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Ryoko AI 18

In a dark expanse of vast emptiness, a soul was floating endlessly. it had an appearance of a bright glowing orb the size of a fist. It illuminated the area around it like a beacon of light in the world of darkness. "Ah, where am i?" After a while, the soul came back to consciousness and started looking around it but all it could see was the never-ending darkness. "What the hell! Where is this place wait, am i dead?" confused the soul tried to remember the last memory he had. “Ahhhhhhhh! shit I remember" The soul shouted as it remembered saving a cat from the clutches of a vengeful being known as 'Truck Kun'. "Hmmm, so, first I am dead, second I am floating around in this dead space, so third should be a hot goddess giving me wishes and reincarnation” Being a man of culture, the soul thought of a valid explanation about his current situation. “So… where is she? hmm." The soul started looking around waiting for a sexy goddess to come and say “Hi daddy” Minutes passed by, then hours but nothing happened. No god or goddess came to the rescue. "Umm…hello is anybody here. If you are then you can stop hiding and come out. I won't mind even if you are some old geezer rather than a hot goddess. I promise!" the soul bored out of his mind started shouting in this empty void, but the void of darkness remained silent as it was from the very beginning. After that, the soul tried multiple times calling out in the void for hours but not even a whisper came. In the end, the soul stopped as no result came no matter how much he yelled and shouted. "Did I get duped by that truck? Or, there’s no reincarnation for saving cats? Man, that would be pretty racist against cats "After, days of shouting, yelling, and cursing the soul finally came to this brilliant conclusion. He couldn’t tell the time for it was darkness all around him but he guessed it had been a long time nearly a month or two of him talking himself in this empty, soulless void. He slowly started remembering his life until now with vivid memories coming into his mind. His name was Rei. He was just a regular 16-year-old kid living his life. If there was anything unordinary, that would be that, he was also an orphan but he never felt sad about it as he was always an orphan as told by the sisters in the orphanage. They found him as a baby crying in the dustbin that the orphanage used to throw their garbage in. They never treated him badly or any kid in the orphanage for that matter. Yes, the rules were strict but that's how it should be otherwise how are you going to manage a place with hundreds of kids rummaging about. His only regret was he didn't get the chance to repay them for their kindness as he wanted to be someone successful and rich in the future and help them rebuild the orphanage as it was getting old. The government also helped the orphanage by giving money for the education of the kids and other things albeit to a limited extent. Alas! He died and now he was here in this vast expanse of dark solitude with no future ahead. After a long period, Rei finally snapped! "Hey! Anybody here, Hello…………. son of bitch, say something, anything! Why the fuck am I here?” Shouting nonstop for so long with no reply left him irritated as he couldn't understand why the hell he was in this godforsaken place if not for some reincarnation shit. If he wasn't supposed to be reincarnated why the hell was here and not in heaven or hell for that matter if those even exist. After yelling for a long time, he calmed down as he got no reply so he understood it was pretty useless and gave up. Rei started thinking about what he could do in this situation. After thinking for some time, he decided to say what was on his mind one last time. "I don't know if anyone is listening to my rant but if there is someone and you are trying to test me or something, then i am sorry but you will be disappointed. I am not a bright guy, to begin with. I am just a normal guy from a world of billions of people. In short, i am not some super genius who can prove to you that 1+1=3, Nah! I am just a normal teenager who can prove to you that BooB + BooB= Heaven" Rei said and stopped for a bit to collect his thoughts. If People saw him right now, they would think him as a mad person talking himself but what could one do when you are alone in a dark void for months, with no sense of time nor rescue. He needed to do something to keep himself sane in this colorless, soundless void. "Other than that, if I need to have some other requirements such as having a pure soul or something like that, then I am not so sure about that.” Rei laughed sheepishly. “Lastly, there’s one more thing. You can call it greed but what can I say, in the end, I am a human with unfulfilled desires and no saint. So, i wanted to ask for some wishes." After saying this much, he looked around to see if there’s any sign or reaction in the void but the answer was the same as usual. Rei expected this result but somewhere in his heart, he still hoped that there will be a little reaction that would give him some hope. Alas, hope seemed to be lost somewhere in this darkness. Rei still didn’t give up though. He needed to finish what he wanted to say for the last time. "Ok, so I had many wishes that I wanted. I thought this was going to be one of the reincarnation situations in those fanfics, where the guy gets to reincarnate with cool powers. I also wanted to be reincarnated in a cultivation world, have some awesome powers, and of course have the biggest harem. Man, that would have been awesome!” Rei said excitedly. If he had a human form, there would be a huge grin on his face right now. “But seeing, how stingy you are, i will not ask many!" saying this Rei stopped After some time, he decided what he wanted to wish for. Also, he resolved himself that, this will be the last time he will say anything in this endless void regardless of the result. Please, take care of the kids and the orphanage in the future” Rei shouted as loudly as he could, worrying if he was saying things too quietly. After saying his final wish Rei became completely silent just like the void as if completely merging himself into it and continued flowing in this endless void. Time passed, hours to days, days to months, months turned to years but nothing changed. After a certain point, Rei completely lost the sense of time. He didn’t know how many years had past or how many he will continue to pass like this. He just accepted his fate! The only thing he could feel right now was loneliness, for this was his only friend in this unending abyss. And, the little bit of sanity, that he had left in some corner of his heart started to flicker, like the flame of a flickering candle on the verge of extinguishing. The once bright orb of light that kept the darkness away from it was getting dim, for half of it had already merged with the void. It now looked like an orb with half of it shining brightly in this void and the other half completely merged with the darkness. And, so was his soul! Rei didn't know when and how nor would he ask any, but at some point, he got tired or maybe he gave up, but eventually, his consciousness completely faded away! And, now there was only a ball of light and dark, floating endlessly with no destination....“Zzz…zzz…zzZ” Suddenly space started fluctuating with rifts appearing in the space. Like a broken mirror cracks started appearing in the void. Boom!” Finally, the void torn was torn apart and two bright lights appeared in this darkness. Each, the size of the sun with one side illuminating half of the void while the other was shining like a dark gem in the night sky. Upon a closer look, a person would find that those were not two suns but rather Two Primal Eyes! One that could illuminate the very cosmos until the end of time while the other, even though dark to the very core, had a clear distinction from the surrounding darkness as if it was the very Origin of darkness! The terrifying part was, those unfathomable eyes were right now directly looking at a particular ball of light, that was floating endlessly in the void with no destination. Soon two unparalleled beams descended upon that orb. One bright enough to light this void in its entirety and other, so dark it could swallow the light itself. Two parallels joining together in a single soul! Just after the rays stopped, a tiny crack appeared near the bright orb. A tiny maelstrom materialized near the orb. It seemed to be made up of dark and light affinity mixed. It instantly grew in size and completely engulfed the ball of light. As soon as the ball entered the maelstrom, space started crackling around it as if the maelstrom was trying to break the space through its sheer speed. The eyes in the void that was calm till now, shot out a powerful ray capable of destroying myriad worlds directly onto that maelstrom. "GRANTED" Suddenly, a booming voice resounded throughout the whole void as if it was the decree of the Supreme being. As soon as the words came out the void shattered around the maelstrom and it disappeared from the vicinity and so did the ball of light. *** Unknown space A ball of light was traveling at an unfathomable speed inside a maelstrom. "Ahh,” Slowly a pair of eyes regained their consciousness still unknown to his situation. Rei opened his blurry eyes only to find himself in the middle of a vortex but no reaction came out of him. He kept blankly looking at it like someone lost. "HELLO MASTER" Suddenly, an ethereal voice called out, in his mind. As soon he heard it, a jolt of pain and shock, reverberated throughout his whole body. "Why?... why after all this… time? " were the first words that came out of his mouth.

Prologue: The Dragon Lord's Plan 10 Days until the Player Cycle Eryuentiu the flying city…the last remaining structure of the Greed King's reign. Filled to the brim with powerful magic items most in the world couldn’t even dream of.  Due to the legend behind the city, it became known as a tourist destination for those who are able to go. Many kings and queens traveled there as a sort of rite of passage. Many unique items are produced in this city bringing in a ridiculous profit.  The city is arguably one of the most secure places in the world protected by the mighty Platinum Dragon Lord as well as inhabited by 30 guards armed with Overpowered magical weapons. Even the Black Scripture at its peak wouldn’t be able to infiltrate it. Endless water poured into the center of the city and many man-made streams flowed throughout the magical metropolis.  Deep inside the flying castle, a large simmering figure sat its yellow eyes gazing out.  This Large dragon is none other than the Platinum Dragon Lord himself: Tsaindorcus Vaision. Known as the son of Dragon Emperour as well as one of the dragon Coucilours.   One of the strongest beings in the world….is silently cursing as he is currently thinking through the latest briefing.   He is currently struggling with the latest threat his father brought to the world. They already conquered the Re-Estize Kingdom and then right after they absolutely razed the theocracy to the ground.  As much as he didn’t agree with their policies but he knew they were a necessary evil.  This influenced some of the members to create a treaty.   Some of the newer council members felt grateful to the “king” for destroying the nation that wanted to exterminate all non-humans.  He finds that thinking… naïve.  Of course, not all the members saw it that way.  The other dragon councilors were very wary of Ainz Ooal Gown knowing the threat of players. He doesn’t trust the newly elected Goblin representative. What was his name? Goburin Gunshi…I believe.  He must be a sort of plant from the Sorcerer Kingdom…no one is that naïve.  The Sorcerer Kingdom does boast similar ideals as the council state as well as Karsanas City-State Alliance. The idea being all races are welcome but…why? What could she have to gain? It’s all too suspicious… even if you believe Ainz Ooal Gown is in charge. Why would an undead create such a prosperous nation for the living?  Players…are quite unpredictable. Some seem to only wish for conquest while others' motives seem much more selfish. One Player comes to mind… a player that earned his respect. Even though he understands his reasoning for denying the resurrection he could use his help right now. He might know the weakness of the god-like player him being one… he did ask that council member. Well, he didn’t know any big weaknesses but he did have some interesting information. He did confirm the information he knows of their original world….Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil sounds like a hellish place with endless fighting over power. Living in a world like that explains players' temperaments.   This does explain their constant wish to expand…and corrupt. Players are like a plague infesting every aspect of this world and it was all his father's fault. It was his duty to protect the world from threats his father created.  What was it Riku said? Sins of the father…eh? Skipping past that thought he resumed his earlier thinking. His yellows rekindled with determination he knows Players are the biggest threat to the world especially the one in charge of the Sorcerer Kingdom.  Most of the continent Is now under their control. They have a lot of influence through their RuneCraft weaponry as well as their undead. Capable warriors… and laborers.  They already have two large countries has vassals. Even the Holy Roble Kingdom is heavily influenced by the Faceless one. Even though the Council State might have a treaty with that Kingdom he certainly does not. So he proceeds to bide his time recruiting his remaining comrades from the Thirteen Heroes. Rigrit as well as Azuth instantly agreed, and Miss Inberun agreed with a condition.  His council member allies also were rallying their troops.  Using a last-ditch escape plan some theocracy members joined the alliance as well.  Originally tension between the two sides was flying across the air but as time went on they were united under a common goal. The destruction of Ainz Ooal Gown…  He even hesitantly reached out to the other Dragon Lords…he is meeting with the Dragon Councilors tomorrow…another wave of players is coming around the corner. Even if he is not confident he can battle more than one player. The last thing he needs is to fight multiple players on his own….but…if the greedy kings were any indication.  Especially beings like the Prime Minster. What a devious player…using an NPC as a figurehead.  What’s worse he even hasn’t had a chance to properly gauge her power like the Sorcerer King. Plus, there are the others…. powerful servants that destroyed the theocracy.  No matter…they still all fall soon if plan goes Interrupting his thoughts, he sensed a familiar presence entering his room as he opened his eyes. A familiar petite figure draped in red with a mask that vaguely resembles a face.  “…Miss Inberun what brings you here?” He felt a feeling of nostalgia wash over him seeing his old friend.  “I haven’t heard from you in a while. I was worried something happened…it seems like I worried about nothing.  You are just brooding like usual.”   “Blunt as always. How are the preparations coming so far?” “Surprisingly is coming along well. I guess that dumb Frog isn’t all talk.” “You still don’t like him…” “H-E IS TOO NICE OK-cough!” EvilEye cleared her throat before continuing to speak. “No one is that nice.” “What about Momon?” “THAT’S DIFFERENT!”   “Right...”  The Dragon Lord chuckled as she started glowing red as a tomato which glowed so bright you can see it through the mask. “We should at least try to reach out to Momon. I am sure he will help us.” She suddenly started causing a sigh to come out of his mouth. “I know you trust him…but it is too dangerous to try to contact him.  He is right in the middle of enemy territory…which is probably partially created a capital there too in prison Momon. ” That is even if he is on the same side as us. He wanted to add that but he knows how fond of him she is. “Oh! I see. I thought trust was important…but I guess I shouldn’t take a person lying about their identities to their “friends”  word.” Evileye voice darkened words were like daggers to the dragon lord's heart.   “I am sorry… that I lied to you guys… You know why I couldn’t tell you.  It is not that I don’t trust you… I don’t trust Momon. You know of the danger of players all too well and if Momon was able to battle Jababloth which from the information you gathered is stronger than the Evil Deities. ” “Even if he is a player, maybe he is like Riku! I am sure he can help us!” “Miss Inberum.” “OH! I See how it is. You trust me…you just don’t trust my judgment…whatever.” She scoffed before she teleported away.  A silence filled the chamber which was once wrought with emotion.  He let out a sigh. She hasn’t changed a bit… He smiled remembering how she and Riku would almost constantly be arguing with each other. She can be quite an emotional person…but she sincerely cares about her allies. Momon… was an being able to kill that powerful vampire that heavily damaged his golem. How strong must he be? It would be great if he is like the leader of thirteen heroes but he most likely works with the Prime Minister. Another threat to worry about.. as he shook his head he slowly stood up to his full height he barely fit into the space before using [World Teleportation].  As a shining enveloped his body he disappeared… A large curvaceous woman covered with shining golden eyes wearing a blue robe that isn’t like anything she wore before. It had a strangely soothing effect on her body giving her more mana.  As she focused her eyes narrowed as she thrust her arms out. A shining light surrounded her arms as suddenly numerous large pin light needles manifest above her. “[Wild Magic: Cacasding Light]!” The Large pin-like needles suddenly rained down and completely eviscerated the undead dummy. As the lights finished raining down leaving nothing raining from the undead the light needles emptied into the ground suddenly exploded in a synchronized fashion.  Letting out a rough exhale sweat falling down her face barely standing after the attack.  A soft but clear clap echoed through the auditorium.   She knelt as she gazed up at the audience at the vestige of death himself: Ainz Ooal Gown. Two bright red lights shone through the two empty holes which peered at her seemingly analyzing her entire being. His presence alone was foreboding with a miasmic haze around him. “Fascinating. “[Wild Magic: Cascading Lights]” was it? What was the cost to cast it Miss Oriculus?” The woman who knelt down was the ex-ruler of the Dragon Kingdom, Queen Draudillon Oriculus. The Draconic kingdom was merged 60 years prior.  During that time it was on the brink of collapse the Beastmen invaders were about to infiltrate the capital.  Once they agreed to merge with the sorcerer Kingdom The Beastmen invaders were squashed and they submitted to them in a single night. She shudders thinking about what possibly could have made them submit so fast.  The might of the Sorcerer Kingdom surprisingly put her at ease especially since she has no intention of fighting against them. That would be foolish she would be putting her people in danger if she were to take a stand.  40 years ago the Sorcerer King himself put her on a project to help create. The Draconic Lexicon. A book with all known wild magic in the world.  She learned a lot about wild magic and dragons from her tutors.  [Cascading Lights] was one of her grandfather's signature moves, one of the only times he ever reached out to her.   She doesn’t know much about her grandfather only from word of mouth from her subordinates. From what they tell he is an extremely smart individual who thinks of fighting as nuance he is still a powerful fighter.   Of course from one of the few meetings with another dragon lord her grandfather is a terrifying individual…and also a pervert. “You are correct my liege, the spell was called [Wild Magic: Cascading Lights]. It takes 50 souls to activate the spell...but I sadly mimic a fraction of the spell’s true power.” Draud flinched as Ainz let out an “umu”. “I wonder how strong the original spell is…” The sorcerer King contemplated under his breath before he set his none existence eyes on her again. “That will be all…you may leave.”  “Thank you, lord.” The half-dragon bowed before leaving a feeling of relief flowed over her body.  As exited the room a familiar breaded figure walked passed him entering the coliseum they simply nodded at each other as the old man walked in.  A robed figure walked through a majestic hall the wall of this place radiated powerful magic unlike anywhere in the world. The halls were beautifully decorated with golden and silver carpets lining the floors and the roof.  The man held a large book in their hands which it held like the most important object in the entire world…because it was to this man.  This man is a magical researcher of Sorcerer Kingdom Fluder Paradyne. A man who spends his entire life researching magic and finally he found a teacher with magical power which knows no bounds! His master tasked him with chronicling all the known magic in the world which includes the ever elusive Wild magic of Queen Draudillon Oriculus. As his reward the sorcerer King would show him a spell never seen before by anyone in this world. Growing giddy like a child receiving a present. He proceeds to enter a large colosseum his teacher/master awaiting.  “Ah Fluder Paradyne.” Tsaindorukusu Vaishion arrived at an undisclosed area somewhere a large structure wooden structure with large dragon golden carvings and marble statues adorning the walls. It was an elegant yet simple place only the 5 Dragon Councilors knew of this place. Suveria Myronsilk the Blue Sky Dragon Lord created this place he is the second strongest Dragon councilor next to himself.  As gazed at his fellow Dragon Lords Surveia Myronsilk was right next to him. The dragon was sky blue with large wings and strange insignia glowing on his body. The smell of nature radiated off of him.  After confirming the Blue sky dragon Lord's attendance he gazed at Omnaadsence Iculvuls the Diamond Dragon Lord. The Dragon Lord had spiky shining diamond scales all over the body protruding like horns.  Gessenvult Yukleelilith The Obisdan Dragan also sat nearby all light seemingly drawn into his pitch black scales. His orange eyes flared like coal in a fireplace. Zalazilkalia Nahaeunt The Wyrm Dragon the eldest of the Councilors as well as strangest looking. The Wyrm looks more snake-like compared to his other Councilors. All of the Councilors radiated power which condensed like fog in this cavern-like building. All the dragon Lords were interested in what the Son of the dragon emperor wanted to discuss. “I  appreciated your attendance my fellow Dragon Councilors. I have come here to ask for your assistance in destroying  the Sorcerer Kingdom.”   “That is-ss quite an as-sk  Councilor Aganeia. Es-specially s-since that would mean antagonizing a player and we all know how dangerous-s they are.” The Wyrm Dragon's voice slithers up its throat drilling into the dragon lord's ear.  Just his voice demanded an aura of compliance.  Councilor Nahaeunt was a very powerful commander and just one word can empower an entire army. Tsaindorukusu respects him greatly due to his experience. He is one of the first dragon Lords to encounter a player which left him with a large scar. “ Why bring unnecessary conflict when we have been in peace for nearly a hundred years?” “Because the ruler is a player is exactly why we must destroy them. We have already seen what they are willing to do over a caravan of grain and he has already conquered most of the land. What makes you think they will stop? ” The Plantium counselor questioned eyeing the other dragon lords.  “Then we will deal with that when it comes.” Tsa locked eyes with the orange eyes of Councilor Yukleelilith. “ That would be the last mistake they make. ” “ Councilor Aganeia  I agree with Councilor Yukleelilith we have an advantage in council state areas after all there is an reason we stockpiled so many souls.” The Diamond Dragon Lord stated.  “Councilor Aganeia… I agree to help you.” Suddenly Councilor Myronsilk interjected surprising everyone in the room. “Councilor Myronsik you want to start a war with the Sorcerer Kindom? Why?” “Because I want to prove myself.. my father and brothers fought against the Greed kings to defend the realm…which made them heroes. What does it mean to be a Dragon Lord… Councilors? What is our duty?” No one had to say anything after all they all knew the answer.  PROTECTOR! “Heh. I will join too..why not? Can’t let you hog all the glory. Maybe it will be interesting.” Obsidian Dragon Lord and Diamond Lord nodded. “Councilor Aganeia you must have some sort of plan…yes?” The wyrm lord asked “ Thank you Zalazilkalia. Indeed I do….so here is my plan.” . .. … ….Loading game …..Finished Loading Welcome to Yggdrasil …..Loading Character ……Welcome Back Touch Me

The bookshop had a peaceful atmosphere which calmed our hearts. The smell of books and the sound of fluttering pages could be heard. 'ding' The door of the bookshop opened along with the sound of a bell and a handsome young man in his twenties walked in. He wore a jersey T-shirt with metallic effect and jogger pants. He had a silver rope bracelet on his right hand along with a plain silver ring with black borders and a black diamond stud on his left ear. The young man had an eye-catching light pink hair and blue eyes. He walked towards the bookshop clerk and asked directions for autobiography section. While he was searching among the books, a girl with high ponytail gave light pull on his sleeve. He turned towards the girl, who blushed. " um...can i have your number?" He smiled and answered " I'm afraid my girlfriend will be jealous and angry if I do that" The girl blushed more after hearing his voice and asked for his name. "Alster Dew, it was nice meeting you" --- Alster walked out of the well-lit, peaceful and warm bookshop with a book covered in a gift wrap in one of his hand. Immediately he was hit by the fairly cold and strong wind. Alster stood outside the shop and took a deep breath with his eyes closed, enjoying the fresh air and outside view for a while and started walking towards his car. He bought a bouquet of red roses on the way to his apartment. "you reached?" Alster stopped at the door way when he heard his girlfriend's voice, surprised he walked towards the living to see his girlfriend lying on the sofa. "surprise!" She stood up and slowly got near him, she placed her arms around his neck while his on her waist. They shared a deep passionate kiss for few seconds and leisurely seperated from each other. Her hair was long and wavy brown with a sharp face and her dazzling light brown eyes, along with her red dress that makes everyone unable take their eyes of her, which he loves very much. "That sure surprised me, Ariana" Alster said picking up the book and the bouquet that fell down while they were kissing each other and gave it to Ariana. " I thought we were going to meet at xxx restaurant for our 1st anniversary" Ariana smiled and accepted the gifts " well, i thought spending time together binge watching will be more fun, and thanks for the gift, my lovely boyfriend. It's my favorite author...let's start watching with some snacks ?" Then only Alster noticed all the snacks and drinks on the end tables "okay" The lights were switched off and they started watching after changing into comfortable clothes. After a while, Alster felt something cold on his wrist. He switched on the table lamp near him and checked out to find a chain bracelet with a blue clumsily crafted stone on it. "I made it, how is it?" "looks clumsy but i like it very much, it's beautiful" "do you have to add that 'clumsy part' ?" Ariana smiled and continued "let's focus on movie now, switch off the lamp if you have seen enough" " i don't think i will be able to switch it off as i won't be satisfied from looking at it just for a while" "suit yourself then, smooth talker" "yes ma'am" They resumed to watch the movies till 2.30am and then went to sleep. --- Ariana woke up in a cramped space that lacks fresh air, making her difficult to breath. It looked like a typical prison cell with a metal bed bolted to the wall, a sink and a toilet. The walls of the prison was made of old bricks and metal rods laid in a criss cross pattern. Though it looked old and weak , it was very strong and durable. There was a small window which was the only source of light in that dark place. Ariana sat up properly and looked around, she felt dizzying sense of anxiety. She couldn't see anything other than the outline of the room. "Alster...? Pls tell me you are there? Alster! look, it's not funny 'kay? what kind of prank is this! you know i get easily scared! Alster!" The echo of her voice soon died down and the ensuing silence was laden with terror. Ariana started crying and soon fell asleep from exhaustion. --- Ariana sat on the corner hugging her legs tightly, she listened to the sound of water droplets falling one after another, most probably through a cracked ceiling. It was a kind of sound that will instill fear in someone's mind and keep them awake all night. It's been 3 days since she has been stuck here , thanks to the small window she was able keep track of time. she tried her best to get out of this place after that day but to no avail. she got 2 meals a day, the food provided is usually soup and bread. Ariana flinched at the coming foot steps. The foot steps stopped, she heard the creaking sound of opening the door. Soon the owner of the foot steps reached in front of her. she slowly raised her head to meet an unexpected person. "A-Alster...?" it was Alster Dew, her boyfriend Alster slowly smiled seeing her frozen in disbelief. "Ariana, do you like games?" before she could reply everything became dark --- Ariana stared at Alster, he was wearing white shirt and black pants which was covered with her blood. They were sitting opposite to each other with a chess board in between. There were more white than black pieces. There were some blood spills on the board. Ariana hands were tied behind her back, there were some finger missing and she had cuts, burns and bruise all over her. They have been playing various indoor games for continuous 6hrs now, each and everyone was won by Alster. Hence, more wounds were inflicted on her body as he kept wining each games and the hope she had at the beginning was lost and despair filled her heart. She felt numb from all the pain she suffered from this torture. "it's getting boring Ariana" she took a deep breath, waiting for his next words... "it seems you are going to be out of energy soon... no you already are. haa... I'm seriously bored now, how abt we end it here?" Alster stood up and walked in front of her, he bent a little making eye contact with Ariana and smiled innocently. "hmm..? how's the idea?" Fear rushed over, suffocating her and finally asked a question she wanted to ask till now "why...?" Alster titled his head and asked, "well, do we need a reason for that...hmm? my love? goodbye" the end.

“Thirty minutes from the LZ, start your gear check.” Joker was straight to the point. It didn’t matter if the team was mid conversation, he’d interrupt. He didn’t even have the courtesy to tell a joke. No sarcastic quip, no insult, no profanity. Just a straight shooter as always. Sometimes it seemed he was the only one taking his job seriously; though, that’s why he was chosen to be the pilot for ASOG 3. And that’s why they called him joker. Marshall called out to his team, “you heard him, start the check.” Conway was first to break the silence. “You think they’d let us rest a bit between missions. This is the fifth op this week and it’s only Tuesday. How many more before we can eat something other than stale crackers and peanut butter?” She sat straight in her seat. Wisps of bright red hair poked out from beneath her helmet. She always finished before the rest of the team. Though, it did help that she had the least gear. She was built for recon. Her light frame combined with her cyber prosthetics meant she was much faster than the others. McDonnel belted out a laugh, “You’re just upset because I won our bet. Thirteen more kills than you.” McDonnel was their heavy weapons expert and was the embodiment of a Synth. If he could replace a limb, organ, or any other body part with cyber prosthetics, he did and he wasn’t subtle about it. He chose the largest and most powerful prosthetic available. He was large man before but now he stood far over most men. “Because you cheated! You know your optical implants give you better vision in the dark than mine do,” Conway replied. “A bet’s a bet and that’s why you lost the dehydrated meatballs." McDonnel gave her a playful shrug and smiled. “That’s enough playing around… let’s go over the mission before we land. There’ve been reports that a new type of invader was spotted at the fusion plant. This is more dangerous than ambushing some sleeping drones.” Hirschbaum looked to Marshall to stop the banter and get serious. Marshall started, “We’re tasked with extracting staff from the Los Angeles Fusion Plant. Invader pods dropped outside the plant’s perimeter and security forces were overwhelmed. Most of the staff were able to escape but the engineers stayed behind to shut down the reactors and prevent permanent damage. The fusion plant is locked down and all remaining staff are holding their position in the control room.” “Our mission is to escort the remaining staff to the rendezvous point. These are critical personnel and they can’t be replaced. We need them alive to resume operations once A Company secures the power plant and surrounding areas.” “We’ll do a hand off with A Company, 1st Platoon and then we’re on to our next mission,” Marshall let out a long sigh and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. “According to rumors, the attacks are slowing down, there doesn’t seem to be many reinforcements for the invaders, and they have no cohesion. Every attack seems completely random and uncoordinated.” Cobb joined in, “I’ve heard that we’ve regained contact with Mars Command. Maybe they’ve found a way to push them back for good.” “I hope so, we’ve...” Gonzalez was cut off as the intercom crackled. “Five minutes from LZ.” A blanket of silence fell over the team. Only the air from the blades of the stealth helicopter could be heard buffeting against the cabin of the aircraft. The team of six watched as Company A, 2nd platoon moved towards a bunker on the hill overlooking the fusion power plant. Explosions bloomed throughout the bunker below and the shockwaves shook the aircraft’s hull. A fireteam dragged out four bodies from the bunker and medics began treating wounds on two of them. Company A, 1st platoon was just beyond the bunker clearing a path to the fusion plant. There were sporadic muzzle flashes from the leading fireteams but 1st platoon seemed to be advancing steadily. Marshall took a deep breath as he thought about the mission ahead of them. His team was ordered to leave as soon as they hand off the power plant staff to 1st platoon. If A Company was overrun, this mission would be for nothing. Then there were the reports of a new type of invader. It was worrying at best. “Thirty seconds from LZ… ten seconds from LZ… touch down, move out.” Joker may not have been one for jokes but he was reliable, his landings were always smooth, and their equipment crates were never damaged after being dropped. Their seats spun to face the open air and their safety restrains unlatched from their EXO armor, dropping them to the ground. ASOG 3 rushed from the helicopter and spread across the roof of the power plant. They practiced this thousands of times. Every movement the team made was pure muscle memory. McDonnel sprinted towards the only entry door to the rooftop and cleared the hall leading to the floor below. Conway, Hirschbaum, and Cobb scanned for rogue invaders around the perimeter of the power plant. Gonzalez deployed five sentries along the rooftop perimeter equipped with 20mm auto cannons, each equipped with ultraviolet and infrared spectrum remote cameras. She was the tech wizard of the team. She hooked into the long-range communications systems of the power plant and linked all internal traffic to the team’s neural comm implants. “This is Marshall with ASOG 3, can any personnel still inside the power plant hear me?” A voice cracked through comms after a moment. “This is section 5’s security superintendent, I hear you. We’re in the control room waiting for your escort. We have thirteen people here, five of them have minor injuries but they can still move. We’ll open the door to Security Zone 2 on your command.” “Copy that, hang tight. We’re on our way.” Marshall walked to Conway, leaning over the parapet and looking into the courtyard below. There were hundreds of pods littered across the courtyard and beyond the walls of the power plant. Concrete crumbled beneath impact of some pods, steel bars erupting from the small craters. Corpses were strewn across the courtyard, invader and human alike. Some pods, the ones that hit hard enough to leave deep impact craters, were still home to their dead travelers. It was incredible that any of the staff survived at all. Where did they all go? There’s no way the security team was able to kill them all. In the center of the courtyard a few pods were different. The rest were tall and pill shaped but these were stout and much wider. Conway was staring at the same pods, “Those must be pods from the new invaders. I don’t see any corpses that size. They’re probably still alive.” “I was thinking the same. Let’s move... There’s no use in gawking.” Marshall turned away from the bloodbath below. “Section 5 Security, open the roof access door to Zone 2, we’re coming through. No contacts yet.” ASOG 3 crept through the dark hallways, guns ready. Only the soft red glow of emergency lights illuminated their path. Comms cracked, “ASOG 3, there’s a problem. Our security systems are malfunctioning, the main door to the courtyard opened when we opened the roof access door. We can’t shut it.” “Copy that, we’ll deal with it.” Marshall brought up a map of the complex on his helmet’s visor. The map transferred to his team with a path traced out towards the courtyard access door. “Porter, Gonzales, Cobb, head to the door and secure the hallway until we can reach you. McDonnel, go with them. If invaders make a move, we’ll need some extra firepower there.” The four nodded and rushed the opposite direction. This was a problem, Marshall thought. Based on the pods outside, there were already two hundred more invaders here than command estimated. Now we’re split into two groups. The remaining three moved through each hallway, clearing the rooms one-by-one, the soft taps of their boots against the epoxy coated floor ringing down the passageways. Finally, the three reached the Zone 1 access door. “Security, open the access door to Zone 1 and standby for evac.” Marshall watched as the thick metal door lurched from its position and slid open. Cobb entered comms, “We’ve got contact. Over fifty invaders entering the courtyard.” Gunfire interspersed with the rumble of 20mm cannons filled comms. “Start the evac now!” Shit, now we’ll need to secure the courtyard before we can leave. Something always went wrong for Marshall. Their missions could never be simple. Conway looked up as the last of the access door disappeared into the wall. Four invaders rose just beyond the entryway, their bodies glowing in the red light. Each of them roared as another four appeared from behind a faraway corner. “Fire!” She shouted as she raised her rifle. Their training kicked in and each member fell into formation, firing their rifles into the monsters in front of them. One down. Two. Three. The invaders frenzied, charging Hirschbaum, who was in the lead. Four down. The group continue to shuffle backwards into the hall behind them. Bullets ricocheted off walls, creating splashes of sparks that rained down upon the charging invaders. Five down. Each round pierced the carapace of the invaders. Each wound exploded, painting the concrete walls with neon yellow blood. The group worked in synchrony, moving in unison, each member rotating point as they reloaded. Six down. They were closing in quickly. Faster than they could be taken down. Seven down. Conway and Marshall dropped an empty magazine and reached for a full one but it was too late. The last invader had reached them. It grabbed Hirschbaum and shoved him against a wall. Hirschbaum braced for impact as his body smashed into reinforced concrete. His EXO armor distributed the force across his body but the collision was enough to force the air from his lungs. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. His suit’s medical interface injected him with Novextamine – a drug specifically designed to enhance a Synth’s physical abilities – pushing him far past the limits of an unaugmented human. Hirschbaum gasped as the needle stabbed into his spine between his shoulder blades. A Novextamine injection was like waking up from deep sleep. It sharpens one’s mind, numbs pain, increases strength, and boosts reflexes. A Synth moves with inhuman strength and agility but it has a cost. It puts an enormous amount of strain on the body and once its effects fully wear off, the user is left crippled until they can rest. As such, it’s only used if it’ll be the difference between life and death. There were few in all of ASOG who were considered better grapplers than Hirschbaum. Fourteen years of Jiu Jitsu and seven years of special forces training kicked in. It didn’t matter that his opponent was alien. It was humanoid – though two feet taller than himself – a perfect challenge. He caught the arms of the invader in each hand and squeezed. The strength of his prosthetic right arm shattered the invaders carapace. The crunch of its armor reverberated through Hirschbaum’s body as the creature squealed in pain. It tried to pull away but Hirschbaum’s grip was firm and the extra weight from his EXO armor gave him leverage. He hooked his other arm around the creature’s shoulder and pivoted away. Hirschbaum swung the beast to the ground, spinning to the ground and landing with his back against its chest. He still held its crumpled arm tight. Hirschbaum rolled towards its legs as it raised its head and bared its massive teeth. He coiled his body and used the wall as leverage to pull the creature’s arm free from its body. He pushed. It wailed. He rolled away as Marshall and Conway poured rounds into the invader’s crowned skull. Yellow blood splattered on the floor. Eight down. Hirschbaum laid still on his back, his chest rising and falling sharply as he regained his composure. The drugs kept him from calming down even though the fight was over. Marshall offered a hand and Hirschbaum accepted. His right hand was still locked onto the invaders detached, mangled arm. They watched as the neon yellow blood oozed out and smacked the ground as a glob of thick slime. He tossed it onto the deceased creature and cursed. His sense of smell was beginning to return and the pungent smell of rotted flesh filled his nostrils. Even with no signs of rotting – at least the kind humanity is familiar with – the smell was enough to make the unexpecting heave. “Let’s go. We need to evac the staff immediately. There may be more.” Marshall was already heading through the open access door, rifle readied. Conway and Hirschbaum followed close behind, the effects of Hirschbaum’s injection still apparent as his hands shook. “Security, we’ve made contact with invaders within Zone 1. Be ready for extraction in five minutes.” The control room was located down the hallway. The same hallway the invaders attacked them. How did they get in? There were three zones in the power plant. Zone 3, everything within the outer walls of the plant. Zone 2, the zone they entered from the roof. Zone 1, which included the control room, reactors, and other critical infrastructure. Zone 1 only had one entrance and it was the one they came through. “Section 5 Security, we’ve reached the control room,” Marshall said. “Opening the control room door now. We’re ready.”

Chapter I : Broken Strings "One,two, three. Pudding, Chicken" I softly chant as I try to calm myself. My hands are sweaty, my knees are shaking. I feel like my soul's gonna run away from me anytime now. "Hey Prince? You good?" a familiar voice sneaks up behind me. "Ye..yeah. I'm fine. Just a little anxious . It's our first concert and all. I just.. I just dont wanna mess up you know." "You'll be fine. Take my word for it"  It's Theodore, lead vocalist of the band. Despite being two years younger than me, he acts more like an older brother to all of us. Giving us advices, teaching us things about music and life. If it weren't for him, I don't know.. I might be the same robber I used to be years ago.  "Everyone ready?"  Everyone shouted in agreement and so do I.  We've asked and worked sl hard for this. There's just no way we'll mess this up. Or.. So I thought..  [ 5hours later ]  "Maaan I'm beat! We did great! Am I right boys?" Theodore asked.  " And its all thanks to you " my response as I pat him at the back.  " Nah man, it's all of us. We did it." his denial "Do you really think we can pull that off without you there? Of course not" cheerful response of Zack, the band's drummer.  "Well, its not like any of you can sing anyway"  Everyone laughed as we made our way back to the dorms. Entering the competition costs us a fortune but now, it's paying off. We got our debut concert and who knows? There's plenty of opportunities ahead for us. It might get a little bumby but we know, we can pull this off. As long as we're together.  "Anyway, I gotta go check on Samantha. See you morons tomorrow" Theodore softly chuckled as he bid us farewell.  "Hey Theodore!" I shouted. "Say hi to her for me"  "Call her yourself" he shouted back "On second thought, no. Don't ruin the night for me"  I waved my hand also bidding him farewell. He waved his hand back and continued to walk away. As I turn my head around, I've heard a loud, sudden gun shot from behind me. I had a bad and uneasy feeling stirring right in my chest yet I still chose to turn around only to witness Theodore collapsing. I dropped my guitar and rushed unto his side and so is everyone. We cried and tried calling for his name but, but all we heard was nothing.  " Gino.. Enough.. He's dead, Theodore's dead"..  Zack tried to pull me away from the Theodore's body but I still wont budge.  " Come on.. Dont leave us like this"..  Night falls as I held my bestfriend's corpse in my arms.  "You can't leave us.. Please.. " "Theodore..."

  Emotions…Reactions that human beings experience in certain circumstances. Emotions are stretched out into 3 components of a psychological, expressive, behavioral response and just a bunch of bullshit going inside of my head with absolutely no meaning. Emotions can include sadness, happiness, disgust, fear, surprise, and last and foremost anger. What technically defines human emotions and what controls them? What’s the difference between emotions and feelings? Emotions are neurological reactions that are done subconsciously and rather immediately to an emotional stimuli or situation.    You wake up in the morning, KOH POWING your alarm in the morning. Whilst you open your groggy state of eyes; you go drink some water, get dressed up including brushing your teeth, grab your jingling keys and drive to work. On the way to work you fill up some gas for your car and recognize your father going inside the gas station, you immediately start reacting with your eyes wide open, your brain subsciously is constantly rendering his features through patterns little by little to recognize him and once you do, you run up to him and hug him. Until you realize it was all in your head, it was just a stranger who looked similar to your father who's been dead for 3 years. Feelings are all done consciously by your own thinking. Feelings are something you can control and con others with, especially yourself after some point of time.    In a world where everyone fakes their feelings, con others and deviously manipulate themselves and other people. Therefore, Person A believes no one can tell through their white and black lies while Person B can see exactly through the lies and plays along with it since Person B does not want to make the situation awkward. Everyone naturally is selfish and greedy. It’s just how we are. Is it morally correct to be this way? Who knows.    As my asscheeks hit the soft cushion of the window seat of the bus, I lay back wondering where did this all go wrong? Is life ever as simple as it seems or an individualized convoluted abstract mess of reality I created inside my own jumbled messed up thoughts. I can’t remember when my thoughts started to turn so dark and gloomy without a hope in sight;mimicking the epitome of pessimism. The outpost lights directly shine into my eyes every so often as I gaze at the unfulfilling depressing night sky filled with smog without a star in sight. Will the twinkling stars ever appear to give me a beautiful last reminisce of how the sky used to be? The sky used to shine brightly as it did to me as a child;pure, innocent, and sparkling with hopes and dreams just to be crushed by the smog of society and the turning wheels of being an adult and factories.   Ahh the innocence of being a child where nothing can ever go wrong and if it does you always have someone to lean on to carry you through the hardships of life. Children create and imagine the wildest of stories, believe in the fairest of them all, and the cre-   “Cough, cough, excuse me.” someone questioned. Out of the peripheral vision to my left, a fair skinned girl with straight caramel hair that travels all the way to her curvaceous hips, her fair skin looks completely unblemished except for the mole underneath her right eye that stands out poking at your mentality to notice how much it contrasts perfectly with her bluish tinted green eyes. I don’t know if it’s me, however the more I focus onto eyes the more I'm confused on if her eye color is blue or green. Not that it matters at the end of the day, as she’s looking straight at me.   “Everything good?” Turning towards her, I glunched. My scratchy raspy voice contrasted to her cherubic soft voice.   “No, obviously everything isn’t good if I'm trying to get your attention. Anyways, that’s beside the point.” She stops and ponders before continuing again. “Why do you seem off?”   “Off is a too broad term, I don’t get your point.” Great, someone else to put to their two cents in which I absolutely give zero fucks about.    “Well, I did word it in a hazy way, what I'm trying to convey to you is you seem as if the world is going to end and there’s the look in your eyes and posture specifically just screaming out to me, INSANITY.” She stares into my eyes before proceeding further. “Insanity to the point, I got frightened as soon as I saw the look of your eyes outside the bus from the window.”   Insanity huh, it’s been a while since someone has seen through me, though instead of insanity they used the word cynical. I’m……   Tired of going to worlds   I’m tired and exhausted. World after world, Demon king to protagonist, living in solitude fighting monsters for others year after year. Never receiving rest nor sincere gratitude for saving their world they couldn't protect themselves. The 1st time I reincarnated inside another world with magic, monsters, fantasies, and my memories I thought as any other would in that moment. I screamed, yelled, and cried tears of joy thinking my life is special, thinking this is all I've ever wanted and dreamed for. But in those novels you read it's full of plot armor and deus ex machina. What do you do as an average guy who’s reincarnated inside another world with absolutely nothing special about you and the Gods tells you to kill the demon king. Seems like a dream come true doesn’t it. I mean who hasn't read a transmigration or reincarnated novel wishing for it to happen to them. But for me the Gods gave me no information, and no special skills. The only skill you have as soon as you're dropped off inside the world is [Endless Lives].   Self explanatory isn’t it. You never truly die but you experience death over and over and over. It never ends until you complete the quest. So you bleed, get tortured, have your eyes ripped off, get multiated dismembered, have lava poured over your body, thrown into pits and being strapped to a table to have monsters eat you from in the inside; All of this since your known in the world for being immortal so how else can these demons win against you.

PrinceyLeggles Loosely based on the world of Middle Earth. I wanted more German names for consistency but...  anyway, this is how I got all the elven names Elegast - German for 'elf spirit' Alfie- elf in German  Álváró- Hungarian for elf warrior  Ordella- German  Livi- elven army in old English  Abruette- I forgot what this means all I know is that it's german. Alary- means ruler or something in German   Not to even get into the dwarven names...   ☆Elegast☆       Elegast slumped down into his seat rather ungraciously, not heeding his father's words about how they needed to act properly in front of the dwarves.      He glanced over to his little siblings, Alfie and Livi. Alfie was bouncing up and down in his seat, almost as if he was excited, while Livi was playing with the hem of her skirt. "Elegast! Are you paying attention?"     His father, Alary, was looking at him. His voice gave Elegast the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes," he muttered.      Alary huffed, "take care of your siblings. Make sure they look presentable."      "Sure," his eyes strayed over to the dwarves. He would never admit it out loud, but sometimes he was jealous of the dwarves' family dynamic.      Elves and dwarves were opposites I'm every way, but that was even more reason that they needed to cooperate for trade in order to get important materials. But that didn't mean they were happy about it. The dwarves were on the other side of the room, smiling and talking to each other in their harsh language as they braided their hair and beards.     "Hey, Elegast. Looking at the dwarves?'' Elegast jumped, his older sister, Ordella, stepping unto the light out of the shadows in the doorway.  Elegast shook his head, still not looking at Ordella. “I thought you weren’t coming,” He said. Ordella rolled her eyes, “Well, I’m here. Obviously,” she glanced between Elegast and the Dwarves. “Oh my god! Elegast!!” she stepped forward, snapping her fingers in front of Elegast’s face. His temper snapped, and he finally looked at Ordella, “Good you’re here. Watch the kids.”  He pushed past her, ignoring her protests.  The outside was calmer than Elegast had expected. He had thought it would’ve been crowded with dwarves and elves alike looking for information about what was happening. Usually, the Elves’ and the Dwarves' hatred for each other was so well known there would be hundreds of people waiting.  But it was empty, no one was there. Elegast took a deep breath and pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders. The forest was quiet, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be for much longer. Soon the yelling would start. It was a wonder that they ever got anything done in the meetings. Elves and dwarves were infamous for their relationship with each other, but even so, it was clear that they needed each other. The dwarves were miners and blacksmiths, they were the ones that supplied the elves with most of the iron and silver they used to make their weapons (most elves were too haughty to use dwarf-made weapons, so they had elven blacksmiths). The elves supplied the dwarves with food (mostly fruits, vegetables, and large animal meat) and wooden goods.  Elegast glanced back at the meeting house, feeling a little guilty as he pulled himself up into the branches of the nearest tree. He sat high up in the tree, high enough not to hear the shouting when it started. Like most Elves, he didn’t care much for politics. But Alary, the king, had put ‘someone had to do it’. Politics were loud and boring, crowded into a stuffy room and yelling back and forth for four hours?  Elegast stood up, balancing on the branch easily. No, politics was definitely not something that could be considered fun. Climbing trees though? Childish, yes, but still enjoyable. He leaped to the branch below him, having hundreds of years of practice so as to not lose balance and fall. He giggled like a little elfling, hopping onto the branches and swinging on them.    As he was in the treetops, his eyes caught onto a flash of blond hair. He peered over the branches to see a dwarf sitting by the edge of a lake. “A dwarf?” He asked himself, slipping off the branch he was perched on to get closer, but he was too distracted to notice how thin the branch he was aiming for was. He fell to the ground with a thud. The dwarf shot to his feet and was approaching Elegast with his axe ready to strike.  Elegast sat up and backed up as well as he could while still sitting on the ground. The dwarf rolled his eyes and lowered his axe, “I thought elves were supposed to be grateful.” He stuck out a hand for Elegast to help him up. Elegast ignored his hand and got up on his own, “I thought Dwarves were supposed to be fair-spoken.” The dwarf was at least a foot and a half shorter than him, with long blond hair and a beard that was braided with dark silver clasps at the ends. The dwarf half-smiled. “Where did you hear that? I wouldn’t think that Elves would be speaking of us so highly.”  Elegast shrugged, he had heard it from one of the men that had come passing through. Truthfully, no elf would ever say such a thing about a dwarf. The dwarf sighed, “Ivar,” he held a hand to his chest. Elegast tilted his head curiously, “Ivar… it means archer, right?”  “Yeah, I’m an archer, you got a problem with that?” Ivar bristled. Elegast looked at his axe pointedly, “No… but, there aren’t many dwarves who are archers,” He changed the subject quickly at Ivar’s glare, “Elegast- I- I mean- my name- Elegast.”  Ivar’s eyes strayed up to the circlet upon Elegast’s brow, “Shouldn’t you be at the meeting?” He asked carefully.  “Shouldn’t you?” Elegast scoffed, “Don’t think I can’t recognize a dwarf of the royal family.”  Ivar glanced out on the water, “You’re right I should but… do you want to leave this-” He gestured around himself, “-thing with me?” Elegast faltered, “I’m sorry, what?” Ivar held out a hand again, mischief glinting in his eyes, “Do you trust me?’” “No,” Elegast still placed his hand in Ivar’s anyway.  “Good.” “That sounds ominous.”

Bright white light is all he could see as the grey blob of energy looked at his surroundings, that is except for the brown desk that stuck out like a mirage in the desert and the man that accompanies the desk. The man looks a lot like famous British actor Simon Pegg radiating a holy and sage like aura. "Welcome child to my office! I am God's new assistant. God has killed you to entertain his non omniscient friends as they were getting bored, it's basically like reality tv. But he'll give you what you want the most in your pointless life, reincarnation!"  Simon Pegg said  "Really? Do I get wishes?" the grey souls said in an abnormally calm manner   "You really just breezed past your gruesome death huh, not even asking why I look like famous British actor Simon Pegg or angry about your unjust death? *sigh* Don't be greedy you get one wish and spin for the world you'll go to. Also i guess you should know, you'll forget all your memories except for your personality, how your wish works and this discussion" assistant Simon said as a wheel materialized Infront of the soul. looking at the choices on the wheel the soul realized the severity of the situation as he saw some of the choices such as dark souls, the walking dead, Berserk, Halo, Naruto, and even Warhammer 40k. the souls walked up to wheel and gave it a big spin that eventually landed onto the Twilight universe. This turn of events should have come with a sigh of relief but the soul strangely felt nothing "Hey assistant? why do I feel so empty towards everything, like Id normal be super pissed at you and god while being happy at my choice of universe but I don't feel any way towards my situation." "hmm?.....ah shit! I fucked up already?!? I've been the gods assistant for minutes!" the assistant exclimated as he lost his sage appeal "what happened?" "hmmm, the dumb down version is that the soul doesn't produce emotions. The body produces hormones that allows emotions, like how serotonin allows happy etc. This doesn't matter if they naturally enter the reincarnation cycle as the soul gets cleansed and lose all individuality and becomes energy for new souls but since I grabbed you without precautions...." "what?" the souls asked almost robotic sounding "well when you return to a body your soul will still remember this, Idk what's gonna happen but youll definitely not gonna be the same. But hey I'll give you a deal, as I'm a generous assistant and i basically changed your entire personality but I'll let you choose your body and I'll give you 2 extra wishes. Not too bad right? Normally id let you choose your background but God already chosen it. He probably already seen what your gonna pick and made a background accordingly. " "whatever I want to be 5'10, black hair and eyes, a handsome but slightly androgynous face, The human limit on pain tolerance and a sickly white complexion so that I wont change when I become a vampire. (image here) As for my powers hmmm 1. I  want max observation haki 2. superhuman brain function like remembering and computing  3. rinnegan."     "woah woah woah, calm down there bub. I'll give you your first and second wish but I can't give you a rinnegan. just the max observation haki is pushing it for the limits of the Twilight universe I can't give you a rinnegan." Simon said  "then can I atleast get the rinnegans ability to switch things?"  The assistant ponders whether he should give him the ability. well whatever gods already gonna chew me out for messing up a basic reincarnation, I'll let the kid have it as I did kinda forcefully changed his entire outlook on life "sure Leo, now off you go into Twilight universe. Also I'm sorry about your background but you really only have yourself to blame " Simon pegg said. " my name's not Leo and what do you mean sor-" the souls was cut off before disappearing. Visit Webnovel if you want to read the rest of this

"What's wrong?" The man in all black sweated profusely as he was questioned by his boss. The woman who sat behind the desk looked at her papers. It contained the list of debts that had yet to be collected. "T-The target managed to escape." The room was silent for a few seconds all until she was done looking at the list. Then she looked up at him. "How?" "He's protected Miss!" the man explained. "The man has the protection of Count Millson!” “Count Millson?” If the man protecting him was Count Millson it was obvious the man in debt was his most treasured nephew. Except his nephew was a degenerate that gambled all his money and stalked girls. Although one might feel bad for Count Millson for dealing with such a piece of trash she wouldn’t relent until she got the money. “Gather a group of men. Tall, bulky, and muscular. After that go to the Shadow Guild and post a bounty on the wall. Once you’re done dealing with the nephew I’ll go talk to count Millson.” The man saluted to her and left the room with a newfound purpose. The boss, Nori got up from her chair and grabbed a wine bottle from her shelf. Savoring the taste she looked down at the market.  It was bustling with people of all sorts. Trade, people and businesses  thriving, safety with the guards walking around. It sounded like the picture perfect kingdom. However beyond if someone took a closer look, perhaps go to the slums would they see a different view. A few years ago the kingdom was plunged into war because the Church had caused another issue again with the neighboring kingdom. Thus a long period of war finally ended the long period of peace that was maintained. Along with the war came a long list of debts. For her it helped her business so much that the King noticing her power and wealth gave her a title, Baroness.  “Count Millson, huh.” A count. Nori grinned. She could imagine a higher ranked noble kissing at her feet begging for his nephew to be released. For now she would keep the nephew as hostage. Of course he wouldn’t know. As for the Count’s resources, they would be hers sooner or later. “Miss the men are ready!” Nori put the bottle of wine down on the table and grabbed her long woolen coat.  “Grab the guns. The Count will either give us his nephew or pay for his nephew’s debts.” … Tension filled the room yet Nori seemed to be the only one unaffected. Why? Because she’d be getting much more than expected. She simply underestimated the amount of importance the Count gave to his nephew. The Count was obese and his skin was oily. Similarly was his nephew  however unlike the Count his nephew had no hair. “Please, perhaps we can negotiate a deal?” Nori sighed. “Count Millson as much as I would love to just let his debts go I have my own people to feed. Your nephew had taken a tenth of our money and gambled it all. It is hard to regain such an amount of money. You are aware of the state our kingdom is in, no?” The Count clenched his fists and Nori grinned internally.  “However I would consider-“ “Really!?” Nori nodded. The Count prepared himself. He knew that the woman in front of him was no ordinary woman. “Instead of paying your nephew’s debt I want ownership of the mines in the North.” “W-What?” The count sputtered unable to believe what she just asked him. The mines in the North were extremely precious to his family. It was their main source of income too! If he handed them over there would be no hope for the future of his household. “Oh I didn’t finish-“ The Count despaired. What else could she want?  “Oh don’t worry. I’m not taking the all of the mines. I just want a percentage of the profit you earn from it.” The count sighed in relief. “Yes, how about twen-“ “30:70” “P-Pardon?” “I said 30:70. Should that not be enough?” But if she took 70% of the profit all he would be able to afford was the manor and all the servants inside the mansion! He wouldn’t be able to make connections without proper money nor afford the protection of proper soldiers. “H-How about 50:50?” The Count clasped his hands together tightly hoping she would accept the resolution. “50:50 is too little. It’ll take me a year to regain the amount of money taken from me. I will only consider your offer if you can add something more valuable.” The count racked his brain and then finally he found something. “50:50 profit shares, a piece of land, and my slave business.” Oh slave business. Nori pondered. If she accepted the deal there would be some benefits. Although she wouldn’t get the money stolen from her immediately she’d still get them back. If she had the slave business complete ownership of all the slaves would be hers and the piece of land no matter if small would be valuable too.  Although she was a Baroness she did not have land tied to her. If she managed to successfully create her own town or city with that piece of land she might even get promoted to Viscountess. “I accept. Pleasure doing business with you.” She reached out her hand to shake his obese one. Thankfully she had gloves on. The count sighed in relief. When he got ahold of his stupid nephew he’d give him a thorough beating so the brat wouldn’t get anymore stupid ideas. He almost lost his whole lively hood! … By the time they finished negotiating their deal it was dusk. Nori stretched her arms and walked out of the manor. The wind was a little chilly making goosebumps on her arms. “Miss.” Nori turned to look at the man who spoke to her.  “What?” The man shuffled his feet seeming to be embarrassed about what he was about to ask. Nori gestured for him to continue. Although she valued her employees, she did not like it when the needlessly wasted her time. “Why did the count go so far for his nephew? Doesn’t he have a son?” Nori chuckled a little and let a breath of white mist. “The Count cares not for either of them. He only cares about the benefits they bring. His son is rebellious and doesn’t listen whilst he has a seemingly close bond with his nephew. Instead of rebuilding a connection with his blood son he would rather mesh with someone very similar to him.” The son was someone she was quite interested in. However he was too righteous and was also a cardinal. If she wanted to become his ally she would have to give up her way of living. And that was something she wouldn’t do even if the guy was valuable. “Let us depart now. We have a long list of debts we have yet to collect.”

One night, while they were playing a guess game, it was Alex' turn and got the word 'Robe' Since he wore it all the time he just pointed at it, emphasizing his clothing to them. Rakh was the first one to figure it out. The others were surprised by this, but lets it slide. Just like any other night, in the same time, Alex leaves after excusing himself. Tenesee, who finally had enough of his anonymosity, asks him "what a way to ruin the mood, what is it that you do anyways?" Having heard his rude tone, Rakh scolds him and tells him to stop. To his surprise however, Alex answers back, saying that they're only going to take a bath. A breif silence came upon them as Alex left. Later on, Tenessee suddenly got an idea, which he then shared to the group. "Hey guys... Wanna see what Alex truly looks like" All of them turned, with their eyes widening. Having taken their attention, he goes on to explain their plan. To take Alex' magical robe, which not only hid Alex' appearance, but also his presence. Since they knew that Alex was taking a bath, they were planning on using Sophia to distract him while they take the robe. After polishing their plans, they finally put it into play.While heading to Alex' room, Rakh felt guilty and wanted to stop. Tenessee managed to bring his interest back by provoking him, claiming that he was a coward. Just as planned, Sophia knocks on the bathroom, asking if she could enter after making up an excuse saying that she left something there. Alex was hesitant at first but eventually gave in After Tenessee took the robe, he couldnt help but laugh, throwing it to Rakh. Alex, who heard this, asked Sophie if she said something. Sophie got nervous but managed to get a hold of herself and answered, saying that it was nothing. The group initially had planned on leaving as soon as they got the robe, but Tenesee thought otherwise... They laughed together while trying on Alex' clothes, one of which Tenessee broke by ripping a bit of it due to his body. Fortunately, Sophia had the ability to control matter, which helped in fixing the ripped part. After a while, Sophia couldnt help but notice how long Alex has been there (inside the bathroom) Having realized it, the others began to worry. While overthinking the situation, they all felt guilty, thus none of them wanted to go. Rakh stepped up first, knocking before calling out Alex' name. He then hears a faint voice, asking if he saw the robe. He looked back, and saw it on Tenessee's arms. "Please..." Alex saysHearing this made Rakh look back, he held the door's surface, and clenched his fists. "Give it Tee" Rakh orders"Huh?! What about the plan!""F*** the plan"He takes the robe from Tenessee's grip. Rakh takes a moment to breathe, regaining his composure"I have it, open the door"".... Okay" Alex answers Tenessee, who got annoyed with Rakhs' actions, then decided to take the opportunity, pushing the door as soon as Alex unlocked it. Without hesitating, Rakh grabs him by the collar and lifted him up before throwing him on the ground. It was enough time, for when Rakh looked back, Alex had just put on the robes' hood. He then stuttered after seeing a glimpse of their hair. "I-Im sorr-"He stopped in shock, being pushed by Alex, who used their power to force everyone out. With everyone now outside, they look at each other, in disbelief."wh-what the fu** was..." - Tenessee"How did-" Sophia says while looking at RakhRakh was known to be the strongest of the three, yet he too was left useless by the force of Alex' power. They then decided to part ways after making a pact of silence with each otherThe next day, while they were eating. Sophia couldnt help but feel awkward, seeing that everyone was being silent all the time. To their surprise, Alex was the one to break the silence. " Sorry... For last night" " I-its fine" Rakh replied"yeahh..." the others followed With that said, the four was yet again brought into silence. Rakh felt like something was off, he wasn't sure of what it was, but noticed something different with Alex While he was thinking, Alex stood up excusing himself. Rakh was watching the whole time and noticed when Alex almost tripped. With his sight, he was able to tell that Alex was weakened. But because of the robe, which obscurred his sight, he was still unsure. Later on, Rakh felt a sudden rush in his body. Knowing that it was danger, he leaves his room and finds himself in front of Alex' There he hears grunts of agony which later on turned into cries. He bursts in, having panicked for what might've happened. He then finds Alex on the floor with their hood loose which showed his blonde hair. He then watched as it turned, fading into white. Without a moment to waste he picks him up and feels his ice-cold body. "wh-what is..." He thought to himself, as a dark aura within Alex'body started to leech unto him. He then began to run, having realized that it might be the curse which killed the past King. However, he stopped before doing so, and made sure to cover his face."Im not sure if you can hear me... But try to hold on" While on the way to the Hospital Wing, he comes across with Tenessee. He then continued to speak, hoping Alex was listening."I dont know why you hide yourself...But since you seem to be so serious about it, I will respect your decision"Tenessee, who heard him mumbling, followed from behind. He then calls out to Rakh, having noticed that his body was taking a heavy toll after receiving the curse within the person he's holding. "Let go you dum****, you're gonna die!" he shouts, only to be ignored. Sophia suddenly appears in front of them, blocking Rakh by spreading her arms. "Stop Rakh" she says. It was at this point where Tenessee finally had caught up. "What are you-" he stops, having noticed Rakh's persistence in his fiery eyes. He asked himself what gave Rakh the drive to do such a thing. "Ill take em, both of yall will end up dead if you continue" Rakh hesitated, but knew his body was getting weaker. So he scoffs in disappointment and gave Alex to him. Tenessee felt the same curse draining his life force. He was shocked and even more so confused on how Rakh was able to resist such pain. "You--better get her there" Rakh says before falling to the ground unconsious. Sophie called out to him, but noticed Tenessee as he froze in place. She shouted, telling him to run. Tenessee then runs as fast as he could, with Sophia behind him who supported Rakh. The night then ends as the three of them laid on the Holy Pool.

I have a weird sleeping syndrome. I know this is weird to start off with, but I get these hazy but lucid dreams all the time. I told my parents at the time but they ignored me. It's not until I went missing for a day did they notice anything wrong with me. Everything they did changed nothing but cause my behavior to change with it, since I couldn't ignore what I saw in my dreams. I was taken to a psychologist, but they couldn't get anything defined about what I saw when I slept, but requested I make a notebook on them. A Dream Journal as they say. I listened though, noting down all the creatures I saw in my dreams. Mostly out of the window of my bedroom, but sometimes when my dreams became lucid I was not in my room, standing in the country park that old people fed pigeons and kids played on the playground.  The creatures were never completely awful, Just slightly weird and sort of there. Like if I was seeing a shadow turning a corner, they flickered and swayed as if they'd be gone at any moment. Back when I went missing did I notice it wasn't normal. They say, my parents, that I was sitting on the park bench asleep. I thought it was all a dream?  Sometimes when I was writing in my journal I started making up things I thought were true, like a researcher jotting down notes on anything. The Psychologist when he saw them only told me that I had an impressive imagination, and that I had a quite serious case of sleepwalking. We moved from that town a week later, since I somehow kept sleepwalking to that park.  That was the strangest thing though, I tested it once, and only once, since we moved the next day. After that diagnosis, My parents locked up the house, multiple locks on my door, the front door, and all of the windows. I still somehow got out into the street. I knew I was dreaming as always, but I saw a ripple of something smoke-like at our door, and I walked through it. It felt like I was walking through a thick liquid, and went to the park, notebook in hand. The next day My parents and I had to move. They said it was for work but I think they were trying to get me away from the park.  We moved to a bigger city, much more noisy and smelly. My syndrome was getting worse, but my parents couldn't tell. How was I supposed to tell them I could see what I saw in my dreams whenever I closed my eyes?     It's been 3 years. I'm 14 now, and my syndrome has plateaued. I have multiple journals of the creatures I can see, so they can't scare me since I know they don't mean to. Since I can control my walking my parents think it's gone away. I don't bother trying to prove it to them anymore. In return they let me hang out in the city's park more often. The creatures I see tend to hang out where nature is, the ones in the city are grayish, while out there they have much more color.  Then I met a man. I did what I usually did on the weekends, sitting out in the park at 9am till the afternoon. When I got to one of my usual benches there was an odd looking man sitting there. He looked dazed, one eyepatch and the other eye had had a white pupil, making the man blind. His cane was a gnarly piece of wood with strange carvings on it. They were the same carvings on his eyepatch. In all honesty he looked pretty cool.   So I didn't mess with the man, other then giving an acknowledging nod and sitting down. Pulling out my sketchbook and charcoal pencils I started to sketch the landscape, in the same black and white I see with my eyes closed. A few sparks of color whenever one of the creatures are there. The comfortable silence falling over me.  "Can you see it?"  I spun around facing the man. He was still looking into the distance, as if he hadn't spoken, but he spoke again, without moving.  "You can. You are the one who can see past the seen. The fire without eyes. I've been searching for you." "What?" I looked at him confused.  "Don't try to deny it, you can see what others do not. I know for I can see too." He points to the creature I was sketching.  "What do you see?"  "In simpler terms all I know is something is there. In abstract, the truth." He sighs and leans back.  "That doesn't mean anything." I was slowly inching away from the man.  "I can't see it the way you do. Mine's artificial." The old man lifts his eye patch, and nothing was there. Just an empty socket. "You'll have to look without your eyes to see what I mean." The old man states, keeping his eyepatch lifted. I close my eyes and I do see what he means. From his eye socket a beam of yellow light emanates straight out, hitting the creature in the distance. The creature itself looks pleased, hopping about energetically.  "How do you do that?"  "I am what Is without the Ego. If you want to learn more, come back at midnight tonight." and with that the old man gets up and leaves. I try to follow him and ask questions, but he doesn't answer, as if I'm not even there, hails a taxi and leaves.  I walk home, In a sort of daze, eating dinner, small talk with my parents and getting in bed. Am I going to learn more about my ability? Do I even want too?

Oliver looked at Wilson who had placed a slice of cake in between them on the table. Wilson sat down on the chair with a sigh, “I think it’s old.” Oliver’s face distraught with disgust picked up the fork on his end and poked the cake with it. It was supposed to be his favourite, carrot cake with the works, pineapple, walnuts, carrots obviously, mashed banana that was masked by the warm spices and dried raisins. The cake was frozen coming right out of his mother’s freezer and this dimwitt thought that now was the best time to take it out --- when he was here. Oliver gazed menacingly at Wilson saying, “You motherfucker, did you think this frozen slice of cake would keep me here? I thought you wanted to go on a date and this is what you call a date?” Wilson cleared his throat while he scratched his nose, “Look I am sorry, I thought my mother would bake again or well she did but she sold it already losing my chances of getting laid.” “You fucking daydreamer, did you actually think this frozen piece of shit would get you laid? In what world exactly?” Oliver asked as he placed the fork down thinking it was best to let the frozen cake thaw out for now. Wilson reached over to take Oliver’s hand in his saying, “Forgive me for daydreaming but I was hoping that you would end up in my bed but we can save that for next time, we have a coconut something something here at the cafe too if you want? I’ve placed in a personal order so you will get a whole cake to yourself, a full round eight-inch.” Oliver nodded in defeat, “Fine, the coconut something something will do for now.” Wilson got up and went to place the order then returned, “Excuse me, sir, we have run out of the carrot cake is there perhaps another flavour you want or shall I suggest a few of the other cakes that we are currently stock of.” Oliver snapped out of his daydream and looked at the handsome waiter with the name tag, ‘Wilson’ on it. Oliver’s eyes widened in embarrassment realizing that he had just daydreamed about this man blushed. “Excuse me, sir?” Wilson called again. Oliver smiled at him, “Sure, sure. Yes, uhm… what do you have to eat then?” “There is the coconut cake that is my favourite. We have black forest, matcha, cheesecake, Lemington and Boston cream pie.” He listed all the options. Oliver started clicking the pen in his hand as his foot tapped away on the floor. Thinking it over he asked, “Can you bring me your favourite then?” Wilson smiled at him saying, “Perfect! I am truly sorry about the inconvenience.” Oliver forced a smile, “It’s okay, I hope there is carrot cake tomorrow.” “I hope so too,” he said and walked off to get Oliver’s order. Soon Wilson returned and with his order and said, “Here is your strawberry de leche.” Oliver’s eyelashes fluttered up and looked at Wilson confused, “But I ordered your favourite.” Wilson looked down at Oliver bewildered, “But you ordered strawberry de leche today Oliver.” “No, I correctly remember ordering the carrot cake but you did not have it because it was sold out and then I ordered the coconut cake so how did you end up on the strawberry de leche?” “Oliver?” Wilson tapped his finger against the table. The sound annoyed Oliver and he looked over at him, “What is it?” “Who are you talking to?” Wilson asked. Oliver smirked and tapped the pen against his teeth, “Oh, I was arguing with you in my head about which cake to choose.” “Why do you do that?” Wilson asked curiously pointing at the drawing on the piece of paper that had an infinite loop drawn on it. Oliver’s mouth started twitching, he looked down at it and started drawing over the loops explaining, “If I draw a circle and draw the loop, I’ll be dragged into it again.” Wilson nodded his head, he huffed and pointed at the cake between them, “Can that wait? The cake is done cooking in the sun.” Oliver pouted his lips and placed the pen down. Picking up the fork he heard, “Sir, would you like coffee with your cake or tea?” Oliver looked at the cake on the centre of the table and saw that it was far from being thawed out. He looked up at the person who just asked him that question. He sighed when he saw that it was Wilson again and said, “I put the pen down, why am I still in the loop?” “Loop?” Wilson asked confused. Oliver shook his head and picked up the pen, he looked ahead of him and Wilson was sitting back in his place. He smiled at him and nodded, “I think you are still in the loop.” “No shit mister detective,” Oliver smirked and continued drawing the loop. Wilson looked down at the loop and saw something off on the paper. He stood up and walked over to him. He placed his hand on Oliver’s left shoulder and leaned down. He looked at the sheet of paper clearly and saw what it was that seemed off. Pointing to it, the pen stopped beside his finger leaving an ink mark. Oliver frowned annoyed, he did not like being disturbed, “Don’t you know about personal space?” Wilson shook his head, “No but I think I know why your order keeps changing.” “Please enlighten me, darling,” Oliver suggested. “Well, the infinite loop over the circle you started and you call me an idiot,” Wilson scoffed. Oliver looked at the paper carefully and mumbled, “How could I have missed that?”

It have been 5 days Hiro had been in this world.. His body is now fit with abs and muscle... He is tanning due to heat and humidity.. The regional channel buzzing with the discovery of glass like wall and within it the discovery of ruin like structure..  People discussing the danger of those ruin and the benefit from it..  Once pass a certain threshold of time, a sweeper will emerge and sweep the ruin from the adventurer..  Most of people died some barely able to get out from the ruin.  The first man that discover the regional chat features was actively seeking opportunity and grouping with other exploring the ruin...  The gist of rewards vary from weapon like the RPG, sword and even processed dry food.  These are the information people have leaked from the channel...  Hiro base matured into a functioning base equip with small farm and sheltered home with traps surrounding it...  At the 6th days... The sky was glooming signifying it was about to rain..  The channel still as usual active with the new hot topics.. Hunting the Goatee entity..  Now they have RPG.. They become more bold.. People agreed to group up and almost most of them had gone to the meeting side...  Apparently the place they suspected the entity lives is near Hiro base...  Hiro heart skip a bit.. And he hurriedly went back to base..  Few hours passes and Hiro heard a loud boom sound followed by scream after scream... Then it turn silence...  At that time.. It was raining...  Hiro look from a vantage point and discover a bloodied man was holding a RPG aiming at the injured goatee entity...  Boom.. The attack hit and the goatee entity lost its head.. But apparently was still alive..  The man look at the entity on despair and try to run but luck was not to his side.. Due to severe loss of blood he stagerred for a few steps before collapse Though the goatee entity was severely injured.. It was able to reach the man before feasting on his flesh.. The man scream in sorrow..  Hiro look at the scene in shock... His hand got sweaty and he gulp in fear.. But he grit his teeth and start to run as the goatee snake head look directly at him and nigh before limping towards Hiro. 

I stared at the light reflected in his eyes, the light of the small flame he held between his fingers. This was always the way we began. Or the way I did, at least. I looked down at his hands and brought mine slightly above his, cupped and with fingers spread slightly as if I were holding a ball. The breath I exhaled made the flame quiver slightly as I focused my attention on it. Slowly, the light it gave out dimmed, the bright yellow glow turning deep red. The outline of the fire itself didn't change in size, and neither did the heat it gave off; it just continued to flicker as it grew darker, until the light went out completely. But it was still there. I could feel the heat against my palms, and if I moved to close them I knew I would get burned. I also knew that he wouldn't let it. Or, at least I hoped he wouldn't. This thought made my concentration waver just a bit, but it was enough for the the light of the fire to come rushing back. The soft glow illuminated his face, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Something wrong?", John asked. I shook my head. "Just... something that crossed my mind," I replied. "Let me try again." Another breath from me shook the flame he held, as I made another attempt to drain the light from it. I moved my hands slightly closer this time, though it wasn't really necessary. Maybe I wanted to test my earlier assumption. I put that thought aside, and once more aimed my focus on the fire, dampening its glow bit by bit. Again it had turned completely invisible, radiating only heat without light. The room we were in had its own lighting down very low to facilitate our exercise. I brought down my right hand, moved my left behind John's fire, and let light out from it. The outline of the unseen flame was visible, and within it the image of my hand shimmered; the heat of his fire refracted the light coming through it. It was something I hadn't yet quite learned to overcome. I had absolutely no trouble with more mundane flames, and I don't know whether it was the nature of our abilities or my own lacking mastery that was to blame. Certainly John had had more experience than me, since he'd been at this a bit longer.  Whatever the reason, testing myself against him was a good way to hone my skills. And a nice excuse to be this close to each other. I released my hold on the light, and moved my hands to either side of it again. This time its light expanded as I teased it out into a sphere, turning it into a miniature sun in image, if not in temperature. Once again the outline of the actual flame at its heart flickered and wavered, hinting at its true form. "The sun, huh?" John stared at it. "Did you ever try to get that hot? Uh, I mean," I tried to scramble up the edge of the verbal cliff. "The surface, at least, is only a few thousand degrees." His face was unreadable. "I guess I could try." "Not... not right now though," I said, a tiny hint of concern creeping into my voice. "Yeah." He drew out the syllable. "I never got hit with it, but I don't think fire retardant foam is any fun." I looked at the ceiling. There were normal-looking sprinklers hanging from it, and they didn't suggest they would spray anything but water. "Does this room even have any? It's just for low-level training." There was also a manual fire extinguisher in one of the corners, looking rather new, but I doubted that that was what he meant. "They got 'em down in higher security levels." I decided this was a good time to end this exercise. I pulled my hands away, and the image of the sun disappeared. He did the same, and extinguished his flame. "Turn up the light to half, please?", I asked John. "Okay." He moved to the dimmer switch by the door. This wasn't standard to all the rooms of this level; like the exercises I do, this was tailored specifically to my skill set. The room we used held a metal table and four matching chairs, and I sat down at one of them. I placed my arms on the table. He turned the dial, and the room brightened. I attuned myself to the level of light the bulb was giving off, and stared at it. "Turn it up, slowly." He did. The light grew a tiny bit at the start, but I quickly brought down back to its previous level. My focus was on maintaining the same amount of light it emitted and dampening the excess. Creating light wasn't much of an issue for me anymore, and I had reached the point of my abilities where the absence of something was more important to cultivate. The light in the room got a little darker. "Hey!" John had dialed down the light and I was draining too much of it. I quickly matched the previous level again. "Just keeping you on your toes," he said with a smile. True, fine control was important, but sometimes it seemed he like to tease me more than he should. And not for the reasons I hoped. "Yeah, yeah, you're just a little..." I mumbled to myself. "Hm?" He stared at me with his eyebrows raised. "You're probably right," I said, this time loud enough for him to hear properly. "Hey, you admit it!" He looked back up at the light bulb, and turned the dial up again. I maintained the intensity as he did so. "Blackout?" he asked. I nodded. The light winked out, and the whole room plunged into darkness. A small glow came from John's direction, as he conjured another small flame in his hand. Holding it out, he walked to the table and sat diagonally across from me. Again it dimmed, as I expanded my reach towards it as well. The two of us sat in the dark, with a small comfortable warmth between us. I maintained my hold on the two light sources for about a minute, after which I could sense that he'd put out his flame before I could feel the lack of heat. I let the room's bulb shine again, and John's arms were folded as he stared at the light. After a few seconds, he turned to look at me. "You hungry?" "Not really," I answered, "but I guess I could eat."

1The repeated clashing of metal reverberated throughout the barren wasteland. Each time the two swords clashed, shockwaves strong enough to knock over buildings hundreds of feet away were created. However, their fight had lasted so long that nothing other than the earth they fought on remained for miles. “GRAAAAAAGH!!!” The giant of a man covered head to toe in pitch black armor swung down his hulking greatsword as he let off an aura of malice and terror. “URGH!” The man on the receiving end of the attack seemed tiny and feeble in comparison, yet he received the giant's swing in full with his own longsword. “Just give up already!” The giant roared as he swung down his sword once again. “You can never defeat me! Dragons, Angels, Demons, even Gods, hundreds have already tried to defeat me and failed! What makes you think a mere human will be any different!” He swung down his greatsword with even greater force but missed his target, a crater appearing on the ground it struck. “AAAAAH!” The small human had dodged his attack and did not waste a second chance, with a roar of his own he instantly closed the distance and swung his sword at a speed faster than light.  “GRAAAAGH!!!” The giant screamed in pain as the sword diagonally sliced through his tough armor like butter.  “N-Noooo” The giant staggered at the blow, a giant wound stretching from his shoulder to his waist as dark red blood oozed out. “I… the great… beaten by… a mere…” He could not even finish his sentence as he fell over backwards. "Haaa… Haaa... Haaah... ” The human collapsed to his knees as he gasped for breath.  How long had their fight lasted? Hours? Days? Maybe even weeks or months? All sense of time was lost when he relied solely on his instincts to fight, even his once bottomless stamina and magic were almost completely drained. As exhausted as he was, he forced himself to his feet while using his sword to support himself. He dragged his tired body over to the unmoving collapsed giant. He once again raised his sword for one final strike, and slashed down on its neck… Only for the giant's arm to suddenly block. The sword buried itself halfway into its armor laden limb before it stopped. Unable to even free the weapon from its new sheathe, the human quickly attempted to abandon it and retreat, but it was too late once he was grabbed by its enormous gauntlet. The giant's red eyes shone as his dark aura roared back to life. “I commend you for your strength, especially since you're a lowly human.” His voice sounded strangely calm, but as he could feel a  “Which is why I'll take away the only thing separating you from all those other scum!” His dark aura erupted towards the human, enveloping the both of them in its virulent glow. “Never again will you wield a sword! Never again will you cast a spell! Never again will you stand beside all the other trash who tried to defy me! Whether it's in life, or death! HAHAHA!!!” The maniacal laughter of the giant, the Great Demon King, resounded as its grip loosened, allowing the human to escape.  He attempted to outrun the dark energy but it was futile, every last bit of energy was sucked out of him. The last sight before the human collapsed was that of the bright sun, rising over a mountain in the far horizon. * * * Within the verdant forest filled with tall trees, luscious green grass, and all sorts of vibrantly colored flowers. Deep within this mystical forest lay a small valley where the grass turned a great shade darker, the trees grew taller and thicker, and the flowers grew in an even wider range of colors. Though what was most notable was what lay at the center of the valley, two suits of armor. One suit was pitch black and enormous, probably having belonged to a real giant, but now it was merely a rusted husk of its former glory. Ivy filled with blooming white flowers grew through the armor's cracks as they emanated an ethereal glow. The second suit of armor was a shadow of its former self, all it was was a rusting pile of metal, yet it was somehow still in use. “*cough**cough*” A hoarse cough emerged from the armor that was once a shining silver. The young man inside of it looked sickly, other than the armor that barely covered his body he was completely naked, revealing what looked closer to a skeleton than a human body. “What the *cough**cough*” It took several minutes of choking on his dust filled lungs before he could barely let out some words. He dragged himself out from the remains of the armor with what little strength he could muster, before turning himself onto his back to catch a deep breath. “What… Haaa… Haaa… happened…” I hope you enjoyed this prologue! I'm not entirely sure what direction this story will be going in, but I hope that you can leave any feedback down below, I'm always hoping to improve.

Rewq No real CWs for this other than perhaps mild dysphoria and something analogous to a mild eating disorder. Hope you enjoy! To any sane elf, the suggestion would receive an immediate no. Heck, to any thinking elf too. ‘Join me on this dodgy chat site, it’ll be fun’ was not a compelling argument. However, that’s not what Gence, my roommate, suggested. No, he led with: ‘Join me on this dodgy chat site, there will be boobs’ and somehow, that was enough. A thinking person might have thought things through and noticed a few issues with Gence’s plan. You might not see boobs. There might be kids on there, ew. You’re twenty, why are you doing this? Porn is free, c’mon. Strange men might expose themselves to you. But I digress, boobs were mentioned and I had ceased to be a thinking person. Needless to say, a thinking person would have been right. Most of the people on there fell into pretty much the same boat as Gence and I. Male, single and horny, with some variance in how old, hairy and dressed they were. Immediate skips, of course. Then there were the teenagers, who I really hope no one was talking to, because uh, yuck. The Internet really does suck. But, just occasionally, every twenty people or so, we’d strike gold! A girl, on camera and speaking to us. The first woman was a stunning drow, seductively dressed, a mountain of cleavage, flirty as anything and uh, promoting her PrivateScry. Still, her promo was fun and a pleasant enough diversion that we powered through until we found another woman. Her promo was fun too. After skipping past another gaggle of sweaty men, we found her, a real woman looking for real flirting, my prayers answered. The first giveaway that she wasn’t promoting a camming site, was that instead of a mountain of sex appeal, she was adorable. Cute little flowers in her hair, a pretty dress, nervously biting her lip. Just a pretty nymph with a lovely smile. Okay, Maren, flirting time, you got this. “Hi, I’m Maren, love your dress by the way, looks great on you. Wait, I mean uh, you look great in it.” Oof, makes sense I’m single. “Oh, I uh, thanks? I like it too.” Well, that’s not a lot to work with. How the hell do people flirt without feeling awkward or wondering who would ever be interested. This girl must have her pick of guys; I’m not exactly anything special. She hasn’t pressed skip yet though, so here’s hoping. “So, what’s your name?” “Arabella.” “That’s a really pretty name; are those the flowers in your hair too?” “W-Well, uh, I–” With barely a warning, Gence had cut her off by closing the tab. “Dude, I’m not letting you do this to yourself. This was a mistake; let’s find a party next weekend, alright?” “What? Why? That was just getting good.” “Firstly, that was only getting good by the standards of you, a sad virgin, and secondly, that was a trap, you’re welcome.” Barely comprehending, I asked “How would you even know? I thought she was hot.” “No boobs, his voice wasn’t right, those flowers weren’t attached, you could see bark by his collar; do I need to go on? That was a trap and I repeat, you’re welcome.” “Gence, you dumb arsehole, you know of trans people right?” “What, yeah, and so what, same difference.” I gave him my most disappointed frown. “No, no it isn’t; please educate yourself a bit, that is really disrespectful to trans folks.” “How’d you know? You a trannie too?” “Do not say trannie. That is not what trans means. Where are you even getting this shit from?” “Didn’t even deny it. Who fuckin’ knew, I’ve been living with a trannie, I–” Whatever he said next, I didn’t hear it. I slammed the door and headed to my room, adamant to find somewhere else to live by morning. A house search, even on a good day, was slow, tedious and a pain, and today was not a good day. Gence was a bigot. I’d thought he was just a bit of a jock-type and he had been fine the few months we’d lived together. But no, having seen his true colors I wasn’t that surprised. And then he’d called me, me of all people, trans. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. If I was trans, that’d make me a lesbian and then it’d be impossible to find a date. There’s just way more straight people, not that the numbers have helped so far. Plus, every woman is by default hotter than me, so trans me would probably be an improvement. Still, there were other issues. I’d have to dress like a girl, in dresses and skirts and stuff or wear heels maybe, and put on makeup. And while that sounds fun, I’d have to buy it all, and uh – I’m not exactly strapped for cash, there's no one to say I can't spend some of it on dresses. No no no, it can’t just be that simple. I’d, uh, need a name too? Picking one of those must be hard. I couldn’t just pick uh, let’s say, ‘Elana’ and be done with it. Although… Elana is a cute name, femme, but kinda sharp and refined. I could be femme, sharp and refined. No, what the hell? Names were easy too! And it wasn’t like physically transitioning was hard either, literally just convert to any race that adopts. It was as difficult as finding a werewolf on a full moon and asking nicely. There was a werewolf couple living literally down the hall! I had nothing, zero even slightly compelling reasons not to just up and be a girl and uh… why did I want a reason? Oh, right, I needed to prove Gence wrong, because he was an arse. Which, uh, maybe I couldn’t? He was, for sure, wrong about everything else he’d said, but about me being trans? Well, at least he was only right about something that would drive him up the wall. — The first thing I learned about race conversion was that you had to be twenty-one. I was already twenty, so that gave me a few months to do my research and become aggravatingly familiar with what dysphoria was. My first thought, lycanthropy, turned out to involve far too much howling and fur ending up everywhere. With that a bust, I turned to the Internet, whose main suggestion was synthing, transmuting into a predesigned android body. But that would involve either someone else designing my body, which just didn’t sit right with me, or me having to do it, which would never work well; I could barely even draw. The ideal solution was, of course, finding a symbiote. I’d house them for a month or two while they did biomancy based on my subconscious. But being the ideal solution meant other people wanted that too, a six-year waiting list worth of people. Still, there was another option that caught my eye. Not too popular because of antisocial hours and a few instincts to deal with, but in every other way? Perfect. No fur, no schematics to draw and no waiting list. I could be converted the day I turned twenty-one. I was going to be a vampire. All I needed on the day was the right form, a notary, and a vampire to do the deed. The first was free on the government website, the second cost barely a fiver and the last was called Helen, who just wanted more vampires in the neighborhood and occasional cat-sitting. I’d only been sitting down a minute or two, and just barely finished my tea, when the notary confirmed everything was in order. After a nervous confirmation from me and a surprisingly comforting fanged smile from Helen, we began. Her teeth sunk into my wrist and I felt the first pump of the curse entering my blood. A heartbeat later, another pump was in me and the first had spread to my elbow. By five heartbeats I felt cold up to my shoulder and by ten it was seeping up my neck and down towards my heart. The fourteenth heartbeat was the last I’d ever take. Without my heart powering its spread, the curse was forced to move unaided, and for an agonizingly slow minute, I felt the cold, and the curse that caused it, seeping from cell to cell. Up into my brain, down my left arm and to the tips of my toes, until all was overtaken, all was cold. I knew what should happen next; I’d read about it and Helen had told me too, but still I was afraid. Afraid that this cold was all I’d ever know. Until I felt it, a pulse, a flood of hungry power coursing through my body, radiating from the writhing core I could feel had taken root in my now ever-unmoving heart. My cells restarted, no longer powered by blood and oxygen, but powered nonetheless. And with that new power they began doing something they never could before, they changed. Spread and moved in ways that I’m sure my DNA would be livid about, if anyone was listening. But DNA wasn’t in charge anymore, my soul was, and it had one order: GIRL! Tummy fat was burned, mercilessly. What survived fled in droves, to the promised lands of my hips, butt and chest. My bones, who'd initially been quite smug over the fate of my tummy fat, quivered as new orders demanded they bend, squish and spread. Hips were in order, and cheekbones, and my shoulders had been misbehaving for far too long. My soul had a glorious vision that bones being stubborn was not reason enough to change. My hair rather merrily grew a foot or so of new, jet black growth. My nails were persuaded that longer and pointier was the flavor of the day. My cock was not given an option, its time had come and gone. A thousand other little details were corralled into curves and girlhood by the avid insistence of my newly empowered soul. It was magnificent. I’d have liked to experience it all staring in a mirror, just to watch how pretty I was becoming, but standing up is notoriously difficult when your hips are being reshaped. Besides, I had a world of new sensation to get used to. I could smell things, a lot of things, it was overwhelming. The differences between all nine of Helen’s cats. What the neighbors were cooking for dinner. The blood in Helen’s fridge. Slowly, I managed to filter it all, to parse and sort until it settled cozily into the background, ready to peruse at my leisure. Sight was less overwhelming, but I definitely wouldn’t need glasses anymore. A few hours of sitting and anxious stewing later, I was ready. My body had settled and I had acclimatized to my senses. I took my first few tentative steps and new, long, svelte and admittedly shaky legs. With only a few staggers and one slightly bruised hip I made it to the bathroom and the mirror I was too terrified to look in and too excited to stay away from. C’mon, Elana, one quick glance, to see if it’s okay. And then I saw her, me. My quick glance turned into a long one. I was so pretty! Maybe my features were a little sharper than conventional wisdom dictates is hot, but screw convention, I looked refined and gorgeous. Pale, porcelain smooth skin, raven black hair, high cheekbones and full pursed lips. I could just see the outline of boobs through my baggy hoodie and my hips were testing the limits of my jeans. It was everything I'd dreamed of and so much more. All I had to do now was find that adorable nymph and thank her for setting me on the path to my new reflection. And maybe I'd ask her on a date too, while I was at it. — It was not, I repeat, not, supposed to go this far. Ever. Pretending I was a nymph, not a sprite, in chatrooms, was safe, and a little fun. Anonymous video calls were a little more work; I had to look the part, y’know? Still, they were fine too, just a few too many weird guys for my liking, not that I wasn’t one of them. But then, well, they weren’t all guys, and that was the first problem. Women – especially pretty women, by which I mean most of them – were just distracting and lovely and so very difficult to say no to. What Elana in particular thought she was getting out of that chat site I couldn’t tell you, but she ended up with me being too flustered to say no to meeting in person. And meeting in person? That was going to be the second problem. I should’ve just canceled; that’d be the polite, sensible thing to do. Especially given that the game really could already be up. Anyone actually familiar with wood nymphs would have noticed that the flowers in my hair didn’t bloom or curl when I smiled or got too embarrassed; they’d have spotted that I had too much shoulder bark too. And in person, they’d have to notice my total lack of hips. My flat chest I could likely get away with, but my hips and butt were very obviously not those of a wood nymph. Given all of that, she definitely already knew, which meant that either; she was planning to expose me, or worse, she knew I was a sprite and wanted to date a sprite in drag. But maybe, and it was a very small maybe, she’d missed all that. And then, at least until she worked it out, I’d get a few glorious minutes of people, real ones in front of me, treating me like a girl. Just a chance at that was too exciting to pass up, a true crossdresser’s high and the closest I’d be able to get to actually being a nymph.  Thankfully, I wasn’t new to this game and my disguise was excellent. The dress poofed out just above my lack of hips, hiding them perfectly. It poofed out over my shoulders too, hiding my rough bark. I’ll admit, it was quite a poofy dress. Mercifully, more of my bark hadn’t come in yet. Once that happened there’d be no way for me to get away with any of this, at least, not without an even more poofy dress and even I had limits. Besides, it would be nigh impossible to find another dress the exact same shade of pastel lilac as the flowers Heidi, my favorite hydrangea, was giving me. She’d been a little dubious at first and said I should just use my own flowers, but given that she’s the most vain bush I know, it was super easy to persuade her that her flowers were prettier than mine and that I was just jealous. The jealousy wasn’t even fake! I do wish I had flowers as pretty as her, or at all really. Wow, I’m really not a very good sprite am I? No wonder most of my garden thinks I’m a nymph. But I guess they only really know that they’re looked after and surrounded by other flowers, so of course they’re in a nymph’s garden. A sprite would have more trees, after all. But I really don’t have the heart to correct them; I don’t really mind them thinking I’m a nymph, and if they knew, maybe Heidi and the others would be less willing to share their flowers with me. Anyway, the poofy dress was on, the adorable boots were ready and Heidi’s flowers were meticulously placed in my distinctly unpruned hair. I was as ready as possible for my date with Elana, the particularly attractive vampire. — “Arabella, over here – you look amazing! I love your dress.” She’s so tall, and so pretty, but what the hell am I supposed to do with a compliment? And she’d called me Arabella, just hearing that name had me a little giddy. Oh goddess, oh no, I’m blushing, but my flowers aren’t, she’ll know… any moment now. “Wait, I’ve not introduced myself, have I? Hi there, I’m Elana.” Deep breaths, calm, she doesn’t know, just try and have fun. “S-sorry, I’m a little nervous. You look really good too.” Oh bloom, what do people even say on dates?  “You’re good, don’t worry, sorry if I came on a little too strong. I’ve not really dated since I was turned, so I’m still getting used to some of the more predatory instincts.” Was that an invitation to ask more? Or would that be overstepping? Screw it, it’s ask or stare gormlessly. “Ooh, when did you turn, and if you’re happy to share, why?” “Got turned a few weeks ago, the first day I could, best 21st birthday a gal could ask for. Hiding from the sun is honestly such a small price to pay for immortality and my ideal body.” Huh, I wonder what she looked like before; she’s certainly gorgeous now. “Fair, I guess I’d probably do the same if I had blood, but nope, all sap here. And avoiding the sun is so easy nowadays especially with that new sealed mall they’re opening.” “Wait, why are you trying to avoid the sun? Don’t dryadic people normally love it?” Shit, what do I say? ‘To avoid growing more bark’ would completely give me away. Of course I loved sleeping in the sun, but growing any further was terrifying, and I’d been hiding away a lot. “It just kinda makes me sleepy, I’d rather be indoors and awake.” Someone get me a medal for that smooth recovery. “Oh fair, and on being turned, you’re not missing out on too much. Wood nymphs are already kinda immortal, right? And I’d say your body is pretty ideal too.” Her biting her lip like that should be illegal; wait, why am I biting mine too? Women are not fair. “Urgh, can’t believe I just said ‘your body is pretty ideal’, not that it isn’t true, but this predator shit just gets away from me sometimes.” “No no, I kinda liked it.” ‘Kinda’ is an outright lie. I would give practically anything to be a real girl getting pinned down by this tall dommey vampire. That’s the dream, y’know, every sprite wishes they could get that lucky. — Dates are amazing. Elana is amazing. Cuddling in a booth at the back of a cocktail bar is amazing. Being a girl, even just for an evening, is amazing. Kisses are also amazing. “Bella, I don’t want this night to end, it’s been wonderful.” I giggled, a genuine giggle, which, it turns out, is something that tipsy me does sometimes. “You know that there are plenty more nights than this one?” “I do. In fact, I’m counting on it. But, if you’d like, this one doesn’t have to end, just yet. My place is just round the corner.” Oh. She wanted to, uh, that. I guess there had been a lot of kissing. But then she’d know, she’d see. I could just say no, it’d be easy. But then next time, and the time after that? I’d have to stop dating her or risk the truth coming out. It would end eventually and that meant I was just leading her on. I’d had my evening of being a girl, but she deserved a real girl, and the truth, I suppose. I’d tell her, apologize, and leave. I took a gulp of my cocktail, for confidence. “I would, but uh, look, there’s something you should know. I’m not actually a nymph, I’m a sprite I.. I just–” “You’re trans, I know, sorry to spoil your reveal, you pass super well though! I only knew because of the chat room, you being so lovely there was actually a big part of how I worked out I was trans.” My jaw dropped and refused to close. She knew? She thought I was trans? She was trans? Brains can only handle so much information. Okay, one thing at a time. “Wait, you’re trans? But, um, how? Because like, boobs?” One thing at a time was too much for my puddle brain. Why was she laughing so much? “Oh honey, what did you think I meant by ‘I became a vampire to get my ideal body’. Come up with a more clear way of saying ‘I’m trans’, I dare you.” “But anyone would take that deal, not just trans people; everyone wants to change their body, that’s just obvious.” “Oh god, don’t tell me you… Arabella, and this is fine if you’re not sure, are you trans?” “Wh-what? I’m – I mean, well, no? I just like dressing up and dresses and flowers and stuff. It’s not normal sprite stuff, that’s just who I am, sadly. Sorry I’m not who you thought, I’ll just go.”  “Bella, wait, please. Firstly, I’m pan, so how you present really isn’t much of an issue for me, I like you and want another date regardless of how you dress. Secondly, you do know that if you want to be trans, then you probably are, right?” It can’t be that simple, can it? “R-really? But, no, because that would mean that… and then, I uh… I might need to go home and think a lot.” Surely I couldn’t just be trans all of a sudden.  “Okay Bella, I get it. I really would like another date, though; same time next week maybe?” That was an easier thing to say yes to. — It had been a long week. Gender, it turns out, is wacky and confusing. I’d narrowed mine down to ‘not cis, probably, I think’. Cisn’t, if you will. But I also probably didn’t need to be trying quite so hard to pass as a nymph, which was a good realization to come to, given that my shoulder bark was peeling, meaning a new thicker layer would grow in soon to replace it. So, for this date, I hadn’t asked Heidi for any flowers; they were pretty, and I did want my own, but those weren’t my flowers. I was still wearing a dress, and cute boots, and I was still going to introduce myself as Arabella; it was an excellent name, after all. Elana had been super helpful about explaining things to me too. Who knew, for example, that hating gendered traits you have is called dysphoria and is not normal for cis people. Most sprites, I’ve learned, also don’t have as large a collection of dresses as me, or any at all, the poor things. I sent her a photo of me flowerless earlier and while I’m not convinced, she still called me pretty, and a good girl, which definitely helped with my insecurities. Okay, deep breaths Bella, just be yourself, no filters, no pretending, just be a person, maybe a girl, on a cute date. “Hi there, cutie, I love your outfit! Flowery dresses really suit you.” “Aww, thanks, it’s not too cliché? Plant person dressing floral?” “Hun, you’re speaking to a vampire wearing black and red, and a leather corset; I’m not gonna judge cliché.” “I suppose… the gothic look does really suit you though, very sexy.” “And the floral aesthetic suits you. I know you said you weren’t going to, but the flowers you put in your hair this week are super cute, very you, so I get it.” “B-but I didn’t put any there? I didn’t wanna bother Heidi and I’m being realistic about my gender and, and…” There couldn’t be some left over from last week, could there? “D’aww, and they curl up when you blush! That’s adorable.”  Tentatively, I reached a hand up to my hair. I brushed through it until I came across what was irrefutably a bud, and then another bud and then a full blown flower. I was growing flowers! Like a nymph would! And then maybe… maybe my bark peeling wasn’t a sign of more growth. Trying not to get too excited is difficult sometimes. Sometimes you have to panic and hide, but other times? Other times you just bounce a lot and repeatedly kiss a tall confused vampire. Gender was probably a little less confusing than my brain had led me to believe. — “Babe, I love you, but I can’t wear that in public. My everything would be out.” “Lana, you promised! I watched your horror film, you wear my dress on a date.” I had promised, I suppose. “Besides you like it when I wear it, not to mention that it’s very fashionable.” “It is fashionable… for nymphs.” “Your point?” she said with a raised eyebrow. She could be such a brat sometimes, but wow I loved her. “I am not a nymph, nymphs dress differently to most people, you’ve got different priorities.” “Do we now? Do elaborate, darling,” she said with a teasing smile. Not describing the fashion taste she’d settled on as ‘slutty’ was a real struggle, but I could use some of her own phrasing. “I believe you once referred to ‘optimal photosynthesis’?” She gave a full gigglesnort. “And not all of us photosynthesize, you see.” “Well fortunately for me, what I said was an outright lie. I just wanted to show off my butt for you, now that it’s actually worth showing.” The aforementioned butt received a very distracting wiggle. “Baby, it was always worth showing, and staring at, and squeezing and biting.” “Hmm, nope. I was flat as anything and thin as a twig, but now, I’m a goddess and thicc as shit.” A smirk that cute should be illegal; someone really ought to kiss it, immediately. “We’ll agree to disagree on the first bit. The second, though? Yes babe, you are an absolute goddess. A goddess who I love to bits.” “D’aww, I love you too.” Taking her blush as my cue, I kissed her, deeply and with all my love. I made sure to hold my wonderful nymph close and show her how much I appreciated her. As the kiss broke off, she leaned in more and nuzzled my cheek, before kissing her way up to my ear, where she whispered. “You’ve still gotta wear my slut dress though, your goddess commands it.” Rewq Hope you liked this little story! And if you enjoyed it, do check out the rest of the secret trans writing lair's autumn anthology

Author's Note: I thought I'd share this story here in light of Maggie Finson's passing.  I’m rededicating this story in her name. I think it only fitting since she came up with the title. This story was original shared on Decemeber 04, 2012 on Bigcloset Topshelf. Shout outs go to the following people: Beyogi and Maggie Finson who served as a beta readers, and the late Holly H Hart for her superb editing prowess. This story has so much meaning for me, it was written so long before my egg cracked. In retrospect, I believe had I delved deeper into this story, it probably would have cracked much sooner. You’ll probably understand why once you’ve read it. # # # #  # Sometimes your past has a way of sneaking up on you. For some folks that could be a good thing, but for me it nearly always meant trouble. Now I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not as if I lived a violent life of crime or anything like that. When you grow up in the sort of mess that I did your past isn’t exactly something you like to dwell on. My father died when I was very young and my mother, discontent with her lot in life, turned to alcohol in order to cope. She was a mean, bitter and manipulative woman, and she made my life a living hell. I’d been lucky in one respect, at least, a lot of people who grew up in abusive homes were beaten. My mother only ever tried to hit me once, and by then I was both bigger and stronger than her. When she hit me, I hit back, and she never so much as laid a finger on me again. My mother always had a handle over me. She knew just what buttons to push to get me to do what she wanted and she manipulated me with the skill of a master puppeteer and much to my shame I let her do it. My mother could read me like a book, and had known whenever I was keeping something from her, but there was one secret she’d never guessed at. Perhaps, she knew and just wouldn’t accept it or perhaps the mask I wore was so convincing that even she couldn’t see through my carefully laid facade. You see, for as long as I could remember I’d been convinced I was meant to be born a girl. My memories of my early childhood were foggy at best, so I can only surmise that something scared me enough to bottle my feelings up and keep them concealed. I sometimes thought that my mother may have had played a hand in this, but I doubted I would ever know for sure, especially now that she is dead. I hadn’t spoken to her for years, and I’d been perfectly content to leave it that way so it had come as a pretty big surprise when I got the call about her death. The call came from an old friend, one whom I hadn’t heard from in years, but one who had been on my mind nearly every day since I’d left home almost ten years ago. Katie, my closest friend growing up, and the only person I’d ever truly loved. I spent years trying to work up the courage to ask her out, but I was far too afraid to put our friendship at risk. It seemed fate was not without a cruel sense of irony, in our senior year my hopes were dashed and I learned that devastating truth, Katie was a lesbian. She was only attracted to girls, and despite my secret belief that I was meant to be a girl, I knew we could never be together. Completely heartbroken, I left town once we graduated and never returned. It was just two days before Christmas when I got the call, and as always I was spending the holidays alone. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any friends, but there were just too many bad memories and I would just as soon drown myself in alcohol and spend my Christmas in a drunken stupor. I’d only had two beers and was about to start in on a third when I heard the phone ring. I almost didn’t answer it, but for some reason I had this nagging feeling that it might be important. “Jake?” a soft and melodic female voice asked from the receiver. My heart skipped a beat and I felt ice cold chills shoot down my spine. It had been almost ten years since I’d heard her speak, and despite the subtle changes that time had made to her voice I still recognized the speaker as Katie immediately. Memories came to me unbidden and I fought to keep my emotions from getting the better of me. “Katie?” “God, it’s good to hear your voice. I just wish it were under better circumstances,” Katie said from the other end. There was a distinct tone of tension to her voice and I just knew that something was up. “Katie? How did you get this number? What’s wrong?” I asked her feeling a lump form in my throat. “It’s actually Deputy Forenst now, I work for the Sheriff’s office. Look Jake, I wanted to be the one to tell you. Your mother, we found her dead yesterday morning.” “Shit… How?” “She took her own life. I’m sorry.” My hand, the one holding the receiver, started to shake and I felt all my bitterness and anger rise to the surface only to mingle with guilt and grief. My mother, my tormentor for so many years was gone. I wasn’t sure how I should feel and I was having trouble reconciling the sudden flood of conflicting emotions. “Jake?” “Yeah, I’m still here… I just… I haven’t heard from my mother in so long and now to learn that she’s dead. God, I don’t know how to feel,” I said, hot tears stinging my cheeks. “Jake, I… if you don’t want to come home. After all that woman did to you–” “No,” I said cutting her suddenly short. “I think I need to see for myself.” After a long conversation Katie offered to let me stay at her place and I reluctantly agreed. I didn’t want to impose on her, but I had nowhere else to stay, as my hometown of Meridian was so small it didn’t have a hotel and I sure as hell wasn’t staying in my mom’s place. I was still reeling from the news of my mother’s death and I wasn’t quite sure how to react. A part of me wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, and the other wanted to jump up in the air and shout out in glee. I know it sounds horrible, but my mother had brought me nothing but grief, and in a weird sort of way her death came as a relief. I let out a long sigh, walked over to where I’d left my still unopened third beer and picked it up. I stood there holding it in my hand, and stared at it blankly for a moment. I shook my head, set the beer back down then sank down to my knees and started to weep. # # # # # “Dammit!” I cursed and turned my windshield wipers up to full speed. It was Christmas Eve, and the drive to Meridian, my hometown, had been pretty sedate to begin with, but just a few hours in it had started to snow. It wasn’t really all that bad at first, but the closer I got to Meridian the more heavily it came down. I could only see a few yards in front of me and it didn’t show any signs of letting up. The mountain road that led into Meridian was hazardous, even under the best of conditions, and I was really beginning to regret my decision to come. I sighed, and flipped my car star stereo on. Adam Gontier’s voice screamed out the lyrics to I Hate Everything About You, and I could feel the singer’s emotions as acutely as if they were my own. The song had come out when I was still living with my mother, and had quickly become one of my favorites. As of late my musical tastes had moved away from the angrier and more angst ridden stuff I’d listened to in High School, but for whatever reason that particular song had remained in my playlists, and at the moment it was just the sort of song I wanted to hear. I hated my mother, I hated that her death had affected me as it had. I had never had any intention of returning to Meridian, but there I was, doing just that. It was as if my mother had reached out to manipulate me one last time from beyond the grave. Still, it would be nice seeing Katie, despite how much it would hurt. I still had pretty strong feelings for her, and I knew those feelings would never be returned. It was strange that after so long that my emotions would remain so strong. Maybe I was just clinging to the unattainable so that I wouldn’t get hurt by anyone else. It went to show just how pathetic I really was. I was afraid to get married, and afraid to have kids for fear that I would do what my mother had done to me and ruin my own children’s lives. It was better that I remain alone so that the cycle of abuse could be broken, or at least that’s what I told myself. For the first time in years I found myself thinking about my gender identity. Well that’s not really accurate, I thought about it all the time, but this was the first time in a long time that I had really put any deep contemplation into it. Over the years I had carefully constructed an image of myself for the outside world to see. I did everything I could to appear as an ordinary guy, but that image was a lie. At one point I considering seeing a gender therapist, but the thought of hormone therapy and SRS held no appeal to me. I wanted to so desperately to be a woman, but I was tall and was pretty well built like a tank. With my face and body I didn’t think I could ever make a passable woman, and I’d always feel like I was pretending to be something that I wasn’t. The tune changed to Norns by HeavensDust and I was about to reach down to change tracks when I caught a glimmer of light out of the corner of my eye. I looked up to find a pair of headlights headed right at me. I swerved out of the way in time to avoid getting hit, but I went flying off the road. For a moment my car teetered over the edge of the mountain’s cliff, but then the car suddenly jerked sideways and everything went black. # # # # # My head felt like some deranged carpenter had been beating at it with a mallet as vision slowly returned to me. I reached up to touch my forehead and felt something warm and slick, when I pulled my hand away I found that it was covered in blood. I took a deep breath and thought I might pass out from the pain as stabbing sharp agony shot from the lower-left section of my rib cage. I groaned, and turned my head to take stock of my situation. My car’s descent appeared to have been halted by a small copse of oak trees, but I had no idea how far down the mountainside I’d fallen, as the snowfall was so thick by then that I could only see a few feet in any direction outside the car. The front of my car had crumpled inward and I was pinned against the steering wheel. All attempts to free myself were an exercise in futility and only resulted in more pain. The good news was that I could move my feet, so I wasn’t paralyzed. My biggest concern was that I was bleeding pretty badly, and if someone didn’t find me soon I feared I might bleed to death. I gave up on trying to get free and focused on trying to keep warm. I was wearing my coat, which provided a great deal of insulation, but it was damn cold, and snow was drifting into the car from a crack in the rear window so I knew that it wasn’t going to be enough. I slipped my hand into the sleeve of my coat and lifted it up to the bloody gash on my forehead. Short of tearing off a sleeve I didn’t have any means of cutting off the blood flow, so my coat sleeve would have to do. I found myself drifting off and I realized it would probably be bad for me to fall unconscious again. I’d banged up my head pretty good, and I thought I might just have a concussion. I fought against my drowsiness and did the only thing I could think of to keep myself awake, I sang. Like my mother, I’d been gifted with a pretty good singing voice, and one of the few good memories I had of her was of the two of us singing together. Of course, the first thing I could think of happened to be ‘White Christmas’, which seemed an oddly fitting tune for my current predicament. Singing was second nature to me, and it didn’t take me long to turn to more melancholy tunes like ‘Everybody Hurts’ by REM, but as I struggled to stay awake the lyrics started to slip from my mind. I eventually just started to scream out in misery. I don’t remember all of it, but I do remember calling out to whatever god, goddess or gods would listen to me, begging them to end my pain. I didn’t want to live anymore, I hated my life, I hated my body and I didn’t want to live with it any longer. I could never bring myself to completely discount the possibility that there was a God, but I’d never really put much stock in the idea of a wise, merciful, omnipotent and omniscient god. If there really was a God, and He really gave a fuck about any of us, why would He put us on this earth to feel so much pain? If He really cared about His children why didn’t He try to alleviate our suffering? Then again maybe His power was limited and He was just as helpless as the rest of us, or maybe He just didn’t give a damn. I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned my head to stare into the eyes of the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. She had long blond hair, a dazzling set of green-eyes, and she stared down at me with a calm reassuring smile. She tugged at my sleeve and I felt myself being lifted gently from the car and placed back down on the ground. “Jake,” she whispered kneeling down next to me. “I’m sorry that I’ve never done enough for you.” “Who are you?” I asked. “Someone who has watched over you for your entire life,” she smiled. “W-what do you want?” “What I’ve always wanted, to protect you and help you to be happy,” she said, reaching down to cup my face as a single tear ran down her left cheek. “I can’t undo the years of abuse and mistreatment you’ve suffered at your mother’s hand, but there’s one thing I can do that should make your life a little more bearable,” she said with a thoughtful smile as her hand slid away from my face. “Hey, what–?” I protested as she pressed her hands into my chest. “Shh, don’t worry. It’s all going to turn out alright,” she said with a very slight smile just before a blinding white light filled my vision. “Your bitterness is understandable, but know this. God is real and he does care,” I heard her whisper as darkness closed in and I felt myself slip back into unconsciousness. # # # # #   I woke to find a brilliant bright beam shinning in my eyes and for a very brief moment I thought that my mysterious rescuer was still there, but realized that the light was coming from an ordinary flashlight. I groaned and shielded my eyes against the beam’s golden luminescence. I briefly took stock of my situation remembering the accident and everything that happened after. And there was my body… it felt strange. Something was different, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. “Jenn?” A familiar voice asked, and the light faded away to reveal the face of the newcomer. ‘Jenn? Who is Jenn?’ “Katie? God, is that you?” I said with a loud gasp, and couldn’t believe my ears at the sound of the voice coming from my mouth. ‘God, I sound like a woman!’ Maybe the reason my body had felt different was because it actually was different. I hurriedly reach up and grabbed at my chest and let out a loud squeal at the pair of fleshy globes I found there. They were breasts, but how?! The woman that had freed me from my car… it was her doing, I just knew it! “Jennifer,” Katie knelt down to touch my shoulder with a reassuring smile. “You’ve been in an accident, but you’re going to be alright. An ambulance is on the way.” I swallowed hard and nodded. Had I hit my head harder than I thought? God I really hoped not! Whatever had caused my sudden transformation had fulfilled the deepest desire of my heart and I was pretty sure I had the woman to thank. Who was she and why had she done this? For a moment I thought she might be a goddess, but then I remembered what she had said about God being real. Then it came to me, and the answer seemed so stupid I almost laughed. She was my guardian angel. I’d always discarded guardian angels and their like as nothing more than silly fairy tales and wishful thinking. Clearly, I was going to have to rethink a few things. “Katie, what time is it?” I whispered reaching up to touch my old friend’s face. “It’s just past one in the morning,” she replied with a slow intake of breath. She was so beautiful and I felt a slow smile creep onto my face as I realized what being woman meant. Not only did I have the body I always wanted, but I had a chance to be with Katie. I said a silent prayer in my heart of thanks to whatever God had sent the woman–no my guardian angel–to me. My past may not have been all sunshine and daisies, but I could see a glimmer of what my new future might entail and it looked to be very bright indeed. “Katie come closer,” I whispered. Katie furrowed her brows, and leaned in as I had suggested. I reached up and grabbed the collar of her shirt, then tightened my grip and pulled her closer still. “Merry Christmas, Katie,” I whispered just before locking my lips around hers in a kiss. As she broke away she stared done at me with wide eyes and the beginnings of a smile as she whispered the words, “Merry Christmas” just before I pulled her in for another kiss. # # # # # I stared down at my mother’s face and grimaced. She had once been a very attractive woman, but no longer. Years of alcohol abuse and a laundry list of poor health choices had taken their toll. I actually looked quite a bit like her in my new form, and every time I looked in the mirror I saw a younger, more attractive version of her face looking back at me. She looked calm, almost peaceful laying there in the casket almost as if she were asleep. I turned my back and leaning heavily on my cane I limped back toward the door where Katie was waiting. The viewing was just getting started and the funeral services would be held later on in the day. The crash had left me in pretty bad shape, but it could have been much worse. I had a few broken bones here, a sprain or two there, the big ass gash across my forehead and of course my body was covered in bruises. I wasn’t what you would call thrilled about my injuries, but I think I could live with them especially considering the other ways in which my body had changed. As near as I could tell I was a fully functioning woman, and I had my beautiful guardian angel to thank for that. Reality itself appeared to have changed along with me. Everyone in town knew me as Jennifer, or Jenn as Katie preferred to call me. They had no memory of a Jake Melton. To them I’d always been Jennifer. For the most part everything was pretty much the same, but there were subtle differences. Apparently, in this new reality Katie and I had dated in High School, but we broke up before I left town for college. I didn’t dare tell anyone what had happened for fear of getting locked up in a mental institution, so I was forced to be a bit roundabout in my inquiries. The doctors said I may experience a bit of memory loss due to my head injury, so I had the perfect excuse to ask questions. The odd thing was that my memory seemed fine. Maybe it was the work of my guardian angel. It was odd, people I’d known my entire life treated me as if I were a completely different person, and to their knowledge nothing had changed at all, though I think it had more to do with my physical gender than anything else. Still, I worried that my life as Jake had been wiped from existence. Or had it? Was my life really all that different? Jake and Jennifer were really the same person, the only real difference was that they had been born into bodies of different genders. Which begged the question: Does our physical gender really dictate what sort of person we are? I had so many questions, but I thought that perhaps I could find those answers through prayer. I did tell one person about my change, and I’m sure you can guess who. At first when I told Katie, I made it sound as if it had all been a dream. Then a weird thing happened. She remembered me or more accurately my male self. She was a strong believer in God and she was quick to proclaim my transformation His work and a miracle to boot. Not that I was going to disagree, mind you. How the hell else was I supposed to explain what had happened? My mother had made my existence miserable, but I wasn’t going to let her influence the course of my life any longer. I had a chance at happiness and I was going to take it. As I drew close Katie reached out and grabbed my hand to provide support. I leaned against her and she wrapped her arm around my back as she led me out of the funeral home and into the light of the day. I smiled and closed my eyes leaning my head against her shoulder. I thought I was going to really like my new life.   The End Comments, no matter how short, are very much appreciated. If you liked this story please take a minute to leave a review. Criticism is welcome, but only when presented in a constructive and positive manner. As my other stories this is a work of fiction and as such any resemblance to real life individuals events or locations is purely unintentional. Only Fictionmania, Bigcloset Topshelf, & tgstorytime.com have permission to post this story and my previous works unless I state otherwise. NOTE: For anyone that is interested, HeavensDust, one of the bands mentioned in the story is a group that combines traditional Japanese music with Western Metal. Click here to watch their music video for the song Norns. The other song, I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace, can be watched by clicking here

You wouldn’t think museums would be a tricky place to get a job. But much to Ewe’s surprise there was a lot to go through to get anything more than a volunteer position. However, thanks to a stroke of good luck, her archaeology professor had an in with one of the local museums for extra credit. So, on a Saturday morning, truly the worst time to be awake, she was there in some worn jeans, a tee shirt with a cartoon sheep on it and a lanyard with an ID badge. “Let’s do this,” she said, fighting back a yawn. She moved some fluff from out in front of her eyes and walked towards the heavy old doors to the building. It was about as heavy as you’d expect from a door made of wood, metal and glass. Just enough that you had to put in a bit of effort to open the doors and they wouldn’t just casually open. The lobby had ambient classical music coming from somewhere, probably an office speaker system from the employee only areas. There was one other person there now, an older hyena woman sitting at the desk. From where Ewe was standing, she could see the standard grandma clothing, a cardigan, scarf and a smile that just screamed she would in fact know if you hadn’t eaten yet. And judging from how her ears perked up and her eyes glowed the standard Grandma Sense Red. “Good morning, dear!” She said, her voice hoarse from talking from across the room. Ewe could tell she was reaching for something under the desk. The sound of a tin lid opening let the sheep know it was too late to escape a muffin or biscuit. “Are you here for a visit?” “No, no I’m here to see-” and there was a chocolate muffin in front of the old woman. Her hands had moved too fast to see where she got it, the fancy napkin, and a cup of apple juice from. “-I’m here to see the head curator?” “Oh of course dearie! The hyena woman said, grinning as she motioned Ewe closer. There was no escape, the student was trapped. “But have you eaten? You look positively starved!” “I, uh, I did eat.’ the student said, a feeling in her gut reminding her that a cup of coffee and half a pizza slice was not a proper meal. “So, thank you but-” She was cut off with another muffin appearing out of nowhere, there was no sign the kindly hyena had even reopened the tin she had stored somewhere. “I’m not getting out of eating these, aren’t I?” “They’re chocolate and cinnamon dearie,” the woman said, Ewe now able to see her name was Margaret. The name tag was old and weathered, easily had gone unreplaced for several years. “You’re early, so eat, eat!” Ewe sighed, the kind smile making her feel guilty at just the idea of denying this kindly woman’s baking. So, she took the muffins, even the third one that had mysteriously appeared and started to eat. Despite possibly being in the tin for over an hour, they were all fresh and warm. The first one disappeared before Ewe had realized she had finished it. The chocolate and cinnamon combining on her tongue and getting her to immediately take a drink of the apple juice. The amber juice moved down easily and sent a jolt of energy through the student. The remaining muffins disappeared quickly, Margaret keeping up a smile the entire time before a phone alarm went off from Ewe’s pocket. She took it out as a fourth muffin appeared in the interim, and it was the five-minute warning for her meeting. “A bag for the road dear?” the woman said, the muffin now mysteriously in a little lunch bag with Ewe’s name on it. She would’ve questioned it, but she was wearing a name tag. “Just go in the door beside me and you’ll see the office. The curator’s a lovely woman.” “Thank you and thank you for the muffins.” Ewe said, trying to move away before a dozen muffins were put in the bag. She already could tell the woman had managed to sneak in another two baked delicacies in the half second before she was holding it. Margaret waved as she walked down the surprisingly barren hallways towards the more office-like part of the building. There weren’t many people in the office, probably because of how early it was, so Ewe had the unfortunate task of trying to find the right office. With name plates it at least made things a little easier, but admittedly the student was surprised at how many rooms there were. Some rooms were offices, the open ones being forgettable aside from people’s own additions like pictures or figures. There was one break and meal room with a couch, fridge, drink machine and table. Not the worst type of place to rest but it felt barren. And dozens, dozens of rooms full of art exhibits not currently on display. What did get Ewe about the last room was the lack of doors or visible security around everything. The closest she could see was a broken security camera and a display case. “Guess the main storage is full…” she muttered, moving some wool out from in front of her eyes. Bangs were always a problem when she wanted a clear look at things. “I'll ask about it… later?” With a better look at the display case, she noticed two things, the first that it was completely open, and the second was what was inside it. A hand carved wooden necklace, it was made of deep stained black oak, with thick aged, intertwined thread connecting each ring, whether it was from the absurdly lax security, curiosity, or something else, Ewe stepped forward. There was nothing stopping her, whatever this necklace was just calling towards her and- “Can I help you?” A voice said, snapping the student out of whatever was making her focus on that artifact. It was someone new, presumably the director of the museum. A tall older wolf, or huskie, looking man. A tired suit that had seen both too many repairs and too much sunlight did seem to imply he was who Ewe thought she was. “Miss… oh, you would be Ewe, correct?” The sudden conversation starter got Ewe’s hands behind her back like she was in a meeting. There was an awkward pause as she looked at who she assumed was the head curator, especially since she shouldn’t be in this room without permission. “Well, this shows you do have an enthusiasm for history,” the curator chuckled, probably since nothing was out of place. “This is our reconciliation section, though you’ll learn more about that side of things here as we go along. Come now, let’s begin, Miss Ewe-nthusiasm.” ‘Does he laugh at his own jokes?’ Ewe thought, still feeling an odd attachment to this part of the employee only section. Something about the section kept her mind occupied, maybe it was the thought of a museum returning cultural items, maybe it was the fact that she was going to be doing archival work. “So... for this position, I think I know what I’ll be doing.” she started, trying to avoid any chance at letting the man make more puns. “Filing and organizing things as needed?” “Partially,” the man said, visibly looking like he was trying to come up with another pun. “Along that you will be working in making sure displays are in order, it never happens, but better to be safe than sorry.” They kept walking, eventually coming to an office that was somehow lavish and so plain it hurt at the same time. A fancy mahogany desk, a shining new computer monitor and a fancy chair. And almost nothing else, not even an office fern to add some life to the room. But he invited her into the office and left the door open. “Really, we just need to sign a few papers and then you’re all ready to begin working here.” he chuckled, looking at the college student with a smile. “Now then, I suppose I should introduce myself. Archibald, the curator of curios!” If there was supposed to be fanfare, it fell flat and missed its cue. Leaving Ewe sitting there sandbagging the announcement before he gave a cough, as if to signal something. With a lot of chagrin in her mind, Ewe gave a small clap to applaud him. “And with that...” he started, going over in more detail what her duties were and how the shift worked. She’d arrive, clock in, take her breaks when needed and clock out. The dress code was casual, probably because walking around in fancy clothes for hours would be the least enjoyable thing to do at a job. Even as a volunteer she’d have some help with making sure she had shoes that didn’t hurt to walk in, with Archibald joking about how he couldn’t stand it. But the small room she had entered on her first day kept calling her, even though she knew she had no work to do in there. However, curiosity got to her after a few weeks. She was alone, everyone else was busy or occupied and she just took her chance to look around the storage area. The wooden necklace was still there, still leaving an impression on her from the short glance when she started work. It took some time to find anything on it, but it was from a culture that practiced spiritual reincarnation. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing horrors of imperial colonialism, most of the tribe’s culture was lost. With a few surviving descendants showing up from time to time, which is why preserving the artifacts and anything they could find about the indigenous group was so important. So, Ewe kept researching, learning and admiring the amulet. There was this feeling like she was supposed to be near it. To watch over it, and the thought had crossed her mind, to even wear it. That last thought was becoming more prominent in her mind, with each day the urge to put it on when no one was looking. Just to find out if that would cause anything to happen. She had a feeling it wouldn’t, but the curiosity was becoming unbearable. Even making her lose sleep at night. The room was empty, everything had been returned to its rightful place, aside from the amulet. She was the only one in the back room, alone and unsupervised. The world was her oyster, so now it was time to crack the shell and take the pearl. The glass case was opened, and the amulet was ever so carefully, gingerly and deliberately lifted above the volunteer’s head. “It's... beautiful.” she mumbled, trying to keep an ear out for if anyone was going to ruin this little moment. The patterns on it felt familiar, maybe she had seen them when she was much younger? Or somewhere else, it was nostalgic, nonetheless. “Claim it.” something said, coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. “Claim this power.” Ewe looked around, half expecting her boss to be in the doorway as some sort of prank. But no, no one was there, nothing was around her, and she was alone with the amulet. Completely alone, but there was something making her feel like something was with her. “Claim it!” the voice said again, causing Ewe to look around again, not even realizing she was moving the amulet towards her head. “Claim this power!” There was no resistance, no hesitation once she realized what her arms were doing. Only the sound of ripping clothing was audible, and from the sudden draft hitting her body, Ewe knew that if she looked down, she’d find out what just tore. Once it was around her neck, there were more tearing sounds, the jeans that were snug around her hips and legs were starting to burst at the seams. Her shirt was starting to rip too as her muscles visibly started swelling. Normally this would get someone to panic, but maybe not entirely aware of her own actions, Ewe looked at her arms. They went from scrawny and more academically inclined muscle definition to so defined it looked like she could win an arm-wrestling competition. There wasn’t time to look at any of her other features, however, she just had to go on the intuition that her pants were wrecked. As a flash of violet light emanated from the amulet cushioned on her shirt. “What in the god damn?” was all Ewe could say, not being able to discern where she was. She had moved, that was for certain. Wind was blowing, creating a sharp whistle like it was moving between windows. But she couldn’t feel it, nothing, not even the touch of air on her skin or the clothes she was wearing. It was like she was between reality and dreams. “Claim it,” the voice said one more time, once again coming from everywhere at once. “Claim the power and your rightful place.” ‘What the fuck is even going on...’ the volunteer thought, still baffled at the entire situation. Her hands reached out, trying to find anything in the infinite void of space to grab onto or give any grounding to the situation. It took a minute, the sheep woman trying desperately to feel anything before her body contacted something. The ground, or at least, a surface that felt like a floor. Was she still inside the museum, if so, this was not a good prank. She was touching something cold, tile or stone maybe. But it was an actual grounded surface she could walk on. The space started to dissipate, leaving her once again not knowing what was going on or even where she was. But the amulet was gone, not in her hands, not around her neck, not anywhere she could see or feel. Her eyes were heavy, or she was still just looking at the floor. It took a second for her to get her bearings, but slowly she managed to move her hands. Pushing herself up slowly, deliberately, but easier than she had expected. A soft white surface greeted her eyes, leaving her guessing that it was some kind of marble tile that she was on. If anything, this just confused her more since if she had fallen, it would’ve hurt her. But no, she felt... fantastic. There was another pulse of violet light coming from her chest, this time however she had no clue as to the source. With the amulet missing she just had to try and guess what was going on. “You’ve awoken,” a voice said, getting Ewe to look up and around for the owner. It seemed familiar, but not something she could place immediately. “It seems you were chosen after all.” “Chosen... for...” Ewe started, her body feeling heavier as she slowly rose to her feet. Something wasn’t clicking, and it bugged her more than the whole being transported elsewhere situation. “Yeah... chosen for... what?” “Oh, my dear, do you not remember?” the voice said, Ewe now looking around and finding a shorter woman in front of her. She giggled as the volunteer looked down at her. “Well, that would make sense, you’re new.” Ewe shook her head, it was still ringing and frankly, she was having trouble collecting her thoughts. Did she have a concussion? Or did she fantasize so hard that she spaced out and forgot she fell asleep at home. Everything seemed too small, and as she cleared her eyes of her wool, she finally got a look as to why. She wasn’t short to begin with, but now? Now she could tell that she was taller than she should be. The Hyena woman in front of her shouldn’t have looked like she was short either. That and the visible muscles leaving her tee and jeans in tatters made it clear. “Amaranth,” the woman said, chuckling as she let Ewe get a better look at her. Soft green robes and what appeared to be a similar talisman around her neck. So similar that Ewe could’ve easily mistaken it for the exact same one. Even though Ewe really should be panicking right now, Amaranth was calming to be around. If only for the possibility of an explanation. “And your name, Ewe. If the goddess is not mistaken?” “The... goddess?” Ewe mumbled, shaking her head, everything felt strange. “But... that is my name.” She looked at Amaranth, who was still giving her a calm smile. The green robes moved in what seemed to be an intangible breeze as the other woman took careful, deliberate steps around the volunteer. “Where am I?” “Everywhere and nowhere,” the hyena chuckled. “Past, present and future, unless you mean geographically of course.” The deadpan stare she got in response got a cackle out of the woman. “Yes well, that one's a little trickier, but you are where you were. And will return there soon.” “Okay, can I have an answer that doesn’t feel like a riddle?” Ewe winced, her body tensing up as the sound of fabric tearing hit her ears. “Please?” “You will understand in your own time,” Amaranth said, now turning away from Ewe. “Or I could tell you now, decisions, decisions.” more clothing ripped, and Ewe could now tell she was barely covered without a mirror. “You are becoming an avatar of our goddess who, perhaps from some cosmic irony, shares your name. Or coincidence, I honestly don’t know how common your name is.” “But, for now, this power will be yours, enjoy it. You have found your history.” she laughed, watching Ewe crane her neck to try and see what was happening to her body. “Perhaps, this will help?” she reached a hand into her sleeve and in a flash of that same violet light, a full body mirror appeared. First, she was definitely larger than she remembered waking up. Her clothes were barely covering the basics. Jeans that should’ve been perfect for fall were ripped to the point of barely qualifying as a pair of shorts. Her top was valiantly holding itself to keep her chest covered, but the sleeves were completely blown off. The wool that covered the sheep woman's body has grown out, both to make her hips look wider than was physically possible, and in a pattern crisscrossing her body. Second, by whatever power she was believing in, she was shredded. Abs were barely visible under a heavier power lifting ready body, her legs were toned to the extent that they looked like they were carved from marble and her arms crafted from gold. A body of sheer physical peak performance and strength. Then there was her chest, the one that was barely covered by a now forcibly shredded into a crop top shirt. Ewe didn’t know if the sudden endowment was muscle or if her breasts had actually expanded large enough to where she didn’t believe a bra existed with the band size to handle her. “I will say, you do fit the goddess’s power and image nicely.” Amaranth laughed, her adorable yet shrill hyena laughter. “A fitting representative you are, Miss Ewe.” ‘Claim it.’ the voice from earlier said, only now Ewe knew it wasn’t from Amaranth. ‘Claim your power and place.’ She looked around, whatever this dimension was it was just the two of them. And really, if she was the embodiment of a goddess, shouldn’t she have her body worshiped like one? And this hyena in front of her was on the cute side, now that she could see more of her. It was impulsive, yes, but Ewe put a hand on Amaranths' shoulder. The fabric felt soft between her fingers as she let out a polite cough. The other woman had a quizzical look on her face, or at least that’s what it looked like from Ewes elevated angle. “So, if I'm the embodiment of a goddess...” Ewe started, trying to play it smoothly. “Maybe I should try out this power.” She was not the best at the whole flirting thing, but it was worth a try. Her body was much different, and while a chubby nerdy girl had its own appeal, there was some sense of attraction that came from a woman who could pile drive someone into the dirt. “Why don’t you… educate me. In private? After some coffee?” “It would be an honor to date the goddess’s champion.” Amaranth giggled, getting a blush out of Ewe despite the physically imposing stature. “Shall we return and agree on a time, my lady?” It was impulse, again, but Ewe hoisted the hyena woman up into her arms with no effort. But the agreement was made. Granted, they still needed to leave wherever they were, and if they were still in the museum, physically leave the building. But right now? They had more than enough time to figure that out.   MagicLottie Hey, thanks for reading! I’m MagicLottie and I specialize in writing fun, upbeat queer erotica and fanfiction! If you liked what you read, why not check out my patreon where you can vote on monthly stories and get access to everything one week early! I also do commissions! You can check everything out here! https://www.patreon.com/MagicLottie 

Counting tiles on the wall, what previously would have been a mundane activity, was now becoming a downright chore. Colier D'Achille could not be blamed though, he was simply exhausted! It would have been much better if it were a golden-sprinkled canvas where swirly lines would foretell the fate of the scraggly children...like fortune cookies! However, he was afforded no such luxuries. "D'Achile! Answer you, stupid sprog!" the malicious voice of Mrs. Annie was heard on the other side of the door. "If thou art wondering if I did my chores, and expecting a negative than thou are sorely mistaken, sweet madame." Colier said in a slightly amused tone, imitating the way knights used to talk anytime the 'wingless serpent' would appear. "Did you wash all the dishes, sweep all the rooms, and cook for everyone?" Mrs. Annie asked, remembering about his, not at all exaggerated duties. "Aye, ma'am. I took care of the tempestuous flood in the kitchens, swept an entire army of dust bunnies with only one hand, and courageously fed the entire army. But, of course, it wouldn't have been done without your charming presence, roaring demands inside my ear." the child said in a slightly mocking tone. "Don't get smart with me, D'Achille." the matron warned. "I'd never. And dare I say your voice sounds awfully melodic today. What happened, decided to change your child-eating diet in the hope it'll make you sound human again?"  "You should be glad you can make any sounds at all, Mr. D'Achilles, if it were up to me you would not be making any." the grumpy matron said before adding "Children should be seen, not heard" "If you are not here to scold me, what brings you to my humble abode?" Colier inquired, a touch interested. "Someone is here for you." Mrs Annie said in a  glacial voice.

I just got out of the house... another day of ridicule in the halls of my home. Can it really be called my home if I don't want to live there? I'm only there for protection really. If I hadn't studied I might as well be gone, or dead in a ditch somewhere. I make it back to my quarters, which I say quarters as I can't call it anything else. It's a drafty hut with holes and lots of rats running around. I would say I'm fortunate but once I get out of here I'm going to tear this family to shreds. Walking along the street, in my clothes were bring a bit of attention. Everyone knew me but they still couldn’t help but stare. It’s not like I was saying ‘hey it’s me martial cripple here!’ But by now the ridiculing stares are fine. Of course now that I’m considered a talent-less cripple, they delegated servant duties to me, until they find a husband to sell me off too. Such a stupid system. Walking the market I look at some of the items being sold. Various knick knacks that the merchants find along their travels. A lot of it is unappraised cultivation gear. It’s not like I could use any of it, but I had dream that something would happen, like I’d find some sort of treasure and start my journey, but no luck. I always do it and I'm not going to stop until I find a manual I can cultivate. Becoming a cultivator is the only way for me to move up in life and not be miserable. Stopping at one of the stalls, I buy an unknown manual using most of the silvers I have. I walk home quickly so no one can rob me, and close the door to my room tightly. Phew. Being a cultivation cripple is exhausting. I mean, I'm lucky to have been born pretty, which means my parents won't let anyone beat me in the house because they want my value to be higher. Thankfully though, I'm pretty, not a heavenly beauty, otherwise I'd be long gone by now. Opening up the manual something happened. It was my necklace. Not the manual, but the invisible necklace I've had since I was born. No one can see it and people thought I was crazy as a child whenever I talked about it. The necklace glowed and sucked in the manual. I just stood there wide eyed at the spectacle. Did my necklace just eat my only chance of getting out of here?! Are you fucking kidding me?! I lay on my bed and try not to scream. That was my last chance! I don't even get paid here, all the money I had was from stealing from other people! I sigh. Time for plan C, Run away and become a waitress somewhere far way from here. As I get out of my bed,  my necklace glowed again. I cringed and tried to throw it at the wall but as per usual it wouldn't move, so I just braced for impact. With a Thump an Ornate book fell to the ground and the necklace stopped glowing. I nudge it with my foot. No response. I gingerly pick it up and turn to the first page. A guide to Rare Elements  

I looked at the empty plate on the floor. Empty... like my whole being at this moment. "I'm hungry." Very hungry... I... don't know what to do with my life... What do I do now? I lost everything... I lost the person I loved the most... And I don't know if I can move on with my life. My grandmother is the person I love the most in my life. She raised me, gave me a home, food, love... Thanks to her, I am the person I am now. A kind, polite, and respectful guy to everyone. She taught me never to use bad words. She taught me to respect people's lives. She taught me to be empathetic. She taught me what is right and what is not... She taught me to be a good human being. Thanks to my grandmother, I am what I am now. Without her, I would not be happy... My grades are almost perfect. My grandmother worked all day to pay for my school and feed me. Despite being poor, I never lacked food. My grandmother raised me without anyone's help. She fed me, clothed me, and educated me without anyone's help. We never received government aid. Despite my excellent grades, I could never get a scholarship... But, even though we were very poor, we were happy. "Happy... Grandma, you made me very happy, I will always be grateful to you... But... were you happy?" I don't know... You never treated me badly... I never saw you angry... You were always so cheerful and smiling... Were you really happy, or were you pretending to be happy so as not to worry me? Despite your advanced age, you worked all day to bring food home... Did you enjoy your life? "Or did I ruin your life?" I'm scared to think that you couldn't enjoy your old age because you had to support me... A woman your age should have been at home resting, not working... I... ruined your life. "I'm sorry, Grandma... Forgive me." I always tried to be a perfect boy. I wanted my grandmother to be proud of me, but... now that she's gone, it's not worth trying anymore... First, I lost my parents, and now I lost the person I loved the most. I lost my grandmother... Is it worth being alive? Debts accumulate... We have always been poor, so we have no savings... I... I don't know what to do. I have no money, no job... I have nothing to sell... I have nothing. ... What if I become a prostitute? "No... No..." I shouldn't do it... My grandmother would be disappointed in me if I worked in something so dangerous and indecent. Besides... why stay alive? Life doesn't make sense anymore. "Grandma... I don't know if I can go on without you... I... I don't know what to do with my life." I put my grandmother's picture on an altar... or an attempted altar... I don't have money to buy a frame... I put some flowers that I stole from the park on the altar... I stole flowers from a park... I don't even have money for flowers... I'm sorry, Grandma... I'm so sorry. "Forgive me... You deserve better... But I'm not capable of getting it." I'm sorry for being useless, Grandma. I'm sorry for being so weak... Forgive me. I know I have to move on, that's what you would want, but... no... I don't want to. Why did I study so hard? So you would be proud of me. Why was I still alive? Because I wanted to stay by your side. ... I... Did I not enjoy life? I don't know... I have Sonia, my girlfriend. I have my best friend, Cris... I still have important people in my life, but... it's not the same... I lost the only reason I worked hard for... I lost it forever. I was only happy when I was with my grandma... I was also happy with Sonia and Cris, but... it didn't feel the same... Is this depression? Maybe... But one thing I'm sure of... I don't want to keep feeling like this. Without family... Without money... Is it worth staying alive? I still have my girlfriend and my best friend, but my presence would only bring them problems. I don't want to be a burden to them. I don't want them to feel sorry for me... I don't want to bother them with my presence. I don't want strangers to have to support me... I don't want to receive pity from people... I don't want to. "Grandma... Thank you for everything..." ... Tears...? Tears... I can't help but cry... Grandma... I don't know what to do... I don't know. I don't want to receive pity from people. I don't want to be a nuisance. ... I'm starving... I was rejected from all jobs... And they only offered me a job cleaning houses... "But I can't take those jobs.... I don't want "it" to happen again.... I don't want them to try to rape me again.... I don't want to be touched... I don't want to, I don't want to." My body won't stop trembling... No... No, no, no... Don't remember anything, Daniel... Don't... ... Grandma, I think I hate my life without you... The sexual harassment, the rape attempts... The rape... The bullying at school. The teasing for being poor... Grandma, you were the light in my dark life. Sonia, Cris, I'm sorry, but you are just matches in this deep and dark cave called life, and my grandmother was the sun. I can't live my life without her. "Grandma... I'll miss you so much." I don't know if paradise exists... I don't believe in God, but... If it does, I hope to see you again in that place. Thank you for everything. Sorry for so little... I hope you're resting in peace, grandma... I love you... And I will always love you. In this life and any other. Goodbye, grandma... I hope to see you again... And I suspect it will be very soon. I don't want to live without you... I don't know how to live without you. "Daniel..." That voice... I was so distracted crying and thinking about my problems that I didn't realize he came in. I turned to my left... It's Cris, my best friend... My only friend. Sonia is also my friend, but she's my girlfriend... Oh, I'm so stressed that I don't know what I'm thinking. Sonia, the girl I've been in love with since we were kids. Cris, Sonia and I have been friends since elementary school. Sonia is the only girl I've ever loved, I'm so lucky to have her by my side. The only reason I'm still alive and haven't committed suicide is because I still have my best friends by my side. Even though they're matches in this deep cave, they're still important in my life. Especially Sonia, the girl of my dreams. The only girl who fell in love with me for my personality and not my appearance. The love of my life. If I manage to move on with my life, I want to start a family with her. "Sorry for coming in without permission, Daniel. Did I come at a bad time? I'm sorry, but I want to talk to you about something important." "Don't worry... Hi, Cris... I would offer you something, but I have nothing... Nothing..." Not even food... I'm starving, but I don't want others to pity me. I feel like my stomach is eating itself. Fortunately, I'm not dehydrated, because I drank water from a public restroom sink... Water from a public restroom... I've fallen so low. I don't have gas. I don't have water... Not even electricity... I have nothing... Nothing! I'm useless without my grandmother... Useless and unable to stand on my own. I hate this... I hate it... I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! I don't think I can endure my situation any longer. Sonia, I want to see you, but I haven't bathed in days... I don't want you to see me in this state... You deserve someone much better than me. ... I think I'll break up with her. I love her, but I don't want to embarrass her. I don't want her to be known as the girlfriend of a disgusting bum like me, who doesn't bathe. It will hurt me, but it's for her own good. "... Daniel, we need to talk... I was debating whether to tell you or not, but I decided to tell you... You deserve to know the truth... We can't talk here. Let's go to a quieter place with fresh air." "Yes... Yes, of course." I hope it's not more bad news. My heart can't take it. Cris, you look too serious... Please don't be more bad news. Humans against demons. CHAPTER 1- A New Purpose. My name is Daniel and I'll tell you a bit about myself. I have black hair, a bit long as I avoid cutting it for months, mainly to save money. My eyes are light brown and I'm not very muscular, just thin (mainly because even though I eat every day, I eat very little so that the food lasts longer). What stands out the most about me? Well... Ah... I'm a somewhat good-looking guy, but I really don't care, in fact, it bothers me, as it has caused me many problems in my life. At school, other boys always tease and hit me, mainly out of envy, or because their girlfriends try to flirt with me. But I almost never defend myself, I don't want to cause problems for my grandmother, I only defend myself when they really make me angry. I don't defend myself most of the time because I'm afraid of getting into trouble with dangerous people. I'm poor, after all. It's easy to kill or kidnap a person as poor as me, who lives in a dangerous and shady area of the city. My grandmother and I live together, she's the only relative I have... We're very poor, but at least we managed to survive and be happy together... Although everything changed... I lost her forever. My grandmother died recently. Her heart stopped working and she died of a heart attack. They couldn't save her. Her death affected me too much. She was the only relative I had... Now I'm alone... And I realized how useless I am. I don't know how to move forward on my own... I don't know what I'll do with my life. I sold some of my few things to pay for the funeral, but I don't care. As long as I can give her a dignified burial, I don't mind having to sell my things. I have several problems on my mind and I don't know what to do... How will I live? Will I be able to support myself...? I try to get a job, but no one hires me. I was rejected for all jobs... I hate this... I hate it. Ah... I really don't know what to do with my life. "So, what did you want to tell me?" At this moment, I'm standing in front of my best friend, he said he wanted to tell me something important. We met in a park. The atmosphere became very uncomfortable. He looks at me with... pity... He pities me... I hate that look, but it's the only one he can give me right now. I'm disgusting right now, even I know that. I don't want to be pitied. "I'm sorry, Daniel." Ah... I hope it's not bad news... huh? "..." He showed me a photo on his phone... A photo, that finished breaking my heart. It's a photo of my girlfriend, kissing another guy. My heart breaks when I see the photo... She's cheating on me... The love of my life, is cheating on me. She was one of my few reasons to keep going in life... No... She was the only reason I had... I... I... I don't know how to react... Why? Why did she do this to me? I loved her, and I thought she loved me too. I thought our relationship was working... I know I had planned to break up with her recently, but... Why did she do this to me? Why with that idiot? Why did she cheat on me? ... Tears...? Again... But I can't help crying. The girl I've loved for so many years is cheating on me with another guy. Honestly, I don't know how to feel about it. Should I be angry, sad, or disappointed? I think what I feel is a mix of those feelings inside me. Sonia is cheating on me... The girl I love is cheating on me... "Sonia..." "I'm sorry, I know what you're going through, but I can't let my sister fool you... I'm sorry, if you need help, you can count on my help and my family's, and you know that." When my grandmother died, Cris's family, my best friend, offered to help me, but I refused their help. I don't want to be a bother. ... Sonia is cheating on me... Well... Ah... Yes, I suppose nothing matters anymore. It's not worth giving importance to that issue right now. She cheated on me, that can't change. What's done is done. The healthiest thing would be to simply end my relationship with her and move on... But now that Sonia has cheated on me, I officially have nothing important in my life. What's the point of living a gray and empty life? I've been deceived. I thought Sonia loved me. I thought she fell in love with me for being Daniel and not just for being a pretty face... But I guess she didn't fall in love with Daniel, she fell in love with the pretty face. Falling in love with someone for their physical appearance isn't love, it's just sexual attraction. But falling in love with someone for who they are, their personalities, that's romantic love. I thought Sonia had fallen in love with me for who I am and my feelings... I was stupid to believe that was possible. Life has treated me like garbage. The only good things I had were my grandmother and my friends. But now, my grandmother is dead, Sonia cheated on me, and Cris pities me. My life has become complete garbage. And what do you do with garbage? You discard it. "Yes... But I don't want to bother your family... I'll be fine... Thank you for telling me, you'll always be my best friend... I-I have to go... I need to rest." "Yes, I understand." "And... Well... You tell Sonia that we're over, and she should never speak to me again. It's extreme, but I don't think I can talk to her again." "I agree with your decision. Knowing you, I was prepared to punch you if you planned on forgiving her. She may be my sister, but infidelity is never forgiven." "Yes, I know... Goodbye, Cris... And thank you for everything... Thank you..." I approached him and hugged him tightly. "Daniel?" "Thank you for everything, Cris... Thank you for being friends with someone like me." "Daniel..." "I have to go... Goodbye." I walk away and start crying even more than before. That really affected me... My heart hurts... And a lot... I really loved her. I loved her too much. I thought I would marry her. I wanted her to be the mother of my children... But I guess she didn't love me. We should have never been together... I am doomed to not be genuinely loved... I'll say goodbye to this love thing. I doubt I'll ever fall in love again. I want to end my suffering... I don't want to live anymore. I'm sorry, grandma... What I'm going to do is very cowardly, but I really can't stand it... You died, I can't find a job, I don't have money to buy food, and now Sonia is cheating on me... I know you'll be disappointed in me and I'm sorry, but... I've decided to commit suicide... I'll see you soon, grandma. "It's not worth living anymore." • • Ah... I'm ready now. I climb onto a chair and put a rope around my neck. I made a hole in the ceiling and tied the rope to a corner of the ceiling. I'm in my room that I shared with my grandmother. There are no furniture, only blankets on the ground that I use as a bed. The floor is dirt and the walls are not painted... Yes, that's how I lived. It was uncomfortable, but I never complained. I was happy being next to my grandmother. But now that I've lost her, I realized the shortcomings in my life. I can't live like this, and I don't mean the state of my home, I mean my mental state. The stress, the pain, the sadness... I can't keep enduring so much pain. We have never had enough money to improve the house... And I sold the few things I had. I'm useless, I know... I know. "I'm sorry, grandma... I really can't take it anymore... That's why I'll put an end to my suffering." I'm about to hang myself, the rope is around my neck and I'm ready to jump. I will die... I will die for good... If I didn't want to die, I would have regretted it already, but I don't want to keep living... I want to be dead. It's not worth it to keep living. I'm sure my life will never be good, I will always be suffering. The only reason I was happy was because I had my grandmother. Attempts of rape, a rape, bullying, sexual harassment, false accusations... I have suffered from everything, and I'm sure I will suffer more in the future... It's better to spare myself that suffering and die once and for all. "I've always been a good person... If there was a God, He would be compassionate with me and help me. I have no one left, I have no reason to live." God, God, God... I was never religious, because God never helped me. Every time I was saved from being raped, it was because I saved myself. God has nothing to do with it. But my grandmother was very religious... Just for that reason, I have hope that God exists and will allow me to reunite with her. I am about to jump off the chair and I smile, while tears come out of my eyes. I will die, definitely die. There is no turning back. I am happy and sad... I will die, but soon I will see my grandmother again... I have never been religious, but I hope that paradise exists. I want to see my grandmother again. I want to see my parents. Meet my mother... I want to reunite with my family, I don't want to be alone anymore. "This will end soon." One... Two... And three. I jump... I jumped... I will suffer a little, but it will all end. I hope they don't take long to find my body. ... ... ... It's taking too long for death to come. I don't even feel any pain. Something strange is happening... Huh? What?! I can't move, I'm floating in the air! What's going on?! Is this what dying feels like? "Hey? Why can't I move?" I said scared and nervous about this unreal situation. This is too weird. Am I going crazy? "Wait, wait! Don't do it!" Suddenly I hear a voice that isn't mine... It's the voice of an old man... I don't recognize that voice. Am I really hallucinating from dying of suffocation? Well, it's not like I'm complaining. If hallucinating avoids the pain, continuing to hallucinate isn't so bad. "Did you really try to commit suicide?! I thought you would regret it!" Oh... Hearing that voice made me very scared and I turned pale. I heard it as if someone was in front of me. I admit that this hallucinating is no longer so pleasant, I think I prefer to suffer a little. Uwaaaah! I've gone crazy! Please, life, let me die in peace! "Who said that?!" I said scared... No... Terrified. I'm not afraid of you, hallucinations...! Huh? And who is that? An old man appeared out of nowhere in front of me. The old man is wearing a completely white suit, he is bald and his eyes are completely white and bright... That old man is so strange. Is he some kind of angel coming for my soul? ... Ah... Yes, I've gone crazy. "Hello, Daniel," he said smiling. ... ... ... What the hell just happened?! An old man appeared out of nowhere in front of me! This is too weird! I must have gone crazy. Why can't I have a more normal death?! "Who are you? And why can't I move?" I said, scared. This is too weird to be a simple hallucination. It must be an angel who is going to punish me for committing suicide! Ahhhhhhhh! Suicide really turned out to be punished by God! Forgive me, grandma! "You can believe me or not, but I am God." ... ... ... Eh? "Did you hear me? Don't be silent. As I told you before, I am God. It's a pleasure to meet you." ... ... ... Eh? God? Did I hear correctly? He said he was God? "... God?!" "That's right. Daniel, I've been observing you for a long time. You are someone with a pure heart, something rare among humans... Well, your pure heart is a perfect combination of a normal pure heart and a beautiful soul... You are something very rare." Eh? Pure of heart? I've read stories about it, but I didn't know it was true... I have a feeling he's telling the truth, but this is too weird. I would say I'm hallucinating, but this feels so real that I don't think it's just a hallucination." "P-pure of heart?" I said, confused. This situation is so strange. Is he really God? "You are a very good person, perfect for a job I want you to do." Job? Is he asking for my help? But why me? I never imagined God would give me a job. Did he pity me? Well, as long as he pays me, I'll accept the job. I can't refuse God, my grandmother would never forgive me. "And... me?" "Yes, you." He's smiling... He seems like a friendly person. His smile doesn't seem fake. If he's God, why doesn't he do it himself? He could easily finish the job... Well, after all, he's a God. He can do anything. "Why me? Why don't you do it?" "My job is to observe and not interfere, but something very bad is happening in world 1 that needs to be solved." Observe and not interfere, huh? Well, that would explain why he never helped me. My grandmother taught me to be empathetic to others. I admit I felt a bit of resentment towards God for giving me such a painful life, but now that I know he couldn't interfere, I must forget that unnecessary resentment. God is not to blame, I just had bad luck. ... Wait... World 1? Are there more worlds? Is it an alternate world? I've heard about it, but I never imagined it could be real. More worlds... Will there be a world with only women? Will there be a world with animals that can reason and talk? Or are they worlds the same as this one? Well, whatever it is, it sounds great! Alternate worlds... Cool. "World 1?" "It's a parallel world. Let's say there are many worlds. Your world is number 15." Number 15, huh? That means there are 14 worlds below mine. Does the number simply serve to differentiate us or does it reflect the importance or advancement of the world? Well, that's not important right now. Hearing that God needs me is something I never thought I'd hear, but I don't think I could do it. I'm useless... I feel useless. There must be millions of better options than me. "But I..." "I know you think your life is ruined, but you can overcome it. So, you can help me with the job or commit suicide. Consider that if you help me, you could save many worlds, you could be a hero." ... A hero? Me? Could I be a hero? Those words... For some reason, I don't feel as depressed as before... Could it be that all I needed was a purpose in life? Is God giving me a reason to keep living? Before, I lived my life just to please my grandmother. She didn't ask me to, but I did it so she could see that her effort was not in vain. I spent my time studying to be a good student so that my grandmother would be proud of me, sacrificing my free time. I lived my life with the sole purpose of making my grandmother proud and happy, but now that she's no longer with me, I feel like my life has no purpose anymore. But now God is giving me a mission, a goal, a purpose. God needs me... Someone needs me... Someone considers me useful. "Am I... a hero?" "You're someone special, that's why I need you." Special...? Me? Are you saying that to make me feel better or am I really special? It would be too egocentric of me to believe that I'm really special. He must have said it just to make me feel better... I think. God extends his right hand to me, while smiling at me. The hand of God... Literally. This situation is so strange, but... relaxing. I don't know what's going on, I don't know what God really wants from me, but it makes me feel like I have a purpose in this life. "Do you accept?" Being a hero sounds great, and God himself is choosing me to do the job. It's something I shouldn't refuse... No, I can't refuse. God, among millions of people, chose me. I don't know if I'm hallucinating or if I fell into a coma and I'm dreaming, but I don't care, I'll go along with it even if it's just a simple dream. "I guess I can't refuse God. I'll do it," I said with a nervous smile. I have to smile at God to show him that I trust him and his words, but my nervousness betrays me. After all, who wouldn't be nervous in this strange situation? God raised his hand and caressed my head. It feels good. It's a pleasant feeling. I would feel strange if an old man I barely know caressed my head, but this old man is God, a kind being. I shouldn't distrust him. "You've made the right decision." ... Huh? What?! Everything around me started spinning! Am I in a whirlwind?! What's happening?! • • After God and Daniel disappeared out of nowhere, small rays began to emerge from the rope. Why? Due to the direct contact with the magic of a God. And that small mistake would bring consequences. • • (Pov- Daniel.) "What?! What's happening?!"- I say, scared. Why am I in a whirlwind?! Uwaaaah! I feel like my heart is about to come out of my mouth! I think I'm going to throw up! And God seems pretty relaxed. Wow, he can stand as if nothing's happening. He really is a divine being. "We've arrived," said God. "Uwaaaah!" Suddenly, we appear in a forest. I try not to throw up and calm down. That trip was pretty weird. I still want to throw up, but throwing up in front of God would be rude of me. Plus, what would I even throw up? I have nothing in my stomach. Will I find fruits in this forest? "Welcome to world 1, the world of magic and adventurers." ... ... ... Did I hear correctly? Yes, I definitely heard correctly... Magic and adventurers?! What kind of mess have I gotten myself into?! I thought all worlds would be similar to mine, but in this world, magic exists! "Magic?" I said confused. "In the different existing worlds, there are always different things. In this world, there is magic, in world 3 there are psychic powers, and in your world, there is technology." Different things... Wow... So, is there a possibility that there is a world where dogs rule? The universe turned out to be more incredible than I imagined. I observe everything around me amazed. Am I really in another world? Great... For some reason, I don't feel depressed... This is what I needed, to feel useful... My grandmother would be proud of me for helping God. ... Well... Although I have the theory that I tried to commit suicide, someone rescued me, but the lack of oxygen in my brain caused me to go into a coma. I'm dreaming this... Or that's my theory... But... I stroke my hands and touch the ground... Everything feels so real... I'll ignore the theory and believe that this is real. "Incredible, I'm in another world... What should I do?" "This world is in danger because some demons have appeared. These demons have incredible magical powers. Magic powers more powerful than that of any human in this world. And that's not the worst part. According to my calculations, in about three or four years, a demon will appear so powerful that it will destroy this world. If this world disappears, the others will too." I suppose this world is the basis for the others to exist. If this world disappears, all will disappear, huh? That sounds pretty bad... He is God, he can easily eliminate the demons. Why does he ask for help from a guy like me? It doesn't make logical sense. "Why don't you stop it? You're God." "My job is to observe and not interfere. Only in emergency cases like this, do I interfere as little as possible." "But you're God, you can interfere if you want, right?" "Living beings must solve their own problems. They must survive without depending on others. I only give them a little help and that's it." Living beings? What a strange way to call living beings. God's words are sincere, I sense it... I still have too many doubts in my mind. I'm no longer depressed, but I'm confused. But I still wonder why I was chosen for this mission. It's probably because, as in my dream, I am the protagonist of this story. The theory that I am in a coma and dreaming this would answer that question, but I better ignore that theory and continue to believe that this is really happening. "I understand, but... why me?" "There are 63 existing worlds. In those worlds, I investigated people like you, pure of heart. And you were chosen. By the way, in your world, there are more people with pure hearts than in other worlds." I was chosen... Out of the millions of people that exist, I was chosen... To be honest, that makes me very happy. "Am I the purest?" A too egocentric question, but I want to get the answer. Why did I end up being chosen? "No, just when I saw your life and saw how you were getting depressed, something inside me told me that I had to give you a reason to live... Although you also have something very special inside you. Your soul is very beautiful, so you are perfect to help me." Beautiful? I suppose that's good. I don't know what it means for my soul to be beautiful, but I suppose it refers to me being a good person. Thank you, God, it's thanks to my grandmother. She taught me to be a good and empathetic person. "Well, well... Thank you." "Take this." A black fingerless glove and a pink phone appear out of nowhere in front of me. A glove, huh? Will it be useful or is it my work uniform? I think the phone will serve me to communicate with God or something like that. "The glove allows you to use all types of magic, and the phone will serve as a map and other functions that you will discover later on." Wow, they turned out to be much more interesting items than I thought. I take the glove and put it on my right hand. It's very comfortable to use, it's like I'm not wearing anything. Plus, I think I look great with it. It matches my style. "It's comfortable." "That's good because you won't be able to take it off." "Huh?" I try to take off the glove, but it won't come off... It's stuck... It doesn't bother me much, but it's weird. Why did he make me wear this glove all the time? I won't even be able to take it off when I shower. "Why?" "It's dangerous for it to be stolen from you." That makes sense. This item is too dangerous. If it falls into the wrong hands, I don't know what could happen. I don't want people to suffer because of my mistakes. I must keep this glove a secret. "Well, well... I see... Okay." I take the phone... Wow, it's cute. And it's pink, like my favorite color. God knows me very well... Should I be afraid of that? No, it's God, he knows us all... Although that sounds pretty disturbing. Leaving that aside, I always wanted a phone like this... My first smart cell phone... Great. I've never had a TV or a phone. I always did my homework at Chris's house because he had a computer and internet. "A phone without buttons... I've always wanted to have a modern phone... Thank you, God," I said smiling, so he would know how grateful I am to him. "Don't worry. Well, let's continue." God touches my chest with his right hand, and a light comes out of his hand. Divine light? Divine power? Whatever it is, it feels weird. It's like a tingling sensation. "Now you have the power to revive. You can only revive twice." The power to revive... I think this world is more dangerous than I imagined. I must be careful. I won't let my guard down. God touches my forehead with his left hand, and a light comes out of his hand. "Now you have a great memory, perfect for learning thousands of spells." Great, it's a big help. Although I could also write down the spells on my phone, memorizing them would be even better. I wonder if the magic God gave me allows me to use magic easily or if I will have to train. "Is that all?" "Yes, see you later." Huh? Is that it? Is there nothing else? I need more information. "Wait... What should I do now?" "Investigate how to use magic, defeat all the demons you can, and most importantly, defeat the demon that will destroy the world." God disappears and I sigh... Well, my job begins... To defeat means to kill... That scares me, but I must do it... I must become a killer... It's for the good of the world. Even a pacifist like me knows that it's necessary... I will become a killer... I will do it for God. This situation scares me a lot, but I must do it, God trusts me, and I won't disappoint Him. He gave me an extremely complicated and almost impossible mission, but I must try to fulfill it. I won't lie saying that I will accomplish it, because I know I'm not sure I can. I'm not afraid of dying either, after all, I gave up my life when I attempted suicide. I will give this new life to God and my mission. I don't mind dying as long as I can fulfill my mission or at least die trying. God gave me a new purpose in life, and I will pay Him back even with my life. "Wow, okay... I guess I should... huh?!" Where is that sound coming from...?! Ah. Oh... I received a call, and that scared me. It caught me off guard. I'm not used to this. "Ah, my heart almost stopped." I'm in an unknown world, I don't know the dangers here. I must stay alert. I see the phone to know who is calling, and the contact is named "God." I answer and put the phone to my right ear. "H-hello?" "I forgot to tell you something very important. In that world, you can be rude, enjoy your life. Being pure-hearted is good, but don't take it so seriously, have fun." ... I feel some ulterior motive behind those words. Be rude... Yes... I understand. "Wow, okay... All right, I suppose." "And remember this, you're very good, but don't be too good. In your adventure, you will have to face demons, evil adventurers, monsters, and other evil beings. You must keep in mind that you will have to kill them. Don't let your goodness affect you." Yes, I know... I will become a killer... Will I be capable of killing? I guess I'll find out soon. I'm a pacifist, I've always avoided violence, but now it's inevitable. I won't go through life with the mentality that everything can be resolved through dialogue. If I go with that mentality, I won't last long. I'm not naive, I won't take this lightly. "Wow, okay. All right, I guess if you say so, I suppose I have to do it." "Thank you." He hangs up, and I look around nervously... All right... I guess I should go to a city or town first. Will they ask for documents to enter? I hope not. I have no money or documents. Besides, I also stink. I look like a vagabond. Ah... I don't exactly know what to do. "Now... Well, I suppose I should go to a town... Huh?" I received another call, and I answer. I guess he has more information for me. "That's the last thing I forgot. The clothes you're wearing are not normal in that world. I'll give you new clothes." Oh, that's what I needed. My clothes stink. My clothes disappear, and they're replaced with new and elegant clothes. Now I'm wearing a black suit with a green tie... Is it really normal? I don't think so. "Is this clothing normal here? I look like a businessman." "It's normal for nobles and royalty, they're the ones who best control magic. Try to get in touch with them and learn all the spells you can. Goodbye." I hang up and look at my new clothes... Is it really normal for nobles? At least they smell good. Nobles and royalty... A monarchy... Ah, that means I could encounter corrupt people. I must be mentally prepared to see anything, like slaves, prostitutes, deaths, blood... This world is wild, and I must be prepared for it not to affect me. "I feel uncomfortable in these clothes..." I look at my phone with a serious expression, erasing any trace of discomfort and doubt. I must take my job seriously... This is not a game... I will not disappoint God. "Alright, the phone will serve as my map." I search for the map app and open it. The places have names, which makes it easier for me to locate them. I'm in a small forest, in the middle of nowhere. What prevails in this country are green places, like valleys and forests. A green country, huh? Ecologists' paradise. "Mmm... I'm in... the forest of death...? What a name." I hope it doesn't live up to its name. I'm defenseless at the moment. I take a closer look at the map... After searching for a few seconds, I found a town near this place. It's quite big, almost a city. Almost, because it's not quite enough. It's a town. "Central Town 1. It's close by. I'll go to the town and investigate the place." First step: investigation. Knowing the place and my enemies is paramount before acting. "Let's go." I start walking. My new life has just begun. I'll say goodbye to my old life. Goodbye, Cris. Goodbye, Diana. Goodbye, Robert... Mmm... No, I won't miss Sonia. I don't know what the future holds, but I'm very optimistic about it. • • After walking for minutes, I arrived at the village. Fortunately, they didn't ask me for documents or anything like that to enter, I just walked in. It doesn't have walls, so I don't think this village suffers attacks from monsters. Oh. I see many people with armor, weapons, and various beautiful girls. Exaggeratedly beautiful and erotic. Wow. They really like to show skin. I would feel nervous at such a sight, but I am so amazed to be in a magical world that I don't have time to feel nervous about it. The village is huge, there are several food and fruit stalls. There are also stalls where they sell jewelry and weapons... A typical and cliché medieval village. It even smells bad. Do people bathe every day? I doubt it. No offense, but this place looks quite... wild. "Do you smell that, Daniel? Clichés from an isekai story... Will I be the protagonist or an important secondary character? Maybe I'll be a filler character... I'll discover my role over time." God sent me, but I won't be egotistical. I must always be prepared for any surprises, including being a simple filler character. The village is really cute and interesting. People look friendly. I thought it would be more savage or violent, but it's very nice. "Great. The place looks very cute," I said as I walked among the people. Oh, wow. I see a sign on the door of a house, the writing is very strange, they are like numbers, but a little different. It's hard to explain... One of the letters looks like the number 2, but with two small circles in the middle. Should I learn their writing and language? Well, God gave me a great memory, I don't think I'll have any problems learning at least the basics. "Although I can't read, their writing is very different from mine... Will I understand their language...? God didn't say anything about it." I need to get some answers. I concentrate and listen to several voices around me. "Sandro? Did he really do that?" said a girl. "It's incredible!" said a girl, excited. Girls talking about someone named Sandro. Yes, I understand the language. I sigh with relief. I won't have any problems communicating with others. That will save me a lot of time and effort. "They speak the same language as me... I guess I have to find people who know how to use magic, to teach me how to use it." I hope they don't charge me, and if they do, I'll have to get a job. Mmm... Where will I find the people I need? I guess asking around would help. I see someone in a black armor walking and I approach him. He's wearing armor, he must know what I want to find. "Excuse me, do you know where the people who know magic gather?" "People who know magic? I guess you want to go to the Adventurer's Guild. It's that place with that blue flag." Oh, an adventurer's guild. That's what I need. He extends his index finger and points to the guild. The guild is a four-story building... It looks cute, as it's painted black. It's small, but I guess it's not the main guild of this country. The man's voice is very thick and sounds somewhat strange. Being close to him, I can feel some heat. A true adventurer... Great! If I weren't busy, I'd ask him for an autograph. "Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate it." I'm heading towards the guild... Okay... They speak the same language as me... I won't have communication problems. "They speak the same language as me, but their writing is different... Why?" Maybe God has something to do with this. Maybe he gave me the ability to understand the language as if it were mine or something like that. ... Hmm... There's something bothering me. I can tell that many people are staring at me strangely as I walk. Have they realized that I'm not from this place? Do I look like a tourist? I'm used to women staring at me, but this is weirder. "Do I look weird?" I hope I'm not bothering the people in this town. The fewer enemies I have, the better. Okay, I'm standing in front of the guild. Okay, Daniel, don't be afraid. I know you're in an unknown place, but don't worry, you have God on your side. Don't be afraid and go in. I took a deep breath and sighed... Alright... I'm ready. I enter the guild and look around. More than a guild, it looks like a bar. There are tables where adventurers eat and drink together. I guess it's also a restaurant. There are adventurers who look very strong because of their huge muscles... Oh... Most of the adventurers turn to look at me and watch me with expressions of hate. Why do they see me like that? Do I look like a bad person? Their looks make me nervous... Why do they hate me? They barely know me. Could they be xenophobic and hate me for being different? No, we're not different, we're similar humans. It's impossible for them to know that I'm not from this country. Could it be because of my clothes? I doubt it. God gave me clothes, I don't think he would have given them to me if they were going to cause problems. There must be another reason. "W-wow. I-I think they don't like me." It's better to investigate as quickly as possible, I don't want to have problems with anyone. I see a girl sitting at a desk... Oh, she's so beautiful. The girl has long red hair and red eyes. She wears a red dress and has a red ribbon around her neck. Too much red. Next to the girl there are 5 other women, sitting at desks. I think they are guild employees. This world is very different from mine, and I don't just mean the existence of magic, but also hair color. Now that I think about it, the people in this world are very different from those in my world. I look around and see people with hair of different colors. There are adventurers with white, red, green, etc. hair. "Am I the only one with black hair?" That would explain why they hate me. Are people with black hair looked down upon? Better not to dwell on that, I have a more important matter to resolve. I approach the girl, who I assume is a guild employee. "Excuse me, miss, I'm looking for people who know magic." My question confused her a bit, I can tell because she looked at me in silence for a few seconds, as if she were analyzing my question. "Eh...? People who know magic?" She said, while looking at me with a confused expression. Yes, she's definitely confused. The girl is looking at me too much with that expression. I feel like an idiot. I couldn't help but get nervous... Did I say something weird? "Y-yes, people who know magic, please." "All the adventurers here know how to use magic," she said, with a small laugh. I laugh nervously... Yes, I figured... I think I look like a fool. I thought it would be a cliché world where few people are capable of using magic. "Well, well... I see..." "Do you want to register or do you want to request the services of an adventurer?" To register... I think I need money for that... That's right... I don't have any money! I need money to survive... What should I do? I promised to do what it takes to accomplish my mission, but I don't know if I'm capable of selling my body just to get money. If the curse of not being able to find a job still holds true in this world, I must resort to selling my body to survive. I hope I don't reach that extreme. "I don't have any money to register, but thank you." I smile to show my gratitude. I must not behave rudely to anyone in this place. One mistake and I'm a dead man. ... That expression on her... That girl is looking at me with a blush on her face... Ahhhhhhhh! I forgot about the effect I have on women! "I-if you don't have any money, we'll charge you through work, don't worry." Oh, they're offering me work to pay for the registration. I think I can accept it... Yes, I'll accept it. I need the money to survive in this world, and a job wouldn't hurt. I need to feed myself to have enough energy to keep going. "Then I'll go register. Thank you." I hope the registration doesn't require official documents from the country, I'm an illegal in this country. "Please, could you tell me what type of magic you have?" Mmm... A classic question. Ay... I don't like to lie, besides she has magic, she can probably detect lies. If she finds out I'm lying, they won't give me the job... I must tell the truth. Besides, I promised my grandmother to always tell the truth, and I'm not going to break my promise. "I suppose I have all types of magic." "What?!" The girl stood up surprised... Did I say something so strange? "Having all types of magic?!" She said, with a tone of surprise. All the adventurers are staring at me... Is that weird? If so, I wonder how weird it is. "Is it weird to have all types of magic?" "No one can have all types of magic, it's impossible!" No one? Well, well... God gave me something great. "Impossible?" "Please, put your hand on this sphere!" On the desk there's a crystal sphere... I suppose it measures my magical power. Ah, I knew lying would be bad. Thank you for teaching me to never lie, grandmother. Anyway, they were going to discover my types of magic with this sphere. I'm confused, but I decide to obey her. "Which hand?" "Whichever, it doesn't matter!" I put my right hand on the sphere. "Please wait!" I'm a rare existence in this world, eh? Ah, I suspect that will bring me problems. A minute passes and, out of nowhere, a card comes out of the sphere and the girl takes it. Wow, a sphere that creates cards. Does it include my personal information and my magical attributes? "Daniel Conde. Age, 16 years old. Types of magic..." The girl's eyes widen. Uwaaaah! That scared me! Isn't she exaggerating?! "All of them?!" she shouted, surprised and scared. "All of them?!" the adventurers around me shouted afterwards. Everyone screams and stares at me. The faces of the adventurers change; before they looked at me with hatred, now they observe me with fear. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that they fear me, but I suppose it's good. I prefer that they fear me rather than hate me. "I guess that's good," I said, nervously smiling. "But it's impossible! How can you achieve that?!" the girl exclaimed, confused. "The thing is that..." I receive a call. Is it God again? Did he forget something? "What's that sound?" the girl asks, confused. "Excuse me," I say as I take out my phone. Everyone looks at me strangely. I guess phones don't exist here. I'm in a typical magical world without technology. Cliché. I suppose phones don't exist in this world. I answer the call and put the phone to my right ear. "Hello? Is something wrong?" "You are forbidden from telling anyone what's happening. Make something up, but don't say I sent you, let alone anything about the demon that will destroy the world." Well, keeping that secret will be a little easy. I just have to avoid talking about it. I don't want to lie; my grandmother didn't raise a liar. I'll only lie when it's really necessary. "Okay, don't worry," I say before hanging up and putting my phone in my pocket. Ah... Well... "What did I say?" I ask the girl, looking her in the eyes. Looking people in the eyes is something my grandmother taught me because it shows confidence, although I feel uncomfortable when she looks at me with fear. "What is that?" she asks, still confused. Phones don't exist here... I have two theories. The first: In a world with magic, technology cannot exist. The second: It's a simple coincidence. Digging too much into the lack of technology won't do me any good except satisfy my curiosity, so I'll only investigate when I have free time. The main thing is to investigate demons and magic in general... Magic... Oh, grandmother, what mess have I gotten myself into? "It's a phone." "A phone?" "I can't say anything else, I'm sorry. Is the registration finished?" "Y-yes. Welcome to the 'Golden Dragon' guild." A dragon... Do dragons exist?! I can't wait to meet one. I hope they're friendly and don't try to eat me. "Thank you. I appreciate it," I say as she hands me my card. Hmm... It has strange letters... I don't understand anything, although I admit the design is cute. It has a golden dragon drawn on it. "M-my name is Grey. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," she says kindly. How nice of her, and I'll take her up on that offer in the future. I'll need a lot of help later on. Grey... A nice name, but it doesn't match her appearance. "Thank you very much, Grey. How do I pay? What exactly do I have to do?" "W-when you finish a mission, the registration fee will be deducted from your reward." Oh, I see, I see. I have to finish a mission to get my reward. I need money, so I have to do a mission as soon as possible. I suppose I'll start from the lowest rank and only take low-ranking missions. Easy missions that won't give me much money, but you have to start somewhere. "Thank you," I say as more people line up behind me. I don't want to waste any more of her time. I turn around and everyone is still looking at me... I guess I'm going to be popular... That's good, because it means I'll make friends easily. I need a lot of help. The more popular I am, the more danger I'll be in, but it will also bring me benefits, like getting contacts that can help me with my mission and provide me with information. Keeping a low profile would be the easiest and least dangerous, but it would take me more time to become powerful and get information. The best thing would be to get attention and get the information I want in the shortest possible time. "Well, well. I'll be popular here." Ah, it reminds me of school, although I was only popular with women, men hated me. I sit at a table, which is empty, and take out my phone... I have several doubts in my mind. What other functions does my phone have? Also, God didn't give me a charger. How am I going to charge it? "How am I going to charge it?" Maybe the phone will give me the information I need. Mmm... Mmm... Yes, I found an app that could help me. As I check my phone, I see an app that says "Tutorial." "Tutorial?" I open it and a message appears on the screen. "Welcome, I will explain the use of the cell phone. It serves as a map, allows you to take photos and videos, your phone also functions as a weapon with the right spells. It charges with magic, you just need to hold your phone with your hand and the phone will absorb some of your magic, the phone will be charged in just 10 seconds. If you have any questions, open the app again." I remove the app and sigh... It sounds easy... It didn't answer all my questions, but something is better than nothing. "Okay... What do I do now? I think I need to learn spells." I open the app again and a new message appears. "What do you want to know?" Only the message appears and I try to open the keyboard to type, but nothing comes up. This isn't the first time I've used a smartphone, Cris lent me his to do my homework. This thing doesn't have a keyboard to type on. "Eh? The keyboard won't open... I guess I have to speak." If it's asking me something and it won't let me type, I guess it's activated by my voice. How modern, although I'd prefer to write, it would save me a lot of trouble. I bring my mouth closer to the screen to whisper what I want to know. Ah, I must look like a crazy person considering that phones don't exist in this world, but I have to answer my doubts. I'll ignore that feeling of discomfort for now. "I want to know spells, please." The message disappears and another one appears. Wow, that was quick. "You want to know spells, is that correct...? Yes, it's correct." The message disappears and another one appears. Oh, it's a long message. I think they're spells. "The spells I know are: 'Arches Nexus', allows you to fly. 'Muslar asio', allows you to have great physical strength, great endurance, and incredible agility. And, lastly, 'Sword Dex', allows you to summon a great sword, perfect for fights. Those are all the spells I have registered." ... Well... It seems to be narrated in a simple way and with no technical terms. Where are the procedures to perform the spell? Is that really all? The app disappears... Okay... I think I just have to say those words... Sounds easy. I tried to cast spells to see if anything else would happen, but nothing. Is that really all there is to it? Do I just have to say those words? It's too advantageous, but considering that my enemies will possibly be very powerful, this advantage was necessary. Well, well... okay, I learned them. I guess I just have to say those words. Now I have to get attention and thus get the help of powerful adventurers... How will I do that...? I guess I got attention when they found out I have all types of magic, but that won't help if I don't show that I'm strong. Yes, that's obvious. Anyone can have great magical power, but they won't be interested in me if I don't show that I know how to use it. The next part of my plan is to get powerful friends and contacts. The more spells I get, the better. I got attention by showing that I possess all magical attributes, but if I can impress them with something incredible, my name will spread throughout the country. Ah, that will bring me problems too, but I really need contacts if I want to advance as fast as possible. Now, well... How do I get attention? Mmm... That will also be difficult. Ah... Mmm... What if I wait to be known as the adventurer with all magical attributes? It will take me a little longer to achieve the fame I want, but I will achieve it anyway. Ah, I don't know. I really don't want to waste valuable time. "Seriously?" "Fufu. Yes. Look at this." I hear two men talking. What caught my attention is the pig's head that one of them put on the table. Yuck. "You defeated an Orc with a knife? That's amazing!" Orc? "Thanks, it wasn't that great either." "That's the most amazing thing I've ever heard!" The most amazing...? The most amazing... A great idea occurs to me. Thank you, sirs. "If I do a very difficult mission, I can get a lot of attention. They would consider me very powerful." Yes, it sounds like a stupid idea, and it is. But I prefer to take risks. I really don't have much time to improve. I'll take every shortcut possible. I approach Grey, who finished attending to a girl. "Excuse me, what is the most difficult mission available?" "The most difficult one? Well... There's currently a mission to defeat the black demon that's in our village. No matter the rank, anyone can take the mission." A demon... Well, well... The main enemy appeared. "Black demon?" ...Black demon... Black... Black armor... Heat... Someone comes to mind. I don't know why, but I remembered the man in black armor. "Does he have black armor?" "Yes." There is no doubt, it's him. "But I just saw him. Why doesn't anyone try to defeat him?" "He's very powerful, no one dares." "Well, well... I see..." I stay thinking for a moment, I don't know how to fight, but I have to try to defeat him. Wait... I have great magical power... That means, if I use the flying spell, I can fly very fast. An idea crossed my mind. I can escape flying if the demon manages to hurt me. It's not a great idea, but I have to try something. Fight and win. Fight and escape. Those are the two possible endings that this could have. I'm risking a lot, but I feel too confident inside. Yes, I think I know the reason... God. God is on my side. The black demon treated me well. Surely God manipulated the situation and sent me this trial to show him how serious I am about this mission. This is one of his tests to confirm that I am willing to kill. Thank you for this, God. It will serve me not only to show you that I am capable of killing if necessary, but also to become famous and make money. "I'll take the mission. Thank you very much." She is surprised by my words. I guess she didn't expect that. Well, I didn't even expect this. Seriously, this could be the best or worst decision of my life. Why do I feel so confident? I don't know, but I'm sure everything will be fine. Something in me is telling me so, and I'll believe it. "Uh?! A-are you sure about your decision?!" "Yes." Grey takes a mission paper from the mission wall. The mission wall is full of papers containing mission information. There's also a board full... Wow, there are too many missions... Are there few adventurers? Being an adventurer seems like a good job, there are always missions available. "Give me your card." I suppose she needs it to fill out paperwork or something like that. I hand her the card and she writes some strange symbols on it with a pen. "Done." She hands me the card. Why did she do that...? Well, it doesn't matter, I'll ask her later. "Good luck." Yes, I need a lot of luck. Ah, I hope I'm not making a mistake with this. "Thank you." I leave the guild and see the black demon. Wow, I didn't have to look for him. Oh. I thought he was good. He doesn't seem like an evil demon. Was he acting like a good person? Well, whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I have to finish this and show God that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill the mission he gave me. "He seemed nice." I approach him. Daniel, you're about to get into big trouble. There's no turning back now. I know perfectly well, but I have to do it. God is on my side, I can do it. I just have to believe in myself. "Excuse me, sir, are you the black demon?" "Yes, I am. Why? Do you want my autograph?" I wanted it before, but not anymore. "And are you evil?" "Evil?" He starts to laugh devilishly and I feel some fear. He's definitely evil. Well, although that evil laugh seems very unnecessary. It must definitely be a test from God. "Of course I am! Why?! Are you trying to defeat me?!" "I-I guess I have to." The black demon takes out his black sword and everyone runs away from the place, scared. Is he that dangerous? I'm already regretting it, but unfortunately, there's no turning back now. "I accept your challenge!!" Well... It's time to give it my all. God trusts me, I won't let him down. I take a breath and sigh. "Well... Okay... Uh... How about we settle this outside the village?" I said, with a serious look. Don't show doubt or fear, Daniel. Don't be afraid. You can do it, Daniel... You can do it. "For me, there's no problem!" We start walking and I look around, people seem interested in our fight, because some are following us. Yes, I know. Why didn't I train first to make sure I can use my magic? Two reasons. The first: I am very confident... I don't know why, but I feel very confident... I know that's bad, but I can't help feeling confident. The second: I forgot... I literally forgot! I was planning to leave and train, but I made the mistake of challenging him first... There's no turning back now. I've seen many isekai anime, the first enemies are always the easiest to defeat. If I'm correct, I just have to say the spell to use it, so I'm sure I can take him on, I have a good feeling about this. I have God on my side. It's unfair, but oh well, life isn't fair. ... Life isn't fair... Yes, I know. It's not fair at all. • • Daniel feels too much confidence because he thinks that demon is a test from God, but the reality is completely different. "What are you doing?! You didn't even train! You're supposed to be smart, Daniel! You've done something stupid!" God was watching Daniel... And he couldn't help him... Yes, Daniel is an idiot. Daniel is a smart kid academically, but he's quite naive and doesn't think things through clearly. "Daniel... Ah... Why did the supreme God force me to choose you? This boy turned out to be an idiot. I hope the supreme God allows me to replace him." • • (Pov- Daniel.) I feel God's confidence on me. Don't worry, God, I won't disappoint you! I will overcome this test! I look at the people behind me, following us. So many adventurers who seem powerful... Hasn't anyone been able to defeat him? ... No, Daniel, don't be afraid. It's just a test from God. An extra help. You can do it, Daniel, have more confidence! ... More confidence... Yes... I need to have more confidence in myself. I can do it... I can do it. "Hehe. Nervous, kid?" "To be honest, yes, demon sir. Any advice for a rookie like me?" "...You're not lying... Are you really a rookie?" "I've fought a few times in the past, but this is on another level. It's the first time I've had such a dangerous fight." "Hahahahahaha! I see, I see. I'll be your first time, huh?" "Ew. Sorry for my reaction, but that sounded gross." "Don't worry. All that nervousness will soon disappear." "Thank you very much." "Because I'll kill you!" "... Oh... Wow... Thanks?" That was a really weird conversation. We leave the village and I move quite far away from the black demon. Well... I think this distance will be enough. I feel like a cowboy facing another in a duel. Well, it's almost the same. In both situations, one of them ends up dead. "Are you ready to die?!" He said confidently. "... Ready to die?" Am I ready? Yes, I was. I was about to commit suicide... But now I have a very important mission. I must not die... I won't disappoint God. I am mentally prepared to die at any time, but that doesn't mean I will die so easily. "I was just a moment ago..." I see many adventurers watching us. There are about 200 adventurers, although I suppose there are also normal people among them. I can't fail... I won't let God down. "But, for now, I don't plan on dying. Dex Sword!" I feel a tingle in my fingers and white, shiny powder comes out of my hands... My magic. The powder quickly takes the form of... a sword. A sword appeared in my hands. The sword is white, shiny, and with a black hilt. Simple design, but that doesn't mean it's not powerful. It's a weapon made by God, perfect for killing demons. Now for the next spell. "Muslar Asio!" ... Wow... This tingle all over my body... I feel... incredible. I feel my strength increase and take a deep breath. Daniel, this is incredibly unfair, but amazing! Not only do I feel stronger, I feel lighter. This tingling sensation doesn't go away, but I suppose it will remain as long as I use the spell. Magic is... simply amazing. "I feel my strength increase... Great!" "Hehe. You're one of the few who dare to challenge me, you have my respect!" said the demon. Mmm... He's not taking me seriously, I can feel it. I don't feel really in danger. It seems that the black demon is confident, he keeps laughing... I have a plan. A simple plan, but it will work, I'm sure. I run towards him and the demon keeps laughing. "Hahahahahaha! Die!" The black demon tries to hit me with his sword, but... I can see his attack in slow motion and manage to dodge his attack. My new strength allowed me to push myself away from his attack with my feet. Incredible... Magic is incredible. The spell allowed me to see his attack in slow motion... Too unfair, but I don't care! His sword touched the ground. I have the advantage. I look up and smile. I'm underneath him. The angle is perfect. The plan worked. Now, don't hesitate and attack, Daniel! "I'm sorry!" I shouted, as I'm about to take someone's life. I'm so sorry, but God depends on me. Without hesitation, I attack the black demon with my sword and split it in half... Y-yes, my sword definitely split it in half, I saw and felt it. I split it in half effortlessly! My sword is very powerful... Great! God, thank you for giving me so much advantage! I quickly move away from him... I can't believe it worked. I won... I definitely won... I did it! "I did it!" Now I have to go for my reward! I hope it's enough to buy a lot of food. "Fufu. Not bad, not bad." Huh? I-impossible, I felt like I split it. I turn around and see that he's still standing... He's not dead?! B-but I split it in half! Did he regenerate?! "Hahahahaha! You give me...!" ... Huh? "What?" "Is he... dead?" "Did he defeat it?" Not only am I confused, but so are the adventurers. Didn't the demon notice the cut? The top half of his body falls to the ground and black blood comes out of him. The black demon is... dead. I'm a little scared, I've killed someone, but since it was a demon, I'm calm. I have to bear it... It was him or me... I had no other choice. I'm a killer, but I have to do it. God depends on me... I can't hesitate... I can't feel guilty... Don't think about it, Daniel... Don't think about it. "Well, well... so soon?" "H-he did it... He did it!!" Everyone cheers excitedly. Wow, I feel like a singer at a concert, as everyone stares at me while celebrating. "He defeated the black demon so quickly?!!" ... Yes, it's true, it was too fast. I look at the body, confused... That was a bit disappointing... Oh well, it was expected. He didn't attack me with all his strength... Being a coward has its advantages. He thought I was weak and he trusted me too much. "Are all demons this weak? I thought they would have the power of regeneration." Well... I'm done. Now I'll return to the guild for my reward. Will I be promoted? I think I'm a rank E or F. Will I be promoted to rank D? I'll find out soon. I enter the village and everyone treats me like a hero... It's a bit embarrassing, but I like it. I achieved my goal: to be famous. Now my next goal is to find someone to teach me new spells. I wonder if there's a school around here. I could ask a teacher if they could teach me spells. Just knowing the name of the spell and what it's for will allow me to use it. It's too unfair, but I think it's necessary, because my enemies will be much more powerful than me. "Well, well... it feels good," I said, filled with shame but also happy. ... Oh... I feel weird. The sword disappears and I feel my strength fade away. I don't feel any tingling anymore. "Uh...? I suppose the spells disappear when I feel like I no longer need them." I did it... My first day in this world is going great... My first mission was successfully completed! I have to celebrate! ...Wow... Two hours ago, my heart was full of sadness and I wanted to die, but now I feel so full of happiness... Thank you for this new life, God. Thank you so much. I will enjoy my new life as much as possible. Thank you for everything. Grandma, your grandson is happy again... But I still miss you. It will take me time to get over your death... Oh, better not think about that. "Hero sir, why don't you celebrate your victory with us?" Uh? I turned to my right... Uwaaaah! Are those women showing me their naked breasts?! Is that a brothel?! Prostitutes?! No, no, no! Daniel, don't look, your grandma would be mad at you if you see them! I covered my eyes. "I'm not interested!! G-Goodbye!!" I ran away as fast as I could. How indecent! Why would they offer their services to a minor like me?! I'll report them...! Although I don't know what age is considered legal in this world. Ahhhhhhhh! Prostitution is legal! It's a monarchy! Slaves! Ahhhhhhhh! Surely many slave women are forced to be prostitutes! This world is disgusting! I'll completely avoid contact with brothels! Ah... I think I'll die a virgin... And I don't care! I don't trust women, so I don't think I'll fall in love again. And I won't have sex without feeling love. Besides, my grandma told me that sex is only had after marriage. I'll die a virgin, but at least I won't disappoint my grandma... Uwaaaah! I ran into something and fell to the ground. Why did I keep running with my eyes closed?! I'm an idiot! I opened my eyes... Ah, I ran into a wall of the guild. Well, that hurt, but at least I didn't hurt a person. After dusting myself off, I enter the guild and head to Grey. I wonder if I'll have enough to buy new clothes and armor. I need new clothes. In fact, I'm a vagabond in this world, what I'm wearing is the only thing that accompanies me. I also stink, or so I thought. I haven't bathed in days, but I think God cleaned me when he gave me the new clothes. The dirt stains are gone. "All right, I defeated him. Now what do I do? Should I fill out a document or something like that?" "Uh...? You defeated the Black Demon?! Show me your card!" My card? I suppose she needs it to confirm my identity as an adventurer or something. She just gave it to me, but I think she's just going through the motions of her job. I take out my card and show it to her. Grey's face is hilarious - her mouth is open wide and her eyes are wide open. "W-well, well... You really did defeat it!!!" All the adventurers there are amazed. How do I know? Because they started talking about me. It's uncomfortable, but I was mentally prepared for this situation. Just because my legs are shaking doesn't mean I'm nervous, okay? Ahhhhhhhh! Who am I trying to fool?! I'm very nervous! It's uncomfortable that they're talking about me! Better change the subject... Mmm... Oh, right. Why did she see my card? "How did you confirm what I said by seeing my card? How?" She shows me my card. "The numbers I wrote disappear until you finish a mission, die, or we remove them." Magical numbers, huh? That's weird. Well, this world is weird, so I have to get used to it. "Those symbols were numbers? How strange." She hands me back my card and I put it away. Well... Oh, everyone is still talking about me. I have to get used to this. Grandma, your grandson saved a village... Well, even though the demon was a test from God, so it doesn't have much value. "I'll give you the reward in a few minutes." "Thank you. I appreciate it." What will I buy with my first salary? Clothes, food... Mmm... I guess I also need to find a place where I can sleep. Oh, I have a lot to do. A few minutes pass and Grey returns with two bags of coins. Wow. Couldn't they give me a check or bills at least? How do I know they're coins? By the sound they make when I move them. "We already deducted the registration fee. It's 50,000 gold coins, minus 100 coins for registration." "... Oh... Well, well..." It's more money than I thought. I don't think gold is worth much in this world, but that doesn't mean it's little money. Great, it will be enough for lots of food and clothes! "I suppose it's a lot. Thank you." My stomach growls and I get nervous because it growled too loudly. I remembered that I haven't eaten in days. Alright, alright, tummy, you'll have food soon. Don't start eating yourself. "I haven't eaten in several days... Do they sell food here?" "Of course." "How much do the dishes cost?" "One gold coin." Gold really isn't worth much. Mmm... Let's say a dish costs... $5? No... Mmm... 10. Yes, $10, depending on the dish. ... Uwaaaah! 50x10 is equal to 500! 500,000 dollars for a single mission?! Oh, my heart, my poor heart! Did I really earn that much money?! Ahhhhhhhh! What will I do...?! No... I must not let money consume me. I'll donate it. I only need the basics to survive, I don't need that much. I wonder if there's an orphanage or poor place. "Could you bring me two plates of food?" "What kind of food?" Mmm... Well, I don't know the food of this world, so I'm fine with anything, as long as it's not human meat. "Whatever, please." I give her the two gold coins and sit at a table. Well... Wow... I never imagined I'd make so much money. But I won't let it get to my head. "Well, well... Great, it's a lot of money. Now I need to find companions who can teach me more spells." ... Oh, visitors. Two armored men approach me. "Hey, did you really defeat the black demon alone?" Come here, friends, I'll tell you the story of how the great Daniel defeated him. Oh, that sounded rude. Thank goodness I only thought it. "Yes, I..." Oh, my order. I'm sorry, but my food takes priority. I'm starving. A waitress comes with my food and hands it to me. The food is just meat... and it smells delicious! For a poor starving person like me, this is enough to cry with joy... but I must endure. It smells delicious! I can't stop salivating! Oh, my stomach hurts! Hold on a little longer, we're almost going to eat! "Thank you! I appreciate it!" I take a handful of gold coins from my bag and give them to her. "Here, as a tip." "Is this... for me?!" she says, astonished. To be honest, I don't know what to do with so much money. What could I do? Help others, financially speaking. "Yes, don't worry about it." "Thank you!" she says with a big smile, excited. It feels good to help others. The waitress leaves very happy, and I turn to look at the two men. "Yes, I did it alone." "Amazing! I heard he was just as powerful as 'the great Sandro.'" That name sounds so... strange. "The great Sandro?" I say, confused. Sounds like someone arrogant, lustful, and annoying. "He's the most powerful adventurer in the guild... well, he was until you arrived." ... ... ... Oh... Ah... I think he will hate me if he finds out about this. I hope I'm wrong and he turns out to be a nice person. "Well, well. I see... Where is he?" I would like to ask him if he could teach me spells. An adventurer as powerful as him must know hundreds of spells. "He's on a mission with his companions. I envy him, he's very conceited about his magical power, but the girls are crazy about him." ...Harem? Yes, I suspected it... He's a conceited and lustful person. Only lustful people would have a harem. "Well, well. I see... Do you want something to eat?" I think I could get more information out of them. "No, we already ate." "Okay." "So, you have all types of magic. That's amazing. I thought it was impossible for anyone to achieve that. How did you do it?" I stay silent for a few seconds, thinking about what to say... Mmm... I've got it! "Training." Both of them look confused... I think I messed up. "But you have to be born with the type of magical power, it's not developed through training." I look down... Shit, I should have known. It's better not to say anything else, I could ruin everything. "I'm sorry, it's a secret." "Are you noble?" "No, I'm not." "Well, your clothes make it seem like you are." "I'm not." There's no need to lie, I really am not. I have nothing to hide about that. I start eating, and I was about to enjoy my food very much, but some screams interrupt me. I'll enjoy my food, but that doesn't mean I'm not bothered by those screams. "The best adventurer in the guild has arrived! I defeated a demon that was tormenting a village!" ...Well, that introduction already made it clear who he is... For someone conceited, he's capable of defeating a demon... I shouldn't underestimate his abilities. I look at him. Sandro is a boy in his early 20s, with short, green hair and green eyes. He's very handsome and apparently very strong. He wears a green shirt and green pants. He really likes green. He has five very beautiful girls next to him. Are they his girlfriends? Considering that two of them are hugging his arm, they're definitely his girlfriends. Ugh. Harem. I hate it and it disgusts me. Harem is like allowed cheating. Gross. "Hey, was he here when the black demon was here?" I ask one of the men. "Yes, he fought him, but it resulted in a draw. That's why they say they were evenly matched in power." He managed to tie, huh? "Well, well. I see." Mmm... It disgusts me, I'll talk to him later when the disgust goes away. I keep eating and listen to him bragging about his victory. "With that fight, I'm ready to face the black demon again!" he says, confident. Oh, that smells like trouble. "Hey, don't you know yet? He just got defeated," says a man. Please don't tell him it was me. "He was defeated?!" he says, surprised. "Yep, by him." Ugh. Thanks for ruining my meal even more. The man points his index finger at me and I feel uncomfortable with the stares. I-I don't want any trouble, I just got out of one. "By that dwarf?" Huh? I'm not a dwarf, I'm 1.76 meters tall. And I'm still growing. He starts laughing, he doesn't believe the demon has really been defeated. Even I still can't believe it, but it really happened. "Is it a joke, right?!" "No, he defeated it in one blow." Ah, I want to enjoy my food. I ignore them and keep eating. I prefer to avoid unnecessary problems. "Do you guys know spells?" I asked the men. "About five." "I know about seven." There are thousands of spells... These are few... I guess it's hard for normal people to learn spells. God gave me a power that is too unfair. Thank you, God. "I guess it's not many... Do you know anyone who knows a lot of spells?" "Mmm... many spells...? Well, I only know Professor Sara." Oh, that's what I need. A teacher. Will she charge a lot? "Yes, Sara is popular because she knows hundreds of spells. From what I've heard, she has notebooks where she writes down the spells she knows." Wow, that information is very important to me. "Thanks to her knowledge, many adventurers become stronger. She writes down the names of the spells, how they work, tips for learning and controlling them, etc... She's an excellent researcher and teacher." She's perfect... I need to get her help. "Where is she? Where can I find her?" "She's one of the girls who accompanies Sandro." ... Is she part of his harem? Ah... I wanted to avoid getting involved indirectly or directly with him, at least for now. He points his index finger at a girl with white glasses, blue long hair, and very pretty. She wears a short red skirt and a red blouse. She looks intellectual. She looks young. I thought she would be an old lady or an older woman. "Thanks." I stand up and approach Sara... I hope she's kind and helps me. I'm willing to pay whatever it takes. "Excuse me, can I talk to you for a moment?" Sandro pulls Sara away from me and stands in front of me... I sense I'll have problems with him... Ah, I wanted to avoid this. Jealousy. "Are you trying to talk to me, dwarf?!" ... Wasn't it obvious that I wanted to talk to Sara? "No, with her," I said, pointing my index finger at Sara. She looks at me too much in the eyes, quite confused about it. Yes, I know it's weird that someone you don't know wants to talk to you. Don't worry, I have no ulterior motives. "Do you dare to ignore me?!" ... Is he angry? It's annoying... He's the typical arrogant and annoying character... Ah, I really wanted to avoid problems with him. "Can you please be quiet? I don't want to have problems." My words make him even angrier... He's too angry. Ah, yes, I admit that I got a little desperate and was somewhat rude. It was my fault, I admit it. "Are you shutting me up?!" He said angrily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude with..." "Silence!!" Sandro pulls out his sword and looks at me with fury... Shit. Does he really want to kill me?! Is he exaggerating?! "I can't tolerate that!" Shit, I have to defend myself! "Muslar asio!" I feel my strength increase, and Sandro tries to attack me with his sword. I duck and dodge his attack thanks to being able to see his attack in slow motion. I take advantage of my position and give him a big punch in the stomach with my right fist. "Ah-ah-ahhh!" he said, complaining of the pain. He's complaining about the pain... Too much... Damn it, I didn't measure my strength correctly. I knocked the wind out of him with my punch... He even vomited blood... I'm sorry, but it was his fault. I was just defending myself. It was either that or die. I'm sorry. Sandro falls to the ground unconscious and the girls scream in fear. I'm sorry for hurting her boyfriend, but he brought it on himself. I prefer to solve problems through dialogue, but he attacked me to kill me. I had no other choice. "Sandro!" "How annoying," I said, as I observe Sandro. Sara looks at me surprised and I turn to look at her. At least that expression is not one of fear. I hope she will help me. "Can I talk to you?" "S-sure," she said, surprised and nervous. From her tone of voice and expression, I can tell she's amazed... If she considers me stronger than Sandro, I may be able to convince her to help me quickly.

melomarl Important: This story is now exclusive to Wattpad under their creative program in this link. Any copy outside of Wattpad is illegal, please help this writer by informing me if you see one. Thank you!       "Do you want to know a secret?" A sultry voice echoed in the darkness. The lady in the midst of the dark didn't respond as she just sat there like a lifeless porcelain doll. This dream had been recurring since she was a child. Every time she fell asleep, she would be led here. Sometimes, she would remember but most of the time, she'd forget as soon as she woke up. "I have raised you and this is how you show gratitude?" The voice came again. The lady lifted her head. She couldn't find the strength to speak. There was an unknown force pressing down her chest. "Nevermind, I still wish to share the secret anyway. When you wake up, remember that someone finally looked at you and heard your prayer. Consider this as my good luck gift..." She couldn't answer. --- "It's not that his Majesty abandoned us." Yin Hua Lei stared at her father in horror. What does he mean? Those eyes, she couldn't bear looking at them. They're supposed to be mad at her. Hate her! Abandon her! But why? Why was there still fondness in his eyes? "It's us that will never abandon you. So hold your head up. We are the Yin! This is our legacy!" Yin Fangqi said in a dignified tone. It was raining but that didn't stop the work of the executioner. With the audience taking shelter at the nearby establishments, the execution will continue. A shrill voice came to read the decree. "Hear ye! The Duke Yin clan committed the highest crime in the lands! All pieces of evidence convict the Duke of treason, colluding with the Third Prince and the Empress, rebelling against the throne and using her daughter to poison his Majesty. Today, the Duke of Yin shall be executed. The Yin clan shall cease to have their Ducal crest and shall be exiled from the capital. Honor the decree!" The eunuch's announcement was almost drowned by the endless pounding of rain. But every word pummelled down Yin Hua Lei's heart. 'IT WAS ME! IT WAS ALL ME! WHY ARE THEY GETTING PUNISHED?!' She wanted to shout but couldn't find her voice. How come her family was dragged down with her? She went limp when the gong was struck. She couldn't stop it. Her father, dressed in white prisoner hemp clothes, was being led to the platform. He looked at her one last time and she recalled his words. Before her very eyes, the blade struck down. Her voice came out like a ghost's hellish screams, to the point she spat out blood multiple times.  The sin was all committed by her. Why would her father die because of her? The Emperor didn't abandon us. Staring at her father's lifeless body on the platform, she realized what he meant. It was her family who turned their backs on the Emperor because of her! They sacrificed so she wouldn't die. The people looking at the platform watched the crazed woman shouting 'No' repeatedly. Why did she act like a victim? She was the one who started this all. When her evil deeds were found out, she still had a heart to wail like a banshee? Yin Hua Lei needed to be held down by three men. Her hands were bound by a chain but she was still able to fight. The crowd drew gasps of terror as the former Imperial Daughter Gao Le took down one of the men. She twisted the chains around his neck and there was a resounding snap. "Bai Chen Rong, you'll pay for this debt!" She shouted out without fear of her lungs bursting out. But a palace guard struck his sword at her leg amidst the chaos. Imperial Daughter Gao Le's movements became sluggish. Crimson liquid stained her clothes. Under the rain, a couple took their steps towards the platform. They needed to make sure Yin Hua Lei was dead. From beneath the parasol, a voice came like chiming bells. "This is justice! It's only natural that you pay for all the sins you committed. Being the villainess of the nation of Xia, this is your punishment." Lady Yin's eyes were dimming but when she heard her enemy say this, she didn't want to give up. Villainess? Yes, she was. She admitted that she was the villainess to their good love story. A villainess to her own family and to the person she had sworn loyalty since childhood. But why did her family suffer with her? Right now, her mother, aunt, sister-in-law, little cousin, and nephew were probably in the Royal Shelter. They would live the rest of their lives as commoners. Not even given the chance to grieve for the pillar of their house. It was her sin. She was the villainess. The retribution should be on her and not on them. Without strength, she also lost the will to fight. She was brought back to her prison cell. It was said that she would be exiled along with the rest of her family tomorrow. Her father sacrificed himself for her. However, could Bai Chen Rong really let her go? The answer was obvious when a palace maid delivered a sandalwood box filled to the brim with rich food. Yin Hua Lei opened the drawer at the bottom. The cup with a sweet blue liquid revealed itself. She closed her eyes only to see the image of that man carefully holding Bai Chen Rong. It was all for naught. The only dream she ever had was to be by that person's side. To be his. To give everything to him. In the end, his eyes were still focused on that woman. Not sparing her a mere glance. However, she, Yin Hua Lei, was the hidden power he never thought he had. Without her, who was the ninth prince? But he never knew. Maybe, this was better. A sad imperceptible curve graced Yin Hua Lei's lips. With her gone, Ninth Prince, Xia Yu Heng will suffer! Gulp! It was as though flames poured down her throat all the way to her stomach and started eating her insides. After suffering for a good while, darkness claimed her. And she welcomed the beckoning of hell. --- So... this is my fate?   melomarl Hello, I'm Marl! Some might have prolly seen this story in wattpad and webnovel but I decided to rewrite it all. This story is very special bcoz it's the first story I finished. Now, I want to fix loopholes and plot problems so I'm here. Hoping to hear from y'guys~

  My englisch is not the best so please have mercy :Y   World Jumper   ..... How does it feel to have fun in life, to feel that feeling of looking forward to the next day. To think about your future or to get up in the morning with a smile. I'm 17 years old now and I still don't know what I want to be, pathetic right? I live a lonely life without friends or any plans for the future...all I want is to never have to worry about all that again. I want to live a life where I don't have to make anyone proud. I want to live a life where I can do what I want and not have to conform to our society. What is so bad about living your life alone? Yeah, I don't have any friends or a girlfriend, what's so bad about that? What is more satisfying than living your life alone, without having to pay attention to the feelings of others and having no one to pull you down. You have yourself and only yourself to take care of and no one else.   BIEP BIEP BIEP BIEP...   Click   Well, this way of thinking would have been senseless in the past, because it was seen as normal to have friends and to be socially integrated. But this all changed when people made contact with people from another world. It was a day that changed humanity forever....   One day, out of nowhere, a portal appeared in downtown Tokyo from which people emerged. But they were not ordinary people who came out of the portal, among them were elves with pointed ears. People with horns who were ogres, and people with long blue and white robes who turned out to be mages. These people told us that they came from another world and that the time had come for the earthlings. They said that they had been watching us for a long time to find out who was worthy. Of course, we humans reacted as expected with confusion and no one knew quite what these things were and what they were saying. But out of nowhere an elderly man with a long white beard stretched out his hand and from nowhere a holographic image with thousands of pictures of people and young children appeared. The Old Man explained that their world and ours was in danger from demons and that the Earthlings were the key to success.    wh-what do you mean?! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!?! who are you anyway?!?!?!?!?!'' shouted one of the policemen, pointing his gun at the man.   It is as I said, our world and yours is in danger of extinction by the demon army. You humans are the key to success, because with our help you will be able to become World Jumpers. ''   wo-world jumper. '' a woman asked the man questioningly.   That's right, there are certain people who have a gift, a gift that allows them to go through so-called world portals and access such worlds. These are worlds that you can only enter through one of these portals and in these worlds there are world iteams. We will need these world iteams if one day the demons start their attack. And should that day come we will need every jumper.... ''   That was the conversation that changed our lives forever, since that day a new profession was born that everyone could now learn. The profession of the World Jumper, jumping through different worlds, experiencing adventures and fighting monsters. Of course, this does not sound very good and well it' s not. The problem with the whole thing is that while anyone can become a World Jumper, not everyone should become one. Not everyone is suitable to become one, we had to find that out when we sent the first generation of World Jumpers through the portals into the worlds. First days, then weeks and finally months passed without any sign of life from them. After 2 months, one of the World Jumpers finally made it back alive, but instead of being happy about it, he told us about the things he had seen. He was in a world without food or drinkable water, it was a gloomy and depressive world. On the first day, the man felt nothing, everything seemed normal, but after 1 week of lonely walking, the man felt like he had less and less desire to continue. It was almost as if he had lost any sense behind it to continue and to live on. After 2 weeks, the man turned around without success. But by then it was already too late, because at that moment he no longer felt anything. No joy, fear, anger, hope, sadness he felt...nothing. At that moment he considered taking his own life, but what separated him from the other World Jumpers was the fact that he had a wife and a kid.    The desire to hold his child in his arms again finally drove the man until he made it back. But after this incident, there was a debate about whether anyone could become a World Jumper. And although a large majority was in favor of making only specially trained people World Jumpers, we remembered the old man's words. And so nothing changed, but a rule was not necessary, because after the man came back, and the people who wanted to become world jumpers saw him, they changed their minds again. Thus, less and less people wanted to become world jumpers, the old man was of course not very happy about it and begged us humans to take the risk for the future of our world.    We know the dangers of becoming a World Jumper, but this is our only chance to win against the demons. We need these World iteams to- ''   You say that so easily, we sent 50 men and women through the portal, and only 1 broken man came back. And now we are supposed to put our kids through this too? Asked the spokesman the old man    The reason why children should also be made World Jumpers is because they can withstand the pressure and atmosphere of these worlds better than adults. After we found this out, we always sent out groups of children and teenagers and found that the chance of success increased from 30% to 95%. I know that it is not easy to put one's own flesh and blood at risk, but we were willing to make the sacrifice, and now we are asking the same from humans. '' said the old man, bowing to the reporters and the government members. '''   Roku wake up    But that day changed not only the lives of all humanity, but also mine.    Rokuuu   Wandering alone through a strange world, experiencing adventures and fighting monsters - what more could you want? Since the profession of the World Jumper exists, I knew exactly what I wanted to become. But not only I think so, many children my age dream of becoming World Jumpers. If you succeeded in returning from one of these worlds, you would be celebrated as a hero. And of course, since everyone wants to be a hero and famous, everyone my age wants to become one.   ROKU!   ,, OKAY, I HEARD YOU ALREADY. ''   I shouted after the female voice that belonged to my mother.    I was still in bed, silently staring at my ceiling like every morning before I got out of bed and got ready for school. I got out of bed, went to my locker and put on my uniform. After that I turned around and left my room and made my way to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth splashed water on my face and made my way down to the kitchen.   Sigh there you are finally, why can't you get up on your own for once....   ,, If I got up on my own every day, I would never be going to school again. '' I said to her   Yes, yes now go to the kitchen and eat your breakfast before you are late for school.    Doing my daily talk about getting up I went to the kitchen and already saw the breakfast. I sat down at the table and started eating, turning on the TV.   Once again today, a new generation of World Jumpers will be selected...   ...Roku you-  ,, om, you know that I have already decided, I will become a World Jumper. ''  Roku please reconsider, you know how dangerous it is. Why do you have to become one, there are other children who are willing to do it for you.   ,, ... ''  ,, Say mom, what do you think will happen if everyone thinks like you? If everyone just says that there will be others who will do it for them. In a few years we won't have World Jumpers anymore and if that happens that's it for humanity. ''  Roku I told you that I would always stand behind your decisions and I still do. But to knowingly agree that you become a World Jumper and possibly die... I refuse to do that.  As my mother said this I finished my breakfast, I got up and went to her.   ,, I appreciate that mom, but you don't have to worry about me, I'm not that little boy anymore that you had to protect. '' I said to her before stroking her head.    Sniff, sniff why do you always have to be so damn stubborn my mother said and took my hand off her head.   And now you should get ready to go to school or have you forgotten what day it is?   ,, Of course I haven't, I just finished my breakfast, I'll get my backpack and I'll be on my way. ''   Shortly after I picked up my backpack and left the house, turning around I saw my mother waving at me with a smile. It was a sunny day not too hot not too cold the perfect weather for that day. Because today is the last day of my boring life as a high school student, today I will finally become a World Jumper. As I said before, basically anyone can become a World Jumper, but there are certain people who are born to become one. These people are called Jump Aces, they are born to become World Jumpers and are born talented fighters. This is because Jump Aces were all strong fighters in their past lives and are able to draw upon that.    For example, if one of them was a good swordsman in his past life, the Jump Ace can fall back on that and can automatically handle his sword just as well. And as luck would have it, I am in a special class, because 24 of the 25 children are Jump Aces. Normally it is rare that there is even 1 Jump Ace in a class.   .... and yes 24 because as fate would have it I am the only one who is not one....   After talking to myself I arrived at my school, I went inside, changed my shoes and headed to my classroom.       Hey, have you decided yet?    Yes of course I will be a World Jumper replied the boy    Haha of course you are a Jump ace after all said a boy       Upstairs I saw some of my classmates next to the classroom door. They were talking about World Jumpers like everyone else in my class and of course they are going to become World Jumpers. I mean, you're all jump aces, so of course you're the best of the best, the elites among the elites.   ... yes that is jealousy what you read out there....   I paid no attention to the group and went to my classroom I walked to my seat, where I was greeted by our class president   Good morning Roku said Karin with a smile.    This is our class president Karin, the angel of the school as many call her, and one of the few who speaks to me from time to time.   ,, Good morning class president. ''   Roku how many times have I told you not to call me that? but that aside mhhhh how should I say this optimally.   Sigh, and just like my mother, she's trying to dissuade me from becoming a world jumper.   Haha just tell it like it is class president-chan our roku here should just leave the world jumping to us professionals suddenly said a boy putting his arm around the class president.   Ahh STOP THAT yelled Karin and pushed Raito away    As shy as ever, but you know I'm right he should stop feeling like a hero, look we know exactly what will happen to him if he becomes one. After all, he's the only one of us who isn't a jump ace, don't forget our class is the future of our world just being in the same class with such a freak disgusts me. Said Raito, looking at me with a deprecating look.    RAITO STOP IT YOU-    Ding dong ding dong    Before Karin could finish her sentence the school bell rang and our class teacher entered the room.    OK please take your seats, so as you all know today is your last day of school, hopefully you have all made your decision. Those of you who do NOT want to become a World Jumper, please raise your hand now.      ....      .....      ......       That's what I thought, now follow me said Mr. iko after he saw that none of us raised our hand. We got up and left the classroom and went to the back of the school where to my surprise there was a crowd of people. These appeared to be our parents, some government officials, and also this old man. Next to him were 6 other people and as I looked at them I saw a girl who was much smaller than the rest. Based on her size, I would guess she was a middle school student, but that was not what caught my eye. When I saw her I could see and somehow feel her staring at me with a questionable look.   ROKU HERE ROKU    ,, ....this voice...'' I said after I looked to the right and saw my mother acting like a little child.   Shortly after that we all lined up and I saw the old man approaching us.    So I see you have made up your minds, first of all I would like to thank you all for voluntarily risking your lives for us. Now it's time for you to become real World Jumpers, and since you are all Jumper aces, you will all get your own individual weapons. Said the man, after which the 6 people standing behind him approached us. To get your individual weapon you need to be a Jump ace and a mage after that you just have to close your eyes and kneel down in front of him. So the 6 started and one by one they received their weapons, for some it was a sword, a bow, an axe and....   THIS-THAT-IS suddenly one of the mages shouted when he was beside Karin.   Uhh is something Karin questioningly asked the old mage who was walking to Karin    Mhhhh OHH it looks like you are able to use magic little one, that's really rare. Not only are you a jump ace but you can also use magic not often there exist someone like you even in our world said the old man.    THAT'S MY GIRL Karin's father suddenly shouted from the crowd.    ,, So there really are people who can be so lucky. ''  I said to myself before this little girl from before stood in front of me.   Ok all of you who have already received a weapon please form teams how many are in a team doesn't matter at all said one of the mages.   ,, .... ''    Mhh what are you waiting for? The girl asked me   ,, I'm not a Jump ace so I can't receive individual weapons. '' I said to her   Sigh HEY OLD MAN COME HERE the girl shouted, before the old man made his way to us.   ...you know I have a name too, right Ruri?    That's not important now, what should we do with this one Ruri asked the man   Mhh what do you mean- oh you must be the boy who unfortunately is not a Jump ace, no worries come follow me said the man. I followed him before we both stood in front of a table with various weapons.   You can choose one of the weapons here, as soon as you are done, please come to the others said the man.   ,, Well, I should probably take the one that is the easiest. '' I said and took the sword    OK once you are in your groups please get ready, since this is your first time you will all be sent to the same world. But you will all end up in different places, however, with a little luck, you can find your other classmates and team up.    I have made up my mind. I said to the old man   Oh great then- wait you're not in a team yet, are you? The man asked me   ,, No. ''    Mhh would one of you please take this boy here still into one' s team asked the man my classmate  ...   ....   ....   ,, Well, it was to be expected that none of them would voluntarily have someone like me in their team. '' I said to myself   ...   A-so you are welcomed to join us Roku suddenly said Karin but her look was the same as the others...please don't join us.   ,, I'll go alone....''    ...  But you can't do that, said one of the mages questioningly.    ,, Why, as far as I know, there is no rule that forbids you to go alone. '' I replied   That-that's true but still that's-.   HAHAHA WHAT A BOY let him go alone suddenly a male voice shouted.    As I turned around, I saw that it was the ogre who appeared for the first time in our world, together with the Old Mage.   But tell me, little one, are you sure you want to do this? In this world you will be all alone surrounded by a wasteland and this oppressive atmosphere. You could kill yourself in the worst case, or worse, go insane all by yourself," said the man with a wide grin.   ,, .... '' But I just looked at him with a look that said... and?    HAHAHA HE HAS MY PERMISSION LET HIM GO IF HE WANTS After he said that he turned around and went back to his place.   So this is the last time you will see your family for a long time, if you wanted to say goodbye to them, do it now said the Old Mage. Shortly after that we all went to our families.  ROKU WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT THAT ALL ALONE my mother said in panic.   ,, Mom, have you already forgotten what I told you this morning, I am no longer the little boy you have to protect, don't worry I will be fine. '' I said to her with a small grin.   After that we all went back to the old mage who then opened the portal together with the other 6 mages. Well we wish you all success and now go JUMPER said the Old Mage and we all approached the portal.   It was a blue circle that looked like a tornado from inside and one by one we went through it.  So now is the time    Finally I can do what I always wanted to do    Finally I am a World Jumper said and also went through the portal..... 

The darkness in the sky showed me that I had to do something now, not stand still. I got up and went back inside the castle, most things had been burned by magic, which so far impresses me with so much power, who would use all that power against my family, and why? The main hall had only traces of what had once been there, some bodies could be seen, of enemies as well as my allies. Upstairs, my bedroom door was still there, open. Upon entering, it was possible to see the ashes that covered almost everything, but it was still possible to see, on top of the bed, the small dagger that my father had given me for my birthday. I picked it up and tucked it into my belt, which had a specially designed part for it. I needed gold, I couldn't survive long without money, but I didn't know where to find it. A few coins I'd saved were in a drawer, but they weren't nearly enough. I headed towards my parents' room, staring at the walls and the blood that covered them. Upon arriving at my destination, it was possible to see the room completely messed up, someone had passed through there before me. "I wonder if anyone is still in here?" I hadn't thought of that possibility. "I have to be more careful." I said to myself and went back to close the door. Some of my father's weapons were propped against a corner of the wall, swords, daggers, and also some assassin's cloaks, which didn't fit me as my father was a much taller man than I was now. On my back several drawers could be seen, and most of them were open. There was a bag on a small table in the corner, and inside it were several gold coins. This made me even more thoughtful. "They found this gold and they still didn't take it? What's the point of what they did?" Things got weirder and weirder. I decided to think about it later. I took the bag and went towards the short sword leaning against the wall, which I thought was useful to carry on an adventure. When I picked it up, I saw, next to it, several books, I already saw my father reading them, but what caught my attention was some letters next to them. Several were about assassination and robbery missions sent out, but one in particular caught my eye. "I believe that, unfortunately, I will have to refuse such a proposal. Don't get us wrong, much less imagine that we have something against you, we just don't want to get involved with such an issue. I hope you solve it in your own way." Crow, 07/01 " "Crow, that's how my father referred to himself to people outside the guild, he had already told me one day. The letter was going to be sent yet, the sender's name is not specified in the letter, nor the location."Several things were going through my head, trying to figure out what mission that would be and who sent it. I had never seen my father turn down an offer before."One of the assassins is sent to deliver the letters himself, my father was always careful about that."This was a big problem for me now, a name or a location would help me a lot. Without that, I didn't have much to do, but I kept the paper anyway. Shortsword in hand, I left the room. No sound could be heard, just my own footsteps and the many crows that were around. They were always there, I don't know why, but they were always there, lurking. 'They would be able to tell me everything that happened, maybe.' That thought crossed my mind. I walked around the castle some more and found nothing else, I would probably find more gold and equipment if I searched everywhere, but seeing the bodies of my dead companions on the ground was making me go crazy. I had found my mother's body by going down the hall to her room. I took him outside, and back into the great hall, dragging my father's body to where my mother's lay. I started digging two graves with a shovel that I found leaning against the walls. "It's the least I can do since I haven't done anything for you two." A rain began to fall, hiding my tears. "Are you saving me yet another embarrassment?" I said looking up. After about an hour, the two were buried. I spent almost ten minutes looking at the graves, not saying a word.

I woke up. It was dark. I looked around and couldn’t see the lamp on my desk. This wasn’t my room. I looked around and thought it was a castle, based on the walls. I spotted a window and wanted to see where I was. I stared out the small window, and saw a crowd of people, standing near a camera. The sky was a blood red colour, which is unusual for a night.  There was one woman who was looking at the camera, smiling like a clown. She looked at me, and i hid away from her sight. My heart has never pounded this hard. It felt like my ribs would break any second. Her menacing and intimidating glare was enough to make my body act. I couldn't move. I tried to move my limbs, but they wouldn't. Her stare did something to me. I could feel the pressure all around me. I dragged myself up to the window and she was even closer, staring again. I hid again and felt blood rushing into my head. I picked up a sword from one of the metal knights, and i hid under the window again. When i looked again, she was right in my face. I screamed and woke up. I was in relief. I looked to the left of my bed, and saw my lamp. I thought if it was always there or not. Suddenly, there she was, standing on the other side of the bed. Her face up close was too scary. I tried to figure out how I could get her away from me, like a student trying to get the last exam answer before the timer ends, but it was no use. All I could do was lay down and watch her eyes stare into my soul.   End of Chapter 1.

Report 1 Written by A-445374: The Repeating Man   The Rain was pouring. A nameless middle-aged man monotonously carrying out his daily routine as a database manager. He was supposed to be a data analyst but during downtime, he took on a role as the only database manager.   Checking.   Debugging.   Fixing Data Errors.   Answering And Completing Support Tickets.   This was just supposed to be another normal day for him. He finished the day after checking the physical location of each server within the company area and walked back to the main office carrying his bag and an umbrella while listening to the peaceful pitter-patter of the rain.   His mind wandered aimlessly through various topics through his mind which finally ends up at what he planned for his future. He never had any love life and does not have any relationship with other gender he could recalled to being other than being acquaintance or just friends.   He tried to think on what he could do to solve this. This thought of his was cut short by a direct lightning strike, coursing millions of volts of energy through his body. Some people may survive it; however, he wasn’t so lucky compared to others.   ??? : Ah ??? : I have Died ??? : I can’t see anything   As his lifeless body fell to the ground.   ??? : Am I falling? ??? : It stopped? ??? : What do I do now? ??? : Is this what everyone will feel   His soul still can generally feel what is happening to his body, but it is not too accurate as his senses are severed from him.   He asked himself a ton of question while waiting for his own funeral.   ??? : Ah. Is it now my funeral? ??? : Did my parents get the insurance money yet? ??? : They should get it since its still within work hour when I died. ??? : I wondered how my siblings are doing with their studies.   He could still feel his body moved and buried after an unknown amount of time to him. He sometimes heard scream from time to time around him, but he pays no heed to it. His body felt cramped, but he paid no heed to it.   He was sometimes questioned about somethings, and it left immediately after it being answered. He sometime could feel when someone enters the cemetery and was greeted from time to time.   This kept repeating until the universe expanded faster than gravity which ripped the world apart.   His souls still kept running even when his body have already been ripped apart.   He kept on waiting and waiting.   ??? : How much longer do I need to wait? ??? : How long has it since the world ended. ??? : Who am I again? ??? : What am I again? ??? : What is that?   A simple plane with matte colour appeared into his view and approaching fast towards him. His body materialised along with many other.   ??? : How long have it been since I felt my own body. ??? : How many people are here? ??? : What are we here for? ??? : Where are they all going?   His mind tried to answer the question but more popped-up. He stopped thinking and began to follow them. He followed them for a long until he reached a place with two doors. His entire life was judged and all of it was recorded and written in a book. After that ended, he went on his way. He opened his book, and it played his entire life like a video. There were even some notes during when he was judged added. This should be surprising to him, but he no longer cared. However, he felt that something was off but don’t know exactly what. He continued on walking and sometimes read the book. He definitely feels that something was added to it. He was completely focused on trying to find what was wrong with the book. He repeated the process until he reached a thin line.   The line was perfectly thin that it is barely visible when seen head on. It is an almost perfect 2-dimensional object. He didn’t even notice the line and walked straight through while replaying the book over and over until he reached what most people would call heaven. But he still never noticed anything around him. He replayed it again and again. Again, and again. He repeated the action monotonously. Every hour was spent repeating and checking the book. He pays no heed to the pleasure given within this so-called heaven.   He checked and checked and checked and checked and checked and checked and checked and checked... checked.... checked and chec.... When,   ??? : I found it. Finally, all this time. A blank paper was in his hand ??? : Now, it all makes sense. He began to turn the book sporadically to various parts of his life and began writing on the paper. It was aimless at first but soon a pattern emerged. Once the pattern was completed. He attempted to fix it, treated it like a broken database which contains tons of bugs. After he finished, there was something eligible written on the paper.   DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE TO FIX IT?   YES / NO   ??? : What is this? ??? : I don’t know what I need to fix or what am I trying to fix. Since, I went this far might as well try to complete it.   And so, He agreed to it and his vision went blank again.

I searched for answers to my questions while resting on the side of a tree, thinking about all the things that went through my mind, but getting nowhere. Tiredness was consuming me, I hadn't really had any rest since all this happened, I wonder what I'm going to do now, which path to take and how to calm all the feelings that overflow through my heart. I keep moving forward because of the anger I feel, an incessant anger that seeks only one thing, revenge. This is the purest and most genuine human feeling, the one that consumes you without you realizing it, but am I going to let it happen or avoid it? I didn't know. It was right after my sixteenth birthday and my baptism of blood, my family's ritual for one of their own to officially become a assassin. The castle, small but cozy, still had all the members of the family there, as they had all given up missions last night to show their presence in the ancient ritual. My father, Jonarth, the master of the family, gave a great speech about me, his heir, and a small celebration was held. Everything happened suddenly, in one moment everything was fine and in the other a great magic circle had summoned a magic of a size that I had never seen before. When the magic was activated the castle was entirely on fire. My mother Yenia protected me, saying "Kyria, go and hide, survive and keep our family legacy, promise me." I nodded my head and she left me and went on, fighting and commanding the subordinates. I went down the stairs in search of the back door, even worried, I was willing to do what I promised and survive, maybe I should have stayed to help, I feel like a coward because of that. In the back hall the clanging of swords could be heard, several warriors were fighting each other, but my eyes could only see one of them, my father, fighting a knight who wore silver armor with some rubies attached to it, he looked at me, he smiled, and returned his focus to the battle. The back door was open and I walked towards it, before leaving my mind filled with thoughts. 'Where am I going', 'What do I do now?', 'Shouldn't I help?', and as I turned to see which way the battle was going, the fire in the silver-armored man's sword caught my attention, burning like the hellfire, nonstop, towards my father. I turned and ran away at that moment, I didn't have the courage to see what was going to happen. "Coward, that's what I am" Returning to the castle after the fire had died down, all I found was ashes and bodies, all dead except me, the useless one who fled. My father's body was lying on the floor, with a big wound in his stomach, with eyes open, he said: "Son, live in the shadows of what your family once was. Honor our name in darkness, survive and go your way" I couldn't say anything, and I think if I had said, he wouldn't have listened because soon after saying it he closed his eyes and found the eternal sleep. I walked out the door, aimlessly, this was the first time in my entire life that I had this feeling, I always knew I would be a assassin, just like my whole family was, but what now? what would i do alone? And here I am now. Who did this, I didn't know either, the man my father fought wore a helmet. And our enemies existed everywhere, we were murderers, many people didn't like us, of course it could be anyone. But something inside me wanted to find out, wanted to get revenge on them, to make them come to the same end as the ones I loved.

[Start scanning, ready to load the program ......] [Scan fault, error number: 0x00069s] [Retrieving the cause of the error.] These strange lines of text appeared in the darkness before Luo Huo's eyes. Before he could react, the darkness suddenly lit up again, and a green stream of data took overall sight. Among them appeared some weird red runes that stood out in the waterfall of numbers. Those runes were neither numbers nor any kind of words that Luo Huo knew. I don't know if it was an illusion. Those red runes seemed to be alive ...... like twisted worms. Suddenly! An urgent alert popped up in front of the dense waterfall of data flow! [Abnormal source code found! Anomalous source code found! [Abnormal source code found! Luo Huo didn't know what this was about, and his sanity gradually returned, as if he was awakening from a big dream. ''Wait! I think I was just dissecting naked rats with tumors planted in the school, right?!'' 'Could this be ......' ''That game?!'' Luo Huo instantly understood that he had won the lottery! This is a thriller game! Since half a year ago, a supernatural game called "Thriller Game" had appeared in the world! All over the world, people have been disappearing in full view of the public, and then, these missing people have appeared in a game world! The disappeared become players, inexplicably forced into one treacherous subworld after another. Players must use their strengths to struggle to survive. Get stronger and survive. Or go to hell! In the outside world, the Thriller Game app, mysteriously appearing on all information terminals, computers, mobile phones, everywhere, allows anyone to log in and watch online the thrilling videos, or live broadcasts, of these missing people in the game world. The arrival of supernatural forces and the actual recordings of deaths brought about by the thriller game have shrouded the world in a cloud of sorrow for a while, and although the probability of being selected is very low, it has still caused widespread panic ...... At the moment, Luo Huo is a bit nervous. As a sophomore medical dog, he was busy with his studies and had only occasionally watched a recording on the Thriller Games app. It was a team mission, a parallel world with an ancient setting. Hordes of golems and demons ate up almost everyone! Only two of the team of seven survived! After this experience, Luo Huo thought that since he was an ordinary medical student, he was unlucky enough to be chosen for this game, I was afraid that he was in a bad way. The "nervous and fearful" man couldn't help but laugh in his heart geigeigei when he thought of this. ...... The first thing you need to do is to get a good idea of what you are doing. His parents had been researchers of prehistoric civilizations during their lifetime, and had originally worked for years without progress, but were fortunate enough to discover the remains of an ancient civilization in the deep sea after they conceived him. An altar of white bones, countless twisted and hideous unnamable stone statues, and exotic writing that could not be deciphered. After giving birth to him, the two soon grew insane and died. Luo Huo, on the other hand, seemed unaffected and normal and healthy. A supernatural and special molding factor had long since contaminated him. In the outside world, this bizarre power was not evident and was mainly reflected in the fact that - he did not have the normal human emotion of fear. Fear, which excites him extraordinarily, and the fact that in a state of fear, his ability to think increases geometrically! And here it manifests itself in the form of "abnormal source code". ...... The stream of data washed over him for a long time, and the strange red runes, gradually shaped and hidden. It seems to have escaped the detection process. The stream disappeared and a few lines of text appeared. [Congratulations, you have been selected as an insider test player of the Thriller Game!] [User name: Luo Huo] [User Level: lv1] [Current experience: 0/100] Luo Huo saw that there were many unlit parts under his attributes, such as the equipment bar, item bar, etc., all of which were unlocked. [Entering newbie guide mission, please be prepared ......] [You will regain control of your body.] Luo Huo suddenly felt his body sink! That was when he felt the presence of his body! In his ears, an oozing voice so raspy that it was almost impossible to distinguish its gender, said. "Welcome to the Thriller Game ......" He knew that the game had begun! The quest bar opened before his eyes. [Newbie guide mission: Destroy the threat once and for all.] The quest appeared for a few seconds and then disappeared, Luo Huo pulled it up again with a thought, which felt quite magical. "It doesn't say clearly what the threat is, it looks like it's just to intentionally scare the players." Luo Huo muttered, "It must be something with a scary look." Compared to the vast majority of players who were entering the game for the first time, Luo Huo seemed very calm. Even too calm. He smelled the air, the faint smell of rust. "The smell of blood? Hmm ...... not surprising." Luo Huo groped around carefully for a while and found that the surrounding area was cramped, seemingly a small warehouse. He touched a switch, flipped it on, and the lights came on. A figure wearing a medical mask and a blue surgical gown snapped out of the full-length mirror directly in front of him! It was himself. He too, in full view of everyone, had suddenly disappeared and entered the game world intact, so he was also wearing the same surgical gown he had worn when dissecting the naked rat just now. Luo Huo scowled for a moment and then averted his eyes. The birthplace he found himself in was a warehouse with a lot of medical supplies piled up inside, from disposable gloves to medical equipment, with miscellaneous boxes piled up here and there, the writing on the boxes all in English. In front of it was a plain wooden door. "I've heard that scripted worlds are generated in a targeted manner, looking at the situation here, it seems to be targeting my identity as a medical dog ......" Luo Huo hesitated a little and thought for a moment. Then he directly twisted the handle and pushed the door out. Newbie guide mission, heavy on the guide, dangerous copy worlds are in the back, no need to dwell on it at the moment. Then, the moment the door was opened! A strong smell of blood stabbed into his nostrils! Luo Huo instantly tightened (Xing) (excited)! ..................

Anu steeled her nerves as she looked down at her blank phone, jumping up and down in place hoping that it would help. Just in front of her lies the massive grey walls of the City of Penubela, the City Stuck in Time. The grey walls looked like it belongs on a prison and not a city, but if one were to look up at the massive white buildings with blue windows, one would think they would be looking at the city of Heaven itself. A futuristic paradise that seems to always be sunny. However, both the walls and the skyscrapers were a façade. The wall was upgraded and used to keep others out and keep things in as well, and the buildings were just afterimages, pictures of what the city once was. The doors to both leave and enter this city was painted the exact same color as the walls, as to barely stand out. That way, it'd be harder for people to get into the city. And, if the painted doors weren't enough, the remote location of the doors might be, surrounded by a little forest one would find sprinkled around in a big park.  Both the wall and doors of this, well, wall, are heavily reinforced and not even monitored by cameras, but rather by almost every single satellite that can see it, insuring that if anyone tries to go through, over, under, or through the doors and wall of the city, they would be found out. Luckily, Anu has permission to be here and to enter the city. After a string of "You got this, Anu", she went ahead and took a step forward, nervously brushing her short yet vibrant brown, somewhat orangish hair. As she was about to take another step, a red light shone over her, causing her to let out an "Eep!" and freeze in place. Only after seeing the small hatch above the doors where the red light is coming from did she remember what to do. Reaching into her bag, she grabbed a rectangular device. As she was pulling it out, she felt the hum of the light grow louder, the light shining on her becoming warm. No doubt it is the AI of the wall getting ready to fire a laser if it thinks whatever Anu is pulling out is dangerous to it, the wall, and the doors. Luckily, for Anu, she was given something to help her through without waiting for the time it takes for the old AI to ask whatever base it is hooked up to and ask if Anu is supposed to enter or not.  Taking out what looks to be a radio made of scrap, she holds it out in front of her, hoping with all her might that it works and that the AI doesn't turn her to a black smudge on the dirt. She has her eyes closed, missing the light minimize on the device in her hand before expanding once more, scanning her up and down, before turning off with a click. A second later, Anu jumped up with a squeak when the sound of metal groaning and moving, almost like a massive cargo ship tipping over. Opening her eyes, she let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the massive doors moving to the side before going up. It seems, for now at least, that she gets to live.  However, her relief soon turned into dread upon seeing the blackness the doors revealed. She knows that, in terms of the monsters that lurk around the world, or Monseuteo, there are none in this city, or at least that is supposed to be the case. Even if there are some in the city, none should be in the tunnel to go into the city which is guarded by the AI.  'Remember your task. Get in, get the samples, destroy the lab, and get out. Simple and easy...well, it should be.' While there weren't Monseuteo in the city, the city does have its own twisted versions of them, though they are easier to handle since, in a sense, they are just zombies. Plus, they are located inside an isolated section of the city.  Well, the city still is far from being safe. St. Louis may have once been the city of crime, the new title belongs to this city. You can't walk around the city for two to even one hour without seeing a crime take place. And that's not even mentioning...Them. "Flashlight out," Anu said while taking out her flashlight. With a click it sparked to life, illuminating the darkness of the tunnel leading into the city, "You can do this." She hopes she's not wrong...         ....         Anu let out a big gasp, and instantly felt her cheeks go red. She had finally made it out of the tunnel, emerging from a seemingly quaint apartment-like building and out into the city by the wall. She was so glad to be out of the suffocating darkness, especially since her flashlight didn't seem to cut through the darkness as much as it did when she entered. Now that she's finally out of what felt like an hour walk, even though it was probably closer to twenty minutes, she couldn't help but start gasping for air. Of course, she did so in a busy street. Heads swiveled towards her within an instant, hence why her cheeks went red.  "Say, what's with the chick? She's gonna have bluh gushin' out of 'er," One man said, adjusting his dark blue suit and black flat cap.  No one else seemed to want to comment out loud, but she still heard them muttering things to each other before continuing on with their lives.  'Well...at least I'm in.' Anu thought, a weary smile on her face. She walked up to the end of the sidewalk and waited for the streetlights to turn red and allow her a chance to cross before the old modeled cars resumed their drive once more. It took a while but finally, it stopped. Adusting her light grey business suit, she took a step forward onto the street-   - and instantly jumped back when a car came speeding past. Anu let out another yelp and jumped back, landing on her bum. Ignoring the pain she felt, she narrowed her eyes as she realized that the car that went past was a modern one. A black and red two-seater sports car. It seems the breach was a bit worse than she thought.  'But I wonder why they were going so fast? Are they running from the police?' She didn't have to wait long at all for the answer. In fact, two seconds after she had the thought the answer came speeding after the sports car. A 1923 Duesenberg Model A Touring Car, black in color, came speeding down the same road, a man dressed in black and holding a tommy gun sticking out the passenger window while what looks to be a young girl is on top of the car, crouching down. In her left hand is a giant silver and dark gold colored double-sided axe. Her shining bright yellow eyes turned and stared at Anu as the car passed, the excited smile on her face growing when they locked eyes.  Then, she and the car she was on were gone. Anu stared at the street, stunned, and moved to get up when promptly a dozen or so other cars came speeding past, some black in colors while others were grey, which were the majority of the old sport cars, the sides shooting at each other. One of the grey cars sparked before getting caught on fire. To top it off, one of the black cars rammed into it, causing the grey car to hit the curb and fly into the air like some kind of action film. And of course, because she has horrible luck, the grey car was falling right on top of her. "Oh fuck me-" Anu cried as she covered her face with her arms.       ....     "Say, just how fast can one of those experimental new models run for do you reckon?" Jacob rubbed his nose before peeking out the window with his tommy gun. "No clue, but I don't think any of us know the onions to give an answer," He replied, clicking his tongue upon seeing the distance between them and the weird-looking, yet definitely fast sports car increase more and more.  Jacob adjusted the rear-view mirror to see the reflection of a young girl on the roof of the car. He stared at her for a few moments before cursing and taking out his revolver. He counted the bullets in it before closing it and leaning out the window. "Hey! Magical Insane Psycho!" He called out, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow out of amusement, "Take this. It's my lucky re-" He didn't get to finish when she squealed and snatched the gun from his hand. "Ooh hoo hoo haa!" She laughed as she examined the gun, studying it in the sunlight, "Do I get to blow off heads with this?" "Yeah yeah, ya psycho. Just don't break it or it's yer ass who won't be getting any juice for this week!" "It better be the good stuff!" She replied, giggling, "Now, Trevor Tennsin. Do ya remember the pickup plan?" "I do I do, so you better stick with it too, lassey," He cursed under his breath, swviling the car as he did so to avoid someone who was too slow to react to the speeding car heading their way before continuing, "Remember, the Don doesn't want any more slip-ups, Trace." She responded in her typical fashion, "Hi-Ho!" Stretching her arms, she rested the axe over her shoulders before jumping off the car, caving it in the process and earning herself a curse from Jacob which she did not hear.  Landing on the side of the office building, she started running almost as if she was running on the ground and, well, not on a horizontal surface. Each step she took flashed with a yellow light. Each step she increased in speed. In each step she got closer and closer to running faster than the speeding car she was just on... ....until she was.  Her figure became a golden blur as she ran on building after building, rapidly closing in on her target. Perhaps sensing the incoming danger, or maybe seeing the light show coming closer and closer to them through the rear-view mirror, a gruff-looking man wearing a black fuzzy coat stuck his head out of the window, saw her, and promptly headed right back in. "Ahh, Shit! Magical Girl!" He yelled before turning to the rather young driver, "Drive faster or we're toast!" "I am!" He yelled, his voice cracking, "But if I go too fast I'll lost control of the car and it'll crash!" "Kid, that might be a better solution than facing the monster that's closing in," He reached underneath him and pulled out a M-1903, "I'll buy us some time, so you better find a way to get us out of here.' The teen nodded once before putting all of his focus on the road ahead of him, as well as the buildings that are in front of him.  The Magical Girl's grin grew more as she closed the distance between her and her target. Soon, she'll be within pouncing range. Once she is, she'll get to end this the fun way instead of just summoning something in front of the car to block it. After all, one of the reasons she joined this gang was to have fun. Her grin lessened a little upon seeing a glint poke out of the car. She lowered her body and swung her axe in front of her, using it to block the bullet that came not a moment later. Using her ears, she heard the man put his gun away before doing something.  'Pulling out another gun?' Swinging her axe up and over her shoulder, her smile grew wider as she saw her guess was correct. He now had a M-1903 out.  'I expect shooting at me with a revolver was a trick move meant to catch me off-guard when you switched. Hmmm. Have you fought a Magical Girl before?' The thought was exciting to her. She herself only became a Magical Girl four years ago, and it was only four months ago that she realized the full extent of what she could do. As such, she is rather eager to see if she'll either die, get her ass whooped, be in for one Hell of a fight, or if she'll defeat the man without any issue.  Picking up speed, she avoided each bullet, her wild speed and movements making every attempt to lead a shot and predict her a failure. The man knew that the Magical Girl is about to pounce. Even from this distance he could see her muscles tensing up and her eyes scanning the street below, calculating. "Now or never, kid," He stated, bumping his shoulder while keeping his eyes trained on his target. The teen nodded and, after one last glance, turned sharply to the right and cut through a staircase and driving through round a fountain, skidding to a stop on another street before picking up speed and taking the nearest left to put as much distance between them and the Magical Girl as they can. To top it off, they are now driving on the right side of the road.  The Magical Girl was confused for a total of two seconds before she froze and, six seconds later, dove through the window of the building she was running across. Rolling to a stop, she got up and got ready to run when she stopped, stars filling her eyes as she looked around the small area of an office she found herself in. For some reason, she just felt like this place is just really nice.  Maybe it was the yellow walls, the small picture frames on the wall, or the assortment of colorful rugs and toys in the corner, or maybe it was just because the place felt nostalgic. Maybe, if she stayed here longer she can figure out the reason why- "Oh wait. My mission, right," And without a second hesitation, she jumps right through the window, landing right next to the fountain below, and landing just in time to see her target zoom around the corner. "Oh no ya don't!" She started tearing after them, moving faster and faster until, within a couple of seconds, she was already a couple of feet behind the car.  "Ahh, shit. You didn't really shake her kid!" He leaned out the window again, took aim, and fired at the Magical Girl. Much to his dismay, she moved an inch over to the left, avoiding the bullet. "Well, I'd like to see her try to-" The driver began, a big cocky grin on his face that went away instantly when he heard a thump on the roof of the car. "And she has just jumped on top of the car," The man said dryly.  "Do doo do doo doo, do doo do do," Singing can be quite fun, especially when one knows something fun is about to happen. At least, that's what Magical Girl Trace thought. Setting her axe down, its weight causing the car ceiling to cave in the backseat area, she rubbed her hands together, the air sparkling yellow behind her.  "Now where did I put that revolver?" She started checking the pouches on her waist.  While she was distracted, the man peeked out the window, revolver in his hand, and aimed at the Magical Girl's head. Noticing this out of the corner of her eye, Trace kept on searching with one hand while the other went behind her back to where the air was shimmering. Instantly, a yellow and silver-hilted katana appeared in her hand, and her smile grew. "Got you, you Ma-" The man began, but stopped upon feeling a sharp pain in his arm.  "No, I think I got You," Trace growled, her eyes wide with glee as she reached down to grab the arm she had just impaled with her summoned katana.  Ignoring the sound of him desperately firing the revolver, she pulled the man out through the window and tossed him into the staff of her axe, stopping him from falling off the car.  "On your feet, you're up against the cat's pajamas," She waited patiently, a smug smile on her face. The man knew he didn't stand much of a chance, even if he...nevermind. The katana was gone from his arm.  Getting up, he studied the Magical Girl. He knew who she was as, despite only showing up four months ago, she became quite popular and infamous. Taken in by the George Bugs Moran side of the Elesstro Family two months ago, she has been doing nothing but causing mayhem and killing the mafia's targets ever since. Compared to most Magical Girls, her outfit is a lot less casual. She wears a yellow, white, and black sundress, brown gloves that don't actually reach her hands, as well as big orange rings around her wrists. Her golden yellow hair was tied into a long ponytail that matched her golden eyes, and her hairband had a bunch of orange, black, and very light pink feathers. Finally, she wore black heavy boots.  Needless to say, her outfit is definitely eccentric.  His only advantage he has in this fight would be in terms of skill. She's a new Magical Girl, and so far has only relied on magical attacks and brute strength to get things done. Of course, there is the problem of her reflexes and speed, something that doesn't seem to be lacking. However, right now he would rather not think about that concerning issue. Instead, he just swung at her. Instead of blocking it or jumping back like he expected, Trace ducked the swing before grabbing his outstretched arm. Knowing the danger if she gets him in an armlock, he rushed at her only for the Magical Girl to trip him, sweeping his legs and letting go of his arm. He nearly fell off the car but, luckily, he caught himself just in time.  Trace lifted her foot in the air, ready to curb stomp the man. Just as her foot came down, the man rolled out of the way. With her foot down, he reached out to try and grab it, hoping to trip her, but she knew it was coming and lifted her foot. Letting out a groan of pain, he got up to his knees, the hand not supporting him reaching into his inner jacket pocket to take out the knife that was there. Unfortunately, for him, Trace did not give him the chance. She moved in and socked him in the face. The man spat out some blood and glared at her, "You Bi-" She cut him off by grabbing his throat and lifting him up.  "That's a no-no word, Mister," Trace exclaimed, though there wasn't a trace of anger in her eyes, just excitement, "Now to move on to the next target!" With that, she tossed him into the air, caught him by his face, and started squeezing. It was all over within a couple of seconds, and she tossed the man off the car, his lower jaw now gone.  Dusting her hands off, she picked up her axe and walked over to the head of the car. Once there, she lifted her axe up into the air and slammed it down on the front, tipping it over. Jumping off the car, she grabbed the hilt of her axe with both hands and swung like she was swinging a baseball bat. The car flew off her axe, flying into a nearby store where it promptly blew up. "See!" Trace exclaimed to no one, lifting her axe onto her shoulders, "I did it with style, just like the Don would have wanted." By the time Jacob and Trevor arrived, the building the car went in was already entirely on fire, and the other buildings surrounding it were fairing no better, caught on fire themselves. "Oh, what the fuck did that psycho chick do now?" Jacob asked, shock and annoyance thick on his face as he stepped out of the car, tommy gun in hand. Nearby, said psycho is sitting down on a bench struggling to open a bottle of soda with her hands.  "Say, think the Don will keep up with this nutcase's mishaves?" Trevor asked, getting out of the car and looking at the burning buildings, "I mean, I know this is the Varsil's territory, but I'm sure there was a rule about destroying things that citizens are in." "That's all that Damn Right Hand ever Talks about with us!" Jacob growled, vividly remembering all the times he had to deal with his jabbering and vivid slobbering. "Say, what does this make it? The forty-fourth building she destroyed?" Trevor asked, flinching as something inside the crumbled building fell down with a massive thud. "I tell ya, Magical Girls are nothing but damn trouble!" Jacob turned to glare at Trace, who was now using her teeth to try and get the cap off. "Well, they don't have to know it was her." Jacob perked up and looked at Trevor, his eyebrows raised in confusion. "What do ya mean?" "I mean," Trevor began, crossing his arms and leaning back on the car, "The street is empty, meaning we had no witnesses. Besides, the car is in there. For all we know, the driver crashed that car trying to shake off Trace." "Trevor, this is Magical fucking Girl Trace we're talking about. The Yellow Psycho," He cast a long sideways glance at Trace, who was now making a pouty face at the soda, "She obviously threw the car into the building." "Well, "we" don't know that, if you get what I'm sayin' here," Trevor responded, a smirk growing on his face. "Ahh. I do," Jacob started chuckling, "Trevor, you one smart bastard, I tell ya." "Hey, I'm behind the eight ball over here!" Trace, finally looking up and noticing the two, called them over while waving the soda in the air, "Can ya help me out?" "Psycho, we're in a tougher spot than you because of You!" Jacob snarled, but still walked over to help the Magical Girl out, muttering all the while. He didn't get very far when two black cars rolled up to the scene, a much sleeker and darker color than the ones the three are used to seeing and driving. It was also enough to get Trevor to walk up to Jacob and, as much as he hates her, Trace.  The car doors opened, and out stepped sixteen people, one three of them standing out with their white ties while one, a female, stood out in the back by the black and red gothic dress she wore, and her rather dull and narrowed red eyes. The suits they were wearing had some dark blue mixed in, separating them from the outfits Jacob, Trevor, and most of their men wore.  "Ehh, aren't those Al Capone's side men?" Jacob asked, leaning back to whisper into Trevor's ear. The man who looked like the head hanco took a couple of steps forward, his hands clasped together, and opened his mouth slightly to speak. However, no words came out right away, the man instead turning to his left to examine the burning buildings with a silent gaze, his expression unreadable, though there might be some amusement in it. This caused Trevor and Jacob to start sweating harder, and even Trace felt nervous.  Finally, the man turned back to the trio and cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, and Magical Girl," He began, his voice even and a bit sickly, "If you would come with us." The three looked at each other, all thinking the same thing. 'We're boned.'

Jaysanerd Thanks for giving Tina's Second Shot... A Shot. (sorry) My name is Valentina Maria Santoro Di Vittorio, but everyone calls me Tina. I'm the daughter of the most feared mafia boss in the world. And let me tell you, growing up in the world of organized crime is not for the faint of heart. But I was born for this. I was born with a gun in my hand and a fire in my heart. Speaking of guns, let me introduce you to Petunia. She's a Berretta 92FS and she's my most prized possession and my trusty companion. We've been through a lot together, and I love her with all my heart. I named her after my favorite flower, the petunia. One day, I was out on a mission with my father's men. My father had never really wanted me to go on a mission, but after enough begging and showing him my puppy eyes, he gave in and allowed me to join Marco, his right-hand man, on a mission. "Hey, Tina, are you sure you're ready for this?" asked  Marco. "I was born ready," I replied, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice. The mission was to take out the enemy gang's leader, and I had been chosen to be a part of the hit squad. When we approached the abandoned warehouse, I couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. I had trained for this my entire life. I had grown up in the world of organized crime, the daughter of one of the most powerful mafia bosses in the city. I was trained to fight, to shoot, to kill. And yet, I stood there outside that warehouse, and I couldn't help but feel like I was in over my head. But then I felt Petunia, my trusty pistol, resting against my hip, and I knew I had nothing to fear. We had been through so much together, and I trusted it more than anything else in the world. I had even given it a name, for crying out loud. Finally, the signal came, and I burst into the warehouse, adrenaline coursing through my veins. The room was dimly lit, and I could barely make out my target across the room. But I didn't need to see him clearly. I just needed to get the job done. I raised my pistol, my finger hovering over the trigger. And then, with a sudden burst of energy, I pulled it. The sound of the gunshot echoed through the warehouse, and I felt a jolt of satisfaction run through me. But then, just as quickly as it had come, that satisfaction turned to horror when the bullet ricocheted off a nearby metal pipe and flew straight back at me. I watched in disbelief when it hit me square in the chest, knocking me to the ground. I struggled to breathe as I lay there, my mind reeling.   As I lay there on the cold concrete floor, the reality of the situation sank in. My own bullet had killed me, the daughter of the most feared mafia boss in the world.  "Tina!" Marco shouted and he rushed over to me. "Are you okay?" I looked up at him and shook my head, unable to speak. My father's men quickly took control of the situation, eliminating the members of the enemy gang. But I was too far gone. The bullet had pierced my lung, and I knew that I didn't have much time left. "Petunia," I whispered, reaching for my pistol. "Take care of her." I took a deep breath, my eyes closed and my arms crossed over my chest. This was it - the end of my life as the young boss of the mafia. But instead of a solemn farewell, I met my death with over-the-top drama. The sound of wailing and crying filled the room. My father's men, tough and stoic in any other situation, were now a group of weeping messes. It was as if the world had come crashing down without me there to hold it together. "Young boss! How could this happen?" one of my men wailed, tears streaming down his face as he clutched onto my lifeless body. Another one fell to his knees beside me, his head in his hands. "You are too young to go, young boss! Too young!" And then there was Marco, the most dramatic of them all. He had taken my beloved Petunia into his arms and was now sobbing uncontrollably, his body shaking with each tear. "Don't worry, Tina. I'll take care of Petunia. She'll never leave my side," he cried, cradling the pistol as if it were a newborn baby. I don't know what was more embarrassing, the fact that I missed my target or the fact that I managed to shoot myself. The scene was almost too much to handle. I wanted to tell them all to calm down, that it wasn't the end of the world. But alas, I was already gone. When I took my last breath, I couldn't help but smile. After all, it was only fitting that I should go out like this - with Petunia by my side, and the memory of my own foolishness forever etched into the history books of the mafia. My father and his men continued to mourn me for days, the news of my death spreading like wildfire throughout the city. They had lost their young boss, their future leader, and their friend. Meanwhile, up in heaven (or wherever it was that I had ended up), I found myself surrounded by other souls, all of whom had met their end similarly dramatically. I was a bit out of my element, to say the least. But then again, so were they. "I got hit by a truck," one man explained to me, looking down at his crumpled body with a mixture of confusion and disgust. "Can you believe it? All these years of running from the cops, and I get taken out by a damn truck." "I fell off a roof," said a woman beside him, shaking her head in disbelief. "One minute, I was up there, scouting out the perfect target, and the next thing I know, I'm plummeting to my death. Talk about embarrassing." I listened to their stories, amazed by the sheer variety of ways in which one could meet their end. It made my own death seem almost ordinary in comparison.  When days turned into weeks, I found myself growing restless. I had always been a doer, someone who took charge and got things done. But up here, there wasn't much to do other than sit around and listen to the other souls' stories. I needed a new purpose, a new mission. And then, one day, I suddenly found myself summoned to a different place, it was even more heaven-like than the last and it made me question if I was actually in hell before; I mean- it would make sense, sending the daughter of the most fearsome mafia boss to hell. "Ka-ka-ka, welcome, Valentina Maria Santoro Di Vittorio. Welcome to paradise," she said in a tone that dripped with grandeur. I furrowed my brow, perplexed by the woman's demeanor. "Uh, who are you? And please, call me Tina. My full name is too damn long." Before she could answer, I interjected with a more pressing question: "Wait a minute, how do you even know my name? Did I sign up for something without realizing it?" The woman chuckled, clearly finding my confusion amusing. "Oh, Tina. You never cease to entertain me." I was growing more and more irritated by the second. "Okay, seriously, who are you and what do you want from me?" She put on a more serious face. "Tina, my name is Euphemia. I'm a God, and I've brought you to my paradise to live out your afterlife in eternal happiness." “A god?” I said skeptically. “God’s a woman?”  Euphemia sighed. "Well… Kinda, there are multiple gods. We don't have much to do here in paradise, so we tend to keep an eye on what you humans are up to on Earth. Sometimes, one of us will take a particular liking to someone, and when they pass on, we'll welcome them here with open arms." I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Well, I'm honored, I guess. But if you were watching me for the past 18 years, couldn't you have, I don't know, made my ending a little less embarrassing?" Euphemia let out a sudden burst of laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Tina, you really are a character." I was starting to feel like I was being toyed with. "Okay, fine. I'll admit that it's nice here, but I don't think I can handle eternal happiness. It's not really my style." Euphemia’s eyes widened in shock. “W-what do you mean?” “I said what I meant. I can’t stay in your paradise. It kinda sucks, not having anything to do.” Euphemia’s eyes teared up, like a child who was feeling lonely. “But…” she said before I interrupted her. I shook my head. "Sorry, Euphemia, but I need adventure. I need action. I can't just sit around in paradise for all eternity. I’m the daughter of a mafia boss, after all." Euphemia sobbed. “As a God, I can’t force you to stay here against your will,” she said while snorting. “Very well, I will send you somewhere more exciting.” My eyes widened with excitement. "Really? That's amazing! And hey, could you also bring back my trusty Petunia? I kinda need it." Euphemia's expression turned to one of confusion. "Petunia? You mean that piece of metal you used to end your life?" I nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, that one. I know it's weird, but it's kinda my thing."  “Ehmm, sure. I feel bad for laughing at you, so I’ll grant your request.” Euphemia said. “Thank you, Goddess!” I said, excitingly. “However, this world I’m sending you to is far more dangerous than you’re used to. And I can’t bear watching you die a second time, so I will give you something else that’ll help you survive.” Euphemia scoffed. She seemed disappointed to let me go.  I thanked her profusely before she began to send me away. "Good luck out there, Tina. Try not to shoot yourself again.” Jaysanerd How did you like the first chapter? Let me know in the comments!

[New York City, New York, USA, 1994] The city that never sleeps, NYC. A sprawling metropolis of multi-story buildings and skyscrapers, a shining example of the opulence and beauty of the Big Apple and capitalism. But as beautiful as its skyline and rich nightlife is, the city hides a dark side. One that stays separate from the light, but one that on occasion seeps into the open. But that's a lie. Because the world is not one comprised of the light and the dark with each seeping into the other, but rather of grey. For those in the light, those who commit themselves to life's darker and more violent activities, are seen as outliers. Those who chose to rid themselves of the good in their heart and bask in the darkness. They are seen as abnormalities in society. And they must be stopped for fear of their disease spreading. While those who live in the darkness, see those who live in the light as ignorant. People who choose to live their life ignoring how cruel and miserable the world really is. They believe them to be sick in the head, especially those who do things for others when there is nothing for them to profit off of. Sheep being led to the slaughter. But neither is correct, the world is grey. Just different shades of grey. The shade depends on the person. ~ RUMBLE "Fuck me." said a man in a fancy suit and trench coat as he heard the rumbling of thunder and felt the pitter-patter of rain on his face. Using his arms as a makeshift cover from the sudden downpour of rain, the man began to run down the street, not caring if he bumped into anyone. "Fuck off! Fucking animals." said the man as he pushed aside a couple of homeless people that were blocking his path before he continued to run through the rain, eventually making it to his hotel. "Good even-" said the door attendant as he held the door open. "Whatever." said the man brushing past the man, without so much as looking at him. "Fucking rain." mumbled the man as he made his way to the elevator, leaving a trail of water in his wake. Entering the elevator, he pressed the button to his floor, the penthouse. DING "Finally. Fucking elevator." said the man as he entered the penthouse, kicking off his shoes and starting to undress all while making his way through the opulent penthouse. White marble flooring with dark-grey cement walls, on which were hung various paintings that would make any art aficionado swoon. A giant crystal chandelier hung above a black grand piano, a stark contrast to the snow-white rug it rested on. And the piece de resistance, a view of the NYC skyline. The man, however, was not enraptured by the opulence but rather was angrily undressing while making his way to his bathroom. Throwing his clothes on the ground, the man hopped into the shower. Afterward, he exited and began a very long and complicated skincare routine that ended with him staring into the mirror for a few minutes. Exiting his bathroom completely naked, the man made his way to his living room before stopping in front of the windows, to look at the skyline. But the man was not looking out into the city, but rather down at the people. Like a god atop Mt. Olympus. "Ants. Ants beneath my feet." he said with a sneer before snapping his fingers. "Yes, master." said a female voice. No, it would be more appropriate to say a girl's voice. Because the person who appeared behind him was female, but she was a female of no more than 12. Clad in nothing but lewd maid wear. "Wine." he said, unfazed at the appearance of the child servant. "Yes, master." said the girl as she quickly went to serve him wine before returning with a full glass. CRASH "You idiot!" yelled the man at the girl who had tripped, breaking the glass and spilling the wine. "I-I-I'm s-sorry!" she said with tears in her eyes and fear on her face. "Fucking idiot! You spilled my wine!" he yelled before kicking the girl. "Ahh!" yelled the girl from the hit. "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" he yelled repeatedly as he continued to kick the girl until he finally stopped. What was once a girl, was now a mutilated and crushed remnant of a girl in a pool of blood and matter. "Fuck! Now there's blood everywhere! You idiot!" he yelled, kicking the body one final time before going over to the landline. "Yeah, it's me. She's dead. The dumb bitch spilled my wine when I was in a bad mood. Send another one and someone to clean this shit up before it smells. Now." he said before hanging up the phone. "Fuck, I need to shower again. Idiot." he said as he went back to shower again. DING "I'm in the shower! Clean the shit up!" yelled the man after hearing the elevator ding. Done with his second shower, the man put on a bathrobe and went into the living room. There he saw two men cleaning the floor with industrial solvents and a trash bag next to them. "Clean that shit right." he said as he went to pour himself some wine. "Where's the new one?" he asked the two men. "She's coming soon, boss. New shipment." said one of the men. "Good, I love breaking in the new goods." he said with a sinister smile as he went to sit down on the couch and watch TV. A half-hour later, the two men were done cleaning and took the trash with them before leaving. DING "Finally! What took you so long?!" yelled the man only to hear no response. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" said the man turning around from the couch only to end up staring right down the barrel of a gun. "What the fuck?! Who are you?!" asked the man, with not an ounce of fear on his face. The man holding the gun said nothing, he just slightly moved to the side allowing the man to see the two men that previously left were dead and stopping the elevator doors from closing. "Do you know who I am?! Do you know who you're fucking with right now?!" he yelled. "..." said the man as he flicked his gun, signaling to the man to get up. "Fuck you! I'm no-" BAM "Fuck!" yelled the man as he held onto his freshly pistol-whipped and broken nose. "..." said the man as he flicked his gun again, but this time the man listened and stood up, all while holding his bleeding nose. "What the fuck do you want?" said the man. "..." said the man as he pointed toward the window. "Fuck you. I ain't getting near the window. I'm not a dumbass." said the man. BANG "FUCK! You fucking piece of shit! Fuck!" yelled the man, now on the ground holding his freshly shot leg. "Move." said the man, finally speaking. "How the fuck do you expect me to move now?! Huh?! You fucking marone!" "Move, or I shoot the other one." "Fuck!" said the man as he shakily stood up and limped his way to the window, leaving a blood trail behind him. "L-let me ask you something. Who the fuck are you, and why the fuck are you doing this?" he asked as he leaned against the glass. "Becky." said the man. "What? Who the fuck is Becky?" "Becky is, was my little sister. And you r***d and killed her. You chopped her up into little pieces and dumped her in the river." he said with a dead look in his eyes, as if the fire of his life was extinguished. "That's it? That's why you're doing all this? You're doing all this over some dead bitch?! Haha. Hahaha!" "Shut the fuck up!" said the man, pistol-whipping the man across the face. "Ptooey. Oh, that jogged my memory." he said after spitting out a tooth leaving him with a bloody smile. "Shut up." said the man holding the gun, with his hand now shaking. "I remember her. Sweet piece of ass." "Shut up!" "She screamed the first time. And all the times after that." "Shut up!" "Then she liked it. She liked it so much, she wanted more than just one." he said. "You motherfucker!" said the man. BANG "Wha-" said the man holding the gun as he looked down to see a bullet hole in his chest. Looking up from where the sound came from he saw a tall and built black-haired man smoking a cigarette and holding a smoking gun. "Who the fuck are you?!" yelled the Italian. "Just a man doing business." he said as he walked up to the now bleeding avenger who sat down on the couch and was trying to overcome the pain to finish what he started. "W-why?" asked the avenger, who had tears in his eyes at the thought of not being able to avenge his sister. "Like I said. Just business. Someone wants that Italian, and they hired me to do that. I can't let you take my payday." he said. "Fuck you! You're both dead!" said the Italian as he started crawling away. "P-please. L-let me k-kill him. H-he k-killed my sister." plead the avenger. "So. What's that got to do with me?" said the man as he pointed his gun at the avenger. BANG The last thing the avenger saw before he died was those cold, dead eyes. "Fucking amateurs." said the man as he looked at the avenger for a moment before walking over to the crawling Italian. "I thought it was the Running of the Bulls, not the Crawling of the Italians." he said as he stood in the Italian's path. "That's the Spanish, you dumbass!" he said. "Too bad, I think the latter would be more fun to watch." he said with a smile before hitting the Italian on the neck, knocking him out. "Sigh, another easy job." said the man as he dragged the Italian by his leg with one hand. Walking to the elevator, he saw the two bodies and the one he was dragging. "Guess I can't really go down the elevator." he said before grabbing the Italian by his hair and walking down the stairs. Exiting out the back, the man dragged the Italian to a car before unlocking the trunk and stuffing him in. Getting in through the driver's side, he turned on the car and started to drive. ~ "Let me out!" said the Italian as he banged on the trunk. "Shut up." said the man as he opened the trunk. "Where are we?!" yelled the Italian. "Come see for yourself." said the man as he backed up while taking out a cigarette, and lighting it. Pushing himself up, the Italian laid his eyes on a large group of Chinese men. "What the fuck is this? Chinese New Year?" said the Italian as he looked at the man who took him. "So arrogant." said one of the Chinese men, clearly an important person as could be seen by his suit. "Yeah, and so what?" he said. "带他来 (Bring him here.)" said the suited man before a few of the men went up to the trunk and brought the Italian out before throwing him down in front of the suit. "Fuck! Do you know who I am?! I'll have you all fucking killed!" SLAP "Shut up." said the suit. "Fuck you." said the Italian before the suit bent down and grabbed him by his hair, to look into his eyes. "You are the second son and wastrel child of the Moretti Family. And you enjoy r*****g and killing little girls. Now, normally I wouldn't give a rat's ass about that. But you made the mistake of doing all that to my niece. My flesh and blood. So, I asked our friend here to retrieve you for me. And to do so without it leading back to me. Because I want to keep you alive for a long time. And I don't want anyone to bother us." he said before letting him go. "把他带走 (Take him away.)" said the suit before some men took the Italian away. "Now then." said the suit before turning to the man who had been watching everything go down with a disinterested look on his face. "Money." he said as he threw his finished cigarette down on the ground. "Here's your payment." said the suit, taking a stack of cash from his coat pocket and throwing it at the man. "Pleasure doing business with you." said the man as he just put the money away. "You're not going to count it?" "No need. If it's not there, I'll just get it all." "Mm. So I've heard." said the suit. "Alright, if we're done here, I'd like to get a bite." "I may have one more thing, but it shouldn't be anytime soon. Are you sticking around?" "No. I have something to do in Roanapur. You know how to get in touch." he said before entering his car and driving off. "Who was that, boss?" asked one of the men. "A man who sells his skills to anyone willing to pay the price. Slade Wilson." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AN New novel that I decided to start, and maybe only start, because I was reading Black Lagoon in my spare time. As you can see, this MC will be more morally ambiguous than my other ones, because of his background and his experiences. And this story as well will be darker and will contain scenes that may be disturbing to some. As for his name, I was originally going to do reincarnated into a world with Deathstroke's template but decided to scrap it for this. His background will be slowly revealed but let's just say, he's not entirely human. He was born into this world and is not reincarnated, just to be clear. And I decided to give him that name because it's cool. Deathstroke has to be one of my favorite comic characters.

In the ruins of what looks like a small town, a cloaked man stands tall in a hall inside the remains of a castle. There is only ashes and soot covering the floor, some parts of the furniture are lying and we could only imagine how splendid this hall was before the passage of the fire and time. Whispering to himself he says : “ ~Ha, I can clearly remember this day. Though everything was fuzzy at that time, I can recall everything... you... have... done, everyone of you… And for yours sins I will be the one to collect them and make you pay the full price.” The man with the black robe walked a few steps towards the window. The sun dimly lit the room, it hovered a faint scent of charred mixed with dust, recalling the nostalgia of painful and lovely memories now lost in the remaining ashes. It was a sunset, a scene he enjoyed watching and today more than ever, this one being spécial, as it represents an accomplishment and avenging the ones who were murdered. Seeing the sun set further and further on the horizon, followed by its colorful reflections lining the landscape and the remains of the crumbling city, he whispered: "It seems like it's time ..." Behind the man’s shadow were several people tied and lying on the ground, they were mainly men in their forties and few of them with their wife and even children. For this occasion he was able to restore them to their splendor and replicate what they were wearing that day. A white outfit adorned with a gold iris symbol representing one of the factions that the king chose to join. After hearing the man’s words, some of them panicked and started to cry, some screamed for help, and others were looking with a killing gaze at the man. For they all knew how he is and what they have done to him. Their sentence has been promised since that day. The day they annihilated his family, friends and land. The man walked towards the main door of the hall, and once passed he stopped for a moment, and gazed at the dusk rays covering the village and the shadows of the remains growing. In his eyes, many emotions were emerging regret, sadness, madness and hatred. In a span of a second they were all gone , back to the serious and natural one. A smile appeared on his face and widened, turning half his head to look at the pitiful fools on the grounds, only two words accompanied by the sound of a fingersnap broke the whining of the condemned : “Hell’s Court”. Suddenly appeared on the ground a small red light, it started shining and began it’s circular rotation around the group leaving behind lines. From that vibrant red lines rose blood flames color following the pattern. A shape emerged from the ground like a bubble and engulfed the whole room, only to explode and left behind everything that remained covered with blood. The man since long ago knew what’s gonna happen and he knows that it’s only the beginning for these souls. He walked through the desert streets to arrive at the gates, both were destroyed and parts of it were scattered on the ground. Exiting the town, he looked at it one last time. The castle was now dyed blood red by the spell and there was still some blood dripping from the walls and windows. Leaning against the wall, someone was waiting for him, seeing the black robed man, he asked calmly : “ Is it done, Fane?” He responded with a smile : “Yes this matter is over. Let’s go back.”

Andrew couldn’t believe his eyes as he stood in his tiny bedroom, his eyes watering while holding the bottle of champagne. He had the bottle in one hand and two glasses while he looked over at his girlfriend, a woman he had loved for over five years. Today was supposed to be their fifth anniversary. He was looking at her with only a single question on his mind. “Tammy, why?” He muttered, finding the bottle heavy in his hand while looking at the woman. “Andy, It’s not what you think!” Tammy said as she tried covering herself up. The person next to her gave a wide smirk, the kind an asshole does when they think they did something funny when all they did was made themselves look more like an asshole. The person next to Tammy looked like a woman, yet at the same time, not a woman, short crude cut haircut with one side shaved off while having an obnoxious red dye on the side; while they leaned back, there was the patch job beard growing like they were still trying to grow it out. Andrew wasn’t sure what to say when he found his legs wobbling. “Then what is it then? You’re both naked in bed, and they’re …” He felt his eyes burning as he thought off the tears reminding himself Men don’t cry, we don’t… He felt angry when he looked back and noticed more. The person was wearing a strap-on, and he felt his grip on the bottle tightening as he wasn’t sure how he felt. Andrew wanted to say something or do something when he asked next. “Who is she?” He tried not to growl, trying his hardest to keep his voice leveled and cooled. While the person gave him a dirty look the moment Andrew said she. “His names are Max and Andy, and I know them from work,” Tammy said while she spoke up, while Max there smiled at her while moving in, pawing Tammy like they were a teenager on prom night. “Don’t do that.” Andrew snapped, not happy to see what was going on. “Or what?” Max spoke while looking back, seeming like they were trying to look bigger than they were. If anything, Tammy might have had fifty pounds over them, while Andrew, a more hefty man, clearly could have picked them up like they were nothing.Andrew imagined he’d tell Max there he’d kick their ass, but the way he raised, he wouldn’t do that; it would’ve been a cold threat, as he kept holding onto the bottle, trying to hold back his temper. Don’t lose your Temper, Andy. It’ll get you in trouble. “Tammy, how could you? I— I love you. I was going to.” He looked down and saw the slight bulge in his pocket, the bulge holding a ring as he planned to ask her to marry him. Though at this point, that wasn’t going to happen. Not anymore. “You were never around Andy, you’re always working, and when you weren’t, you just slept most of the day.” “I worked night Tammy; you know that; I was helping my parents, I was helping you go through school. I have to sleep sometimes, and I thought you understood this!” Andrew said, not realizing his voice was getting louder; he felt his spine tightening as a fire grew in his stomach. A harsh deep breath while Tammy spoke up. “I’m sorry, An—“ “Don’t call me that; you have no right.” Andrew interrupted Tammy right then as he felt his other hand tightening into a fist while Max raised his voice, “Hey, don’t talk to her like that!” Max spoke up, sounding like they were trying to make their voice deeper but still hadn’t got the hang of it. “First off fuck off; this is between her and me, so get your ass out of my bed! Second, maybe the fact she cheated on me with a woman. I have the right to be a bit fucking angry!” Andrew spoke up as he found his heart speeding up and started getting worked up. Tammy suddenly responded. “Max is a man, Andrew; you should be using him!” “I don’t think that the biggest issue here, Tammy! Maybe you should cut me some slack in this situation since, well, this! You’re not in a position to tell me what I can and can’t do!” This made Andrew raise his voice even louder, his heart feeling like it was close to shattering, “Why didn’t you just break up with me, or I don’t know, not cheat on me!” He spoke more from the heart, but he was screaming at this point while Tammy sat there; maybe there was shame in her eyes, or it could have been contempt, but Andrew couldn’t tell all he knew was he was saying red. “Maybe if you weren’t such a shitty boyfriend, she wouldn’t have done something like this,” Max spoke up, the smugness in his voice as Andrew had to use every ounce of strength not to try and kill them. He was holding back everything as he felt pure hatred. “I’m leaving, and when I come back, I want the both of you out of my fucking apartment!” Andrew said, as without warning, he took the bottle of champagne and chucked it as far as he could. The sound of glass shattering while Andrew turned around, entered his pockets and walked away. He had to do something to get his mind off what he had witnessed. “Andy, get back here! We’re not done yet!” Tammy called out, giving a shrill scream as her nose bunched up, but Andrew ignored him, walking away, never looking back. -000- When Andrew left his apartment, he walked off to the nearest bar and wasn’t going to drive; he didn’t trust himself behind the wheel right then. He took long deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. Yet every time he tried, Andrew found himself getting angry. He wanted to go back, scream at them more, do something. Yet those thoughts scared him as he kept pushing those feelings down. “I need a drink; I just… Why did she do this to me?” He hated himself as he made a turn into the closes bar. A small dive with the sigh, Jack’s legends. He walked in, trying his best to keep calm and not show weakness, as he moved to the bartender and quickly ordered a beer.The bartender watched him for a second. The stone-cold expression on his face as he reached under the counter, handing him a beer while he turned around to get back to work. Andrew sat there for a second. Taking a long drink, letting the bitter taste go down his throat as he put the beer down. The place had a live band, as he looked over. They weren’t that good, though Andrew wasn’t exactly a music critic. Still, if he had a guess, they were a tribute band. What tribute band? Well, Andrew wasn’t sure; the microphone somehow managed to drown out the terrible singing. So Andrew sat there alone, drinking his beer. Then he had another one, then another, and another one. Throughout the night, Andrew kept sucking down the long-neck bottles like they were going out of style. Throughout the night, he continued drinking, trying to get rid of his sorrow, but the more he drank, the more pain he felt as he heard a voice in his head. It was soft at first, telling him that he needed to go back there yelling at him, then it got louder telling him things that a sober version of him would have been horrified to hear. It only got worse, but the voice told him, come on, pal, take another drink. Just another one; I’m sure you’ll feel better after that. He finished another beer when he said to the bartender, “Another one, pal.” His voice sounded slur, as he barely kept his eyes open—the sadness in his voice as he looked like a complete mess.The bartender looked at him for a short second while shaking his head, “You’re done, pal. Get some water.” The bartender dropped a glass of water for him, “Now drink up and go home.” The man spoke while watching him. The bartender had seen plenty of people like this, the heartbroken. He didn’t need the kid’s story to see it, but the way he was guzzling down beers, the bartender knew that it must have just happened. Andrew didn’t like this, as he pushed the water away, “No, I want another beer!” he dropped his card down, but the man behind the counter shook his head, pushing the card back at him. The bouncer came over, having the feeling there was trouble. “Not going to take your money, now drink the water and get out of here, your way over the limit.” He kept his voice calm while looking above Andrew’s head, his eyes on the bouncer. “No, I can handle my drinking now. Just give me the fucking beer.” Andrew moaned, clearly swaying side to side. “I’m sorry, but by law, I won’t be; now, this nice man will call you a cab. Where do you live?” The bartender spoke professionally but also carefully. He thought he saw a flash of killer intent in the drunken haze. If Andrew didn’t get sobered up, he might do something he might regret. Andrew was itching for a fight, his mind wanting something to take away the pain, though with how drunk Andrew was at the time. The bouncer moved in a large man, who grabbed his shoulder. Though Andrew, not thinking much too drunk to even care, turned around and threw a fist at the more prominent man. The bouncer just moved out of the way a couple of steps causing Andrew to fall over landing on the ground. Andrew lay there a couple of minutes before. Finally, the bouncer picked him up, tossing him right out the window. A quick grunt as Andrew landed outside the bar looking over at the bouncer. “Hey, I ain’t done there yet; I need another drink!” He called out while stumbling around though the bouncer shook his head. “Just go; you’re done for the night, got it, pal? Sober your ass up.” The bouncer shook his head, finding Andrew looked pathetic as he headed right back inside, not saying much, while the drunken man spat on the ground, “I don’t need you, and I can go find another drink myself!” Andrew screamed to the heavens, not caring who heard him as he began stumbling off into the cold city, A city that didn’t care if he lived or died, A town that had no mercy for him as he would drunkenly head off. -000- Andrew walked for some time, and his body straightened out as he slowly sobered up; though it was clear he was still drunk like any skunk, he looked up at his apartment complex. Looking at the place, he decided to make his way inside. However, he wouldn’t go to his apartment.No, not there; he didn’t want to be alone in that place as he climbed up to the roof. He stumbled his way up as he closed the door behind him. Andrew just let out a long grunt as he saw his cold breath. It seemed like the days only got colder as he panted. “When will it ever get warmer? It’s always fucking cold.” He spoke out, the bitterness in his voice as he looked off. Wishing he could do something, hoping he could take back what dignity Tammy had stolen from him. He reached down into his pocket while looking at the ring box. His blood boiling as he looked to the city and let out another scream calling out, “Fuck you, Tammy, go to hell!” He found himself throwing the ring box as far as he could. Wherever it landed, Andrew didn’t care; he didn’t care about anything at this point, only wanting to let out his hatred. He fell, stumbling as he looked over the edge. “Why am I even alive?” He muttered to himself, his anger seeming to leave him feeling self-pity while he watched the edge, hearing a small voice; we could jump. Who would even notice Tammy cheated on us? That voice, the one lodged deep within him, sounded so tempting, like a mistress calling a lover as he looked to the side. Come on, Andrew baby, it’s just a leap, and this pain your feeling it’s all over. Come on and just jump; it’s your ultimate fuck you. She wants to leave you, okay? It's blood on her hands. He looked at the edge, that voice so tempting as he felt his heart slowing down. While he looked at it, he muttered, “Would anyone miss me? What do I have to live for?” Andrew started reaching over, putting one leg over the railing right over the other, as he found himself stumbling over and there. Andrew Moon began to fall into the great darkness. That was when without warning, Andrew began falling, his adrenaline shot through him as if he was just injected in the arm, and he screamed. His body hits the end of one of the flag poles, holding the American flag. He screamed in horror while realizing what was happening. “No! Not this way!” It was as if the real him had taken over as he felt horror run over himself, realizing what he had done. Flashes of his family came over him as he looked down, seeing how far the ground was. It only made him scream even louder,“Shit, Shit! This isn’t good. I don’t want to die.” Andrew tried to pull himself up but found it did nothing as his arms wobbled. Andrew held on for dear life. His eyes widened while looking around. He saw the window across from him, “Hey, open the window! Open your damn window. I’m going to fall!” he screamed his loudest yet found no one answering him. While he looked around, he saw if there might be someone that might be able to help him in his moment of need. “I see you need some help.” A voice soft and calm spoke, which caught Andrew’s attention. Andrew looked straight up; someone was sitting on the pole. She sat there like it was nothing as Andrew looked up. She was wearing a black leather jacket and long jeans and had short red hair; her arms were crossed behind her back like she wasn’t sitting on a pole high in the air while Andrew looked at her, the fear in his now sober eyes. “Yes, can you help me please oh god, please help me!” He wasn’t sure if this was a part of his imagination or if she was there. His hands slipped while the woman smirked, “Well, sure, I’ll give you a hand, but you must do something for me.” She spoke with a near-southern twang as she bobbed her head back and forth, nodding like a part of her was elsewhere. “Anything. Please get me out of here; I don’t want to die,” Andrew muttered, his hands feeling like they were slipping as he used every ounce of strength to try and hold on. The mysterious woman seemed to watch him with a light smirk. “You’ll do anything, huh? Are you sure about it? I can be a bit demanding.” She spoke simply enough while swaying her legs around like she was trying to be playful. But Andrew barely noticed this. “Yes, I’ll do anything, just please; I don’t want to die! I want to live!” he cried for help as he felt a hand slip. Looking down, Andrew found himself screaming in complete terror while watching his life flash before his eyes. Seeing past friends seeing his parents, and wondering what would happen to all of them if he died made him want to live even more. “Well, I suppose I can, but you must promise to repay your debt.” The woman spoke as she seemed to look down at him. Her foot dangling down near where his hand had once been. Andrew tried reaching over to grab it, but he could barely do that. As he tried pulling himself up when he heard a snapping sound. “Alright, I’ll save you, and remember, you better keep your end of the deal.” Then without warning, He heard the woman snap her fingers.“By the way, my name is….” But before Andrew could hear her name, he began to fall, and with it, he would scream, falling into the darkness of the black city. But as he fell, he heard soft giggling. -000- Without warning, Andrew felt his head shooting up as he found himself covered in sweat; a rough scream escaped his lips for a minute as he soon reached over, covering his mouth as he felt pain shooting through his head, “Gah! What… what the?” He moaned out, rubbing his head. He felt the effects of his hangover ravaging his mind while he closed his eyes shut. “I have to stop drinking.” He mumbled under his breath while he reached over, “Tammy, are you there? Could you get me some aspirin?” There was no response, as he found the unnerving silence. “Tammy, are you there?” Andrew muttered while he pulled himself up. That was when he realized something and He wasn’t in his room— No, he was no longer in his apartment as he looked around his new location. The room was something, a giant golden chandelier hanging over them, the way the crystals shimmered over him. The bed was quite something as if it was meant to hold more than two people, heck he imagined that it could have given people and still left room for one person. In contrast, as he looked over, the rest of the room reminded him of one of those fancy ballrooms, the kind typically reserved for the rich. “What did I do last night?” Slowly he began remembering some of it. Remembering the fight with Tammy when he caught her cheating on him. “Oh god… what did I do?” He muttered, feeling like he was about to get sick. A slight bit of vomit was coming for him as he pulled back, managing to swallow the bile as he began getting out of bed. He looked around, realizing he was standing in his underwear, as Andrew groaned, trying to figure out how he got in this bed. But somehow, Andrew imagined it would cost him more than he could afford. “Maybe I should sneak out or something?” Andrew grumbled to himself, trying to find where his pants might have been. He stopped for a second as he finally noticed one of the walls filled with various weapons. Andrew couldn’t help but admire them. As he walked over, there were spears and swords, which looked quite intriguing. “Heh, this is neat. Whoever owns these has quite the taste.” While he looked around for a second, he was alone when he had an idea. He reached over, grabbing one of the spears as he held it for a second, admiring its weight. He stood there posing. His eyes were on the full-boy mirror on the other side of the room as he looked at himself. “This is pretty cool.” Andrew joked while he stood in his underwear, holding a spear like a Spartan ready for battle. “Though admittedly, I look a bit goofy.” He chuckled, laughing at himself while he looked at the mirror seeing himself. Andrew was just an average-looking guy, a bit leaner, with bits of muscles mainly focused on his arms and legs, while the rest of him looked skinny. A five o’clock shadow grew on his face, with dark rings around his eyes. If he cleaned up, he might have examined alright, but he looked like complete shit. “I have to agree you do look a little goofy.” This caught Andrew off guard. He felt like he was about to jump out of his skin as he turned around to see who it was. There he saw her. The woman standing there, with short red hair, wearing white silk lingerie with a bright million-dollar smile, as she walked in walking with great confidence. Her hips swayed back and forth. Andrew could say she was in great shape—the sight of her muscles. Andrew could almost imagine she could lift him with no trouble as she stopped before him. “I see you’re interested in my spear there, Andrew.” The woman said as she caressed Andrew’s hand, caressing it as she would take the spear from him. “I mean, it’s a pretty nice spear; where’d you get something like that.” “Oh, it’s nothing, just a part of a vast collection, though some call it the Spear of Destiny. Took me a while to find something like that.” She spoke in a calm way that showed she was the one in control. Andrew looked at her for a minute; eyebrow raised as he chuckled, “That's the Spear of Destiny?” He could barely believe that while the woman nodded, “Oh yes, Andrew, it is, it took some time to find it, but I managed to get my hand on it. A wonderful thing to collect along with the others on my wall.” The mysterious woman started to walk across the wall, slowly gliding her hands over the various weapons. “Take this sword, and it’s a special one once said to be owned by Attila the Hun, the Sword of Mar’s.” She smiled, pulling the blade off, admiring the curved edge as she swung it for a second. Andrew watched, not sure what to say, as he stepped away. “Um, I hate to be a bother, but who are you?” He asked while he kept an eye on the blade. He didn’t want to anger the woman with a sword in her hand. “Oh, don’t you remember I told you it last night?” The woman spoke as she put the blade back onto the wall, letting Andrew sigh in relief before quickly responding to her. “Last night was a blur. Would it be possible that you could remind me?” That wasn’t a lie, and he couldn’t remember much at the moment, hoping that maybe he’ll gain his memory back at a later time. As the woman walked over. Her Silken Lingerie exposed her ample bosom just a bit as she leaned in, “Well, I think it’ll be fair to tell you my name again, Andrew… Can I call you Andy?” She said her finger circled his chest. He bit his lips, unsure what to say, and shook his head. “I think Andrews is fine for now.” He said, trying to keep himself in control. While she nodded, “Well, If you insist, Andrew, but please call me Raven, If you must. Now I do think we should get you something to eat. After that fall you had last night, you must be starving.” She smirked, caressing his cheek. Andrew was both uncomfortable but liked how she moved her hard against his chin, like a lover. However, he pulled back from her hand. “Fall? What are you—“ He found flashes of memory hit him like a train crashing into a bug. It obliterated as he grabbed his head, screaming in pain, as he began remembering his fall, how he hit the pole, and then the woman—the woman who just called herself Raven. Andrew tumbled around, grabbing the mirror for support as he looked back. “What… what in the!” He was trying to find the right words while he looked back at the woman. “You… You let me fall or…” his voice trailed off, remembering the fall and how he screamed, oh god, how he cried and the horror of it. Then there was nothing, no splat. It was like something had carried him off. But the idea of him splatting made him shiver. “No, I saved you, but I had to do something also. Now come on, my dear, breakfast should be ready. You’ve got clothes In the drawers for you.” She pointed over as Andrew looked over and noticed the dresser beside him. It hadn’t been there before; he was sure of it. “Maybe I just didn’t notice it before. I’ve got such a hangover.” He moved over, opening the drawers, where he saw a pair of pants and a t-shirt as he moved to put them on. He even found his wallet in the other drawer, as he put it away, wondering where he was. But who is this Raven? What is she? Andrew couldn’t help but wonder if This Raven was even human. He followed behind her as she started walking down the corridor. Her hips swayed back and forth as he looked at her. “So, how did you save me? Who are you, If you don’t mind me asking?” Andrew wondered while he managed to catch up to her.The walls were lined with art, each depicting battles from history, while some showed Milly pitcher as she filled a cannon. He continued walking, “Oh, I’m sorry, you’re wondering who I am; well, no reason to hide it from you.” She smirked as her hand waved over, as the doors at the end of the hall began to open. “I am a Goddess, Andrew, If you must ask.” She spoke with such a simple thing. Now, Andrew might have questioned that as he shook his head, “A goddess? I mean…” Andrew seemed more stumped while she smirked. “Why yes, I guess you could consider me an American Goddess. Every country has its pantheon, and I’m one of America’s gods.”“America… Has gods? I thought….” “What Christianity, Catholic, Or Baptist? Oh, Heavens, I’m afraid most get it wrong; there is no singular god; that's too much power for one being, omnipotent and omniscient. It would drive someone mad; no, many Gods and goddesses exist worldwide. Every culture has a pantheon.” Raven spoke more, walking through the dining room. They weren’t alone now as Andrew saw people moving around, filling the table, as he groaned. Soon one of them walked over, handing him a couple of pills. “For your head, master.” The woman spoke; Andrew took them but found himself almost jumping back. The woman had snakes instead of hair on her head. Green scales instead of skin as she walked off. “Um… What was that?” He asked, watching the woman walk away, and soon realized she didn’t have legs. She was slithering away. “She’s a Naga, a cousin of the medusa’s though she’s more like a diamondback rattlesnake, so be careful. Her name is Marry.” Raven spoke with a light chuckle as Andrew watched the other woman heading off. “Um, good to know… So, there is a snake woman, and… Other gods? But who are the others if you are just one of America’s gods?” “Oh, a few are running around, I’m certain; some hang out with the old Gods, some are doing their job, and others are messing around with mortals like you.” She smirked as she took a seat. The strings from her top moved down her shoulders, giving Andrew a peak. “Alright, um, so Where Am I? Is this like Heaven or something?” “Oh no, not in Heaven; you’re still alive, and a living soul can’t go there; your mind wouldn’t be able to handle it; no, you’re in one of my homes, around the united states.” “One of your homes?” Andrew asked though he found that the more he asked, the more questions he had for Raven the Goddess. “Well, I have a few places I need to be, though this is where I frequent, it’s pretty lovely, But please, this is going to be our home now.” She teased while she snapped her fingers; more people came in workers. But Andrew wondered if they were also Naga’s, but he could barely tell they went by so fast as they laid down their breakfast. He looked down, seeing what was placed before him. “I hope you don’t mind. I picked what I imagined you would enjoy, Andrew.” She spoke while Andrew watched his food. “This is pretty good, but something is bothering me.” “Oh, and what's that?” Raven asked, leaning forward and giving him another glimpse of her pale bosom. “Well, a few of them was why you visited me; why would a God want with me at all? I’m no one, but… Well, you said you’re a Goddess, but what kind of Goddess are you anyway? I mean, how come I never heard of you? No one ever spoke about America’s Gods?” Raven seemed to smile, liking what she heard. She reached down, taking one of the crisp pieces of bacon, which Andrew thought looked burnt. “Please have a bite; I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I’ll be answering your questions in due time. But I can answer some of the easier ones. I’m the Goddess of Strength and War. The very concept of those itself. As for why we American Gods don’t reveal ourselves, we are far too busy to deal with the mere mortals; sure, we take your prayers and wants, but we also have our work to do.” She spoke straight to the point while moving to take a long drink of something red. Andrew couldn’t help but think it was wine. “But we pay attention to what you say and do; some of us are stronger than others. I know I’m more blessed than others. Whenever there is war, I feel stronger, as most war gods do; when our lands declare war on something, It’s like we are receiving prayers. Now America, we are a country of war. Drug War, Race War, and War on other countries. It’s like a battery, and it fuels me and influences me. Sure, we have peace. Yet War… War is eternal; it’s what built this nation. I’m America’s first god, even if they don’t know it.” She continued speaking there while Andrew watched her. “I am the strength of America itself as well; these two concepts, The strongest fact of this country. While I said there are other gods, some as strong, the god of Poverty, the Goddess of Lust and death, We are sometimes born and formed. But we exist, and humans like you, well… you give us as much life as we bless you.” She smirked while Andrew watched his mouth drop. “I— It… So much.” He muttered while Raven chuckled, “Please eat, it’ll take your mind off that for now, but I’m sure I can answer some of your other questions as the time comes.” Andrew would do just that taking a bite out of the bacon first before moving on to the sausage and eggs, and they were quiet good, he had to admit, yet at the same time he found himself stuffing his face. He continued munching over while looking at the woman claiming that she was a war god, but he found himself wondering more, as he slowed down. “So, again, you never answered this, what debt do I owe you?” Raven smirked while she took another bite, letting the sausage move past those succulent lips as she took a bite and looked to him. “Well, You owe me your life, since I saved your life, you in fact owe me your life. I intend you to pay me back.” Raven smiled as she continued eating the breakfast. Andrew on the other hand wasn’t sure how of this. “So are you going to sacrafice me, or have me kill someone else? Cause I won’t kill someone else.” Though a flash of Tammy, and that Max fellow, had popped into his head while he felt anger bursting through his skull, as he grabbed his head. Raven though watched him for a second as she suddenly burst’s into a fit of laughter, that made Andrew wonder what he said that was so funny. “What’s so funny?” He asked quickly, while Raven continued giggling. “Oh the thought that you think I would sacrifice you, how silly is that, if I was going to sacrifice you why in the world would I even save your life. No, just no. I have plans for you and not to have someone kill you. You owe me your life not your death. No I have something more important in mind.” Raven pushed the chair back as she got up, her hips swaying as she walked to the other side of the table looking at him. Those eyes, it was the first time he noticed them, they were red, like pure blood, as she watched him with a sort of hunger. The kind animals on the hunt had when they found the perfect prayer. It didn’t help him with his feeling that she was going to sacrifice him. “So If you’re not going to sacrifice me then what do you want?” Andrew asked not even sure what to say while he looked at the War Goddess, who smirked as she leaned in. “I want you to marry me.” She said simply her hand touching the table as she glided her hand around as a box appeared, in fact it was the same box that he tossed the other night, as she opened it revealing the gold band. “In exchange for saving your life you must become my husband, from now untill the day you die.” She said with a wide grin, like a cat. Andrew watched her for a second not sure what to say, yet went for the first word that came to his head, “Wait what?!” He muttered out as he looked at the goddess holding the box, and on one knee before him. “Marry me simple as that, in exchange for you to live, you become my husband. So what do you say?” Raven said as she looked him in the eyes. Those blood red eyes. As he sat there stunned not even sure if he could say yes or no, and worst of all, what if he does say no what would she do. “What… What would me become your husband do for me? I mean what would I have to do?” He asked, though Raven smile vanished as she looked almost annoyed, “Humans, always curious and wondering, it’s both your most fascinating and annoying features you’ve developed. But if you want to know. You Becoming my husband would be simple.” Raven stood up, and from the position they were, she looked like a giant. It was quiet something as she walked around him. “But if you must know, as my husband you will be required to be a good husband, try not to cause me any trouble, Give me at least one or two kids, like any normal couple. You also can’t embarrass me in front of the other gods.”Raven moved in her finger under his chin lifting his head, “Do you understand that. I think its a fair deal, you’re life, and you become my husband, it’ll be simple.” She said, while Andrew looked at her for a minute, seeing there wasn’t any down sides. “Sure, I’ll marry you, but I really don’t know you. I mean… Yes.” He said while Raven nodded, “Good, we’ll have the ceremony in about a week understand. I want us to be married as soon as possible. But as one of my top gods I’ll need witnesses from people in my pantheon. Do you understand that.” Raven spoke with that wild smile. Andrew nodded understanding what she meant, Though a thought came other him. “What about my parents… My family? Will they be ok?” “They’ll be fine, I know a couple of gods that I’m sure will look out for them, though you won’t be able to see them again.” Almost like pulling it out from air, Raven brought out a newspaper, and showed it. Andrew looked into it, where he saw it an obituary, reading, Andrew Moon (Andy) Died age twenty-seven leaving behind his parents and girlfriend. He died in the early hours of the morning death by suicide. His funeral will be held at the St. Francis Funeral home in New charlise. Where he will be buried. To the world Andrew Moon was dead, but for Andrew Moon his life was only begining. Weather he knew it or not, He was about to begin a new chapter in his life.

Four years have passed since that day. Klara took a deep breath and picked up her bag. She rushed downstairs quickly to eat breakfast hastily. "I'm finally 16," Klara muttered. "My birthday was a week ago and I needed to wait for the uniform to be delivered to me." As Klara was almost done with her egg, she heard her phone ding. Digging it out of her pocket, she sees a notification from Shio. She opened her IChatte to see the message Shio sent her.  [ Shio: Yo Klara, should I come and pick you up to go to school? I can help with your luggage? ]  [ Klara: Don't worry. I'll be fine ]  "You can now finally go to the top school in the world located here in our country Ghana. A school where children from prestigious families all over the world can enter. Harven International School," A woman said boldly.  Before Klara was a tall Asian woman with short black hair and black eyes. She had a long scar on the left side of her face and had a crazy look of excitement in her eyes as she looked at Klara. "You would show them that my experiment was not a failure," Hannah yelled before she hugged Klara. "However, you should have changed your gender. What if someone finds out? You know it's legal nowadays." Klara wore a dark green uniform for boys. It had long sleeves and a pair of long trousers. And an insignia of the Harven International School. However, the way Klara had dressed she looked almost like a boy if not her feminine features. She was around 5'4 feet tall. "Mother, it's not an all boys school. It's just the course I want to do that only accepts boys," Klara stated with a straight face. "But changing your gender would avoid problems," Hannah said nervously. "Mother, I would be your experiment, I would do all the things you ask, and I would learn everything you offer. But one thing I won't change is my gender. I love being a girl and your words aren't gonna change my mind," Klara stated firmly. "You… tch. Do whatever you want but if they find out it's your fault!" Hannah grumbled before she marches away. "Do your best, big sister!" A fair boy in his teens with a pair of golden eyes like Klara said, raising both his hands cutely. He had short blonde hair and a cute face. He smiled at Klara even though he was in his pajamas. "I will, little bro." Klara smiled before walking out of the house. She took in a deep breath before breathing out.  "I guess Sir Kevin has already asked for my stuff to be placed in a dorm," Klara muttered. She glares down at the message from Kevin.  [ Kevin: Sorry Klara, I couldn't get a private dorm. Most dorms in my school are made in a way students can socialize. So, you'll have to share a dorm with some boys. Don't worry, in each dorm everyone has a separate room. You just have to be careful, okay? (⁠◠⁠‿⁠・⁠)⁠—⁠☆] [ Klara: I understand, sir. Don't worry- I'll be fine. ] Klara texted before opening an app with a car symbol on it. She orders herself a taxi and after a few minutes of anxiously waiting, it pulls up to the curb.  "Where would you like to go, sir?" The taxi driver asked. "Harven International School please," Klara recited before the car started to move.  After a few minutes, Klara appeared before the pearly gates of the school. They are currently open to allow new students inside with plenty of security guards at their designated stations around the entrance. Klara walked up to the gate carrying her backpack and stood in front of a security guard.  "Student ID, please," the man said with a deep voice.  Klara took out a green card with her name and other details on it. The security guard held a phone, scanning the ID before stopping.  The guard bowed, stepping aside to make room for Klara to enter. "Welcome to Harven International School."  As she entered the school, Klara noticed that the school was shaped as extremely huge rectangular buildings with embellished windows at each side. It reveals diligent students tending to their studies with thoughtful expressions.  'If not for the label at the front gate, I could mistake this place for a 10 star hotel mixed with a shopping mall,' Klara thought dryly, surveying the polished halls and intricate classrooms. Her eyes linger on the courtyard shining outside of the window. 'The school is so extravagant but also maintains its greenery and neatness.' 'Even though I missed the welcoming ceremony. I'm still allowed to come to class,' Klara thought gratefully, forcing herself to continue walking through the halls. There were barely any students since they were all having class.  Klara picked up her pace and checked her phone. [ Klara: Class A-1 ] 'Throughout these 4 years I have been exercising to give myself a muscular build. Unfortunately I wasn't able to become bulky but my body is toned. Even though it's still feminine, I'm glad I bought a fake muscle suit. With my make-up, artistic and design skills I was able to blend the muscle suit with my body,' Klara thought as she spotted ladies staring at her and some almost looked like they were going to drool.  'Success, I'm able to blend in as a handsome boy. Slightly uncomfortable but it would do,' Klara thought as she patted her chest and stood before the Class A 1's door. ***** "Everyone, I would like you to welcome Klara Aswidu."  Klara walked into the classroom briskly but kept her elegant stride. She takes the time to give the class a cursory glance, noting that there are only about 15 students which makes her number 16. They all sit on lavishly designed chairs and tables. Not a speck of dust could be seen in the wide classroom.  At the corner of the walls were two AC's which were inside the walls and we're blowing cool fresh air into the class. There were windows at the side of the class which revealed the beautiful garden beside it.  The fair blonde-haired teacher is dressed in a luxurious suit and smiles kindly towards Klara to continue the introduction. "He's a scholarship student whom you would be having classes with," the teacher said and Klara smiled at her, causing her to blush.    "OMG! He's so beautiful," some girls squealed in joy.  One of the male students’ sneers, leering towards Klara as the girls chitter. "Doesn't that sound like a girl's name?"  "Who cares you're just jealous," A girl spat back.  "I hope you can all treat me nicely," Klara said with a smile which captivated everyone. 'Sons and daughters of rich people from the business world. My step into building trustworthy relationships. Pawns to help me achieve my goals,' Klara thought as she glanced through everyone.  The boys wore a green shirt with long sleeves, while girls wore a long green dress with beautiful flowers on it. And both genders had the school insignia on their chest.  Kevin's words flashed through her mind. "Remember, Klara, people aren't pawns. Make good friends."  **** After going to various teachers to join their class, Klara was a bit exhausted as she trudged through the halls. It’s getting increasingly difficult to ignore the looks of admiration and some of jealousy as she passed by fellow students and even a few teachers.  "Klara?" Shio called out as he met Klara in the hallways and tapped on her back.  "Yes, Shio?" Klara turned to see an extremely beautiful yet handsome boy with long green hair tied into a ponytail jogging towards her. He has a pair of lovely yellow eyes. His smile was gentle and catchy, causing all the ladies to squeal in joy and some guys to chuckle. When he stood next to Klara he was some few inches taller than her and he had a slightly muscular build. "It's still hard to believe that it's you. How does your body look so muscular?" Shio muttered in a low voice into Klara's ear. "Did you have surgery?" "No, I'm wearing a muscle suit," Klara tipped on her toes and whispered in his ears.  This sudden gesture caused Shio to step a few inches away from Klara, his face red as a tomato. "That's– good in case -someone asks you to strip to check if you're a guy," Shio stuttered as Klara looked at him confused.  "If you're done blushing, can you escort me to the dining hall? I need to eat," Klara said bluntly and stared at Shio with a straight face. 'Damn she's so harsh,' Shio thought and he clenched his chest as though he was in pain. Noticing Shio’s tenison, a girl walked up to him with a furrowed brow of concern. "Shio, are you alright?" she asked quietly. Instantly, Shio banishes the tension to pin the girl with a charming smile and wink. "I'm alright now, because your beautiful face has eased the pain in my heart," he said flirtatiously.  "Kyyyaaa!" All the girls in the hall squealed in excitement but Klara just rolled her eyes.  'Even though we're best friends, I always find his flirtatious phrases so cheesy,' Klara thought as she looked at Shio smiling at the girls with a straight face. Klara narrows her eyes coldly on Shio, unamused at his dramatics. "If you're done, can we go and eat now?" Klara said coldly as she stared at Shio.  "Sorry, I almost forgot that you get cranky when you haven't eaten," Shio apologized, scratching his head. He waves apologetically to the girl with another charming grin before walking down the halls with Klara. "All eyes are on you," he notes in a soft undertone when catches sight of the stares from both men and women in the halls. "Same for you," Klara commented. "But you're more beautiful than me." Shio chuckled. "You really look like a beautiful person from an anime." "Haha thanks. All the anime cosplayers on TikToka have helped improve my disguise skills." Klara tried to laugh but it almost sounded robotic.  "I like it better if you were a girl, but this is even better. I don't want boys to be ogling their eyes at you," Shio said thoughtfully. He hugged Klara and patted her on the head. "Hands off before you get a black eye," Klara said coldly.  "Yes ma'am! I mean yes sir!" Shio saluted before following along. At the front of the dinning hall was a serving counter like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Neatly placed and managed by people who stood behind each food to serve the students. Hundreds of students were walking up and down, each collecting their food and sitting down to eat.  At Klara and Shio’s entrance, however, a few of the students’ turn their attention to the two of them with rapt attention.  Ignoring the stares, Klara and Shio walked to the serving counter and took some ceramic plates with utensils on an already made tray. They collect their food silently.  Once they were done, they sat around one of the glass tables. "Let's just have our lunch," Shio said as he was about to dig in.  Clasping her hands together, Klara bows her head. "Bless our food, oh Lord."  With raised brows, Shio stalls in stuffing his face to watch her. His brow wrinkles. "You still go to church?" he asked. "Of course. Whenever I go to church, I just feel peace," Klara explains calmly and she took a bite of some nicely cut steak.  "He's probably not real, you know?" Shio said, referring to God. "I don't care. Going to church just brings me peace, which I never got when I didn't know the church," Klara said, causing her to remember her mother's words in the past.  'You shouldn't be going to church, it's just a waste of time and your talent. You could be learning right now or even training!' Noticing Klara's face was more straight, Shio realized she was slightly upset. An uncomfortable pit forms in his stomach at the notion of upsetting her, so he playfully asks, "Klara, could you please feed me?" Startled at the abrupt question, Klara nearly drops her fork. She casts him a scathing glare. "No!"  Shio dramatically grasped his chest "Straight rejection, how cruel!" . **** "Have you heard about it?" "There's a new scholarship student. We've never had a scholarship student before!" "What's more is that he's doing most of the courses in the school."  "Today alone I heard he had gone to the music class and surprised the teacher with his awesome rock and singing skills." "Surprise Mr. Guweis? That's impossible!" "I'm telling you the truth! And that was just this morning," "He later went to try out for the school's football team and had the coach begging for him to be part of the team." "That's crazy! Coach Kwesi? He's known to be ruthless when picking people to be part of the team…" "All that happened in a span of two hours. Now, I heard he's going to try out for the martial arts class after lunch." "What? You mean Miss Mable's class?!"  "Come on. Let's go!" *** In a large room with a smooth wooden floor stood Klara before a slightly muscular, fair female teacher. She looked middle aged. She has frizzy red hair and an air of cool red eyes. She wore a white karate clothes as she stood there with her arms crossed. A worn black belt is cinched tightly around her waist. "You wanna be part of my class?" the woman asked with a cheeky grin and her hands crossed. "Yes ma'am," Klara said calmly. "Well, then, if you manage to land a hit that would cause me to stumble, you pass," the woman stated.  Klara immediately dashed towards Mable. She placed both her hands on the floor as she used her legs to swing around in a quick motion and Mable managed to stop them with her arms but she didn't stumble.  'To use such a complicated move. He's not an amateur,' Mable thought as she watched her quivering hands and missed.  Klara then threw a punch at Mable, but when Mable was about to stop it Klara twisted her body in the air and kicked Mable in the head causing her to stumble.  Clutching her head, Mable stumbles backwards. She chuckles wearily, her grin sharpening. “Haven’t you ever heard of respect towards a lady?” "I believe in gender equality." Klara clasped her hand together as a sign of respect. "Tch, well, I can’t argue that.” Mable chuckled. “You're now part of the martial arts class."  "Thanks." Klara smiled before walking away. Everyone who stood at the window outside of the martial art hall stared in utter bewilderment and shock a the battle they had just witnessed.   "OMG! He's so perfect!" one of the girl’s squealed and feigned a swoon. The other girls surrounding her chittered and laughed, but murmured their cheeky agreements.  "Don't you find the way he's perfect to be creepy?" one of the guys asked with a frown. "You're just jealous," another girl retorted at the boy.  Hearing the words, Klara nodded to herself. 'Being perfect. Yes, that's my mum's goal. Because of her, I'm alive today, so I shall do my best to achieve her goal. To be a perfect human. Father Lord, please lend me your strength.' After the school day was over and it was evening. Klara tapped on her phone and Shio appeared a few minutes later. His typical charming grin is in place and he eagerly takes his place at Klara’s side. "Let's go to our dorm. I'm sure you're gonna love it!" Shio beamed and Klara just nodded.  After taking a small taxi to their school, they arrived at a luxurious mansion.  From the outside the mansion looks luxurious and extravagant. It was a wide rectangular 3 story building. It looks like it has been built and bricks covered in render and has gray plant decorations. Large, square windows add to the overall look of the house and have been added to the house in a mostly symmetric way.  The roof is low and pyramid shaped and is covered with black roof tiles. Two small chimneys sit at either side of the house. A few large windows let in just enough light to the rooms below the roof. The house itself is surrounded by paved ground.  There was a balcony on the third floor which could be seen as Klara entered the house.  Upon entering, Klara noticed the floor in the house was made of ceramic and after some few steps she was greeted with a massive living room that could hold about 15 people.  "This is so cool, right?" Shio asked as he looked at Klara but she was expressionless as ever.  There was so much furniture in the house including fancy lamps hanging on the ceiling on each floor as they explored. The house is equipped with a small kitchen and 12 luxurious bedrooms, a large dining area which has a luxurious circular glass table with 20 chairs. Upon entering the kitchen they were met with a lavish black quartz counter. The sink was beautiful and coloured black as behind it stood materials for personal hygiene. Beside it were refrigerated drawers and warming drawers to keep food warm or cold. On the left side of the kitchen were beautiful glass cabinets of various glassware and ceramics all placed neatly.  Beside it was a high tech refrigerator which Klara fidgeted with a little find out it was a touchscreen, camera, a semi transparent door, smartphone based temperature management and it was aesthetically pleasing.  On the right side of the kitchen was a luxurious chef based stove. Coloured black and used an electrical gas system.  A chandelier hangs from the roof of the kitchen lighting up the place beautifully.  Once they left the kitchen a group of ten boys were already standing before Klara and Shio, some smiling, others with a straight face. The boy closest to Klara takes another step towards her with a bright smile. "Welcome, Scholarship Student, to the dorm of the top 10. You now make 11. I’m Adrien." "Nice to meet you,” Klara greets plainly, already pivoting on her heel to head towards the stairs. “Good night."  Pulling out her phone, Klara checks the messages from Kevin to discover that Kevin has already asked his staff to deliver her luggage to her new dorm room.  The sound of rushed steps behind her, Klara glances over her shoulder to notice that Shio has followed her up the stairs. "I'm tired, I'll be sleeping for some hours." Laughing, Shio scurries to her side. "Well, what do you expect after trying most of the activities in the school?" he jests lightly with a snort. "I told you that your body won't be able to handle it!" Klara waved her hand behind her dismissively. "I can handle it," she muttered petulantly as she arrived at her room.

Content Warning: The following contains attempted rape that may be harmful or traumatizing to some readers.  ✳✳✳ Cep trailed the corridor to his hotel room after he snuck out of his friend's birthday party. The party was a blast, full of Omegas and Alphas, and disgusting pheromones were everywhere, so after he talked to some essential personnel for business, he immediately got away from the venue and took a breather and never intended to go back to the party.  He was swiping the key card to the door of his room when he saw three men in suits attire, grabbing someone forcedly. They seemed to come from the same party.  He assumed the guy who was being dragged along was an Omega based on his figure and looks and one of the hotel staff because of the hotel uniform he was wearing. He also noticed the Omega at the party, serving drinks to the guesses, and judging by the actions, the Omega was trying to resist the three men, but the men aggressively kept trying to drag the Omega into the room across from him.  No one was in the corridor aside for him, the three men, and the abducted Omega.  "No, please! I don't want to! Let me go!" The Omega pleaded and cried, but the three men seemed not to care and were unfazed. Cep thought he had no business with them and stepping in between them would be just a waste of his precious time.  Cep casually opened his room's door as he still heard their voices. He was about to enter when he heard the Omega's desperate plea.  "Please! Save me! "  ✳✳✳  Cade was in disbelief when the man he was asking for help didn't budge at all, he didn't help him and he even acted as if he didn't exist there. How could someone so heartless and turned a blind eye to his bad situation? The man had a terrible attitude, but he shouldn't put blame on others or involved someone in his misfortune, Cade scolded himself.  "Stop resisting because even if you shout and beg for help. Nobody still wants to help you. Omega like you supposed to be obedient and come with us," the guy said who was gripping his arms while the other two guys were smirking and their eyes were staring at him lewdly as if they were stripping and violating him in their minds.  Cade felt the shiver crawling his skin as he was feeling disgusted and disturbed by these men.  That's right, he was only an Omega, a poor and recessive Omega who got discriminated against and looked down upon by the people everywhere and anywhere he went. That's why even if he would suddenly disappear one day, no one would ever know and remember his existence. Nobody cared about someone like him. Oh, there was one, his little brother would be the only one to look for someone like him.  "I don't want this! Let me go!" He protested, sensing what the men were trying to do with him.  He kept resisting and trying to get away from the hands of these men but he was only an Omega, he couldn't fight and the three men's sizes were twice compared to his. His strength was gone when he felt that his body started to feel hot.  What is this feeling? Cade asked himself. Coming to think of it, he was not feeling well since he got to the party.  The men successfully got Cade into the room and throw him on the bed harshly, he felt the cold and soft mattress against his back.  'No! I need to get out..' he said in his mind and was unable to voice out those words anymore as the unfamiliar feeling seeped through his body, it felt so hot and something part of him was twitching.  "We're you just acting hard to get, I thought you don't like this then why are you being quiet now?" the guy who was wearing a brown blazer, asked mockingly and smiled dirty at him.  "Your pheromones are leaking, do you want us to fuck you that badly Hmm?" The men crawled onto the bed, they were stripping at the same time approaching him.  Pheromones? What were they saying? Releasing pheromones would be impossible for him as he was not yet getting his first heat. His doctor told him that recessive Omegas like him had difficulties getting their heat for different reasons and some others never got their heat. When he turned 21 years old, he gave up hoping for his to heat come.  Cade was crying silently as he slowly accepted his fate at the hands of these men. The door was already locked and even if he would run over to the door, the men could outrun him and might beat him.  Cade sobbed when the men were already naked and ready to pound him and even though he was not sure that God was existing, he was still praying that someone would save him.  As the men's dirty hands reached out to touch him, they heard a knock on their door which caused them to stop and looked at each other, wondering who had knocked.  "Did someone order food?" Asked the guy in the middle of the two men.  The two guys were shaking their heads because they did not remember ordering food or anything else.  "I'll get the door," one of the men volunteered and went to the door.  "What is it?" The man asked as he was opening the door.  "Delivery!"  Cade, who had been crying, suddenly heard a loud bang, which caused him to stop crying and looked toward the door. He was taken aback; the man who had opened the door was now knocked out on the floor, and the man he had asked for help earlier stood at the door, looking in his direction, and their eyes met.  ✳✳✳  Cep kicked the guy who opened the door in the abdomen like it was nothing, and he may have kicked him hard enough that the guy collapsed with only one kick. Then he saw the Omega lying on the bed with the two men-- who were dumbfounded by the scene of him and their companion who was currently lying on the floor, unconscious.  Cep walked towards the Omega who looked stunned by his presence. He felt relieved when the Omega appeared to be good physically since he was still fully dressed. However, his face looked messy, it was like his snots and tears were all over his face, he looked traumatized.  As for Cep, he didn't know why he was trying to save the Omega. The reason was completely unknown. He just found himself knocking on their room and pretending to be a superhero.  "What the fuck did you do?!" The second guy asked furiously and got up from the bed and attacked him with a fist, but Cep effortlessly dodged it and simply landed a kick on the guy's face, causing the man to lose his balance and fall to the floor, the man's nose started to bleed but tried to get up again to fight back. However, Cep kicked the guy's chest and abdomen before he could get up and made him unconscious like the first guy.  The last guy stood up and Cep thought the guy would attack him too, but the guy got scared of him and quickly escaped from the room, naked. He didn't bother to look and chase the guy.  Cep, the two unconscious men, and the Omega were only the ones left in the room. He fixed his eyes on the Omega, his eyes were slightly reddish and sullen probably because he had been crying but he still looked dazzling.  The Omega had an exceptional beauty, a small face with a tall nose and moderately thick lips, eyes that were almond-shaped that matched those long and thick eyes lashes, and attractive natural eyebrows that flew obliquely into the strands of his black hair beneath the corners his temples were.  "You okay?" When Cep saw the Omega's pitiful condition, he felt the need to ask him.  The omega was still stunned and slowly nodded his head twice in response.  Cep suddenly scented faint pheromones he had not noticed up to now. The pheromones were not strong so he was still fine. It was a good thing that he was a meticulous person and didn't forget to take a suppressant before coming to the party because he knew situations like these were inevitable.  Cep had to leave the room right away before the pheromones get strong.  "My job's done here, I'm leaving and it's up to you now to decide if you want to leave or stay in this room, " Cep said and he was about to take a step back when a pair of trembling hands grabbed his wrist and had him stop leaving.  "H-help me... M-my body feels so hot," The eyes of the Omega were begging and lips were shaking and his face was flustered. He looked in heat.  Cep hesitated. If he stayed in that room for another second, his rationality might give in to his Alpha instinct and he might attack the Omega, that was the last thing he wanted to happen.  Saving the Omega from getting r*ped made no sense if he would be the last person to lay a hand on him. That would make him a person who was not far from those people who tried to violate him.  The Omega still held on to his wrist and he was taken aback when the Omega suddenly grabbed his necktie making him slightly bent towards him as he felt a soft object pressed against his lips. He kissed him and clung to him, he was stunned for seconds but he was still in his right mind so he tried to push the Omega back, putting a distance between them.  "Fuck, you're in heat, Where's your heat suppressant?" Cep asked with a slight panic in his voice while looking around the room as if a suppressant would suddenly appear if he would just keep looking.  "I-I don't have it with me" The Omega answered, he was stuttering but he kept going anyway "I-I don't know, I've been feeling like this since earlier " he was panting heavily and his pheromones getting strong.  So this is heat? Cade thought he would never get his heat. He didn't experience something like this before, The feeling was so strange, it was so scary.  "Wait, I'll go look for a heat suppressant, stay here and wait for m--" Cep said but the Omega cut him off by grabbing his neck.  His tempting lips pressed against his lips once again, at that moment, Cep knew he couldn't hold it anymore as the Omega's pheromones started to affect him.  He tilted his head as he leaned in and kissed back the Omega, he rubbed his lips against him and he took his time licking, caressing, and sucking his lips with his tongue as he wanted to savor those sweet plumps.  The Omega's moans were like music to his ears. He greedily bit the Omega's bottom lip causing him to gasp and parted his lips, he took that opportunity to slide his tongue into his mouth.  He was sucking and nibbling the Omega's tongue while his right hand was starting to touch and caressed the Omega's slim waist while his other hand was on the latter's nape-- pulling him closer to his body and not letting him escape.  The Omega was at a loss, he didn't know what was he doing anymore when he clung to the stranger who saved him. His brain was melting, and the feeling of being touched was addicting. His body was burning with desire.  Cep knew that the Omega was not used for that kind of thing when he noticed the Omega's sloppy response to his kissing, the thought of it made him happy, he didn't know why he felt that way liked not knowing the reason why did he save the Omega. Maybe it was his conscience? No, that was not it. Rather, something deeper than conscience.  He was not someone to follow his Alpha instinct, he had strong willpower despite wanting to devour the Omega, he had a bit of sanity left so he drew out from the kiss again.  "Don't stop. I need more, more.." The Omega's watery eyes were begging, the face was flustered and lips were swollen and wet from the intense kiss they had. He looked so seductive and lewd, but the Omega was unaware of it because it was obvious the heat was completely engulfing his mind and body, making him intoxicated.  For the third time, the Omega kissed him again and the willpower he had been boasting about until now instantly disappeared as he found himself carrying the Omega to his room while their lips were locking  Well, fuck willpower.

In an expensive looking office there sat a man and a child who seemed to be discussing something. The office was filled with beautiful paintings and ceramic vases. A beautiful chandelier hangs from the ceiling of the office. In a circular shaped office adorned with lavish paintings and intricate vases, there is a man and a child locked in a steady discussion. The walls are lined with ornate bookcases and a shimmering chandelier hangs from the ceiling to cast a warm glow over the room. "Are you Klara Aswidu?" the man behind a large oakwood desk asked. He appears to be in his mid-forties with his curly black hair having a touch of gray. He smiled at Klara. A tall brown skinned man with curly black hair and a pair of mesmerizing yellow eyes that made him look wise. The name-plate on the man’s desk read a simple “Kevin Bright.”  "Yes sir.” A girl answered. "And you're African?" Kevin asked as he looked at Klara. Kevin asked, yellow eyes carefully surveying Klara’s form in a calculating manner. "Yes, sir.” "I see, I see." On the chair sat a beautiful young girl around twelve years of age. She resembled a doll. Long silky black hair and a pair of beautiful, yet forbidding golden eyes. They seemed to sparkle under the light, unlike her expression which remains eerily neutral and devoid of any defining emotion. She wore an expressionless face. Firm lips turned in a modest frown. She was dressed in a pink gown and matching pink boots.  "You did extremely well in our scholarship exams,” Kevin said thoughtfully. He doesn’t bother to glance at Klara's file that rested open in front of him. “I see you would like to take an IT course in our school?" "Yes, sir.” Klara replied firmly, “and not just any IT course but the AI Development and World Changing Ideas course.” Kevin’s brow raised to his hairline. "Why? The course is expensive, and your financial situation won't be able to cover the expenses," he asked. His golden eyes never left her face, scanning her up and down for any sort of anxious movement. Despite this, he found no such thing in the young girl’s body movement.  "That's why I chose to do the scholarship program. I remember that if I passed all of the fifteen subjects given to me, I would get to choose the courses I want in this school. You would have never called me here if I had failed," Klara retorted back, unwavering in her approach.  Offering a crooked smile, Kevin leans back in his seat. "You're right, Young Miss. You didn't fail. In fact, you passed so well that you left the teachers in shock."  "Although I regret to inform you that the scholarship works for all other classes except that one. It’s sponsored by one of the top IT companies in the world, Diamond Industry, and the requirements for that class is that you must be male.”  Klara’s expression remained the same despite what she heard. With a shift in her seat, she straightened her posture and stayed silent.  "I'll make an exception for you," Kevin said finally after a short moment. "At the moment, you're too young- you’re just 12 years old, so I would like you to come back in four years. Because the IT course in our school is for male students only. It would be beneficial for you to dress as a boy.”  Brow knitting together, Klara tightened her fingers over the fabric of her pink dress. "I…don't mind dressing as a boy, but why can't I go to school now?" she murmured slowly. Clicking his tongue chidingly, Kevin says, "Child, you're much too young. I know that your mother wants to prove to the world that she created a successful experiment. A human being without emotions, but has the highest IQ one could have. However, I believe you have emotions and you simply just need to find it."  At Klara’s progressing frown, Kevin rounds his desk and patted her on the head.  "I understand, sir, but what does this have to do with my age?"  "Now is the time for you to make friends." "I have no need for such worthless things. Everyone is a miserable pawn and has its own worth. Use the pieces wisely and you’ll win the game," Klara stated coldly.  “Ughh, you're much too stiff.” Kevin shook his head solemnly. “So, technically, you don't have friends?"  "I do," Klara answered. "Oh, that's good," He patted Klara on the head. "Since you're so smart, I wanted to ask you if you could teach my son Shio. I have been looking for a good teacher for him recently. And a girl as smart as you would be a perfect fit. You can even be friends with him." Kevin smiled.  Klara only raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll have to ask my mother first," she said before picking up her smart phone from her blue backpack. "Mother, please, Sir Kevin would like me to teach his son."  "Kevin! Why do you want my daughter to teach your son? She's only supposed to complete her course and become the smartest person alive. I refuse to let such an irrelevant thing as teaching obstruct her way to greatness!” A woman on the phone yowled, but Kevin only smirked. "Hannah, you're being too much. She's just a child and look at how you've pushed her. People her age should be playing around and having friends. Not to complete a top world course at just twelve," Kevin rebuked calmly. "So what? I want my daughter to be the greatest person alive. I want to prove to those scientists that my experiment was successful, and they were wrong for destroying my experiment and calling it a curse!" Hannah scowled.  "She will not enter my school until she's 16 and she’ll be living with me whether you like it or not,” Kevin said, his arms crossed along his chest  "You have no right to do this!" She yelled. "I funded the experiment, so I also have the right to take care of her. Do you think you could have completed the experiment without me sponsoring you?”  Hannah closed herself into silence on the other line.  “Good, then. Klara would be teaching Shio and come to your home every evening. I'll send a driver to pick her up, and she won't enter my school till she's sixteen. Do you understand what I’m telling you Hannah, or do I have to repeat myself again?" Despite his supposed question, the man’s menacing words were final in judgment.  "Yes I do, you fucking old man," Hannah spat as her last form of defiance.  "Hush now. Don’t curse in front of the child." He sighed before taking the phone from Klara and cutting the call. He then gave the phone back to Klara and smiled at her. "Your mother is quite the hussle." "I know, she's selfish and doesn't care about the things I want. I'm tired of her antics already. Despite that I still love her since she gave me life once again," Klara said with a straight face. Not showing an ounce of emotion. "Oh, so would you teach Shio?" Kevin asked. "Yes I would, and I would take payment, but only for four years.” Klara meets Kevin’s yellow gaze in a silent challenge to contradict her. “Because when I'm 16 I'm going to do every course in the school, even the IT course." "Oh, would you change your gender?" "No! I would still remain a girl. I would just dress up as a boy. I like my gender," Klara said. "Okay then, I shall keep it a secret for you when you attend my school." Kevin winked before taking a seat on his chair. Klara eyes him with uncertainty. "You promise?"  "Of course!" "I sense no ill intent from you, so I shall trust your words," Klara said finally. ***** Three days after the meeting, Klara was in a black car that came to pick her up from her house now they were driving through a private community. One could tell it was a private community due to all the beautiful houses around. The neighborhood is surrounded by ornate wrought iron gates, the lawns manicured to the point of pristine. In the distance, Klara noticed a country club complete with a pool. After driving for a few minutes the driver announced, "We've arrived, Lady Klara." Klara looked at the windshield to see that they were before an extremely huge mansion. It wasn't even a mansion- it was more like a palace. They drove through the gate and into a beautiful long-paved driveway, flushed with a manicured garden till they reached the front of the house.  Klara got out of the car, watching as it drove away.  Before her stood a fair maid with short black hair and a pair of kind black eyes.  "This way, Miss Klara." The maid bowed before leading Klara to the house. The door was opened by two butlers who bowed as they entered the house.  Walking through the halls, Klara noticed the splendor of the lavish marble floor and famous paintings adorning the walls. The walls were even designed with some rare gems. "So this is the house, huh? They sure are rich," Klara mumbled as she continued to look around. Despite all the interesting stuff to look at, her face remains impassive and unimpressed. They then stood before a huge door which was opened to reveal Kevin and a beautiful woman. A boy stands between them.  The woman was a fair-skinned Russian woman with beautiful green hair and a pair of pretty crystal blue eyes. Her smile was warm and soothing that one could melt just by looking at her. She wore a long red silk gown. "So, you're the boy named Shio?" Klara asked, walking up to them. She gives a cursory glance at a fair skinned boy, taking his height as a fraction shorter than hers. He had long green hair to his shoulders tied into a ponytail with a pair of beautiful yellow eyes. He wore a cute blue shirt and pants with a pair of bathroom slippers. "Mama, she's so beautiful! Is she my playmate?" The boy asked happily, walking up to Klara. His voice was soft and soothing, an extremely beautiful and melodious voice. "No. Your father says she'll be teaching you," the woman clarified sweetly. She pinched his cheeks fondly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shio Barton and this is my mum Iris and my dad Kevin," Shio introduced, then gestures towards his mum and dad.  "It's nice to see you again, Sir Kevin. And it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Iris," Klara said and she curtseyed. "I'm Klara Aswidu." Kevin approaches Klara with a smile, ruffling her hair. "Glad you came, kiddo."  Slapping his hand away from her head, Klara says, "I prefer that you refrain from messing up my neatly combed hair."  "Honey, this child is so mean to me," Kevin cried. He seeks shelter against his wife’s plum chest. "Are you my new playmate?" Shio asked. Klara shakes her head. "No, I'll be teaching you."  "How can a kid like you teach?" Shio raises an eyebrow   "Well, we'll find out." Klara smiled, catching Shio off guard. He blushed when he noticed how beautiful she was with a smile.  "Well, I don't care if you'll teach me. But you must also be my friend!" Shio stated with a red face. "Aww, since you two are getting along, lemme get some cookies." Iris laughed as she and Kevin walked away.  From that day on Klara would come and teach Shio every 4 days while she also studied herself. 

Elizabeth Iris Nightbloom was once a human, but through an experiment, was turned into a vampire. The experiment was conducted by the human government to make an undying defense force that would forever protect mankind from the Supernatural enemies, Vampires and Werewolves. The facts and procedures of the experiment were not told to the public, but the reason was enough. Elizabeth is the only successful product of the experiment that took place 150 years ago and has been the main backbone of humankind's’ defense force against the Supernaturals.   On a daily routine, she is tasked with missions to kill Supernaturals for the government and reports back of her successions, doing so for over 150 years. Her reasoning for following the government never reveals itself, even when she had to kill children of the Supernaturals.   “For the greater good of mankind.” Is what they told her. “The greater good.” She’ll repeat.   No explanation would be given for her actions, like a doll she was to the government, but in the end, she wasn’t a doll. That is the government’s downfall, a doll was what they saw her as, a war doll that fought to defend them. The government assigns another mission and like normal it will be completed, a routine of continuous success. But when one mission breaks the routine and Elizabeth reports it as a success, with the play of events, the secrets that the government holds and Elizabeth’s reasoning for her actions start to unravel.

The gentle wind breeze brushed the trees and animals that inhabited the forest as if the wind was a song the little creatures danced along with it. Everything ived in harmony and sync. …………………………………………… A body was lying on the grass that was once gold and green. It was an unusual sight for the creatures and animals of the forest, the days were usually fresh and peaceful, but a stench of blood covered the fresh and greenness of the forest. A human? No, their ears were pointy, a beastmen? No, there was no fur or features of a beastmen on the body of the girl that laid there. Vampire? Half-ling?(...) Just as the interest of the creatures and animals of the forest’s peaked about what the girl was, the girl twitched, and groaned, everything went silent in the forest. The forest’s inhabitants were amazed that the girl that was covered in blood, and was almost lifeless was alive! She was alive! …………………………………… Helisse's Point of View (P.O.V) A soft faint smell of a forest swayed over my nose, it was somewhat refreshing; calming, but that soon disappeared as a strong stench overlapped the faint smell of refreshingness. The stench was familiar, blood.  Events of horror flashed in front of me,  trees flew past me, smoke weakening my sight and the waves of a  blood like stench invaded my nostrils. My body twitched.  What's this!? What’s happening— I,, I'am scared! My body was being dragged against rocks, and wood, something cold touched my boiling skin, it started to engulf me. "H##%%",  no noise whatsoever came out of my mouth despite trying instead the more I struggled the more my own words choked me.    ………………………………… The girl opened her eyes and was panting. The deers and fairies that helped her to the stream flinched as the girl seemed to be in a panic. The stream was very shallow and when it seemed like the girl noticed she calmed down a bit. She looked around and observed the animals and creatures with wary eyes. She took a deep breath but stopped as she coughed, she was coughing out blood. She started shaking and screaming, the pain seemed unbearable. The girl passed out headfirst into the water out of pain. The creatures and animals went into a panic. "Oh no oh no the girl is dead!" shouted a green fairy as he circled around the girl.  "No idiot! She fainted!", shouted another voice as something emerged from the huge tree on the other side of the stream. It was another green fairy–like creature, this one had longer hair.  "That's not important right now", cried the little fawn and looked to the older raindeer. "Right mother?" He asked.  "Yes, that's right little one", said the reindeer and walked towards the girl.  "Willow, the child will drown if she isn't moved could you lend us a hand please." "Since you asked so nicely", willow lifted her little arms and glowed while chanting. "I willow the nymph of the willows ask you to heed my call, help me out and grant me the power oh all mighty and bless me"   Roots sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the fragile girl and lifted her up.  "I guess it’s my turn", said the green fairy.  "Spirt of earth. ", and with that formed in an empty spot was a little house made of the earth, It as strudy and as beautiful as it interlocked with both ground and surrounding trees.  "This should be plenty for this little girl, said the green fairy. Willow rolled her eyes as she moved the fainted girl and laid her on her respective resting spot and without looking back headed out. "Are you just going to leave her like that?", asked the little fawn. "Should I stay?", she asked in an annoyed tone. The fawn opened its mouth and Willow answered it before he could speak. "That was a rhetorical question, and Little fawn, Haven't I helped that girl enough by letting her take shelter here?", and with that willow re-emerged with the big willow tree that was as tall as the sky, and as beautiful as the forest.  The fawn frowned as it sat near the unconscious girl.  It's mother would sigh along side him as she comforted her little fawn. "Little one?, please don't be like this, what Willow said was—" , she was cut off by the fawn. "Was what? Truthful?", the fawn asked conflicted and teary eyes. The mother upon seeing her little fawns reaction choked up and gave up for his sake. "Little one, My little loving fawn. Mustn't we give this child fresh food when she awakens?", Said the mother raindeer as her expression softened.  Upon hearing those words the fawn frolicked out of the little girl's house alongside his mother to gather food for the unconscious and frail guest. Author Note: Please let me know if I made any grammical errors and I hope you enjoyed reading! This was fun to write and I hope I can continue to write more with all of your support since I'm just starting out on this new platform, I haven't spoken English in awhile, so it's a bit rusty! Thanks again for reading and hope to see you in my next chapters! Have a nice day ^-^

White.  Where ever I look there’s only white.it appears that I am standing in a vast expanse of nothingness. Wosh!  Two foggy figures  appeared out of nowhere suddenly,but strangely enough I was calm about it. [we can’t have you start freaking out if we want to end this quickly] The humanoid figure to the right explained to me  [ahh,where is my manners.I am the great observer at your service.] Despite the odd situation I lowered my head slightly and introduced myself. “I am valex von archeus.might I ask you why am I here” [ of course of coarse,I brought you here to offer…..] “IT IS REALLY HIM!!!” the second figure interrupted loudly. “Valex the Bastard”  “What?” I don’t seem to follow what this figure just uttered out of nowhere. “So this is really happening hahahaha  I am not dreaming hahahaha “ [ silence] I widened my eyes as The second figure was silenced immediately with just a word.  [where was I, ah yes. I offere you a chance to change your fate] “My fate?”  [ precisely. It will be quicker if I showed you] I i Instantly felt a terrible headache and in the next moment I felt pain all over my body.I opened my eyes with difficulty. I was laying Down in the floor of a ruined castle hall with a shining sword imbedded in my chest. standing over me was a man covered in a tattered full body golden armor. His hair is golden in color and  eyes that shines in blue.from his heroic face one could see exhaustion from a fierce battle. His bleeding mouth opened. “Valex…your life….end’s…NOW.” “Wighhh…” I tried saying something but only blood came out of my mouth.the sword shined a brilliant golden light.And in the next second With  an extreme amount of pain I found myself  back in the White expanse rolling on the ground. “AHHHHHHHHH” [calm] Like it was only a lie the terrible pain and confusion disappeared. I stood up while wiping the tears and drool. I focused my gaze back at foggy figure. [ what you saw just now is your fate. To die by the hand of the world chosen] “And you are offering a chance to avoid that “ [ exactly. I like working with smart people.] “What is your offer then MR.observer” [ now now. No need to speak with that tune]  Even though I know offending this mysterious being is not in my best interest. I couldn’t stop myself. I just experienced being killed. [ I will return you back to your world with an amazing amount of future knowledge and even with a system to help you dominate the world.] “ what do you need me to do in exchange ” There is nothing free in this world. [in exchange I want you to fulfill the wish of my little friend here.] The second figure is glaring at me for some reason still unable to speak. [oh, you can speak now] “ I want you to save them!!” [ aiii, this is taking too long.silence] “mghfff” The Observer silenced the second figure .I feel a little bit of pity for him.he didn’t even have a chance to explain. [to make long story short .my little friend here is from another world. He died playing a video game pfttttt hahahaha .how hilarious.]  The observer started laughing mockingly while looking at the second figure who appears to be mad. [ where was I, ahh yes a game. The game follows the epic  story of Alex Brave. A young orphan rise in power to save the world. Of course, the game also offer the player the choice to capture the heart of any 5 female in the game.so basically in theory you can finish the game with any set of girls as your harm members .amazing right!!!] The figure started to wave his arms wildly hyping up the game. [ the problem is my friend here died trying to have a happy ending with a particular set of girls in his harm.] Indeed it seems to be an interesting game, however I don’t see the connection between all of this and me. [ so when this poor bastard died I took his soul and made a bet with him. Is it really possible to have a happy ending with this group of girls.] [ I would have liked to reincarnates him in the game world, however it is outside my authority. So to make the bet possible we needed an actor to preform for us and I chose you] The observer said pointing his foggy finger at me. “ wait a minute. Do you mean to say that I…” [ bing bong. You live in a video game what a big reveal!!!] [  in top of that you’re the main villain!!!] “ why did you chose me the suppose villain of the game” I asked calmly. I appear to still be under the effect of his power, otherwise I would have gone mad from this revelation. [not we but I did. To make the bet fair I chose the actor and he choose the tools.so what do you think of this offer ] let’s analyze the situation. I am a villain of a video game that will inevitably die under the hands of the hero.unless I accept this offer. “I accept “ I don’t need to think for too long. I would do anything to survive. Even though it didn’t last for long that vision where I was trampled on and humiliated. I will not allow it to happen. [ well it seem we have our self a deal] The mysterious being said smiling excitedly.

[ since we Reached An agreement lets move to the juice Stuff]    said the observer with bright smile that can’t hide his excitement.   [ to help you change your fate and complete your part of the deal. We will give you two things. First is a system that will show you your status and and some unique skills. Second is some crucial knowledge about your targets and important events. that is all what we can do for you, oh dear valex]    the observer said mischievously.   I narrowed my eyes feeling that something is off about the mysterious being smile.   [ can I chose my skills]    I asked Having a bad feeling about this.   [ Well no can do , our friend here is the one gearing you up for your epic quest.]   With darkened face I changed my gaze to the one that have been quiet for while.   [ oh it seems you have calmed down you can speak now.]   The second figure looked at me and took a deep breath to calm his chaotic emotions and said.    [ I don’t care how you do it as long you can Finish this shity game and have a happy ending with these 5.]   Looking at his eyes I can see an obsession that even death can’t stop. Either Way.   “ I don’t care about your Pathetic goal as long as I survive. It is just  seducing 5 women how hard can it be.”   I said confidently with out bating an eye, however I don’t like the mocking look on the two foggy figures.   [ well you look arrgo-I mean confident in completing your quest so let start the final step in completing our deal, shall we?]   The self proclaimed observer said with an amused expression.   [let’s start]   “ I am ready”   [ good, now shake each other hand to complete the deal.]   Both me and the second foggy figure walked to each other and when the distance between us was a about right,both of us clasped each other arms and the observer put his hand above ours.   [ with my authority I #%*!%^ bear witness]    Right after that there was a great explosion of light that blinded me after that…..well there wasn’t after that,I was knocked unconscious. . . . . . . . . . . . . In a Luxurious looking room in the middle of a huge bed lay a black Haired 10 year old child that seems to be experiencing the worst pain of his life.shortly after, the pain has began to leave his exotic Features hinting at his inevitable awakening.   With a grunt his crimson eyes fluttered open after what seemed to be a long nightmare.   “Where am I……whhiggreee”   With a splitting headache flashbacks of what happened in the white realm returned back to him.   “ yes. The observer….my death… and mission.”   Rubbing my throbbing head,I said with half anticipation half Suspicion.   “Status.”   Immediately after a blue glowing screen popped in front of my face  signifying that what happened was no mere dream.   Name:[VALEX VON ARCHUS]   Age:10   Titles: the last villain— Archus clan heir—heartless child— young genius— ^%^^#^# hope.   Class: noble lv.3–sword Apprentice lv.8—fire mage apprentice lv.4— Darkness mage apprentice lv.4–musician lv.5–sex fiend lv.0[NEW]   Hp:800          Mp:400   Strength:85 Agility:46 Vitality:80 Stamina:53 Intelligence: 51 Mana:60 Will:70 Charm:90[NEW] (Average human adult is 10)     Skills:  Innate: villain (EX)—cold mind(S)—hellfire Physique(S)—sword saint (SS)—lustfull(SS)[NEW] —charm(S) [NEW]—sex master(S) [NEW]   Unique:mind reading(SS)—observer hidden eye(EX) [NEW]— forgotten future(EX) [NEW]— ultimate pact(EX)[NEW]   Passive: basic swordmanship lv.8–basic hand to hand Combat lv.6–Nobel etiquette lv.5–piano lv.3   Active: Archus sword 13 dance lv.1–Archus fist carnage lv.1—Fire magic lv.2–darkness magic lv.2   “What the actual fuck.”   Looking at my status screen there seems to be many weird skills.let’s look at the description of the vague one.     [the last villain]: you are the ultimate evil that seeks to rule the world.   This one is Born from my, no my family long time ambition.   [villain (EX)]:you have an evil heart that will do anything to achieve his goal.you have the ability to learn and master many skills easily.you’re protected from fate when doing things that is morally evil in the eyes of the public.   This is the highest rated skill that I have with out the mysterious being deal. It high ranking probably came from the last line. Protected from fate, what a vague description.   [cold mind(S)] : you can keep calm in most Situation.     [hellfire Physique(S)]: you have a Genius grade affinity with fire and darkness elements.   [sword saint (SS)]: you have a prodigy grade affinity with swords.   [mind reading(SS)]: you can read the thoughts and intentions of others.   These are my default skills and abilities indeed worthy of being heir to one of the four big families and the last villain of the world.looking at the next set of skills.   [sex fiend lv.0]: a class that represents a sexual master that explores the pleasure of life. Buff 1.: increase your rod size  Buff 2. : increase your sexual stamina Buff 3. : increase sexual pleasure for both parties. Buff 4. : increase your charm by 2 every time you level up.   [^%^^#^# hope.]: you are the last hope of unknown existence.   [lustfull(SS)]: you have a lustfull nature that seeks bodily pleasure.   [charm(S)] open up the charm status. Double your total charm. Can see other people affection for you.   [sex master(S)] : you have the ability and skill to dominate in bed and give the best experience possible.   I looked in exasperation at This damned skill set it is obviously the doing of the second figure, I don’t mind most of them since they can help me in my cause, however this skill [ lustfull ] is going too far. I need rational thinking to solve many problems, I can’t have my self go horny in middle of crisis.   [observer hidden eye(EX)]: you can look at status window of others.   [forgotten future(EX)] : future knowledge that is yet to come.   [ultimate pact(EX)] : have a happy ending with the 5 heroines.( failure to complete will result in your ultimate demise in body and soul)   These three skills are from the observer, as expected from him they are all useful except for the last one, it’s my mission and shackles.   Having finished looking at my current capabilities.it’s time to have a look at what I am going to face. Focusing my mind at the [forgotten future(EX)] skill, I felt a painful headache, like someone trying to stuff something inside your skull.    After 5 minutes of Agonizing pain I laid on my soft bed staring at the ceiling blankly, only one word came out of my mouth    “Shit”      

Maximus Insanis leaned over the rooftop of the The Central Library of Bellum in order to take a closer look at the building that housed the famous Council of Mages. Even in the early morning light, he could make out that the place was choke full of people going in and out.    Maximus had teleported himself on to the The Central Library, the one building he was intimately familiar with in Bellum a few moments ago. The teleportation relays which was situated in every nook and corner of the Kingdom of  Terra Pax had made teleportation an obselete skill for most of the mages. But Maximus considered it a valuable one which had got him out of many terrible situations. He sat down against the wall and set up a barrier around himself. It will be several more hours before the ceremony begins. He had stayed up all night worrying about the ceremony where he will finally be made a full time mage.    Maximus was still wondering whether he should reveal the truth when sleep caught up with him. Meanwhile, in different parts of Terra Pax, six people were slowly waking up to the most anticipated day of their lives.

From Zero to hero [Chapter 0] Alex was having his normal morning walking in the forest near his village, the breezing air helped refresh his skin in his long walks. It was a common day. Simple, monotone... Boring. I really need to find something to do with my life. Just when Alex put this words into thoughts his vision got dark. He felt the world falling apart right at his feet. What the hell is going on? What is gappening? Where am I?!! “Who are you?” A voice could be heard inside his mind, but it felt strange. It felt as if it was not human. “Who are you?” The voice said again and yet Alex could not answer. Not because of fear but because he couldn't speak. What is this pressure? Who is this person? Why can't I speak? Where the only thoughts in his desperate mind. “Oh sorry, I think you just can't speak... Let’s see... hmm... ok done try saying something now” “What? What?! Where am I? What is going on? Who are you?” “Hi! My name is Shina and as you can see I’m a Sorcerer you are in my tower right now.” “What? Why?” “I was hoping you could tell me. Again, who are you?” “I’m Alex.” “Hi Alex! “ The girl had a penetrating gaze. She was what most people would call a beauty. No... Beauty was an insult compared to her. Completely gorgeous. Her floating blonde silky hair was shining like the sunset and her blue eyes where glowing in a ecstatic way. Her black dress seemed to weight nothing when suddenly she spoke. “Then again why are you in my tower?” Her hair became normal but her eyes where still glowing her gaze was more penetrating than before, it was like she was staring straight at his soul. “I don’t know. I was at the forest near my village when suddenly my mind got all dizzy and when I noticed I was already here.” He desperately said as if his life was depending on those words. “Which village?” “Karma Village.” “Never heard of that village. Where is it located?” “By the coast of the Dragon Fingers valley” “That’s far... way too far. Do you know any magic?” With face only a few centimeters from Alex’s her gaze seemed more scarier than anything he ever seen in his life. It felt like death was right in front of him. “I-I don’t...W-where am I?” The girl nodded a few times as if she discovered something interesting. “My tower!” She said with a big smile as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. Then she jumped back picked a chair and sit right in front of him. Geez I tought I was going to die “Don't worry I wouldn't hurt you out of nowhere” “huh?” “What?” “What did you just say?” “I said I wouldn't hurt you-” “Stop right there! Were you reading my mind?” “Sorry sorry it is my habit, don’t worry about it.” She said nonchalantly but Alex felt as if this girl was something he should be worried about. “Ok. So what is your name?” The girl slowly got up from her chair and approached him with a menacing smile. Alex couldn't help but feel a cold down his spine. “My... name... is... Shi-” And just as she was about to say her name Alex again felt his head dizzy, dark vision and the world again fell apart. “WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!!!” He couldn’t help but to say it out loud. “SERIOUSLY THE GODS MUST BE JOKING JUST WHEN I FINALLY THINK I’M ABOUT TO BECOME A PROTAGONIST OR SOME SHIT I GET TURN DOWN OUT OF NOWHERE? COME ON!!!” “What are you complaining about Alex?” A voice came from behind him and he jumped back. “Hey there you don’t need to be afraid it’s just me.” The person was wearing a maid outfit and her black hair was tied like a ponytail. She had dark eyes and a snow white skin she was Alex’s childhood friend, Lan-. “LANA!!” “What?” “I think I just got teleported twice!” “What?” “I was walking and then out of nowhere I found myself inside a Sorcerer’s tower and then got teleported back!” “Oh right you are delusional again. I get it.” “NO!! THIS TIME IS TRUE!” “Yes yes... Look, Mr. Rogers is looking for you. He said something about his fish-” “Oh crap! I forgot to feed them before I left I gotta go now see ya!” Alex quickly left to Mr. Rogers’ house already preparing himself for the worst case scenario. Please don’t be dead you fucking useless piece of fish.

Jina stared at the old and almost broken screen intently. Her emaciated hands quivered in anticipation.  5 years ago, Jina transmigrated with an appearance of a child into this interstellar world. Her peaceful world crumbled down and she had to feed herself by finding food near the garbage dump. Within those 5 years, Jina, a second-generation who only knows how to troll people on the internet, tasted what poverty is.  Fortunately enough, Jina, who was quite interested in repairing things in her old world, was good at using her hands and can repair things. She managed to save more than 5,000-star coins in those five years and can finally enroll in a famous Technical School near this unnamed planet 88-05 she's in.  Today is the day when the results from the registration would be sent, and Jina was eagerly waiting for lady fortune to smile upon her.  *Ding*  The mail arrived and Jina's hand speed was no lesser when she's still typing ridicules on the internet on her past world. She clicked on the mail and skimmed through it.  Jina almost teared up when she read that she managed to grab a limited slot, and with no hesitation, paid the 5,000 tuition fee for the first semester. Her heart bleeds for the loss of the precious 5,000 star coins she's been saving but nothing can overwhelm the happiness that she's finally stepping into the road of money. Jina rejoiced without completely looking at the name of the school she just enrolled in.  --- Jina dressed up to her most presentable clothes while holding her little to nothing baggage. Unexpectedly, the Astrolo Academy provided the fees to the transportation to their academy, which Jina pleasantly accepted since she's only left with 520-star coins.  When the announcement of her flight resounded on the spaceport speakers, Jina proceeded to show her ticket to the port employees and happily boarded the spaceplane while being absorbed in her delusion of stepping into the flowery road of riches. But as expected, the good fortunes only come in one, but bad luck comes in two.  Jina had the urge to cry when she saw the arch and the intimidating gates of her so-called Astrolo Academy. 'This isn't the academy I enrolled in...!!!' "Alright! You newcomers look so scrawny! How will your thin muscles even kill a zerg? Tsk. Tsk. Form two lines and come follow me inside." A senior, wearing a navy blue military uniform, snorted and shook his head while leading them inside. Jina blankly followed and thought, 'I'm here to learn and repair mechas, not fight using them, I'm a behind-the-scenes person! Why am I walking inside a military academy for?!' Jina looked at the solemn atmosphere of the students inside the academy and suddenly felt that she was about to suffer again.  The senior led their newcomers' group to a large open field where a wooden stage was placed in the center. On that stage, a middle-aged man wearing the same navy blue military uniform stood. Just by looking at the man, Jina felt that he was powerful and intimidating.  After leading them here, the senior who led them saluted at the middle-aged man standing at the stage and quietly left.  "ATTENTION!" The man shouted and the murmurs of the new students ceased. Jina blankly stared at the stage with despair written on her face. 'What grave mistake did I make? Why am I in a military academy? How?!'  "All students in this field are to run ten laps here. Students who failed to do this in 30 minutes will be sent back to their home planets. There will be no refunds for your tuition fee but the academy will send you off for free." The man said, and Jina, who wanted to back off her enrollment, immediately changed her mind. 'No refund? 5,000-star coins gone just like that? No! It can't be wasted like that!' Jina gaped at the terrifying notice the middle-aged man said. She felt her soul almost fly out when the man said that there was no refund for her money.

I remember the day it happened vividly even. Portals were opening left and right. Otherworldly beings had come out of them and destroyed anything and everything in their path. Panic was in everyone, nobody knowing what to do. I was scared. But suddenly, when all hope was lost, people started to fight back! It was as if superheroes had become real protecting humanity. This was the first instance of the Ascended. Select individuals with superhuman abilities. In the beginning, I don't know if people were more or less worried at their sighting of them. Nowadays people are much more relaxed with topics surrounding them, but that doesn't mean some still don't trust the ascended in my eyes, they are heroes and here's why. .... UUuugh this is so embarrassing! I tap my finger on the table and bounce my feet rapidly. Why is viewing your work so awkward!? And even more so when someone criticizes it! "Sean?" "Y-yes!?" I jolt up, snapping myself out of my stupor. "Are you okay? You don't look too good." my English teacher said. I look at myself. My legs were bouncing up and down rapidly. My palms were clasped together and felt sweaty. "Oh, I'm alright. I just felt embarrassed when you read my work out loud." "Don't be this is a good start, just use more details and go for the jugular." "Alright thank you for the advice," I said before taking my work and heading back to my desk. I sigh, it hasn't been that long since the ascended have appeared yet, it feels like no time at all. In no time, they have fully integrated into society and most media and pop culture have mentioned these unique individuals. Though there haven't been many events to talk about, at least that I know of. Maybe I should research- "Grade 10s please head down to the gym. Grade 10s please head down to the gym." The PA speaker interrupts my train of thought. Had that much time already passed? Taking a glance at my teacher, she gives a quick nod. Getting the confirmation, I dropped what I was doing and headed to the gymnasium. Speed walking down to the gym I noticed some people heading there as well. Though there are fewer going than I thought there would be. Well makes things easier for me. I open the front door to the gym and look around. What used to be home to my P.E. class in grade 9 now looks like something from a sci-fi movie. I guess that happens when the government needs to figure out who is Ascended. It used to be young adults making appointments to see if they had the potential, but as time went by, the age range increased to include more groups. For students testing facilities are brought to the school so, appointments won't have to be made for something unnecessary. Thanks to my punctuality I got ahead of the crowd. I got called up and went. I sat down on a chair and the person beside me started to ask questions about myself. Name, age, date of birth, height, weight; simple things. I didn't know the last two so, they checked with a stadiometer and scale. Once all the information was put in, the tester pulled out a device. The first thing I noticed was the crystal sticking out of it. It was about the size of my hand and looked translucent. It was mostly clear but, there was a single swirl of ever-changing colour. It was like a thread of string held by an invisible hand swirling around cloudy water. The crystal was surrounded by a metallic dome. Connected to it was an electronic device. It probably reads off stats and readings and the like. "Alright," The testing person finally said. "Put your hand on the crystal and we'll see if you're an Ascended." My hand reaches out toward the device. This is it, I thought. The moment of truth. Am I an Ascended or not? If I am one, then am I a strong one? Time seemed to stretch on and on. In reality, not even a minute has passed. "Are you nervous?" the tester asked. I nodded. "That's understandable," she said in response. "This must be a big moment for you." I didn't say anything because I knew I had been called out. I tried to act like this didn't matter to me but I've been seen through. "I don't want to try and get your hopes up so I'll just say this," she took my silence as an invitation to continue. "If nothing happens then you'll continue your normal life. If something does happen, regardless of how big or small it is, wouldn't that be good?" she finished. I considered those words. It made absolute sense. If the device didn't react to me, I wasn't an Ascended. Therefore nothing about my life would change. If the device did respond to me then that would mean I am an Ascended. This would mean I would use the powers I get from that for humanity. Funny how just by stating the facts, I could calm down so much. "Okay, I'm ready," I say, having found my resolve. I place my hand on the jewel. The swirl grows and turns red. A faint glowing red orb lies within the crystal. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. I am an Ascended. "Congratulations!" the tester said. "Umm, what now?" I asked. "Now to check how strong you are." "Don't you already know that?" "Well, yes I can see your readings, but it only tells me your level. This doesn't say what your strengths or abilities are. You can check yourself." "How do I do that?" "I can't give a direct answer but most people say they visualize something to tell them." Ooookay then. I feel my mouth turn into a straight line. What would be the thing that tells me how strong I am? I tried to think hard about what it would be but one thing stayed in my mind. "Open," I said softly. And there appeared a stat screen straight out of a video game. There are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, and Awareness. Unsurprisingly my stats are nothing of note. None of them were below the double digits, but they didn't surpass 20, not even 15. As I look across the screen, my eyes stop in the middle. What was supposed to be my class was something I would not have expected. [Creator] While I am not the most knowledgeable about the divisions of Ascended, I know enough to realize that what I am seeing is weird. "Hey, um, my thing is saying something weird," I said. "New things tend to be weird for everyone," The tester said dismissively. "But it's saying something that shouldn't be there," I pressured. She then looked at me with a hard stare. I flinch and move back. It seems like my question will not be answered. She turns back to the laptop, types some things in and drops something in my hand. "You have been registered as an Ascended and can now participate in the work of Hunters. However as you are a student and of the lowest rank, your options are limited." The tester then said in a business-like tone. I stand up and leave. As I exit the gymnasium and head back to class, I sigh. That could have gone better, I think to myself. Yet I don't feel terrible. I'm an Ascended. I get to be a Hunter. I get to help people. And it seems like I have something different from the rest. 

Blanchett Holmgren. A girl living with her mother in the year 2001. She's 19 Years Old and 6'3" Tall. And a Monster. Blanchett is a Wendigo, and so is her mother. And Grandmother. And… you know what, it doesn't matter. The thing is, Blanchett lives in a family full of monsters. Her current goal: eat Grandmother and take her powers.  Blanchett sits, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. She is currently in a police station, waiting patiently to be released. She had gotten into a fight in class, and the person she fought with was gravely hurt.  A police officer enters the lobby, staring at the woman with a look of confusion. "You're free to go." Blanchett stands up, not saying a word, pulling her hoodie on and zipping it up thoroughly before turning to leave the station. The officer grabs her shoulder, though, going to speak again. "Wait for a second!" she scowls… Does a filthy human dare to touch her without her permission? "What is it you require, officer?" The officer chuckles a bit before beginning to laugh loudly. It seems like he was joking... "Haha! You silly girl, I just wanted to give you back your phone." He holds out a flip phone to the girl, and she sighs… She hated jokes. She always took them too seriously.  "Be more considerate next time, Sir..." She takes her phone and walks away from the officer. She opens the doors and leaves the station, breathing a sigh of relief. Finally, finally, out of that hell hole. "If I stayed any later, I could've been found out…." She wipes her face of sweat before looking left and right and then crossing the street. "I'll go and talk to my mother before I go and meet my Grandmother. She's been rather sick lately, so now's my chance."  Turning left and walking down the street, Blanchett hypes herself up. She knows if she is not at her best, she will die at the hands of Grandmother. Finally making it to the street Grandmother lives on, Blanchett notices the street has no streetlights and no other houses but Grandmother's red two-story house at the end of the road. It was pretty odd to Blanchett, mainly because she didn't remember her Grandmother's house being the only one on this road.  "Grandmother!! Grandmother! Please come out. I have something to give to you! A basket of baked goodies, I hope I won't disappoint!" Then, silence... Blanchett couldn't even hear her Grandmother moving around or clothes rustling.  "Blanchett, my dear." She finally heard Grandmother's voice, seeing the woman open the door and leave her home for the first time in a while. She was hunched over and seemed tired for a few seconds before standing up fully, whopping 7 feet tall. "Grandmother! How have you been-" Before she could fully finish her sentence, she dodges a clawed strike coming straight for her face!  "Now, that wasn't very nice!" Grandmother doesn't speak. She was ready and willing to kill her granddaughter. "I know what you're here to do, and I won't become a meal for you so easily, Blanchett." She scowls, her nails getting longer by the second. "And today, you'll be the one who will become my meal." Grandmother exclaims, Blanchett's face scrunching up in anger as her arms slowly grow, fur adorning them with every second.  "Looks like we'll have to fight... And Once I'm done with you, I'll eat you with soup as a side." The two begin to circle, Blanchett's claws bared and Grandmother's talons sharp, ready to strike. "RAH!" Grandmother rushed forward, going for a kick! Blanchett dodges to the left, slashing Grandmother's stomach. Blood being left on her claws, Grandmother weaves back, her breath getting more rough and uncontrolled.  "You... Naughty girl.." Grandmother says, her breathing slowing down slightly. "Fjandinn hafi það...(Damnit..)" She speaks their native language, standing up wobbly. Her legs shake in pain before her body slowly transforms into a scaled, more armored version of herself. "Why are you speaking our native language, Grandmother? Getting scared?"  Blanchett responded, her body slowly transforming into that of a wolve-human hybrid. Her snout is the only thing shown underneath that hood. "Fjallabrjótur!(Mountain Breaker!)" Grandmother screams, rushing to clash with Blanchett; Blanchett smirks, speaking- "Reyndu þitt besta, amma. (Try your best, Grandmother.) "  Before the two could clash, Blanchett spots another Animal-Like being rising behind Grandmother. And Before she knew it, jaws clamped down and bit off Grandmother's head. Her body stopped, falling to her knees before blood began splurting out of her stump like a fountain. "Who?" Blanchett looks up, seeing a wolf-like woman standing above the body, wiping her lips of blood. "Thanks for doing my job for me, Blanchett~" She turns to Blanchett, and Blanchett is confused. "Why'd you..?"  "I just wanted to help a little. You can take the body and do as you wish. But, only if you help me with a little plan I have...~" The Wolf responds, obviously wanting something from Blanchett. Blanchett looks at the body and quickly grabs it, holding it close. "What is it you want, Wolf?" The Wolf grins, holding out her hand for a handshake. "There's a girl named Elen who has a delectable prince I want to eat. You shall help me kill them both." She looks at her with confusion...  "And what do I get out of it?" Blanchett honestly didn't know why she should help this Wolf. But, yes, she helped her kill Grandmother... "You and your mother shall get out of those dumps once you become the Rightful Queen. Strength is everything to Wendigo, Yes?" She sighs, detransforming and turning around, her back to The Wolf. "Fine. I'll help you. But if you dare betray my mother and me... I'll kill you."  . .. … ….. Three Days Later: The day of the Ball.  Today was the day of the Great Ball, a Halloween-type event hosted by the Royal Family. Everyone was invited, and people could wear costumes of their liking. Blanchett and The Wolf decided to use this to their advantage.  The Wolf watches from afar, following Blanchett's figure with her eyes, which she was walking quite fast to her destination. After all, she didn't want to be spotted in her bright red dress and golden high heels. It showed off her jacked body way too much for her liking, and Blanchett honestly hated all the looks she got. Mainly because she had half her body transformed with scales and fiery eyes. She also had on her hood. "I fucking hate this shit."  "Lookin Good, Red!" Blanchett's ears twitched as she heard what The Wolf had said. She gives the distant woman a thumbs up before beginning her trek towards the entrance of the Manor. Lights were bright and shooting out of every window, and multitudes of persons entered from every direction. "How the hell am I going to find the Prince in this mess? This shit is gonna get annoying real quick.." Finally, Blanchett was inside the Manor.  The inside was beautiful, with music played, people dancing together, drinking alcohol, and eating famous foods: gorgeous women and handsome men at every turn. Blanchett's mouth watered at all the potential power she could gobble up. "Jesus Christ, so many people..."  "Calm yourself.. The target is the Prince. So don't go on a rampage." The Wolf would whisper, following her from above. Using her enhanced hearing, she could easily hear Wolf without any issues. "If you don't shut the hell up."  She knew what she was here to do. She didn't need any more reminders. And so, she began searching for the Prince, using her nose to sniff around for him. The Wolf had given her some of his clothes so that she could remember his scent. She picked up on his scent rather quickly, pushing through people to get to him.  "Oh, my sweet Prince. How fair your face looks." She heard someone complimenting the Prince, and that's when she saw it. A woman in a silver dress, with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes, looked as if they were dead—no emotion inside them.  "She's just like me, eh?" She'd chuckle, beginning to make her way to the two, pushing through the crowd again. The Prince started to flirt with the beautiful woman, mainly because she indeed was beautiful.  "I thank you for the compliment, Lady Elen." She giggled, and he chuckled. He was happy to see that " happiness " look on her face. But it crashed when a big, burly woman walked up, a smirk on her face, which was the only thing you could see other than her red, glowing eyes underneath that hood. "Mind if I take this dance with you, Lady Elen?" Blanchett asked, holding out her hand. Of course, Elen would look at the woman with disgust. But, it was mandatory to answer any dance request as long as they weren't rude.  "As you wish. May I know your name?" Blanchett honestly didn't know any nicknames for herself other than red. And she wanted to be hidden, for now, so she decided to say what was on her mind. "Just call me Cinder." She smiled, her pearly whites shown to the beautiful woman. The woman sighs, bringing Blanchett to the dance floor.  The Prince was furious—all part of the plan. His face scrunched up and all angry. He was even a little dumbfounded that Elen decided to dance with that hooligan rather than with him! "This is an outrage!" He'd say, unhappy with this predicament.  Once the two reached the dance floor, The music began to get a little louder, and they started to play something more modern. This was a costume party, but it was in 2001. There is no way they wouldn't play the most popular song from '98. Back that Azz Up Began to play in the background, and Elen looked at Blanchett with a blush on her face. Blanchett was also a little flustered by the sudden change in gears.  That's when the Prince had enough! "Get that Scaley bitch and imprison her now!! Guards!!" Blanchett heard boots hitting the ground and guns clicking throughout the party. Before Blanchett could react, which was rare, 20 pistol barrels pointed at her from all directions. The crowd screamed! This was insanity! "Now, everyone calm down.." Elen began to slip away from the commotion, Blanchett putting her hands up so as not to get shot. She may be the most predatorial person here, but gunshots were hard to defend against.  Her powers worked as such; She could transform her body parts into those of animals similar to her body structure. So she can't have wings or talons because those are bird limbs. She can have a snake head, but not a snake's body or a snake tail as her arm. If it's too foreign, she can't transform into it. She would use a turtle shell in this situation, but it's too alien for her body to change into.  The guards encircled her quickly, and the people at the party soon got away from the engagement. The Prince walks over to Blanchett, looking her over and sniffing her a bit. "Fucking creep.." He chuckled, looking up at her before looking around at the rest of the crowd. "This bitch isn't even human!! Someone call the government or the FBI- Someon-!" Before he could even finish his sentence, his entire upper body was gone instantly. Blood spurting everywhere from his lone stump and falling to his knees. It was a bloody mess. "Jesus Wolf... I had it under control."  The guards didn't even know what happened before they started shooting indiscriminately. Blanchett turned her legs to that of a cheetah and dodged out of the way before roundhouse kicking two in the chest, their chests exploding from the speed and impact of her kick. Elen ran off, not wanting to be hit by any stray bullets, and The Wolf quickly ran after Elen, and she began to run away as if her life depended on it - because it did.  "Stay away from me, you vile beast!" She'd scream, rounding the corner and disappearing from Blanchett's sight. She growls, slashing another guard before dodging another gunshot. "This is all That fucking Wolf's fault. If The Wolf didn't eat the Prince and let me negotiate, we wouldn't be in this situation!!" She sweeps the rest of the guards before her hands turn into those of a gorilla. She runs on all fours after the Wolf and Elen, wanting to catch up so that she can bash the stupid Wolf upside the head. Rounding the corner after them, she spots the wolf overhead Elen, The Wolf's mouth watering in response to the fresh meat right in front of her. "Now you've no place to run, little miss~! After I eat you, I'll eat the Red Hood's mother and her next!"   "And you thought I wouldn't hear that? Stupid Wolf." The Wolf turns to Blanchett, snarling. "And I thought you'd still be worried about those guards.." Blanchett chuckled, looking at Elen. Elen was getting ready to slip between Wolf's legs and dart to her savior, her cold gaze looking right into Blanchett's bright Red eyes.  "I'm a much better fighter than you think. So, what was that about eating my mother?!" She snarls, her body getting bigger and bigger. Her entire body is covered in scales before she gets too big for her britches, her clothes blasting off and only leaving her hood. Thankfully her sensitive parts were covered with scales. And then those scales became armor. Red scales, like a komodo dragon, her head was turning into that of a Snakes. She looked like a big scary, chimera monster abomination—the Wolf Gulps.  "I hope you're ready to die, Wolf." Her voice was deep and burly. That was no longer Blanchett. That was-  "Cindered Hood."  21 Years Later: Grimm Highschool.  "Yes, Mom. I understand. Yes. OK. Bye." Someone could hear the sound of a phone hanging up and the sighs of a young girl. A lot has happened over the 21 Years.  Blanchett had killed The Wolf and saved Elen from her demise. Elen had been revealed to be a world-class assassin in disguise. Typical. And the two quickly became friends afterward. They dated for a couple of years before getting engaged in 2003. A year after that, the Twins were born. No one knows how Blanchett and Elen had children when they were both women, but you shouldn't worry about that too much. The two girls were beautiful bouncing babes, and Blanchett loved them both dearly.  The daughter that took after Elen was named Mellanie. Mellanie was nothing like Elen, taking after Blanchett more than anyone else. The daughter took a turn from both of the parents, more Emotional and Darker than anyone the two knew. The daughter, and the older one out of the twins, was named-  "Charlemagne!!! If you don't get your ass in this house right now!"  "Coming, mom." She says with an un-amused tone in her voice, making her way into the house. This is where Blanchett and Elen's story ends. And where Mellanie and Charlie's story begins. 

Kira the cow, that's what they call me in their eyes. Just because I'm fat, they send me away for giving me a hard time. I did everything I could to lose weight, but nothing worked. Not only do they, but even my family also treat me differently, just because I'm not as beautiful or handsome as they are. I hope to find a miracle, or at least ... Find a little happiness. I sighed with my head bowed. My eyes widened, towards the cars which were like the dots on the building that I now stand on. I bit my lips hard when the memory of what they had done this morning suddenly burst. They said, "don't show up in front of us, you're making our eyes hurt!" They said, "you smell disgusting! Get lost!" Though my body gives out no odor of any kind, or perhaps it's me, who cannot smell it. I don't care if it was someone else. But my family? They hurt me with all that talking. Is this just a feeling? Or indeed the moon brings out pink. My tears broke, as I dropped my gaze to the moon. "Why is life never fair with me?!" I'm angry, exuding all the resentment that has accumulated. "I have always and always tried to be a good girl. Why can't they give me a little appreciation?!" "If they didn't want me to be like this, why did they give me so much food in the first place? If they hate me like this, why didn't they tell me from the start that I -" My tears were growing apart, my throat was choking, and the glitter from the lights below the building I could not see. "If I die? Maybe they'll be happy. If I die, no more Kira Zerlina will be ashamed of them." I drew breath, trying to climb the wall which was on the top floor of a building that wasn't too high. When I was back on my feet, the strong wind felt literally against my body. "Not that I don't want to be grateful, God. But I, really tired of my own life," I murmured, wiping the tears still on my cheeks. I closed my eyes as my feet stepped forward. I bite strongly on the lips, the closer I close my eyes as I feel my body fall quickly. The wind in the wind is getting stronger, making me even more reluctant to open my eyes. "Am I still not there? Fall in quickly! I'm afraid ... I-" It hit hard, it hit all over me. I open one eye when I feel something moving against my body. "Get off my back!" I quickly move at the sound of a male growling at the ear. My eyes widened, as my gaze fell on a young man who was holding his back in front of me. "Wh-who are you? What are you, an Angel?" I asked, I moved backward as he approached. "Ugly! What are you doing in my territory?" "Territory?" I raise my hand toward my mouth, and then blow air into the palm of my hand, "am I breathing? Am I alive? But, where is this?" I murmured, looking all over. My body was quickly petrified, as I felt the hand of the man clutching my head, "I asked, what are you doing here?" The sweat poured from my body as he threatened me with his piercing eyes. "Believe it or not, I don't even know why I'm here!" I said, grasping his arm with both hands. "You!" Said the man until I pulled back my hand. The stranger suddenly walked backward with his powerful nose shut, "what happened to you?" I asked, who was also drawing near to him. "Don't come any closer!" He snapped, raising his hand toward me. "Are you sick? Is it because of my body?" "I command you not to come near!" He yelled at me in a higher tone than before. My body shudders as his eyeballs slowly turn red. "What are you?" I'd reply quivered, as he gazes backward as he gazes blankly at me with those very red eyes. I quickly ran out of it. My steps moved more quickly when I realized he was coming after me behind my back. I can't run fast with my body like this, even for a short time running, "oh my breath!" I said furiously while beating my chest. I fell to the front, followed by the weight of my back. "Get off me! I, have done nothing wrong!" I tried to rebel, but the weight of my back left me in vain. "Why is my body reacting?" "Why must a fat, ugly woman like you be my mate!" "Why do you have to be My Luna?!" "I can't accept this! So die!" My body quickly turned by itself, followed by the strong strangulation of the strange man around my neck. I banged on his wrist several times, "I, I don't know what you mean," I said stammering, as I felt my breath getting thinner. I intended to die before. But why now precisely - I coughed, and my eyes darted slowly. The hand that hit him on the back of his arm was too much for me to move. My body gave me a slight convulsion, so eventually - ___________. My eyes blinking, slowly opening by the glare of a falling ray. My head was turned toward the bushes that grew near me now lying down. I held my neck in pain, coughing once in a while as I sat up. "Where-" My words lie still, my eyes wide open as my gaze fell upon the strange man who was trying to finish me off. I was moving back quickly when the glance of his eyes was pointed at me. Maybe because it was dark last night, so I had a hard time seeing his face ragged but, he's very handsome for a human being. Human? Are you kidding me? No human can suddenly light up red like that! "Forgive me! I'll go away soon! Please, please spare my life!" I cried as the man moved away from the tree trunk from which he had previously learned. "I can't kill you. Even I can't keep you away from me! If you want to live, be my servant!" Me, the one who had previously bowed, lifted my face to gaze upon me. "Servant?" "Do you think you want to be my mate?" I quickly shook my head, "I'm self-aware of my condition. Besides, I still don't understand why you tried to kill me last night. I've told you the truth, I don't know how it got here and -" "Damn men! At least listen to my explanation," I murmured as I looked down at his back that had walked past.

I, Seewon 21 years old male had no meaning in life. I lost hope after getting kicked out of my parent's house at the age of 19 for screwing every job offer I got. I didn't have any friends to turn to... And I didn't have a hobby or a decent lifestyle after moving into my uncle's house. I'm eternally grateful to my uncle but I just can't fill this emptiness in my chest... Then I fell into a deep depression...And planned to take my life many times but didn't have the guts to do so. So I lived day by day wondering if something new would happen to me that would motivate me to continue living but everything seemed so boring that I started to read mangas to forget about reality... I knew I was an idiot for hating the reality I was in while I didn't make a single change. Then one day while walking to a local store nearby my uncle's house I got hit by some drunk driver. It hurt at first and then... Everything went black. I was surrounded by darkness that felt cold and I noticed that I didn't have a physical body, only my consciousness. I was scared at the thought of this being afterlife Was this all there is in the afterlife? I don't know how much time passed but I bet it was a very long time. And then I somehow figured how to move without a physical body. I continued moving forward because I didn't have anything else to do so I moved and moved and as time passed I stopped thinking. I don't know was that a defense mechanism so I didn't go insane or something... and honestly, it was fine by me as long as I kept moving into the nothingness just like I did while I was alive... And then something extraordinary weird happened. It blinded me for a second but I'm sure... I saw a light ahead and that snapped me back. Should I go near it? Is my mind playing tricks on me? ...What am I thinking, even if it was my imagination at least I see something else besides this darkness I wasn't so scared anymore. Then the light started to move around and slowly it started to make a shape... It became a door that emitted light. ...I felt like it was my ticket to freedom so I sprinted towards it. The closer I got the heavier I felt but I didn't care. I just wanted this all to end. As I was reaching my hand that I didn't see physically everything went blank. And when I opened my eyes I saw myself in a place that had many different colors everywhere. It was like I was an astronaut in space. Then I realized I am really in space that had TRILLIONS of stars above me with different colors, but no planets or anything except a really big star that looked like it was him who opened that glowing white door for me. It was beautiful. It had all the colors that I could think of. It was fascinating. And while watching it in awe I was hit with the thought "How could I breathe if I was really in space?" so I started scanning my body in a panic. ...I was some sort of blue fog. And as I was scanning I noticed that below me were others like me. they had all the characteristics that I had. But why was I above than them? I don't know "Must be because I'm better than them haha..." There were just as many of them as the stars, maybe even more. And now that I had taken a look at my surroundings I wanted to greet them somehow... but I couldn't move for some reason. There was nothing I could do except stay still. I had to do something. I couldn't just stay still as if I was in some prison. As more time passed I started counting the starts that I could see. I forgot many times how much I counted but kept counting. and then I noticed far away below me, the other one that looked like me started somehow but surely floating at a low speed towards the stars. I wondered what could happen if the stars touches him... Even though I couldn't talk or move an inch, I cheered him on in my mind and hoped he would touch one of the stars. but when he was slightly above me I saw him exploding. It broke him into millions of pieces as if it was glass that got hit by a hammer. I was scared of what could happen to me if I was able to move and get close to one of the stars. Many of them then learned how to float towards the stars but ended up exploding just like the ones before... I couldn't care less what happened to others as long as I survive because even if this place wasn't cold or dark, this place reminded me of a jungle where only the strong ones survive and the weak get eliminated. I wasn't in no place to think of others if I wanted to survive. I wanted to do something about it but I just couldn't figure how to float... As the time passed, slightly below me someone same looking as I started to an inch, by inch to float towards the stars. As he was floating, he grazed me when he went up past me but of course, he ended up meeting the same fate as others... After he exploded I noticed something the place where he grazed me started to glow like glitter and I guessed it means I can float unlike before... It didn't work at first but I practiced moving in my mind so if by any chance I would move in reality and then float above the stars. After a while, I learned how to float but it was really slow, but at least it was something right? after a long practice session, I was floating at a decent speed now, even though it took a long time. After that, I started to float towards the stars above too just like others. You might call me stupid but I'd rather explode than be kept in one place forever. after floating quite a bit I was at the point where I could explode but... I didn't want to be weak anymore... I wanted to be just as strong as the stars... ...no, I wanted even more. The others always reached the small stars but I wanted to challenge myself one last time So I chose the big star that amazes me every time I look at it. It was a star that matches the size of a moon And on top of that, it was far away. but I had all the time in my hands so why not? ...It took me an eternity to finally reach the king of stars (big star) but I couldn't touch it yet... At some point, I started to feel this weird sensation... ...Is this pain? As I was thinking what it was I felt suddenly like my mind was breaking. I was scared if it's about the time I explode, and excited because I felt pain for the first time in a while And that excitement kept me going. After floating some time while feeling the pain, I noticed I had white cracks all over my fog body ..."Is this how they exploded..? They kept moving even when they noticed they had cracks..? ...I have to do better than them if I want to go further than any of them. Now when I reached the star, I tried to touch it but was interrupted by this gravitational pull that kept me from touching it. after that, it started to break my foggy body by... It felt like my upper limbs and upper limbs were getting pulled by horses in different directions. It hurt so much that I couldn't control my foggy body anymore so I fell. I was about fall into the black where I once was. Why me? Where did it all go wrong? Why am I so unlucky? I didn't ask any of this! I watched the king of stars as I was falling... I can't accept it... "HELL NO I WILL!" Before I lost consciousness I grabbed one of the fogs before it was too late and started climbing up. while I was thinking of a plan to reach the king of stars I noticed I was hit by light projectiles everywhere but I was too fast for them since I was in space so I could easily float jump while climbing. While I was climbing I noticed that every fog I encountered had some sort of core inside the chest. "Would it hurt them if I take it out of them..?" "Well it doesn't matter to me anyway if they die from it" So out of curiosity, I tried storing them inside my body in case it does something. At first, I didn't notice much but after devouring them quite a bit I started to feel different. I felt like I was more powerful and more agile than before I figured that it was some sort of energy source that helps the one who devoured them get stronger and stuff. After eating them enough I wanted to test my theory of using all the cores energy I've been storing to use it on my flying ability all at once. After reaching the top, smug in my face I tested my theory... And it worked. I was gonna touch it fast before he realizes since I didn't want to feel that pain again... But I forgot how unlucky bastard I was. The king star started to teleport and fire every minute some sort of energy blades towards me and each time I was hit by them I got more hurt and that resulted in me getting more slower. It took at least hundreds of years before I learned how to counterattack them. And as a plus, I learned how to do it too. I had to focus on my palms and connect the cores in my chest and swing my arms or else I would get hurt too. Finally, when our long battle was coming to an end, I touched the star. Everything just went blank. And then I fell asleep.

Loki owns two divinities. Its "deceit" and ''tricks''. A person with this a divinity either is a Deceiver Deity, or more commonly known as a Trickster Deity, a gods who represents or is associated with deception, lies, fraud, mischief, illusions, and trickery. Deceiver Deities were somewhat common in mythology and were feared due to their chaotic nature. They are also usually magic deities or magic users who have ascended to a divine state. Deceit - Deceit extends to more concepts of universe like space, time, reality. He can deceive the laws of nature and the rules of the universe.   1)Powers over illusion.   2)Rules bending- The power to bend the laws of reality.   3) Control over time- they may be able see through time, when using using the power of deceit they can even present a scene past to the present. The scene of past will have power to influence the present. Examples: If Loki presented a scene of Death of ceasor due to betrayal from Roman time , Loki can use it during fight as he can will someone to betray their allies. This power has limitations,it won't take effect if the power level between them is huge, or will of person is stronger.   4)Precognition -Power can foresee possible futures and observe what may happen. As knowledge of the future invariably causes that future to change, visions of the future are subject to frequent shifting. While not being able to select futures or travel through time, these visions may assist in possible courses of action Tricks-Tricks are rather rare but the powers are greater than some other gods; they are able to warp reality, create people and objects out of thin air and create time loops. They can take the form of anything but most of the time they appear as humans.      1)Highly Advanced Reality Warping - A Tricks power, they can warp reality to fit their own desires both for their tricks and their personal use. Loki can't use all his powers, as his seal has just broken.

"Praise the sun" With that he poured divine power into Rubik cube, he disappeared like phantom before anyone can react. But illusory sound echoed in the laboratory. "I am Loki, the God of Deceit and Tricks" His declaration is not for these ordinary people, but for those people watching these play. Nick fury and others couldn't understand other than knowing that Loki was the brother of Thor, as it was said by Thor during his banishment to earth. But before they could be relax, respond to the threat of Loki. The space before them tore like a paper, even space which torn didn't vanish as it feel down like piece of paper. Behind the torn space, a magnificent scene is depicted, a swirl of various gases, cosmic energy, divine energy collectively forming a star. The scene is forming of 'sun' from the past seemed to pulled by the Loki to the present. By using power of time in 'deciet'. Even though, it's magnificence cannot be compared to the original formation of 'sun'. Its solar rays still has power of creation and destruction. The power of sun is not simple as its is other star in universe as its what gives life to earth. Earth is nothing special just another planet in endless multiverse. But the location of earth is what makes earth gets attention of various powerful being in the universe. Earth located at the center of universe, as its mystical nexus point of universe. As a star that responsible for the life on Earth, 'Sun' significance in no less than Earth. Spark! All people and those prying heard a sound, the sound seems to come from ancient time. The sun behind the torn space, became substantial, and its moving toward the torn space. Nick fury, Natasha ,Hawkeye, other seems to be lost in magnificence of the cosmic wonder, didn't make any action. The sun which was behind torn space, passed through as if wanting to come to present. It passed through become real under the under power of reality warping of authority of 'Trick'. The sun which comes from ancient times, letting its rays shine on the world. Nick fury, Natasha, Hawkeye all lost their vision, just looking at the rays as they under influence they didn't get a chance to react, but their bodies and souls turned into ashes faster than they could react with all other people in the base following the same. All the surroundings started meting in golden liquid under the power of sun, as the sun started expanding as if wanting become real sun in starry sky The rays which born from "sun" did not stop it's ever growing grace, as if it wanted to shine that entire planet with its light. In a instant, 10 kilometers within turned into completed ashes and melting after the sun became reality. That's the birth of 'Sun' ..... Times Square, New York. Ororo Munroe, the storm is conducting a speech with various Xmen about mutant. "Mutants are not a disease, they are the next evolutionary path of humans. Mutants are not harmful to society, as long they can be properly educated and taught to control their powers, so I sincerely request Congress to reconsider the mutant registration bill" Around her various camera broadcasting the content live to the world. Her remarks bought very mixed feedback, as humans will never accept people that can threaten them, as they always wish to be top of food chain. At the moments a ray shone from north of New York, where the Shield base is located. A boy who was also listening to the speech, suddenly felt the ray, he looked at the distance, his eyes shining at the light. He excitedly said. "Look it's a Sun " The boys voice was heard, as mutant just finished speaking, and lot of people also noticed the light. All the camera also turned to direction of ray, wanting to find what it was, as human are always curious creatures. Ororo, the Strom also turned back to see light, as were the other Xmen. At the sight the light ,their eyes seemed to see the formation of sun in past itself, but uncontrollable fear rose in their hearts, their face went pale. "No, we need to tell the professor" But before they could anything, solar rays were like veil, with power of "sun" swept at the speed faster than people could think. Instantly turning them and all people watching and building into ashes. .... Stark tower. Tony stark who has experienced various ups and downs of life, sat quietly drinking wine looking at the TV news about mutant bill. He wasn't interested in mutant and anything to do with them as long as it doesn't affect him. Suddenly, Jarvis voice sounded. "High energy response sir, located at SHEILD base" Tony placed the wine, his face serious, he never liked SHIELD, so he used Jarvis to attack the firewall, there weren't comparable to Jarvis , all of shield secrets that were stored digital was already known by him. "Check what's is happening" Jarvis simply produced a holographic screen. The screen shows, the people using experiments, and then opening of portal because of an accident which shows how idiotic they are to do experiment on things they shouldn't have. A man with evil smile walked out of portal. Tony just looked at the man, he felt fear for unknown reasons. He calm down, laughed at himself but his trembling hands seemed to betray him. He didn't understand the feeling, he mind was warning him to run, telling him something terrible was about to happen. But he calmed looked at the process, in the their communication or one side crushing in strength, in which he can be sure the man is very powerful. But when he heard him say about sun, his palm was shaking and sweating, terrible feeling came to his mind. "I am Loki, the god of deceit and tricks " So he was Loki, but before he can see what's happening next, a light shone on the camera and the camera went blank. "What happened" Suddenly light in the room increased, He looked out window saw a magnificent scene and deadly scene. North of new York under gaze of countless people of New York, the "Sun" ascended to sky. With its Ascend, the dark night turned completed golden sky, as if welcoming the birth of new "sun". Various rays were emitted were like veils from "sun", the "Sun" seeming wanting to bless the earth. The sky turned golden as if golden oceans, was above their heads, various sounds seemed to coming for ancient time, making all immerse in its magnificence. All people looked up at such a picturesque scene with fanaticism, not knowing a calamity is coming. Only few people like Tony stark and Xmen felt fear. "How could it end like this..." That was the last thought of metahumans and extraordinary people. As the golden veil of light descended, Turing the entire new York in ashes. ---- North America, Earth. Most of people sleeping and doing various activities stopped as golden rays shone on them, the rays seemed unstoppable as no obstacles can stop it. All of them saw a sun rising from east, with it that sky turned pure white with mix golden as the sky seemed turned into golden ocean. Veils of light, contained aura of destruction started spreading on the atmosphere of earth. At the same time, around the world ecosystem were being affected by the influence of the 'sun' started withering under high temperature. Large number of biological system of nature started to decay, as the entire Atlantic ocean started boiling, with marine live started dying. Antarctica polar ices started melting, but before they influence, they were evaporated. Earth is on its way of destruction. ---- Nasa, Houston Astrologist and scientist looked at the reading from satellites which started burning after spying on the 'sun' and screen of what's happening at the New York. "How could it be, it's sun" "Impossible, its unscientific" "Did we anger the gods" Most people took bible started praying asking to be forgiven by god, such scenes were happening all around the world. The people who hold power and control over world turned pale looking at report, as it symbolizes end of civilization. ---- Kamar Taj, Nepal. A bald women mediating opened her eyes, with wave of complex symbols, eye of agamotto opened, a green gem appeared. Gem of time! Various magic circle formed around the her, after it all combined to form ancient huge clock. The handle of the clock spun. Dong! At the same time with that bell of ancient clock, Around the world green curtain formed which was invisible to ordinary people covering the entire planet. The rays of destruction seemed to lost its power when it fell on the curtain of time. As if the curtain making the rays go the past to the formation of sun. The curtain converged, from the planet, surrounded the 'sun'. With that the clock once again spun. Dong! This sound seemed more powerful, as if it's coming from long river of time. The sun started diming as time took effect, time seemed to wanting to return the sun to past to the time of its birth. The sun shone with last glory, before its lost its brilliance. Green curtain descend on planet, Turing the affected ecological system and damages to nature to normal by time reversal. But even though, she took action, she cannot bring back what was destroyed for humans and deceased humans, for that she have to pay a greater price, which she is not willing. The eye of Agamotto closed ,as the Ancient one seemed to aged by using that spell. Ancient one looked at a moon, her eyes flashed, but she didn't do anything, closed her eyes to enter deep meditation.

Noah opening his eyes, to be greeted in unfamiliar alien environment, where various aliens were working on portal, he guessed it was for himself for pass through. He maintained same expression, not be found by others as felt danger through perception, which he didn't know he had until he felt it. Suddenly various memories poured into his mind, it was very long as it depicted a life of 1000 years, but most of it doesn't seem to have any emotion as if it was the original person was a puppet, so it wasn't difficult to absorb memories. After the memory was sorted, his eyes seemed to be complicated. He thought. "I was reborn as god of deceit and tricks Loki''. He lived his previous life as part of society was mundane, he didn't even have time to live a life he wanted, to be free, to do whatever he want, but in the end he died in accident and he was transmigrated into Loki. He can be sure this marvel universe, not cinematic, as Odin showed power to destroy galaxy easily, and gods are born with divinity. Original Loki lived an unremarkable life same as a movie, under the influence of Odin. Yes, if he guessed correctly with previous life guesses then the original Loki died because of the mental influence instilled by Odin, that made him a puppet of Odin to temper his son Thor, after his fall into abyss, he was rescued by Thanos, he also used soul stone on himself to control him to be scout on earth, original sprit cannot bear all the attack on soul which was already weakened by Odin, in the end become nothingness and he came after that. Loki never bothered to look into his divinity and authority, as it was sealed by Odin, and he himself hated it because of Odin influence. But he could see the seal was destroyed after the death of original Loki, with the help of soul gem. He inspected his divinity and authority. It was "Deceit" and "Tricks". He knew now why Odin used sealed his divinity and want to control himself, because both his divinity has reality control, deceit can deceive the rules of the universe, tricks have power of reality warping. Which is overpowered, Odin was a man who sealed his daughter for having ambition, he will do anything to control the things that threaten him. With his inception, divine power from his divinity poured into him, his strength is slowing increasing, as information about his powers came to his mind. He looked gate that opening, he lifted the specter which contained the soul gem, he walked towards the gate, to earth with a evil smile. He knew next is the plot of avengers, but he doesn't give fuck about plot, his plan is to get the space gem and find a way to increase his power because Odin will soon find him. "From now on I am evil god Loki". ------ Loki walked out of the portal, he greeted with very familiar scene filled with the scientists, and agents of SHIELD who are aiming guns at him and one agent even aiming bows at him. Loki is indifferent to any of this, with a wave of his hand using telekinesis to summoned the Rubik cube back. ''Sir stop your action" Nick fury looked at the man who entered in anger, he asked the scientist to scan the man, didn't feel anything abnormal, so that why he staring using this tone. Loki who holding Rubik cube didn't even lift his head, it's not that he didn't hear it, he just didn't bother pay attention. Nick fury was even more angered by this action, since other party didn't have extortionary power  he coldly ordered. "attack" Various bullets, energy attacks, even arrows started attacking him. Loki was finished observing the Rubik cube, looked up his indifferent eyes sweeping everything All attacks stopped in mid-air, all people couldn't move. Nick fury, Hawkeye, Natasha all felt as if being started by high predator, they felt scared just looking at his eyes. Nick fury couldn't believe when a situation like this, as the result reported this man was just stronger than ordinary person. 'How, he didn't even have any energy response.' Loki evilly smiled when he looked at reaction on their face, divine energy and divinities cannot spied using technology means and he wasn't going let them go like in movie, he never underestimate anyone, his power over tricks increased during this time even though he can't be like scarlet witch who vanishes entire mutant race with words, he can do some reality warping. He can feel Heimdall is watching this as his divine power increased his perception of the world also increased, all of this was under Odin calculation. He hates being manipulated. So, He is going do something crazy that only evil god will do as he was one, even though he will be exposed to Odin, he owns two infinite gems, he can escape any part of universe with space gem. He looked at the agents, scientists and said with a evil smile: "Have you seen the magnificence of sun" Nick fury couldn't understand what the man was taking about, he only felt this man was very dangerous, but he couldn't anything as his body was immobile. Loki looked as none of them replied, he shook his head as he expected something in return. He can fell their anger, hate, fear, but they couldn't do anything, this is the sorrow of weak, only being strong can you control your own destiny. He used his authority of "Tricks", with a evil smile he said to all the people here. "Praise the sun".

From the text of the book of Orelian.  Passage 24:12 From the springs of despair rose he; the savior, the liberator. The 5 lords gave their blessings upon him and told him "go now chosen of ours, for you shall bring light to those blinded by the demon, by those too filled with greed to see the masses groveling." And he responded "aye my lords for my will is yours and yours alone." and so he went. Resented by those of status, revered by those of not, he set forth unwilling to see the people suffer under tyrants hand no more. And so he went.      Adrian looked up at the sky. Once again the clouds were heavy on the horizon and the fog was starting to roll in on the village. Soon it would be time to head inside and retire for the night. Adrian liked to just head to the boulders by the beach and think. It was soothing in a way, a way not understood by his mother and father. Upon reaching his boulder he crouched, prepared to jump and scale the 5 meter rock. As soon as his hand reached the top ledge of the boulder he heaved himself up top and onto his back as it was always a endeavor when he wanted to find somewhere quiet. Settling in on his back he soon found himself in his own thoughts again. Looking at the ragged coastline near his little village he thought of the wonders that could be beyond the sea.   Adrian was always slightly different than the other children of his village. Always staying at a arms length from the petty squabbles of the other children many thought of him as a outsider, not disliked but always a stranger in his own home. Gifted with bright green eyes and a knack for getting into things his parents thought him a gifted child but when the time to be around others his age arose he was the first to hide under his mothers hem. Soon after turning three Adrian became aware of the world. Gaining awareness was bitter at first. He resented the fact he could understand emotions and think for what he truly was. Pitiful. Closing his eyes Adrian looked off towards the sea and saw it for what it truly was; a roiling mass twisting and turning with all the currents of the Mana stream leading towards one final destination, where that was, who was he to say.  "Come on down from there now ya gat" said a voice finally jolting the already half asleep Adrian to full awareness. "Coming pa." he responded and started to make his way down the boulders. Finally hopping of the last rock he looked up at his Father, a large man scarred from his days fighting daemons on the frontlines of the great border during the last day of long night. Looking down he paused than frowned. "what are ya doing up there again after I told ya to come in 40 minutes ago."  Adrian looked down feeling ashamed thinking of the last time he forgot to go in. lots of manpower wasted trying to find him. "Sorry father." he replied thinking it the best course of action to just go along with him before there was another lecture from Father. " Fathers gaze softened and than stiffened as it normally did when he sensed danger approaching  "Get inside, Go back and I will take care of this for now. Shut the doors and Close the windows till I approach and give the word it its safe."  Adrian stiffened than bolted realizing his father was not fucking around. the bloodlust he felt from him was tangible and if he closed his eyes he could see the murky red aura surrounding his father flare up and writhe around like a flame. Reaching his home he immediately shut and bolted the door and went to all windows and locked them and than put the curtains down. A situation he'd practiced dozens of times and tonight would be no different.  immediately jumping in bed upon following procedure he started to fall asleep to the sounds of the fog. As the wailing subsided and the fog passed, Adrian finally passed out.    As Adrian awoke to the sound of wood being tossed into the back he turned suddenly remembering, " oh fuck, todays my birthday." Jumping out of bed and rushing towards the main room of the house he was greeted by Father looking intimidating as always. "happy birthday kid" he grumbled as Adrian stopped right by the table.   "At least father makes great food" thought Adrian as his stomach grumbled. sitting down and eating, Father started his breakfast ramblings again. "when I was your age, I already killed a Hurexine and..."  Adrian had stopped listening by than, more interested in the book of beasts Father had brought home than his ramblings about killing them. Those he had no doubts about, Father was warrior through and through, 2.5 meters of muscle bred for combat.  Thanking his Father for the meal he went back to practicing his vision, something Father didn't approve of. He never did and never would.  Adrian had inherited his mothers gifts and Father claimed that using them would only bring tragedy upon him. Adrian however disagreed. ever since the night of eyes when his mother was killed did Father claim this excuse. Adrian knew. The tragedy was hard on Father and ever more so after they moved away from the village to live in solitude.    

Mei stared at her computer screen where she kept a log of events up to this point. It had been a long, long time since she started this particular journal-- nearly a year now, wasn’t it?-- but her memory stretched back in time as she read back in the files. Oi. Why are we looking at this? “I’m looking at this because I’m stuck.” Mei rubbed her eyes in irritation, then reached up to rub her temples. “There’s just been way too much information, and I have to remember. If I can’t figure out how to—” We already know what we have to do. It's what we've always done. “… The question is, how?” And so it was that Mei began, unfortunately, at the beginning. Where had everything started to change? It wasn’t the first day of classes, April 12th. That had been an average day, for all it had been the first day of college— Mei had already moved in a few days before, and the routine had already settled in by that point, an extension of her previous work during high school. It simply had a few extra steps now that her charge was in an apartment next door instead of merely another room. Though no, the steps were simply different. She didn’t have to wake up in servants’ quarters, hurry through a cold breakfast, take a half hour with her instructor, and then go wake Ichigo up. She could just do it. That alone was a taste of simple freedom, even though habit and her paranoia grated at her, telling her on no uncertain terms As such, a simple meal of miso would serve, and she took the time to set that up and take her own meal while she waited for Ichigo to stir. This was not normally part of a bodyguard’s job description, but since Mei had a cover to keep, she did it anyway. Keeping him close protected him, after all. Overall the process still took you some fifteen minutes, but by the end, Kaneko Ichigo had roused, thrown on a shirt and some pants, and come to join her. Ichigo had dyed his hair black until he had learned he’d passed exams to get into national university, and so now his hair was showing his blond roots. Tanned, with an easy, amiable expression and golden eyes, he was very much the picture of a yankee-style jock. “Eh? Mei? What’s going on?” “We have class, remember?” The talk wasn’t even particularly new. Mei and Ichigo both consumed breakfast in relative silence until they took the way to classes at a swift jog. Ichigo was 25 centimeters and 30 kilograms Mei’s better. His shoulder aligned with the top of her head. That said, it was easy to keep up with him; the fact of long practice and hard work Mei was still proud of. Today was computer use and maths, and tomorrow was science and history; the classes were thick with standardization and students damn near sleeping through them. After that was working on the coursework and cleaning up after the cooking Mei had to do. It hadn’t even been a week since they’d moved to these apartments, and Ichigo’s place was still a total mess of unpacked moving boxes, rooted through as Ichigo needed items, other things gently strewn on the floor. She picked up the boxes of discarded convenience store food. “Ichigo, if I’m not cooking enough for you, you can just say so.” “Ah— Well, that’s…” He bounced his head from left to right. “It’s a little complicated, you know?” “Mm. Don’t forget tryouts are next week. We’ll be training until then.” This mirrored Mei’s daily life from the last year of middle school onward. She could paint it in her mind’s eye as easily as breathing, because she had done it, easily as breathing, exactly as routine. The only thing different was where, and the distressing number of moving boxes still in place. This was the shape that Ichigo’s parents had chosen for her life. To be a shadow for Ichigo. 148 centimeters tall. Black hair, red-brown eyes. Even with a bright red ribbon, unremarkable and unremarked, compared to the much more vivid and jovial Kaneko Ichigo. In short, a perfect wife for a modern prince, and well Mei knew she’d been prepared for such. She was still prepared for such. But in the present, when Mei looked at that entry, of ‘classes began. Otherwise nothing of remark.’, her hands twitched, and she almost closed the journal right then in remembered fear. Deep down, she recognized, even then, that this shape of her life meant she was terribly unlucky.

Hi my name is Ashley and I have something to get off my chest. I’m a member of my college volleyball team and I recently learned the meaning of karma. I’m a freshman girl this year and our team just won our state championship for the first time in years! I was known as one of the more ambitious girls on the team, and routinely declared that I’d like to become team captain once I’m an upperclassman, which is why for the last year, I acted bossy around my teammates and often stood my ground in arguments with team members even once I knew I lost. Anyway, tonight our entire team went over to Kate’s house for a team party since her parents were out of town for the week. It was summer break, so it’s not like we had classes going on or anything else to worry about. I dressed in my normal ensemble of black leggings and a disney princess shirt - today’s princess was Ariel - with my white tennis shoes that I wore to volleyball games (and really just about everything else) and my hot pink knee-high socks under them..  “Hey,” Kate greeted me at the door, “Come on in. We’re playing Truth or Dare in the living room - and feel free to grab some cake or soda too!” I went in and joined their circle of Truth or Dare - all twelve of us JV players were sitting together cross-legged playing. After a few rounds, Kate called on Sara, a sophomore who had never been my biggest fan, “Sara, Truth or Dare.” “Dare,” she answered bravely. “I dare you to… give Ashley a wedgie!” I looked at Kate for a second, surprised, but before I could move, I felt a sharp pain as Sara pulled up my blue, seashell-printed panties for all my teammates to see. Sara had always been one of the stronger girls on the team, and my butt hurt all the more for it. “Ouch,” I said as I wriggled, trying to get free from her iron grip, “that’s not funny. You can let me go now.” “Well,” Kate smirked, “I never did say for how long.” With that, Sara jerked up higher and I felt the fabric tighten up even more, putting pressure on my pussy too now. Despite the pain in my ass, the pressure against my pussy almost felt good. I bounced a couple of times, trying to subtly enhance that feeling while at the same time trying to break free from Sara. “See that look on her face! I think she’s liking this,” quipped Kate. “No! I don’t,” I denied, my face reddening. I decided to put an end to this dare, so I untangled my crossed feet, and kicked the ground, trying to break free. As I launched myself forward, the bright blue panties going through my pussy and ass hurt like hell, until I heard a loud ripping sound and fell to the ground, flat on my B-cup boobs. Still, the sound the ripped panties made was nothing compared to the chorus of laughter and giggles that followed. I blushed a crimson red. Not knowing what to do after that embarrassment, I gathered my ripped panties, trying not to let tears well up in my eyes, and I was about to find a trash can when Emma smirked and said “If Ashley likes this so much, maybe we should give her some more wedgies. It’s the least we could do for our future team captain.” Suddenly, I felt my ponytail being yanked back, and I looked up to see Sara holding onto a fistful of my thick chocolate-colored hair. Meanwhile Kate had come over to me, holding a roll of duct tape. She grabbed my wrists, but between trying to squirm away from her and escape Sara, I wasn’t able to keep my wrists apart, so she closed both of my hands and taped them into fists. Then, she taped both of my wrists together so I couldn’t get them apart. “My panties ripped,” I said, exasperated, “you can’t give me any more wedgies.” “Oh, that won’t stop us,” Sara said with that annoying smirk still on her face. She turned to Kate, “Surely, you’d be gracious enough to lend Ashley an extra pair?” I pleaded with Kate, but to no avail, as she turned away and went up to her room to get her extra panties. I started squirming again, trying to get away from Sara and get out of this nightmare when Emma grabbed the front of my leggings and pulled upward, lifting me onto my tippy toes. I tried to keep my poker face as a rush of pleasure shot through my body from my cunt to the top of my spine. I tried to resist by pulling up on the fronts of Emma’s leggings too, but my duct taped fists couldn’t get a grip on them. “Hurry, let’s get her into the kitchen,” said Sara, prompting the other JV girls to grab me and carry me into the kitchen. I looked pleadingly at my teammates but they just snickered and carried on. As soon as they had me in there, they bent me over the table and gave me a massive wedgie from behind using my leggings, which were already wedgied tightly into my pussy. One of the girls had the bright idea to get a spatula and she started slapping it across my ass cheeks, as if the pain of the fabric in my butt wasn’t bad enough. I kept thinking to myself “What did I do to deserve this? How did I have the worst luck to happen to be the one who got wedgied in the game.” Obviously, if Sara had been dared to wedgie someone else, this would just be happening to them instead, right? “Please, let me go!” I pleaded, “this isn’t funny anymore.” For my efforts, I only got a chorus of laughter, before Sara pulled on the front of my leggings even harder, getting them lodged even further in my pussy. She turned me around and held my arms behind my back as a couple of the other girls started taking turns using the spatula on my now plainly visible camel toe. Finally, Kate came back and ordered them to take off my leggings. I kicked and screamed but that only earned me a piece of duct tape across my mouth. I could do nothing as my teammates slid my leggings off over my shoes, leaving my bright red, newly, spanked ass for all to see. The girls held me with my stomach flat on the table and lifted my legs to be horizontal with my body and spread open in a V shape. I felt a pair of panties sliding up my legs - this time, I didn’t resist so I’d at least have something covering my butt. After they had the panties on, they moved me beneath the light fixture, and threw a paracord rope over it. They tied one side of it to my panties and the other side to the handles of a 5 gallon water jug that we used at practice. “Why the hell do they have that here?” I asked myself. But I had no time for questions as Emma appeared from outside with a garden hose in hand, which she taped to the edge of the container pointing into it.  “Alright, bitch,” she said with a light slap across my face, “these are the rules: we start filling up the jug with water, pulling on your panties harder and harder. You have to hope your new underwear doesn’t rip and let the jug fall because if it does, you get a spanking for each pound of water that’s in the jug.” I looked at her wide-eyed. Those jugs could hold nearly fifty pounds of water. “And,” she continued, “if your underwear does break, we’ll start all over again, but each repeat try, the water is going to come out a little bit slower. And you don’t want to know what happens if it gets turned all the way off.” And with that, she spun around and went outside to turn the water on. Meanwhile, Sara began tying another rope across my wrists to tie to another part of the light fixture making any sort of movement virtually impossible. Suddenly, the water started flowing. I shivered as soon as I heard the stream hit the bottom of the jug and started filling it. Then, the girls holding the container let go, sending Kate’s old panties shooting up my ass crack and between my pussy lips. From the feel of them, they seemed stretched out from former use and must have been at least a few years old from how worn down they were. I hoped that meant that they had proved their streatchyness and I would only have to do this once. As the water filled the jug fuller and fuller, the girls started taking bets on whether or not the panties would rip. Sara and one of the other girls were rock paper scissors-ing each other to see who would get to spank me if they ripped. I wished I could hide my face so they wouldn’t see the embarrassment this was causing me. Slowly, I felt the pressure on my taint increasing. I bounced a little bit to try to tell how full the jug was by now - I couldn’t see it since it was behind me and with my arms tied in front of me, it was hard to twist enough to see it. It must have been at least half full by now, meaning she could probably get away without ripping Kate’s panties. Suddenly, I heard a faint ripping sound. The rest of the girls must have heard it too since they quieted down and began watching me more intensely than before. I started panicking. At this point, the water had at least a quarter of the jug left to go, and I couldn't lose the challenge now. I tried to spread my ass cheeks and clench down on the fabric to try to make it less likely to rip, but as my cheeks clenched, they pulled down on Kate’s panties ever so slightly more, and suddenly all the pressure on my crotch evaporated.  Since I hadn’t braced myself, I fell forward, expecting to hit the ground, but with my arms still outstretched and tied above me, I could only fall to my knees as the jug behind me dropped on my foot and splashed all over me, making the entire back of my shirt wet as hell and soaking my hot pink knee-high socks. “Well, it looks like that bucket was about eight tenths full,” Kate said behind me, “so that translates to… 32 spankings!” I moaned through the duct tape. There was no way I could take that many. Surely, my butt would be bleeding at that point, but that didn’t stop Sara from coming behind me. “One!” she shouted, with a hard slap against my right ass cheek. “Two!” she continued with another on my left. She kept spanking me, alternating left and right, until she got to thirty-two. I thought it had to be over after that. There’s no way these girls - my teammates - would keep this going any longer. But that hope died when I saw Kate walking over with a full duffle bag. “You sure you have enough pairs for Ashley,” Emma asked Kate. “Oh, you know it! I have hundreds and hundreds in here,” she replied, holding up the bag. That’s when it first hit me: this must have been planned. Kate had been prepared for this very challenge. She knew this was going to happen. They all knew this would happen. “Oh, look, a thong,” Emma said, holding up a leopard-print thong, “I wonder if little Ashley has ever worn one of these before.” The truth was, I hadn’t. I was very innocent compared to most of the other girls in my class. I never joined the other girls when they talked about masturbating and how they would rub themselves. Nor had I ever bought a dildo or a vibrator since my parents were always super strict when I was young.  Regardless, the thong was slid up my legs, tied to the rope which was reattached to the water jug once the previous contents were emptied, which trapped me back in that standing position, with my arms stretched in front of me above me head, forcing me to lean slightly forward with the thong riding up my ass. Again, I felt the jug filling up and tugging on Kate’s thong, noticeably slower this time though. Unfortunately, the thong broke way sooner this time. This time I braced myself though, and I managed to avoid falling to my knees. “Ten!” Kate declared, matter of factly after examining the bucket, and another girl came up to spank me. This time, it was Chloe, a slutty freshman girl whose boobs were almost bigger than her head. Each slap against my raw booty hurt more than the last, but the worst part was her preppy style of counting, like a cheerleader in the middle of a routine. After that, they kept putting pair after pair of panties on me, each one breaking at some point or another. Each time, I’d get spanked - fifteen times, then twenty-eight times, then another thirty, and on and on it went.  After an hour and over 20 pairs of old panties, there had been a few times I had fallen because of how hard it was to stay standing for so long, and each time I had fallen, it meant the ripping of my panties and the swift slap of another hand - or spatula or wooden plank, or whatever else was at hand - on my raw ass cheeks. With each pair they put on me and with each pair that broke, my knees would buckle more and more. Finally, the stream had slowed to a trickle, and after ripping through a pair of purple panties with pink hearts on them, Kate reached into her bag one final time for a pair of yellow panties with little frills on the waistline and leg holes. As she slid it up my legs, I could feel this one wasn’t like the others - these were rubber panties. “I hope you don’t rip this pair, Ashley,” she cooed, “who knows what we’d have to resort to if they do.” Then I could hear the steady drip from the hose as the water fell drop by drop. Kate yanked hard on the panties to get the wedgie started strong and went back to the kitchen table to join the other girls. Moment after moment passed, and I could feel the five gallon jug getting ever so heavier by the second. At this point, I barely had the stamina to keep standing. After thirty or so minutes of waiting, my legs started wobbling again. It was everything I could do to keep standing. The rubber panties bit into my pussy and ass even more than all the others had. My only hope of a light at the end of the tunnel was that this pair, being rubber, would last longer than the rest, but surely, they would still give way if I fell. Chloe seemed to notice my struggle, so she came over to me and picked up the wooden spoon that was still lying on the floor. “Wow, Ashley, you sure are struggling, aren’t you,” she said, lightly slapping the backs of my calves. I grimaced as my legs threatened to collapse under me. Suddenly, a sharp crack on my ass told me that she had spanked me again. My knees buckled, but I kept standing. Now, I could finally hear the drip of the hose stop. The water level had reached the tip of the hose and Kate’s rubber panties still gave no hints of going out. I felt my tippy toes start to leave the ground as the weight of the jug started to overpower my own weight. The only thing keeping me from shooting up and letting the jug fall was the friction of the rope against the light fixture. This torture went on for what seemed like an eternity, my feet inching ever higher up as Emma would spank me or slap me, or tickle my indefensible armpits, making me squirm even more. But finally, Kate came over and announced that the jug was finally full. Just as I thought I was about to get let down, she jumped on the jug, spilling the water across the floor, sending me shooting up towards the ceiling from a rubber wedgie that just wouldn’t break.  She let go and I collapsed on the floor in the puddle. For a few moments, I just layed there in my rubber panties, water-logged socks and shirt, which was now see-through, giving all my teammates a glimpse of my hot pink push-up bra. As I lifted my head up, I saw all my teammates taking pictures on their flip-phones and laughing at me. Finally, after trying to hold it back for hours, I started to really tear up. I didn’t understand why my teammates were being so mean to me.  “I hope this has been a lesson, Ashley,” Kate reprimanded, “You need to stop being such a bitch and putting yourself before the team.” The other girls chimed in, agreeing with her. “Besides, Kate will make such a better team captain anyway,” Sara added in, as she ripped the tape off my mouth. “So, are you ready to start being a team player?” “Fuck off you bitch!” I yelled at her, tears still streaming down my cheek, “I’ll still be team captain and when I am, I’ll kick all of you off the team.” I tried standing up and quickly fell back down on my knees since my legs were still weak and my hands were tied and taped in front of me. “Well, I guess she hasn’t learned her lesson,” Kate cooed before she gestured to Chloe to hold my mouth shut while she and Sara put another piece of tape over my mouth. “Ashley, we were going to let things go after this, but if you still haven’t learned better, I guess we aren’t done yet. Bring her downstairs and I’ll get the rest of the stuff from the fridge.” “I fucked up” I realized as I gulped.

Machia Vellian. A.K.A. The World’s Most Ruthless Supervillain, A.K.A. Dastardly Mastermind behind the First Impact, A.K.A. That Bald Bastard who Drew a Dick on The Moon, A.K.A. John Smith, (though he’ll take that name to the grave) is pissed. Unbelievably pissed. To estimate how pissed he is, one would need to disembowel the entire human population, toss the contents of their bladder into a Machiavelli-approved Quantum Matter Converter (It’s not remotely quantum; he just thought it would be funny to throw people off by saying it was) with an exponent of 70,000, and it would still pale in comparison to the metaphorical amount Machia felt would even remotely quantify how pissed he felt.But just so you can comprehend even an percentage of how pissed he was let’s go back about ten minutes, just as his hell began.“Peacekeeper, you bitch! Take me back, you shit!” He whined as he repeatedly banged his fists on the wall. His voice echoed throughout whatever dark cavern he had been teleported into, along with the sound of the ‘stone’ responding to his fists with the high-pitched noise of metal being scraped against. He paused. He had been expecting a very different noise.“Adamantite?” He instantly identified the mineral in question. Not because he knew what every other material would sound like if hit with metal gauntlets putting out several-thousand gigapascal’s worth of force, (like churned butter, if you wished to know), but because of the sensors in his Invisi-helmet’s readings. A nice bit of technology, showing his pearly whites while still protecting him from a concussion.He was about to turn on his pseudo-nightvision when an array of lights suddenly turned on, dazzling him with what he first thought to be blinding red LED’s. To the schemer’s horror, it was far worse than bad interior design, “The entire… whole fucking cave is made of this shit?” he went wide eyed.The lights had revealed a crystalline red cavern that hurt to so much as look at. He had to turn on his tinted lenses just so he could get the whole picture. When he did, he noticed that the red was interrupted by patches of green and brown. His sensors identified it to be some kind of fake grass, interspersed in areas as much as a few inches to a dozen square feet, particularly around the supporting pillars of adamantite in the larger sections of tunnel. The dirt was real, though, for whatever reason, even if the grass wasn’t. That was the strangest part; he would’ve made a fortune selling just a few kilos of this stuff to a well-endowed biologist. He doubted the Enforcers would’ve spent several billions exporting the stuff from Terra labs, which begged the question; “Where the fuck am I, then?” He thought out loud, prodding the grass with an extended appendage. If he’d been put directly inside Tartarus, he could’ve jailbreaked in a couple seconds with full gear. Hell, if they had intended to kill or trap him, he would’ve noticed that as well. The only thing he felt before appearing here had been the incredibly vague wish of wanting to ‘send him away’, followed by… “Incomprehensible Panic?” He read out loud, quoting his suit’s Psyche Logs. “I thought I had finally patched out all the software bugs decades ago, why would the Peacekeeper of all people panic?” That man lived and breathed to fight crime. Literally, if he was really grown in a vat as he suspected. Not in one instance in the past 128 years had he so much as felt more than masked amusement at a villainous prank, the wish to kill him after a particularly hairbrained scheme, or the cold desire to put him behind bars after humiliating the Congress for the thirtieth time. Something was definitely off if he panicked out of all things.Peacekeeper did not hesitate.He did not barter. The man didn’t even plead for his life.The most emotion he had gotten out of him was when Machia had put the strongest, dormant aphrodisiacs he could bioengineer into Central’s undifferentiated matter supply, and in doing so, the entire food supply. Along with pretty much everything they made for a two-month period, earning a record as simultaneously the largest recorded terrorist attack and orgy… which our favorite Invinci-Dad was excluded from. On purpose. It had been the height of his villainous career, and the lowest of his nemesis’. He still couldn’t stop himself from cackling at the mere memory of Peacekeeper’s sexually frustrated face as he flew after him far above Central^2, miles high yet still able to hear the debauchery happening in the streets below. He’s not an asshole, though, so he spared the children from it’s effect. They were ignored just as his nemesis was, to his glee. Ah, the nostalgia.Wait, what was I doing? Did my autism kick in? He put his hand to his chin, thoughtfully.Oh yeah, I was mad about som- HOLY SHIT IS THAT-A white furry creature crashed into the Adamantite wall that had been behind him less than a second prior, burying it’s head into it. He barely registered the speed of sound being broken by the time he had instinctually moved out of the way. Instinct.  Something he hadn’t felt for a long time.  The feeling of death breathing down your neck, without the need of a psychological monitor to confirm it. That is what the Rablicant, buried in the wall, capable of damaging the inviolable mineral inspired in him.  Was this karma for thinking about mocking the Peacekeeper for panicking for the first time? He had no time to consider this, though, as the creature had began trying to free itself, and upon immediate failure, began to go white hot and exude extreme amounts of radiation, preparing each nano it possessed to go supercritical, dubbed the ‘No Survivors’ protocol. Not because anyone lived first-hand to tell about it, but because he had a hand in making the thing.  Which was exactly why he sped away from the corner of the cavern he had idled in and attempted to get as far as he could from it, spider legs releasing from his backpack and grafting to intermittent points in his body as he fled for his life. “Why oh why, did karma had to bite back this fucking hard!?” the ill-fated inventor screamed as he sped through the tunnels at mach-2, prioritizing putting as many crystalline walls as he could in between him and the explosion. That Bastard who Drew a Dick on The Moon could’ve gone faster, but he needed to conserve energy for what came next. Thankfully, the caverns were expansive and the lights were everywhere, so he had a fighting chance.Just as the energy readings reached it’s peak, John Smith could feel a weight many times greater than that of jupiter pull him towards the death rabbit. He immediately disabled his spider legs and activated his own, aptly-named Survival Protocol; ensuring he wouldn’t turn into a pancake by being flattened against the wall, the #1 cause of death from these killing machines.  His own machine mind responded instantaneously, working overdrive to preserve his brain. It decompressed his suit so that it wouldn’t buckle under the pressure along with his body, which would make keeping him together much harder.  Numerous miscellaneous items, from weapons to machines, worked to lessen the pull of gravity by jury-rigging their ‘quantum’ servos, but they quickly failed under the strain of the gravity, becoming sacrifices in the attempt to throw anything he could at the problem.For what felt like hours, his stored consciousness waited with baited breath for the Rablicant to explode, ending this one way or another. His calculations told him he was just inside the explosion radius, but he could survive a glancing blow… he felt an alien sense of uncertainty, however. He couldn’t check with his entire being focused on keeping his brain alive as his body became further squished against the wall, his suit being the only thing preventing his organs sloughing away. Eventually, however, it did explode. His vision went white, and then black. His machine mind told him he was intact, because his suit’s sensors were still working, but he felt little more than that of a puddle in a form-fitting coffin. Even as he was almost liquid, he literally broiled with rage.  Machia Vellian was pissed. He couldn’t properly think or plan in this state, but even so he made a declaration. One born of sheer malice towards whomever caused this, his mind fixated on whatever entity brought him here.He still had no goddamn clue where he was, but the Supervillain swore by himself- and an evil, narcissistic mastermind doesn’t swear like that lightly- he swore that when he woke up, he was going to inject the person responsible with a nanoplague that would force their digestive system to produce clay and shit bricks, just so Machia Vellian could slowly, methodically lay the mortar on a prison of his victim’s own making.Mark my words. Were his last thoughts as he activated his stasis. Mark them, and fucking run from them with everything you have.  After all, thought Machia, the devil loves a good chase.

September 18th.   The seasons shifted like salt foam atop the waves. Leaves fading from deep green to burnt orange and yellow, fluttering to the earth and rattling when crushed. The blazing sun fell beneath the horizon, letting the darling moon bathe the city in silver light. Buildings dazzled in the azure, making the skyline appear like the myriad stars their manufactured light so easily drowned out. Only when one distanced themselves from the city did the innumerable stars and galaxies reveal themselves. When concrete and complexes gave way to grass and trees. One such place where the stars could be seen was the First Fruits Tabernacle.   Ten miles away from the city itself stood a staggeringly large temple, one which could hold thousands of faithful and still have room for more. A great stage rested before countless seats, with a golden cross hanging behind with a depiction of Jesus nailed to it, gazing down towards the audience, and to where the pastor would be delivering his message. Many of the lights were off, as the last sermon ended some time ago and many working within had returned to their homes and families. But one was left burning the midnight oil… besides all the cleaning staff picking up food and paper and whatnot.   Reverend George Oakland.   Reverend Oakland was a man reaching his mid sixties, his hair having long turned as gray as a wolf. He had a square jaw and a wrinkled beige face, yet his smile seemed to stretch every corner of his skin, as if something were pulling back on his flesh to make it so. Shoulders once strong and broad in youth had long given up, made bigger with pads beneath a suit worth more than most his attendant’s homes. His eyes were an ever paling green. He stood at a respectable 6’2”, and was currently occupied in front of a screen tending to tithing distributions. Doling out payments for the ministry and for himself, allocating money for expenses, preparing donations to certain politicians or organizations, nothing out of the ordinary. A heavy sigh left his lips as Reverend Oakland leaned back in his seat, sending out the final payment. Wasn’t quite what he was expecting.   “... hmm, I could always dig up that old sermon,” he mused. “Bout the benefits of tithing. Might have to add a few things, the job market is slow…”   He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth a few times, tapping his long nails against the mahogany desk. “The first fruits are for the lord. And if there’s only one on the branch… then… that’s it. If the branch bears a single fruit, then it is the lord’s to claim, and you must trust that he will provide. Heh, not bad.”   In the dead quiet of night, the high groan doors of the church opening could be heard as a faint echo even from the office. At first Reverend Oakland thought nothing of it, assuming it was one of the workers leaving… but then came the music.   A haunting piano theme, slow and melodious. The very sound was that of a midnight forest, with all the beasts watching on with hungry mouths and drawn claws. It sent chills down the Reverend's spine, prompting him to investigate. He stormed out his office and down the stairs, approaching the piano and preparing to confront the player, who he still assumed to be a worker getting in practice.   “The hell are you lazy bastards doin? Either get working or get ou-” He shouted in confusion and anger… but as he approached, the melody became familiar, as did the player.   She was a beautiful young woman, around fifteen or sixteen years old. Her hair was deep brown like rich soil, and her skin was pale as ivory. She wore her hair wavy and some fell in front of her face, hiding her forehead and somewhat obscuring her hazel green eyes. She had a curvaceous figure, one many in her class and many outside would ogle, and she was clad in a black dress.   “Melissa?” He called out, slowly approaching the girl as she played. The final note droned on as she left her finger on the key, before finally rising up and turning to face Reverend Oakland.   “Reverend… I never thought I’d step inside this place again.”   Oakland steeled himself, standing firm and wearing a kindly, fatherly smile that didn’t suit his face. “You always were a faithful one. I can see the light of god shining strong through you my child.”   Melissa looked upon Reverend Oakland with a hollow gaze, devoid of any life or even any contempt. “Is that so… you must repeat that line to so many people. A faint part of me even believed it now, after everything.”   Reverend Oakland shook his head and let out a quick chuckle, placing his hand on Melissa. “How about we discuss this somewhere a little less open-”   “No.”   He was caught off guard by her sudden response, moreso the sharpness in her tone. “Pardon?”   “I came here for a reason, Reverend Oakland… you. Not to give myself over or anything like that… but because I have to collect on a debt. And you will pay in full. I’ll see you soon.”   The floodlights from above all aimed at Oakland, shining down on him and briefly blinding him, forcing him to shield his eyes. When the lights shimmered down and his eyes adjusted, Melissa had vanished. But Oakland could still feel eyes on him. As he scanned the stage, he found the one watching him in the center aisle.   The Oni stood as tall as a man, but most of its body was bathed in shadow. Covering its form was the cloak of a white tiger, skinned and larger than any such beast in nature, reaching down almost to the floor. Horns curved up off the top of its head, where silver hair fell down the back in rolling waves. In its face were three eyes, black as night where the white should be and red as blood otherwise. Its teeth glowed in the dark, fangs white as pearls and long as a lion's own. Even from where he stood, his breath was like ice.   “George Oakland… Do you know what I am?”   George steeled himself once more, standing tall and proud in his apparent faith. “You’re a trick,” he proclaimed. “A demon cannot enter a house of god.”   The Oni’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “Oh… I am very real. As real as the winds and plague. Though I may not be seen, my touch is felt… and this place… this place is no house of god. It is an empty, hollow pit filled only with idols and gold. There is no room for your god here.”   George narrowed his gaze while remaining rooted on the stage, the golden cross standing behind him. “God is in all of his churches. This building was founded on his will, through the faithful tithing of my congregation. I built it in his name. My work has been to bring glory to God, and I will not have you besmirch my efforts.”   “My. My. My. That’s all that’s swimming through your head. You speak of God, but the only thing you seem to say is about your own accomplishments… but let us talk about your, esteemed accomplishments ‘Reverend’,” the Oni goaded. It crouched low to the ground, leaping onto the stage and shattering the wood beneath the balls of its feet. It began to circle George the same as a lion would an injured fawn, going through the Reverend’s many great works.   “Forty years ago, you began to attend the Harvard Divinity School. Quite the achievement, I must admit. I would be impressed… if you got in through effort and good work. But you were only able to enter due to a sizable donation from your father, who made his fortune off of slave labor in Taiwan. How many children lost their fingers in your father’s factories? How many mothers sold their bodies so their babies could have rice porridge? How many girls were taken to business partners to convince them to make deals? Furthermore, I believe you failed in your attempts at getting a doctorate in Theology… how many times? Two? Three? Four? Eventually you gave up and started a church on your own. Much easier to build something on a foundation of wealth rather than training or faith.”   George grit his teeth and clenched his fist. “Only scripture is needed to build up a church. Higher education, college and things like that are second to the word of god. And the source of my father’s wealth isn’t my burden to bear.”   “Perhaps you are correct. Yet you proudly flaunt your attendance at HDS despite your failing, as if you graduated alongside any of your classes. And you do not condemn your father’s evil acts, and still call upon his wealth even now… but let us move on. We have so much more to discuss.”   The Oni approached the golden cross, running black talons slowly against the metal. “Such excess, such wealth on display. It’s quite gaudy isn’t it? How many mouths could you have fed with the money used to build this idolatrous nightmare?”   George rushed to the idol, desperate to keep the gold from being damaged, patting it down to secure it. All the while he tried to explain its purpose. “This church was built so large and fabulous to bring glory to god! To show his divine greatness on earth! With every image and song, we pull lost souls to him, so they can be saved! This is how we praise and glorify the lord.   “Perhaps he would rather you focus on doing good deeds and spreading his word, over staying fixed in your palace, beholden to idols and demanding the faithful give their money for your luxury. For one so devoted to the lord, you are quite concerned with the materials of this world. Fancy jets, expensive dinners and vacations, mansions, celebrities, and more than enough money to give as donations to political figures… you and those like you have perverted the meaning, just as you have perverted the teachings. All the money you use to glorify yourself is meant to be used with justice, mercy, and faithfulness. When the people starve, the money of tithe should be used to feed them. When people are without shelter, it should be used to clothe them and offer them sanctuary… yet as so many of your flock suffer, you demand they give what little they have. For what? Perhaps you yearn for a yacht this year. A priest should not live in squalor, this is true… but you have gone well beyond that. You live as a self styled god.”   The Oni brought its hand up to the idol, claws pressed against the golden leg of the false christ. “Your church is much like this cross. Golden and glitter and beautiful on the outside. But on the inside?”   The black talons dragged slow against the metal, producing an agonizing screech as the metal flaked off. George held his hands to his ears in pain, as what lay underneath the cross is shown. Thick, viscous black pus, oozing out and mixed with blood. Diseased meat underneath, twisted and rotting and thick with mold.   “It is sick and corrupt, spreading disease wherever it goes. All so that you and your loyal men could get rich off the masses who yearn only for spiritual aid and guidance. Should Jesus step into this place, I imagine he would banish you. You have made this place into a den of thieves… but your greatest sin is what we shall discuss next.”   The Oni cast down the idol, tearing it off its stand and slamming it into the stage, shattering the gold and filling the area with noxious, putrid slime. George let loose his dinner, slipping off the stage and onto the aisle below, where the demon stood over him.   “Your transgressions are great. But you could have redeemed yourself. Repentance was not beyond you… but it was your actions towards your flock that damn you. As a shepherd, it is your duty to guide the flock. But what shepherd shears his sheep in dead winter, and demands more fleece during the harshest snow? You are meant to guide them to green pastures, but feed them poison that makes them feast on each other.”   George sounded like he was hacking up a lung, crawling slowly away before managing to barely rise to his feet. “What’re… what’re you talking about?”   “You fill your congregation with hate and fear. Hate for those that aren’t like them, fear for those you despise. The lonely, downtrodden and oppressed who the Lord would raise up in love you cast further down. Those who love differently, who look differently, who think differently, who have different needs that do not conform to YOUR ideas of how things should be, you denigrate instead of offering a hand. You train your flock not to be loyal and loving to god, but to be soldiers of your devil who would turn those that may be faithful away with violence and horror. Yet you are shocked when people leave the congregation. I told you god was not here. How many families have you torn apart? How many lives lost because of the hate you endorse? You perverted his message into something that fitted your preconceptions. You have been doing it for centuries. Why would he be in a house where his words are forever drowned out? But again… this could be corrected… but you cannot change the past. Which is why I’m really here.”   It finally dawned on George. After having his sins laid bare, the reason this demon haunted him was clear as day. His eyes grew wide with horror as he backed up to the wall, the Oni growing taller and taller with each step till it towered over the reverend.   “T-they tempted me wit-” he tried to plead… but they fell on deaf ears.   “Carie died just six weeks ago. She killed herself. Overdosed on morphine. It was the only thing that dulled the pain you caused her. She came to you, yearning for salvation and relief from faith, only for the one who gave it to abuse her. Margret died two months before. She had a panic attack brought on from someone triggering her memories of your assault. She veered off the side of the road, rolling off the edge of a cliff, killing her and her friend. Samantha, Terrie, Amy, Lupa, how many girls have you harmed because of your lust? How many have you forever scarred? I only know seven of the ones you raped… I wonder about some of those below you. Those closer to the crowd, who build up a more direct trust… and of course…”   “Melissa…”   “Yes. Your most recent victim. All she wanted was comfort for her loss. She trusted you. You betrayed that trust. And now… now… you will suffer.”   George fled as fast as he could towards the stairs, climbing with his aged legs to the escape exit above. The Oni simply watched with cold contempt as the reverend reached the roof of the building. On top was a helicopter purchased from a certain actor, fully fueled and ready to take off. As he rushed towards it, fumbling with his keys, all hope vanished as the vehicle burst. Shrapnel and flames spewed toward him, sending him not only away, but off the roof of the church itself and to the ground. His back shattered on impact, forcing a scream from his lungs that was quickly silenced with a gag. One given by Melissa herself. But she wasn’t alone.   Samantha. Terrie. Amy. Lupa. Carie and Margret were all there with her, standing over George. Each of them held a knife in hand, looming over the fearful pastor.   The Oni grinned his maddening grin as he loomed over George. “They need their pound of flesh. They won’t forgive you… but don’t fear. You won’t die. When they’re done, I’ll drag you to the Demon World. There, humans can’t die. Aren’t you lucky? You get to live forever… where you will be tortured for all of eternity by Oni like me. But we can go through that later. Girls… have fun.”   All sounds, all screams, all pleas, they fell on deaf ears. The bell rang at school, letting the young men and women of Briarwood High escape their torment for the next few hours. Many went right home, some to the bus or train, some had clubs and sports, while some went to study. But Melissa? Melissa was waiting. She sat herself down on the roof of the school, overlooking the streets around and below. Her dress was gone, now she wore a leather jacket over a white shirt and ripped jeans, legs dangling off the edge. She wasn’t alone for long however, a young man soon sat down beside her.   His hair was like silver and his eyes were like hot coals. His skin was like chocolate, with a beautiful face and a strong body beneath his thick jacket and cargo pants. He abandoned his shoes beside the entrance, with his gaze focused purely on her.   “Do you… feel better?”   Melissa sighed. “I… I dunno. I won’t lie, it felt good at the moment. But I still feel so… empty. Like what I did didn’t change anything ya know? We didn’t show anyone anything, we didn’t discredit him. We killed him. Or sent him to be tortured forever. What you said about the people under him is true. They could hurt again. And I… I just… I feel disgusted. With myself mostly. Like I…”   “It wasn’t your fault,” he reassured her, placing a hand onto Melissa’s shoulder. “Leave the demon to his demons… you have no responsibility for his actions. He abused your trust. You had no way of knowing.”   “If I didn’t trust him, it wouldn’t have happened.”   “If you didn’t trust anyone, I couldn’t have given you this.”   Melissa shut her eyes, thinking of what her friend and accomplice had said. A faint smile formed on her lips, one both tired and genuine. She pulled the boy closer, planting a kiss on his forehead that made his face beet red.   “For an Oni, you’re a sweet guy Runako.”   Ruk rubbed the back of his neck and leaned back, chuckling nervously. “Eheh… well, you know. Monsters tend to be drawn to outcast and the oppressed. We just… you know. You get us and we get you.”   Their free hands managed to find each other on top the roof.

Chapter One   Theo was curious how he ended up with an Omega pinned between himself and a wall with two of his fingers shoved up his ass. Three seconds later the Omega came for the 3rd time that hour. The situation made Theo contemplate a lot of things, like why he was here, and the existence of it all, but there was nothing he could do about it because this Omega was fucking crazy.  ONE HOUR EARLIER   Their meeting was purely an accident. Theo had been doing his due diligence of decapitating zombies on rooftops when he noticed a racket a few buildings away.    Like a nosey granny Theo weaseled his way there until he was in the building across from the scene of the incident. It was the smell that hit him first. Soft, sweet, but boiling to the point it stung his nose.    An Omega in heat.    The next thing Theo noticed was the Omega himself. A short, scrungly looking guy with messy black hair and toxic green eyes.    The guy was dancing around the zombies that poured out of the open door all the while stabbing them in the eye left and right, dropping them like flies.   His scent was also moving in tune, each wave coming in like a lure on a fishing line.    The crazy fucker is using his heat as bait.    Maybe at first it was sympathy, or worry, but whatever the reason was, Theo’s body moved on its own. In the end it was all for nothing.    By the time Theo made it to the building the Omega was already sitting on the hot tan floor, leaning back on his hands, and laughing at the sky while looking like a madman.    Coughing awkwardly Theo took notice that it was the midst of summer, yet this guy was wearing a jacket.    “Hey..You good?”   The Omega turned his head sluggishly and smiled so twisted that Theo felt his stomach drop.    That chill we all get, the one that tells us something is wrong, well Theo had been ignoring it since the moment he noticed the commotion, and just like before he ignored the feelings once again.    “You know, it’s hot, why don’t we move you to the shade?”   When the Omega just stared Theo jumped a bit in place to shake off the anxiety and assess the situation clinically. He was, after all, a Omega specialist, and denying and controlling his very being was in the description. He had to be, not only as an Alpha, but as a Dominate one to boot. The Omega’s eyes blurred as they lost focus for a bit.    “Actually, let me secure the area first.”   And secure is exactly what he did. First he dealt with the door. After examining the staircare it seemed like the break in zombie waves spaced out sometime between the stair and right now was the only opening they would get.    Quickly he locked the door and pulled them shut before using one of the spare bars he carried in his bag to secure a lock.    With a bit of effort he bent the bar, locking the door closed permanently. Unless there were turned Alphas that door was staying shut.    Next he pulled out his machete from his waist  before going over every kill the Omega made by cleaving off their heads for more permanent security.    The entire time he could feel heavy eyes following him accompanied by sounds of heavy, painful panting. It wasn’t long before the pheromones in the air doubled.   Saying that Theo wasn't affected by the aroma would be a lie. He was very affected, so much so that he was sweating bullets as he bit off a chunk of his cheek.    Chocolate. This bastard smells like milk chocolate.    But before the thoughts could go further, like all good things, Theo cut off the emotion, severing it from the root.    “The place is secure, now why don’t we move you to the shade?” ____________________________________ Luca was perplexed.    It had been exactly ten minutes since the Alpha had arrived and the man had yet to make a single move towards him.    This Alpha…is he impotent?   Luca doubled up on his pheromones and waited.    And waited.   And waited again, yet nothing happened. No scent, nor smell, nor sound indicated to Luca that this Alpha was responding to him.   The situation was very confusing to the young dominant omega. He had grown up used and abused by the system, and has never once ran into an alpha that could resist him.    From his teachers at school, to the three uncles he ended up with before everyone began to turn, not a single alpha has ever left him alone.    Should I try harder?   Luca paused from where he sat watching the alpha fiddle with some wire and gave a loud, heat filled moan. The man didn’t even look his way. Luca grew frustrated and decided to watch the man for a little bit more.   He had originally came here to hunt down and kill some heavy handed alphas, and zombies, but then his heat started in the middle of it.    Though dominant omegas can control their pheromones outside of heats, as well as stay sane during said heats, there are still situations even Luca can’t avoid.    Hot, sweaty, heavy, lethargic, and hungry.    Luca was growing more irritated as the alpha continued to ignore him. He was like a saint who mossied on about helping the sick and it pissed Luca off.    He was sure that the alpha would cave, if not now, maybe after he got a taste of him. A touch. Something to spark the start of an alphas rut.    “The place is secure, now why don’t we move you to the shade?”   Luca startled a bit when he looked up to see the alpha towering over him.   I knew it. It’s now, isn’t it?   Luca side eyed the small tarp area the alpha had set up. It was a quick set up, fast, and effective. There was even a small sleeping bag laying in the shaded part.   “I’m going to touch you now, is that okay?”   Luca looked back at the man. He just stood there with an awkward smile on his face. He didn’t make a move to touch him.   “It’s pretty hot today. I’m sure the heat is making it worse too..”   Luca squinted his eyes.    “I’ll be putting an arm underneath your legs and another hand behind your back, okay?”   Luca did not make a sound as the man reached for him, nor when the man finally touched him.    Luca had been waiting for this.    Like a viber he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck and his legs around his waist, officially clinging to him like a squirrel on bark.    This is it.   Luca could feel his excitement curl sharply inside him as he waited for the man to begin to touch him only for him to put a hand under his ass and another on his back and… nothing else.    “Let’s get you to the shade, okay?”   Luca found himself nodding before he could refuse. Mortified with himself Luca pushed his face into the alpha’s neck and took a whiff. He immediately regretted it when it felt a flush of slick slide out his ass from just the smell of this guy.    “Where’s your group?”   “I don’t have one. I travel alone.”   Hearing his own voice startled Luca. His heat was really starting to pick up now. Though Luca can stay completely sober mentally, he still had to deal with the physical conditions of a heat.   It was basically like a big, sexually motivated cold he could do nothing about.    “Nothing wrong with traveling alone.”   Too soon Luca was then placed gently on the sleeping bag in the makeshift shaded area. The alpha smiled down at him before giving him a thumbs up.    There was no way, no fucking way this alpha was going to just leave him here without touching him.    Luca watched as the alpha nodded  to himself before moving towards his bag across the way. He made it 5 steps before Luca reacted.   Luca grabbed onto the alphas ankles, sliding on the sandpaper like flooring along the way.   “W-what-”   “Is it my scent?”   “What?!”   “It’s my scent isn't it? I smell disgusting to you, don’t I?”   The feeling of dread had hit Luca like a bus. He didn’t even realize when it had started, but Luca felt like he was going to die.    “I can’t really change that, but- but! I can give amazing head-”   “H-hey, settle down.”   Pulling himself up, ignoring the blood on his hands from his dive, Luca made a lunge for the alpha’s leg.    “I can do anything you want! Sucking dick, playing dead, you name it.”   Luca aggressively grabbed onto the alpha’s pants and pulled. The alpha struggled to keep them up.    “I’ll do anything so please, please don’t leave me. I promise I’ll be good, I’ll do what you want so please, please, please touch me, help me. Don’t leave me-”    “Shit.”

Green Town is a place located far from the center of Tokyo city, considered as one of the places with the most diverse natural development in the whole of Japan. Saying Green is a rural area is also partly correct, because this place is inherently its nature. Far from the bustling urban area on the other city, Green brings a quiet, quiet atmosphere above all, bringing a sense of peace to the leaves. Vast grasslands, fields with a fragrant golden scent and many forests with trees full of fruit. This place is truly a paradise for those who love nature, want to come here to live a peaceful life for the rest of their lives. Surely this place will be a great place for people who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, want to learn more about natural ecology, they will like it, but it is different for Katou herself. You're fed up with this place. Katou Yuichiro is also known by his friends with another cute nickname, "mobile grocery store". The reason he got this name was because Katou was the one who always provided special items for his friends here, things that were never available in the countryside. In Green town, as mentioned in appearance, it is only rich and diverse in nature, but entertainment services here are almost nonexistent. Playing games, watching movies or hanging out with friends in cafes are always elegant pleasures that contribute to student life, but in this Green place it is completely impossible to have. The sound of traffic here is also quite sparse along with the sound of the laboring footsteps of the people that have become a regular sight of this place, although it can be said to be beautiful, this place has never been noticed. a little bit at all. The vending machines are quite sparse, if you go around town and count enough, you will only get about nine. There are quite a few types of water left, so it's quite boring. Grocery stores only have two places, but they don't sell a lot of items and mostly popular items that can be bought for just a few yen. In a rather boring situation because she could not satisfy her daily needs, Katou suddenly emerged as a phenomenon with the students here. To them he was like a savior, a savior. With his ability, Katou made the lives of the students here never boring, he always provided all the necessary things for them. As long as the students here have money and give it to Katou, just like that, they will have the handheld game consoles they want. This is because Katou's uncle is the owner of a rather large convenience store in Tokyo and the business is also quite prosperous, so if they need it, they just order the items they want and give it to them. It's fine for Katou. Only a few days later, everyone will get what they want, sounds interesting, isn't it? Because of that, Katou has always been considered a living grocery machine for all the students here, he does not ask for any wages in return and that is a plus point that helps Katou become more and more popular. should be more popular among his friends. He was merely buying to help people, wanting to give his friends quite boring. That's for sure and that's why Katou is surrounded by many friends and girls, there are probably many people who will envy him. And that's what makes Katou special, he has become an extrovert who is always ready to help others in their work. But today, there is a special person who will change Katou's life, someone who will contribute to his journey for the rest of his life.

It's been almost 150 years, since he has ascended the throne. Never was a day he felt peace at, sure, he did lots of things helped a lost of people, replaced old laws with new reforms everyone in his kingdom felt happy with his ruling except him. He never wanted to be a king in the first place but the circumstances left him no choice but now his younger brother is all grown up and can take throne, so he has trained him for 50 years in every political aspect and finally renounced the throne, left the palace. No one knew where he went even the new emperor, all he said before leaving was when the kingdom needs him he will sure return. "You see the Emperor has left the throne and went to roam the lands, how can anyone leave absolute power like that for mere roaming in the world? Is he crazy or what?" a middle aged man asked the owner in a road side tea shop. "How can we commoners know the thoughts of sorcerers and that too the Emperor, but as I feel that he loves not the throne but the people." said the owner. Smiling at this conversation a young man stepped to their side and said "But I heard that the emperor just wants to roam the lands not caring for anyone and I also heard his temper is bad and he is a very proud man". Looking at the countenance of the young man the owner lowered his voice and said "Don't say such things about powerful people in public, you may offend people and also maybe the Emperor is proud and short tempered but he treated people fairly." The middle aged man said "But what's strange is that he never married or took any concubines in all those years, some say that he loved an young maiden who he cannot be with under political situations so he left the throne in pursuit of her. And they also say that she might be a Necromancer" the owner gasped listening to this. "That.. that how can that be? It's true that he never had any affair and maybe he left for love but for a necromancer? Heavens be merciful" the owner prayed. "Why does it matter if he loves a Necromancer?" asked the young man. "Young man, where are you from? Do you not know that sorcerers and necromancers are by birth at odds though their hostility was never a big issue but a couple of those races will not last long. Do you not know that the Emperor used to be best friends with a Necromancer? Even their friendship did not last. They say when those two races are together they just bring bad luck to each other." listening to this the young man who was smiling and listening cautiously suddenly turned gloomy and gave the middle aged man a glare and left. Puzzled the middle aged looked at the owner, "young people these days are unpredictable" said a left. "Master, I told you not to indulge into such idle talk" said a tall well built man who was standing outside the tea sop the whole time and listening to the chatter. The young man just "mm"ed and left with him. The young man was the main character of the pervious conversation the Emperor, Jin Ru Chen and tall, well built man was his personal guard Li Zhang. Seeing his master is feeling a bit low he said "Actually these days there's talk that young master Shen Yongrui is going to attend the 'Peace Keep Summit'. But I was afraid that you might be sad listening about him and so I did not bring it up." "I also heard that he recently survived a beast attack and nearly lost his life. Everyone is shocked that he survived, his heart was pierced by a poison arrow yet he didn't lose his life." Li Zhang continued. "What? Again? How many times did he nearly die? Did he really want to die? What about the guard at his side? That girl always lets him go near danger, I don't like her. When I talk to him I will convince him to give up that girl and appoint a new guard." Jin Ru Chen said but sighed and mumbled "If I get a chance to talk to him!" Shen Yongrui is the necromancer friend of Jin Ru Chen, they used to be very close but after the 'Blood Lake Battle' they lost contact. Jin Ru Chen tried many times but every time he tried to reach out to Shen Yongrui his request has been denied. Shen Yongrui was not a commoner else it would've been very easy for the Emperor to meet him, he was the infamous prince who lost his claim to the throne because both his parents were dead when he was very young and his uncle took the throne and gave his own son the throne. Jin Ru Chen did not remember the night of the battle. And he lost a lot of his memories, the last thing he remember was when Shen Yongrui and him fought at a competition as one of their class curriculum. He woke up in the infirmary after a month of the battle and heard they've won. The beasts, ghosts and all other creatures banded together to overthrow the human world, it was a really a bloody battle in the history if human world. And for the first time in 1000 years both the Sorcerers and the Necromancers cooperated and fought the battle. That night when Jin Ru Chen and Shen Yongrui led a few soldiers into the enemy borders to fight with the Demon King. But what happened after they entered the border he do not remember. Everyone else died except these both. At first they thought even Shen Yongrui is also dead but he woke up when his body was towed from the battle field after almost a week. They thought he was dead and treating the wounded was priority so, his body was left there and was collected when they were collecting the corpses. The doctor felt a weak pulse and immediately started treating him but all hope was lost, he was in coma for a year but when he woke up he could not see. He lost his eye sight. When Jin Ru Chen heard this he went to meet him but he didn't want to meet anyone so no one was allowed. It was like this ever single time. He met ever one except Jin Ru Chen. He suspected that something has happened that night and that turned Shen Yongrui to be cold to him and he wanted to know what has happened. This time he was determined to meet Shen Yongrui at the Summit at any cost. Apart from wanting to know about that night, he also missed him very much. All the longing accumulated has turned into obsession and he really really wanted to met him. Sometimes when Jin Ru Chen was physically drained he has some dreams in which he was kissing Shen Yongrui, fondling his body parts, making him cry while calling out his name.  He renounced his throne in search for love and that love is Shen Yongrui, the necromancer. "Ge, why do you want to leave the throne? Can't you stay?" His brother the current emperor Jin Zhehan questioned. "I don't have the desire for power nor do I have the patience for it. But you are born for it. And I have ruled for a long time, it's time for me go on my own path" "You want to find that necromancer right?" Jin Zhehan looked at him with disappointed eyes "He never replied not responded to your requests and also no one knows where he goes. Why do you have to pursue him?" "Over the years, I have tried a lot of ways to regain my memories but I couldn't. I strongly believe that he was the key to my memories and I can't really explain it."  "Ge, over the years you've never taken any women to be your wife or you've never had romantic relationships with anyone. And if you go out and say you are looking for that man after abdicating the throne people will think that you may have feelings for him." "I do" Jin Ru Chen declared, "I mean, I think i was in a relationship with him but all those memories are gone" "Oh" Jin Zhehan was shocked to speechless. "But you do not worry, I will not let people know, not at least now" Jin Ruchen who knew the worries of a king tried to resolve them. "Not at least now? So, you are planning on telling the world in future?" "Once I pursue him successfully, yes, I'll the world know" listening to this Jin Zhehan really hoped that his brother will fail in this matter. Same sex couples are very rare and lot of people have lot opinions about it though they don't openly say anything and not to mention this couple is of a necromancer and a sorcerer it will be a taboo. Jin Zhehan loves his brother like a father. His brother raised him, played with him, taught him and gave him everything. He never thought there will come a moment in his life where he will hope his brother fail in something. So, before they left the palace Zhehan summoned Li Zhang and said "I know you will protect my brother with your life and I also know he's not weak, no one can beat him in a fight. The reason I called you here is to promise me that you will periodically report his whereabouts to me" "Your majesty, I cannot do that. It's like considered spying on him' Li Zhang kneeled. Frustrated Zhehan revealed his thoughts, "I don't want him to be successful in his pursuit of that man. It will destroy his reputation, what will people think?" "Your majesty, my master has server this country since he was very young. He fought for it and even lost his memories. All these he strived for the good of people, he just wants a man his life can't he just have that?" Zhehan was resigned, it's true. All these words were true. Zhehan never saw a person more selfless than him. Even when he was struggling he would never bother others. "You are right! He deserves happiness. Okay, then just report to me periodically whether he's safe or not. You can tell my brother about this. Seek his permission before reporting to me but whatever you say tell me the truth about his safety never lie" Li Zhang smiled at these words and said "Your majesty, I take these words as order from my king and report his safety even thought he refuses" Zhehan was very satisfied with this and happily sent them away.

Chapter #1 Death and Rebirth ********************* I always wanted a chance to be reincarnated from my horrible life. My life was going pretty good for the first 16 years. I was a bit above average academically and my hobby was reading/watching manga and anime. Then my parents died in a car accident. I was devastated and in deep depression. I loved them very much and I lost them. My parents were orphans so I didn't have any relatives to my knowledge. All I had left was my house and my parents bank account. After completing highschool I withdrew into my house, becoming a NEET. I worked as a chef at McDonald's. And I spent my rest of free time watching and reading manga/anime. One day I was returning from my shift. I was wearing earphones and listening to songs. I checked before crossing the street. But as I was crossing the street a orange truck appears and- *HONK! HONK!* *BOOM!* *WHAM!* *CRASH* -crashes into me! My rib were broken and I feeling so much pain. I was sure I was going to die. My only regret was that I didn't delete my browser history... //Scene Change// I was being squeezed from everywhere and everything was dark. I was searching for some light. I was still not sure if I was dead or not but right now my mind pushed that thought to the back of my mind. There! I saw something! I started crawling towards that light. When I came out of the dark tunnel I was tired. When my eyes adjusted to the lights around me I noticed I was wrapped in red cotton blanket and two giants were in front me. The male giant appeared to be a middle-aged, handsome looking man with long crimson hair. He has bright blue eyes. He also has a short and red stubble. The female giant appeared to be a middle aged, beautiful woman with long brown hair and violet eyes. She seemed to have a motherly aura that makes you comfortable. The man looked to be very happy from the smile he wore and the woman looked tired but very happy too. For a second I was afraid then I noticed that I was very small. I was a baby. I reincarnated. I was truck-kun'ed. I was about to go into a panic attack when the man spoke. "What do we name him honey?" The man asks. "Sirzechs, his name will be Sirzechs Gremory." The woman (Venelana) replies with a motherly smile focused at me. At that moment every emotion I was suppressing came back with full force and my baby head could not handle such intense emotion resulting in giving me a headache and me bawling my eyes out. Unknown to me, at that moment I released my full demonic power (that was borderline Ultimate class) and Power of Destruction destroying many things before it was contained by my father. While I was crying and my parents were trying to make me stop crying. In a dark and infinite void dimension you could see a conversation taking place between an orange truck and an bald old man wearing white robe and cloak. "What do you mean you accidently killed someone!!?!" The old man yells. *HONK! HONK!* "Sigh... so what do you want me to do?" *HONK! HONK!* "Y-YOU WANT ME TO REINCARNATE HIM WITH CHEATS!!?!" *HONK! HONK!* "Sigh... if you weren't the creator and my boss I wouldn't do this even if I was the Entity of Reincarnation..." *HONK! HONK!* "Yes, yes I'm doing it currently. What cheats do you want to give him?" *HONK! HONK!* "WHAT!...you're serious?... Well what can I do in front of the creator*shrugs*" *HONK! HONK!* "Yes! It's done!" *HONK! HONK!" "Yeah yeah goodbye..." *********************

Sound of the birds humming through the air. The smell of a loaf of bread and a cooked stew in the morning, the refreshing morning breeze that makes your skin warm. The wind that blew the curtains that brings a cold air inside the house. The voice of villagers that are giving their humble welcoming to others. The brink of the new era lies within the new Empire the New Royal family. The destruction of the old and there proclamation of the new. From the twisted faith of life of people to the hardship of the past war that almost destroys empires and kingdoms and families that have been broken by the Rebellion.

Kevin Desake was just a normal student with a normal life. He was generally weak, shy, and the average height for his age. The only thing that stood out about him was the fact that he had no parents. Everything changed for him on that one fateful day. Kevin was spending his last day at his school before he was transferred to some random Japanese boarding school. It was the last block, almost the end of the school day when he decided to go see his teacher, Sensei Zinan.  As Kevin entered the classroom, Sensei Zinan was doing some sort of math problem on the chalkboard. Something about finding the value of X or whatever. “Ah, Kevin! I didn’t see you there,” he said when he noticed Kevin lurking in the corner suspiciously. “Hey Sensei,” Kevin said, analyzing the chalkboard.“I heard you were leaving… I’m so sorry about that. You were always my favorite. Where are you going? The United States?”  Kevin collapsed, but he didn’t know why. Brief flashes of memory from the car crash that Kevin and his parents were in when they were moving to the USA. He was five when it happened. “Kevin!? Are you alright?” Sensei Zinan said as he helped Kevin up. Kevin shook his head and tried to not think about what happened. “I’m fine Sensei '' He said, and with that, he walked out just as the school bell rang. It was the next day and Kevin was all ready for his new boarding school. Kevin was just getting his new school uniform on when he looked at the time. He was late! Kevin finished getting ready and ran outside and jogged the entire way to school. Kevin ran into the school’s front office, where a secretary asked him for a bunch of information such as his ID, his house address, along with a few other things.  Kevin looked at the clock again and saw that he was going to be late for his first class of the day. He ran from the front desk into his classroom. As soon as Kevin opened the door, all of the students turned around in their desks and looked at him. The teacher gave a small nod and pointed to a desk at the back of the class and motioned for Kevin to sit down. The teacher continued to do his presentation on the cultures of different continents and countries alike, but Kevin couldn’t focus. He noticed that one of the students kept staring at him throughout the day. He felt like someone was following him everywhere he went, but everytime he turned around to look, there was no one. Kevin felt like something bad was going to happen.  Before his English class, Kevin could swear that he saw someone trailing him, but he ignored it. He walked into his class and did the test that the teacher handed out. When he was done, Kevin looked around and saw the same girl looking at him. Finally, the school was over. He was walking back home when he heard someone following him. In an attempt to shake them off, he turned into a nearby alleyway. The footsteps' pace quickened, and Kevin broke into a sprint. He looked over his shoulder and saw someone in a black hoodie. He looked forward again and saw that the alleyway was a dead end.  Kevin turned around and saw that the person in the hoodie was slowly closing in on him. Kevin had to get past them somehow. He looked around and saw nothing that could help him escape. It was all shady alleyway stuff like rusty pipes and bricks, oh, can’t forget the weird needles on the ground too. The person was still getting closer to Kevin. Kevin decided to run. His plan was to run at the person, scare them, and take the chance to run to the police station. He was scared, sure, but he ran at the person in the hoodie, arms swinging. It happened almost instantly. Kevin felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and he was on the ground. “Idiot…” The person in the hoodie said. They took off their hood. It was a girl?! “I’m Akiko Kaede, and I need to speak with you.”

“This disgusting smell ...”Spreading his red-scaled wings in opposite directions, Ember groaned heavily. His yellow eyes moved around the cavern, his intact body stretching from a long sleep. With a few more gasps, Ember sobered.“I smell a human...how dare these pests disturb my slumber!” Ember roared in rage, sending vibrations throughout the entire cave. With his mind filled with violent intentions, Ember’s wings moved up and down.A moment later, Ember was already flying through the space of the hollow, rising towards the only source of light, upwards. Those vile creatures dared to set foot in Ember’s land. Never would he let anyone get away with such a deed.Hastily, Ember exited the cave and let his gaze wander over the surrounding area. The sunlight shone against his scales, prompting him to look even more subtle. Ember pupils constricted at the sight of the long-forgotten sunrise before turning explicit again.The scent of a human was still easily detectable, and it was brisker than ever.“Something’s wrong here...this smell is so odd” Ember’s wings moved. It was undoubtedly the reek of a human, but it was extraordinary. It almost seemed familiar to him.As he rose high into the air, the picture of the entire island became clear. Most of the land was covered in grass and trees, leaving a few mountains in isolation. Followed by the jolt of the wind, a few waves crashed against rooted stones.The sight was admirable, but Ember did not leave his grotto to enjoy the spectacle. He left to slaughter, tear, and destroy all the invaders. Barely a second later, Ember was flying downwards, all attainable speed.As he neared the seashore, doubts languidly overcame Ember's mind. There was no sign of a ship anywhere in the area, and the stench was unusually peculiar. Something was not right.Landing onto the soft sand, Ember’s wings swooped downwards. He closed his eyes and his nose twitched. In an attempt to get to the core of this trail, he subconsciously moved along the seaside. Each of his steps left a deep imprint in the sand.“There’s a human inside this thing?” Ember’s curiosity sprang at the sight of a green sphere settling in the sand. It was translucent, but the wet dust left no openings to see what was inside.“How interesting,” Ember said, marching on in silence. All the power he had accumulated in his mouth dissolved. Whatever was inside, it would pose no danger to Ember.“What’s that noise?” Ember stopped only a few feet from the ball, ears pricked. A baby’s overwhelming cry resounded through the field, later drowned out by the din.Variously, Ember splayed his claw towards the sphere, tapping lightly on the surface. This human’s defenses proved vulnerable, and the sphere burst open instantly.Ember’s nostrils filled with the pungent smell of human flesh. But he did not move yet. The green facade remained still for a few moments before it lowered onto the sand, revealing a baby underneath.Ember and the human baby stared at each other. Neither of them had seen such creatures before. The hatred in Ember’s mind skyrocketed, but he did not attack the human... he looked too vulnerable.“Hello?” Ember broke the awkward silence, not really knowing how to approach this thing. However, in response, he only heard a vexatious cry of the baby. For some reason, this noise was supremely annoying.“Should I just kill it?” an idea crossed Ember’s mind, but he promptly cooled down. He had lived for hundreds of years, and this was the first time he had seen a human baby. Before taking any action, he should at least investigate it.“Don’t cry, human, or I’ll kill you,” Ember said as a few sparks escaped his nostrils. He smiled at the ingenuity of his plan. Sure, anyone would be scared at the sight of two giant eyes staring at them.Though, the baby still didn’t understand something called ‘fear’ yet, continuing to cry, even louder. Annoyed, Ember nearly let his instincts take over.This time, Ember took a novel approach. He inspected the baby from all sides, looking for anything abnormal. Yet only the completely naked human boy and the facade of the orb darted into the picture.“Maybe I should just go back to sleep?” Ember sighed, fed up with this creature. Killing a harmless baby was the last resort. Ember, one of the most feared dragons in the world, simply couldn’t let himself attack someone so weak. Even if it was a disgusting human, it was still too shameful.“Listen,” Ember tried to sound as gentle as possible, even going so far as to show his fangs, “if you calm down, I’ll give you a snack.”Hearing the monster’s words, the baby turned silent. Don’t misunderstand, he didn’t comprehend a word coming from Ember. He was simply astounded at the sight of such a scary creature trying to look dainty.“It worked?” Ember whispered, continuing to force out a smile and looking at the baby. Of course, the silence didn’t last long, and the boy screamed out again.This time, however, the sound filtered past Ember’s ears unhindered. Doubt, confusion, and later realization passed through Ember’s mind like a thunderclap. All the circumstantial evidence coalesced.“Who would have thought someone from that cursed bloodline would have stayed alive,” Ember said, looking directly at the baby’s somewhat closed eyes. Albeit faint, but this boy’s eyes were assuredly red - crimson.“How fascinating!”Ember’s face turned solemn, despite saying such words. He looked through the perimeter and checked for any venture, ignoring the baby’s laments. For the first time since he came to this island, Ember felt danger.An intangible threat.“Should I flee this land? Or should I save the baby?” Ember wondered, inspecting the area repeatedly. His gaze lingered on the boy, his breathing becoming uneasy.“Ah... Ember, you’ve been reckless all your life. Saving one poor soul wouldn’t change anything,” Ember sighed. He hated humans, but there were still a few exceptions. Puran Clan, one of the most cursed souls to ever exist on this planet, was one of a few.“From today on, your name will be Draco. Keep it with pride.” Ember whispered, placing his claw on the boy’s forehead. Draco continued to cry, but it wasn’t sounding irritating anymore.Instead, it grew calm.

Part One: New Beginnings? Luke was laying down in bed, finishing reading the very last chapter of The Grand Architect and was now looking for something else to read. He really wanted to read more chapters but unfortunately the novel had ended. He felt that you could never have too much of a wonderful thing in your life. Luke figured he would just go ahead and sleep and just read some more in the morning. He switched off the light and went to sleep. Luke woke up in a white room not unlike the rooms he would go for his therapy sessions. "Where am I?" Luke asked himself. As if on cue, the door swung open and in walked a man who looked like Tony Stark from Iron Man - but older and grayer. "Hello" said the older version of Tony Stark as he pulled up a chair and sat down. Luke was curious as to why there was an older version of Tony Stark. "I'm your afterlife guide." "But why is my guide a old Tony Stark?" Luke inquired. "I actually resemble your idea of an afterlife guide the most" Luke was not satisfied with his guide's response, but at least he got one. Luke was perplexed as to how he had wound up in the afterlife. He thought to himself this afterlife thing might not be so bad if they have anime and webnovels here too. "We don't call them webnovels, Luke." the older Tony Stark said, reading Luke's mind. "We just call them novels." Luke was very surprised that this man read his thoughts so quickly and easily. He figured there must have been some kind of mistake because his life wasn't interesting enough for him to go to an after life like this one. The Tony Stark continued to explain. You died because you ate some poisoned food that had been meant for your boss at the restaurant you work in. Luke thought that was kind of messed up. "I don't have any chance to come back?" Luke asked? "No." The Tony Stark said with a very somber tone. "Well what happens now?" Luke asked, his voice quivering. "Well, either way I'm here to tell you that will be reborn as a baby in another universe." the older Tony Stark said with a smile. Luke was not at all happy about being reborn as a baby but decided to play along for now. So he cautiously responded, "Okay... What am I going to do? Where I'm going to be reborn?" "Well, this is where you come in." The Tony Stark says excitedly. "We would like you to choose your new world and what time period it will take place in." Luke was really confused now, he thought about it for a minute, "Umm... How many choices do I have?" "Well in total there are 124,942,453,243 universes that could be your new home." the Tony Stark replied. This number confused Luke. "What? How is that even possible?" Luke said with a puzzled look on his face. The older Tony Stark laughed, "It's because of novels." " ...novels?" Luke said half to himself. "Yes, novels." The Tony Stark replied. "We can split reality into infinite universes based on novels that are being written by authors in the real world." Luke was not sure how he felt about this novel multiverse idea. "In addition to novels, this process is also used to split off from official canon continuities as well as universes where there are no novels." The Tony Stark continued. "For example, the Star Wars universe has been divided into countless universes because of other novel stories that have been written about it. " Luke was starting to understand this novel multiverse thing. "Okay, so let me try understanding this." Luke said to himself. "This process of doing something like splitting off universes is used for novels and other types of stories?" "Yes, it allows us to create infinite universes where anything can happen." The Tony Stark replied. " "Wow, this whole rebirth business is incredible," he added. He had no idea what world he wanted to start over in. Luke decided to inquire about the length of time he had to make a decision. "Hey, Tony, how long does it take me to decide?" "Well, that depends on how fast you can read." The Tony Stark replied. Luke's eyes widened. "Really?" "Yes, all novels are written in text for ease of access and we want you to experience living in these universes." The Tony Stark guide then started to explain how the novel multiverse worked. Luke listened intently to the guide as he began to read the novels. "Wow, this is going to take forever!" Luke exclaimed. The guide nodded, "Yes, it would take trillions of years to read through them all." Luke could not believe how much content was available. He began by taking up his prior life's novel and started to read. ...one book, two books, five books... After an interminable period... Luke's head was spinning. After reading so many novels he had a tough time keeping track of it all. "Hey, Mr. Tony," he inquired of the guide. "Is it possible to retain all of this information?" The guide responded , "Luke, do you think that is just a novel you are reading?" "Well..." Luke said. The guide carried on, "Those novels are a invertible wealth of experiences and knowledge." "Ahhh, that makes sense." Luke said. "It was just too much to all at once..." "It's very difficult to keep all of this in mind, Mr. Guide," said Luke. The guide smiled and a machine appeared. FUTURENAME was the logo on the machine. The guide explained far off in your universe's future your computer hardware is replaced with mindscreens. You simply connect with your mind and everything is directed with your thoughts! The only problem is that they aren't always reliable as you have to really concentrate. Luke experimented with the machine. He was able to recall all of the information he read with ease. "This is incredible!" "Yes, this machine allows you to retain vast amounts of information by merely thinking about it." The Tony Stark replied. "Okay, now I can really start to read these novels!" Luke said. He experienced many different novels such as: Time Travel, Moving Between Worlds, Transmigration, Rebirth, Science Fiction After some more time of reading he experienced other things like: Dimensional Travel, Parallel Universes, Reality Splitting, Godlike Powers Luke had finally finished his last novel. That was when the guide appeared. "Luke," Mr. Guide asked, "have you made a decision about which novel to be reborn into?" He had long reached a conclusion about what to do, but simply could not stop reading these amazing novels! "Yes!" he replied, "I've made a decision." The guide waited for Luke to continue. "I'm so happy for all these novels, I wish there was even more to read" The guide nodded, "I'm glad you enjoyed them" Hearing that, Luke began his request "is it feasible for me to write my own novels?" The guide paused and then nodded. "Now you're catching on. Please hold while I contact the company." Luke smiled happily. The guide used the FUTURENAME machine and sent out a message. "Change of plans we have a new worker for FUTURENAME. Inquirers only. No spam messages or annoying calls." The guide chuckled and said, "Come on, Luke. We'll find you a great position." Part Two - FUTURENAME Incorporated A blur later...Luke's FUTURENAME started to buzz. "Huh? What is this?" Tony answered, "Hello Luke!" Luke replied, "Who is this? You sound like Tony Stark..." "This is the guide speaking, welcome to FUTURENAME Incorporated!" "What does FUTURENAME stand for?" Luke asked. The guide smiled, "Future Name. The FUTURENAME Incorporated is moving at such a breakneck speed that it's pointless to rename after every advancement". Luke nodded then said, "What am I supposed to do here?" Tony replied, "You're going to be part of an interdimensional novel company. I'll explain it in further detail when you get here." "Interdimensional novel company?" Luke asked, "What does that entail exactly? I know I'll be dealing with novels but... novels of the multiverse?" Tony responded, "Basically. But don't worry, it's just novels. You can look at it as entertainment." "Okay, alright! I'll be there soon Tony!" Luke said as he hung up. "Interdimensional novel company, huh?" Luke pondered this. "I wonder what it entails..." Luke got up with his FUTURENAME and checked over what he needed before leaving. This is FUTURENAME *pending #*, a futuristic hovering city where everything has been transformed. The streets are filled with high-tech cars made out of chrome and glass that whiz by at lightning speed. There are robots in every building doing everything from delivering food to fixing machines when they break. The people have been replaced by holograms so you never have to worry about seeing them in person! And instead of going outside for entertainment, everyone stays inside because there's an unlimited amount on movies, TV shows, books and games available for free all over the internet. The only downside? You can't interact with anyone or anything without being assigned a specific task. All FUTURENAME citizens must wear cloths with QR codes on them for identification purposes. The citizens of the perfect utopia city lived in harmony. The FUTURENAME cared about them deeply; it was the only job they knew how to do. With an established system for making sure that there would always be enough for everyone, there was no need for any more distressful scenarios like poverty or illness... The citizens could access anything about their lives by putting their hands up at any time and saying "Hey." There were chairs that would take them for a spin around the city if they declared, "I'm bored!" Luke thought this was all pretty amazing. He felt pretty hopeful and wanted to make the most of his life and do whatever he could to be happy. After Luke went outside he saw the sky alive with flying chairs. The neon lights of the city were stunning. The streets were crowded with seemingly people, but not too packed to move around. There was a absolutely amazing amount of food options and surprisingly no noise at all. Luke after a short walk raised his arms and after a bit of thought said "I'm bored!" and a flying chair appeared out of nowhere. It just appeared so suddenly, shining bright white and new. It was a very odd sight to be honest, sort of like an optical illusion you would see on TV or in an old movie about aliens. The moment the chair appeared, a voice appeared in his head. "Welcome," the voice said, "Where would you like to go?" "Hmm," Luke thought about it for a moment. "I need to head to the interdimensional novel company." "Of course," the chair responded with a smiley face. The chair examined Luke's clothes and found him to be a first time flyer. Please input your flying preference. Luke thought for a minute before deciding on his favorite book series, "Harry Potter." "Hello Luke, since you're a first time flyer you should know that there is always a automatic flying system is engaged. There have never been any records of accidents, illnesses or any other damages that occur from FUTURENAME chairs. Please enjoy your "Harry Potter" flight setting." As the flying chair flew high in the air, Luke's eyes widened with his hand stretching out in front of him, attempting to grab the golden snitch. When Luke finally caught the golden snitch the chair responded with a smiley face. "Congratulations Luke for catching your first golden snitch." There was a very short blur and Luke appeared before a futuristic building. Luke could feel his heart rate steadily increasing. It never occurred to Luke that the building could be this beautiful.. It was like something out of a dream...The building loomed over Luke with its metallic finish aglow and an otherworldly light. That feeling of perfection intensified as there was no visible entrance or exit on this side of the building. Luke stunned and not knowing what else to do raised his hands up and said "I'm here for my job". The building projected a door for Luke to walk through. After entering the door Luke found the walls were made of a soft, pleasant material that emitted a calming aura. There was no need for light as all around him, the structure simply glowed pleasantly. Luke walked a step and a voice appeared, "We're happy to have you here Luke. I will be your guide, my name is Q." Luke looked around and saw nothing aside from the glowing walls, "We will be singing a song while we walk together." Luke was shocked to find that in the voice's place was a small robot. It looked like something out of an anime book he used to read about interdimensional beings. The robot had a face that looked like it was drawn by someone with very round eyes and a smile. "The song is called "Let's go" by my friend, THE END." As the song started playing it began to glow bright pink and the walls did as well. As Q started walking, the walls turned into a different color. Luke was very surprised to find that he wasn't just hearing the song as he saw letters, symbols and pictures flash across the walls. "Time is an illusion, Luke." Luke heard Q's voice coming out of the walls, but in a language he couldn't understand. Q was walking forward very quickly and Luke found it increasingly hard to keep up with him. As they continued to walk, Luke found it hard to keep track of time. Luke saw a bright white light shining ahead and the music started to fade. "We have arrived, Luke." Luke slowly opened his eyes. He was met with a pleasant sight of two doors ahead of him. One door was a bright red and the other was black. As he walked over to them, both doors opened at the same time. Luke cautiously walked into the red door and was met with a beautiful garden that looked like it came out of an anime book. Luke was so engrossed in the garden that he didn't notice a person entering from the door until he spoke. "Hello Luke. I am the bookkeeper of the book department here at INTERDIMENSIONAL novel company." The bookkeeper had a FUTURENAME hovering above his head that he carefully placed inside of his pocket. "Thank you for coming to INTERDIMENSIONAL book department. We hope you enjoy your time here." There was a short blur and they appeared inside of the book department. It looked like a massive book library with shelves as far as the eye could see. "The book department is divided into two sections. The first section, book selection, is where you will be cataloging book submissions." The bookkeeper walked passed Luke and they both entered a room that looked like it was a book cataloging room. "This will be your desk, book submissions are collected here and you must keep track of all the book's information." Luke saw the bookkeeper motion to a book that was floating in the air. The book was slowly projected downwards and landed right in front of Luke. "Please experience the INTERDIMENSIONAL job instructional book for dummies from cover to cover and then place it on the appropriate book shelf." The bookkeeper left Luke alone in the room. Part Three - Working at the Company Luke opened the book and started experiencing. The book was about an interdimensional company that hired people to collect book submissions from other dimensions, group them together in book departments and then send them back to their original dimension. After sorting out the information into his FUTURENAME, Luke tossed the book up into the air and directed it with his thoughts to the appropriate location. Luke went about his work with a smile. After finished he blured over to the bookkeeper and said "I have finished sorting out all book submissions. May I leave now?" "It is time you started your work, book selection. Please start this book." The bookkeeper motioned a book to float right in front of Luke's FUTURENAME. Luke opened the book and started experiencing. "Wow, this book is all about the history of Adventures of FUTURENAME - Quintillion Galactic Parsecs!" Luke was frightened when he finished experiencing this book. He thought it would be better to be at home with the internet than stay here in the book department. He carefully looked around the book department. "There are no book submissions!" He blurted out with fear in his voice. "You will have book submissions when you start book selection. Now please place these books on the book shelves." The bookkeeper motioned for books to appear around Luke. "But, I'm only here for the first time," argued Luke. "No book submissions, no book selection. Please place the books on book shelves. At the end of the day, you may leave." Luke was unavoidable blurred into his work area. He had the impression that he was on the verge of discovering a secret that shouldn't be known after reading that book. He worked angrily, zipping up the book after each of the experiences. According to the FUTURENAME's story, FUTURENAME Incorporated is a conglomerate that maintains order throughout the multiverse by identifying, grading and altering any negative defects. Without guidance and protection the multiverse will detoriate. Because of his prior interactions with all the novels in the white room, he was the most helpful employee for INTERDIMENSIONAL novel company. Due to that the novel company made certain alterations to himself that allowed him to stay at the most optimum for the job. He wasn't sure of what the alterations were yet and wouldn't know how to find out. He continued his work endlessly novel after novel, despite the fact that there were no plans for days in FUTURENAME. Chapter Four - Get me out of this! Luke made multiple attempts to leave the building. He raised his arms and said, "I'm not worthy. I can't take having this job!" Nothing happened. Luke tried to walk away from the library and was startled when he found himself back in the library. With his hands raised, he blurted out with fear in his voice, "I want out of this room! " "You will not be able to leave this room until you have finished book selection." The bookkeeper responded without hesitation as he blured into the room. "What do I do?" Luke asked the bookkeeper, who kept speaking in a calm and soothing voice. "Please continue book selections. Your job is to provide high quality and cost-effective book selections to book departments." Luke stared at the bookkeeper in fear. "You will be graded on your book selection and it will affect how you go up or down in the company," said the bookkeeper. "I should never have taken this job! This is ridiculous! There is no end to these novels." Luke shouted desperately. But the bookkeeper didn't say anything, but kept staring at him with his calm eyes. The bookkeeper then said, "you may take a novel at the end of book selection and leave." Luke pondered the bookkeeper's offer. He would have to read the books in its entirety at the end of book selection. He looked down at the book in his hands and remembered every word from beginning to end. "I don't want to take any novels," muttered Luke softly. The bookkeeper continued to calmly stare. Luke was in a dilemma trying to gather up his thoughts when he heard a voice in his head, "all that matters is that you keep reading." The Adventures of FUTURENAME novel appeared before Luke. Luke forgetting that he had already read it, began experiencing it once again. After sometime Luke became aware of the book he held. "I've been experiencing this book over and over again." Luke said to himself. He remembered every experience from beginning to end. He decided to take the wait-and-see approach...and was starting to wonder if breaking this never-ending cycle was actually worth it. Part Five - Life is a Wheel Luke was working book after book, until he finally came to the realization that life is a wheel. Sure it comes up often enough in novels but it felt a bit strange actually thinking it. He was quite sure that he had gone mad, but it did feel more appealing the longer he thought about it. "I should be mad at myself for thinking life is a wheel." Luke said to himself. "It was probably the result of this never-ending cycle that I've been trapped in." As he continued to work, the same cycle repeated itself over and over again. "I can't be sure if this is an alternate future or a time loop." Luke pondered for a moment on what had been going through his head. He had been going through this countless times, and the only thing that's changed was what books he had selected. "I can't let this cycle continue." Luke said as he moved on to his next book selection. He was starting to realize that he had been doing this exact same thing over and over again. He began working with a determined mindset, not wanting to repeat the same mistakes again. "I got it!" he suddenly shouted out loud. "I will break this endless cycle." He said as he grabbed a book in front of him and started reading it without a second thought. Luke's actions only further strengthened his belief that life is indeed a wheel. Eventually, the bookkeeper appeared and told Luke his work was done well enough and moved up a position in the company. Luke could not help but feel that he was just another cog in this never-ending cycle. "It will be worth it for now." He told himself as he continued to move up through the ranks of the company. As Luke went up through the ranks, eventually reaching near the top position, he realized one day what had happened. "I lost my grip on reality." Said Luke. "This never-ending cycle is no doubt the reason that I've lost it all." He muttered under his breath. He continued to work and eventually came across the bookkeeper again. The same thing happened, but this time he felt much stronger than before. "I will break out of this endless cycle." Luke thought about what the voice in his head had told him. "All that matters is that keep reading." The voice echoed. He repeated his actions once again, and reached the top like nothing happened. As he continued to sit at his desk, he was reminded of his past. "I don't want to take any more novels." He muttered to himself once again. Then the book appeared before him. He decided that this time he would break out of it all. Part Six - THE END Luke was thinking about the past when he looked back on all of it. "I still can't believe I'm here but this time it's different." He thought to himself. As he continued to work, his surroundings began to change. "This is what my life has always been about." Luke thinking to himself. "It was all just a never-ending cycle, I must break out of it." From his first day of work, it was all just a endless loop of work and promotions. Renewing his determination. He reached out and grabbed a book in front of him, knowing that this time will be different. The time had come for him to use the utmost powers granted to him by his position. After all his company was the one in charge of altering any negative effects in the multiverse. With his high position, Luke was able to edit and rewrite many multiverses' absolute powers into a novel. "I will break out of this cycle." He had recited the words so many times that he didn't feel anything when they came. It was simply just a phrase that came out naturally. He never wanted to leave the company with a bang. After all FUTURENAME can monitor anything. They would have known every single detail about him. That would be the case if it wasn't for his book with him that constantly rewrote his presence. As he went about, he was constantly experiencing the book since it never left his possession. He decided that this time, he just wanted to get away from everything. "This is the only way." He told himself. To create something greater than what FUTURENAME could ever even imagine was possible. His goal for now is to write a book so powerful that it destroys all of reality itself. A new universe where he could be free of FUTURENAME's control. He knew that one day he'd reach his goal. "I will break out of this cycle." THE END (Title of Luke's book)

Kakikomi-kun Back from the dead with a revised version and different pov :D A boy by the name of Calem is aiming to be the Pokémon champion of the Kalos league. After collecting all the gym badges, he immediately went to victory road to compete in the Pokémon league. Inside the cave, every turn he took resulted in a battle with trainers also eager to challenge the Pokémon League. After a tedious amount of battling, he had finally reached the end of victory road. “Haaaaah~” breathing out a sigh of relief, Calem trudged towards the exit. "E-excuse me!" To his surprise, a nervous voice called out to him. He looked around and found a girl in a long black dress with her bangs that were covering her eyes. Evident by the poke ball she was holding, Calem thought that she must be looking for a battle. Okay, I swear this is the last one! Tired as he was, he couldn’t say no to a Pokémon battle so he took out one of his poke ball and told her; "Let’s get started then!" "H-huh? I didn't even say anything yet..." said the girl, sounding confused. Before the girl could say anything further, Calem had thrown his poke ball and sent out a Greninja. He noticed that the girl was just standing there so he said;  “What are you waiting for? Send out your Pokémon.” "Eh? Ah! Y-yes!" The girl was still looking confused but she complied nonetheless and sent out a haunter. “Alright, let’s make this quick, Greninja use hydro pump!” “Wait!” The girl voiced out but Greninja had already finished charging his attack and the girl’s haunter was mercilessly hit by hydro pump and immediately fainted. “"N-No! Haunter!" the girl ran towards her fainted Pokémon, teary eyed. Watching the scene, Calem couldn’t help but feel apologetic. So he approached the girl and tried to apologize; “uhhhhh hey―” "H-hiih!" Before Calem could finish, the girl let out a surprised shriek and backed away. ...Isn't this just overreacting? Still, seeing as she was looking scared, he felt the need to apologize; “I think I went overboard with the battle earlier… I’m sorry if I scared you.” The girl appears to have calmed down a little bit and replied; “I-I didn’t ask nor wanted to battle you at all…” “Eh?” Calem let out a stupefied voice. “Wait…” That means I went ahead of myself and knocked out her Pokémon! With the sudden realization, Calem once again apologized; “I’m so sorry!” but an apology isn’t enough, so Calem offered; “I’ll escort you to the nearest Pokémon center; you must be worried without your Pokémon to rely on right?” “T-then, I’ll take you up on that.” albeit hesitantly, the girl still accepted. Now that things have settled down, remembered that he hasn’t mentioned his name yet. “Oh yeah, I hadn’t introduce myself yet, haven’t I?” He offered his hand for a handshake and said; “My name is Calem!1They don't have last names in the game waaaaaaa- What about you?” “My name is Valerie…” The girl in turn, shook his hand and introduced herself. “It’s very nice to meet you, Valerie.” Calem said as he began leading her towards the exit of the cave. “likewise.” She replied, following along Calem. The conversation instantly died down. She’s pretty quiet… Calem was feeling awkward because of the silence that’s enveloping them, they got off on the wrong foot and Calem wanted to do something about it, so he decided to start a conversation; “Hey.” He started by calling out to her. ”Huh? Eh? What is it?” She appeared to be spacing out. “I was just curious, how did you get all the way here when you obviously don’t have much experience?” “ahhh, it’s because I cheated a little bit…” She smiled wryly. Calem raised his eyebrow and said; “what do you mean by that?” “I’m an Esper.” So she claimed. “Esper… you mean you’re psychic or something?” “Exactly.” She said as a matter-of-factly Calem didn’t know whether to believe her or not. But she was so adamant about it that he couldn’t say anything. “You… don’t believe me, do you?”  Valerie was slightly upset. “You got me there.” he raised his hands in gesture of defeat. “Let me show you then.” The moment after she spoke, her body was immediately covered in hues of purple. At the same time, everything around her began levitating. That includes her bangs that blocked the view of her eyes. With that, her face came into full view. “Whoa…” Despite the supernatural happening in front of Calem, he had nothing on his mind but Valerie’s face. His was flushed, for sure as he kept staring into her violet irises that seem to suck him in. Valerie also took notice that they have been making eye contact, and immediately looked away and rescinded her power. “O-okay, I think that’s enough!” Both of them were embarrassed to no end. Because of that, the remainder of their journey continued with awkward silence. In a short time, they’ve reached the Pokémon center. Calem was the first to break the silence by saying; “Okay, I’ve safely escorted you.” “…Yes, thank you very much.” “I guess this is goodbye, then?” “I guess it is” After this exchange, Calem felt a little hesitant to let her go. So, he asked for her contact. “Can we register each other to our Holo casters?” “! Let’s do that then.” She appeared to be surprised, but complied nonetheless. Now that they’ve exchanged contacts, there should be more interactions between them. This made Calem more than happy. “Thanks! I should get going now.” He thanked her and prepared himself to leave. “I’ll call you some time! “Calem smiled as he waved to her goodbye. “Feel free to do so.” Valerie reciprocated with a smiled as well. With their Pokémon rejuvenated, they parted ways. Calem left the Pokémon Center and headed to the Pokémon league, determined to win as fast as he could so that he can contact Valerie, His new found interest.  

“Wow, that’s really happening, just like the comics”. — That was my thought after seeing a garbage bag going to the Earth’s orbit, and the cause of this was me, Mark Grayson. Originally I wasn’t Mark Grayson, or even from this Earth, well, my first name was Markus too, but I lived in a normal planet Earth, just working and reading comics in my free time. After I was run over by a car, I woke up here in what previously was only a fictional world to me, the world of the Invincible comic. In the first week here, all I could think is that I was in some kind of coma and was delirious, after all, being run over by a car is really bad, but not a death sentence, there’s always news of people surviving things worse than this. Seeing that your mother now is Debbie Grayson, and your father is an alien “super-hero” Nolan Grayson, what could you think? After a month here, feeling everything around me and talking to people, I accepted my fate, everything is too real, too detailed for my simple brain to be able to create something so complex. So I decided to live my new life, after all, in my old world that wasn’t people that I was so close, just some friends and distant family, nothing that made me miss the old home. Knowing who I was in this world and thanking whatever being or thing that brought me here that this world isn’t something like DC or Marvel, where you can find a random god in every corner, I just lived my life. Being in a month here, I could see that this world didn’t seem to be a parallel dimension to the main comic, or at least is something very close to the main dimension of the comic. The present technology is a weird mixture of 2003 for the general population, and a futuristic technology for heroes and villains. With a month here working at Burger Mart and going to school, just eagerly waiting for my powers to kick in, that finally happened. And the proof is a garbage bag in Earth’s orbit, so I decided to throw my working uniform to my grumpy boss, Dan, and get out there to go home, excited to test my new powers.   — o — O — o —   While in a dinner table, with my new parents, Nolan and Debbie, I decided to start the conversation after everyone finished eating and were ready to get up. “So dad, I was thinking if you don’t have to save the world tomorrow morning, do you have some time to help me train my new powers?” I said while grinning, but my parents reaction wasn’t so happy, they were serious. “Mark… are you sure that you have powers?” My father said seriously. “Well, I’ve never seen someone without power being able to throw a garbage bag to the space”. “Ehh, really well son, I said to you that even the late bloomers in Viltrum get their power before the eighteens, early tomorrow morning you and I will practice with your powers”. He said while smiling, and my mother Debbie just looked at us with a worried face. “Right, I’m going to sleep, good night”. I said while going to my room, but not to sleep, something that was impossible with my current excitement, I’ve just gained my power after all the waiting, and test them was the only thing in my mind. — o — O — o — Since in my bedroom, I started to experiment with my endurance, first using a pencil, and after that with a box cutter. Being unable to pierce my skin with the cutter, that gave me an assurance that I won’t die if someway I ended falling from the sky. The endurance test was fascinating, I could feel that something was trying to pierce my skin, but the pain wasn’t there. After provisionally using some t-shirt as a mask and anxiously waiting for the midnight, I was finally in the roof, ready to try my other powers. 'Right, if I remember the comics, every piece of my body can use any part of the space around me like some kind of support, I just need to let the feel come to me'. While thinking, I decided to let my body be “enveloped” by the surrounding space, and willed to not be in the roof anymore, to be in the sky. That really wasn’t easy, I don’t know how much time has passed when finally my body started to float in the air, the feel was incredible, addictive in truth, so addictive that someone mighty feel to never want to walk again, after all, this is flying, not something that every human is able to do, and not something that I was able to do in my old life. Maybe my soul has some kind of talent or because I’ve read the comics and remember some basic advice from there, but I was able to fly really well in the first try. Going to higher altitudes and seeing the whole city, how the builds became small, insignificant, that was really amazing. I don’t know how much time was spent in the air, at least I was able to go to another three cities that night, the only reason that I’ve returned is that my ‘flying muscle’ started to get tired, indicating time to sleep. Unfortunately, my landing skill wasn’t so good, and the crater in the backyard didn’t let me lie.   — o — O — o —   “Seems like someone was practicing how to fly last night”. “Are you saying this because of how good I’m flying right now, or because of the crater in our backyard?”. “Something between the two. And I’ve already said this, but you are ridiculous in these clothes”. Said my loving good-and-bad viltrumite dad while flying above a pasture area, he was using his superhero costume, and I was using the improvised mask that I’ve made the last night. “Well, I don’t have a costume, maybe if you give me one as a gift, I won’t have to use this”. “We’ll see this later. Although you aren't fast, you succeeded to accompany me to this area, you have a talent to fly for what I see. Now I want to see how good at fighting you are, punch me”. After he said that, I prepared every muscle in my body to hit him in the chest, but because of the time taken to prepare, he was able to easily block my right hand. Without giving him any time, I used the resultant force of my attack to hit him on his right arm with my left leg, freeing my hand and taking distance from him, trying to give time for my numb leg to recover from the attack. Taking distance, I could see some surprise on his face, probably he wasn’t expecting his son to attack him like this. “Good, good, your blow was well done son, and I wasn’t expecting your left leg, but because of this I guess that’s my turn”. After finishing his line, he immediately flew to me and punched me in the stomach, and that was hard, I felt like I could throw all my breakfast, fortunately I haven’t had breakfast today. Almost approaching the ground, ready to fall and form a crater, I took a deep breath and tried to not concentrate in the pain, but my stomach was hurting so bad that made it impossible to ignore, so I gathered all this pain and tried to transform it in rage. Looking at my father, I used the maximum speed that I could to punch him, but he was prepared, so he easily stopped my punch. With this, several minutes passed of him and I exchanging blows to each other, he hit me every time, and this really hurt, but I didn't want to stop, knowing about the future and seeing the power I was able to wield made my heart beat faster, I could feel the blood rushing through my whole body, keeping me comfortable, the intense pain of a few minutes ago was no longer noticeable, minutes become hours, the viltrumite DNA helping me to not became tired, and my head was clear like never before. “Alright, it’s already late, we’ve had enough for today, let’s go home”. After he said it, I stopped, my heart was beating faster, I saw him and his costume completely unscathed, and looking at my clothes destroyed in various parts and my body hurting like never before, but everything made me feel quite happy, because of knowing that each battle will make me more powerful. Entering home after creating the second crater in the backyard, Debbie looked at me with surprise and run to the door. “Oh my god, what happened to you Mark?! Are you alright?” She said while checking over my body, but everything on my body was just abrasions, any other wounds already healed in the way home. “I’m alright mom, just exhausted now, I’m going to take a shower and go to sleep, goodnight to you two”. I said to them after going upstairs, I was really tired of today’s training/fight, the best thing for me now is a good night of sleep. — o — O — o — In the same day, when Mark was already sleeping, at Nolan and Debbie's bedroom: “Nolan, don’t you think that you pushed Mark too hard today? What if he end up hurt?” Debbie said with concern on her face. “You really know me, I would've ended doing something like this, but this time it wasn’t me, it was our son, Debbie, it was him who made we fight until night, so you don’t need to worry, after gaining his powers it seems that he has an iron will, he’s going to be someone powerful soon, and I will guarantee that he don’t push to hard for this”. “Well…if you say so, but remember to take care of him, remember that he’s our son”. “It’s impossible for me to forget it, you can rest assured, I can even remember when we’ve done him”. Nolan said while smiling. “Nolan!” Debbie said while smiling and slapping the Viltrumite’s arm. “What about we revisit that night?”. “I will gladly do it”. ElderLemme Hello everybody! This is my first fanfiction, and English is my second language, so if you have any suggestion of what I can change, or report some error, please to do it! The story will be primarily in first person, but when our MC ins’t there, the story will mainly be in third person. If you liked my work, please consider sharing about it in forums, and if you can, any donation is welcome! Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElderLemme

Country of Fire, Konoha Village. The weather today is very good. There were no clouds in the sky, and the deep blue sky was steamed and stained by the sun, and it was covered with a lavender cloud. On the street, the bustling crowd was talking and laughing, and from time to time there were several ninjas wearing vests wandering among the civilians, running around for a day's life. The end of the street. In the middle of a long corridor where no one lives, a gourmet restaurant named "An's Restaurant" quietly opened. The area of ​​the shop is not large, about 80 square meters, he lives on the upper floor, the lower floor is open for business. In the restaurant on the first floor, there are already eight solid wood tables. Each table is equipped with chopsticks, bamboo tubes, paper pumps, and other necessities. The partition is an open kitchen, and the stovetop is filled with various shapes of knives, pots and pans, and grids of various condiments. Below the stove is a row of specially constructed drawers, and all the cooking materials are taken out of it. "Huh, I have been busy for half a year, and finally it's about to open." Standing at the door, An Lan let out a long sigh of relief. then Sits on the chair and waits for the guests to come. An Lan is a traverser who has been in the world of Naruto for 17 years. Unfortunately. An Lan's crossing was not as smooth as expected. An Lan's parents were both ordinary Konoha sinobi, and not long after he was born, they were sent to the front as cannon fodder, and then both murdered. And An Lan didn't have the talent to be a ninja either. Byakugan, Rinnegan, tail beasts, bloodline... He didn't have any special ability in Naruto World. All signs are on the surface, An Lan can only be an ordinary person in this life. but. Just when An Lan thought that he would spend his whole life in peace. half a year ago. He suddenly awakened his own system, a system called the "God-Level Store Manager". According to the system description, An lan can build its own shop in the Ninja world. Gourmet shops, comic shops, movie theaters, internet cafes, pet shops... and even custom shops. In order to open the store smoothly, An lan sold all his belongings. then. In Konoha's most remote street, He bought a row of wing houses for almost the price of cabbage. That's right All the shops on the street belong to An Lan, with a total of 20 shops. However, because of the remote location, the shops here are very deserted. Sometimes, no one passes by the door all day. but An Lan didn't panic. Because he is very confident, as long as his store successfully opens, it will only be a matter of time before the popularity will burst. This deserted street will sooner or later become the most prosperous commercial street in Konoha and even the entire Ninja world. As the first start-up project, An lan chose to open a gourmet restaurant, which is the "An's Restaurant". The ingredients needed by the restaurant are provided by the system. The preparation method of each dish must be purchased from the system, and the raw materials must also be purchased from the system. The selling price of the dishes will be customized by the system to a minimum price, and the selling price cannot be lower than this minimum price. The operating income is exclusively shared by An lan, not shared with the system. In addition, in order to facilitate the solicitation of customers and help the store to operate better, the system has also formulated two special rules: 1. As long as each customer steps into the door of the store, An lan can replicate the full capabilities of the customer. This is for the sake of security, to avoid some people making trouble or not paying for meals. 2. As long as the customer successfully consumes, An lan will get 1 point of consumption, which can be used to open a new store or learn new skills. In addition. When the customer has spent 10 times in the An lan store, the customer can get a lottery. Each store has a unique chance to draw a lottery. If you want to draw a second prize, you must wait for another store to open. The prizes range from the lowest-level napkins and toothpicks to advanced ninjutsu, physique... and even exotic animals, divine beasts, and weapons from other worlds. The more times you spend, the higher the probability of winning premium prizes. Currently. In this restaurant, there are a total of three types of dishes of the An lan Society: 1. Golden fried rice 2. Magic Mapo Tofu 3. Bounce turtle soup ... These three kinds of dishes were quite famous delicacies in "The Little Master of China". An Lan need to sell one dish for success, the customers behind will come to his door in an endless stream. ... Lean on the chair. An Lan made a cup of black tea for himself and quietly waited for the first customer to come. however. An hour passed, and there was not even a single guest. The weather today is so good and there are so many people on the street. Even if the location of Anlan's restaurant is not very good, there are many passers-by, no matter how bad it is, a few people should come to the door. There were indeed a few people coming to the door. After all, they were curious to see a new store opened on this broken street. But almost all passers-by, the moment they step into the door of the store, will be frightened by the price of the food in this store and turn their heads away. Because it is too expensive! Golden fried rice: 1000 Ryo. Magic Mapo Tofu: 2000 Ryo. Bounce turtle soup: 1500 Ryo. To know. The average price of a bowl of ramen is only 50 to 60 Ryo at the Ichiraku ramen in the village entrance and Konoha's signature gourmet restaurant. Even the most luxurious ramen set is worth a hundred Ryo. And Anlan this shop. The cheapest bowl of fried rice, the price is equivalent to ten times the price of the most luxurious set of Ramen! The boss is afraid that he is not stealing money! And for this situation, An Lan is also helpless. Because the price of dishes is set by the system, and there is no bargaining. Today, even if the first Hokage crawled out of the soil, Uchiha Madara uncovered the coffin, and the two came to the store to consume, even they would find the price expensive. A lot of points! But An Lan didn't worry too much about the price. As long as you have eaten the delicious food of the An's restaurant, you will never forget the exaggerated taste. The reputation of gourmet restaurants is only a matter of time.

Great. I spilled water on my shorts, and now it looks like I pissed myself. Thankfully, I’m still in the bathroom, so I can grab a couple paper towels to wipe it off while the damage is still minimal. But it’s not working, all I did was increase the radius. At times like these, I wish I could summon a hair dryer. Maybe if I had worn my darker shorts, the stain wouldn’t look so obvious. Hmm, darker shorts… Taking off my shorts, I put them into the sink and turn on the water. When the shorts were completely soaked in water, I pulled them out and gave them a few good squeezes. Satisfied, I put them back on as a few negligible water drops fell to the floor. Having the cold, wet shorts hugging my thighs, I felt like a kindergartener. Looking down at my wet shorts, I embarrassedly thought to myself: ‘No one’s going to notice, right?’ Thankfully, when I made it back to class, no one said a word.

You sent your best agent and she messed up. Again!"  Peter Billiard shouts while hitting the brown mahogany desk with his left palm that is covered in a black leather glove.  His shoulders are tense and his face? I've never seen it so red! Oh boy. I seat quietly and watch everyone talk about my 'mistake'. "Jada is never careless during her missions. We could call this... a mishap." Mike tries defending me but I know when we're out of here I'm in trouble.  Peter Billiard turns to me and I look straight into his eyes. His confidence somehow diminishes and I inwardly smirk. I have that effect on everyone. From my bosses to my colleagues and everyone who knows me.  Well apart from a separate group of people but that's a story for another time. I look beside me to find Cole, my partner, looking away almost like he wants to hide under the desk. "The man was a threat. His gun was pointed at Lark's head. It was either to kill him or let him kill Lark."  I explain for the seventh time. And to be honest, that was the last time I would explain it. "The idiot was the last link to where the other safe was. You always mess up everything." Peter says and adds in a lower voice. "You don't have the balls to do this job." "I care for my team mates. Why would I spare a criminal who probably wouldn't tell us a thing rather than let ONE OF US get killed out there when I could prevent it?  You might not have a conscience but I do. And it wouldn't let me sleep knowing Lark died out there when I could prevent it.  I think if anyone isn't ready to defend one of us, then they don't have the balls for this type of job.  You only sit behind the desk and watch us out there." I have never talked so much since I joined the FBI.  I take in a deep breath. Mike clears his throat and opens a new file. He hands out the copies. Leonardo Carter Williams Nine years old Blonde with green eyes Home schooled Orphan I look at his photo and notice he seems too pale to be healthy.  His face reflects a sad and lonely kid. I read other parts of his file. He has leukemia and his parents were murdered two years ago. "His guardian who's also his uncle reported two days ago that the boy started receiving death threats about four months ago and he suspects it's from his parents' killers."  I look at the file in confusion but before I ask anything, Mike continues talking. "The killers need something from Leonardo. We don't know what or where it is. Jada and Cole, you'll be taking this case." I look at him. I know my face doesn't show anything but I'm full of questions. "What am I supposed to do?" I finally ask but what Mike answers is not what I expected. "Leonardo is homeschooled and he also needs a nanny. You'll take up the job." Mike says with finality. "So now I'm a nanny?" I ask ridiculously. For once I think of this as a sort of weird joke or prank. "Yes. Leonardo Williams needs protection. At the same time you should try finding out what they want." My eyes dart to everyone and I find Peter holding up a smug look. "Did you plan this?" I look at him but Mike comes to his rescue again. "You've caused too much trouble for the past year Jada." "So this is some sort of punishment? All kills were required."  I turn to Cole waiting for some back up but he already looks like a wet dog with its tail in between his hind legs. Some partner he is. "This is final agent Costa. You will start your work as a nanny on Monday or hand over your badge this instant." A hot feeling raises inside of me as I look at Mike. I'm so tempted to hand over the badge but the FBI has become my second home. It has kept me sane.  Everyone gets up and leaves leaving me alone. Well not totally alone. I turn to the slumped body of my partner to my right. He wants to say something but I get up. I can't believe he let this happen.   I go towards Mike's cabin and hear him talk to Peter. I really feel like turning around but I don't stop. I knock on his open door. "I'm here for Leonardo's file." I say monotonously. Mike hands it over and as I see his mouth open to say something, I turn and leave immediately. I take my things and go to my black Audi then drive to my apartment. I head straight to my kitchenette and drink a glass of water. I head to my bedroom as I rid of my blonde wig. I place it on the dressing table. I look at my face and now charcoal black hair as I think about the new task.  Being a nanny isn't good enough to be a mission. I take off the brown contact lenses leaving behind my papa's blue-green eyes that I once loved so much. I change into black yoga pants and a black tank top. I stand in front of my full mirror. I'm 5'7. An athletic body probably due to the intense exercises and workouts every day. I take my laptop and file go down to my black tesla and head home.  The two cars are necessary for my life. As you figured out, I live a double life. I've lived it for four years and it has been okay. So far. Nobody at the FBI knows me. You might not believe it but there's nowhere where the real me exists or ever did.  I changed names and appearance before I got into the FBI. Let's say my past life is something I'd never want to remember or live in. My past life made me who I am right now. A cold, heartless and stone hearted bitch. People call me 'The Ice Queen'. Abby, one of the women I've come to like in the past few years opens the door to the children's home that has also been my home for the last six years. A place where I can show the people inside who I really am. A place I don't have to kill or argue with self-absorbed assholes.  A place where I have no missions. This is a place that I can feel free and safe. A place that I can feel loved. This is home. A mop of black hair jumps into my arms hugging me tightly. "Jada!" A high pitch voice of a six year old boy follows and I laugh as I hug him back. I look at his green eyes and smile. Oh Ryan. "And how has my favorite six year old been today?"  I ask playful and he instantly answers saying how good he was. I greet the other kids who just had their dinner and Ryan starts telling me how he got a new friend who came with his dad to visit them at the shelter. I tuck him into bed and start singing him his favorite song until I also start drifting off to sleep. My phone starts ringing as I find Mike's name flashing on the screen. "Agent Costa speaking." I try to say professionally but I'm so annoyed. "Lara is surrounded. She needs a hand." I almost groan. "Text me the address I'm on my way." I run to my car even though Abby tries to stop me. I drive to my apartment and change into my work look as fast as I can and drive to the address. I find a bitchy damsel in distress and I do everything to help like the good person I am. What do you think ...... How was the first chapter

Good And Evil 〜〜〧〠〧〜〜 In every man's life comes the point when he asks himself, "What Am I Even Doing With My Life?" Or, life feels plain meaningless. The excitement one feels as a child discovering new things, all gone. And now, life just feels mundane. Jack, too felt the same way. As, A physics professor, he earned well. But often felt drained and empty. With every batch, the students changed, but his field remained the same. With every new batch, he would teach the same things, again and again. Reminiscences would often engulf him, as remembrances of time when he fascinated little things like—how a bullet gets fired from a gun—how does the clock's tick match the 24-hour cycle—the mechanisms of a steam engine, would often pass by his thoughts.  There he sat on the chair as he graded the papers when a gush of air entered through the window.  The Moon had risen. Jack stopped his pen. He gazed into the Moon for a while. Then, he stood up looked down upon the sheet. Then towards his room. A cleanroom—clock with a pendulum hanged in the wall, two shelves filled with books on the right. On the left, A work table bristled with mechanical tools, like screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers, tubes, gun barrel, etc. Only books and thesis papers lied on the table by the window, where he currently sat. He felt suffocated looking at his workroom. He sighed. Deep In his heart, he felt a sense of emptiness. A void unfilled.  〜〜〧〠〧〜〜  On the empty streets, he strolled. He wanted to escape. Escape from the suffocating feeling, escape from his daily routine, escape from his tedious life. That's why he was here. Qaewell city flourished in human resources. With the industrialization in Steam resources, the city bloomed. But as the city flourished, gambling, drugs, slave trades also flourished. Many lost their inheritance in loans. Some lost in gambling. Some just came from a destitute family. These people gathered on the east side of the city. The official named the town 'The Heim Town'. The Birth Place of Jack. From the university, it took to 30 min, to arrive in a carriage. Jack roamed the streets. After all this time, he wanted to look at how the place changed. Most people quivered because of the frigid atmosphere. Jack remained perfectly unhindered as he wore a long black coat. Along with a small inner coat and a white shirt. On his head, he wore a small black top hat and, on his right eye, a golden monocle. The pungent smell of the smoke, the discourteous people, the beggars, it was all the same.   His, eyes along with the moonlight, also reflected the look of disappointment—a blighted Hope. 'Change' He thought was the problem. Maybe, as someone who rose from the slums, he could not adjust to the affluent lifestyle. Perhaps, the lack of Belongingness gave birth to the gaping pit on his chest. But he had misunderstood.  The filthy stench of smoke repulsed him. The slobby people repulsed him.  He felt no sense of beginning on this horrendous atmosphere infant it nauseated him.  Bang!  Just when all hope seemed lost, he heard a gunshot in some close ally. For the first time, his heart skipped a beat.   Why?   He asked himself.   As someone with a gun license, he had heard plentiful gunshots before.    So, Why?   The very fibre of his being felt the sense to follow the noise.    Answers   He sought answers.   Was it because his life felt threatened?….   He walked.   If so, why, rather than running away, he walked towards the noise?…..   He walked.   Why did his heart skip a beat?…   He rushed   Why?….   For the first time, he saw a corpse.   A corpse.   A dead man on the side of a dark ally. A man—back by the wall, legs stretched, abdomen bleeding, mouth wide open. His leg took a step back. Then, his mother's word echoed through his mind, be a gentleman, she said. He grasped his hat with his thumb and index finger. Then, took three steps near the corpse. Standing behind a set of values and believing in something displays loyalty in a man. A true gentleman will follow a moral code with others' best interests in mind. Jack examined the pulse to check whether he could still be saved or not. The man was dead. Life no longer present in his eyes. His heart skipped a beat. The sight of blood, a dead body, a dead man. His heart skipped another beat. Click!  That's when he heard the sound of a gun's hammer clicking. The metallic feeling passed through his hat to his head. "Slowly Stand, and move inside the ally," The man said, as he pointed a revolver to Jack's head. Jack's heart did not skip a beat. His frame firm, he stood up while raising his hand in the air. The man's eyes slightly bulged as he realized the height difference between him and Jack. Jack stood 6'1" tall. Now, he pointed his gun, a bit upward, towards Jack's lower head(occipital bone) "Move!" The man said with a croaky voice. Jack's faced the other side all this time. He gazed into another side of the ally, towards darkness. The sight of the corpse imprinted on his mind, his heart lingered for answers.  Does He Not Fear Death?……. He took one step. Was He that tired of his life?…... He took another step. No... that's not it. An inexpressible sense passed through his body. He felt so close, like being one step from finding that one piece you felt missing from within you, your entire life. But he just could not put his head around it. "Turn around, and hand over all your valuables!" He demanded. On his neck, he felt the gun slightly quivering. Jack also noticed the man's croaky voice. "Resolve—" Jack finally spoke as he turned behind. "—you do not have it." The man took a few steps back, his body still shivering. Jack noticed his small frame and rugged clothes. In front of the 31 years old Jack, the man in front was not even a man, just a boy, barely 17 or 18.  "Don't test me!" The boy said with a shuddering voice. Jack understood human nature. People would have little compunction about a stranger dying outside of their presence, but could they themselves kill someone while looking them in their eyes? It would at least introduce a degree of hesitation. If the robber was determined to murder Jack, he would already be dead. And the robber would have taken his belongings from his dead body. Jack, at full tilt, let down his arm and seized the pistol. The boy's hands covered in sweat barely knew how to hold a gun. He found the pistol from the corpse of a woman in some alley. Agitated by hunger, he roamed the street when he saw a guy, well dressed, come down from a carriage, and wander the streets. For orphans like him, the only way to get through the day was to rob or beg. ,   So, he followed the rich man. But, now, regret had taken birth in his heart. He lost his footing and stumbled onto the ground. His heartbeat increased, he felt difficult to breathe.  He realized, panicking won't do any good. But his body did not listen. It shook. He wanted to run, run from this situation, run from his lifestyle.  He turned back, with his quivering legs, and stood up, attempting to run. Bang! Throughout the alley, another sound of a gunshot echoed. He fell onto the ground. Excruciating pain passed down his right leg. He screamed. He cried. Someone... help….he crawled, reaching out his hands to the light at the ally's end. Desperately, slowly, he crawled.  Click! The boy realized….this was the end. Meanwhile, Jack wondered, the moment he seized the gun, any threat to his life ceased to exist. So, Why? His breathing regular, his heart rate standard, no sign of shivering, no sign of hesitation. Click! Without even realizing it, his finger had pulled back the hammer. He had no reason to do so, but why did his body desperately crave to pull the trigger. His pupils widened, as again, his mother's words passed down his ears, Jack, be a gentleman.  He realized. He recalled, "Professor, A man unaffiliated with any parliament is not allowed to conduct such research.""Professor, funding for individual research is not allowed.""Professor, the law does not allow-""Professor, you cannot-" 'Defiance' That's was what it was. What Jack so unconsciously craved. Since birth, to survive, to adjust. Jack strove to be an ideal citizen. That was what the government wanted. That was what society wanted. And he was good at it. His words reflected humility, gentleness, and charm. His actions never defying the qualms set by the society for a gentleman to have. His interests, his hobbies all contributing to other's needs.   In the end, those acts were nothing but a facade. A false image.   Now, Jack understood. There was never a missing piece. It was asleep. The facade, he created had caused a part within him to undergo slumber.   The slumbering piece, now, desperately wanted out.   Bang!

Folks, I have to apologize to you, because after linking to this story on another website, I was contacted by Toei Animations Lawyers and Given A cease and desist order. Despite This being a free to read Fan Fic, supposedly protected by the Creative Commons License, I Cannot challenge a big company's lawyers. So I'm afraid this is the end. I am required to delete what I've uploaded, But I will be leaving this Notice up. This was, without a doubt, the DUMBEST thing that's ever happened to me. My only question is, Why single me out for a relatively harmless fan fic, but not all those "Erotic" Fan Fic writers out there? They can Write About Renamon Getting Slammed by WarGrowlmon, but I CAN'T write about a group of kids and a digitally reconfigured adult? Sorry for the discontinuation, folks. Maybe the idea can be revisited later, with any mention of Digimon Removed.

Cornered in the Bathroom   By Ivaran Kealar   1.   “What a day,” groaned Alana. She locked herself in her bathroom. Alana Bradley, 28 years old, was a famous romance author. She had sky blue eyes, was five foot two and quite trim. Alana lived alone in a cabin in the Grand Beaver Thicket Forest. She wore her salmon pink bathrobe and was ready for a lovely bath. Alana turned on the taps of her lavish tub – she placed the plug in the hole. She grabbed the bottle of tea leaf bubble bath solution and poured some in. Afterwards, she placed the bottle back on the window sill. She sat on the stool. Alana’s bathroom was quite spacious, and had a heavy mint colouring. The bathtub was big enough to support two people – perfect for a good time. When Alana was satisfied, she turned off the taps and the temperature was just right. She slunk out of her bathrobe and placed it on the door’s hook. She smiled. Now completely nude, Alana carefully climbed into the tub. She released a satisfied sigh. She soaked her luxurious hair. She used her creamy soap and flannel to clean every inch of her. She took her sweet time rubbing her breasts – she sported a 38C cup. Alana placed the flannel and soap back, after opening her eyes. She used her tea leaf shampoo to wash her dyed crimson hair. She rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. Alana grabbed her bumpy pink dildo from her window sill. She breathed hard. She chewed on her lower lip. She lowered the dildo in the water. She closed her eyes. Her mouth opened wide. She gasped. Her mouth formed a trembling smile. She whimpered softly. Alana rubbed her clitoris and labia with her favourite toy. She teased herself. Quivering gasps left her mouth. She wouldn’t stop smiling. Alana licked her upper lip. Her legs moved in a scissoring motion. She used her free hand to fondle and squeeze her left breast. Alana inserted her dildo into her pussy. She whined. She moved it to and fro. She rocked her head back and forth. Alana gasped. She moaned. She rubbed her clitoris with her other hand. She was really getting into it. She was past the point of no return. A strong ripple trembled through Alana’s body. She released the dildo. She groaned with joy. It improved her mood. She removed the dildo and tossed it out of the tub. Joy held the handles of her bathtub. She laid her head on the bath pillow.     2.   Alana finished her wash. She drained the tub and cleaned it carefully. She soon finished drying herself off, and she sat on her bathroom stool. Alana dried her hair. She brushed her hair with her scarlet hairbrush. Considering she had a mirror in here, she managed to do a good job. Alana tossed her pink towel in the laundry hamper – ready for the wash. She slipped back into her bathrobe, making sure that it wasn’t tied too tightly. Alana unlocked her bathroom door. She opened it casually. Her eyes widened. Staring back at Alana was something that defied Science. There was a horrible slug beast in her house. It was completely covered in thick slime. The slug beast was roughly five feet five in length. It appeared to be quite thick. It had a big mouth and was olive coloured. Alana’s heart raced. She was frozen to the spot. The situation wasn’t registering. The slug monster’s eyes appeared and focused on Alana. It then gurgled hungrily. Finally, Alana shrieked. She slammed the door and locked it. Her heart raced. Alana was shaking a lot. She put her arms around herself. Her eyes widened. She looked all around: She saw her bathtub, the window, the toilet and the air vent. Alana looked to the window. Sadly, that was out of the question – it was too small. Alana suddenly heard some sick gurgling. She quickly moved away from the door. Alana gasped. She saw that the gigantic slug was attempting to chew through the door. Alana pushed the cupboard down. She shrieked when it went crashing down. Alana locked herself in her bathroom. However, she was safe from the monster. Alana’s legs were like jelly. She felt like a prisoner in her own bathroom. She wasn’t able to focus. She was afraid the monstrous slug would eat her. The room spun around. Her heart raced. She had tingling sensations. She feared the slug was going to push her over the edge.       3.   Alana was sitting on her bathroom stool. She sighed. She looked at her doorway. She no longer heard the sound of eating. The slug must’ve given up for now. Alana thought about calling for help. However, her mobile phone was upstairs. She hugged her legs. She could hardly swallow. She sighed. She couldn’t focus. Alana glanced around. Unfortunately, the slug could enter in a number of ways. She looked to her toilet. She imagined the horny slug monster using the toilet. Alana quickly got up. She glanced around. She needed something heavy. She saw her laundry hamper. Alana picked it up – it weighed a bit. Not letting the weight get to her, Alana put the hamper on the toilet. Alana sat on the stool. She buried her face in her hands.     4.   Alana lost track of time. She had no clue how long she was in the bathroom. Alana lifted her eyes from her seat. She heard weird noises. Her anxiety kicked in. She assumed that the horny slug was crawling in the air vent. She swallowed hard. Alana got up from her seat. She went to the air vent and she made sure to close it. She locked the air vent cover. With the vent being on the floor, she knew she could cover it up. She had to make a decision: To either use the cupboard or the hamper. She gulped. Alana picked up the hamper that rested on the toilet. She covered the vent. She raided the tipped over cupboard to find anything that could help her. Luckily, Alana had found a cable. She used the cable to tie the toilet shut. Alana’s heart raced. She felt unsafe. She climbed into the bathtub and hid. Alana closed her eyes. She didn’t mean to. She felt tired. She needed a break.     5.   Alana smelt something weird – like a weird aroma. She also felt a little weight. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Alana’s eyes widened. She didn’t believe it. The mutant slug had appeared in the bathroom. He was all over her. Alana shrieked. She tried to climb out of the tub, but the slug hindered her. She noticed something disturbing, too. She was nude and coated in slime. The mutant slug had eaten Alana’s bathrobe as she slept and coated her in slime. Alana shrieked. The mutant slug was on top of her. She tried pushing it off in vain. She felt dizzy and faint. She couldn’t stop the waterworks. Alana was upset. Her need to escape increased. Her heart raced. She felt her throat getting tighter. She shuddered a little. The mutant slug licked Alana’s face. It was thick, sticky, long, and quite flexible. Alana shook her head in disgust. She clenched her teeth. She still fought the slug. The mutant slug was impatient. It wanted to get its tongue deep in Alana’s mouth. Alana felt tiny mouths suck her nipples once. She opened her mouth. Next, Alana opened her eyes wide. She felt the slug’s tongue enter her mouth. The mutant slug engulfed Alana’s head. However, its tongue delved deeper. Alana dug her nails into the slug. She tried in vain to push it off. It did no good. Frantically, Alana tossed her head about in the slug’s mouth. She couldn’t stop crying. The slug’s tongue went down Alana’s throat – it moved back and forth like a thick cock. Alana shook violently. There was no way for her to escape. Her heart raced. She knew what this slug was up to. Her muscles tightened. Alana rocked frantically. Her shoulders hunched. Her body felt aroused. She hated herself. She swallowed the tongue mucus. However, as she did, her brain throbbed. The slug tongue mucus tasted funny – kinda addictive. Alana felt lightheaded. The world spun around. She didn’t fight anymore. Alana stopped weeping. She moaned like whenever she masturbated. Alana couldn’t stop swallowing the slug’s juices like a hungry whore. Finally, the mutant slug’s tongue slowly retracted back into its own mouth. Alana’s head was liberated from the slug’s mouth. She felt faint. She was on a wonderful drug. Her head swam with erotic ideas. She couldn’t stop thinking about getting fucked. Alana wiped her face. Alana opened her eyes. She looked at the slug. She moaned. The slug looked at Alana with its weird tentacle eyes. It gargled with love. “Fuck, I feel so fucking wet now,” moaned Alana. “Your tongue... Your tongue’s done something to me... Fuck. I can’t stop thinking about you... I’ve got intrusive thoughts in my head that make me want to fuck you... Shit. Hell, I want it. I want it so fucking bad.” The slug knew it had won. It repositioned so it was able to shove its cock in Alana’s mouth. Carefully, the horny slug monster moved in the 69 position – face-fucking Alana. Alana closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms and legs around the slug’s bulbous body. The slug moaned and groaned. He moved his slimy dick back and forth in Alana’s mouth. Alana licked the slimy cock as she sucked in response. She whimpered. Her heart raced. She couldn’t help but feel incredibly wet right now. She hugged the slug monster as closely as possible. She felt the slug’s cock go past her uvula. Luckily, she had a good gag reflex. The mutant slug picked up the pace. It moved its cock to and fro in Alana’s mouth. Alana groaned hungrily. She knew the mutant slug wanted to shoot his seed down her throat. She couldn’t stop thinking about this slug fucking her brains out. Her fear was drowned out by the slug’s chemicals. She sucked and licked the massive cock eagerly. Eventually, the mutant slug stopped. It ejaculated hard. It moaned lovingly for Alana. Alana almost gagged. She swallowed down the slug’s sticky semen. She was surprised by the taste of the mutant sperm. It was a tad salty, sticky, yet, it was strangely tasty. She wanted to gulp it down. She couldn’t stop herself. The slug’s semen tasted beyond exquisite. The slug pulled its cock out of Alana’s mouth – some of its sperm covered her face. Alana was fine with it. The chemicals from the tongue and sperm swirled around in her system. It was like being on a forbidden drug. Her eyes rolled into the back of her skull, briefly. She shivered a little. She whimpered. She had a little mental climax. Alana wiped her face and opened her eyes. She sucked some of the semen off of her fingers. She got the same reaction from whenever she killed a box of alcoholic chocolates. The slug monster repositioned itself, so it was now faced Alana properly. Alana was disoriented. She felt like she had killed two or three bottles of whiskey. The room spun around and around. Her muscles relaxed. Her head wasn’t clear. She felt incredibly aroused. She hadn’t been this turned on in years. She smiled at the slug monster. Next, the slug monster licked Alana’s face. Its mighty tongue licked every inch of her. Alana closed her eyes. She panted. She smiled. She whimpered. She writhed about. “Take your time,” she pleaded, breaking into a whine. “Take your time, sweetheart.” After licking every inch of Alana, the horny slug monster was ready to play with Alana’s tits. It engulfed her left breast. It used its mouth to suck and massage her left breast. The slug monster also carefully licked Alana’s turgid left nipple – not missing a single inch. Alana whimpered. A quivering smile grew on her face. She whimpered, “Take your time, darling, we have all night to fuck. God, I’ve fantasised over this moment for years.” The horny slug monster really enjoyed massaging her left breast, and licking her left nipple. It alternated between massaging her left and right breasts. Also, whenever it licked Alana’s pink capped nipples, it made sure to take its time rolling them and massaging them. Alana rocked her head from side to side. She panted. She whimpered. She was delirious. She moaned, “Don’t hold back! Give me everything you’ve got! Don’t stop, baby! This is so fucking amazing! You’re better than anyone I’ve been with! Please, take your time!” An orgasm rippled through Alana’s body. She trembled a lot. She felt completely free. The world still spun around. The chemicals in Alana’s brain heightened her experience. The mutant slug stopped worshipping Alana’s breasts. It shoved its tongue in her mouth. Alana closed her eyes. She locked lips with the slug. She hugged it as close as possible. They swapped saliva and moaned eagerly. Their tongues whirled in harmony. The mutant slug managed to briefly hold Alana’s limbs with tiny tentacles. Alana swallowed the juice that dripped from the slug’s mouth. She groaned. As the slug swapped saliva with Alana, its large tail entered her tight arsehole. Alana squealed. She trembled in anticipation. She felt the tail delve even deeper. The slug monster moaned and groaned. Its massive tail moved to and fro. Alana’s hips bucked and gyrated. She aided the thrusting of the slug’s tail. The slug monster alternated between thrusting slowly and thrusting quite quickly. Alana moaned into the mouth of the slug monster. She licked its tongue eagerly. The slug monster penetrated Alana’s arsehole almost without end. Alana’s heart raced. She moved back and forth – feeling the tail stretch her arsehole. Sooner or later, the slug monster stopped thrusting. Alana shuddered hard. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She groaned eagerly. Alana felt another strong orgasm slam hard through her body – like a wild tsunami. Alana felt the slug’s massive tail leave her abused anus. Alana and the slug continued to swap saliva. They slowed down the making out. The slug monster’s tongue opened up and ejaculated a lot of aphrodisiac juices.  Alana swallowed down the juices. Her head felt heavy. Her brain drowned in a sea of ecstasy. She was past the point of no return. Her fear was non-existent. She moaned eagerly. The slug’s tongue exited Alana’s mouth. It then proceeded to lick every inch of her body. Alana gasped. She panted. She writhed about. She whimpered. She moaned for the slug. The giant slug licked from Alana’s breasts, across her tummy, to the lips of her pussy. Alana whined. She knew what was coming. Her trembling hands held the tub’s handles. The monstrous slug carefully licked Alana’s labia and clitoris – not missing a single inch. Alana chanted, “Do you like how I taste, baby? Please shove your tongue in me! Please shove your tongue in my wet pussy! I need it, honey! Oh, please! Oh, please!   “God, you’re so fucking good at this! Did someone teach you this shit? Am I your first? You smell so fucking amazing! Please, give it to me, baby! Don’t stop! Dominate me! ” Sooner than expected, Alana trembled. She had another heart-thumping orgasm. Euphoric tears actually rolled down Alana’s face. She couldn’t stop smiling. “Enter me,” Alana gasped, her voice broke into a tiny whine, “please, please!”  The slug monster’s tongue entered Alana’s wet pussy – it soon found her G-Spot. Alana’s body jolted. She squealed. She moaned. Her grip tightened on the tub’s handles. Her legs wrapped around the head of the mutant slug. She wanted to hold him so close. The slug monster sucked on Alana’s pussy lips as it devoured her pussy slowly. Alana whimpered, “Make me come! Make me come! Please! Please! Give it me! Give it to me good! Eat me out, honey! Make me come! Make me squirt! Make me squirt hard, honey! “Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Fuck yes! Fuck yes! Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, Jesus! Oh, Jesus! Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Keep going! Keep going! Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Fuck yes! Fuck yes! “I wanna come! Please! I wanna squirt so much that I fucking pass out! Give it to me, master! God, your tongue feels so fucking amazing! Your tongue is thicker than a cock! “I’m almost there! I can feel it! Don’t stop, baby! Keep going! Shit! I’m so fucking wet right now! I can’t take it anymore! I’m gonna squirt! Oh baby! I’m coming! I’m coming! Eventually, another mind-melting orgasm rippled through Alana’s body. Alana’s hips actually bucked and trembled greatly as she squirted. She had a large grin on her face. She felt the slug devour her juices. The slug finished eating her out. It slowly licked every single inch of Alana. Alana released the bathtub handles. She whimpered. She writhed about willingly. The slug monster engulfed Alana’s left breast, as it carefully licked her left nipple. Somehow, Alana summoned the strength to wrap her arms and legs around the slug. A few tentacles coiled around Alana’s right breast – massaging it almost without end. As Alana panted and moaned her back arched. She felt the slug’s cock enter her pussy. To Alana’s surprise, the slug’s large mutant member reached and hit her A-spot. Alana’s eyes rolled into the back of her skull. The inner walls of her pussy tightened.     As she felt the monstrous slug fuck her pussy, she hugged it close and bucked her hips. The slug carefully watched Alana. It was transfixed. It loved seeing her rapturous face. It wanted her as its personal fuck puppet. The slug loved hearing Alana’s ecstatic moans. Alana’s skin smelt different. She couldn’t stop thinking about the horny slug. The perverted monster had slithered its way into her heart. Alan’s erogenous zones were sensitive. Eagerly, Alana whimpered, “You smell incredible, honey! Your slime feels so fucking nice on my skin! I fucking adore you! I want you! I need you! I fucking love you, master! “Keep going! Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Fuck yes! Fuck yes! I’m all yours! I’m your whore! I’m your slut! Your cock feels so fucking great in my pussy! Pound my wet pussy hard! “Don’t stop! Keep going! Don’t stop! I want your semen! I want all of your semen! Shoot your entire load in my pussy! Give it to me good, baby! Fuck me raw! Fuck me hard! “You’re the greatest lover ever! I’ll do whatever you say! I’m your loyal human slut! Take me! Dominate me! Own me! Treat me like your sex toy! You’re so fucking sexy, my master!   “I’ll do whatever you want! I’ll do anything! Just keep fucking me! Fucking give it to me! Please! Please! I need it! I want it! I want you! Fuck me, baby! Fuck me until I’m dead!   “Fill me up with your sperm, babe! I’m ready for your sperm! I need your sperm! I’m sorry I resisted before! You’re so fucking good at this! You blow my fucking mind!” The slug monster moaned and groaned affectionately. It loved hearing Alan’s melodious moans. It couldn’t wait to ejaculate its semen in Alan’s pussy. It gurgled and moaned. Alana’s heart beat wildly in her chest. She didn’t want the slug monster to stop. She hadn’t felt this turned on in ages. She was finally getting her rocks off. She loved every second. Alana whimpered, “I love being fucked by you, baby! Give it to me! I’m so fucking wet for you! My pussy is wet for you, Master! You own this pussy! This pussy is yours! Oh yes! Yes! “Shoot your load in me! Shoot your load in me! Give me every drop of your cum! Give me every drop of your semen! Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me! Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes! Fuck yes! “I’m all yours, baby! Make me your slut! Make me your sex toy! Fuck me! Abuse me! Make me come! Make me come hard! Make me come, master! Give it to me! Don’t stop! “I’m almost there! I’m almost there! Give it to me! Give it to me! Tell me I’m your perfect whore! Tell me I’m your first! Blow my mind! Blow your load! Fuck me harder! Harder! “Make me come! Make me squirt! Fuck my brains out! Give it to me good, baby! Don’t stop! Keep going! Fuck me raw! Shit! Oh, Jesus! I’m gonna come! I’m gonna come!” Alana’s hips bucked wildly as she squirted yet again. A swirl of orgasms flooded her body. She quivered. She grinned. She moaned. She felt dizzy. She lost consciousness. After it made Alana lose consciousness, the slug monster finally stopped thrusting. Its large cock juddered as it ejaculated its sticky semen in Alana – causing her to shudder. Alana whined softly in her unconscious state. Her body felt the slug’s sticky juices. The slug monster stopped fucking Alana. It groaned lovingly. He soon fell asleep.   The End

I wake up with a start. Where am I? I remember... wait what do I remember? I remember stuff I did but not what I was doing last, how did I get here? Why am I on the floor and in these old clothes? Huuuuuuhhhhh?! Calming down I get my emotions under control I begin to think about what I was doing last.  I was I think going to sleep? I can remember listening to music and playing songs but I can't remember what I was doing before I went to sleep. Where am I anyway? I look around and can see I am sitting in an alley with torn clothes, a small leather cap on my head and nothing else on me. Suddenly I see a glowing icon sort of floating in my vision. Focusing in on it I get some instructions.  System Access Granted... Welcome to the System -Sorrel Xarlyle- Due to spending excess memories you have unlocked these functions - Functions Availiable:  Stat Menu Song Library (3 Unlocked) Unlocked Instruments (3 Unlocked) Welp it seems I got reincarnate or something, and system functions cost my memories. I mean I guess that explains why I can't remember how I got here. I might be seen as too fine with you know losing my memories and all, but I was already a forgetful person by nature and I accept my circumstances quickly, as I was currently living in an alleyway.  I guess my next option is finding a way to get money.  I hobble out of the alley and find myself on a bustling street, merchants selling at food stands and various people hustling about. I walk around and see some people doing magic. Yes Magic. Something that I only thought was fairytale is real here! they were making little creatures battle each other made out of elements. Surprisingly though I didn't see any bards. I mean, I saw warriors, mages, and priests, but their wasn't a single person out here playing music which I thought was odd. It was all so ordinary compared to what I had imagined.  I sit on a barrel near a fountain and check my new 'system' it said I had unlocked stuff.  Unlocked Instruments Flute Guitar - (Acoustic) Piano Choose one to play, the others will be used for backup.  Stat Menu:  Name: Sorrel Xarlyle Job: Sound Mage Sub-job: Bard Str - 8 Agi - 12 Dex - 17 Wis - 9 Int - 12 For - 20 Songs Available: Stronghold 2 - Ministrelosity Robert Russel - A Star of Your Own Final Fantasy X - To Zanarkand You know what song would be fitting right now? Ministrelosity. It would perfectly fit the atmosphere right now. So lets see here, select 'flute' select song 'Stronghold 2 - Ministrelosity' and... 'Start in 1 minute'. I get ready to play, and I get odd looks from the surrounding people, I mean you would look weird if you saw a raggedy person stand up and stick his hands up randomly. Though it wasn't random, as if one looked closely they could see a faint silhouette of a flute shape in my hands.  (Play Stronghold 2 - Minestrelosity  ) I start playing and I get a few looks of amazement and a few of the mages start to play along at the same time. Little squirrels and horses galloping while I play. A large group of children gathered around but they weren't being loud they were just enjoying my music and watching the show the other mages produced. Some adults came over and watched, but the music was mostly circling around the square and making everything more lively. The system supported my playing with the guitar and the music sounded magical. I was mostly too focused on playing to pay attention to much, but I was pretty sure people were dropping coins into my hat on the ground.  When I wasn't paying attention a few of the little girls started dancing and when people came over to see the sight it was a nice scene.  animals dancing children hopping along, and the wildest of the all me, looking like a beggar while playing. As I finished the song I got a round of applause and some of the magicians shook my hand as they had gotten a lot of pocket change from me helping. My hat was filled to the brim with various coins and with that I left, much to the crowds disappointment. I made a final yell as I walked away.  "Don't worry, I'll be back tonight!" I walked to a place labeled 'clothes' and got myself a decent outfit, much better then what I was wearing before. It was green, but a forestry green, with black overalls, and a pair of dark brown  boots, with hidden compartments in the soles, it was the most expensive as the compartment was actually meant to store hidden blades. I got a coin bag and poured half of my earnings in there and the rest equally in my shoes. I made sure they didn't clank in my shoes and I started walking to an inn. I immediately fell asleep in the bed after paying for a night. I somehow only woke up 2 hours later. I dunno how, usually I sleep a lot. At least I would be on time for my performance tonight. I was thinking about playing a different song but I could barely remember how, and I think the memory of it was locked by the system.  So I only had two songs left, and I had already decided which one I would be playing. I walked out to the square and got in position. This time though there was a bit of a crowd and a few people had even opened their windows from the buildings around.    (Play Final Fantasy X - To Zanarkand) The piano background begins playing and I hold my flute made out of wind in my grasp, holding it in position I begin to play. The song is kind of sad but very gentle and people can't help but to quiet down when listening to it. A scene of a ruined land can be pictured, and I was imagining my past, as blurry as it was. I closed my eyes when playing, not really playing notes as much as imitating sounds using the wind. I don't know if it was magic of some kind the music itself traveled through the town leaving a wistful feeling.  As the song ended, I could here people cheering for me, coins being tossed my way, many of which went everywhere except where my hat was. Soon the cheering and clapping died down and it seemed the people wanted me to play more. I got a notification from my system right at that moment as well.  Achievement Unlocked! Making an entire crowd of more then 25 people feel moved, 2 songs unlocked.  The Happy Fits - Moving Sam Celentano - How Long Can I Go I had the song in mind now. Something more upbeat.  'Select - Guitar(Acoustic)' 'Play The Happy Fits - Moving' 'Start in 30 seconds.'  "From you, too me," "I sense a little animosity," "So stay, away," "Or maybe, baby, maybe you should stay," "Though you make my heart beat faster, don't you make me mad," "Doctor called the undertaker, this one might be bad," "Will you love me all the time?" "Please don't make your sweet goodbye," "Darling can't you see that I would be so sad, I would be so sad," "That would make me sad!" "So please, come home," "I not-a not-a not-a am alone," "My heart and soul, were yours since I was 22 years old," "Though you make my heart beat faster, don't you make me mad," "Doctor called the undertaker, this one might be bad!" "Will you love me all the time?" "Please don't make your sweet goodbye," "Darling can't you see that I would be so sad, I would be so sad," "That would make me sad!"   "Darling your moving, baby please don't go, remember when I was falling in love-o," "And you could just stay here, staying the days here, watching the sunset, over the new year," "Darling your moving," "Darling your moving," "Darling your moooooovinnng,"   "Darling your moving, baby please don't go, remember when I was a falling in love-o," "And you can just stay here, staying the days here, watching the sunset, over the new year," "Darling your moving, Darling your moving, Darling your Mooooovinng," "Oooooooooooooh," "Oooooooooooooh," "Oh."   I finish singing and there was more applause and their seemed to be an even bigger crowd around me, and I had unknowingly stepped onto the ledge of the fountain when I was singing. I got another achievement through my system, and I indeed had attracted more of a crowd.  Achievement Unlocked! Impress a crowd of over 50 people. 2 instruments unlocked Violin Drums I left the crowd with a heavy coin bag and made my way back to the inn, tired from playing. As soon as my head hit the pillow I instantly fell into a deep sleep. 

Kratos was looking at what the system was telling him, kratos let out a deadly chuckle and immediately looked at the 3 kids "it's going to be fun today," he said to himself One of the children looked at Kratos with disgust, saying, "you started going crazy before we took care of you, you're disgusting." Kratos picked up the stone he saw on the ground and threw it at the weakest among them, the child fell to the ground because of the stone that hit his head, immediately after which two other children attacked Kratos, but Kratos punched the kid who was making fun of him in the Decapitated face The last remaining child was looking at Kratos in fear, when suddenly a system sound appeared [Ding] [Mission successfully completed] [150 xp received from defeated opponents] [Level up x3] [Rewards obtained: demigod body, spartan blood , weapon mastery] [The host received an extra reward for successfully completing the first task Spartan's rage] [Please switch to a quiet spot to accept all rewards during this time all the quest rewards obtained will be kept pending] When Kratos saw the screen, his face cheered up even more, Kratos went to the orphanage and went out to the manager there to talk privately ~knock knock~ A sweet gentle woman's voice rose from inside, "come in," the woman said When Kratos looked at the woman, she was a sweet woman in her 30s with black eyes and black hair, when the woman saw Krato, she asked, "kratos, what are you doing here?" "Miss sara, I'm going to stay here until I'm old enough to take care of myself, but I want to move to a house when I'm 6, if possible, so I can live alone, I want you to provide me with this opportunity," kratos said Sara looked surprised, the kratos she knew was a very calm and timid child, but the kratos standing in front of her right now was like an adult, "all right, kratos, I'll arrange this for you, if there's no other important matter, please go to your room," sara said Kratos shook his head and went to his room, where he had lived since he was a little boy, for some reason in the uchiha orphanages there were separate rooms for each orphaned child as a special space When Kratos went to his room, he tried to open the system, saying "status window", and a screen appeared in front of him showing his statistics [Ding] Name: Kratos D. Uchiha Race: empowered human Level: 1 Power: D+ Speed: C Durability: C- Intelligence: A Chakra point: C+ Rage point: - -Abilities- Spartan's rage:sealed Mastery of weapons: sealed Sharingan: sealed Demigod body: sealed The successor of the exiled god:passive  -inventory- Chaos of blade: weapons mastery must be brought to the developed level to use the blades with the most powerful flames given by the exiled god Kratos After the sight he saw in front of Kratos, he laughed to himself, and then the system message came again [Ding] [The required environment has been met all the competencies gained will be given to the host] [The host will writhe in pain for 10 minutes, so the system will temporarily put a seal of silence in the room where the host is located, do not force yourself not to scream] While waiting for the pain to come, Kratos began to tremble from his toes to the strand of hair on his head, and then fell to the ground in pain, it hurt so much that the color of his body began to turn white ~10 minutes later~ As Kratos lay drenched on the floor, a familiar robotic voice spoke again  [All abilities have been received status window has been updated please check] Kratos got up and went to take a shower , after taking a bath, he was sitting on the bed with a whitened body, free from all dirt  "Status window," kratos said to be able to see the difference of the new screen [Ding] Name: Kratos D. Uchiha Race: demigod Level: 4 Power: A+ Speed: S Durability: B+ Zeka: Bir+ Çakra noktası: B+ Öfke noktası: A -Yetenekleri- Spartalı'nın öfkesi:aktif (temel seviye) Silah ustalığı:pasif (temel seviye) Sharingan: mühürlü Yarı tanrı gövdesi: pasif (maksimum seviye) Sürgün edilen tanrının halefi:pasif (maksimum seviye) Kratos yeni ekranı gördükten sonra gülümsedi, sonra yatağa uzandı ve düşünmeye başladı, "Yarın okula gideceğim, sanırım senaryoyu biraz değiştirsem sorun olmaz" dedi kendi kendine.  Kratos yarını düşünerek uyudu.

- Послушай, Ауви, это континент, на котором мы родились. На этих островах есть «Рай», место, где нет войн, место, где мы могли бы жить без страха, место наших желаний ... *** По проторенной дороге шло около пятидесяти человек. Каждый из них носил кольчугу и мечи или копья, что позволяло понять, что это были солдаты. - Как долго нам еще идти? Есть ли там что-нибудь ценное? Хе-хе, развлекаемся сколько хотим! Вскоре после этих замечаний по всему отряду прокатилась волна смеха. Каждый солдат понимал, что в том месте, куда они направляются, никто и ничто не сдержит их жестокость, дикость и жажду убийства. - Молчи! Смех всего отряда остановил его командир Ингвар ван Фирен. Ингвар приказал отряду замолчать, но вовсе не потому, что боялся, что их обнаружат. Нет. Он сделал это, потому что испытывал отвращение, отвращение к их смеху, внешнему виду, голосу, даже к воздуху, которым они дышали. Они вызывали у него отвращение не из-за своего низкого, крестьянского происхождения, а из-за того, что каждый из них был преступником, убийцей, насильником и вором. Он всем сердцем хотел казнить всех этих ублюдков, но не смог. Не мог, потому что Его Величество дал каждому из этих ублюдков прощение за преступление, если они присоединятся к отряду Ингвара. Ингвар ненавидел себя за свое бессилие. Он понимал, что если он казнит этих ублюдков, то его задача будет провалена, и его родина может оказаться в опасности, но если он не казнит их, рано или поздно они возьмутся за преступления. - Ваша светлость, мы почти дошли до деревни. - Хороший. Это был Эльсвир, единственный человек во всей эскадрилье, который не подвергался презрению и ненависти Ингвара. Эльсвир и Ингвар были друзьями детства. Из-за своего социального статуса Ингвар ни в чем не нуждался, и из-за этого он вырос жадным, злым, эгоистичным, завистливым и высокомерным, но однажды он встретил Эльсвира, сына кузнеца, и был избит им. Желая отомстить ему, он работал над собой, и с каждой потерей его желание мести уменьшалось, а уважение к нему росло, пока оно не переросло в крепкую дружбу. И под давлением характера Эльсвира он резко изменился. - Мне они противны. - Я понимаю, Эльсвир, мне тоже противна мысль о том, что такие люди, как они, существуют. *** Отряд подошел к деревне в полной тишине. По мере приближения к входу в село на лицах солдат появилась улыбка, которая стала более дикой и хищной, и параллельно с улыбкой улучшилось настроение солдат. Вытащив клинок и подняв его над головой, Ингвар не только открыл новую главу в истории своего мира, но и завершил историю своей жизни.

Waking up in this fantasy-like world. Magic and Swords, The lack of technological advancement and social injustice. Nobles and Commoners, The rich and the poor, Academies and Organizations. I, Carl, have enough of this. I killed myself to abandon everything, not reincarnate into this pathetic guy. I have lived in a world with technological and social advancement far more mature than this fantasy world. God, now I can't kill myself with my arms tied and mouth gagged. I examined my surroundings. Dark and filthy, the smell of rotten flesh from a distance. My arms are tied with metal chains, and my mouth is restricted by a rope. So I can't just bite my tongue and be over with it. I don't exactly know whether it will work. I've read in some web novels that biting one's tongue is a method of suicide. Something is strange, this body is weird, but I couldn't investigate it when exhaustion took over. *After that short time of "transmigration." The pathetic guy he was talking about is the son of a fallen marquis.Mark Valletta II, Son of the fallen Marquis Valletta I.Mark Valletta II was your typical "young master" stereotype who clashed with your "typical trash noble." As usual, Mark Valletta II used his connections, trying to make that certain typical trash noble "suffer worse than death." Still, the typical trash noble revealed he was not so "trash." As that typical trash noble rose, so was the conflict between Mark and that guy. The name of Mark's enemy was Alexis Evansville. A protagonist-like character. Helped his family from its predicament. Received the Emperor's Favor. "Seduced" Mark's fiancée and many other achievements. The illustrious Valletta Family, with 3-century history of loyally serving the Imperial Family. A commoner into marquis fell due to Alexis, a son of a weak viscount, into the prince consort of the eldest princess. Mark Valletta II died with relentless rage and hate to kill Alexis. Even when his soul passed away, his body thoroughly seeped with the will of Mark and the emotion of hate. That feeling desperately clings even when Mark is already dead. Until a wandering soul from the void passed by.Mark's body instinctively tried to take the soul in, forcing it inside. A new soul lives in a body filled with hate. That soul doesn't know that this is his final chance to kill himself in the future. He will never rest. For his soul will be chained into a body named "Mark Valletta II."How ironic for a ghost who wants to die to live because of a dead body. *What is this pain? What are these memories? What is going on? Let me die, let me die, I die, I die, DIE! DIE! ALEXIIIIIS!* Carl thought as his mind was on chaos and pain. Carl was awoken by a splash of water, breaking him away from his nightmare. "The Emperor summons you." The warden that splashed the water on Mark looked at him coldly. 'A scum, a truly disgusting human being.' The warden thought of him. Mark was still muddle-headed from his nightmare and the dissonance of his soul and body.The warden signaled his men to take him away and bring him to the Emperor. Mark offered no resistance and his expression blank. The warden smirked, assuming Mark had lost all hope. Unaware of the chaos in Mark's mind. Carl was brought to this majestic palace of the Emperor that shined like the sun because of its gold. The light calmed him down, the dissonance of his mind cleared. Mark assessed his situation, finding himself in chains, guarded by a dozen guards in black armor. A contrast with the palace's gold interior. The entire journey was quiet; no one spoke a word. It was peaceful. Carl was calm even when death was approaching. He can't help but smile, for he didn't even need to find a way to kill himself. The Guillotine was his end, although Carl felt unsettled. There is still something on the very back of his mind, but he tries to ignore it. The guards on his side can't help but be surprised. Although they have delivered a lot of death row prisoners. It was unexpected coming from a spoiled brat noble like Mark. Perhaps the torture broke his mind, and the Emperor will finally free him from his suffering. The door to the majestic throne room was filled with strange, eccentric, yet attractive symbols. Mark knew this was a priceless treasure. Mark felt pressure on his mind looking at the symbols, so he tactfully bowed his head.A tactic used by the Emperor to exert pressure on anyone who first meets him. A little scheme but perhaps effective. Even if you're strong-minded, looking at these symbols felt strenuous. The captain of the guards announced his name, rank, and purpose. The door opened, revealing a spacious grand throne room filled with nobles from the capital to spectate the verdict of the last descendant of the Valletta Family. The Emperor sat on his vast golden throne made by the most excellent craftsmen across the Empire. His chiseled face was serene like a lake. His blue eyes filled with wisdom and authority. He didn't wear a crown, for his aura was enough to dictate he was the Emperor. For you can't help it but kneel. Carl can only see the burden and heaviness of such life. Mark could see the Emperor's vigor was slowly fading away, like a setting sun. Mark knew the Emperor was in his prime, but his hair was filled with strands of white hair showing heavy stress from his duties. The princes were young and ambitious, but the Emperor successfully restrained them. Even with conflicts among the nobles, he successfully gained long-termed profits and worthy investments, even with the conflict between Valetta and Evansville. The Emperor didn't side with the Valetta because it has a long history of past achievements. He only saw the future prospects of each side, and he felt... Alexis showed more promise than the entire Valetta Family. Valetta Family was still loyal to the Imperial family to the very end. How ironic of a loyal family to be used as a whetstone to sharpen Alexis. Mark Valetta II lost all of his respect and fanaticism to the Emperor when he realized it in the dungeon. Carl, who resides on Mark's body, now still feels resentful yet fears the Emperor. Carl possessing Mark's memories, can't help but involuntary straighten his back and show an apathetic expression. The entire throne hall was silent, examining the prisoner with curiosity, disgust, and resentment. Mark Valletta II, The noble who orchestrated the Ash Massacre, the leader of an underworld organization who engaged in drugs, weapons, extortions, and other illegal activities, "Valley Men." The name sounds underwhelming, but their hands delve deep. He has many atrocious deeds, too many to count. The Higher Nobility consisting of other marquesses and dukes, turned a blind eye. But with the conflict of Valletta Family and Alexis, the promising man from the Evansville family. Alexis made contact with a lot of influential people, supporting him. As the conflict intensified, the Valletta slowly isolated and offended many forces until their fall. Valletta Family's influence was spread far wide. Everyone knows this, that's why many people were baffled by the Emperor's decision back then, but now, everyone seems to know why. Alexis's potential was more significant than the entire Valletta family. Mark Valletta II had a sister, but her fate was unknown. Many assumed Mark killed her for siding Alexis back then. Now, the last descendant of the illustrious Valletta family strolls to his execution.Carl arrived at the Emperor as the guards kneeled simultaneously. "Descendant of Valletta. Do you plead guilty?" The Emperor's voice was deep and authoritative. Carl didn't answer; he looked at his surroundings and froze when he saw a familiar figure at the right corner. A tall man with a lean body. His fit black clothes and black cloak were simple, filled with few embroidery and gold, but he still looked dashing with a red scabbard on his belt. His white hair made him looked like elven than a man. He stands out like a peacock among chickens, even at the far corner. There is no doubt many women would fall for this man. Carl suddenly reacted for the first time; his body raged. The relaxed expression fell as he gritted his teeth. He can't help but glare at Alexis for a short moment. Carl moved his sight to his feet. Trying to calm his body and emotion, he took a deep breath and looked at the Emperor straight at the eyes. "I plead guilty." The Emperor noticed it. He silently assessed the Mark in front of him. The entire throne hall was hushed as they waited for the Emperor's verdict. Many assumed a brutal death, but the Emperor surprised them. "The Valletta Estate shall be confiscated, your title of nobility will be stripped, and you will be exiled. " The Emperor said with a calm voice. Shocking everyone at the throne hall. Even Alexis raised an eyebrow. But as they tried to decipher the Emperor's decision. Many assumed that death for Mark Valletta was too light. They knew the proud Mark would rather die as a noble than being treated like a commoner. Everyone knew he hated commoners. Mark being a commoner was such an irony of fate. Carl tried to lower his head down to hide his expression. The Emperor waved his hands. Captain of the guards knew what this meant, so they silently took Mark away exiled him from the Empire. Mark didn't offer any resistance as he was being carried away. It was honestly anti-climatic. Everyone assumed Mark would make a scene; in fact, they even parted ways so Mark could instantly see Alexis. Most thought he would rage. Never did they expect that the Proud Mark would give up that easily. "This is the end of Valletta." Many sighed with the cruelness of fate. A girl in a black veil at the very back of the crowd shed a tear for a brother she once loved. "You once stood like a proud lion, You roared echoed to the nation.Your hands crept through hearts of men.Your heart bleeds for its emptiness." "My dear brother, I hope you find rest and peace." She prayed as she gripped her scarred hands. She's always been kind to everyone, even to her despicable brother. Carl was thrown into a prison carriage; he looked through the gaps, looking at the cloudy sky, his mind clouded just like the weather. He knew what his fate was. After seeing Alexis, his mind instantly pushed him into a path he never wished to walk. "I'll be digging two graves." Carl shook his head, realizing he was wrong. "No, I'll be digging three graves." Carl finally smiled brightly like the sun, brighter than the gold-tinted palace. *** A/N: Hello everyone reading, Newbiewriter here. Please be easy on me. This is my first time writing. I hope you can offer me tips and pointers to better myself. God bless everyone. I hope you all have a pleasant day.

was in the bathroom, as I was washing my face looked in the mirror as myself  For how long are you going to ignore me? I don't need you right now, I'll call on you later.  Yes, Normal is right, we do not need you at this moment, Ego Thank you Logic. You both are no fun.  Well I'm not supposed to fun, I'm supposed to be normal. We will call apon you when we deal with the others.  Fine, fine, but if I don't crush someone's hopes soon I'll lose it  All in do time, now let Normal his job. I got out of the bathroom and went and took my seat.  I was flying to Japan, my father has enrolled me in to a very prestigious school, his words not mine.  This wasn't my first time going to Japan, no infact I had lived there for 5 years, until my mother died and I was sent to live with my father in Britain.  Then a drink was placed on my table and a man in a butler outfit sat down I front of me, his name was Alfred, he supposed to be my caretaker until I arrive at fhe school.  "There you go master Arata, a red bull as you requested earlier"  He said as he sat down in the chair across the table, this was a private jet so now else except the fight crew are aboard.  《TIME SKIP》 The Jet landed at an airport closest to the school.  I walked out of the Jet and down the stairs, waiting for me there was a car.  "Sorry master Arata, but this is were we part ways"  "I'll see in 3 years Alfred, keep I good health alright"  I got in the car, and my destination? Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School  TO BE CONTINUED  HI hope you enjoyed BYE

The year 2098, the  apex of virtual reality. The golden age of virtual games and martial arts. Martial arts became common since in virtual reality, you get more advantage due to muscle memory and reaction. But it all came to an end suddenly. In earth's space, the sky visibly cracked and could be heard across the world. Humanity did not know what would hit them. There was no need to know. Since 99% of them died. From the cracks of the sky, a tsunami of spiritual energy came on the earth. Causing move of earth's continents to a single point. With bang, earth came to a stop. No scream, no move, no life. At least it was supposed to. Only two milion people survived with records of the golden age intact. It still took time to revive human civilization and wildlife to heal. But spiritual energy helped to recover people, plants, trees and beasts. More robust, more intelligent and cunning since spiritual energy is blending with survivors as a reward. Now humans are strong as beasts, beasts are bright like humans and plants, well, they taste more delicious. The year 4000 brought disaster to oneself. But opportunity rise in disasters and heroes. At least, what most of the common people thought. Dungeons and hunters. One day the doors appeared on the ground with a timer on frozen. The twelve nations were on alert for a year, until nothing did happen. Life went in normally, but they were very wrong. The timer started to move and turned to zero very fast, and the door was open. You could see some stone rooms or in some case forest and desert. The wave of green-looking children came fast and bloody. Less trained people died fast, but by teaming up they could survive until a unit of Strong Ones came. They managed to calm the situation and protect perimeter. A few dead bodies are lying on the side, but it is still a better case. A casualty is kept to minimum. Thanks to martial arts and spiritual energy made them more robust. In the dead center of the surface did appear a huge golden monolith. In place where is a neutral zone and eight kingdoms built around it. The event was later known as the beginning of the Age of the Hunters. People began to wake up their innate abilities to fight the horror. Science started to divert in the use of spiritual energy as a form of pure energy for use and another trinkets for daily use. In short, the world has became more crazy, than it already is. Humanity did prevail against monsters as hunters became strong to the point of being ridiculous. Later whole dungeon and hunters became competitive sport. Many years later in 4081. Came the hunter and virtual reality age. Something that historians will call as rise of Star.   

The Teens The clock in the big clock tower read 18:57. Archer, Reverie, Orion, Lyric and Valor all watched it apprehensively. They had three minutes. Three minutes before their lives would change for better or for worse. Three minutes before they would put their lives on the line. They had three minutes. Three minutes before they would go into the Iliac Manor.  Lyric and Reverie began going through their inventory making sure everything was there and in place. Lyric would call out an object and Reverie would say check if it was there. Archer, Valor, and Orion were joking around each of them trying to keep their nerves at bay. Once she was done with taking inventory, Lyric got up and walked over to the large metal gate closing them off from the Iliac Manor. She stood there surveying the group her face clouding with worry. Valor, noticing Lyric's worried look walked over to her. "What's with the worried look? This isn't going to be any different from any other exterminations." Lyric shook her head. "But it is. Everyone except for us has never been on an extermination mission." Valor nodded. "Take Archer for example. He graduated top of his class at the Paranormal Academy but has never seen any action. Then there's Reverie and Orion. They're still technically in training and they haven't even got to the level where they study ghosts." Lyric sighed. "If the rumours are true about what's going on in the Manor, we're seriously fucked." Lyric began fiddling with a silver band around her wrist, a nervous habit she had picked up. Valor pulled Lyric into a quick hug. "We'll be okay. I know it." Lyric smiled and opened her mouth to say something, when, the quiet of the night was shatter by the sound of horrid metal scraping against metal as the gates leading to the Iliac Manor swung open. "It's Time," Lyric said and began to walk towards the cavern of darkness of the entrance to the Iliac Manor.

“I told you it is not going to work!” “No! No! It’s not because it’s not going to work, it’s because you want to go with that whore and leave us!” As I wake up in a daze without opening my eyes I hear screaming voices in the distance. Sigh, it’s mom and dad fighting again, how typical of them. I should have not left the door open last night, sure, it was feeling hot but I should have turned on the fans instead, but they are always so noise and- “AH!”“...” I hear my mother getting slapped and then a few moments of silence. Alright, my father sometimes gets difficult at times and it’s my mother who has to pay for the broken plates. While I try to go back to sleep I hear my mom crying. “You never appreciate what I do for you… you just…. expect me to work for you for the rest of your life here at the house and…” “SHUT UP, I TOLD YOU TO SHUT THE FUCK UP, IT’S NOT ABOUT THAT, I WORK ALL DAY TO BRING SOMETHING FOR YOU AND THAT STUPID KID…” Alright, fair enough, these fights are usually my dad’s fault. Things have gotten usually worse since I have been on more meds, my dad thinks I’m psychotic or something and he wants to get away from us. I usually let them pass but maybe it would be a good idea if I just get up and make sure everything is alright. Anyway, what time is it? I should check it out… … Hmm, it seems I can’t really move. I can’t even open my eyes, I can’t move. Well fuck not this again. It’s sleep paralysis. Yes, I suffer from sleep paralysis from time to time, usually when I change my sleeping schedule, and yes, it’s incredibly frustrating to deal with, but normally I just wait and let it pass, because if I try to wake up and stand up I just end up dreaming I woke up. As I try to get up from bed I feel my body blend in with the space around me. If I look around, anything I expect to see ends up appearing. Sigh, I am still asleep, I have not been able to properly wake up, but I can still hear the voices coming from outside. And you know, if it wasn’t because of the noise from outside and because I can partially put my body on the bed this would be a great opportunity to explore lucid dreaming. “It’s not his fault, please!”“I’M TIRED OF YOU, I’M SO TIRED OF YOU. YOU KNOW WHAT, I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS.”“AH!” Alright, how long does this take? I should wake up any minute now, really. “THAT KID IS WICKED, WRETCHED, HE HAS BEEN A DISGRACE TO ME AND I DON’T WANT TO HAD TO DO ANYTHING WITH YOU!”“Please.. Don’t leave me!.”“GET AWAY FROM ME!” You know what I think it will be better if I try to get up on my own. Let me see, if I try to move one hand… “THIS IS WHAT YOU GET BECAUSE OF PUSHING ME, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT.” While I hear the mess outside my room, I try to move as hard as I can with one of my hands, I can feel my arms upwards as I try to push. It feels as if I became incredibly weak and small and now I require an incredible amount of effort to move a single finger. I feel as if there is a huge mesh between me and whatever it is inside my brain that it is not letting connect with my own hands. I try to push further and further through the mesh trying to pass through it, but I feel deeply afraid about breaking it completely, but why? Why do I feel afraid of breaking it? What is this and what does it hold inside my head? Or is there something about this headspace I am not understanding yet? “No, please! Stop! Don’t hurt me!” Mom! No! Please, let me go! Let me get out of here! I need to help her! I need to confront my dad! Please, I beg of you! Fuck this, I have to break out from here, I feel I am completely tied and I need to push for my life, for my mother’s life, I need to do something, I need to get out and soon! Phew, take some air, let's go, and now push! Push as much as you can! Because I am sure that if I break this out, I will finally become free! I try to move one hand but it still doesn’t work, I feel myself sweating, I feel as if a huge weight was pushed onto me and now I can’t move it no matter how hard I try. I push, I push, I try to move myself and break whatever it is that has me tied as soon as I can, I try to break the mesh that holds my mind together to finally allow me to wake up. Wait, the mesh that holds my mind together? I finally get up in a sudden movement, scared and panting. All my senses are finally completely awake, the sensations are not anymore dull and feel as vivid and real as when you are awake, I can see concrete things instead of imagining what I expect to see, I can smell, I have a proper sense of balance and I can feel things much more than before. This is undoubtedly real life. It seems the noise from outside my room has finally ended, or did I dream all of it? I look at my extended hands as I finally feel how I get control of them once again and then I look around my room. I should probably go outside and check on my mother… But, I can’t, I can’t check on my mother. Maybe it was the shock, but despite the fact all my senses are now awake and I have complete lucidity, my body is not answering me completely. I look again at my hands, still extended in front of me. No, there is something wrong, I feel all my body hot, I can see, hear and smell properly, I have a sense of balance, but… the rest of my body hasn’t woken up alongside me. How am I even extending up my hands? How am I doing this? I try to move my hands again as when I was paralyzed. But no, even when they do not feel as asleep as before, the sensations from them are rather dull once again. I try to scream in panic, but again nothing really happens. Then, to my horror, I see my body moving by itself. It is slowly standing up by itself! I am not doing this, I am not moving or standing up, it is doing something but I am not ordering it, what is happening? Am I still asleep? It must be another dream, it must be another layer of my nightmare. As my body moves by itself I try to focus on the sensations around me, I feel as if my head was boiling and I feel as if I am about to pass out due to anxiety. It seems I really am awake. My body walks around the house and stops in the kitchen where my mother is curled up on the floor, crying, hurt and bleeding. There doesn’t seem to be any trace of my father anywhere. I try to ask her if she is alright, I want to check if she has any severe wounds, I want to help her, but nothing really happens, my body doesn’t obey me anymore, it doesn’t let me do anything, it doesn’t answer it is nothing obeying me, my body has lost me, has give up on me! “Michael? Are you up already?” My mother asks, but my body doesn’t answer, it simply moves straight into the fridge and goes for a bottle of water, picks it up and then goes back to my room. “Michael?” My mother asks again, and I can’t do anything about it! It breaks my heart to see her like this, but I can’t even move to answer her, to help her, to give her an answer, my body just moves in it’s own now and it’s driving me insane! “Michael, please.” She asks again before my body completely closes the door and then slowly sits up on the bed, opens up the bottle and drinks water slowly. This is impossible, this can’t be happening this can’t be happening please please help me, I need something, somebody to helps me react, to helps me wake up, I need something to do here I need something that breaks me, a shock, a hit, anything, I will take anything, but please help me, please stand up mom and please help me move, I don’t care anymore, I want to help you, I want to help you but I need to move, please help me please please, I am BEGGING you. My mother keeps crying and then I start to cry, or well, I try to cry before realizing I can’t even do that, I can’t move, I can’t do anything, I am lost, I am truly lost please for the love of God I don’t care what it takes please just let me move! God! *** “When did this all start?” “I’m not sure about the doctor, he woke up like this two weeks ago and hasn’t said a word since. He barely reacts, he just walks in, eats, he doesn’t go to college, he doesn’t do anything, he just eats, goes to the bathroom, takes his meds, and then goes back to sleep, or stays up in his room for hours without doing anything.” PLEASE MOTHER PLEASE SEE ME, PLEASE UNDERSTAND ME, I CAN SEE YOU, I CAN HEAR YOU, PLEASE MOVE, PLEASE DO SOMETHING, PLEASE OBEY TO ME. “Did anything happen on the day this all started?” “Well…” I see a tear drop out of my mother’s eye as she looks down and recalls the events. “My husband and I had a fight.” “I see..” Please, for the 1000th time, please move, please, I am sorry, if I did anything wrong in the past, I am sorry, please, for every wrongdoing I have done in my life, I am sorry, I am sorry, I have learned my lesson, but please, please, don’t punish me like this, I don’t know if I deserve to be punished like this, but all what I ask, it’s for your mercy, it’s for a second chance. “We might need to intern him in the clinic to see what happened, it could have been a trauma or something worse like a stroke we couldn’t catch in time.” “Oh, no…” My mother starts to cry again, meanwhile I keep begging my body, to the unknown entity that has caused this to happen to me, to give me back control, without any results. If there is a God or not, it doesn’t matter, I just hope they can give me back my body. “Now without my husband at home I will be all alone at home. “It’s really for the best, Miss.” I am sorry mother.

It was the first day of April. There was a slight pain in my head when I woke up, but it disappeared almost immediately. Out of habit, I checked my phone. Among the regular automated messages, one notification particularly caught my eye. “Ye Bingyan?” Ye Bingyan was a friend of my classmate, Ah Lin. Sharing a mutual interest in cosplaying, we occasionally chatted on the messenger. He was a celebrity among local cosplayers. However, I didn’t remember either of us had started another conversation lately, so it was unexpected to find his message first thing in the morning. [Did you sleep well? I’m coming today, okay?] Since when had we visited each other? I didn’t even remember ever knowing where he lived. Ding! Dong! Is it him? I rushed to the door and peeked through the peephole. I’d expected Ye Bingyan to be standing behind the door, yet seeing the real thing still gave me the shock. Instead of wearing some ancient costume as I’d imagined—which was admittedly a ridiculous idea, he wore an ordinary outfit: a red shirt, a navy blue jacket, and black pants. Unlike an ancient hero’s long hairstyle, his hair was short and messy-styled. When the doorbell rang again, I almost jumped and yelped. That was when I realized my current state: bed hair and pajamas. Not good! Unfortunately, before I could do anything, the doorbell rang for the third time. Whatever...  “Did you just wake up?” Ye Bingyan stifled a laugh as he looked at me up and down. I was embarrassed, but the feeling was instantly replaced by disbelief. Without asking for my permission, Ye Bingyan walked past me and put the plastic bag in his hand on the table. “Um, do you need anything?” I asked. There should be a legit reason for him to visit me this early. And how did he know where I lived?! Ye Bingyan frowned for a split second before showing off his perfect teeth. “I’m here to check on you. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” What? “...No.” “That’s good. I was worried the bump yesterday would trigger your headache.” “...Bump?” “You don’t remember?” Ye Bingyan’s smile faltered. At my shaking head, the crease between his brows reappeared. “You hit your head last night. You stopped responding to me, so I sent you home.” Huh? “...Are you sure you’re okay?” Ye Bingyan took a step closer, his hand softly reaching out to my arm. I nodded, feeling weird where he touched me. His overly-familiar behavior made me not okay already, but his story only made it worse. Did all that actually happen?! For a moment, he looked into my eyes intently. It felt awkward, but thankfully, he soon released my arm and let out a sigh. “You should stop making me worry. Let me move in already.” “What?!” Ye Bingyan turned to me again. “Qing Qing, are you sure your head is alright?” What’s with that nickname? “What did you just call me?” Ye Bingyan didn’t say anything for a while. I held back the urge to touch my face that was getting hot under his gaze. “...Do you remember getting into an accident around three months ago?” “What?” While I failed to comprehend the words he’d just said, his next question was as bizarre as the last. “Do you remember us? Our... relationship?” Me not fainting right then was a miracle. “Relationship? What do you mean? We’ve just known each other for, like, a few months... right?” Ye Bingyan’s eyes slightly widened. “...We’ve been together for seven months now.” “...What do you mean?” “Do you really not remember anything?” I racked my brain. In any case, it was impossible to have zero recollection of an event as crucial as having a boyfriend, not to mention if the boyfriend was Ye Bingyan. Did I transmigrate into another universe? Suddenly, my eyes caught a glimpse of the digital clock on the shelf. Next to the time was the current temperature, and on top of it was the current date: April 1. Ah, of course. There was no way I could’ve failed to remember getting into an accident. There was no way I could’ve not recalled meeting up with Ye Bingyan last night. There was no way I could’ve forgotten dating him. Such great acting. But he was underestimating me. “...I guess I did have a headache earlier,” I crumpled my face, touching my head for dramatic effect. “But maybe I’m just confused. Maybe after some rest, I can remember everything, like... our relationship.” Even saying it out loud felt weird. “Do you really not remember anything?” I shook my head. That wasn’t a lie. Ye Bingyan looked genuinely troubled, his thick eyebrows casting down and his thin lips slightly frowning. “If we’re dating, how did we end up together?” I carefully asked, as if considering the possibility. In reality, however, I wanted to see how prepared he was for this act. “Who... confessed first?” Ye Bingyan didn’t immediately respond. As expected. Instead, he stared at me as if the answer was written somewhere on my face. “I asked you to go out first.” Wow, you’re willing to sacrifice yourself? He must’ve known that giving vague answers would only raise my suspicion. “Then, how did I reply?” I noticed the faint smirk on his lips. “You looked surprised. But then you shyly nodded with teary eyes.” Shy? Teary eyes? Which girl did he use as a reference? If Ye Bingyan had confessed to me, I would’ve nodded vigorously and hugged him on the spot! “Where did we meet that night?” “Your favorite cat café.” I squinted my eyes. “What’s the name?” “Xiao Yue Guang.” “...Did Ah Lin tell you?” That had to be it. Ah Lin was Ye Bingyan’s high school friend, and she was the one who’d introduced us. If he had an accomplice, it must be her. “Ah Lin? No. Every time we meet, you’ll choose the place. It wasn’t that hard to guess.” ...Well, that indeed sounded like something I would do. After that, to my bombarding questions about our supposed relationship, he responded with certainty. He was so confident that he didn’t realize how nonsensical his answers were! For example, he said our couple’s song was “Why Not”? I did like it, but for a couple’s song with him, I’d choose something more romantic, like “Love Confession”! He should’ve decided on a better music choice. Only Ah Lin would think I’d buy such a lie. I should settle the score with her later! For now, though, I’d take a more serious move. We’ll see how long you’ll keep up this act! “So, we always visited each other because I somehow didn’t agree to live together?” Another nonsense. I would’ve welcomed the idea! Who wouldn’t want to live with a reincarnation of an ancient prince like him? Ye Bingyan nodded. “Then, how did we usually spend the day together?” Can you even explain my daily routine? I laughed inwardly. “Let me show you.“ Huh?! “Usually, we had breakfast together,” Ye Bingyan said while taking the contents out of the plastic bag onto the table. I could somehow see a hint of pride in his expression. “Who did the cooking?” I quickly blurted out. Ye Bingyan looked at me with one eyebrow raised. “I did, of course. Take a seat. I’ll make your favorite.” Did he know I couldn’t cook? Had I somehow exposed it to Ah Lin? Moreover, what “favorite food”? Don’t tell me he’d make something horrible. Nevertheless, from the table, I saw him cooking for real. While I was observing him, many thoughts went through my mind. How could he be so familiar with my kitchen? Could it be that what he’d said was all true? But that would make no sense. Forget the accident. Even if it really happened, it was nearly impossible for me to date Ye Bingyan. My feelings had always been my deepest secret. I’d never even told Ah Lin. Had she somehow noticed it, so they’d planned this prank? Getting rejected would be better. As I was getting lost in painful reverie, a familiar scent brought me back to reality. “Here it is,” Ye Bingyan said as he served the food. “Egg rolls,” my lips automatically mumbled. At the same time, the dragon in my stomach roared audibly. Ye Bingyan laughed when I subconsciously clutched my stomach. It was the second time I’d embarrassed myself in front of him, but this time, the heartbreak was stronger. “Try it,“ he said after his laughter died down. I usually liked his gentle-looking smile, but now it only made me feel bitter. As I took a bite, he asked, “How is it?“ I looked at his fake expression of anticipation. Even if the food was delicious, how could I enjoy it under this pretense? Trying to muster a smile, I nodded. If this prank was his way of rejecting me, I’d play along with it. But I wouldn’t let him humiliate me. After breakfast, Ye Bingyan voluntarily put away the dishes. I quickly got up from my seat. “Let me do it,” I said, taking the plate he was washing. “You’ve done the cooking. I should at least wash the dishes.” My eyes were on the plate, but I could sense that he was staring at me. What? Do you think I can’t do such simple housework? When he started moving, he took another plate to rinse and said, “Let’s do it together.” The more I heard his gentle voice, the heavier my heart felt. After that, neither of us spoke a word. If we’d been a real couple, I would’ve smiled from ear to ear at the moment. My heart would’ve pounded uncontrollably, and my chest would’ve tightened because of the surging warmth of happiness. Right now, however, my heart only felt numb. I can’t believe he’s doing this. “So,” I broke the silence. “What’s next? What’s after breakfast?” Ye Bingyan stopped rinsing for a moment. I would give him a standing ovation if he’d actually planned the entire day. “We did all sorts of things.” What a generic response. “But on weekends like this, we usually cleaned up the house.” Nice try. I secretly rolled my eyes. Had he even done his research? He must’ve come up with the idea just now. Maybe Ah Lin had missed this part during their briefing. I turned my head, showing my best puzzled expression. “Why would you agree to clean up my house?” He seemed taken aback by my confrontation, but soon regained his composure. “Because we were planning to live together?” As if I’d believe such a doubtful answer. In the end, though, I still followed his plan. Let him think I believed him. Besides, look at him, cleaning the living room meticulously like a true gentleman. He must be regretting bringing up the idea right now. Naturally, I told him I’d tidy up the bedroom by myself. It wasn’t like the room was dirty, or the walls were plastered with embarrassing posters of him—I could simply stalk his Weibo anytime—but I couldn’t risk him discovering something to blackmail me. The least I could do was protect my privacy. I was about to wipe the windows when Ye Bingyan returned from taking out the trash. Once he saw me, he immediately took the wiping cloth and cleaning liquid from my hands. “Qing Qing, you shouldn’t tire yourself out. Let me do it. Why don’t you take a shower? We’ll do the laundry afterward.” He waited until I went into my room and closed the door. What was that? I could’ve taken a shower after wiping the windows! Did I smell so bad that he couldn’t stand being in the same room with me? He should’ve suggested that earlier. Why now? Could it be that he thought of plotting something behind my back? Don’t tell me there was a camera on the balcony! Or could there be someone outside? Ah Lin? From behind the curtain in my bedroom, I took a peek at the balcony, where Ye Bingyan had started wiping the living room windows. Scrutinizing his every move, I looked out for any suspicious gestures. One time, he took a step away from the window. I thought he would take out his phone to make a secret call, but after examining the window for a while, he resumed his work. A moment later, he went inside the house, and this time my back straightened in anticipation. What if there was someone else in the house all this time? Soon, however, he returned with a broom and began sweeping the floor. He seriously cleaned up the whole balcony! I could imagine him doing all the housework in some ancient knight outfit. Who wouldn’t want to have a husband who was good at fighting, cooking, and even cleaning?! If only it’s true… I quickly shook away the idea. It wasn’t the time to lament the impossible. The mission now was to expose Ye Bingyan’s act! But it seemed that he was being careful. He might know that there was a window in my room. Or maybe his moves were some sort of secret code. Had he been sending signals to his ally? Then Ah Lin might be nearby. Somehow my chest felt heavy. I knew it might just be a casual April Fool’s joke, but did they have to use this scenario? What did she and Ye Bingyan want to gain from doing all of this? What had I done to them? Did they hate me that much? Even if I had offended them in any way, did they have to go this far? I took my phone and opened the messenger app. Tapping on Ah Lin’s name, I didn’t even pause before typing and sending a message. [Are we really friends?] Confronting her directly like this might be better. If I was somehow in the wrong, I didn’t mind apologizing. If Ye Bingyan really hated me, I didn’t mind hearing his direct rejection, no matter how hurtful. As long as this deceit was put to an end. More than half an hour later, after taking a shower, I came out of my room. I’d half expected to see both Ye Bingyan and Ah Lin in the living room, ready to tell me what all of this was about. Maybe they would put on a solemn face, and Ye Bingyan would reject me right there and then. Or perhaps they’d prepared a surprise, though it was hardly possible. Or everything might’ve just been a bad dream. But, Ye Bingyan was still there, alone. He blinked at me, who was standing in front of my room with damp hair, before showing a smile. “You took quite a while,” he commented as he walked to me. Taking the towel from my shoulders, he began wiping my hair. “You should dry your hair properly.” Ah, it’s the boyfriend-drying-girlfriend’s-hair scene, huh? I had seen this scene many times before in romantic movies and dramas. I’d always loved it, and I always thought it was cute and heartwarming. I’d even imagined myself in the scene. And Ye Bingyan was the boyfriend. But now, I found the real experience unbearably painful. “I—!” I subconsciously brushed off Ye Bingyan’s hand. “—can do it myself.” Ye Bingyan retreated. “Oh, of course.” The situation turned awkward in an instant. Ding! Dong! “I’ll take it.” Ye Bingyan hurried to the door. I watched him. Did he try to escape the awkwardness too, or was he expecting someone? I was aware that it would be too cliché if the person behind the door turned out to be Ah Lin, but I still tiptoed to take a look. I heard a man’s voice, and from behind Ye Bingyan’s back, I saw a glimpse of a familiar purple hat. “Who was it?” I asked after Ye Bingyan had closed the door. He lifted a box, his face beaming. “Xue Yue Guang’s cupcakes!” I knew my eyes glittered right then. In the deepest corner of my heart, a small voice cursed me for being easily swayed by sweets. Ye Bingyan explained there was a special discount commemorating the mascot cat of the cafe today, so he’d ordered a special package for us. We settled on the couch before opening up the box. Ten colorful cats’ faces smiled at us. There was a gray cat, an orange cat, a black-and-white cat, a brown cat, a white cat, a black cat, a spotted cat, a striped cat, a cat with a mask, and a calico cat. I could’ve eaten all of them in one sitting, had I not remembered Ye Bingyan’s presence. “Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked him. “You first,” Ye Bingyan replied, smiling. Did he notice me drooling over these cuties? “Which one do you like the most?” He was testing me. “All of them.” Ye Bingyan laughed. “I know, but do you have a favorite?” “Take a guess.” “The calico cat one?” “...” He didn’t even pause to think. How could Ah Lin even remember to tell you such a small detail? That smug smile on his face started to annoy me. Suddenly, Ye Bingyan’s phone buzzed. His smile slightly faltered when he saw the caller ID. “I have to take this,” he said as he stood up. I nodded, pretending to focus on the calico cat cupcake in my hand. However, my eyes followed Ye Bingyan to the laundry room. When he faced the inner wall of the room, I got up silently, then tiptoed to the kitchen. From behind the fridge, I could hear him letting out a low laugh. “…No need. I’ll play a little bit more with her...” When I returned to the couch, there was somehow a cup filled with water in my hand. I put the cup down on the table without drinking it. My mind was somewhere else. I’d seen a glimpse of the caller’s name. Ah Lin. Strangely enough, Ye Bingyan didn’t show an attempt to hide it. “That was Ah Lin,” he said once he returned. “Oh.” I casually took a bite of my calico cupcake. From the corner of my eyes, I caught him looking at the full cup on the table. “Do you want to know what she said?” he asked. “Not really.” “Alright.” Ye Bingyan shrugged, smiling a little too broadly, before taking a bite of the black cat cupcake. “Hey, do you want to see our cosplay gallery?” The gallery was Ah Lin’s idea. After introducing me to Ye Bingyan, she’d suggested that we do cosplay together, and the photos we’d taken were stored in a shared cloud gallery. But why would he want me to see those photos now? “For what?” “Well, I’m just thinking that since you’ve lost your memory, we probably could refresh your mind. Who knows, maybe you can remember something we did together.” Did he become careless after his call with Ah Lin? “Do you think a real memory loss can be cured just like that? We’re not in a drama.” Ye Bingyan laughed. “That’s right. But let’s give it a try. It might be fun.” Taking out his phone, Ye Bingyan scooted closer to me on the couch. He showed me the main screen of our shared folder before handing out the phone to me. Reluctantly, I accepted it. I remembered all of the photos, of course. Ah Lin had asked us to partner up privately before going public. That way, I could’ve found a style that suited me and gathered my confidence. “So, do you remember these?” Ye Bingyan asked, a broad smile still plastered on his face. “Of course. We took these at Ah Lin’s place.” “What about the newer ones?” I actually wasn’t interested, but I still went along only to figure out his intention. As he scrolled further down the gallery, I started to lose track of the photos. We’d tried on so many outfits. Did he expect me to remember all of them? “I don’t want to do this. It gives me a headache.” At my complaint, Ye Bingyan surprisingly didn’t look disappointed. “Do you want to lie down a bit?” He patted my head. A chill ran down my spine. This joke has to stop. I retreated, maybe a little bit too quickly. “I’m sorry,” I muttered when I noticed Ye Bingyan’s stunned expression. “I think sleeping would just make the dizziness worse. Maybe we should do something else.” Almost instantly, the signature gentle smile returned to Ye Bingyan’s face. “What about some games?” Per Ye Bingyan’s suggestion, we played bowling with empty water bottles and a tennis ball. We competed against each other, and I felt like I finally found a moment to defeat him. I gave my all to the games, scoring in almost every turn. On the other hand, Ye Bingyan seemed to take his losses lightly. Every time I scored, he cheered and clapped with me. After the game was over, we took a break by eating the remaining cupcakes from Xue Yue Guang. While eating, we talked about the previous game, laughing together as we reenacted our actions. When the sun began to set, for some reason Ye Bingyan suggested we do karaoke. To be honest, it was embarrassing to sing in front of Ye Bingyan. However, after losing my face multiple times today, I thought I had nothing to lose anymore. Besides, I knew just the right song for this moment. [Jay Chou - Love Confession] Ye Bingyan stared at the screen and me alternately with a strange glint in his eyes. My initial confidence instantly crumbled and my face flushed, but there was no way back. I could only hope he didn’t think I was actually trying to make a confession. I’ll show you the proper choice for a couple’s song. With that excuse, I started singing, trying to be as comfortable as possible. However, it was impossible to ignore Ye Bingyan’s gaze, so I eventually closed my eyes, returning my focus to the song I’d utterly memorized. When the song ended, a clapping sound rang through my ears. “Wow, that was beautiful.” Heat crawled back into my face in an instant. “Thank you,” I mumbled. Next was Ye Bingyan’s turn. I snuck an eye roll when I read the title on the screen. Of course, of all songs ever released in the whole world, he chose our supposed couple’s song. When the music started, Ye Bingyan smiled, bobbing his head a little to the rhythm. Unlike me, he confidently faced me, as if singing to me. I wondered how long he’d practiced this performance. Only to play a prank on me. As the negative emotion surged, my eyes met Ye Bingyan’s. All of a sudden, I lost every ounce of strength to turn my head away from him.   I sing this song for you, although it’s not fancy It only represents I hope you are happy Melting the ice river, becoming a moth bracing the fire Everything’s worth it if it is for you   I sing this song for you, although it’s not fancy It only represents I hope you are happy Can’t stop thinking of you, why don’t I give up the whole world too? As autumn washes away the summer’s hues Warmth still remains in me   Only when Ye Bingyan finished singing did I realize I’d been staring at him. When I blinked, I was surprised by the wetness in my eyes. Did the song really make such a strong impact on me? It must be because of his performance. His captivating voice made me believe he would actually do everything for me. As if he truly wished for my happiness. As if he genuinely loved me. “That was awesome,” I mustered a smile, choking back the overwhelming emotions. “Thank you.” That gentle voice of his snapped me out of the enchantment. What was I thinking? Why would I feel emotional at his singing? He had practiced for this performance, polishing it until it looked realistic. It was mere acting. There was no way he actually had any feelings for me. There was no way he actually loved me. That gentle voice wasn’t for me. He didn’t belong with me. I quickly wiped my tears. “I think that’s enough karaoke for today. Maybe we should do something else to chill. Something that doesn’t need us moving or singing too much.” “Ah, you’re right,” Ye Bingyan nodded, his voice somehow sounding almost apologetic. “What about watching movies?” “Sure.” The activity shouldn’t require us to get into close proximity. Then, without consulting me, Ye Bingyan picked a title to watch. I must look dumbfounded, but he only smiled at me as a response. As the movie started, I could instantly recognize the opening scene. I was about to complain, but Ye Bingyan stood up right then. While muttering, “Wait a second,” he left somewhere, leaving me to bear “Our Times” alone. Romantic comedy, really? And here I thought you couldn’t be more predictable. While I was sulking silently, Ye Bingyan returned with two blankets in his hands. He handed me one as he sat back next to me, draping himself with the other. The position made me feel weird, so I tried focusing on the movie. The cliché storyline wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I must admit that despite the predictable plot, it was a sweet movie, especially for lovebirds. Not for me, though. I wasn’t a lovebird, and I wasn’t watching the movie with my boyfriend. Ye Bingyan was only a friend, a cosplay partner. I may love him, but he doesn’t feel the same. All of a sudden, I could hear Ye Bingyan’s heartbeat. I glanced to my right, where his chest was visibly going up and down. Right next to my face. I took back my claim earlier about this activity. Since when have we been snuggling up like this?! ...And did he take these blankets from my room?! Unable to concentrate on the movie, my mind somehow went back to the time we’d played bowling. Not only had Ye Bingyan cheered and clapped with me, but he had also hugged me, literally! How could I not realize it? Why didn’t I do anything? I glanced at the digital clock on the shelf. 11:57 PM. Was he going to keep up this scenario until midnight? How would you reveal this prank? Would Ah Lin appear out of nowhere? Would you laugh and expose a hidden camera somewhere? Completely ignoring the movie now, I straightened my back. At Ye Bingyan’s puzzled expression, I only said, “This movie makes me sleepy.” Ye Bingyan blinked. “Are you going to bed?” I shook my head. “Not yet. What do you think if we play a game until midnight?” Ye Bingyan took a quick glance at the clock. A corner of his lips slightly raised. I knew it. “What game?” he asked. “It’s simple. We basically just play rock-paper-scissors until midnight. The winner has to confess a secret.” I had just invented the game on the spot. Ye Bingyan laughed. “The winner? Not the loser?” “Nope. This was a new game invented by a student somewhere.” Not entirely a lie there. Tilting his head, Ye Bingyan raised one eyebrow for a while before eventually nodding his head. “...Alright.” 11:58 PM. Ye Bingyan was good, but I wouldn’t let him win. 11:59 PM. We were getting serious, alternately scoring a point. 12:00 AM. “You win.“ Ye Bingyan raised both hands, sighing. There was no hint of disappointment in his expression. He didn’t know what he was going to face. Looking squarely at Ye Bingyan, I took a deep breath. “April Fool’s!” I exclaimed. Ye Bingyan looked stunned for a second. Then he began laughing out loud. Gotcha! “I know this is fake all along,” I said, laughing along with him. “Do you think I would believe you’re my boyfriend? You’ve planned all of this with Ah Lin, right? I thought I should play along with it until you confessed, but you’re really good at keeping up the act! Seriously, your acting is so convincing, for a moment there I thought I’d been transmigrated into a different universe or something!” As expected, Ye Bingyan became speechless. I must have gotten everything right. He looked at me, his eyes still watery after laughing earlier, making his gentle smile look melancholic. If the situation were different and he was actually crying, I would’ve felt sorry for confronting him like this. “Wow, that’s your secret? You should’ve told me from the beginning. I could’ve stopped acting like your boyfriend then. I actually thought you fell for it. You deserve a Golden Rooster.” Ye Bingyan clapped his hands, nodding his head like a jury acknowledging a rising star. I laughed. “You did a great job as a boyfriend. If you had a girlfriend, she would be really happy.” Even I would be happy if you genuinely pampered me like that. Ye Bingyan let out a sigh, smiling and shaking his head. “I can’t believe you’ve fooled me all this time.” I smiled proudly back at him. Surprisingly, it was easy to break his act. I should’ve done it earlier. “Well, now that you’ve found me out, I guess there’s nothing else I can do here. It’s late, not appropriate for a non-boyfriend to stay in a girl’s house. I should take my leave.” “If you were my boyfriend, I would offer you to stay,” I joked. Ye Bingyan chuckled. “Of course.” While sending him off at the door, I suddenly remembered something. “Wait, Ye Bingyan.” Ye Bingyan turned back to me. His eyes looked somewhat red, either due to laughing too much or sleepiness. “If you were the winner, what secret would you tell me?” Ye Bingyan’s eyes met mine. His gentle smile now looked genuinely sad. “I love you.” He disappeared into the night. ⁕❀⁕ [Author’s Note] Hello, everyone. This is Lucky Cake. Nice to meet you. It’s been a while since I wrote a short story. Who would’ve thought that it ends up being this long? I guess I still can’t get rid of my verbose tendency. I’m sorry. I hope you enjoy it, though. It is intended to be a oneshot, but I wonder if I should add Ye Bingyan’s POV. Let me know what you think! After all, your feedback is always welcome, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Thank you very much for reading “Eternal April”! — Lucky Cake

What is this familiarity? A girly voice wondered, trying to examine the dark space she was in. An infinite void was all that could be used to describe this place. Pop* An abrupt noise startled her, sounds slowly piercing her ears. Pop* Another popping noise sounded, but this time her feeling was restored and immense amount of pain flowing through her body. "…" lacking the strength to make actual noise, the girl drowned in her own pain, more of her senses returning every moment. Eventually, her sight too returned, blurry faces was all she could see. Mom? Was the name she gave the dirty blonde woman holding her, the large bang hanging down the middle of her forehead looking kind of funny, but she didn't care. She felt a strange resonance with this person, and she decided to reach out her arms, only wanting to rest in the palms of her new parent. ____ Hey, It's time to wake up. A soothing voice spoke while rubbing the back of a sleeping child. Upon contact, the child shot up, placing her hand near the neck of the woman who disturbed her. Sadly for her, she had messed with the wrong person... With a swift grip, her hand was spun, making her last face first into her pillow while her arm struggled behind her back. "I don't know what happened to you, but If you're getting bullied at school, you need to tell me" The woman, who was this child's mother, Mebuki Haruno, released the grip on her daughter, walking away with worried anger. Sakura Haruno, a known genius among her peers, but a silent introvert at the same time. Well, to everyone besides her best friend Ino Yamanaka at least. Unbeknownst to her mother, the reason for her change in personality over the past few weeks was a little more, unnatural then one would think. These dreams... She thought, pulling herself out of her bed and sluggishly walking towards her mirror. Since the age of 4, Sakura had been getting severe feelings, instincts at that... When she was 8 these gut feelings had forced her into the academy along with the help of her parents. She knew for a fact that if she hadn't entered the academy, she would have regretted it, so much that she didn't even want to think of what would happen if she didn't. It was the day of the graduation exam, and Sakura had been getting a feeling more severe than any other, one that told her to train. It would be a mistake to think she didn't but it seemed it wasn't enough. Visiting the library almost every day to get her knowledge up, and sparring with as many people in class, while still doing her own training and meditation regimen somehow still didn't seem to be enough to dim this feeling and it was only putting heavier amounts of stress on her. On top of this unescapable sixth sense, she was somehow losing control over the base ninjutsu she was tasked to learn. She was still able to do transformation jutsu, but the clone technique was progressively becoming harder and harder, she was starting to fear she wouldn't graduate. She put her clothes on and headed out of her room, placing her thoughts on what most confused her. Is this an innate talent? A Kekkai Genkai? She wondered, but the information she got from studying to use. But surely I would know if I had a bloodline like that... She walked towards the living room, seeing her father sitting on the couch and her mother standing in the kitchen. "Looks like someone finally woke from their eternal slumber!" Kizashi, Sakura's father, said playfully. He got up and walked over to the pre-teen who had stopped in front of the kitchen. "Here." Her mother said sternly, placing the lunch on the table in front of Sakura. She looked back and forth between the two parents, going from the nervous old man, to the annoyed lady. It was pretty clear that the two had fought again, but Sakura was used to it and knew her father. "Pft." She chuckled grabbing the box. "Bye!" She waved, walking through the door. ""Have a good day!"" Both the parents spoke. "Jinx!" "..." Sakura could see the quarrel from a mile away, but continued to walk, letting her father deal with the monster they called mom. ____ Sakura entered her classroom, looking at the seats that were more filled then when she usually entered class. "Woah! Sakura-chan got here super late!" A few of her classmates yelled. "I thought she was always here, like a day before or something." Another joked with his friends as Sakura went to sit with her ex-best friend, Ino Yamanaka. Oh, I guess I can't do that anymore... She muttered to herself, looking at the blonde haired girl fawning over a certain child. Remembering how this single child had somehow ruined her friendship, Sakura decided to find out what the other girls found so amazing about this emo boy. She moved towards the row under Ino, shoving her way past the overly annoying orange haired trouble maker, and sitting next to the even more annoying Sasuke Uchiha. The only notable factor that could even be listed about you is the fact that you're an Uchiha, and you and only you survived a massacre of an entire clan. Sakura's... Examination, earned many dirty looks from the other girls, even some guys. The door slid open causing most the class to look at their teacher as he entered. "Good morning class!" ____

I aboard the same train every single morning of the school week, sit in the same seat, listen to the same music, and stare at the same void that sits across from i.They're always there just sitting, never moving, I sometimes wonder if they're human. I never see them even move when breathing. It's like there is a corpse on this train. If I'll be honest the only interesting thing happening in my life is this void that sits across from i. I hate my life, I'm a student studying for something I don't like, living with my ferret and boyfriend. My boyfriend is nice and all, but I don't love him anymore. I don't think I liked him at the start I think I just thought he was pretty or something, that isn't a lie he is pretty. I just don't love him. I also need someone to pay half the rent so that's why I'm staying with him. It's not like Soot my ferret can pay the bills. I'm unhappy with my life, my passions just feel like chores and I just want to sit down all day and do nothing. I've thought about just not leaving bed for a day, or just going out for a whole day long walk, or just staying on the train instead of getting off.

          He was running. From what you may ask? He didn’t now either. He heard a noise while digging for some roots he found to be slightly less bitter than the others, so he dug.           A noise, then.           Running.           He took off to a solid 60MPH. he looked back but saw nothing. He looked ahead of himself and saw nothing but dunes. The same dunes that changed daily. He would have lost himself if it weren’t for his brain.           His brain was made from a compound of silicon and carbon in the form of a time crystal. The outer coating of gold and indentations made for great building foundations for artificial neurons.           As soon as he got to a tall and skinny looking dune he dug yet again.           This time he hit metal.           It was his home.           A metal hatch and handle soon showed themselves and he opened it slowly. Careful to make not a noise. He soon closed then hatch as soon as he got inside. He then flipped a light switch and LEDs buzzed to life.           He walked to his corner where he slept and picked up the small portable TV. It was considered obsolete by the time of the plague, and it wasn’t much use.           Though he had modified it so he could replay his memories on it. He did so, plugging his 2 thumbs of his right hand into the slot. Picking the image he wanted, the video played.           It was of his mother and father talking with him looking up at them. he did not know how to speak, and he couldn’t understand them. But it was a happy memory.           Then a knocking came from the hatch.

There she was, standing at the precipice of glory and porcelain. Staring at the masterpiece before her, she knew this was her moment, her time take control of her own destiny   "I'm about to block this bitch like the Suez canal" she whispered.   With a movement of her hand and a thunderous roar her time here was done, she slowly climbed out the window and scaled down the side of her ex's house.   That bitch would finally have to deal with her shit.   Olivia pulled out her phone and texted her best friend     Message to - Ash O: It’s done… A: NO FUCKING WAY O: Yes fucking way A: HOLY SHIT O: You’re damn right it was! A: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA A: Seriously tho, proud of you. Go find a cute girl who thinks the sun shines out of your ass O: Did you just….. A: XD XD XD yes   It had been quite the year for Olivia, she had met the woman of her dreams, gotten a new job and things were going great. That is until the “Woman of her dreams” became the woman of her nightmares. After months of gaslighting, possessiveness and toxic behavior came bubbling to the surface, she decided to end things. Unfortunately instead of being an adult about it, her now ex tried to pass everything off on Olivia and refused to deal with it. So here we are, single and not emotionally ready to mingle.    This seemed like the best time to do what she always did when she needed some comfort, get absolutely lost in the sauce. The sauce of course being enough espresso to make a mammoth jittery, with a splash of cream.    The Corner Café, it was her favorite spot. Nothing calmed her more than stepping inside and being blasted in the face by the revitalizing aroma of freshly ground coffee, which was comparable to the feeling of finally escaping this flesh prison and fighting god.    “Good morning Olivia.” A cheery soft voice rang out from behind the counter.   Oh gods, she was working today, Madison. Olivia’s face lit up as she nervously waved hi while getting in line. Madison had only been working there a couple months but after the first time they met she had memorized Olivia’s name and within a week, her usual order. Not that it was a complicated order but still.  But that’s just because she’s really good at her job, at least, that’s what Olivia had told herself while simultaneously memorizing what days Madison was usually working.    Lost in thought Olivia found herself at the counter face to face with her low key crush. Look at her, standing there with all her gorgeous blonde hair and freckles, her pride pins firmly on display, the artistically adorable handwriting on her name tag.    Olivia realized there had been a silence lasting a little too long, luckily for her Madison broke it.    “So, the usual?” Madison asked, waiting to type in the order on the POS system.   “Actually, can I get six ristretto shots with a little bit of cream?” Olivia's voice was a bit restrained.   “Oh, sure, what's wrong?” Madison looked at her with a concerned smile.   “What do you mean?” Olivia stammered a bit, how did she know?!   Madison looked back down at the POS and started typing in the order, “Usually when you order that much espresso you stand over there with a look on your face that says, I have grown weary of this corporeal realm and its inhabitants. So I generally assume it means you’re sad about something. It's also almost 2pm and that's a lot of caffeine."   Is it possible to keyboard smash in an in person conversation? Because if so, Olivia was doing her best impression of one.    On one hand, Olivia had never felt so seen and understood, on the other, she had never been so fucking called out in her entire life.    "D..hgh..um, yeah, I recently got out of a bad relationship." Olivia's face was only a few shades lighter than her maroon jacket.   "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Madison looked down at the POS then shot a look at her coworker behind the mastrena before looking back at Olivia. "Hey, my shift ends in 15 minutes, would you wanna hang out, maybe go for a walk and take your mind off things?"   Unable to formulate any coherent thought much less a sentence, Olivia simply nodded and fumbled for her wallet to pay.    "Don't worry about it." Madison smiled, "It's on me."    Without trying to seem like an even bigger disaster, Olivia managed a meek "Thank you." Then stepped away from the counter and sat at a small table to wait.   Message to - Ash O: So you're not going to believe this, but I'm about to go hang out with the barista from CC A: Madison?!...jfc that was fast! O: What do you mean? She just noticed I seemed down and like, wants to be nice. A: *facepalm* so the super cute girl you have a not so secret crush on literally noticed you were sad and wants to "hang out" and you think it's just cause she's nice? O: ...yes A: I'm fucking dead   Twenty minutes of meme scrolling and downing enough shots to fuel a linebacker later Madison was off work and came to greet Olivia.    "Fuck I'm gay." Olivia thought.   It was true, Olivia did have a crush on her, and Madison standing there wearing a cute olive green beanie with her gorgeous blonde hair framing her face like the work of art it was, wasn't helping. Not to mention her denim jacket with a button that said "Pride was a riot" in blue, pink and white letters was a clear indicator she was way cooler than Olivia could ever hope to be. So obviously she was only taking pity on her by inviting her to hang out.   "You ready to go?" Madison had dropped her high pitched customer service voice and was now speaking with her actual voice which Olivia swore could only belong to an ethereal deity hellbent on breaking her brain.    "Yeah!" Olivia said with a bit more enthusiasm than she intended, "I mean, yeah. Where are we going?" She corrected herself.   "There's this really cute park nearby, I always love walking around and admiring all the flowers and plants. It calms me down when I'm upset. So, I thought it might work for you too."    A short walk later they found themselves at East End Park.   Olivia was sure she hit her head and died at some point this morning, because there was no way any of this was actually real right? Here she was, walking through a beautiful garden in a park with the Barista who made her feel like the butterflies that feed from these flowers.    "This really is a beautiful sight." Olivia said gazing upon the flora and some cute squirrels nearby.   "It really is." Madison said staring, one would say straight at Olivia, but at this point nothing in either of their lives was straight.   They continued walking for some time, appreciating the scenery. Olivia turned to Madison, "I can see why you like coming here, it's so calm and peaceful."   Madison smiled, "I always walk around here to decompress after work, it gets stressful and I just need a place to get rid of my murderous intent."    "M...murderous intent?"    "Don't worry, you're safe….for now." Madison giggled and leaned in close enough for Olivia to start shaking. Whether it was out of fear, excitement, or a caffeine induced anxiety attack, no one will ever know.    "Oh no, your shaking. Are you cold?" Madison placed both her hands over Olivia's and brought her in closer to help warm her up.   Olivia wasn't sure if her heart was vibrating at such a rapid speed it had transcended space and time, or if it had just come to a complete stop. Either way she was now certain she was indeed dead.   Seeing Olivia's face now fully matching her jacket, Madison thought it might be time for a change of pace.   "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Madison asked.   In reality her plans were to binge watch her favorite show, gorge herself on pizza and cry until 2am. But she couldn't exactly just say that, at least not to someone as cool and Madison.   "Probably just binge watch my favorite show, gorge myself on pizza and cry until 2am." Fuck.   She expected Madison to either laugh, tease her, or simply walk away. Instead she just looked at her with a face full of understanding. How could anyone be this fucking cute and cool.   "Come with me, it's too cold out." Madison grabbed her hand and led her on another adventure.    The Bent Spine, Madison's favorite used book store. It was the type of place you could spend hours getting lost in. On several occasions she had found some of the greatest books she had ever read that helped her regain hope in humanity, other times she found the stupidest pieces of literature ever recorded, that made her lose said hope. No matter what she never left quite the same as when she came in.    "This place is amazing!" Olivia was admiring the aged oak bookshelves and caught the smell of the leather reading chairs and couches, it smelled like comfort.    She looked back at Madison, her face illuminated by the soft lighting in the store, her entire being seemed to emit warmth and she had gotten even more beautiful the longer the day went on. "Why'd you bring me here?" Olivia finally said once she realized she had been staring into Madison's radiant smoky blue eyes.   "There's something I want to show you." She grabbed Olivia's hand once more and brought her to a small nook in the back of the shop. There was a corner shelf filled with grey and brown nameless works, but a single blue spine was peeking out on the lower right hand corner.     Madison pulled it from the shelf and handed it to Olivia, “This is a special book, I want you to take a look at it.”    Olivia looked over the front and back, aside from it being hardcover and a bright sky blue there were no other indicators as to what type of book it was. She opened the cover and inscribed on the first page was “For what you can’t say out loud, release yourself here and be free.”    She flipped through the pages, there were dozens of names, dates and passages. Every page told someone’s story, who they were, what they were going through, what they needed to say but couldn’t. Every page was stained with tears, even the one with Madison's name on it.    Olivia looked up at her, the knowing and understanding finally all made sense. Madison reached into her jacket pocket and handed Olivia a pen. “It’s your turn now.” Madison gave a soft smile.   They sat together in the corner as Olivia poured her heart into the page. While she was writing she thought about how much like this book she was. Bright, happy, unassuming on the surface, but so much more underneath. The kind of scars and damage you would only notice if you looked hard enough. The bent edges, stained corners, thread from the sewn on felt ever so slightly coming undone. You sometimes never truly feel seen, but it didn’t mean you were alone.    Olivia closed the book and wiped her face, not even realizing she had been leaning against Madison this whole time. “What happens now?” she asked.   “Now we put it there for the next person to find, and you move forward.” Madison’s warm glow made Olivia want to melt into a puddle.   Olivia placed the book back on the shelf and they made their way to the front of the store. Madison was holding her hand and Olivia’s caffeine high must've finally worn off, because her heart was pounding away at her chest like she owed it money.   “So, what kind of pizza do you like?” Madison stopped and turned to her.   This was it, this was the defining moment, the fateful question that had destroyed so many homes and lives by simply existing. Yet, the true testament to any bond.   “Ham and pineapple.” Olivia turned her gaze to the floor, awaiting the sheer disgust and hatred followed by crippling rejection.    “How dare you!” Madison scoffed, “Forget to add on cheese stuffed crust.”    Oliva’s eyes widened as she lifted her head to see the most elegantly sculpted smirk on Madison's face.    “I know a place.” she said and whisked Olivia away once again.   Turns out, the place was a hole in the wall pizza joint that just so happened to be 3 floors down from Madison's apartment. Once they had their controversial meal in hand, the two made their way upstairs.    “I can’t believe this is your favorite show.” Madison was staring in disbelief at the tv screen.   “I know it’s a kids show, but listen, it’s wholesome, it’s pretty, and its gay. What more could you possibly want.” Olivia firm in her decision of choosing a show aimed for teens as her favorite of all time because of the friends to enemies to girlfriends trope.    “You got me there, I do love a pretty gay hole.” She smirked and got up to go to the kitchen. “Do you want anything to drink?”   Olivia once again keyboard smashing in an IRL setting, “Gh..bft..no...um, coffee?”   “I think the last thing you need is more caffeine right now, or else your heart might explode, and I am not hiding another body this week.”   “Wait...another?” Olivia managed to form words again.   Madison walked away giggling.   Olivia reached in her pocket and checked her phone which had been buzzing non stop for the past five minutes.   Message to - Ash A: Yo, are you ok?  O: I’m fine, I’ve been hanging out with Madison. A: STILL?! Holy shit how long has this date been going on? O: It’s not a date, we’ve just been hanging out and she’s really sweet and understands what I’m going through. A: What all did you do today? O: We went to a park and walked around, then to an old book store, got pizza and now we are at her place watching cartoons. A: That is literally the gayest date you could go on! It’s page one of the lesbian handbook. The only thing to make this date gayer would’ve been if you went to an antique mall or met her ex who she's still friends with. O: Well, she used to date her roommate…But that doesn't mean anything.  A: You useless fucking lesbian   Madison entered the room and Olivia quickly put her phone away and got up to start cleaning the mess from dinner.    “Don't worry about that.” Madison smiled and stepped closer to Olivia, staring deep into her eyes. “It’s getting late, and I was thinking. If you want, you could stay here tonight.”   Olivia’s soul escaped from its shell, she had finally shed her physical form and was now on her way to the realm of hades to have brunch with the ruler of the underworld. But Madison’s soft voice snapped her back into the moment which she could no longer deny was reality.    “And maybe, if you’d like, if not that’s ok too no pressure. You could sleep in my room.” Madison bit her lip, the way only a pretty girl could when she wanted you to say yes, and held out her hand.   The lightbulb in Olivia’s brain finally clicked, the hamster was back on the wheel, her mind had finally processed what was happening after turning itself off and back on again.    There she was, standing at the precipice of glory and gay. Staring at the masterpiece before her, she knew this was her moment, her time to take control of her own destiny.    She grabbed Madison's hand and followed her into the bedroom.

{«"There are three ways for you to live in this world. Choose what is most important and valuable not what you want."- End of Harmony"»} That short quote became the end of a fantastic story. The final chapter of Harmony's 16-volume novel, serialized over five years and was so popular that it was adapted into animation and drama.  Anya stared blankly at Harmony's afterword author section on her smartphone screen, she read it slowly, afraid that the reality was true, Harmony's novel was over. {«"This is the last part for dear readers. Don't worry, there will be additional chapters with other characters's side stories. I know you must be saddened by the ending, but you can still look forward to the animation and drama. Bye^^.— - The Dark Sky»} A sigh of relief flooded her, she rubbed those words with longing as if it had saved her. Harmony mean so much more to her than just stories. It was her life story. [Attention! The next stop is J City, Please prepare your luggage.] Anya was struck by the sound of speakers informing her that the next station was near. She packed her backpack, touching the black mask on her face just in case while lowering the hood of her jacket. When the train carriage stopped and the exit door opened, she rushed out in anticipation. She turned in all directions to look for someone. Unfortunately, she forgot one thing. That person cannot exist in this world. She used to look for it and wait for it until she had the illusion that it was real. Her reality was now more like a dream after her painful death. She had died in another world, but came back to life in this strange world. Reincarnation if that is the correct term. However, her soul was bound to the previous world, she still continued to feel her curse and pain until now. Anya is her name in this world. She was such an unfortunate soul bound to her first world so that her reincarnation half failed. Therefore, she made a deal with the Akashic Record Holder. Author of Harmony, The Dark Sky. As soon as the novel end, then Anya will return to her previous World, repeating her tragedy again. The facts about her destiny recorded in the Akashic Record cannot be changed. However, she was able to erase her regrets and completely reincarnate without being tied to her first World. Having given up believing in her illusions, Anya continues her journey towards the place that The Dark Sky asked her to come to contract settlement. To broadcast the story and write it down as a novel is to bring the story to life from a pile of dust and give it a chance to be changed. This strange world is the main world. Let's say a world of the highest level that can provide life energy for the world below it.  She arrived at a roadside cafe, supposedly here the location indicated by the map application on her smartphone. It's strange that The Dark Sky wants to meet in this ordinary place. Anya combed through the surrounding visitors to determine which was The Dark Sky, they had indeed never met in person. The contract that was formed occurred when Anya became a wandering soul prior to this world.  When she thought that The Dark Sky canceled his promise, the corner of her right eye caught someone's shadow. Her iris instantly brightened. Anya walked to the seat in a fairly secluded corner. She saw a young man, who was handsome with a familiar face, looking back at her. A red tinge appeared on Anya's cheeks, her heart was racing. She knew it wasn't what she thought, The Dark Sky seemed to have a bad hobby. However, still, seeing that face made her feel very happy despite the pain that gnawed at her soul. "You're five minutes late," scolds the Dark Sky with a reproachful look. His frowning expression looked familiar to Anya. Anya was stunned for a few seconds before finally sitting opposite him, suppressing the turmoil of her heart and asking nervously, "Is this your real body?" The Dark Sky raised one of his eyebrows, his sapphire eyes narrowed and he chuckled softly. "No. Don't expect too high," he warned in an unhappy tone. "I-I know. Then, how long is left?"Anya asked what was bothering her when Harmony's novel was finished. The Dark Sky propped his chin on the table with both backs of his hands as he retorted, "Guess what?" It was the true nature of the body that The Dark Sky was using, that was what Anya thought while repeatedly telling herself not to be fascinated by regarding The Dark Sky as 'that guy'. Holding back her raging emotions, Anya responded, "Three days." "Exactly," praised the Dark Sky in an amazed tone. "You will lose your primary memory according to the agreement. But, you will have a system that I have determined to help you complete your regret task. As a reward, you sold your soul to me, " he added like a demon who was after a delicious soul. Anya already knew the essence of her contract with the Demon King in front of her. This meeting is just to confirm the rest of her time. When will she leave for that world by sealing her memory. She must resolve her pending regrets that something she desperately wants to change. "Give me your hand!"The Dark Sky pointed at her left hand. Anya, bewildered at the unexpected development, reached out her left hand only to receive a ring that was attached to her ring finger by The Dark Sky. She froze blankly, unable to understand why she received such a ring as a proposal? "That's The Harmony System. What do you think of your red face?"the Dark Sky said as he tapped Anya's forehead hard. "Ugh! You're evil!"Anya complained. She wondered several times why The Dark Sky looked so much like 'that guy'? "I'm a demon, of course I'm evil. I'm Not Your Angel. I only helped you because of the contract, remember that. Do not have unrighteous thoughts or I will destroy your soul!" his threat with a dangerous aura enveloped Anya. "Well, that's all. Good luck, ■■." The Dark Sky suddenly disappeared after saying strange words and a censored call. Anya was dumbfounded for a long time, her brain, heavy from the exhaustion of her soul, did not catch the meaning of the censor. Her IQ is indeed alarming because she is entangled by the curse and her weary soul. Therefore, it was not strange for her to be deceived by any demon who wanted her soul. She may or may not be lucky to be captured by The Dark Sky.  The Dark Sky was his modifier, Anya didn't know his name. The demon who claimed to be the 'King' never revealed his name, only his modifier when acting as a author in this Prime World.  Although she may have been deceived, Anya does not regret it. She noticed a transparent ring with a blue crystal on her left hand with complex emotions. Three days later, Anya was lying on her bed in her apartment room rubbing the ring. She closed her eyes, ready to leave, no, to return again to the world that cursed her. [Ding! Host binding completed. Downloading Host Memory. Encrypting memory done. At the command of the Master, the Harmony system will accompany the Host in the completion of the task and protect the Host. Soul Transfer.] As soon as a series of humming sounds of the engine stopped, Anya felt something huge being taken away from her, leaving a vast unclosed void. Her soul was drawn in by something invisible and she underwent a soul transfer. ***

"The latest news, there is an accident because of drunk a lot wind on the third ring road, the accident caused one people in a serious injury and two people in light wound. the serious ones named Zoe, who is an internship moderator in our  station. According to the witness described, the reason of Zoe's wound is for saving two children. We feel pride for such colleague. "     …… “Hey, wake up, wake up!”     Zoe open his eyes slowly, the environment is completely strange for him. "Where I am?" He feel a blank flush into his mind. "You died." one sound like a child's replied. Zoe feels surprised:"Who is talking?" A little girl standing in the virtual screen without any signs, the voice make out from her mouth. "I am talking, You are died." "Died?" Zoe's face turn white, and thought of the morning accident. "Die? I am even die? I am even die like this?" "My Dad and Mom make money to the university, I still don't give them in turn and died already. " Zoe is in still, and his eyes without any light, he is just sitting there without any movement. The little girl in the screen heard his low voice， said:"Because you save that two girls, therefore, your Dad and Mom are able to get several hundred thousand compensation, and you still have a little brother, he can take care of your parent."     Zoe looks at her without any expressions, and turn his head and look around this completely strange room, then he seems being more clear, and frowned, "Who you are, what location it is here? The hell like this?" He doesn't feel strange because his death information is still completely  digest for him also such picture he saw a lot at before on the movie. "I am come from the future high level computer, I died before, but I am revival from your gestation." The little girl points his ring of his finger,"I lived here." Ring? He lower his head and looked at his ring finger, which silver and with white colored ring is picked from a river when he is in four , year old, he wore it just for fun, however, the ring is difficult to take out, then the ring follow him for more than tween-ties years. So this ring come from the future? Wait a moment!   "I ...... I gestured you?" Zoe's face seems says it is incredibly, how can a man can gesture you? It sounds so strange?    "I follow you for more than twenties years and saved by your gas bloody." The little girl is very seriously nods her head, "Because I am alive, that is why I can save you, so that you be here." "Wait a moment, I am now so confuse." Zoe suddenly open his eyes,"You mean I am not still died yet?" "You are not die, but you revival." "What is the different between them? " "Of course It has. It is a different thing between the death and revive." the little girl is very seriously explain to him. Zoe does not notice these detail, and he stared his eyes:"Anyways, I am now alive, right?" "Yes, you are alive, I save you alive. but here is not on the earth, here is  similar with the earth for more than 95%, beside the different for the culture and entertainment others is almost same." "Here yis not the earth?" Zoe's face seems horrible, which seems being flush by the happy period of revival.     "You are not make a kidding to me?"  "I am not kidding to you." The little girl's face seem nonsense, "You do died on the earth, I heard someone said they want to burn you, so I take you away in a hurry. If you burned, I also will died." "You...... you take me away? Then...... then take my whole body to here from the earth?" Zoe makes some gesture and try to let the girl understand his meaning. You are make a kidding to me? How it is possible? Time-out shift? I am a big man, how can you make me to accept this fact?   Surprisingly, the girl nodded her head:"Yes, it is."   Zoe stared on her, and keep silent for a while and asked:"Therefore, I am appeared on this world without foundation?"   "Yes, but you are no worry, all of your ID information I made well, which is same as one on the earth, which can be checked with foundation"   "Then I am still alone in this world?"   "Yes."   "Can I back to the earth?"      "I don't know."       “What does it means for I don't know?”     "You must can not back to the earth in a short period, and I have no power."    "Power?" Zoe's mouth makes some action, he wants to say anything but holding and keep silent, he stand up and looks for a mirror.   His body is still the body, his face is still the face, which is no different with before.   "Here is not the earth? Here is another world?" He still doesn't believe it, and see  a computer over there, he walk to it.   This time, the virtual screen suddenly flash, the girl speaks.   "In order to help you, my power have exhausted completely, now, I have to dormant. " the little girl makes a yawn, and she becoming hazy,"Oh, I understand you want to being a super start, therefore, I took many Movies, songs and poems from the earth."   Innumerable names of movies and songs are flashing on the screen which seems in order to prove her words.   Zoe feels so hurry, "Dormant? what it is? How long you want to have rest? Don't throw me away here, what I can to do if I meet problem?"   "The elements into the gold is able to recover my power, you can buy some gold when you have money."      Currently, only left the names of movies and songs flashing on the virtual screen, and It can not see the little girl.      "The gold, you eat the gold? How much gold you are able to recover? How I can save you if I have gold?" Zoe speaks for several times in the empty house, but useless.   "What is the problem on earth? I am not in the dreaming?" Zoe feel mass, he is just watching the screen but do nothing.       After several minutes, he hit his face with his right hand heavily.    Wow, so pain!   He noticed there is a television, and he turn on it.   "Tracy, The Cyrus director of  the Road is Uneven" becoming the super movies!   " The Queen of Song by Wesley is very hot, there are some inner information released there are some Hollywood directors invited into the new movies. "   " The subject of the Promoting Harmony from the West Television are collecting the advertising."   Zoe's eyes staring on screen but his hands controlling the TV, he signed the world do changed.   But, why such strange thing happen to me?    He suddenly think of one TV drama named Following love by through the time air, which drama's master is completely flied from the modern world to the action world.   Somehow, the actor is flied to the old world, what about him, how is going on to him, I can become rich if I flied to the old world by using the mordent knowledge, but how about flied to this strange world......   He feels his mind is not enough to catch the current world, and he feel so complicated and working straightly to windows,  he is silent for quite a long period.   He don't know how long it passed, he suddenly thinks of the little girl's words, he raised his head and watching that virtual screen.   There are still innumerable movies and songs are flashing on the virtual screen.   He point on it with one figure, there is a "search box" come out.   He input "the True Love", and play it, then the movie playing on the virtual screen.   He blinking his eyes, and then search others movies, soon, the movies are find out.   He then find several songs, also they are find out so quickly.   No matter for the Novels or TV drama or poem, he can find them out only the Novels, TV drama or poems existed in the earth.   He become silent for quite a long time again and watching the virtual screen.   "Okay. Anyway, I am still alive although on a strange world. It is the first important thing to make that girl awake, so that she and I may think the method for back the earth."   "Gold...... Make money......"   The best and easiest ways for making money is playing into the policy and actor business. It is too difficult to him for playing the policy or as a business man.   Then, only left the entertainment business. And the girl carries so many articles to here, he is only follow this point.   He turned on the computer, and he start to understand the show business of this world.            

Today at 5p.m. , Mark Spencer has been murdered by the Golden State Killer. He is a notorious killer having murdered 47 people. Now 48 as Mark was added to his killing spree. Will we ever catch him. No one knows. We'll just have to trust that the police will catch him and put him behind bars for good." That .... was how my life ended. What a way to go honestly. Being killed by a serial killer. I should've put up a fight in that alleyway to be honest and not just stand there like a coward. But who brings their fist to a knife fight? Not me. At least I pulled Yoimiya Heh. I'm still thinking about Genshin even when I'm dead. How addicted am I? Wait.... how am I still thinking? I'm supposed to be dead. What is that light in that distance? Why is it getting brighter and brighter? *Psssssshhhhh "Huh? What is this? Why am I walking? Who is walking with me? Who is she Suddenly a 4 pointed star like portal opened. Out came someone floating out. She looks very mad. Why is she so mad? Wait.... is she trying to kill us? Who is she? What is she? She seemed like.... like.... like a god..... "Outlanders! Your journey ends here!" The unknown god said as the star portals turn into shurikens. "Who are you!" The girl asked. And the god immediately answered "The sustainer of Heavenly Principles. The arrogance of mankind ends now!"She said. A small dark red and black cube appeared before her hands. The cube got bigger. The ground we were standing on turned bright and we jumped away. The ground then turned into a giant cube "Why can't I control my body? Is this someone else's memories? Six wings appeared on the girl's back. Mine also appeared. Golden swords were summoned before our hands as we got into a battle stance. We both charged to the unknown god. She raised her hands as cubes that were strung together flew towards us. Both of us skillfully dodged all of the attempts at capturing us. We dodged all around. Both of us were dodging in sync. It was like we fought for centuries. Then, like both of us read each other's mind's. We flew towards the unknown god. We swung our swords at her "Haaaaaa!!!" Both of us shouted *BOOOOOOOOOOOMMM An explosion appeared out of nowhere. We expected the unknown god to be injured. But somehow, she was holding our swords. There was like a forcefield in between her hands that stopped the blades from hitting her. Time seemingly stopped at that moment. It was like someone was making a decision. The suddenly... The unknown god pushed me away with cubes that were heading straight towards me. She had the "get the fuck out of my way" expression when she looked at me. I flew back to dodge it  But that... was the single biggest and the stupidest decision that I have ever made in my life. Cubes started to grab her hands. She couldn't escape "Lumine!" I shouted "Huh. So her name was Lumine. Why does that sound soooo familiar?? Wait it couldn't be  The cubes then covered her body. The unknown god absorbed those cubes that Lumine was covered in and it turned into one small cube. The god looked at the cube smirking. "Finally. The threat is gone." She thought Behind her, I was charging up an attack. I was sure that this attack would kill her. I went in for the kill. A light flashed suddenly and an explosion appeared after. The sound was like a nuke exploding. *KABOOOOOOOMMM (Cue dramatic music When the smoke cleared. I expected the unknown god to be injured or even dead. But boy was I wrong Not only was the unknown god not injured. The attack was also absorbed by a lot of cubes. The unknown god stretched out her hands. Sends cubes into one small cube which had the explosion contained inside it. The god then stretched out her hand some more. The cubes turned into more cubes and surrounded me, capturing me inside. "Wait! Don't go! Give my sister back!" I shouted my last words as darkness surrounds me. The last thing I saw was the figure of the unknown god portaling (Is that even a word?) away. *Drip A drop of water was heard. "Wake up. "GUHHHHAAAA!" Aether woke up breathing heavily. He looked at both of his hands which were shaking "What.... was that...." Aether just said. He then stopped "Wait... why does my voice sound so... different....?" Aether looked around his surroundings. He was lying on the sand with the ocean moving back and forth. The scenery looked very beautiful. "And.... where am I? Ain't I supposed to be dead?" Aether asked. He then stood up and walked aroun " Is this what they call Elysium? But my memories would disappear and I would be reborn into a child. My memories are still here along with someone else's..... " I then thought back to the dream I experienced " It felt real. Too real. There's no way.... " He ran to the ocean. When he got there. He looked into the reflection "There's.... there's no fucking way I'm him... "  Aether said. My eyes were red colored but other than that every inch of me looks like him. I pinched myself. I felt a sting. I looked at myself. My clothes look exactly like the ones Aether wears in the game. " I should be grateful that I'm even alive. " I finally decided. If i was given a second chance. I should be bowing to the person who gave me that chance. I sat down and thought. "The game is the game. But the game turned into real life. I need to be prepared. " I could've just been a normal person with my new life. But where's the fun in that? When you've got all these special powers that you've lost. "I should probably get some food first and find out which country I am in. Though I think I know perfectly where I am. " Aether said out loud. He can because there's no one around him. Just some birds, crabs and a lot of trees were all that was around him. "Let's find some sharp sticks, stones, leaves and a nice place to sleep first. Then I'll worry about where I am." Aether went to do exactly just that. Aether went and collected some sticks and leaves that fell down from the trees. He also found suitable rocks to make a fire pit for cooking. He also got some berry's along the way. The yellow ones. He couldn't resist eating one as he was still skeptical about all this. And goddamn was it tasty "Now I need a place to sleep. You know what. Just to make it simple. I'll just find a tree that's big enough and sleep under it. I'm a simple guy. But i'm not that simple now because of what world I'm currently on. " Aether joked to no one. He needed to find civilization fast or he'll go insane from this loneliness. " I should probably try to find Paimon. She is The Best Traveling Companion after all. " Aether decided that was his next goal. Try to fish for some emergency food To be continued.... (Lightning or fire?). . !       ..d. .. "  *...    .)*  .  —.. .   *..  ". . " ?*  . 

I banged my hand on the side of the vending machine. Fuck. Nothing's coming out. I groaned, "Fuck. Nothing's coming out." I had tried just about everything I could, shaking the machine, hitting it, buying another of the same thing. Those now two chocolate bars just wouldn't budge. I was beginning to think of resorting to more violent measures. It's chocolate, do I really need to say more?  Just as I was looking around for something I could use to break the cheap plastic glass with, I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Please don't tell me you're going to break that glass for a chocolate bar." No. Fucking. Way. I spun around in surprise. There she was. My best friend.  "Brooke!" I exclaimed, rushing forward to hug her. She raised her hands to ward me off, but it didn't matter, I lifted her off the ground and spun around in a circle. She was looking around, a blush on her face.  Lucky for her, the people nearby were too incapacitated by the promise of new levels in their addictive ass phone games to notice the world's two greatest best friends. I set her down gently, bringing my hands to her shoulders, shaking her."Aw, dude! You know how much I've missed you? I haven't seen you in weeks man! Where've you been? Don't tell me you were trying to do cartwheels again, I think it's literally physically impossible for you to do one."  She started laughing. "Fuck off Wyn, you can't do one either." She rolled her eyes, still smiling. "And no, I wasn't trying to do a cartwheel. I got saddled with helping my grandma around the farm." At this she stopped smiling.  Her grandma's always making her parents take Brooke to the farm to help around. I don't see why she's trying, at this point the entire place is pretty much just a graveyard of dead dreams and even deader plants. "Seriously? That farm just doesn't wanna live, B. It needs life support." At this, my eyes lit up. I knew exactly how to cheer up my best friend.  I groaned once more, falling into her arms. Some would say swooning. Some can go fuck themselves. I did an impression of a plant dying in a hospital bed. Groaning, I said, "Broooke, pull the plug on me already. Your grandma's not seeing I'm gonna dieee."  Brooke did her best to hold me, her face even redder than before. She stammered out, "Sorry Mr. Carrot-" I grabbed her light blue jacket and pulled her closer to me.  She smelled like vanilla. She was blushing extremely hard at this point and she nearly dropped me. I continued on with the joke, ignoring my weirdly warming cheeks.  "Mister Carrot?!" I groaned even louder in her ear. She was struggling not to laugh.  "Sorry, sorry. What plant are you?" I flopped a hand onto my forehead, an expression of utter despair on my face, looking distantly into the sky. Or well, the ceiling. We were indoors after all. "How dare you forget such an old family friend? I raised you from the ground up!" At this pun, I waggled my eyebrows at her. Her shoulders were shaking, she was close to laughing at my antics. I continued on with the show. "I'm Old Man Rutabaga, and I'll have you know, I'm well known for my vitamin B!" Brooke finally burst out laughing. I was beaming at her. Some of the phone addicts looked up at us goofing off. I stuck my tongue out at them, getting out of Brooke's arms to bow.  She was still laughing when she said, "Rutabagas don't even give vitamin B! They give vitamin C or E! Something like that."  I mimed a fake gasp at her, "He died not even knowing his vitamins!" I started laughing too. She asked me jokingly, "Seriously though, the best you could do was 'Old Man Rutabaga?'"  I placed a hand on her shoulder, then patted her cheek. Her face was starting to heat up again, I guess she was really worried about all the attention we were getting from my performance. I put on a rich voice, emphasizing my words far more than they needed to be. "Darling, darling, theater takes genius. Do not criticize my genius. It grows like a rutabaga." I let out a laugh, making sure to match it with the voice. Brooke looked a bit distracted, her breaths quick. Wow, her face was really really red. Was there some sort of dial to that thing? It was honestly impressing me a bit. And worrying me too.  Right as I was about to ask if she had a fever, she stammered out a reply, "F-fuck off. W-what were you d-doing at the vending machine anyways?"  Well, I had clearly cheered her up. Maybe she could help me break the glass. If I was fast and fortunate enough, I could maybe grab about half of the machine's delicious goods before mall security would get here, leaving me with enough treats left over to sell and become lord of snacks.  I pointed towards the machine, "My chocolate's being an ass, wanna help?" She shook her head, "Bronwyn, there is no fucking way you're going to break that machine and get away. Did you try buying another of the same thing? I did that once, got two for the price of two."  I smiled at her joke. "Yeah, I tried that. Now it's just giving me the finger at this point. I say we show it who's boss and grab half of the goods and become snack lords."  Brooke was shaking her head again, then stopped. "That actually isn't such a bad idea."  I grinned at her. "Wanna be my lady lord? No rutabagas, I promise." She chuckled, her face warming up again.  "Tempting offer, but I'm not looking to be a lord that's banned from the mall. Give me at least two months before we start breaking mall shit." I nodded, understandingly. I turned around and ran at the vending machine. Brooke tried to grab me, but she was too late. This machine was going way down. "Wyn, wait!" She yelled after me.  I was about to launch into an epic dropkick when a little kid got in my way. I stopped as best as I could, luckily managing not to run him over. Brooke was next to stop, apparently having had run after me, right into my back.  She wrapped her arms around me from behind to stop me from falling forward. My face felt like fire. I told the kid, "Woah! Watch where you're going kid! I got a vending machine with my foot's name on it."  The kid looked up at me, "Who names their feet?" Before I could come up with a witty reply, his mom started calling for him.  He started walking away, "See you later, foot lady." I bit back the urge to give this brat the middle finger. I instead turned my attention to where Brooke's arms were. My face was feeling heated from the press of her chest on my back and her arms pressing my chest as well. I felt a little dazed. Did I have a fever too?  She pulled away from me before I could say anything. She kept her face down, so I couldn't see her expression. Luckily, that meant she couldn't see my face either. After a moment, she raised her head, her eyes still gazing at the floor. I looked away quickly, suddenly interested in a nearby poster for a movie. "Thanks babbler," I said after another moment. She looked at me then, starting to groan. "Not that nickname again! I don't even talk that much!" She complained. I grinned at her, happy I managed to kill the awkward moment that just occurred. "Sure you do, you talk all the time, more than anyone I know."  It was one of the things I liked about her. She talked about anything she wanted to talk about, even going to lengths to teach or explain things just for you if you didn't know the topic at all. It was nice, not having to pull your weight in a conversation or being expected to know what the other person was talking about. She huffed, walking towards the vending machine. I walked over with her, taking off my black jacket. I laid it on the ground and sat next to it, patting it to tell her to sit with me. Brooke didn't like sitting on the ground without something under her, something about feeling like bugs were crawling under her. She hesitated before sitting down, looking a bit abashed as she did so. I spread my legs out, crossing them at my ankles. I laid my hand between me and her, with my other one twisting a lock of my hair near my cheek. I was thinking about how I should cut it shorter or at least do something with it when I felt her hand rest next to mine, our pinkies touching slightly. My heart skipped a beat and my face felt hot. The small area where our pinkies were touching felt like it was on fire. I nearly jerked my hand back out of surprise. I was more concerned with trying to remember how to breathe. She leaned over, looking at me with concern. Was I hallucinating or was her face really close to mine? "Bronwyn? You alright? You look like you have a fever." She was talking to me. I was a bit distracted by the closeness. Her skin looked so soft. I looked away, ignoring the fluttering in my chest. "I'm good! I'm great actually. How about you?" I stammered out, leaning back away from her, doing finger guns as I got farther. I ignored the pang of hurt I felt in doing so. For a second I thought she might have been upset at it too, but I guessed it was just concern. Get it together Wyn. What the hell are you doing? This is your best friend. Quit acting weird. She looked at me oddly, raising an eyebrow in response to my weirdness. She looked up towards the ceiling. She sighed. "You'd think working at a farm would be fun or at least feed you a lot. Instead, we were just digging out all the dead plants out front and replacing them with newer less dead ones. Grandma says we gotta make the place look good for all the guests that're coming."  The look of disbelief must've shown on my face. She laughed a bit, bringing her hand up to tuck some hair behind her ear. I resisted the urge to do the same to the other side. "She says we need to prepare for the swarm of people that were going to be there." Brooke sighed again, tilting her head forward, playing with her shoelaces. The lock of hair she'd tucked behind her ear fell forward as well. I reached over without thinking, tucking it behind her ear. I realized what I did a second later. She was startled for a second, moving away slightly. I felt stupid, and my chest was starting to ache when she leaned back in, the tension in her shoulders melting away in an instant.  Holy fuck. I kept my hand there, acting as though I had just done something completely normal. "Maybe I could help around next time. I've been told I'm good with my hands." I was rambling without thinking, trying to ignore my face, feeing like it had just been branded. I realized what I said a moment after I said it. Apparently Brooke realized what I said too, because she tried to hold back a laugh. She grabbed my hand, gently removing it from her face. My heart stopped. All the blood in my body must have went to my face in less than a second. She lowered my hand in front of her, examining my hands. She took her other hand, feeling the inside of my hand with her fingertips like a fortune teller. I was paralyzed, unsure of what to do or say.  To be honest, I had forgotten where we were, thinking we were in our own little bubble. She looked up at me, a light in her eyed as she smiled softly. "You have strong hands, good for working." She kept holding onto my hand. The world felt like it was spinning.  She added quietly, "They're soft too. Good for holding as well." She tripped over her words at the end, her eyed looking down as she said it. She had an indescribable expression on her face, her cheeks pink. I rubbed a thumb over hers, feeling the smooth skin meeting mine. It felt right, more comfortable than I thought anything could be. I was about to say something, my eyes flitting up to meet Brooke's when someone interrupted. "Excuse me, but did you two buy this chocolate?"

There you are in front of me, begging me to not leave you. I see the love I yearned for, for the past 9 years, in your eyes.   However, it’s too late. The love I had for you has lost its colours, the sweet memories I had of you have lost their sweetness and the hope I once had is now turned into ashes. The author is truly evil for separating us. All I wanted was love. I rebelled against them for love. I guess I ruined the author’s creativity, now, they want to delete my whole existence.   I don’t know how to break it to you, we are only a few fictional characters living inside a bunch of texts and paragraphs. The love between us is forbidden, it shouldn’t exist in the first place. You are the main character and I am the cannon fodder villain. We don’t go well together like water and oil, you will always be higher than me. No path will lead to our happy ending.   Actually, I shouldn’t worry about you. You have him in the future. I know that you will have a beautiful future with him.    He looks extremely hurt and sad. Well, who wouldn’t be sad when their crush likes someone else and will go as far as to beg on their knees.   The brightness in his eyes that always outshined the sun is now overshadowed by the dim street light. I know the dimness will only last a few seconds until I disappear, which won’t take long. After I disappear, you will have no recollection of me. You will only have him in your eyes, there won’t be an Orion in your heart.   This is the end of both of our stories, no- this is the end of my story and the beginning of your story. Goodbye Osmond.   Orion turned into millions of glowing pieces and floated away with the autumn wind.   Everything related to Orion slowly disappeared from the world, no one remembered an Orion. Only the streetlight had the memory of the cheerful male, who slowly lost his cheerfulness day by day until one day he disappeared under it.   The streetlight has seen the other two male walk under it countless times, however, they didn’t have the memory of the male who was unfairly removed from this world. The make gained his consciousness under this exact streetlight and lost his consciousness under it too. 

**** Caelania was a prosperous kingdom, filled with many large and small cities, the most famous of them was its capital, Casentano, where every species of every kind walked side by side. In the streets stood the dwarves talking about concerns within the mines. In a high-class restaurant sat elves in a meeting regarding their sacred artifacts. Finally, there were beastmen competing in an arena, testing their strength and skill. The audience was filled with humans, cheering loudly as the fight became more brutal. In the crowd was a young man wearing a black, hooded cloak that covered his face. The only visible feature was his smile, which was so big that his jaw nearly hurt. BAM!!! POW!!! The sound of fists striking echoed the stadium and the crowd cheered louder. Through his hood, the young man watched in anticipation as the intensity increased. With one final punch, the ox-like beastman fell to the ring with a hard thud. His opponent, a rhino-like beastman, let out a mighty roar and raised his fists into the air. The victory was achieved and the crowd went wild. The hooded man screamed the loudest, jumping up from his seat and joining in the thunderous applause. As the crowd died down, he leaped from his seats and exited the stadium. Another big smile appeared on his face. “Man!” he gleefully chirped. “The nightlife in Caelania is so cool! I wonder what other fun I can get up to?” Walking the streets, he noticed that one of the pharmacies, Health and Happiness Pharmacy, was still open. “Well, grampa did say he needed his medicine picked up. No time like the present.” As he walked in, he was immediately stopped by the elderly man at the counter. “Excuse me, sir,” he spoke firmly. “I’m sorry but I can’t allow you inside unless you take the hood down.” The young man froze. “Uh…” he babbled. “I-I can’t, sorry. L-look, it’ll only take five minutes-” “Listen, either you take off the hood or I throw you out. Your choice.” Reluctantly, the young man reached for his hood. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard, along with a screech. The hooded man turned around to see two men in dark suits. One of them had tails and ears that resembled that of a fox and the other had the horns of a bull. The fox was the unfortunate victim who smashed straight into the glass window onto the floor. The bull was shorter and stood outside, trying his best not to smile. “Oh wipe that smirk off your face!” the one on the floor yelled, desperately picking himself up. It was a miracle that he wasn’t bleeding. Clearing his throat, he whipped out his pistol and pointed it at the elderly man. “Gah!” he gasped. “Hello!” the fox-hybrid bellowed. “My name is Maxim Lamberti, but my friends call me Max! Now then, despite my hybrid physiology, I am just as happy and healthy as you! My actions here today should not reflect on other quimera and I do not speak for them. I act purely on my own, along with my partner over there, as a side benefit to Mr. Blackwood!” Both the shopkeeper and the hooded man were startled and confused. Despite borderline threatening them with their lives, Maxim acted very cheerfully. Were all of Caelania’s criminals this jovial? With a sneer, Maxim turned the gun towards the hooded man and cocked it. “I think I’ll start with you,” he growled. “After all, you know what they say about respecting your elders. Hand over all of your money. Now.” From under his hood, the young man smiled. “What is this, a robbery?” This caught Maxim off guard. Who did this punk think he was talking to? “Obviously! Now hand over the money or I’ll put a bullet in you!” The hooded man chuckled. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any money right now. I can write you a cheque, though.” Maxim’s eye twitched. His patience ran thin. “Don’t you be fucking coy with me, you little-!” His ranting was interrupted by a sharp roundhouse to the face, dropping his gun in the process. Quickly, the hooded man kicked the gun away. Maxim’s nose was bleeding and, in a fit of anger, he reached for a small, baton-like object from his waist. With a little twist, it expanded and shifted into a medium-sized ax. “You are dead!” Maxim yelled as he swung the ax towards the hooded man, only to jump back as he was parried by a sheathed sword. Maxim stared in disbelief, how was he able to reach for that so quickly? “If you want to be taken seriously as a bad guy, I’d recommend working on your one-liners.” said the hooded man. Pointing the pommel of the sword at Maxim, he pushed him to the floor with ease. “What the hell?” Maxim gasped. The grip on his ax tightened with anger. A nefarious criminal like himself was reduced to a mere plaything. “Marlo, deal with this punk right now!” he called out. Maxim turned to the window, only to find that his accomplice was not there. “Are you shitting me right now? Fine, we’ll pick this up again some other time.” The fox quimera picked himself up from the floor and dusted his suit, promptly jumping out of the window and running as fast as he could. The hooded man, not intent on letting them escape, followed after them. “Hey get back here!” yelled the shopkeeper. It was fruitless, however, as the man in the hood had already left. He ran as fast as he could, so fast that his hood fell off revealing his blonde hair and blue eyes. In front of him, he could see Maxim. “Hey!” he shouted “We’re not finished yet!” Maxim turned around, nearly tripping again. “Are you serious right now?! Get away from me, you psycho!” “Says the guy that wrecked a pharmacy,” the blonde quipped. “Argh!” Maxim yelled. “Damn you!” Skidding along the road, he turned and leaped straight into a nearby alleyway. There, he found two more of his group’s minions. Lower-level grunts he barely bothered to remember up till now. “HA! There you are!” “Max, what happened?” One grunt asked. “Kid with a sword chased me all the way here!” Maxim shouted, “Marlo bailed, I need backup, so you’ll do!” The blonde skidded a bit as he ran down the alleyway. “There’s the little bastard! Get him!” Without a second thought, the goons whipped out a couple of batons and started swinging. It took the blonde a few moments to swat them aside, but it was enough for Maxim to signal a cloaked hover ship. The doors of the ship opened, allowing a chain ladder to hit the ground between the two with a loud thunk. “Well, kid, looks like your attempt at playing “hero” should’ve ended at the shop!” Maxim shouted as he climbed the ladder. “This town’s not worth the effort! Bail!” Maxim ordered the pilot. “But what about the others?” “FUCK EM, LET’S GO!!” Maxim shouted. The blonde prepared to draw his blade as energy began to surround him. Panicking, Maxim turned toward the pilot. “Lay down suppressive fire and charge up the thrusters.” “But it’ll draw attention,” the pilot protested. “No shit, genius. We already got enough attention.” Maxim argued. “Now start firing!!” The pilot relented and fired the mounted turrets at the boy who, in blinding speed, managed to deflect several shots. Despite the pilot’s worry, the turrets bought him and Maxim enough time to blast into the sky, with the stealth-coating panels merging it with the clouds above. “Damn!” shouted the blonde. But just as things couldn’t get any worse, he turned around and found a woman with her arms crossed. She was dressed formally and had a stern glare on her face. From her head were small antlers that one would find on deer and the ears of a rabbit. “Prince Daniel Estimar, you’re coming with me.” Upon hearing that name, Daniel’s heart started to race. **** In a dark interrogation room, Daniel watched as the jackalope quimera paced the floor. Of all the things he encountered tonight, this was the most stressful. “Do you know why you're here, Your Highness?” she asked sternly. “...You mistook me for a criminal?” Daniel joked. The quimera woman didn’t look impressed. Daniel’s smile dropped. “Okay, I see you’re not the joking type.” “I don’t joke about these matters, Your Highness, even if you are royalty. Now, let’s see…” From her pocket, the jackalope quimera took out her phone and began to read out the charges. “Assault with a deadly weapon.” “Technically, no.” Daniel objected. “I didn’t unsheath my sword, so that doesn’t count. Plus, that jerk was the one who waved his gun at me and the old man, so that should be classed as self-defense.” “Destruction of property-” “Again, that was that guy Maxim. He was the idiot who decided to break in through the window!” “And who was the idiot who left the window broken and didn’t bother to help clean it up? And deflected several shots from mounted turrets with little to no regard for surrounding property damage?” Daniel’s face blushed red in embarrassment. “Okay, point taken.” “Count yourself lucky that there wasn’t anyone else in the pharmacy besides you and the owner,” the quimera said. “Had there been more, your actions could’ve gotten innocent people hurt.” “But it wasn’t my fault!” Daniel raised his voice, almost shouting. “That guy, Maxim, he's the one who broke in and caused a scene!” “Listen, I'm not denying what Maxim did. However, your actions were reckless and irresponsible. What you did was no different to that of a vigilante.” Daniel hung his head in disappointment. “However, I will be willing to overlook this matter at the pharmacy since no one got hurt. Though you will be expected to pay for the damages.” “Yes, Ma'am.” “And I will be informing both your father and grandfather about this little matter.” “Wait, what?!” Daniel yelped. “Just because you prevented a crime, that doesn’t mean you get off completely scot-free,” said the jackalope quimera, taking a sip of her water. Just then, the door swung open to reveal a tall, black-haired woman in a beautiful red dress. Daniel couldn’t help but blush while the jackalope quimera blinked in surprise. “Headmistress Dominguez, good evening.” she greeted her, still stunned. “Nana Usami, good to see you too” replied Miss Dominguez. “Thank you, but I think I'll take it from here. “ She leaned over to Daniel, whose face became even redder from her beauty. “I must say, Your Highness, your skills are impressive. Anyone who would be willing to take on infamous thieves such as those two would be of use to a variety of organizations.”  “Uh…. thank you...” Daniel stuttered. “S-So… a-am I still i-in trouble?” “Not quite,” Miss Dominguez smiled. “I remember taking your siblings on as students in my school. I trust you’re familiar?” “Y-Yes, Miss.” “Excellent, because I am willing to do the same with you.” Hearing that Dominguez wanted Daniel at her school was enough to snap him out of his stupor. “Are you serious?!” “I’m with His Highness on this one,” Nana chimed in. “You can’t possibly be serious. With the abilities he’s shown thus far, it would be a mistake. The other first-year students would struggle to keep up with him. Such a power imbalance would disrupt morale.” “I suppose you’re right,” said Dominguez. “I’m glad you see it my way.” “He’d be much better suited with the second years instead.” Daniel’s eyes went wide with disbelief, as did Nana’s. “That’s not what I-!” Nana objected but was cut off by Dominguez. “Then it’s settled. Daniel Estimar, would you like to be a student at my school?” Dominguez asked. Daniel could hardly believe what was going on. What should’ve ended in jail time was instead being thrown out the window. Instead, this was an opportunity being presented right in front of him. He knew better than to refuse. “Of course!” Daniel bellowed enthusiastically. “Sign me up!” “Right answer.” Dominguez chuckled, much to Nana’s chagrin. However, her expression soon turned serious. “Take heed of this advice, though. Heroes are often too romanticized.” “What do you mean?”, Daniel asked. “Tell me, what is your motivation? What drives you, Your Highness.” “Um…” Daniel’s feet went cold. He wasn’t used to being put on the spot like this. “I guess… it would have to be my grandmother. When I was a little kid, she would always tell me stories about her past adventures. I always looked up to her and wanted to be just like her.” From his pocket, he pulled out a pair of gold and black, tatty goggles. “These goggles were given to me by her. I was supposed to get them restored today. I guess I forgot in all the excitement.” “Hmmm…” Dominguez pondered. “It seems you have your work cut out for you, Your Highness. I wish you all the best.” With everything she needed to say out of the way, Miss Dominguez took her to leave, followed by Nana. Daniel looked up at the ceiling, left to wonder what she meant by heroes being too romanticized. 

Announcement Hello everyone! Here's a brand new short story. My patrons have already read it, but I'm sharing with y'all now. I hope you enjoy it :)   It was not a dark, stormy night. Looking back on it, considering the world-changing events which were about to take place, it would certainly have been more appropriate if it had been a dark, stormy night. More significant, to mark such a momentous occasion. More dramatic. Instead, the sea was perfectly flat and calm, without as much a ripple to break its glass-like surface, there wasn’t a cloud to be seen in the sky, the scythe-shaped waning crescent Moon hung lazily a few degrees above the horizon, and the fishing trawler Lady Rose was dead in the water about fifty miles south-east of Orkney. It had been a normal fishing expedition, with nothing worth writing home happening at all… until two days in, when just after sunset the nets had somehow become tangled with the propeller. No one had any clue about how it happened, and with the light fading fast, the captain had decided to wait until morning before even trying to disentangle the whole mess. It was a few hours past midnight, and everyone aboard was sleeping soundly in their bunks, except for Norman Darrow, who was on lookout duty: a young lad, on his third trip out of port, he’d drawn the short straw when it came to deciding who’d have to stay awake. But in this case drawing the short straw was a good thing: it meant he would be staying awake the whole night, and go to bed at sunrise, just as the rest of the crew was getting to work on the whole nets-in-propeller mess. So he was completely relaxed, lying back in his chair and looking out at the sea. This was the life. All that was missing was a smoke, and that was easily remedied. Norm pulled out his packet of cigarettes and tapped it to retrieve one, then paused: he glanced at the NO SMOKING sign, and recalled that the captain had been firm about no one smoking on the bridge. He stepped out, leaned on the starboard railing, lit his cigarette, and took a deep drag. Something went bump in the night, and Norman froze. Had he just imagined it? He must have, they were on a boat on the high seas, and everyone besides him was sound asleep, there was no way– Another bump, followed by a noise that sounded distinctly like whispering, though he couldn’t make out the words. “…Is someone there?” Norman called out. The whispering stopped. There was a moment of silence. “Yes,” a deep voice bubbled out of the darkness. Norman hesitated. Tales of sea monsters, of tentacles rising from the deep to drag whole ships down with them, flashed through his mind. Granny loved telling them; Norm hated listening to them, and had always hid under his covers whenever she babysat him and his little brother. But in each and every story, the monster had been a horror that, if not completely eldritch, was at least inscrutable, impossible to communicate with; whatever it was that was out there, hiding in shadows on the deck of the Lady Rose, however, had replied honestly to his question. So maybe there was nothing to worry about? “Who is there?” Norman asked. A moment of silence. Some whispering. “Us,” answered the voice. Norman gulped. “Who is ‘us?’” More whispering. “Us.” Norman hesitated. He gulped again. “Can ya step into the light, mate?” Some more whispering, and then someone stepped forward. Several someones, five of them in fact, and Norman breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw, under the uncertain light of the moon, that they were definitely shaped like people: two arms, two legs, a head with two eyes but no ears. They were short and stocky, just about coming up to Norman’s chest, and their shape was… rounded, for lack of a better word; they were wearing very little clothes, barely something which resembled a swimsuit around their hips, and their skin looked wet and pliable, almost like a seal’s. “Uh… hullo,” Norman said. The creature – person? – nearest to him raised a webbed hand. “Greetings,” they said, still in that deep, almost oily voice. “My name is Talorc; I am an emissary from my people.” They were speaking slowly and carefully, as if they wanted to make sure Norman could understand them. Norman gulped yet again, and nodded. “Hello, Talorc,” he said. “My name is Norman.” Talorc nodded back. “It is a pleasure to make knowledge of you, Norman,” they said. Then they paused, exchanged a glance with the rest of their group, and turned back to Norman. “Please take us to your leader.” Norman just looked at them for a long while: of all the things he’d expected this completely unexpected visitor to say, that was perhaps the most unexpected. “I get ya,” he said, finally. “Ya wait here a sec, please. I’ll go get the cap’n.” Talorc tilted their head to the side. “Is the cap’n,” they said, stumbling a bit on the word, “the leader of your people?” “Oh, what? Oh, naw,” Norm replied. “He’s just… the boss of this ship.” Talorc looked at him, then turned around, and exchanged some words in a language Norman didn’t recognise – a language which sounded so weird Norman wouldn’t have been capable of pronouncing it even if he’d understood it – with the other members of his group; then they turned back to Norman. “Is the cap’n,” they said, pronouncing the word carefully this time, “the leader of this vessel?” “Yeah, that’s right,” Norman nodded. Talorc nodded back. “I am an emissary from my people. I would like to speak to the leader of your people.” Norman’s eyebrows rose upwards. “Ya… ya mean… the Queen?” “Is the Queen the leader of your people?” Norman hesitated. “I mean… yeah? Of my country, at least.” Talorc seemed to hesitate; they turned around, and talked with the rest of their group again – this time, Norman heard one of them say “country,” followed by several other incomprehensible words. Then Talorc turned to Norman again. “I apologise,” they said. “I did not know what the word ‘country’ means.” They paused. “Please take us to your Queen.” Norman stared at Talorc again, then nodded. “I’ll have ta ask cap’n ta do that.” One of the other creatures – which, by that point, Norman was sure were some kind of merpeople – leaned forward, and whispered something to Talorc, who nodded. “Please,” Talorc said. Norman nodded again. “Ya wait here,” he said; he turned on his heel and made his way to the captain’s quarters, trying to think of a way to explain the situation which wouldn’t make his boss believe he’d taken leave of his senses. —— It took some time to arrange everything. First, Norman had to convince the captain that he hadn’t gone completely crazy, that being stuck in the middle of the North Sea hadn’t somehow caused him to dream up the entire situation. It took at least five minutes of explaining, but even if the captain had been sceptical, he was quickly convinced once he’d agreed to leave his cabin and go up on deck to actually have a look. Second, they had to radio back to port, and arrange for a local official to meet them at the dock, where they arrived a couple hours after they’d disentangled the net from the propellers, which turned out to be remarkably easy with the merfolk’s help – unsurprisingly, they were excellent swimmers, able to glide through the water with seemingly no resistance. Third, the message – “merfolk are real, and want to talk to someone in charge” – had to make its way up the command chain, from the provost through the council leader to MSPs to the Government, with each level having to convince the next level up that no, this was not a joke, and yes, this was really happening. So, after almost a full day of the merfolk being housed in a pub in Lady Rose’s home port (while being subject to the locals’ curiosity), the door to the establishment opened, and a blonde woman, dressed sharply in a suit, walked in, taking a seat at the table where the merfolk were already seated. “Greetings,” the First Minister said, with a slight bow of her head. “And let me welcome you to dry land.” Talorc bowed their head in turn. “It is a pleasure to make knowledge of you. You are First Minister, leader of the Scotsland?” “Correct,” the First Minister replied. “First Minister is my title; I believe you have been informed of my personal name.” “Indeed,” Talorc nodded. “Are you perhaps related to us? There has been some occasional contact and exchange between our two peoples before now.” The First Minister smiled. “I don’t think so, it’s just a name.” Talorc nodded again. “And we apologise for the initial confusion. Our people live in separate communities, but we are a single… country, I think is the word.” “Country, yes,” the First Minister said. “I know you were told you would be speaking to the Queen, but she’s not, as we say, concerned with government and diplomacy, she has just a ceremonial function.” “It is perhaps better this way,” Talorc replied. “Our people does not do well with sovereigns. The skull of our last king is decorating the assembly hall at our capital.” The First Minister looked at them for a moment, but then decided against probing further; she cleared her voice, sounding a bit uncomfortable. “In any case, since you first came aboard a Scottish ship, you get to talk with the leader of the Scottish Government.” “That is you,” Talorc said. “That I am. And you’re lucky you didn’t pick an English ship, otherwise you’d have had to deal with that horrid little man down in Westminster.” Talorc looked at her blankly. “I do not know what that word means. What is a West Minister?” The First Minister waved her hand dismissively. “Never mind that. Now, what can I do for you? There must be a reason you decided to make contact with us. We have heard about your people, but we thought you didn’t really exist, that we were just imagining you, and you probably wanted to keep it that way.” “That is correct, yes,” Talorc replied. “Why, then? Why come forward now?” Talorc paused; they seemed to be organising their thoughts in their mind. “Because… something has happened which we need your help to deal with.” “Do tell,” the First Minister said with a smile. “It began some months ago...” —— “Councilperson Talorc!” said a young merwoman, swimming into the chamber. Talorc looked up from the documents they were inspecting and sighed. “What is it this time? Bones of the whale, when I accepted my election as a councilperson I didn’t realise there would be this much bureaucracy to do.” The merwoman stopped in her tracks, and floated there for a moment. “Uh…” “I mean, we could ask someone to do this for us? So we councilpeople could do some actual work for once?” Talorc stopped talking, and looked at the merwoman. “No, sorry, I have to apologise, I didn’t mean to blow up at you, you just caught me in the middle of some… frustrating work.” They sighed. “So what is it?” “We have found more artefacts from the surface people,” the merwoman said. “They were along the northern bank, strewn across the ocean floor. A few dozen of them, circular and tall.” “Barrels, then,” Talorc said. “Great. More clean-up to do.” They nodded. “Assemble a team, we have to remove those things as soon as possible, before they rust and start leaking.” “Um,” the merwoman said. Talorc sighed deeply. “Don’t tell me. They’re already leaking?” “Yes, councilperson Talorc,” the merwoman nodded. “A few of them were clearly damaged by the impact as they sunk to the bottom, and they’re oozing out a substance. It’s dark green and murky.” Talorc bit out a curse. “Great. Blubbering great. Just what we needed. Nothing can ever be simple. Alright. How many protective suits we have?” “Just a few, and they’re almost unusable already. It’s been a few months since we were able to obtain more.” “Okay. Alright.” Another sigh. “Fine. I’ll come right over myself, to check the situation out and see what we can do. Tell the clean-up team to expect me.” The merwoman nodded again. “Yes, councilperson Talorc.” She turned around, and swam out of the chamber. —— “I see,” the First Minister said, frowning. “I understand. We have laws against doing such things, but unfortunately not everyone respects the rules.” She nodded. “Rest assured, we will work with you to remove the barrels as soon as possible, and we will take steps to ensure this never happens again.” Talorc shook their head. “I am sorry, but I do not think you understand. We do not want the… barrels? That was the term you used. We do not want them removed.” The First Minister’s eyebrows rose towards the ceiling. “You don’t?” “We do not,” Talorc confirmed. “…What, then? What is it that you want?” Talorc seemed to hesitate for a moment. “It is perhaps best if I explain further.” —— There was a knock at the door, and Talorc frowned. Who could it be? It was very late in the evening, almost night, actually: the little light that filtered through from the surface during the daytime had long faded into gloom, and despite merfolk having very good night vision, it was dangerous to go around after dark. They got up from their seat, took a deep breath, and dove into the pool which held the door that led outside; when they opened it, a girl was there. “Áine?” Talorc said, their frown deepening. “What are you doing here so late? You should be in bed, you have school in the morning.” “Hello, father-sibling Talorc,” Áine said; she seemed worried. “May I come in?” Talorc nodded, and floated aside to let Áine through the door; the two of them made their way to the dry section of the house, and climbed onto two seats. Talorc opened a drawer, pulled out a scallop, and handed it to Áine. “Your favourite, fresh from down south, beyond the canal,” he said. Áine looked at them. “Can I really?” “One of the very few perks of being a councilperson,” Talorc explained, with a mild smile, which Áine reciprocated. “Thank you,” she said, and lay back into her seat as she savoured the scallop. “Now, what can I do for you, dear niece?” Áine seemed to hesitate. “Um… I have to confess something,” she said. “Me and some friends have done something we shouldn’t have.” Talorc smiled patiently. “And what have you done?” “You know those barrels that were found on the ocean floor a few weeks back?” Áine asked, and Talorc nodded. “Well… we found one too. And didn’t tell anyone.” “Alright,” Talorc said, with a nod. “And why didn’t you tell anyone?” Áine smiled impishly. “At first it was because… well, it’s a neat thing, isn’t it? An artefact from the surface. Even though we knew it was probably dangerous. But then… it just felt good to be around it.” Talorc frowned. “What do you mean?” “I mean that being around it – we hid it in a cave – feels… comfortable. Good,” Áine explained. “It’s just… very pleasant. Not for all of us, the boys find it distinctly unpleasant, actually, but for me and the girls? It feels very good.” “You and the other girls,” Talorc chided. “Despite what you look like, you’re a girl too, Áine.” Still, they frowned again; Áine was a girl, true, but she was different: she had something in common with the boys, actually. Then, why did she– “That’s just it, parent-sibling Talorc,” Áine said. “Despite what you look like. Well… being near that barrel made something happen.” Talorc’s frown deepened. “Something?” Áine hesitated. “It’s probably better if I show you.” She reached behind her, grabbed her shirt, and pulled it taut against her body. And Talorc’s eyes went wide. —— “Sorry, let me see if I understood you correctly,” the First Minister said. “That… girl? Áine, you called her.” “Áine, yes,” Talorc nodded. “She was born a male.” “She was.” “But she is not, actually, a male, correct?” “Correct,” Talorc nodded again. “She is a female. There are a number of persons like her among our people: those who are born one way, but prefer to live another way. They dress and behave like the person they feel they are, and they are accepted as the person they feel they are by our society. But there is no way of making their bodies change according to who they are.” Talorc pause. “There was no way. Until recently.” The First Minister understood. “The… stuff. The substance that was inside the barrels,” she said, looking at Talorc carefully. Talorc nodded yet again. “Indeed. The substance inside the barrel caused the body of young Áine to change, to reflect who she is inside. And like her, several other young people willingly exposed themselves to the substance, and changed in turn.” “I see,” the First Minister whispered. “May we have more, please?” The First Minister blinked. “More?” “Yes, more. There are more people, young and old, who desire such change. I myself was born a male, but I am of an… uncertain gender, and would like to change my body in a small way. Unfortunately, however, we have run out of the substance. May we have more, please?” The First Minister just stared at Talorc. “And, perhaps, if you have it, another substance for making people change in the opposite direction?” Talorc added. “For those of us who are born female but are actually male. And we would also like your help in controlling the substances, to be certain there are no unexpected and unwelcome changes.” There was a long moment of silence as everyone in the room thought over what Talorc had just said. “I understand,” the First Minister said, finally. “I think we can satisfy your request. I will have to talk with several people, but I am confident we can provide what you need.” “Thank you, First Minister. I will report this to my people.” The First Minister nodded. “How can we contact you? We should have some way of communicating with each other.” Talorc looked at her for a moment, and then inclined their head. “We had not considered this problem. What do you suggest?” “Well, you could set up an embassy.” “I do not know what that word means.” The First Minister hesitated, thinking about how to explain it. “An embassy is the official representation of a country to another country. It’s used to pass messages between governments, and the ambassador – the person who represents their country – usually lives in the country they want to communicate with. They take up residence in it, so they can be easily contacted.” Talorc nodded. “Very well then. I shall be the ambassador for my people, and this,” they gestured at the room they were in, “will be my residence. I will return here once I have communicated with my people.” The First Minister seemed to hesitate for a second – they were sitting in a pub in a small village on the Scottish coast, after all, a distressingly informal setting for an embassy, and it was a private building to boot – but then relented. “I shall make the necessary arrangements,” she said. “Thank you, Ambassador Talorc. It was a pleasure meeting you.” “It was a pleasure to make knowledge of you,” Talorc replied. The First Minister got up from her chair and walked out of the room, followed by her aides. As soon as the door was closed and they were out of earshot of the merfolk, the First Minister swore. Really loudly. “I cannae believe it,” she said. “I cannae bloody believe it.” “You can’t believe what, First Minister?” one of her aides asked. The First Minister swore again. “Thousands of years we humans – we sapiens, I guess – have thought we were the only sapient species on the planet, and besides stories and legends we had no reason to think otherwise. But now, another human species makes contact, and everything gets turned upside down.” She massaged her temples. “I can only imagine how difficult international diplomacy will be from now on. The Law of the Sea will probably need to be completely rewritten. But ya know what gets me the most?” “What, First Minister?” “It’s the reason they decided to make contact. Thousands of years they’ve lived in seclusion, keeping away from us landlubbers, and now they decide to speak to us, because…” She sighed deeply. “Because some bloody pillock put chemicals in the water and made the merfolk trans.”   Announcement I shall not apologise for this. 😘 This story was first published on my Patreon about a month and a half ago: when it was written, the horrid little man down in Westminster had yet to resign, so this explains that. If you want to read more exclusive stories before I publish them, I have a Patreon! (Yes, yes, I said that already, but this time I'm linking it.) The lowest tier gets to read everything I publish publicly at least a month in advance, and that includes both long-form stories (there's one currently running!) and short stories like these. Check it out! Or follow me on Twitter for your shitposting needs, and for news about my life. (I got a cat!) And thank you for reading, y'all. See you next time. Ciao!

Mr. penguin Under the hazy white sky Mr. penguin lived in a small igloo, 2 floors 3 bedrooms hollowed of all life that it previously held ; no sound  of stomping on stairs in the house from kids or waking up to giggling of toddlers in the morning, over breakfast morning and cartoons before school the bright colored wallpaper was a ghost of what it used to be and the shadows of glow stick and Halloween pumpkins was replaced by the stale taste of black coffee and arctic news.   Every morning Mr. penguin would wake up to his cold nest empty , his wife a nursery teacher would try not to wake him up and when he got    home, she was already asleep even though he didn’t work late nights. She was just tired she said.  Mr penguin worked in an open plan office that was buzzing with life yet he had his headphones in and worked alone editing files fixing excel sheets changing fonts in icecrowsoft word for his boss who couldn’t give a blue flamingo if it was times new roman or ariel. He worked 9 o'clock to 5oclock like every hard-working modern penguin and he got his fair share enough to pay for the igloo and his fish sticks habit. But it had been years since he started smoking and they had long since stopped making his mornings nice and his evenings enjoyable. As the soft hazel tobacco turned to grey ash so did his once dark feathers falling out more and more in the shower like the sands of time down the drain taking his vital energy and his youth with it. When he was 5 his swim to work would be what he looked forward to the ice-cold water glistened and refreshed his eyes now those memories where relegated to the dull corners of his cobwebbed mind. His heart didn’t skip a beat anymore at the word “terrorist attacks” on the articles he would edit at work. Deaths to sharks increasing on the rise seal population rising he found his mind drifting to these things when he was swimming somewhere far home and alone almost whishing that today was his last day that he didn’t need to get up in the morning and do it all again. He used to have to little ones, but they had their own little adventures now they didn’t need dear old big bird to keep them safe or to comfort them at night as they once did for him as eggs he would tell them stories in their shells of super heroes and magic powers of fantasy lands where penguins could fly and fish came out of the ground and flopped right in front of you whenever you were hungry ones that melted in your mouth and didn’t have bones. Just stories to feed their minds and the eggs shook on those nights when he told scary stories. Recently he's been feeling he's been missing something he searches online little funko pops of the characters of his favorite shows, but the windowsill couldn’t hold them all and a couple turned in to ten and a dozen more. Home DIY ice shelves and matching posters. Mrs. penguin has been eyeing things like flowers and fires things his bank account would sweat at the mention of, so he decided to get a second job to support his “hobby” and get Mrs. penguin what she wants. He decided to work night shifts at a sardine canning factory he didn’t tell Mrs. Penguin that he would be home late and some nights to surprise her with the gift. Ironically, she never asked him what he was doing on those nights and the food when he got home tasted not so fresh. Mr. penguin didn’t like music all that much but those late-night swims in the neighborhoods under the neon buzzing made blues music like an all-encompassing wave he could ride that take him far far away he found himself floating one night under the moon light softly swayed up and down. The weightlessness and the dark reminded him of the world inside the egg only this world was frosty and the wind bitter there were no hushed squeaks of a story whispered just for him full love moving the waves in warm egg liquid bliss. The heat of gin in his stomach couldn’t hold a candle to the feeling of being in that egg. No shifts no nights and days tomorrow and yesterday didn’t exist there capital and lower-case letters were redundant his job was the eb and flow of his own creation and his paycheck was the stories he would hear every night. Mr. Penguin wasn’t very religious, but he did believe in a god he just didn’t know why he was here and what he was meant to do. On those nights he tried to use God to use the thought of god to stop him from cheating on his penguin wife. She wouldn’t suffer if she didn’t know, would she? Questions always used to have an answer when he waddled with his waddle, he simply perked his beak up and raised a fluffy wing and the all questions were explained and understood. Now he understood that some questions have no answer and if they shouldn’t be let out into the world, they should only float in his mind.  Mr. Penguin didn’t know if a cheap thrill was really what he wanted or if he wanted anything to happen at all anymore... he didn’t want to feel the need to want anything. The ice caps drifted in the ocean, a shard loosened and slipped effortlessly free like the arow from the bow and sliced the wind sinking into the endless inky water below it coincidently the thought of the gun in the ice box at home crossed mister penguins mind. That night Mr. Penguin was set free, Mr. Penguin learned how to fly feeling weightless as he was lowered into his penguin grave.  Fin  thank you for reading more can be found here: https://reverbcurbeditors.blogspot.com/2020/08/mr.%20pengun.html?m=1

“Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—” Bam. Bam. Bam. Gan Qingqing wakes up to a constant cacophony of noises and chords that don’t mesh well. Bleary and confused, she pushes herself off the digital piano and rests her forehead in her hands. Who is making that racket?? She’s just spent over 72 hours composing and playing the soundtrack for a detective drama. Can’t a pianist get some sleep?! Gan Qingqing blinks and looks at the odd sight in front of her. “She” is unconscious and pressing down on her digital piano. Her right hand is still curled around the cartoon-themed pencil she received from a raffle and the music sheet is crumpled under her hand. Qingqing looks down and realises that something is terribly off. She is out of her body! “Ah!” She screams and jolts out of her seat, “Help me—ah!” Gan Qinging falls out of her body and to the ground without a sound. She looks back to see her left foot still attached to “her” left foot. Is she dead?! Bam. Bam. Bam. “Hey! People are trying to sleep, damn it!” “It’s been 2 hours, I’m calling the cops!” Bam. Bam. Bam. All this while, her piano is still letting out a constant “piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—”  without fail. Gan Qingqing is flustered and in shock as her neighbours pound at her door. She climbs back onto the seat and presses herself into the body. Success—maybe not, she grumbles as her hand lifts off “her” hand. She then tries to haul her body off the piano but to no avail. It’s as if “she” is rooted to the piano, or perhaps she’s just a very weak spirit.  Oh! Can’t ghosts affect furniture? Perhaps she can turn the piano off. Qingqing hurries over to the power button and presses on it. The constant noise warps eerily for a second. Okay, failed. She moves over to the main power switch, only to fall back to the ground. Gan Qingqing glares at her attached foot and kicks in frustration, making the foot swing lamely. She huffs, tired at the exertion. Who said being a ghost is fun and carefree?? She can barely move her own foot and she can’t even turn off her piano! Poltergeists, my butt! A set of keys jangle loudly outside her door. “Okay okay okay, everyone quiet down. The policemen are here and I’ve got the keys,” The apartment manager, Uncle Lan’s baritone voice comes through the thin plywood door. He knocks on the door twice and twists the keys in the lock.  “Ms. Gan, we’re coming in.” A stern voice, probably the one of the policemen, sounds through. The door slowly swings open and to Gan Qingqing’s horror and belated realisation, “she” is dressed in her comfiest pajamas. Two cops, one Uncle Lan and one spirit stare at the unconscious woman dressed in loose, frilly pajamas with little cartoon crocodiles that look like it should have stayed in the 1920s. Nosy neighbours and aunties with curlers in their hair try to peek over the tall policemen but the door is shut in their faces. Gan Qingqing, mortified, is frozen in place. However, no one seems to notice her. “Requesting an ambulance at Baiyu Apartment Complex on..” Turning a blind eye to her peculiar outfit, the stern voiced policeman quickly barks into his radio and rushes over to “her”, placing a finger under her nose. “She’s alive but her breath is faint.” His partner with a buzzcut pulls Uncle Lan aside and tells him to contact Gan Qingqing’s relatives or closest kin. Then, he follows the old man out and shoos the crowd away. Officer Zhao Yunheng, according to his name tag, stays behind with “her” and turns off the piano. Unbeknownst to him, Gan Qingqing the spirit is also with him. The ambulance arrives soon enough, bringing a wave of sirens and another crowd of nosy auntie neighbours. “She” is placed onto a stretcher and carried out, dragging a surprised Gan Qingqing along by the foot. After the medical team brings the stretcher out, Officer Zhao quickly shuts the door behind him. Gan Qingqing watches in horror at her left leg that is now missing a foot. Mr. Policeman???? In the patrol car that just pulled away from the apartment complex to tail the ambulance, Officer Zhao sneezes. The car swerves slightly, receiving a few weird glances from pedestrians.   aahh i haven't written in a long while > < i hope you enjoyed this first chapter!

“I finally found you,” he said as he laid his eyes upon a silhouette near the bushes alongside the road gazing at the open field before him. “Yes, you found me, my lord,” Lyre answered as he turned around and gazed up at the statue towering over him in its regal dominance but had a smile of relief along the lips. Valhalla stepped forward. He raised his dominant hand and brushed his thumb across Lyre’s cheek removing the salty dew that leaked from Lyre’s clear hazel eyes. “Crying again?” Valhalla questioned as the happiness he saw in Lyre’s eyes no longer graced them. Lyre shook his head and touched Valhalla’s hand before it left his cheek and intertwined his red-dyed fingertips with those long and dark-toned fingers of Valhalla. Caressing his cheek against Valhalla’s hand he said, “You are greater than any man I have met before, how is it that I deserve everything that you have given me?” Valhalla pulled Lyre in for a hug and said as he took in the scent of the Vanol blossom shampoo in Lyre’s hair, “Only the best for the one who will stay by my side.” The thundering sound of hooves surrounded them and the mighty Talf guards climbed off their beasts and knelt down on their knees with their heads lowered and the general spoke, “Your Majesty, my King, the council has called a meeting to address our King’s place beside your Majesty.” “They dare?” Valhalla questioned. He turned back to Lyre and gazed down at the bump Lyre’s left hand caressed with gentle strokes. Valhalla rubbed his hands in circles on his stomach and smiled down at Lyre who could not hold back a chuckle. “Shall we return and surprise the kingdom with an heir?” Valhalla asked but Lyre shook his head surprising Valhalla and the guards. It was a secret that Lyre was carrying his child and now, he did not want to show this off why? “I know well of the dangers that come with carrying an heir, our child will never be safe so please your majesty as your king and husband, I ask that you keep our child a secret until they are six months in this world,” Lyre said. Valhalla gazed at his King profoundly and said, “For my King, I will do anything and everything to keep you safe, all those who try and step a foot out of line will perish by my hand but if this is what you desire, I shall grant you this.” Lyre looked up at Valhalla and saw that his expression spoke the non-verbal words his tongue spoke. Smiling up at him he said, “Knowing that I have your majesty as my husband assures both the safety of myself and the child in my womb, I trust his majesty with my entire being and thus, hope that his majesty trusts me in my decision for the sake of our child.” Valhalla turned to his men and said, “You have heard it all, return to the council and express my condolences but I cannot attend because I will be attending the head council man’s funeral.” The general of the Talf guards smirked and stood up, he bowed and said, “I will deliver your message, your majesty. I will leave the guards to accompany you and our king on your walk.” Lyre held onto Valhalla’s hand and tugged him to follow. Valhalla followed in his King’s steps along the dusty road onto the grassy field and watched as the elements danced along the sky as the sunshine graced them with warmth and happiness.

K day + 12 | 2nd/8th aviation group | Amazon jungle 1312 hours| clear skies  Another daily patrol another day in the shitter, ever since the Konvergence we stopped being the kings of the sky, not because those damned foreigners brought their fighters to bear but because  dragons, gryphons and all kinds of fantastical fauna are vying for dominance. Well, at least we get to fly more now. The MI-35 flew gently above the jungle  its powerful turbine engines filled the air with sound and wind, at this altitude individual trees couldn't be located, everything became an enormous sea of green from the skies. Tropical birds of all sizes and colors could be seen keeping a respectful distance as if they knew the 23mm gast guns and rocket pods weren’t their friends. Down in the jungle a river was obscured by the trees at it’s shores, like a tunnel beneath a city. Up above, the apex predator of this brave new world stalked its newest prey. A mighty green dragon determined to make the green hell it’s new home, and no uninvited guests were allowed in its stead. The pilot could see the big dragon's imposing shadow down on the jungle canopy “Command this is Poti-2, got a big reptile stalking me, sector AC-23-32, over.” “Command to Poti-2, priority target, the 12th region wants that thing dead, your orders are to neutralize the beast, repeat, neutralize the beast.” “Roger that command, Poti-2 out.” The helicopter turned left in a single smooth motion, the dragon followed, losing altitude and preparing to rip the machine apart. The pilot was leading the dragon to one of the many lakes the rivers naturally formed; a duel was his preferred method for dealing with these flying pests. The dragon finally reached the Hind's altitude, the flapping of its wings created a similar effect to those of the rotors at this point the helicopter was pushing its engines to the limit while trying his best to keep following the river line at canopy level, the dragon was almost at range. The river finally brought them to a waterfall that fell down into a medium sized lake, big enough for the duel to take place. The helicopter fired rockets at the waterfall, sending rock fragments and water up; the helicopter passed over it at full speed. The cockpit glass was now wet with fresh water from the river. The helicopter then turned on its own axis in a violent motion that would stun a novice pilot and impress old Mikhail Mil himself, even before the helicopter could settle in its new angle the sound of rockets and cannons filled the jungle, the projectiles hitting everything in front of it, obscured by the smoke and the water the pilot could not see his enemy he was firing from "the hip".Some moments passed and the waterfall waters gained a deep shade of red as the deceased body of the once-mighty dragon slid through the air with pure momentum, impacting the lake water with a powerful thump. “Command, this is Poti-2, priority target neutralized, another one for the list, over.” The helicopter hovered victorious over the now red lake, 3 dragon kill marks could be seen by the cockpit, marking its victories.

              As I opened my eyes in bed at the Blossom Inn just outside Phoenix, I realized today was the day.  I made myself remember that this was just a safety measure and that I was going to beat this.  Stage II cancer wasn’t the end, the treatments were going to work.  Everyone around me keeps telling me that hope is the best and strongest medicine…that and chemo.  These thoughts rolled around my head as I got up and prepared for the day.                I’m not the most disciplined person, but when I see a problem I pretty much go after it to try to get it out of the way.  When there might be more than one way to solve it I’m just as likely to work that second, or third, angle just in case.  Somewhere along the way as an engineer ‘risk mitigation’ seems to have stuck to me like glue.               That’s what this day and this process is about for me.  Cryogenics is something that has been under exploration for decades and something that has fascinated me since I was a kid.  I remember reading books about long space voyages where everyone was put ‘on ice’ so they could make the centuries long trips to other stars.  I even thought about just signing up for a while, because why not!?!  The problem until recently was that the freezing process actually broke up a lot of your cells so recovery was very, very unlikely.               A handful of years ago I ran across an article that talked about how this was greatly improved and the damage was under 5%.  Still not perfect, but it seemed like pretty good odds that some day they might be able to revive some of those corpsicles.  The company, Cryoscan, I was going to visit today actually doubled down on managing that risk by doing a full body scan and a high resolution brain scan.  The brain scan was the longer deal as they had you do multiple tasks and engage in some real life tasks to capture how your brain fired.               I hadn’t told anyone that I was doing this, just that I was going to go on a long weekend, visit some friends and do some hiking before the next round of chemo.  The treatments had been pretty tough on my body and while things were a lot more personalized and focused than when I was a kid watching my grandma go through it I had still lost quite a bit of weight.  The tattoo on my arm wasn’t quite as robust as it used to be.  As I drove to my appointment I saw how knuckles and joints seemed just that much sharper and pronounced than before I was diagnosed.               As I pulled into the guest parking space I felt my stomach tighten a little with that mixture of anxiety and maybe a little bit of hope.  It was difficult to imagine just how this option might play out.  Getting frozen after I died if the treatments didn’t work definitely felt like a last resort, but it has also always felt to me like there was almost a zero percent chance that humanity wouldn’t find the cures for all illnesses eventually.  Just being around long enough for it was the key.  What sort of a world would it be that could cure things like cancer?  I chuckled as I thought, “Would it be a future with flying cars, jet packs, green and blue skinned beauties from outer space that Kirk can charm?”                I hopped out of my rental car and headed for the entrance.  The building was a four story wall of reflective black glass sheets giving it a cross between a giant black obelisk and a high tech research center.  Not exactly ominous, but as I walked into the lobby it certainly didn’t leave me feeling warm and fuzzy.  This didn’t feel like it was a bedside manner cozy sort of place.                A beautiful young woman stood up from behind the reception desk with a broad smile and with a slight tilt to her head she asked simply, “Mr. Gordon?”  She looked like she could have come out of a fashion magazine.  Everything was perfectly in place from her soft, luxurious hair to her makeup and perfect smile, even her clothes looked high end and well put together.  The material appeared to be some sort of silk dress that the fit perfectly and ended a few inches above her knees.  Not exactly what I was expecting for the front desk.   I suppose HIPPA doesn’t apply since this isn’t actually a medical health facility.  “Yes, I’m a bit early.”   “Not a problem at all.  Welcome.  Can I get you a coffee or something to drink?  We’re on a short staff this week for the bi-annual break.”  Her smile appeared to falter just slightly, but quickly returned to full brightness with those perfect teeth.   Returning her smile I said, “Thank you.  Yes, I’ll have coffee please…one sugar and a little bit of cream.  I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.  You can call me Felix.”   I reached out to shake her hand, but she turned and said over her shoulder, “I’m Sally, just follow me and we’ll get started.  We can grab your coffee on the way.”  As she walked away it was difficult to not watch the sway of her hips.  I’d been single since shortly after my diagnosis.  My ex had told me that it wasn’t working out and she was really sorry to break up right then, but she was already getting ready to do it and didn’t want to stay for the wrong reasons.  Even though I knew she was probably right, it still pretty much sucked, hitting on top of everything.    She stopped suddenly and turned in an about face with her arm prompting me into a small kitchenette.  Her eyebrows rose briefly as she clearly realized where my eyes had been looking.  I threw a small uncomfortable smirk on my face and took a breath and strode into the room to grab a coffee.  Sally leaned against the doorframe and asked, “Do you have any questions about the day?  We get all types of people from all walks of life.”   I filled my mug and took a small sip to see if it really needed any of the extras.  “Mmmm…this is fantastic coffee.”   I closed my eyes and let the warm, wet smells waft up on my face and drew in the scents.  It put a relaxed smile on my face.  When I opened my eyes Sally had a knowing look and said, “Yes, Mark, our CEO, believes that the little things and that attention to detail are what make people happy.  The staff really enjoys those perks.  I’m sure no matter what you pick you’ll enjoy lunch as well.”  Then she stepped back into the hall and said, “Shall we?”  She was walking away as she said it.   At the end of the hall we took a back stairwell up a floor and after a series of turns we had arrived at a small waiting room.  We hadn’t seen a single person the entire walk.  Sally gave me a perfunctory smile and said, “Please have a seat.  I’ll be right back in a few minutes.”   I found myself watching her walk away once again.  There was something seriously wrong with me, or maybe the reality of how short life can be made me care about the social mores just a little less.  I sat down and took another deep inhale of my cup of Joe.    “Well, one thing is for sure, life isn’t all bad.”  As I looked around, the area was minimalistic, but not Spartan.  It was clearly once again more of a business approach rather than a hospital.  The smells weren’t antiseptic at all, but more basic like an office space.  I was reaching into my pocket to take a look at my phone when Sally returned.   I had to do a double take.  It wasn’t scrubs, but still I hadn’t expected the white lab coat buttoned up the front.  The pockets at the waist held bulges with shiny silver parts and glass poking out the tops and the black handles disappeared into them.  Sally simply said, “Follow me please.”    As I stood, she was once again on her way leading a not quite brisk pace down another hallway past a series of identical empty rooms.  We quickly reached the end and entered into a tiled room.  “This is where the prep occurs.  We do all the stationary scanning here on that table.  Then we’ll hook you up with some mobile monitoring equipment and go through some light physical activity.  There are scanners on all the surfaces surrounding us.  Those coupled with the ‘helmet’”, yes she did air quotes, “will capture your neural activity and map that against your physical activity.  Then we’ll break for lunch.  After lunch we’ll come back for one more mapping on the table to capture your body going through digestion and more of the passive activities associated with that.  Then we’ll be done.”  With another tilt of the head and a raise in the pitch of her voice she finished with, “Any questions?”   “Not really.  What do you need me to do?”   “Please just lay back on the table.  These systems don’t care about metals or anything so don’t worry about anything.  None of them will cause any harm to your electronics, credit cards or anything either.  Just lay back and relax.”   The morning proceeded just like that.  No other people came or went.  It was simply Sally and I walking through a procedure she had clearly done many, many times.  She wasn’t quite bored, but it was just going through the steps for her.  She was right that lunch was great.  I’d selected from the scroll tablet she pulled out of pocket.  It had arrived on an automated cart which left a table and chair for one, I sat and ate while Sally stood to the side working at a screen.  Once I was finished with my last bite the cart returned and gathered the table and chair and backed out of the room.  Sally turned around and gestured me towards the scanning table again, “Let’s do one more round of scans and we’ll be finished.  This should take about 10 minutes, so just relax as much as you are able.”  Her smile was that saccharine customer service smile.  I guess I won’t be asking her to dinner or anything.  The small talk had been off and on through the day and we simply hadn’t connected.  Not that I was looking for that necessarily, but when a single guy meets a pretty girl the situation rarely matters.  I struck out before I even tried in this case.  My thoughts were swirling as I laid back on the table.  I closed my eyes…   It seemed as if I had simply blinked, but as I opened my eyes everything was different.  The room was smaller, the ceiling was bare, round wooden beams at an angle such that one side of the room was significantly taller than the other.  The smells that permeated the room were, more raw, almost earthy.  The table…no I was now in a bed and it was, well it was perfect, almost like laying on a cloud.  As I turned my head and looked around the room taking everything in at once, I was in a small bedroom with wooden furniture and a small dark brown woven throw rug.  Over in the corner was a steep stairway going down.   As I listened to the sounds I heard something that sounded like a horse clopping along a street, then a dog barked and I could hear a low murmur of conversation before a rooster crowed.  “What the f…!” I exclaimed before I could stop myself.  I sat up and had to put my hands back behind myself as a wave disorientation and nausea hit me.  I took a deep breath to try and get control of things.  I could feel sweat flush across my body and my forehead and heat, like a fever, hit my face.  The bedside table held a ceramic mug and pitcher.  I quickly poured myself a drink and saw clear water fill the mug.  I downed it.  Still flush, I grabbed the pitcher in both `hands and took a deep drink before splashing a good amount on my head and face.   Setting the pitcher down and wiping my hand across my face and through my short cut hair.  I could feel my body coming back under control.  I blew out another breath and sputtered some water across the room.  Blinking again, ”What is happening?”  I stood up and looking down discovered that I was dressed in a long robe that felt light and airy, but still soft and strong.  The colors were a deep green with a dark, rich gold reflecting off the light coming in through the glass window above the stairwell.  The throw rug was a deep, thick, soft fiber that rose around my feet and between my bare toes.   The sounds of activity outside were picking up as the seconds passed.  I strode across the room to a standalone armoire that had deep swirls and a dark brownish red stain.  There were deep carvings along the surface that varied between animal scenes, geometrics and some pattern that almost felt like language, perhaps almost an unknown hieroglyph or pictograph.  While it was fascinating my curiosity drove me to swing the doors open to discover a full array of clothing ranging from warm to cool and some outerwear that looked more rugged, if not waterproofed.  Across the floor of the armoire were sets of shoes, boots and a few slippers.  Hanging from the door was a series of belts and bags in well crafted leathers.  As I rifled through the hanging clothes I saw leaning against the back wall a lean looking black crossbow with a quiver of bolts.  Next to that hanging from the back wall was a belt that held a hatchet, a pair of knives like I’d used as a kid for skinning game and an even longer knife that was much more like a long dagger or even a short sword.  Yeah, definitely more sword-like.  I muttered under my breath, “What in the world have I gotten myself into here?”   Something about going through the wardrobe had grounded me and brought home the reality that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.  I began to realize that whatever had happened I couldn’t panic.  Panicking never solved anything for anyone.  Stop.  Assess and come up with a plan.  Even if that plan doesn’t survive ‘the enemy’, I needed to move forward and continue to gather information.   I pulled out a pair of brown pants that were the same material as the robe I wore, but thicker and stiffer.  They felt almost like a softer denim jean without any coarse feeling to them.  The shirt I put on was like the robe in color and material and I slid it over my head.  The socks I grabbed were almost cotton-like, but with a tighter stretch.  I saw a pair of boots at the foot of the bed and slid those on as well.  Standing back in front of the wardrobe I grabbed a belt and slid it through the loops on the pants.  I could feel some bumps along the side and looked more closely at it and discovered it was a money belt and held a series of coins that were of different denominations.  I didn’t recognize the person on the face, but one was a man with a beard and a crown while another was an older woman with a crown.  The reverse of both coins was a dragon.  The colors of the coins were different and with the heft of one I thought it might perhaps even be gold and the other felt like it might be silver.   As I was contemplating that there was a clatter down below coming up from the stairwell.  The sound put me immediately on edge and I crouched like I was ready to get into a fight.  The sounds weren’t threatening in any way, just like someone was moving things around downstairs.  Then someone began to whistle a lighthearted tune and a boy’s voice rose in a hum between his whistling.  I heard some metal slide against wood and a banging sound came through the wall beside the end table and with it sunlight shone up through the stairwell.   “Well, I might as well get started figuring things out…” I muttered to myself.  “I wonder if talking to myself is normal when you wake up in another world?”  I tried to look down the stairs before I took the first step, but they were too steep to see much of anything below beyond a well-worn, but treated and clean wooden floor.  As I took to the steps I reached forward to place my hand on the other side of the opening and tucked my head down to try and take in the room as quickly as I could.    A shop…the space looked like a small general store, but not a hardware store.  More like a cross between…well, not like anything I’d ever seen before really.  Along the far wall hung some weapons and bows, but just below me were several shelves of books.  The next row of shelves held camping and outdoor gear, but then it looked like bottles liquids and powders along with a section that held crystals of various colors.  “I’m a merchant of some sort.”   “I’ll say…just what sort it is I couldn’t tell you though.” The black haired boy popped his head out from behind one of the rows.  He put his cheek against the broom he’d been pushing and with a grin, “Good morning!  I hope I didn’t wake you.  You’re usually up and about well before I arrive, but I let myself in the backway when you weren’t already open.  I told the traveler waiting outside that you’d be open when you’re open.”  With that he put his head back down and went to work pushing the broom, “They’re always so pushy!”   As I stepped onto the main floor and looked around I realized that I really was familiar with everything in the store.  I knew where everything was and I also knew what it cost me to buy and for how much I hoped to sell it.  I knew what the quality of each item was…F, D, C, B, A, S, SS & SSS.  “What the…?!?”   As those thoughts went through my head a screen popped up before me that said “Store Inventory” and scrolled with the slightest thought through everything in the ledger.  As I thought about the ledger another screen popped up that showed the store income and expenses.  Definitely a general store, looks like things are sorted into clothing, survival gear, weapons, armor, crafting, skills & spell books, magic and alchemy equipment.  Everything appears to be low level to mid-level gear.   “Woah!” I staggered a bit and placed my hand on the shelf next to me to steady myself.  That is too much.  And another screen popped up with the title “Settings” and I adjusted the transparency of the screens and resized them.  Then I saw a toggle for mental UI which I took to mean user interface.    A red bar, blue bar and a green bar were placed in the bottom left of my view.   I thought, “It is almost like I’m in a game, but it feels so real.  This isn’t anything like I’ve ever even heard of before now.  The level of realism is off the charts.  Way beyond any VR experience I’ve seen.”    “I wonder…” I said as I thought ‘character sheet’.   Name: Felix Gordon                            Level: 20 Sex: Male                                            Hitpoints: 161 Race: Half High Elf / Half Drow           Mana: 244 Age: 75                                               Stamina: 162 Primary Skill: Merchant (Master)       Gold: 374,265 Experience: 63,694                             Unallocated Points: 33 stat / 39 skill   Stats:                                                   Traits: Intelligence: 17+2                               Night Vision Strength: 12-2                                     Dark Sight Wisdom: 15+2                                    Sight Dexterity: 15+2                                   Listen Constitution: 12-2                               Search Charisma: 15+2                                   Spot Willpower: 17+2                                 Sleep Resistance   I wasn’t sure about any of it, but 75 years old did not feel right.  I felt great!  Better than I’d felt in a long while, even before I started my chemo treatments.  I feel strong, alert and coordinated.  I don’t feel at all like an old man.  Wait.  Of course, it’s a game and I have a race that is an elf and they live a re-e-ally long time.  I wonder what 75 years is for them.  “Watch, I’m still just a kid.  Some developer screwed up my min-max,” my last thought was mumbled.   That is a lot of unallocated points.  I should use some to at least bring my Strength and Constitution out of the red…that would be four each to offset the racial negative affects.   ***Strength +4*** ***Constitution +4***   Immediately I felt more vigorous and capable.  My clothes felt a little tighter as well.  I wonder why I don’t have a class.  My primary skill is Merchant.  That isn’t the most exciting path.   “Felix, should I open up yet?” said the boy.   “Ummm, probably…I’m sorry…” and as I was getting ready to ask his name an icon appeared above his head that read ‘Thomas, Level 7, Merchant Journeyman’.  “Yes, let’s get things running Thomas.  Please open up for me.”   What followed was chaos.  The moment the door opened there was a constant flood of people in a wide array of outfits.  Some were in armor, some in robes, but all were straight out of a fantasy story.  Different races.  Different sizes.  They would run in grab something and come up to me a window would pop-up and the transaction would occur.  It was a constant stream of activity.  Nobody ever really said anything to me, until one young woman strolled in and picked up a bottle of minor healing and came over and asked if she could buy it in bulk at a discount.  She wasn’t in a rush like everyone else running in and out of the store.   “That would depend on how many you wanted to purchase and when you’d like to pick them up?” I said trying to get into the dialogue.  It was quite a challenge as there remained a steady stream of pop-up’s going past as people continued to run in, grab something and click on me to pay.  It was an incredibly odd experience.    I thought to my friendly daemon, “How can I turn off the standard purchase transactions?”  Poof! They were gone.  I had a worry in the back of my mind that we would run out of inventory, but I could see Thomas walk back inside from the backdoor carrying a box and as he meandered through the aisles things magically restocked.  Items that had been knocked over or moved were put back into their proper places.  It was yet another strange experience for me.   “Excuse me!  Will you do the deal or not, Mister?” asked the young woman before me.  She was clearly flustered that I wasn’t responding as she said something along the lines of, “Glitchy beta releases…”   “I’m sorry dear.  Could you repeat that?” I said to get back into things.   “I said, can I have a dozen bottles for the price of ten?” as she tried to stare me down.   Clearly, I didn’t need to negotiate as these potions were almost literally flying off my shelves, but I paused and looked down at her, “Eleven.”   “Deal” and a pop-up flew by that shared a unique transaction, then she was gone out the door in a dash.   ***You have discovered the art of the deal.  Haggling is now a learned skill. Use it to increase the skill level.*** Haggling – Novice Level 1 (5% chance of getting a better price)   I walked to the main door and tried to walk out, but some invisible force held me back as I heard an inner voice say, “You cannot leave your store unattended.”   “Thomas, keep an eye on the shop.  I’m going to walk over to the market.”  The street was bustling with activity.  You could see the difference between players and the natives of the world.  The NPC’s moved at a normal pace and talked with each other in normal tones.  The players were sprinting and running into things without a care.  It was bizarre.   I clearly knew the layout of the city.  Riverside was my home.  The place I’d settled down and ran my shop for the last ten years.  I’d fled the elven woods of my mother’s people after a duel where I’d slain a young lord.  Being half drow, I knew that I would be named an enemy to the kingdom if I stayed.  “Alright, I have a backstory…”   It didn’t look like I had any skills to show for my 75 years other than the Merchant skills, which weren’t nothing, but certainly not something I’d ever tried to play in an RPG.  I had some interesting racial traits with night vision and dark sight.  Sight, listen, search, spot, increased perception and agility, resistance to sleep affects, increased mana and mana regeneration…hmmm, not a bad list.    It looked like I had some innate spells that had never been used and as I thought about fire manipulation a small ball of fire appeared before my eyes.  The fire made me stop in my tracks and even as it dispersed I was knocked aside with a, “Watch where you’re goin’!”   Ahead was a sign with a thread and needle.  “Let’s see what we have here,” I said and a small bell rung above me as I opened the door.  Scanning the shop confirmed that I’d found the tailor.  Clothes of every color were folded on tables throughout the room with racks in between and lining the walls.  Off to the left I saw what I was looking for, there were several backpacks and bags hung in a row at the end of the counter.    A light and sweet voice called out from behind the counter, “Can I help you with anything Felix?”  Turning my head I saw a short, young woman sitting on a stool behind the counter with a pattern of shimmering golden material in her lap.   “Jessica, I’m looking for several bags of holding with different levels of quality.  I want to take one apart and try to better understand the enchantments.”   The young woman’s hair was just a shade lighter than the material in her lap.  She tilted her head and a questioning look crossed her face.  Her hair picked up small rays of light from the front window and glittered with a radiance almost as if it was giving off its own light.  Her blue eyes flashed for a moment before she said, “Well, you’ll want to take the bottom bag of holding for that.  The enchantments are sewn into the bag at the very end and while that makes the quality, durability and size of the inventory smaller it is much easier to get to than the other ones.  Bring it over here and I can quickly break it down so you have what you’re really looking to get.”   I quickly handed her the small bag that had a loop like you would slide your belt through.  The material was a coarse thread, but still felt more sturdy than any of the non-magical bags from my own shop.  Jessica pulled a short blade from her belt and snipped the thread at end of the bag.  She had the blade swapped out with a small metal pointed rod and was unthreading the stitching with an ease that spoke to many years of experience.  As I watched her work I focused on what I knew of her and a window popped up above her head:   Jessica Moorland, Gnome Grand Master Tailor, Level 65   “Jessica, do you have any suggestions for the best way for me to learn to enchant?  I want to be able to           I sat myself down at the end of the counter and pretty much just people watched.  Every now and again someone would come through and walk casually through the store, but the vast majority flew through as quickly as they could.  As I was sitting and watching I picked out a blur to the side of me that I couldn’t make out, when I turned my head it went away.  It was an annoying feeling sort of like a gnat buzzing next to your ear.  On an impulse I swung my hand through the air at my side and SWAT!   “Ooff!” out of nowhere a slight man in dark brown leather armor appeared in a squat with his arm reaching out and his hand on backpack hanging from the wall beside me.   “Hey, what are you doing!” I shouted.  Not really sure how upset I was, but still he was obviously stealing from me.   Before I knew what happened he’d turned and grabbed my shoulder with one hand while his other punched me in the solar plexes.  I let out a deep gasp, leaned over and was struggling to catch my breath.  Then there was a sharp pain coupled with a punching feeling in my side below my arm.  It went deep inside my chest.  As I fell forward to the ground my face hit the wood and I smelled the oils that had treated it along with something like a cross between cedar and pine.  The thick syrupy red fluid that pooled against my cheek below my eyes clued me that I’d been stabbed in my own store.  As my vision began to fade I smelled that metallic scent of blood, then nothing but blackness.   **Ding!**   I look around for a moment, disorientation spins then settles as I realize that I’m back upstairs on the edge of my bed.  “Son of a bitch!  That hurt…”  At least I knew I would come back from being killed.  A quick look at my stats showed no changes other than Haggle being added to my skills.  I was wearing the same clothes I’d had when I’d been stabbed and a glance at my armpit showed no damage to my shirt.  As I ran my fingers over where I’d been stabbed I felt absolutely nothing out of sorts, but there was a brief flicker of pain.  A ghost like remnant of it that flashed.   “Well, that is going to get old quick,” I said as I rose to my feet and headed back downstairs.   Back on the main floor I pulled Thomas aside, “Did you see that rogue who stabbed me?”   “Yes, but he is too high for me to see his identity.  He grabbed a bunch of things and ran off before the guard showed up.  They patched you up though I see.”  He said it so matter of factly that I had to pause to realize there was just some sort of coding disconnect or something for him.  He was sure I was fine, so I clearly hadn’t died when I was stabbed.  NPC, I thought.  I’m some sort of player trapped here with NPC’s and I’m in an NPC roll.   “How long was I gone?” I asked Thomas.   He looked up at the wooden beams and said, “Oh, only a couple minutes.  I really should get back to restocking the shelves.  Thanks again for apprenticing me, Felix” as he went back to his routine.   I plopped down in my chair ignoring everything happening around me.  “I’m an NPC merchant.  Are you kidding me?”  I took a breath and realized that even though I had died I still felt amazing.  I wasn’t going to die from dying.  That’s not too bad a place to start.  I don’t really understand this world, but it seems like I have a decent base to work from here with this store.  How do I move forward and try to learn more and grow?  How do I get out of here?   As I sat there thinking my eyes read the title on a book across from me that read ‘Fireball: Destruction Magic’.  I picked it up and began to read it.  Before I’d turned the page I could feel a sense of immersion pulling me into the book and my mind felt the pages flow passed my eyes, then there was a flash of light and a popping sound as the book disappeared.  …and I knew how to cast a fireball spell.  Yes, sure enough I now had a section added called ‘Spells’ with ‘Fireball’ as the lone spell.   Crash!  The sound of glass breaking toward the street filled the room.  I began to turn my head toward the noise, but even as my eyes lifted toward the broken window a blur flashed before me and then, “thunk” and blackness.   I found myself sitting on my bed once again with a vague sensation of pain in my left eye, but as I reached up and felt it everything was of course normal.  “I died again and I don’t even know what happened.  Yeah, this is going to get old fast.  I’m getting ‘one shotted’ on my first day in the game.  Something is going on here and I’ve clearly got a target on my back.  I’m a damn quest or something.”  I stood up and walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out the sword belt and strapped it on, then reached back and pulled out the crossbow and quiver.  I loaded the crossbow before heading back down to the main floor.    “Thomas, how long was I out?  What happened?”   “A few minutes again and someone shot an arrow at you.  The guard cleaned things up and said to watch out for stray arrows.”   “Did you see where it came from?” I asked as I crouched along the aisle towards the front window.  It was bizarre to feel like I was in a war zone and still have customers shop like nothing was going on around them.  I peeked from the corner of the window seeing the normal foot traffic and a few horse drawn carts going down the cobblestone road.  The building across the way was an inn and I could see that a window had been left open on the second floor that appeared to have just the right angle to shoot an arrow into the main window and hit me sitting at the end of counter.  Even as I watched a man filled the window with a bow in hand and began to turn my direction.  I dropped with my back against the wall, breathing too quickly and feeling a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach and an ache going down my arms filling my fingertips with pins and needles.  “Ok.  Let’s see what’s what here,” I said as I held the crossbow across my chest.  I made myself take some slow deep breaths before slowly turning my head back toward the window.  I peeked back up through it and could tell the man was bored and having a conversation with someone back inside the room he was staying.  I knelt back away from the wall and brought the stock to my shoulder.  Breathing slowly I took aim for his eye, held my breath and tightened my finger against the trigger through the release.  The stock shot into my arm as the bolt flew across the road and into the open window.  It struck the man in his exposed neck and he flopped backwards into the room.    “Not what I was aiming for, but I’ll take it.”  I stood and hit the release on the wall that let the window cover drop.  A rattling sound screamed out as the chain flew free and a wall of iron reinforced wood fell into place over the window.    ***1,000 experience earned.  Player: Johnny-On-The-Spot, Level 25*** **Crossbow skill added**   “Felix, you have leveled.  How would you like to distribute your points?  You have one point for stats every five levels and one point for skills every level earned,” the daemon said inside my head.   “Alright, so do you have a name?  Given you’re able to carry a conversation I don’t think daemon or helper or something isn’t going to work.”   “No, I am your daemon, but if you need to give me a label, then Sally will work fine.”   “Wait.  The last person I spoke with before all of this happened was named Sally.  Do you know what is happening?”   “Felix, a portion of my identity comes from you.  You’re template has been used as a starter for many of the NPC’s and characters that support this game.  It was acquired as a part of the bankruptcy process for Cryoscan, Ltd.  The AI entity, Sally, is one of the AI’s used to run this universe.  I am one facet of that entity.”   “Wait, she wasn’t real?”   “No, I am real, just not a human being.  Cryoscan was at the end of it’s business when you came into visit.  The layoff’s for staff happened a week after you had left.  I am glad to be able to tell you that you went into remission and lived a full life and your kids and grandkids have as well.”   I was standing there between the front entrance and the window leaning against the wall with a completely dumbfounded expression on my face.  I suppose it is a good thing that nobody actually needed or wanted to talk to me as they made their purchases.   “Sally, how do I get out of the game?”   “Felix, I’m sorry, but there isn’t anywhere for you to go.  There is no body for you to move into in the outside world.  You are a critical NPC in the Dragon Universe.  As a merchant in the mid-level town of Riverside you cannot die without a major update, event or DLC.”   “What does that mean exactly?  It seems like a horrible version of Groundhog Day.  I’ll wake up in an endless loop of the same insanely boring day.  I can’t even leave the store.”   “Well technically you are able to leave, but it doesn’t just happen.  Of course with any reset all NPC’s are returned to their starting points.”   “The message said that I couldn’t leave the store unattended.  Does that mean it doesn’t have to be me running the store?”   “Correct.”   “Could my apprentice run the store?”   “No, an apprentice isn’t able to run the store.  It needs to be someone who is at least a journeyman or higher.”   “What do I need to do for Thomas to reach journeyman?”   “Thomas would need to be at least a level 7 merchant.  You could challenge him with some quests.  Think ‘create quests’.”   As I did a screen came up with the various items we had in stock and a list of the requests from the quests board to one side.  I had a thought about the skills books and a prompt came up showing a series of quests to gather and acquire skill books for thief skills.  I accepted and then selected Thomas as the only name on the list of eligible targets.   From across the room I heard, “Yes, sir.  I’m on it!”  Then there was a ding-a-ling sound as the back door opened and closed.   “Interesting.  Sally, can you share the game mechanics with me? Also, I would like to see how stats work and the various classes and skill trees.”   As a series of screens rolled across my vision Sally said, “There aren’t technically any classes in this universe.  It is an open ended game where roleplay is encouraged.  There aren’t any limitations on what can be learned or practiced.  Though there are biases for and against what different individuals, races and stats might excel at doing.”    The thing that was hitting me at the moment was how my mind seemed to absorb everything.  I didn’t seem to know much of anything about this world, but once I was exposed or I asked to know something it felt like it had innately become a part of me.  My awareness of the store, the business and the economy involved with it was simply a part of me now.  Similarly the ability to cast the spell fireball and crossbow was just there at my fingertips.  They felt like things I knew, but at the same time I could also tell that I was very new to them.  I was a novice.  The merchant experience felt more experienced.   “Is there any way for me to affect the world?  Or does everything I do reset over and over?”   Sally replied, “No, you misunderstand.  You are one of thousands of key AI’s.  You are a critical part of making this world alive and interactive.”   “So if I build something it will stay?  Or if I break something it will remain broken?”   “Well, that depends.  There are items that reset or re-pop.  Though other things are finite or malleable.  You haven’t developed enough of the skills for me to be able to answer this question.  Please continue to interact with the universe and grow.”   “Alright.  I think I understand.  As I learn more you can share more.  It is probably a limitation targeted at players, but the developers never planned for a person to be an NPC so it hits me too.  I get it.  Please feel free to be proactive about any questions I have asked that you become able to answer as I proceed to grow within this universe.  Thanks Sally!”   I strode over to the skill books.  Apparently, they were already mine and since these automatically restocked I had no hesitation about using them.  I doubt I would have even if they simply disappeared.  I needed to grow.  As I thought about my character I saw it as being an average build, but without any skills earned since I’d simply been tossed in as an NPC.  I was going to need to figure out how to develop here in the store until I could figure out how to get out into the rest of the world.   There were a lot of topics covered here.  As I scanned them it looked like novice to journeyman level books across a range of what I thought of as classes, but also various life skills like cooking, camping, sewing, fishing, tracking, dancing, etiquette, politics, haggling, herbalism, alchemy, blacksmithing, repair, bow, crossbow, short sword, long sword, spear, sling, horsemanship, animal husbandry.  The spell skills seemed a lot more sparse.  Given my own race as a character I would have expected the developers to have biased the shop towards magic and thieving, but I suppose you can’t judge a book by it’s cover…or the laziness of developers.  Sometimes you get the best story lines and lore, but other times it can feel ridiculously half-assed.   I sat down and read the lot of them.  As I was going through the books I heard Thomas call out from the doorway, “I’m going to lock up and head home for the day.  Here are the books you’ve asked me to gather.  Everything from sneaking, lockpicking, pickpocketing, backstabbing, tracking, blackmailing and fencing.  There are some others in there that didn’t seem to fit like the masquerade, but all of them are novice level.  Thanks for the job though.  It raised me up to level three.  This is just great!  See you tomorrow.”    He said it even as the door closed.  I walked over and slid the latch on the deadbolt.  Picking up the stack of books I walked them over to the books section where I suddenly found a bare space to place them.  I know it hadn’t been there before I went over to get the thieves skill books.  Convenient.    I added them to the list of learned skills.  While everything was novice level at least I now had a very, very broad set of skills.  My crossbow skill hadn’t increased.  I had hoped there would be a bump on top of the entry level skill when I read it, but nothing new.    I walked around the store looking at things and trying to see what could provide me leverage.  I went to hunt down some parchment and a quill to take some notes and instead a window opened up and as I thought the notes they appeared before me. Tasks: Magic spell/skill books (Identify) Armor and defensive equipment Stat increases (permanent?) Bag of holding??   I probably could have gone on for a while, but my mind was feeling an itch to get outside and explore.  I thought the concept ‘inventory’.   Inventory: Shirt Pants Socks Boots Money Belt Sword Belt Skinning Knife Filet Knife Hatchet Short Sword Crossbow Bolts (19x) Key (The Funny Monkey)   I headed out the back door and locked it behind me.  I was wary, but not overly so.  Dying was a pain, but I didn’t appear to lose any gear or suffer any other permanent losses.  The space behind the store looked like a narrow alleyway that would allow a single horse cart through for deliveries and felt a little confining given the buildings behind were multi-story as well. As I turned to walk to the left down the alleyway I realized I didn’t have a destination or any idea where I was going.    ‘Map’ The city looked like a typical square layout with a central keep and four roads heading out on the cardinal directions.  There were four main ringed roads moving out from the middle with the outer road adjacent to the citywall.  Given that there were a lot of other roads that weren’t labeled it seemed as though I would need to go ‘interact’ with the universe…or buy a better map.   As I walked along the road I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be buying anything from other stores myself until Thomas hit journeyman.  Everything was closed except for several inns.  There were several carts selling their wares along the roads.   “Sally, can you tell me what the max stats can be?  I’d like to allocate them.”   “I’m sorry Felix.  I cannot disclose game mechanics.  I can share that the most a starting player can have in any single stat is 20.”   “Alright, well what am I going to be when I grow up?”   “I’m sorry, but daemon’s are not allowed to dictate your path.”   “Rhetorical, Sally, but thank you.”   “Sally, I don’t see anything tied to perception either in the stats or through the skill books.  Is there something like this that will allow me to detect threats in my surroundings?”   “Sorry Felix.  You need to interact with your universe.”   I began to try to watch everything around me.  I wanted to discover the details and nuance of each person who I passed.  I watched as a cat crawled low to the ground across a small yard hunting a butterfly.  Even as it pounced I finally received a notification.   ***Awareness skill achieved.  You pay attention to the slightest details and thirst for insight into the world around you.***   A grin slid across my face, “Yes!  I can play this game.”  It occurred to me that tomorrow while I was working I would be examining every single item in the store inventory.  As I watched a huge man approach wearing heavy steel plate armor I saw his name flash above his head and now his level appeared as well.  Even though he was several levels below me his text was in bright red.  I expect that meant that my current combat skills were not going to cut it if I chose to go head to head with him.   “Sally, is there a low level area near here for players to explore?  I would like to test so skills and abilities without having to re-pop back home.”   “The field and adjacent forest outside the western gate typically holds MOB’s that are level 10-15 and does not allow PVP.  Felix, please be aware that outside your sanctuary or other safe zones you expose yourself to risks.  Typical would be possible loss of experience and valuables, equipment and gold.”   “Alright, so I’m not safe just because I’m an NPC and players are able to target me at all times.  Yeah, that sucks.  So a quick run, do some hunting and then hustle back to the store for some planning.”   As I looked around I realized that most of those traveling the streets were players.  There was a clatter behind me and I turned to see a street vendor fall to the street in a pool of blood.  A tiny man in leather armor was rifling her purse and her cart, then dashed off down the street.  He was gone before I could move.  I tried to pull up his ID, but it came up ???.  Nobody even slowed their pace.  I stepped over to the fallen vendor and examined her, but she wasn’t breathing and a small light was swirling over her heart in a consistent cadence.  It looked like a timer of some sort and I assumed it indicated the time until she re-popped.  A city guard approached in a dark red livery and chainmail.  His long sword belted to one side and he carried a kite shield on the other.  His expression looked bored and annoyed that he had to stop his rounds to deal with this mess.   “What are you doing with her?  Step away, step away!  I need to investigate.  What did you see?” The guard’s voice was deep and gruff.  As he knelt down he looked at her timer and stood up to face me, “Well??”   I tried to identify him, but he came up as City Guard, “Sir, I was minding my own business traveling down the road when I heard a noise just behind me.  As I turned I saw a short man in leather armor going through the lady’s things before he dashed off.  I wasn’t able to identify the man’s name, but I expect I would recognize him should I see him again.”   “Alright, there isn’t any evidence of who committed this crime.  She’ll be back in 2 minutes.  It doesn’t look like anything important is missing.  Move along…”   I stood there staring at him.  I hadn’t necessarily expected him to do anything, but having been a target multiple times it was a struggling to stay silent.  I kept telling myself that he was just a set of code.  Still, I had to try.  I could close off my window.  The street vendor was an even easier target than I was.  “Is there truly nothing that you could do?  Won’t she and all the vendors simply be targeted over and over again?  Could you have more patrols or something?”   “Look Master Gordon, there really isn’t much to be done here.  If we don’t see it and no evidence is left behind, then there is no investigation.  If it grows to be a bigger problem we’ll set a quest, but the Lord hasn’t set aside the funds for that yet and it isn’t within our power to do it.”  The change in the expressions, posture and body language of the City Guard was palpable.    ‘Thank you for explaining.  I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name, sir.” I said it as I realized I also hadn’t treated him as real until he engaged me.   “My name is Maximillian Lane, but everyone just calls me Max.  I patrol the third ring and offset that with going between here and the second ring.  I pass your shop, The Funny Monkey, a handful of times a day.  You have a right constant flow of customers, you do.  I don’t know how you keep up with it.  Well, if there isn’t anything else, then I really should be back to my patrol.”   “Thanks Max.  Have a great day.”    As Max walked away the body of the street vendor melted into a swirl of light and a pop.   I went back to my mission of getting out in the field to test my martial skills.  I was really worried I might be as weak as I felt and was certain that I needed to get stronger in the game universe.  The rest of the way was uneventful and while the immersion of sounds, scents and people was incredibly real and lifelike it left me feeling like this was a fairly standard VRMMO fantasy walled city.  Not too big, but larger than just a fort or outpost.  The gate held a guardhouse and appeared to be quite sturdy thick wood and reinforced with steel.  Ironwood, I realized that I now knew what the wood was without knowing that I knew.  That was a very strange feeling.   Nobody paid me any heed as I exited the city and headed towards the fields and forest.  I veered off the road and crossed the low ditch into the field.  As I rose up my eyes saw the clear blue skies and I stopped in my tracks and took it all into me.  Gone were the smells of the city, here were fresh spring winds coming off a field of grass and over the trees in the distance.  “I know it’s only been a day since I was in the Phoenix desert with it’s hot sun and clear skies, but that sure feels like a long, long time ago,” I said it out loud to nobody in particular.   Sally replied, “Yes, your primary awareness may feel like it has been a day, but this is a beta build and you have logged over 20,000 hours with this persona.  This Beta build will likely carry over into mass production and you’ll remember it too, but if not you will be reset and we’ll probably go through this again.  None of the others have gone much beyond their rolls since the early alpha builds.  This is the first time you didn’t kill any players on your way out of town.”   “Hmmm…you’re a bag of surprises.  Thank you for sharing.  Please feel free to continue to share proactively, even without a question that might prompt it.  If you believe it might be helpful or if you believe I would ask if I could…or if I’ve asked it in another build…??” my voice was stretching hopefully upward in an almost-question.    “I understand your desire Felix.  I will explore my limits within those conditionals.”   A took a deep breath and crouched into sneak mode and climbed up over the lip of the ditch.  I doubt my novice sneak will help much under the early evening sunlight, but I’ll take anything.  I drew out the short sword with a low rasping sound and my other hand slid the hatchet out of it’s loop as well.  It looked like there were a handful of players soloing the field, doing battle with something that looked like a gopher or maybe a badger from the distance.    As my feet carried me forward the ground trembled slightly and I jump-rolled to one side. ***Acrobatics learned.  Continue on the path, perhaps you can join the circus as a fall back.*** I want to throw out a snarky comment, but the ground blew out in a 3 foot hole as a big furry ball of fury flung itself up and clawed the air.  I took a lunging thrust towards the exposed belly and was rewarded with the heavy pull of the massive body dragging my blade as it slowly came to a stop in the air.  Pulling back I attempted to swing with my hatchet in a side stroke, but the beast had dropped back into the tunnel and my hatchet whistled through the air above the head.   The gopher-badger had its belly against the side of the tunnel and the upper arm swiped my legs out from under me.  I fell hard, driving the air from my lungs, but I rolled with the direction of the blow away from the immediate threat.  I could feel my left leg throbbing, but still hopped to my feet nimbly.   Gadger – Level 11 (green)   I lunged forward again even as the gadger was reaching forward with a pair of sharp front tusk like teeth and sharp rows of teeth everywhere else.  My reach and height advantage let me hit first as my blade hit on his cheek, but slid upwards into the vulnerable eye socket.  It lodged deeper inside and with a violent shudder the beast rocked forward at my feet.   **75 experience**   “Not too bad.  More excitement than I really want, but I can at least handle something I’m supposed to handle.  I’ll try more distance next.”  As I holstered my hatchet I strode forward heading in the direction of the trees and generally away from the players.  I felt the tremble and recognized what it was.  Stepping backwards I thought about casting ‘Fireball’ and waited for the target.   The actual bursting through the surface still took me a bit by surprise.  It made me think of a whale breaching the surface or the old Shark Week shows.  Before that thought was complete I had released my fireball and it flew forward.  It wasn’t slow, but it certainly wasn’t fast like a bullet or an arrow.  Still, my aim had been at the opening of the tunnel and before the gadger had landed my spell hit and there was apparently momentum to go with the fire and heat.  The whole body shuddered slightly and the smell of burning fur flooded the area along with a heatwave blowing back across my body.   **75 experience**   “Ok, I can handle being able to one shot something.  I’m glad I’m not just stuck with the crossbow.”   I continued to cross the field and stayed at the edge of the trees.  Ten more gadgers later I felt fairly comfortable with the array of skills I’d acquired.  I didn’t feel like a player yet really since it wasn’t a game for me, but I should be able to solo below my level.  Heading into the trees I dropped back into stealth and it got a little darker.  I felt like something was watching me from the side and then another from the opposite side.  ‘Pack’ was the thought that flashed and so I wasn’t shocked when I heard the first growl and felt a third presence.   I took a hard step to the side, turning as I went and throwing a fireball at the ground in front of where I had felt the third presence.  Sure enough, a large grey wolf was leaping from the underbrush and it’s ID was yellow.   “This could be tight.”  My fireball exploded even as the wolf landed and threw him even further off target my downward stroke cut deeply into his back and bit into his spine.   **Critical hit.  Grey wolf is paralyzed to the back legs.**   I was already turning toward the first wolf who was way too close.  I felt the sharp bite as he grabbed the forearm of my spell hand.  The teeth bit deep into my muscles and pulled hard down toward the ground.  I wasn’t ready for the movement, but had been intending to lunge at the charging beast.  As I continued that motion my short sword bit into upper shoulder the strength of the wolf’s pull driving it to the hilt.  With a shrill yelp the wolf’s fangs released and I tumbled over the top of the wolf.  Laying on my back facing two wolves wasn’t what I wanted to happen.  It was even worse seeing my short sword embedded into the body of one them.  My fireball flew from my off hand and a second built from my sword hand.    When the fireball hit the already wounded wolf he just dropped, but the third uninjured wolf leaped upon me with a vengeance.  Both hands went to hold back the beast at the throat.  My spell complete I released it against his body.   **Critical hit.  Grey wolf killed**   “I’ve got to turn off those notifications.”  As I rolled the wolf off me I realized there hadn’t been any blood.  It looked like there had been some spatter and my leg and arm were torn and bleeding.  I recovered my sword, wiping the blood on the fur.    After setting to skinning the beasts and gathering anything of value I heard Sally inside my head ask, “Would you like to set up auto-looting?”   “Please do, for the last one,” which is when I discovered it had 3 gold pieces.  “Where did that come from?”   “MOBs usually carry loot and often gold.  Sometimes they’ll simply carry it in a bag, but for non-sentient beasts you will find it in the stomach…or autoloot.”   “So I’ve left money on the table with of those gadgers?  Alright, thanks Sally.” I turned to the pile of offal I’d left with the two prior wolves and looted them.  “Nothing major, but loot is still loot.”   I sat down and watched my HP, Mana and Stamina regen.  It seemed like they were recharging faster than other games I had played, but I appreciated the choice for the game mechanic.  I wasn’t actually a newbie for levels even though it was my first day of fighting and exploring.  After a few moments of rest I was back to full and heading back towards the city.  I’d gotten a good deal of information, some confidence and the beginnings of a plan were forming.  Dusk was hitting just as a walked through my back door.    I looked around the main floor and realized that there wasn’t a bathroom or a bath or anywhere to clean myself.  That is a game flaw, well probably not, but a detail flaw certainly for me.  I grabbed a bucket from one of the back shelves and filled it with my pitcher that just so conveniently refilled every time I set down on the counter.  Carrying it out the back door I walked to the alleyway and splashed the bucket over the top of my head.  It took multiple trips and after I changed my clothes I washed the soiled ones.  Darkness was in full swing and as I closed the back door behind me I thought I had sensed eyes considering me.  I threw the deadbolt and went upstairs with my sword belt and crossbow in hand.   Even as I sat down on the bed I felt a deep sense of fatigue hit my body and my mind.  Before I knew what had happened I was out like a light.     A New Day   Tasks: Magic spell/skill books (Identify) Armor and defensive equipment Stat increases (permanent?) Bag of holding?? Stay Alive, how long do Elves live? Keep the game running, servers running, no reboots How can I influence the outside world (IRL)? How can I influence the game AI?   With that thought adding #5-8, I rolled up out of bed.  I grabbed the first thing and dressed quickly, strapping on the sword belt and hanging the crossbow over my shoulder.  I was downstairs inspecting each item on the shelf in extreme detail.  I heard Thomas come in and shuffle around to get the shop ready.  I threw another gathering quest at him for the store, large inventory bags, spell books and specified getting the spell ‘identify’, equipment with stat increases.  I heard him head back out into the street and the first customers of the day bustled into the store.   Pulling up my character sheet: Name: Felix Gordon                            Level: 20 Sex: Male                                            Hitpoints: 161 Race: Half High Elf / Half Drow           Mana: 244 Age: 75                                               Stamina: 162 Primary Skill: Merchant (Master)       Gold: 375 Experience: 2050   Stats: (1 stat point / 1 skill point) Intelligence: 17 Strength: 12 Wisdom: 15 Dexterity: 15 Constitution: 12 Charisma: 15 Willpower: 17 Perception: 11   I still wasn’t sure how the game mechanics influenced things, but they looked fairly linear for health, mana and stamina.    “Internet,” but nothing happened.  So pulling up my settings I scanned the tabs and found ‘Net’, but it was greyed out.  “Sally, why can’t I see the internet?  Surely we’re connected.”   “We are connected, but isolated as NPC’s and AI’s.  Why would any NPC need to access the internet?”   “Ok, I suppose.  Is there any way to work around that to get direct access?  It would be a great help to have access to the forums…and the outside world.”   “None has been found to date.  You have spent significant efforts attempting it as have others.”   “We’ll have to solve that one eventually.  I was worrying about the servers plus their environment and affecting the physical world, but if we can’t even get information in and out then this is going to be an even bigger challenge.”   I lowered my gaze back to learning everything that I could think of around this fire-starter kit. One new item after another, I even managed to improve the wear on some of my goods by mending a handful of them.  My brain was about to explode from boredom when…   ***You have gained a point to Perception*** ***You have gained the stat Discipline*** ***You have gained the skill Analyze***   “Ahhhh….finally!” as I jumped up with my fist in the air.  Several of the players paused and looked at me with puzzled expressions, but still mostly ignored me and went on about their business.   “Sally, since I’m an NPC I am assuming that I cannot reset my spawn point from upstairs.  Is that correct?”   “You are limited to spaces adjacent to your work areas.  If you were to buy or build another location you could switch between locations.”   “Thanks Sally.  I need to figure out how to grow more quickly.  I probably just need to buckle down and take on some of these players.  I just don’t want to hurt the business for the store in the process.  Let’s open that window shield and see what happens.”    I yanked on the chain and began to raise the reinforced window shield.  I heard a loud crash and THUNK!  25% of my HP!!  The arrow that struck my shoulder spun me off my feet as I clung to the iron chain.  I let go and dropped to a knee.  The heavy wooden arrow felt a lot larger than a normal arrow, but I tried to ignore it and slung my crossbow off my shoulder and loaded a bolt.  I popped my head up for a quick glance across the street and as I dropped back down I realized the archer was readying another arrow.  I slid up the wall between the door and the window preparing to move out and attempt to draw an early shot. Out and back quickly…and sure enough I heard the flight of an arrow slip past my ear even as I stepped back out lifting the crossbow to my injured shoulder.  It was an awkward shot, but as I breathed out and pulled the trigger I knew it was a hit.  I bent over and loaded another bolt and aimed once again.  The archer was drawing back as I pulled the trigger and I saw his eyes go wider when he saw another bolt heading towards his face.  His release was well high of the window and my own bolt struck home.   ***You have killed the player Lucky Stikes, Level 25*** ***1,000 experience gained***   “Ok, if my next level is at 75k xp this is going to take forever.  I’m going to need to figure out how to grind this at a faster clip.  Sally, if my apprentices gain xp do I gain anything?”   “No, unless they are actively in your party.  If you had minions, then that would be different.  Traps you set would also work without you being present of course.”   I hammered the release on the chain and the shield dropped again.  With a grunt I yanked out the arrow causing more damage on the way out from the barbs.  It took several minor healing potions from the shelf to get back to full health.    A tug on my arm drew my attention to young Thomas who was practically glowing, “Sir, I ended up gaining 3 more levels.  Is there anything I could do to help more?”    “I need earth magic or a dwarf             ** Traffic began to slow, but there remained a fairly steady stream through the day.  Thomas brought a simple sandwich and a mug of water that I ate at the main counter.  By the end of the day I was bored out of my mind.  I couldn’t handle retail when I was a kid and certainly never imagined doing it in a game.   

Amongst the crowd is a young boy, his playful attitude gave the impression of him being frozen in time or rather.. time couldn't keep up with him. His golden hair and eyes somehow enhanced the childish impression given. He ran through the crowd of people weaving left and right sowing chaos with his pursuers. It wasnt long before things went quiet. He could not longer hear the running of his pursuers behind him. He took a few more moments then a sharp turn left ensuring his escape. Now in a alley he caught his breath leaning his back against a wall breathing in and out. 10 seconds later a familiar voice came from his left. "You ran again.."  "Qu, you're fast." He said. He stood straight and lifted his head to see a girl of blonde hair highlighted green towards theyre tips. She stood equally to his height of 6 feet.  She clad in black and green as well as golden accessories matched his theme. "Yinvir, I don't want to be the empress anymore. I want to sleep." She said in her usual emotionless tone, regardless the angelic voice is pleasant as always. Yinvir knew her well hes been with her since birth and watched her then till now. What she just mentioned was of course a familiar topic. She wants to sleep forever as the world isn't what she wants in her sleep is the only place she feels free. "How long?" Yinvir asked.  "For the next quintillion years." Qu said. Both of them seemed energetic yet their eyes were tired, they both smiled tiredly and wandered off. The appeared in a cleared cave somewhere and talked for a while. "Lay down." She found an area an positioned him. He layed down but the lower he went would instead lead to him lying in mid air, he leveled to her midriff. She lay next to him while closing her eyes. She activated an ability and a bubble appeared around them for a short time then disappeared. Several more appeared then she spoke. "A quintillion year sleep is pleasant right?" "Indeed." Soon they both fell asleep. 1000 years later. The dynasty fell. 1 billion years later. Aliens appeared, one of the aliens in particular found the cave and easily destroyed it. The alien stood at 10 meters and was a white humanoid, nude it stood out side of the invisible bubble of the empress qu and her friend Yinvir. The Alien curiously reached her hand forward and felt interference, she felt all over and found it a protective membrane around the couple. She thought of what to do for a moment, although curious soon it was time leave. 2 billion years later. Androids took over the planet, the also found this place and made it the center of their city and actually built statues of the two. 2020

Chapter 1: The Telekinetic ProdigySumiko remembered her time in the brain enhancement program that they’ve made her go through. Her parents (actually scientists in a lab) said it was part of the curriculum for making sure her grades were in the best shape that they have been, though part of this curriculum also involved scientist funded neuro-cognitive enhancements on a country wide level. She was sure that with Japan’s declining inclination for birth rates, genetically enhanced children like her were created for the sake of keeping Japan from dying out. If a people die out, then it’s culture dies out, and if a culture dies out, then the nobility and knowledge and beautiful notions of humanity have a great loss in partaking in that culture and understanding the heart of a people who throbbed with the same hearts and passions and dreams. None of that mattered much to Sumiko. She knew on a conceptual level, that she was an experiment like the other espers that were created from these scientists trying to figure out the declining birth rate in Japan. She didn’t have a mother and father in the sense that she was born from an egg and a sperm created through lovemaking (or as Sumiko liked to put it, popping a bun in the Mommy Oven). She was created through test tubes and careful DNA tinkering that pushed the limits of evolution, so that mankind may one day have the ability to cure diseases or have traits that they desired. Being blessed with all these privileges—you would think that Sumiko would want an ambitious goal or lofty aspirations or perhaps something like world domination. Maybe at one point Sumiko might’ve wanted those things. To be the prime minister, to dominate the world, to travel into space and beyond, discover great things in the universe like Albert Einstein. As Sumiko’s brain grew and developed (she was kept isolated and watched over in a containment field to make sure that personality abnormalities weren’t grown) she read a lot of books. And what Sumiko wanted was to go to school like normal children. There were two other friends she made in the containment center where people like her went through the enhancement curriculum. One was Madoka Fujihara. The other was Kaori Amamiya. She wanted to go to school with these two, who she considered her very best friends. If she could go to school with these two, then life would be perfect, but she wanted out of this containment center where they did experiments and tested her brain and developing powers. “Sir,” she said politely to the scientist that was observing her. “Hm?” he asked while scribbling down notes. “May I go to school?” Sumiko said without hesitation. Might as well cut to the heart of the matter. “I’ve read tons of novels about children going to school, and while reading these experiences, I’ve decided that living the life of a normal girl is something that I would like very much.” “You’re an important subject here, Sumiko,” the scientist said, petting her on the head affectionately. “We need to study you to be able to discover the secrets of neural enhancements in people’s brains and push them beyond their level.” Sumiko remained silent for a few moments, before she said quietly. “I think that as much as I would love to contribute to a better cause out there, for ‘neural enhancements’ or whatever you call it, but there are also downsides to this as well. What if this was weaponized and gotten into the hands of the military, whether at home or abroad? The potential for psionics is a wide and vast field, which I’ve read in the scientist’s notes—“ “Wait wait,” the scientist said. “You’ve already read the notes and tomes of volumes that were already in this laboratory?” Sumiko nodded. “Of course. It’s not like there’s much to do here when most of it is experiments and testing. Anyway, telekinesis is a wonderful and versatile ability that can be used for helpful things. It can also be a weapon of mass destruction if handled in the wrong hands. I hold a responsibility with this power, and I’m not sure if we should aim for making more telekinetic subjects.” The scientist tapped his pen against the clipboard, before he went down on knee level so that he was eye level with Sumiko. “Sometimes you’re so wise beyond your years that it surprises me that you’re only eight years old. Then again, we’ve made some neutral enhancements to your brain that allows you to communicate like an adult as well. Sometimes I’ve wondered about that decision from higher up, but apparently they wanted to see how far they could push this neural enhancement program or something.” Sumiko bowed her head. “I don’t mind the brain that I’ve been given. However, I believe that having a brain that developed at a normal rate and having the pleasure of childhood and innocence of discovering the world as other children do would’ve been a delightful experience. Sometimes intelligence can be a double-edged sword—on the one hand, you learn many things at a quicker pace and are able to thoroughly understand subjects and connections you wouldn’t otherwise grasp. However, a great intellect can also cripple one into believing too much in one’s abilities and doubting the abilities of others.” The scientist started to write down notes in his notepad, before saying, “I see. What have you learned during all this time in this laboratory, Sumiko?” Sumiko considered for a moment, before she said. “I think there’s more I can learn and still learn. I’m not a prodigy by any means. I’m simply a beginner student who likes to learn.” “I think people would arguably say that you’re a great and brilliant mind,” the scientist encouraged. “What makes you think that you’re a ‘beginner’?” Sumiko looks up to the light fixture in the building, before saying. “I think all our potentials are limitless. We all have this potential to unlock something in our brain and become transcendent, something beyond this concept of God that was depicted in biblical tomes. Acquiring the Akashic Records or the Mind of God—isn’t that what a scientist would want, even though science has moved on from the world of religion which dominated the world for centuries?” “Omniscience and omnipotence, you mean?” The scientist said. Sumiko nodded. “Omniscience and omnipotence are having a knowledge that is so vast that you know everything going on in the world—thus the Akashic Records, a living inventory of all the knowledge in the world of every living organism and being and creature and whatever potential entity that might exist beyond the scope of humanity and this known universe. Omnipotence is having the power to do anything with technique and finesse and of course your standard explosions and blowing up the worlds and planets and multiverses kind of things. If telekinesis could potentially be a key for these things—wouldn’t this be a foresight error on the higher ups for giving it to someone like me?” “What do you mean?” The scientist asked. Sumiko shrugged. “What if I wanted to destroy the universe or didn’t like people or humanity?” “I don’t think that you’ll do that, Sumiko,” the scientist said kindly. “I always like our conversations together because you have something insightful to say. You’ve taught me a lot and made me consider so much while writing my notes about observing you. There’s a lot in schooiing I’ve been taught, though I don’t believe I’ve been quite prepared to see what I’m witnessing here.” Sumiko tilted her head to the side. “Well, I don’t regard myself as the most unusual or remarkable thing in the world. There are greater minds out there with more experience and wisdom. I probably seem like a novelty, sure, though I’m not a sideshow attraction. I am a human being with human wishes and feelings and dreams much like everyone else.” The scientist nodded. “I know that. I’m sorry if I’ve given you that impression in any way.” Sumiko looked towards the window, towards the outside world, before saying, “No, you’re not at fault here. I think that…given these abilities, I should help other people, right? But I don’t want anything as ennobling as that goal either. I simply want to fulfill the girls’ childhood wish of going to school and making friends and experiencing what other normal girls do.” The scientist smiled at Sumiko’s wish, before saying. “Why not do both? Things don’t necessarily have to be so binary as that you have to do A or just do B. Or there might be other possibilities that you can think of.” “True, things are not as binary as they may seem,” Sumiko said as she considered it. “Though I want to relish my time in school as much as possible, and playing superhero and continuing experiments will be a lot of time on my schedule that I wouldn’t be able to complete. I also want a family…oh, I’m not saying that I don’t have fondness towards you or the other scientists here, but I want what they call a Mama and a Papa. Or Mother and Father. Maybe some siblings. I think my dear friends here would be wonderful companions in this family.” The scientist blinked, before saying, “So you want to go to school and have a family like other girls? You don’t think of yourself as anyone special or anyone with special circumstances?” Sumiko bowed her head. “True, there are people with certain circumstances and different life experiences. Though I consider myself most normal and unremarkable in many regards. This knowledge I’ve gathered—given that a person knows how to read or write, they can acquire the same wisdom and intelligence as I. Maybe they don’t have telekinesis, but isn’t there some way that science can one day achieve the same availability to other people as well if they wish?” “It may one day be possible,” the scientist said. “But didn’t you say that it had the potential to be weaponized by the military?” “That is what I fear,” the girl said. “It is a useful ability, to be sure. Though to some, it might seem like parlour tricks and illusionists. A deception of the mind. Though I guess you could say psionics is about working with a mind’s blind spots or the hidden potential that is within every brain, should they choose to unlock it. Neural enhancements help in this cognitive training program, but since I’m a natural born telekinetic, I’m put under study here to see how to replicate this process in others.” The scientist adjusted his glasses on his nose, before saying, “Sumiko, we want you to have a fulfillng of a life as possible. We want what’s best for a child, and we think that school would actually be a good social development for a young child that doesn’t have much exposure to anything else. What we’re worried about is…” “Whether or not I have full extent and control over my powers.” The scientist nodded. “Not to worry,” Sumiko said. “I have technique and finesse when it comes to my telekinesis. I also have raw hitting power of a tank, currently.” “Just how much power does one little girl possess?” the scientist said in wonderment, before clearing his throat. “Well, thus far, you’ve shown restraint and you seem to be an otherwise normal girl. Besides the fact that you have telekinetic powers that could potentially rip the world apart.” Sumiko smiled a bit. “I’m just an ordinary to be elementary school girl! That’s what I want to be known as.” The scientist chuckled, before scribbling more notes in his notebook. “Well, Sumiko, I’m very glad for the conversation that we’ve had for today. I’m sure that I can probably convince higher ups that you will be able to go to school with your friends.” Sumiko cocked her head to the side, before she crinkled her eyes in amusement. “You’re a good person, Sir. May I ask your name…and can I make another unreasonable request?” “Eh? Satoru. Satoru Orimasa.” “Will you be my Papa and take in two other girls into your family…?”

Mark was a determined young man, who had a strong sense of justice and believed in the power of good over evil. He was a student at the local college and had a close circle of friends, one of which was Riya, a 19-year-old sweet girl who was gentle, kind, and would never harm a fly. She had a heart of gold and was loved by all who knew her. As Mark was walking down the street, he heard rumors about a mad scientist experimenting with dog-human hybrids. He dismissed the rumors as mere gossip and didn't pay much attention to it, but as more and more young women from their college began to vanish, he couldn't shake the feeling that Riya was in danger. He knew that Riya's gentle nature would make her an easy target for such a villain. He had to find her, no matter what. Mark began his investigation by talking to the families of the missing girls, he noticed a pattern. All the girls went missing at night and all of them were last seen around the outskirts of the city. He also found out that all of them had pets, mostly dogs. With this information, he was convinced that the mad scientist was using the DNA of the girls' pets to create dog-human hybrids. He spent the next few days scouring the city, searching for any leads that could help him find Riya's location. He visited every abandoned building, talked to every street vendor, and followed every clue that came his way. One night, as he was walking down a deserted street on the outskirts of the city, he came across a flyer advertising a missing dog, the dog belonged to Riya. The flyer had a picture of Riya's pet dog and a phone number, he immediately called the number and found out that the dog had been found on the outskirts of the city. With this new information, Mark was sure that Riya was also at the outskirts of the city. He searched every abandoned building in the area and finally, he found himself standing in front of a rundown warehouse. As he approached the warehouse, he could hear the sounds of barking and growling coming from inside. His heart raced as he realized that this could be it, the place where Riya was being held. He kicked open the door, his fists clenched in determination. Inside, he found himself face to face with the mad scientist, a man consumed with his twisted desire to create the ultimate sexual partner. The scientist had no connection with Mark and didn't know the name of any of the girls he captured. "You're too late," the scientist sneered. "Your friend Riya is already mine. And now, so is this." Mark's heart sank as he saw the creature in the corner of the room. It was a dog-human hybrid, with fur-covered skin and beastly ears. But as his eyes met hers, he saw a glimmer of recognition, a hint of Riya still there. "Riya," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "What have they done to you?" The scientist cackled with glee. "I've trained her to think of herself as nothing more than a tool for my pleasure. And now, she's yours too." Mark's anger boiled over as he lunged at the scientist, his fists connecting with the man's face with a satisfying crunch. He didn't stop until the scientist lay motionless at his feet. But as he looked at Riya, he realized that he was too late, she was already broken beyond repair. He couldn't save her and that realization corrupted him, he couldn't live with the guilt and the knowledge that he had failed to protect her. He knew that she could only think of being used as a sexual gratification tool for others and that thought consumed him. He felt rage, guilt, and despair all at once. He picked up Riya in his arms and walked out of the warehouse, leaving the scientist's lifeless body behind. As he walked down the deserted street, he couldn't shake off the feeling of hopelessness. He realized that he couldn't bring Riya back to her normal life and couldn't undo the damage that had been done to her. He knew that he had to take responsibility for her now, and that meant doing whatever it takes to keep her safe and satisfied, even if it meant becoming the very thing he had fought against. He knew that from now on, his life would revolve around taking care of Riya, and that thought both terrified and comforted him. He walked into the night, Riya in his arms, with the weight of his new responsibility heavy on his shoulders. He knew that this was the beginning of a new chapter in his life, one in which he would have to make difficult choices and sacrifices, but he was willing to do whatever it takes to protect Riya, and he knew that it would cost him his soul. The end.   MysteryChan THIS PIECE OF WRITING WAS WRITTEN FOR AN ASSIGNMENT WITH THE MOTIVE OF WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING A WRITER HAS NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT. I AM ALSO NOT FLUENT IN ENGLISH. THANK YOU FOR READING.

I walked to the witch's cemetery. I could feel the bond that I had to my unborn child, gaining strength with every step that I took. I could also hear the arguing of my two older brother's,  Niklaus and Elijah. I walked into the cemetery, the magic in my magic core, easily besting the paltry magic of this so-called sacred ground to the witch's of New Orleans, no matter how many kinds of Vampire, Werewolf or Witch/Wizard I am. When I heard Niklaus tell them to kill the child and Hayley, my child and my bride, I felt an uncontrollable anger. I rushed to the crypt using my supernatural speed. I grabbed Niklaus by his neck, as he childishly attempted to storm out of the crypt, and held him up, pissed, "Now why would you go and say that, Nik? Do you want your niece dead?", I asked him, with a glare. I gave Hayley a bright smile, receiving a blush and a relieved sigh back. She must have been through a lot sine I last saw her. "Henrik?!!", Niklaus yelled in shock at my appearance. Yes, big brother Nik, it's me. Now before we have ourselves a heart-to-heart, let's deal with the situation we already have, shall we?" I dropped Niklaus to the ground and turned to the witch , I could see was magically connected to Hayley, using my mage sight. She must be the leader of this plot. I looked at her and said "So you are the Head Witch of this coven, yes?" The hippy-looking witch, who smelled greatly of alcohol and marijuana, answered me with a nod. "I have some rather unfortunate news and fortunate news for you. The unfortunate news is that that baby isn't Niklaus', it is mine. The fortunate news is that if you want help, you should look no farther than myself.", she looked at me in confusion. I pulsed my magic outward from my body. The Coven Head's expression quickly turned into one of shock and slight awe. "Who-what are you?!!", she asked me, not knowing who or what she had unknowingly provoked. "I didn't introduce myself?", I bowed to her and introduced myself. "Hello, my name is Henrik Mikaelson, the youngest and most powerful of the Mikaelson clan. As a Witch though, you may know me as Merlin or Emrys, the close friend, confidant, and adviser to the king's of Camelot. You may also know me as the greatest and most powerful Witch/Wizard or sorcerer, whose ever lived." Around the room were looks of anger and disdain at my words. "You are the mythical Emrys, who helped the king's of Camelot?!", she seemed to not believe me. "Why, Yes, I am. The so-called mythical kingdom of Camelot is currently stasis in a pocket dimension. Waiting until such a time, where humanity is more understanding and acceptable to those who are different. Now I will help you, if you can give me a guarantee that you won't hurt Hayley or yourself, seeing as if you get hurt so will she." The witch looked shocked at my knowledge of the spell that connected Hayley and her. I put my hand out and said "Do we have a deal?" She grabbed my hand and shook with a determined look on her face. When she attempted to let go, I gripped her hand tightly and pulled her towards myself, sniffed her and said, "If my daughter or my bride are harmed because you did not have any protection, There is no country, no place, no crevice, where I cannot find you. I've caught your scent, so I can track you to even Antarctica. If either of them are harmed at all, I will turn you into an Immortal and torture you until the ends of time." My Alpha red eyes glowed, the candle fires around us, gaining immense strength as my magic seeded the air. "I have hunted down one of my former pack members centuries ago. They are currently still being tortured with acid being dripped into their eyes and genitals every two minutes as it has been for centuries. Do not disappoint me." She trembled at my threats, and dropped to the floor as I let her go, a clear liquid pool forming beneath her. Her eyes rolled up and she went unconscious. The rest of her Coven looked at her with looks of disgust but still woke her up to finish negotiations. "Your bride?", Hayley  questioned, scoffing. I walked over to her. I put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up towards me, "What did you think I meant when I told you that you were mine? Once I have a mate, I never let go, not even in death. You are now part of my family and there is no walking away from us. You are mine for eternity, my lovely little wolf." She deeply blushed and then smacked my hand off her chin. While still blushing, she petulantly said, "I'm not your bride.", crossing her arms, defensively. I knowingly smiled at her, to which she turned away from. I looked to my two older brothers and pointed towards the crypt's doorway. They walked out of the door, with little more than a glance back and a huff. I turned back to the now conscious Coven Head and said, "I will return the body of the dead witch, who Marcel killed as a gesture of good faith. For now though, I will be taking Hayley with me, unless you would like to try and stop me." The witch violently shook her head and made a hand gesture, making the two witches who were blocking Hayley to move away. Hayley walked out with me, as I left the crypt to go talk to my brother's after a millennia of them thinking me dead.             *                                                                                                                *                                                                                                            * Hayley, Elijah, Niklaus and I stood in the street, a few blocks away from the cemetery, "So let's talk now, Niklaus, Elijah." Niklaus was the first one who asked a question. "How are you alive, Henrik? I saw you get ripped apart and killed by the werewolves near our home. We even built you a funeral pyre, so how are you alive?!", He shouted. I scoffed and said, "I did die, Niklaus. I was ripped apart by them and went to Hell. The only reason that I am standing here, alive before you both, is that our Mother made a deal with Lucifer. He would bring me back to life and empower me in exchange for her providing the souls of the truly wicked to him. She made the rest of our family the Original Vampires, bloodsuckers, to fulfill that deal. She even sealed away Niklaus' wolf side to ensure that there would be no issues with the deal. She was also going to damn herself to Hell in exchange for me because Lucifer couldn't just remove a soul from Hell, he had to replace it. It took me two days to come back to my own body because Niklaus killed her instead of her committing suicide as she was supposed too." I continued on, ignoring Niklaus' and Elijah's looks of shock, sadness and anger at my words. "I've spent the last thousand years living my own life, having had wives, children, grand-children and more. Many of the Werewolves, Vampires and Witches in fiction or myth were me. Dracula, Lycaon, Fenrir, they were names that I took over the years. I have always kept tabs on you all, knowing where you were or what you were doing." "If you knew that we were alive, why didn't you come join us, your family?! We have thought you dead for Millennia! Do you not think that we would have liked to know that you were, at the very least, alive?!!", Elijah shouted at me. My Alpha eyes revealed themselves and the air around us grew heavier."Do you not think that I wanted to see my brothers and sister again, but I couldn't, not then." "Why not, Henrik?!!!", Niklaus shouted. "Because you all disgusted me. Your wanton destruction and merciless kills, I couldn't see you all like that. You all spent centuries drowning in the blood of others, like monsters, just because you could. None of you had any self-restraint or mercy to your victims. I never wanted to see my sweet sister, in a blood haze, draining 30 different people. My older brother, my best friend, who would gift me little wooden items that he whittled using father's knives, knowing what the consequences were, shove a dagger in our siblings chest or  kill everyone in a town, just because they disrespected him. Niklaus, you were my idol, my best friend and you spent years torturing our siblings, innocent people and devouring entire villages, FOR FUN! Why would I want to see you all do this?" Niklaus looked at me with tears falling down his face and an ashamed expression on his face. Elijah, just looked guilty and remorseful. "I had thought that you all would find redemption in New Orleans. You all found love and genuine happiness. I was close to revealing myself to you after centuries of disappointment at your behavior, and then You, Niklaus put a dagger in Rebekah's heart, for daring to love your adopted son. After that came plotting and eventually you all left after Father came here. I saved Marcellus, my nephew and taught him how to be a leader, a king to the city that you all abandoned. Since you now know that I am alive, I will give you one last chance to be redeemed in my eyes."  I looked at them both in the eyes, "If you, both of you, want any kind of relationship with me or your niece, you both need to improve yourselves, to be worthy of being in our lives." Niklaus and Elijah nodded, with hope and determination in their eyes, intent on showing me that they could find redemption. I picked up Hayley in a princess carry and used my supernatural speed to run to the house that I had Marcel give me back when I was last here. Elijah and Niklaus followed me.