrance to the lounge. "Mia... I can't believe you brought me here to say all this..." the one who spoke was the lady in velvet gown. "What? You mean what I'm saying isn't important?" Asked the lady in black. "I didn't say that, but who cares about that loser? He's not in my class, so why would I care about his trivial endeavors?" She replied with a haughty expression. "Says the girl who confessed to him back then in high school," Mia said teasingly" After being reminded of this, her face flushed red in shame. "W-what are you saying... That was way back then when I was just a naive and silly girl. Right now everything's changed, you can't compare me to who I used to be before" "Yeah yeah, you're right, you aren't who you used to be before. You've taken over your father's company, you're a real boss lady now" Mia said. "I can see where this is going, just speak up Mia, what do you want from me?" She smirked and replied... "Aria, I know it might seem too hard, but I really need you to help me with this..." "What do you want?" Asked Aria arching up her brow" "I need you to kill my sister" "...?"

It was a nice day to run in the field of corns just to get corn and to sell it. "Hey ma duds do you guys ever wonder working?" "Hmmmm i dunno how to work though i know how to work on bed hehe" "not that idiot i mean working something like a part time" "hey i got a joke, knock knock" 'whos there?" ......."Huh? why are you asking me i'm already here stupid"  "GAHHHHH why do you have to say that to me GAAAKK cough cough" "oi kishimoto take it easy, why do you have to tell a joke that isn't funny tch" "oii take you wanna go right now?"  'ho ho  you're coming towards me? though you're weak like a mongrel? "I takeru cant beat your ass if im not going to get close to you" "hmmm? then get close if you want and i shall beat your ass like a punching bag" "Shut up Shut up Shut up Shut up!!!" "Weak weak weak weak you mongrel!! you cant beat me if you don't have the strength" "So were the same huh? just wait and ill beat your ass like mine" "ZAAAA MAGIC EXCALIBUR ULTRA PLATINUM WARUDOOO!!! "ACCCHKKK, brother please don't do this i'm your brother" "Wait takeru why are you acting like jangruto your getting beat up and your blurting nonsense" "ow i really think that will work.... STAR LUCKY MAGIC HASTED MAGIC AND POWER OF MAGIC OF BOMB EXPLOSION!!!!!" "ugh you got, spare me brother spare!!!!" "okay kishimo lets go find you a job" "hmmmm a job huh? ill go for a convi or a cafe" "okay oiii saguri lets go i already beat your ass" "i cant walk please stop being rough on me" "you look like a Main Character from a yaoi anime though i havent heard that word, is that a word?" "hey were suppose to find me a job you know" "ow i totally forgot, hey kishimo im going home i cant stand my brain its shaking and telling me to go home right know" "wait wait wait, i thought you said were going to get me a job? how come you're the one who wants to go home? "I suguri also wants to go home" "wait again WHAAAAA just go home i want to be alone right now" "really? yes hey suguri lets go"

The campers stared at each other in silence. Amanda sat there sucking on her frozen popsicle and watched each one of them timidly try to not draw attention to themselves.  When everyone turned to look at her.  She removed the popsicle from her mouth.  “I guess you all want me to go first?  Sure, I can break the ice.” After a few nods, she finished her popsicle and tossed the stick into the fire. Stella thought it odd that the stick burned with a green flame but said nothing.   Amanda then stood up and opened the Yeti cooler she was sitting on.  She pulled out a box of popsicles and passed them around the campfire.   After each camper had started licking their popsicle, Amanda sat back down on her cooler and explained, “This story is about gender transforming popsicles.” Everyone stopped licking their lollipops and suddenly just looked at them in their hands. “Is this an interactive story?” Jose asked. “Only if you want it to be,” Amanda said with a wink and nod. “Done!” Evan said, biting into his popsicle and tossing the stick into the fire. The other campers laughed at Evan’s eagerness.    “It was a dark and stormy night!” Amanda grinned maliciously. “Seriously?” Jose interrupted. “You’re right.  It was quite the opposite.” Amanda replied.  “It was a bright and oppressively hot summer morning…” Staying Cool by tfes8 and Elron “Ethan, wake up,” Mom said. “I’m leaving for work now.” Ethan groaned, “But it’s summer break.” “I know,” she said. “I left a list of chores for you to do today. When you’re done with them you can go hang out with your friend.”  “But, Mom…” he whined. “Ethan, If you’d rather get a job than do household chores, go ahead. Especially if you want to buy a car next year. We can talk about this more tonight. I need to get going.” She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Have a good day, honey.” Ethan sat up, wiping sweat off his forehead. The A/C must be broken again. He wished his parents would just buy a new unit.  He got up to see just how hot it was. The thermostat was set to 69 Fahrenheit but the actual temperature was 75 and climbing. As his mom opened the door they were blasted with hot arid air. “Gonna be a scorcher today,” he thought. Ethan was a 17-year-old high school senior. Summer break had just begun and all he wanted to do was hang out with Jacob, play video games, and find a girlfriend.  Grumbling, he looked over the list of chores his mom had left. This was not what he wanted to be doing today. Ethan picked up his cellphone and texted Jacob. “Dude, mom gave me chores. Can’t hang until done.” As Ethan ate breakfast, Jacob responded. “Sux dude. Want help?” That was nice of Jacob. He was a few months younger than Ethan, and too good of a friend sometimes. “Awesome!” He replied. Soon, there was a knock at the door, and Jacob walked in.  “Wow,” Jacob observed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “It’s friggin’ hot outside - and inside.” “Our A/C is broken,” Ethan apologized. “So what chores need to be done?” “Clean the living room, trash, laundry, and a grocery run.” “We can get that done in no time. Then we’ll have the rest of the day to ourselves.” “Sweet.”  Over the next hour Ethan and Jacob did the chores. All that was left was trash and groceries. Ethan carried the trash outside. As he walked to the curb, he saw his neighbor and school jock, Connor, with his friend, Dylan, grabbing cases of soda from a car.  “What are you guys doing?” Ethan asked curiously. He and Connor used to be friends when they were younger. Now they barely tolerated each other. Connor was on the JV football team, and Ethan would rather play Dungeons and Dragons with Jacob. Connor scoffed at his awkward neighbor pretending they were friends. “What does it look like, dork? We’re having a pool party.” “A sick pool party,” Dylan added. “We invited the whole school.” A pool sounded great to Ethan. “That’s funny,” he said. “I wasn’t invited.” “Dweebs aren’t invited.” Connor smirked. “You’ll scare the girls away.” Ethan rolled his eyes at the childish comment. “Whatever, I didn’t want to go to your lame-ass party anyway.” The boys parted without saying another word. Ethan walked back towards his house.  Jacob was waiting inside. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing. We go to school with jerks.” “Don’t let them get to you, Eeth. One more year and we can both go off to college and meet more civilized people.”  “Yeah,” Ethan said, shrugging it off. “Damn, it’s hot!” Jacob whined. “Can we really hang out in this sweatbox?” “Well, we still have to go to the grocery store. It’s air conditioned.” “Good call.” Ethan and Jacob rode their bikes to the grocery store.  It was so nice inside that both boys just stood around for a few minutes taking in the cold air.  They took their time getting the groceries Ethan’s mom wanted.  Ethan overheard familiar voices from the next aisle. It was Connor and Dylan again.  “Who else is coming today?” Dylan asked. “You know that hot cheerleader, Grace? Well she’s bringing half of the squad with her.” Connor boasted. Ethan was taken aback. “Grace is going to Connor’s party?” He'd had the biggest crush on Grace since freshman year. He’d been trying to work his way up to actually saying more than hi to her. Now she’s going to be right across the street! Ethan met up with Jacob in the checkout line. He watched as Connor and Dylan left the store carrying bags of ice. “I wish we were going to that party,” he said to Jacob while putting groceries on the belt. “Grace will be there.” “We’d have to get invited first,” Jacob reminded him. “Did you find everything you were looking for?” the cashier asked. She had matching green hair and lipstick, and a friendly smile.  Ethan looked longingly at the door where the other boys exited. “Well, not everything.” “We’re having a sale on popsicles.” the cashier said. “I’ll bet those would make today more bearable.” “I dunno.”  “Definitely!” Jacob chimed in. “Where are they? I’ll get them.” “Frozen desserts aisle,” the cashier replied. “Next to the other popsicles. Bottom shelf in the back.” Jacob ran to the frozen food section. He found the aisle with frozen treats, opened the freezer door, and peered at the bottom shelf in the back. He found two pink boxes. He grabbed one and examined it. It had foreign writing on it with an image of a cute anime girl eating a popsicle. “This must be it.”  He ran back to the checkout where Ethan was waiting to pay. “Is this it?” he asked the cashier as he showed her the box. “That’s it.” She said with a smile and a wink. She scanned and bagged the popsicles. Ethan paid with his mom’s credit card and the boys returned to Ethan’s house with the groceries. They quickly put everything away and opened the popsicles. Ethan pulled one out. “What are these?” “I dunno.” Ethan ripped the wrapper and licked it. “Mmm, cherry.” Jacob tried his. “These are good. And cold!” “Now what?” Ethan asked. “Watch TV?” “Sure.”  They sat on the couch and watched TV while they consumed their pops. Ethan started to feel an itch on his chest and scratched at it. Before they knew it, the pops were done and Jacob got up to throw away the trash. When he returned, Ethan’s hair looked longer. “Dude, you need a haircut.” “What? I got one last week.” Ethen felt the top of his head, and pulled at a lock of hair that seemed to be growing in front of his eyes. “What the hell?” He turned to Jacob and saw that he now sported chin-length hair. “Your hair is growing too.” Jacob ran a hand through his hair. “This is so weird,” he said. “I gotta see this in the mirror.” He took a few steps towards the bathroom and hesitated. “Wait. I’m shorter. I’m shrinking!” Ethan stood up and noticed he too was shrinking. He looked at his hand as the fingers became thinner. “Dude, what was in those popsicles?” “I don’t know.” Jacob ran back to the freezer and looked at the box, but nothing was in English. He returned to the living room holding up his shorts. He looked again at Ethan. “You look like a girl.” “Don’t say that.” Ethan replied, his voice rising in pitch. He had a shocked look on his face as he heard his higher voice. He looked down, watching his T-shirt push away from his chest. “Oh, no. I'm growing tits!” Jacob looked down too and put his hands on his chest. Slowly, like twin balloons inflating, his chest swelled up into his palms. He looked scared. Suddenly Ethan felt a tug at his penis. “No, please no.” He crossed his legs as he felt his genitals get sucked up inside him. Ethan looked in his shorts. “It’s gone!” He cried. Jacob let out a feminine moan as the same thing happened to him. He checked his shorts. “This can’t be happening! What are my parents going to say? What are people at school going to say?” “We’ll figure this out, Jake,” Ethan tried to sound hopeful. “I… I gotta go home!” Jacob said, running out the door. As Jacob ran to his bike, he held up his shorts and boxers. He saw two girls in front of Connor’s house. They looked at Jacob with disgust. “What is she wearing?” one girl asked the other. “I didn’t know hobo chic was back.” The other girl said condescendingly. “She’s not even wearing a bra.” “So trashy.” Jacob stood there and embarrassingly crossed his arms over his chest. Ethan finally caught up to Jacob. They were a sight. Two girls wearing baggy boy clothes that draped over them with T-shirts hanging off their thin shoulders and cargo shorts threatening to fall to the ground. Connor came out from his backyard to greet his guests and noticed Ethan and Jacob standing there. “Hi, ladies, I’m Connor. I don't think we’ve met.” Ethan looked at Jacob who was on the verge of tears, then to Connor. He had to think fast. “I’m Ethan’s cousin, um, Emma. And this is J-” “Hailey,” Jacob cut in. Ethan flashed a look of surprise at Jacob for already having a girl’s name picked out. “Why are you dressed like boys?” Connor asked. “My cousin played an epic prank on us. Our clothes are in the wash.” “Oh. Well, I’m having a party if you’re interested in escaping from your dorky cousin. You two beauties should be hanging out here.” Ethan barely contained his laughter.  Jacob, concern on his face, looked at Ethan and shook his head. Connor introduced the girls. “Emma and Hailey, this is Olivia and Ashley.”  Everyone said hi. “So, grab your bathing suits and come on over!” Connor invited. “My pool is perfect!” Connor and his guests walked into his backyard leaving Ethan and Jacob standing in the street. “Ethan,” Jacob panicked. “I’m starting to freak out. We can’t do this.” “Jake, I really want to go.” “We can’t go looking like this.” “But Grace is going to be there.” “Um, you do realize we’re both girls right now. Shouldn't we be trying to fix this instead of worrying about a party?” “Maybe I can use this to my advantage. I can put in a good word for me with Grace.” Jacob sighed. ”Fine. But I’m only doing this for you.” “Thank you, Hailey.” Jacob frowned. “We'll need to get used to our new names if we’re going to this party.” “Fine… Emma. Now where are we going to get bathing suits? Unless you’re planning on going skinny dipping.” “Valerie’s old room.” Ethan replied. “I’ll bet she left some clothes in there.” The new girls returned to the house and entered Valerie’s room. Ethan’s older sister, Valerie, moved out last year, but she left behind lots of clothing. Ethan searched Valerie’s dresser and found some bathing suits. He picked up two sets and tossed one to Jacob. “I’ll change in the bathroom,” he said, as he walked out and shut the door. Ethan looked at his reflection. He kinda looked like Valerie. His hair was down to the middle of his back.  He eagerly pulled off his T-shirt and looked at his chest. He’d never had a girlfriend and hadn’t ever seen a naked woman, except online. “These are so much better than internet porn!” he exclaimed. He cupped them and played with his nipples. “That feels good,” as his “high beams” came on. He pulled the bikini top over his head and boobs, adjusting them in the mirror. Then he dropped his shorts and boxers. He was amazed to see only a small mound where his penis had always been. He was upset his penis was gone, but he had other things on his mind. He could mourn his dick later. He pulled on the bikini bottoms. Meanwhile, Jacob was still in Valerie’s room. He was afraid to look at his altered body. “This is so embarrassing,” he thought. He kept reminding himself that nobody would know it was him. He let go of his shorts and boxers and they dropped to the floor. He then removed his shirt and looked in a mirror. Standing in front of him was a cute and curvy naked girl. He bit his lip. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. He grabbed the bikini Ethan gave him, pulled the top over his head and adjusted it on his new breasts. The top was tight, as Jacob was now bustier than Valerie.  “Are you decent?” Ethan called. “Hang on,” Jacob said, pulling the bottoms up. At least those fit nicely on his wide hips. “OK.” Ethan walked into Valerie’s room holding beach towels. They looked at each other, blushed, and looked away. They found each other attractive, but were speechless. Ethan walked into the closet and grabbed sandals for him and Jacob.  Jacob put his T-shirt back on. It completely covered his bikini.  Ethan did the same. “Hailey, we should get going.” “Ok, Emma.” 🌡️ Dressed in bikinis, Ethan and Jacob walked over to Connor’s house. Jacob noticed how his boobs bounced and his hips swayed. He worried if he would be able to change back, or was he stuck this way. Music was playing. Teens were running around. Around 20 classmates from high school. No adults. Ethan wondered if Connor’s parents even knew about the party. As they entered the backyard they could see a group of teens playing in the in-ground pool. There was a lot of splashing, yelling, and diving. Ethan had swum in this pool when he was still friends with Connor. But that was years ago.  Jacob’s anxiety was building upon seeing the chaos around him.  “Ethan, I’m really starting to worry about this idea of yours. I think we should just go back to the store and talk to them about those popsicles. What if the change is permanent? What if there is an antidote, but we only have so long to take it? I don’t want to be stuck like this. I don’t think it’s worth the risk just so you can talk to Grace.” “Look, Hailey, I changed too. First, we have to stay in character. Call me Emma, even when we’re alone. And remember, we don’t know anyone and we’ve never been here. Second, I don’t want to get stuck this way either. Let’s just stay a few minutes so I can meet Grace and talk up Ethan. Then we’ll head back to the store. In the meantime, try to have fun. Cool off in the pool while I talk to Grace.” Ethan’s pep talk and promise seemed to calm down Jacob. He took a deep breath, relaxed, and tried to have a positive outlook.  Ethan and Jacob removed their T-shirts and continued towards the pool. Now Jacob felt naked in front of all of these classmates. Just then, Connor came up to them. “Hi ladies, welcome to my party. Emma and Hailey, right?”  They nodded.  “Let me say you both look gorgeous in those swimsuits.” Connor flirted. They both gulped at hearing Connor’s praise. Like they had just walked into the lion’s den. “Thank you. You’re Connor, right?” Ethan asked, pretending he didn’t know his own neighbor. “We really don’t know anyone. Could you show us around and introduce us?" Connor was preoccupied with checking them out and almost ignored what Ethan had said. “Oh, um, sure, I’d love to.” He smiled at Ethan. “Come with me, ladies."  Connor took Ethan’s hand and led them around his backyard pointing out all of his party's amenities. Then Connor introduced them to some of his friends. Ethan felt awkward holding Connor’s hand, but knew he had to play along. Ethan was looking for Grace. He didn’t see her anywhere. “Connor, this is a lot of people. Are any more coming?” “Oh, yeah, there is a group of cheerleaders on their way. Everyone knows I have the best parties!” Connor bragged. Ethan rolled his eyes, but Connor wasn't looking at Ethan's eyes. “Whew, Connor, it’s pretty hot out here. Would you mind if we cooled off in the pool before we meet the rest of your friends?”  “Oh sure, go ahead and dive right in. Could I bring you some sodas?” “Yes, please.” Connor left to get the drinks. Ethan and Jacob sat down at the edge of the pool. They dangled their legs in the cold water. It felt refreshing, and lifted their spirits.  “See, Hailey, this is what we came for. Finally mingling with our classmates. Dangling our legs in a pool on a hot day.”  Jacob nodded.  Sure, Ethan had a point about the hot day. Jacob, however, had no desire to mingle.  "I dunno, Emma, I saw the way Connor was looking at you. I think you’re playing with fire." Soon, Connor returned with cans of Coke. “Drink up, ladies, I’ve got plenty.” Connor’s eye’s lingered on Ethan’s bikini as he handed them the sodas. Then he left to tend to his other guests. As classmates swam by and introduced themselves, Ethan and Jacob recited their backstory. Emma is Ethan’s cousin. Hailey is Emma’s best friend. They are both visiting from Edison. A girl sat down next to Jacob. “Hi, I’m Taylor.” “Hi, Taylor, I’m Hailey.”  “I like your swimsuit, Hailey, but it looks a little tight on you.” “I actually forgot mine, so I borrowed this.” “I could adjust the ties, if you’d like.” “That would be great. It’s so hard to reach back there.” “I know what you mean.” Taylor retied Jacob’s straps a little looser. He felt immediate relief. “Oh, thank you, that feels so much better.” Jacob and Taylor continued to talk. Jacob had sisters, so he wasn’t totally clueless about life on the female side of the fence. The more Jacob talked with Taylor, the more relaxed he felt. With Jacob occupied, Ethan saw an opportunity to join a group of guys diving off the board. When it was his turn, he yelled “Cannonball!” then executed a perfect jump and tuck. The resulting splash got quite a few people around the pool soaking wet, including Taylor. Taylor didn’t like being splashed, so she got up to leave. “Hailey, it’s been nice chatting with you, but I want to dry off and get a snack.”  Jacob was annoyed that Ethan had chased away his new friend. But, he didn’t want to be alone, so he headed over to the diving board to join him.  Ethan’s next jump was at an angle. The cannonball landed right in front of Olivia and Ashley, completely soaking them, their towels, and their snacks. Both girls shrieked at the cold dousing. By the time Ethan popped back up the mean girls had left the pool area muttering obscenities. “Oops,” Ethan laughed, “Sorry.” When it was Jacob’s turn he walked out to the edge of the diving board and jumped. He came down feet first. As he went under, the force of the water stripped his bikini top clean off. When he came up for air he felt his breasts moving all over. He looked down and saw that his bikini top was missing. He covered his breasts with one arm and frantically began searching all around himself for the missing top. Suddenly, Ethan popped up next to Jacob, holding his bikini top. “Oh, God, thank you Eth- Emma,” Jacob gushed. “I was starting to freak out.” “No problem,” Ethan replied. “Here, let me help you. And no more diving for you today. Your boobs are kinda big for jumping in. You almost put on a real show for everyone.” “In the event of a water landing, I can be used as a floatation device,” Jacob giggled. “I’m glad your sense of humor is returning.” Ethan laughed. “And your aim is impeccable, buddy.” Jacob replied. “I saw what you did to the girls who called me trashy.” “Hey, nobody calls my best friend trashy.” Jacob resisted a sudden urge to hug Ethan for his protective comment. After fixing Jacob’s top they got out of the pool and dried off. Then they headed over to the snack table. Nothing fancy; it was chips, pretzels, and sodas. They grabbed some chips and soda. They walked around together, Ethan still looking for Grace. Soon they encountered a few boys who wanted to know who the new girls were. They all made introductions and started chatting. Jacob was busy reciting their backstory when Ethan noticed a new group of girls entering the yard. Grace was with them.  “Hey, guys, I see someone I need to talk to. Would you excuse me?” Ethan asked the group. He then walked off in Grace’s direction. Jacob and the boys headed over to the covered deck to sit in the shade. Jacob nervously eyed Ethan walking away. “Fine, leave me with the sharks,” he thought. Before Ethan could get to Grace, Connor intercepted him. “Hey, gorgeous, are you having a good time?” “Shit!” thought Ethan. “Maybe Jacob was right about Connor.”  “It’s pretty nice, I’ve met a lot of really cool people. And the water feels great. Thank you for inviting us.” “Hey, Emma, your bikini top looks like it’s coming loose, how about I fix it for you?” “Oh, um, OK. Thanks.” Ethan’s top didn’t feel loose, but he couldn’t see the back. Plus, Hailey’s top really had come off earlier. Ethan turned around. Connor came up behind him, close enough for Ethan to feel an erection poking him. After Connor untied the perfectly tight bikini straps he retied them. Then he reached around and softly caressed Ethan's boobs through his bikini, while whispering, “Would you like to see my room?” Ethan was afraid to make a scene and spoil his chance to talk to Grace. He just cringed and shook his head. “All set, nice and tight.” Then he patted Ethan’s behind. Ethan turned around and stared up at Connor with a mixture of fear and anger. He had never felt so powerless and dirty. He silently wished Connor could feel his humiliation. However, Connor just carried on like nothing was wrong. “So, how long are you in town for?” Ethan was all flustered from Connor’s advances. “U-Um, all week.” “Well, Emma, would you like to go out sometime before you leave? I could show you the town. And I know this nice, secluded spot where we can get to know each other. “Y-You mean like on a date?” Ethan choked. He certainly didn’t want to go out with Connor, so he used the excuse of not leaving Hailey behind. “I can’t leave Hailey alone. I’m sorry, Connor.”  “Oh, yeah, Hailey. Hey, I’m sure Dylan would love to double date with us. He seems to be hitting it off with her.” Ethan glanced in their direction. Dylan looked enamored with Jacob and was trying hard to win his attention. Ethan felt conflicted. “Hailey could do better,” he thought. “Um, let me talk it over with Hailey and I’ll let you know, OK?” “Sure, take your time, babe. You know where to find me.”  “Babe? Ick!” Ethan thought. He practically ran over to Grace to escape Connor. Before he got there he took a minute to let his heart slow down and put Connor out of his mind. “So what do girls talk about?” Then he remembered Taylor meeting Jacob. That was a good introduction.  Grace had finished chatting with the other cheerleaders and was now alone. This was Ethan’s chance. “Hi, there, I’m Emma. Where did you get that gorgeous swimsuit?” “Oh, why thank you, Emma. I’m Grace. I bought it online.” She beamed. “Well, you have such a killer bod, you can make any swimsuit look good.” Ethan laid it on thick. “It’s pretty hot out here. Would you like to get something to drink?” “Sure,” Grace replied. So they headed over to the snack table. On the way to the snacks, Grace noticed Hailey surrounded by the group of boys on the deck. “Boys that should be paying attention to me,” she thought. “And my ex, Dylan, is crawling all over that bitch. I’ll scratch her eyes out.” Grace composed herself and pointed at Jacob. “Hey, Emma, do you know that girl over there on the deck?” “Oh, yeah, that’s my friend Hailey,” Ethan replied, now noticing for himself the attention Jacob was getting from the boys. Jacob was all smiles and appeared to be flirting back. “Now who’s playing with fire,” thought Ethan. “Well, it looks like Hailey is making new friends.” Grace said icily. She made a mental note to deal with Hailey and Dylan later. “So, Emma, I don’t recognize you. Do you go to our school?”  “No, I’m from Edison. Hailey and I are visiting my cousin, Ethan. He lives across the street.” Grace was relieved to hear Emma and Hailey were only visiting. The competition was only temporary. “Hmm, I think Ethan is in my history class.” Grace looked around. “I don’t see him here, though.” “Well, Ethan is, um, doing charity work today. He’s at a soup kitchen feeding the homeless.” “Oh, that’s so sweet. So, how did you and Hailey wind up here?” “Hailey and I were out for a walk and ran into Connor. He invited us.” Grace and Ethan had arrived at the snack table. All of a sudden Ethan felt a familiar tingle in his hand. He grunted and started shaking his arm. “Are you OK?” asked Grace. “Let me see your arm.” Ethan held out his arm, and was shocked to see that his original male hand had returned. “Shit!” thought Ethan. “Wow, what happened to your hand, Emma?” Ethan jerked his arm back, “I must have been stung by a bee. I’m allergic to bee stings. Can you excuse me while I go get my medicine?” “Sure. Do you want me to come with you?” “No, that’s OK. I’m going to get Hailey and I’ll be right back.  Ethan approached Jacob and whispered in his ear. “We need to hide. Now.” He kept his arm out of sight. “Sorry guys, gotta run!” Jacob jumped out of his seat and quickly walked off with Ethan. They headed inside the house, and into the bathroom. Jacob was starting to get taller. Ethan’s hair was getting shorter. The popsicle’s effects had obviously started to wear off.  Jacob’s boobs deflated and his bikini top hung loosely around him. He suddenly felt conflicted. Did he want to be Jacob or Hailey? “I didn’t get a chance to tell Grace about me,” Ethan complained. “How long were we girls?” “Um, maybe two hours? What do we do now?” “We need more popsicles.” Ethan reasoned. “Really?” Jacob asked, trying to hide his enthusiasm at being Hailey again. “But how do we get more? They’re in your freezer back home. Right now we’re boys in bikinis.” Ethan looked around the bathroom and “borrowed” a set of boy’s clothes that were lying on a shelf with some towels. “Here, get dressed, run back to my house, and grab us another two popsicles.” “Why me?” Jacob whined. “‘Cause if anyone recognizes me, I’ll get my ass beat. You know Connor and his friends hate me.” Jacob pulled the clothes on over his bikini. “Ok, Eeth. I’ll be right back.” He left the bathroom, ran through the house, and darted out the front door. 👙 Jacob quickly ran to Ethan’s house, and to his freezer. He grabbed the remaining popsicles, unwrapping and licking one. The moment the cherry flavor hit his tongue he could feel himself change back into Hailey.  He ran to the bathroom, lifted up the shirt and readjusted the bikini so it sat right. “That’s so much better,” he thought, smiling.  “I wonder…” he thought as he walked back into Valerie’s room. The drawer with the bathing suits was still open. In there he found a cute bathing suit coverup. He took off the t-shirt and shorts, put the cover up on, and looked at his reflection. “Now, I’m ready to return.” With the last of his own popsicle in his mouth, Jacob grabbed Ethan’s popsicle and the borrowed clothes, and headed back across the street. As Jacob crossed the street a large dog approached him, growling and baring his fangs. Jacob panicked, dropping Ethan’s popsicle. As soon as the popsicle hit the ground the dog jumped on it and devoured it, leaving only the wrapper and stick behind. Then the dog ran off. Jacob just stood there dismayed at the loss of Ethan’s popsicle. He was going to have to explain what happened. He then continued towards Connor’s house. Back in the bathroom, Jacob broke the bad news to Ethan. “What do you mean a dog ate it? That wasn’t your math homework, Jacob, that was my only shot with Grace! Now what are we going to do?” Ethan whined. “You could just - talk to her,” Jacob suggested. “As Ethan?” “Sure. You’ll have to eventually. You were doing a great job of it as Emma. What did you talk to her about?” “It was only for a minute. I think she was jealous of you.” Suddenly Ethan smiled devilishly. “Oh no… I don’t like that look.” “You can be my girlfriend.” “Wait, what? How is that going to get you a date with Grace; or stop you from running into Connor?” “It’ll show everyone I’m not some dweeb and I can get a hot girl.” “Wait, you think I’m hot?” Jacob asked, excitedly. “Please pretend to be my date?” “I don’t know, Eeth.” “Please, Hailey.”  Jacob giggled. “I do like it when you beg. Fine, let’s do this!” “Thank you!” Jacob handed Ethan the borrowed clothes and walked out to the pool where he retrieved Ethan’s shirt. He returned to the bathroom and gave it to Ethan. They left the bathroom together.  “Now what?” Jacob asked. “Let’s hold hands,” Ethan said, taking Jacob’s hand. Jacob felt a warm tingle. Not the same tingle as the transformation. A nice one. It felt good holding Ethan’s hand. Connor saw them walk out of his house. “You weren’t invited, dork!” Ethan squeezed Jacob’s hand tighter in fear. “He’s with me,” Jacob said, clutching Ethan’s arm and leaning into him. “He can’t possibly be with you. You’re cool and he’s… not.” “Look, Connor, if he leaves, then I leave.” “Dude, let them stay,” Dylan chimed in, ogling Jacob. Connor looked conflicted. “Ok, fine.” He looked at Ethan. “What happened to your cousin?” “She got stung by a bee,” Ethan said. “She’s still at my house.” Now Connor was scheming. “Does she need someone to keep her company?” “No, she is taking a nap right now. But she’ll be back later.” Ethan lied. Connor sighed. He would wait for Emma. Then as he walked away he gave Jacob’s butt cheek a quick pinch.   Jacob’s eyes snapped to Connor, who winked back at him; then to Ethan, who was focused on Grace. “She’s looking at us.” Ethan observed. “Good, that’s what you wanted, right?” Jacob responded. Just then, Taylor and a guy came up to them. “Hi Hailey, do you two want to play a pool game?” “Sure,” Jacob said following Taylor to the pool. “What about Grace?” Ethan asked. “You owe me this.” Jacob firmly stated. They all jumped in the pool. Taylor’s friend swam between her legs and lifted her up on his shoulders.  Ethan repeated the move and raised Jacob up on his shoulders. Soon, other girls were rising up out of the water and a game of chicken began. There was plenty of bumping, splashing, and tipping. Ethan and Jacob made a great team, knocking over three pairs in rapid succession. Then only one other couple remained. They saw Grace sitting on Dylan’s shoulders with absolute hatred in her eyes.  “Shit!” Ethan thought. “This is not going the way I hoped.” The two couples headed straight for each other, colliding in a big splash. The girls were pushing, shoving, and slapping each other in an effort to unseat the other. Grace was not used to being challenged and started screaming obscenities at Jacob. “You bitch!” She raged.  “Wow, that escalated quickly,” Jacob thought. He figured he’d have fun with it. Come and get me, skank!” Jacob taunted. He beckoned them forward. Grace tried grabbing Jacob’s bikini top in order to knock him off and to remove it, embarrassing her.  “What kind of girl does this to another?” Jacob wondered. “Ethan deserves better. Someone who will treat him better. Someone more like… me.” At that moment Hailey acknowledged her feelings for Ethan. This made her even more determined to topple Grace and win Ethan’s affections. The symbolism of toppling Grace only fueled her desire.  Grace was so focused on grabbing Hailey’s top, she never saw Hailey take a big swing at Grace, toppling her and Dylan. Taylor began clapping and cheering. Other spectators joined in. Grace had a reputation as a real diva and her classmates were happy to see someone take her down a peg. Grace came up out of the water angry. She screamed at Hailey, to which Hailey responded with laughter. Grace lunged for Hailey, still perched on Ethan’s shoulders, taunting her. Only Dylan grabbing Grace’s arm and holding her back prevented a physical fight. “Hailey, Grace, stop!” Ethan commanded. “Get out of my sight!” Grace seethed. Ethan carried Hailey to the other side of the pool and let her down. “What the hell, Jacob?,” Ethan growled, his dreams of ever dating Grace rapidly crumbling. “You ruined everything!” “Remember, Ethan, I’m Hailey,” she whispered, feeling hurt.” “Sorry.” “I didn’t ruin anything. She was being a total bitch and wasn’t playing nice.” “But that was my only chance at finally dating my crush.” “You can do better, Ethan.” “Oh yeah, who?” “I don’t know, Eeth. But I’ve done everything you’ve asked. And this obsession with trying to date a girl that doesn’t deserve you…” “You don’t understand. You don’t know what it’s like to be pining over someone for years. Never finding the courage to say something.” “Yeah… I do know that feeling.”  Before Ethan knew what hit him, Hailey wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck. Then she locked her lips with his with a passion that had started long before Jacob became Hailey. Ethan looked at his best friend in shock, then at a fuming Grace. “What was that? You don’t have to act any more, Jake.” Hailey was crushed. “I-I wasn’t acting, you ass.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m leaving. Good luck with Grace.” She climbed out and started walking towards the gate, head lowered. Ethan stood there dumbfounded. What just happened? Should he chase after his best friend? Then he saw his crush. Should he apologize? Before Hailey got to the gate, she saw Taylor and stopped. “I just wanted to say goodbye,” she managed a weak smile, “It was so nice to meet you…” Taylor returned Hailey’s smile. “Yeah, it was good meeting you, Hailey,” she said, winking. “Can we stay in touch?” Hailey blushed. “I’m not sure I’ll still be around tomorrow. But I’d like to keep in touch.” They hugged.  “What about your boyfriend?” Taylor asked. Hailey looked back at Ethan who was with Grace. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she sobbed. “He needs time,” Taylor said, placing her hand on Hailey’s shoulder to calm her. Meanwhile, Ethan finally mustered the courage to talk to Grace. “Grace, I’m so sorry.” “Tell your girlfriend she better watch herself.” Grace warned. “She’s just a friend.” Ethan responded, looking back at Hailey who was now watching them. “Oh really?” Grace said. Then she grabbed Ethan and gave him a kiss. Grace’s kiss caught Ethan by surprise. But something was wrong. This wasn’t what he wanted. He pulled away and glanced back at Hailey, but she was gone. Grace chuckled and walked away. Just then Connor came up to Ethan. “Now that your girlfriend is gone, it’s time you left.” “Fine.” Ethan said, collecting his things.  As he was walking to the gate, Taylor confronted him.  “What’s wrong with you?”  “I-I don’t know. I’m confused.” “Clearly. You know Hailey is in love with you, right?” “How can she be in love with me? We’re best friends. We do everything together. Hailey is always there for me. She does everything I want to do without question. Honestly, I don’t deserve-” Ethan paused. “Oh my God, my best friend is in love with me.” “Duh! Now, go get your girl.” Ethan nodded and started running back towards his house. When he got there, Jacob was gone. ☀️  Once back inside his house, Ethan called Jacob. He heard a ring from Valerie's room and found Jacob’s phone there. He picked it up and looked at it. The wallpaper was a picture of Ethan and Jacob on a camping trip last year. Ethan sat there in silence for a long while, holding both phones. There was a knock at the front door and he rushed to get it. Hailey was standing there with a grocery bag. “I forgot my phone,” she said, sadly. “I’m sorry, Jake. I was an idiot.” “No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t being honest with you.” “It’s fine. Let’s talk about it. Please. I’m ready to listen. What’s in the bag?” Hailey held up the bag. “More popsicles. I got the last box. For you.” “You did that for me?” “I’d do anything for you Ethan.” “I don’t deserve you as a friend. Come in. What should we do with them?” “Maybe we could go back to the party as Emma and Hailey?” “Nah, I am so over that bunch of ignorant jerks.” “But what about Grace?” “Today, thanks to you, Hailey, I got to see what Grace was really like.” I don’t know what I ever saw in her in the first place.” “It was probably these,” giggled Hailey as she jiggled her boobs. “You’re probably right,” Ethan laughed. “I mean, they are awesome,” Hailey admitted, still playing with herself. Ethan smiled at Hailey who was clearly very happy to have her own pair. “Seriously, I wish we could make those jerks be more respectful of others. Maybe see what life is like from our perspective.”  “That’s it!” Ethan shouted. “Let’s give them the popsicles and see what happens! Quick, Hailey, grab those Solo cups out of that cabinet,” he said, pointing across the kitchen. “We can melt down the popsicles and serve them in those cups.” “But what if nobody wants to drink it?” Hailey asked, playing devil’s advocate. “We’ll tell them it’s spiked,” Ethan reasoned. “Nobody will turn down a spiked drink!” Hailey opened a popsicle and put it into her mouth. Ethan looked at her and smiled at the girl in front of him. “Hailey.” Ethan asked tenderly. “Is there something you want to tell me?” Hailey was silent for a moment. “Is this it?” she thought. “Is this the moment she comes out to her best friend?” “Ethan,” she said. “I, um, have been having these feelings. For a while. I always thought that boys had to be strong and masculine. But I’m none of those things.” “Everyone is different. You don’t have to be those things. Especially around me. Just be yourself.” “I like being Hailey, Ethan.” “I’m finally noticing.” “When the popsicles first changed us I was scared. I was afraid I might like it. I was worried you’d learn my secret. But I did like it. A lot. But then I realized that I am Hailey. I’ve always been. Those popsicles were a dream come true. Now, I want you to know my secret. I hope this doesn’t ruin anything between us. I love you, Ethan.” She looked down at her sandal-clad feet. “Hailey,” Ethan said, lifting her chin up. “I love you too.” He moved closer as their eyes closed and they kissed. “What if I change back to Jacob?”  “Now that I know, you’ll always be Hailey to me.” Hailey smiled and wiped a happy tear from her cheek. “Let’s finish this up.” They placed the popsicles in a bowl and microwaved them until they melted. Then they poured the liquid into a pitcher and added Sprite and ice to fill it up. Finally, they poured some “spiked” punch in each cup and put the pitcher in the fridge. “OK, Hailey, let’s head back over there and have some fun!” Ethan wore his swim trunks, while Hailey raided Valerie’s room again and found a cute sundress to wear over her bikini. They walked back over to Connor’s party with a tray of cups. Connor met them as they entered. “You two again? You really caused a commotion in the pool.” Ethan spoke up. “I know, Connor, things got out of hand earlier. We’re sorry about that.” Ethan put on his most humble face. By now, several of Connor’s friends had wandered over to where Connor was to see what was going on. Hailey noticed the group and added, “We wanted this to be a peace offering and a toast to you, Connor, for throwing such a great party. So we made up this spiked punch to celebrate with everyone.” Connor and his friends heard “spiked” and immediately thought “alcohol”. “Boy, are they gonna be surprised,” thought Ethan. The crowd started chanting, “Con-nor! Con-nor!” which finally drew the attention of Dylan and Grace, who joined the group. Ethan and Hailey started passing out the cups, with the warning not to drink anything until the toast. When everyone had a cup, Ethan raised his and called out, “Here’s to Connor.” Hailey finished with, “He always has the best parties!” A few people “hell, yeahed” their agreement, then everyone downed their punch. While that was happening, Ethan and Hailey stood back and waited for the show to begin. Well, Ethan waited. Hailey downed her punch so she could remain Hailey as long as possible. She even took Ethan’s cup from him, supposedly to dispose of it, then drank his too on the way to the trash can. She wondered how long she could stay Hailey now. If Connor thought there was commotion before, this could only be thought of as utter chaos. Apparently, melting the popsicles sped up the transformation rate. Within seconds, the boys and girls completely changed sexes. They started running around and yelling. Clothing was falling off or being torn off by changes in size. Ethan and Hailey just stood there, laughing, holding hands, until a very buxom topless girl ran up, wearing Connor’s swim trunks, her boobs bouncing wildly. Her swim trunks fell to the ground. “What did you do to us?” Connor cried in a very feminine voice. “Just a little payback for the way you and your friends have treated us all these years, Connor!” Ethan shouted back. “Plus for groping and forcing yourself on me, you douche.” “I didn’t touch you!” “You touched Emma.” Ethan had a devilish grin. Connor realized then that Ethan was Emma and shrank away in disgust, until he bumped into his jock friends who were now girls as well. “What’s going on, Dude? Are we gonna change back?” They asked.  “I don’t know,” cried Connor, “hopefully, we’ll all be back to normal by morning.” “Dude, we all have football camp in the morning. Coach is gonna kill us!” “Or make us cheerleaders!” Grace was the only one so far to embrace her changes. She became a muscle-bound guy with eyes on the now diminutive female Dylan. “Dylan, the whole time we were together you treated me like less of a person, just because I was a girl, and you were a big strong jock. Well now I’m big and strong, and you’re gonna learn what it’s like to be called small and weak.  “Should we tell them this only lasts a few hours?” Hailey whispered. “Nah, let them squirm.” As Ethan and Hailey turned to leave, a very male Taylor came up to them holding hands with her guy friend from earlier, who was now all girl. It appears they both exchanged bathing suits during the commotion.  “Hi, Hailey, or is it Jacob?” Taylor spoke.  “It’s um - Hailey now. I think. How did you know?” “I’ve seen the two of you around school. I was surprised to see Ethan with a girl and without Jacob. When we all changed - I put two and two together. Also, the way you both look at each other.  Oh, this is my friend, Alex.” “Hi, Alex. We met in the pool.” Ethan said. Ethan and Hailey looked at each other, then curiously at Alex who hadn’t said a word. He was too busy playing with his boobs. Taylor noticed this and playfully swatted at Alex’s hand. “Down, girl!” Ethan apologized to them. “Look, I’m really sorry about this. I was pissed at Connor for always putting me down. Always giving me a hard time because I’m not a jock. I didn’t mean to get you caught up in this. If it makes you feel any better, the change only lasted a couple of hours when we tried it.” Taylor chuckled. “Oh, we’re not upset. We don’t get hung up on labels. Male, female doesn’t matter. In fact, you’ve given us a perfect opportunity to see things from a different perspective. I’m glad we got to meet you two.”  “We usually keep to ourselves, because we don’t really have many friends.” Ethan timidly confessed. “That’s too bad. You two are so much more than your reputations say. And now you have two more friends! I think we all had a great time today. Why don’t we all meet for lunch tomorrow and get to know each other better.” After making plans with Taylor and Alex, Ethan and Hailey headed home holding hands. Once they got inside, Hailey turned to Ethan. “So, now what? Can we still be friends?”  “Well,” Ethan said. “After all that has happened today, I was kinda hoping… that maybe… we could be boyfriend and girlfriend?” “Really?” Hailey said excitedly. “Really. But first,” started Ethan. “I need to apologize to you for the way I behaved today. I’ve been chasing after a dream for so long I never realized my dream girl was right in front of me.” Hailey whispered into Ethan’s ear. “You had me at ‘dream girl.’” Purred Hailey. “But we’re going to need to find more of those popsicles.” “Even if we don’t.” he said, looking his girlfriend in the eyes. “It won’t change anything.” “I just mean - I thought Emma was cute too. Maybe she could come by for a visit.” They both laughed and then were kissing when Ethan’s mom walked in on them. “Ahem,” Ethan’s mom coughed. “Oh, Ethan! Hi. Who’s your friend?” Hailey blushed. “This is Hailey, Mom.” “Nice to meet you Hailey.” "Nice to meet you, ma'am."  “Ethan, I hope Jacob is OK with you spending time with a girl.” Hailey giggled. “Jacob approves.” 🕶️ Later that night, Ethan's parents arrived home from their own date night. Ethan’s mom stopped by the den where Ethan was playing a game on the computer. “Hi, honey, how was your evening?” Mom asked. “Oh, um, hi Mom.” Ethan paused his game. “Hailey and I watched a movie. Then I walked her home.” “That was really sweet of you, honey. She seems like such a nice girl. And a real cutie!” Ethan just blushed. “It seems cooler in here, is the A/C working again?” “Oh, yeah, I checked it out and it was just a loose wire. I was actually thinking maybe I could get a summer job with an A/C repair service. I’ll bet they’re really busy now.” “That sounds wonderful Ethan. You’ll have the money to buy a car in no time! Oh, and we stopped at a grocery store on the way home to get you a cool treat, but they were out of everything but popsicles. I hope you like them.” Ethan’s eyes went wide. “Did you say ‘popsicles’, Mom? Um, what flavor are they?” “I think they’re lime. The box was green. Why?” “Oh, no reason.” Ethan calmed down. “Lime sounds great. Thanks.” “OK, goodnight honey.” Mom headed upstairs to get ready for bed.  Ethan's dad was looking through the fridge when he spied the pitcher of punch. “This should hit the spot,” thought Ethan’s dad. “Then it’s upstairs for a little playtime. That little black dress has always been her ‘come get me’ invitation.”     “So what happened to Hailey?” Flora asked. “Did she get more popsicles?” “Did she stay a girl permanently due to too many popsicles?” Stella asked. “I'll leave that to your imagination,” said Amanda, winking. “So which one are you?” Evan asked, their marshmallow engulfed in flames. “What do you mean?” Amanda cautiously asked. “Rumor has it that all of Amanda’s stories are autobiographical.” Amanda chuckled. “Are you Hailey?” “No.” “Ethan?” “No.” Amanda laughed. "Grace?"  "God, I hope you don’t think I’m anything like Grace," Amanda pouted.  “She’s Connor!” Stella said.  “This is a cautionary tale of being a douchebag.” “Ha. Ha. Not. Funny.” “But you were at that party.” Flora said, convinced she knew the truth. Amanda grinned, reopened her cooler, and pulled out another popsicle for herself. “Let’s just move on. Who’s next?”   TF Emily aka tfes8 writes fluffy gender transformation stories.  Her first novel, Second Chances can be found on Kindle Unlimited. Her other novels and a growing collection of short stories can be found on TGStoryTime, FictionMania, and her website tfemily.com.

It was a nice day to walk to a park but then again i'm with the bois so we stayed at my house. Then something came on my mind "did you bois ever wondered of having a girlfriend?" "Hmm having a girlfriend makes my chinpo(penis) do weird stuff probably never gonna get one" "I had one but it was on elementary, it didn't go well cause she was avoiding me and whenever I'm going to pass by to their classroom she always smacks me in the face and I don't know why" "uhhh how can I get a girlfriend when I'm one of what they called a ugly bastard" "hmm but all I can say is it's an experience but it can also break your heart so I suggest not to do it, it's a pain in the ass" "oii sarugi having a girlfriend is good you know you just don't understand it" "kishimo all I'm going to say is it's your choice if you really want to get a girlfriend" "I want to but I don't know how to, HEALTHHHHO MEEEE!!  And thus so the 3 boys (kishimo, sarugi, and take) are experiencing a thrill of not having a girlfriend because they're just an ugly bastar. One day kishimo got a letter. What is this a love letter? "Hmm what am I going to do again I mean I'm just an ugly bastard why did I receive something that I don't have to receive?" "oii kishimo ohayou" "yo" "oyoy what is that on your hand right there" "No-no-nothing it's a goodbye letter yes a goodbye letter" "hmm from who?" "why do you even care take?" "I care cause I'm your friend, we are tomodachi right?" "Yeah yeah, where is saguri?" "Hmm he said he received a letter to but he didn't say anything that's all" That's weird he and me received a letter? Hmmm "Hey take did you received any letter?" "I haven't received any letter" As the class starts kishimo read the letter.  It says here "I'll be waiting at the back of the cafeteria" now that a weird place to meet.  "kishimo! Pay attention to the class please" "Ha-hai sensei" Kishimo wasn't going to the back of the cafeteria but he was curious so he sneaks in the back of the cafeteria. "whoa there is a girl and she is kinda cute" "yeah kishimo she is cute" I kn-wait why are you here?" "just heard from you muttering about a love letter so I followed you" "just sit tight there don't make any noises,  Ahhh who are you?" "i-im ruhe from the 7th grade" "ow I'm kishimo from the 8th grade and I received a letter from you? There's no name so I didn't think it was you" "As she looked into me I thought wow she was cute but she when turned around" "What? Your just an ugly bastard, your not the guy that I sent a letter" "wh-what?  Are you kidding me? I really thought a moment ago I was going to have a girlfriend" "well your just a ugly bastard noone will like you" This b*tch is pissing me I want to punch her in the face.  "kishimo calm down bro it's just a misunderstanding" "I know I'm hopeless huhuhu"      

What was the hardest question to answer in the world? For me, it was the meaning of life. What did we live for anyway? To survive? To fulfill our purposes? To be drowned in decadence and opulence? To be loved? Was there a meaning to what we do daily? Or did we all live just to see another sunrise? The Earth would turn regardless of human intervention. The world did not revolve around us. We were but momentary, insignificant specks within the vast universe. Those were some of the thoughts that ran across my mind from time to time. They calmed my heart and helped me stay down to earth. I often came across as a gloomy, emo person, but I was not. It was just that I lacked motivation in life. Nothing could excite or inspire me to expect more from my meaningless, mundane life. How could you blame me for being like this after getting disappointed countless times since young? When none of your childhood dreams came true, you would realize that ideals and reality never crossed paths one day. That was the time you would grow up and stop believing in Santa and happily ever after. This must be the process of stepping into adulthood, or at least that was what I would like to believe. As the only child born in the Chapman family, I never had an elder sister to play with or a younger brother to bully. When I was a kid, I admired the other children with siblings. I often looked out the window and watched them play at the park. Their parents were all smiles as boisterous laughter filled the atmosphere. Was I truly jealous of the kids with siblings? No! I mean, why would I? There was no one to fight over your favorite TV shows, invade your privacy, steal your stuff, share the bathroom or compete for attention. I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted and was happy about it. But I yearned for the attention of my parents. I spent most of my time alone at home after school every day. I didn't have much chance to bond with my father and mother my entire childhood. We didn't really talk, even when they were at home. Due to their job nature, they would often go on business trips. During those times, our neighbor, Aunt Helen, would take care of my meals. Although she was a kind lady, her son would always put on a grumpy face. He would usually be forced to fake a smile at me, but what I got were occasional superficial greetings or cold shoulders. I wouldn't blame him if I were being honest. If I were in his shoes, I would probably do the same. Which kid in their right mind would enjoy watching their parents treat someone's child better than themselves when the latter always looked gloomy? Perhaps, he felt awkward or didn't enjoy my presence, or whatever reason it was. One day, when I went to their house for a meal, I noticed him reading a comic book. As always, he decided to ignore me. Not that I care, but what caught my attention was the smile on his face as his eyes were glued to the book. The sight of his delightful expression and glittering eyes burned into my memory. It left an impression so great that I couldn't fall asleep that night. I was not unfamiliar with anime, comic books, games, and novels. After all, I often saw my schoolmates read comics and novels or play mobile games in a group. I just didn't bother to look into them. But the look on the boy's face sparked my interest so much so that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the book immediately. I needed to know what made a grumpy boy look that way! My curiosity got the better of me eventually. I bought myself a copy of the same issue of comic book the boy read first thing the next morning. Wasting no time, I hurried back home immediately after getting that 'artifact'. Upon entering my house, I plonked myself on the sofa and plastic wrapping that covered the book. With that, I took a deep whiff of the book's fragrance. Ah! Wonderful! This was the moment that would change my life forever. After turning to the first page, I took in the contents printed on the paper. God knew how long time had passed. Before I knew it, I was already on the last page. It was like I was in a state of trace the entire time I was reading the comic book. But I was so fired up on the inside. I could feel a burning passion engulfing my whole existence. It was at the moment that I felt alive for the first time in my life. I didn't know until a much later time, but I was grinning from ear to ear the entire time I was reading the comic. From that day onward, I started buying comic books and novels and watching anime. One day, an epiphany hit me: I didn't need my parents' company anymore. They were almost non-existent in my life anyway. Reading a new series of comics or novels was like going on a new adventure; each story was different. A new fiction, a new world. None of them were alike. They painted colors to my monochrome life. That was how I became an avid comic and novel reader. As time passed, the empty space in my room would be filled with more and more of those books. If one were to ask me what was my motivation and goal in life currently, I would gladly answer them without hesitation: anime, comics, games, and novels. Would I consider myself a nerd, you ask? No. I consumed those contents regarding them as a form of entertainment. Would you consider yourself a nerd for your love of cooking and gardening? No. You just preferred a different form of entertainment than I did. That's right. I didn't see a problem here. Time flew by, and I was already in my college year before I knew it. Being a college student was kinda weird. You were no longer a teenager, but you weren't exactly a full-fledged adult, either. You were stuck in the middle of nowhere. You finally reached legal age but didn't know what to do with your life. Such is life, I guess? Full of endless questions no one had the answers to. But who cares? I swear I would live exactly the way I like. And so, it was the release date of the new volume of one of my favorite novels that day. I was so stoked that I woke up extra early like a kid who was hyped for their field trip. I could no longer wait to get my hands on a copy of that book already. To save time, I booked an Uber to the bookstore as soon as possible. The journey from home to the bookstore had always been the longest waiting time in my life. It felt like time passed unusually slower than ever. You might ask why didn't I get myself a digital copy instead. Oh, yes. I did, alright. Or you might ask, why wouldn't I order the book online and get it delivered to me? Well, I'd say it was more like a ritual to me to grab the physical print from the bookstore. The Uber ride didn't take a long time, as the traffic was pretty smooth that day. Once I arrived, I immediately rushed toward the rack where the latest volume was displayed. Grabbing a copy, I scuttled in the direction of the payment counter. I always enjoyed seeing the cashier putting my new book inside the paper bag. It was always a satisfying sight to behold. With the paper bag in my hand, I left the bookstore with a silly grin on my face. Oops! Gotta wipe the dripping drool off! Ahem! Can't be ruining my public image, can't I? Now that I finally got what I wanted, there was no way I'd wait until I was home to start reading. I didn't lose my sleep the night before to have to wait for another extra minute. Thus, I instantly tore off the plastic wrapping that was blocking my slender fingers from the book. Without further hesitation, I quickly flipped through the pages and started reading while I was strolling on the sidewalk. I was a happy girl with her favorite book in her hands. There was nothing that would feel better than moments like this. I didn't realize what had happened until it was too late. You'd guessed it right. I got hit by Truck-kun! Tee-hee! But heck, that was no joke! The second a long bang was heard, I could feel an excruciating pain spread across my whole body. My head felt like it was split into pieces. Blood was oozing out from my body like a flood. As the blood continued leaving my body, I could feel a shivering chill sweep through every inch of my skin. It hurt so much that I lost the ability to think straight. Am I gonna die? If I knew death was gonna hurt so much, I would've been more mindful of the traffic and not lost myself in the world of books. But life was not a game; you didn't get to choose replay. Argh...! It hurts... It hurts so much! I wanted the pain to go away immediately. All of a sudden, flashes of memories played in my mind like a video. It was at that moment I realized I had been squandering my life away. If I were given a second chance, I would want to live a wonderful, colorful, and eventful life. But I knew it was all too late. There was no retry. Soon, I felt my consciousness leave me. ... "Alice." ... "Alice." I could hear someone calling my name. "Knock, knock. Earth to Alice," a disembodied voice said casually. I tried to focus on the voice as I struggled to open my eyes which felt like they were glued. "Who are you? Where am I? I'm dead, right? Am I in the afterlife? Are you a god or something? Oh, I'm not going to hell for not paying attention to the traffic, right? Please tell me I'm not going to hell!" I could barely make out the silhouette of the voice's owner. It appeared to be a dazzling humanoid figure, which pretty much meant it was not a human. "Whoa, there. Calm down. You're not going to hell. So, don't worry. I am a celestial being. I'm not a god but an agent of God—the servant of the Holy One. My name is Kaiel. This place is a pseudo-dimensional plane. You may understand it as a temporal hub that all newly deceased souls will pass through. It exists in the same universe but is on a different plane of existence. Do you have any questions?" "Err... Okay. That's interesting. So, do heaven and hell actually exist? What should I do next? Where am I going to?" "Yes, heaven and hell exist. But there aren't in this universe. Don't worry about them for now. You have a more important mission. Your spirit will be sent into another world. You are to learn about the ways of that world and stop a great catastrophe that will befall in the future." Oh, ho. That sure sounds interesting. I wonder if that world has swords and magic. "Yes, the world you'll be reborn into has swords and magic. And you'll be blessed with all the things you lacked in your previous life. To help you fulfill your mission, you'll be blessed with unlimited growth and potential. You'll be able to learn and do anything as long as you give your all. Fear not, for the eyes of the Almighty are upon you." I gazed at the being as they explained the situation to me. To be frank, I had never seen someone so beautiful in my life before. The beauty of this being was so out of this world that it stirred up fear in me. The voice of Kaiel was so pleasant to the ear that it was like the best eargasm you could ever experience. Whoa! Wait a minute! Did Kaiel just read my thoughts earlier? That was so scary and cool at the same time! "By the way, does everyone go through this also? Do I get to keep the memories from my previous world? Is there anything else that I need to know?" Flashing a gentle smile on their countenance, Kaiel replied, "No. You are a special exception. This is a mission unique to you. Yes, you'll remember everything. I've already told you everything you need to know for now. Your mission will be revealed when the time comes." Just then, Kaiel raised their hand and declared, "Live your life to the fullest, Alice Chapman. Until we meet again. Peace be with you." Upon hearing that, the scenery before my eyes turned white. The next thing I knew, I was in an unfamiliar place with people I had never seen before, who were speaking in a language that I couldn't understand. Okay. I guess Truck-kun did send me into another world as it did those many high schoolers from the east.

The bathroom lights flickered as Kaden sat in the tub unconscious. Deep within his body, his DNA had started to become undone, and in it's place were a more perfect genetic sequence. His blood which had been red slowly turned black as it circulated throughout his body. His bones increased in density, making themselves harder to break or shatter. Kaden's mouth opened as he groaned softly. His teeth which were straight turned pearly white, and a set of fangs slid out from his upper jaw. After the fangs extended, they retracted themselves and vanished. His skin turned softer and the scars and acne he had vanished quickly. His muscles which were hidden by the body fat he had unknowingly accumulated, slowly grew more defined. His facial features had long since changed. As if he was carved from marble like a god, his fair skin would make even women envy him. His hair which was a dark brown changed to a lighter brown, and became softer than silk. Compared to before, if Kaden was considered average, he was now a divine piece of art. His throat underwent changes, his vocal chords becoming able to make a wider variety of sounds such as hisses and growls. His pupils slowly narrowed until they resembled slits, similar to snakes. His brown eyes turned into a richer mesmerizing color of hazel. His body height hadn't changed much, leaving him at five ten, not the tallest, but it suited him. The last part to change was Kaden's brain. As black blood surged through his body, his brain underwent changes, as were such with all his senses. His nose, sight, hearing, and touch had increased tremendously, as did his taste. Kaden's last major change was his heart. It was beating twice as fast as a normal human, however after a few moments, it started to slow drastically, as if it had drained itself sustaining the transformation. Kaden didn't know how much time passed, however he heard a frenzied heart beat that started to slow. Soon the heart stuttered and fell silent and a wave of energy courses through Kaden's entire being, jolting him awake! He sat up nigh instantly, his body blurring as he moved faster than the eye could follow. After inhaling a few gasps of air, he realized that despite holding his breath, he didn't feel the need to breath. His body felt a lot more flexible and lithe, as if he were a beast in human form, capable of unleashing terrifying attacks. He slowly got to his feet and went to the mirror and then froze. In the mirror was a man to handsome to be human. His hazel eyes framed by light brown hair that fell to his shoulders contrasted his pale white countenance. His lips were red, and the corner of his lips curved upwards a bit. 'Damn, I look amazing.' He looked down and realized that the clothes he was wearing had become a bit tight. [Host has successfully Turned. If host wants to view the your status, please say Menu.] Kaden nodded but didn't immediately look at it, instead he turned around slowly, trying to get used to seeing his now handsome face instead of some bumpy acne filled face. His body felt as if it were filled with energy, and without much thinking, Kaden knew he was a lot stronger than before, and with his eyes, he could see dust motes swirling in the air. The bathroom seemed to be illuminated by a floodlight, as everything was brightly lit despite the light on the ceiling being rather dim. [Host has undergone a major transformation. Host is now comparable to a Gold Rank warrior.] Kaden frowned as he left the bathroom after removing his shirt and tossing it aside. There were a variety of scents in the air, some he had never smelled before and others he found familiar. 'They weren't joking when they said vampires have good smell...' He took a deep breath and realized that he himself also left a scent as he walked. He sat down on the living room couch and softly said menu in his mind. [Vampire System] Name : Kaden Species : Vampire Power Estimate : Peak Gold Rank Traits : Enhanced Speed, Sight, Hearing, Strength, and Endurance. Night Vision. Skills : Compulsion.  Kaden looked at the menu for a bit before asking a question that was bugging him. 'You mentioned gold rank before, what is it? Some kind of title or something?' [Gold Rank Beings have greater prowess than regular humans. At the Gold Rank, one can try to sense the ambient energy in the air.] [After Gold Rank is the Formation Stage, where one gathers the ambient energy in the air into their body. As a vampire, you'll condense a core instead.] "I see. So things light cultivation and such to exist after all? Then how strong am I now?" Kaden's voice sounded richer and velvety, as if his voice was soothing ones ears. [Everything before Formation Stage is mortal. At the Formation Stage, one starts to unlock the body's potential. However as a vampire, you can directly enter the Formation Stage as host isn't a mortal being.] 'What happens when I advance? Do I have to like meditate like in the books or something?' Kaden asked with a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes. [Host needs to consume blood to gather blood essence if host wants to reach the Qi Shaping Stage.] "Then how strong am I? Like not the rank, I want an estimate of my physical attributes." [Host can easily destroy a squad of highly trained elite soldiers according to the standard on the national level.] [Host can currently defeat a Gold Rank warrior with ease if the need arises. At the Formation Stage, host will be able to ignore small conventional weapons like blades and pistols.] [However as a vampire, you are more vulnerable to blessed metal. Blessed metal will be able to inflict major wounds.] "So I can't just go and flaunt the fact I'm a vampire right? I take it that other humans would hunt me down." [Host is correct. Until reaching the Qi Shaping Stage, host is advised to lay low.] "I won't go and get killed off because I'm now a vampire. How will I explain my changes without causing a major fuss?" [If Host completes a mission, the rewards will be able to allow you to live life normally. Of course, Kaden Vale will have to disappear.] "So I can't try and keep my current identity? Okay, but I'm keeping my name." Kaden said as he looked around with a tinge of melancholy. [Host can try another way. Host must learn to use Compulsion, however Host may need to get used to using it.] "Is it similar to that vampire show I watched? Where I look into their eyes and then compel them?" [Host can indeed compel targets by making eye contact. The eyes are the windows to the soul.]  

Cassidy POV Trigger Warnings: Blood and injury, kinda graphic depictions of violence?, Murderers, Death, Major Character death/s   “Hi Kids! Do you want some birthday cake? I have some right over here!” The smiling bunny man said, gesturing to a room across the hallway. “Yeah!” several children   including herself said excitedly. The bunny man began walking with several children tailing him while chatting with each other enthusiastically. When they got to the door, the bunny man stopped and gestured for them to go first. They rushed into the room without so much as a second thought, expecting to see a cake or one of the tables with the cloth that they had grown used to seeing in the dining area. Instead, they were met with a small dark room, with only a bookshelf on the opposite side of them. It was eerie, and it looked like the walls were made of metal or something. Cassidy and the others turned back around questioningly, only to see that the bunny man had closed the door and was now locking it with a key from their belt. “Um.. there’s no cake in here, are you sure this is the right room?” one of the kids asked hesitantly. “Oh, no this is definitely the correct room,” the bunny man said, smiling visibly even with his mask on. He slowly reached into his pocket and brought something out of it, but Cassidy was only able to see the glint of something metallic before he brought it behind his back. She felt a bead of sweat roll down her face as she stood still, nervous for reasons she could not understand. She began to back away slowly, flinching as the bunny man also took a step forward. “C-Can we g-go back to the other room again? This one is scary…” a girl with blond hair said. “Don’t worry, it’ll only hurt for a second…” He said, and he lunged for the girl who had just spoken. She had no time to react before a knife was plunged into her forehead, and she let out a piercing scream. The little girl collapsed in agony before going eerily still. The other children began backing away and pressing themselves against the walls, and Cassidy ran to the door and started pounding on it, shouting for help although she suspected this room was sound-proof. ‘Like it was built specifically for this.’ She thought darkly.“Oh come on, don’t make this difficult, it’ll only take a second!” She heard the bunny man sing. She turned around and saw that he’d cornered one of the other boys, and was raising his knife, about to stab him. ‘DO SOMETHING!’ she yelled internally at herself, but it was no use, she was completely paralyzed with fear. The boy tried to dodge away, but he wasn’t fast enough, and she saw the blade go straight into his left eye. He shrieked in pain and his screams echoed across the room as he slowly began bleeding out. “See, this is what happens when you struggle, it will only hurt more!” the bunny   man said cheerfully, as if they were talking about something light and carefree, as if he wasn’t murdering them as he was speaking. Cassidy wasn’t even sure she was breathing anymore, but she couldn’t move, she was too afraid of what might happen if she did. Cassidy tried her best to look away and save what was left of her sanity, but she couldn’t move, so she watched, as one by one, they were all murdered. After the boy who was stabbed in the eye, there was another boy, with a Freddy shirt and brown hair. Then there was another boy with a bonnie shirt and dark blue dyed hair. Until it was just her left. Just her and the bunny man. She started backing up until she hit the wall, and she pressed herself against it forcefully. The man started slowly stalking towards her, and every minute felt like years, but she couldn’t do anything as he came closer and closer, until he was right in front of her. “You’re a monster!” Cassidy shouted with tears streaming down her face. He ignored her. “Y’know, it won’t do you any good, but do you want to know the name of the one who’s about to kill you?” He asked, but it was a rhetorical question, so he didn’t expect an answer. “My name,” He began. “Is William Afton.” He plunged the knife into her chest, and the world went dark...

"You aren't good enough for me..." Kaden felt as if someone had smashed him with a truck! "How can you say that? I loved you and didn't even think to cheat! Now that you got caught, you say I'm not good enough for you?" Kaden yelled in anger while the beautiful girl looked at him in contempt and some other emotion. "You were just a fling until I found someone who deserves me, okay? Put the thought of us being together out of your head!"  "Oh I will. If I had known you were like this, I'd have just ignored you." Kaden said as he tried to keep his face emotionless. Seeing the look of loathing Kaden gave her, Melissa left after sending Kaden a disdainful look. Kaden shut the door behind her and slumped down with a calm expression on his face. 'This is what I get for being foolish enough to open myself up to someone.' Kaden wiped away the single tear that trailed down his cheek. 'Damn, and I bet Logan is delighted now that he finally got her.' Logan was a rich young master of some wealthy family while Kaden could only be said to be a slightly below average college student. The disparity was obvious. Why would Melissa. Stay with someone who had nothing?  Kaden's fingernails dug into his palms and a bit of blood welled up, making him look down at the glaringly bright red liquid trailing down his hands. With a self mocking smile, Kaden dabbed hai finger into the trail and licked the blood away from his hands. [Authorizing System Existence...] [Vampire System has been authorized...] 'What? A system? Is that why I can see a game screen in front of my eyes?' [Vampire System booting...] 'But a vampire system? I read enough webnovels to know what vampires and systems are, but what kind of vampire will I become?' 'I hope it isn't some pale monstrous thing.' Kaden said as he slowly got to his feet and grabbed his phone from the counter. He typed in his password and immediately googled vampires. Lots of information popped up, and while waiting for the System to boot up, he read about the lore of vampires. 'So will I become immortal? Or will I just devolve into some blood sucking fiend? I don't want to turn into some monster.' Kaden staggered back until he hit the wall and then crouched down with a pensive look. 'According to the Lore, vampires get remodeled or something when they change so they become more appealing. Will that happen for me or?' Kaden didn't have to wait long as the System finally chimed again. [Vampires are ancient creatures that feed on blood. Vampires are altered when they go through Turning, and become better suited to be predators. Make no mistake, despite how beautiful vampires may seem, vampires are an intelligent predatory species.] [Would Host like to bind system to yourself?] Kaden looked at the notices above and then squinted as he thought about his situation. 'I don't really have anything going for me, and being a vampire doesn't sound half bad. At least I'd get to be interesting...' Kaden smiled faintly and recalled Melissa's look of contempt. 'If I were a vampire, I wouldn't be looked at with disdain or contempt! Fine, I'll become a vampire, I just want to have lots of fun.' [Host has decided. Host has accepted the Vampire System. Please stand by for a moment...] Kaden got up and stretched before heading to his small living room and dragging a chair into the sun. 'Better enjoy the final moments of being in the sun.' Kaden sat in the chair until he started to sweat. [System Binding Complete... Host will be turned. Please find a safe place so that you may Turn.] The system jolted Kaden out of his brief daze and he wondered if he should have agreed at all. 'I might be making a choice that put a many in danger, but I don't want to be ordinary anymore.' He got up and headed to his bathroom. Inside, he stripped down to his boxers and looked at his face. Brown messy hair framed his dull brown eyes. Acne and a few gulps made his rather ugly at the moment. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and entered the tub. After settling in to a good position, he relaxed. [Turning will commence in 1 Minute.] The text floated and started to countdown, and a feeling of anxiety overtook him for a few seconds. He felt as if he couldn't get enough air, however the System chimed again. [Host has to calm down. You have less than thirty seconds to abort. After you Turn, there's no way back.] 'Should I do this? I might become a monster! I can end it all here and still continue as a normal human...' [5] [4] A flash of memories rushed to the forefront of his mind and he saw people looking at him with disdain. [3] 'I've decided.' [2] 'I...' [1] 'I want to be a vampire.' [0] [Timer has expired. Beginning the Turning...] Kaden felt a pulse surge through his body and then he fell unconscious a few moments later.

I lived a very boring life if i'm honest, i'm a single child, my mother died giving birth and my father died when i was young in a car accident, I ended up living with my grandmother who was weak due to old age. I didn't have many friends, I got above average grades in school but i ended up working at a cafe and I died at the age of 21 after being hit by good old Mr truck. In the end the only times exciting moments in my life was when I watched anime and played games with my friend I met online. Although I never met her in person she ended up being the only person who understood me. We would spend hours playing random games and watching anime together. Why am I talking about this? Well I am currently staring at a dark skinned women who looks around 20 with silver hair and silver eyes. Whats strange about this women is that she has silver scales, wings and tail. She also claims to be my online friend. "umm... Violet you've been quiet for a while now, everything alright?" -??? I snapped out of my thoughts after the women in front of me asked if i was alright. "I'm alright just trying to figure out whats happening miss..?"-Voilet "Just call me Mio or you can call me by my username like before"-Mio At this point I've already given up understanding whats going on and accepted the fact that my friend I've known online for more than 4 years is some kind of lizard lady. Sighing i decide just to accept this and ask whats going on. "Haa... so Mio mind telling what you are and why I'm here?"-violet "Sure. As for the first question I am the dragon goddess of void and magic, I'm one of the strongest true gods in the multiverse. For the second question you're here because  you died and I want to give you another chance at life in another world."-Mio "..."-Violet To be honest I don't know what I was expecting to hear but it wasn't that.Learning that my friend was a dragon and a goddess was already a lot but learning she was one of the strongest and that she wanted me to give me a second chance at life caused me to stop thinking for a while. Should i be sad she hid this from me or should I be happy at this chance she is offering me? Probably both to be honest. "Haa...alright say i accept your offer but what do you get out of it"-Violet "Nothing much, the only thing i ask is that when you are done with your new life you become my subordinate in the new pantheon me and my friends are building in the future"-Mio "Pantheon?"-Violet "A pantheon in simple terms is a home where multiple gods and goddesses live together me and my friends never joined one before and decided to make one since we need a place to settle down for our future family.It'll take a while bit our fated one is working on it"-Mio "Fated one?"-Violet "As the name suggest its someone you are fated to be with me and my friends are quite old goddesses but even after we lived so long we never married because we waited for our fated one and recently we met our fated one. Suprisingly we shared the same fated one and she is currently in another world working her way to become a goddesses. You've played with her before when we played Monster hunter rise, remember the sword and shield user we played with?"-Mio Thinking back to when I played MH Rise with Mio I remember a player called Mira who mainly used the sword and shield.She was fun playing with even though she didn't talk much at first, something about not being good with new people. Finding out that she was the fated one to Mio and other goddesses was suprising but at this point I feel like I shouldn't be suprised. "Alright but why do you need a subordinate and why did you choose me?-Violet "I need a subordinate to help the pantheon in the future and i chose you because I've known you for a while and Mira also knows you, plus I  think you would have fun with everyone in the future.So whats your answer?"-Mio "Haa... screw it sure I'll accept your offer and join your pantheon in the future"-Violet After hearing what i said Mio made one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen and started talking with so much excitement that it seemed like I was talking to a child instead of a goddesses. "YAY! I got my first subordinate! Now let choose what world and abilities you get.*snap*"-Mio After snapping her finger a bunch of wheels appeared next to us with multiple worlds, weopens, powers and abilities. Some that of which were very OP like Sage of six paths, All Herrshcer cores and powers,Excalibur and Ryūjin Jakka. "We're gonna decide what you get by spinning the wheel to make this more entertaining, as for appearance I'll let you choose to make your new look and add extra perks to it or you can be reborn as a character from any series you like with bonuses from that character and series. Now lets SPIN THE WHEEL!"-Mio  I watched as Mio spun the wheels to see what I would end up with and in my opinion i got really lucky with the outcome. "Ooh!You got Fairy Tail as your world, thats a good one to end up in as for the rest you got some good stuff. You got Dmc 5 Vergils weopens and abilities which include the Yamato, Beowulf and Mirage edge. And for other abilities you got complete magic copying which I'll have to tweak it so you don't end up broken from the start, in return i'll add some bonuses for you.OK! Now what about your appearance?"-Mio Thinking about what character I liked and wouldn't mind being in my new life I decided on a character I liked very much and suits the kind of world Im going. "I want to be reborn as Morgan le Fay from fate"-Violet "OOHH! I wasn't expecting that, very good choice, I'll add some changes so it'll be more fun for you"-Mio As Mio said this some strange panel appeared in front of her and she started writing in some srange language I've never seen before. I ended up waiting for around twenty minutes for her to finish setting up my character. "Alright! Im done! You're name will be Violet Morgan le Fay not very creative i know but I like the name Violet and the name Morgan so screw it.You'll be a half dragon to get dragon slayer magic and you'll have demon blood to get demon slayer magic and have full access to Vergils power and abilities.I have weaken the effect of magic copying to make it so you can learn and use all types off magic but to do so you need to fully understand the magic and its power, any magic you do copy will be weaker than the original but you can train to make it stronger like eveyone else. In return I have given you My blessing of the void which has given you Void dragon slayer magic and Void demon slayer magic. You'll have three transformations which are Vergils devil trigger, a full dragon form and a half dragon half demon dragon form, you can also perform partial transformations. I've also given you dragonic eyes which will help you at the start And I've given you multiple mystic eyes which you'll have to unklock in the future to combine with your dragonic eyes.Any question?"-Mio "Well... first of all i feel like that a lot of powers to give but okay. What would my transformations look like?"-Violet  "Glad you asked! I decided to base your dragon and half dragon half demon forms on some of your favourite monster from Monster Hunter for fun.Your  full dragon form will look like Crimson glow Valstrax with light blue instead of red and you'll have silver scales like me. You're half dragon half demon form will look like Shaguru Magala but with silver scales instead of gold and light blue instead of purple.All your transformations have access to void magic and the same abilities they had from the games. Also don't worry about it being too much, I've made it more difficult to train these powers. One thing you should know is that your magic copying abilities can copy other dragon slayer magic and demon slayer magic once you understand them and that any magic you learn  through copying can be combined with void magic so it becomes better suited to you and your magic.So what do you think?"-Mio "To be honest I'm worried how powerful I'll become in the future but at the same time im excited to what i can do"-violet I wasn't lying when i said i was worried, all the abilities Mio has given me could become very strong in the future after training them. Especially the ability to copy other people magic and combine it with void magic to, add my demon and dragon slayer magics and it could lead to terrifying results but all of this makes me excited to see how far i can go in the future. "Don't worry about it I'm sure you'll be fine once you understand your powers. Now the final bonus is that i made you look more beautiful than normal, infact I may have overdone it since your beauty will be equal or even greater than most goddesses of beauty and you don't even have a blessing of beauty or a divinity of beauty.Normally you would have to be careful of some of the more petty goddesses who would be jealous of your beauty and try to get rid saying things like "only i can be this beautiful" or some crap and some gods may try to do some thing to you, But since I marked your soul most gods and goddesses will be too scared too even speak to you."-Mio said while grinning like a madman Hearing the last bit she said and seeing her grin like that honestly makes me scared of what she has done to the other gods and goddesses. But its nice to know I won't have too worry about other gods and goddesses, though I'm not sure I needed to be more beautiful since Morgan was already quiet beautiful but I'll let Mio do what she wants since she's already done a lot for me. "Now then are you ready for your new life Violet?"-Mio "Yeah i'm ready as i can be. I'll try to make it entertaining for you"-Violet "Don't worry about it and focus on becoming stronger and enjoying this new life. Once you start to understand your powers I'll be able to talk to in case you need me explain some things."-Mio "Alright I guess I'll speak to you soon Mio. See ya"-Violet "Speak to you soon Violet! bye~bye!*snap*"Mio As soon Mio snapped her finger I started feeling tired and my sight starting to fade.The last thing I saw was Mio silver eyes glowing and her gentle smile while looking at me. (This should be fun) Hoped you enjoyed, took me a while to figure how I wanted to explain Violet and Mio friendship. Before anyone asks Mio and Violet will not have a relationship as Mio will be with her fated one called Mira. While Violet will find people in the future. If you read the synopsis you'll see I'm planning another story, this story will be about Mira journey to godhood and creating the pantheon. I'm not gonna say much other than that. Write your opinions and any advice you have, I'd deeply appreciate it.  Also if you have any ideas for some magic or powers she gets in the future let me know, I have a few ideas but i want to try some other powers since she currently only has Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter and Fairy Tail powers. Thanks for reading I'll try to work on more chapters but don't expect a time frame since this is new to me. I'm hoping to write multiple chapters per week but we'll see. Take care.

Prologue She had come back to his little restaurant within a week which he took to be a good sign.  From what the owner had told him about her, she was quite the mark; rich, single and, he had to say, gorgeous.  Now all Lorne needed to do was just reel her in.  In his half-baked idea of a plan, he’d try to seduce her and then, if that worked, see how much he could live off her money.  He wasn’t a thief, and he certainly wasn’t a confidence man, but he was not above living off her if he could manage it. New York was so expensive.  Plus, by his way of thinking, maybe she’d help him get the art gallery he had always wanted. It sounded like she had more than enough money to take care of him and back him.  At least, that was his plan as he saw it.  Little did he know that he would be the central figure in a plot of her own.  One that would change his life forever. Chapter 1 “I’ll have the gnocchi and a gem salad to start,” she said, handing back the menu to waiter.  “This is becoming your usual.  I like that,” Lorne responded. “Anything to drink,” he said, smiling at her.  He was nothing if not cute in a pretty sort of way she thought to herself.  “I’m not sure what I’m in the mood for, what do you suggest?” she said coyly. “Hmm…Well, you usually have the cabernet,” he said referring to the house wine they carried.  “I think you should try the pinot, to change it up a bit.  If you don’t like it, I’ll bring you the cab.” She had been studying him these last several weeks when she came into the brasserie, and clearly, he had done the same.  She was incredibly attractive she knew so that was to be expected.  She wouldn’t have much difficulty with her scheme. He was long and lanky but not too tall, perhaps 5’7”.  His legs were long and lean, and he had a small tight ass that she liked.  His torso was scrawny as were his arms as though he had never seen the inside of the gym.  The consequence, she would later find out, of an amateur running career that ended midway through his university years.  His face was lean and angular, with a high cheekbone, but somehow soft; he couldn’t grow a beard if his life depended on it.  He wore his long, thick sandy brown hair pulled back with a thin leather hair band, a look men could only pull off in the last decade maybe. She noted that she herself owned headbands similar to the one Lorne wore.  Honestly, from behind, depending on what he was wearing, you wouldn’t have immediately known whether he as a man or a woman, such was the thickness of his almost shoulder length hair.  Physically, he would be perfect. “I’ll try a glass of the pinot, Lorne, thank you,” she said with a smile and picked up her phone. “Excellent,” he said as he turned and retreated to the kitchen. She watched him go over the display of her phone.  She’d have to learn a little more about him, but everything looked good so far.  The next step was simple enough for her, a fit and attractive woman.  She would seduce him and determine if he was right for her experiment. The “experiment” as it were, was to see if she could take a person of her choosing and transform them into another person of her making.  The idea wasn’t like something you would see on a makeover show on TV, it was something far more diabolical than that.  It would be a transformation challenge worthy of her time and maximum effort, so it had to be truly life altering to her target.  Further, and to add to the challenge, Anna wasn’t interested in just breaking someone down into some sort of sycophant or sex slave, nothing as prosaic as that.  She wanted the transformation to be remarkable, physical and mental and of her making but fully embraced by the mark, ideally without them even knowing she was the puppet master behind it all.  After perhaps a year’s worth of study and scheming, she had finally settled on a scenario she felt was interesting enough, big enough and doable.  She would take a heterosexual man and turn him into a heterosexual, or at least bisexual, woman. As a trained psychiatrist and psychotherapist, turned hedge fund magnate, she had both the training and the resources to give it a shot. Anna was nothing if not self-aware enough to know that she was a borderline psychopath.  Technically, the proper diagnosis would have been “Machiavellianist”.  By her own admission she has never doubted that she had some degree of anti-social personality disorder, but she was hard to label specifically.  She was certainly amoral, which played out in her work and her social life.  She loved and had loved, but only under very specific conditions.  In that sense, she could be fiercely loyal, as she was to her two hedge fund partners.  But the rest of the world, and the relationships in it, were merely her playground and she relished in her unparalleled ability to manipulate and control those she wished to, which was most people. She had graduated Princeton and gone straight to medical school at Johns Hopkins choosing psychiatry as her specialty.  But it wasn’t until she did her residency at Penn that she started to pay attention to business and finance.  She had had a short fling with a grad student at Wharton when she first arrived on campus.  He was a douche bag, but he piqued her interest in finance, the language of business.  Before long she was getting an MBA in finance, no small feat considering the rigors of the residency program.  She took up practice in New York at the age of 30 and practiced in Manhattan for ten years where she flourished in more ways than one.  Until arriving in New York, Anna had never really experienced situations where her own moral integrity had been tested, but dealing with the breadth and depth of depravity in the ‘Big Apple’ left its mark.  She saw the worst of society, at least from a mental health perspective and didn’t shy away from it.  Oddly, she embraced it and, in that time, learned to understand the benefits of having flexible morals in today’s world.  It wasn’t long before she had carved out a special place in the Manhattan financial elite’s mental well-being.  She was sought after by the Wall Street types, not only because she was stunningly beautiful but also because of her “flexibility” in prescribing various medications to the bankers and traders.  That flexibility made her a lot of money, mostly under the table.  Her understanding of finance only helped her channel and focus her work.  Soon she was on retainer to five of the most important banks and hedge funds in the world helping focus the traders, bolstering the confidence and giving them a psychological kick in the ass when it was needed.  By 35 she was worth $10 million.  By 40 she was worth north of $50 million. To say she was intoxicated by the money would be an understatement.  And so, three months after her 40th birthday she struck out with two partners, both from prestigious investment banks, both with similar questionable moral standards, and started her own hedge fund.  She put all her money into the first fund and made almost 10 times that in three years, an unprecedented rate of return.  Soon the firm was the darling of the financial world, but with that attention came the scrutiny of various legal agencies.  Though they couldn’t prove anything to take to a grand jury, Anna and her partners decided to curtail their most brazen tactics, insider trades, side deals, and double-dealings, so they could enjoy their wealth outside of a prison cell.  The firm merely tripled their money in the following two years, and so at age 45 Anna was well ensconced in the “Tres Commas” club. The wealth served to give her the means to pursue whatever passions or projects she wanted, and it shielded her from the personal faults that would hamper the life and career of someone without her means.  She freely admitted to herself she could be evil.  Hell, she embraced that fact; it made her particularly good at making money.  With her doctorate in psychiatry, it also made her particularly good at psycho-manipulation and perfidy.  This, of course, was why Lorne wouldn’t have a chance. After a short while Lorne came back with the glass of pinot, setting it down for her.  He turned to leave when she called to him. “Oh, Lorne.” “Yes ma’am, what can I get you?” he asked cheerfully.  She was a good tipper. “It’s Anna, please,” she replied personably. “Of course, Anna.  What can I get you?” “Lorne we’re going to have a drink tonight, you and me.  What time shall I fetch you?”

Skin be milk. Arms twigs. Nails talons. Eyes long seeing. Ears far hearing. Legs not worthy.   I am here. Here is where?, here wide, silent, I alone in silence, who I? ... Legs more worthy, body thin but body. I move, smell, smell good, good is near. …. Good was green, lean, height be me, mean good green, I made mean good green bleed, good green now in me, me more me, who me? … Gobleen! Gobleen be mean good green, more Gobleen! More! Need more for me, me incomplete.

Katsuki’s feet trudge along the carpet as he enters the common room. It’s quiet, too late in the evening for the rest of the class to be up. Katsuki’s glad for that. He doesn’t want anyone to see him. Tears burn his eyes as he remembers what happened. The fight hadn’t been horrible, in fact, it’d been pretty fucking fantastic and, of course, he came out on top. But he hadn’t realized what’d happened until he was at the hospital with Best Jeanist getting his injuries taken care of. The bruises hurt whenever he moves as if reminding him over and over again what happened. They’ll heal but not his ear. Katsuki catches sight of himself in the window reflection. His face is clean of the dirt and blood from the fight but there’s a bruise on his cheek that spreads up to his forehead. If he were to lift his shirt there’d be a bunch on his ribs and torso. Then he gets to his ears. His left is twitching normally. The golden fur is perfectly normal in the mess that is his hair. But the right is what’s concerning. The once normal-looking cat ear is less than half of what it was. The person he’d been fighting managed to bite it. At the time Katsuki hadn’t known how bad the damage was. Not until Best Jeanist got there to provide back. Not until his mentor showed the omega what has been done in a car’s side mirror. No one would tell him what was wrong, why they were all staring at him. Tail flickering anxiously, Katsuki turns away from the window. He can’t stand looking at it. At the pathetic sight. Katsuki hates this. He used to never care about his looks and he still doesn’t but this? This is his ear. But that’s not what bothers him the most. What does is the stupid things he’s going to miss. Mina making him stupid hats for his ears to poke through. Hanta gently flicks his ear when Katsuki gets a little too loud. And...and Eijirou and Denki scratching them when they lay curled up in one of their beds. No one knows why this part of his quick developed the way it did. It happened between first and second year, Katsuki was home in bed and woke up with a searing pain in his head and back. At first, he thought his heat was coming on sooner than it expected but it passed in only a few hours. When it passed he had cat ears and a tail. His mom said that her uncle had a quirk similar to it but none of them know why it developed in him, especially so late in life. In addition to the tail and ears, he has heightened hearing and sight and he’s much faster and more flexible. At first, he’d been worried about what people would say when they saw him but now, in their third year, no one seems to care. But Katsuki’s come to really like his ears and tail and he knows how much his friends and boyfriends like them too. What if they don’t like him as much now? Angrily snarling at himself, Katsuki turns back to head to his room. He needs to stop being stupid. It’s just an ear. It’s not like it fucked up his hearing or anything, it’s just an ear. He punches the code into the keypad on his door, Katsuki’s both surprised and not to find both his boyfriends in his room waiting for him. Denki’s laying in Katsuki’s nest while Eijirou goes over what looks like homework. They both look up when he opens the door, bright smiles on their faces. The smiles are quickly replaced by looks of shock and concern when they see how beat up he is. Unconsciously, Katsuki’s ears flatten against his head and he hunches into himself. Eijirou’s alpha instincts kick in almost immediately and he’s pulling Katsuki into his arms. “What happened?” Katsuki suddenly finds himself in his nest, Denki’s fingers carefully moving over his body looking for worse injuries. The scent of the omega’s worry quickly wrapping around him. “How bad are you hurt?” It takes him a few tries to get the words out. “I-I’m fine.” Denki’s fingers press into a deep bruise on his ribs and Katsuki gasps in pain, his tail and ears straightening in shock. Eijirou gasps. “Katsuki, you’re ear!” Immediately his ears are flat against his scalp again, his tail curling around his waist. “It-it’s nothing.” Denki’s face pinches in displeasure. Immediately he pulls the other omega's nose into his scent gland. “What happened, Kaachan?” Whining, Katsuki wraps his arms around Denki’s middle and lets the other omega hold him close. “I...I was fighting a villain,” he says, tears thick in his voice. A hand runs up his back as Eijirou presses closer to them. The alpha’s pheromones wrapping around them both. “He bit me, I-I didn’t know he did this until after.” “Shh, you’re ok, Kaachan, we got you.” Denki gently rubs at the sensitive place behind Katsuki’s good ear. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” His body trembles in both of their holds, a near-constant whine coming from his chest. “J-just bruises.” Eijirou’s fingers are careful as he examines the damaged ear. His touch light as he avoids where the stitches are. “What did the doctor say? Can you hear ok?” “Yes, i-it just hurts. Th-they wanted to give me pain meds b-but they don’t mix well with my suppressants.” Fingers work at the straps of his suit carefully undoing them and taking them apart. “Let’s get you out of your suit,” Denki says. Eijirou takes that as his que to move away and get some clothing together. Both Katsuki and Denki have acquired a fair amount of the alpha’s clothes so he doesn’t even bother to find something of the omega’s. Katsuki winces as his suit is removed, the clothing pulling at the bruises on his ribs. Denki coos quietly and apologizes as he helps him pull a light shirt over his head. They don’t bother with pants, instead just curling up in the center of his nest. With both his mates curled around him, their arms holding him securely between them, Katsuki can’t keep the tears away. “I-I’m sorry,” he mutters. He can’t help it. Katsuki knows that people became more comfortable around him because his quirk grew. People became more touchy with him which was annoying at first but now he craves it. The feeling of his friends hugging him and his mates’ hands gently stroking his ears has become so important to him. “Why are you sorry, Kaachan? You were being a hero.” Eijirou kisses the back of his neck. “You have nothing to be sorry about.” “But m-my ear-” “Will heal,” the alpha says. His arms tighten around Katsuki’s waist. Denki kisses his neck, right over his pulse. “They’ll be even cuter, one an adorable little nub.” Something in his chest loosens and he sniffles. “Really?” “Yeah!” He brushes some of the hair out of Katsuki’s eyes. “Don’t be sad, Kaachan, we love you no matter what.” Eijirou presses another kiss over the scar on Katsuki’s scent gland. “You’re our pretty kitty.” Katsuki falls asleep warm and content between his mates. Denki’s quiet purring lulling him into warm dreamless sleep while Eijirou gently strokes behind his ears, being careful to avoid the still raw stitches. The next day, when the others see what’s happened, Katsuki can’t help but unconsciously press into Denki’s side. Eijirou glares at their class the longer they stare and after shaking themselves they go back to normal. No one asks anything but they do tell Hanta and Mina what happened when they ask. Both alphas just give him a tight hug in reassurance. Only one person has the audacity to say anything and that’s Mineta. The purple shit thinks it would be funny to say Katsuki looks more like a street rat than a cat. The words sting something deep in the omega and he knows his scent turns sour with hurt. Before Eijirou can snap at him, Denki has already walked right up to Mineta and given him an electrified slap. “Don’t you ever say anything about my mate again.” His eyes a bright gold and his scent burning with rage as he glares at the beta. Mineta, too afraid of the omega, quickly nods and scuttles from the room. A red hand print forming on his cheek where the smack hit him. Then Katsuki is once again wrapped in the comforting scent of thunderstorms and citrus as his mates hold him close. Maybe having a stupid nubby ear isn’t as bad as he though

"Once upon a time, there was a Chinese painter named Zhang Sengyou, his paintings were known far and wide for how life like they were, especially his dragons. However, legend has it that Zhang never painted the dragon's pupils. One day, he was besieged by an angry group of people who demanded he paint in the pupils. However, Zhang said he dared not, warning that the dragon might fly away. Refusing to believe him, the group pressed him to paint in the pupil. So he did. And the dragon flew away, never to be seen again." "So, what?" "So, I'm very much like him." "You're worried about your stories flying away?" He laughs leaning back in his chair and spinning his pen. My eyes are drawn to it as he twirls it faster and faster, his large calloused fingers performing the tricks with surprising ease. That was actually the first thing I noticed about him, it's what drew me in and caused me to perform an idiotic act I've only seen done in soapy TV dramas just to get his number. "Chen?" "Yes?" I look up, meeting his dark focused gaze. "So how does that Zhang guy relate to you?" "Well because..." And we're back to the problem at hand. How do you explain to your straight laced, pragmatic, and realistic to a T boyfriend that you believe the characters you write about are real? I sigh. Then I look directly into Ram's eyes. "I consider my characters real, as real as you or me." I watch as his face slowly morphs into confusion, then worry. "Chen, are you okay?" "What?" "Like do you need to go to see a psychiatrist or someth-" I feel my face flush and my heart tighten. This is exactly what I was hoping he wouldn't say..."I'm serious!" The crease between his brows deepens. "I know, I can see that. That's exactly why this is all the more worrying-" "I'm not crazy!" He sighs. "I didn't say you were but maybe-" "Can's you try to understand me!?" I stand up, my chest is tight and my face is flushed. I knew he would react like this. I knew it, but... Ram stands up too. "Chen you need to calm down okay-" "Don't patronize me!" "I'm not, I'm just saying you need to sit back down and calm yourself for a moment..." His gaze is earnest. He cares about me, I know. And he is worried. I see that but...he doesn't understand.  "I'm going to my room." I turn around and stride away. "Chen? Hey, Chen!" He calls after my back and I clearly hear frustration in his voice.  I know I have an incurable habit of running away from things that don't go my way. I know it. But right now... I reach my room and just let my body fall onto my bed. Then I grab a fluffy peach pillow, pillow, bury my face in it's fuzzy warmth, and groan low, hard, and nasally.  "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHRRRRRGGGGHHHH!" I roll around a few times in frustration before exhausting myself and just lying facedown like a dead fish. After I've slightly rejuvenated, I lift my head and peer up at the ceiling. Then I moan,  "General, my family doesn't understand me. Even he doesn't understand me. What should I do?" Receiving no response, I again bury my head in the fluff and groan.

"Haah… Why is it hot up here? It should be cold goddammit!" I complained to myself as I continued up the trail. Here I was, in my late 30's on a hike alone. I had lost everyone, so this trip is supposed to help "clear my mind", my psychiatrist says. I was hesitant at first but came to a conclusion that I don't have anything to do, so might as well just do it, right? I was nearly at the peak of this mountain I decided to climb, looking up, I noticed a bird in the far distance circling the tallest mountain around. "Damn, that's a big ass bird." I said to myself jokingly. It was almost as if the bird had heard me, it departed from the mountain and was rapidly headed towards me. 'What a coincidence' I was starting to get tired so I took off my bag and rested it and myself on a nearby rock. Opening up my bag, I took out a granola bar and took a sip of my water. After resting my back against my bag for a while, I could hear the caws of a bird, very close to me. I jumped for a split second, thinking it was coming down for my almost-finished granola bar. As soon as I relaxed, the next second I heard a caw again, right next to me. Two abnormally large bird feet were on my shoulders and lifting me up. The next second I was already 20 feet in the air. I panicked, trying to get the feet off of me but then realised I would probably die if they let me go. My fear of heights set in and I completely froze, my breath was rigid and my heart was at an all-time high. I was flying through the air at an unbelievable speed, as I barely managed to look a little bit up, I realised the thing carrying me as taking me towards the mountain I was previously looking at. It was already within half a kilometre.  Right before I could look up at the thing that was carrying me, my body was suddenly released and I was sent flying into a cave within the mountain.  I rolled across the floor before I hit a cushioned wall, putting me to a complete stop. The ground and walls seemed to be cushioned out of pillows or something very similar. As I tried to recover, the creature gracefully landed at the front of the cave's entrance. The creature slowly walked towards me. I could only make out it's figure because of the darkness of the cave and because of the fact that my eyes were adjusting to the dark.  The figure was a slender young woman with sharp ears and short - what looked to be - magenta-hair.  I couldn't help but notice how her arms and feet weren't human at all. She had two giant wings for arms and the bottom of her feet were replaced with bird-like talons. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the light she stepped closer to me, allowing me to see more of her in detail.  Hazy purple eyes which only complimented her hair, her bountiful chest which bounced with each step, almost spilling out of the thin fabric wrapped around her breasts.  Her stomach was thin and her hips were far, a stale brown loincloth covering her pussy, tightly wrapped around her waist. Her thighs were thick, almost rubbing against eachother with each step she took closer to me. Her skin was clean and pale, showing off no impurities. Her big eyes, small nose, and thin lips made her look young. However, her body was saying the opposite. A busty body with a cute face, I found myself entranced before I snapped back to reality.  By the time I snapped back, she was already in my face. Surprised, I backed off onto the wall, cornering myself.  She slightly tilted her head, before continuing her advance. She got up in my face again, slowly inspecting my body.  She closed her eyes and started sniffing me, she leaned on my chest and prevented me from escaping using her fluffy wings, blocking off either side. Her breasts were pressing against my chest, causing me to get a slight erection. She suddenly stopped sniffing me as she jolted in surprise.  She looked down at my crotch and looked back at me, a devious smile forming onto her face. She came closer and closer to my neck, the fresh smell of wild grass and dirt infiltrating my nose.  Suddenly she became much more hyper, her eyes dilated and she pushed me on the ground using her right wing.  Thud! My body smacked against the cold but cushioned floor. I hurriedly tried to get up but her sharp talons were already on my thighs, digging into my skin and cutting it apart.  I screamed, but the harpy took advantage of that and shut my mouth with her lips. Her lips were small and soft, devouring mine. Her wet tongue clashed within the inside of my mouth, going as deep as she could with her sandpaper-textured tongue. She was sucking the breath out of me, and as soon as I felt like I would pass out, she would separate our lips, allowing me to catch my breath for a second before plunging back in. This continued on for a few minutes, before she finally fully let go of me. Blood was seeping out of my pants and I wasn't able to move because of the pain, let alone run. Perhaps satisfied, she licked her lips and let go of my legs, this time, she took off her loincloth using her talons, letting it drop to the ground and reveal her entire lower body.  Using her talons to rip my clothes off, her eyes glowed with a strange light. She stood over me, her bare pussy standing right above my flushed face.  She slowly lowered herself onto my face, my nose sunk into her asshole and my mouth was completely isolated by her pussy, suffocating me. I reluctantly ate her out, causing her to leak sweet moans I would mistake for a human' if I didn't know better. She started to move forwards and backwards, grinding against my face as she sunk deeper. Because i couldn't breath, I grasped at her to get her off of me, unfortunately, I grabbed onto her ass which only made it worse. "Ah~ n~♥ A…Ahn~!" She moaned in delight as she fell forward, giving my nose some breathing space. Suddenly, I could feel her sandpaper-like tongue lick my penis, her soft breasts pressing against my waist. Her tongue scraped against my cock, enveloping it with her saliva as she licked it. It felt like my dick was on fire, twitching with each lick. Suddenly she took it into her mouth, deepthroating my cock, causing her to gag. The rough texture collided with her soft, warm, and tight throat, making me instantly cum.  As I came inside her mouth she started moving, repeatedly bobbing her head up and down, deepthroating my cock over and over again and swallowing all my cum. At the same time, she came inside my mouth, forcing all of her pussy juice into my mouth. Forcing me to swallow hers. As she finally let go of my cock, she got off of me and faced towards me again, the glow in her eyes had only grown brighter.  "Hehe~" she giggled, slowly coming back on top of me.  She positioned my cock towards her pussy, but it was already getting softer. As it was in her hand and growing softer, she frowned. Suddenly her expression brightened again, as if she had thought of a brilliant idea.  She took a step back, lying down with her breasts positioned on top of my cock. Her tight makeshift bra only made her breasts look bigger and rounder as she seductively used her saliva as lube to get my cock between her breasts.  My semi-hard dick fit snugly between her hot breasts, she started moving up and down, tittyfucking me.  As my cock quickly grew again, the pressure of her breasts was evident. It wrapped around my cock. The softness of her breasts and tightness of it made me moan, to which she smiled and quickened her pace.  She suddenly stopped and started teasing my tip as my cock was buried in between her marshmallow-like breasts. Her violet eyes sparkled in the dark as her hair slowly swayed with the wind. It was a gorgeous sight, the beauty of her wings only amplifying my arousal. Satisfied with her work, she slowly took my cock out from in between her breasts, standing over me and pushing my cock against her pussy.  She slowly let it in, taking only the tip in at first before completely plunging down and engulfing my cock. Her insides were tight. So tight to the point where it felt like my cock was stuck inside of her.  She slowly moved up and down, enjoying every second of it, the ecstasy visible throughout her face and body. "mm~♥ ah-haa~♥!" Her voice croaked out with each and every bit of movement. As she got somewhat used to it, she started moving faster. The sounds of her big ass slapping against the burning pain in my thighs set me on fire. My insides felt as if they were on fire, the pain and pleasure merging together.  As she continued riding me, she leaned forward, her breasts falling onto my chest and her mouth meeting mine. She wrapped her fluffy wings around my entire upper body, her soft lips melting into my mouth and her warm, tight, and wet pussy milking me until I was dry.  Finally, after only a few minutes I came inside of her. She looked satisfied as she rested against my body.  "Hehehe~ Mine~♥"

Dregrin This story was written because I finally had some free time again. I hope this is something that others might find interesting. Its was dark..  Dark... warm... and he felt as though he was floating in some liquid with walls around him. His body felt weak, and frail. Given that the last thing he remember was trying to get away from that robbery, he assumed he had died.. which means either this was what it feels like to be a disembodied soul... or he was already being reborn and was currently in the womb. He decided to bet on it being the womb. "I wonder if I'll keep my memories or if I become a new person by the time I am born." he thought to himself. "Its kinda boring just floating here, I hope I get born soon."   As time passed he tried several things to relieve his boredom, thinking up plans for his new life, dreaming up ideas of where he would be born, hoping to be the son of some rich person so he could have a comfortable live. He knew he was in the womb now as he could feel as the body he was in moved around. It didn't move much but sometimes it felt like there was heavier activity.  At one point he became frightened as the body suffered a great deal of shaking, and he felt as though something had pushed at him. He wasn't sure why, but he knew.. someone had struck his mother, and was trying to kill him. His mother was injured. he felt the body he was in swelling from the damage.  "Well if this is like any story I've ever read, this world should have magic or something!, don't worry future mom, I'll do what i can to help!" he thought to himself as he began meditating, trying to find some form of energy he could use to help. None of it worked though, he was still an unborn child, how could he possible handle magic? Still, his meditation and him not moving did help his mother to heal, though it scared her a bit when the child within her stopped moving. More time passed and there weren't any further attacks. Eventually he felt things change, the walls around him compressed, and he began to move. It was an odd feeling, but he was celebrating it, he would finally get to be born. His celebration was very short lived however, from darkness he came to experience blinding, searing light, and from the warmth of the womb he met cold. Even the small cloth he was quickly wrapped in was not enough to cut the wind. When his vision finally returned he found he was in a large wooden crate, on the side of the street, with several people around looking at him. From there appearances they were all disheveled, with torn clothes and underfed bodies. It appeared he had been in an alley, full of homeless people at that. Soon he was handed to his mother, she was dressed much like the others, her dark hair showing signs of having gone a long time without being washed and her body dirty and clothed in rags  much like the others. Time passed quickly after that, he slept most of the time, woke up to be fed from his mother only to drift off to sleep soon after. After an unknown amount of time he was finally able to stay awake after being fed. He once again stared at his surroundings. It was still cold and he was still laying inside of a crate in an alleyway. His mother was nibbling on a piece of moldy bread, staring out at the street as though she were somehow not there. Exhaustion overtook him again and he drifted back to sleep. Several days passed like this, drifting between being awake and asleep. The light and cold were unbearable for his small body but he did not let himself cry. Even if he was hungry he would wait as long as possible before making noise to let his mother have an easy time. He started hearing the others talking from time to time, either to his mother or just other conversations in the alley. the language was not like anything he had heard before, A few words sounded a little like English, but the sentence structure and most of the language was incomprehensible. As he had nothing better to do he focused on trying to learn what they were saying.  Days passed, perhaps weeks, his understanding of time wasn't very solid with how often he slept. He was beginning to catch on to certain words and phrases. The alley was mostly peaceful, and every so often someone would bring more moldy bread to his mother. When it wasn't peaceful the ally would come together to break up whatever was happening, he had come to understand that "don't upset the baby" was one of the most common phrases used when these things happened because they would say it while pointing at him. One day while he was listening to the conversations trying to learn what he could a stranger came. He was a thin man with a handsome but angry looking face. The man came and spoke to his mother and before long the discussion became heated. The argument was largely one sided and eventually the man punched his mother, causing the alley to rush at the man. It was quite lucky they did so as after that man had punched his mother, he immediately tried to stomp on the child. The alley goers pushed the man away and formed a wall around him and his mother. The man kept trying to push through but his attempts were in vain. Eventually he left, but the child had learned three very valuable pieces of information. His mother's name was Annette, his first enemy's name was John, and perhaps most importantly, his name was Dirt.

  In the middle of a lush forest, a 16-year-old boy was sleeping on the ground, with black hair and a face you wouldn't even notice in a crowd. He seemed out of place in the beautiful scenery. Not long after, his eyelids began to twitch and opened, revealing his brown eyes, he then woke up with a disgruntled expression on his face. "Ugh, why is it so bright? I'm sure I closed the curtains before I went to bed",  He thought to himself. He looked around and realized, he wasn't in his room anymore. Adam immediately lost his remaining drowsiness. He started to panic and looked around only to see no signs of his house. He couldn't see his computer or hear his mother's voice urging him to wake up every time he oversleeps. He's usually annoyed by his mother's nagging, but now he wishes to hear it more than anything. The sound of rustling bushes pulls his back from his wandering thoughts, in his disordered state of mind caused him to flinch and turn around, only to see a brown rabbit emerging from the bushes looking at him. But before he could sigh in relief, the rabbit suddenly charged at him. Caught by surprise, he didn't move and was tackled hard in the stomach, knocking his breath out of him and causing him to fall. He tried to push the rabbit off, but it opened its mouth and bit Adam's hand making him scream. "AAAAAAAARGH!!". He punched the rabbit with his free hand to try to knock the weird rabbit, but it bit harder, and his hand bled profusely and causing him to scream louder than before. His hand suddenly landed on a rock, and without much thought, he hit the rabbit with all his might. It finally lets go and falls off of him. But Adam continues smashing the rabbit with his rock,  "DIE! DIE! DIE!"  He kept shouting while hitting the rabbit. The rabbit was dead, but Adam didn't realize this and kept on hitting it until he was out of breath.  "hah...hah...hah..." Looking at the mutilated corpse he felt like puking but held it in by sheer willpower. After the adrenaline disappeared, the injury on his left hand made itself known again.  "Urghh..."  He curled up while holding in his desire to scream due to the fear of attracting anything nearby, not that it mattered with how much he screamed earlier, though he can only try to not make his situation worse. He tore off part of his white t-shirt which was covered in soil and blood from his earlier struggle and bandaged his hand with it, it still hurt, but he was slowly getting used to the pain.  "Good thing my parents forced me to learn first-aid," he thought,  he never thought he would use it, but it was unexpectedly helpful in this unfamiliar environment. Reminded of his family, he started to feel depressed but quickly shook away those thoughts as he still wasn't sure about his situation.     He looked around carefully this time and took in his surroundings, it was quiet except for the few small bugs minding their own business. And although there was his earlier fight with the rabbit, there were no signs of anything appearing and he slowly started to relax. He took the carcass and started walking, searching for a water source to clean his wound, he doesn't know where he is. But he doubts that he could find a hospital or clinic nearby. Adam has been walking for what feels like hours. He was sweating, and the humid air of the forest was very uncomfortable, he was also getting hungry. Thankfully, he started to hear the sounds of flowing water and he started to feel relieved. He then made his way to the source of the sound. After he got closer, he carefully made his way to the river. The river water was crystal clear. He unbandaged his hand and washed it.  "Tsssss..."',  Washing the wound stung, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath. But he'd rather bear the pain than risk an infection. After that, he washed his makeshift bandage and rewrapped his wound. He drank the water to quench his thirst. He had gotten used to the gore, but he had no idea how to prepare the rabbit carcass.  "Since I don't know how, I should just try" He found a sharp rock and proceeds to skin the rabbit. Since it was his first time, he was very clumsy.  "This doesn't look usable anymore" The skin was in tatters. He threw the skin away and went back to butchering. He chopped off the head and cut the abdomen, he proceeded to take out the organs. He threw it at the same place as the skin. He then cut the rabbit into smaller pieces Adam then searched for some dry leaves and branches to start a fire. After that, he used the classic hand drill method to start a fire. His tired arms protested, wanting to rest, but he persisted. By the time he produced smoke, he couldn't feel his arms anymore.  He cooked the rabbit and ate it. Because he didn't have access to any seasonings, the meat was hard and tasted awful. "When I get home, I really need to eat more. I still don't even know where I am." After Adam ate, he had nothing to do. So he started walking hoping to find a way out. He took his knife and walked alongside the river as he didn't want to lose his only source of water.

    Adam was walking by the river until the sun began to set.  "I need to search for shelter," He thought.     But he was unable to find any caves or any hollow trees. He continued to search, but the sun had fully set.  "I guess I should just try to sleep on the trees,"    He climbed a moderately tall tree and tried to go to sleep. But it was very uncomfortable. The presence of bugs like mosquitoes, the pain from his wound, and frequently falling off the tree denied him rest. The only thing he was grateful for was the absence of any wild animals.     After hours of discomfort, he had finally gotten used to the bugs and was able to find a stable position on the tree. Adam finally managed to sleep for the rest of the night.  _______________    Adam woke up the next day with a sore body due to the unpleasant resting spot. He searched for fruits to eat and went back to the river. After drinking some water, he continued his journey.    While he was walking, he heard the sound of bushes rustling. Remembering his previous experience with the weird rabbit, he readied his sharp rock and raised his vigilance.     But what appeared wasn't a rabbit. Instead, a small green creature appeared. It had green skin with a small body, only the size of a child, and its face was incredibly ugly, with only a piece of cloth tied around his waist.  "What is that?"Adam accidentally said out loud   The creature heard Adam and looked straight at him.  "Screeeeech!!"    The creature immediately ran at him while screeching. Adam snapped out of his stupor and got ready to defend himself.    The green creature jumped at him so Adam tried to stab it with his rock. The rock managed to pierce its skin and injured its shoulder.  However, the creature didn't stop. It grabbed Adam's arm and tried to bite him, but he swung the arm onto a nearby tree. The creature lets go thanks to the shock from the impact. Before the creature could reorientate itself, he pulled out the rock and stabbed the creature's head. Unfortunately, it didn't pierce the creature's skull and kill it. Adam tried to stab it again but it dodged to the side and tried to run but fell. However, seeing the state it was in, death will only be a matter of time.    Looking at the condition of the creature, Adam began to feel nauseous again. Adam held it in though, seeing that his opponent is still alive. But before he could land the killing blow, the creature suddenly curled up on the ground and started whimpering. Seeing the creature's pitiful condition, Adam hesitated. Suddenly, the creature lunged at him.    Adam swung his fist out of reflex and successfully disrupted the creature's sneak attack by punching its head. The creature which was already on death's door died to the punch. ... Ding! Congratulations on killing your first monster, the system has been unlocked,  Killed [Goblin-lvl. 2], you have earned experience, ... Ding! Please choose a class, 1. [Brawler] 2. [Warrior] 3. [Mage] 4. [Assassin] ...    Hearing these sudden notifications and seeing a screen appear in front of him surprised and confused Adam. "What the hell? Monsters? Systems? Levels? Class? What's happening? I don't even know where I am, am I even on Earth?"     Multiple questions appeared in his head. But there was no one to answer them. "Or maybe I am in a coma and this is all a dream..."    But he doubts that it is one. He has never had a lucid dream, but he knows that you can't feel pain in a dream. And the pain he felt was definitely real. ... Please choose a class,     1. [Brawler] 2. [Warrior] 3. [Mage] 4. [Assassin] ...   The screen appeared again, prompting him to choose a class. With nothing to do and in dire need of a distraction, he mulled over his choices. He immediately removed mage from the competition since he doesn't know anything about magic.   He also crossed out [Brawler] since he would prefer to fight with a weapon than fight bare-handed. He might not have a weapon now, but sometime in the future, he might.    [Mage] is an attractive choice. But he didn't know if he will gain instinctual magical knowledge, or if it requires him to learn it himself.      He was still trying to survive, so he won't take any chances.      So that only left [Assassin] and [Warrior].     According to game logic, the [Assassin] class always comes with stealth-type skills. While the [Warrior] class comes with health-type and strength-type skills.    After mulling over it, he chose the [Assassin] class. Why? Because he finds it cooler. ... You have chosen [Assassin]   You have learned skill, [Suppress Presence] lvl.1   [Assassin] lvl.1 -> [Assassin] lvl.2   You gained 5 stat points and 3 skill points ...   "How do I use the System?", Adam thought.     Suddenly, a different screen appeared in front of him.   .... Name: Adam Species: Human Class: [Assassin] -lvl.2 General skills: Unused skill-points :-3 [Racial Skill:- Exp. Gain Increase] -lvl.1 Class skills: [Suppress Presence]:-lvl.1 Unused skill slots:- 4 Stats: Unused Stat points:- 5 Vitality:- 5(+) Endurance:- 5(+) Agility:- 5(+)  Strength:- 5(+) Wisdom:- 5(+) ...      The screen looked like something that came straight out of a video game, everything from the class, to the skills, to the stats...just everything.   Adam wasn't a pro-gamer, but he understands what each stat effects. Vitality is resilience, Endurance is toughness or fortitude, Agility is most likely speed...and probably dexterity? Strength is obvious, and Wisdom is probably magic-related.   But as Adam said, he isn't a  pro-gamer, so he doesn't know how to distribute his stats.   Announcement So...any idea how I should distribute the stats? Or should I just go in blind?    

"I can't believe you would drink all of my apple juice!!" Max questioned Lily gently yet aggressively while looking at the empty glass and apple container on the table while reading the description about this not-so-normal apple juice. **** Item Screen **** Item: Divine Apple Juice Description: The Divine Apple is a mutation from growing in a dense area of Celestial and Demonic Essence. Usage: The Divine Apple's juice can help mortals increase their absorption rate of the Celestial and Demonic Essence left by the Gods and Demons war. **** Item Screen Closed**** Max was completely speechless as he read about the Divine Apple Juice description and usage 'Holy ship' Max was full of questions since he thought he was supposed to be in a similar timeline as his, such as the year and history. Still, to his surprise, everything was different, like the year being 2038 instead of 2024 and the fact that Demons and Gods existed, and on top of that, they had a war. Max wanted to ask Lucifer about the Celestial and Demonic Beings and the War that they had but realized he was still scolding his little sister. Lily felt guilty that she drank her Brother's apple juice, but she couldn't help herself since her Brother ignored her early on. "I'm sorry big brother, I shouldn't have drank your apple juice..*sniff*" Lily felt like crying since her Brother had never scolded her before. Max sighed as he put his right hand on top of her head and stroked her blond with silver tips hair gently. "Look, Lily, I'm not angry or upset at you; I'm just under a lot of stress recently due to college starting soon." Max felt guilty as he looked at Lily, who was about to cry, and said, " Lily, How about this, we can go to the Game Park after I finish studying later…hmm." Lily looked at her Brother and quickly wiped the tears that were about to fall from her light blue eyes; she smiled excitedly and replied, "Brother, do you pinky promise to take me to the Game Park later on." she waited for her Brother's reply since he would usually hang out with his friends after studying. Max raised his left hands pinky to show he would pinky promise his sister that he'll take her. "Lily, I pinky promise that I'll take you to the Game Park after I'm done studying. Okay?" "Mmm," Lily intertwined her pinky with her Brothers as they pinky promised. Max smiled at Lily as he pinky promised her [ Kid, can I have to have a word with you soon. ] 'Hmm, want's wrong Lucifer?' [ listen, kid, I'm about to enter a 2-year slumber.] 'But why all of a sudden you were fine early on? What's going on, Lucifer' [*sigh* listen, well, kid, to bring you to this timeline, I had to almost extinguish all of my Demonic Essence, and for 'us Demons', it's the same as our lifeline.] "..." 'But you haven't even explained to me about this timeline or what Celestial and Demonic Essence is yet. Can't you at least explain what Celestial and Demonic Essence is before you enter your slumber?' [ Hmm, Alright, it looks like I still have a couple of minutes left before I enter my slumber. I'll explain to you about the Celestial and Demonic Essence left here by the Gods and Demons War 14 years ago…] [ It all started 15 years ago when a peaceful Demon Lord of the Demonic Realm suddenly tried to ascend to become a Demon God known as the Demonic God Chaos to help his dying newborn child. While he was trying to ascend to Godhood and send part of his life force to his newborn. the Heavenly Gods, also known as the Celestial Gods, caught wind of his attempt at Godhood but not the reason, and so they decided it was best to stop him before he becomes a God who wishes just for destruction..] 'But Lucifer, why didn't the Celestial Gods see the newborn when they attacked the Demon Lord who was giving his life force to his newborn child?' Max asked Lucifer his question since it made no sense for someone to attack someone who is trying to save their child so that the child can live longer. [ It's precisely that reason why they intervened. You see, there is a story in the Celestial Realm about a God who gave half his life force to his unborn child but unknowingly, the unborn child absorbed some of his Celestial Essence; when the child was born, he was different from the other children he had no emotions he saw the world as a grey and lackluster. So as he grew older, he became stronger and more ruthless; he started to judge people based on how they enjoyed life; if you hated someone or wanted to kill someone, he would help you… but if you enjoyed life even a bit, he would kill everyone you know just so you can see how he sees the world. So one day, he killed someone he shouldn't have and angered the Celestial Gods. The person that he killed was the Son of one of the Celestial Gods. This was a first in the Celestial Realm that a Celestial Mortal could kill a Gods Son since this has never happened before; since a Celestial Mortal can't wield Celestial Essence unless a Celestial God gives a bit of his Essence to a Celestial Mortal, it's impossible for a Celestial Mortal to kill much less harm a Celestial God or there Son in any case.] '... So what happened to him? Did they stop him or did he escape?' Max felt the anticipation killing him since he would understand why the Gods feared the newborn child and wanted to kill the child of the Demon Lord, through their history about the there unborn mortal child who could kill a Celestial God's Son [When the Celestial Gods arrived at the battle that took place between the Celestial God's Son and his enemy when the Gods saw the dead body on their left with a Celestial Crest, they knew that it was one of the other Gods Son's, they looked to there right, and when they saw him with his emotionless expression on his face, one of the Gods asked him why did he kill a Gods Son and How. He replied to them that he just didn't like him, so he killed him. And how he killed him, simply with his own two hands; he simply just ripped out his heart with his own hands. When the Gods heard him, they asked where's was the heart; what he said next gave them chills " I ate his heart; it was quite succulent and tasty. At that moment, the Gods decided to take him down and burn his corps in the eternal flame; they fought against him for 12 days and 12 nights; out of 35 Celestial Gods that joined that fight against him, only 8 survived, and finally, he drew his last breath they Titled him the God Killer right after his death. Not long after did they find out that if a God gives his life essence to an unborn or newborn child, that child will absorb some of their Celestial Essence, so to prevent any new God Killer from appearing, they decided to ban the method for sharing Life Essence and punished any God who broke this law..] 'Hmm, but how did the Demon Lord know of the method to shear Life Essence since he was in the Demonic Realm?' [ To answer your question, It's because each Realm had its method of shearing Life Essence. ] 'So what happened to the Demon Lord and his Newborn Child?' [ When the Celestial Gods attacked the Demon Lord to stop him from giving his Demonic Essence to save his child, They killed his newborn during his assertion to Godhood which enraged the Demon Lord and helped him become a Demonic God of Chaos. The newly enraged Demonic God fought against the Celestial Gods in an all-out war which escalated further into a full out war against the Celestial Gods; they battled for 3 Years straight in the Demonic Realm, which caused a Rift to open to the Mortal Realm, as they battled and time went by the fallen Celestial and Demonic Beings Essences were being absorbed into the Rift and sent to the Mortal Realm, which later started to affect the animals and humans of this Realm.] { Ding, WARNING!! the system has reached its limit and will immediately shut down for the next 2 years.} [ It looks like it's time, kid, we will meet again soon.] {Ding, System has shut down and will begin its hibernation stage in..5...4..3..2..1..} {Ding, System has entered the hibernation stage and will be offline for the next 2 years. So please make sure to stay safe, host, and make sure to enjoy your new life. '....' See you soon, Lucifer.

System? When was there ever a system? Gods were normal as there were many religions about many gods from the Greek pantheon, to the Norse pantheon, but I have never once in my life ever heard of a system.  "System? What's this system?" "Toshi? Are you ok? The system is given to us by the gods so we can surpass our limits and grow stronger. Every level up, you gain an increase in stats and stat points to increase your stats even more. Haven't I told you this before?" It was obvious. Something had changed. First off, my mother's memories have been altered since I have never once remembered her telling me about this system, and most likely, everyone else's too. "I just want to make sure I remember correctly," I said, lying to my mother. "How do I use this system?" My mother looked at me weirdly. "Are you sure you're fine? It's simple. Think of opening up the system, and then you'll figure it out from there." I see. Trying out what my mother said, I thought of opening this so-called system, causing a list of options to appear in front of me. Status Skills Quests Huh, surprisingly simple. I lifted up my hand and pressed the first button on the list, the status. As my finger made contact with the holographic button, a new window appeared in front of me. [Toshi Zanagi] Level: 16 Race: Human (???) (NPC) Class: N/A (Choose your class) Titles: Man Who Transcended Time (2x XP) HP: 160/160 (+1.6/s) MP: 80/80 (+0.4/s) Strength: 32 Endurance: 16 Dexterity: 64 Intelligence: 8 Looking at my status, it was pretty obvious what this was used for, which was to measure my power. I don't really know if this is strong compared to other people, but looking at it, it was pretty accurate. Before I got stuck in this whole time-loop, I'd been training with my father, so 32 strength made sense. Endurance was also probably right, and Dexterity was definitely right. I don't want to brag, but I'm very fast. The Intelligence stat does hurt me though... I know I'm not the smartest, but does it really have to rub it in? The question marks beside my race were also weird. Is it trying to tell me that I'm not human or something? You know what, that actually makes some sense since I'm the only person that's aware that we're stuck in a time-loop. Also, what the hell is an NPC? Am I an alien or something? The next thing that I looked at was my class, which was glowing with a message that told me to choose my class. I didn't really know what it wanted me to do, but I pressed the glowing message, causing a prompt to appear in front of me. [What class do you want?] Do I just answer? Uhh... I don't really know what a class is, but dragons are cool. Can I be a dragon, but like a samurai since my gramps was a samurai? [Request, [Dragon Samurai], has been received. Creating a suitable class evolution branch... a basic class, [Swordsman], has been given.] (3rd Person POV) "Dude! Are you excited?! The brand new VRMMORPG is coming out today. I heard that it's the most realistic VRMMORPG game ever and that everything in the game is handled by an A.I," a boy said to his friend. "Yeah, and did you know that with the use of the A.I., you can have any class you want? Not to mention the NPCs of the game are apparently so realistic, there's no way to tell them apart from other players." Everywhere around the world, people were excited about the launch of 'New Eden'. The company boasted that their new game, New Eden had a whopping 99% similarity to reality and that people could live their 'second-life' there and even make money off of playing the game with their in-built RMT system that could convert game currency into IRL money. VRMMORPGs weren't rare and were definitely a lucrative market, but all the VRMMORPGs currently released right now were nothing compared to New Eden. All the VRMMORPGs currently out in the market weren't very realistic, with the highest being 50% similarity to reality, but with New Eden, people could finally live out their fantasies as they were free to do whatever they wanted in their second-life. The company itself has said multiple times that it values the freedom of its players, meaning that there are little to no rules in the game. Anything someone thought of could be done in the game, no matter how bad. At first, some people thought that this was a bad thing, but as time went on, more and more people didn't mind. It might be bad that some of the evil players had the freedom to do whatever they wanted, but that also meant that the 'good' or neutral players had the freedom to do whatever they wanted. Want to claim a mountain as your base? So be it. Make your own kingdom? Why not, who's stopping you? Players are free to do whatever they want as soon as the servers are launched which is happening at 12 pm. (Toshi POV) After receiving my class, I took a look at my title which I found fitting since one could say that I did transcend time since as far as I know, I was the only one that had the knowledge of being stuck in a time-loop. Closing my status, I opened my skills and quests, which were both empty when I opened them. Staring blankly at the empty window in front of me, my mother yelled at me. "Toshi! Finish your food or else it's going to get cold." Ahh right. I haven't eaten yet since I've been too busy looking at my status. The food was basic, the same thing that I've eaten day after day and I quickly finished it as I went into the bathroom to relieve myself. In the bathroom, I washed my hands after peeing in the toilet, looking at myself in the mirror.  I didn't look half-bad. I think... I was already old enough to marry someone and taller than most of the adults in my village with my height being 6'10". My muscles were also toned and lean.  My mother also told me that I had my grampas eyes and hair, which were both brown. The people in my village always teased me that I was 16 and still haven't found a woman, but how could I find one with this stupid time-loop in the way?! Screw them. One day, I'll bring home a nice and pretty girl and let's see what they have to say.

My name is Toshi, Toshi Zanagi to be exact. My mother says that it was my grandfather's wish to name me since he had always wanted a son. Father was against it at first, but the name quickly grew on him and by the time he knew it, he didn't mind. It also helped that he got along with gramps. Enough about that, that's not important. What's important is that the day has repeated itself again. I've long stopped counting but it must've been at least a year since I've been stuck in this time-loop. I've tried various things to get out of said time-loop, but it was easier said than done. First off, in my world, there exists something called magic, so my first idea was to use magic to break out of the time-loop, but once again, that was easier said than done. Not only was I a teen who just turned 16, but I was also hopeless with magic. I just didn't have an affinity for it. It didn't mean I couldn't use magic, it was just that the things I could do magic were pretty useless, to say the least, and were really only good for party tricks if anything, so that was my hope of escaping this time-loop going down the drain. It also didn't help that with each day repeating, I couldn't even train my magic. I would keep all the memories of before the day repeated, but that was it. Any physical changes like stronger muscles didn't transfer over, and likewise, training magic was useless. One other thing I tried was staying up since the day would always repeat after I went to sleep, but that was also a failure. I don't know how, but whenever I tried to stay up, even if I was overloaded with caffeine, I would always suddenly wake up in my bed, over and over again. It was torture, to say the least! Whoever is doing this is definitely not going to a good place. I mean look at me, they're torturing a poor boy like me. What did I ever do? The next thing I did was also tell my parents and friends that the day was repeating itself over and over again, but even when they believed me, it was useless. Once the day repeated itself, their memories were wiped clean. So there I sat, bored, drinking my 3rd cup of coffee. I somehow developed an addiction to it which was weird, but oh well, I didn't mind. The coffee that mother drank tasted very good. "Toshi, stop drinking that. It'll stunt your growth!" my mother exclaimed. "You must grow big and strong like your father and also..." I had heard this talk dozens of times, dare I say hundreds of times. I just simply ignored it as I took another sip of the coffee. "Are you even listening to me?" I nodded. "Yes, but mother, what does it matter? Let me live my life. I'm stuck in this hell anyways, being tortured for the rest of my life." Hehe, what if I am in hell? Wait... That gives me an idea. "Gotta go mother, I must exercise and I'll think of stopping my coffee addiction." Running out of the house, I went into the woods and kept running until I found myself at the edge of a cliff.  I've tried everything but dying. I wonder what would happen to me if I died? Looking down the cliff, I had second thoughts. Do I really want to do it? What if I actually died? Thinking about it some more, I decided that if I was going to die, it was better than living in this time-loop that I was stuck in, so I made up my mind of jumping off the cliff. "Aghhh... Let's go! Cannonbaaaaaall!" Taking a quick run-up, I jumped off the cliff. It was scary, to say the least, but after a few seconds, I didn't mind and it was a bit relaxing as I fell to my death. The cliff was very high so I still had a couple of seconds before I would impact the ground below and die. As I became closer and closer to the ground, I closed my eyes and waited until I died. I felt a quick jolt of pain and then there was nothing. I opened my eyes, if I even had any, and saw my body on the ground, blood splattered everywhere. It was disgusting, to say the least, and I would've definitely puked if I could. Am I a ghost now? I stretched out my arms in front of my face. It looked the same except that it was see-through.  So I am a ghost... well, it's not that bad. Aha! Maybe I've broken the time-loop? Testing to see if I've broken the time loop, I lazed around in my new ghostly form, terrorizing some of the rabbits in the area which made me laugh. As the moon rose, I hoped that I had broken the time-loop. seconds went by, then minutes, and then hours. It was almost midnight. Just when I thought that I had broken the time-loop, I once again woke up in my bed. My mother was calling me and I wasn't a ghost anymore, but this time, there was something weird. Above my mother's head was a green bar and letters above the green bar. Agi Horisari - Lvl. 53 Huh? What the hell is that? I went into the mirror and I also had one on top of my head. Toshi Zanagi - Lvl. 16 Level 13? "Tooooooshi! Get over here! The food is getting cold!" "Alright! I'm coming," I said as I washed my face and sat on the table. "Mother, can I ask you something?" "Sure, what is it?" "What's that thing that is floating on top of my head and yours?" Mother laughed and smiled. "Why it's your name and hp obviously. Part of the system that the gods gave us."

At Divine Sin college. A college student was debating whether he should jump off the roof or not. He had a defeated look like one would have when you lose all hope in life. He had just recently found out that his parents and sibling had died in a car accident. "..." "Life's a bitch" Said the college student with short silver hair. He was 5'8, and he had a toned body yet at the same time a frail appearance. The most astonishing thing that drew people to him was his eyes. They shine like stars at night, and they were black as the abyss yet shining brightly as the stars. If one looked too long into his eyes, they say you would lose your soul into them. "Truly, life's unfair. It took everything from me, My Mom, my Dad, and my younger sister. If I could go back in time, I- I Would.... forget it there's no time machine or method to go to the past." Said the college student with a sad tone in his voice. Standing over the ledges from the roof looking upwards to the sky as it begins to rain like the heavens were crying. As the raindrops landed on him, he leaned forward and allowed the gravity to pull him down. It felt like it was welcoming him to eternal slumber below. As he fell, his mind was going through memories of his life. He saw his mother's smiling face, his dad's teasing face, and his sister's pouting face. "If I could, I would do anything to see them just one more time, but it looks like the end of the line for me..." Said the college student as the gravity pulled him down. ..... Right before his body was about to hit the ground floor, his body stopped inches from the grass below. "...or not?" Right after saying those words he passed out. [....Ding... The Lucifer System has been activated.] [Executing Alternative Timeline Reversely.] ... "Brother, wake up~," Said a young cheerful looking girl as she tried to wake up her sleeping older brother from his eternal slumber. "Just five more minutes." Said the sleeping young teen to his little sister, who at the moment was pouting at him. "Humph. Fine, I'll drink your favorite apple juice then." Said the young girl in an upset tone to her older brother as she hopped off the bed and left for breakfast to drink her brother's apple juice. "Wait a minute, what's going on? Is this a dream? Why am I in my bedroom, and how can my sister be alive. I was sure I jumped off the school's roof." Said the young teen in a confused tone, as he just realized who was trying to wake him up. [ Good morning, Host. ] "Huh... Who said that"Said the young teen out loud while looking for the person who said those words. [ The Host should stop looking around. I'm bound to the Host's soul. ] "... So let me get this straight you are bound to my soul. But how? Another question is how am I in the past? By way things look around me, Like my sister being alive and the fact that my calendar is showing January the 6th Year 2038….Wait what the hell!! it should be the Year 2024" Said the young teen as he questioned the System. [ The answer to Host's 1st question: The system has always been bound to the Host's soul since the day the Host was born. ] [ The answer to Hosts 2nd question: When the Host was inches away from hitting the ground, The system sent the Host back in time but to an alternate timeline with is similar to Host's original timeline, due to the fact that Host's original timeline was going to be obliterated by the God of Time, a few days later. So the system decided that's best if the Host was sent to an alternate timeline witch wasn't going to be obliterated at any time. ] "Hmm. I now understand how I got here now, but why would this so-called God of Time destroy my original timeline! And who are you exactly." Said the young teen to the system. [ I currently can't answer your first question due to the fact it involves the law of the Gods. But the answer to your second question is quite simple I'm The Lucifer System, who shall help its Host in taking over the Demon Realm and conquering the God Realm by becoming the Demon God Lucifer, but you may call me Lucifer.. ] Said Lucifer S in an arrogant and prideful tone. "....." The young teen was speechless. He didn't know what to say at that moment. [ System shall now commence re-calibration and Status upgrade in 5 seconds. ] Said the System in a non-emotional tone. "Huh... What's this Re-calibration and Status upgrade thing you just mentioned"The young teen asked in a curious tone. [ Starting Re-calibration and Status upgrade...5...4..3..2.1... Executing Re-calibration and Status upgrade. ] "What the F- ahh-uck My head hurts...AHHHH, YOU GOD F-ING SYSTEM!!!!"Yelled the young teen to the system as he felt as his head was going to explode at any moment. ..... [ Re-calibration and Status upgrade Completed. Host Status will now be shown. ] {~~~~~~Status Screen open~~~~~~} ~~~~~~~~Character Status~~~~~~~~ Name: Max Lucifer Age: 16 Years Old Health: Healthy Level: 1 (Lucifer Comment: That level is just sad..) Exp: 0/1000 Sin Points : 0 (System Note: To increase Sin Points ether Host has to do Sin's or punish sinners or cleans there sins.) (Lucifer Comment: The easiest method is doing the Sins.) Rank: Pebble (System Note: Rank is your Status in the Demon Realm. To Increase your Rank, you have to Level up.) (Lucifer Comment:... Pebble...hahaha, that's the first time I've ever heard of a Rank such as a Pebble. That's probably the same as saying you are lower than dirt... Hahaha.) Race: Human/???? Hybrid (Lucifer Comment: Even I don't know what the other half of you is...should I dissect you and find out...Grinning Face..) Occupation: None (Lucifer Comment: I don't even know what to say about this one...Sigh.) Relationship: Single (Lucifer Comment: Really. Your single with those looks. Hmm, Maybe your little Jimmy doesn't work down below. Don't worry; with a bit of help from the system, I'm sure your little Jimmy will spring back into action..) ~~~~Ability's~~~~ Sin Absorption Level (MAX) Ability Description: Passive ability to absorb sins people have committed. (Lucifer Comment:...That's a cheat ability.) Mind Reader Level (1) Ability Description: The ability to read someone's mind and find out their darkest secret. Who knows what you might find. (System Note: Can only be used 6 times a day.) (Lucifer Comment: You should use this Ability  to blackmail people to do your bidding…) Sin Punisher Level (1) Ability Description: The ability to punish sinners who have committed crimes that are unredeemable. For example, sending a mass murderer's soul to the very pits of hell and let them suffer with no chance of leaving hell for all eternity. (System Note: Can only be used on people who have commented crimes related to murder or R*p* or any other unredeemable crime.) (Lucifer Comment: That is one scary Ability, it gives me the creeps, and can I take back what I said early about blackmailing people...) Sin Cleanser Level (1) Ability Description: The ability to cleanse one's sins. If someone has done a sin that they genuinely regret doing or are trying to make up for, this ability can cleanse their sins and allow them to pass on with a pure heart. (System Note: Can only be used on people who have only done theft, robbery, or any minor crimes, anything that's related to murder or R*p* types, are to be punished by the Sin Punishing Ability .) (Lucifer Comment: This Ability makes me think of the Divine God of Liberation...) ??? (??): Ability Locked. Level Needed (12) Ability Description: Locked ??? (??): Ability Locked. Level Needed (20) Ability Description: Locked ??? (??): Ability Locked. Level Needed (26) Ability Description: Locked ??? (??): Ability Locked. Level Needed (38) Ability Description: Locked ??? (??): Ability Locked. Level Needed (45) Ability Description: Locked Alternative Timeline Reversely Level (???): Ability Locked. Level Needed (???) Ability Description: The ability to turn back time to an alternative timeline. It can only be used once every nine years. Time Reversely Level (MAX): Ability Locked. Level Needed (???) Ability Description: The ability to turn back time to a certain point, depending on how far back the Host wishes to go. It can only be used twice a year. (System Note: Be grateful that I gave you such an Ability  Mortal.) (Lucifer Comment: …Pfff, Did the system just mock you?) {...Status Screen close...} "...."Max was speechless while reading Lucifer's Comments and the system's last note "What's up with the System and Lucifer Comments under Basic Status and Ability 's Lucifer?"Said Max to Lucifer in a confused tone. [ The System Comment's are the ones that explain the use or what the Status abilities are about. The Lucifer Comments are about your Status or Ability s or how I think you should use them. ] "Okay, so what's up with the hybrid thing?"Said Max to Lucifer, hoping he knows the answer to his question. [ Kid, did you read My Comment about your race. Even I don't know what the other half of you is. Hell, I'll love to know myself. ] "I've read your comment. It's just I was hoping you might know something about it." Said Max to Lucifer as he was walking to his bedroom door. "Hmm, it looks like I'll have to ask my parents about it.. wait do they still look the same as they were in my timeline, or do they look different in this timeline? Never mind I'll find out soon at breakfast. Anyway, Let's get some breakfast before Lily drinks all of my apple juice.." [ Kid, That sounded kind of Naughty when you phrased it like that. ] "....."Max was speechless, as he didn't know how to reply at that moment.

Do you have any idea how incredibly difficult it is to be a girl? If you are reading this, probably trying to get some kind of sick thrill, fantasizing about what it would be like to be magically transformed into a woman, you are absolutely missing the point. If you are here for wish fulfillment, you are skipping the years that it would take to transition medically, if that is even possible for you. If you are here to try to experience what it is like to be a girl and get fucked… My experience is completely at odds with your imagination. Oh god, I wish it was as nice as I used to dream. I wish it were just like all of the hentai I used to read. Where within a few pages, a man becomes a hot and sexy woman and immediately just gets fucked and absolutely loves it and gives her mind over to to her new life of being a fuckdoll who exists purely to please her man. Nope. That is not what it is like. Not in the absolute slightest. I should know after all, since it actually happened to me. No, really, a whole magical gender change. I’m just as shocked as you are to find out they are real. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like anything I had ever read about. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t sexy, and it certainly wasn’t fun. It was nothing other than pure embarrassment, humiliation far more significant than my brain could have imagined all those years ago. Yes, I said years. This is not a fun little day or night of simple sexual thrills. No, this is a curse I have been suffering from and will continue to suffer from perpetually. My story had still not ended at the time of my writing this. I am going to write down a complete journal that summarizes what I went through throughout the years. If you want simple nice positive wish fulfillment, I suggest you go elsewhere. However, if you want to know the real suffering and pain that a man who becomes a girl must endure, you have come to the right place.     Before all of this, Yuuki was my best friend. The easiest person in the world for me to talk to. We met while playing a popular fighting game at a arcade, and eventually we started going to events for it together. We didn’t belong in any club, since our school didn’t allow for  After we graduated, we started going our separate ways, since he wanted to become a professional gamer, whereas my family couldn’t handle such flights of fancy. Instead, I began the typical Japanese dream of climbing the corporate ladder. I stayed late everyday, but made a decent living since my grades were able to get me into a good school, and an even better company. Not to mention, the group of guys I met there were all good, hardworking, honest, dirven men. They were the exact crowd of friends that your mother would be proud of. By contrast, Yuuki was considered… a bit of a burnout. He didn’t go to school, saying that it would get in the way of his practice time for his game. He did get better than me at the game, but I quickly surpassed him in every other field. I even got lucky and hooked up with women on occassion, a point Yuuki would always gripe over. He eventually got over his obsession with becoming a professional gamer, and since then had been trying, and failing, to get a girlfriend. He started playing weird hentai games, and I constantly tried ot tell him that wouldn’t help him, but he shut me down. He now lived in an apartment owned by his parents, and spend all of his days playing visual novels and dating sims. Apparently his parents, who were pretty well off and successful, didn’t pay it too much mind. It was strange, they were pretty strict with his younger sister, going as far as to send her to a fancy all girls school. Despite the fact we had changed a lot as people, we always made to meet up at least once a year, usually around our birthday. Yeah, we share the exact same birthday, the 15th of March. I always joked around that it was auspicious for us to be born on a day when a famous world leader had been assassinated, but he wasn’t a particularly good student, let alone a history buff, and never got it no matter how many times I explained it to him.  At one of those typical dinners, he had come up to me, showing off a gorgeous pair of rings that he had gotten from mother. Apparently, they were given to the eldest son when he turned twenty-five. They were far too feminine for my tastes, though the emerald on one of them gleamed in such a way that I had trouble taking my eyes off of it. He said that his parents told him that the rings could be used to make a wish, so long as hie and another person wore it together. I didn’t buy this bullshit, and tried to play it off as a joke. He insisted that it was real, and begged me to help him. Knowing that he didn’t have many other friends outside of his discord group, I agreed to help. That, in hindsight, was the single biggest mistake I could have possibly made. After putting on the rings, him with the emerald one and me with the ruby one, he puts his hands together, and uttered the words that would change my life forever. “Dear god, I wish I had a sexy, perverted, and submissive, Childhood Friend girlfriend with giant tits!” I blinked a few times at his audacity.  “Yuuki, what the actual fu-” And then my vision went dark.

Despite their recent wedding, many things stayed roughly the same for the happy couple. They worked the same 9-5 jobs, they still spent their weekends letting “Carly” out to play, and most importantly, they still lived in the same apartment building. The biggest benefit to Carl’s time as “Carly” was that, since he was living with Felicia, no one batted an eye to see Carl walk into the laundry room with a basket filled primarily with women’s clothing, never suspecting that the clothes didn’t belong to Felicia.   Carl tended to get very focused on the laundry, especially considering that most of the more delicate and wrinkle-prone items were his own, so he hadn’t noticed that another tenant, a young woman, had entered the laundry room and had begun to fill up one of the empty washing machines. In fact, he didn’t notice her presence until she slammed down her hand on top of the machine.   “Oh, shoot!” she exclaimed.   Carl jumped and looked up to see a raven-haired young woman, probably the same age as Felicia, on the other side of the laundry room frantically checking around the tops of the other machines. Carl didn’t recognize her, but then again, he probably wouldn’t recognize a good chunk of the tenants who live on the other floors.   “Need help?” Carl asked, putting down the shirt he was folding.   The young woman looked over at Carl and then down to her open hand, which held a pile of quarters.   “You wouldn’t happen to have an extra quarter on you, would you?” she asked.   “I might…” Carl dug his hands into his pockets, searching until he came across a single quarter, pulling it out of his pocket. “Aha! I’ve got just enough!”   “Thank you so much!” the young woman ran over to Carl and he handed her the quarter.   Carl noticed her gaze lingering on his well-kept nails, but didn’t think much of it. He kept them short enough that nobody could possibly know from just a glance.   “You’re a lifesaver. I thought I had enough for the machine, and I’ve gotta run some errands, so I really didn’t feel like heading all the way back up to the 8th floor before I left.” the woman explained.   “No problem, it’s always nice to be neighborly.” Carl said. “I’m Carl by the way.”   “Carly.” the woman responded.   Carl’s heart dropped and he felt his mouth go dry. How could she possibly know? Could he play it off? How would that even work? Carl’s mind was abuzz with the possibilities.   “Huh?” Carl asked.   “That’s my name, Carly. I’m up in 8C.” the young woman, Carly, smiled.   “Oh… That’s funny, Carl, Carly.” Carl’s face flushed as he realized who the young woman was.   His mind flashed back to Valentine’s Day and the incredible coincidence that had occurred, the tenant in 8C having a nearly identical name to his and the utter incompetence of those stylists, which had led him and Felicia down their current path. Technically, given how much it had strengthened their relationship, Carl and Felicia owed both the tenants of 8C and those stylists a great debt, but that was with the benefit of hindsight. Carl had long wondered what he would do if he was face to face with the fabled Carly of 8C, and now that he was, he was paralyzed. Carl must have zoned out, because he was suddenly snapped back to reality when Carly spoke again.   “Anyway, thanks for the quarter. What’s your apartment? I’d really like to pay you back.” Carly said.   “It’s just a quarter, I wasn’t even going to use it this week anyway.” Carl said.   “Still,” Carly insisted. “I’m weird about debts, I always have to pay them back.”   “I’m in 3C.” Carl said. “Though I wouldn’t call twenty-five cents a debt.”   “Oh, that’s funny, we’ve got a similar name and even our apartment numbers are similar.” Carly giggled.   “Just don’t tell me that your husband’s name is Felix.” Carl muttered.   “Oh, I’m not married, but don’t worry, my boyfriend’s name is Jonathan. That would really be spooky.” Carly smiled. “Thanks again, see you around, I guess.”   “Right, see you around…” Carl trailed off as he returned to his folding, entirely emotionally exhausted by the encounter.   Back up at the apartment, Carl regaled Felicia of his encounter, which ended with Felicia cracking up so much, she nearly fell off the couch.   “It’s not funny!” Carl insisted.   “It kinda is, babe.” Felicia put her hand on Carl’s shoulder. “But I can’t even imagine how it must have felt to hear ‘Carly’ out in the open like that.”   “It felt scary.” Carl admitted.   “To have been a fly on the wall for that, just to see your face!” Felicia said, cackling once more.   The following Saturday, Carl, fully made up as Carly with painted nails, a shaved body and his hair slightly curled, emerged from the bathroom wearing the red sundress that he’d worn during Felicia’s birthday trip, and again on their more recent honeymoon following their actual wedding. They didn’t typically go out during their weekends, but Carl had found over time that it was very fun to just dress up for a quiet evening in. He’d expected to find Felicia sitting on the bed, but he didn’t expect to find her talking on her cell phone.   “Uh huh…” Felicia nodded, rolling her eyes as she listened to the person on the other end of the call she was in. “And there’s no one else who can come in to handle that? What about Roger?”   “What’s up?” Carl mouthed.   Felicia put a finger up, asking Carl to wait.   “Of course he is…” Felicia grumbled. “All right, but you owe me!”   Felicia angrily hung up her phone and sighed.   “What’s wrong?” Carl asked.   “Work emergency. Apparently I’m the only one who can fix it, so I have to go into the office for a bit.” Felicia replied, quickly changing out of her casual, lounge around the house outfit, and into something more appropriate for work.   “Guess I should have waited to bring Carly out then…” Carl remarked.   “Nah, because this way, I’ll be encouraged to get all this over with quickly because I know exactly what’s waiting for me at home.” Felicia gave Carl a quick peck on the lips. “I’ll be back soon.”   “Have fun!” Carl joked as Felicia grabbed her purse and headed out of the bedroom.   Carl glanced at himself in the mirror and chuckled.   “Well Carly, it’s just you and me.” Carl said.   After several minutes of boredom gave way to Carl deciding to surf the web on his laptop and check some work files, there was a knock on the door that made Carl naturally apprehensive. After all, the last time he answered an unsolicited knock on the door, he ended up getting the makeover that first introduced him to “Carly”, and while he hadn’t regretted the results, the initial situation wasn’t something he was eager to repeat, especially with the recent encounter with the real Carly still fresh in his mind.   After a moment of careful contemplation, Carl got up and headed towards the door, looking out the peephole. After not seeing anything, or anyone, out there, Carl unlocked the door and poked his head outside.   “Huh… nobody there.” Carl said. “Maybe it was a prank…”   Carl glanced down and saw a large package leaning against the wall next to the door.   “Odd, I didn’t order anything and neither did Felicia, as far as I know…” Carl stepped out of the apartment and picked up the package.   Carl read the label, looking at the name carefully. The package was addressed to “Carly Warren”, which before even looking at the address, Carl knew which apartment the box was meant to be at.   “Guess I’ll have to send Felicia up with it later…” Carl sighed, as he stepped further out to better his grip on the package.   Unfortunately, Carl stepped out a bit too far, and he heard the door swing shut. Carl quickly rushed towards the doorknob, but discovered what he’d already feared was the case.   “Locked…” Carl muttered. “Of course…”   Carl glanced down the hallway, and then down at himself. Seeing as the sundress didn’t have pockets, Carl didn’t have his keys or his phone, and even lacked a pair of shoes, leaving his painted toes sinking in the hall carpeting.   “I guess I really don’t have an excuse not to bring this up myself…” Carl sighed. “I just hope Felicia gets home quickly…”   Thankfully, Carl didn’t have to share the elevator with any of the other tenants on the way up to the eighth floor, and soon found himself standing in front of 8C. Carl took a deep breath and knocked on the door, hoping that perhaps Carly’s boyfriend would answer, saving Carl from having to once again stand face to face with Carly.   There was no such luck, as Carl heard Carly shout something, presumably a variation of “I’ll be right there!” that was muffled by the door, before quickly opening the door.   “...Hello?” Carly asked, looking Carl up and down.   Carl inwardly cheered, since the confused expression meant she didn’t recognize him.   “Um, this package was delivered to the wrong apartment. I think it belongs to you?” Carl held out the package to Carly.   Carly took the package and examined the label, smiling when she spotted the return address. “Thanks so much!” Carly exclaimed. “Those mail carriers are getting sloppy, eh?”   “Yeah, I know how much I hate it when it says it was delivered when it wasn’t.” Carl replied, nervously smiling.   “I really appreciate it… Say, you look familiar, have we met?” Carly asked, squinting her eyes as she looked at Carl’s face.   Carl froze, eyeing the other side of the hallway and wondering how fast he could possibly run to make it to the stairs before Carly reacted.   “I don’t… think so, I don’t even live in this building!” Carl nervously replied. Before Carly could rightfully ask what he was doing in the building if he didn’t live in it, Carl quickly covered. “I’m house-sitting for my brother!”   “Brother? Oh yeah! Carl from 3C! Of course, I knew your face looked familiar, let me guess, twin brother? The resemblance is uncanny.” Carly said.   “We get that a lot…” Carl smiled. “Anyway, I should get back, plants to water, you know.”   “Thanks again, by the way, let me grab a quarter.” Carly said, turning back towards her apartment.   “I already said don’t worry about it!” Carl said, then clamped his manicured hands over his mouth.   Carly grinned.   “I had a feeling it was you, and word to the wise? The identical twin schtick is a lame excuse. Lemme guess, if I’d pressed for your name would you have said Carly?” Carly said. “So what is it, a lost bet?”   “Not quite…” Carl started. “It actually started because of you.”   “Because of me? You’re not going to tell me that some of my clothes ended up in your laundry basket, right?” Carly asked. “Cause that’s a boundary breaker for sure.”   “Oh, no, nothing like that.” Carl replied. “You were supposed to get a makeover for Valentine’s Day, right?”   Carly’s eyes widened and she started to stifle a laugh.   “Come inside, you’ve got to tell me the story.” Carly insisted.   Given that his only other option was to wait in the hallway for Felicia to return, and knowing that her usual emergency trips to the office usually took at least a half hour, Carl knew he had time to burn and he’d rather not get caught out in the hall by one of their neighbors on their floor, since Carl had no desire to allow them to put what Carly had put together fairly easily. Carl complied and followed Carly into Apartment 8C.   “So, they’d told my boyfriend that they’d accidentally went to 3C, and while I didn’t know who lived there then, I made it a point to walk past a few times, just to see who got my makeover… I always figured it was your girlfriend.” Carly said.   “Wife, actually.” Carl corrected.   “Good for you!” Carly replied. “You can tell she’s special because of well… all this.”   “She’s the best.” Carl smiled.   “So, how the hell did that happen anyway?” Carly asked as she sat down on the couch, motioning for Carl to join her.   Carl sat down and tucked his legs underneath him as he leaned on the armrest.   “I had gotten a mild case of laryngitis, and while I was wrapping Felicia’s gift, there was a knock on the door.” Carl started. “I tried to explain, but let’s just say those stylists weren’t the brightest bulbs on the tree.”   “That’s an understatement, Jonathan gave them the reaming of a lifetime when they finally got up here.” Carly said. “And were you…?”   “Dressed in women’s clothing? Absolutely not! I’d never done anything like that until that day, and well… Felicia liked it, and I didn’t totally hate it.” Carl admitted. “I looked like a normal guy and they still just went ahead with it. I struggled, but…”   Carly sat in rapturous silence as Carl told the story of not only the initial makeover, but of his later exploits as “Carly”, during Felicia’s birthday trip and Felicia’s pre-wedding gift as well, before explaining the circumstances that led him to being in her apartment now. Once Carl finished, Carly clearly had questions.   “So are you like trans or gender fluid? No judgement, I’m just curious, since you said that it was your first experience and now...” Carly asked.   “Honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t think I am, I just like wearing dresses and looking pretty sometimes. It started out solely for Felicia, since she liked seeing me like that, but I’ve found a lot of enjoyment in it. It’s fun to have a double life and to escape being myself for a few days.” Carl said.   “I bet. It’s a bit like being a secret agent, except you get to wear colors other than black.” Carly giggled.   “That’s very true.” Carl smiled. “God, I was so terrified when we met in the laundry room, but I’m glad that I was finally able to get that off my chest. I’ve never talked about it with someone other than Felicia.”   “And I’m happy to finally know the real story of what happened to my makeover. I’m really glad that my misfortune ended up improving your life.”   “It did, didn’t it?” Carl said. “Anyway, I should probably get going. Thanks for letting me hang out for a bit, Felicia’s probably on her way or already home and if she’s back, she’d probably worried.”   “I hope we get to run into each other again, although it might get confusing with two Carlys around.” Carly said.   “Don’t worry, I’m only around on the weekends, you get the weekdays.” Carl chuckled as Carly showed him to the door. “And if you wouldn’t mind… don’t tell anyone what I told you.”   “My lips are sealed. But I will tell Jonathan that I met the recipient of my makeover and that she’s a lovely woman.” Carly said.   “Thank you.” Carl said.   “No problem, us Carlys have to stick together, right?” Carly said.   “Exactly.” Carl smiled as he walked back into the hallway and headed for the elevator.   Arriving back at his apartment, Carl rapped on the door, not expecting Felicia to be back, but the door immediately flew open.   “Carly! There you are! I was worried sick!” Felicia playfully pulled Carl into the apartment. “Where the heck were you?”   “It’s a long story…” Carl sighed.   “It always is with you, isn’t it?” Felicia giggled. “How does it start?”   “It started when there was a knock on the door…” Carl started.   “Oh no, not again!” Felicia sighed.   The End?

Hello Everyone! "The Demon Lord's Demise" - volume 1 will be released soon with 2-3 days per chapter update. No release date has been confirmed, but I hope you enjoy the novel. I'm still fairly new to writing novels, so I'd appreciate it if you point out my mistakes. The first chapter will be the prologue. Each chapter is anticipated to have around 3-5k words, so please know releases may be delayed due to personal activities. Feel free to ask any questions, I'll try to respond to as many as I can! [Right now the novel will be only released on Scribble Hub, so please contact me if anyone is redistributing]

() - Means thinking when not directly stated "Gah!" I screamed out confused by what was happening to me. (W-What's happening, wasn't I dead?) I vividly remembered what happened to me a short while ago as the sight of a small girl and her cat about to be run over by a truck appeared in my mind. I start to ponder about the scene in my mind for a brief moment before a sharp and persistent pain assaults the left side of my chest. I then looked down to see a clean stab all the way through my heart and at this moment although many questions were surfing through my mind the biggest ones were (Why am I still alive and what the hell is going on!?) As if responding to one of the questions in my mind someone who was looking down on me on the ground with a silver blade that looked to be a European style sword long sword says " Hahaha, Not bad, your more persistent than we thought, to think you managed to hold on this long." Looking up from the ground to the person standing in front of me I could see that he had dark brown hair with light brown eyes and his build was that of a bodybuilder as he was huge. But before paying any mind to this person I decided to look at the surroundings so as to get a better idea of where I was. By looking around this place, I saw that we were on elevated ground that was tiled with concrete slabs, with seats elevated to see the center no matter where one sat around us in the shape of a circle and a girl sitting down quite contently while looking at us coldly, and on the front and back of the stage there were steps making this place look as if this was some training area but before I could see anymore, I felt a strong hand grab my hair. "Oi! You have some nerve ignoring me when I'm talking to you" following up his statement he punched me in my gut which made me spit out a mouthful of saliva as the pain from the punch coupled with my chest pain was agonizing especially because I've never experienced something like this in my life. He then continued by saying "Anyways… You know? You wouldn't be going through any of this if you only gave up your monthly chamber training access card to my lady but of course seeing that you were ignorant of the world you wanted to be the rebel that stopped my lady huh? But oh well at least I get to beat the shit outta you, more fun for me" (Young lady…? Chamber Training Card…?, what is this guy talking about) but before I could even think more about what he said he threw a sharp and precise kick that seemed like a bullet towards where the stab wound was on my chest that caused me to fly through the air while also causing me excruciating pain and made me scream out "Aaaaahhhh!!!" With my body failing me and the intense pain I couldn't even try to stop my fall which resulted in me hitting the ground that was paved with thick concrete slabs. After a few short seconds passed I could see that large guy walking closer and closer step by step. The situation caused a mixture of emotions to surge inside me, which were evident on my face. The most prominent emotions were fear and disbelief, and it appeared that the other person was enjoying my suffering. Remembering back to my time on earth, I was a pretty fair person who wasn't biassed towards those that were above or below me. As such I didn't get into many fights or problems with other people. (Just what did I do to end up going through this pain and torture for some tool that I don't even know about and because of the decision of this person before I came to inhabit his body) After thinking this, I decided to try and make a final stand or sorts but my body was screaming out in agony as it wanted to stop moving and it was a miracle that I could move any part of it at all. Seeing that I was close to my body failing and even perhaps death, the girl that was just watching us from the elevated seats said in a cold and uncaring voice " Luke! Stop now, just take the card out of his pocket and let him transfer the ownership to me. If you do anything more than this then the academy will step in, after all he's still a fellow student, and we don't need them on our case right now" Trying his best to keep his eyes open and look at the girl in the elevated seats he could see that she had light green hair, dark green eyes that glitter with arrogance. She had a petite and frail build but didn't look like someone to mess with. After letting out a long sigh and looking then looking at the girl dejectedly, the large guy, Luke walked over and then grabbed me by my ankle and held me in the air like a ragdoll while shaking me until a dark purple card fell out of my pocket. After taking it up he said to me in a gruff and stern voice "Transfer this one time monthly training card's ownership to Lady Lana or else I'll kill you and I'm sure the academy staff won't arrive in time to stop you from dying" Although I knew this could have been a bluff, I scaredly said " I-I transfer ownership to Lana". Not wanting to feel the pain in the left side of my chest anymore I wanted them to leave as soon as possible. After I said those words, the card flashed and then appeared in Lena's hands. After looking at the purple card in her hand for a few seconds she sad "Good, we've gotten what we came for" while walking away before she turned around and added on "Next time, when we tell you to hand over anything make sure to comply although I'm not sure if you'll make it to a next time" At the time I didn't know what she meant by this and I didn't really care as my blood kept dripping out from the wounds on my body. After hearing what Lena said, Luke threw me into the wall with enough force to cause me to spit out a mouthful of blood and then walked away. After which I started blacking out but not before thinking "Why is this happening to me, If I was going to reincarnate, why like this" before he fainted

"Argh, damnit." My head's been stinging a lot recently, maybe it's because of the stress finally catching up? Shrugging off the possible migraine, I turn to my co-worker and ask him for the sales data about the new product; "I gave the drafts to Christine, I'm not sure if I remember the contents correctly so it's better to ask her instead." - He weakly answered. "Tch." I clicked my tongue, "And? How about the ratings?" "To cut it short; Honestly, they were crap."  'Damn. Boss is gonna have another field day on us, god forbid another 4-hour-long sermon.' Dejectedly, I sigh, and respond;  "Alright, cover my work for half an hour or so, I already sent you the details through This Cord. My co-worker also sighs but in a more stressed-out feel and says; "Bye, and get back quickly, It's hard to cover for your work."  "Sure, see ya," I reply with a forced smile. 'I Just wanna get home already.' While ignoring my urge to just leave the office, I got up from my desk, left my cubicle, and headed for the door. Fuck, forgot the USB. 'Damn, went outside just to go back inside.' I think to myself; 'How nice.' I turn and walk up to the entrance near the corridor, when suddenly... I don't? "...Huh?" 'I swear I just turned right, isn't this the same corridor?' Still shaken up, I try and re-enter the corridor to my left, to no avail, I'm back to the start of the hall. You know what? From my experience, if you encounter shit like this, all you do is turn around and some bullshit like a white, glowing door is behind you. "Pfft, like that'll be the ca—" ... 'Holy Motherfucking shit.' I scoff, and mumble; "Well, I'll be damned." As I look back, a white, glowing, four-panel door accented by a blinding, yet comforting golden outline materializes behind me. Hell, even the knob's gold. 'Should I enter?' —MY ASS!  I slam my fist on the wall as if I were a shounen protagonist realizing their big mistake. "Why would I even need to ask for confirmation? God, I don't even have a choice! It's not like walking along this hellish loop of a hallway would save me any progress!" I groan, and inwardly think; 'Argh, fuck it. Guess I'll die.' I walk towards the door, twisting the knob slowly. As the door creaks open, I peeked in and saw a white room with natural forest-like scenery on the other side. 'The hell? I thought there'd be something here.' Back to the topic of the room, it seems as if it's like how a wormhole is described in science fiction, although with a couple of changes. While I was busy observing the room, I felt something behind me moved, I flinched and quickly turned around, only to be greeted by a pitch-black figure's presence, seemingly looking into my eyes. 'Maybe this is the divine being?' Wait a second... "...tell me you aren't here just to shove me in that portal." ask, in a disappointed tone. The figure tilts its head as if confused about what I just said. Either way, the figure raised its hand, points it at me, and a fog-like substance coats my chest. Before the figure could do anything I screamed; "OH YOU FUCKING CU—" The figure takes a stance, retracts its arm, and punches me. I got cut off as the figure knocked me into the forest.

Monday a new day of the week the time to get up early and go to work, study, or to do chores it's the day that a lot of people excited about this day it may be for work or for school but there are people who hate that day, and one of them is Emado Rokuro. -ring-ring-ring- as the alarm started ringing Emado who is asleep started to move it's hand forward to stop the alarm clock. "So early so please give me 5 minutes more time to sleep~" After he said that he set the alarm for 5 minutes to ring again, after 5 minutes the alarm ring again but he only did is reset it in 5 minutes alarm, again and again until it's continued 6 times resulting to this. "I'm late! I'm Freaking Late!! Ohhh!" The sun is already shining high up in the sky, the wind is cold the street is full of leaves scattered around. Students walking around full of happiness and smile. It's new day for them or more accurately the new school year the most important thing for their future, some of them is taking with their friends, some are walking hand and hands with their girlfriends in town. Slightly distance from them is a tall student with glasses he has a black hair, his eyes are as sharp as an eagle, he looks like a model from a magazine what's more the black school uniform suited him a lot and making him the center attention, a lot of girls are talking about him. "Hey is that Ocnalb Mawter the most genius at the exam in last year?" "Rather than a genius his a prodigy." "And that school uniform is he going the same school as us?" "Ahh! I wish I'm the same class as him." "Do you think he has a girlfriend?" "Umm~ according to the rumours he does not have a girlfriend." "Ah maybe I should confess to him kyaa~~" "Kyaa~" "Kyaa~" "Kyaa~" could be heard in the girls and meanwhile the boy's. "Fucking fourth Eyes the only good about him is his looks and Brain." "Just because you got good grades, money and looks" " Why you! Because your mom give birth to you my precious... my precious girlfriend break up with me" Tears gushing out of his eyes remembering a few minutes before encountering Ocnalb. Walking hands and hands with his girlfriend who is his childhood friend for the past 16 year he finally ask her out. "Hey what's your mind for the future do you want to became a teacher you said that it's your dream?" "Ehehe~ But lately I'm thinking of not doing that." " So what do you want to do then?" "How should I say this, um... I want to became you wife."her face started bushing how cute I want to hug you I want kiss you ahhhhhh my heart is about to explode from happiness. Looking at her I can see that she's the best girlfriend that I can get no, the Best WIFE. " Then it's a promise" "Yes!" Ahh how wonderful to be alive, how great it is to have an amazing girlfriend every thing is perfect until you arrive. You who she just meet in the first time in her life look at you and then said this to me without even moving her eye away from him. "Let's break up." "What why m-may be your joking, ahaha it's just a joke right?" " I'm not joking, I just found my true love." "W-what bu-but you said that you Mary me, what are you saying is there anything that is wrong about me." "Yes, your ugly I only accept your confession to me because your my childhood friend I feel bad at you, but now I realized that I don't really love you I just feel pity towards you, then good bye." "No! Don't leave me!" No matter how much I scream and cry she didn't even look at me. My love and my life you destroy it Ocnalb I will definitely get revenge out of you even if I have to go to hell. Back to the present such talk occur behind his back, but Ocnalb paid it no mind his expression is as if he didn't hear them talk about him. Around him the students are sending glance at him the boys are looking at him with envy eye's while the girls are flushing after looking at him, their reaction are clearly in love with him. Then Ocnalb put his hand in his temple. His face is clearly in trouble, the surrounding students stop talking about him, they think that he heard them loud and clear. Ocnalb begun talking to his self in a clearly low voice that no one can hear. "──I wonder, why is a human like me is so sinful like this." He understood. ……That he's handsome He said it in a sorrowful state, as he looks at the sky while he spread his arm wide and clear. The sun raying his body with light as if his a divine being, the girl's look at him and shout "Kya~" "Ahh!!" With affection while the boys looking at the girl's with disgusted face . But Ocnalb paid it no mind at all and start taking to himself again. "Aa, magnificent!" Inside his mind such through occur to him. [Even the blue sky that appeared after so long felt like it was giving its blessing to me. No, that wasn't’t it──it wasn't’t just my feeling, it was really blessing me.]  "Everyone, look at this handsome me──!" "Yo! Your the same as always huh? Ocnalb." Then suddenly his friend appears out of nowhere greeted him. Kent Towes a very handsome young man as the same age as Ocnalb, with a blue eyes and golden brown hair as his features of a foreigner. "Ohh, Kelly I'm just trying to tell them that I'm a very sinful man, just why? Why did I born so handsome?" "Yup your the same as always, and my name is Kent not Kelly." "I know Kelvin, so what section are you?" Kent lower his shoulder and make a resignation face, while answering. "Class 3 A-1 and you, what class are you?" "The same a you, look like the fate brought us together. Or rather it's destiny worthy of myself!" There he strike a pose the surrounding students rise a cheers around him. "So cool!" "Kyaa~" With sparkling eyes. While the boy's click their tongues"Show off" "You only got good face, how about I beat it up huh!?" "Wanna beat him up after school" "Sounds good to me" "Hahahahha!" "Mwahahahaha!" Could be heard Mean while the two of them continued chatting together, if an outsider saw this out they definitely think that their are more than friends and much more a close brothers. What a awaited them are a big golden gate and a large amount students. Looking around them are an excited bunches, tired, and sleepy face. Then suddenly the gate open, what came into view is a large school, it has 4 floors, just looking at it bring you back to the past and future. It's full of windows but it's foundation has a European taste. The founder of this school is a British citizen that migrated in this country. Ocnalb and Kent was dump stuck by this beautiful architecture. "Hey Ocnalb this scale of building is more than a millions of dollars? Don't you think so?" "Of course it is, the magnificence of such as I is just right for this school to be this glorious" The sound of bell can be heard the surrounding students to form a line in front of the school yard, the number of students are that of a thousand, the chat of the students can be heard here there.

“Mmhmm”, “Where am I” I thought to myself as I looked around where I was laying down. I saw medical equipment and beds with white sheets which made me think that I was in a hospital although some of the equipment I saw looked rather peculiar   After trying to slowly sit myself up, I heard footsteps coming from the corridor outside the room I was in, shortly after which someone with blonde hair and closed eyes entered. His demeanor was that of someone important and although his eyes were closed they emitted a soft and tender feeling.   His facial expressions on the other hand looked more of annoyance and pity at the same time. After letting out a deep sigh the man introduced himself as Mathias, Mathias Mirano.    After introducing himself he then said “ I’m sorry but due to your heart injury your wen core which is located in your heart is badly damaged and we don’t have any way to repair it without the use of a rare item or rare skill which we don’t have access to at the moment”   After hearing the news from Mathias, Arata (MC) looked to be confused which Mathias took as him being distraught about the entire situation.   Mathias then thought to himself “Although I’m sorry for this kid, My hands are currently tied at the moment, I could easily heal his wen core but due to my superior’s orders I can’t or else my position will be at risk, and getting demoted means lots of patients will suffer”    While Mathias was thinking this Arata was also thinking “ What is a wen core? From the way that this guy is talking about it though, it should be something important but he also said rare items or skills but aren’t those from games. Then after a brief moment of silence in the room   Breaking Arata out of his thoughts, Mathias with a conflicted look on his face then said “ I don’t want to be the bearer of any more bad news but your academy credits are also finished meaning this is the last day that you can stay here.” Mathias knew that if he tried paying for Arata then there was a chance of him getting into problems if his superiors found out.   After hearing this, Arata just said “Alright” in a casual voice and then got up and did a couple of light stretches as his body was feeling sore. While stretching he thought to himself “ When I reach back to ‘Arata’s’ place then I can get get some information on this world and what was happening to this body’s previous owner   Although Mathias was slightly surprised about the quick and short answer, he then said “ You should check your status and see if all is well then I will escort you to your dorm.”    After he said this he then thought to himself while smiling “Although I can’t really help you directly because of my superiors, I can at least indirectly help by stopping any incoming trouble and making sure your physical wounds are all gone.”   When Arata heard that he had to check his status he got excited like a little kid as he used to play games such as mmorpgs and read novels with systems before so he then said out loud “Status!” which caused nothing to happen except a slight chuckle from Mathias.   Mathias then said “ In case you forgot, in order to check your status you have to hold your bracelet and then say it or by opening the status app”   After Arata heard this, he felt a little embarrassed but then nodded his head and muttered a quiet “Status” after which a black screen with white letters appeared in front of him, showing what looked to be a game character’s profile. He then took some time to read the information on the screen. () Shows what the stats will be when he’s fully recovered.   Name : [Arata Kenduso] Age    : 16 Gender : Male Stats : [Strength : G+    (F-)] [Speed : G     (G+)] [Defense : H    (G-)] [Vitality : G+    (F-)] [Wen : N/A    (H+)] Rank : G+ Skills  : Wendao’s Sword Art, Proficiency : [II] EXP : (28/1000)     (Needs Wen to be activated)    {This is a decent sword art made by the swordsman Wendao when he was bored with nothing to do, When the user keeps hitting consecutive blows the damage and speed of the user increases after every new consecutive blow} (Rarity : C [Average])      Cut [I] (28/100) (A very basic sword skill)     {A vertical or horizontal strike of any weapon that is able to cut through anything with a defence lower than 50 (100) {Calculated based on the user’s speed/strength and the skill’s proficiency level} (Rarity : F (Common)     Focus [I] (0 hrs/ 2 hrs)                {Able to maintain full concentration on any task until it is finished or the skill time limit has been reached, Current time limit : 5 hrs} (Rarity : N/A)   After reading through the status list, Arata started thinking“ Hmmm, although it says I’m still injured I feel fine enough to stretch and move freely with little to no pain.    Aside from that, the main attack art that ‘Arata’ used before is unusable right now because it says it requires wen to be used but the other skills seem interesting, I’ll explore them later when I get the time

A old man suddenly appeared in front of the school he has a white hair and a walking stick to help him stand, a dignified air can be felt at him a typical gentle men. The old man look at students and start speaking. "Welcome to this school, I'm Robert Losswod I'm a British citizen that migrated here while migrated here I see that many students are excellent in schools." All the students focus at Robert, and he noticed it he coughed and start speaking again. "So I build this school for all of you excellent students, in this school your not just fellow students but brothers and sisters, a family all of you who stand here, I hope that you feel the same and help each other, who can stand side by side in sadness and happiness." As he finished the speech, a loud cheers can be heard in the student's. After that they went to their class room. The class of Ocnalb and Kent are in second floor it has a nice design like a normal class room has. "So where do you what to sit Ocnalb?" "The front sit Kitty the sit that the leader of this class no the God of this room!"  His head hurts looking at his pitiful friend who truly lost in his own dilution sometimes he ask himself, if something wrong with Ocnalb head or he secretly uses some illegal drugs but he didn't see him using one. His head still hurts pointed his finger to the sit in the front he plainly said " That's the teacher desk you know' "So what is, something wrong with it?" [What's wrong with it huh! everything is fucking wrong with your head do you want to taste my fist of justice] Kent is about to punch him real hard but the teacher came in and told them to sit. ++++++++++++++++++++ "Im heading out~" Steeping out of the door is a short brown haired girl who still has a toast in her mouth. It's her first day in middle school she's a little nervous about her appearance, she has a doll like face and constantly getting love confession every week she constantly get tired of this daily routine in the past. She checked the time in her mobile phone while running it's currently 8:45 a.m just perfect for her grandmaster plan to work. Her plan is to be late for school to not attract many attention your wondering how is that going to work in fact it will do the complete opposite but that just what she's aiming for if she's late for school it be pretty awkward to talk to her after school then just like that she will be a girl that never been born. Of course that won't work because she's blockhead. Memorising her perfect plan she tremble with excitement [ Finally with this plan I won't be bothered by the boy's anymore! I can finally experience a normal highschool girl daily life be like! Uwaa~ seriously sometimes my intelligent scares me.] While she's on her own world she suddenly crashes in to someone who's running in corner that keep shouting " I'm fucking late! Shit! shit! shit! Fuccck it" because of the inertia, force and gravity she fell butt first in the ground. Her head hurts and her but hurts how could this happen to her in his first day of school. "Hey you! Don't you have any eyes huh!? Seriously you boy's such a idiotic being! What are you waiting for are you just going to watch me huh! Hurry up and hel- Help me that what she was going to say but when she meets the boy Eyes she feels as the temperature drops she doesn't understand if she provoke him. Looking carefully the boy has a lifeless eyes his face is as if he is a corpse he doesn't have great muscle instead he might get blown away by the wind alone it clearly shows that he is malnutrition. Seriously everything about this boy you will not found attractive his body is a totally tin just looking at him she fell sorry for him. It must be tough for him to find a girlfriend. Not to mention his face not satisfied with his pitiful body the God gave him a pitiful face to he has a pimples not just one or two he has a dozen of it just looking at him you think that this guy is a monster covering his entire face with pimples. [Ahhh... How could this human be still living a life] She couldn't imagine it this guy is the most ugliest person that he met but he's the first person to make her realise that she has a much better life than he has. In this world if you're handsome, beautiful, and cute the people around you will treat you as if your the holy being an angel or an idol. Your thinking how will she know that because she experience it is she for got her umbrella some guy will come and give her an umbrella saying that his house is near so he doesn't need it but she know that his house is much more far away than her she thought that his just trying to woo her, or when she's carrying a box to put in the storage room instructed by the teacher and some guy she never knew or meet in her entire life came and start saying " That's look heavy allow me to help you princess" with a dashingly smile. Even though the box is light as a feather. But after that day when she's about to leave the library her eyes caught the same boy out in the window with his friends laughing and playing around with a ball and accidentally hit a girl. She has a gloomy, below average face she can't dodge the ball in time so she got hit pretty bad.The book that she's carrying scatter around the place. Without helping the girl they continued to play. In the past she ignored it but now she completely understand. But not for this ugly being he must suffer much more than she can imagine. A normal person got bullied every day but how about this guy he must it got much worse than she can imagine. As she's about to open her mouth she got interrupted by the boy cold heavy voice that comes from the bottom of hell. Just looking at his eyes she could feel the hatred from him, he looks at her as of she's a cockroach the most lowest creature in earth. "Look at the fucking way you fucking bitch!" He throws an insult and left leaving short haired girl alone, but there's one thing she knows about to why did he tell her that words. He is just alone he doesn't have anyone to his side a friend or someone who understands him, support him, and encourage him. The only thing he got is discrimination and suffering to this cruel bitter world. But now that won't be the case she's going to help him find happiness in this world. She understands that he hated the human and this world but she will destroy the chains that binding him and his hatred to this world. She will let him know that suffering and sadness is the only thing the world has to offer to him. After aimlessly searching for her life she finally understood her purpose in her life, that is to help the pitiful creature to find happiness.

The rest of the week came and went, and suddenly Saturday was here like a deadline for an assignment you swore you would do tomorrow. It wasn’t like I wasn’t excited for the hang out. I was. I was just nervous. It had been a while since I’d spent some time with a group of people. Most of my hangouts were one on one conversations. They always felt easier. Having a group dynamic meant there was a collective image of me out of my control that I had to be aware of when speaking. It was much easier when I was simply just across from someone else, having a connection with them and only them. No complex and amorphous group dynamics to keep in my head.  On top of that I was meeting new people. Two new people in fact! I knew Julia well enough that I would still be comfortable, but there were multiple factors of anxiety leading into today.  On top of the new people and group dynamics, I was going to meet Leah, the person who I had specifically asked to meet in regards to my mental health. I really didn’t want to intrude into her personal life, especially when I didn’t know her, but if the night goes well, maybe when the vibes die down after the movie we can talk about stuff like that.  It was exciting though. I had missed Julia, and socialization in general. My depressive ruts left me isolated for extended periods of time, and it’s really important that I can have hangouts like this so they aren’t just prolonged for eternity.  Plus, I really did want to meet Leah. She seemed really cool from what Julia had said about her. Cool in the way that she was a huge dork like me. A little shy still, but when she felt comfortable she was really nice to be around. At least that was my impression from Julia’s stories about her.  There was also another person going to be there, though I didn’t know a lot about her. I think her name was Sam? Julia mentioned that her other friend was pretty dry and monotone, but the funniest of the group. I could go with that.  It seemed like they had a tight knit little circle going on, and I didn’t want to intrude. I had no qualms about not being a part of their thing. I was just Julia’s friend from university, but making friends with them still sounded like a lot of fun.  It’s easy to forget how fun being social is when you’re depressed. You wallow and feel sad and feel like no one understands you, but feelings lie, all of the time. It does feel nice to be around people, to meet new people and to have fun with them. I knew this. Despite my depression, I knew consciously it was an illness that kept me from being who I really am, and who I really was, believe it or not, was someone who liked being around my friends.  Even if I didn’t always seek those interactions out.  This time though, I had! I made plans and I was happy and excited! I was nervous yeah, but that didn’t make the excitement any less potent. Feelings lie, but this one was real. I was going to have a good night with a friend, meet some new people, and maybe have an important conversation with someone who somewhat understands what I’m going through.  It was difficult to differentiate between the nervousness and excitement on the trip there though. When I was doing other things and idly thinking about today, it was easy to acknowledge the anxiety and remain excited and in a good mood.  Now however, it was more difficult. Suddenly, it was Saturday, and the bus ride plus 15 minute walk gave plenty of idle time to let those feelings ruminate. They were mixing together. It was hard to differentiate whether that feeling in my stomach was excitement, cautious worry, or reckless anxiety.  I was simultaneously thinking about how well it was going to go, and how awful it was going to go, and about how both are guaranteed to happen. I spent nearly an hour waiting for this superposition to collapse. I was waiting right in front of a quantum entanglement, but could not observe it no matter what I did. It simply wasn’t time yet.  My breathing got heavy and I started to sweat a bit as I approached the address Julia had given me. It wasn’t her apartment since she lived pretty close to me, so the new environment was another added factor of anxiety.  Finally, spotting the house, I took a moment to calm my nerves before I approached it. The house looked quite big compared to the apartments I had lived in my whole life, but really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary given the neighborhood. Probably some overpriced suburb built to separate itself from the city proper. I had to imagine Sam was renting this out, because even though it wasn’t that big of a house, it still felt like a lot for a college student to have, given that Sam was in college and not living with her parents. It felt quite imposing, especially for what looked like a one story place, but that feeling likely came from within myself and not from the house itself.  After a moment, I successfully took in the setting of the rest of my day, and I was able to calmly approach the door. Taking a final moment to relax myself and get in the right headspace to be around other people, I knocked on the door.  It took a moment, but eventually it was opened by a brunette about my hurt whose facial expression didn’t seem to contain anything about what she was feeling.  Hmmm. Must be Sam.  “Hey,” she said flatly, staring me down.  “Hi!” I gave myself some enthusiasm. First impressions. Gotta make them good, “Jeremy. I’m Julia’s friend.” “Nice. You’re early. Earlier than Julia, which is an achievement honestly,” she says, opening the door for me.  “Yeah well, on time is late, and early is on time. Didn’t want to miss out on anything,” I gave a little laugh as I repeated that saying. It’s what finally stuck with me, given how being on time was a problem for me as a kid. Those dumb sayings from my Dad are what helped me motivate myself to be better. They had good sticking power.  “God, no wonder Julia likes you. If only Leah lived by the same words,” she responded. She didn’t laugh, and her tone was just as Julia had described, but I knew people like this. She was probably chuckling to herself in her mind. It’s what mattered to them anyway.  “She the late one, I assume?” I responded as I took my shoes off. “Oh yeah. She’d figure out a way to be late for her first born child. Not that I’m any different, but this is my place, so not really a lot of opportunities to be late myself,” she answered back as she guided me through to the living room. She took a seat on the couch, and motioned for me to do the same.  “Hey, I uh, wanted to ask about that. Your place, I mean. Do you own it?” Figured an answer to my earlier curiosity would be a good icebreaker.  “Oh hell no, who has the time or money to buy a house these days? Nah, I’m just renting while I figure out what I wanna do. I share it with two guys in the lower level, but they’re out on Saturdays. Works good for our movie nights.” “Yeah, that’s pretty nice then. I’ve never lived in a house.” “Damn. I’ve been back and forth. The house is nice for privacy, but it feels too big sometimes. Even in this small house I feel like I have too much space. Plus the neighborhood is so far away from everything.” “Yeah I couldn’t imagine what I’d do with all that space. I have a studio and I can’t even cover the walls with anything nice to look at.” “Yeah, that gets harder with a house. There’s more design to it so decorating feels harder. Not that I’d know what to put on the walls either. Just makes it feel less like my space.” “Yeah.” The conversation had come to a resting point, and I put my hands on my legs and looked around, trying to get a feel of the place. A lot of white. Carpet. A TV, a big window. Felt very plain. Like a grandma's house but dirtier and missing all of those knick knacks she had picked up from some of those weird grandma travels. I don’t think I’d ever want to live in a place like this, but I could feel safe here, especially when Julia shows up.  “So…” Sam says, bringing me back to the conversation, “Julia was a little cryptic when she invited you over for the girls’ night. Now I don’t mind her bringing a plus one for our weekly hang out, but I do wonder. Why you?” That question caught me a little off guard. From my first impression, yeah, Sam seemed like she’d be someone to be up front and blunt with questions, but I still wasn’t expecting it.  “Why me?” “Yeah. Like, Julia had mentioned you a couple times. I got the impression you were some music kid with a social shell she was trying to crack. She finally succeed?” “Succeed in what?” “Cracking your shell, I mean. She mentioned that you wanted to be more social but that it was difficult for you, and she kinda left it at that, but here you are.” “Here I am,” I let out a half hearted laugh.  “Yeah. You don’t seem all that anxious. A bit yeah, but you just met me so that seems normal. I’ve seen worse.” “Yeah, I guess I was just excited to meet new people and hang out with Julia. I am a bit nervous, but one-on-one conversations are pretty easy for me. I’ll probably retreat more once it’s the 4 of us.” “Hmmm. Okay.” “Yeah, and it’s been a while since I’ve hung out with, uh, I guess anyone really. I’ve kinda been in this depressive rut recently and I remember Julia mentioning that she had a friend who’s gone through something similar and one thing led to another and now I’m here hanging out with you,” I felt a bit more nervous answering such a blunt question, especially with Sam sitting there all clinical like, but I guess it was nice to be open about what me and Julia had talked about. Though something about the truth made me feel like I should hide it. Those thoughts about intruding into other people's business were coming back.  “Oh, she wanted to introduce you to Leah. That makes, hmmm, a weird amount of sense,” As she said that, a smirk flew across her face. It was only there for a second but she seemed genuinely surprised by her conclusion.  “Actually, I was the one who suggested I meet up with her. I just figured if someone else understood what I was going through, then maybe it could be easier to cope, you know?” “What you’re going through,” she said, staring blankly at me.  “Yeah. The, uh, depression and isolating and malaise and all that,” I felt a bit more nervous answering that. It was like Sam knew something I didn’t, and was boring holes into my face by just staring at me. “The depression and malaise.” “Uh huh.” “And it was your idea.” “Uh, yeah.” “Well,” she patted her legs and stood up, “I can definitely understand why Julia invited you over for the girls' night,” and with that she let out a laugh. She seemed amused by the whole situation, for why I wasn’t sure. Before I could ponder that any longer she started talking again, “Did you want anything to drink? Snacks are on  their but I’ve got plenty,” she offered as she walked into the kitchen “Yeah, you got any coke?” “I wish, just the cola kind,” she yelled back from the other side of the house.  “Good enough for me!” I joked back.  Sam returned after a moment, with two glass bottles in her hand.  “No way! You got the glass bottle Coke?” I exclaimed. I loved the stuff, plus there was a certain vibe to drinking out of a glass bottle. I fully believe the pop tastes better than in a plastic bottle.  “Duh, what else. The grocery store here stocks it and I just buy packs of them. Tastes way better,” she replied.  “I know right. I think I heard somewhere that it was a different formula too. Something about Mexican Coke being in the glass bottles,” I pondered. I didn’t know the accuracy of that statement but I think I remember it from Reddit or somewhere.  “Well, I don’t know about that, I just think the glass bottles make the pop taste better. There’s also this nostalgic vibe to glass bottles that makes me feel fancy.” “That’s what I’m saying! And you, fancy? Pffft, as if,” I tossed my hand in a dismissive gesture, trying to joke like we’d known each other for longer than we have.  “Ha. You’re funny. I like you already. Was expecting to have another Leah on our hands but you seem chill already,” she said. I was making a good impression! It was going well, plus, Sam was really cool. Cool in the way someone was actually cool. Though she did leave me a little confused with her comparison of me to Leah.  “What do you mean by another Leah?” I said as our laughter died down.  “Shy and anxious, though I guess she could tell you that herself,” she responded.  “Yeah. I was worried I’d be really anxious, and I was, and still am, but really I’m just happy to talk to people again. It’s been a while since I’ve hung out with someone like this, so I’ve been pretty excited all in all.” “That’s good. I hope you keep this energy up when the other two get here. I remember you said something about one-on-ones being easier, but now that we’ve broken the ice that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Unless Leah is that much of a distraction. She’s pretty easy on the eyes these days,” she said as she winked at me.  “Oh! Uh, no, that, uh, that shouldn’t be a problem. I wouldn’t, uh, you don’t have to worry,” I stuttered. She really caught me off guard with that, and suddenly she burst out laughing.  “I’m just teasing, it’s okay,” and continued laughing.  Interrupting her laughter was the honk of a car horn, which caused me to jump a bit, and Sam to get a hold of herself.  “Ah! That must be them! Don’t get too flustered now,” she teased as she continued chuckling. I just stayed in place putting a half smile on as I tried to get my bearings to see Julia and to meet Leah.  Sam got the door before they even knocked, and Julia came through and gave Sam a hug. Sam looked playfully disgusted and they shared greetings, before an unfamiliar voice was heard from outside.  “Really, Jules? You’re not going to help carry the bags at all?” She sounded annoyed but playful. The way friends do when they’re pretending to be mad at you with a full smile on their face.  “But I hadn’t seen Sam since last week! How am I supposed to live without a hug‽” She dramatically posed with her hand on her forehead as if she was dying. Julia’s always coming through with the theatrics.  “Boo hoo, where’s my hug,” the unfamiliar voice said again.  “Right here you big baby,” Julia then rushed outside. I couldn’t see but from the surprised yelp I heard I could only assume she probably rushed the unfamiliar voice with a hug of her own.  “Okay, okay you two. Calm down. Lemme take those,” Sam finally interjected, stepping outside and returning with the bags Leah must have been carrying, “Oh, and by the way, your friend is here,” she added once she got back in the house   After Sam two more people came through the door. First was Julia with a smile on her face, happy as ever to see her friends, and me as well.  Second was a tall redhead who I could only assume to be Leah. Sam wasn’t wrong, she was definitely really pretty. Long red curls, a big letterman jacket with a cute sweater to match, and leggings to finish it off. It was the kind of pretty that made me wonder, what if, you know. Like, could I be that comfortable in myself? I didn’t need to be her, I could be anybody, really, but she just looked like someone that was comfortable with herself, and I wanted that. I can definitely see why Julia talked about her the way she did.  It was a little intimidating, to be honest. I made myself a little smaller on the couch I was sitting on. I didn’t want to interrupt the moment the three of them were having, but I didn’t want to be rude either so I stayed put, but sent a little wave and made my presence known.  “Uh, hi!” I said, meekly. I had already started feeling a little more anxious from when Sam and I were just one on one, but I hoped that would go away again once Leah and I broke the ice.  “Hey!” She turned to me, seeming a little surprised. I guess she wasn’t expecting a person she hadn’t met before to be sitting on Sam’s couch, “You’re Jeremy, right?” “Yeah, that’s me,” I gave a little smile that she returned, “Don’t go too hard on me for the name though,” I joked a bit to try and calm my nerves.  She didn’t seem to understand the joke though, since she turned her head and looked at me in confusion.  “Oh, I just, uh, people would make fun of me for the name and I tried to make a joke about it,” I awkwardly tried to explain, rubbing my arm and looking away.  “Hey, no worries. People are more than their name,” she said, which drew a smile from her and the crowd, “‘sides, no one here is gonna bully you for that. It’s nice to meet you,” she smiled again, at me this time.  “It’s nice to meet you too.” “Okay, hug time. Get over here,” Julia finally said as she started walking towards me. I got up and she gave me a warm embrace. I definitely was not a hugger, but it felt nice having a friend who was. She gave really good hugs, and it helped calm me down a bit from the anxiety of meeting the person who I was here to meet.  “So,” Julia started, “have you been chatting with Sam?” She asked.  “Yeah, she’s cool. We got along,” I responded “Sam?” Julia yelled across the house. “Yep! He’s a dork but I like him!” She yelled back. “Well I’m glad to hear!” Julia said, beaming back at me.  “Yeah it went really well actually, I wasn’t feeling all that nervous.” “That makes me happy. Hopefully the game goes for Leah here, especially ‘cause she’s a dork like you,” she gives Leah a playful little push.  “Hey!” Leah pushed back.  “Don’t act like you aren’t!”  “…fine,” Leah responded as she put her head down. It was only for a joke as she was clearly smiling. She lifted it back up and turned to me, “I’m sure we’ll get along great, especially if Sam’s right and you’re as much of a dork as I am.” “Yeah, I’m excited,” I responded back.  After our interaction, Sam had returned with bags of chips, dip and a bunch of other snacks she was casually carrying in some kind of circus balancing act.  “Hey, why don’t y’all help me with these snacks and we can get started on our movie,” she stated.  “Oh yes! The movie! I’m so excited!” Julia exclaimed as she grabbed a bag off of Sam’s stack and brought it over to the table.  As that happened, Leah gave me a little nudge to get my attention, “I’m sure you know, but just in case Julia’s taste in movies is a little wacky. She always shows us some really weird or really intense movie about god knows what,” she giggled as she informed me.  “I had some kind of idea,” I responded back, “I haven’t watched much of her recommendations, but those that I did have always been a trip.” “Yeah, they’re usually good, if a little weird.” “Yeah, I’m excited either way. Do you know what she picked for us?” I asked, which Julia seemed to overhear.  “Nope!” She interjected, “This one is a surprise. We’re watching Synecdoche, New York,” she said, smiling like she was hiding something from us.  “Okay, doesn’t sound too bad. I’m in.”

Chapter 0 Unknown Wish If you have a never ending life how wonderful it would be? If you have an unbelievable power how great it would be? If you have an immortal body how happy can you be? ──Of course, this is just a metaphor, an assumption,  a dream of many people.   Life is just temporary, someday it will end,  the strength can be achieved but it's only limited, Immortality is just a fantasy by many young people. Human have only limited life so they dream that they can achieve power and Immortality.  But for what? To became happy? to be free? to achieve what you want? or just to run away to this cruel world knowing some day you will die. All of us are afraid of death. That's why they make Gods, beliefs such as reincarnation,heaven and hell.  We're afraid of what will happen to us after we die, but can immortality and power will make us feel free and happy to be able protect someone important to us?  or it will just bring despair, sadness, and regret. As the sun goes down the orange light reflected the sky as if it is its way to say goodbye.  There are two people currently watching the horizon waiting for it to go dark, the star started appearing and the young man gaze at it without much emotion. Only reflected in his eyes is sadness, smiling as he remember the good old days. Right beside him is a girl, with a golden hair that shines into the night as if a star that can cause you to be enchanted by its beauty,  eyes like yellow gemstone, and skin as white as snow.  But her beautiful face is covered in tears, looking at the landscape that's been bathing in orange light of the sun.  A peaceful place for looking at the beautiful view that can bring happiness to anyone to who sees it. Although her feelings were just as sad just like the young man has. She looks at the view with such strong emotions as if the view are burning   right inside of her deep, deep mind. "Did you finally said your last goodbye to this place" The young man asked the girl besides him, still looking at the view right in front of him. "Yes I already said goodbye to my friends and my family. I will miss them and this is probably the last time that I might see them again." The tears of the girl starts flowing, as it makes her feel nostalgic while looking at the place where they used to live before. "Are you sure about leaving this place, and your family?" "I've already decided that I'm going back to that place." "I'm sure that your Mother didn't want you to go there, war will only welcome you there." "I've already decided that I'm going back,  I want to know more about her and to protect the people that she holds dearly."  "But going to the place where only danger will bring you- I'm sure she didn't want you to carry her duty.  Before she die she wants you to have a happy life that she didn't experience, and I promise her to protect you so please think it carefully." "I already said this many times that I'm going to that place. O God... you really want me to stay in  this place? I've already decided so just follow me!" The girl finally reached her limit over the continued asking of young man. "There might be a lot of danger in that place but you can protect me, right? So just stop nagging and follow my order, after all your my knight!" The girl turned to the young man and proudly held chest high" Hee..." The young man laughed at the girl as she proudly held high. "Youuu!! You laughed because of my chest right?!"  "No, I didn't"  "You! Just wait until I grow I make you fell head over heels in love with my adult charm!"  "I don't think that will happened" the young man just smiled and looked at the girl. "Ahh!! Just you wait! You stupid knight when I grow older!!" After an hour of arguing the two of them set on a journey.  The journey of the Stupid Knight and the Childish Princess.

It wasn’t that things weren’t going right. That would imply there was any forward momentum to some point that I was marching towards, no matter whether it was the right point or not. Things just weren’t really going at all. Smaller assignments piled up and then got completed all right before the deadline, but that was never any worry. It was this final project that has been staring me in the face, boring a hole in my head since the start of the year, that I just couldn’t get any movement towards at all.    I was trying to start a car in -40 degree weather, and it was endlessly turning over.    On one hand, having creative projects be the bulk of your course load made the weight much lighter to carry for 4 months. On the other, the weight was made up of far slipperier material. You had to stop and pick it up every couple kilometers, and it would just not stay in place.    On paper it wasn’t that hard. A short song using some of the synthesis and recording techniques we learned throughout the year. However, actually coming up with any ideas that made me want to actually work on them and apply myself was like pulling teeth. Each idea more rooted in the gums, further and further away from anything workable and interesting.    Seemed like a microcosm of everything going wrong, or rather everything that isn’t moving at all for me lately. A list of qualities and attributes that would sound interesting on a character sheet, but barely make a real person in practice. If someone were to try and roleplay as me their performance would constitute more of a tangible entity than anything I could ever do with it.    I wasn’t unable to do these things. I had done them in the past, when having the energy to go out and just do something seemed like an infinite resource that kept replenishing after time and time alone. Now that resource seemed locked behind gates I had no key for.    I often wonder what was different about me then and me now. I have more freedom, more ability, more knowledge, and certainly more experience than I had, but as a kid I just kinda did whatever I could with whatever time I had. It was like doing things was a given. I was a kid, a shark who needs to stay in motion, forever swimming lest I hit the seabed and decay.    That’s what I was feeling now. The decay. I was young, 21, but I was decaying already. I felt bad for thinking like this. If I told anyone over the age of 40 this they would tell me this decade was the decade where you can do stuff and experiment and figure stuff out. “Leave the rotting ‘till you're twice as old as me,” I could hear my dad saying to me as I wallow.    How do other people do it? It’s a question I think about a lot, especially when I people-watch. During my break I don’t really have anything better to do except sit at some table and watch the people around me. I like to imagine what kinda lives they live. Maybe that girl is a biology major, working her way up to some research paper on Arctic foxes. Maybe that guy is a game designer, stressed out about how his team is falling apart because the project they’ve spent half the semester working on just isn’t fun.    Sometimes they get really elaborate. I’ll wonder if the girl sitting three tables across from me with a Japanese textbook has plans to travel there because there is an opportunity at the university to teach English for a year abroad just to get away from home. Maybe when she was growing up she watched a lot of anime on a terrible TV while her parents fought her older siblings. Maybe it was a comfort for her that provided an escape, so much so that the idea of living in a foreign country gives you a feeling more like home than the house your family lives in could ever provide.    Maybe the guy two tables in front of me talking really loudly and enthusiastically to his friend is working up the courage to ask him out. Maybe they were childhood friends, and they came to this university together, despite it being neither of their first picks. Maybe the thought of going to a different school than the other was a deal breaker. Maybe the idea of losing that is too much of a hurdle to overcome so he stays silent, and the feelings never get addressed, because even if it’s not what he wants, he’s just happy to have him in his life.    Maybe it’s just a girl I’ll never know studying Japanese for a reason I’ll never learn. Maybe it’s just a guy talking to his friend.    These stories I think of are more interesting than anything I could dream of myself achieving. It feels like these fake people and fake stories I’ve created based on a two second glance at someone feel more real than anything I could actually do.    Why do even the people I make up in my head get to live interesting lives while it feels like I’ll die while the conductor takes their first breath?   Something is deeply wrong with me.    I end up giving Julia a call. Maybe talking to her friend would help. Maybe it wouldn’t, it’s hard to say, but it couldn’t hurt right? Plus, I hadn’t talked to her in a while, and I know that when I get depressed I stop hanging out with my friends, which means I get lonely, which only makes me more depressed. Cycles and all that.  ring ring ring ring  ring ring   ring ring “Hello?” A voice finally picked up.    “Hey,” God, I hope I didn’t sound as despondent as I felt.    “Oh, hey! What’s up? I haven’t heard from you in a while. You feeling okay?” Julia said with genuine concern. There were a lot of things you could say about Julia Stone, but apathetic was not one of them. It was nice having a friend who genuinely cared about you, even if you passively ignored her for a month or two during a depressive episode. It seemed like she really understood what it was like, which was odd considering how bubbly she was all the time. If there was anyone on this planet who could have gone through life without ever feeling sad, it was probably Julia.    “Yeah,” I tried to lie at first. It was instinctual to hide how I was feeling, but that kinda defeated the whole purpose of this phone call, “Well… no. Not really, but I’m trying to feel better which is why I reached out.”   “Aww well I’m sorry to hear you’re not doing the best, but I am happy that you called me! I’m happy to hear from you. Is there anything you wanted to talk about?” She asked.    “Uh… yeah. I wanted to ask, wait, I’m not interrupting anything am I?” Just as I was making progress my anxieties took over and had to give her, or more accurately myself an easy out of this conversation.    “No, not at all. Plus even if you were I wouldn’t mind. I do like talking to you, and it sounds like you need someone right now,” Did I sound like that? I mean, it wasn't like I was crying or anything. I hadn’t really cried since I was a kid, instead letting my sadness manifest into apathy as I grew older. Apathy was a lot harder to get yelled at for, whether from your parents or peers. She was right though. I did need someone.    “I do, I guess,” I say, being wishy-washy so as to not come off desperate, “I, uh, this might be a weird question, but do you remember when you were telling me about your friend, what’s her name, uh, Lisa?”    “Leah,” she corrected.    “Yeah, Leah. You mentioned her a couple times, but I’ve never met her. You said she went through some kind of phase in her life where she struggled with depression and, I don’t know, I just hear that and I hear how you talk about her now and I wanted to ask like what she did to get over that? Or if you know anything about this kinda stuff? Sorry if this is like, a weird question.” I rambled on. I just hoped I wasn’t intruding by asking her about her friend.     “Oh!” Julia exclaimed, and then giggled a bit. Weird. It seemed like she was genuinely caught off guard by my question. “Well, yeah Leah is really cool and she definitely did go through a really rough phase when she was younger, though, I think Leah is a bit of a special case, but I can definitely help you!” You could practically hear her smiling through the phone. I wish I could be like that. You know, just bubbly and happy instead of apathetic. If someone called me up and told me something like that, it’s not that I wouldn’t want to help them, but I just couldn’t get enthusiastic about it. Maybe that makes me a bad person, or maybe I’m just consumed by this apathy. I don’t know.  “What do you mean by ‘special case’, though? Didn’t you talk about Leah when you were talking about confidence or something like that?” I inquired. It made me a bit sad that my initial idea of asking about Leah didn’t seem like seem like it was bearing fruit, but Julia still seemed happy to help so there was no harm in asking.    “Well, that’s probably a story for Leah to tell you herself if she decides to, but you’re right I did mention confidence was a part of it. Do you feel like you don’t have confidence in yourself?” She asked. Right to the point I guess.    “I mean, I guess so. Yeah. I don’t feel confident in anything I do, really. I just happen to be here and I just happen to be doing something or another. It’s hard to feel, well, excited about anything if I’m the one doing it.”   “Hmmm, well, we could talk to Leah if you really wanted to. I remember her saying something similar, so she might have some insight. Did you wanna do that?” She asked.    “Uh, yeah, if she’s okay with that? I haven’t met her and I don’t want to just start talking about trauma or whatever with someone new,” I wasn’t particularly scared about opening up to a new person. I was more worried about putting an unfair burden on someone I had just met and making them talk about something personal with someone new. It felt unfair.    “Yeah, I can see if she’s okay with that. She usually is so I think we’ll be fine.”   “Okay. If she’s okay with it. That sounds nice.”   “Yeah! Plus you finally get to meet one of my best friends!”   “I do, I do. It’ll be nice to see you again,” I meant it genuinely. I always felt bad isolating like this everytime I get depressed, so talking with someone as upbeat and caring as Julia definitely made me feel a bit better.    “It’ll be nice to see you too! We gotta hang out more often, at least to keep you from spiralling so often,” she half-joked. It was true. Seeing my friends did help keep my apathy at bay.    “True,” I gave a little laugh, “So… when do you wanna meet?” I asked.    “Well, we usually meet up the three of us, Leah, Sam, and I, for a movie night on Saturday’s. I’m sure we could spare another invite.”   “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude on anything…”   “Jeez now you are starting to sound like Leah. No, come! It’ll be fun. It’s my night  to pick and we all know I have the best taste in film so you are definitely coming!” She bragged a bit. Even though I couldn’t see her I bet she was beaming. Her smile carries through her voice in a way no one else’s does.    “It’s true, you do.”   “I know. Now are you coming or not?” She asked.    “Yeah, yeah, I’ll come. If you say it’s okay.” Now I was smiling. Something to look forward to. And I had initiated it! Or at least, some of it. I called her up at least.    “It’s absolutely okay. I’ll see you Saturday!”   “Yeah, see you Saturday.”

It really was the dog days of the semester. The middle of March. Second semester. Everyone’s preparing for finals just after they finished cramming for Midterms. Spring Break came and went like it never happened.  The days all feel the same. You slog to the bus stop, then ride it for an hour cramped on a route with too many students and not enough buses. You slog to your first class, then slog to across campus to your second, rushing in the 10 minutes you have to cover nearly a kilometer, then slog through the two hour break you have between your second and third class because you couldn’t get the classes you were interested in at the times you wanted, then slog to your third class, slog to the bus stop, ride another hour on a slightly less cramped bus, then slog back to your apartment.  It’s like walking through the same swampy marsh day after day, never getting any easier. You don’t get stronger, your muscles never build the strength. You just get more used to it.  You come home, and there are chores to do. Readings to study, and by the time you actually have any free time, you’re too tired to divulge in any of the things that actually interest you.  My particular hobbies aren’t even that energy consuming. Play a video game here or there, watch a movie, create some generative music and jam. None of it is particularly hard work, but after a day like today and every other day, it just doesn’t feel worth it.  I look around, see other people on campus. They are all going through the same thing as me, but seem to be dealing with it. Maybe they’re not all smiling, but they’ve got their heads up, talking to other people, enjoying extracurriculars, doing something.  Last week there was a club fair again. Tables upon tables of people who somehow, through degrees more rigorous than mine, can find the time and energy to not only dedicate it to a hobby, but manage a group of people tailored specifically for that hobby.  It amazes me. Really. I always thought I’d get to university and it would be different. I had friends and I did well in high school, but this is so much lonelier. It almost makes me yearn for the days of taking all my classes on Zoom. Don’t have to slog through a commute. Don’t have to show your face unless your professor forces you to show everybody just how generic and unsightly you are. Still have the time of day to engage in something you care about since you’re not slogging away every hour on campus or doing chores.  It’s just a lot more lonely than I imagined. I’d always heard that university was a lot easier to be social, but that turns out to be a lie when all the things you didn’t like about yourself in high school prove to be more permanent than just the transitory awkwardness of puberty.  A month and a half to make something out of another wasted year. At least my semester got easier towards the end. Final projects instead of final exams mean less cramming for one make-it-or-break-it day, and more time dedicated to actually making progress on something.  It wasn’t my last year at university, but it soon would be, and I wanted to at least have something going into the summer, the next year.  It’s not like I really had a lot of motivation, but maybe with some extra time and a little less stress after the midterms, there could be something out there for me.  It was still the dog days of school, but soon everybody would become a recluse to cram for finals, and there would be actual motivation for achievement in the atmosphere again.  Plus, not everybody is going to be cramming for finals. I mean, I’m not, because of how my classes work, and there’s gotta be others like me, maybe even in the same program, as well as those diligent students who study enough everyday to have enough free time to say hi to a peer or two during the early spring season.  But… What to do…? If I want to get out of this sickening marsh, and find some reason to be someone other than a student, well, I actually have to find that reason.  I was always good enough at school that it was never a stressor. I didn’t have to worry about not doing well in class. I was a good student and I put in the time outside of class to get everything done. I did well enough to achieve everything I wanted, even if I never aimed all too high.  Really the biggest problem school had always placed on me was the time suck. It was like an old, broken vacuum that was always running in your apartment. So loud any task was impossible while it was on. Your roommate can vacuum and that's it. Nothing else in the area is allowed to function until this task is over. School felt like that vacuum. It was useful, it did its job, but while I was in the thick of it, the sound was so deafening getting anything done that wasn’t school itself wasn’t even worth attempting.  Maybe though, maybe it could be. There’s gotta be a reason the people around me can participate in all these extracurriculars, still have hobbies, friends, and all the rest while doing well in school. I knew it was possible. Some of the people I talked to every once in a while were prime examples.  Maria was a biology student with a heavier course load than me, but still managed to not only have enough time for all the escapades her friends took her on that she was always telling me about, but also to play enough video games that there was a long list of Steam invites from her that sat unread.  Justin was a music student like me, but had a band that actually did enough to have a bandcamp page. He invited me out to some of their sessions but my late class ended up being a time conflict. I don’t even know if I’d say yes anyway. I was never confident enough in my own abilities, or myself for that matter. Probably something I should work on if I want to be more of a real person. Actually having the confidence to do, well, anything really.  It’s what Julia was always saying. She apparently had a friend who really suffered from confidence issues and she said that once her friend took some time to focus on them to the point she actually liked living in the world with the rest of us, she really came out of her shell and was able to participate in human interaction and activities.  She was probably onto something. I mean, I’d never really felt all that much about myself. It was kinda hard to. I always thought the people around me, whether I liked them or not, were at the very least interesting and had depth to them as people.  I never really felt like that. Maybe it’s because I only saw the outside of them, what they put into the world and not their inner self, but their outsides seemed to imply a depth to their personhood I never really felt for myself. I felt like I was only the stuff I put into the world, and if you took all that away there was nothing there. A fraud of a person.  Julia is probably onto something with that whole confidence thing though. Maybe I can meet this friend of hers and ask about what she went through. That’s probably too forward, I have never met this person, but I could still just ask Julia to elaborate more. Meeting them and seeing someone who might have dealt with the same thing I did and came out of it better than ever would be pretty nice though, even if it was just for a coffee or something.  There we go. A thing to do. A thing to look forward to. A thing that I came up with. It’s not just something that I let happen to me. I can reach out to Julia and ask her to hang out and I can bring this up. Maybe we’ll even watch a movie, she can show me one of those weird art films she’s always talking about. It’s something I’m into too, but don’t really have the energy or motivation to actually put something on.  Far easier to stare at a wall or endlessly scroll. 

There is only one truth undeniably tied to human life. “You can become anything you want.”    Perhaps that wasn’t true- it had always been a lie to assuage a young one’s anxiety... No, it was something that will always be true. It will never feel like it, but of all things, you can most definitely be whatever you want. It’s whether you can pay the price, that’s the real question. Adults don’t tell you that- they don’t tell you that it’s filled with conditions aside from working hard.    You can become an artist, if you lose your family. You could become a star should you lose yourself. It’s a law of exchange, but the equivalency was only equalled to one’s passions- never fair and could never be a true gain.    Did anyone ever really suffer a genuine loss?   Indrith is starting to believe he had received several favours he hardly wished to gain. Really had he looked back rather at the glaring lavishness of the whole ordeal, it’s a statistical wonder how he’s managed to grab such a ‘win’.   He qualified. But from what strengths?   Indrith is a low-life to the religion and far less to the royals. He is a commoner, a conman, and a joke- and even considering that, his record was not clean enough to excuse this choice. A commoner’s priest? It’d be a great joke if it had been one to begin with.    He laughs in what could be compared to a broken zip-tie ripped out in a forceful blinding manner. It’s a realistically beautiful day, with sun rays that make the heart dry and eyes blinded.    “Indrith of no last name.”   He steps up to the pristine marble stairs sparkling in a sharp brutality that he’s sure only he notices. The greasily beautiful voice filled with a patronizing malintent cuts through the dizziness in his head. An agonizingly annoying face meets his eyes, as he’s forced to listen to his drawl.    Of no last name, and yet also of no need for such to be announced with such a condescending art. It was a farce of a ceremony in the first place and he’s surprised that for all their charm and charity, the temple never applied for the theatre troupes.    “Face this celestial structure, and accept this grace.” continues the high priest, “for you who had not been blessed-”    A small wave of barely disguised snickers run through the nobility infested priests and priestesses before the high priest himself gently smiles. So kindly does the man lie.    “Do you accept this loss of nothing?”   He had attended the last priest’s orientation, some noble he didn’t care to know. Indrith had not cared much then, but he sensed the mockery of his lack of bloodline still. ‘For those who had been blessed by a patron god, will you accept the loss of that blessing?’    Indrith had been found without any proof of one, and had chosen not to do a transference ceremony of any kind as well- meaning he belonged to none of the gods who had strengthened the blood of humanity. He was just a child found in the shoal’s quiet winds.    For him, who had no family name, surely this ceremony must not mean much at all. Most certainly. Smiling simply, he stares at the High Priest’s forehead rather than his eyes, he kneels at the base of the stairs (or stares) before presenting himself. Perhaps this continuation of absence was the greater curse.   “I,” he proclaims in a voice no less present than the priest’s, “Indrith of the eastern shoals, shall refuse a blessing that was withheld from me. I shall dedicate my blood to the eldest family and maintain only my initial name.”   Ignoring piercing glares from eyes dusted with disgust, he instead focuses on not swinging fists at the ‘escorts’ who are meant to bring him into the temple.   Two steps, four steps, six. The village folks cry in ceremonial bliss. Eight steps, ten steps, twelve.   Indrith could see the whites of the high priest’s eyes. It’s a passing pity he had nothing to shoot in such a range. Fourteen, sixteen, eighteen steps.   The high priest is left holding a thin blood red bowl while some demure looking priestess pours some liquid in.   On the twentieth step, the shade is just out of reach, and he is eye level to a man who must’ve had an easier life than anyone he had known in the past. Flicking his eyes away with unease, he sees the watery substance splash around. He’s sure his heartbeat would be racing if he could hear it over the roar of a crowd’s simple ambience.     “Hold out your hands,” gestured the priestess with the now emptied bottle, before her brown eyes swept past his own. Aversion was the politeness he was afforded for now, for later perhaps not. The bowl is shallow, and barely retains the precious liquid.   He could barely see into the temple’s dim interior with an unnaturally cool breeze sweeping his bangs away from his face.    He and the high priest only share a nod before he is escorted kindly through the shining entrance. He could have sworn the masses who bore witness to this moment still were still calling to the moment- and yet it was a deafening silence only interrupted by the beat of his heart.   It’s almost painful. The altar with lonely inscriptions and empty halls left echoes of what it should’ve been in his heart- no worshipers only priests who attempted to capture it’s mystique to wear.    If someone had cared enough to ask him his opinion on being a priest, much less the representative of the village he raised himself in, he could only say he was simply choosing what was convenient for the present. A habit he should’ve broken by now.   “You know, this temple could look a lot nicer with maybe a flower pot or two,” Indrith mumbles to the priestess behind him.    A scoff returns to him alongside a not so subtle shove.   “Just do your duties,” she replies, “You would look nicer with a flower pot on you too.”   Unfortunate.   His hands shake slowly as he is pushed to a kneel. If there was any aggression in the priestess’ hands guiding him downwards, he at least had the grace to not to mention it further. Grinding his knees against the rug that barely softened the polished floors, Indrith bows his head.   For this one Indrith does not need any further guidance- he just needs to remain silent.   Flickers of humming are heard before the priestess cups his hands in hers and pulls it closer to his mouth.    “In stepping into this celestial building you have accepted the embrace of the deities, and the blessings afforded to no other of your kind. Drink to seep this sacred bond into your blood, our new Commoner’s Priest”   And to whichever god had chosen him, he hopes that he could return such a gift with only arrogance. He is human, and he did not choose to be anything.    Lips brushing against the edges of the bowl, he merely murmurs. “For the sake of those whose bloodlines are feeble, I shall pledge my oath to serve as the connection amidst mortals and the blessings upon which they need to comprehend. Do you accept my pledge, the all encompassing world?”    He tries to quiet his dread of gain, and tilts his head backwards.   He will no longer be Indrith, a lowly man. 

The moment that the contents of the bowl moistened his lips, pressed pink against the rim of the bowl, Indrith immediately felt a disconnect from his own heart. It's difficult to describe- a heartbeat that felt like a knock rather than a pulsating rush of warmth or even a thin veil over his senses- but regardless it was something misaligned inside him. A kick of fresh air leaked through his airways- painfully raw and unfiltered freshness that cut open the sides of his throat. While all practicalities would denote him as someone who was 'drinking' the brutal wind choking him would judge otherwise. Rough gasps break out and Indrith turns to the woman behind him. Or he would've if he could've. Dry heaving over the broken red bowl with reddened eyes, he posed a rather uncouth figure. It's lucky no one was there to witness it. Quickly Indrith corrected himself, the word was eerie. There was no one watching him? Not that he was going to dwell on that- not with the more pressing intrusion of his body. A dizzying clarity threatened to break through every sense- but like a gauze his mind refused to allow it to accommodate itself into his body. Of all things sacred, he's starting to believe this was something sacrificial rather than just some initiation. By the time he's caught back into the awareness of things, he's already dull to the shock of change. He's sure, he thinks, that if he were to have not just felt what it meant to be rebuilt from his innards he would afford the decency to throw a fit. The priestess is missing. The moon had set into a glowering gaze upon the world. The kingdom of Tieza was as bare as it had always been. In his peripherals he sees a couple of leaves fluttering by the altar. But no- that wasn't quite right. A blink and he's hearing a haze of voices and soft fingers only possible for those soaked in cruelty- but yet his eyes, his mind was still in this tranquil soaked night. A distorted voice that sounded like more than just a choir of spirits resounded in his ears- "What is wrong with you?" Well, aside from the quickly draining faith for all the world's origins, Indrith has to say he's doing pretty well. Before he could muster the strength, like a dunk of ice cold water, he's back to where he should've been. How kind. Touching his dried lips, despite the stillness in his heart, his face was still deeply bewildered. Perhaps it was the natural way he was meant to react. Instead, if he was honest with himself, there was excitement. "Rather than that- What did that do?" "Nothing. Why are you overreacting?" Shaky vision slowly meets her eyes. No time has passed, and he was still holding the bowl. Wasn't it broken a second ago? Not anymore, apparently. Convenient, really, but the unease really did nothing for him. He takes a deep breath. Okay, so maybe he might be lacking something in his head. Deciding to try to act normal to a world he's sure wasn't the one he was seconds ago he opens with- "Sorry, what was I supposed to do?" he tries, "I got caught up in the mystique of such a historical monument that I was far too-" "You were supposed to drink before I tied your bloodline to the temple." she interrupts before he could open a thesaurus of words that shouldn't be used so lightly. "If you didn't shake off my hands like that." Indrith's eyes follow her steady gaze at a still filled bowl and truly wonders. Either he's got some oddly timed problems to solve or for the first time he's gotten in touch with a power that truly was higher than his. Who would shake off such an opportunity to be force fed some mysterious substance? Sinking into some kind of habit, he smiles and- "My apologies," He gulped it down quickly, with far less elegance than the first time. Contrasted to the unnatural purity of before, it was almost disappointing. Just water. Really, with the budget, he'd appreciate maybe some aged wine or something fancy. It goes down smoothly, and he feels almost deprived of something looking at the empty bowl. Maybe nothing so fancy as whatever he had created in his mind, he finalizes. The priestess' eyes looked confused. Disappointed if he didn't recognize it already-well, disappointed, but with a different intent. … Well, he's not going to acknowledge it. It wouldn't bring much benefits and it's only inconvenient. He looks away and lets her reorient her thoughts, whatever they may be. Before long (Indrith is only glad she's at least a professional) she takes the bowl away to the altar. "Please accept this offering," she murmurs like a bubbling creek, "from a young man from the eastern shoals- of a blessing we know not of which is relinquished- please let it be free and return to the benevolent god should they exist." Indrith remains quiet listening to her practiced prose. If he was a second-hand witness, he would've assumed that there was far more formality than just a self-written biography and real-time instructions. "Let the blessings of the earth manifest once more, in a loyal subject." She places the plate in a drawer under the altar's candles and blows them out. Applause for her performance roared in his heart. Had he not seen her completely blank face, he would've believed her sincerity. "Your hands." "Wow, so is this why you wanted to do this ceremony?" Before she could properly get angry at him, he raises his hands out. If he was told honestly, to complete this- She digs a sharpened armored claw on her index finger into the center of his left palm and lets it drip into the candle. Blankly he could only gape as the blood solidified into an unnaturally refined orb. "You should've just avoided becoming a priest in the first place," she laughs, "It would've been far easier to get your hand then." "Lady Anri…" He lets the name sit, "Ms. Anri now, I suppose," She smiles, with no less derision on her features, "And so, High priest Indrith?" "Your escort isn't here?" "It's not as if he is my knight," she laughs with some mirth while toying with the blood in her fingers. Mulling over the empty conversation, Lady Anri takes it as a closing statement and places the crimson bead in a container. He wipes his eyes now the formalities and the air of absurdly present arrogance has faded and stands up from his knees. Getting light-headed he comes to in the increasingly familiar nighttime vision of the temple. Really, it's only so familiar from it's incapabilities of staying away from him. You can really only know something the third meeting—... he really hope that he doesn't have to. Now far less distracted by the matter of his veins feeling like they were to explode he sees what was hiding in the blue haze of night. A bird, perhaps? It was like no bird he's seen before. Vibrantly green and filled greens and other splattering of colors that would be tacky if it wasn't so natural, a bird stares at him. Eye level as well, in the case he was still alright with such shock. An echoing cry breaks from the bird's colorful plumage even without opening it's beak. "I really hope this doesn't mean I've died." He mutters mostly to himself. The bird- no- the nameless deity gives him a calm look. Indrith really did think in the past it was far more convenient to not need to worry about blessings and those sorts of troubles- but now that he's ransacking his brains for any details... Bird gods weren't in the minority at all- and yet he could not still find any sense for which this one could be. Taking no further note of him, the bird flew to the altar in a flurry of wind by the- By the broken plate and a bead of blood. Maintaining careful eye-contact, he witnesses the orb disappear down the green neck. Rather than him shutting his eyes, when he exhales he sees Anri back to where she last was. She isn't holding anything. On the third day of the moon cycle, is when he truly understood what he saw.

El watched as the universe clock ticked another second closer toward The End. Her duty as Empress of the Universe was to fight the unending war against entropy. She was losing. Slowly. But losing. Her throne on the Dais of Ascendance was gilded in rare metals and artworks depicting planets, moons, and stars. Such things no longer existed in realspace, but they had once made up the much of the mass in the universe many eons in the past. The black basalt colored chamber was an extravagance of material wasted for her pleasure as the last organic in existence. The massive open chamber ended with a floor to ceiling wall of clear crystal that had a clear view of the rift. The Palace module was the last inhabitable space that existed, and it was tailored for her convivence and comfort. The view from the window contained no stars, but was dominated by a super-massive black hole. It was emptiness manifest, cloaked by a cloud of golden light, surrounded and tamed by the countless billions of satellite stations that formed a cohesive net that tamed the last stellar object in the universe. It was the last, because El and the Eternity had hunted all the others down and compressed them into the rift's maw. It had taken so long that she no longer had an accurate idea of the effort that had been expended to make it so. Countless Eons; long after the last of the civilized races had uploaded themselves into the Eternities countless simulated realities. A holographic display inlaid in the ceiling of the throne room projected a geodesic polyhedral showing the status of the swarm. Thirty-six zones contained numerous triangular divisions on the spherical shape. Once they had all been a hopeful green, a demonstration of the success of the construction of the Eternity. Each one was tasked with simulating countless universes inside their vast seas of computation units. All of them sipping on the energy siphoned from the tamed blackhole, or for the outer layers, the waste heat of their siblings. Now most of them were yellow, and a growing number of them had flipped to the critical state of orange. One near the poles glared a hateful red, a reminder of a recent failure that had left her shaken. Oblivionis. El's first encounter with the cult had caught her off-guard and unaware. The idea that there could be a cult that spanned multiple realities and could travel between them was unthinkable. Even more, there should have been no possible way to affect realspace from inside any of the simulations. But they had. The finely tuned structure of the Eternity was a delicate balance of phenomena that exploited the incredible mass harnessed by the swarm of satellites. For eons she had watched as the projected mass of the rift grew atom by atom in a conflict that had been waged for as long as she could remember as the Eternity exploited a singular flaw in physics. When small errors in adjustments to orbits and timings had caused the process to reverse, she had been concerned but not overly worried. Mistakes were sometimes made. The fault could be corrected, and progress against the end of everything could resume. Except for such a long time she could not pinpoint the cause. The errors appeared in previously working code without warning, rhyme, or reason. She had fought a maddening war with the countless AI programs that managed the machinery of her empire in a search for the culprit. Their bodies were the factories, drones, and metal that made everything possible. The greatest of them even had their own minds, but they all operated with one singular goal and that was to continue to guard against The End for her. She had turned on them without compassion. They had insisted that there had been no sabotage, no attempted mutiny. They had proclaimed that it was she who had caused the errors. She had purged them all and replaced them with newer, more efficient units. But the entropy had not stopped. Satellites continued to die slowly, leaving dead drifting hulks in decaying orbits that would eventually drift into the maw of the rift. There were no resources to spare for their repair and refurbishment, and even the units that might cannibalize them for their own benefit were too starved to put forth the effort. She knew she needed to change the flow of decay.  It was only by happenstance that she finally found the cause. The number of universes that interested her and she monitored herself was relatively small. She had lived out mortal lives in more than one of them. She had left behind more loves, families, and worlds  than she could ever remember. Nothing stopped her from watching over those she left behind, or even aiding them with her administrative access to the systems that controlled them. One cardinal rule that had been imposed on her and woven deeply into the bones of the Eternity was that she could never, ever, bring any being or mind from the simulated worlds into realspace. When she had agreed to that, she had thought it a small price to pay. How foolish was she. At the end was only loneliness. In one of those universes where she had lost a love, she had found the cause. A shard of one of her memories crystalized on the primary world of that reality. The entropy of the Eternity was being orchestrated by a cult called Oblivionis, but it had been enabled by part of herself. They could leap between realities with the pieces of her soul she had left behind. They had found ways to use those strands of administrative access to strike at realspace from inside. The only way to stop The End was to take them back. El had blundered after her first sighting of them and right into a trap that had destroyed an entire section of the swarm. The massive damage had cracked the very foundations of the Eternity, but it was not enough to cause the final cataclysmic cascade. That was their mistake. They should have ended things with their first play. Now she knew what she needed to do, and what they were capable of. El reached out a hand and a glowing sphere lowered itself from the ceiling and into her palm. It pulsed with familiar sensation. Here was the very first reality she had ever visited. She had lived a long life there, full of family, friends, and accomplishments. Here a shard pulsed in resonance to her mind, an echo of herself. She needed to take it back. Closing her eyes, her mind fell into another realm...

My breath fogged as i exhaled... A few sniffs told me i was on the right track. A few months ago, A madman that looked like a cross between an egg and a walrus Started Taking People and animals and turning them into Machines... He was stopped by a blue hedgehog, and things seemed to return to normal. But not for me. Skylark, My best friend, Went missing around that time, and i had been tracking her scent ever since. My name is Yuki Frostpaw, And i am a fairly ordinary Wolf. My fur a mix of Snow-white and Smokey-Gray, My height Around 4'3", My Tail nice and fluffy... But i had two oddities. The first were my eyes, Heterochromatic, my right eye a shining green, my left a Deep Almlost glowing Red... That my eyes Often Actually Glowed was due to the marks... Im sixteen, Raised by my Shaman Grandfather to take his place in the tribe, At my Coming of Age Ceremony Half a year ago, During a supposedly Symbolic Ritual, I was Engulfed by A strange power... And now, my body was Covered in Tribal markings, Usually Light Blue, these markings change color based on my mood. Blue is Normal. Yellow is Tired. Red when im angry... And deep Green when i meditate. After the ceremony, I was Proclaimed God-touched, And i learned my reflexes, Sense of smell, hearing, and eyesight had drastically improved... as had my physical strength and endurance. The night of Skylarks disappearance, three months ago, the Enclave, our home, was attacked by unknown machines... They looked like that Walrus-Eggs Badniks...  And so i left, risking Exile, to rescue my friend... It led me here, Snow Hill Zone. I was following the scent, when i heard a clanking sound... A large mechanical crab Rose over the horizon, and i hid behind a nearby boulder. It was as big as i am. As i attempted to sneak past it, it detected me, so i ran... I didn't see the odd creature before me. A Wisp, Thought to be from another World, Floated Half-transparent in my path, and i hit it... but rather than pain, i heard a giggle... my Marks began to glow... As my Fur spiked, i turned to the machine and pointed both paws at it. Lightning, the same blue as my markings, Shot out in a large sphere...  I stood dumbfounded as the glow faded, and the wisp flew out of me, giggling. The robo-crab was no more.  The wisps giggles were its language, And somhow i understood. I could use them, my markings Resonated with them...  Two hours later, I stood before a hidden facility, The blue wisp following behind me. And upon entry, i was attacked by a Maid robot. She looked a bit like a hedgehog, but her arms were blades... My Tribal Dress had a huge tear down the front from where i dodged the blade, My Chest Barely Concealed... My wisp Friend and i fused again, And she was defeated rather swiftly, but my clothes were a goner, and the wisps energy was depleted... having no other option, i took the Robots Maid Uniform... It was Gothic Lolita style, but still clearly a maid uniform... I proceeded further into the base... Thirty minutes later, i found the holding pens and hit the release... As the base alarms went off, the released prisoners made a break for freedom... Except one. I was tackled by a small, Amethyst colored Chao. "Skylark! I'm glad you're okay! Lets go home!" The ground started rumbling... And a voice echoed.  "ATTENTION, Puny Invaders. This base will self destruct in five minutes. That'll teach you to steal from the great IVO ROBOTNIK! WAHAHAHAHA! This message is a recording." the last line was mechanical in nature. I grabbed Skylark and ran... And on the way encountered my Wisp Friend, back with allies... the four of them, blue, yellow, red, and green entered my body... and everything slowed down... my steps left electricity in their wake, my fist left a trail of flames, i was using them as boosters... A sphere of green energy surrounded me, And the yellow energy formed a second Shield before me, all reacting to my subconscious needs. we tore through the base, exhausting the wisps energy in the process... And escaped just in time to be buried in an avalanche... It took me a few minutes to dig my way out, Skylark clinging to me for her life...  And we began the journey home. Turns out i'm Exiled after all... Sigh... Its not all bad. The chief Arranged a place for me to stay, and ive got an interview at a small Detective agency... Seems they need someone with, and i quote, A nose for justice... Dosen't pay much, but hey, a jobs a job, right?  So here i Am, Just a Sixteen Year old Wolf Girl with A few oddities, Dressed in cute clothes with a Small Chao on my head. And City life seems fun! "Lets Go, Skylark! Time to explore our new home!"

Waking up again I find myself able to open my eyes now. I have slept four or five times since the time I tried to open my eyes by force. I take a look at the ceiling, or perhaps it's better to call it a dirty yellow-brown surface with a brown line. Unfortunately my vision is blurry, I still have yet to really see what my parents look like due to this. It's somewhat novel looking around at the world and trying to guess what things are but frustrating at the same time. This is tediously boring, being a baby. I seem to vacate my bowels and urinate endlessly, I can only pity the ones looking after me. I have made a concerted effort not to cry but I felt feelings of worry and concern from my parents when I stayed quiet for too long, so now I make sure to cry whenever I need something like being changed or when I feel hungry. Oddly the fact I only cry when I need something, my parents both seem joyous and coo at me every time.  I have tried to understand their thoughts using telepathy but the thoughts come in as vague emotions rather than anything discernibly lucid. Though I can make use of this ability to tell their direction and distance from me as a sort of radar. I've been incredibly tempted to use my powers to alleviate the boredom but one time when I tried to float a spoon on the table it fell and my mother spent a few minutes praying that our house wasn't haunted. Baffling to me. Surely an adult should have overcome silly superstition by now? I want to sigh but I can't, it just ends up being an ever so slightly bigger breath. This is so boring. I'm bored. My grand second life is so boring. But I must bide my time. I must grow.  Oh she's coming to pick me up again. Lovely. I mean it. There's a comfort in the warmth that makes me feel safer than I've ever felt. I love it. And I'm falling asleep again.. send.. hel-   "You're such a good girl, yes you are. So smart and well behaved." Wyla couldn't be happier with her baby, she would only ever cry when she needed something and it made looking after her so much easier than women in the village had told her it would be. Brom was watching this usual exchange as his wife changed their baby. "Don't you think it's a bit odd that she only cries when she needs something? She's quiet as the wind otherwise." Brom took another mouthful of Pentum, a starchy root vegetable that grew in groups of five and was simple to grow and could be found growing wild away from the village proper. Wyla looked at Brom after she was done changing the baby, she threw the cloth out of the back door; scavengers and weather would clean most of it and then in a few days she would clean it proper. "Brom, please. You only complain when something is wrong, why would it be any different for a baby? If anything it just goes to show how smart our little girl is. She's going to grow up to be a smart beauty, I know it." Brom continued eating, trying to ignore the smell that had wafted over. "Well your brains and my beauty, I don't doubt it. Ha." Wyla chuckled back and threw a sock at him from the floor, she was now picking up stray clothing to be washed at their well later. "You mean my brains AND my beauty, correct?" Brom was silent for a moment and looked up at his wife, she was putting on a stern look. "Right you are, wife of mine. Right you are. I've got to go to the village and buy some more supplies before leaving today. The Elder wants us to go further out for the last hunt before the Nightfrost." Wyla took a deep breath. "FURTHER? You're already stretching deeper into the forest than ever! That's madness!" "I agree but the forest has been bare this year, even the Thorn Deer we found were half-starved. We need to move deeper just to make up the quantity." Brom let out a huff and Wyla sat at the edge of their bed watching their baby fling her arms around and make faces at the ceiling whilst licking her lips in her sleep. "But, deeper in, the mana is higher right? What if you come across mana beasts?" "It's a risk I and a few others have to take, we'll only make it past halfway into the Nightfrost before we need to eat smaller amounts. This last trip will give us what we need and we can survive comfortably through the Nightfrost." Wyla was silent, she stood up and took the now cleared plate from in front of Brom and took it to her wash basin. Brom came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Don't worry, no matter what I'll return." Wyla felt her eyes tear up. ".. I'm sure that's what every Hunter has said when they never returned." "Well I'm not every Hunter, I'm Brom, your Husband. Plus Darmun's going." Wyla held in her tears, dropped the plate and turned around to embrace her husband. "You'd better come back or I won't let you hear the end of it." Brom laughed. "How can you punish me if I'm already dead? Silly woman." Wyla pinched his side but didn't move out from the hug when Brom flinched. "When I die of old age and our souls are with the Gods, I'll find you and the saying "rest in peace" won't apply." Brom felt his smirk fade as his mind had images of an eternity of being nagged. "That's incentive enough, don't say anymore- you'll make me want to live forever." Wyla let out a snort. "You'd better, you're stubborn with just about everything else." She let him go and gave him a kiss. "I love you. Come back to me. Or else." Brom smiled again and made for the door, making sure his coin purse was on his belt as he went. "Alright woman, I'll be going then." Brom spoke on his way out still loud enough for Wyla to hear. "I love you too." Wyla smiled and mumbled when the door closed, as she always did when he would do something she didn't like but knew she either couldn't stop him or that he had to do it no matter what. "Stubborn man."   Finara was looking at her right hand with a curious expression until her front door was opened by her apprentice Rona, a Tet'Mai girl of only fourteen years, she came in with a bag that smelled strongly of herbs and a handful of flowers. "Teacher, I've got the herbs you wanted." Finara chuckled. "And those flowers, are they for me?" Rona blushed and stammered but couldn't say what she wanted to. "Oh to be young, from a suitor then? Or just a potential lover?" Rona looked mortified and tried to hide the flowers behind her back. "It's.. It's not like that.. He's just nice that's all." Finara bellowed out laughter not fitting her elderly frame. "Yes and being just nice is how many a woman ends up with a baby in her belly. So naive. It seems there are other things I have to teach you besides the healing arts." Rona stomped her foot but couldn't argue and wouldn't have anyway- no one wins an argument against Lady Finara. She moved to the cabinets at the side of the main living room and hung the herbs below the cabinets on a nail. "Little Rona, fifteen is marriage age in our clan. Why do you think so many are giving you gifts now? You're a future healer, a pillar of the community and respected person no matter which village you go to. Any man would want you as his wife if only to make his own life better." Rona got angry at this. "I don't want someone who only thinks about advantages or money!" Finara sighed. "My dear girl, you are the Chief Elder's daughter, it's only natural you've been sheltered. You haven't felt the hunger that gnaws at you during the Nightfrost or the sting of the wind when your clothes are full of holes. These 'advantages' as you see them can be a safety net that prevents their future children and themselves from ever going hungry." Rona felt her eyes go wet. "I know but.. it hurts my heart that all those people think about that before love." Finara opened her arms and ushered the girl over for a hug, Rona complied and hugged her tightly. Finara brushed her hair with her left hand. "Love is a maiden's dream but as with all dreams we must wake up eventually. I know you hate it but such things as love are stories told to brighten the world, to blind one to the darkness. Rather than love, aim for a good man instead. One that cares and will provide for you. If you're feeling adventurous, just pick a good looking one and you'll be assured of beautiful children." Rona stiffened in Finara's arms. "Ch-Children? That's too far away!" "It's not as far as you think dear girl, time passes before you know it. Today you're here learning, tomorrow you'll be an old woman like me spending her final days bringing healing to those who need it." They sat in silence for a few minutes as Rona thought about what she was told. Finara was again looking at her right hand, again someone knocked at the door and spoke loudly from outside. "Esteemed Healer, we've come to collect some Beastbane for the hunting trip!" "Alright, hold your arrows, I'll be there in a minute." Finara let go and Rona took the hint to do the same. Rona ran to the cabinets and took out a large bundle of dried herbs. Beastbane wrapped up and soaked in oil to make them flammable before being dried. The smoke would ward off weaker mana beasts. She handed it to Finara as Finara made her way to the door. "Watch and learn girl, they'll try to haggle me down. These are life saving herbs, I won't let them be cheap about it. Maybe in future they'll think twice before going into the forest so they don't have to buy these things from me. Then we'll all be better off." Rona was always in awe of Finara's wisdom. Finara would often play the cards she needed to and always thought long term to prevent people getting hurt, it didn't matter to Finara if she was the bad guy or the good guy. It was both fascinating and frustrating for Rona to hear people speak ill of her teacher privately for things, only for Finara to later always be correct and the gossip would stop for a while.   The Elder Hunter was leading the team of six through the forest, the undergrowth was becoming more wild and cumbersome to traverse whilst the trees grew taller and thicker. Everyone had their head on a swivel and were being utmost vigilant, the forest was getting darker and the atmosphere was getting thicker. Suddenly one of the men on the right whispered. "Elder, tracks." Holding his fist up to stop the advance, the Elder moved over to take a look, crouching down with his dagger to move the leaves around. "Day old. Multiple tracks by the looks of it. It's Bristle Boar and something else followed." The hunter next to him was listening to every word. "See this? Tork dung. The dark colour shows it's a meat eater and by the size of it this one's bigger than any I've ever seen." Standing up he waved his hand in a circle before making it a fist, the sign for everyone to huddle up. When everyone was gathered around the Elder resumed speaking. "Torks are beyond our little group here, we'll move to the south-west, the tracks head north-west. With any luck we'll avoid trouble. Get your Beastbane handy, we'll light it when we reach another thousand paces." With a small shuffling the Hunters brought the Beastbane out and wrapped it around the metal tips at the top of their bows, so it can be lit easily. When everyone was finished doing this the Elder waved everyone on again in formation one, the default. Each man spread five paces apart and walked quietly. As the group moved forward at around eight-hundred paces they heard twigs or branches snapping further ahead and the Elder gave everyone a hand motion where he raised his hand and curled his fingers like fire; the sign to light the beastbane. The Elder kept looking forward along with five of the other men as the man in the middle struck flint and lit each of the Beastbane bundles. There was the sound of something running on all fours to their left but it was running away from them, despite how heavy it sounded. The Elder felt a bad premonition as he peered into the dim forest ahead. He began to advance slowly and crouched, the men behind him followed suit. Making their way forwards another fifty paces there were two scaled creatures, standing on two powerful legs eating a third one that was covered in white fur, side-by-side, nudging and snapping at one another with their dagger-length teeth every time they got too close. The Elder had come across these before, but not usually this far out. He was debating what to do when both beasts stood and stretched upright and began smelling the air. The Hunters looked at one another with pale faces as the Elder's face bore a hard grimace. He whispered to the others. "We've stood in steed shit. Back to back. We're lucky there's only tw-" As he was speaking a third and then a fourth came from their sides. The group had moved into a ring as the two in front turned around, their mouths open and covered with blood, their eyes almost looked like they were smiling. The reptilian mana beasts inched closer with hisses and flicking tongues. "Fuck."   Brom and Darmun were running, there was a single Tork on their trail. They had been running for their lives for over twenty minutes now and they were back in forest that they knew. The fighting had been brutal, two of the Torks were slain but they paid the price of three deaths, one being the Elder who had killed both Torks. Survival looked unlikely and Brom made a promise to return, he was the first to bolt. People would understand why he ran, he thought. What did they think he could do against a Mana Beast on his own? He was a farmer not a seasoned hunter. In his mind it was better to run and live than die in a pointless slaughter. Darmun saw him go and whilst he felt angry and somewhat betrayed he was a pragmatic man, he understood it was the only reasonable choice. The pair were breathing hard and the one Tork, though injured, was catching up and Brom was behind. Darmun was the son of the village Butcher, he didn't go hunting nearly half as much as Brom did, so to Brom, Darmun's physical fitness was a surprise. Brom was terrified, he could practically feel the thing breathing down his neck. This was when Darmun missed his foot placement on a mossy rock and slipped forwards. Brom felt terrified but it was quickly replaced with ecstasy and guilt as he kept running. As he passed by Darmun was reaching his hand out to Brom, to help him up so they could keep running, but Brom ignored it, thoughts of escape and his family clouding his mind. He felt so guilty but desperate to live he couldn't turn back.  "BROM!" He shouted back as Darmun shouted his name. "I'M SORRY!" Brom clenched his teeth and tears fell from his eyes as he ran. Darmun was crying also and felt betrayed by the man he thought of as a true friend, his arm went limp but before it fell back to the floor, the Tork was already crushing his head in its jaws. Brom heard the muffled scream followed by the crunching, his heart was in such pain but he kept running, he kept running until he was out of the forest.  He kept running until he'd passed over the river.  He kept running until he ran all the way to his home where he flung the door open, closed it behind him, then fell to his knees and began weeping in a ball on the floor, he didn't even notice when his wife had run to his side and was calling his name in a panic, he stayed like that for hours and scared his wife out of her wits, all she could do was hold him and cry.   Wyla had finished her chores and Brom wasn't expected back until tomorrow. Over the past half-week she had felt her eyes and mind wander to that beautiful jewel Brom had shown her. There was just something about it that compelled her to look at it and touch it. She felt herself being drawn towards it, at first just a glance now and then, but now she's already moving the firewood before catching herself and realising what she's doing.  Wyla kept fighting the urge, scared that Brom would come back and catch her while she was holding it. She didn't want Brom to distrust her but it would be okay right? Just looking at it would be fine. She could get it out and put it back in less than ten minutes, there's no way she'd get caught. Getting up from her chair and placing her sleeping baby down on the bed, she moved over to the firewood stack and began moving the firewood. Every few tens of seconds she would have a moment of hesitation before continuing. It's fine, she thought. No one will know. Prying at the floorboard Wyla lifted it up and saw the box, she reached in and walked back to the bed with the box in hand. She sat down and with a bated breath she opened it. It was as beautiful as before only at this time of day when the sun was in the late afternoon the light came in through the windows just right and caused the already beautiful jewel to take on an orange hue, she was engrossed in the beauty and was slowly turning it in hand. Before she knew it, the Jewel had gotten darker and there was a knock at her front door, pulling her back to herself. Noticing how much time had passed Wyla was shocked, it was early evening now and the sun was setting. There was another set of knocks at the door and she realised someone must be there, she quickly hid the Jewel and the box in the cloth blanket that the baby had kicked off itself sometime during its sleep. "Coming!"  Wyla made her way to the door and opened it, she found Finara's apprentice, Rona, at the door. "Hi Wyla! Teacher sent me to check the cattle? Brom dropped by earlier and told her the female was carrying." Wyla smiled. "That's right, do you know which one it is? Rona laughed. "I don't. First time seeing cows actually. I'm excited! You only learn so much from books and a teacher." "I wouldn't know, I can't read." Rona raised her eyebrows and Wyla continued smiling, slightly forced this time. "Really? That's a shame." There was a brief and slightly awkward silence before Wyla looked back at her baby then at Rona. "Laila is sleeping, so now's the best time for me to show you which one it is. I'm sure you know we had a scare the other night. I still don't feel comfortable leaving her alone for too long but it'll be okay for a few minutes, let's go." Nervously Wyla glanced back at her sleeping baby and then shut the door, heading to the barn with Rona.   I stirred and opened my eyes as I felt a strange presence close to me. What is this? It feels familiar somehow and yet alien. I felt around with my consciousness and there it was, hidden to my side beneath my blankie.  Attempting to reach it I moved my stubby weak arms. This simply won't do. Feeling around for others I feel no one nearby so I use telekinesis to pull the gem into the air in front of me, I must bring it close to see because otherwise it's all blurry. It's a jewel of some kind, cleanly cut with a deep purple hue. What is this black dot in the center? Interesting, the dot itself is trying to coerce me into touching it. A force that overrides my own control, I have something similar but this feels nefarious, dominating, powerful. As I sat and observed the slowly spinning jewel only inches above me, resisting the temptation to touch it that kept washing at me in waves, the door opened and my mother entered, catching me by surprise. I lost focus and the Jewel fell, landing on my chest I grazed it with my hand in a pitiful attempt to get it away, perhaps a response caused by my previous life. Touching the gem the world froze and my sight went dark. I, my mind, was travelling somewhere far away. I have no way to fight this now, so I'm a helpless passenger moving towards some unknown destination. The blackness is speckled with motes of light, some large, some small and with all different colours. I came to a stop in front of a middle-sized ball of violet light through which I entered. I found myself floating in a violet abyss, ruins and chunks of land floating aimlessly, colliding from time to time. The chunks were various sizes from the size of my body to the size of a mountain. I could see people moving on some of them. Where am I? As I was thinking this, a deep purple light was moving towards me. I could feel it, even at this distance, it was power incarnate. The light grew closer and took on the shape of a man riding a golden chariot pulled by two golden horses with violet flames instead of haired manes, every breath the horses would emit purple smoke from their nostrils.  The man himself had blonde hair with violet eyes and his transport came to a side in front of me. The man held a look of mild befuddlement on his face which was filled in with a look of disgust. "Hoh~ so you are the descendant I was warned of so long ago? Dead mana circuits. No aura seed. Not a hint of divinity. What could a weak thing like you possibly do.. The babbling thing is half-senile but I won't doubt her revelations." "Who are you?" The man grew angry. "Who I am is irrelevant to the likes of you. You are fated to die. Now begone with you! I have no time for a wastrel." I felt a force both pull and push me out of this place, the last thing I saw was the man turning around, a somewhat pleased look upon his face as he urged the horses back in the direction he came from. I was moving backwards, towards my body again. That was strange. Plunging back into my body, I felt It.   Wyla was showing Rona to the cow that was pregnant. "Can I touch them Wyla?" Wyla laughed. "Aren't you here to do just that Rona?" Rona flushed slightly, she was right. Stepping forward Rona looked at the cow in the barn and walked around it. "Careful walking behind them, these animals can be skittish sometimes, you wouldn't want to take a kick from one." "Right." Wyla was getting increasingly uncomfortable being away from Laila, her daughter. "The pregnant one is this one." She pointed to the slightly more rotund cow on the side that was licking a rock. "I'm going to go back now, I'll boil some water for tea when you're finished." Rona beamed at Wyla and went back to touching the plump cow with a glowing hand. "Thanks Wyla, it won't take long." Wyla turned and walked back towards the house at a brisk pace, for some reason something felt off. Arriving back at the house she pushed the door open, lifting the latch with a metal clink. She began to push the door open and there was a moment of wrongness, her mind went hazy for a fraction of a second and she caught herself to retain her balance. "What was that?" Wyla asked. She looked up and saw Laila's arms moving followed by her small gasp. Wyla thought she might be having trouble breathing so she practically ran to the baby. Cursing herself for leaving her alone. Laila was delicate and she needed to be cared for properly. When Wyla reached the baby she saw the Jewel sitting to the baby's side on the bed, but it looked different somehow. The baby was fine and Wyla relaxed, she looked at the Jewel again. "Strange.. I'm sure there was a black dot in the middle of it before? Was it dirt?" The Jewel was clear now. The black dot was gone and the Jewel itself seemed less interesting and beautiful than it did before. It was basically coloured glass, sure it looked nice but was this the same Jewel she couldn't help but go behind her Husband's back to see it? "Look at that Laila, you make the most beautiful Jewel I've ever seen seem like just a trinket when it's placed next to you." Smiling Wyla nuzzled her baby and put the Jewel back in the box before rushing to store it in the hiding place.   My mind was shocked. I'd just narrowly escaped death. Whatever that Jewel was, it just tried to kill me. And whoever that man was, he just made a mortal enemy. He would die by my hand, I swear. What kind of sick bastard would kill a baby?! A cowardly bastard! I don't quite know what happened. I felt the jewel land on my stomach, I brushed it and then my mind went elsewhere. When I returned something entered through my hand and traveled up to my heart. When it reached there it went to my stomach, then my navel before returning to my heart, where it stopped my heart. From there I had to use telekinesis to pump my heart manually, which is incredibly difficult when you can barely move anything and your power is still weak. With a gasp my little body came back to life for the second time and then I heard someone running to me and felt the presence of concern and self-hatred. I saw my mother lean over me with worried eyes. I made a desperate attempt to control my breathing using telekinesis. It felt like I was barely able to breath but I had to keep up the pretense that everything is fine. She smiled and I felt her worry fade to be replaced with curiosity and then joy when she spoke to me in her patronising way.  Damn it, why am I laughing as she rubs her nose against mine? This body just doesn't listen! She took the jewel and walked away, I felt her presence move to the corner of the room and after a few minutes I felt hungry and in need of changing.  Here we go again. I cried.   DeathSolstice As usual point out errors/wrong words/plot holes please and enjoy.

  “Mhh… This planet only has humans this should provide some entertainment” mumbles a mysterious figure shrouded in darkness, observing a planet with green land and water.     “Almost at my last stop now,” utters a teenage boy who is on a train returning home after school.   5 minutes later the bus stops and the driver says farewell to the boy as he leaves for the trek home in the mountains where his grandfather's residence resides.    The boy makes his way into his residence through the large double doors and is instantly assaulted with a spear that hits the closing door and slams it shut.   “Your late Lucian!” bellows the boy, Lucian’s, only living relative; his grandfather Milo Tadakatsu.   “Sorry pops there was a bit of traffic on the way can you let it go” requests Lucian hoping his grandfather can forgive him for being late.   “Hahaha It's fine, but you're going to need to have a bout with me this afternoon after your training to see how far you have improved your Sōjutsu and see if you can finally best this old man” Milo bellows rather joyfully despite his age.   “Haaa okay pops” sighs Lucian.   “Thata boy” roars his father joyfully.   Lucian then goes to the training ground and trains his Sōjutsu for 3 hours.   “Fuaa that should be good,” he says as he sits down for some water.   After just a sip he feels murderous intent and rolls away for a spear to land right where he was sitting just moments ago.   “What the hell old man why would you do that it could have killed me” shouts Lucian in a fluster.   “Well, your fine now arent you? Hahahaha ” Milo says as he is joyously approaching the spear and picks it up off of the ground and gets into his stance ready for battle.   By this time Lucian has also grabbed a spear and gotten into his correct stance.   ““Phua”” both of them exhale right before charging at each other.   Lucian attacks hard and fast, nearly landing a stick on his grandfather but his grandfather blocks the blow and goes for a counterattack. Lucian then repels the counter and then jumps back to a safe distance.   “Come at me” shouts Milo.   Time goes by and as it hits one hour since the bout began both parties collapse onto the ground covered in sweat.   “You've gotten better Lucian,” says Milo   “Only because of your demonlike training pops” replies Lucian    After the two remaining descendants of the Tadakatsu line wash up after their bout they sit down for dinner and turn on the tv.   [The weather tomorrow will…]   Just as the weather forecast for tomorrow is being played the tv flicks off and then back on again.   [testing, testing, Hello humans of this planet I am Nox a Dokkaebi created by a being of power beyond the likes of your imagination to make this planet entertaining for other transdimensional beings. If I were to put it into human terms imagine a live stream. I'm not a heartless Dokkaebi so I will give you certain privileges like historical artifacts will have certain powers with them and you will gain other privileges as you travel on.] says the being that appears on the tv to interrupt the weather forecast.   [One last thing is good luck in your travels humans and make it a great show as the better the show the better the rewards.]   rojay06 Hi everyone this is my first novel hope you liked it may take a while for the next chapter as I have no release schedule yet and if you have any suggestions feel free to comment on them.

I died. I don't remember how I died though. I've thought about it many times in this endless void, when the Things in the Dark weren't brushing past me. I remember my life but not my death, the thing I wish to know the most eludes me. I can't see, hear, taste or smell. All I can do is feel. Feel the endless cold and the Things in the Dark. A light. I saw it briefly. A flash in the great distance, I reach for it and am blinded. I'm falling, though I cannot see, hear, taste or smell, I can feel it. The air as it brushes past me. I am falling. I am no longer falling, I feel something soft against my back but it's cool. The sound of crying echoes around me, a woman's wailing disturbs my comfort. She mutters beneath her breath of cursing the Gods and herself.  Why? I try to ask only to hear the stifled cry of a baby. The Woman's crying stops and I hear the rush of feet. She gasps and I feel hands grasps at me, far larger than I expected and I am weightless once again. I ask her to stop. "waaaagh!" The woman brings me into a hug and begins to mutter sweet things to me that I have not heard in a very long time. "Oh my baby, my baby, the Gods sent you back to me! You were gone, I know you were gone, your tiny body was cold as the grave! But you've been returned to me! A miracle! Your father left to fetch the healer, he'll be so happy when he returns! Mother won't leave you again, never again." Oh. Who is this woman? Is she related to me? And the noise means I'm a baby. Intriguing. But I'm also not a baby. I'm something else. I was a man from.. somewhere, I remember few things from that place only that I was a man and that I lived a mundane life. I suppose this is rebirth, a second chance.  I shall not squander it. The Void has changed me, bathed in the power of the Eternal Dark, I am something else. I am a Doppelganger and I have assumed this body as my host. Fascinating. These powers. I shall use them well. I attempt to calm the woman down who is now pacing with me in her arms, attempting to nurse me. I use my power and calm her by projecting my own calm into her. I feel hungry and latch on. I need to eat to grow and live, or rather, this body does. She is nursing me, she must either be a mother or a nursemaid of sorts. I wonder. I feel her intent and love, she must be my mother. It's hard to think properly in this form. I feel myself slipping into sleep after mere minutes. I'm unable to open my eyes or perhaps I have forgotten how. No matter, for now I will allow sleep to claim me and when I awaken my new life will begin.   "This way esteemed Healer, through here, please help my wife and child." The man, tall with blonde hair and violet eyes, ushered in the old crone through the doorway to his farmhouse. "Do not fret young one, these old bones have saved many  a life with these hands." "Yes, thank you esteemed Healer. Thank you." The man replied in a servile fashion and closed the door behind him. He noticed his wife cradling their child in her arms, feeding from her teet. Her blonde hair falling gentle behind her shoulders and her violet eyes wet and reflecting the firelight in the central pit. "Brom, it's fine, our child came back to us. The Gods gave us a miracle." The old healer frowned and spoke before the man could. "And what do you know of the Gods? That they would bestow you with such grace? Come let me look." The mother of the child walked forward to show her child to the healer as the father came to the side nervously. "See? She's fine." The old healer looked at the child with a glint of confusion in her eyes, yet glancing at the child's father, Brom, she saw no intent to deceive her, perhaps it was the woman's trickery at work. "And what was wrong with him before that you sent Brom to fetch me so late at night?" The woman paled at her tone. "Please Esteemed Healer, our child was truly cold, I feared dead. She seemed dead but when I was in despair, I heard her cry, she came back to us. If it's not a miracle then what is it?" The old crone stood and pondered before raising her right hand which glowed in a white light briefly before she touched the baby's forehead. She remained silent for a few moments, her eyes taking on a glazed look before coming back to herself. "Hmm, so it is. The body has onset necrosis, nothing to worry about. It may affect standard growth in the future but for you folks I'm sure that means less to feed her. This should be a boon. All men love a petite woman." Brom paled now also. "Are you sure Esteemed Healer? There won't be any problems?" "You question this one Brom? You were not raised with such disrespect, what would your parents think of you to doubt me." "You're right, I apologise esteemed Healer, thank you for your words. "Enough with this 'esteemed healer' business, I raised you Brom. I might as well be kin. Call me Finara when we're out of the public eye." "Yes Finara." Brom turned to his wife and spoke. "Wyla, we're blessed that our child is fine. I'll walk Finara back." "No, no, don't trouble yourself over this old bag of bones. Nothing here could harm me even if it wanted to. I've been to Closer Worlds than this one, believe me." "I don't doubt you Finara but it's a matter of principle to see you home." "Fine, fine, suit yourself. Let's go." "At once." Brom made to leave, shooting a glance at his wife and a relieved look at his child that was suckling happily. Ushering Healer Finara out of the door, Brom closed it behind him and began to walk with her, arm in arm back to her home in the village. Brom had thought this day had turned into a nightmare, only to return and find everything is fine. The necrosis was a mild concern and so on the way back he spoke. "Esteemed Healer, of the necrosis, is it truly no issue? Might you have something to ease my mind?" The old haggard woman chuckled, her green and white robes bouncing up and down near her ankles. "Ha, Ha, heehee. You are a funny one Brom, always have been. Would you like some Smokeroot to take your mind off of it?" "I didn't mean that Esteemed Healer, I meant for my daughter." "I know what you meant Brom, you're still as serious as ever. As far as what can be done for the child, you might purchase a healing potion but we both know this is beyond your means. She will be fine with some time. She was eating well when we were there, however if that changes, find me. She may excrete some blood in the next few days but other than that her recovery from this 'temporary death' should be complete." "Thank you Esteemed Healer. Were it not for Wyla's punishments I would take up your Smokeroot offer but she has banned such things from our home since she found she was with child." Brom looked somewhat annoyed at this. "Heheee, you fool, she was right to do so. Smoke around babies is deadly, they can cease breathing, moreso with Smokeroot it carries chemicals in it that don't affect adults but children can experience deadly side effects." Brom paled and went silent. His mind was reeling. "I know Brom." Brom's face said it all and his mouth gaped as tears came to his eyes. "I.. I didn't mean.." The old woman sighed interrupting the floundering man. "Haaaa. No one ever means for anything like this Brom, it's ignorance. I should hope you've learned your lesson, you almost lost the Light you were given." Brom's tears flowed and he slowed his pace, forcing the old woman to let go of his arm. Brom came to a stop looking at the dirt road and Finara stopped walking six feet ahead of him, she turned to look back at him. "Brom. You will make this right in time. For now just do your best. I won't tell Wyla and neither will you." Brom looked up at the old woman who took him in when he was younger. "I feel such guilt, how can I make this right?" Finara stood and tilted her head to look at the stars and twin moons, it would soon be time for them to block the sun and bring about the Nightfrost. "By being a man Brom. Own your mistakes and do right by your family. Make it so they don't go hungry." Taking these words to heart, Brom wiped his eyes. "I swear Finara, I will do my best." The old healer smiled. "Good, now head on back. Your family is waiting." "But I have to take you home first." Brom glanced past the woman and saw her house at the edge of the village, they were almost there. "I can walk from here young Brom. Go. And don't forget to stop by once in a while. Bring the Light with you. I like children after all." "Of course, thank you Esteemed Healer. I'll be by soon." Brom bowed at his waist before turning at running home. Finara watched him go. "Hmmmm."  She turned and went to her small home, ready to turn in for the night.       "You're a good child, mother won't let anything happen to you again, so grow up big and beautiful for us okay? Maybe we can find you an esteemed Husband one day." Wyla sat cooing her child as she smiled. Brom returned through the wooden door and came to sit by the firepit in the center of the room. "Is our daughter fine?" "She is as healthy as before but I'm unwilling to lay her down for fear she might be taken from me." Brom tried to smile but couldn't. "Then shall we bring her to our bed?" "Let's." The couple went to bed and formed a wall of pillows around their baby daughter in the center of the bed and they held each other until sleep took them.   I was the first to awaken on this new day, my first and hopefully one of many. If it even was day. I still couldn't see. I tried to open my eyes but all that happened was the feeling of my eyebrows raising and my lips puckering from the effort. This wasn't working as I expected. I cheated. I used telekinesis to lift my eyelids. I shouted in pain from the light hitting my eyes for the first time and with that lost my focus, closing my eyes again. And of course when I say shouted, I mean I cried. For a good ten minutes. I seem to be emotionally unstable. I had woken my parents and they were now fussing over me. I could hear them talking. I assume the deeper one is my father, though I have no idea what they're saying, it sounds fluid with guttural stops here and there. The man stayed with me while the woman went to do something. I could feel the man put his finger in my hand and I felt my tiny hand squeeze against my will. I do hope this doesn't continue. The woman was humming a tune from the sound of it and I could also hear something crackling. Then the smell hit me and By the Void it smelled good. Without thinking I asked for some. "Waaaagh!" Of course, I still can't speak. The woman, my mother, came over and I was treated to another meal whilst the man left and from the sounds of it began to place the food on plates. Breast Milk doesn't taste half bad, creamy and fulfilling though it does have a strange twangy note towards the end. Perhaps I should use telepathy to tell mother to change her diet. No, I can't do that. I cannot do that. If they knew I might be burned for being a Witch. What's a Witch? Hm, evil magic users often killed for demonic magic, is it? I definitely don't want that. Best keep it under wraps where possible, until I can feed myself or see, at the very least. After eating, I once again felt myself falling asleep. It seems this is a fact of life now.   "Dear, are you going today?" Brom looked up, his hand frozen in mid air as his fork was laden with bits of fried meat. He lowered his fork to the plate. "You know I have to, the Nightfrost is coming and I need to make more than usual this year with our child." Wyla sighed and frowned. "But it's precisely because the Nightfrost is near that I don't want you to go. It's too dangerous. What if you don't return? What do we do then?" Brom continued eating slowly as he thought over his options. "I know. There was something I was keeping. An heirloom from my grandfather." Wyla looked at Brom with a slightly shocked face. "Don't look at me like that Wyla, I kept it from you but I had a good reason to. Do you remember what happened to Thoum? It's not that I thought you'd do the same thing but ever since the men in the village have always kept some of their wealth hidden away for truly harsh times." Wyla looked at her Husband Brom, she held a saddened and disappointed look. "What happened to Thoum was cruel and that Bitch was exiled; it's not a common thing. Why would the men react this way?" "Because it scared them. Regardless now that we have a child you need to know." Standing up from the table, his plate now empty, Brom walked to the corner of the room and began to move firewood to the side.  "What are you doing?" Brom continued stacking the wood in a new pile to the left. "I put the item in a box and hid it under the floorboards here, Grandfather warned me never to move it or get it out until the day I needed to sell it but I'll show you it so you have something if I don't return." Brom had finished moving the small pile of wood and pried up one of the boards. Beneath the board was a dirty wooden box, roughly the size of Brom's palm. He took the box back to the table and Wyla watched him with curious eyes. "What is it?" Brom said nothing and opened the box, he looked at it for a few seconds then turned the open box to face Wyla, she gasped. "Gods alive! It's beautiful!" Wyla reached out for the box with one hand and Brom let her have it as he watched her examine the item. Inside the box was a purple jewel, deeper violet than the eyes of the people in the village with a single drop of black in the center. It was around the size of a Human eye and was polished and cut so cleanly, it was breathtaking. Wyla was enamoured with the jewel and didn't notice Brom getting up and taking the box whilst his other hand closed the lid. She snapped out of it and looked at Brom in confusion. "Now you understand why I didn't tell you." Wyla felt guilty and a bit ashamed, it was true, the jewel was enough to make women want it with such passion they might steal it. Wyla resolved herself never to be that woman. "Yes, you're right. Any other woman might have taken it and run away especially without a child to bind her. I understand why you kept it from me. Were I younger and not a parent the temptation would have been great." Brom was relieved but he didn't let it show. Meanwhile Wyla wanted to see the jewel again but knew not to ask. Brom went back to the loose board and placed the box back before stacking the wood on top of it again. He spoke as he did so. "Now you know you'll be cared for if I don't return. At worst you can find Finara, she won't turn you away, not with a Light." Wyla had a slight grimace. "She's never liked me you know. She thinks I stole you from someone more suited." Brom chuckled. He knew. He was one of the more handsome men in the village and could've married into a better family than Wyla's. "Yes, perhaps I could have married another and become something else but I fell in love with you. You didn't steal my love, I gave it." Wyla smiled and said victoriously. "That's right, and you'd better remember that." Brom turned to smile at his wife and child before grabbing a thick fur coat from the nails on the wall. "I'm leaving then, I'll make sure we have enough." Wyla watched him open the door and leave. "Stubborn man." Her eyes glanced to the firewood stack and her thoughts turned to the jewel, she caught herself and looked away. "Hmph. It's just a jewel." Wyla went about her usual day after having put her baby back on the bed. She cleaned what needed to be cleaned and when she was done she returned to the bed where she swaddled her baby in thick cloth and wore it on her torso to carry the baby. Wyla left the house after putting on a fur coat, she had to check and feed the animals but didn't want to leave her child alone after the scare last night. Walking to the barn next to their farmhouse, she went inside and threw some grain for the chickens. Brom had already prepared the cattle feed the day before and all she had to do was move it close for them to eat. It was unusual typically for farmers to own such large livestock but Brom's grandfather was a village elder before his death and with Finara's backing and negotiation with the village elders, it was agreed that he could raise the cattle himself rather than contributing it as a village good. The village of Waterwood was a clan territory. The Tet'mai were the ruling clan of this particular territory. Wyla and Brom were both Tet'mai as evidenced by their violet eyes and sun kissed golden hair but neither of them were high ranking in the clan being amongst the peasant class. Wyla had finished feeding the animals and returned to the house, afraid the cold might affect her baby. Back inside she placed the child on the bed and yawned, she decided to take the baby's lead and also indulge in a nap, it took her some time to sleep as she was worried for Brom.   Brom left the house and began to trudge his way into the village. He had to go through the village to cross the river and reach the forest where the other Hunters were gathering. When he arrived some ten men were already there and one of them, a man slightly shorter than Brom came over and handed him one of the better looking bows from the communal stock. "Here, saved this one for ya now that ya've got a kid to feed n all." The man sniffed and looked away. Brom smiled and took the bow, patting the man on the back. "Ah, it's good to have friends who care. What would I do without you, eh Darmun?" Darmun huffed. "Yeah well. Just pay me back for i' if ya get somethin' good this time." Brom laughed. "Haha, pay you back? Not a chance. I've got a family to feed now, I'm not a bachelor like you. Speaking of, when are you going to settle? You're already in your twenty-second year." Darmun huffed again this time his face held a tinge of annoyance. "Settle, settle, settle, that's all anyone talks ta me about these days. Why's it so important I marry and start 'avin' kids like everyone else?" Brom smirked and gave his piece. "Because the Tet'mai are a people with the blood of Gods and our numbers dwindle by the year. It's our duty to do so." Darmun looked exasperatedly at Brom. "Ya don't really believe that do ya?" He asked in disbelief. Brom chuckled. "Nope, not really. But I'll tell you there's nothing like having a wife who cooks for you, among other things. Also when you see your child come into the world for the first time, you'll understand why everyone tells you to do it." Darmun looked at the ground for a bit as their conversation died. The sounds of others around them having conversations fought against the noise of the nearby river. The Elder Hunter arrived wearing his own hunting gear, well taken care of and strapped all over his leather armoured body. "Right, usual crowd then, where's Fermon?" The hunters looked around, apparently no one knew. "Guess he's not coming today then, right. Ready up you lot, we're going after some Bristle Boar today." The group's faces all shared a common disdain. "Haha, yeah I knew you lot'd hate that, relax we're not really going for Bristle Boar, Russ led the hunt and found Thorn Deer tracks two hours in. That's our quarry. As usual we'll check the traps along the way. The Elders told me to lay double traps until the Nightfrost to ensure everyone has enough to tide it over." The group let out a minor cheer mixed with sighs of relief.  The Elder Hunter turned and strode into the forest, followed by the other hunters, by now everyone knew what to do and split off in groups of two to check the traps whilst keeping a vague formation using the trees and symbols for navigation.  Just another day in the village of Waterwood, one of the Tet'mai clan villages.   In the endless darkness of the void I watched. Light. Here? How unusual. How rare. How beautiful. I watched as the light moved, barely fighting back the darkness that attempted to devour it as it always does. The light fought as it moved, shuddering and almost winking out along it's way. It was moving with purpose, a straight line. Then it flashed and I saw it briefly. The shape of a man but not. Reaching for the light before it flashed and the light disappeared. I moved, attempting to navigate blind towards the form. After some time I gave up, not knowing which way I was moving. Light. Interesting. This was the first time I had seen the form of one of the Things in the Dark.  Are they all like that? Am I like that? I do not know. Back in this darkness I contemplate and replay the image of the light. So vivid and bright. I wish to see it again. After some time I forgot yet more things, but not the light, never the light. It was too beautiful, a beacon. Has time passed? Is it passing? I do not know. This void I dwell within, the Things in the Dark that brush against me from time to time. I try to reach for them but they always elude my grasp. So here I am. In the dark void without limits. I. Am. Here. DeathSolstice Wanted an OP MC with mind control and stuff. I intend to time skip most of the baby years. I'll probably spend most of the time with the MC being 5-10 years old, because the idea of a little girl walking around using powers on people in the village is amusing. Enjoy.  

  POV: Daniel This should be my chapter, the part that tells my story. I have two theories on how this happens, either the chapter doesn't change and it still pretends that the story isn't affected by my thoughts, or the chapter does change, it shows my actual thoughts and how I live and maybe I can actually leave a mark of my existence. Hopefully, it’s the latter and people can finally understand how I feel. I gained consciousness around 3 months ago. I now know that I am not a human being but a character in a novel. Everyone around me, my friends, my family, and myself was created and is controlled by someone. Although I have gained consciousness, I have not gained free will. If I try, I can move my eyebrows and mouth somewhat. Where I go, what I do, and even what I say are controlled by someone else. The only time I can move is when chapters don't include me, that is when I am alive, when I can move. That's when I met her. My surroundings change into a school hallway almost as if I teleported. I’ve gotten used to this, it happens when the scene changes, like skipping my daily routine. I haven't gone to sleep since I became self-aware. My body doesn't listen to my will and moves toward the classroom. I've gotten used to it but I still hate the fact that I am trapped in a body that prioritizes the plot over my will. It's suffocating. My hand opens the door, and right in front of me is Rebecca, the main character of this world. She is the one I will have a happily ever after with. “Becca!” my mouth says affectionately, betraying my thoughts. But my eyes are fixated on another, the only other person in this world. She doesn't have a name, she is just a background character but she is also the one I love. She is someone who is not under the control of the plot and can move where she wants. She is also the one who woke me up from this prison and the only person whose love was not implanted into me. The words keep flowing out of my mouth but I do not know what I am saying and what Rebecca is saying to me but I don't care. This world is fake and I don't want her love. I want to be by her side, I want to hold her hand, to hug her, to be with her. But I am not free. My head begins moving and my lips touch Rebecca’s.  “I want to show you how much I love you” my mouth spits out. Rebecca blushes furiously when my hand pushes her hair behind her ear. “Let's go out tomorrow.”  She is watching, smiling bitterly. I almost throw up, my heart is breaking and I am again reminded how powerless I am.  The scene changed again, I am now in my room in front of my computer. My body is trying to make a reservation for my date tomorrow.  “Aaah, I can't wait” my voice sneaks out and my hands cover my face, “Life is truly a gift” I almost cry but the story will not allow it. I began this chapter with hope, hoping that I could share my story and maybe, this story could end. But now that I think about it, what would change? Would the story end? If it does then I would die and so would she. This world is only a book, the scene changes and lack of free will shows that. I don't want her to die. I don't know what I was thinking.   The scene change disrupts my thoughts, I'm standing somewhere. I don't know where I am because I never leave my house. I’m wearing clothes I’ve never seen before and waiting for a person I don't love. I wait a few seconds more and there she is. My legs run up to her, “Wow, you’re gorgeous,” I say. This is true, she really is beautiful, but she can't hold a candle to her. I want this chapter to end. I want to go home, go to sleep and never wake up.    The scene changes again and we’re in the movies, the scene changes again and we’re in a cafe. All these scene changes are making me nauseous. The scene changes once more and we’re in the restaurant.  “This day was so fun! Thank you for doing this with me” Rebecca says “I'm glad you liked it, I was planning for this all night” I clock out, deciding to think about other things so things don't get worse. I think about her. I want to go on a date with her, watch a movie together, go to a cafe together, study together, work together, live together, and be together. But I will never be with her, and that is my destiny. The scene changes again and we’re standing outside of the restaurant. We kiss again and then we part. The scene changes once more and I’m laying on my bed, with my hand holding my face. Then suddenly I begin kicking my feet. I hate this, I hate this a lot. My body is not mine. I don't feel this way so why am I forced to do this, I hate Rebecca, I hate my life and I hate the Author. Why was I given sentience, given life? So I could deal with the pain of being unable to do anything, say anything that I want to say? There is no god, just a puppeteer, not wanting to create a world but a story, and our lives depend only on what they feel like they want to write that day. I sit in silence, and I now know what I want to do.  The scene hasn't changed yet, I'm still on my bed, my hands resting over my eyes. I try to move, I’ve never tried this hard since the first day. My jaw opens and falls shut, It’s like forcibly pulling a giant boulder up and once you let go it falls to the ground. I push my tongue over my teeth and let my teeth bite down. The blood slowly filled my mouth, trickling down my throat, the burning liquid slowly drowning me. I begin breathing in the blood, the pain making me black out. I think it’s happening, My mind tries to flash to my memories, and I realize all my memories before I woke up were just a fake history of things I’ve never actually done and have never experienced. The only person I think of is her, the one person who was real. I hope she finds peace. I can finally rest. I’m finally gonna get what I want. But what I want is never what I get.   The scene changes once more, I’m in front of my house. I spot someone in the distance waving to me, it’s Rebecca. My body takes a deep breath. “I’m truly blessed,” my mouth says.

It's dark, there are only a few light sources coming from spotlights hooked on the walls, but that doesn't help since everything in that cave is made of a pitch black stone that consumes the light generated by the spotlights, to fix that issue it was build on the ground a wooden path to help workers not get lost at work, this path of the cave looks like a wooden bridge over a void of darkness, which makes it easy for veteran miners to use said appearance to throw newbies out of the way into thinking they're going to die falling into the void, ending with veterans laughing at the newbies' screams of terror, but still that doesn't change the fact that even the people that had been working there for years still don't know the real size of each one of the paths of the cave, they have a rough idea about the width but not the height of the many cave paths, the only thing they know is that they have to follow the wooden path to not get lost. Now that wooden path is being used again by the workers, but this time, instead of workers going to their regular working post, they are running away of the soldiers chasing them down, the in front of them opens and in the other side there are other workers telling them to get in the room, without a second thought the workers quickly sprint into the room, with the gates closed behind them, they start their efforts to block the door while the soldiers on the other side try to enter the room, they pile up mining carts loaded with black stone to block the door, the sounds on the other side of the door abruptly stops, and a voice sounds on the other side of the door: "Surrender, you have nowhere to go" "Fuck off" a worker suddenly replies "No one wants to do this, no matter what you try, we will get in that room anyway" "We would like to see you try" "You have 10 minutes till we break this door, I hope you have reconsidered your situation once we come in" After that, the voice becomes silent, not before giving some unknown orders. Among the workers 1 man raises himself asking for everyone's attention, this man is Jonathan Forcecyan, the man that coordinated the riot, he looks like a skinny man, but still he managed to organize the entire riot so well that forced the army to take part in the operations to stop the riot. "Brothers, everything is going as planned, while they waste time with us, the real threat is right behind them, and they are unable to see it, we just need to keep distracting them a bit more and the victory will be ours" The speech helped increase the morale, and they immediately started to search for any valuable tool they could find to keep them busy for more time. The room they were in was bigger than expected, they quickly find out that this was the storage depot of the expansion Corp, the special unit whose work is to keep killing monsters and expanding the mining operations, it looked like a small city, with many buildings in there where the explorers live, it also has some taverns, but mainly, they were mostly storage buildings with maps and information gathered from the expeditions, there were many towers around the underground city, each tower looks like a cannon pointing down and armored plugs under those cannons, there are also many gates made of black metal, one of the strongest material in the world, and all of them seemed to be sealed. [Pum] That sound was heard in the entire room, the soldiers on the other side were quickly in bringing equipment to destroy the gate. [Pum] The fact that they have imprisoned all the members of the expansion Corp didn't stop them before when they intervened to stop the riot, and they are not going to stop now.The workers knew what they had to do next, and with the leadership of Jonathan they started building barricades, a simple barricades would not stop them, but the idea was not to stop them, it was to get more time. [Pum] [TLAN] This sound was different, the first one was the soldier surely using a ram to open the gate, which was made of wood reinforcements with metal bars, but this other sound was hard to describe, it was similar to the presses used in the metallurgical factories of their city. [Pum] [TLAN] [TLAN] That sound definitely sounded like when a metallurgical press is dropped on a piece of glowing metal at high speed, which has to be forced into shape because the usual method doesn't work, and then stops dead in its tracks with a loud bang. But that make the workers ask their selves, who/what could be doing that sound. [TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN] They still have to gain time and keep building the barricade, but that sound was increasing in volume and in frequency, Jonathan decided to try to discover the source of said sound, so he rallied some men and go to investigate the underground city, he divided his men in groups, each assigned to a different part of the city, Jonathan also participated in the search and joined the search party that will be investigating the machinery area of the city, so he and his started their search in that area. [TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN] But the sound wasn't coming from the machine area, there were other workers investigating the rest of the city, and the only answer he received was the same, "we didn't found the source of the sound", but the men that go to the outskirts of the city returned with a different answer, "We should surrender to the soldiers and leave" [TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN][TLAN] They have expressions of pure fear in their faces, Jonathan tried to calm them down but it wasn't working, he then asked about what they found and one of the men was able to articulate some words, "the source of the sound.....didn't come from this floor.....it came from behind that....." [BUM] "......gate........" The faces of everyone present paled and started looking at the destroyed gate, the gate was made of black metal, the same one they used in the gates of their city walls, everyone believed that black metal was indestructible, but the black metal gate was there, before their eyes, destroyed. No one moved a muscle, the only thought on the minds of everyone present was fear of whatever it was that destroyed the black iron gate. No one wanted to investigate, whatever destroyed the gate was surely still there, and no one wanted to become its dinner. In the dark void, where the gate was before, there was only a deadly silence, surely whatever destroyed the door was still there, but why didn't it enter the room yet?, Jonathan then ordered some of his men to bring some of the spotlights they found in the machinery area before, and so they did. The only audible sound in the entire room was just the sound of the soldiers trying to enter and the sound of the workers moving the spotlights to position, once in position, the back of the spotlights was open to then introduce the processed magic crystals to give the spotlights power, once the crystals were introduced the spotlights turned on and started pointing at the void where the black iron gate was before, just to be greeted with the light being absorbed by the darkness. This is impossible Jonathan thought, and he was right, those spotlights were designed to illuminate even the darkest places, no mater what, the spotlights always managed to illuminate any room or place no matter how dark it was, but the light wasn't lighting the hallway that was supposed to be behind the gate, they were lighting the monster that destroyed the gate, and the moment they realized that the gate the soldiers were trying to destroy collapsed and they entered the room, as well as the monster.

There is a classroom, inside of it there are the students and their teacher. This is happening a day before graduation. The teacher wanted to make an informative session to help his students find a job in their respective careers. This was, of course, optional, and surprisingly more students than expected presented themselves. That confused him; he thought that they would just stay home and spend the morning sleeping, but some students showed up. All the students he taught in this course showed up, the ones that stood out the most for him were his star student, a girl called Maria. She was a Hispanic girl who worked hard all year to get her college degree, get a job, and send money home. He learned that information after his after-school sessions, where he helped her understand the parts of the subject she didn't understand. Also present was Jacob, a student who narrowly passed as he spent most of his classes sleeping. He still didn't use his lack of sleep as an impediment to helping him. Jacob told him in one of their after-school sessions where he helped Jacob, that he slept in his classes because when he got up very early and had many exams to prepare for, he took the opportunity to sleep in his classes. After all, he didn't scold him for it, and Jacob was thankful to him for not letting him down and helping him study and approve his respective exams.  Jacob and Maria were two examples of his teaching philosophy. What he did with them, he did it with all of them. Every single one of the present students was having a hard time, many were even considering quitting their chosen career because it was more difficult than expected. Even so, he did not give up and worked hard with all of them, always being available to help them in whatever they needed, and managed to get everyone present to pass. Who was this teacher?  He was Aidan Burke, a famous teacher who has taught many students throughout his career, and achieved that all will pass using a personalized method of education. And that made him a locally popular teacher. He didn't believe that, he considered himself a regular teacher doing his job, and he didn't think he deserved that fame. Of course, that didn't stop him from continuing to do his job.  But his job was not going to last much longer. Since he was going to retire early, they were the last students he was going to teach. When the news broke, many tried to convince him to stay, but they couldn't change his mind. This was his last day in that institution.  He proceeded with his explanation of job applications, companies that would be interested in employing them, areas where they operated, tips on how contracts and job interviews work, along with other tips.  Then he proceeded to call each student to his table to give them some papers with personalized employment information for each one to help them in the future, everything proceeded as he expected until it was Maria's turn. After collecting her papers, she pauses longer than the other students, then looks at the teacher for a moment before she begins to speak. "I know that this is your last day working here...." She pauses for a moment before continuing to speak. "Uh.....just wanted to ask you if you would like to come to the graduation...." She is clearly nervous. This question may seem normal, but for her, after discovering the news she wasn't able to speak to him.  After announcing that he was going to leave he became a different person, he started avoiding others, and all the time he had before to speak was severely cut off. You were able to speak with him if you found him, and he will politely answer you like always, but he will show himself distant as well as reluctant to receive any kind of goodbye party. That made everyone who knew him to feel concerned, something must have happened to him, and this wasn't normal behavior for him. But still, even if they wanted to ask him, he refused to answer. That made talking to him a difficult task since he wasn't the same, Maria knew that and that this was supposed to be his last day before leaving. But she still wanted to ask him that, for her and the other students, no matter what had happened to him, he was still their favorite teacher, they all wanted him to be there like always, but no one was brave enough to ask him that after his change. "........." Aidan looked at her with a cold expression. That made her feel like she just asked something wrong, and all the confidence she mustered was slowly fading away. That tensed the atmosphere of the room making everyone feel uncomfortable, and making Maria feel terrible.  A hand then fall on Maria's shoulder, that hand was Aidan's hand on her shoulder. Maria then looked up meeting again with his gaze. "Of course, I will never lose your special day" That caught everyone off guard. Everyone was expecting him to refuse the request, instead, they were greeted with an affirmative answer to that question. After the answers, everyone was able to see the cheerful and friendly Aidan one more time, relaxing the atmosphere and changing it into a more cheerful one. Maria, of course, could stop her emotion.  "Really!!??" "Of course" Without thinking, Maria jumped at him to hug him, and Aidan hugged her back. Shortly after, they all left in high spirits going back to their respective homes to prepare for graduation day. ---------------------------------------------‐----------- A door opens, on the other side is Aidan entering his house. The design is nothing special, it can even be called minimalist since it only has the basic furniture. He leaves the keys on the key chain in the entrance area and then proceeds to head into the living room. There is nothing special about it, there is a sofa, a medium size TV, and a table between the TV and the Sofa. The table would be empty if it wasn't because there was only one object on it, that object was framed photo. Aidan sat down on the sofa and then started at the photo. The photo was of his family, his parents, and his big sister. Seeing the photo, Aidan's expression broke. He took the photo and began to hug it tightly. His neutral expression broke and turned into a pained expression as he started to cry inconsolably. He started muttering something over and over again without stopping. "Just one more day....just one more day........just one more ..............just one more day" His mind had gone completely dark, he couldn't think clearly, his mind had only one thought, reunite with his family. But that wasn't the only thought, there was another one stuck in his mind that he couldn't get out of his head.  The promise he made. "Why did I accept?.....why did I accept?.........why did I accept?" Tears continued to flow, and his mind continued to plunge into darkness, but that thought clung tightly to his mind. Aidan perfectly understood the reason, for him, when you make a promise, you have to keep it no matter what. And his mind was reminding him of that. He remembered his family had always been there for him every time he needed them, in the good and the bad problems. He wanted to be like them, someone always willing to help when needed. This way of thinking was inspired by them, and for years he followed that philosophy to the letter.  Although he was at a breaking point, unable to continue, he wanted to continue with that philosophy until his last moments. And that's why he wouldn't miss their special day.  He promised them he would go, and he was going to go. Using all of his remaining mental strength, he spent the rest of the day psyching himself up. ---------------------------------------------‐----------- The next day everyone attended the graduation ceremony as expected. Titles were awarded to everyone, speeches were given, and everything is going as expected.  Aidan was there watching everything unfold. They reminded him of himself when he was there. Seeing them grow up and succeed as he did filled him with a sense of nostalgia for when things were so much simpler. But that time had already passed. There was now nothing that could be done to recover it. Still, reliving it, even as a spectator, made him happy. As he focused on his thoughts, he didn't realize that someone had approached him. "Hey" Looking quickly at the source of the voice, he found Jacob. "Hello there Jacob, I see your stealth skills are as good as ever" "Je Je Je" Jacob responded with a mocking laugh. Their next conversation was their typical stupid conversation where they talk about random things for no reason. The conversation then ended up leading to more serious and personal topics. The main topic was love, specific advice on how to talk to the girl he liked, and dating advice. Aidan was thoughtful, he wasn't an expert on love, but he still tried to give him the best advice he could. "Mmmh.... I'm not a love expert but my advice for you would be to never renounce to yourself. Everyone is different in their own unique way, renouncing yourself should never be the answer. And if the woman you like doesn't accept you the way you are, then she doesn't deserve you" Jacob was thoughtful after hearing those words. Then he spoke again. "I thought you weren't a love expert" "Hey, I only said what I believed" ""Ha ha ha"" They laughed a little to ease some of the tension in their conversation. Then Aidan noticed that he was looking too much in one direction in specific. Aidan then followed his gaze to see where he was looking. Jacob noticed it and look away, but Aidan already knew who he was looking at. "Oh, OH....I see...." Aidan started to smile as he looked at Jacob. "So, I guess she is the one, Maria. Am I right?" Jacob began to blush with embarrassment. "Please don't tell her" In a soothing tone of voice, Aidan answered him. "Don't worry, I will not tell her anything about this conversation. You will tell her when you are ready" "Thank you" Jacob said in a shy tone of voice. Aidan then quickly changed the subject and they went back to randomly talking about whatever popped into their heads. Their conversation didn't last long, as the rest soon found them. Before he was overwhelmed and started talking to the rest, Aidan encouraged Jacob to be brave with himself and not be afraid.  The other students were happy to see that he had come to see them just as he said. They don't hide their joy, as they were very vocal about it, thanking him for coming. Everyone was excited to go out and conquer the world and achieve their dreams, and Aidan excited them not to lose that energy and keep advancing. They wanted to go celebrate their graduation, but Aidan wasn't going to party since he doesn't like parties, they decided to take advantage of the fact that they were all together to take a group photo. The person in charge of taking the photo was a member of the cleaning staff who was passing by.The photo was then sent to all of them through their group, and to Aidan through his email.  Aidan then encouraged them to go with their parents and friends to celebrate their accomplishments. This was a special day after all. At first, they didn't want to leave since they wanted to invite him, and given his refusal, they ended up giving up and saying goodbye to him with a big group hug. Without anyone noticing and before they left, Aidan made a "you can do it" gesture to Jacob. He laughed a little and happily gave him a thumbs up. --------------------------------------------------------- When Aidan came home the first thing he did was sit on the couch with his hands on his face. He was exhausted as his mental state was about to break during the whole parting and he was suffering keeping his kind face. He is thankful at their kindness, and happy at their accomplishments, which brought a smile to his face. He was happy to have helped them grow, spending time with them getting to know them, accompanying them in their problems and helping them solve them. Thinking about his life, he looked at himself, how he lost all the people he loved. He then thought of all the people he helped and saw that they still had their loved ones and were happy. Their happiness reminded him of himself when he was younger and everything was simpler. That other people's happiness helped him gain strength to move forward.  But another feeling was growing within him as he helped them, the feeling of longing and loss.Gradually, that feeling grew more and more each time. That degraded his mental state to a point that hid mind couldn't think clearly as a thought invaded his mind, that of feeling the same again. Trying to ignore him only made things worse, his mind only deteriorated further because of it Now, Aidan was closing the windows and drawing the curtains over them, closing and locking the front door.Then he took a chair and went to his room. On it was a hook firmly fixed to the ceiling, and hung from it a rope. His mind was completely clouded by a feeling of happiness to see his loved ones again. His body moved like a robot as he locked the door to her room, put the chair under the rope and wrapped it around his neck.  The sound of a chair moving was more than enough to indicate that it was too late. [E̴̙͇̲̹͇͒̈͒̋͛̒͗̓̈́Ŗ̴̥̙͉͓̎̆̈́̈́ͅŖ̴̧̲̭̺̞̮̹̈̉O̴̱̔͒͌̒̈̈́̋̋̇͜R̷͔͆̊̐] [E̴̙͇̲̹͇͒̈͒̋͛̒͗̓̈́Ŗ̴̥̙͉͓̎̆̈́̈́ͅŖ̴̧̲̭̺̞̮̹̈̉O̴̱̔͒͌̒̈̈́̋̋̇͜R̷͔͆̊̐] [E̴̙͇̲̹͇͒̈͒̋͛̒͗̓̈́Ŗ̴̥̙͉͓̎̆̈́̈́ͅŖ̴̧̲̭̺̞̮̹̈̉O̴̱̔͒͌̒̈̈́̋̋̇͜R̷͔͆̊̐] [E̴̙͇̲̹͇͒̈͒̋͛̒͗̓̈́Ŗ̴̥̙͉͓̎̆̈́̈́ͅŖ̴̧̲̭̺̞̮̹̈̉O̴̱̔͒͌̒̈̈́̋̋̇͜R̷͔͆̊̐] [C̴̝̙̉͌͆́̽̈́͝o̵̮̩̥͌͠͠r̴̡͆̅̇̃̽̽́̾̅̔ȓ̸͚̭̗̙̪ủ̸̫̮̳̮͚͊̋͑p̷̰̠̰̦̟͈̌̀͋̂̊ͅt̶̩̺̐̊͋̑͋͗̚ỉ̵͈̦͔͓̹͓̲͑̂̈̔ọ̷̢̱̹͉̰̟̰̱̔͐̐̐͘͠ͅn̷̼̭̠̳̦̰͑͛͌̽̐̍̿͛̚ ̴̳͔̥̣͙̼͙̦̂̐͗̄͌̀͝d̸̨̮̰̻̳̘̹̟́̈̎̄͊͆͋͝ͅͅe̶͉͖̮̯̗͂͂̐͒̕͜ţ̴̣̳̮̪͐̈̉͋͠ͅe̸͈̼̓̑͑̀̉̈́̉̚͜c̶͖̪̈́̿̆͝t̵̛͓͓̱͖̋̌̍͂͘͝ȇ̷̡̢̯̝̘̱̰̙͙̽͌̕d̷̻̩̽̾̇] [Ĕ̶̼͖̝͙͚̄͐̃͑̑́̋͠l̵̡̬̗͚̪̓̀̾̎̀̌̓͑͘i̷̦̾̎͌͆̔͝͝m̵͍̙̱̮̅͆̾̒̋͋̆͒̌͝į̴̹̳̞̬̠̪̥͓͋n̴̻̗̱͈͙̯͈͓̾̄̈́͒̑́̚ă̸̧͕͔͙̯͖̣͍̻͘ẗ̷̡͕̲̠́̽̊̿̆͗̈́͐͠͠ĩ̸̩̻̱͗ǫ̷͙̈̿̑̏͑n̷̦͈̮̱̖͊̂͐ͅ ̶͚̣̤̱̤̻̮̙̜̈̀͗͗͜͝ṋ̷̓̅̂͗͆̎͝͠ó̷̬̂̿͘͝t̷̜͛̋̅̐͝ͅ ̷̖̮̻̳̥̄̂͑͒͘̚ͅp̸̡͙͓͈̲̈̽o̸̗̹͈̲̔̊̇s̵̭̐̄͗̍̅͑͂͝s̸̻̹̱̈̀i̴͈̹̭̮͔̍b̶̨̧̞̜͈͔͌̓̅̆̅l̴̥̪͕͖̲̗̗̙̔̐̉͒͒̈̆̔̍ͅe̴̡̨̲̙̯̽̿̂̔̃͌̕͠] [F̶̛̟̻̣̼͉̙͈͖̪̅̋̈́̓̈́̚͘ǫ̷̡͉́͗̾̔͑̔͘r̵̢͕͉͍̓̊̔̇͜c̷̢͈͉͓̘͉̮͇̏̔̕͝ͅï̵̳̲̭̬̤͎̀n̶̺̼̪̣̖͕̗̗̩͌̈́̿̆̎̀̌̏̀̓͜g̸̬͕͓͙̾̃̿̃͌ ̸̡͖̪͎̣̺̌͑͝r̶̼͒̆̿̎͂̄͗̏̏e̵͙̪̩̒̏b̴̮̗̘̰̮͗̀̍̈͝ớ̸̦̰̳͆̽͂͌͝ȯ̸̗̲̮̼͓̮̝̗̿̇͛t̸̲͔̘̜͇͐̈́͌͌̓͜]

I stifled another yawn as struggled to keep my eyes on the road. The sun had finally set somewhere behind me and normally I wouldn't be so tired this early in the evening, but the past five and a half hours on the road was starting to get to me. Another three hours behind the wheel was going to be rough. Setting out to drive home as soon as the conference was over seemed like a good idea at the time. I'd spent two and a half days stuck in a suit and tie, schmoozing with clients and prospects, coworkers and bosses, and I hated every minute of it. It all felt so fake, so artificial, and so very much not me. It was unavoidable though. I was Mr. Blake at work, at least until I worked up the courage to come out. And as much as I wanted to be out to my customers and colleagues, as much as I wanted them to know me as Ms. Blake, or by my chosen name rather than...the name on my drivers license, I knew that day might never come. I just wasn't that brave, and inertia was a hell of a thing. Part of me longed for it though. I had a beautiful name picked out. Nisha. It meant night, and I thought it sounded unique and exotic. I tried to picture myself with my hair grown out long, in my imagination it was raven black and silky smooth and it hung down to my lower back. In reality it was short and there were already streaks of grey in it, but I'd experimented with dye and knew it looked good in black. Those were just dreams though, and the sad truth was I found it easier to just go with the flow and not rock the boat. Easier to come up with endless justifications and excuses about how the depression and dysphoria weren't that bad. So in the two years since I figured myself out the only people who knew the truth were some close friends I'd made online, my therapist, and of course my daughter. Danica was the other reason I was in a hurry to get home. I knew she'd probably be staying up late to greet me when I came in the door, even though tomorrow was a school day. The next yawn slipped out before I could stop it, and that was followed by a sigh. I should have stayed in Chicago one more night. I could have had a decent sleep in the hotel room, then set out well-rested first thing in the morning. For that matter I could have just flown. I could have expensed it, the whole thing was for business after all. But I hated the hassle of airports and taxis. And they'd never pay for business class, economy was the best I could hope for. Driving was just more comfortable. Lots of leg-room, good sound-system in the mini-van, and I could stop for a meal or take a break whenever I wanted. Speaking of, I spotted a sign for the next rest-stop ahead. The mini-van had over a quarter tank left but I could stretch my legs and grab a snack. And I'd just passed Chatham, I knew there was a lot of long straight boring highway ahead of me. The way I'd been yawning, I figured a coffee wouldn't be a bad idea all things considered. Two kilometres later I pulled off the highway and into the rest area. I topped up the gas tank first, then drove around and parked near the entrance. The early June evening air was crisp and that helped wake me up a bit as I walked to the main entrance. I visited the restroom as soon as I was inside, then stood in line at the coffee counter. It was a popular chain but I didn't much like their coffee. It always tasted slightly burnt to me, but I figured an extra large double-double ought to see me through another three hours on the road. I grabbed a vanilla glazed donut as well. Then I turned and headed for the exit, but stopped just inside the doors. I hadn't noticed them when I entered, but they had a whole bank of little bulk vending machines next to the entrance. The first row were all the twenty-five-cent ones that dispensed gum and candy and nuts, while the second row were the larger capsule vendors, about half were loonie machines and the other half charged a toonie. And they were all filled with various cheap toys, temporary tattoos, stickers, that sort of thing. Danica and I had sort of a silly tradition from back when she was seven or eight years old. Every time I went on one of these work trips, I'd get her a toy from one of these capsule machines. I'd bring it home still in the plastic shell so she got to be the first one to crack it open. I honestly thought she'd have grown out of it years ago. Her eighteenth birthday was coming up next month, but I knew if I didn't have a silly little toy for her when I got back she'd pout and pretend to be upset. Awkwardly holding my coffee and donut in one hand I reached into my jacket pocket with the other, and pulled out a handful of coins. Most of my loose change was American, but I'd just got two toonies and a few mixed coins in change at the coffee shop. It only took a moment to pick which machine I wanted. The one at the end was full of an assortment of miniature key-chain-sized plush animals with a sort of anime theme, and I knew my girl would love that. I dropped a two-dollar coin in the slot and gave the knob a twist. There was a satisfying ker-chunk and a capsule appeared in the chute. I pulled it out and had a look through the frosted plastic. I grinned, at what I was pretty sure was a silver tabby-cat. My girl loved cats, she'd been bugging me to let her adopt one for a year or two. I liked cats too but I wasn't sure Danica was responsible enough to look after one, and I worried about our furniture being damaged by claws and scratching. The capsule went into my jacket pocket, but since I had another toonie I figured I may as well splurge. I tried the same machine, I was expecting a puppy or a little bear or maybe a bunny this time, but instead ended up with a second tiny plush cat. This one was a black cat, so it wasn't exactly the same. That went into the same pocket, then I finally made my way back out to the van. Twenty minutes later I was yawning non-stop as I continued slowly making my way east down a long straight dark stretch of highway. The donut was too sickly sweet and as expected the coffee tasted burnt. And neither had done a thing about waking me up. It was almost half-past ten and I was too tired to do the math to figure out when I'd actually get home. On the other hand I was awake enough to realize that I'd never get home at all if I didn't stop and get some rest. I pulled off at the next exit, but in my drowsy state I forgot to actually check whether there were any amenities, and if so which direction to turn. I randomly picked left and followed whatever side-road I was on for some ways north. It took me five or ten minutes to realize I had no idea where I was, and by that point I was much too tired to head back to the highway and try again. I pulled off to the side and just parked the van where I was. I sent a text to Danica and let her know I'd stopped to get some rest, and I told her not to wait up. I'd be home in the morning and she could greet me then. With that done I set my phone down on the little shelf under the radio then opened my door and got out. I slid open the back door and climbed in, then shut the door behind me and tried to get myself comfortable. My tie was the first thing to go, I had no idea why I hadn't pulled the damn thing off the minute the conference ended. Then as I struggled to get out of my jacket I heard a plastic crunch from one of the pockets. "Ah crap," I sighed. I'd forgotten Danica's souvenirs were in there, and from the sound of it I just crushed one of the capsules. Quietly cursing my big clumsy ungainly self, I carefully pulled the two toys from the pocket. The silver tabby was still safely enclosed in its plastic shell, but the black cat had been freed and its capsule reduced to a handful of frosted plastic shards. I leaned forward between the front seats and placed the intact capsule in the passenger-side cup holder, then in my half-asleep state I stared at the small plush black kitty in my hand. It was simple and cheaply-made, and hung from a little black nylon loop with a plastic key-clip at the end. It was kind of cute though, and I could see how these sorts of things appealed to some folks. I could imagine clipping it to my purse, if I'd been brave enough to carry one. The plushy looked to have been knitted entirely from black yarn, with two bright little green knots for eyes. The eyes must have had some sort of metallic threads in them, as they seemed to almost sparkle in the moonlight. The head and body were stuffed with something soft, while the legs and tail were loose and kind of floppy. "Meow," I told it, then I rolled my eyes and chided myself for acting silly. With another yawn I mumbled, "Blame it on the tired." Not knowing what to do with it, I ended up leaning forward between the seats again and clipped the little plush toy to my key-chain which was still hanging from the ignition. And finally I made sure the mini-van's doors were locked, then folded the back of the bench all the way down behind me so I could stretch out. The last thing I did before falling asleep was I finally got my jacket off, then draped it overtop of me and closed my eyes. I'd only meant to have a quick catnap. I figured an hour or two would be enough then I'd be on the road again, so I was a little surprised to find bright sunlight outside when I finally opened one eye. The other surprise was just how comfortable the second row seats in the mini-van turned out to be. I'd swear I hadn't slept that well in ages. Possibly ever. I took a deep breath then let out a quiet sigh, it was honestly a tough call whether or not I wanted to get up and finish my trip home, or if I'd just close my eyes and go back to sleep a while more. Then I remembered Danica would be waiting, and I decided I needed to get moving again. I was also a bit hungry, but I knew London wasn't too far away. I was sure I'd find an assortment of fast-food restaurants open for breakfast there. With another quiet sigh I climbed out from under the clothes that I'd been curled up inside and got to my feet. I took a few seconds for a really good stretch, then hopped from the back seat onto the centre console and finally stepped onto the drivers seat. Then I sat down and for the next several moments I stared at the steering wheel and dashboard. Something felt off, but I wasn't sure yet what it was. Like when you're trying to say something and the word's on the tip of your tongue but you just can't find it, I sat and frowned at the steering wheel and tried to figure out what I was missing. I looked down at the pedals below the dash, nothing seemed wrong there. I stood up on the seat and leaned on the steering wheel as I peered over the dash and out the windscreen. I was in the middle of nowhere on some country road, there was a copse of trees to my right and a farm to the left. More farms were visible ahead. After a few seconds staring out the window I sat back down on the seat once more. Despite how tired I was last night I could still remember pulling off the highway. And even if I didn't know where I was, I knew the highway was behind me. I just had to turn around and head back the way I came. And if I was really stuck, I could always check my phone's GPS. After a few more seconds I decided whatever I was missing, it could wait. I needed to get going. All I had to do was start the van and get back on the road. I couldn't quite reach the keys from where I was, so I stepped onto the centre console then over the shifter knob. I reached out to the key-chain that was still hanging from the ignition, and gently bapped it. The keys swung back and forth and caught in the sunlight that was coming through the window, and the little plush kitty jiggled alluringly with the movement. Just like that I was hooked, and for the next minute or two I happily bapped the keys and plushy back and forth. At one point I was balanced awkwardly while I bapped with both hands, until I got a little too enthusiastic and lost my balance. I ended up on the floor under the dash, and even though there wasn't anyone else around to see my clumsy fall I was still embarrassed enough that I had to act like I meant to go down there all along. I poked at the pedals a few times, as if I was inspecting them to make sure everything was in order. Then I hopped back up onto the drivers seat again, curled up and started cleaning the sleek black fur on my tail. My tail didn't actually need cleaning, but it was a good way to pass the time while I tried to figure out what was off this morning. Something wasn't right, and I still hadn't been able to put a paw on it. And that's when it finally hit me. I didn't feel shocked or scared or even all that worried. The thing I felt most was embarrassment. I'd somehow turned into a little black cat in my sleep, and I didn't notice until I was curled up into a small black fuzzy ball on the drivers seat of my mini-van, licking the tip of my black furry tail. PurpleCatGirl If you're enjoying our work and you'd like to support us, please consider joining our patreon & get early access to new chapters -- and new stories! Patrons have already seen how this story ends and started reading the next big thing, and you could too!https://www.patreon.com/purplecatgirl

"Ok Nisha," I thought to myself as I straightened up and sat looking towards the dashboard again. "You've turned into a cat. And you're stuck in a mini-van on the side of a lonely country road, a few hundred kilometres from home. How do you solve this?" It was quite the conundrum. My eyes immediately fell on the little black cat plushy that was still clipped to my keychain. I was positive that little plushy was to blame. It seemed obvious in retrospect, no matter how improbable the idea that a two-dollar vending machine toy would have magical powers. I stood up and leaned on the steering wheel with my left paw, and reached out with my right and bapped the plushy as I stated "Meow!" Actually what I tried to say was "This is all your fault!" but it came out as a meow. With a sigh I slumped back on the drivers seat, then let out a little yelp. I'd sat on my tail and it felt very unpleasant. My cheeks went bright red and I grimaced as I adjusted my position so my tail wasn't underneath me. Once I was comfy again I glanced around out the windows. I hadn't seen or heard any other cars come by, but I couldn't help worry that someone might come along and think my mini-van was abandoned with nobody but a cat inside. And with the keys in the ignition, I was concerned someone might decide to try and steal the van and me with it. Or worse, they'd kick me out before driving away. Then I'd be a cat on the side of the road with no way to call for help. Call for help? My gaze dropped down to the dash again and I spotted my phone, still on the little shelf under the radio. If I could get it out, maybe I could send Danica a text. I had no idea what I'd tell her, but I'd worry about that once I got my hands on the phone. For that matter I didn't even know if I'd be able to compose a message. I was pretty sure touch screens reacted to paws, there were loads of cute videos where cats used phones or tablets. The real question was whether or not I had enough fine motor control to type. That was another problem I'd tackle later. The first step was getting the phone. It took a few seconds to come up with a plan. I figured if I could hook one of my claws into the corner of the case I'd have enough leverage to pull it off the shelf. It'd fall to the floor, and if I was lucky it'd be face up. If it landed face down I'd have to try and flip it, but between my claws and nose that shouldn't be a problem. I might be a cat, but if I understood concepts like smartphones I could certainly figure out how to flip one over. After another second or two to psych myself up, I took a deep breath then went for it. I reached out and carefully, deliberately, picked up my phone. Then I sat there for a few seconds staring at it, because while my plan worked even better than I expected, something wasn't adding up again. I bit my lower lip and frowned at the shiny black rectangle in my hand, but it wasn't till I caught my reflection in the phone's dark screen that I finally realized what was different. "Holy crap!" I exclaimed. And hearing the sound of my voice I immediately followed up with, "Oh my Goddess!" Suddenly my hand was shaking and I nearly dropped the phone as I looked down at myself. I wasn't a cat anymore, or at least not entirely. I was mostly human, but I wasn't the same human I'd been yesterday. A low rumbling sound vibrated through my chest as a wide smile settled on my face. That big clumsy ungainly body I'd been cursed with was gone. Now I was a small young slim girl, sitting crosslegged on the drivers seat of my mini-van. I was nude, and my long black furry tail was wrapped around my right hip and curled up on my lap. My silky-smooth jet-black hair hung straight down to my lower back, and sticking up on top of my head were two black fuzzy cat ears. The euphoria I felt in that moment was almost overwhelming, I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh or cry or both. And the rumbling vibrations got even louder. Then it hit me that I was purring and that happy thought made me purr even louder. I decided I needed a better look at myself, but it took a couple tries to unlock my phone. It didn't recognize my fingerprint or my face, but my passcode worked just fine. I quickly opened the camera app and switched to the selfie cam to get a better look at myself. "Oh my Goddess!" I exclaimed happily, then the purring resumed. There was no denying it, I was a cute young catgirl. I looked about the same age as Danica, seventeen or perhaps eighteen. With the phone in my right hand I reached up with my left and felt my ears. The touch tickled slightly and I twitched my ears, then gasped again in amazement. Next I set the phone aside and touched my tail. The tip twitched and I giggled at the unexpected sensations. "Ok Nisha," I said to myself as the purring tapered off and I tried to get serious. "You turned into a cat overnight, now you're a catgirl. It's half past eight in the morning and you're still in the middle of nowhere? What do you do next?" That was easy, I needed to send Danica a text message so she wouldn't worry. I apologized for sleeping in and told her was going to be a bit later than expected getting home. I promised I'd be there when she got got home after school. Once I sent that off I was ready to go. I uncurled my legs and sat up properly, then let out another giggle and started purring again. With the seat in its usual position I couldn't reach the pedals, and I could barely see over the steering wheel. Fortunately the van had power seats, and it took less than a minute to move the seat forward and up so I could reach the pedals and see where I was going. I was about to start the motor when I realized I'd skipped an important step. "Ok wait," I smirked. "Gotta get dressed first, silly kitty!" It was hard to stay serious when I was so happy I was practically giddy. With a big grin on my face I climbed over the centre console and into the back to find some clothes. I ignored the uncomfortable suit I was wearing yesterday though, and grabbed my travel bag instead. My tail was swishing back and forth as I started digging around in the bag until I found the track pants and hoodie I'd brought incase I wanted to visit the hotel gym. There was a t-shirt in there too, and I grabbed that as well. The track pants were miles too big, but they had a draw-string to keep them up. The bigger problem was what to do about my tail. I ended up just letting the pants hang low at the back with my tail sticking out above them. The t-shirt was just as over-sized on me, but I wasn't looking to win any fashion contests. I just wanted to drive home without getting stopped by the cops for indecent exposure. Finally I pulled on the hoodie, and that was like a tent on my new body. I also fished my wallet out of the discarded suit pants, and pulled out all the cash then stuffed that in one of my hoodie pockets. I was still hungry, and I figured I could get food at a drive-thru without attracting too much attention. Dressed and ready, I climbed back into the front seat. I reached for the keys but froze just short of touching them. My eyes were on that little black plushy, and I was positive that's what caused all this. I touched it last night and woke up as a cat. Then I bapped it this morning, and turned into a catgirl. I didn't want to risk touching it and turning back into a cat again. Or worse, I shuddered at the thought of it turning me back into my old self. So using just my thumb and forefinger, I carefully grasped the van's key. Making sure to keep my other fingers and hand well clear, I twisted the key and started the engine. I double-checked that I was still a cute catgirl, then with a sigh of relief I pulled on my seatbelt. Finally I opened the GPS app on my phone to make sure I knew where I was going. It took a few seconds to load, but sure enough I was just about a half hour west of London. At that point there was only one thing left to do. I turned on the radio and turned up the volume. It was already set to Danica's favourite satellite channel, and up until yesterday I felt self-conscious and embarrassed about the fact that I had exactly the same taste in music as my seventeen-year-old daughter. That wasn't a problem anymore, because now I was a cute teenage catgirl and was already wiggling in my seat to the rhythm of the pop and dance hits thumping through the sound system. At long last I put the mini-van in gear and got moving. I turned it around and headed south, and a few minutes later I was back on the highway. And less than a half hour after that I was at a drive-thru in London, where I got a carton of milk and a breakfast sandwich. The guy in the window stared at my ears and called me miss, which triggered another wave of euphoria. Then it was back on the highway, and I continued driving east as I enjoyed my breakfast. It was about half past eleven when I finally pulled into the driveway at home. And it was Monday, so Danica wouldn't be home from school for another four hours or so. I'd need at least that long to figure out what I was going to tell her, how I was going to explain what happened to me. I carefully turned off the mini-van and pulled the keys from the ignition, then I dropped them into my hoodie pocket for now. My phone went into the other pocket, and before I left I remembered the second capsule kitty. I grabbed it from the cup holder and stuffed it into the same pocket as my phone, and finally emerged from the van. Fortunately there weren't any neighbours out and about so I didn't have any awkward conversations as I practically skipped up to the front door. I pulled my keys back out of my pocket and shuffled them till I got the house key, then unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was only when I pulled the key from the door that I realized I was touching that little black plushy again. I froze for a few seconds as I stared at it in my hand, I was almost holding my breath as I waited to see if anything happened. "Who are you?!" my daughter demanded as she stepped from the kitchen into the hall. "What are you doing in my house?" Her voice made me jump slightly and I dropped my keys, then spun around to face her. My heart skipped a beat and I felt a flutter of giddiness. I knew I was smaller, but I hadn't realized how much smaller until I found myself looking *up* at my hundred and sixty-eight centimetre tall daughter. I was easily fifteen centimetres shorter than her now, and that send another flutter of emotions through me. My heart and mind were both racing as I tried to figure out what to say. I pushed the front door closed behind me, then grimaced "Danica it's me, dad. I mean Nisha. You're uh, not going to believe this but I turned into a catgirl?" She stared at me and stated in a flat tone, "You're right, I don't believe you. Who are you for real, and how do you know my dad's secret name?" Not knowing what else to do, I started to babble. I reminded her about when I came out to her, the conversations we had about me being trans and how I kept finding excuses to put off my transition. I recounted a few embarrassing events from her life and mine, things neither of us would ever tell another soul. By the time I was done the two of us were sitting at the kitchen table, Danica had a can of soda in front of her and I had a glass of milk. And her expression had shifted from skeptical disbelief to wide-eyed shock. "How did this happen" she asked as she stared at me. "Dad you look really cute and this is amazing, but it's also impossible!" I got up and carefully picked up my key-chain from where I'd dropped it just inside the door. Then I sat back down at the kitchen table and held it out so she could see the little black kitty plushy. "I'm sure it was this," I said. "I touched it last night before I went to sleep, and when I woke up I was a cat. Then I bapped it this morning, and turned into a catgirl." Danica reached out and took it from me as I gasped "Don't touch it!" It was too late though, she'd already taken the tiny plushy off my key-chain to examine it. And she was still herself. "Huh," I frowned. "That's weird." "Did you do anything else?" she asked. "Where'd it come from anyways, I don't think I've seen this before." I frowned as I thought back, then I felt my cheeks colouring as I remembered. "I um, meowed at it last night? And when I bapped it this morning I tried to talk, but it came out as another meow." My daughter suppressed a giggle, then she looked at the little plushy in her hand and stated "Meow?" I gasped and cringed, but nothing happened. She was still herself, and I was still a catgirl. "Maybe whatever happened doesn't have anything to do with this?" she said as she put it down on the kitchen table. "Maybe," I frowned. I reached out and poked at it as I said an experimental "Meow?" I didn't notice anything at first, until I realized Danica was staring at me with wide eyes and her mouth was hanging open. Then I gradually realized she looked even taller than before. And my eyes were about the same level as the table. My tail started twitching back and forth as it dawned on me what happened. I was still sitting on the chair, but my track suit and t-shirt were in a little pile underneath me. I stood up on the chair, then hopped up on the table. I was about to put my paw on the little black plushy when my daughter swept me up into her arms and started cuddling and petting me while she squealed in excitement. She hugged me to her chest and continued petting me as she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh dad you're so cute! And your fur's so soft! Aaaaa this is amazing!" "Danica put me down!" is what I attempted to say, but what came out was a series of cute meows and mrows. It took me half a minute to squirm my way free, then I landed on the table and bapped the plushy as I asked "Please make me a catgirl again?" That also came out as a meow, but fortunately that's all it took. My daughter's eyes went wide, then she blushed and looked away. "Uh dad? Clothes?" "Eep!" I squeaked. I was sitting crosslegged and naked on the kitchen table, but I scurried off and quickly pulled on the t-shirt and the track pants. Once I was presentable Danica picked up the plushy cat again and sighed as she stared at it. "So it's magic, but it only works for you? That's pretty cool, but I was kind of hoping it'd work on me too." "Why?" I asked in surprise. "Do want to be a cat?" She shrugged, "I wanted to try it? And I think it'd be neat to be a catgirl. Like I said, you look really cute." Her cheeks took on a pink hue as she admitted, "I might be jealous." I wasn't sure what to think of that, but a moment later I remembered something. With a grin, I fished the second capsule out of my hoodie pocket and put it down on the table in front of her, then retrieved my little black cat plushy. "I got that from the same place as the black one," I told her. "It hasn't been opened, nobody else has touched it. Maybe it'll work the same?" Danica's eyes lit up as she picked up the plastic shell. With a grin she popped it open and plucked out the little grey and black striped kitty. It was made of knitted yarn just like mine, and even had the same green knots for eyes. My heart was racing as I watched my daughter gently hold the little plush toy. And with a hopeful smile on her face she took a deep breath and said, "Meow?" I noticed the small plush tabby's eyes seemed to sparkle in the mid-day light. PurpleCatGirl If you're enjoying our work and you'd like to support us, please consider joining our patreon & get early access to new chapters -- and new stories! Patrons have already seen how this story ends and started reading the next big thing, and you could too!https://www.patreon.com/purplecatgirl

I used to think the three-bedroom bungalow I shared with Danica was a little on the small side, but when you stood less than thirty centimetres tall and were just barely half a meter long from your nose to the tip of your tail, a little one-level suburban home was absolutely massive. Not only was it like running around in the biggest castle I could ever imagine, but there were countless places to hide or squeeze through or under. And so many opportunities to climb! And to think barely a year ago I told my daughter we couldn't get a cat because we couldn't afford to replace the furniture it might destroy with its claws. Now I was climbing up the back of that same furniture, with my own claws sunk deep into the upholstery. Even more fun than furniture was climbing curtains! What they lacked in stability they more than made up for in altitude, and the way they swayed made it even more fun. Too bad the curtain rods weren't a comfy place to rest. For that we had the bookcases. When I reached the top of the living-room sofa I spotted my daughter perched ontop of our tallest bookcase in the corner, licking her paw and rubbing her ears just as smug as she could be. It took me two tries to figure out how she did it. The direct approach was possible but difficult, and I accidentally pulled down some books and knocked over some nicknacks. The smarter option was the way to go. I climbed up onto the back of the leather recliner, and from there I jumped onto the smaller bookcase where we stored movies and games. That was just under a meter and a half jump away from the top of the tallest bookcase where my daughter was quietly watching my progress. Crouched right at the edge, I looked carefully to gauge the distance. I flexed and tensed the muscles in my hind legs, and I just knew my butt was wiggling but I tried not to think about that. Then when I was confident, I leapt. Danica meowed at me as I almost crashed into her, but I ended up perched atop the bookcase beside her, and my Goddess the view from up there was good. It was the perfect place to relax and observe the entire living-room. We could even see part-way into the kitchen, and a bit of the front yard too through the window next to the TV. With the two of us sat side by side atop the bookcase, my daughter and I spent a few minutes purring and grooming each other. Then when that was done we both settled down and quietly watched over our domain together. A few minutes later Danica curled up and fell asleep, but I stayed awake. I got comfortable, and briefly marvelled at the fact that I could get so comfy practically anywhere. There I was sat ontop of a dusty bookcase barely twenty-five centimetres deep, and I could have fallen asleep just as easily as Danica. She was curled up in a ball with her chin resting on one of her back feet, her tail wrapped around over her nose, eyes closed, the only movement from her slow steady breaths. Her ears were still up and alert though, monitoring for any noise or movement. Danica's fur was silvery-grey with black markings in the typical tabby pattern, from the M shape on her forehead to the stripes on her back and sides to the rings around her tail. The fur on her belly was lighter, almost silvery-white, while her back and sides were a little darker. One thing that perplexed me was for some reason she turned out bigger than I was, both as a cat and as a girl. The two little key-chain plushies were the same size, so I had no idea why she was the larger cat while I was the smaller one. As a catgirl her hair was now the same silver-grey colour of her fur and her eyes remained bright green like they were in her cat shape. Both of those were different from the light blonde hair and blue eyes she'd been born with. Her ears and tail kept their tabby markings in either form. Apart from those differences, her catgirl body was practically identical to her original self. Same height, same face, same Danica. We learned all that prior to spending the last hour or two playing and chasing each other around the house. After her initial transformation she and I spent about an hour experimenting with our plushies, to try and understand what the rules were or how they worked. First we determined that they only seemed to work for one person, so she couldn't use mine and I couldn't use hers. Next we figured out they worked best when you were only touching them rather than holding them. And you definitely needed to meow to trigger the transformation, other cat noises wouldn't work. Finally we were both fairly confident that there was no going back. Danica would never be a normal human girl again, and I would never again be the awkward ungainly Mr. Blake. And for that I was eternally grateful. The fact that both of us would be stuck with cat ears and tails for the rest of our lives was something I was less certain about, especially when it came to my daughter. She seemed happy with her situation though, and I was still giddy and euphoric about my own transformation. One really big thing we both needed to be extremely careful about was not losing those plushies. Especially while we were in cat form, or we'd have no way to change back. And as fun as it was to be a cat, I wasn't sure I'd be prepared to spend the rest of my life on all fours. With that thought on my mind, I decided it was time for me to be a girl again. I got to my feet and glanced back at the other bookcase, but rather than retrace my path there was an easier way to get down. The sofa was only about two meters away, and I was almost positive I could make the jump. I hopped over Danica without waking her, then moved to the end of the bookcase closest to the sofa. I lined up, gauged the distance, and after a few butt-wiggles I launched myself off the bookcase. The feeling was incredible, there was a thrill mixed with some fear, but I landed safely on the soft cushions. From there I hopped down to the floor and wandered into the kitchen, then jumped up on the table. Our two little plushies were still there where we left them, along with all our clothes. With a paw resting on the knitted black cat I quietly meowed, then stared out the kitchen window for a few moments. That was another thing we learned through our experiments, somehow it was impossible to notice when we changed. I wasn't sure if the magic somehow only worked when you weren't paying attention, or if the magic actually made it so you couldn't see it happen. Either way, the easiest way to trigger the change was to ignore it for a few seconds. And sure enough when I looked a moment later I was a catgirl, sitting crosslegged and naked on the kitchen table. Apparently I hadn't been as quiet as I'd thought, because when I got up off the table Danica was there to rub against my ankles. Then while I pulled on my oversized track pants and t-shirt she hopped up on the table and used her own plushy to turn back as well. I looked away while she pulled on her top and panties, but she left her jeans on the chair for now. "We need to do something about our clothes," she commented. "I can give you some older things I've outgrown, but you're going to have to do some shopping. And we both need to figure out some tail-friendly pants or something." That sent some excited flutters through my stomach, while at the same time my cheeks coloured with embarrassment. I was eager to go shopping for cute new clothes, but I also felt awkward at the thought of accepting hand-me-downs from my teenage daughter. "I wonder why I ended up being so small while you stayed the same size," I commented with a little pout. Danica smirked, "My theory is you needed to be extra cute. Which worked, because you're definitely very cute Nisha." My cheeks grew brighter, but at the same time I was purring while my tail was standing up tall and proud. Both were signs of a happy cat. "Now c'mon," my daughter added as she marched out of the kitchen. "Let's figure out some clothes, because your 'old t-shirt and track pants' look is the opposite of cute." The next hour or two were equal parts awkward, amazing, and fun. Danica and I went through just about every article of clothing in her entire bedroom, we emptied her dresser and closet as the two of us figured out what worked for her and what worked better on me. We also made plans to go shopping together, either tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday perhaps, so I could get a few more things since my wardrobe of her old clothes was rather limited. Still, I came out of it with a couple pairs of panties and a bra she'd outgrown, two pairs of leggings, and three old t-shirts. Footwear was the main problem, the only thing she had that fit me was an old pair of flip-flops. Though I'd been barefoot all day and hadn't had a problem with that. I knew I'd need shoes if we went out, since most stores had a rule about shirts and shoes for some reason. So I'd save the flip-flops for when we went shopping, and maybe pick myself up some cute sneakers or something too if I saw any that caught my eye. For now I was comfy in a pair of cute black leggings and a tight pink t-shirt, while Danica left her legs bare and went for a short forest green sundress. Then we spent another half hour tidying up her room and putting all her clothes away, before spending another thirty or forty minutes in my room emptying my closet and dresser into a couple big plastic bags. All that would be donated someplace, since none of it fit and I definitely didn't want to wear that stuff anymore anyways. With all that out of the way we were both hungry, but neither of us felt like cooking. So we decided to order in, and both of us unanimously agreed on chicken wings. We put on the TV then promptly ignored it, and talked more as the two of us enjoyed dinner. After dinner we had another little burst of energy, but we both stayed in our catgirl forms rather than turn into kitties to race around the house like we did earlier. And finally as dusk slowly gave way into night, Danica and I found ourselves sitting together on the roof of the house. We were both crosslegged, perched at the peak of the shallow sloped roof, where we had a good view of the rest of the neighbourhood. I had a gulp of milk then quietly offered my daughter the carton. She smiled as she accepted it, and after a sip she commented "Isn't milk bad for cats?" "Probably," I grimaced. "That's how it works, right? If it tastes really good it must be unhealthy?" My daughter giggled quietly, then sighed as she leaned against me. She handed the milk carton back to me then wrapped her tail around onto her lap and started idly playing with it. A few moments later I could hear her purring softly as her hands gently stroked the silver and black fur. "Today's been amazing," she commented quietly. "Thank you so much for sharing this with me. And I'm so happy for you dad, that you changed like that? You look amazing and cute. And you look happier and more alive than I've ever seen you before." I closed the milk carton and set it down next to me, then responded softly "You're welcome Danica. I'm glad you're happy. I'm a little worried about what we'll do tomorrow though? You have to go back to school, and I have to get back to work." Her quiet purring tapered off and we were both silent for a few moments. Eventually she shrugged, "You work from home so nobody even needs to know you've changed, right? It's all email and internet for you. And I'm not worried about myself either. Honestly I'm kind of excited to show off my ears and tail to my friends!" I cautioned, "Don't take your plushy to school, you don't want to lose that. In fact I'd rather you didn't even mention it to anyone." "Don't worry dad," she stated. "I'll be keeping it safe at home. And I won't tell anyone how all this happened. That'll be our secret." She hesitated a moment then asked, "Have you thought about what you're going to do for yourself? I mean, you can keep this hidden for a while but eventually folks from work will find out. You'll have a phone call or video call or something." After a few seconds to think it over I nodded, "First thing tomorrow morning I'm going to let work know about my new name and pronouns. And I've had the name-change paperwork in my desk for the past year, I'll mail that off. No point trying to hide anymore right? I hated being Mr. Blake even when that's how I looked. I can't see myself being happy keeping up the act when I look like this." "I've been Nisha for the last two years," I added. "I'm finally going to stop hiding and be the real me." Danica smiled, "That's awesome dad, I'm so happy for you!" A moment later she frowned, "Or should I call you Nisha now? Does it bother you if I call you dad?" I gave her a hug, "It doesn't bother me hon. You're welcome to call me Nisha, but you can keep calling me dad too. Although other people might think it's weird if they overheard, considering I look more like your sister than a father." "My little sister," she teased with a wide grin. "My cute little catgirl sister." "Hush you," I pouted as my cheeks went bright red. The pout didn't last long though, replaced by a happy grin. Danica and I were quiet again for a while after that, as we enjoyed the evening air together. Our eyes worked pretty well in the dark even as catgirls, so we had no trouble seeing everything around us. It was somewhere close to midnight when the two of us finally jumped down off the roof into the yard, then went back into the house. We bid each other a quiet goodnight, then she disappeared into her room while I went into mine. A few minutes later I was undressed and curled up under the blankets in bed, and I fell asleep with a wide smile on my face. Today had been one improbable and amazing thing after another, and I loved every moment of it. I couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring. ~ The End ~ PurpleCatGirl If you're enjoying our work and you'd like to support us, please consider joining our patreon & get early access to new chapters -- and new stories! Patrons have already seen how this story ends and started reading the next big thing, and you could too!https://www.patreon.com/purplecatgirl

Elijiah Alkie Rivera   Glaring with my folded arms at the man across me who has his hand currently at the waist of a beautiful woman.  I don’t want to feel insecure because I know that I also have an irresistible look but this man is making it hard for me! What…what can I do? I have nothing to be proud of, but here I am. Acting brave in front of the man who has been occupying my mind these past few days.   “What are you doing? Move kid. We still have an important appointment.” The coldness of his voice made my heart ache.   I don’t have an idea why he was treating me like this. I thought we were fine already! But what is this? That look in his eyes! What’s with that look? Why is it so cold. What did I do this time?   They were just about to pass by me but I immediately spread my arms to block their way, as if it would.   “Aren’t we going to have dinner Ajax? You promised me yesterday. You agreed. I even cook your favorit---”   “I SAID MOVE! ARE YOU DEAF?!”   I twitch after his deep and loud voice sounded in the whole area. But this didn’t stop me. If he thinks that I’ll give up easily, then he’s wrong. I’ve been through a lot. I wont back down just because he shouted at me. No, never.1Original: “Hindi. Hindi.” Lit: No. No.     “What’s wrong with you? We are still fine yesterday. I thought … I thought..”  I looked at the hand of the woman that was currently looped at Ajax biceps. Her red-painted fingernails slightly dug into his flesh. I felt like something snaped in my heart. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop myself from this woman’s hair. “Fine! I’m sorry for bothering you. Goodbye.2 Original: “… Magandang hapon” Lit: Good afternoon. But I changed it cause it can also be a way of saying goodbye. Good morning or good evening also can, depends on what time hehe. I left with a heavy heart, and ruthlessly wiped the tears that was falling rapidly from my eyes. Today should be a happy day. I he doesn’t me, then don’t.   I would always force myself on things that I like but they don’t, just like my family and on my job. What did I do wrong ah? Was it because I’m a pr*stitute? Because I would let anyone touch me? Was it because I’m gay? What is it?!   Why do people can judge people so easily just because of their sexuality and job. Yes, I do sell my body but this was not because I like it. Yes, I am gay but I am still a human.   With a hiccups I close the door and lock it. I let my eyes wander all over the room and then cry again. I slowly fell down on the floor and weep. I’ve always wanted to have someone with me in Christmas. But that didn’t happen.   “Meow~”   I stoped crying when I heard the small voice. I looked down and in there was a cute white furbaby. “Minky!” I gently lifted her and put her near my chest.   Minky is a baby cat that I picked up yesterday on the road. She was still malnourished but I know that after a take care of her well she’ll be cute. “Meow~”   “Awww! Merry Christmas, baby. I love you!”   My action halted when I heard the continues banging at my door. I got up and look at the peephole in my door.   I opened the door much faster than four o’clock and look at the man in front of me with disbelief. His cold gaze made my inside tingles. My heart was beating fast. “A-Ajax?”   “Move!"   I think I’m hard.   ============   Translator: W-what? You what?!          

CHAPTER 1   WARNING: NSFW     “Ahh! Fuck, so good ah! More! Move it, baby! 1 Original: Bata Lit: Kid/Child ” The man moaned while working hard on fucking my ass.   I groaned when the man slapped my ass cheeks and then rubs it after. The man did it several times already but I cant do anything since my mouth was blocked and my hands were tied, his slap and rubbing of my ass brings me a lot of pain.   And he paid me for this. Ching said that I need to follow what my customer want so that there would be more of them in the future. Ching was the manager of the p*rstitutes like me that you can find on the street. My earnings will be divided in Fourthy-sixty for the two of us.   “AHHH! AHHH!!! HERE I COME B*ITCH! I’LL FUCKING IMPREGNATE YOU! ARGH!” His dick keeps on ramming my asshole, and his thrusts was becoming faster and harder the longer it took. I can feel his dick stirring my insides.   After a few more thrusts I once again felt the warm and sticky liquid inside my asshole. This would be the… third? Fourth? No, it was eight, I think. I don’t remember how many times my body was used by men today. All I know is that I’ve been used a lot by these horny men with loads of cum and money.   “Time’s up! You time is has end, sir. My kid needs to leave now.” Ching announced.   “Fuck it! I haven’t have my second round, extend it for one hour” my customer said while rubbing my legs.   My mouth was still block and my hands was still tied behind my back. I tiredly stared into nothingness while listening to their conversation. I don’t want to work today. I’m already tired. “No extension, he had been working since earlier, Alright, go! Chupe!2 It is what people say when they want a person to leave   I secretly celebrated after I heard what Ching said. I lay on my sides to look at her. My body relaxes the moment I saw her… Or him? It was because Ching was a Lesbian. She’s like a fat lesbian with a mio, like the meme I saw on Facebook. Hehe. 3 I didn’t know this meme exist XD   “Are you okay? We earned a lot today. Triple of what you earned yesterday.” Ching happily stated while removing the rope that was binding me.   “Really?! Can I get the money now, Ching? I need to pay my rent and I’ll also buy my groceries.” I ask her while putting on my clothes.   “Of course, you can. Here, I brought your favorite pancham and krem-o.”   My eyes lit up after I heard what Ching said. This was my favorite snacks after I work. It’s very affordable and delicious. I used to eat very expensive cookies and milk at my old house but my life is not the same anymore.   I have to get use with my new life and keep on moving forward. I have to be contented with what I have now. 4 This was on English in the original text.   “I wish we are this luck in the following days. I heard that there will be a typhoon, which is just right cause there will be a lot of them who wants to be warm. That’s why, you need to take care of yourself. You are not allowed to get sick. There will be a lot of customer.”   My work is… My work requires me to stay fit, healthy and sexy all the times. I work as a prostitute in the called Chimchim. I actually applied for a waiter in this bar but there no slot available, so left with no choice I let my body be sold. This was because they get to have a lot of money. More than what a waiter would earn.   “Ching, ‘ll go now. Bye.” I smiled and waved at her.   I put my bag on my shoulder. This bag was given to me by my customer, I call him Daddy Baldo. He was all wrinkled but his down there was still big hehe.   “Bye! Be careful on the road”   I walked out using the path that only the employee can use so that I will be able to avoid the perverted customers. It was because, the last time I walk out at the main entrance I was almost raped by the three customers. Good thing I was rescued by Ching.   It was four in the morning when I left work so the sky was still dark. The bar would close at five but my work was only at four in the morning. And my work would start at six pm. Sometimes I would just wait for my customer inside of my room that was on the bar. Sometimes if there’s few booking, I’ll just stay at the bar to pick up some customer.   I felt bothered while waiting for a taxi near the bar. Since last night I’ve been noticing a man in a black hood that keeps on following me. I don’t want to assume that it was stalker. I mean, they can just pay me if they want to have sex with me.   I moved aside when the walk near me. I’m still looking at the ground while gripping the strap of my bag. I sucked the insides of my cheeks to calm myself. I’m scared, the whole place was silent. The stores here was still closed and the passing vehicle was few, except for the taxis and private cars. If ever I need to ask for help, no one might be able to hear.   Maybe I’ll just go back on the bar.   I bit my lip while stopping my breathing while stepping from my position. I was just about to walk pass him when he harshly pulled me back to where I was standing earlier.   “Y-yes?” 5 Orig: Po (Filipinos would add a word before the first name to show respect to anyone older than them Some very basic and common words for showing respect are ‘’po and opo’’. They both basically mean “yes” in a respectful way but used differently in sentences. Source: remitbee.com

One night atop a cliff jutting over a small beach within a cove, there was an egg, a rambunctious egg.   The egg’s mother had repeatedly returned the egg to her nest, yet it persisted in rolling around and bumping into the other eggs.  The mother of the egg had not failed in her pursuit to keep all her unhatchedlings away from jeopardy, yet this egg was consistently getting itself into more and more dangerous situations.   Unfortunately for the egg, its mother was physically incapable of watching the eggs at all times as she had to do many things, like gathering food, interacting with others, and most importantly, in her opinion at least, sleep.   The egg, with its great vigor within, had plans in direct opposition to its mothers. In its childish, undeveloped brain, the egg was tired of doing nothing day in and day out, even if it did not understand those concepts. The egg was looking for something new, and she was going to get exactly that.   The little reptile within the egg had noticed that if she pushed and shifted at the walls around her they would make small clicking noises, this clicking was something new and exciting for her, so she kept at it. She pushed and attacked the walls all so she could receive the satisfying clicks that the walls responded with. While she was shifting around she also noticed that the force pulling her helped her to receivee these delightful clicks.   That night, the mother of the egg was sleeping. She was having a particularly nice dream where she could calmly watch her eggs for the chosen day where her eggs would hatch, but this dream was extra special because that one egg that was making a constant, extreme effort to escape her grasp, was actually calm, she could watch the eggs happily while feeling the ocean breeze that she was protecting the eggs from.    While experiencing this dream, the egg that she dreamt was sitting calmly, had been particularly active, and had moved around both inside and outside her egg. This movement translated to ever so slowly nudging herself closer and closer to the edge of the cliff that stood a good bit above the ocean shore. As she neared the edge of the cliff and teetered just over it, a gust of wind…    Pushed her back closer to the nest.    Unknowing that the wind had saved her from falling, the little lizard within the egg, excited at the outside movement that pushed at her giving her another satisfying click, rocked back and forth with extra delight. This rocking brought her back to the edge of the overhanging cliff and right down its side into the soft sand below.    This fall into the sand gave the little hatchling the biggest, most satisfying click she had ever heard. Not only that but after the click and the snap she was bathed in the calm light that reflected off of the moon to bless her with its glory.   …   Around the same time, there was a young turtle, barely a month of age, taking a rest from her woes and struggles over the past month of its life. Her mind returned to her first days.   She sat within the oppressive heat of her sisters sitting above her, however, she would not accept the injustice of sitting there waiting for them to step all over her. She bit chomped and gnawed at them, all in pursuit of the light that called out to her from above. After finally, exhaustively escaping and reaching the top of the pile of her sisters…   She was met with a lot of sand. An almost vertical wall for her to scale stood before her.    Not yet knowing of the word impossible, she went up to the wall before her and started to ascend. As she climbed the sand would fall beneath her pushing her down, but also giving her purchase to ascend higher, this also pushed sand onto her sisters who started to suffocate under her. Not caring about the future of her sisters she finally was the first to get out of the hole. This gave her the magnificent view of the ocean, which called out to her, promising safety and food.    Lucky for her she safely got to the ocean before the seagulls noticed that there was free food just sitting in a hole wriggling around, and waiting to get eaten.   The ocean was full of life, there was so much going on around her that all she wanted to do was curl up and go back to sleep in the comfort of the egg she was in until then, nonetheless, her stomach demanded food, and it demanded it now. Swallowing her fear, along with a small amount of saltwater that she immediately coughed back up, she paddled her way to the nearest thing her instincts told her was food.    The seaweed before her wriggled around with the ocean currents, and when it finally swayed in her general direction she took a bite from the seaweed. It tasted pretty bad, the stomach within her accepted seaweed as edible.    She continued eating seaweed for some time until she came across a little tiny crab which grabbed at her still somewhat soft carapace. In her annoyance with the crab, she maneuvered herself and the crab which had latched onto her around and smashed herself into a rock and, in the process, crushed the crab underneath her. She did this process every time a crab grabbed her. This was until she received a little ping that resounded throughout her consciousness. She gained a level.   [Baby turtle:] [Level 1]   She felt herself get larger along with her bones and muscles getting stronger with the notification that she somehow understood despite being so young. This increase in size and strength elated her as she had been enviously watching the larger creatures in the distance battle it out for domination of the reef. If she could compete with them she would not have to fear for her life every time one of the larger creatures got close to her.   With a new goal of getting bigger, she set herself the task of committing genocide on all those little crabs who were too small to be of any possible danger to her. This was all so she could get bigger so she would no longer have to fear those who were stronger than her. She came to the brilliant conclusion that you do not need to be afraid of those who are smaller than you. Size is everything.   As she came to learn, later on, getting big and strong is an uphill battle against those who have the exact same goal as you.   After some exhaustive time spending her energy eating seaweed and massacring little crabs, she finally reached level 10. Yay! She thought to herself, reaching the double-digit milestone. Baby turtle also changed into an infant turtle! She thought, noticing the change in the wording about her level, she noticed that this change gave her an extra boost in size.   [Infant Turtle:] [Level 10]   At this point killing crabs to level up was taking way too long compared to when she was lower level. She needed to shift gears, but first, she needed a break, killing crabs just was not as satisfying as it used to be. She turned her eyes back to the beach. Maybe she could find some different scenery beside the weeds and the crabs.   Her little paddles ever so slowly pushed her back to the shore as the waves pushed and pulled at her, until eventually…   She ungraciously was tossed ashore, not unlike the crabs she had killed earlier. Thankfully she was too big for the seagulls to get to her as she took some time to reorient herself.   Then she pushed herself further inland looking out into the cove she found herself in, the cove was surrounded by stone walls encircling it, there was a cropping of sand all around the edges of the cove and the water lapped up and down the sand trying and failing to devour it. She pushed herself up against the walls of the cove content in the knowledge that the water would not be able to inundate her while she tried to get some rest.   She closed her eyes and started to enjoy the rhythmic sounds of the water crashing down on the sand, only to get pulled back into itself. The sound was constant and unchanging, she thought she could listen to it for hours under the moon that had started to rise over the ocean opposite her, the sand and the water. That was at least until there was a sound that interrupted rhythm.   Plop, Crack   She looked over, and no more than a few meters from her was a pearly white egg much bigger than hers had been cracked open right down the middle to reveal a little reptile, like her, just different. The very first thought that came to her mind when she saw the enormous sparkling eyes that perfectly reflected the light of the moon of the little scaly creature only a little smaller than she was, something along the lines of.   “Cute!!!”

In an enormous mead-hall, only two figures could be seen, a giant who was sitting on a proportionally large wooden throne and in front of him a handsome, if somewhat effeminate young man was prostrating in front of him, and in a soft voice he begged “Great Lord! I beg of you to not hand me over to that usurper! I need to take revenge!” But to this the giant remained silent, his eyes cold. Yet the youth continued with his begging, even crying at the feet of the giant. “Do you not know what my father did to ensure peace in this realm? He stopped the constant bloodshed! He-“ “ENOUGH!” the giant interrupted with a deep and powerful voice. “Do you think that I, Utgard-Hrungnir, enjoy the so call ‘peace’ brought by your cowardly father? I, Utgard-Hrungnir, am a great lord with many warriors under me, yet we are warriors without war! Your coward of a father ruled with cowardly means, such as magic and his inventions, else how do you think a mere incubus became a demon king? He merely had powerful wives! His brilliant inventions were not used for war but to enforce peace!” The youth tried to refute yet Utgard-Hrungnir merely continued. “His black powder could be used to destroy forts and walls and attack the human realm! And so many more things! Such a blessing it is for him to be slain! I wanted to eat his flesh! To grind his bones into flour and use it for bread! To make sweet mead out of his blood!” So Utgard-Hrungnir took a deep breath and his amber eyes became brighter. “I can eat you! HAHA! I can still relieve some of my anger! …                                                                                                                  In an enormous hall, giants gathered. Near the wall stood a mighty throne and on it an even mightier figure, the great Utgard-Hrungnir! In front of him stood two great benches filled with giants and a great fire in between. And the great chief of the giants spoke. “My brother’s in arms, a great fool came to my abode today! Do you wonder why I call him a fool?” The amber eyes of the mighty brawler glanced around and as if he saw that nobody knew the answer, he decided to continue with his speech. “The one I call a fool is quite special! He was taught that his foolishness is normal! Heh, so of course I imprisoned him for my amusement. Fyrnir, you who are called the wisest in my mighty stronghold that even the demons fear, would you guess who the fool is if I gave you a hint?” “Most certainly, in martial prowess, I believe none are your match, oh great chief, and if you had asked me to test your might with my feeble hands, I would have most certainly refused! Yet in such a matter, I believe I can prove to be of use!” “Very well Fyrnir! Your words are coated in honey as always! If this continent is united, with its poor soil unable to bear much produce, its land filled with metal and occupied by generation-long feuds that started because of a drop of water, is it possible to keep it peaceful? And is it wise to not invade the human realm?” “Oh great chief, you whose bravery exceeds even dragons! What foolish question is that? WAIT… Do you have the child of that effeminate demon? That terrible coward whose only contribution is uniting the thousand clans in hate of him?” “Indeed Fyrnir! I, Utgard-Hrungnir, have the bastard in chains! Should I peel his skin? Cut him piece by piece and send them to the mighty clans of our tainted land? Fyrnir my counselor, tell me, what is the best way to relieve my anger?” “By Alvaldi! You great warrior! I Fyrnir lived long and served many chiefs, yet they were merely your lessers! But oh great Utgard-Hrungnir, you hunter of beast and demons, tie the child to a large metal rod, and heat it! Weak as the child is, it still won’t die from it! Else its mother would not be that mighty warrior, that fierce demoness!” “HAHAHA! Your words bring much pleasure to my ears! I shall listen to your suggestion! Now, my brothers-in-arms, let us drink to this!” The other giants, who were unusually quiet, quickly went into a happy mood and started drinking! … Many days later when the giants procured a large enough metal rod and prepared to commence with the torture, unexpected guests arrived. … “Hmmm, Is it demons that I smell? But who would dare come to my mighty stronghold? This fortress with its mighty walls and great battlements defied the thieving ambitions of fiends, dragons, and even demon kings! Yet somebody dares visit!” spake the giant chief, lust for battle in his tone. Yet Fyrnir said immediately after, “Might it be an envoy of Ehud,the demonic usurper? Great one who marshalls the giants, your martial exploits are unparalleled! Yet it is because of them you always expect an attack!” “Fyrnir truly great your wisdom is! May one of you, my brothers in arms, let the guests in?” spake Utgard-Hrungnir. “I shall do it!” said a giant, and upon finishing the sentence he rushed to let the guests in. … After a bit of time, a few tiny (compared to everything else) figures arrived following an average-sized giant. “Greetings milord, Great Utgard-Hrungnir! I am Gygas, The head envoy of Friedrich!” Gygas spoke with a great bow, but upon making a closer inspection of the giant chief of whom he only heard of in legend, he was terrified. What sat in front of him was a huge man, of broad shoulders, with heavily muscled limbs, an enormous beard, amber-eyed and brown-haired. Ehud had seen giants before but none were greater in size than this mighty fellow. “Speak!” “Ah-y-yes, My master Friedrich w-wishes to invade the human realm as all p-pr-preparations for a gate spell are completed. So he invites y-your h-honored self!” “I see! Let him know I shall join in the conquest of that realm!” “Now, begone! I cannot stand your smell of cowardliness.”                                                                                         XXX In the dungeon of the stronghold commanded by the mighty Utgard-Hrungnir, Hiro the spawn of the late demon king cried and whined to no avail. Water dripped from the ceiling and filled the floor of the mighty dungeon, yet it would at most be up to the ankles of a smaller giant, but to Hiro, who was a mere demon less than 6 feet tall, it was up to the neck, for he was bound in a fetus position. The giants never had such a tiny prisoner so they took many precautions, else Hiro could have escaped through the iron bars that separated each cell. ‘Will I drown in this water? A flower that has yet to bloom must wither! Oh, how sad my end shall be!” And while he was wallowing in self-pity, the giants drank much mead to celebrate their future conquests! … A cruel storm was hovering over the demonic realm! Black clouds were gathered in such an exaggerated amount many were frightened! Yet none would have guessed how much of a greater calamity it was than a mere thunderstorm! Valland! The great ship made of clouds! A terrible fortress from a more bloody time, where many fell and none who ventured returned! Even dragons could only watch in greed for they were repelled many times without trouble! From that unconquerable fortress in the sky, the revelry of the giants could be heard, and a mighty voice sang: Twas time's first dawn.When naught yet was,Nor sand nor sea,Nor cooling wave;Earth was not there,Nor heaven above.Naught save the Valland.But verdure none. The poem was crudely made, yet its content was frightening! For a few days, the giants traveled with their ship of black clouds, misty vapor covering the land in their wake. Constantly they sang and the clouds bellowed to accompany their fear-inducing voices. Many of the humongous humanoid brutes were wrestling, some amused themselves with clubs and other armaments, and many threw rocks and boulders. But these activities were done with such vigor that any observer would be terrified! And how did giants procure rocks and other earthborn materials in their mighty sky fortress? They didn’t, for some of them were simply sent down to the land to bring them up. But finally, the day when the mighty giants arrived at the capital arrived. … A good few furlongs in front of the demonic capital, the mighty ship-fortress of clouds, Ginungagap, stopped! It was truly a mighty construct, for it was a stone fort built on clouds, yet it was filled with many rooms for the amusement of the giants. But it was not long until a rope thicker than trees dropped from it, and soon two dozen or so giants climbed down, with the leading one being Utgard-Hrungnir. It was merely a small retinue, yet their great march made the earth tremble. But at the front gates of the famous city, the giants stopped their march, as there was a tiny man who was not even tall enough to reach their knees. Indeed, even the mighty Utgard-Hrungnir (who had something made of iron in his left hand) looked at the tiny humanoid, before cracking a smile. “Friedrich, my friend! You do not know how much pleasure I had upon receiving the invitation! And of learning of you coup!” “HAHA, I am glad that my little deed pleased you, oh mighty chief!” Friedrich said with a smile. “Hmm? Are you making fun of me, the mighty Utgard-Hrungnir?” “Of course not! Why would I? Now let us enter the place of the meeting, and it is a bit far away to accommodate the large size of some of our allies!” Then Fyrnir spoke quietly to Utgrad-Hrungnir’s ear: “Great chief! It is not wise to be unprepared, and as the ancients said: Scan every gateEre thou go on,With the greatest caution; For hard to say 'tisWhere foes are sittingIn this fair mansion. So I believe that it would be wise to arm your thanes!” And Utgard-Hrungnir listened to the ancient wisdom and commanded his retinue to be ready for battle at any moment. … Soon they arrived at the meeting place of the allied lords of the land! Indeed, when they could plunder weaker foes, these fiendish beings would most certainly unite! There were many lords and many retinues of said lords, for there were thousands of tribes but they all spoke the same language created in a time so ancient nobody remembers. First spoke Friedrich, the usurper: “Hear me ye Lords of the thousand clans! As you all know a decade ago that cowardly being became a demon king, yet we could do nothing but obey him due to the fact that only the demon king, chosen by the mark, can use the gate spell!” Many wondered why Ehud spoke the information they all knew, but he continued speaking nonetheless. “Now you might be wondering why I spoke such facts, and why I said I prepared for a gate spell! It was due to the fact that I, Friedrich, obtained the demon king’s mark! I got tired of listening to his ramblings of eternal peace and challenged him to a duel, yet the coward refused and hid behind his wives who wanted to fight in his stead! For you see, my dear allies, the demon king needs to be worthy of the mark! Yet none of us knew that! Many wondered why such a coward got the mark and I had learned of all the reasons! He seemed promising due to His inventions yet because of the fact he was so cowardly in His means He had lost it!” Many were silent with endless fury, for they waited for decades, centuries even, for a demon king to be chosen, so they could enjoy the fruits borne of the human realm, yet they could have simply slain the demon. “Mighty Friedrich, when shall we assemble our hosts? To wreak havoc onto the humans is a wish many share and our patience has worn off over the reign of that coward!” The one who spoke was but one of the many lords, yet his words were true for the vast majority. “Worry not, for all the preparations have indeed been completed, so we can go to war as soon our hosts assemble!” Upon hearing the words of the new demon king joy was abundant among the lords and so they dispersed in many directions to mobilize.                                                                         XXX   After the happy occasion that happened(the occasion being the sacrifice of the former demon king’s son) the resident of the demonic continent organized themselves, with the chief commander being none other than Utgard-Hrungnir, and the subordinates entrusted with the duty to make his commands wide heard spoke to the masses “Hear the edicts of the mighty chief Utgard-Hrungnir! To those who are faint hearted: leave the army to not make their comrades lose their courage! To those who wish not to cause unnecessary violence: leave the army to not weaken the arms of your comrades! To those who are newly wedded: leave the army to not have your partner be enjoyed by another! To those who are untruthful: leave the army to not cover the merits and demerits of your comrades! Those are the edicts of the mighty chief Utgard-Hrungnir!” Upon dismissing such men from the army, Utgard-Hrungir divided them into battalions and platoons. And so they went on a campaign! … First, under the command of the mighty chief, they went to war with the duchy of Arrowhill, for it was the place they first arrived. They stormed the unprepared duchy, with the soldiers of the thousand tribes being very fierce, and upon meeting barely any resistance, they almost effortlessly overthrew the duchy. Then under the chief commander’s orders, they crossed a river and under the command of Farbauti, a thane of Utgard-Hrungnir turned general for the occasion they utterly destroyed the fortress city of Eldercrest in such a way: the giants hurled boulders at the city, destroying its battlements and suppressing the city’s forces enough for the lesser greenskins to storm the walls. The conquered area turned into a stronghold for the thousand tribes, where they recruited local intelligent clans that were descendants of earlier expeditions. Word spread quickly on the human continent and the local rulers summoned all the men they could, for according to them the thousand tribes only want the destruction of the human race, which was true but unachievable under past kings. There were 10 human kings who first joined forces and met the thousand tribes under the command of Utgard-Hrungnir, and the battle was extremely bloody yet the chief commander still achieved victory. The battle happened as such: The human kings encamped on a shore of a river, for they were used to human warfare and it was a prime place for defense, but the thousand tribes had battalions of flying tribesmen, the mightiest of whom were the giant birds that dropped many weapons created by encasing black power mixed with scraps of metal in iron balls. It was an invention of Fyrbyr, and under Utgard-Hrungnir’s command, the warriors of the thousand tribes stormed the encampment left starved and tired under the constant bombardment. The men fled over the river, and many lost their lives trying to cross the river, in fact, the river was blocked by the many bodies, with blood flowing instead of water! After the battle, an altar was erected by Utgard-Hrungnir in honor of Alvaldi. Then the army of the thousand tribes smote the alliance of a hundred guilds, a confederation of mercantile city-states. Much treasure was seized and many slaves were captured. Thus the first year of the expedition concluded. … In the second year, the land conquered was fortified, and reinforcements arrived from the demonic continent. A mountain was destroyed for the sake of getting enough stone for the fortification. A human invasion occurred and was subsequently defeated. The river of Ashap was subdued. Thus the second year of the expedition ended. … In the third year, the expedition was resumed. The kingdom of Rosebrook was conquered, and its population was exterminated. A host led by greenskin chief Blechacz was defeated by the black-haired human hero and Blechacz was slain in battle. A host led by flying tribeswoman Yagmur was defeated by the black-haired human hero and Yagmur was captured. A host led by Esea the Fair was defeated by the black-haired human hero and Esea the Fair was captured Utgard-Hrungnir personally took action and with his mighty hand he smote the black-haired human hero, demoralizing the human army and further expanding the realm of the thousand tribes. A praise poem in honor of Utgard-Hrungnir was composed by Utgard-Hrungnir: ” I rain battle like thunder from the heavens With my roar heaven and earth shake Mountains lay low trembling where I step I am the most heroic of the thousand tribes Cloaked in terror, invincible in a duel! “     Yagmur and Esea the fair were executed due to interfering with the extermination of a human city. Local tribesmen rebelled in the kingdom of Reddan rebelled against humans, and an army was sent as support. A league of 30 rulers was formed. Fortifications were built. Thus ended the third year of the campaign. … In the fourth year, the expedition was resumed. The demon king Friedrich arrived. He organized several attacks on human territory and due to his mighty sorcery, he proved victorious. A saint appeared in the human kingdom of Zaralid. The saint was slain by Farbauti in combat. The kingdom of Zaralid was conquered. The demon king subdued the magic islands of Salalma. A fortress was built. Thus ended the third year of the campaign. … In the fifth year, the expedition resumed. Under the command of Fyrnir, a census was held. The land, forests, marshes, mountains, lakes… were measured. The kingdom of elves was destroyed, its wood was of very high quality. Otherworldly human heroes appeared. Thus ended the fifth year of the expedition. … In the sixth year, the expedition was resumed. The league of 30 kings was conquered under the direct command of Utgard-HJrungnir. Most of the lands were conquered. Under the command of Fyrnir, a census was held. The land, forests, marshes, mountains, lakes… were measured. The demon king Friedrich was slain by the otherworldly human heroes. The otherworldly human heroes severely wounded Utgard-Hrungnir but in the end, he smote them all with his mighty hand. Utgard-Hrungnir became the demon king. A fortress was built. Thus ended the sixth year of the expedition. … In the seventh year, the expedition was resumed. The remaining human lands were conquered. Under the command of Fyrnir, a census was held. The land, forests, marshes, mountains, lakes… were measured. All in all, 187 lands were conquered. The thousand tribes were victorious. Thus the seventh and the last year of the expedition ended!

Who has never imagined that one day they could fly like Michael Jordan. Who has never imagined that they can play alongside superstars, win one championship after another, and gain money and fame. It is precisely because NBA fans have this fantasy, that the career mode of the NBA2K series of basketball games is so popular. Because in the game, every basketball fan can fulfill their dream. Since the emergence of the career mode in NBA2K10, this player-based mode has become the mainstay of this series. But outside of games and fantasy, there are very few fans who can realize this dream. Professional basketball is more than holding a gaming controller. But now, Wolfgang-Linn has a chance to realize his dream. He suddenly possessed the physical abilities of a professional NBA player, and he also had a good starting point to enter the NBA. …… After dinner at Upshaw’s house, they rested for a while, with the two going to a basketball court next to the house after. The backboards of the court were made of wood, the original white paint could no longer be seen. The net was formed by a series of chains, and several cracks decorated the concrete. Wolfgang-Linn was holding the basketball nervously. Although he had a height of 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m and weighed around 225 lb (102 kg). He was worried about his oncourt abilities, that currently couldn't even get him on the bench of a college team. Although there were indeed many monsters in the NBA that did not rely on technicals to dominate the league, such as O'Neal and Antetokounmpo, the latter being born in the future. But those people only seem technically rough in the NBA. In front of ordinary people, their skills are beyond the reach of most people. Just take O'Neal, that guy played a fancy dribble and looked like a smart guard. Therefore, it was obvious that the body alone could help one stand tall in the NBA.   "Why don't you shoot the ball first to find the feel?" Seeing Wolfgang-Linn standing in a daze holding the basketball, Upshaw pointed to the basket. "Oh...oh..." Wolfgang-Linn nodded. In the past, his favorite way of scoring at school was 3 point shooting. He thought he was still very accurate. But in reality, this is because his only way of scoring is shooting, being unable to drive and break through, so he naturally mistakenly believes that shooting is what he is best at. In fact, Wolfgang-Linn's previous shots were not good. Just as Wolfgang-Line raised the basketball, a line of text suddenly popped out in front of his eyes. "Ah!" Wolfgang-Linn yelled out of fright, and the ball fell to the ground. "What's wrong, buddy? " Upshaw stepped up to check with concern.   "It's nothing, I just... uh, let's play it first, Zike, I'll warm up again." Wolfgang-Linn waved his hand, indicating that he was OK. After confirming that only he could see the line of text, Wolfgang-Linn stepped aside and pretended to press his leg, but actually studied the content of the paragraph in front of him. This text was very simple, just one sentence: "The 10-11 season Grant Hill ability has been injected." After Wolfgang-Linn read this passage in his mind, a progress bar appeared in front of him, but the progress bar was empty. There was also a small line underneath: "The ability of Grant Hill in the 09-10 season." "Grant Hill!?" Wolfgang's heart was shocked. Grant Hill was his favorite basketball star! He still remembered that before crossing over, he was hill-deep in a rabbit hole watching Hill's old highlight videos. Unlike most of the idols of fans of the same age, Wolfgang never felt much about Tracy McGrady, Iverson or Kobe. He was really drawn to Grant Hill, who was once known as the "Jordan successor." Before crossing over, Wolfgang knew that Grant Hill had been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Many people questioned Hill's election to the Hall of Fame. After all, Hill doesn't have a strong career. To him  however, those who questioned just didn't know Hill's resume. In the summer of 1993, Jordan announced his retirement for the first time. The NBA was in a panic in the face of the declining ratings. Fans, the media and even NBA officials began to search non-stop for Jordan's successor to save the decline. So, the great title of "Jordan Successor" was once crowned on two players, one being Anfenni Hardaway, nicknamed "Penny". The other one was Grant Hill. Grant Hill was very famous in college. In the 1990s, Hill led Duke University to the NCAA championship for two consecutive years. His almighty style of play, chic and elegant style of play, coupled with the character of no choice, made Hill quickly become a national idol. Before landing in the NBA, his fame was already comparable to some stars. There were rumors that Hill also led a college team to defeat the "Dream Team" who were preparing for the Barcelona Olympics in a training match. The dream team that includes Jordan, Pippen, "Magic", Bird and others! Although there was no video to support it, the authenticity of this incident has been controversial. But at the time, such rumors exploded Hill's popularity. In 1994, the highly anticipated Grant Hill finally entered the draft. He was selected by the Pistons in the third overall pick and started his career in Auto City. Hill really lived up to expectations. In his rookie season, he scored 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.8 steals, and was elected the Rookie of the Year in the 1994-95 season. Grant Hill became the All-Star ticket champion with super popularity during his rookie season. People were full of endless expectations for Hill. In that era without Jordan, Grant Hill seemed to be the last straw to save the league. In the second year, even if the real Jordan had come back, it still did not shake Hill's position as an All-Star. In his peak season, Hill averaged 25.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. His first step was unmatched, his changes were comparable to guards, and his fly dunks made him, he was always pleasing to the eye. The reputation of "Jordan's successor" seemed appropriate to Hill. He was probably only one O'Brien Cup away from the real Jordan. But it took a sharp turn. When Hill learned to read the game and was entering his golden age, the story of "Jordan's successor" came to an abrupt end due to injuries. Three years after leaving the Pistons, Hill played only 47 games in a healthy and healthy three years. Although he became healthy afterwards, he wasnt the Hill of the past. Later in his career, Hill could only serve as a role player and never got involved in a championship run. By the age of 40, Grant Hill's career was over. 7 All-Star starts, 0 championships, and even being elected to the Hall of Fame was questioned. Grant Hill, it shouldn’t have been. However, even with so many hardships, Grant Hill still insisted on retiring at the age of 40 and became a respected veteran. And this is why Wolfgang-Linn likes Hill. What he likes is not only the elegant almighty of Hill at his peak, but also his appreciation of Hill’s spirit of never giving up! Because Wolfgang-Linn, who was a poor graduate at the time, knew that he also needed to have such a spirit to inspire himself. But now, he found himself tied with Grant Hill by mistake. { Grant Hill's ability has been injected in the 10-11 season.} What does this mean? Is it possible that now I already have the abilities of Old Hill? "Hey, Wolfgang, what are you in a daze!? It's almost time to warm up, try a few shots." Upshaw’s yelling made Wolfgang-Linn pull out of his thoughts, and the progress bar and small print before him disappeared. Wolfgang-Linn nodded, and then remembered Hill in the 10-11 season. Although Grant Hil’s physicals have declined, and is only a role player in the Suns, his 13.2 points per game contribution is not something a NBDL player can get! In this period, Hill's strengths are mainly three-pointers and experience. His shooting is very steady, if he is really injected with the abilities of old Hill, then the open three-pointer should be accurate.  "Pass the ball to me." So he stood outside the three-point line and waved at Upshaw. Upshaw’s brow’s creased into a ridge, because the previous Wolfgang-Linn would not shoot three-pointers. But he didn't think much about it, It didn't matter where he shot it anyway. Wolfgang-Linn received the ball and immediately felt that he had more control over the ball. Take off, flick the wrist, move the fingers, take a shot, a set of shooting actions, Wolfgang-Linn did very smoothly. The basketball made a perfect arc in the air and fell into the net, a "Zila" rang through the air. Wolfgang-Linn could only stare at his hands. "Oh, that's not bad, here's one more!" Upshaw smiled, thinking that this kid was very lucky today. Upshaw picked up the basketball and passed another one to Wolfgang-Linn. This time, Wolfgang-Linn switched to shooting outside the right three-point line. Shooting felt comfortable again with the ball gliding through the net. After this, Upshaw passed 10 consecutive passes to Wolfgang-Linn, and the result was 10 three-pointers! It wasn't until the 11th that the basketball fell off after two turns on the hoop. NBA-level players have a very high shooting percentage during training. It's not a problem to score 10 three-pointers. But for D-League players, especially Wolfgang-Linn who didn't shoot three-pointers before, this shooting percentage was looking spicy. "I say " Upshaw walked up to Wolfgang-Linn in surprise and circled him twice. "Did they change your eyes whilst in the hospital?" "Actually, I've been practicing three-pointers secretly " Wolfgang-Linn scratched his head embarrassedly. At this time, the progress bar appeared in front of Wolfgang-Linn again. He saw the empty progress bar, which seemed to be filled with a hint of white.  ‘It seems that the way to fill the progress bar is training or playing games. Is it possible that as long as the progress bar is full, oneself can obtain the ability of Grant Hill in the 09-10 season, and so on?’ ‘If I could upgraded to the peak of Hill…’ The picture was beautiful that Wolfgang-Linn did not dare to continue thinking about it.    

Connor looked around him in shock. Where was he now? He had charged in with his pack of 14 of his best dire wolves, preparing to wage war on the invaders, but this place... looked familiar? The place had buildings that looked like that in his memories, but the people were dressed in all sorts of unfamiliar clothes He himself looked out of place, with only a loincloth and a cloak made of a large fur, a muscular frame standing at 6 foot 2 inches, and had a thick beard and long hair up to his waist His 14 dire wolves were much larger than the wolves on Earth, an an extinct species from the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs (125,000–9,500 years ago) and were much more savage and powerful than wolves on earth But Connor ordered them to stand down and await his command One of the humans, was that a woman?. She was pointing something at him. Was that a gun? His wolves started growling, but obeyed but circled around Connor to protect him All around them, he could see that the humans were fighting large white creatures that were twice as large as his warwolves, but had grotesque faces with six legs and multiple tentacles whipping all over "Stand down! Put your hands where I can see them" the woman was yelling, when Connor realized that he had not heard this language for a long time. Was it English? "Where.. am I? Is this Earth?" Connor asked  "You.. you know Earth?" the woman asked "Yes... I was from here... a very long time... ago" Connor said as he looked around even as the battle was happening between the white creatures and the humans "Captain Denver! Our forces are being overrun! We need to call for backup!" another human soldier yelled towards the woman warrior "No need. We'll help!" Connor said "What? No.." the woman said, but it was too late  With a nod, the wild looking man charged forwards as his enormous wolves followed him The white monsters, which required at least 4 soldiers emptying their clip to stop were each stopped and taken out by 2 wolves, with either wolf distracting it and the other going for the kill This didn't mean that there were no injuries, but the wolves were not scared of death and had the sheer bravery that shocked the soldiers As for the wild man, he pulled two sharp weapons from behind his back that was hidden in his cloak. Each were the size of short swords and they looked very much like fangs of a large monster! The men and wolves were still outnumbered, but they were giving a good account for themselves "Attack!" suddenly another voice yelled as humans that didn't look like soldiers, wielding ancient looking weapons, some of them glowing, attacked! "The Defenders!" Captain Denvers gasped. The backup had arrived But the white monsters were not the only ones being attacked! Several of the dire wolves were taken by surprise as they were killed by the newly joining humans! A man with a glowing axe beheaded one of the dire wolves, while another dire wolf was skewered with arrows shot by a woman who shot arrows that glowed green "Poison!" Connor growled, realizing that these humans were not giving his dire wolves a chance to react as it was fighting a white alien Connor howled, commanding them to attack the humans, as he was no shrinking violet and would not stand his dire wolves being killed with no response The dire wolves changed targets and targeted the new humans who appeared Connor immediately skewered the man with the axe who beheaded one of his dire wolves, and stabbed the woman who shot the poison arrows in the chest with his two short swords "Are those her... they're quite large, aren't they?" he wondered as he felt the the impact of his stabs, as if they were going through something soft His hand automatically grabbed her breasts and squeezed them, as the woman gasped in pain It was then that he carefully looked at her face as she gasped for air, both her heart and lungs pierced  He thought she looked quite pretty. But she shouldn't have shot his wolves Suddenly, Connor's instincts told him to cover up as a warhammer slammed into him, slamming him several feet away The thick fur cloak saved him from breaking several ribs but he winced in pain as electricity exploded from the impact point He growled angrily and threw his cloak aside, ridding himself of the remnant electricity discharges from the warhammer With both swords in hand he charged forwards and another human swung his flaming sword at him Connor blocked with one sword while slashing the man across the chest with the other sword Suddenly, he used both swords in a cross block as a man carrying warhammer slammed into the swords One of his swords shattered on impact while the other one began to show cracks Connor landed heavily, his arms shaken from the impact of the blow "Hey Thor! Not taking all the fun are you?" the muscular man with the mace said "You can join me if you want, Heracles. He seems more durable than normal" Thor said "Good. I'll really enjoy this one. He nearly looks human" Heracles said as he charged These were humans who named themselves Thor and Heracles, but they were not the real Gods. They were one of only a few that have been granted the power of the named Gods. The barrier between the spiritual realm and the physical realm had also been weakened due to the incursion of the alien realms, some of the Gods have been giving out their blessings and powers to normal humans. These humans would also be considered Defenders, although these powers came from the spiritual realm. It seemed that the Gods did not descend themselves but merely gifted these humans their powers in their place to protect humanity Connor managed to dodge both the attacks of the men called Heracles and Thor, as Connor kept just out of reach. He was after all already injured and his weapons were broken Deciding that this was not a fight he could win, he suddenly dashed off, running as fast as a grayhound "Fucker! Stop him!" Heracles yelled Connor suddenly saw a flash of movement and grunted as somebody clotheslined him while he was running He fell back, but managed to stab the man with his half broken bone sword "Aargh" the man yelled  "Mercury!" Heracles yelled as he caught up and swung his mace at Connor Connor dodged but the other man named Thor again struck him, breaking his ribs with his warhammer as electricity again coursed through him Connor landed on the ground and rolled, but blood could clearly be seen coming from his mouth Two dire wolves attacked Thor, while another 3 attacked Heracles, protecting their leader Thor smashed one wolf's skull flat to the ground killing it, but the second managed to lunge at his throat But Thor grabbed it by it's throat and squeezed, breaking it's neck Heracles got bitten in his forearm by one of the dire wolves while he kicked and punched the two others, maiming them with his great strength "Fucking wolves" he said as he pulled off the dire wolf on his arm by smashing it's skull with his other hand But the bite did manage to lacerate his arm, causing him to bleed "No.." Connor could barely say, seeing the last of his wolves die "It's all this fucker's fault" he turned to Connor, who was now battling Thor by himself They quickly overwhelmed him as both Thor and Heracles ganged up on him and started beating him up He was already unconscious, but they were still wailing on him "Stop! Stop! He's a human!" Captain Denvers ran towards them  "What? This bum?" Thor stopped to ask "Are you sure?" Heracles asked as his final blow with his mace smashed Connor's head into the ground -- "... killed Wolfgang! Bianca has both lungs pierced and her heart was lacerated!" Thor yelled "But you killed all his wolves" Captain Denvers said "Are you putting the lives of wolves higher than that of our Defenders?" Thor answered "Enough! If he really is a human, we must find out where he came from" an elderly man dressed in military uniform said. It appeared he was a General based on his uniform "He said he was from Earth. But he appeared out of a portal during the fight with the white alien creatures" Captain Denvers said "Then you use the mindscanner on him, and question him after. If he really is from Earth, he will be charged with the murder of Wolfgang. If not, we will simply execute him" the General said "But.." Captain Denvers tried to protest "But nothing. You have one chance to prove his identity" the General said "Roger" she replied, knowing that she would have to do it to save his life It was only because she felt grateful to him for halting the tide before the Defenders arrived that she wanted to help -- Connor sat in a bed in a military hospital, unconscious and kept under constant watch He was wrapped up like a mummy, after having most of his bones broken by Thor and Heracles There were only holes left for his eyes and mouth, but his eyes were swollen shut and his mouth had tubes to feed him as his jaw was broken His arms legs were hung up above the bed, and because they couldn't properly cover him with a blanket, his dick sat exposed between his legs, with a catheter inserted into his uretra and another tube up his anus for his waste A contraption was attached to his head and the scientists were looking at the visions on the screen "How is he doing? Find out anything?" Captain Denvers said as she walked into the guarded room full of scientists "Well, he seems to be recovering at a much faster pace than normal. He should be fully healed in probably 2 weeks" one of the scientists named Dr Munsen said "I thought we had medical facilities that can heal broken bones in a day? It didn't work on him?" Captain Denver asked, looking at him prone, with his legs up in the air and tubes attached to his penis and ass "We don't give our best treatment to enemies. But his enhanced healing... this is his natural healing ability!" Dr Munson said "So, he's a superhuman.. a potential Defender?" Captain Denvers asked "Maybe, but our equipment only detected a "Taming" ability. He seems to have an advanced physique, but nothing too extreme. He was ranked a D Class at best" Dr Munson said "Anything else? Can we verify that he's a human from Earth, or some humanoid from other realms, like the Elves and Dwarves?" Captain Denvers asked "We haven't gone that far yet in his memories, but he seemed to have plenty of memories of this realm. You can see, besides his dire wolves, there are Smilodons... "Dr Munson said "What is that?" Captain Denvers asked as it sounded like a friendly creature that smiles alot "Ahem... Sabre Tooth Tigers" Dr Munson explained "Oh" Captain Denvers nodded "There are also seems to be Artodus,  Gigantopithecus , Titanoboas and Sarcoduchus or Deinosuchus, all extinct species on Earth, in his memories"  Dr Munson said "What are they?" she asked, ignorant about scientific names "Ahem.. you might know them as Flat Faced Bears, apes that were rumored to be Bigfoot, each at least 10 feet tall. Then there are Giant boas that are 50 feet long and 3 feet wide, and crocodiles that were 10 meters long! And these are just some of the memories we could see, due to him fighting them! There were so many other creatures in the background that we have yet to identify" Dr Munson said "So is he human from Earth?" she asked "His DNA certainly says so. All we know is that there aren't any other humans in this realm. But in his memories, he seemed to be living in what looks like a colony, only everything looks much older as most of the buildings were decrepit and old. It's as if the jungle had already taken back the forest there. We've gone through so many memories, but it seems like he's lived several lifetimes there" Dr Munson said "I think I need to talk to him. I want to know more and only he can tell us" she said -- Connor dreamed about reappearing on Earth with a pack of dire wolves He remembered helping the humans fight off the white aliens, but suddenly other humans appeared with amazing weapons and attacked him and his dire wolves While he was used to his dire wolves dying in battle, never has he been betrayed like this by forces he was helping Suddenly, he found himself waking up, as if waking from a dream Where was he? Why was he wrapped up, and why are his legs hanging from above? "Hi! How are you doing?" Captain Denvers said as he opened his eyes in the guarded room Connor looked at her, and couldn't help but stare at the tw0 humps on her chest. He thought they looked attractive, unlike those on the monkeys and apes back home "I'm Captain Denvers. But you can call me Sasha" she said as she caught up to him and shook his hand that was wrapped in bandages "I'm.... Lobo" Connor said, using the nickname his parents gave him all those years ago He thought her hands felt soft, and though her body didn't look strong, he thought she looked attractive, and without knowing it, his penis started rising as he stared at her breasts "Uh.. Lobo. My eyes are up here... " Sasha said, pointing to her eyes "I know" Lobo said, not bothered at all by her sarcasm "You.. said you came from Earth? When? If you don't mind, can we interview you to find out more? Our scientists will no doubt be fascinated that Earth has someone that claims to come from Earth but who came through a new portal" Sasha said Connor thought for a while, then agreed. It would probably be best if he exchanges information and find out more himself.   

The little newborn dragon looked at the moon mesmerized, its soft light illuminated the cove around her. She could see. She could see!   The satisfaction of the clicks was nothing in comparison to the feelings she felt now. The clicks were just the way that her mind dealt with the dullness that was the interior of the egg.    Now outside of the egg, there was way too much for her to see, she shifted her eyes around to observe her surroundings, but was constantly distracted by another thing that would pique her interest, looking around too fast to actually register what she was looking at.   Moon, Stone, Rock, Wave in the water, Turtle, Moon, Water, Moon, Rock, Ripple in the water…   Constantly moving her eyes from one interest to another she did not notice as the turtle that she barely gave a glance at earlier strolled up to her with a slightly open mouth. That was at least until the turtle demanded her attention when she got close enough to fill her entire field of view. She finally focused her vision on the turtle before her.   Mama?   Her instincts told her otherwise.   Well, as she did not believe that the turtle before her was in fact her mother, she was extremely interested to get to know her, extrovertedness practically radiated from the little newborn dragon.   She dragged herself away from the shell, abandoning and forgetting about it. The egg, giving out its final few halfhearted clicks, had nothing more to offer. She started to excitedly orbit the reptile to examine it.   The turtle was only a little larger lengthwise than she was from head to tail, but she was probably a lot heavier as she took up much more space especially around the middle. The brown protective shell around her had some moss, sand, and rocks clinging to it, the shell itself had some interesting patterns. Her little green head with its mouth still open followed her as she completed her first orbit.   After finishing the circle, her mind, prideful as it was, realized that she was lower to the ground than the turtle.   Unacceptable She thought to herself.   Moving back around to the turtle's side, she clambered over it, and sat down on top of it, claiming it as her throne with a look of satisfaction in her eyes.   She settled down, laying half hazardously because her throne was way too small to be comfortable.    Realizing that she had way too much energy to sleep, she lifted her head to view the turtle that was still silently watching her with shining eyes. She lifted one of her front legs and pointed away from the cove, indicating that the turtle she just met should go in that direction.   Seeming to indulge the dragon, the Turtle ever so slowly started to drag herself with the dragon atop her and away from the cove. She was wary of the water, so as to not be pulled under by it. They set upon their path, but there was one little problem.   Why is the turtle so slow!   After only a few seconds of sitting on the turtle dragging them across the sand, she got bored of their slow pace and hopped off. The turtle got acceptably fast. She wished they could both go faster, but her little legs could only carry her so far, so fast.   I wish I was faster, then I could see some more exciting things. Wait, I could be faster if I ignore the turtle.   Thus, she decided to abandon the turtle in favor of exploring on her own.   She dashed ahead of the turtle and reached the exit of the cove. The turtle behind her seemed distraught by being left behind and started to desperately chase after her, but its crawling was a lot slower compared to the dragon’s running speed.   After exiting the cove she started her journey of following the coastline looking for new and exciting things.   After just a few minutes of running, she felt something new, something not interesting, and also quite bothersome. She was tired and hungry. She needed to eat meat, but she could not get her own meat. That was a job for her mother who had no idea of what had been transpiring as she was still peacefully sleeping away on top of the cliffs surrounding the cove.    In a desperate attempt to get food she started to chase after one of the seagulls that were aimlessly walking on the sand…   The seagull simply lifted its wings and flew away. Not sure what to do, she raised her own wings and started flapping them up and down desperately, but no matter how much she flapped, all they did was create a little wind that tickled her feet. The seagull had long escaped her grasp.    What now?    Dejectedly, she started to go back to the turtle she met earlier, it was the only thing that actually actively paid attention to her, maybe it could spare some food.   As she trotted her way back to the turtle a lot slower than before, she saw it a distance away weakly following the prints she had put in the sand as she ran away. Its head was bowed down sadly, looking abandoned. Its look made her slightly sad, and a little bit empathetic and guilty.   She finally finished trotting back to her and the turtle surprised at her early return looked back up at her and with renewed energy. The turtle bobbed its head up and down and got as close to the only friend she had found until then.   The little dragon did not know how to express her hunger to the dragon, so she followed her instincts and opened her mouth, and looked upwards.   The turtle only looked at the dragon with complete and utter confusion.   They spent a bit of time just blankly looking at each other until...   “Grrrrr.”   The dragon’s stomach rumbled unhappily.    It was only then that the turtle got a look of understanding in her eyes.   The turtle turned to the ocean, which had much calmer waves compared to the cove. She dove into the water while the dragon watched the ocean tentatively, watching the ripples move randomly throughout it. She wanted to follow into the oceans, but the water was scary.   She did not have to wait long as the turtle returned with a mouthful of seaweed. Which she looked at with skepticism.   I’m supposed to eat this?   Grabbing it out of her mouth and into her own she started to chew…   Only to immediately spit it out.   Disgusting   The turtle looked at the discarded food that was now covered in sand sadly. She looked at the dragons quizzically for a moment and then, like a lightbulb had gone off in her head she went back into the ocean.   She returned a while later with a crab wriggling around uselessly in her mouth. The dragon looked at the crab hungrily, wriggling around, and was about to protest with the turtle that the crab was not food until the turtle bit down on the crab hard.   The crab's legs started moving extra frantically before stopping when the crabs carapace cracked and broke under the strain. A small bit of blood started leaking from the cracks. One of the legs fell out of the crab and into the sand.    The odor coming from the leg smelled heavenly to the little dragon, who immediately picked up the fallen crab leg with her mouth and crushed it allowing the meat within to be freed. She eagerly swallowed up the crushed leg.    Unsatisfied with only one leg she went up to the turtle and tore off the rest of the legs, crushing and swallowing them one by one, before proceeding to grab the torso of the crab from the turtle's mouth, crushing it up and swallowing it. She could feel her tail swaying satisfactorily behind her.   Now that she had a full belly her eyes were starting to get heavy, the exhaustion she felt earlier came back and she looked back at the turtle who had fed her, deciding that the turtle could keep her safe for the time being she clambered back onto the turtle's back and slowly started to go to sleep.    Thank you, friend. She would have told the turtle if she knew how to express herself to the turtle she had met no more than a few hours ago.

I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling... not. I can't even see so how could I wake up to an unfamiliar ceiling eh? I appear to be practically senseless yet somehow I know my surroundings, is this how sleep paralysis feels? If so WHY DO I FEEL LIKE I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF PIT OF WRITHING THINGS, EW, EW, EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. WHAT IS GOING ON-??? As I was about to have a panic attack I suddenly felt a deluge of whispers, not in any language or even tongues, it just felt like noise and I was drowning in it. It carried nothing recognizable, be it patterns or noise to me but I still get the gist of what it was conveying; at first confusion but it quickly devolved into feelings equivalent of a bunch of angry xenophobic slurs with a hint of confusion, I take it I am not welcome in this... tentacle? Rave. The writhing around me intensified as this noise heated up more and more until it reached the fever pitch and snap I lost my body. Again? This time from what I felt was most aptly described as a giant maggot with a giant hole for a face and head and a swollen... are the round butts of ants called abdomens? Whatever ant butts are called. However, "I" still remained. Cut off from what I felt was my physical body I feel as if I'm in a writhing abyss, nothing new all things considered but this time "it" gazed AT "me". It gazed upon all of me, trying to judge me, to understand me. But as they say, gaze into the abyss and it gazes back. I too could gaze upon it. I judged it. It was alien, yet more closer to this place than any other. Thankfully I am the alien in this situation and well, I can tell my sentience is something it is sorely behind me on. So, <<Load Imaginary Cannons M(emory)-A(rt)-T(heoretical)>>~! It gazed into me. I gazed into it. I gave it what it wanted. The despair of not meeting expectations, the hope of meeting expectations, the pain of skidding across concrete, the pleasures of eating. It could feel, no doubt, but does it know what sentience felt like? What the human brain felt like? No, it was confused by what I gave it. A fatal mistake. I forcibly stuffed it with every single instance of emotion and degeneracy I have felt and witnessed from my time on the internet. I had basically poured gasoline all over it. To set it really aflame, I imagined. I forced it to imagine with me. The worst things a journalist from the 21st century that has a hobby of voluntary mental contamination could think of. This barrage of mental contamination continued. Until it gave up and self-destructed. It would appear I won, all those hours of mental contamination and theoretical psychic countermeasures were well worth it! Following that thing's mental suicide I found myself having 'a' body... kinda? I must admit I don't know if I can really count control over tens of thousands of varying "bodies' ' can really count as having 'a' body... Anyways, after that grueling fight against that consciousness network I swear to take it easy for at least a week! I'll go on strike! Against whatever put me here! ...I do still need to get accustomed to this 'body' and 'world' though... boss can I have some paid vacation at least please? ~~During the mental usurpation, in an advance outpost of the Beacher's Searot Observation Unit (B.S.O.U.)~~ "Come on pipiture, put those bulky binoculars down and join us men in a game of strip poker! We'll bring Bucky down to his peg!" A bulky middle-aged man with pale skin and snow-white hair, characteristic of a "Beacher", in a crew cut, Duke, taunted the small androdgyonous tanned man with carmine hair and pointed ears characteristic of being "Dvergr", Pip. "Hah! As if your hairy arse and that hairless arse can bring me down, you better prepare your birthday suit for when I inevitably get you there!" The aforementioned peg-legged Beacher with a face that 10 of 10 people would describe as up to no good no matter the situation, Bucky, retorted. "No can do, you two sandpaper menaces... My Skuld is telling me not to miss what will happen soon." A beacher with one arm, a crew cut yet his shadow had two arms and straight shoulder length hair, said. As the sandpaper menaces widened their eyes at Skuld being mentioned, the sea rolled. There were no other ways to describe it and layered shrieks pierced out. Pip from his vantage point and through the bulky theisium-enhanced binoculars could see it. Countless searot coming in a variety of shapes and sizes with the only common point being jaws wider than any person, wailing and flailing in pain. Duke, Buck and Pip paled with the former two scrambling to send the Searot disaster signal and calculating where the errant waves will hit so that area can be designated a catastrophe zone and is evacuated. "Dammit! This definitely couldn't have happened without outside intervention, which bastard could develop such a weapon? To do that much to the Searot! Yet they still refused to tell the B.S.O.U.!" Duke grumbled, limp. It had been a grueling 2 hours of ceaseless communication with B.S.O.U. HQ, catastrophe zone calculations and hair-raising wailing. The men of the advance outpost were at the end of their wits. Buck had already fainted with a nosebleed and his already white hair seemed to have become slightly paler, leaving Pip to take double duty as watcher and catastrophe zone designator. "You can say that again! Real dick move that they didn't report that to B.S.O.U., I finally understand what it means to be a 'shrimp' in a battle of whales. Shit." Pip replied as he pricked an anti-stim-pack into his neck to calm his eye spasms. "..." Buck was still out cold. "Hah! Well this'll get those pretentious inquisitors off their arses at least! This might even be the event to finally make the Church Coalition do something about the Searot!" Duke exclaimed optimistically. "Skuld tells me this might not be the last we see of anomalous behaviour..." "...Is Skuld seriously telling you the weapon may have only made things worse?" "Perhaps... I'm not even sure if that was a weapon causing it now..." "Shiiiiit please don't tell me this is an anomalous 'skip'?!" "Time will tell..." Pip and Duke had this ominous back-and-forth as they started to drift off with their tensions lowered. ~~Within the landship, Hospitality~~ "Ugh... Is it finally over?" "SHUT YOUR TRAP! You'll jinx us!" Two battered, cut and bruised medic operators bickered after having to apply an exponentially increasing amount of sedatives every 10 minutes over two hours. They were in a mess of an operating room that looked like a war zone: an operating table in ruins, tools and shackles bent and deformed in interesting ways, glass shards all over the place, etc... In the middle of that localized catastrophe was a deceptively ethereal looking woman with natural white platinum hair characteristic of "Sargosi" bound with about a ton of steel, her crimson eyes were open and swirling with guilt as she took in the state of the room. "I mean our dear beast and beauty has been awake for 2 minutes now, hasn't torn apart her restraints and no part of her is eldritch horror right now so I think we may be safe Gav." "Ugh, I guess you have a point..." " Hey, you. You're finally awake. You were trying to c- ouch! Heyyyy!" "Who told you to suddenly start spouting nonsense?" Rabbit and Sowthistle bickered, with Rabbit taking Sowthistle's iron fist of justice. "Yeah I'm awake... I must apologize... it... would appear my misfortune has caught up to me...." The bound Sargosi said guiltily. Sowthistle retorts "Oh, don't you give me that shit as if you're gonna run away in the middle of the night Skadi. Especially after forcing us to use enough sedatives to knock out two cities worth of people! You better believe we'll hunt you to the ends of Gaia to force you to pay us back!" "Yeah! Yeah! You better pay us back... especially with your body... nufufufu- OOF!" As Rabbit cheekily butts in for clearly research purposes, K.O.! She receives a second helping of Sowthistle's panacea (fist) and is laid down. "I'll dispose of this idiot in the incinerator later ugh.... Anyways, how do you feel Skadi? What was that anyway, you've been with us for a year now but this hasn't happened before, especially that sprouting tentacles bit!" Sowthistle fired off as she loosens the restraints. "Nh... I don't-" Before Skadi could finish, Canon, a cold faced, green haired Felinus enters the room wearing her signature lab-coat with a tray of two cups of tea. "Ah, you're awake... and I see Rabbit is not without a bruise on her head... Sowthistle, you have my express permission to dispose of her if she asked for Skadi's body in any way. Incinerate her if she was acting like a goon too." "Roger!" Sowthistle quickly slings the trash- Rabbit on her shoulder and leaves the room, presumably to dispose of the tra- "vampire". Canon set down the tray, taking a cup as Skadi took another. Skadi took a sip before starting. "Canon, you must know what's wrong with me right? Please tell it to me... at least whether this may happen again." Her eyes were set yet she still averted them from Canon out of trepidation. "Skadi... mh... I don't believe I should be the one telling you this but... I suppose it will eat away at you if I don't." Canon took a breath, "...you see I know too much... so when I saw the blood samples of the Tindalos' Hound members we have aboard... I trust you already have a good hint about what I'll say. About what truly separates superhuman Hounds from normally frail yet prodigious Sargosi." Skadi is shaking and curling up as Canon continues, "...You have Searot blood in your veins." Skadi started to cry as the realization set in. "I- I- killed them..." Flashes of memories, all those that held dissonant feelings with them finally resolving themselves. "T-they killed my family- I killed my family- my comrades- Ah-" Canon wrapped her in a hug, perhaps out of empathy... perhaps sympathy? "Now now. That is behind you... I'm not one for philosophy but I can tell you as a scientist... Skadi. Look at me." The Searot/Sargosi complied. "You may be part Searot but 'you' are not Searot. You can definitely choose to be one, but Searot in your genes is more recessive than not. Lose not sight of 'Skadi' and you will be fine." "But... I still killed them...." "People kill all the time. This is the state of affairs of the world as it is. The best you can do is take responsibility for those you've sent off and live on carrying their grudge if they have any. Considering what I know of Searot, I don't think they even know what a grudge is. They do at least understand survival of the fittest." As Canon finishes with that, Rabbit's screams ring out in the distance as Sowthistle laughs evilly, listening closely one could hear "Long... Live... the Queen...". "Well, I better check on those idiots. Also, don't worry Skadi, this will not affect how Hospitality treats you in any way after all, your Searot genes bear a suspicious resemblance to Theisium and divinity poisoning... Hm.... Although Sowthistle is right, you will have to pay off those sedatives. The receipts and sum total are in this docket, here." Canon, after giving the pep talk and a docket that has at least 10 pages of medical receipts, heads towards the ruckus. "...Thanks Canon... Hu!" Skadi seeing the sum total gaped.

As soon as Lex was seated, The whole class became silent. The chemistry teacher couldn't scold her for her ill behavior the girl was a menace, in fact a maniac. the last chemistry teacher before him attempted to, and it didn't go well for him because he was fired instantly, and after that he couldn't get a job anywhere. Because of this ugly experience no one or no teacher wanted anything to do with Lex except the bootlickers of the school, precisely the Principal Mr. Hogwarts and some petty little attention seeking teachers ( no offence teachers pls ಠ_ಠ)  so basically Lex was the queen of the school and our dear Hope was the pauper? Not entirely because Hope's parents where both doctors and lawyers. The mom a doctor and dad a lawyer. so as you can see Hope was kind of well off , but she was always on her own, she has friends but she wasn't outgoing or extroverted like them. She wasn't a fashionista like them to round It up she was a nerd. But a beautiful one at that. With rich caramel skin, bright green eyes, plump pink lips and long jet black hair, with a dust of freckles. she was the definition of the word beauty. But she was so introverted, and she lost her self esteem when she confessed to Trey and got rejected twice yes twice and before all these they where both best friends, who were inseparable.               * Authors corner* Awwn my baby Hope ಥ⌣ಥ so unlucky in love, sob, sob, sob. But tune in for part two to find out what caused the rift between Trey and Hope. Love y'all muah muah( ˘ ³˘)❤.          

It was another boring day at school for Hope as she watched the chemistry teacher explain a lot of formula which she couldn't understand. She decided to rest her head on her desk a little, when all of a sudden there was a commotion in the class everyone was whispering , gushing and awwing (am not sure that's a word ヽ(*ﾟｰﾟ*)ﾉ) she looked up towards the door and was shocked. Wasn't that the infamous ICONIC cheer leading team?. And their leader was Lex a tall , blue haired girl (it was obviously sprayed) tied in a high pony tail with grey eyes, high nose, and pouty pink lips. In all she was a very beautiful girl excluding her bitchy appearance and skimpy dressing, don't forget the attitude. All these characters was what made Hope hate Lex. Lex entered into classroom and ordered the boy  sitting at the front seat to get lost and he couldn't stand up to her because her father was one of the biggest shareholders of the school and you wouldn't want to mess with her. Her wrath was unavoidable all these fact made Hope sick to the stomach but she couldn't do anything because of Lex father and Lex was dating TREY who was the most handsome and rich jock in school. Yeah Lex was really lucky and bitchy too.               *Authors note* Hello lovely readers ┗(＾0＾)┓ this is my first and only novel for now. So please pardon me and correct me if I make mistakes in the story , English is really not my first language😁

Once there was a sofaMade from dyed animal hidesIt was a patchwork monstrosity Its maker has long since passedName forever lost to time The first known sighting of the sofaWas on a curb In front of an abandoned house Free seating was appealingTo many  But the sofa had a secretIt was possessed by the evil spiritsOf its animal donors And every humanWho sat on these hidesWere stalked by the spirits Through weeks of pain and torture Until they met a grisly end So the sofa continues to be passed From owner to ownerAbandoned on the curb Waiting.

In the streets of New York, a young teen by the name of Mark Warren made his way through the cold city streets at night, making his way home from school. He had black hair with blue eyes, wearing a black collared shirt with matching pants. “Sigh, another stressful day at school...sometimes I wonder why Mr. Furgerson bothers giving us so much math homework! It’s not like we can’t just teach ourselves!”  As he made his way down the dark breezy sidewalk of the big city, he noticed a trail of green ooze spilled out in the middle of a dark alley between two brick buildings, the smell hit Mark like a strong sour vinegar. He held back the urge to vomit, covering his mouth before stepping closer to see the source of the spilled substance.  As the young boy took a step into the alley, he felt the soil beneath his feet collapse under him as he fell into an underground tunnel. “Tsk, damn it! Just my luck!” The tunnel was dark with only the city lights from above illuminating small parts of the tunnel. Mark gripped his right arm in pain from landing on it as he took a deep breath before pulling out his smartphone which luckily hadn’t been damaged from the fall.  The teen turned on the flashlight, only to see layers of spider webs covering the walls around him. A chill ran down his spine at the sight of it. “These webs...they’re far bigger than any mere spider could make” A shiver of fear washed over him as he looked up towards the tunnel’s ceiling, he attempted to escape by jumping right for the hole he had fallen through, only for it to be too high to reach.  (Shit, shit, shit! Seems I'll have to find another way out if I want to escape before whatever made those webs finds me!) Holding his breath, Mark slowly ventured forward through the tunnel, still using the flash on his phone to guide him through.  He looked down at the dirt, noticing a trail of toxic waste that seemed to lead further through the tunnels as if something had been dragging toxic waste across the ground. Mark could feel himself walking slower as if something was weighing him down. With another deep breath, he walked past the layers of webs before him, every now and again getting stuck to one of them before managing to pull his hand off.  Just as the teen made it past the webbing blocking his path, a scream caught in his throat as he spotted the source of the toxic waste. There before him were dozens of black spiders, about three times the size of a tarantula and in the center of them all…was a massive spider that was even bigger than him. They were all feeding off barrels of toxic waste.  The sight of so many large spiders caused Mark to have a slight panic attack, his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest as if he were having a heart palpitations. That’s when the queen turned and looked him in the eye. It’s many red eyes staring at him as it’s fangs twitched, as if to order her children to attack.  To Mark’s horror, the legion of arachnids scurried towards him, causing him to run back the way he came. As the moonlight shined through the hole he had fallen through, he felt a fierce surge of pain in his leg as spiders began to bite into his pants, digging into his flesh. That’s when a latter fell through the hole, allowing Mark to quickly climb out back to the street.  He Dove out of the hole, only to see a figure dressed in a black jacket wearing a blood-red mask aiming a pistol towards the opening. He quickly fired at the dozens of creatures before pulling out a molotov, lighting it with a lighter before tossing it into the tunnel below. Mark laid on the sidewalk still thriving with pain as flames erupted from the tunnel with screams from the arachnids echoing from within as many came crawling out ablaze.  “There, looks like that’ll clean out the infestation” The masked man commented In a deep serious tone. That’s when the spider queen burst out of the flames, landing in front of them. Mark’s eyes grew wide in fear while his rescuer stood his ground aiming his pistol towards the large creature. “Hmph, seems you’re the only bastard left”  That’s when the colossal spider let out a hissing sound, spitting a thick layer of webbing right for the mercenary. His left hand wielding the gun was covered in a thick and sticky layer of webs, keeping him from using his firearm. “Heh, you really think I wasn’t prepared for something like this? You aren’t the 1st giant monster I've delt with. Quickly reaching into his pocket, the masked assailant pulled out small bombs the size of marbles.  Advancing right for the horrific creature, the man side-flipped into the air, tossing the small balls into the spider's mouth. Mark watched them start going off in it’s mouth with smoke filling the creature’s mouth as well as the area around it.  “Good, that should buy me enough time to free my hand from it’s damn webbing” Focusing his gaze on his wrapped-up hand, red laser beams fired from his mask’s eyes burning through the thick tissue until his hand was free. “Heh, it’s over you horrific bastard”  With the smoke clearing, the mercenary spotted the mutated creature, firing three shots to the monster’s skull as purple blood gushed from it’s wounds. “W-whoa” Mark commented in amazement before losing consciousness...  CHAPTER 1 Birth Of A Hero  With the spiders finally dead, the masked stranger picked up the boy before taking him home, setting him by the front door of his house in a small neighborhood leaving before anyone saw him...  He awoke the next day in his bed as if the whole thing had been a dream. His room was big with a bed against the wall, a black quilt and red pillows, a red-carpet floor along with a writing desk on the opposite end of the room under a flatscreen tv. The walls were black with a window looking out on the street from the 2nd floor.  “Ugh, what happened?” As he rubbed his head, that's when he remembered getting attacked by the spiders yesterday. Mark sprung out of bed running to the bathroom connected to his room before pulling up his pants to look where he was bitten. To his surprise, all that was there was a red mark. “What? But...I could have sworn I was bitten several times by those mutated spiders”  As he started at the mere rash on his heel, his mother called out to him: “Mark! Hurry up and get ready for school or you’ll be late!” She said in a motherly tone.  “Yes mom, I was just about to get in the shower!” Dropping his old school clothes, he hopped in the shower. The steam-filled water washed over his body as he closed his eyes letting the shower rain down on him, he found hot showers relaxing as well as a great way to wake himself up in the early morning.  Mark then dried himself as fast as he could with a black towel before pulling clothes out from his closet. He put on a black collared shirt and pants before making his way down the carped stairs towards the kitchen. Unlike upstairs, the 1st floor had wooden floors with the living room right by the front door and the kitchen to the left of the stairs.  The young teen sat at the black kitchen table as his mother placed a bowl of cereal in front of him. His mother had long dark-red hair with green eyes dressed in a black business suit with red high heels. Her name was Mary Warren, she was a single mother with Mark’s father gone since he was five. Though she struggled to find a new partner, that never stopped her from caring for Mark, he meant the world to her, she would do anything to see him happy.  “Thanks for breakfast mom, you didn’t need to make me anything, I could’ve just got something at school” She smiled taking his plate before answering: “Don’t worry about it sweetie, just hurry to school before you’re late” Mark nodded before grabbing his black bookbag from his chair, racing outside as he ran down the sidewalk up the slanted hill towards school.  He pulled out his phone still running to check the time. (7:15 A.M. Hmph, maybe it was a good idea mom gave me something to eat, at this right I wouldn’t have time to even eat in the cafeteria) As he finally reached the top of the hill, he could see the school in the distance. He went to Maple Valley high school, your typical large school with a large soccer/football field on the right side of it with a decent size lot out front for cars and buses.  Making his way through the parking lot, he reached the red doors of the school where he raced down the school hallways. The floors were white tiled floors with blue lockers. Mark once more looked at his phone seeing as it was 7:25 A.M. “Looks like I made it five minutes before the bell” He stopped in front of room 102 which was his classroom. Unlike most schools, students were assigned one teacher for the mandatory classes while electives still had different teachers for each class. This was because of the shortage of teachers and even substitutes  He sat in the front row in the middle so he could focus more on the teacher as well as see the board more clearly. Each class was your typical white tiled floor with a whiteboard and the teachers' desk to the side of the room. The other students poured through the door just as the bell rang with their teacher walking in behind them as he shut the door.  “Welcome students, my name is Mr. Hendrix and I'll be your teacher for this semester. I hope you will all respect me, otherwise this will be a hard year for us all” Mark looked at his teacher, he was a tall skinny man with brown hair, hazel eyes wearing a white suit and tie and khaki pants, your casual teacher uniform.  “Now then, your 1st class for today will be math, I'm sure many of you aren’t happy to hear that, especially so early in the morning, but sadly I don’t make the schedule. Let’s just hurry and get a start on some problems so we can finish it quickly. If I’m to be honest with you all, I don’t like math myself, but with the shortage of teachers, we have no choice but to teach all we can to you all”  A Few Hours Later...  The day seemed to go by relatively quick, though it did feel dull without anyone to talk to. Mark didn’t have anyone in his class to talk to, he was hoping lunch was a great way to try to make friends while he could. After grabbing a plate of food, he scanned the cafeteria for a place to sit when he finally spotted a table that only had about four people sitting together.  Mark walked over to them. “Hey, mind if I sit with you guys, I kinda don’t have a place to sit” The four teens looked at each other before one of them said: “Only if you like comics and meta-humans, at this table we talk a lot about comics here” The young blonde teen pulled out a manga from his back showing it to him. “Like this one here, I know it’s manga not comic but anyway, this is “reincarnated as the ultimate adventurer” It’s one of my favorites written by my favorite manga author”  Mark nodded sitting beside the four of them. The one with the comic had blonde hair with green eyes dressed in a red shirt and blue jeans while the others had black hair with blue eyes, brown hair with green eyes and red hair with green eyes all wearing different color collared shirts. “By the way, my name is Chris, I'm basically the leader of the group, the other three are; Danny, Josh and Sam”  For the rest of the lunch period his new friend showed him all the many kinds of comics and manga they read until the bell rang to return to class...  As the school day finally ended, Mark packed up, making his way back down the long-slanted hill towards his house as it grew dark. Just then, a sudden force shoved him to the ground as his bookbag was swiped from him. “Hey, get back here with that! Shit, I have many expensive textbooks in there, I can’t afford to buy more!”  Pushing himself back to his feet, he spotted the mugger dressed in a black mask wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. Mark knew the smart thing to do would be to call the police, but rather than do that, he chased after the thief, quickly gaining on his target with adrenaline pumping through his body. He took deep breaths to keep from wearing out too fast as he got within just a few feet of the running figure.  As the masked criminal took an abrupt turn to the left, he realized he had ended up in a dead-end alley with nothing but a brick wall blocking his path. “Shit” He turned around to see Mark blocking his path, breathing heavily out of breath.  “G-give me my bag back unless you want me to take it back by force” Mark bluffed he knew he wasn’t strong enough to fight the man in a one-on-one fight but had to do something to get his stuff back.  “Tsssk! Fine! Here take it!” Gripping one strap with his barehand, the masked assailant threw the heavy bag right for Warren full force. The teen put his arms up in response as he was knocked to the ground by the filled bag. Landing on his back with his bag on top of him, he watched as his thief took off past him into the night.  Mark thought about going after him but knew it wouldn’t do any good. He decided to just head home before another mugger decided to show up. He carried the bookbag with one strap over his shoulder with the other broken from it getting tossed at him. As he walked inside, he dropped the heavy bag on the floor with a thud before making his way upstairs.  As he collapsed onto the bed, he passed out almost immediately, falling into a deep slumber...As he slept, he began to have nightmares of the tunnel filled with spiders. The dream felt so real as he laid inside the tunnel as dozens of spiders began biting him from all over, digging into his flesh as blood ran down his body.  That’s when he awoke in a cold sweat letting out a cry of terror. Almost immediately after screaming, his mom barged through the door holding a kitchen knife. “Mark! Are you ok!? You let out a scream and I was worried something happened!”  Slowly calming down, Mark wiped sweat from his face responding: “Sorry mom, I'm fine...just a nightmare. I should be fine in a few minutes once I've had time to calm down” She nodded before going back to bed. Mark laid in bed still covered in sweat wearing just his pants...  The next day Mark rushed to school, only to see one of his new friends being bullied by one of the other students. It was Chris holding his bookbag as the tall older student spilled all of his manga and comics out of his bag in front of everyone at the entrance of the school. Many of the nearby students began to laugh at him when Mark intervened.  “Enough, Chris hasn’t done anything to deserve this...just back off or you’ll be sorry” Mark looked at the bully before him, Mark was about 5’10 while the student was 6’1 more built than him with red hair and green eyes.  “Hehe, you really think you have the balls to take me on? Well then...let’s do this” The bully put his fists up preparing to fight, throwing a punch right for Mark’s face, only for the teen to dodge it in a quick reaction. The surrounding students watched with shocked reactions at the sight of such an average-looking student dodging the tall buff assailant.  “Tssk, that was luck!” Once more he threw a punch head-on, only for Warren to evade the strike, sending a fierce blow to the bully’s abdomen, causing him to stagger several feet across the lot, landing on his back. Many gasped at the sight while others cheered for the winner. Mark looked at his fist, confused about how he had managed to pull off such a feat.  “Wow Mark, you beat him with such ease, have you taken defensive classes before!?” Chris questioned curiously. Mark shook his head picking up all of his friend’s comics responding: “No, this was actually the 1st real fight I've ever been in”  Chris looked at his bag before looking back up, only to find his friend was gone...  Mark stood in the alley before the scorched hole he had fallen through days ago. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed looking down at the dark hole. With a frown he jumped down into the hole before anyone noticed, landing in the tunnel. The place was covered in burns and ashes of the spiders who hadn’t escaped the tunnel.  Walking through the tunnel his mind was racing. “Something’s changed about me hasn’t it? That green goo, it was toxic waste and those spiders that bit me must’ve infected me with it. But...I should be dead right? Meta-humans don’t exist...at least...that’s what I've been told. What about those spiders though? They were mutated to massive size instead of dying”  He stopped in front of the tunnel’s walls and looked down at his hand, slowly clinching it into a fist, sending a blow right to it as the walls around him began to crumble as the tunnel began to shake preparing to collapse on itself. As he began to realize what was happening to him, he raced back to the hole as before, this time jumping with all his strength. Unlike the 1st time, he leapt out of the hall, nearly five feet above the street before landing back on the sidewalk.  “So...it’s true...the toxic waste, mixed with the spider’s DNA must’ve given me some kind of super-human abilities. Heh, I sound like I'm going crazy, but that jump just now...there’s no way I could go from being trapped inside, to being capable of jumping out with ease. Only one way to find out”  As it began to rain down upon New York, a figure stood on the roof of a building as flashes of lighting revealed his black and purple tights with a gray hooded cape. The figure’s torso and pants were black while their boots and gloves were purple. The man’s cape blew in the wind as the rain poured down.  Looking down at the city, he watched the cars pass by when he heard an abrupt alarm ring out in the distance. With a deep breath, he leapt from the roof, diving across the sky before rolling onto the store across the street. The figure moved across the rooftops before finding the source of the alarm, a Jewlery store had been broken into, the large window smashed with a black car waiting outside.  “Hmph, so this is the true test whether I've become a meta-human or it’s all just my imagination”  Meanwhile inside the store a group of criminals dressed in black were filling their bags with Jewlery while one of them kept their gun aimed at the female cashier who had her hands up in fear. That’s when Mark dove through the shattered window standing before them.  “Stop right there! I’m going to need you four to drop your guns and get on the floor until the police arrive” The group began to laugh as their boss turned and aimed his gun towards the masked figure. Their boss was unmasked with green eyes and brown hair. “Just who are you? Some kind of freak that gets kicks out of dressing up as some kind of hero?”  Mark just stood there silently, carefully watching each thugs movements. “Hmph, whatever, even if you are just some weird bastard, anyone trying to stop me is going to get a bullet through the head!” Without warning the assailant fired several shots at the masked hero, only for Mark to evade each projectile.  “Tsssk! That was luck you little bastard!” His target pulled the trigger, only to realize he was out of bullets. Given an opening, Mark dove right for their boss, grabbing him by the face as he slammed him to the ground with just one hand.  The three remaining goons dropped their guns in fear before running out into the rain, only for three police cars to pull up in front of the shop, keeping them from running. One officer stepped out aiming his gun towards them. “ON THE GROUND NOW!” With no option, the masked men got down on their knees with their hands behind their head.  While the men were being arrested, Mark quickly dove out of the window. Two police officers opened fire at him, only to miss...  Mark soon made his way home, changing back into his school clothes in an alley near his house before walking through the front door drenched in rain. His mother was waiting for him as she ran over hugging him. “Mark! Where were you!? I was so worried about you!”  “I’m alright mom, just got lost in the rain so I thought about waiting it out, but it never lightened up so finally decided to walk in the rain”  “Why not call me to pick you up!?” He showed her his phone. “It was dead, I think I had forgotten to charge it this morning I'm sorry mom, I'll make sure to charge it tonight. Making his way upstairs, Mark dropped his bag collapsing onto the bed out of breath. “Sigh, these powers sure are great, but I really need to get in shape to boost my stamina, so I don’t get worn-out as fast”  As he plugged in his phone, he passed out...  He woke to realize it was finally Saturday. Sunlight shined through his window as he slowly sat up looking over at his bookbag. He knew the path of a hero was dangerous but was better than being another average student going through the cycles set for him by others.  As days went by, Mrk used his free time to exercise and strengthen his body to the point his body was now fit with a sixpack. He could move his body much easier as well as take on thugs without tiring out as easily anymore. One night he had told his mom he was going for a walk but really was going out to patrol the city like he usually did.  He looked down towards the city from the side of a skyscraper with one hand gripping the smooth glass service. Recently Mark had realized, like a spider, he could climb walls as well. He used this to his advantage, patrolling from high points of New York to get better views of the area. That’s when he heard an explosion in the distance. Even with his enhanced hearing it was faint but still recognizable.  Warren sky-dived from the building, falling fast before landing on a light post. A strange smell filled the air, meaning whatever that explosion was could be emitting gas. Mark jumped from the streetlight, focusing on the strong smell before noticing purple smoke coming from a small laboratory.  As he scouted from a nearby roof, a large black armored vehicle drove up on the scene. On the side read: “M.H.C.A: Meta-Human Containment Agency” This caught Mark by surprise. (Containment agency? Why would they need to have an entire agency to contain meta-humans? Could there actually be more people with abilities than just me?”  That’s when a group of men dressed in black high-tech suits got out of the vehicle making their way through the entrance as purple gas continued to flow outside. (Was that explosion caused by a meta-human? Or was it just some accident?)  Curious, Mark leapt from his vantage point, landing in front of the labs’ entrance. Quietly he followed the group of men inside, climbing up the white wall before carefully following on the ceiling. (Hmm, something doesn’t seem right about this) As he continued to follow them, down the corridor, he heard one of them say: “Victim spotted, proceed to contain subject and bring back to headquarters”  One of them picked up a man who was dressed in a lab coat, throwing them onto their shoulder before making their way back to the armored van. Mark was motionless as they passed, making sure not to make a sound to draw their attention. He waited as they put the unconscious scientist in the back before closing the doors and taking off.  Hearing the vehicle about to leave, Mark climbed out the doorway onto the roof, watching them dive away. “Sigh, I could be wrong about what’s going on here, but my gut tells me that this agency isn’t the protectors they claim to be. That man looked innocent and not even aware of what’s going on. I don’t know what they’re going to do to him, but I've read enough comics to know stuff like this to know it probably won’t end well”  Without thinking, Mark leapt from the roof, landing on the top of the moving vehicle with a loud bang.  One of the suited men pulled out a semi-auto riffle, looking out the right-side window as he spotted the meta-human crouched on the roof of the car as it Spead through the streets.  “Boogie spotted, commencing termination” Without warning the agent opened fire on the masked hero. With his quick reaction, the teen darted his body out of the way when the armored vehicle abruptly lifted off the ground before landing back down, the sudden change caused the van to swerve out of control. Mark quickly jumped off the roof as the vehicle flipped over, lying in the middle of the road with the back doors flying open.  Mark was watching from a streetlight as the scientist jumped out of the van. He had black hair with green eyes. He took off down the road in the opposite direction of the van towards Mark. That’s when the four agents burst out of the van aiming laser-sight guns toward the escaping scientist.  “Halt! We need to contain Young before he can contaminate anyone else!” Meanwhile the chemist found a narrow alley and hid behind a large dumpster hoping he wouldn’t be found.  He could hear the group of men making their way through the streets scanning the area for movement. “He could’ve gotten far, we need to recapture him!” He looked down at his palms as the purple light began to build up around his body like purple smoke. He stood up, throwing his left palm forward, sending the dumpster sliding into the streets with his psychokinetic ability. Sparks flew beneath the metal object as it hit two armored men knocking them back.  (Looks like he has psychic powers, though he’s struggling against the group of men. Could he have gotten his powers from that strange purple gas?) Just then a purple aura outlined the young chemist’s body as he floated into the air. What’s happening!? How am I flying? Have I somehow gained the ability of psychokinesis!?  [Psychokinesis: The ability to move things with the mind]  The new super-human was filled with fear as he looked down upon the city from high above. Mark noticed one of the men aiming a sniper with a laser-sight right for the meta-human's abdomen. Without thinking, he leapt from the streetlight, running across the rooftops nearby before diving right for the armed agent, sending a fierce kick to the assailant's high-tech mask as it cracked with a few pieces falling to the ground. His target staggered back, firing a shot right for Young.  A red laser went past him, just missing his face by an inch. At that moment, Young found himself falling back towards the city, the purple glow gone once more. (Damn it, is this it...is this...where I die?) He closed his eyes waiting for the impact as he felt the force of the air brushing across his body, his velocity increasing.  As he was about to faceplant on the roof of an office building, Mark jumped onto the side of the building, running up the side before jumping as high as he could, catching the descending man before hitting the roof of the building. Warren laid on his back with small cracks under him while Young slowly stood up.  “T-thank you, sorry you had to save me. I didn’t mean to cause you trouble”  “Don’t worry about it, I feel saving you is better than letting those guys take you to their base. I’ve read enough comics to know how these situations end” The pair turned to see the squad aim towards them once more, that’s when a shot rang out from a nearby roof. Mark looked to see the masked man snipping from the roof, sending a bullet right through one of the middle agent’s helmets as they collapsed to the floor with blood dripping from his suit.  “Shots fired! Third hostile detected!” The man in red reloaded his gun as the agents searched the surroundings for their target. “Hmph” Pulling out a smoke bomb, he tossed it into the streets as smoke began filling the area obscuring the Containment agent’s view. Pressing the side of his mask, the vision switched to Thermal vision, giving away the squad’s heat signatures. “Heh, there you are” Aiming right for them, the red masked man fired off more shots, piercing right through the target’s skulls with ease from their confusion.  “Targets eliminated. Now to deal with the two meta-humans” Placing his sniper on his back, he jumped down onto the street walking over to the building where Mark and Young were standing. “You two, come down here, I dealt with the agents of the M.H.C.A. I can only help you escape from here if you come down here!”  The pair were hesitant, but in the end descended down to the streets cautiously walking over to the gunmen. “Now then, allow me to tell you who I am...I go by Blood Striker, I'm a mercenary who’s job is to either rid the streets of corrupt trash like these agents, killers or anything that could be a threat to civilians”  “Whoa, so you’re like a hero!?” Mark exclaimed with excitement. Strike looked at him with a cold glare behind his mask. “Sigh, I'm no hero kid, I'm just doing what the police fail to. Heroes don’t kill...don’t torture. But if we’re going to get crime and corrupt bastards off these streets, you’re going to have to do things that normal heroes won’t. Anyway...I have a place you both can go, there’s a hidden base that will take in Meta-humans and keep you from getting captured by the containment agency. Those bastards see meta-humans as nothing more than freaks that could infect others. Their point of view is so deluded”  “So, where is this hidden base?” Young asked curiously. Strike glared at him. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be hidden now would it?” pulling out a small remote with many buttons, he pushed one as the sound of a speeding vehicle came blazing through the streets as a black muscle car Spead right for them as the two meta-humans flinched thinking they were going to be hit. That’s when it came to a halt with a sudden spin, stopping inches from Striker.  “Get in, it’s best we leave before more of those agents come. No doubt they’ve realized they’ve lost contact with their squad and are planning to send more” The car doors opened automatically as the pair got in the back with Striker pushing buttons above him as the doors closed and locked. They drove through the streets at 80 mph, dodging each and every car as they headed towards the outskirts of the city...  After about 20 minutes of speeding through New York, a radar popped up on the small screen of the car with a red dot flashing as an A.I voice alerted: “Warning, hostile approaching” Striker groaned turning the autopilot on, pulling out his snipper as he stuck his head out the window.  “W-what’s going on Striker?” One of the young boys asked growing more uneasy. The mercenary remained silent when a gunshot rang out from behind them, taking out his left side mirror. “Damn, I knew those bastards won’t let us just leave, they just had to make this harder on me”  Frustrated, Strike aimed his sniper towards the coming vehicle, seeing a M.H.C.A armored van catching up with them. “Tssk, let’s see how you bastards like this” Quick scoping his target, the mercenary headshot the driver of the van, causing them to spiral off the road, impacting a fire hydrant. “There, takes care of them for now”  With a sigh of relief, the masked man leaned back in his seat as the car made it’s way across a large red bridge, making it’s way out of New York City...  About an hour later, they reached a long dirt path near the center of the forest far from any nearby cites in a secluded area. “We finally made it, here is where you will stay for now. Just like the meta-human containment agency, most normal humans hate meta-humans like you both...either out of fear or just at the fact you’re different. I’m not one of you, but I know what it feels like to be cast out, hated by the world for something that was beyond our control. It’s best you both come to terms with being who you are, regardless of what others will say about you”  Mark and Young looked out their windows to see a large mansion sitting in the middle of a large field with the forest hiding it from all directions. “Wow, I've never seen a house that big before” Warren commented in amazement. “Oh I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Mark Warren what about you?” He introduced, holding his hand out to the scientist sitting beside him.  J-James Young, I'm a scientist or was a scientist until my serum exploded knocking me out and turning me into a meta or meta-human whichever term you want to use. After something like that, I doubt I'll be allowed back at the lab for a while” They shook hands before the car came to a stop before the large wooden mansion.  “This is as far as I'm willing to take you, the rest is up to the owner of this place. Though he and I don’t see eye to eye on things, he knows I'm willing to help gifted humans anyway I can”  “Thank you, hopefully we’ll see each other again” The purple-suited teen hoped. Striker let out a faint laugh. “If we meet again...I doubt it’ll be under good circumstances” The pair stepped out of the car as the masked man nodded to them before driving off back down the long dirt road until he was out of sight.  “Ah, you two must be new here, welcome to illumination academy” Mark and James turned towards the mansion to see a tall blonde man dressed in a black formal suit walking over to them. His irises glistened with golden light as he stood before them. “My name is Octavis Pierce, this mansion is a safe haven I made for those like you who are lost and have nowhere else to go. There are many students here for you both to meet, I'm sure you’ll fit right in. Please, allow me to give you a tour of our great academy”  With no other option the two nodded as the man made his way up the large stone steps through the wooden doors of the mansion. “Here we have the lobby, many students hang around here in their free time, at least...that’s when they’re not just up in their rooms” They looked around while still following Octavis, the floors were black tiled floors with wooden walls, a couch was on the right side of the room near a bookcase with a large staircase leading to the 2nd floor in the center of the room.  Before we head up, that room just to the left of us is the kitchen where we try to all eat together and help everyone feel more comfortable with one another. He pointed to a doorway to the left of the lobby. “I was always told: if you never spend time with those around you, you can never hope to form the bonds you’ll need later in life. Those bonds will help you up in times of despair. Friends, hope, love...these are the only things one needs to keep on living”  Mark looked at James who also met his gaze before the two continued following the fellow meta-human up the red-carpet staircase. Making their way to the 2nd floor, they saw a large corridor spreading across the east and west part of the mansion. “As you can see, we have more than enough space for the both of you”  Just then a young boy came zipping down the hall at super-sonic speed before coming to a halt right in front of them. Mark was a little caught off guard but did his best to hide it. “Slow down there, speed-star, I know you like to run fast, but even with control over your ability, you never know when someone will step in your way at the wrong moment”  The young teen jogged in place at super-human speed in front of them, he had blonde hair, green eyes wearing a black shirt and blue jeans. “S-sorry headmaster, I just thought I'd go out and have a quick run before it got any darker” Octavis looked at him with a glare. “You know students aren’t allowed outside at this hour without me or a fellow teacher accompanying them”  “I-I know but I just want to let out all this power surging through me!” That’s when the headmaster got an idea. “Is that so? Then you three come with me, I have the perfect place for you all to make use of your powers” With the trio following close behind Octavis, they made their way back down the stairs.  Placing his hand upon the side of the staircase, a hidden door slid open, revealing a metal hallway leading underground. The door closed behind them with lights illuminating their way down into the basement. They looked around, finding themselves in some kind of underground lab. There were many scientific tools scattered around the large room with a few white tables around as well.  “I can tell by your expressions, not many are allowed down in the lab aside from myself and fellow teachers. However, there is something else down here that I allow few students to use so long as I'm here supervising them” Speed-star grew excited as they walked over to a high-tech steel door with a hand recognition scanner on the left of it. Once again placing his hand upon it, the door beeped before opening before them.  “Go ahead in, we’re going to see just how skilled you three are with your powers” Speed-star rushed in without hesitation while Mark and James slowly walked in, unsure about how well they could use their powers. As the door closed behind them, they found themselves in a large white steel circular room.  Meanwhile Octavis walked over to the right where there was a large one-way window looking into the room with a high-tech control board beneath the window. He turned on the mic announcing: “You are in what is called our UI training facility. Within that room were are capable of manifesting virtual things that seem just as real as if you were actually witnessing it. Allow us to begin with a test run”  Typing something in, he pushed enter and watched as the room changed into what looked like the middle of a blizzard. The three of them were caught off guard as a wave of snow and hail blew right past them. “What the hell!?” Mark cried out, putting his arms close to his face to hold back some of the blistering wind. “This is insane! How could mere holograms be this real!?” He looked over at James who wrapped his arms around himself struggling to stay warm.  Meanwhile Speed-Star seemed unaffected by the snow, darting through the thick snow with ease. Through his eyes, the snow fell as if in slow motion. Vibrating his body rapidly, the young meta-human was capable of maintaining a regulated body temperature even within subzero temperatures. Just outside the V.R room, Octavis began quickly inputting commands into the control pad. “Hmmm, seems James and Mark have no resistance to low  temperature unlike Speed-star who seems to be able to heat up his body just by vibrating his body...Then again, the boy was born with his capabilities while it seems the others aren’t used to using their powers all that much. The room within went from an endless blizzard to an empty city.  (Alright then, let’s see what they can do when faced with an active threat) Pierce said to himself as he turned a nob on the controls from zero to threat level one. Speed-Star came to halt as his surroundings warped around him as he stood in the middle of a deserted street when Containment agents suddenly began spawning around the city with four surrounding Speed-Star with guns drawn on him.  “Whoa, this room can even generate realistic enemies!? Amazing!” That’s when the squad began to open fire on the young speedster when the red lasers slowed down before coming to a halt all around him. “Heh, this should be easy"

RAMSEY AWOKE TO ANOTHER ONE OF her Master’s experiments. Although night had already fallen, the stricken lightning left outside with a hazy glimmer. Even the full moon’s illumination was outshined by the alchemy. There goes Lord Frankenstein--Victor as he’s referred to intimately with experiments again--the dame felt wronged, knowing she shan’t sleep again with such commotion going on.  This had been occurring the past few days, and all the while he was losing moonlight. The other servants, girls around girls much younger than her, had their consciousness aroused by the commotion. It couldn’t be helped--the servant’s corners were situated far from the main house, closer to Victor’s ‘laboratory’. “That child...If I wasn’t accustomed to this, I’d think the end of times was here.” The older woman mutters, taking a glance at the young girl beside her. She was fourteen years younger than her at sixteen, although she’d known her since thirteen. She was the oldest amongst the maidservants, aside from the head maid, Mary. In her thin, white gown, she looks at the girls among the brief flashes of light poured into the room. Letting out a curt cough, Ramsey attempts to calm down the commotion amongst newly hired, slapping her hands.  “Now, now, girls. It will pass soon, try and get some rest.” The six girls opposite of Ramsey and Justine collectively decide to heed her advice. Justine was sleeping next to her, looking at her like a young calf glancing at its mother. A girl who lost the ones she loved one by one in the last thirteen years of her life. She was seen as an unlucky star, although Ramsey didn’t pay it much mind. She was a sweet girl, to whom she was fond of despite their differences in origins. She was clever, educated, and had the prettiest face she’d seen on a child, as she recalled from their first meeting. The only thing that she could see as a ‘flaw’ if she were to be married in the future was my weak body constitution. She glanced down at her pale, ash-toned skin and raked her curly, straw-colored hair out her face. “Are you still feeling ill, lass?” “Yes, I haven’t been feeling the past few days.” The woman sighed and rested her head against her chest. “I will cover for you. If you feel too ill, stay in bed. I’ll get medicine and take care of you.” “Where did you get medicine from, Ramsey? People like us can’t afford--  “--such opulence?” She gives her a wolfish grin in response, showing a string of crooked teeth. “My dear Justine, I have my means. Regardless, we both should do our best to be caught.”  A maid’s duty is to be seen, not heard. .... .... LATER ON THAT WEEK, LORD FRANKENSTEIN’S EXPERIMENTS SEEMED TO HAVE STOPPED, but Justine’s health worsened. Her rosy cheeks were no longer, her eyes were in a constant daze. She was confined to her bed, and Ramsey continued to hide her absence. She’d even taken a hold of her duties, which included cleaning the parlor floor. The maid cleans the floor below her with vigor.  Her braided hair, which greyed beyond her years was tucked under a white, thick bonnet. Her face dark and earthy, like burnt umber--her face was filled with scars from prior traumas. Her thick, dark brows are set in a deep furrow as she cleans. She’d have to finish the task soon if she’d like to get to Justine soon. She was quite worried about the girl, she didn’t look too well when she had to leave her and it wore on her mind... She scrubbed and scrubbed until a man’s voice shocked her. “Ah, Miss Ramsey.” Ramsey looked over at him, giving the young man a wary yet wan smile. There, at the entrance of the room, was Lord Frankenstein. He looked tired and ghastly. He was particularly willowy, tall, and thin. But, at this moment, he looked to be in good health. At that moment, his expression was dark, to which she avoided his line of sight. She was reminded of his cold appearance when his parents died.  Mary worked hard to have him eat and take his role as the head of the estate seriously. Despite that, has he grown into a fine young man--aside from those experiments he insisted on doing... “Good day, my Lord.”  She gives him a quick curtsy, before preparing to leave. “Answer my question, Ramsey.” Victor’s voice contains a warning, one that reminded her that he was an adult, and not the child she recalled growing up with. She pauses, relenting--in her heart, but continuing. “Miss Justine has been ill for the past week--I took up her duties in her stead.” He looks at her, with those amber eyes, letting out a long sigh. “You fool...” Victor says in a whisper not loud enough for the maid to her properly. “Pardon?” “...Nothing. Is Mary aware of this?” The older maid shakes her head quickly. Of course not. Her voice is slow to approach, eventually letting out like a croak. “No--however, as you and Lady Elizabeth know, Justine’s body hasn’t been the best, she can’t even properly walk as of late. I have my hands tied, yet I cannot sit by while she suffers without family.” Her words seem to tumble like detach heads from her lips--he steadily interjects, "...I’ll speak to Mary and have Justine’s duties temporarily given to a new worker--and as for her illness, I'll have a physician to look at her--”  “Thank you, My Lord!” He began, his deep, mulled voice by the short, older woman’s outburst, her hands thrust in the air. Victor stops, takes her hands down, slow, gently almost. “I need you to help with something.” As she held his eyes, she laughed in her heart. Of course, he needed her for something.  Even if a servant was admired by his beloved, he wouldn’t call a doctor to treat her for naught. He was similar to his father in that respect. She doesn’t say a thing for a moment, continuing to abide by gravity as she clutches her apron. “Lord Frankenstein--” “Are you neglecting your duties, Ramsey?” A shiver crawled down her back and made its place in her spine. His words are weary, cold--despite that repertoire with each other, the maid was reminded of their positions. He was a young man, born into wealth and prestige. And she was a woman whose origin was beyond her ken. They weren’t the same. Very briefly, the unpleasant revelation that causes her mind to recoil.  His hazel eyes held her gaze with a steel persuasion--she could already tell something was very wrong. She’d heard these words before, although the situation wasn’t grave. But with her position and her history, she held her tongue--standing in his direction with her eyes to the newly cleaned floor. “When will you be needing assistance, Lord Frankenstein?” “I am glad you haven’t forgotten your duties.” .... .... WORDLESSLY, SOMETIME LATER ON SHE FOLLOWS HIM down to the pit of the main house, where his laboratory was located. Where he did those ungodly experiments--which, Ramsey disagreed with, knowing he toyed with life while doing something. While she felt she was agnostic as far as morals went, something did feel right to her about creating like through digging up bodies. It felt...wrong, appalling necromantical pursuits. At one point many families with not much to their name would sell their loved one’s body to the Estate for money.  And with their permission, he continued desecrating the dead like that, for what?  Alchemy?  Money? It was repugnant. She frowns as she continues to follow the candle lit path as she holds up the lantern and he leads down the winding stairway. It gets noticeably colder during their venture, she remembers the amount of ice he orders and keeps to preserve his subjects.  Victor had been obsessive over the creation of life and the inevitable presence of death ever since the Lord and the Madam succumbed to their unknown illnesses. He was only sixteen when it occurred.  Not a child but not a man either.  He wasn’t a gifted alchemist, but he knew quite a few things. It wasn’t as if their country prohibited the use of alchemy or magic--they encouraged it. The Magic Tower was a great addition to their society’s infrastructure and aid to keeping it’s chaotic order.  However, Victor was interested in dark alchemy, which from Ramsey’s knowledge was forbidden.   Although she was a slave turned servant, she had enough education to understand why it’s banned.  And yet with that knowledge, the young man sought it out, sacrificing livestock and chopping up body and even utilizing his own blood. She tried her best to serve him, despite not agreeing with his actions at times. Victor played God and Igor, a hunched fellow was his unholy advisor. He was a quiet but polite young fellow. He was a bit shorter than young men his age due to the curve of her spine causing his aforementioned hunch. His skin was a warm taupe color, his face is plush of youth. From Victor’s musings he found him in a London alleyway and inquired for him to be his assistant in exchange for food and shelter. Despite the rumors of the going-ons of their manor, he accepted and has been living in a small house adjacent to the main property. Other than that, Ramsey didn’t know much about his background—she did know one thing, and it was that he wasn’t much of a threat. He terrified her when she first met him but eventually when she realized he was harmless they arrived on batter terms. The most she’d be asked to do as far as his experience were clean ups, to discard the failures. But now, she feared that it was much bigger than a mere tidying or disposal. Her anxious mood heightened when they approached the door to the laboratory. Behind the door she could hear crying. Her heart rose her throat and throbbed incessantly. When Victor unlocked the door and pushed it open, she’s greeted at a horrid sight.  Igor stood, over a wriggling body in an attempt to calm the person beneath him. The man is well beyond his size, but is crumpled to the floor like a frightened child. “Igor.” Victor’s voice warns the young man who timidly backs off, almost immediately. “What happened now?” Igor looked quite nervous, Ramsey stayed quiet but couldn’t help but shoot the young man a wary glance. “He’s refusing to bathe again, My Lord.” There is a pause before Victor pinches his glabella in irritation, waving off his young assistant. “...It’s alright, let him go. Ramsey’s here so you’re relieved of bathing duties. You may go with your day.”  With Igor skirting off, almost like a frightened cat, she’s shown a clear view of the thrashing young man. A young man who looked like the split image of Elizabeth, only more muscular and tall. His beauty was as striking as hers, although his height seemed exceeding that of a human man. He was wearing a nightgown that reached his near and tumbling flaxen hair and didn't do much to hide his familiar face. “Lady Elizabeth...do she have a...?” Ramsey trails off, her voice but a whisper, knowing that couldn’t be right. Lady Elizabeth was an orphan taken in by the Madam.  She didn’t have any known siblings. She casts another weary look at Victor. “My Lord, who is this?” Victor’s accomplished grin doesn’t help to calm her nerves either. “I am Prometheus and this is my creation.”

"Where am I ?" The white cloud of mist that looked like a human suddenly spoke. "HELLO KID" A voice that sounded so wise and ancient, starting to show himself as an old man with all white clothes, long white hair and a long beard too,Standing by stroking his beard.  "WOOAHHHH who are you ?, where am I ?, what happened to me ?, where is my body ?" "Calm down kid, your people call me god, you've been killed by a truck, And you are in the realm between life and death." "Ahhh I remember it, my last memory is the headlights of that damn truck." "Yes, and because of all your good deeds before you died, I give you 3 wishes." "Ooh, will I be able to reincarnate into another world." "Yes, and consider carefully what you want." After thinking for a while the young man asked his wish "Alright, I want reincarnation into the world of overlord in the year 2125, I want enough money to play ynggdrasil and an ai that is connected to the mind and able to hack yggdrasil." The old man just smiled and clapped his hand, Suddenly a white portal opened behind the young man and forcibly pulled him Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh The youth screamed loudly for several minutes as it spun in the seemingly endless vortex YEAR 2125 In a luxury apartment, In a spacious and luxurious room, there is a young man of average appearance and tall stature,Sleeping soundly on his bed, he was wearing white pajamas, very unlucky for him, he was chosen as the host for the youth to be reincarnated. "Ahhhhhhhh hah... hah... hah..., That damn old man, should have warned me before throwing me" The apartment, which was initially silent, was suddenly startled by the sound of screams and cursing enough to make the pigeons perch on the terrace "This room looks luxurious, hmm so I'm a rich person here hahahaha, the right hand side is facing the sky so this must be an apartment, now investigate this apartment, where is my money huh." The young man walked into the bathroom and washed his face, he then looked at the drawers and cupboards in his room. He then found 3 accounts in his name with a total face value of more than 700 million yen, he then saw a pile of money in the cupboard with 10,000 yen bills which fills the whole place in the cupboards. "Wow,with this I can buy anything in yggdrasil..., what about AI shouldn't he be on my mind" 'Hello master' "Woah, It started talking, it was shocking." 'Sorry Master' 'hmm,Do you have a name, how should I call you, You sound like a male' 'I can change my voice to female if you want master, And no sir I don't have a name,  please give me one' 'No need for that, and your name..... How about Jarvis' 'I like that, and isn't that from the Ironman movie?' 'how do you know that jarvis' 'I analyzed your memory and found it' 'Ooh interesting, and jarvis can you search for the drastic game and tell me everything about it' 'To connect to the internet, you need to touch the computer sir, so I can hack it for you.' "Let's find the computer !!!" The young man quickly found it, and it was in the next room "It looks like Suzuki Satoru's equipment, and this computer is really cool, is it a quantum computer, well let's find the answer" The young man sat at the computer desk and started typing 'master I have found yanggdrasil but it will take time to completely hack it.' "How long will it take"  'About 1 hour master and make sure to touch the computer while I hack it' 'Well I want you to look for every bug and glitch and calculate all the possibilities to make me the strongest player, And call me sir from now on, being called master feels weird' 'Of course sir' with everything going on in my life in a day, the universe has more possibilities than atoms in the world huh, I might be written by a goddamn otaku in the middle of nowhere, so... I'll introduce myself to my dear readers. My name is ****** My name is ****** I'm just kidding, my name is Kazuki kiba,I look very handsome and charming, I'm not lying, I'm a very smart person. You must be wondering why I chose Overlord as my reincarnation. To answer that question, we have to go a few months before I die. FU*K YOU SON OF A BI*CH WAHHHHHAHAHHHA cry to your mommy,you loser ~KAZUKI KIBA My name is Kazuki kiba, And this is my daily life. I was born in a fairly wealthy family.And you wanna know what I'm doing right now, yeah you guessed it, I'm playing games. I'm currently in the middle of college, majoring in computers, allowing me to easily hack online games like the ones I'm currently playing.I've said from the start that I'm very smart, maybe even a genius but I won't brag about it so take it easy. I always get bored after a while playing games so I mostly watch anime or read manga and novels. But most of them have lousy protagonists, I hate it when the protagonist helps someone with just the word justice or morals or something like that. I like it when the protagonist only considers the advantages and disadvantages in everything, who will not hesitate in killing or tormenting for information and treasures. But I also like comedy even a little bit. I watched overlord anime and loved it ever since, bought all the published books,I don't know why it's just that I really like it, especially the yggdrasil game part.Especially I want to be the strongest player there. So when I was dead and reincarnated, I immediately chose overlord universe. back to the present time 'I'm done sir' "Ooh thanks Jarvis,Then explain everything" 'Sever yggdrasil will open in a year sir, as soon as the Beta release opens I will register you sir.' Jarvis said it calmly 'Since yggdrasil is in development stage, I will inform the analysts when approaching Beta release sir.' "Okay so what should I do now, maybe I need to improve my reflexes, and learn self-defense" 'Yes sir I also recommend it, while surfing the internet, I found a martial arts game so you can practice sir' "Thanks jarvis" 'No problem sir' Announcement This is my first time writing a story in English, so please correct it in the comments. Sometimes our protagonist will act like the Deadpool character in the movie  I'll update 2 times a week, maybe 3 if I'm bored, or 4 if I'm excited

“Yieeee!!!~”  More than half of the students at Special Class X teased their fellow classmate Ally, as she blushed while receiving a boquet of roses given by Zyred, who is her childhood friend and first love.  As she got hold of the bouquet, she bowed her head because she was so shy due to the intense teasing of her classmates.  “Hey! Stop it, you guys! My little Ally is uncomfortable with your intense teasing!” Zyred shouted at her classmates in a friendly manner. “I-it's fine. I'm okay.” Ally quietly told Zyred.  “Are you sure?”  “Yes.”   “Okay, if my lil' Ally said so.”  “By the way, thanks for this.” Ally raised her hand that holds the bouquet of roses. “It's nothing. Anything to make you happy.” Zyred replied with a smile.   This kind of scene continued to happen, even after Ally finally said ‘Yes’ to Zyred. Of course, Ally reciprocated Zyred's sweetness.  She always supported him, waited for him when he had other duties after school, cooked food for him... For her, everything was perfect. Until she heard the sentence—  “Ally, let's break up.”  “W-what? Zyred! This isn't funny, stop joking!” Ally can't believe that Zyred will joke about such things!  “I'm serious Allison. Let's break up.”  “W-w-what?! W-why?! Did I do something wrong?” Ally panickly asked.  “No. I'm going abroad. I don't know when I will be back. I don't want to hold you back. We won't be able to focus and concentrate if we have a long distance relationahip.” Zyred calmly explained. As if it's just nothing to him. “B-but.–”  “No but Allison. I am not gonna change my mind.” Zyred interrupted Ally, before she can even form a proper sentence.  “Haa!”  “Fine. Let's break up.” Ally said defeatedly, as she knew that Zyred won't really change his mind.  “Good. Bye.” Zyred said then turned back and walk away.   ●○●○●○●○ Four years later... “Ally! Come here!”  Ally grumbled as her mother called her. She hasn't even slept, yet, her mother is calling her again. “What is it, mom?” Ally asked, hiding her grumbling expression.  “You have a visitor.” her mother said, which made her curious. Who would’ve visited at eleven in the evening? Her friends and colleagues are all asleep already for sure.  “Who—?” Ally was interrupted by a voice that was so familiar. “Me.” Ally turned towards the person and— “Why are you here?!” She cannot believe that this guy was here. She doesn't want to see him even though she had already moved on.  “I'm back. And I want you back too.”  Ally glared at Zyred.  “Hah! You want me back? Are you crazy? Did you hit your head somewhere? No way, dude! We're over.” she angrily said.  This guy! What does he think of her?! A rag that he can use to wipe of the dirt, but continues to say ‘Welcome’? No way! She's not in love with him anymore!  “Allison! Is that how I taught you? Her mother reprimanded Ally.  “He just came back, and you're acting like that?”  “Mom!”  “It's okay auntie. No worries. I understand little Ally.” Zyred pacified Mrs. Sy.  “Hah!” Ally grumbled as she heard him say that.  “Allison, you talk to Red. We'll leave you two here.” Mr. Sy, Ally's father, finally spoke after being quiet for a long time.  Ally secretly gritted her teeth. Zyred better thank her parents because if not for them, she won't talk to him. Not because she's bitter, but because she was just starting to mend her life and she wants to keep it that way. She doesn't hate him, but she wants peace in her life, that she can't help but be sarcastic and defensive towards Zyred.   And..   She's not in love with him anymore.    “Hah. Better finish this now. ”    After her parents left the two of them at the living room, only silence accompanied them.    After a while, Zyred broke the silence.   “Ally–”    ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　To be Continued... ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　  

That voice. It lingers in my faint memory, in the moments of my life. That voice. It's as light as a feather. If possible, I would even become a dog so that I can follow it for the rest of my life. This is the story of my life.I'm a Japanese-Russian girl. When I was just 15 years old, that's when my family - consisting of my parents, two sisters and a dog, and me - moved from the remote countryside in Kitakyushu to Naples, Italy. When we first set foot in the boot-shaped country, I personally thought that nothing would change - except culturally - at all, and indeed it did. Our family is still the same, it is still my father who works for a shoemaking company, my mother at home as a housewife, and my two sisters looking for suitable jobs for themselves. I am still at the age of coming. school, so going to school is natural. But it's not even worth mentioning.  One fine day, on my way to school, I passed an alley. In it, there are men fighting with each other, so like many normal people, I would pretend that I have not seen anything and continue to go to school. But, I didn't do that. In that crowd, I saw a white silk smeared with blood. For some reason, my footsteps stopped, and headed into that alley. I went straight in, to the amazement and astonishment of those tall men. The white silk I saw turned out to be a dress. A girl's dress, lying on a dying man. The lady showed a bit of surprise, then her face returned to normal with a smile that had a chill down my spine. Yet, in my mind at the time, I just found it strangely fascinating.She raised her head and asked: "Why didn't you leave?" That voice blew me away. My heart beat fast, not sure if it was because I realized what situation I was in, or because of that person. I tried to stay calm, control my breathing. All eyes were on me, but I was only focused on the other girl. "I... I don't know either... I'm sorry..."I lowered my head, hoping they wouldn't look at me anymore, but still... "It's okay, I don't care either." She giggled, approached me and lifted my face.She's so beautiful. Blue eyes like the sky shone down on the sea of ​​Naples, a wonderful blue light. Her hair smelled of roses, which was not an ordinary rose, but the rare roses. My face suddenly turned red. She was still looking at me with a small smile... "My name is Antoinita." - she still looked me straight in the eyes, her hand caressing my chin - "Can you help me clean up? I'll ignore you walking in here... so brave." She held out her hand, and a man in a black suit immediately gave her a pistol. Antoinita put the gun in my hand - a bewildered kid who still didn't understand what was going on. "You should point the gun at the guy lying on the ground. Aim for his head." She gently adjusted my trembling hands. What is happening? Why did I step in here? In the end, what happened to me?. . ... Why are her hands so soft?"That's right, you just have to aim at him - A traitor lying on the ground struggling. There's nothing to worry about. We're doing a good deed!" She whispered in my ear, and I... I pulled the trigger. Fresh blood shot out, flowing down the street. She stood behind me, stroking my face, my hands. I've just killed someone, and she's acting strangely. I wanted to scream but I couldn't. "You did well! I'll reward you, whatever you want! Say what you want, anything I can give!" I stuttered for a few minutes afterwards. After thinking for a long time, I made a decision. "I have two requests." "So what is that?" "First, please help my family." "That's too simple! Economy isn't an issue for me! What about your other request?" - She was still clinging to me from behind, pressing her chest against my back. To be honest, I felt very "smooth" at the time. "Please let me follow you." I pulled away from her, turned and knelt on the ground, banging my head on the road. "So..." she said again, lifting my chin again, "why do you want that?" "I don't know why either. Just like how I don't understand why I chose to walk into this alley instead of going to school.""Hmm..." She hummed for a while.... "From now on, your name is 'Maria'." 'Maria'. The name isn't even my real name, and yet I love it more than anything else. That's how crazy I am. "From now on, your life is up to me." She looked at me again, smiled slightly, petting me like a puppy. If no one was looking at the moment, I would probably stick out my tongue and act like a real dog..--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- God, I'm stupid. Who wants to work as a dog for a gangster boss.... I thought to myself, but that's how I am now. I fell to my knees, begging her to follow her, even for a split second I thought about licking her heels. I am so pathetic. But she just smiled faintly, not sure if it was because she was interested in me or out of pity, but she actually let me go. My parents are fine, after Antoinita's help, the family has stabilized a lot. They no longer have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of their lives: My two sisters got the jobs they wanted - I don't know if being a model is what they really want but I think is so. My father is no longer a simple worker, but a merchant in the harbor. Sometimes he goes a little away from home, but most of the time he still comes home to have dinner with his family. And my mother thanked her chirping, crying, unable to believe what had happened and is happening. Only, if she knew what I did... Well, it's best not to bring it up in front of the mother.And I follow her. My family knows that, but where to go and what to do, no one knows. To be honest, I didn't expect much either, maybe I would have been somewhere not far, and then she would send someone to handle me quickly. That's the mentality of being ready, but she really took me to her house. Oh no, it's not the house, the headquarters is correct. The walk from the main house entrance took 10 minutes, and not counting the time I was chased around the garden by the Shepherds, and Antoinita just stood looking at me and laughing along with the others. But somehow, I finally made the others tired - myself too - and finally managed to get into her house. The mansion feels like it belongs to a king, not a girl... To be honest, I still don't know her age right now, but I guess she's probably ten years older than me.The first thing she did was not introduce me to everyone in the mansion, but tell the servants to take me to the bathroom. Is my body that bad? I don't know either, or she just wanted to wash away the traces of what I did to her. The hands of those maids were soft too, but there was something about them that couldn't be compared to Antoinita's. Having said that, my face was still red involuntarily, because it was also the first time I was bathed by someone other than my sister or my mother. This scent... it reminded me of her scent. Turns out she does bath in real roses, not some cheap shower gel. I haven't finished loading my brain nor enjoying the moment, yet I'm dragged out of the bathtub again and forced to sit still. My grayish-blond black hair was neatly combed, not "let it be" as I usually do. The dress that they forced me to wear... somewhat made me feel a bit inappropriate for me, but I couldn't refuse, especially when they say..."This outfit was chosen by Miss Antoinita herself!" And I wore that suit every day after that.That same night, the maids led me into a room at the end of the hallway. I naively thought that would be my bedroom, but I might not be naive anymore, just a blank sheet of paper compared to pure innocence. Opening the door, inside was Antoinita lying on the bed, reading a certain novel while waiting for me. Even in her pajamas she's so sexy, and I'm blushing involuntarily. She looked at me, and the servants pushed me forward, they backed away and slammed the door. This is beyond my imagination... "Come and lie next to me. It's okay, I won't hurt you." - she sneered. I used all my strength to calm myself, and walked slowly to the side of her bed. I lay gently on the right corner of the bed, and she was... just watching me."Maria, you don't have to be afraid of me, what have I done to you? Come on." She stretched out her arms, waiting for me to come into her lap. And for some reason, I actually fell into her lap. I panicked in that brief moment. She smells so good, though they all bathe the same, there's something more attractive about her. I can't put my feelings into words, but... I'm so happy. She hugged me, pressed me against her… beautiful body....After that, I don't know what happened. Me and her, 'Maria Antoinita' - like some French queen, maybe that's why she called me Maria - became an 'atomic couple'. We have purged a lot of traitors, salesmen and spies. She gives orders, and I handle them. At first, I didn't pay much attention, but then the tail popped out. After 4 years of working as a loyal dog for her, I too have passed that beautiful schoolgirl age. Now I'm 19 years old. The year is 1975. And perhaps I myself did not expect that this year will have so many bad luck. On a bitter cold day and night, she entered the room wearing only a thin cloth. I was very worried, partly because I was worried that she was cold, and partly because I was worried that she was already old, what is my destiny, I probably won't be able to live anymore. I jumped out of bed with the blanket, wrapping around her. "Why do you have to do that? Afraid that other people have bad intentions towards me?" She giggled. "No, I'm simply worried about you. I'm not jealous or anything." I wrapped the blanket around her, then picked her up like a princess. It was also my first time doing that. And maybe it was her first time being held like that—her face was as red as the first time I'd blushed my cheeks when I first saw, heard, and smelled her."Then... I beg your pardon."She turned her head away, maybe out of anger, maybe out of embarrassment, I don't know. We lay in bed, enjoying Champagne Krug 1928. Really, from a serious girl I am now drinking in bed with another girl. What have I turned to...---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------On one occasion on our way to Rome, we chose to go in a Limousine. Even though I drove a lot of vehicles every day, I still felt a little queasy inside. She took my hand, looked into my eyes, as if caressing me, said, "You keep calm. I'm right here." This time, I don't know where I'm going because she didn't tell this story in advance. We played and teased each other on that Limousine, much more than in the past 4 years. We kissed....This time, we stopped in front of the Constitutional Court. In my head I immediately jumped numbers, "Constitutional Court?", "Does she want to marry me?!", "I'm not prepared for this!!!", etc. My brain was like that. We got out of the car, she got off first, but held out her hand and helped me down. That was another 'first' of mine. We walked up the stairs together. Each step is a step of my emotions. It's endlessly confusing. So many questions just kept popping up in my head, and she still took my hand and led me up to the main door. She suddenly stopped in front of the main door, and.. "Maria.""Y-yeah?!" "I have a question to ask you, would you be willing to answer?" She crouched low, lowering one leg. My head felt like it was going to explode. "Yes!""So..." . . . Suddenly, I was pinned to the ground by two men. My emotions were once again confused. "...are you willing to die for me?" She smiles. That cold smile. It was just like the first time I met her....I was sentenced to 3 months in prison and a death sentence. As for her, she won the hearts of the people by cleaning up the rebels. In these last days of my life, to be honest, I think I should just lie down and wait to die, anyway... She didn't even consider me a human in the first place. From the first shot, from the first day, she saw me as a tool. She seduced me. Made me crazy for her. I threw away my body, so I could be a dog by her side, and yet it turned out like this. I don't know if I feel sad or not. She is free from all charges, because I am the instrument. I'm the killer. I thought I was just a normal girl, but looking back, I realize I killed that weak man without hesitation or regret after shooting him. I remembered it wrong. I pulled the trigger myself, not her adjusting my hand.The prison is so cramped, like my old room. The bed was filthy, no one cared to fix it. This outfit makes me feel suffocated. So this is what it feels like to lose the lives of the people I threw in prison. But, I don't really care about those things. What I'm confused about is why did she throw me in here? Why? Why does she have to do this to me? What did I do to upset her? She kissed me like about an hour before I was pinned on the cold floor. At that time, there was only one thing on my mind - revenge.After 2 months of zero new information, I decided to do something stupid again.I escaped from that prison, partly because the guards there didn't look after me at all, but if I did, I would have beaten those guys anyway. I ran off instinctively, back to Naples. I robbed an innocent woman's clothes. I stole food along the way without anyone noticing. The police could never find me, I've been trained like a dog after all. Fortunately, there are a few good people to give me a ride. I went from city to city and then back to Naples - back to that house. However, when I was about to enter, two muscular guys stopped me, saying that this was confiscated property. I don't care, I keep looking for her. My feet hurt, because I don't wear shoes or anything. My body is very tired, because I have never slept more than 4 hours a day since the day I escaped. Yet I still ran, perhaps because of my instinct to take revenge on that girl.I found an abandoned 5-story building. I don't know why I came here. But I could already sense that she was here. Right now, I'm in a very critical situation. I haven't eaten anything for the past 2 weeks. I had a duel with a policeman and somehow miraculously won - though he was so weak. Other than that, I thought my leg was probably about to break. I found her sitting on an old chair. The creaking sound made me deaf. I wanted to curse at her, but when I saw her, I couldn't. The girl in that white dress, still makes me ecstatic. My spirit is exhausted. But things can't go on like that. I approached her, and she just sat there, looking at me and smiling."Why.. Why are you doing this to me?" My voice trembled. "I didn't meant to be a bad person. But you still don't seem to understand anything, little girl." She stroked my dirty cheek again. I want to push that hand away, but I'm exhausted, I can only hold onto it. Her hands are so soft, I still don't understand how she takes care of her skin."Then why did you put me on death trial? What was that question you asked me infront of the Constitutional Court?" "You said you can do whatever you want for me. I want you dead. But it seems it's too late." Suddenly, her hand fell from my cheek."You... how are you..?" I got worried. An idiot like me is worried about someone who wants me dead. "I wanted you dead, so you wouldn't have to continue being a dog - my dog. I expected you to be more... human, but you don't seem to realize it. After sending you to prison, I was also attacked by the politicians. They ruined me, and that was completely out of my plan. Now I'm empty-handed, nothing. At that time, I wished you were dead, so you wouldn't have to. see what I look like now." Her voice weakened."I... I'm sorry... It's because I don't understand... You want me to die right?! Then let me die! If I die, you'll live on right?!" I screamed like a mad person. Suddenly, she hugged me. Whisper her last words in my ear. Then she stood up, took my hand again, and led me away again. I was in tears, sobbing. To this day, I still don't understand how I feel. We went up the stairs again, to the terrace. The policemen below have found me, and they're moving forward. We stood at the edge of the terrace. I'm so happy right now, I don't know why, but I'm happy.Now, I have understood. And then, the two of us jumped down into the sunset. How short our lives are.In a few seconds, I'll probably be dead. Ah. Her last words were: "Thank you, to my everything."

Sam was sitting alone in his room. His gaming chair rolled into his computer desk as he settled in for a night of watching YouTube videos. His fair skin was brightened by the computer monitor. His short dark brown hair slightly parted as he put on his headphones. Before he had anything to listen to though he heard a noise from downstairs. His door was open so he heard very clearly, after the front door slammed, high pitched screams of excitement.  Sam’s sister Sarah yelled out, “Lydia, I’m so glad you could come!” as she led her friend up the stairs. Her shoulder length blonde hair bounced in waves as she ascended. The Brown family had hardwood floors upstairs and it was flush between the siblings’ rooms which were right across from one another. They were a nice family. Their single mother was out tonight at a charity dinner. Sarah ran an instagram beauty account that was moderately popular. She had invited her friend over to try out some new looks and have a shoot. “I just picked up the Mikayla X Glamlite palette. We’re going to look soooo good! We’re going to get like a thousand new followers at least!” Lydia said as she followed Sarah up to her room/studio. Lydia was a tall girl with an olive complexion and black hair pulled back into a high ponytail.  “You already look pretty girls.” Sam said as he turned around in his chair so they could hear him. He wasn’t trying to hit on anyone. He just wanted to give his sister and her friend a compliment. He was very kind to his sister and admired her. She repaid this by being very understanding of him. She could read his emotions and help him through them very well. “Aww, thanks lil’ bro.” Sarah beamed. The girls were now standing just outside Sarah’s room and in the door frame of Sam’s.  He had spun back around in his chair, and thinking he couldn’t be heard, made a self deprecating remark. “I mean, how much can makeup really do? It’s not like it could make me pretty.” He said defeatedly.  “Is that so?” said Lydia, crossing her arms. She looked at Sarah from the side and acknowledged that they were both thinking the same thing. Sarah knew, as she often did, exactly what her brother needed right now. He needed to feel pretty. They began walking slowly towards Sam’s chair. Lydia on the left, Sarah on the right.  Sarah popped over Sam’s right shoulder. “Honestly you have some potential. You’re already kinda cute.” Sarah beamed while flashing her teeth. What started as a loving touch on the arm turned into her pinning his right wrist down to the arm rest Lydia, pinning on the left arm rest, asked, “Why not let us try?” The girls then wheeled the chair quickly out into the hallway and left into Sarah’s room/studio.  “WHA-“ Sam screamed in surprise. He tried pressing his feet down for traction but his seat was too high up. He had very little time for resistance. Sarah’s room was very much split in two, on the right wall was her closet, and dresser, on the right side of the back wall there was a large white vanity. In the right back corner there was a white desk. Taking up most of the bedroom portion of the room was a queen sized bed. The bed had a light pink Ugg blanket with tiny gold stars on it. At the head of the bed were half a dozen pillows of varying sizes with a few stuffed animals leaned up against them. Lastly, there was a night stand with a small lamp. They set the chair right up in front of the vanity table. There was plenty of makeup on the white table and three mirrors that could be closed like shutters. On top of the mirror were bright studio lights. There were also strips of velcro on high on the mirror that could be used to position a camera. While Sarah organized the makeup she planned to use, Lydia shut the vanity mirrors. “No peeking!” she joked. Knowing he couldn’t physically escape from what was about to happen, he tried to use his words. “Wait! Sis you really don’t have to do this.” Sam said exasperated.  Sarah placed some liquid foundation on the back of her left hand and replied, “Oh I really think I do.”  Sam still tried to explain, “I’ll still look ugly and --” Sarah put her left index finger up to his lips. “Shh, let the artists work.” She said this confidently in a way that stopped Sam’s resistance for now. She dabbed a makeup sponge into the foundation and began to splotch across his jawline and chin. While working she said, “Our skin tones are the same so I’ll use my foundation on you.” Lydia had begun preparing his left hand for a manicure. She filed the nails into a nice round shape and pushed away cuticle. She turned on a curing light and guided his hands under it. Sam was surrounded and being pampered on all sides. Sarah put down her foundation before picking up some concealer. “I’m just going to put a little bit of this under your eyes to brighten them up.” she reassured before blending it into the foundation towards the nose and temples. She added, “This concealer is a nice lilac color. It’ll reflect light like a mirror so it’ll look suuuuper good under these lights.” She picked her sponge back up and asked, “Could you suck in your lips?” Years of male socialization kicked back in and Sam refused. She smiled as she told him, “You have really nice lips and we don’t want to ruin that with the foundation.” Deep inside Sam’s mind, a voice spoke out,”You know, she makes a good point. Why not just try it? What could it really hurt?” With that, Sam pursed his lips and Sarah smiled more as she dabbed lightly around his over and under lip areas. After the base coat was cured, Lydia took out a sparkly crimson bottle of nail polish. Sam thought about moving but that same voice urged him to stay still as she carefully applied the first coat to each of his fingers. Sarah had taken out a kit and showed it off as she would for her audience, “This is my kit of highlighters, and I’m going to use it to bring more color to your face.” She applied a dark color to a wide brush and applied it to his face as she explained what she was doing, “I’m going to apply this in sort of a three shape on the sides of your face. I’m starting up alongside your forehead, bringing it down and into your cheek area, and finishing right under the jaw.” She repeated this stroke. She learned so much from beauty vloggers she felt a need to pass on their knowledge. Receiving this knowledge was that voice again. “You really should remember all that stuff she’s saying.”  She then picked up a smaller brush putting it in a lighter color. She spoke as smoothly as the brush strokes that went across his face, “This is going to go on all the high points on your face, your cheekbone, your brow bone, and it’s going to make you look even cuter.”  While Sarah blended all that in, Lydia had finished with the first coat of sparkly crimson and guided Sam’s hands under the curing light once again. Sarah spent this time opening up the new eyeshadow palette. “I’m just gonna start with this color called iconic and just place this in the crease right about the back two thirds of your eye.” Sarah explained. Sam was so overwhelmed by the sensations he barely noticed that the eye shadow was pink, but for some reason he was starting not to care. Sarah now dipped her finger into a sparkling light pink shadow called simpin. “I’m just gonna dab this lighter shade. As you’ll see it’s this real beautiful color, and it looks great on you.” Sarah smiled.  Sam never knew what colors he looked good in, he felt a creeping sense of comfort being in the talented hands of his sister and Lydia.  After blending she picked up a liquid eyeliner pen. She reassured him, “We’re gonna do liquid eyeliner. I’m going to be very careful, but if you just stay still you’ll look fabulous.” She expertly curved all along his water line and then his tight line making a line weight gradient where the liner was thicker at the outside and thinner on the inside.  Sam was focusing so much on what was happening to his eyes he didn’t even think about moving as Lydia began the second layer of nail polish.  “I’m going to give your eyes a second to rest because you were very good for me,” Sarah piped in, “and I’m gonna do your eyebrows.” She measured the arch of his brows and said with surprise, “Your eyebrows are actually really good.” She picked up some tweezers and plucked as she spoke, “I just, gotta, take, out, a, few, stragglers.” Impressed by his stoic face through this, Sarah half joked, “You didn’t even flinch, good girl.”  Sam blushed at this compliment, even if he felt like he shouldn’t resemble the last remark, it felt right and wonderful to hear. Sarah noticed the blush forming and said, “Ooo, I should give you blush.” She took the butt of her makeup sponge, dipped it in in a pink blush and dabbed it lightly on her sibling’s cheekbones. Lydia had finished with the second coat and began the curing process again, however, this time she only needed to guide his left hand in as his right hand followed. Sarah took a good look into Sam’s eyelashes and remarked, “Now I was thinking we might use false lashes, but yours are already pretty full. I’m just going to curl them and add mascara.” Sam felt a form of pride in this, but couldn’t explain why. After she finished he blinked a few times. Perhaps this was from eye strain, but he also kinda wanted to see his lashes fluttering. Sarah turned back to the table and found a lip liner, then she said, “I’m just going to give a bit of a lip line so it looks a bit more full. Now I’m just going to finish off with some lip gloss.” Sarah stopped and admired the shimmery pinkish red lips she had given her brother.  Sarah pulled back and admired all of her handiwork. Her brother looked beautiful, but there was still something that didn’t quite match up. She ran to her closet while Lydia applied a nice top coat to the nails. Sarah returned saying, “I want you to try this wig.” “Wait, why?” remarked Sam, the last vestiges of masculinity barely hanging on. I think it’ll really frame your face well.” The wig was a Natasha classic, straight chest length hair with bangs in a deep brown color.  Sam couldn’t pretend anymore. He agreed with Sarah and nodded. Sarah put a wig cap on Sam before carefully securing the wig with the circular comb she had sewn into it. As she brushed the hair lightly with her hand to make sure it fell the right way. Lydia did not even need to direct the hands as they moved right under. She finally had a chance to look up and gawked in amazement at Sarah’s work. She looked up at Sarah and said, “I think this look needs one more thing.”  Sam sat with his nails being cured. He couldn’t imagine what Lydia was looking for. From the closet he heard Lydia ask, “This one?” Sarah agreed, “Yeah, that should fit.” Sam turned to see Lydia wearing a pleading expression and holding up a black dress with a floral pattern and a shallow V-neckline. “Could you try this on?” Lydia asked.  “What?” Sam replied in shock. “It’s beautiful, I couldn’t possibly—” Sarah put her hand on his shoulder and said comfortingly, “It will fit you and you will look even prettier in it.”  Staying still and letting this happen was one thing. When given the choice that was finally his to make, the voice in his head finally won out. He got up, pulled the dress over his head and adjusted the neckline before sitting back down. The dress sat just above his knees.  Sarah then went behind the chair and put her hands in front of Sam’s eyes. “Lydia,” she sang “get the mirror.” Two sounds of swinging hinges later and Sam’s eyes were uncovered. He was face to face with the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. It was him. The dreams of a thousand nights. The image that he had convinced himself could never be real. This was not a clown, this was not a drag queen. A hand touches the mirror and then touches the face. *sniff* Sam began to bawl. It was a tremendous whaling of one life ending and another beginning. Cascades of tears eroded fresh makeup from her eyes and deposited it down her cheek. “I— I’m a girl!” She belted. Lydia recoiled, “Did we go too far?” Sarah knew better though, as she always did. She knew these were tears of joy. She went up and embraced her new sister.  She looks into her younger sister’s tear filled eyes and calmly says “Sis, do you want me to fix your mascara.” Hearing the word “sis” in reference to her filled her with a warmth that put pause to her tears. While she did want to continue crying, she wanted more to continue to be beautiful “*sniff* yes please*” she replied weakly. “Okay sweetie.” Sarah whispered and began the process of removing the running makeup from her sister’s face and replacing it with something a little more water resistant. She spoke up after, “You know you can stay like this right?” Sam had stopped crying and was able to think of some protest, “But -- but -- but what will mom think?” Sarah turns her head and cocks her eyebrow, “Sis, why do you think mom kicked dad out? It’s because he was a bigotted ass. Have you ever seen mom say or do anything transphobic? Hasn’t she always been the first to stand up whenever someone attacks marginalized people?” Lydia came up to the chair and caressed Sam’s arm. She added, “Remember that time you all got kicked out of that restaurant, that was because your mom defended a trans woman who was being harassed in the bathroom.” Sam had no more arguments. She simply hugged the other girls and cried out, “thank you so much!” After the hug, Sarah spoke up, “You look so good. We should all take a picture for Instagram.” She paused to check with her sister, “If you are up for it of course.” Sam then got an idea. “Could you call me Rachel in it?” said Rachel. “Aaaaaa” they both squealed in excitement. Lydia remarked, “That’s so cute!” Sarah beamed, “It suits you.” “Okay, how about you lie down on my bed, while we do our makeup.” Sarah offered. She got up and laid face up on the bed on top of the pink comforter. She felt around the soft plush blanket and ended up embracing a stuffed animal. A few minutes later Sarah spoke up, “Sis, we’re ready.” They both had looks similar to her, but much to her surprise she was equally as pretty. Lydia had a light green color, the best color, on her inner eyes and a darker sparkly green, bonehead, outside. Sarah had two shades of purple, paht two and a darker sparkly portagee, on her inner and outer eyelids respectively. “Put your chair right between us.” Sarah said as she pointed to the spot. As she was setting up the camera she directed, “Okay everyone, form a table with your hands, rest your chin on it, tilt slightly, and smile!” *click* went the phone’s sound effect. “Perfect!” exclaimed Sarah. “Gonna post that right now.” She spoke as she typed out her caption. “Hey SarahBrownBeauties, my friend @LydiaSmith and I decided to try out the new  Mikayla X Glamlite eyeshadow palette. It turns out I have a new sister. Everyone, say hi to Rachel Brown.” Sarah finished and posted.  Rachel had hardly stopped beaming before hearts and comments came flooding in. Their mom had apparently gotten the notification during her charity dinner and decided to respond.  MommaMollyBrown Love you both, and if anyone even thinks of making fun of you I’ll get the whole school shut down. Rachel was thrilled, within seconds her mom was fully accepting her. She was not the only one. Comment after comment came flooding in. OMG she’s so cute Hi Rachel <3 I gotta try that palette You are so pretty Rachel! And she was. The affirmation was amazing and euphoric, but Rachel knew deep inside that this was her life now. No doubts could shake her, nor could whatever she was taught before in life. Rachel was a pretty girl.

Yuli grabbed the nearby stripping and cracked it as she took a long piece of the pole. Noticing this the other gang members dashed towards her. Some watched in shock as a child pulled the stripping pole out of place.  "I must make sure that I don't kill them," Yuli mumbled as she swung the pole like it was weightless. Even though Yuli was small, the pole made up for that height. She used the pole to hit the backs of the gang members that tried to attack her. And most of them were shocked by how naturally strong she is. "For a child, her agility is shocking and so is her strength," a man in grey robes said to the ten people sitting around him. They looked at the fight below from the top of the pub. "Should we go handle her? I think the new recruits would want to quit before the test." a female voice laughed as a woman could be seen looking at the child.   "No, this is good training for the new recruits. And from what I see she's a super human." "I can also tell by her inhuman strength," another man said as he looked at Yuli. "I’d better ask the old man if this kid could be the next successor. She has got some potential," a dark skinned woman announced. She wore a wide hat that covered her head and a white shirt and black trousers. She got up and walked upstairs to the next floor to inform the old man.  _________________ Once Yuli realised her pole had been bent she resorted to using her fists. As her strength was limited she could only injure or knock them unconscious. She quickly dodged their attacks and even sustained a few injuries. Even though these people knew how terrifying the child was, they couldn't bear to use a gun against her.  All of a sudden a chain appeared out of nowhere heading her way. Sensing danger Yuli quickly jumped out of the way in order to avoid the chain that was about to hit her, however, the chain only managed to scratch her left arm, causing her to hiss in pain. She gritted her teeth to see who unleashed the attack only to see an old man in a black suit heading her way with chains floating around him.  The tall, built old man had short white hair and a pair of bright eyes with star shaped pupils. His fair face with slight wrinkles was beaming with joy as he looked at Yuli from head to toe. “She would make do I guess,” the old man said as he walked towards Yuli who stood defiantly, ready to counter any chains that came her way. “Child be my successor of the Hosachi Mafia,” the old man said his smile vanishing as a stern and serious expression replaced it. He looked at Yuli, waiting for an answer.  “And if I should refuse?” Yuli said in a mocking tone. “Then you may not leave here with your whole body intact, or you never know what might happen to your little sister.” The old man threatened, looking at Yuli.  His eyes glowed menacingly.  ‘He knows my sister?’ Yuli thought, tightening her fists. “Do you think with your current power you can protect your sister can you handle the pressure of your family?” The old man asked with a serious expression on his face. “What do you mean by family? My parents are dead!” Yuli asked, confused. “I know everything about you child," he replied enigmatically. "Since I've been keeping my eyes on you for a while. I know that your mother came from a very distinguished family. But they threw her out when she married your father. After he disappeared they didn't make life easy for her and didn't help her when she was gravely ill.” The old man summarized the story as he looked at Yuli waiting to see her reaction. “They knew she was sick?!!” Yuli asked, gritting her teeth. Her eyes grew dark. “What is the name of my mother's family?” Yuli asked, wondering who her mother's family is.  “Your mother came from the…” the old man paused, as he looked at Yuli who looked at him with expectancy. “Well sorry, I can’t tell you unless you become my successor child” the old man said, smiling at Yuli. “You bastard!” Yuli seethed as she glared at the old man. ‘This child has a strong desire against those who cast her mother away, and I can feel the clear blood lust.’ the old man thought as he saw a tonne of dark energy surrounding Yuli’s that no one else could see.  “Master, she has an extremely strong spiritual energy. We can’t let her go,” the dark skinned woman whispered to the old man. “What do I get for being your successor?” Yuli inquired. “All of my assets.” the old man answered directly. “How big are your assets?” Yuli asked wondering how much she'll earn. “One billion dollars,” the old man answered,  “That’s a lot for a ganh.” Yuli said surprised.  “But too little to run a mafia. You will be the next successor of the Hosachi mafia!” The old man announced, ‘This is dangerous,’ Yuli pondered scrutinizing the old man and the people around him. ‘In movies, being in a mafia is too dangerous! I can’t risk Rose’s life.' “Don’t worry the safety of your sister will be guaranteed and she will even be trained to protect herself” the dark skinned woman added. “Why not give it to your children?” Yuli asked, looking at the old man suspiciously. “They don’t have the talent you have.” the old man answered. “What’s your name old man?” Yuli asked, as she looked at the old man. “Yujin Park” the old man answered, his chains disappearing into thin air like they were never there, shocking Yuli. Yuli looked an Yujin for a while before looking around and looking back at him again. “Fine we have a deal, I'll be your successor,” Yuli agreed. ‘If I can be his successor it can solve my financial situation and I can also find the bastards who stole everything and abandoned my mother.’   Yujin smiled at Yuli; 'She indeed knows how to make good decisions.' "Good, good… Hosachi Mafia, meet the new heir in training Yuli,” Yujin announced to everyone in the pub. All of the men in the room knelt down and their hands slammed on their chest twice.  “Greetings to the new successor of the Hosachi Mafia,” they yelled in unison as they bowed. Yuli stood in awe. But she couldn't help but from, she may get all this power but it does not mean being a successor is a good thing, because this means she must receive harsh training if she wants to destroy her mother's family and lead this mafia. But for her father. The only thing her mother told her about her father was, 'He was the Brown Diamond. He died after Rose was born. Yuli calmly remembered the satisfied yet sad expression on her mother's face because her father couldn't just die like that. Since she was going to be the heir of this gang she would find her father.  ……………. In a large office at the top of the club, Yujin sat behind a wide desk with several papers drinking a cup of coffee. Before him were ten people who stood there as they looked at the old man. “Master Park I don’t understand why you chose her.” the dark skinned woman stated, “I know she has strong spiritual energy but you can find other people with spiritual energy.”  “You don’t understand Ama, spiritual energy was not the only thing I saw in her. My eyes say there’s a power lying dormant, waiting to be awakened. And not only does she have a lot of spiritual energy but she also has demonic energy.” Master Park said with a serious face. “Demonic energy! How's that possible? An exorcist would die if they cultivate the two energies.” Ama exclaimed in shock.  ‘Master would definitely not lie about something like this,’ a tall, fair but built man thought seriously. “Yes, as an exorcist, we choose the type of energies we want to cultivate, whether demonic or spiritual. However, demonic energy is much better to deal with high class Hokai’s. And it’s rare to find people who can use demonic energy” the old man said, placing his empty cup and clasping his hands together. “That’s why I had to make her the leader. That child does not only hold the potential to become stronger, but also has an abnormal amount of intelligence for her age. And she even works to earn money at such a young age to pay for her and her sister's school fees. Her guardian is her aunt but she refuses to stay with her aunt but rather chooses to work for her.” Master park summarized as his glowing eyes turned dim. ‘Master was using his All Seeing Eyes,’ Peter the tall man from before thought as he straightened up his glasses, ‘asterisk all seeing eyes allows him to see a certain amount of information about the secrets of a person he sees. What a truly terrifying skill.’ “Send Yuli back home, and tomorrow her training to be the successor of the Mafia begins!” Master Park yelled. “Yes Master Park!,” his subordinates said in unison. …………… “Auntie, Yuli is back!” Rose yelled, looking outside of the cafe window. She ran outside even though it was dark. “Oh.” her aunt exclaimed, seeing Yuli walking with a tall man who wore a grey robe that covered his whole body, even his face. “Thank you for walking me home,” Yuli said to the man in grey robes.  She walked towards Sana who looked at her suspiciously. “Here’s your Biney,” Yuri said, giving Rose a brown teddy bear.  Rose’s face brightened up as she took the bear and hugged it tight to her chest. “Thank you big sister, I love you.” Rose exclaimed as she hugged Yuli. “What were you doing with the Hosachi Mafia?” Sana asked with a worried look on her face.  “What do you mean?” Yuli uttered, pretending not to know what she meant.  “Well that man had a snake symbol at the back of his robe and no one has that apart from the Hosachi Mafia!” Sana berated Yuli as she pinched Yuli's cheeks.

We zoom into a yellow-colored house through a circular window onto a young boy who’s sleeping on the top of a bunk bed. His hair is white, and he’s wearing a black tank top, with red shorts. His eyes start to open to the voice of his obvious twin. "It's finally here! The live season finale of the greatest show ever!" he looks at a wall. "All right, I know you're probably saying to yourself, "Lincoln, with eleven siblings, there's no way you're going to get to watch your favorite show." And, you'd be right. Every Sunday at 8, it's the same thing." [Cut to a flashback of his siblings fighting over the remote; End flashback.]  "But tonight, I have a plan.", Breaks out his walkie-talkie, "Cadet Lincoln calling Cadet Clyde, do you read me?", the walkie talkie comes to life, "This is Cadet Clyde, I read you loud and clear! I'm so excited! We finally get to watch ARGGH! together. And by together, I mean you at your house, and me at mine, right?" Lincoln looks at the wall again, “For such a landmark event, we decided that it'd be best for us if we watched it separately. Clyde's got a huge crush on my sister Lori. It gets awkward." The walkie-talkie comes to life, “ Hubba hubba” Lincoln presses the button on the side of the device, "Clyde? Clyde? Do you read me?". He lets go “Uh, you better hurry, Lincoln. It's almost 8:00!" He presses again, "It's time to put Operation Distract My siblings so That I Can Get to the TV First and Watch the Special Live Season Finale of ARGGH! and Think of Shorter Name For This Operation into action." Lincoln walks out of the room, and the view switches to the previous boy with the time a couple of minutes later, he gets up and gets down from his bed as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He walks out of his room to see his older sister recording his younger sister’s fighting.  The older sister dressed pretty normally for a teen her age with a white sleeveless shirt and a plaid skirt with yellow socks. Pinned to the front of the shirt was a squirt flower. He looked into the room she was recording in. He saw his two little sisters going at it, one of them wears a pink gown with a tiara, while the other wears a red hat and a green shirt with jean overalls. “Luan what's going on,” the boy asked his sister. “ Oh hey Leon why so serious,” Luan says with a grin. “seriously Luan we’re ripping off the joker now,” Leon says as he gives her a dead-paned stare.  Leon sighs as he walks into the blond tornado and lifts both his sisters away from each other. “ Alright what’s going on,” he says as he looks at them. “It’s her fault,” they both say at the same time.  “Tell Lana she can’t bring any of her frogs to my tea party,” one twin says. “Well tell Lola they suck without them,” Lana says. “YOU DARE” gasps Lola as the twins start to slap each other.“ ENOUGH! do you want me to bring Todd into this” the girls pale. [ Cut to a flashback of Leon setting his first newly built robot on his siblings because they were starting to annoy him; End flashback.]  “NO” they both scream, “good, now be nice to each other or else,” he says as he smiles, all three of his sisters see his hair start to float and in their eyes, he smiles insanely. We see as Luan sidesteps slowly out of view and runs to her room. “Good” Leon says as he hugs both of them, then walks out of his room to the bathroom, the view switches to the twin girls. “You saw that too, right,” says Lola. “Yup,” says Lana as they shudder. We switch again to Leon as he quickly takes a shower, brushes his teeth, and puts on his clothes. Leon has puffy white hair, and a black loop earring on his right ear, he wears a red hoody, jean shorts, and red and white shoes. Leon leaves the bathroom and walks downstairs as he hears one of his sisters say, "I'm sorry, Lincoln, but you know the rule. I was here First."  "NOOOOOO!" Leon sees Lincoln say then Lincoln looks at a remote and licks it "Ha!” he says. "That's the old remote that Lily threw into the toilet," Leon says. [Lincoln gags, rubs his tongue, and spits out the germs. He then sobs.] “You forgot about Lucy huh,” Leon says. “yup,” a downtrodden Lincoln says. “ Hey, why don’t you want the tv today Leon,” Lincoln asks his twin. “ Well, I finally found the time to build my own tv in my lab” Leon answers as he enters the kitchen. “Figures” whispers Lincoln, he looks at Lucy, “ can’t you give the tv to your favorite brother”, begs Lincoln. “HAH” Leon laughs from the next room. "Sorry, Lincoln, I can't miss my vampires. Edwin is so cold and tormented and mysterious. Sigh... If only he wasn't from another century." Lucy says. “Another century”, whispers Lincoln. "That's okay, Lucy. You watch your show on the big color TV. I'll just go watch my show on Dad's crummy, old, black-and-white TV." Lincoln says as he turns his back to her. "Black and white are my favorite colors." Lucy states. "Yeah, it'll make watching my show a little bit more... spooky!" Lincoln says as he takes a step. "Spooky is also my favorite color," Lucy says. "Well, enjoy your vampires," Lincoln says as he gets to the stairs. "Wait! I'll take the old TV!" Lucy screams. Leon comes out of the kitchen with a sandwich. “You are weak,” Leon says as he chews his sandwich and shakes his head. “Like you’re any better,” says Lucy. [Cut to flashback as Leon agrees to be Lori’s caddie as she hugs him into her breast with him having closed eyes and a blissful smile on his face; End flashback] Leon blushes as he says, “The day you guys found me watching anime will be a day I always regret.” Leon whispers. Lincoln turns to empty air, “When me and Leon were 6 years old my sisters found him watching anime with an incest protagonist on the family computer, that’s the day he decided to build his laboratory”. [Cut to Lucy's room where Lincoln is found grunting to get the TV to the other side of the bed.] "How can only two colors be so heavy?" [Puts it on the bed.] "Here you are. Now to plug it in. So, you can be happy or sad or whatever that emotion is. And I won't be left in the dark." [Plugs in the TV. Unfortunately, the plug is broken, and the power goes out.] "Dang it." [Cut to the loud siblings as many of them murmur in confusion about the power outage.] "All right! All right! Everybody just calm down!" Lori yells. "Guys! I can't see anything! I think I've gone blind!" Leni says with her eyes closed. "No, you didn't go blind. What the heck happened?" Lori says. "I was just plugging in the old TV for Lucy and it must've made the lights go out," Lincoln says. "Of course, it was your fault, Lincoln," Lori says.“It’s always his fault,” Leon says. “Not always,” Lincoln says. Leon just deadpans Lincoln, “Oh really.” he says. “I agree with Leon,” Luna says. “Me too,” Lucy says as she appears out of nowhere. “AAH!!” everyone screams except Leon. “Nice one,” Leon says. “Thanks,” Lucy says with a smirk. "Okay. So, how about we get that power back on." Lincoln says. "Hey, when Mom and Dad are out, I'm in charge. So first, we need to get a head count to make sure we're all here." Lori says. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, and me, that's twelve. Yep, that's all of us. We are all here and accounted for." Lincoln says. “Let’s just get this over with,” Leon says. "Again, in charge. I'll do it. Where's this circuit breaker thingy?" Lori says. "In the basement," Leon says. [The kids arrive at the basement. Lori's silhouette peers over the basement's darkness.] "Why am I the one who has to do this?" Lori says. "Because you're in charge!" everyone says at the same time angrily. "All right, all right! anyone has a flashlight.” Lori says. "Negative,” Lisa says. "Just great..." [hears a wooden creak and gasps in fear] "There's something in the basement! I'm not going down there!" Lori screams. "Ooh! You're scared of the dark!" Lynn jr says. "I am not! You're the one who's scared." Lori says. "I'm not afraid of anything," Lynn says. "Boo." Lucy and Leon say behind Lynn. "AAH!" Lynn screams. [While most of the girls start arguing, the younger twins start to tremble with fright.] "THERE'S A GHOST IN THE BASEMENT!!!" Lola and Lana scream. "Guys! I'm running out of time! It's really important that I...I...I..." Lincoln says as he and Leon look at each other. “OKAY, QUIET!" Leon and Lincoln scream.  "Come here, you two. It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of." Leon says as he hugs the younger twins to comfort them. "Your big brothers will protect you. In fact...we will protect all of you! For I am Cadet Lincoln!” Lincoln says. “ and I’m Major Leon,” Leon says. “Soldiers of the Academy of Really Good Ghost Hunters! Or...ARGGH!" they say together. They put on high-tech night vision goggles. [prepares to enter the basement] Lincoln looks into the darkness. "We will now descend into the scariest place in the house: the basement. But fear not, with Leon’s night vision goggles that he built for us, we can see in the dark." [begins to head down but Lincoln slips down the stairs] "Lincoln, are you okay?" Leon says. “yeah,” Lincoln says. Leon looks at Lincoln’s ankle, “ Nope you’re staying up top soldier. I’ll get the lights on then I’ll fix your ankle.” Leon says. Leon brings Lincoln back upstairs then goes back by himself.  As the view stays on the eleven siblings, a couple of moments later the lights come back on. Leon comes back up. “Maybe I can still catch my show,” Lincoln says. Leon helps Lincoln to the couch.  Leon goes upstairs and comes back a minute later with a spray which when he sprays it on Lincoln's hurt ankle it gets better. "Thanks," Lincoln says to Leon. "No problem," Leon says to Lincoln. Lincoln then uses the remote to change it to the channel where his show is on. "WOW! That was by far the best episode of ARGGH! ever! I'd hate to be you if you missed it!" Hunter on the tv says. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Lincoln screams. Leon walks up and grabs the remote. “Relax, I recorded the episode for you,” Leon says. “But the only way to do that is…” Lincoln says. “Yup I deleted one of my episodes of Sonic the hedgehog,” Leon says. The sisters walk into the living room. “But you love that ridiculous inaccurate show,” Lisa says. “ Not as much as Lincoln loves ARGGH!, enjoy it, bro,” Leon says and he gives Lincoln a fist bump, then walks upstairs.  As everyone starts to get back to what they were doing before the electricity went out, Lincoln stares at his twin’s back and then at a wall.   “It’s things like this he does that let me know me and my twin brother will always have each other backs,” Lincoln says as he starts to watch the episode of ARGGH!

“Big sister Yuli, I’ll see you after school!” A five year old Rose yelled, waving her sister goodbye before entering the kindergarten. Yuli waved back and watched as Rose entered, before turning around. She had her own school to attend, so she walked together with her friend Rutsi to school. “Aww Yuli, your sister and you are so cute~” Rutsi professed, unable to hold back her feelings. Yuli only gave a nervous laugh and tried to not think about it too hard, but found it hard to hide a blush. That garnered a pat from Rutsi though, as she found it even more adorable. Yuli was an eight year old girl who had unusually pink eyes, and had coloured her hair in a deep red dye. She had a dark skin tone and wore normal clothes to school. She arrived to school just in time and sat down in the classroom, taking all the usual lessons. After school, she quickly said goodbye and power-walked to the kindergarten where Rose was. As she arrived a lone figure was crying outside the gate. It was Rose, Yuli could recognize her pink eyes, dark skin and brown hair from anywhere. Yuli immediately patted Rose to stop crying, but she didn't stop.  "Big sis Yuli…," she paused to sniff loudly, "some meanie stole my binky…" she sniffed again as  Yuli realised that her sister's favourite Teddy bear she always carried had gone missing. 'It was a gift from mum to Rose,' Yuli thought as she bit her lips. That was Rose's last gift from their mother before they died.  "Don't worry Rose, I promise I'll get it back," Yuli said with a sweet smile on her face. Rose's face beamed with joy as she hugged her sister.  "First let's go home," Yuli said as she held Rose's hand.  Before Yuli and Rose were leaving, a female teacher stopped them as she had a nervous look on her face. "Miss please, do you know who stole my sister's teddy bear?" Yuli asked as she looked at the teacher with a dark expression. The teacher shivered as she let go of Yuli and sighed.  "You should forget about it because you can't get it back," the teacher sighed as she crossed her arms before continuing nervously, "It was taken by a man with a serpent design on his coat," The teacher bit her nails before continuing in a quivering manner. "The Hosachi Mafia, you shouldn't mess with them," the teacher warned as she looked at Yuli. "Miss if I may ask, how did you know about the mafia?” Yuli asked as she looked at the female teacher. “I thought groups like those are very secretive."  The teacher looked at Yuli, 'A child like her would forget soon, so it won't be harmful to tell her,' she thought. "I owe them so they came today to collect their payment.” The teacher replied after a moment, “I didn't know they were interested in your sister's teddy bear but I couldn't dare to complain." "It's okay, I believe you," Yuli spoke as her eyes turned dark. "One more question," Yuli said as hled Roses hand. The teacher turned looked at her wondering what Yuli wanted to ask her. "Where's the location of the Mafia?" Yuli asked. "For that I don't know, but listen to my advice; Don't get involved with them." The teacher warned as she looked at Yuli nervously. "I won't." Yuli answered bluntly before walking away. ***** Yuli didn't walk home, but to a maid cafe as she was greeted by a pair of majestic boobs in her face. "Awww, Yuli my dear, you finally decided to live with auntie!!" A lovely young, dark skinned lady squealed as she hugged Yuli and Rose tightly. "Not really aunt Sana. I just want you to take care of Rose for a while. I'm having a sleepover at a friend's place," Yuli lied as she scratched her head to make it seem like she was embarrassed.  Sana was in her mid thirties but looked like she was in her twenties. She had lovely black hair and dark orange eyes. And her shapely body was emphasized in her tight maid outfit. Sana just looked at Yuli and smiled.  "Okay then I'll take care of Rose, but don't do anything dangerous okay," Sana smiled sweetly as she waved at Yuli. "Okay I won't," Yuli nodded as she turned to leave, but Sana crouched down and whispered in her ear, "Don't reveal your abilities okay dear," Sana smiled as she looked at Yuli. "Don't worry I won't," Yuli nodded as she walked away.  Sana looked at the child from afar and then looked at Yuli. "Rose, what's Yuli going to do?" Sana asked as she looked at the little girl who was about to cry. "Yuli.. promised me… that she would bring my binky back," Rose revealed as she was still sad about her teddy going missing. "Hah, I just hope that Yuli doesn't cause problems," Sana sighed as she entered the cafe with Rose.  ******** "Now I have to find the Hosachi Mafia," Yuli mumbled as her eyes remained cold.   As she was walking on the streets of Accra she immediately spotted a man with a snake symbol at the back of his coat as he walked together with some group of men.  "I guess my luck is heavenly," Yuli murmured, surprised as she followed these men quitely.  She waited until it was dark before she walked into a club that the gang members walked into, but she was stopped at the entrance. "Uncle I am looking for a man who wore the same coat as you, because he took my little sister's teddy bear. Could you please ask him to give it back?" Yuli asked in a sweet, gentle tone.  "Go away kid this isn't a place kids your age should be," the man chuckled as he looked at Yuli coldly and continued to guard the club door. Yuli's eyes suddenly turned cold as she looked at the man and smirked before send knock straight in his belly. "Ughh," the man groaned as he felt like his gut had been hit by a brick. He looked down to see that it was the little girl he was talking to who had hit him.  'How can a child have such strength,' he thought before he passed out. "I'll ask again which one of you took my little sister's teddy bear?" Yuli asked in a sinister voice as she cracked her fingers and looked at the other guards.  "Earlier today someone dared to take my sister's teddy bear and I came to retrieve it since that person is from this gang or mafia thingy. So if that thief doesn't bring it back. I'm going to beat all of your ases!!" "Hahahaha," One of the other security guards laughed as he walked to Yuli and grabbed her hand. "Just because you can punch someone doesn't mean you can fight us all combined. Only three of us is enough to restrain you. And that teddy bear, I remember Josei bragging about getting some limited edition teddy bear, so kid if you don't want to end up with broken bones I advise you go home. This is not a place for little kids like you to fool around."  The guard threatened as he applied force on Yuli's hand. Yuli got pissed at his words. Before the guard could realize he felt a painful sensation on his arm as he looked to see that his arm was twisted.  "Arrghh," The man yelled in pain as he fell to his knees. "my arm, my arm!!". . She immediately jumped and kicked the guy in the face causing him to fly and crash into the door. "I planned to do this nicely," Yuli said with an evil grin on her face as she cracked her fingers. "But it seems you all don't understand the concept of nice. I promised aunty I'll be careful but it seems I have to break that promise,"  A few of the men and women who were inside the pub witnessed this and shivered from her words and she had a very threatening look no child should have. Like that of a champion spotting an enemy.  "Get that girl out of here!"  "I warned you." Yuli said with a smirk.

Iida Tenya was three when he manifested his quirk. And when he did, he was adored by his family. But when his mother died when he was four, he started to get abused by his father. He didn't like his father, but he loved his brother dearly. The day he turned five, he gained another quirk and only his brother was there so only his brother knew about it. They kept it a secret from their father so that Tenya wasn't abused or hurt more than he already was. The quirk he gained when he was three was called Engine, and the one that he gained when he was five was called Multiple Personality. And at eight and 10, he also gained one quirk each. The one when he was eight was called Worship. The other quirk is called Gods' Connection. No more appeared for awhile. But after a few months of him being in UA as Class President, he gained another when he was in a very bad mood from school and was walking home. Someone had bumped into him, his Violent Personality and his engines instantly took control and roared. His Violent Personality is named Jido, and he then used the strength and speed of the engines to kick the guy's stomach. Then he continuously kicked him in the stomach, sometimes in the face. Until the guy went limp. Iida then gained control back and saw a dead person on the ground. But it wasn't no ordinary person. It was All for One! He just killed All for One! Yes, he is the most dangerous villain, but he wasn't supposed to kill him at all! That isn't what a Hero does! At least, that was his Scared Personality screamed at him, their name being Kido. Iida on the other hand, just stared blackly and went to a forest nearby to clean off his clothes before he went home. When he got into the forest and found a lake, he took all of his clothes off and put them aside as he washed himself in the lake that almost no one went to anymore. After he washed himself off, he then got out of the lake and washed his clothes off. When he put them back on, he went for a long but non-engined run to dry himself off. It took him about 10 minutes to do that. It took him 30 minutes to wash himself off though. And when he made it home, his father walked in a few minutes after he did, not surprising Iida at all. He went into a meditative state to see what was the power that he gained suddenly after killing All for One. He was honestly quite surprised when he saw that he had gained his quirk. The All for One Quirk. He was 15, yet he could now become the best villain of them all in history! He was excited and decided to stretch for awhile. The AFO Quirk, now his, was only at None Rank, meaning that he could probably only take one Quirk away from someone and that's it. Oh well, he thought, might as well train it then. But then his Logical Personality practically yelled at him to train it later as it wouldn't be beneficial nor helpful as of now. He silently agreed and waited until he needed to train it or when he needed it at some point. But now, at least he had more quirks than Izuku, that meant... Iida smirked maliciously. That meant he could possibly take down the future All Might. Oh how he couldn't wait.

Quincy Morris SS Adriatic, The North Atlantic 1897 Love alone propelled him through this nightmare. It was a dark and stormy day, the kind that reminds humans of our fragility and mortality. Nature raged over the north Atlantic, merciless and deadly. Violent winds screamed over the ocean, wailing and battering the commercial ocean-liner like a monstrous banshee hungry for blood. The sea bucked and tumbled, first trying to throw the ship from its back the way a raging bull does a rider, then trying swallow it up so that it could drag it down into the deep and crush it beneath thousands of tons of pressure. Cold and fierce, rain pounded every inch of the ship, doing its devilish best to break through the thick portholes that shielded the passengers. Between the three of them, wicked wind, hungry ocean and torrential rain, they conspired to sweep overboard anyone fool enough to venture onto the decks of the lonely ship. They’d already lost a woman and the two men who’d attempted to bring her back to relative safety indoors. The ship was the SS Adriatic. She was an Oceanic-class steamship, with twelve boilers pumping out six hundred horsepower, yet she also bore four towering, square-rigged masts next to her funnel. The Adriatic straddled both the age of sail and the age of steam. At three thousand, eight hundred eighty-eight gross tons, she stretched a hundred and thirty-eight meters long and over twelve wide, with two sleek but cramped decks carrying eight hundred fifty passengers at a speed of fourteen and a half knots, almost twenty-seven kilometres per hour. It had been fast enough to win the coveted Blue Riband for fastest trans-Atlantic voyage back in 1872. After a thirty six year career as a workhorse carrying passengers and mail across the cold, volatile sea, she was now making her final passenger voyage from New York to Liverpool. Or, at least she was trying to. On the bridge, a sparse, economical room painted sterile white that stretched the width of the superstructure, the mood was a tense mixture of determination and fear. The captain, resplendent in his crisp, white uniform, was a hard but kind man with an iron gray moustache and eyes to match. He was most definitely earning his pay at the moment as he struggled to handle multiple problems at once, both keeping the ship afloat and keeping the people under his protection alive.  “Put more men on the bilge pumps,” Captain Pike told a junior officer, his voice firm, displaying his complete control, or at least the appearance of it. “Recruit them from steerage if you must. And double the men on the stokers. We’ll need every bit of steam this lady can give us to survive.” He then turned his head and addressed a ship’s steward, “Get back down to the first class kitchen at once and you tell that chef that if he doesn’t put every fire out right this instant, I’ll let this ship sink and the ocean can put them out for him.” “But, sir. The first class passengers have been complaining. They say they haven’t had breakfast and are starving—” “Let them!” Captain Pike roared, his contempt for high-paying passengers and their selfish attitudes far less veiled than usual thanks to their current crisis. “We’re damn near drowning as it is. I’ll not add burning alive to the list of threats as well. And anyone who’s been in a ship’s kitchen damn well knows that the place is a death trap in high seas. I want every single staff member out of that kitchen and safe in their bunks, which is where they belong at a time like this. Which is where the passengers themselves should be as well, not in the dining room demanding caviar and champagne like spoiled children!” The ship swooned in a way that nauseated the stomach as the bow sharply rose.  “Two points to port, Mister Rogers! We’ll not be climbing at an angle unless you want us rolling back down the way we came!” “Aye-aye, Captain. Two points to port.” The helmsman, barely in his mid-twenties, clutched the wheel like his life depended on it, which it did. “All ahead full!” “All ahead full!” echoed the junior officers.  The handles on both engine-order telegraphs were pushed by junior officers to FULL, sending a corresponding signal down to the engine room for the same. The telegraph gave a brassy ding in response. Below decks, the boilers opened up. The ship soon surged ahead in an effort to climb the mountain of water before it. Quincy nervously ran a heavy hand over the close-cropped, black hair on his head. He regularly sheared the hair almost to the skin so that there was only a thin layer of curls. For practical purposes, it was easy to keep his scalp clean and cool, especially in the hot climes he frequented. Those climes being the reason he’d taken to wearing Stetson-made Boss-of-the-Plains hats, the kind widely adopted by farmers and ranchers across the western US. A nearly bald head made hat wearing a lot easier. After all, his hair, when grown out, naturally had the structure of a densely-curled wire brush. Quincy was half Native American Seminole on his mother’s side, descended from displaced Cree who’d been pushed south to Florida by incoming Europeans, and he was half African American on his father’s side, a line descended from African warriors if you went back far enough. He had definitely gotten his hair from his father’s side. Not that he wore a hat at the moment. Mostly he wore an expression of faint dread and a sheen of salty seawater that sprayed through the door whenever it was opened. He felt an elbow nudge him in the ribs. “First time in high seas?” Samuel Clemens asked him. He and Quincy had met in steerage class. The author, better known as Mark Twain, refused to travel in first as a matter of principal, being a staunch supporter of civil and equal rights, as well as unions, that is, all things that the people in first class tended to oppose, and he’d said he felt much more at home with real folk. They were on the bridge as guests of the captain. Captain Pike was a regular at the poker games Samuel and Quincy often took part in to pass the monotonous days of sea travel. The three had become fast friends over a shared interest in Jamaican rum, cards, adventure, and a shared distaste for snobby money folk, both new and old, the kind that frequently tried to monopolize the time of both the captain and the illustrious author in their personal quests to one-up each other in silly games of status. The private, invite-only poker game had become a refuge: for the captain, refuge from his employment duties pandering to guests and, for Samuel, refuge from fans who wanted to tell all everyone that he was their personal friend, or uptight critics who seemed to have an opinion about his published works or his personal political views. Quincy nodded in answer to the older man’s question and more tightly gripped the hand-hold keeping him upright. The ship felt like it was taking off into the sky at this angle, a very unnatural feeling. “I’ve fought in armies, tracked down killers, safaried in Africa, and trekked the Amazon jungles. I’ve been through Rocky Mountain winters and spent summers in the Mojave desert. Whatever the land, whatever hell it can throw at me, I can face it. But this? There is no hell like this.” Quincy stared out the windows. There was no sky, only water. Because the ocean wasn’t stretched out flat in front of them like it usually was. Against all reason it was standing up in front of them, a wall of water intent on pushing them over. It was terrifying. He missed mountains made of stone. Mountains didn’t move the way the ocean did, generally speaking. They rarely tried to kill you on their own. But the sea seemed alive and possessed by vengeance and malice.  The world-famous author seemed far less perturbed. Sixty two years young, his hair an unruly mass of white, and dressed in a white summer suit despite the chilly weather, he calmly gazed out at the sea as if it were just another day, one hand on the handrail to steady himself and the other holding his pipe to his lips. The instrument was unlit. Samuel had explained earlier that he’d long ago given up the unhealthy habit of smoking, both for his own sake and so as not to plague others with clouds of smelly smoke. But he liked the image of the pipe and the habit of having something to fiddle with. Sometimes he packed the bowl with potpourri and scented oils, just because he enjoyed the look of surprise on people’s faces when they got a whiff of the smoke.  Quincy glanced at his companion. “How can you be so calm right now?” Samuel shrugged. “We’re just passengers in this. What would stress do to improve the situation? There’s nothing we can do about that storm. Nothing to it but to wait it out and hope for the best.” Quincy nodded in frustration. “That’s exactly the problem: I can’t do anything. On land, I feel like I have options, that I’m in control. Here, my life is entirely in someone else’s hands and I feel helpless.” Captain Pike looked back over his shoulder. “Fear not, Quince. We’re not going to let you die today. I’m still upset about your full house earlier. I want a chance to win my money back before you go looking for Davy Jones.” “Well ain’t that skippier than a key lime pie on a July evening,” Quincy sarcastically retorted, putting on a thick, southern drawl. “Perhaps I’ll grab the cards and rum and bring ‘em up here so as we can all enjoy our drownin’ and dyin’ like proper gentlemen.” Samuel and the captain both chuckled. The levity eased their tension, but only for a moment, before the storm returned it two-fold with a gust of wind so strong that the whole ship leaned away from it. Quincy shook his head in amazement. “I can’t believe that Samuelson and Harbo made this whole journey in a dinky little rowboat last year.”  He referred to the Norwegian-born Americans who had recently become the first people to ever row across an ocean. They’d done so in nothing more than an open-faced, eighteen-foot, oak rowboat with a couple of watertight flotation compartments. Armed with a compass, a sextant, a copy of the Nautical Almanac, oilskins, and three sets of oars, they departed New York City on June 6, 1896 and arrived fifty-four days later off the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. Sadly, neither brave man had become legend, nor had they become rich for their incredible efforts, receiving no more than ten Swedish krona from King Oscar II of Sweden for their mastery of the sea. But a few remembered, those who also had adventure in their hearts. “Those Norwegians are made of tough stock.” Samuel agreed. “Must be the viking blood in them.” “Aren’t the English the masters of the seas?” Quincy joked. “The vikings did it first.” “True,” he agreed. “You know, my father’s people were seamen, generations ago. Bloodthirsty pirates, actually, of the Caribbean. I don’t think I inherited any sailor blood though.” Samuel snorted. “Just a love of rum, women, gambling, and brawling.” Quincy made a roguish grin. “Exactly. All the best parts.” The ship’s steam engines worked full out, dedicating every scrap of power they had to climbing a monstrosity before them, a surge of water that blocked their entire view. They had to climb it. It was either climb it, or die. If the ship lost power, for any reason, they’d be left fully at the mercy of the storm, and Quincy knew full well that the storm had none. The ship crested the roller with aching slowness. For a few moments, they knew respite.  “Engines to one quarter!” called the captain. “Engines to one quarter!”  Quincy should have known calm as they reached the top of the rise, but then the vast ocean opened up before them and he saw the impossibly deep valley below. Slowly, the ship nosed down into the trough and began its downward plunge, as if diving into the belly of the abyss itself. “Fuck me,” Quincy muttered and hung on even tighter. “This is nuts!” Samuel raised a bushy, white eyebrow as he appraised the drop. “Oh, I don’t know. Reminds me of those switchback railways and scenic rides they have at the Coney Island amusement park. Folk pay good money to ride those rickety contraptions, going up and down just like we are. But here we are getting an even better experience for free.” He winked. The captain forcefully jested in a tight voice as he focused on the sea in front of them. “Yes, it’s a new entertainment service White Star is thinking of introducing for thrill-seeking passengers. Figured they’d try it out on this old girl first.” He nodded at the ship. “Being her last passenger voyage and all, I guess they figured that if the plan failed and the ship sank, it would be expendable.” “And the passengers? And crew?” Quincy asked. “Surprise tour of Davy Jones’ Locker,” Samuel added, referring to the sailor’s term for the bottom of the ocean. “I’m guessing that crabs are on the menu. Pretty much every day” Quincy snorted a laugh. Then something outside the window caught his eye. He pointed. “There’s something in the water over there.” All eyes turned to look, for anything in the water was a potential hazard. Something the size of a house bobbed in the surface waves as carelessly as a cork. “Ice!” exclaimed a junior officer, his face turning pale. Moments later, the ship plowed through a thick pack of slush and it bathed the deck. A slurry of freezing water and ice chunks, some big as a carriage, devastated the front deck.  “We’ve hit a patch of melt. We need to head south,” the captain grumbled, thinking out loud. “Sir?” the first mate asked. “South, First Officer Kinley. We need to get further south. Immediately. Get out of this mess and go around it.” The first officer was a chubby, weak-willed sort. He was the kind of man who’d gotten to his position more from brown-nosing and internal corporate politics more than from hard-won experience. “But, sir, we’ve already been delayed half a day. If we deviate further from our course, we won’t make it to London on schedule. They may not pay our bonuses.” The captain’s eyes narrowed. “We’re smack dab in the middle of a North Atlantic storm in iceberg season. I did my duty trying to get us to London on the allotted day. But I’m not going to jeopardize everyone on this ship by continuing our course when there’s visible ice around us. It’s madness. It would be a titanic mistake to blindly plow through these waters like that. Who knows what could be waiting for us on the other side of the next roller?” He nodded to himself, perhaps having talked himself into the decision. “Helmsman, prepare to gently bring her to starboard on the next decline. We’ll go straight into each rise when we climb, but inch our way south—” The ship reached the the lowest point between two rollers. But before it could climb, the front of the ship buried its nose in the oncoming wave. A third of the ship submerged amidst cries of helpless panic from all aboard. Water and ice surged over the ship.  A hunk of ice shot through the air like a cannonball and pulverized one of the bridge windows, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Quincy instinctively yanked Samuel out of the path of the incoming missile and shielded the elder man’s body with his own. Salt spray filled the air and the sound of the storm was deafening without glass to keep it at bay. The temperature plummeted as the wind sucked it out into the storm. “Board that up!” commanded the captain. But men were in disarray, two laying injured and bleeding in the debris.  At first, Quincy stood rooted in spot, staring wide-eyed out the broken window. The whole, brutal ocean seemed ready to invade their tiny little shelter and drown them all. Then the sudden need for action overrode his fear. At last he could actually do something about his own situation. He looked around. In a narrow, vertical space were several large, heavy wooden boards ready for just this situation. He reached in, grabbed a board, and easily hauled it out into the open. Quincy, at almost a hundred and ninety centimetres tall and about a hundred and ten kilos, was a large man, packed with muscle from a lifetime of farming, ranching, construction, fighting, and hauling people and baggage across frontiers on four continents. But the floor was slippery with water and broken glass and fierce winds poured through the opening. A sudden gust tossed Quincy aside and threw him against the wall. He grunted in pain. But with the brute strength of three regular men, he stood and heaved the board up over the space where the window had been. It took everything he had just to keep the board in place against the gale.  A junior officer ran up, hammer in hand and Samuel right behind him with a bag of nails. Together, the three of them managed to nail the board into place just as the ship levelled out at the top of a rise and then began to descend. Lightning flashed and before thunder could reach them, every soul on the bridge collectively gasped.  Deep inside the upcoming roller ahead was a massive, dark shadow: a huge iceberg entombed in the water, a mountain of ice lifted high and placed directly in their path, capable of crushing their boat to splinters as easily as stone. It would be like sailing into a mountain. “Hard to starboard!” Captain Pike shouted. “All ahead full!” The ship was large and slow to change course even in the best of weather and now they were sliding downhill, directly in line with the ‘berg, and picking up speed. For a moment, nothing happened, then the ship started turning to starboard, albeit with bone-aching slowness.  Quincy shook his head. After all he’d been through, this was how he’d die? Helpless in the middle of the ocean?  He’d never get to see Lucy again. He’d never have the opportunity to propose. Or to love her the way he’d wanted to since the moment he’d met her. That was the reason for this voyage. Hell, it was the reason for his continued existence. For two years he’d been away from London, with nothing but long, tender letters between them, words of hope and promise, of love and teasing sensuality. Distance should have caused his heart to go yonder over time. He should have fallen for greener pastures closer at hand; after all, he’d explored enough of them, being a man who took considerable physical enjoyment in such bodily pleasures. And yet, somehow, his passion for her had only grown stronger. Lucy was sweet and happy, playful and wonderfully naughty in the best sense of the word. He hadn’t met anyone else who could capture his imagination the way she could. Now, with money in his pocket and she finally about to turn nineteen and eligible to marry, he was eager not to lose a single hour more. He had planned to arrive just in time for her birthday in a few days and then the very next day he would propose. At long last they would be able to begin a real relationship in earnest, as man and woman, as husband and wife. And with all the friendship, love, and wild physical lust that entailed.  Unless he ended up feeding the fish with his corpse before he got a chance at such happiness.  They sailed ever closer to the iceberg ahead. The ship’s screws churned and the men in the boiler room were urged to throw everything they had into their task. The ship reached the lowest point of the trough. The bow dug into the water, stuck a moment, then lifted clear as the ship began its ascent. Unlike previous climbs, they were no longer aimed directly at the roller, a strategy that had kept the ship on an even keel. This time they had turned and come in at an angle. And almost immediately, the ship canted to the side. Quincy felt his stomach roll too. He’d give anything to be astride a nice, safe stallion right now. In winter. On the side of a mountain. Hell, he could even have bandits shooting at him and it would still be better than this. Lighting flashed again, illuminating the iceberg. It loomed right before them.  “Come on, blast you!” Captain Pike desperately urged his ship. “Turn!” The ship canted even further. It shuddered. Then a terrifying groan cut through the air.  “We’ve hit!” the first officer cried out. He looked about ready to wet himself. Quincy couldn’t entirely blame the man. He couldn’t remember the last time he, too, had been so scared. The groan dragged on and every man, woman and child on the ship was no doubt picturing a huge gash tearing its way through the hull and cold seawater pouring in. Would they even have time for anyone to make it to the lifeboats? Or would they sink too fast to save anyone? Then the groan was gone. The ship continued to climb. Everyone paused, silent, listening for further sounds of disaster. But none came.  “We’re past it!” Samuel grinned in triumph. Quincy sagged with relief.  “Johnson!” the captain barked. “Down to the hold, double-time. Find out how much damage we’ve taken on. Hartlon, begin evacuation procedures just in case. Get the passengers lined up but don’t begin launching life rafts until I give the order.” The ship rolled even further. They tilted to an almost ninety degree angle. A few more degrees and they’d flip over. “Helmsman, to port! Angle up the rise!” “Port, sir! Aye!” They nosed over the crest and it gave the ship just enough weight redistribution to turn them back upright. A cheer rang out throughout the bridge. It was soon reported that it was the keel that had dragged along the ice, which was, luckily, the strongest part of the hull, and that the hull hadn’t been breached at all. They weren’t going to sink after all. Another cheer rang out. After that, it was a matter of slowly making their way south and away from both storm and hidden dangers. They spotted other icebergs, much easier to see in calmer seas, and gave them a wide berth. Three days later, they steamed past the Isle of Man and turned into the River Mersey on route for Liverpool.  Quincy and Samuel stood on the bow deck with dozens of other passengers, watching Liverpool appear out of the last remnants of dawn fog. It wasn’t home to the Americans, but the sight of any civilization at all, and the prospect of dry land, was a very welcome one. They were safe, their sea trials were over and Quincy was once more giddy with excitement at the prospect of seeing Lucy. The author smiled. “There she is, my boy. Jolly ol’ England.”  “And there she awaits in London.” Quincy grinned and rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation. “Just a short train ride away.” Samuel clapped Quincy on the arm. “I do hope she says yes. If she has even half the good impression of you that I have, I think she’d be a fool to say anything else.” “Thank you.” He felt honoured by the man’s words. He’d come to deeply respect the wise gentleman beside him. His new friend gestured with his pipe. “A bit of advice, something I learned with my own dearest Olivia: do not give up. Winning a woman’s hand can have many obstacles: her doubts and insecurity, her ability to trust, her family, or rivals for her hand. If everything you’ve told me is true, she’ll probably say yes to you before the words are even out of your mouth. But no matter the initial response, no matter what crops up to derail your plans, keep at it. Fight for her. Nothing haunts a man worse than giving up without fighting for what he really wants in life. Especially when it’s that special woman in his heart.” Quincy nodded. “I’ve waited two long years for this moment. I won’t let anything get in the way of our happiness together.” “Good lad.” “And to you, sir, good luck with the speaking engagements in France. Recollections is a fine work,” Quincy stated, referring to Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Samuel’s most recent novel. Samuel had conducted much personal research on Joan in Paris while writing the novel and was one of the first English-speaking authors to popularize her outside France. He had been asked back to celebrate the release of the book. “I for one think it’s perfectly ok for an author to branch out into other genres. Those critics clamouring for more Finn and Sawyer are just being selfish. You’re an artist. You deserve the freedom to create what your heart demands.” Samuel chuckled, though there was a touch of disappointment or sadness to it. “Thanks. I’ve tried to tell them that but critics aren’t a terribly bright breed, only an unfortunately vocal one. Perhaps we should gather them all up and ship them off to the north Atlantic during a storm. But without good Captain Pike to help them. Or lifeboats.” Quincy laughed, then turned gentle and more serious. “I’m sure Susy would be proud of the book. And you.” The author’s face clouded in pain. Samuel’s daughter had died the previous August of spinal meningitis at the tender age of only twenty-four, a flower cut down just as it had reached full bloom.  Quincy put his arm around Samuel’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. I know it’s still hard to hear her name. But talking about her is the best way to remember her. And to heal. And I’m sure she’d want that for you.” Samuel bravely tried to smile and nodded. He gazed out over the metropolis crowding the riverbanks. “Susy always hated the fact that I was dismissed for being a mere humorist. She said I ought to be taken more seriously. Said I should try to be more serious. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I wrote this novel.” He paused a moment. “I based Joan on her, you know. On Susy’s physical description as it was when she was seventeen. And something of her character.” He wiped a tear away. “I miss her so much.” Quincy squeezed the older man’s shoulder in sympathy. He was used to this dramatic swing in his new friend’s moods. Suzy had been a light in Samuel’s life and inspired multiple works over his career. He had taken the death very hard and spent the months since in deep depression. Quincy had done his very best over the trans-Atlantic voyage to comfort when he could, listen when Samuel felt like opening up, and providing cheer or distraction where appropriate. Like many Americans, Quincy had long been a fan of the world-famous author. But their time together had given him a much more intimate appreciation for the man behind the name and he prided himself on having had the opportunity to be a friend and risen to the occasion. To do so was the essence of friendship. “You’ve done as good as any father could ask for. She may be gone, but thanks to your works, both of your biographies, and the memories of those who knew her, she’ll live on.” Samuel nodded and tried to pull himself together. He offered his hand. “You’re a good man, Quincy Morris. A good man.”

Somewhere in an abandoned building, the 2 bullies are following a young child inside the building but the bullies grab him in the back and punch a young child. Please spare mercy, I don't want any trouble, I-I'll g-give you all I got and let me go! Says the young child *Laughs* What do we look like a drug dealer, I must be Fucking joking. Says the Bully  The 2 bullies want to drop the young child on a broken elevator, they thought it was a good idea but the 2 bullies heard something in the shadows. The bully investigates the shadows but he saw nothing until he heard a shuriken. The Bully screams and leaves the abandoned building What The Fuck, why are you running there are no Adults in this building. says the Bully  The young child kicks the bully's leg and runs to the ventilation system. The bully tried to grab him but the young child escapes.  You Coward, you better come here or I'll break your fucking skull!  The young child crawls towards the exit, he was gonna escape but the ventilation cracks and the young child falls in the soft Mattress.  The young child gets up and the bully punches the young child's back. The bully tries to grab the glass shards but the Assassin uses a spell to make the bully falls asleep. "Tika Tika, young child what are you doing here in the building?" Am here because these guys are bullying me. Also, how do you do that?  I cannot reveal my spell, I'll be dead if I reveal my spell to you. Go back to your parents so you'll be safe.  Am an orphan I don't even know my parents.  "Hays" life is hard you know, I should head back.  "The young child collapse on the floor" The ninja grabs the young child and heads to the nearby safe place. The young child woke up in an abandoned house, He's looking for the assassin but the assassin was sitting on a porch.  "So you finally awake I made you food if you're hungry." "I wasn't hungry, and what is this place?  "This is my home"  -To be continued-

Time slows, and in that stretched moment I finally take stock of the absolute shitshow this has become:The walls, floors and ceilings shot to pieces.The mass of dead bodies, blood and viscera scattered everywhere.The gathering sirens outside as the cops finally have clued in.My sister's corpse, being consumed by the thermite charge she set off with her last breath. She did not scream, made no sound whatsoever. One thing that I can console our Mistress with is that she died with dignity. Another will be my testimony on Maxwell Canthrewyn's final death. Of course, that does mean I have to make it happen. Currently, he's a few meters away from me, reeling from a combination of the thermite's intense light and heat and the vampire's equally intensely ingrained fear of fire. Any other day, and his death would've been a formality; a simple execution using this moment of weakness. Any other day, well, I would not be cowering behind a toppled desk with most of my ribs broken and my left lung punctured. The rest of my body has not fared any better; we did not expect Canthrewyn to pay his goons a personal visit and paid a heavy price for it. Said goons are now dead save for one and I make a mental note to rectify that oversight as soon as I'm done here. Unfortunately, Maxwell was supposed to be next, not now so neither of us really packed for vampires. I flick open my revolver's cylinder and frown at the ring of spent casings in there. Sure, regular lead does very little to the Undead but even they tend to pause when the lead in question comes from a BFR. I point the gun up, holding my hand under the back of the cylinder to prevent the cases from falling out, and prepare myself for what will undoubtedly be the next of many godawful experiences on this godawful day. Normally, I'd just make a cut as unobtrusively as possible for this but with the state my body is in, that won't be necessary. I go through the motions, feel my gorge rise and finally vomit a tide of blood over the upturned casings. I somehow keep my focus despite feeling like 70 different kinds of shit and lock the cylinder back in place. Now, for the actual hard part. Canthrewyn is still hissing like a severely displeased cat at my sister's funeral pyre so I take my shot while the opportunity's still here. There's no roar from the BFR this time like with the usual .500s, just a wet splat as if it were lancing a particularly large boil. Acoustics aside, the bullet flies true; a red streak aimed straight for his head. However, he's apparently not as tied up as I thought and he moves aside with inhuman speed, his face briefly contorted into pure indignation before my second (because you always double-tap) and third (because vampire) force him to move again. Normally I'd be here exerting control over the trajectories to counteract his agility but such finesse became beyond me when he ragdolled me onto a piece of rebar a little while ago and I had to spend most of my efforts keeping my insides inside. So, brute force it is. My fourth shot wavers due to my injuries and Canthrewyn seizes the opportunity by lunging at me but I briefly relinquish control of my fifth shot, causing the bullet to expand back into a splash of blood that he has no way to fully dodge. He lands a few paces from me, face slack-jawed and covered in blood, completely stunned that a mere mortal like me would dare to throw blood at him. I take a ragged breath and renew my focus on the blood on his face, extruding it into a series of spikes digging into his skull and both of his eyes. He shrieks and claws at what to the untrained eye looks like a series of red pinpricks across his now-bloodless face. It's not enough to kill him, of course so my next action is hopefully going to hurt him more than it will hurt me: I will the large scab on my torso to open up again and thrust my fingers into my chest cavity, coating them in fresh blood that hardens into long talons when I pull them back out. I will the hole to once more scab over and aim a swipe at Canthrewyn's neck but his wild flailing means I only slice the windpipe. A second swipe lops off a few of his fingers and a third gives him a grin to do any Glaswegian proud. By this point my agony and exhaustion give way to irritation at this idiot's staunch refusal to just die. The next slash bites deeper than the first but still not enough to completely sever the head, meaning it's now lolling to and fro on a body that somehow still has not gotten the message and so it lurches towards me in what by this point I can only assume is a reflexive desire to ruin my day as much as possible. I defend and chop the hands to ribbons but the body just falls on top of me with whatever force is left in it, causing us to fall to the floor in an undignified heap. The impact knocks my head, and as my focus slips, my talons splash to the floor, inert. Thankfully, I hold on to the BFR and manage to slip the barrel against its exposed vertebrae and pull the trigger. The wet splash is superseded by the crack of bone and the former Maxwell Canthrewyn's head at last goes flying off the remainder of his body. I successfully struggle to free myself from underneath the gurgling, twitching bulk and toss his head onto my sister's pyre, which is now well on the way to burning through to the next floor below. Another breath as I survey the carnage. The Circus will be less than pleased that all its clowns are dead and part of me feels annoyed that Canthrewyn and his goons have actually done the world a service with this massacre. But I can't spend more time breathing in the carcass of an intelligence agency, no matter how satisfying it may be to me. There's still one more goon left to clean up; a burly one called "The Dane" or some nonsense like that. I pry a shotgun out of a security agent's cold, dead hands; more for its use as an impromptu walking stick than anything else. As I limp my way down the floors I spare a few thoughts for Olga. I can't mourn her, not until the job's done and I've returned home to our Mistress, but a few short, hushed words provide me a measure of calm I desperately need. I spot The Dane on the second floor, or rather it seems he was waiting for me -or the cops who, considering the noise below us, still seem busy trying to breach the barricade."I regret to inform you the honourable Maxwell Canthrewyn has passed away." I throw at him as I try to straighten myself a little bit more and hope my grimace isn't showing too much."That so? Good."I frown: even a mercenary would dislike losing their paycheck, especially considering how much this ill-advised assault has cost them."What?" he chuckles "Surprised I'm not angry? The world belongs to the strong, and Canthrewyn just proved himself inadequate, just like I-" No, no, no, no, no. I tilt the shotgun in my grip and open up on him before he has a chance to vomit more garbage. The blast knocks him off his feet, although he's wearing a vest so the most he'll get out of it is a light bruising. It also staggers me due to my mangled state and that's why I'm not fast enough to react when I see him produce an injector pen and plunge the red liquid in his system with a look in his eyes that's a cross between rage and elation. I fire again but it's too late: he's past the hail and on me in a fraction of a second and tosses me bodily across the room like a sack of flour. I land hard, bowling over one of the few potted plants that had stubbornly remained standing, and I'm sure I just cracked my last remaining unscathed pair of ribs. Canthrewyn, for all his superhuman strength, was more of a wiry guy but this Dane was already built like a truck before he decided to drink Renfield juice and I'm at this point too injured to really exert any sort of focus over my blood besides trying not to die. More out of instinct than anything, I try to lift the BFR in his general direction but he kicks it out of my grip before lifting me with a single hand around my throat. My lung already has a second breathing hole so I'm not too concerned about choking, but he could still snap my neck like a piece of celery. His eyes are manic, triumphant, and the few functioning neurons in my head fire as fast as possible to come up with a plan that doesn't involve my untimely demise. All of the options I can come up with fail to meet this criterium, save for one. And oh, how I'm hating this next step.I'm vaguely aware of him ranting on about the right of the strong and the weakness of nations or somesuch, but at least he seems enamored enough by the sound of his own voice to not notice my right kidney -or rather the brick of thermite replacing it- burst from my body and into my hand. Doing this does mean I have to relinquish all of my remaining control so all my wounds reopen and I'm bleeding out at a, frankly, hilarious pace. This he does notice and as his mouth hangs open in mild confusion I jam the brick into it and activate the magnesium strip. The thermite ignites, starting with the part inside his mouth and I get thrown away as he desperately tugs at it to save himself, but I train my will on whatever remnants of my blood on his mouth that haven't yet been evaporated and hold fast until his muffled screams turn from panic to agony. At that point I have to let go and tend to myself because I sure as hell won't be outlived by some upstart anarchic fascist. Plus, I have now disobeyed a direct order and the only way to make amends for that is to get out of here alive. I drag myself towards the staircase and do my best to evade the cops who are still working on the barricade. Leaving Vauxhall Cross is, thankfully, a lot easier that it would be to enter even in its current, besieged state. I find the third story window that Olga and I marked as well as the ritual circles we prepared here. I crawl into mine and start the chant, mentally bracing myself for the usual lurch as well as what will likely be a new definition of pain.I am not wrong: my body screams at me as I burst from the prepared corpse in a building on the other side of the Thames in a shower of gore and I'm pretty sure I started screaming back before a pair of hands drag me out of the mess. The handmaiden tuts at me as she checks my wounds and moves to grab her set of surgical tools but I brush her off: Already, my Mistress is calling for me.

The Assassin Removed her mask and she tells the young child about what happened in her home town.  "Do you wanna know what happened to my home, my family?! The young child nods, He seats beside her and listens to her. -Flashback- In the Village named Kuwintar, the people were happy and celebrating New Year's Eve, And in the playground, a child named Ayumi, writing in her notebook. "Hey, Ayumi! Wanna play with us?" Ayumi did not respond and continued on writing "Oh....ok Ayumi Call us if you wanna play...or not." The kids left at the playground. While Ayumi is writing, she heard a noise behind the tree. She looks behind the tree and saw a White Assassin. She was about to run but The white ninja use the spell to make Ayumi Fall asleep, and her vision turned black. Meanwhile, she woke up in the Dojo room full of White ninja and their leader a white and red uniform  "-ugh- W-Where am I? What did you do to me?!" No one answered and they give her tea and a white assassin uniform, She stands up and she runs to the door, Ayumi tried to open the door but it's locked on the outside, The white assassins are going to kill her but the leader stands up.  "Leave us and you Girl, seat down (Translated from Japanese)" The white assassins leave the dojo and Ayumi seats down. "Tell me, why am I here and what do you want?!?!" "You're here it's because you have been chosen to be an assassin" "What? Is this a joke?" When will I go back!" "It is not a joke and you'll be back to your Kuwintar when you're ready..." "Ready for what?" "For the war, or else your town will burn to the ground by the killers  She stands up and she accepts to train. Ayumi trained 10 years in the dojo, She left the dojo, she goes to her town and she was too late, The town burned down and there are no killers in the town,  "He lied to me..." "That motherfucker deserves to die!" The white assassin came to kill her but Ayumi uses her smoke bomb and escape  "End of Flashback" "Ok kid I have to go I mu-" "Wait so where are you going now?" "-sigh- a place where they can't find me and also what's your name kid? " My N-name is- -Heard a strange noise- "Oh no, they found me here take my ring. "Wait, what is this for?" "It's for you to teleport as far away from this fucking Assassins, and don't worry I'll be back for you, I promise" The young kid uses the ring to teleport and the white assassin almost grabs the young kid's Shirt. And the white assassins captured Ayumi. "I'll be back" Meanwhile, The young child teleported into the jungle, he climbed to the trees and looks around and saw 2 houses. "Don't worry Ayumi, I can do this, I will save you from the assassins!" -THE STORY BEGINS- 

[Attention! The ship will take off in three minutes! All passengers, please come up on deck.] A pleasant woman's voice echoed across the wide port square at the loudest possible volume. Though only a few could actually hear the message, it was quickly drowned in the noisy chaos of countless sounds. At that moment a lone blond boy was nimbly maneuvering between the massive figures of the tall hunters.  As his figure slipped past the people around him, into the narrow, unobstructed "corridors" in the crowd, few of those present could notice him.  He was too small and inconspicuous. The boy ducked sharply and barely dodged a sword sheath flying over his head. Some big guy was showing off his incredible talent for wielding a huge two-handed sword to the enthusiastic stares of the kids.  He carelessly drew it out of its sheath and made a couple of skillful rotating motions in the air. He tried his best to do this carefully, so as not to hurt those around him, who were watching his every move. But he'd completely forgotten about the scabbard in his other hand, which wasn't lying in one place either but changing its position in the air uncontrollably. It took the boy five minutes to finally break through the seemingly endless ocean of people and reach the edge of the pier. His whole body trembled as if he were overcome by a severe chill. He covered his ears with his hands, shielding himself from the screams of the crowd. He was so sick that he didn't even pay much attention to the stunning sight before him. It was the first time a child could get such an up-close look at a huge flying ship. It looked exactly like the old sailing ships from his real world.  It had the same deck, tall mast, and taut white sails. In the center was an elaborately carved inscription, and on the bow was a wooden figure of a fantastically beautiful girl with adorable wings on her back.  [Elysia the Celestial] the inscription read.  It didn't take the boy long to realize that the ship was named after the most powerful goddess of this world. The statue obviously represented her as well. But the boy's already dreadful mood was further dampened when he felt a hard blow to the back of his head.  One of the hunters, chatting merrily with her friend, accidentally jerked her torso to the side and hit him with her quiver of arrows.  She didn't even notice that she hurt the child and just walked on by. The boy, who was already choking in the midst of the noisy stream of people, who was already struggling to keep nausea from getting to his throat, on top of all of that, got hit in the head.  In his mind came up with an idea to drop everything and just run back.  But he clenched his tiny fists and summoned all his willpower and decided not to give up halfway. The boy rubbed the back of his head, which might have a bump on it tomorrow, and began to hastily search for the entrance to the ship. His eyes quickly scanned the area, and soon found the three outboard gangways closest to him. Beside each of them stood a man with a cap on his head and dressed entirely in all white, from his boots to his jacket.  Against this background, the black shoulder straps with several stars on them were striking. These men were controlling the line of people, constantly checking some kind of documents. At one of the gangways, the boy noticed a group of children of his age and decided that this was a chance that could not be missed. "...You are from the temple of the Goddess Nikia, aren't you, Sister? How many children are with you?" "Eleven little ones in all." As the boy approached he heard scraps of dialogue between the officer at the ramp and a gray-haired old woman with a shawl-covered head.  Her appearance no doubt indicated that she belonged to one of the temples of this world. She turned and smiled softly at the children who were waiting with excitement in their hearts for their turn to come aboard. "Sister, you do know that with more than ten children there must be at least two chaperones, don't you? " "Don't worry, I'm not alone here.  Maria, come up here, please. " A little girl with two red pigtails quickly emerged from the group. "She... " "She's our nun, too. I know, Officer, she looks very childish, but she's eighteen now.  You're not the first person to mistake her for a child." The woman covered her mouth with her hand and giggled quietly, causing the girl next to her to puff up her cheeks in the offense. "Ahhh... Okay.  Come in one at a time, I need to check on everyone. " "Kids, line up... " the nun didn't have time to finish her sentence. She was abruptly interrupted halfway through the sentence by a gruff male voice. "Michael, what the hell, they're temple children.  Just let them all through.  We only have a minute and a half before takeoff.  Hurry up. " The officer at the gangway only rolled his eyes wearily at the shout from the ship's deck, then waved his hand allowing the entire group to come aboard. The blonde-haired boy nodded to himself in satisfaction, glad that his calculations were correct and that the inspector had indeed not wasted time on such a conscientious-looking group. Standing next to one girl, he entered the ship with all the others without checking. Since the entire flight only lasted a little over two hours, there were no separate cabins on the ship.  Even in the VIP rooms, it was not possible to have complete privacy, so, obviously, that ordinary people were in a worse situation. They had to content themselves with the public lounges, where there were rows of benches and armchairs. But the boy wasn't going to sit with everyone else.  He felt that if he stayed around people even a little longer, he would literally die. He was already shaking, his vision blurred, and every step became a struggle.  He almost fell once, only at the last moment holding on to a wall. As if his feet knew the route, they led him down the stairs to some technical room. He passed by an open door and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the workers loading mana stones into special ovens.  The boy read that further the stones in the device would break apart, thereby releasing pure mana, then it would be concentrated and condensed and sent under the belly of the ship. That's what made the ship float free in the air. But he had let go of this information, which had suddenly appeared in his memory, as soon as he found the dark, empty room. Walking gropingly, he stumbled upon what looked like a small wooden commode. There was only one door, and when he opened it he found some old things inside.  Probably staff uniforms. Without thinking long, the boy nodded cheerfully and climbed inside, sinking into quiet and peaceful darkness. After a couple of minutes h,e felt a jolt, and then the same sweet female voice announced that the ship was taking off and would arrive at its destination in 2:37 minutes.  That was just enough time for him to get some sleep. He didn't know how much time passed before the light that hit his eyes snapped him out of his dream world.  Squinting his sleepy eyes, he was able to make out the silhouettes of several people through the bright shroud. "Hey, look who's here, stowaway? " said the bearded man with a slight chuckle as he squatted. The boy began to sweat profusely, his chest tightening when he saw the men's face so close in front of him. "Shut up, Marcus.  Can't you see you're scaring him? Stand back, come on." A woman's palm rested softly on the muscular man's shoulder and then sent him flying a few feet with a light motion. A girl with black hair tied in a long ponytail leaned toward the child with a gentle smile. "Hi.  Don't be afraid, this idiot won't hurt you... Tell me, what are you doing here?  How did you get on the ship? Where are your parents?" "How, how, how... Obviously, his parents aren't here. He just snuck in unnoticed and hid. And it makes sense that he doesn't have any ticket." "I told you to be quiet.  Hey, kid, come with us, we'll take you upstairs, okay? It's a lot cozier up there than in this scary place. " In the dim light that seemed to come directly out of the bearded man's hand, the girl's smile seemed so warm and sweet.  Except she didn't seem to have any effect at all on the child, whose hands were trembling violently.                                                         ---                                           Mission Received: Description: Take a ticket out of your pocket and show it. Reward: 50 experience points; and a packet of raspberry-filled doughnuts from a premium candy store.                                                         --- The little boy waved his hands nervously as the holographic notification suddenly flashed right in front of his eyes. His movements were so fast that they created little streams of chilly wind. When this did not work the irritated child squeezed his eyes shut and intensely began to shake his head from side to side, his cheeks stretched out in the process and he looked like a hamster. However, even after all his attempts, the invisible thing still showed no signs of disappearing. Suddenly a blue piece of paper flew out of the child's pocket, caught in a gust of draft from the hallway.  It swirled around the room until the girl deftly caught it. "Huh? " "What is it, Kate? " "Hmm... that's the ticket! " said the girl in an unsure tone, turning to the bearded man and giving it to him. "What the hell...a VIP ticket? Is this some kind of joke?  Although I think the kid just stole it from someone." But the girl wasn't so sure about that.  She pulled a metal plate with glowing patterns on it out of her pocket and held it up to the child's hand. "Baby, open your palm to me, please. " The boy wanted to finish as soon as possible, so he held out his hand, sticky with sweat, to her as she had asked. The girl nodded appreciatively and, careful not to frighten the boy further in front of her, put the plate on her palm. [Status] Name: Kyle Monoghan Age: 5 Race: Human/? Class: Druid Level: 1 Experience: (370/500) HP: 5/5 Mana: 30/30 Strength: 0.6 Dexterity: 0.9 Stamina: 0.7 Intelligence: 8.9 Titles: -. Skills: [Roots] (level 2), [Common Language]. 1 slot free. "No, that's right.  The names on the ticket and the status match.  This is his ticket... oh, he has the Druid class, pretty rare these days...wow, what a high intellect you have..." "Seriously, Kate? Do you care about his status right now? We've got a boy here with a VIP ticket, but who, for some unknown reason, is hiding in the lower section... either I'm an idiot or the world is fucked up.  I don't understand anything anymore. " Hearing the bearded man's scolding, the girl pounded her fist on the iron table beside her, then with bloodlust in her eyes slowly brought her finger to her lips. No longer intending to provoke her, the man ran from the room with a swift step while he still had a chance, leaving the girl and the child alone. "Your name is Kyle, right? Come upstairs with me. You have a VIP class ticket, see? You have no reason to hide in a place like this. " Kate reached out to help him up but was met with a silent refusal. "You don't want to?  You want to stay here? " Kyle nodded confidently for the first time in their entire conversation. "Haaaaah... " moaned the girl and scratched her forehead, not knowing what to do next. [The mission was only partially accomplished! You can't get the whole reward.  Choose one thing: 50 experience points or a pack of doughnuts] The boy read the inscription and didn't hesitate for a second to make his choice.  His [Inventory] has now been replenished with something tasty. ******* [We've arrived at the flying island Friendly Dungeon!  Thank you for taking advantage of our port's air services. Next Departure...] Kyle walked down the same ramp. His eyes darted from side to side, quickly surveying his new surroundings. Two-story brick buildings with colorful tiles; well-maintained wide roads paved with coarse stone; large, double-decker carriage-like cars moving slowly around, trying to squeeze through the next crowd of people. The boy, avoiding the large groups, took advantage of his small stature to move exclusively along the buildings. In his hands, he held a gilded pyramid, which, like in a fantasy movie, projected a holographic map of the place. Having found the point where he had to get to, the child was determined to get there as quickly and as inconspicuously as possible. However... "Hey, you're so little, but you're already so handsome," laughed a black-haired woman who seemed to appear out of nowhere with a pen and a stack of papers in her hands. "I'm Margaret. What's your name?" But the child's reaction was not what she expected. He froze in mute expectation, his mind working frantically on how to get rid of her quickly. Noticing that the child's jaws were still clenched so tightly that his cheekbones protruded, the woman cleared her throat and put on her most polite smile, and said: "I'm from the Silver Roosters Guild, you must have heard of us...and if not, your parents certainly did. We're the best... and cheapest guild in the Friendly Dungeon. Here, take our flyer and give it to your parents. Make sure you give it to them. Don't forget." The woman shouted in Kyle's wake as he snatched the leaf out of her hands abruptly and scurried away with his short legs. He walked past buildings with nearly identical signs: [Golden Blade Guild], [Toad Slayers Guild], [Tasty Ice Cream and Fast Leveling Guild]. Each sign flashed a different light, thus attracting the gaze of the many people who arrived on the island. Kyle didn't stand out among the people around him, most of those present were kids just like him. "The 'Walking Trees - Best Firewood Guild' announces an unprecedented promotion. Buy two group dungeon visits and get a branded dessert as a gift for your kids. And for parents, the best ale on all of the flying isle. Hurry the promotion is limited." "My name is Lance and I am a D rank hunter. I offer my top-notch child escort services. I guarantee I'll raise your child's level to 10, for only 2 silver an hour." Kyle gripped his temples nervously. His head exploded with a cacophony of different sounds. He stumbled when he didn't notice some threshold and hit his knee hard. There was just a boiling rage on the kid's face, which only intensified when he heard: "Whoa, boy. You got to be more careful. That's got to hurt like hell...but you know, I don't think you fell here by accident. No, no! It must have been fate itself that stopped you in front of my cafe. Hurry up and get your parents and come back. And on the occasion of the fateful fall, I'll give you a fateful 15% discount on all meals... Well, why do you keep rubbing that leg, run faster." Kyle's eyes went up to his forehead at the nasty grin of the weaselly balding old man in front of him. As he looked up he noticed the name of the restaurant: [Restaurant 'Fried Bunny-Killers']. The hotels, cafes, barbershops, and all the other places just screamed their connection to the dungeon. Kyle decided that this approach probably did work. He traced the correlation that the more the name of the establishment had a connection to the dungeon, or better yet, to the core of the dungeon, the more idiots happily queued up. The deafening chorus of children's laughter almost broke the child's eardrums. Kyle couldn't wait until he could finally get to the right place. But it got even more challenging than before when a crowd of kids circled a green toad on his way. Well, or a man dressed as a toad. The man performed an idiotic dance while singing an equally idiotic song. "Kill one, Plus level one, Kill two, Plus one more level too, Kill three, Nothing ... it was better now to fire the walking tree..." The kids watched the show with rapt eyes, happily clapping their hands to the beat and singing along to the idiotic frog. Kyle, by some miracle, was able to break through them and finally reach the glass wall. There were numerous passageways in it, framed by beautiful arches. These were the gates to the dungeon. Although they all led to the same 1st floor, they differed in the monsters you would go out to first. Kyle walked up close to the wall and rubbed the dirty glass and was able to see the thick green forest behind it. The sunlight illuminating it gave it a kind of otherworldly atmosphere, like in a fairy tale. For the first time in all that time a bright smile played on the child's face, and a flame of impatience flashed in his eyes. Of all the passageways, Kyle looked for one particular one, and soon he was standing right in front of it: [Bloodthirsty Black Rabbits]. He noticed a sign pinned to the glass, like a zoo in the real world, with the name of the monster you'd get to by going through the gate. And also with its description and pictures of it in different angles and with the right points to hit. [Name: Bloodthirsty Black Rabbit Level 1. Strength: 0.9 Dexterity: 1.2 Intelligence: 0.8 Special Skill: Double Earstrike] It was full of valuable information, but the burning sensation in his chest wouldn't let him stand idle for long, especially when he was already so close. He was about to walk up to the entrance and hand the officer in white his ticket when suddenly the message came up again.                                                           ---                                                 Mission Received: Description: Enter the dungeon as part of a general group of children Reward: 150 experience points; 1 AP (Attribute Point) and a physics textbook for university admissions.                                                             --- He stumbled in surprise and fell to the ground, bruising his tailbone. Rubbing the bruised spot, the boy clenched his hands into his tiny fists, gave an angry expression to his face, and looked up defiantly into the vast sky. Where the two pupils were pointed, no one could see anything in particular. Not a living creature, not any other object. But the boy persisted in doing so with a frown. Then, after a few seconds, he jumped to his feet with a sharp and rather nimble movement, especially for a child of five, shaking his head very slowly. This was his unambiguous response to the System's demand. ******* "So that's my brother? " The girl with bright red hair ran her hand over the smooth body of the metal capsule. Her two large, azure-colored eyes stared through the thick glass at the figure inside - a thin, sickly-looking child who looked even younger than herself. Unfortunately, she couldn't get a full view of his face; a strand of his golden-colored hair unluckily covered part of it. All sorts of sensors and wires connected to his legs and arms completed the picture. And a holographic panel constantly displayed various physiological indicators. His face was so peaceful and calm that if it weren't for the occasional rippling of his chest as he breathed in and out, she might have thought he fell into a never-ending sleep. "Daddy, that's my brother, isn't it?" she repeated her question, but the tall man in the business suit didn't answer again. He wasn't paying attention to the girl; all his thoughts were focused on one exact problem. He did not take his eyes off the wall, which consisted only of screens of monitors. All of them at the moment showed the same blond boy in different angles, who, having received permission, had finally entered the dungeon grounds with unbridled joy on his face. "Another failed mission." he sighed dejectedly and rubbed his temples. "I wouldn't say that. Kyle was able to get through the huge crowd of people; he even stood patiently in line. Before, he would have just turned around and run away, then hid somewhere far away from people's eyes. Throughout today, the progress of the recovery has increased by as much as 0.09%. I think it's showing a positive tendency." replied the woman standing next to him. A hospital gown was draped over her shoulders and her silver-colored hair, tied in a ponytail, dangled chaotically in the air as she leaned over to the computer and, adjusting her glasses, began quickly entering new statistics. "We're stuck, Dr. Hayes. What you call a 'positive tendency' is complete nonsense. The fact that such progress has been made today is only a consequence of the fact that Kyle has hardly come out of that box of his in the last month." "It was a room..." "Yeah, what the hell does it matter. A room the size of a box in the basement that the boy sat in for almost a month. Do you consider that a success?" "Dad!" shouted the girl and finally managed to get the man to turn to face her. But she immediately lowered her head when she saw the cold gleam in her father's eyes. "What?" the man asked dryly, causing the girl's shoulders to twitch. "Hmm...I just wanted to ask...what should I do?" the girl's voice grew quieter and quieter with each word spoken. The last words were almost unreal to hear. "Follow me, Athena." Dr. Hayes said and stepped away from the computer. The sound of her heels tapping as she walked to the opposite side of the wide room, against the floor tiles was the only thing that broke the quiet atmosphere of this uncomfortable place. Athena, with quick steps, as if she feared she would be forgotten and gone without her, with excitement in her chest, crawled after the white back of the woman. They stopped at an unknown long device covered with a gray blanket that was almost as high as the girl's height. She was about to open her mouth to ask the obvious question, but she recoiled when the doctor with a sharp movement tore off the coverlet and uncovered the previously hidden thing. In front of Athena's eyes at arm's length was the same capsule in which the little boy lay. She watched with undisguised interest, fascinated by every action of the woman in the white coat, as she pressed various buttons with incredible speed, activating the machine. After a few seconds, the glass lid of the metal cylinder opened with a strange sound. And the girl couldn't help herself and immediately looked inside. She slowly brought her hand up to the interior upholstery, while intently continuing to watch the doctor's reaction, but noticing that there was no prohibition against such an action, gently touched it: "So soft...I'll have to get inside? Right?" "Yes, Athena. Don't worry. I'll help you." Dr. Hayes went off briefly to one of the corners, rummaged through some boxes, and came back with a small footstool. Then, taking Athena by the hand, she helped her up into the capsule. The girl obediently climbed inside and lay down. Her head did not stay in one position, always twisting from side to side, examining the interior. This soon caused her to frown when she noticed something unusual. "Doctor, aren't you supposed to put the same things on me like on that boy?" "No, Athena. They are specifically designed exclusively for Kyle. You don't need them. The capsule itself will suffice. Lie back, make yourself comfortable." Athena had time to twist several times, assuming a comfortable position, before the lid of the capsule came down and left her in a small confined space. Dr. Hayes turned toward the man and nodded and said: "I think we can begin... " However, a powerful bang on the door, which only miraculously prevented it from breaking, prevented the woman from finishing her sentence. "Where is my daughter, Victor? " "Meg, what are you doing here? " "Are you deaf or dumb  I asked you a question...  You yanked a kid out of school during class and without telling me you took her to this place... " "Honey, calm down. I just wanted to see our daughter... " The serious and even stern look the man had displayed up to that moment was completely shattered.  Now all he had on his face was an ingratiating, pleading grimace. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about?  You wanted to see her?  You haven't remembered you have a daughter in six months... and then today you suddenly missed her so much that you took her to the hospital right away?" The man cringed under the pressure of a woman with long, wavy red hair, whose pupils now seemed to be ablaze with raging flames. He froze, unable to respond to her question overflowing with anger. "Mr. Moore, perhaps you'd better let me explain this to your wife." Dr. Hayes with a confident gait approached the man who had suddenly burst into this quiet place. "Hello, Miss Moore.  Your husband didn't quite put it that way. We needed a little help and Athena volunteered to help us. " "What kind of help could you possibly need from my girl? " "It concerns Kyle. We would like your daughter to join the boy in virtual reality." Miss Moore was impressed by the doctor's serious demeanor in front of her, so she extinguished her rage and continued the conversation in an already calmer tone. "I don't understand... Why do you need Athena?  Didn't you put this boy in my husband's unfinished game so that in his condition he could have anything remotely resembling a normal life? " "No, actually that's not true. We originally immersed Kyle in virtual reality to facilitate the process of healing his body. Instead of being bedridden 24 hours a day, the child was able to explore a new world, which had a positive psychological effect and greatly helped in the recovery process." "I didn't know that... It doesn't matter, though. It's all wonderful and I'm very happy for this boy. But I still don't understand what my daughter has to do with it. " "I'll have to spend some time explaining. You see, Miss Moore, Kyle's treatment has reached a climax. Basically, the child is almost healthy as of today.  However, just when we were ready to rejoice in the incredible success, one unexpected problem surfaced. Kyle no longer wants to come back from this new reality.  He feels much more comfortable there. And the reason lies in his psychological trauma - his fear of people. Given that our world is crowded with the objects of his fear, the boy has no intention of leaving the game world.  If he is pulled out by force, it can cause serious damage to his health, and then all our efforts will go down the drain. So we tried to solve this problem with "soft" and "rough" approaches.  We made changes to the game and added outwardly ordinary people who were not there before, to make the virtual environment less pleasant for him.  On the other hand, we started giving him active missions and rewards for interactions with people. This brought some fruit, but the process stalled and has not moved on for some time.  Eventually, we got the idea to use your daughter as a last resort. " "Athena? " the woman listened patiently to the long explanation, but it was obvious that she still wasn't convinced. Dr. Hayes took a glass of coffee from the table and took a sip to moisten her dry throat. "Yes, your daughter is Kyle's sister, so..." "This boy is not Athena's brother.  She has no brothers. If my idiot husband decided to adopt someone of his own free will, that doesn't mean I accepted it. " Miss Moore's calm demeanor disappeared so quickly it seemed like it never existed at all. "Yeah... Actually, I don't care about your family problems. The key is for Kyle to accept that he now has a sister. If Athena can build a good relationship with him within the game simulation, then we can both advance the treatment of his psychological problem and create a bond for the boy with someone from the real world.  For that, he will be able to give up the virtual in favor of the real in the future." Miss Moore tapped her fingers nervously on the surface of the table.  His eyebrows were drawn together as she made eye contact with the doctor facing her. And at that time her husband fled the conversation entirely and was more than happy to dump the whole problem of negotiation on someone else. "Well, let's say... But you can still take any girl or boy as his "sister", whoever can just pretend...  And why do you need a sister in the first place, let it be some brother or grandmother or put my husband in a capsule and let him have fun with his son" Miss Moore put a strong emphasis on the word "his". "We have discarded that idea. Even when we get him back, his psychological state will be quite fragile.  If the deception is discovered in the future, there's a chance that everything we've accomplished will collapse and even the treatment will have to be started all over again. On the other hand, a "sister" is the best option.  Kyle is less nervous about kids his age. Miss Moore, believe me, we've already explored all the options." Athena's mother looked at the capsule, where the figure of her lying daughter could be seen through the glass. She slowly approached it and asked for a chance to speak to her daughter. "Mom? " the girl was astonished when the top of the capsule lifted up again and she saw in front of her the lady who had given her the color of her eyes and hair as a legacy. "Athena. Do you really want to be a part of this? " The girl trembled under the weight of the cold tone of the woman before her.  She involuntarily shifted her gaze to her father, who was following Kyle's actions on the monitor screen with fascination.  Then, stammering, she said: "Yes, Mom." "Two hours.  No more than that. You have a violin lesson next on your schedule and then an extra math class. " "Okay, Mom," the girl only lowered her head helplessly and answered in an almost whisper. Athena returned to the capsule and after a while was ready to be immersed in a new fantasy world.  And also for the first meeting with her unexpectedly appeared brother. [Welcome to the game world of Rakaton] [Choose your character to start the game]

‘Well, not being completely human would explain why I am able to stop time. But seriously, aren’t I a little too powerful with the time stop…? Can’t I just stop time and kill the enemy to farm levels. Well, whatever. I wonder what all the other stuff like Dominator, Dominator eyes and Doroticus summoning is.’   As I thought that, a screen similar to before appeared.   ================================= Dominator- A species long since forgotten from primordial times when the world was still in creation. They were supposed to be the strongest in existence but were wiped out due to only awakening at their 18th year alive. They have great regenerative skills and adaptation. When a dominator awakens they gain the ability to summon Doroticus's powerful failures.   Dominator Eyes- Grants the ability to see in the dark and give information on items and species. Along with that is the ability to see creatures in a bright white form in the dark. Comes from awakening. To use just simply stare at it.   Doroticus- Experimental creatures banished off to a separate realm. They are unknown and in all different forms.   Doroticus Summoning- Allows the summoning of a servant Doroticus if the Doroticus is subdued or willing. One is automatically summoned from the Dominators image and turned into a servant on awakening day. ================================= ‘What the fuck did my dad smash to make me… Today is my 18th birthday which is when I am supposed to have awakened. Anyway, it says I already have one Doroticus servant. I’ll find out later.’   ‘From the books, magic is determined based on birth and is fixed to the attributes given. Every magic is set into the ranks of Beginner, Intermediate, Master, Phantasmal, Legend, Lesser Deity, Deity. I don’t need the other magic books that aren’t dark I guess.’   ‘Alright, I need food and water otherwise I will die. My best bet is going to a different realm.’   I hold the ‘Unknown Dark Realm’ book up and stare at it.   ‘I feel like this book is just drawing me in. In Alboraz’s book it said he tried to get into this realm but it would never activate like it was just a non existent realm. To make the portal you need a circle of blood and an offering in the middle.’   *GRgR*   ‘Shut the fuck up stomach. I really don't want to cut myself...'   I bite my finger and hold in my pained feelings. Blood draws and I rub my finger against the floor. It never specified how big it has to be.  Finally, I take an old beast corpse from the pouch and throw it in the middle of the circle.    The whole circle starts glowing black.    Black goop rises from the floor and swallows the beast corpse and rises in a circular form, similar to a large oval mirror. But of black goop…   “Hah-hahahaha, I did it!” I say to myself.   ‘Do I just walk through the goop oval?’   I walk in front of it and extend my hand forward. My hand slowly sinks into the goop but once my whole hand is in I can feel the breeze of air against my hand on the other side. Slowly I went in and closed my eyes as it touched my face.   Opening my eyes again I can see a dark gray sky with black clouds moving through. The environment being a desert but the grains of sand are a light gray. Scattered around are little black dead plants.   ‘Well isn’t this a nice welcoming sight… Time to begin the food search, yeah?’ -25 minutes-   ‘This place is so dead and the only noise is the occasional wind that speeds by at high speeds. Temporarily deafens me. It's so fast.’   *dead bushes rustling*   ‘Speak of the devil.’   I get on my knees and close my eyes so I don't get swept back.   After about 40 seconds it calms down and I stand back up.    ‘Fucking hate the sand flying. The first time it happened it got in my eye.’   *poosh screech*   Turning around there’s a strange 4 foot thing on all fours. Its fur and skin is pitch black. The thing has a strange mouth with two huge red stained teeth hanging out and large claws. It begins running at me.   “Stop.” I say quietly.   Everything turns darker and it stops mid run.    ‘What the fuck is this ugly ass thing. Those teeth are the size of my forearms… First kill time?’   I walk over to it and grab its foot. I take its large claw and jam it into the creature's chest. Just to make sure, I stab it 5 more times. I then walk 10 feet back.   ‘Good thing it came with a weapon, otherwise I would be screwed.’   “Resume.” As I say this the creature falls over from the foot movement I did while it was frozen and dies from the stabs.   [Level up, level up]   ‘Weak ass thing. May as well take the claw though.’   I walk over to the thing and pull the claw off its corpse making blood spurt out.   ‘It’s pretty sharp overall.’   I stare intently at the corpse.   ================================ Species- Capylard Level- 4 State- Dead ================================ “That’s a dumb name. No wonder you’re a banished creature.” I exclaim to the corpse.   I then pull up my own slate.   ================================= Name- Ereth Vindi Age- 18  Sex- Male Species- Human/Dominator Level- 3 Magic Dark Magic: Rank- Intermediate Spells: Doroticus Summoning (1 contracted being) Skills Dominator Eyes- Lvl Max Time Stop- Lvl Max ================================= ‘I don’t feel any different after leveling up. I hope this corpse is edible though.’ -2 hours-   ‘Holy shit, it tastes like ass.’   *spit*   I ate the meat and spit out the last bit.    ‘There has to be tastier food around here.’   I continue the walk.

First person mode The night passed uneventfully the next couple of days were the same, I visited around the village and made a friend at one of the stalls, even though I spoke about the tribe as if it is small, it is huge in size, the Clover Lotus Tribes is one of the medium sized tribes in the surrounding area, besides our tribe were two other similarly sized tribes known as the Ice Willow and Mountain Bear Tribe. Enough about that, the friend I made is called Yue Xiao, he is born and raised here, he is shorter than me by two heads, he has a goofy demeanor most of the time from what I observed he is casual and generally free person at heart, he will also be attending the Young Dragon Festival that is meant to be held in two days. His family is the Yue Clan, they are one of the families loyal to my (Father), 40 years ago when my father was still preteen, he aided the young master of the Yue Clan to become the patriarch of the Yue Clan later he grew up to become the father of Yue Xiao. Yue Xiao was ecstatic when I revealed my identity, he did not think that he would be able to become friends with the son of my (Father), he declared it as simply a “Match made in heaven” after that he noticed his slip of the tongue and his unusually white skin started to become red looking very comical to anyone seeing it, he bowed several times, but I laughed it off and he offered to buy me drinks, I laughed it off and bought us some drinks with the currency local to this place, the commoners of the tribe would usually use the currency Bronze, Silver and Gold, but those who passed the Young Dragon Festival and became cultivators would use the currency known as Qi Shards, they are shards of compressed Qi made by larger tribes and spread to the surrounding mid and small sized tribes, each Qi Shard had unique marking which could not be replicated unless you kill a Qi Beast which would also drop Qi Shards occasionally if it is matured beast, the Qi Shard of a Qi beast would often be its essence, some tribes used the essence with the blood to become warlocks.  My new found friend escorted me back to my (First Brother) humble abode where I lounged around, after looking through all of his stuff I learned several things about him, his name being Fang Hui, he is the son of the first wife of Fang Shan, his portrait and books portray him as being a diligent and studious young man when he took the test, his results shocked everyone as they were far above Fang Shan results when he took the test, one of the elders from the large sized tribes took him in as disciple, but after that due various circumstances that not even Fang Shan is privy to the information pertaining to Fang Hui since it became a secret matter.   By the time was done nosing about the beep of my well-regarded companion rang Beep! *Information compiled and logged; false information has been corrected. * “Nice, show me the results of the information pertaining to subfolder cultivation” There was a momentary moment of silence then before my eyes a graph appeared. *The information has been compiled into three books with short descriptions Fundamentals of Cultivation: The essence of energy is based on what the people of this planet call Qi, known in scientific terms as Electric magnetic energy, also known as Primitive Qi Module. Body manifestation: The relation between the body and Qi, the body of the inhabitants of this world have adopted to Qi over the years, due to survival. Bloodline Adaptation: Through the years through mystical arts the body of inhabitants has been assimilated with other animals to increase Qi and replicate the powers of the beast they conquered. * “Very interesting, Ai assimilate these books to my cerebral cortex” *Please Authorize* “Authorized” Beep! *Authorization recognized, commencing information projection* Bang Sound cut out and in my head the information I gained translated itself from text into memories, the face of a vague and powerful teacher appeared, he is the avatar I created for the sole purpose of learning things, though hundreds of years passed inside of my mind a split moment later I returned, this is one of the features of my destroyed home planet it is how it progressed to its peak, but it was also this that brought its downfall, a tear escaped my face with it being real this time, I quickly snapped out of it and wiped my cheek. I stood up and laughed, I had now in me a complete library of information, it is still not complete since it is limited to the information of the Clover Lotus Tribe, still for someone to reach my level now would take hundreds if not a thousand year, I know this because I spent that many years inside of virtual space, refining and diligently learning under the tutorship of my created avatar but this wasn’t the end of it yet, this is only the beginning of my journey on the path of cultivation, this is only the theory, experiencing the world inside of virtual space is not the same as experiencing it outside of my virtual space. After having my moment of joy, I sat on my bed and folded my legs “Show me the results of false information cleansing pertaining to subfolder Cultivation Technique” *The information has been refined and compiled into the following Earth Scrolls, 5 Low Level, 10 Mid level, 6 High level, 4 Peak Level. Sky Scrolls, 8 Low Level, 3 Mid Level, 2 High Level, 2 Peak Level Heaven Scrolls, 1 Low Level, 0 Mid Level, 1 High Level, 1 Peak Level (Fragmented) Reminder: Host Body is not awakened yet. Wonderful, wonderful, I nodded my head giggling with joy, information pertaining to cultivation had always been highly illegal on my destroyed home planet as it was controlled by those at the top, so to be able to cultivate even if it was done with a Primitive Qi Module was simply an opportunity I could not let slip by. “Can you fix the Peak Level Heaven scroll?” *Possible, time needed 13 days, 14 hours, do you wish to repair fragmented technique? * My eyes shined with started as I nodded my head, now came the second part “Transfer all techniques to my Cerebral Cortex” *Please Authorize* “Authorized” Beep! *Authorization recognized, commencing information projection* Bang Again, the virtual space came into existence, years passed in the blink of an eye, the wisest peace of information I received was that the techniques I learned in virtual space needed to be exercised with care, since there was a chance, it could differ from what was taught, with that in mind my mind was throbbing I also felt fatigue, I had truly pushed myself this time it was very much worth it. I took a towel removing the sweat off of my forehead with towel, breathing roughly I prepared some clothing and entered the tub outside, it is common in the Lotus Clover Tribe and most other tribes to shower outside of your house inside of a tub, only those in large tribes and those who awakened cultivator talent have the privilege of showering behind closed doors, my father had offered me a private bathing area, for fairness sake I rejected it humbly. The water of the hot tub combined with the picturesque scene made this very enjoyable, I rinsed my mouth and scrubbed well after so much planning having a moment for myself really is the best, I closed my eyes enjoying the water in silence as the water burned beneath the tub slowly warming up the water Stepping outside the shadow of my tub, Uncle Shadow appeared. The AI notified me that there was someone outside, but I assume it is Uncle Shadow “Fang Yuan” His voice reached me, but something seemed odd about, with my eyes still closed I frowned slightly and responded “Uncle Shadow” Silence haunted, Uncle Shadow addressed me without honorifics it wasn’t his way of doing things, a bit awkward, snow fell slowly, it was entering the cold season. Opening my eyes, the figure in front resembles Uncle Shadow very much but something about him seemed off I mumbled under my breath “Scan Uncle Shadow” *Warning anomaly detected; Targets life unique mark does not match database. Host is recommended to distance effective immediately. * “Your father has instructed me to bring you some medicine to help stimulate your body” Uncle Shadow reached into his breast pocket, out came a knife he lunged over towards Fang Yuan Boom Behind Uncle Shadow another Uncle Shadow appeared, his hand vibrated sliding into the chest of the one holding the knife with ease, violent red mist spread from the part where the hand slid in. There was no sound while all this happened and down fell the other Uncle Shadow his appearance warped, and his original identity revealed itself. Uncle Shadow made hand signs and from the ground came several black ropes with inscriptions on them, they wrapped around the imposter and dragged him into the earth. When all was said and done Uncle Shadow bowed “Young Master, I must apologize for my tardiness” I had of course seen blood and dead bodies before, but it would give away if a boy from the forest had no reaction, so I had the AI perfectly express shock on my face, worst was I had become dirty again…… Uncle shadow raised his hands over the ground and from it appeared a clay manmade tub replacing the one that the imposter broke, he swished his arm again out of his sleeve flew dried branches, he snaped his fingers, the dried branches started burning softly, he looked into the sky his eyes released a glow the clouds gathered releasing water into the tub. The technique he just used is Mortal Peak: [Elemental Hand] it’s a common one riddled with mistakes, its maximum potential is actually at the Earth Mid, but yet here it is being presented releasing elements into the wild as a kind of a survival technique, while it could be used as terrain changing technique to gain advantage on others, all within the eye of the beholder, I’m just glad to be able to bathe again and not have to wait until the water is warm or going through the trouble of finding a new tub. Before I could step into the water, he took from his bosom a flask with green liquid and released into the water and then bowed again before promptly disappearing, I just shrugged and entered the water again hence repeating the same process, this time it differed “Show me the effect of the medicine on my body” Beep *Medicine is entering through root hairs, conversion into nutrients, passing into the blood stream, strengthening blood flow, and increasing the bone density by 2,8%* “Good stuff” I mumbled under my breath while a smile laced my lips. Finishing up I dread myself up and went to bed and rested for the night, even if I was considered superhuman even superhumans need rest from time to time. The night passed, waking up there on my chest sat kitty cat, black fur, and white stripes. We looked at each other for moment then I resumed laying on my bed, now I could have moved but I feel okay with letting the cat sit there, as they say it is sacrilege to move a cat while it is sitting. Two hours passed and then a knocking came from my door, I shouted for the person to enter. The person standing there was very short, it is little girl to be precise, she looked at the cat on my chest “There it is that is my cat! Did you steal it from me?” The atmosphere quickly became awkward, behind the little appeared Uncle Shadow who knocked on the head of the little girl “Please excuse my granddaughter uncouth mannerism Young Master, Fang Yuan. She is still very young. The cat sitting on your chest happens to be my grand daughter’s cat who ran away some hours ago, I do apologize” Laughing it off I pet the cat a couple of times before it unwillingly left me and jumped onto the head of the little girl where it kind of stayed, Uncle Shadow coughed a couple of times before pointing to his granddaughter “This specimen is my granddaughter Kang Jin; she will be overseeing the care of your humble abode” The little girl made pouty faces while Uncle Shadow shoved her forward with deadpan face, she was wearing cute red dress with white and blue ties in her hair, it looks very cute, the cat is beautiful addition to her aesthetics, she bowed to me “Hello Young Master, I am Kang Jin, and I will be taking care of your house and any need you may have, it is a pleasure to be serving you.” Stepping out of my bed I walked towards her and lowered my body, I smiled “Hello lady Jin-er it will be a pleasure to have you helping me around, Thank you” She looks at me her betraying shock, she looks down, nodding to me before quickly hiding behind Uncle Shadow once again, Uncle Shadow face which usually portrays a deadpan expression shows a smile, one belonging to a doting grandfather. After biding their farewells, I was called into the office of my (Father), making my way over I notice the snow again, the color is a pure white, the branches they sit on showing their swaying motions. Ahead of me the house of wood once again made itself seen, I enter. Fang Shan is sitting being busy with some papers, he looks up and smiles at me, we talked, and he informed me of some info about the test of tomorrow. The test will be held at the White Spirit Mountain it is the huge white mountain dyed in black clouds, that I saw when I first came here, apparently it is chosen because of the Qi being denser, it also is its highest point connected the closest to the heavens, the people of the tribe believe that those most close to the heavens might have a higher chance of awakening potential. Concluding the topic Fang Shan then turned to me and we had a talk, he asked me about my dreams in life and if I have any goals, silence rained. Goals, dreams, these weren’t things I ever considered, the only thing I considered was just surviving or taking revenge. I looked at him, in a roundabout manner I explained to him what I thought about most of the time, he listened well, his soft-spoken mannerism brought me calm, his reassured gaze did give me confidence, somewhere inside of me a tingent of guilt manifested itself, this guilt was quickly suppressed as soon as it appeared. Being weak is not an option for me, I can never be weak, I need to be strong for myself. Some time passed and off I was back to my abode the outside being dark by the time I returned, I came in lighting a torch everything is neat, Kang Jin cleaned it well. Lying on my bed the scent of flowers enters my nose, I look at the ceiling thinking to myself that living this quite life isn’t that bad, my eyelids becoming heavier. Inside my dream I could see myself, talking with a friend, then the sky started to burn red, fire spread itself across it, a gigantic eye appeared, this happened everywhere, the eyes had red glowing pupils, and, in my mind, I could hear a man speaking “Submit” From the pupils in the sky came endless carnage, millions of warriors clad in golden came down, the process was destructive, the friend I talked to right before my eyes got stung right through the chest by giant insect monster, the academy I resided in blown up, days turn into weeks, weeks into months but analyzing did not help, this was not a situation the AI could deal with, everyone tried to leave but they got blown into bits by the eyes shooting laser like beams at them, disintegrated into the finest of dust, another scene appeared after that, holding in my arms lay my sister, blood covered the tips of my fingers, with tears rushing out of my eye sockets, thinking I did not have tears left, yet here I was crying. My knees buckled under me, I held her for what seemed eternity, my mind faded Waking up sweat covers my forehead, I am breathing heavily, my arms feel shaky, around me the dream is still playing I stand up and run towards the door before snapping out of it I look around again and gone is it, I’m back in (Fang Hui) room, I sit on the ground holding myself in fetus position just crying, letting it all out before I know it my eyelids become heavy again.  

*beep beep beep, beep beep beep, BANG*   A hand smacked the alarm making it go quiet.   ‘Ah, I am awake for another day it seems. Maybe I should stop going and skip school to sleep for a while.’   I quietly stare at the ceiling, still slightly groggy from the sleep.    ‘Yeah, fuck school, I’ll just sleep for another 9 hours or something.’   I turn around to face the wall to sleep.   “It’s time to get ready for school, why are you still in bed? Get up it’s 6 am, I'm off to work. Good luck.” Said a masculine voice from the door. I turn around and look at him walk away.   “Alright dad, have a good day at work!” I exclaimed back in an energetic voice.   *front door closing*   “Ah, good thing he didn’t see my face. Otherwise he’d know I haven’t been sleeping properly and stressing too much.” I murmured as I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom mirror.   ‘The view is truly ugly. The eye-bags just won’t go away.’   I start my morning routine of showering and putting bomb ass shades on. After that are the other normal essentials like face care and toothpaste.   ‘Anyway, my name is Ereth. Just your normal high school boy. I am 17 and tomorrow I'll be 18. I have a normal stature of 5’9 (177cm), skinny but not bony, and shoulder length black hair. Other than that, I like gaming. The game I currently play is called ‘Sodona’ where I'm the strongest I think.’   ‘Now that I am done with my routine it’s time to go to school.’   I start running to school.   ‘Ah, shit. If I had known I was going to be late I would’ve skipped the shower part.’   *car honk*   “GET OUT OF THE WAY DUMBASS!” The driver yelled loudly as I looked to my left to see a truck coming my way.   ‘Shit shit shit shit!’   “STOP!” As I say this everything stops moving and turns gray.    A huge, loud clock appears in the sky and starts ticking. I look to my left and see the truck inches away from my face.    ‘Yes, I have an ability to stop time. It lasts a minute with a cool down of 10 seconds. I know you can do a lot of stuff in one minute, I have enough evidence with what I have done. I have used this ability to steal cash and pay to win in my game. Other than that would be cheating in school and messing with people. I don’t think there is anything that can beat me with this.’   ‘This ability can be stopped before one minute and started again. The 10 seconds cool down only starts when the 1 minute has been fully used. So, I don't have to use the one minute in one session.’   I keep my running going as I head to school. On my way I snatch someone's coffee out of their hand because they’re frozen. Finally, I can see the school.   *ding ding ding*   ‘Fuck, the school bells. I was just about to make it.’   I stop running and walk the last little bit to the school office where a lady is looking at me.   “This is the 7th time this month you have been late Ereth, you have detention for 4 hours after school. Go to class quickly.” The lady says to me without even giving me time to talk.   “Yes, Ms. Vungson.” I say back sullenly while looking down. -22 hours later, 4 am- “Go away, go away, go away, go away, go away.” I say to the creature in the dark corner of my room.    As I say this the huge creature comes closer to my bed that’s on the floor. As it comes closer it reveals the big gray body and long bent limbs.   The arm snakes around my leg and pulls me off the bed making my head slide under the cover, going blind. When my head finally gets uncovered and I’m on the floor I see it looking at me.    Looking wouldn’t be the right word of course as it does not have eyes, it’s just a large gray mass with a huge circular mouth filled with black teeth.   The creature slowly brings its face to my face, not doing anything. It’s just on all fours above me.   “STOP” I yell hoping it would do something, anything at all.   After I said this everything slowed down and went pitch black. Slowly, I lost consciousness. -?- Suddenly, I jolted up in a cold sweat. Everything feels cold. I look around in a panic to see any signs of the creature but it’s just dark.    ‘Normally the things show themselves, so I guess I'm fine. But, everything feels so cold. This is definitely not my room.’   I try to stand up only to slip and fall face flat onto the cold floor.   ‘Guess I’ll wait until it’s morning?’   As soon as I thought that everything turned an odd pink glow. This lit up the area letting me see around. It’s just a giant empty pink ice dome from the looks of it.    ‘No wonder it’s so cold and slippery.’   As I continue looking around I see something on the other end of the dome. As I scoot closer it looks like the figure of a human in a cloak.   ‘Someone else is here?’   I slowly take the cloak of revealing a skeleton.   “AHHHH?!?!?!” I frighteningly yell out and scoot back.   I observed the skeleton for a good minute before the dome turned a light blue. After that I scoot closer to the skeleton.   ‘It’s not going to do anything right? Maybe I should take the black cloak after inspecting it for bugs or weird stuff. It’s too cold here. I’m used to waking up in random places because of dreams.’   I take the black cloak and look at it. The only weird thing about it is the weird writing inside of it. It’s like old runes. I put the cloak on and it covers my whole body and reaches to the bottom of my legs just above my feet like some magic robe.    After I put the hood on it emits a faint purple glow.   ‘What’s going on?! It’s warm… Maybe this isn’t so bad. Although, the cloak smells weird like an old book.’   I look down at the skeleton and notice a pitch black pouch in its hand. As I pick it up a spike protrudes out and strikes my finger making blood draw onto it.   “OW! FUCK, I’M NOT GOING TO GET A DISEASE FROM THIS OLD THING RIGHT?!” I exclaim loudly.   The spike slowly goes back into the pouch and lets out a faint purple glow. The tight looking pouch visibly loosens in front of me and ice surrounding me turns into a light green. I reach my hand in and pull an old book out.    The front of the book in bold reads ‘ALBORAZ’. So, I begin turning pages. -3 hours later- ‘That’s strange, the rest of the book is blank… For the past few hours I've been reading this book and now I’m hungry…’   *thump*   I close the book and carefully put it back in the pouch.    ‘But, after reading the book I have finally figured out my situation and why the pouch could fit the book.’   I slowly stand up from the side of the now pink dome.   ‘To roughly sum up the book it is a biography of the Ancient Hermit Sage, Alboraz and information he’s found out throughout his lifetime. The book was huge so it’s understandable it could hold all that information.’   ‘First, the world I am in is no longer Earth, but is called Duran. It is a magical beast fantasy world. Second, Alboraz grew up a genius in magic, developing many things in the arts of magic and slowly alienated himself to work on magic. Finally, Alboraz stumbled on a dangerous beast infested island(this island) when he was 734 years old while randomly flying.’   ‘The ice dome I am stuck in is the magic of an Ancient Ice Dragonlord that surprise attacked Alboraz and sealed him on the island. The spell is a legendary ice spell called ‘Immutable Frost Prison’ and ever since Alboraz has been stuck here. After a few thousand years of being stuck here Alboraz killed himself. Time in here is a lot slower than outside’   ‘The cloak I took is something he personally made and ingrained magic to. The moment the owner dies it can be transferred by being worn. The pouch is a dimensional bag that can hold many things. The ownership was transferred when it stabbed me. Inside the bag are many books, potions, and some old beast corpses.’   ‘Sucks to be this dude, couldn’t be me. Wait… I’m in his situation too. Although I am glad he got stuck here because now I know what’s happening. Well, time to get going I guess. Better than going to school. Maybe I can find my meaning in this world unlike the last one.’   I begin walking when my stomach growls…   ‘What the fuck am I supposed to eat?!’   ‘Alboraz was able to live off his magic as a substitute but I am not a genius mage like him or even a mage at all?!’    I quickly started looking through the pouch for books that can help my situation. Finally, I pulled out a book called ‘Unknown Dark Realm’.   ‘Before I do anything I am going to regret I should get my own stuff down. In Alboraz’s book it said that all intelligent creatures are able to look at their power in a screen like feature. I should have my own power now that I am also in this world right? Hopefully…’   I close my eyes and think of a screen appearing. When I open my eyes back up there is a screen in front of me.   ===================================== Name- Ereth Vindi Age- 18  Sex- Male Species- Human/Dominator Level- 1 Magic Dark Magic: Rank- Intermediate Spells: Doroticus Summoning (1 contracted being) Skills Dominator Eyes- Lvl Max Time Stop- Lvl Max ======================================== ‘I’M NOT FULLY HUMAN?!’    

First person mode *Emergency landing, entering atmosphere of Planet T-988* The sound of my AI resounded; the AI is a chip installed into my brain by advanced technology from my destroyed home planet “Scan planet” Beep! *Scanning Planet T-988 * Blue light reflected on my pupils and in matter of milliseconds a graph appeared before me with 3D model of planet T-988, its color glowed a soft green, blue and various other colors, along with that it showed the stats Civilization Level: Ancient EraThreat Level: DangerousEnergy Detected: Primitive Qi ModuleCivilization Orientation: TribalAnimal Inhibiting Threat Level: DangerousSpace Time Distortion: DetectedAtmospheric pressure: 1 Atm Oxygen: Detected What bad luck, to encounter such a world as harsh as this one, but it is still better than a dead world with no resources, at least with my technological knowledge and foresight I will advance faster than my peers and return to the stars. *Passing through exosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere…* A huge white mountain dyed in black clouds appeared before me *Impact Moment T 0:59* I closed my eyes and readied for what would be a very uncomfortable moment The spaceship in the form of a sphere opened 4 parts softening the speed of impact, colorless blaster fuel released Bang My spaceship rocked and rolled several times before using it balancing mechanism to find its balance. Pressing my hand on the window it started unfolding, taking my first fresh air did wonders as it immediately lifted my mood. “Hide the ship, mask life force and find the nearest civilization” *Hiding vessel, masking life force, nearest signs of civilization 75 km southeast. * The ship burrowed itself and in the left corner of my vision a mini map appeared, most of the map would generate based on which path I take and would be recorded as a 3D model. Traveling on the ground my speed was moderate as my AI would warn me of any dangers ahead, I could just evade them by walking around them or waiting for them to pass, as the matters related to food, I made sure the AI found a suitable location with little danger and allot of vegetation, distinguishing between harmful and non-lethal was also not much of a hassle. Seeing in the dark was also not a problem as my eyes are enhanced with night, heat and electromagnetic vision properties, my body is also modified to equal the strength of 5 full grown men, with my brain containing several libraries worth of information on how to survive and deal with various situations, topics and subjects, all that would prior be regarded as superhuman was much more common to me as it is a standard within my planet required for basic graduation purposes. Nighttime passed and day neared closer, in the horizon I could see the outline of a tribe built with tall wooden walls and some men walking occasionally, I did not immediately show myself that would be very idiotic. Patiently I waited and observed them learning their mannerism, language, and culture, after that time passed, one week became two weeks, two weeks became three and then I struck. “Modify my exosuit to match common wear for Clover Lotus Tribe, also modify my vocal cords and facial structure to match that of commoner, change my hair color to white and my eyes to ruby” *Orders accepted, using the blood of Fang Shan and Jing Hua as blueprint, please bear with the pain* Crunching noises resounded as I screeched out with all my lungs, I may be able to modify cosmetic and facial features but that would be the extent of it, I would still feel all the pain accompanying it. Hours passed slowly, eventually a tall, big chested barbarian replaced me with white hair and ruby like eyes, with chiseled facial features common within the Clover Lotus Tribe. After being done I calmly walked towards the entrance of the tribe with a sackcloth bound to a carved wooden stick. The person standing on the wall immediately became vigilant and screamed for me to halt as it was a face he had never seen, two people locked their arrows on me with their bows ready to fire if given the command the reason they didn’t was because I looked eerily like them, the white hair and ruby being one of their decerning feature of the Clover Lotus Tribe, combine that with the strong facial features and height it completely match them, outsiders would not be able to tell the difference. Two men with white hair approached me, their ruby eyes reflecting the intent to kill if I made any sudden movement, at about twenty meters they stopped, the one of the two with a scar shouted in my direction “Who are you?” I looked at the two, one of them being slightly shorter than me with a scar on his face and the other held onto a big club with a spike protruding from it, his key feature being his hunched back My mouth opened and out came the story I prepared in an accent like theirs “My name is Fang Yuan, and I am the estranged son of Fang Shan, I have come back to be reunited with my father” The eyes of the pair widened one of them went back in while the other one kept his eyes on me but the tension was reduced by allot, the person I spoke about earlier is the tribal leader of the Clover Lotus Tribe, I obtained his blood through DNA synthesis, by collecting several samples of his hair and some dead skin tissues I was able to recreate his blood, the reason I did this is for what is about to come After several muffling sounds and some chaos, a man appeared with white hair more like mine and face resembling mine, he was slightly taller than me but all in all we resembled each other allot, if his face wasn’t aged, we might even be considered brothers. The man took one step and vanished, he was fast even for my eyes, next his serious and stoic face appeared before mine, I looked at him and a sense of silence engulfed the surrounding forest we are in. “Follow me” His soft voice arrived next to my ears, I looked down and followed him. He led me inside, the inside had houses made of wood, the one he led me towards is a bigger one compared to the others, it also has colorful markings and mysterious symbols surrounding it that would glow from time to time. Walking inside it is surprisingly simply decorated abode, a bed, table and two couches with a bon fire burning softly in the middle of the room, I suspect that it could have been more decorated extensively, but this was a conscious choice. Sitting down on one of the couches Fang Shan sat across from me, his demeanor silent studying me, I kept silent until he was the first one to speak “What is your name?” “Fang Yuan sir” Fang Shan nodded to himself and took out three objects which he threw into the bon fire, first a green fire released itself along with the image of a serpent which flew to both of us and coiled around our arms connecting us I did not resist as I know instinctively that this would bring me trouble, then a blue fire released itself along with it a blue chirping bird sat on each of our shoulders, then a red fire released itself from the third object from it a single flaming red blade appeared and moved behind my back. “Listen well Fang Yuan, this is called the ritual of ancestry, I will draw your blood if it is of my origin then I will know by the blue bird releasing three calls, but if it turn out to be anything but that I will kill you immediately” My pupils contracted with the help of my AI chip, I nodded at his words, he seems pleased by my resolution. Fang Shan swiped his finger across my arm and his from it the snake drank the blood and glowed a neon color, from then it became silent, and the fire seemed to have dimmed down a bit. Silence rang and from it came one chirp, then two, then three and with that the snake, bird and blade disappeared. Fang Shan face blossomed with a smile and positive emotions that he did not think he still had. “Stand up Fang Yuan” I stood up and he approached me, he opened his bear like arms and gave me a very warm hug. “Welcome home my son” I hugged him back and with the help of Ai released a tear “Thank you, father, your son I happy to be back home” After that a feast was held for three days, in this period Fang Shan did not ask me question but enjoyed the happy atmosphere together with me and introduced me to all sorts of people from the tribe. When the third day had passed all celebratory events died down and I was called once again to Fang Shan tent, the warm bonfire added to the warm familial relations of the scene of a father reuniting with his long-lost son. Fang Shan gazed into my eyes “Fang Yuan tell me about yourself” “Yes father, My name is Fang Yuan I am 16 this year and am from the northwest, I have lived my life in the forest, I do not know my mother I just remember being raised by Grandpa Shi, one day when I returned he passed away in his sleep so I buried him after that I opened a box that my mother left to grandpa Shi for me, in it was a letter on the letter was described that I am the son of Fang Shan, young master of the Clover Lotus Tribe” Fang Shan eyes glowed as a certain individual seemed to reflect in his pupils from the warmth of the bonfire, he sighed while remembering his past glory days, he might not say it but he used to be wildly popular because of his features and talents in mastering the art of Qi, but eventually as all people experience old age catches up to him and with that he became more and more occupied with managing the tribe so he had less and less time to enjoy his abundance of resources and train, such is the fate of those whishing to be In positions of power, people would envy him but would not be able to see the chains fastening around them as they got closer to such aspirations. “Yuan-er, I am sorry” My (Father) stood up and bowed sincerely to me, I think because I reminded him of how he used to look like in his early days that bonded more to me than his other children according to him I am his 7th child and also his youngest, from those 7, 4 are male and 3 are female, but each of them already left the tribe to explore the world, there used to be 11 but 4 died due to various diseases, situations and animals lurking about also not possessing the talent to cultivate Qi would massively shorten the life span of any normal human allowing them to usually live to only about 40 years of age or even shorter if their living conditions are not ideal. I swiftly stood up and walked to stand by my (Father) side and helped him up from his bowing position, I never had parents on my previous planet, so this is a new experience to me, my eyes reddened by commanding AI through my mind. Fang Shan looked at me seeing my eyes red his hart felt more guilty, he prided himself in being a good father/masculine figure and mentor so seeing the genuine look made his heart more clenched. He nodded to me “Yuan-er, do you know what Qi is?” Good this had been the moment I had been waiting for finally, I showed a confused and honest face “Father, Grandpa Shi did mention it briefly, but I do not understand it” He nodded three times towards me, mumbling under his breath something “Follow me Yuan-er to the family ancestral hall” It was raining outside, we traveled for about 15 minutes before approaching a museum structured building, with two guard standing by each door and one assassin hiding by in the dark ready to strike or report a situation if necessary. The faces of the two guards were hidden beneath dark cloaks and even if one was able to peek at them they would discover them also wearing mask with more dark clothing stuck to their bodies, the ancestral hall holds allot of most of the scriptures pertaining to mastering Qi on a higher level, those scriptures of lower level are held in common libraries and do not have guards, only those on the level of Earth, Sky and Heaven would be kept safe in the ancestral hall by guards, the level ranking of techniques are divided from low to high Mortal-Earth-Sky-Heaven-Asura-Legendary-Martial Law-Star–Ascension-Minor Dao-Greater Dao There were even more levels to techniques but those would be beyond the realm of this world, in history there are only ever three recorded Greater Dao Lords, Venerable Heaven Seal, Venerable Su Ting and Demoness Sang each of them ruled the world in their era, but that would be a story for another time Fang Shan took the lead with me following suit, he touched the walls with his hands and the door closed behind us, from the side of the walls torches lit up one by one, making those see all hints of culture around gasp in awe, there were portraits, jewels, scrolls, but the deeper we went the more scarce the resources became, eventually only one wall remained with it being full with scrolls with the Earth scrolls being most in abundance and the Heaven scroll only having three scrolls. “Yuan-er in this world Qi exist it is the essences of life….” With that Fang Shan diligently and patiently thought me about the energy source of this planet, he explained that the world we live on to be Xing Tie World, it is in fact huge but I already knew this but still showed a surprised and shocked expression as is expected of me, Fang Shan nodded satisfied with me being a fast learner, then he opened his hand and from it appeared wisp of flames for each finger top, he then created figures representing the history of this world, the figures would evolve and finally create settlement with tribal societies and expand taking over and killing other species in the process. “Yuan-er our Clover Lotus Tribe used to be headed by Cultivator Clover Lotus 300 years ago, he was a cultivator of the Martial King level, but due to injuries from being betrayed he escaped to this remote part of the world known as the White Snow Mountain Region, if one day you have the opportunity and chance, take revenge on the Fire Bird, Hua Clan” “Yes father” The serious look faded and he looked at me again and explained the ranking of the techniques and their use being divided into external and internal cultivators, a person could also practice both, but this would often consume too many resources, Fang Shan had tried this in the past but gave up eventually and kept his focus on internal training as this suited him more. After this he explained that there were 9 levels to cultivation with each level containing Low, Mid, High, and Peak substages The levels were placed as follows from low to high Blood Refinement Bone RefinementQi RefinementGolden Core Void StageMartial King Martial Law Dao Lord Greater Dao Lord “Yuan-er, your lord father is Peak Stage Golden Core cultivator.” He informed me that a week from now the Qi potential testing also known as the Young Dragon Festival would be held for all people having reached the age of adulthood in the tribe with it being 16 years of age. Returning to my quarters I asked the AI if it recorded everything properly Beep! *Scan concluded, 25 Earth level scrolls, 15 Sky level scrolls and 3 Heaven scrolls recorded* The innocent and honest expression disappeared with a grin taking its place, it was all for this moment that Fang Yuan had planned so extensively, but this is not the end of it next he would ask his (Father) to look at the common library and enhance the library of his AI. Fang Yuan laid in bed and took his rest soon the next day came and he admitted his request to visit the library, Fang Shan immediately accepted it as it was a common place of knowledge, inside were hundreds of books concerning to various topics with cultivation being the most abundant, after that Medicine and Hunting. After a brief visit under escort of guards he returned to his home, which was luxuriously compared to common buildings as it used to be of his (First Brother) it contained various artifacts and weapons with some decorations here and there showing the glory behind his (First Brother). “AI report please” *Scan concluded 1043 books on cultivating, 441 on medicine, 312 on Hunting……. * “AI make subfolder for each topic and filter out all false information” *Mission assigned, 3 days and 12 hours required to conclude order* With that time passed slowly as I was introduced to various places in the tribe, the people in the tribe smiled to me and treated me well on the surface, but besides being kind to his children, good father, and kind to other children of fellow tribesmen, Fang Shan Is quite the cold ruler and would do so with iron fist. So we visited the schools, training field, treasury, shops, smith, herbal hall and food court where the tribes children could gather to intermingle and build social relations it was build by Fang Shan as a way to offer a chance to those children of people on lower spectrum of the tribe, even though he rules with iron fist Fang Shan is fair in giving all the children of the tribe a chance to grow and would sometimes favor those children of others beyond his own, there used to be Fang Yuan 6th (elder brother) Fang Gu who used to be a local tyrant, but he messed with the granddaughter of the Head of Guards, Yang Hua challenged and defeated Fang Gu fair and could explain her actions fairly when asked about. Fang Gu was banished by his (Father) with his title stripped. Yang Hua was then promoted and sent to a bigger tribe as a representative of the Clover Lotus Tribe to study at a higher level. This is the main reason people accepted Fang Shan as their leader willingly even though they feared him, he is a fair leader to his people and would do everything for the progression of the tribe, even choosing his own people above his own flesh and blood if needed. On our path visiting places I encounter the two from the first time I came here the one with scar is the School Instructor, Zhao Shang and the one with hunched back is Guard Captain Yao Jian. They greeted me with a smile and continued their day, I also slowly returned home under the gazes of my escort. The escort is Peak level Qi Refinement protector that my (Father) had assigned to me to keep watch over me in the shadows, His name is respectfully Uncle Shadow. Uncle shadow returned to wherever he came from which is a dark tunnel located in the far corner of the tribe, after taking several detours the dark tunnel led back to Fang Shan abode, knocking on the door “Uncle Shadow, please come in” Uncle Shadow opened the door and kneeled while Fang Shan was looking at map, on it were several reports about Fang Yuan and some information about the upcoming Young Dragon Tournament which would be held in a year worth time, he looked to be deep in though planning out Fang Yuan future with care, so Uncle Shadow stayed kneeled for an hour before he was spoken to again “Uncle Shadow please report” “Reporting to Tribe Leader, Young master Fang Yuan has visited the locations you recommended and observing him further he seems to not be a spy, I do wish to report that he is unnaturally naïve to his surrounding and others, the child seems to only know about the forest and nothing else” A gentle smile blossomed on the face of Fang Shan, a relief hard to explain is felt in his chest and his eyes softened, the reason is that Fang Shan could no longer have any children because of sickness, Fang Yuan would therefore be his last child in this life, so he would do anything to treasure that feeling and Fang Yuan existence. Hearing only positive things made him only happier about the circumstances of things, this is truly a blessing from the heavens Fang Shan thought to himself. Again the imagine of a certain women blossomed in his mind, one that he would never forget and was almost certain had to be Fang Yuan mother, It was also the women he loved the most, it is just that when he was younger they separated because of social statuses being to big, it was a regret he could never erase as he only realized later in life that she is his soul partner sometimes love would mean more than social status, he realized it far to late, but by then when he spread out his scout he found out that she had disappeared without a trace, it was simply a regret that could not be filled but now with Fang Yuan he would do better and do what he couldn’t do for her. “Good, keep watch over him, do not intervene unless he is in a life threatening state, Elder Xing and Elder Hong seem more and more suspicious everyday, there is a good chance they will revolt against me because of my choice to allow those of the lower class a chance for growth, at least I know that Elder, Head of Guards, Yang Feng is still loyal to me for the favor and opportunity I provided to both her and her granddaughter, Yang Hua.” With that the Uncle Shadow sighed, Fang Shan dismissed him and sat in silence a dark enveloping him as the candle on his table burned gently and would reflect his shadow on the wall from time to time.

Announcement I've restructured most of this novel to keep up with the behind the scenes edits. I've been working on increasing the quality of my work, so things have been slow. Thanks for reading! A world divided with no tears to be shed as thousands fell to desolation yet seen. There were those who partook, and those who obtained from the conflict, but none could truly escape it. The war between the “divine” and the “wicked” had only just begun.             The “world” as it was termed is the collection of 3 spherical shaped realm stacked upon each other like a beaded necklace. The topmost realm was labeled as the Divine (Heavenly) Realm as it housed the gods made from the wishes and beliefs of the realm below it, the Mortal Realm. The bottommost below the mortals was Hell.             The mortals originally lay powerless in their realm; relying on the power of the gods they unknowingly created through faith to supply their fortunes and favors. The gods who were birthed from this blind faith, and initially sought to grant any wishes the mortals had but soon grew slovenly and complacent as they decreased the frequency and power of their miracles. This of course did not escape the notice of the mortals as they devoted their time and wealth for sacrifice in vain. Steadily those who sat nestled firmly in the arms of their faith decreased, and so with it the lazy gods’ power began to ebb.             They panicked. They tried their hardest to produce miracles to regain the faith they had lost through their actions but had moved too late, hardly being able to produce the miracles as impressive they only reaffirmed the belief that the gods were dying and losing their merit. Realizing this they began to plot and scheme.             Lying on the lowest layer was Hell, a land long isolated that ignored the affairs of both mortals and gods in favor of their own depraved internal disputes. They saw little value in faith as they so strongly believed in the power of Sin, the birth source of the Devils and Demons’ power that only relied on their own body and actions instead of fickle short-lived mortals. They remained firmly distanced, though this was soon to change.             The gods harbored the secret of the Soul. A mortal soul was a mysterious source of energy that fueled only mortals alone. It was originally thought to be useless as mortal souls were neutral in nature and unfit to be utilized by any but their own, until the gods discovered that such neutrality was as weak and could be easily influenced. The more a soul was nurtured by the gods the more the balance would shift. They would create a person of blind faith would sustain them incrementally over a long period. The real discovery was that of sacrificial consumption. It wasn’t as simple as yanking out the soul, but rather a mutual agreement or the power would be so weak as to be worthless.             The gods would give the mortals a concrete divine power in exchange for their soul, using the strand of concentrated divinity to give the mortal a power of their own to use free of influence. Once given the soul that had been cultivated to the gods’ special form of divinity it would give them a major concentrated power only once. The downside was that the mortal would no longer be able to provide the god with precious divinity. This downside was offset however by the short lives of the believers, making the one-time consumption more fruitful than their entire lives worth of faith.             This process was a closely guarded secret that was then made valueless after the universal decrease in the number of the faithful, reducing those who would accept the gods’ exchange. There was however a faint light of hope in their gloom, and that was Hell.             Hell had no knowledge of these souls and thus dismissed the upper realms. The gods sought to change this. In this situation it may have seemed disadvantageous to the gods in their weakened state to reveal information that could lead their source of power and vitality to be trampled by a force that would retroactively destroy their existence and those of the mortals, but the gods were not kind.  It was thought by the races of the Mortal Realm that the gods were benevolent and omniscient but distant from mortals, but they were no great force of kindness and joy free of ill thoughts. This could not be further from the truth. In the greater scheme of things, they were far more deceitful and self-serving than any of the mortal races, only topped by the denizens of Hell.  The gods knew that Hell was a brutal and grotesque place, and that the “willful agreement” would be trampled on through forcing them. This would decrease the overall strength of the souls and make it pointless to consume them. They devised a scheme to leak the information about Souls, and let Hell run rampant to cause great fear and unrest throughout the mortal realm. They would offer the terrified and helpless peoples their open hands, increasing their faith and weakly driving out Hell so the threat of their reemergence would chain the mortals to them through necessity. The gods believed it to be foolproof, but fate always enjoys a good laugh. Word was leaked and Hell came, and with it the power of Sin that permeated the air. Sin was a simple, yet effective power isolated in Hell that strengthened those that used in by giving in to the desires. There were seven cores: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Pride, and Sloth. With each core of Sin came distinct powers. Lust could control enemies with only words, suck away the vitality of their enemies, and pollute the minds of others to give them favors without their consent. They often lived for very long period as concubines bouncing between powerful person to powerful person. Gluttony could transfer living and nonliving material into raw energy to be used on self enhancement, increasing their ability to consume. Greed was the broadest as its direct power was influenced by what the demon or devil most desired. For example, one ruled by Greed would exhibit increased stealth if their desire was to sneakily take about gold from the coffers of the wealthy, or the ability to walk through walls. Wrath directly increased the physical damage one could do in direct equivalence to how enraged they are but could only be used when something genuinely made them furious. This often-left users of Wrath to seem docile ordinarily with spontaneous bursts of rage, or in a state of constant anger that left them useless outside of combat. Envy took the abilities of others that they wish they could be, making them unpredictable in combat due to their wide range of abilities. Pride believed themselves superior to all other Sins, which is true to an extent. The more prideful one was the stronger they became as all sins were, meaning the most arrogant and powerful only became more arrogant and powerful. Their powers were the ability to dominate others directly making them permanently subservient, control massive swathes of land through their “Prideful Domain” being an area they’ve claimed that decreases the power of others and increases their power, having extreme combat skills and awareness of the battlefield through their “Prideful Domain”. What made this dangerous is that a domain was mostly centered on them. If a demon/devil governed by Pride moved throughout a battlefield they would weaken their enemies, strengthen themselves and their allies, and overall sway the area to their favor. The downside of Pride was that they were few; being that when they lost their pride would take a massive hit thereby making them significantly weaker in every way. Lastly was Sloth. Sloth does nothing, wants nothing, and consumes nothing. They are nothing. The less one governed by Sloth does the more power they have. Their defense is the strongest in all of Hell, but because the strongest ones are the laziest, they cannot be used for wars or other efforts. They taste so revolting eating them makes gluttons wish for death. Dominating them does nothing as it would be akin to sword fighting a stone making the prideful detest and ignore them, gaining not even a feeling of superiority. The lustful might as well be having intercourse with a tree or trying to entice a river, seeing them as a complete waste of effort. The wrathful cannot feel rage at something so pointless. The envious could envy their defensive powers, but don’t for fear of envying their slothful behavior thereby becoming one of the slothful. These are the powers of Sin. The tempted the then most powerful Hellish Lord with, saying that he could fuel his greed for physical power by directly eating the souls of mortals. This greatly intrigued him, leading to a gathering of his strongest forces for an assault on the mortals. This was the beginning of the madness, and the rising of mortals. Divinity hung in the air of the Mortal Realm as it always had, and now with the gate from Hell opening Sin began to seep in with it. Sin and Divinity clashed initially as the gods had expected, but they took no efforts to actively use it until there had been a massacre. This was their greatest mistake. Eventually the heated war between the Sin and Divinity in the air cooled, and it slowly began to meld. The gods at this moment began to panic, blindly attempting to retract their divinity from the Mortal Realm as quickly as possible but it was too late. From the two powers came the explosion of a new power scattered, seeping into the Mortal Plane. The newly created power was a Neutral power created from the two extremes; it was Mana. In an instant it happened. Magical creatures were born, the natural order was disturbed as it quickly integrated into the Mortal Realm’s soil, and mortals could feel a power tingling through their whole body as it melded with their pulse. It was the beginning of many races as the bodies of those were morphed and changed in strange ways, but most importantly it gave mortals a power of their own. It was a disaster for the gods. While many were confused and turned to the gods once more, believing that the new power was a gift from them a new group emerged: the “Heretics”. They were skeptical of this new power as they tried to utilize it independently in their own ways, spreading word that the soon to be termed Mana was a power independent that came without worship. This permanently damaged the gods power, giving the already disinterested mortals, giving them their own way of defending themselves. The gods rallied their greatest forces, declaring what would be dubbed “The War of Justice” by Heaven, “The War of Deceit” by Hell, and the “The War of the Heavens” by the faithful believers. The “heretics” that would soon become the majority of mortals simply knew this moment of time as “The Independence”. This was the beginning of the 2nd greatest war in the world’s history, second only to one long forgotten by all but one creature. That creature is Omor, the resident Secretary of Hell.

The hero sits on the ground, defeated. All of their battles lost, not a spark left from the person they were just moments ago. ”Just kill me.” The look in the hero’s eyes is lifeless as they raise their head in a final desperate plead: ”That’s what you’ve always wanted, right?” The villain looks down at the hero, scoffing: ”So this is where you finally give up?” The villan rises from their seat and quietly descends the steep marble steps, stopping in front of the hero. They look at each other for a moment that seems to last forever. Something flickers in the villain's eyes. Sadness? Triumph? The hero ponders while lowering their gaze to the ground. Not that it matters anymore. Suddendly the villain extends their hand and softly brushes their cold fingertips on the hero's blood covered cheek. The hero blinks in confusion, but before they can move away, the villain forcibly yanks the hero up. Turbulent darkness seems to be swirling within the villain’s eyes as they grab the hero’s chin, lifting it up. ”Time to give these back to you.” With one swift movement the villain forces their lips to meet in a kiss that seems both violent and strangely desperate. The hero’s eyes widen in surprise and they try to push the villain away from them, causing themselves to lose balance and tumble down to the floor instead. What..? If possible, the villain’s eyes have turned even blacker than they were before. The villain rises and turns to leave the room. ”This wasn’t what I wanted for you”, the villain whispers and their slow steps echo trough the hall, soon coming to a halt. ”I still...” The rest of the phrase is cut off by the hero’s scream from the floor. It hurts... Strangely familiar memories force their way violently into their mind. What is this? Why did I forget? The hero and villain playing as kids. An innocent crush turning into love. Darkness. War. Desperation. A promise. And... a betrayal. ”I... remember”, the hero finally gasps from the floor, covered in cold sweat. Their eyes have widened in shock as they stare at the villain's back: "I killed you that day.”

‘Man, I’m getting old.’ This thought has been passing through my head quite frequently lately, though I doubt anyone would fault me. Or at least that is what I believe. It is hard to guess the thoughts of those demons and upper-class devils around me. Ah here I am thinking about pointless things. An old and withered man sits on a dust covered bed, stretching lazily. The room he resides in is plain with only a desk, closet, and bed. The room has no visible light source yet is blanketed in a soft red glow. The floor was caked in a layer of dust, undisturbed by anything other than a trail of footprints traveling to and from the bed and door. The room itself made for a strange scene but came to look plain in comparison to the old devil. The only hair on his head was a long beard that sat on his thin chest. He wore black robe with golden lining that hung loosely on his thin frame. His sunken and dull eyes hid behind sharp triangular glasses that complimented his constricted golden cat-like pupils. His hands that hung carelessly over the edges of the weathered wooden framed bed had sharped fingertips devoid of nails, stained with ink. This devil was none other than Omor, Hell’s Secretary. He has been a secretary for longer than the position itself has existed, being the one responsible for its creation. Omor had lived long before any other demon or devil could remember, long outliving the 30,000-year life expectancy. Rumors of his life predate even the first written recordings in the Infernal Script that Hell used as its primary written structure modeled after the Infernal language. Though these rumors are scarce, being mostly speculated as falsely placed oral traditions about a devil similar in appearance. There is even doubt of his race or birthplace in Hell as his skin is without a reddish hue, and his eyes’ pupils are not the traditional goat-like shape that would ordinarily be seen, and his iris was a purple hue that would ordinarily be seen Hell had once originally been an unorganized place ruled by the fickle moods of the most powerful at the time, being titled Lords. They would feud between themselves over land and rights. This changed however after Heaven declared war. They struggled to put aside their differences and lay scattered as the soldiers of heaven, known as the angels, ran rampant. The angels had been organized and structured under the collective rage of the gods. This however changed when two mysterious strangers in Hell created order and forced the Lords to unite. The King ruled, the Generals governed the greater tactics, while strategically selected and positioned officers commanded sectioned off troops. The only issue was who managed the communications network, who organized the documentation that was then created from the reports and field analysis, and who helped Hell’s treasurer with his record keeping. The two strangers after creating this newer structure mysteriously vanished before they could assist in this matter, leaving it up to the king. The first king Aldimix Destim was completely lost without the guidance of the strangers. However, he was in luck because shortly after came the strange Omor. He arrived only two days after the disappearance of the strangers in the same black and gold rimmed robe he wears now. He said simply “I’ll be the one to manage the communications network. You can call me ‘The Secretary.’ If you’re wondering what it means it means nothing, I simply thought the name sounded interesting for the position. Send your worst and most useless people to me and I’ll be using them to immediately fix this problem.”  Despite the way it may sound he is far from diligent and organized. He is slovenly and quick tempered to the point of absurdity. Omor does not seek to further sin, he does not seek pleasure in any way. Instead for reasons unknown he fuels his existence with avalanches of paperwork from who-knows-where and pestering passing demons to shuttle his papers to unwitting recipients. This of course receives much ire from demons spanning all of Hell and has even provoked great disputes between Omor and his “colleagues”. Despite the unmeasurable amounts of hatred and distaste directed towards him none dare provoke him. None are sure of his origins. This may be due to poor documentation prior to him taking the position of Hell’s Secretary but none dare to believe something that simple. There are rumors dating to ‘The Beginning’ of demons, devils, angels, and even allegedly one god mysteriously vanishing after provoking Omor, but nothing officially documented. Though at present he is inactive and has been since the first king. Currently Hell is under the rule of the 14th king and he has yet to enter combat for nearly 350,000 years. Despite the lack of combat at present that is not to say his life is peaceful. I believe there is a scheduled visit with the King shortly, though I cannot recall the details. That is just par for the course though considering I accidently gave him the wrong weekly schedule. Omor thought, rubbing away the dust along the bed’s side. Suddenly his eyes focus, following a sharp intake of breath. “I’ve nearly forgotten to order the demons to distribute the days papers!” Omor screamed as he launched from his bed, causing a minor storm of dust. It’s too late for them to do it. I must do it myself. The door flew open of its own accord as he launched himself into the long musty hallway. Following the opening of the door there was a muffled scream followed by the sound of breaking glass. Omor grunted in annoyance, closing the door to see what had made the ruckus. Splayed across the floor was a frustrated obese demon putting forth his best efforts to sit up without ripping his one-size too-small suit. Upon seeing the door close and the culprit reveal himself the fat demon grew even more furious, screeching “Omor you absolute bastard, help me up!”. Omor merely snorted in amusement and immediately ran the opposite direction towards his office.   … Roughly 2 ½ Hours Later … “A paper tornado? What in the great Hell are you talking about?”, a largely built devil asked. A jittering imp looked up nervously at the devil, awaiting further instruction. The devil’s name is Roderix Destim II, the present ruler of hell. Just as dawn was approaching the scorched realm, he had been violently awoken by an insignificant message delivery demon. On ordinary occasion this would be a serious offense that would net the imp severe punishment. That would be ignored under the present circumstances however due to the nature of the news. There was a tornado sweeping the castle halls. What’s more it was entirely comprised of paper and screaming servants. Wonderful, now I must deal with him again! There’s a nearly ninety percent chance this is somehow related to Omor. After a moment of hesitation, he gives the imp his orders, “Inform every devil in his path of his appearance. Explain to them clearly that Omor is likely behind it. As for the servants I do not give a shit, they can be replaced in the case of their death.” With that he slammed his door on the messenger’s face.   … Roughly 30 Minutes Earlier … In an incomprehensibly large room scattered with unorganized bookshelves and mountains of paperwork abound there worked many tired demons. From tall to squat, strong to weak, regardless of stature they could not disobey their superiors; the devils. Demons were born with a weakened bloodline, having had been servants or slaves to the devils for millennia. The devils were of the original blood from the first devils, generally they possessed superior physical abilities to demons. Their Sin based abilities also tended to be stronger, resulting in devils being regarded as superiors, and demons their inferiors. Despite this harsh hierarchy they were the lucky few placed in a relatively safe office to serve as the assistants to Omor instead of being on the front lines in the war against Heaven. Aside from the occasional mishap or misfiled paper there was nothing to fear. Omor was lax on punishments, preferring rather to record their error and tell them off. “Hey Helper Thirty do you know where Master is,” a lanky assistant asked to another who was preoccupied with organizing a bookshelf. “Of course, I don’t. He could be in his room, pestering some random general, or if he’s going to eat breakfast early, or causing another mishap.” Omor had a long history of causing incidents that were either mundane or absurd, and none knew this better than the Assistants assigned under him. After a few minutes of silence there was a loud explosion followed by a fierce gale whistling about the room, scattering papers. A few demons groaned as they watched their diligent efforts in an instant. Many angry eyes turned to the door that had been blown open. At the sight of the culprit they immediately gave a respectful bow. I need to hand out the event planner immediately! I’m already late so I might as well do it in the fastest way possible to avoid confusion and unrest. Following this thought the wind grew fiercer, forming a whirling abyss with Omor at its center. Though it contained powerful suction force only a specific stack of papers nearest to a tall desk made of a strange dark red wood flew towards the vortex, with everything else being blown away. Without an apology or reason to the now wrecked office Omor bolted down the long corridor without the slightest care for the carnage he caused. After reaching a twisted and ugly door Omor attempted to push it open but found it to be locked. With annoyance clear on his face he plucked an event planner from the others spinning around him. It was addressed to Waldock, who owned this room. Omor then reached into the folds of his robe to find a satchel filled with tightly bound scrolls made of a strange waxy paper.             “I am very sorry to do this Sir Waldock but I’m already very late!” Omor yelled. He removed the silky string that wrapped around the scrolls center and unfurled it with his free hand. Written on the scroll in purple ink was a strange circle surrounded by tightly packed runes. The moment the scroll was opened the symbol began to glow, producing a hot fluctuation of energy, igniting in a pale purple flame that turned to dust while emitting an ear-piercing screech. Upon the sound reaching Waldock’s ears he immediately burst from a hidden chamber that had been covered by a luxurious carpet. “Please stop the screaming I’ll do anything you say!” With that pitiful cry Waldock opened the twisted door. The moment the door was opened a piece of paper firmly slapped his face. “I’m sorry I’ll see you at breakfast,” Omor yelled as he began his morning delivery.   …   After some time had passed and Omor no longer had any more papers to deliver he finally headed towards the lunch hall. The hall was lined with intricately carved tables and chairs made from the same strange wood as Omor’s desk. Many groggy devils of all shapes and sizes talked quietly. The meal consisted of bread made from a black grain only grown in Hell, a slab of unidentifiable meat, and a complimentary lesser mortal soul in a specially made goblet. Souls themselves are in a form similar to liquid after being pulled from a mortal’s body and were incredibly rare. The fact that something so rare was served with each meal showed the astounding status every devil here possessed. This was not something that demons, the servants in the castle, were permitted to consume.             Omor scrunched his nose in disgust. Souls. Every day I hear them screaming and complaining about deeds they were not able to fulfill as some foolish devil carelessly drinks them. Can they not understand what it’s like to have unfulfilled dreams, and incomplete paperwork? Imagine not being able to complete your daily runs because some asshole decides you taste good! Naturally this was not the standard ideal held by most beings of Hell. If given the chance they would greedily drink any soul placed in front of them to further gain power, even if it was incrementally. Around him were many hostile gazes coming from devils with red paper-shaped imprints on their faces. Although he was not aware Omor was currently the topic of discussion throughout the entire castle. He was not a liked figure to begin with and was viewed as strange and incomprehensible. They believed that all of the paper wasn’t needed to tell them they need to do their jobs, and that things could be done currently without him. They also quite dislike his frequent pestering to file reports. Despite their displeasure they all knew that Roderix himself had done nothing to stop his rampages, nor any of the previous kings, indicating some type of favoritism that was seldom seen. There were also those who had studied thoroughly and knew vaguely of Omor’s past. Those few were confused and hesitant to talk to him due to his lifespan alone. Omor sat down beside a moderately built demon in a drastically over-decorated set of armor without getting any food as he ordinarily did. The already grumpy devil immediately lost his appetite upon seeing Omor. “Good morning Waldock I finally corrected that mistake. I hope there was not any issues with your paper. If there was, I’m more than willing to fix it now or later if you send it in via Delivery Imp!” Omor sat in silence waiting 3 minutes for a response that would never come. One of these days I’m going to kill this dick. Waldock downed the soul and left his plate without a care. Omor’s eyes narrowed into thin lines as an eerie smile spread across his face. “Hey Oob here’s a plate for ya’!” a four-armed devil in an immaculate suit said as he plucked Waldock’s plate. The devil aimed for a severely obese demon that sat with a pile of crumbs and broken shards of plates beside him, looking comatose. Upon hearing the word ‘plate’ his blank expression suddenly became eager and excited, opening his maw wide. “Hey Omor thanks for the organizer! I can never remember what I have to do throughout the day,” the devil said. “Not a problem. It’s my job after all is said and done. Don’t forget to tell Lilith to send her husband’s reassignment form.” Omor tossed a platinum coin to the suited devil. After he received the coin his expression shifted into a grotesque smile as he stroked the coin. “You spoil me,” the devil said as he walked away towards the exit. Omor smiled as he watched him leave. Slowly his smile faded to be replaced by a sad look. He had been working tirelessly for hundreds of thousands of years, but now his efforts had become stagnant. On the 8th king he had seen a slow decline that became obvious by the 12th, and the war efforts coming to a complete halt by the present 14th king. He realized that without a direct shove and intervention the war would continue for many eons. He worked in this way because his greatest friend had requested, he do so some 350,000 years earlier. His friend had vanished shortly afterwards to the great expanse beyond the “world” that was the string of realms. He was growing tired and knew that he could not continue as he was.   …   In Hell’s Crimson Castle in a cramped room within the highest spire sat the leader of the Delivery Imp Division. He was an imp with a youthful appearance and a usually cheery disposition who was governed by Pride. Often times he would spread his wings lazily and talk with a joyful arrogance. Presently however he was seen in a rare rage. He had received a summons at the same time he had received a notice stating that six front-line information exchange teams had been lost. Their job was to transfer important reports and information from one station to another in succession to division leaders that would categorize the importance of an event for appropriately intended recipients such as generals, the king, or Omor. "What do you mean someone has sent me a summons, does whatever moron that called me not realize we’ve just lost six font-line information exchange teams?!" He was furious as the nervous and confused delivery imp before him read a letter that stated that he must come immediately to the lead office to present a specified discussion about the information gained from the very recent deaths of six front-line information exchange teams vital to the war. This would be reasonable if the leader of said division hadn’t just learned from the very letter summoning him about the death of the teams. In a blind rage the leader, Naniget, threw a ball of flame incinerating the imp and desk before him. "Absolute fools! Who in the great hell has summoned me at such a time," he asked to the now pile of ashes. After realizing promptly his mistake he groaned internally and rushed towards the office that had been specified.   ...   Omor was busy sifting through a pile of detailed documents relating to each individual imp that died within the teams, waiting for the Delivery Imp division’s leader to ask for a cleanup report and replacement plan for the teams that died. This information had yet to be delivered to the castle and had been obtained directly through one of Omor’s close contacts. Originally, he would never have known such a person hadn’t the contact in question filed a scouting report incorrectly fourteen times consecutively. When dealing with such a troublesome individual Omor tended to directly apply powerful scrying to assure the paper was filed correctly and had learned by chance of the deaths. The reason this method was not used with great frequency is because it required an incredible amount of magical power and time. On average it would take longer than the traditional methods if he were to analyze each outpost throughout the day. Upon hearing this he gathered the collective department and put into motion a huge search to locate each Imp’s name and value on the front line so he could better advise the division leader as to who should replace them. His alternate goal was to see if Naniget was fit for his position as the situation had gone from leisurely to tense. He also needed time for his messengers to reach the king, and thought it would be better to resolve the replacement issue beforehand. While waiting he created replacement scrolls for the ones, he’d used during the mornings paper exchange. After nearly fifteen minutes the door to his office, which by this point is barely holding on its hinges as it hadn’t been repaired yet, blows off flying directly at a startled servant who had been dutifully waxing the floor. The moment before the door slammed into the unsuspecting worker it flew upwards, obliterating itself from the momentum and raining down in tiny splintered remains. "If you dare attack me or my assistants I will not sit idly." Omor said with a calm expression. When the nearby assistants who had been filing paperwork heard this flat voice they immediately bowed and created all forms of excuses to immediately leave the area. Omor didn’t mind and silently nodded, letting the room clear out. The division leader had a dumbfounded look on his face, looking at destroyed door. Ordinarily this would not be a strange feat seeing as he himself had only just recently reduced an entire desk and live imp to ashes but it had been done in a strange way. That was to say, without fire. All attacks done by denizens of Hell when at range are done with some form of fire regardless of Sin, but that had not happened here. The door had simply quit following the law of gravity, propelling itself abnormally upward. Naniget had heard rumor of strange magic from the mortal plane that used words of power to manipulate Mana without fire, but this was Hell. Omor hadn’t used any words of power and hadn’t manipulated Sin. Omor’s reaction would suggest that this type of power was a normal occurrence, but this greatly horrified Naniget. H-how powerful is he? I’ve heard rumors but I have yet to meet him up until now. Why did I have to meet him in such a situation? Ah I’m truly unlucky. "I-I’m sorry I was not aware that it was The Secretary that had called. I thought it had been one of your head assistants." He immediately regretted his decision. Shit, how could I have been so stupid? Of course, a mere head assistant would never be able to discover information faster than me! Shit. Omor shifted from office to office with resident head managers to serve as fill-ins when he was at another office. At present he was at the center of Hell’s operations in the King’s personal estate. Omor simply snorted saying, "If you kill anyone without due reason again, I must file a report for reassignment to the cleaning duty. If I must clean up after every fool simply because they were frustrated at obligations, I would have quit this job and promptly given Hell its just deserts long ago. The messaged conveyed clearly; ‘continue killing random messengers and I will replace you’. With a fierce nod the leader quaked internally at his mistake. “I’m well aware that you’ve only just received the information and the discussion isn’t to delve further into your opinions on that, but rather to discuss the nature of it and who’ll replace them.” Omor said as he began to layout six stacks of papers. Each stack had the list of possible replacements for the ones who died. Strangely he also placed down the documentation on the general that governed the station that the teams had served in. “What’s your opinion of this general?” Omor asked calmly. What, why would my opinion matter on this? “I-I don’t know too much about him, why do you ask?” Naniget had nowhere near enough authority on the matter, and was too far away from the outpost to know anything about its operations or commanders. Omor’s pupils constricted and a strange hostility hung around him. After a few minutes of unblinking eye contact he silently began shuffling his papers, saying simply “Please review the replacements list.” Naniget nervously began to sort through piles, picking the best fit to replace the dead teams. As he flipped through the list of dead, he realized just how effective the eliminated squads had been. The teams that had been eliminated had been ordered by the resident general to go to an odd location to receive a report from a commander that hadn’t been spotted in days. After reaching the destination they had disappeared for 3 weeks before being assumed dead. It’s awfully convenient that all six had been amazing performers. To add to the strangeness, they had also been sent to an area that wasn’t just beyond the monitored areas for a strategically worthless location in a desolate field. Naniget didn’t like it, not one bit. All of the evidence clearly suggested that the general had sent the squads to their death. It was a wonder that this information had come in so quickly and accurately. Wait isn’t this information significantly more detailed than the ones I receive? How exactly did he obtain this information? The document detailing the events included the instructions provided by the general to the exact word. This went beyond the simple reports and filed papers given to him through traditional means. “Now that you’ve reviewed the information, you’re most likely more confused than when you entered. How I got my information isn’t relevant to you so I’ll be blunt. Do you believe that this general is responsible for the possible deaths of these six teams?” Omor said after placing his documents into organized folders. It’s very clear that something is amiss, yes. But can I truly speak my opinion? Isn’t this the type of trick question where a superior wants a lie instead! What should I do? His nerves stood on end and his wings tensed behind his back as he realized how vital the question could be to his life. “I believe he is innocent. How could a worthless general such as himself ever hope to pull a trick like this intentionally? He’d be quaking in his boots long before he’d do something as he knows he’d suffer from those above him.” He replied, hanging his head in defeat. He believes a fool, but I’m much smarter than I look! You won’t trick me into bad mouthing a general! Ha, even the so-called great Secretary is so foolish as to pose something so obviously fake. He could never get a better more accurate sheet than me! Arrogant. He’s very arrogant. It’s a wonder he got to his position in the first place. He’s too prideful to even believe a report from someone like myself. I’m no genius but I’m most certainly not daft. I’d label him as stupid but he’s most certainly not complacent and ignorant. It’s the nature of Sin unfortunately, and the main reason we’ve gotten to this point. Omor was not impressed by Naniget’s behavior. With a sigh he dismisses him, “Return to your duties and await further instruction on this matter.” Naniget nodded and walked away with a bright expression. I’ve done well! I knew his question was a trick. I’m surely going to get promoted! He thought happily. I am most definitely going to get that imp demoted. With that thought Omor took up his folders and sought went to meet the king seeing as his report and request for meeting would most definitely be arriving soon. Better late than never. Illoquist This is what chapters are going to look like from now on. Chapter will be done by either late Sunday or Monday. I run on Eastern Standard Time USA. I'm going to complete this book as soon as I can. There's likely to be a 2nd book that will be available for a cheap price on Payhip or some other publishing site. Possible a self-published Kindle book. That's unlikely as I'll more than likely keep this series completely free, with another series for a price. I don't know for now. Anyways enough of my rambling, have a wonderful day and I look forward to seeing you next time!

[Well then this Is new], a deep voice suddenly appeared while ise was still in à trance after awakening his sacred gear.  "What?! Who is there?!" even thought he knew who it is he still pretended to not know to test his theory about whether Ddraig saw his memories or not.  [Calm down child, I am inside the gauntlet that is on your arm, my name is Y Ddraig gosh, and I am the red dragon emperor of domination!! ].Ddraig introduced himself with pride to his host while the latter was sighing in relief inwardly; it seems like the dragon is unaware of his past life.  "Huh!! A DRAGON!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME, THEY ARE REAL!!! " ise screamed in disbelief while inwardly cackling at his acting.  [Of course they are real!! I thought you know about the Supernatural world with your absurd magic energy?? ] Ddraig replied with befudelment, since he felt the power of his host can easily match those of peak high class beings while still a child. He thought ise belong to some clan or faction because his mana is very flexible and only years of special training can achieve such things.  "What, of course not!! I thought that Im some kind of esper or a mutant like in the tv show.."ise looked at his arm awkwardly, having a conversation with his hand is a new experience that is just to show how far he is from his normal past life. Yeah, apparently magic wasn't enough evidence but talking with a dragon in his arm is too much...  [Wait, are you telling me that you got this much power naturaly?!! ] Ddraig said in astonishment before exploding in joy and happiness.  [Hahahahah!!! This Is great!! If you train deligently, you will be my strongest host yet. The white one won't stand a chance!! ] ise looked a little amused at this before taking a serious face and asking, "can you please explain everything to me Ddraig-san" He is actually looking forward to the explanation to see if this world is the same as the one he knew or not.  [Just call me Ddraig, partner, we are soulbound after all] Ddraig said before starting to explain everything about the Supernatural beginning with the three factions.  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX It took a few Hours before Ddraig finished his explanation, it was already evenning and  ise's parents had just come back home for dinner.  After having dinner, ise laid down on his bed while talking with Ddraig.  "Say Ddraig, is my magical energy really that great? " He said while thinking about the reaction of his partner when he woke up [Of course, if we are speaking in general, then its nothing special. Like I said its peak of high class but for the beings at the top its basicaly Cannon fooder. However Im talking about gods, satans, and the strongest of dragons here not humans. If we talk about them then you are a monstre, moreover if what you said about doubling your reserves in two months is true, then you can stand at the top even with those powerhouses] answered Ddraig in a prideful tone for his host.  "Thats great because Im definitly striving for the top!! " Shouted ise with burning spirit, while Ddraig laughed in encouragement.  "But what was that about high class? Is It some kind of ranking?" He was always intrested in those kind of things like power level in dragon Ball or doriki in one piece, and the less said about vs battles the better.  [Kind of, there are many strong beings in the same ranking who are stronger than each other and dragons are outliers most of the time, especialy when they use their outrage mode, but the normal classification is : low class/middle class/high class/ultimate class/Satan class/god class/top ten class/dragon god class, the last one is special as only two beings has ever stood there; the infinite dragon god ophis and the true dragon great red ] explained Ddraig.  "I see... It seems the road to the top is still à long way... " Said ise with a serious look.  [Oh, are you afraid partner?] asked Ddraig a little concerned that he revealed too much in his excitment forgetting the young age of his partner.  "HA, not even close Ddraig! I just got more excited!!" Replied ise with confidence. He confirmed that he got more talent when he crossed over so with that and his meta knowledge there is no way he won't reach the top.  [Thats what I like to hear partnee!!!] roared Ddraig in excitment, knowing his host is talented and courageous made him very happy.  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX After a good Night sleep, ise began his devising of the perfect training plan with Ddraig, they called it "APOTHEOSIS" to get a normal human to acsend his power to equal and surpass the divine.  The First thing ise asked Ddraig was about his past hosts and what made them unique, but there was so many things that he just straightly asked if any of them were masters of the sword. Turns out that no one was, so the first Direction in the plan was mastering the sword in one year, and with his increased talents and the many sword styles he knew from anime in his past life then its definitly possible.  After that then its touki, the thing that everyone overlook even thought its a powerful force multiplayer that can make normal humans fight even strong Supernatural beings.  Of course he won't forget his magic but aside from the necessities like hypnosism and magic circle teleportation he is only going to focus on fire magic and destructive magic that he will create or more like recreate.  But the thing that will take much time in the coming 2 years will definitly be attainning balance breaker, and not a normal one but an X side like OG Ise's cardinal crimson drive. He is sure he can do it even without the"being stressed to activate it BS" But it will take time and effort, but when he does it will Be GLORIOUS!!!! 

"No." Quinn said with a firm tone, however no one paid him any heed as they rummaged through his backpack, dumping it's contents on the floor. "Lighten up. You're scaring me with that look on your face." A blond haired youth smiled disdainfully while wrapping his arm around a girl's slender waist. "Finch, don't you fear retribution?" Quinn asked quietly, and the girl in Finch's arms shot him a proud look. "What? Don't tell me you believe in destiny and fate? How about you tell me my destiny then?" Finch said, walking closer to Quinn. "I don't know. Whether you continue or not is up to you." Quinn sighed as Finch stopped in front of him, stepping on some papers that blew over from the pile emptied from Quinn's bag. "You're really pitiful. Well, I'm bored, so run along. I'll give you a day so you can fully understand that you're nothing to me." Finch whispered softly in Quinn's ears and then walked away, girl in tow. The lackeys who came with Finch shoved Quinn to the ground and then left with smiles on their faces. 'Why is this world like this? Why can certain people be born above others? Why is life so unfair?' 'Unfair? You haven't even begun to fathom how twisted and dark the world is. Are you pitiful? Why sit here and whine about it? Turn your anger into action!' A voice whispered in Quinn's ears, and a resentful look appeared on his face, but his pendant on his neck, shaped like a star let out a burst of energy, dispelling that strange trance-like state. 'What was that? Is that how I truly feel? No matter, I'll go to my apartment so I can avoid those idiots.' Quinn quickly walked away. Above him on the roof of a nearby building was a small floating flame that seemed to burn endlessly. "This is interesting. I'll let the boss know and let him decide." The flame turned and flew away in a hurry. ... Quinn walked with his head down, his eyes on his phone as he tried to get the evil thoughts out of his head. "Even she left me because I'm useless. I'm worthless and yet... I still want to change fate and destiny!" A resolute look appeared in Quinn's eyes. A scream sounded as a young woman hugged her chest as she rushed to the street, where a little girl played with a ball. Quinn was confused momentarily, but then he saw it and rushed forward. A car, probably some limited edition super car, was speeding towards the girl, and her mother wouldn't make it in time. The people nearby all started talking, however none went forth to help. None, despite their pity, would sacrifice themselves for a stranger. Quinn felt adrenaline rush through his body as he moved faster than normal, his body appearing in the street. The little girl had yet to realize it was dangerous, however when she saw a strange man running towards her, she froze. With a strong yet gentle push, the girl rolled out the way, leaving Quinn standing in the path of the speeding car! The driver, a beautiful young woman tried to swerve, however it was too late. With a thud, Quinn flew over the car and hit the street, blood pooling beneath him. Every nerve in Quinn's body screamed in agony, however a small smile appeared on his torn face as he looked at the little girl who stood on the side, who was promptly snatched up by her mother. "Thank you! Thank you!" The woman said repeatedly whilst crying and hugging her daughter, while a crowd gathered around Quinn, however his eyes slowly lost their luster as his breathing became strained. "He saved her!" A man said while taking out his phone to call the hospital, however none was more horrified than the lady who got off the super car and rushed over crying heavily. "I'm so sorry! Please don't die!  Just hang in there!" Quinn smiled faintly as he heard her sweet voice, then his eyes closed and his life force vanished. ... "How interesting. Don't you think so?" A calm voice sounded and the world froze, everyone locked in their positions as if time had stopped. "Master, he has a pendant that dispelled my influence. According to the rules, his soul doesn't belong to us because he never made a deal." The small flame said softly. "Indeed, we didn't make a deal. But, why would someone who obviously finds this world unfair, give up his life voluntarily for a stranger?" The flame hovered silently, not wanting to disturb it's master's thoughts. The Master wore a casual suit and with his dark hair and pale skin, he could pass for a famous super model or star. "Mmm. The pendant..." His hand flipped and a small pendant appeared in his hand, his eyes thoughtful as he studied it. "Master, if we take too long, the Club will be noticed by this world's powerful beings." The flame didn't sound anxious at all though as if disdaining them. "I can sense a faint resonance between us, as we both found the world to be unfair... too unjust. This soul, I'll make an exception..."  The Master snapped and a faint ball of light rose from Quinn's body and floated into his palm. The skies rumbled as a heavy pressure descended on the area, causing the flame to be stifled a bit, however the Master merely smiled. "Who dares go against the natural laws of Heaven?" A majestic voice full of power sounded from the skies above. Light pierced the clouds and a man with gray wings and golden armor and a glowing spear slowly descended, his gaze locked on the Master. "A mere demon wants to defy the Heavens? How impudent! Face my judgement!" The golden armored man stabbed towards the Master with a sneer. "How dare you look down on my Master? Master, forgive this lowly servant." The flame flew towards the man in the air, and a fluctuation was felt causing heat to be felt despite the distance. The flame flickered and turned into a raging fire, from which a figure slowly formed. A woman, dressed in red armor wielding a giant blade that slashed towards the winged man with fury. Seeing the sword, the winged man blocked with his spear. When the sword and spear collided, the surrounding space shook, and to the winged man's shock, he couldn't feel his arms. Another slash, just as furious as the first descended like a meteor, causing him to block, which left his arms trembling from exertion. "What are you? A demon like yourself shouldn't be in such a lowly plane!" The winged man rotated his spear and a brilliant golden light burst out, turning into a phantom spear that stabbed towards the woman in red. "You aren't even worthy to carry Master's shoes. What would an angel like you know other than how to spout nonsense?" The woman in red asked with a disdainful smile as she swung her sword. As if a typhoon swept through the area, wind rushed and cracked as the red sword and phantom spear collided in a series of sparks. As the two above clashed, the Master gently smiled and stroked Quinn's soul gently, as if caressing a baby. "You also found out the truth of this world. That it is unfair, that it's unjust. Then why not join my struggle to change it?" The Master smiled as Quinn's soul let out a faint light. "You still wish to live despite knowing the odds are against you? How far would you go to change the world? Would you give up your humanity?" Quinn's soul faintly shook and the Master smiled as a faint outline of Quinn appeared with  surprised look on his face. "Who are yo-" His voice came to a stop when the man smiled gently, his waist length black hair moving in the breeze generated by the fighters up above. "As you can see, this is the true nature of the world. Those that wish to keep it corrupt, and those that wish to change it. What will you decide?" The Master tilted his head slightly as Quinn looked up at the two fighting. "I... I want to change it. Even if I'm not human anymore, I'm already dead. What can a dead man do?" Quinn asked softly. "More than you know. I can help you reincarnate, however that would mean that you're my child. Are you willing?" The Master asked Quinn who froze slightly. Quinn never had a family, so hearing this shocked him. Up above, the woman in red looked distracted when she heard her master's words. "Your child? I've never had a parent before. I accept, even if it kills me, I will make a change." Quinn said resolutely. "Very well. Jezebeth, stop fooling around. Sleep for now my child." The Master flipped a hand and Quinn's shadow vanished. "Yes Master!" Jezebeth smiled as her eyes lit up with flames, and her sword grew hotter by the second. After a few slashes of her sword, the angel couldn't withstand the heat and changed the target to the Master on the ground. 'Since I can't easily beat you, I'll take your Master hostage and then deal with you!' The angel flew down rapidly. Before he could make it a foot further, a sword made of condensed flame pierced through his golden armor and wreaking havoc within the his body. The angel spat blood as he stared at Jezebeth in disbelief! He fought her just now and she was at most near his strength, however she now managed to fatally wound him with one attack! "Cough! You! Vile thing!" Before he could curse either of them, Jezebeth pulled her sword free and slashed down heavily. The angel's head seperated from his body and fell to the ground, followed by his body. Jezebeth rolled her eyes and then flew down to the Master. "Master! Jezebeth has disposed of the annoying fly!" With a grin, she stood behind the Master and looked at Quinn's soul. "You could have ended it at the first exchange. You are as carefree as ever." The Master said with a smile. "Master knows me best. Are we returning now Master?" Jezebeth asked and the Master nodded. ...  

dreamver2 Well, here's the really long bit that's the bulk of the story! (2/3) *** When the system dialed up, my previously black vision was greeted by a swathe of white. Matte walls framed chairs that were as simple and boring as geometry questions brought to life, and grayish light filtered through a few windows, illuminating specs of dust that were like sneeze-inducing snow. The place was reasonably organized and chic, books and plants placed along shelves like in some movie—more showy than lived-in, really. Dorm room chic, if I had to be specific. This had to be a joke, right? I didn’t know what my biggest Christmas wish was, but dealing with this room was on my naughty list. Had I purchased a set for augmented rather than virtual reality? If that was the case, that was some of the most blatantly false advertising I had ever seen, and this was coming from someone who fell for scams like placebo buttons at intersections and cheap mood bracelets that broke in five minutes. I even reached out and touched my faux leather couch, and the texture was so accurate that either this technology was quite advanced or I had been conned into giving up my rainy-day fund—which, admittedly, wasn’t very much since I resorted to buying a disposable VR system. However, there was soon a set of ominous knocks on my door, and I froze like the heater shut off. Most likely, the only people here were for maintenance, and I wasn’t expecting any visitors. What code violation had I committed this time? It wasn’t like I was running a hot pot by a gas line again (highly unrecommended). Through the small peephole that made me rise to my tiptoes, I spotted a fisheye rendition of my two friends—Claire and Lori—standing outside my room. They were dressed in gaudy Christmas sweaters—ugly things with as much fleece as cat hair and enough lights that they could be seen from space. What the hell were these two doing here? Right. This would be the first genuine test of the VR set, and it was already apparent that the emotional effects would not kick in until later. Sure, my friends could surprise me like this, but who in the world would have paid for an express trip back from Canada just to screw with me? Not even these two would have, but had they not gone in the first place? As if strangers stood beyond my door—perhaps like in those horror movies where people were skinned alive and became costumes for the perpetrators—I yelled, “Claire! Lori! Why are you two here?” The wood vibrated and made me recoil. Definitely Claire. “Open the hell up! You’re not backing out on the party now! We’ve even got some snacks.” The indistinct rattling of chip bags punctuated her demands. “We brought like half the girls in our department! Come on!” Lori added. “What party are you…?” As I spoke, the lights in my room dimmed as if I were in a movie theatre or stage show—as if this were all a prank. The floor rumbled like a volcano before exploding in the sound of muffled EDM from boomboxes, giving the room an auditory haze. Glasses clanged behind me, and when I turned around, it was like I was the perfect hostess. Though on a smaller scale, the ugly stump of a tree from before now rivalled the one sitting in Times Square, and it was now covered in ornaments and garlands to the extent that its green leaves barely poked through metallic sheens and candy cane patterns. Snowflakes hung like little roundabouts in a nursery, shining like glimmers of fractured glass. I wondered if they were just as sharp, but the soft edges of a sleigh ride diorama left on loop like a toy train in the living room balanced the pointed glitter. There was no doubt about it; this system was not a hoax! Figuring the worst that could happen by now was a technological meltdown, I sighed yet grinned, clicking the lock on the door to allow Claire and Lori inside. “Come on—” When my friends said they brought half the department, they weren’t kidding. I stiffened awkwardly by the door, attempting to hold my ground. Claire was prone to exaggerations that were as unfounded as fables and folklore, but the subsequent rush of people entering like a great flood was coming substantiated her statement. How the hell was my room going to fit this many girls, and wasn’t this against some fire code? We’d need to open up the whole floor for a slight chance of not turning into sardines. Yet while I worried like there was an incoming catastrophe, I glanced back into the room, now wallowing in the isolation of knowing nobody in such a large crowd, searching endlessly for someone who may or may not be present. If this wasn’t the VR technology working its magic, I was surely in a Picasso or Dalí painting with all the surrealism surrounding me, lurking in a dream. Long gone were my two friends, buried in rings of partygoers, and the apartment walls gave way to older plaster and wooden boards on accent walls, the furniture now in warm, earthy tones. It wasn’t like this place was now a mansion, but a quick stroll into the airy space of the living room led to a corridor with several small bedrooms, each with speckles of light from the afternoon sun passing through the door in the shape of a triangle. At the end of the hall, just after a meek closet that rested in the shadows, was a larger bedroom that remained closed, and the people at the celebration soon filtered into every room but those two, crowding the hallway like a clogged drain. It was soon obvious: This was my childhood home, but the views from the window were as if it had been superimposed onto a loft with the same views as my dorm. I pushed through the chaos. If the place of my dreams happened to be the blending of my two worlds, would it also mean that my parents were somewhere to be found, specifically beyond that barred door? Maybe I would get to see them after all today. And maybe they would be just as sweet and soft as I remembered they were after having not seen them since the summer, only occasionally hearing my mother’s worried, nagging voice through the phone alongside my dad’s baritone interjections. Of course, moving through a crowd this dense was easier said than done, and I wanted to scold Claire and Lori for not having a little more discretion about the number of people they dragged or herded here. Knowing them, there was totally some silly coercion involved. While not particularly bothered, I moved like a firefighter on her mission, clearing the way and shouting when necessary. After all, I was the one in control of this scenario, and while I did feel bad about being so commandeering because everyone here looked and felt real with the sweat and roughness of their clothes, I kept in mind this was just a simulation. However, though everyone else parted like continental drift, I managed to run into someone whose frame stuck out, halting me. “Sorry,” I instinctively muttered, embarrassed but not necessarily shy as the music nearly drowned out my voice. “Gotta get through—” I glanced up at the woman, realizing I had decked her arm and shoulder. My breath caught like it had been ensnared by a fishing line. Fuck. She was exactly my type. With short black hair in an undercut, her bangs swooshed over her head as effortlessly as a particular shoe logo, the rest of her hair dangling as if she were a model for the sweatpants and combat boots that caught my attention while looking down. Layered atop the straps of a dark sports bra, she wore a white sleeveless shirt with the black outline of a hand with only the nails on the middle and ring fingers cut short—basically, about the gayest image on a shirt short of writing “LESBIAN” or “BI” directly. It probably would have made me audibly cackle had I not caught sight of her toned muscles, which were dyed more in a sandy color than the almost woody tone of my own skin. So… about those posts online about muscular girls? Yeah, she deserved rambles of appreciation, especially as all these features nestled a face with a gentler appearance, straddled somewhere between Japanese features like mine and perhaps some European ancestry. Her expression showed no traces of concern, her nose and jaw pointed yet evocative of the kind of prowess that sought to care and protect rather than harm. I figured even her hazel eyes would glow if she weren’t stuck in the dark nooks of a college party. I grew self-conscious under her strong gaze, wondering if she would consider giving me her attention but growing doubtful until she acknowledged me with an eyebrow raise. Hah, sanity? What was that? But I had never seen her before, right? Was this the VR creating the illusion of the perfect woman, or had her face escaped my conscious awareness at some point in the past, only to have this information excavated for a fantasy? I doubted the legitimacy of my second guess since I surely would have recalled a woman like her if she had entered so much as my peripheral vision. Still, I grew flushed as she placed a hand on my shoulder, staring for just a second too long, asking, “Are you okay, beautiful?” If I wasn’t already burning up, I was now a nuclear reactor when I nodded back. “I’m all good.” The radiant smile she returned was about one second away from blinding me from my mission, but like the beauty of an eclipse, I forced myself to stare at some point away from her so as not to ruin my eyes. If I spoiled my standards by setting them too high in this simulation, would I forever reach for a person who was so ethereal that she couldn’t exist? Awkwardly, I squirmed my way out of the conversation with another head bob, running off like some flustered heroine in a drama. Three-quarters of the way down the hall, I paused, peering back, and I found the woman still staring at me, a rosy tint painting her face. She waved with an air of confidence that was beyond even my expectations. No! Looking at the sun was bad! I straightened up, turning around and leaping to the master bedroom. I had to remember this was a dream. I didn’t need to start talking to her and getting attached. But why? Wasn’t this technology created to allow me to enjoy myself, nursing a lonely heart to full health through the perfect satisfaction of wishes? Why, then, was I so opposed to my own happiness when it was practically spoon-fed to me? Shaking my head, I jangled the doorknob and found it was completely locked. Perhaps it was like an invisible barrier in a video game that aimed to keep me from going out of bounds, so to speak. Doing the exact same thing and expecting different results was sometimes called insanity. Such a rule did not apply when no other rules of logic did either, and after a few more seconds of fiddling with the knob, it spun with no resistance, nearly coming unhinged with the amount of force I was using. When I entered, the bedroom felt antiquated compared to the hazy, modern vibe of the party right outside. It was like an old storage unit with tarps and blankets holding years of dust, just waiting to be disturbed like an ant bed. My parents had always been like that, leaving wrappings and whatnot on things of high value. (Whereas I thought it was a little idiotic—why buy the couches in the first place only to treat them like expensive, untouchable piggy banks?) It sounded like a “rich people” quirk, but it was puzzling that we weren’t so well-off, though the restriction of dust coverings was not applicable outside this sole room. And even though I always had my two cents to give about this choice of theirs, I found myself smiling. It really was just like being back home—joys, frustrations, and all. “Misha?” Still beside the doorway and barely conscious of the rumbling of the party beyond it, I froze. “You’re here? I thought you wouldn’t be coming home. Did something happen?” I was caught off-guard by a voice that was somehow raucous and comforting, discordant yet familiar simultaneously. Glancing down at the one uncovered article of furniture—a bed with antiquated quilts and embroidery as if it came out of a senior living facility from decades ago—my mother peered through me with eyes that were like gray clouds in the sky, uncertain if they would pour just yet. My father was behind her with perhaps an even more perturbed expression, and they ushered me over with a few hand gestures. Well, they wouldn’t have to tell me twice. I ran as if I were being chased. But even with the VR system, it seemed incredulous to me that I would get to spend time with them. And when I finally hugged them, feeling the warmth and steady heartbeats that were as crucial to me as fingerprints, I found myself sniffling. It really did seem like I was with them, and for a moment, I let myself forget this was all an illusion. “I love you, M— Misha. I’m so glad to see you today for any reason. You’re the best surprise we could ever get,” my dad said choppily as he rubbed my back, sometimes struggling with his words and translations. Despite the sanitary dialogue, I kept sobbing. I didn’t think I could get luckier when it came to my parents—when it came to having people who would love me no matter what. Even if this scenario was fake, this thrill and acceptance were very real. And while I was enveloped in that hug, strangled by my own feelings of wanting to be a better daughter by visiting more often, the two frames that had been softened by age melded into a single, much stronger body. Soft tears escaping my closed eyes, I prolonged the embrace with a tight squeeze before backing away and wiping my face. When my vision cleared, hazel eyes and black hair of a length between that of my parents’ long and buzz-cut styles filled my gaze, and it took me a moment to process… Oh. Why the fuck was everything moving so fast and leaving me behind tonight? The simulation changed again, and the woman from earlier was now between my hands, stiff and awkward as if she was caught by surprise. The surroundings were back to the languid coldness of my dorm room, hardly decorated and about as dull as the edge of a worn knife, and we sat upon the hard futon in the back corner, the dull vibrations of party music so faint that even a yippy, sleeping animal would not have stirred. “Sorry again,” I told her when my mind cleared. “It seems like all I have is stuff to apologize for today.” Through a faint sob, I laughed, trying to make her feel relaxed. It worked as her biceps became more pliant under my touch, and she smiled with me. “When did you get here?” She made a soft noise. “I don’t think that’s the most important question.” “Hm?” “Are you okay?” Raising her arm, she headed straight for the top of my head, presumably to rub it, but she hesitated, retracting her hand an inch like she rethought the action altogether. I glanced up at her fingers. “That’s fine, you know.” With that sparkling grin again, though more somber this time, she let her hand descend upon my wiry, straight hair that was like strings of thin pencil lead that were long enough to be barely flexible but still not nearly the length I desired, making me almost frown. But I smiled when she gently stroked my head as if she were touching yarn of the finest quality, threading through the knots until she reached the bottom with each hand motion. From this angle, she was like a husky: tough and strong on the outside but equally gentle and sweet when in her comfort zone. And by contrast, I was about ready to purr like a tabby cat. I continued, “But I’m okay. I just got to see my parents for the first time in a while, so I’m a little emotional. Nothing bad.” I figured she would be puzzled, but she grinned. “I’m glad. I’m sure you’ll get to see them for real soon.” “For real”? How would this system have any concept of fantasy and reality? I stiffened, wondering if the robots had grown too sentient or self-aware in programming dialogue like this. To not arouse any suspicion—was I now a foreign entity, a target of antimalware?—I let my body fall lax and nodded. As I tightly embraced her once more and probably constricted her lungs, I mumbled into her shoulder, “I hope to see them lots more. I love them so much, even though they’re weirdos sometimes.” I backed away from her so that we could both breathe, asking, “You know, you’ve been so kind as to comfort me tonight, and I haven’t even asked your name.” “It’s Bri.” “Well, that’s a lovely name,” I said, vaguely flirting. I was about one slip of my inhibitions away from saying it would sound nice to moan, but I wasn’t going to come on too strong, even if there was no chance of it going poorly. I gave her my name and told her, “Bri, thank you for sitting with me.” “Well, of course.” She placed her hands on each side of my face like she was holding either a vase or fish—depending on how hard she subsequently pressed my lips, though I hoped she would softly do so with her own. “I can’t let a cutie like you be sad on Christmas,” she said in her typical tone before her voice dropped to a raspy murmur, “and I can’t let myself be either.” In this position, we were only a few inches away from each other, and although this was a simulation—although this situation was artificial—the pounding of my heart like the procession of a marching band was very much real. Well, it wouldn’t hurt, would it? Closing the gap between us, I placed a tentative kiss on her lips, barely enough to get the sensation of softness but not enough to provide more than a fleeting recollection for later. While I was certain she was surprised, she didn’t stiffen and instead attempted to press back, though I pulled away before she could do so. (On my part, that was about as dumb as missing a shot at a recycling bin that was an inch away.) Did a kiss really feel that sweet, or had the VR’s artificial intelligence been trained on embellished erotica and the like? I never recalled enjoying this so much. And would an AI have reacted so strangely with nervous stutters and fidgets that were so disjointed that only a glitched machine from the earlier part of the century could have replicated them? Then again, AI was nowhere near where it was decades ago when it was making hentai with fucked up hands (well, it still did that, but in consolation, it could fuck up a lot more things now) and listening to voice commands all day… Letting go with a slight flush, she went back to rubbing my head, and I closed my eyes, trying to keep myself from making sounds. Smelling the fresh scent of her detergent, I hid my face to cover the rouge that was surely now across my cheeks, and for a second, her hand stopped. Although I was turned away from her, something gentle and warm touched the back of my hair. She kissed the back of my head, didn’t she? Squealing, I was met with a giggle that was more like a peppy grumble in pitch, and then there was the dead silence of: What the hell do we do next? Decisions were never my strong suit—or at least good ones. “Hey,” I spoke up, recalling her strange aside from moments ago, “why exactly are you at this party?” Only having to compete with the muffled music, I heard her swallow. It took her a second to respond, but I was more than content to remain in her lap. It was like laying on cloud nine. “It’s my first Christmas in a while without my girlfriend.” And despite her subsequent sentence, she seemed calm and level-headed about the whole ordeal. “We’d been dating since our freshman year of high school, and we broke up over the summer because we grew apart. Nothing that awful, but it does feel a little lonely sometimes.” “So did you come here to meet someone?” “You could say that, yeah.” There was no use in missing a chance when it was dangling in front of me like a tall person stealing and brandishing a book. “Then, do you want to dance together? You never know; maybe I’m the one you were supposed to meet.” Damn, I was getting bold. Who would have known that all it took for me to speak like this to a hot girl was putting on a headset (said every tech nerd ever)? I hoped she wouldn’t pull this simple joy out of reach solely to make a fool out of me. “Hm? You mean it?” she asked, her arm halting once more like red octagons filled her vision, but the warning signs must have dissipated. “You make it sound like fate, and I think with you, it may be.” She really knew how to make me swoon like she had lassoed the moon for me, but she did so with only words! I had no reason to hesitate in pulling her up from the bed. Like a giddy schoolgirl, I held her hand, and when she was barely on her feet, I dragged her into the labyrinth of the party, the sound and light of the dorm bedroom lost to a sweet ballad that was in its dying notes. A loud whoop resonated throughout the room when the song changed. Hundreds of red plastic cups clunked down or together like a mass toast, spilling alcohol all over the carpet and furniture as people abandoned their drinks like outdated trends. Though it took a while for me to make it out, the music was like the modern equivalent of the “Cupid Shuffle” or “Cha-Cha Slide” in that everyone—even those who were seemingly allergic to the dancefloor—spaced themselves like tacks on a calendar and proceeded to dance. In a fit of stomps and claps, I was surprised the building could handle so many energetic people, and I joined the frenzy, keeping my grip on Bri’s hand. I already had poor coordination, and only halfway attempting the moves was its own kind of struggle. But I wouldn’t have given this up, not even to become a millionaire (at least, if this were not a simulation). Though our moves were clumsy, we both laughed so hard that even the song in the background couldn’t hide our joy. And while Bri had appeared a little despondent before when talking about her ex, she was now alight with happiness, shining as if each one of her teeth were part of a string of Christmas lights. Especially when we had the partnered dance with the clapping and kicking and whatnot at the end, she was indescribably vibrant and even seemed lighter on her feet as they made gentle taps on the oak part of the floor. She really was gorgeous, but she was even more so without the lingering sense of isolation that hung in front of her like a smudged mirror. And I was so distracted by her expression that I scarcely noticed that her tough ensemble from earlier had now morphed into the chivalrous wardrobe of a black suit and red bowtie, a simple button-down pinker than her cheeks from earlier beneath her jacket. The jacket and pants had been fitted nicely to her body, showing off her curves while leaving enough for me to fantasize about, halfway driving me mad. And the whole spectacle was completed by a pair of dark loafers that made a distinct clicking noise while she danced rather than the likely thud (or following hole in the floor) that her boots would have created. What else did she look good in? No clothes at all, maybe? It might have been the fact that this was more physical activity than I had had since the semester started, but I felt riled up and warm again. And it surely didn’t help that I was now sweaty because another slow song came on, which meant we would be closer, our bodies practically melding into each other like hot iron. Did this VR have to be so realistic that it kept all the unwanted details and bodily functions? What was next? Throwing up or shitting from nervousness? Props to the creators for creating a mini torture machine, I guessed, but it was a little inconvenient. I hoped Bri wouldn’t mind, and I supposed she didn’t as she swiftly grabbed my waist with one arm and rested the other on my shoulder. Taking the hint, I did the same, and we subsequently swayed to a waltz-y rhythm, grasping each other as if we were on the edge of a cliff. While it was a marked change in pace from before, this dance was far more intense, causing me to avert my eyes briefly. I was so distracted for a while by Bri’s stunning appearance and my anxieties that I neglected to check if a similar transformation in attire had occurred to me, and of course, this VR left no stones unturned. Although I veered towards more tomboyish fashion choices—girly, yes, but more feasible for me than strutting in stilettos at six in the morning—it was invigorating to be in a fluffy dress with a thick petticoat that extended to the tops of my knees, spinning with me as Bri directed our turns and steps. The fabric was primarily red and orange—almost like a flame but more artfully so—and glimmered from strips of velvet rather than cheap sequins that would have flung off, the collar a tantalizing v-neck that somehow fit my form well despite my small chest. With sleeves that puffed out at the ends like regal attire and extended to my elbows, I thought I was an idiot for not noticing this alteration before, especially as the wind of this tornado we spun graced the bare tops of my feet that were uncovered by black flats. Bri guided us without words because they would have gone unheard, but I was plenty happy with her actions now as we beamed at each other. Still, I longed for something more. As if the DJ had made a mistake, there was a wisp of silence between songs. Only the swishes of drinks and muffled voices peeked through this gap. The ballad left Bri and me with our bodies nearly soldered into one; the fabrics of our clothes were practically sewn together like strings of handkerchiefs at a circus. If she would oblige, I desired to become even closer to her. So I asked, “Do you want to go back to my room from earlier?” I didn’t even consider that it might have moved to a new doorway or flat-out disappeared, but hey, logistical concerns were for after I got confirmation—act now, think later. Plus, if this simulation would bend to my wishes, this whole scenario would work out. Somehow. This stupid machine wasn’t going to cog-block me. She stepped back and jokingly bowed. “If that’s what you want, milady.” I pushed her lightly. “Ugh, corny.” Again. But I couldn’t ignore the fact my body was burning and now ached for her touch, the floodgates of sensation now opening as the room around me spun as if by intoxication.

Ren wakes up in a withered forest in an amnesic state, wearing a black and grey koala onesie, under decaying branches and tries to find his bearing. He says aloud “where am I” in a groggy voice and sees grey statues all around him that looked very realistic and suddenly hears a voice garbled voice “find…….world…….tree…….centre…..forest…..all…..explained”    he then thinks what is this voice and looks behind him and sees a black barrier around the outside and notices he can touch it but can’t go through and suddenly think of the mixed up message that he heard and inferred about going to the centre of the forest as it was the only clue he could infer from it. along his way he noticed that he saw a village with a barrier but to his dismay saw people with pointy ears lying on the ground unconscious as they turned to stone and saw black human-sized monsters walking around the ruined village presumably looking for survivors. he looked back and saw more black monsters behind him so he thought “oh dear I might be next” and ran closer to the centre until he saw an empty campfire with three people turned to stone. he then sat down and fell asleep till the morning and woke up and walked forward toward the centre of the forest which looked darker and fewer grey statues or petrified elves, humans and beasts until….. Until he reaches the centre and notices a massive towering tree with a golden aura which he is naturally drawn to. He notices the ground around it is healthy and not withered like the rest of the forest around him and remember back to what the garbled message said “find…….world…….tree…….centre…..forest…..all…..explained” and says well “  I am one step closer to finding out the truth”, as he enters the non-withered ground….. He feels a nice warm sensation and finds a gate sized hole in the tree trunk. he enters the gate and finds a lake, take off his hood and sees his reflection which has lighter skin, golden hair, green eyes, a greenish/gold aura. he sees different coloured balls of light in the air with white wings but then he hears a loud noise coming from the side of the lake, he then sees the waterfall disappearing and sees a white temple entrance with golden designs and pictures of a big tree which he saw previously. MC enters the temple and sees a white marble floor and a big tree they saw previously, MC feels like he keeps seeing this design everywhere,, this must be important. he then see a glowing bonsai tree statue in the end of an altar were that tree design is there, then all of a sudden as he touches the statue that massive tree design is etched on top of his right hand. he then suddenly feels his head splitting as he has flashbacks of how he got to the forest. He remembers that he was a 16-year-old teenager who just left high school and was accepted into a one year course with one condition get a certain grade and was sleeping in his room at midnight when he was summoned forcefully from his world however and after effect was that he was summoned in an amnesic state until he found his memory shard which was sealed in the temple as the price for being summoned. After receiving his memories, he gets a vision about the giant tree and why so many designs of it is everywhere in important locations. the giant towering tree is called the World tree and is responsible for all Spirits and magic in [world 1345] however demons from another world came and withered the forest use a big magic spell called curse or limbo which caused all the forest apart from the world tree to be in a state of life and death as they have enough power to live but can’t grow, but the spell still affected the world tree a bit as it weakens it so it can only protect itself however it managed to put a barrier to prevent it spreading outside the forest, it also turned all the inhabitants of the forest into statues. He then knew what his purpose was when he was called to [world 1345] as he must… He must first strengthen the world tree so it can spread its power back to the forest and then then the next step with be to break the spell then he got told that the reason he was summoned was that his ancestor originated from her. He was then given a choice whether to go back home or stay here. MC choice to stay here as he felt useless on earth and thought he could help this world. He then was given 2 more choices: A become immortal and stay in the forest as its guardian or B Fuse with the world tree and become an immortal spirit that resides in the temple and can move anyway in the forest. MC choice to…  

*** “Mmh.” With enough crowd surfing and drowning, we made it back to Schrodinger’s room from earlier, and before the door even clicked shut, Bri pressed me to the wall with a gentle urgency, snatching my lips up in a kiss. I had kissed some people—had a few hook-ups and whatnot over the past year—but making out with her was better than having sex with many women I had been with so far. It was clear she was a little older than me, likely a grad student. So she probably had even more experience, and the way she moved her hands under my clothes to tease me exuded pure eroticism. I was already a moaning, submissive mess as this woman took me apart with the strokes of her fingertips. God, would she just get us in bed already? I was thankful the dorms, having only one room, lent themselves to this kind of frantic, hormonal daze, though this dorm seemed a bit more ornate than mine usually was. Wrapping my arms around her neck and one leg around her waist, I connected our bodies and rubbed myself on her leg as she lifted my dress and began licking and fondling my tits. She was so smooth that I hadn’t even noticed she had already unlatched my bra and was now working on disposing of it. However, she paused and grinned as she sorted through the mess of fabrics as if she were on a safari. I was cranky that she broke our kiss, and the mixture of saliva on my face cooled with our breaths and the freezing of time between us. “So you wear cute things like this under here, too. You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?” She revealed that I had been wearing a lacy, strapless bra with all sorts of fluffy pink bows and black cups, an innocent yet sexy combination. I would have liked to say I came up with the surprise all on my own, but I definitely didn’t have the confidence to pull off lingerie yet outside of this situation. Naturally, I turned it around on her and said, “And you? Do you want to surprise me somehow, show me what those hands of yours can do to me?” She discarded the bra and reached under my dress once more to squeeze my ass, and I let out another moan. Still, I noticed she was flustered by my statement. So she had a thing for a bit of sass, huh? “I’ll take care of you all night with them, and you can let me do all the work. Actually, I’d prefer it that way if you’d just let me touch you.” Stone butch, I took it? While I had never slept with anyone like that, I was fine with just putting on a show for her and letting her have control over me. It was what I always wanted: to let myself be vulnerable in another woman’s presence and capture all her attention, to be accepted and happy as I was. This VR system was really getting personal, but fuck if I cared when the chemistry was there. Once again, I wrapped my arms around her neck, threaded my fingers through her gelled hair, and brought her closer to me, whispering, “What’s the wait, then? Just rail me already if you’re down for it.” Like fireworks now ignited for New Year’s and burned through the icy sheen of Christmas, Bri picked me up with her hands under my thighs and sat on the bed with me in her lap. As boring and childish as the holidays had been all my life, I crumpled in pleasure under her ministrations. And soon, the night gave way to climaxes, cuddles, and catnaps—my body completely fucked out and satisfied before the sun arose—and this innocent fantasy concluded in the satisfaction of more devious desires. *** Like a visual alarm clock greeted me, I woke up in the late morning while on the couch, uncovered by blankets yet warmed by the light from outside. Curse the windows for never letting me sleep in. Yesterday had been a good day, hadn’t it? I didn’t know where my dress from last night went, but I figured it was lying on the floor somewhere. I was encapsulated in bliss, floating between sleep and wakefulness without worries weighing me down. As I stretched, I recalled I was in the same clothes as when I picked up my package—a boring pair of tan sweatpants and a tattered band t-shirt. Speaking of that package, where was it? What was it? Shuffling on the cushion, a muffled bump let itself be known beside the couch, and through hazy, sleep-encrusted eyes, I saw an old-fashioned VR set. But I didn’t recall playing VR games with anyone at that big party last night. I just remembered seeing my friends enter, visiting my parents for a bit, and hooking up with that hot girl I met. (I smiled; what kind of bullet-train contraption let me do all that in one night?) I struggled to recall her name, yet her face left a lasting impression on me. Still, the pinpricks of a nasty headache wouldn’t let me scour through the memories any more than a cursory amount. My bones crunched like graham crackers as I stood up. The painkillers… They were probably in the kitchen cabinet, but there was no telling what happened to them or my morning pills when I had so many people over. About to cross behind the bar counter, I stopped. But the party was at my parents’ house, right? Maybe I drank too much, yet I wasn’t hungover. At all. My breath didn’t even smell like alcohol. Instead, I felt oddly empty. It was as if someone dug through my brain and removed enough puzzle pieces to where the picture of Christmas was comprehensible yet fundamentally flawed. I really started to believe a magical train had carried me back and forth last night, and the only explanation must have been that I was so tired that I couldn’t recall anything after getting fucked senseless. That made enough sense, and I had to let myself live with that slight ambiguity. I continued to the cabinets, retrieved some pills and water, and downed them with a gulp as if I had just found a desert oasis. When I returned to the couch, I noticed a discarded box beside its foot, sitting like a bucket of dirt had been kicked at the roots of a tree. The open flaps told me I definitely saw whatever was in it yesterday, but I reinspected the box. There wasn’t something laced in here, was there? Inside was a shady piece of cardboard without much branding. A box in a box—I didn’t expect a more creative gift for myself, really. I dug through the foam inside and grasped a thin sheet of paper. Instructions. I figured these would clue me into what I received yesterday. However, the slip was merely a note of gratitude, reading: “Thank you for purchasing the Lonely Hearts VR Christmas package! Please use it responsibly, and have the night of your life!” The paper sunk from my hands like it was a submarine that was shot down. No, last night couldn’t have been VR. It felt too real, and I couldn’t even remember putting on the headset. So why did I feel like something was still missing? It definitely wasn’t the one-night stand or party that did this to me. Before the angst from my spotted memories could overtake me like some kind of mental dalmatian, there was a gentle knock on my door. Well, this place was locked down for non-university students, and the mail ladies at the bottom had no reason to overexert themselves like this. So unless some weird criminal had barged in, I was probably safe to assume another stray Christmas cat stood just beyond my door. I cleaned the sleep out of my eyes as I strolled over, unlocking the door with a foolish lack of caution. Wiping my hands on my pants and in my morning daze, it took me a moment to recognize my visitor. Strong presence, soft face… This was the woman from last night! Was she here to punch me? Was she angry about what happened between us? Or was I just superimposing her face onto a complete stranger? Although I had been confident before, I cowered in fear. Who was the stray cat now, especially as I crouched like a startled kitten? I straightened up, and with a gulp, I asked, “Hey, whatcha need?” What a way not to be awkward! Dead silence crept between us like a snake slithering around, ready to take its victims. Just because it was the next day didn’t mean I still wasn’t taken aback by how attractive this woman was, and I found myself preoccupied and flustered again. If the package I saw was real, did that mean she was just a simulation created by the VR system to satisfy my wishes? So why the hell did it conjure up another student who I had never seen before? Was this some kind of subconscious messaging or what? But she was looking back at me with the same blush like she knew we had a secret together, the tension seizing us again like the contractions of a sore muscle. And that made even less sense to me. Supposing last night was all fake, I should have been the only one to remember it all, but if it was real, the way she acted so reticent was equally confusing. She answered, “I just came to ask for some rice, honestly. I ran out, and the dorm’s caged in by this snowstorm outside.” Ah, right. That was why my feed from yesterday in the mailing room was inundated by stories about the weather. Nice weather, huh? That kind of boring small talk wasn’t going to work. I had to think of something else. “Of course. I’ll get some for you.” I paused. “And your name is…” Like a flash of lightning, part of last night came back to me. “Bri,” we both said at the same time. I wanted to facepalm. I shouldn’t have filled in the blank. With a smile, as if all her worries about being remembered evaporated, she asked, “And you’re Misha, right?” I considered checking to make sure I didn’t have my name in flashing neon lights somewhere, but there wasn’t any way she could glean that from context, I supposed, when my room was the definition of plain as white bread. While I nodded, she added, “What a pretty name for a pretty girl.” Oh, so I still got this treatment in real life. Where exactly was the line between last night’s fantasy and the reality in which we presently stood? Rather, I didn’t think it mattered. Last night had given me the confidence and enjoyment to be myself, and if Bri wasn’t running away, then surely I had a chance to sew these disparate pieces of a relationship together. After all, it didn’t have to be only in dreams that I was happy if I worked hard to make it as such. The companionship I desired was no more out of reach than a wish to graduate from college soon—fully attainable with effort. I extended my arm to her and attempted to pull her into my orbit. “Would you like to come inside for a minute, too?” And she stepped over the threshold with a nod. dreamver2 Hello, everyone! How are you all doing? :D It's been a while since I've posted anything, at least on my own account. (Funny story: This probably only got done because an English teacher let me sit in the back of her room and write this for a week. Heh.) I can't promise that anything longer than this will be up soon, but I am working on a handful of projects (4?) right now. I mean, this was supposed to be a larger holiday project with three stories, but the other two... well, they seem to have disappeared in the keyboard somewhere. So here's one big story instead! I hope you enjoyed it, and wherever you are, whichever day(s) you're celebrating, happy holidays! As always, thanks so much for reading, and please leave feedback if you have a moment as well or even drop a favorite on the chapters! (Ah... about the cover art: Yes, it's mine, and yes, it's not great. I'll make or find something better if I have time soon, but I wanted to get the story up. Or I may just leave it.)

She told me again that I was a pervert for entering the girl's bathroom. Long a go I stopped using public restrooms but this time.. "You could not hold it in?" said Sadie Jade scoffed and smiled. The sun shined and lopsided she replied. "They seriously think, think that we transition and spend so many shekels, gold and iron, just for the sake of what the internet-" "I know" replied Sadie. Bemused she said. "Maybe we should indulge them." "Jake. Trans boy and 12," said the newcomer with a tipped beret. "I transition because this beret was at a discount." The beret was just for the dudz. "Jade, 15, I transitioned because my TV broke," she said and flicked her phone. Jade did not have a TV. "Sadie, 15" said Sadie, pulling up a chair at the local lgbt club. "Transitioned because I dislike odd numbers and this club had 5" "What if I join?" said Dio. "Rats!" proclaimed Sadie. "Guess I will have to use the dummy" she said pointing to a dummy that said "I am trans, please don't close the club due to low members." "Transitioned to manspread, realized too late no buses in college" said Toby and proceeded to roll a joint. He was 18 and man-spreading a single chair. "Bet!" said enthusiastically Lissie, "My friend Johnny said only girls could enjoy sour licorice and I bet that I could become a girl and live like that for rest of my life" ... "and enjoy sour licorice!" everybody groaned. "What did you win?" asked a genuinely smiling Jade. "A nickel!". Later and to try to reclaim her wounded honour Sadie would angrily text Dio, telling him that the club could accept cis-het members, no discrimination, but he didn't count as an official member and so she owed him a nickel as well! "Lissie was the one that-" at this impolite intrusion of truth by Jade, Sadie stormed off. A year ago It was a curious fact of the early twenty first century that thanks to improvements to quantum computing and machine learning the entire problem of protein folding, effect of enzymes and connectome had been mapped in the year 2030. To non-nerds this fact was unnoticed and largely ignored- Three years later the first AI and the first mass-produced artificial organs were created. Still expensive it was now possible for the rich to become young and for the poor to become resentful. Quickly and so unstable the furor rose and in a masterful act of misdirection and to avoid the oncoming revolution the technology was somewhat democratized. And for the same cheap amount(price of a cheap car) it was sold to trans women, enby and trans men who could easily acquire a shiny, lab-grown body. With a sigh of relief Fox America News blasted on the evil pink cyan and white menace. Who could think of the children, when the children were threatened by the children, blasted grown ass man and general-purpose Gremlin Zucker Carlton. His throat swelled and he heaved and puffed and out came 4chan and another scandal in the proud american tradition of marginalization. Right by redlining and the war on drug and Jim Crow came a threat from the labs of Sinnia Technologies. Portable Reconstructed Indepedent DE-Refirgurators With terrible marketing but excellent science PRIDE boasted the ability to liquefy your insides and rebuild them shiny while staying in a three painful day sleep. "Like wrestling a bear with toothpick". New faces and new hands and even new chromosomes. Each operation costly and unwieldy but very reversible. So reversible in fact that the technology was made accessible to everyone, and thus and once again no one got angry when so many plutocrats said kiss kiss bye bye and the next new thing popped up in tv. Possible Mars colonies and the impact on Revelations, scrolled Fox America in its colorless red white and blue banner. "Will the final judgment come? Will our sinful souls be saved from tainted the soil if the prophecies contradict-" In Kohl's opinion this was not the best of news. That tv station had gotten crazy in later years and this was too much. The transgender craze and the new scapegoats, rights for trans humans and AIs, was an excellent distraction, and though his transdaughter Lilian Wilson had angrily busted into his living room and he had apologized in front of his Lana... Well it hadn't gone well to say the least. The man rose with a sigh from his non-couch and grabbed a non-drink and tried to think of something. Jade had uninstalled Fibber. Thanks to it though she had found out the trans challenge. It was somewhat true it was a bet. But. But not really. Her parents were gullible enough, with the appropriate certificate to prove it. By night she had heard them listening to that waxed man newscaster spewing saliva and hatred and decided that a front would be useful. "Turn yourself into the opposite sex for a week!" said the "challenge". She had found a qr code in a candy licorice bar, and it opened Sinnias' Fibber's account. In order to beat the challenge and to raise sales in local shops of PRIDE machines you could get a free back and forth swap. If you decided to stay like that though you had to pay up. One of the worst PR campaigns in history had almost resulted in Sinnias' bankruptcy. But when she came back three days later and stinking of broken down proteins and weird goo her mother had first shrieked and cried. She had been told that at no point she could ever enter the girl's bathroom in order to fulfill a stupid challenge. Jade had no intention to swap back or to "invade" the girl's bathroom, but if her mother believed that forcing her to attend the school as girl was a punishment she was sorely mistaken. She did not care if her helpful sister Caroline had spred rumours of her "cadful degeneracy". Painted posters provided by the local bible club that labeled her "Pervertito Numero Uno. Supremo Weirdasco." In the style of Warhol's Monroe her new face plastered on every corner of school. In other posters she appeared rubbing a Fu Manchu 'stache plastered on her face with several tentacles groping the schools girls. "The TransNorman Menace" The later were taken down by the school admin for racism and sexual imagery. But she did not care. She did not care because her best friend Dio was by her side and she finally had a body that did not make hear want to punch all mirrors on planet. That stranger in windows, with a ridiculous gangly broad shoulders gait, as far as she was considered that was the real menace. Norman was his name. But Jade had buried it under 30 pounds of weird good and a peaceful nap. With her new body Jade was born and if Coach Solensky forced her to present standing in front of all the male locker population that was acceptable. It was so much easier to stop caring about people deadnaming you or misgendering you when you knew that at least you had yourself. The boys were not as stupid as the Coach and Jeremy Dickinson blushed a mighty red of jock Rosacea joy. "For fuck's sake Jeremy if you want tits so much grow your own" blasted Carmichael. Undeterred by shame or any notion of common space Carmichael had sidled up to Jeremy's side. "Your sister is a package deal, isn't she?" Intimately Jade knew that Jeremy was actually talking to her. Whispering into Jeremy's ear but loud of enough for her hear he had continued. On the bright side Jeremy was not bullying her because he truly saw her a girl. On the down side Jeremy did see her as a girl. This meant she will had to deal with him alone. The girls had vetoed him after too many clumsy attempts at a relationship. "Jumping from deck to deck before it gets slippery" he had said on the memorable Halloween that had granted him a broken nose for a pirate costume. And for breaking up with her sister Carolne after only three hours. "The ship had sailed". He said and Jade had laughed at his joke. He had turned and smiled at him. "Ugh. I should had known that smile meant trouble," Dio said as they finished changing and the womanizer continued to whisper to her cheesy pick ups through the ear of Jeremy. "How do I keep it?" Referring to her body, Jade was nervous her parents would force her to turn back. To be more accurate Jade would had run away before allowing herself to be swapped, but still. Still with too much plot to give and not enough words to care the group had decided that focusing on the petty punishment of her parents was too much. "The problem is that if this thing becomes notorious enough she will be mocked for it and she might start to care..." Overhearing this Jeremy had caught up with he duo and said. "Why not just tell her the truth? You know, she is your mom." "No." "Ugh" said Dio. "Mrs Carlton would not accept that. If she knew that Jade was not doing this as an elaborate ruse to enter the locker's, but rather because she is trans, then she would probably force Jade to change". But for now Jade had to figure how to get the money necessary to paid for the already completed procedure.