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RyokoAI

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Ryoko AI 18

Ring ring. “Uhh“ I croaked out, my body was aching all over from drinking last night. My head still Opening my eyes and my phone read manager across the top of the screen. Groaning as I answer the phone “what’s up?” I managed to ask. “ I managed to get you the role as the first beta tester for that new VR head and the MMORPG that comes with it !” she exclaimed. Oh yea I haven’t been following that project recently as I’ve taken a break from the stream but this could just what I need to get back into streaming. Clearing my throat I respond              “ When do I have to do it and what do I have to do for this testing thing? “. She quickly responded ” You just need to show up to the Samsung store in Seoul at 10 am tomorrow and you’ll be given a small walkthrough of what to do and how the machine works, you need to play through the first mission on stream and from then on you will be free to do whatever you want. The game is finished but since it is still in beta there could be a few bugs so the games creator will be in the room with you. I’ve already posted a message on Twitter and Instagram announcing your return so it’s a bit late for you to get out of it anyway.“ sighing I hang up my phone placing it back down beside my bed.   Begrudgingly I get out of bed walking slowly over my bathroom looking in the mirror I see my face which looks far better than I feel, my black hair flows down stopping about an inch before hitting my shoulders. My skin was far too pale, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d left my house. My job as a streamer meant I was playing games 24/7 and didn’t have much time for anything else especially since I've moved to Seoul to represent Samsung as an exclusive streamer for their new streaming platform. It completely burned me out so I’ve been taking a 3 month break. I had a largely female audience as I would play otome and gacha games voicing the male characters and going through the different routes. After brushing my teeth I search around for some clean clothes finding a black hoodie and some jeans I put both on and head outside to my usual barbers but not before putting on my face mask and sunglass as while my size as a creator is quite average compared to my peers at barely above 1 million followers my follower was quite dedicated so it was better not to get noticed. I’ve had to move multiple times after my address was leaked as I would receive tons of fan mail and a few instances were fanatic fans would try break-in.   Taking off my mask as I pushed open the front door and I was approached by a hairdresser who asked for my name. After giving it to them I was told that I already had an appointment, my manager must have thought ahead, sitting down a short Korean man came over asking what I wanted cut I got a 1 on the side and left the top of my head with about 5 inches of hair on top. As I pay and go to leave I notice one of the female employees was staring at me weirdly. I decided to just ignore it ,I leave while looking behind me and I also see the employee leaving the store getting a weird feeling in my gut but deciding to ignore it I walk toward my locale convenience store to stock up on food and drinks since ill be streaming again and won’t have time to cook leaving the store I again notice the girl from the hairdresser leaning against the wall of the convenience store getting nervous now I decide to try to lose her by walking through the back alley to my house hearing footsteps behind me I begin to slightly rush.   After not losing them after 5 minutes I take off into a full run making my through what could only be considered a maze of back alleys after taking a turn I almost run into a wall looking from side to side I see that it was in a dead-end, I was completely out of breath and couldn’t hear any footsteps so I leaned against the wall to catch my breath but at the second I heard a spray from a deodorant can see this I back away but in my panic, I breathe whatever was spray causing me to stop in my tracks trying to move my muscles again but they refused to. Moving my eyes over to my attacker's face I could see that I was still the employee from the hairdresser she crept forward and lunged at me bring me into a hug she brought her mouth up to my ear and whispered into it saying” I… I can’t believe it, you’re here I saw on your Twitter that you were coming back so my day was already going very well but to see you in real life I just can’t believe it but don’t worry I just want to have a bit of fun ill let you go before nightfall. I wouldn’t want to ruin the streams. After all, I know how many people rely on your streams because I used to be like that as well but ever since you took a break I’ve had to adjust to dealing with stuff by myself” she pulled away from my ear and I felt her tongue lick the side of my neck her hands reached down to my jeans and just as she was undoing the button I heard a loud yell come from behind her. Her entire body was flung into mine still unable to move I was knocked onto the ground hitting my head my vision began to fade I could only make out my manager holding a metal pipe which was dripping with blood looking to her face I could see an expression which I could only describe as pure rage. Before I could say anything my head gave up and my mind turned black.

Unlike some of the champions from other regions, the Johto champion began his journey in a more humble way and went unnoticed until he actually won the title.  At the start of the League Challenge, Ron was just a normal teenager. He had obtained his Cyndaquil the year prior from Professor Elm and have began his journey then. On the first routes between Goldenrod and Ecruteak he captured a Spearow and a Mareep. But, he seemed unable to be able to defeat any GYM leader and his record was terrible. This slowly began to crush the spirit of his Quilava and the rest of his team, thinking maybe being a trainer was not their calling. To make things worse, he received news that his mom had fallen ill. Ron decided it wasn't the proper time to take the challenge. Therefore, with six months of traveling, only two Pokemon caught and no badges, he retired from the challenge and went back home to Goldenrod.  Things had really settled down for the young trainer, he got a job at a local bar as a waiter, joined a band and even practiced battles with the locals to keep his team in shape. His mother got better after a few months and thanks to her son, they had managed to avoid any negative effects on their economy. The daily training also helped out Ron, his Quilava was stronger and more agile than ever while his Mareep had become a Flaaffy and his Spearow a Fearow. He began to become famous in Goldenrod's Underground, a place where the top battlers in the city gathered to test their skills. Once again the fire inside the trainer and his team lit up, and they prepared for the next league challenge to begin.  Once the league had began, it was time for them to spring into action. Ron and Quilava decided to try and get as far as possible without her evolving, to make sure she could reach her maximum potential before entering her final stage. After equipping her with an Everstone, the team went after their first badge in Azalea Town. Bugsy as a good first challenge, his Scyther pushing Quilava to her limit, but in the end it was Ron's team that came out on top. Finally winning a GYM match inspired the team to go directly after the next one, which was in Violet City. On the way though, they managed to captured an Onix a great addition for the team considering their next upcoming challenge.  The battle against the flying type GYM leader was a bit tougher than they expected, fighting a fully evolved Pidgeot was something unexpected, but something they had been able to overcome. Falkner, the city GYM leader, was prepared with Mudslap ready to take on Ron's newly captured Onix. But it was Flaaffy that carried the match in the end, earning them a second badge. The team felt like it was more balanced out, but seeinr Onix struggle for being new made Ron decided to capture another Pokemon so they could improve before taking on another challenge. Poliwhirl was the next addition to the team, a very confident Pokemon that challenged them while going around Route 31. After a few weeks of training and failing to win the Bug Catching Contest, Ron finally decided to go back to his hometown and face Whitney. The Normal type GYM leader was no pushover, considered one of the toughest in the entire region. But Ron was ready, they had trained just for that occasion. It was a simple three vs three battle. Ron's Fearow took on her Furret, with Fearow winning the first round. Whitney used her Clefairy next, taking out Fearow with a lucky Ice Beam attack generated by Metronome. Next up was Flaaffy, who paralyzed her opponent and managed to overpower with her electrical attacks. The it was time to face the ace, Goldenrod's nightmare, the League Ender, Miltank. Flaaffy did her best to take on the normal type's Rollout attack, just barley surviving it. However, on the last Stomp attack, the electric type managed to paralyze her enemy before fainting. Quilava was the next opponent and they showed off their strategy. With the Miltank being paralyzed, Quilava covered the field with Smokescreen and used Dig to stop the ongoing Rollout attacks. With the League Ender terribly nerfed, Quilava chiped away at her with Ember and Quick attack until finally claiming victory. Ron was astonished they had made it so far and with a new built of confidence, they continued on to take on the rest of the Johto League. Morty was a tough challenge, Fearow being immune to Ghost attacks and Quilava's Dig were a great combination to help them take the victory. Against Jasmine it was less of a challenge against Ron's Quilava and Poliwhirl, both already at a good level. It was against Chuck that the team was defeated, unable to defeat his Poliwrath. Poliwhirl took this personal and with the help from Chuck, they were able to evolve him and train until they were ready to face Chuck again, one on one. Ron's Poliwrath came out the winner and they went on to challenge the Ice GYM leader. On the way, Ron received a gift from his mother, their neighbors were known for raising Eevee and had given some away. Ron trained the Eevee, making sure she was ready to be part of the team. The group finall reached Mahogany Town, getting close to finishing their journey.  Pryce put up a great fight, putting Ron against the ropes several times, but in the end Quilava demonstrated why she was the leader of the team. With their seven badge on under their belt the team was getting anxious and nervous about facing Clair, the queen of Johto. The Regional League was still two months away, allowing Ron to go into training for one month into the side of Mt. Silver, Route 45. After a month of daily training, the team was almost at its best. Flaaffy had turned into a jolly and proud Ampharos, Onix evolved into a silly Steelix who loved to joked and play around while Eevee turned into a modest Espeon. Ron was proud of his team and admired how far they had made it. The finally decided to take on the least GYM Leader. Clair was powerful, she was a well known Dragon Master and like many other GYM leaders, she never used her strongest Pokemon against the challengers. Although she still kept strong Pokemon around with her, Kingdra and Dragonair. The battle against Ron was exciting, being something not many people watched since eleven others had already qualified for the League. After a tough battle, it came down to Kingdra versus Poliwrath. The two went at it, leaving everything in the battle field, but in the end it was Poliwrath's Drain Punch that gave him the victory. Finally, Ron had managed to qualify for the Regional League, at this point he and his team were just happy to have made it so far.  With only a few weeks to prepare, the team made their way through Victory Road and to the Indigo Plateu. Quilava finally evolved into a powerful Typhlosion, ready to take on anyone. The first rounds of the League began, Ron juggling between his entire team, making sure nobody had too many matches in a row to avoid from them being worn out. They managed to get to the quarter finals, however each victory became more and more difficult to obtain. Finally they were to battle using a three versus three system. It was difficult for Ron to decided which three from his team to take, but his decisions were great as he managed to make it to the semi finals. There it was now six versus six and his opponent was a cool trainer by the name of Nick. They had a great match, at the end Typhlosion taking out his Charizard with Wild Charge. Finally, it was time to face his last opponent.  Ron had not realized until the night before that he had made it to the finals. He and his team kept taking on every battle as a personal challenge and were not aware of the attention they had drawn to themselves. They were all over the news, facing what was to be their strongest opponent yet. He also didn't notice that his Poliwrath had become famous since the battle against Chuck, apparently the GYM Leader had placed in a good word for him. The crowd was rooting for the underdog since his opponent was a very skilled trainer that had managed to beat the league in eight months. The final battle began, Ron leading with Fearow and his opponent, Joey, with a Raticate. Both Pokemon seemed equally matched as they knocked each other out in a Drill Peck against Double-Edge collision. Ron then sent out Espeon while Joey used his Starmie. The battle of the psychic types was intense, both fast and very powerful special attackers, it was hard to see who would come out on top. In the end Espeon took the victory. Next up was Joey's Weavile, a fast and strong Pokemon that took out Espeon in one quick movement. This just gave Ron the opportunity to use his Steelix, tanking the Weavile's attacks like nothing and winning easily. Joey continued with Magmortar, the fire Pokemon did great damage against Steelix, but a well executed Earthquake knocked it out. With Joey against the wall, he send out his ace, a Machamp. The fighting type easily defeated the steel type, which made Ron sent out his next Pokemon. Ampharos took on the superpower Pokemon, but did not have enough strength to win. Both trainers down to their last Pokemon got the crowd excited as Ron sent out Poliwrath. The battles then was more of a wrestling match than a Pokemon battle, both participants grappling and shoving each other to prove who was stronger. After exchanging blows and going toe to toe, Machamp once again came out victorious. This didn't seem to make Ron nervous though, while Typhlosion emerged from her Pokeball and ignited her fire, she overpowered the fighting type easily, using her Flamethrower to keep her distance. Joey finally sent out his Meganium. Although the grassy Pokemon put up a great fight, in the end Ron took the championship, shocking the entire Johto region.  The people of Johto were surprised to see some unknown trainer take the title, but they seemed happy about it. Having someone who worked his way to the top, struggling and training to reach it made the people feel proud of their representative. Ron now carried the pride of his region, he was too take on the International Pokémon League, being seen as one of the weakest champions of the moment, but that would not stop him.

A haze covered Amber's mind. As it slowly receded she became more and more aware that something wasn't quite right. When she completely gained consciousness she quickly realized what part of that something was. She couldn’t breathe. Helplessly she tried to open her mouth to suck in life giving air. She became increasingly frantic as she found she couldn’t. She couldn't move. Anything. She couldn’t see. Couldn't hear. Couldn't feel her own skin. Seconds, then minutes passed by and she once again realized something; she didn’t feel the need to breathe.  I'm dead!? Was her first thought. But that didn't feel quite right. She could think after all. And as a bonafide atheist with not much trust in the institution called "religion" she wasn't about to find faith now. At least not until all other options had been explored in excruciating detail. Her first discovery came only moments later. She could seemingly sense something. It was like all her physical sensations at once. Yet muted. Like she was looking through a thick fog or was still half asleep.  But it still seems different somehow. I can't really put It into words, but it's like an extension of my mind rather than my body? Amber reeled at the idea mentally. So far from anything she'd ever even considered real that she couldn't wrap her head around it. And even more upsetting was the following realization that her body was nowhere to be found. Instead she was encased in crystal. In ROCK. Calm. Calm. I am calm. This is not the time to have an existential crisis, Amber. No. It is not. Deep breaths– She screamed internally in frustration and confusion. BUT I CAN'T FUCKING BREATHE!? Fuck. Shit. Tits. Fuck. FUCK! A plethora of explicits on repeat later and she finally collected herself enough to realize how ridiculous she was being. A fucktacular situation to say the least. Amber let her reservations go for now and began tapping into her newfound mental sense. Trying hard not think about the 'lack of body'-thing. Admittedly she couldn't sense much apart from this weirdly dampened reality, even still.  She began poking at the fog with her mind. Yes! The fog receded as she let her mind spread further from herself. Pushing through the surrounding air. Far enough to sense that she was completely confined, from all sides, by MORE ROCK.  She descended into another minor meltdown.  # Once again somewhat calm, Amber let her mind wander. she thought of home. Of all her pretties that were probably collecting dust about now. About Tammy, who had likely already knocked on her door too fucking early and found her either dead or missing. And about her sweet and caring dad. He'd already lost her mom down the bottle... And now he'd probably lost her too. Why is this happening to me? Amber asked the universe - or anyone really. She was subsequently thrown out of her thoughts when she heard a mechanical voice answer. "Error. Invalid question." who's there? She shot back shocked. "Error. Invalid question." It sounded again. Who are you? She tried instead. "Error. Invalid question." What are you? Then. She tried again. This time it responded differently. "I am the System. The part that you are presently engaging with is your Personal System Voice." It paused slightly before both “system” and the last three words to emphasize in a machine-like manner.  "The system"? And "your personal system voice"? It sounds like something out of a game... She considered what to ask the voice next. Her frayed nerves were were not having it, however. I must be dreaming. I must be! I'm going to wake up any minute now to Tammy pounding on my door. 'Cause this can't be fucking real! Get me the hell out of here! She screamed internally.  This can't be real... She knew that it wasn't the time for another tantrum however and began backtracking her line of thought. You don't have time for being childish right now! She collected herself slightly. She was once again back on track. As much as she could be. What's the function of "the System"? She worded her question carefully. "The System makes a record of the world and all living beings within it. The system engages with living beings by Guiding, Granting and Giving access to the Record."  Well, that's food for thought I guess. Amber thought to herself. How about... What's the function of the "Personal System Voice" specifically? "The Personal System Voice engages the Sapient by responding to authorized vocalizations and surface thoughts. It allowes the sapient to gain access to their Personal Status and the Record. Access to the record is limited to within the sapient's personal authorization." The voice responded.  This seems a bit more useful. Let's start with the essentials. Which kinds of wordings are "authorized surface thoughts"? She asked. "Authorized vocalizations and surface thoughts for engaging with the Personal System Voice is limited to commands or questions specifically targeting the System." So I stumbled on the right answer purely by chance... That makes me feel like shit. That's such a fucked up way it's set up. When you don't know the System even exists. What about my Status? She asked a bit more freely.  "Would you like access to your Status?" Yes! Amber would have yelled if she had been able to. The voice immediately began to impart her status with an monotonous tone. "Name: None, Race: Dungeon core, Age: 5 days, Rank 1, 1% mana satur–" Um, could you show it to me instead of telling me?  Instead of answering, a screen suddenly appeared to her inner eye. Name: N/A Race: Dungeon core Age: 5 days Rank: 1 Mana saturation: 1% Floor: 1 Dungeon name: N/A Traits: N/A Titles: N/A Skills: Mana Sense, Mana Manipulation Racial skills:  Create Creature, Create Plant, Create Material, Dungeon Material Subspace, Dungeon Expansion, Dungeon Sense And that's how her day went from a complete disaster to cataclysmic.  Amber's gaze was still stuck on the top of the board.  So. Not a rock or crystal or whatever. But a dungeon core? She knew what the words indicated but she couldn't quite comprehend them. I'm really not a human anymore. Not human at all. She let the words slowly sink in. Sink all the way to the bottom of her metaphorical stomach, where it lodged itself and began grinding away at her guts. So I'm really dead? This isn't some wild nightmare? And I think it's safe to assume that this isn't Earth either. At least not my Earth. She felt numb. A sudden lethargy swept over her. She felt detached from it all. None of it was real. It was like a glass wall had slipped between her and the world.  Does it even matter?  The world distorted and the blue hue of her crystal self split into overlapping red and green. As if she was watching a movie in 3D without the glasses.  She was just a spectator. How long have I been here? She wondered. It felt so long ago that she was home in her bed. In her own body.  The calmer she got the more clear everything felt again. Not unlike adjusting a camera lens. Everything had just been slightly out of focus until it was fine-tuned to this version of reality instead.  But the lethargy persisted. Her energy spent.  She fell into a deep slumber. BreezyMind  So… That was the first chapter. It was kind of short but I think the pacing was alright? 

People were expecting her to be good, but not this good. Every place has its legends, but Kanto seems to produce them on a daily basis. Who would have thought that Pallet Town would give birth to yet another powerful trainer. She showed talent since she was young, bonding well with the rental Pokémon at her academy in Viridian City. She knew how to battle as if she was born with the instinct to do so. When she got her first Pokémon, a Squirtle, they became an unstoppable duo. The tradition had been made for trainers native to Kanto, to follow the same path as Red did back in the day. She did exactly the same thing, defeating Brock, Misty and even Lt. Surge with her Wartortle. Whenever she stepped into the battlefield, there was a strong air of confidence coming from both the trainer and her Pokémon. Some say she has a special gift when it comes to deciding which Pokémon to catch. Her Tyrogue and Eevee were gifted to her however by the Karate Master and her mother. Soon her team was made up of Jolteon, Wartortle and Hitmonlee. A team that easily defeated Erika and Janine. By then the entire region was watching her every move. Her Wartortle had not lost a single battle and she had only three Pokémon with the Regional League coming up. It was after her battle for the Soul Badge that she captured a Dratini in the Safari Zone. Witnesses say she didn't last more than one hour inside the Safari, as if she knew exactly where to go and how to find her Dratini. During her travels back to Saffron city to face Sabrina, she evolved her Dratini into Dragonair and captured a Phanphy, a rare Pokémon in Kanto. But, despite her balanced team, it was the last addition that shocked the world. After earning the Marsh Badge, evolving her Wartortle into Blastoise and earning the Volcano Badge, she still remained undefeated. Her Blastoise and Dragonair were now the Pokémon to defeat, both having no losses in their records. Trainers feared to challenge any of her Pokémon and those who did asked politely she only used Jolteon, Donphan or Hitmonlee. After earning seven badges in less than six months, she decided to travel to One Island, looking for the sixth member of her team. Some hikers that were on the route near Mt. Ember say they saw the top of the mountain suddenly filled with a fiery light and the sounds of thunder and eruptions could be heard. They say the event lasted a few hours and suddenly it went quiet. The girl came down from the mountain and then left by boat.  Blue was supposed to be the first GYM Leader to provide a real challenge to the unstoppable rookie. The battle began fierce, with Blue's Pidgeot leading the attack against her Hitmonlee. Against all odds though, Hitmonlee came out on top and gave Blue's Arcanine a hard battle before finally being defeated. Kanto was on the edge of their sit, nobody had managed to place Blue against the ropes like that in such a long time. She sent out her Donphan next, the ground type taking out Arcanine with little effort and then also Exeggcutor. It seemed her Pokémon were at a completely different level. Blue was not finished though, sending out his Blastoise to end Donphan's win streak. She replied with her own Blastoise and what a match it was. Both seemed to be at even level, Hydro Pump after Hydro Pump. That battle seemed to last forever until finally, Blue's Blastoise was down. Despite having trained so many Pokémon, the GYM Leader Blue seemed to be having trouble keeping up with the rookie. He sent out his Rhydon, and to everyone's surprise, Blastoise was switched in for Dragonite. The dragon Pokémon was powerful and merciless as it clashed against Rhydon, not holding anything back and defeating it. The entire region was astonished, was this rookie really about to defeat one of their strongest trainer? Blue sent out his Gyarados, using his Mega Evolution right of the start and taking on her Dragonite. Despite the overwhelming power Blue's mega Pokémon had, it wasn't enough to defeat the ever lasting energy of her Dragonite. Once again, she won a GYM Badge, while maintaining the record of her Dragonite and Blastoise clean.  The following months she disappeared, last seen going into Victory Road, an action normal for many as it was a way for them to train before the league. Trainers did as best as possible to catch up to her, some just wanted to know what her secret was. As the months passed and the Regional League started, the world was watching and waiting to see the new amazing trainer spring into action. She was no disappointment, getting through the first rounds and all the way up to the quarter finals with only her Jolteon, Donphan and Hitmonlee. She even defeated the famous Bruno, a former Elite Four, on her way to the top.  Now, it was the moment everyone was waiting for, would she finally be crowned champion? She won her quarter finals thanks to her Blastoise, who took out her opponent's last three Pokémon in a row. The semi finals was won by her Dragonite, also taking out three Pokémon in a row. It was the finals that shocked everyone and placed her on the top of the food chain. Her rival in the finals was Will, a psychic expert and a former Elite Four member from the Johto region. He was a powerful trainer with lots of potential that seemed to improve every year and for the first time he had made it to the finals. Despite being from another region, he had taken on the Kanto League challenge and managed to earn enough GYM Badges to qualify. When the battle began everyone was expecting the battle of the ages. Will took out her Hitmonlee right at the start, giving a head start, the first one to have achieve something like that against the rookie girl from Pallet Town. However her Jolteon evened the score and gave her an advantage as it took out Will's second Pokémon also. Fearing he would lose momentum, he challenged her to use her strongest Pokémon against his. The girl agreed, switching out her Jolteon while Will sent out his legendary Xatu. Then the entire planet froze in amazement as she threw an Ultra Ball in the air and out emerged Moltres, the legendary Pokémon. The heat around the battle was so tense and so powerful, Will didn't even have time to react before his Xatu was taken out with one powerful Flamethrower. Then, Will bowed his head and quit. She became the Kanto Champion, registering in the Hall of Fame as Alice, the unbeatable trainer.

Kira was a normal person in high school. One day Kira was coming back from school to his home but he found an road which was never there before “Never seen this road before" he said out of curiosity, The road was also connecting the way towards his home so he decided to go with that road. He walked half of the road but suddenly he saw his reflection. He was shocked by that, then he walked towards the reflection. He touched it “It feels like wall of water or something" after saying that Kira was pulled in it, It was actually an portal which took him to an another world, The world was full of magic and Magical stuff, While Kira was in portal his whole appearance changed. The portal opened up in the sky. Kira started falling from the sky. There were there mages walking by they saw Kira (One of them said) “Hey look someone is falling from the sky, said surprisingly, Kuro was one of the greatest Mage in town, He used Earth type magic to make soil soft as a pillow. Kira fell on that safely. The other 2 people's names were Mira and Ken. Ken made him sit safely and Kuro started healing him and said “Who is this guy" with curiosity. After that Kira got conscious and his right eye sparkled with golden colour lightning, Kuro saw that and he said "How is this possible?" fearfully, After that Kira once again fell asleep. Kuro and others took Kira to Elibasta's town Mage academy, All the 5 great mages were gathered there because of the situation right now (1st one) “This curse is occurring again we should not tolerate it" said aggressively, (2nd one) “Yeah I am with you in this point" said fearfully. (3rd one said) “I understand your concerns but I think we should use him" (4th one) “How can you even think that you know what happened last time when we tried to use that power" said aggressively. (3rd one) “I know but that time he had already awakened his powers but what if we train him and make him our own pet" said calmly. (5th one) “Yeah if we succeed in making him our own then no other towns can beat us in power" said thinkfuly. When there was a meeting going on for Kira, on the other hand Kira woke up in Mage academy's basement. “Where am i ?" he said dizzily, “And why am I tied up ?". Only Kuro was with him at that time. "You are in the basement" Kuro said. “Why am I here?" Kira said. Kuro explained Kira that “6 months ago a person came here who was just of your age, He also had power like you, At start we welcomed him and take help from him all the time, He just had eye like yours he called it ‘The Golden Lightning'. But one day (After saying that the door opened). The 3rd person from the 5 great mages came in and first removed the chains with Magic and said “So you are that person falling from the sky". “And who might you be ?" Kira Said aggressively, “Forgive me for my late introduction. I am Prince Akira from Karegira town". At that time Elibasta town, Karegira, was in an alliance. “What do you people want from me ?" Kira said that. “I just want an alliance with you" Akira said. “But sir !" Kuro said rushingly, Akira “No one asked for your opinions Kuro". Kira“I need some time to accept that". “Ok until then why don't you join the mage academy" Akira asked calmly. “Sure" Kira at least understands that something is off here. After that Akira walked out of the room and whispered, "Cursed eyes..."

Ah, did it ever feel great stealing from the rich!~  The mercenary field of work had its ups and downs. Sadly, more downs than ups which only contributed to more empty mouths in Asperia. But today was different, A lead had come in earlier in the day about goods. Not just any goods but those of the church priceless holy artifacts. It just took a tad bit of organizing and in the same day we nabbed em!  Now laying the golden goblets, statues, and tablets on an oak table we contemplated.   “We’re gonna have to lay low for tonight, I don’t think this rusted inn will cut it.”  “Calm down Liam, you’re always so paranoid it’s annoying.”  “B-but Sam! It’s only been a couple hours the church might-“  “No, he’s right, shut you’re trap Liam we have other issues right now.”  As much as I appreciated Frank’s assistance in shutting down Liam, he had a twinge of greed in his eye. I’m the leader of this group, I needed to assert as much.  “Listen you both, I led this nabbing and so I’ll take the biggest share.”  “Pathetic Sam, you wouldn’t have made it five steps past those guard’s without me.” “H-hey I lock picked the wagon if anything um, I deserve the most.”  “This isn’t getting anywhere, sigh, maybe we can-?”  Before I could finish Frank began subtly moving the loot into a bag, probably about to run off.  “OI, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!?”  Realizing his jig was up he began shoving everything at a quicker pace into the pouch. Eyes then narrowing on a golden necklace, which we both grabbed simultaneously.  “Let go you bastard I did all the heavy lifting I deserve this!”  “HEAVY LIFTING!?  I ORGANIZED THIS HEIST!”  “G-guy’s stop pulling its gonna come apart! Please stop!”  Ignoring the measly brat, we both kept pulling devolving into a game of tug o’ war.   “No wonder you’re always alone you selfish prick, taking everything for yourself!  “O-oi! I have a family to feed.”  “Don’t lie dumbass!”  An “oh no” squeaked out of Liam’s mouth right at the sound of a clean snap. A bright green light filled the worn down room which we rented. Before I knew it, everything faded to black, and I felt like even more of an idiot than before.  How could of I trusted those two, both filled with such greed. Did they not realize why we did that heist!  “I do not believe you know the reason behind your own very actions Samual.”  “Eh what! Who, who are you?”  Blackness was all I could see, nor could I touch or smell. That made this pompous female voice even more annoying...  “I’m the goddess of humility child, you broke a very valuable object of mine.”  “So what? It was going to royalty anyway to sit in a stand. At least it could feed those in need in my hands!”  “You were never going to use my amulet for that purpose, Samual. You’re selfish.”  “Selfish! I’m selfish!? You’re a goddess and yet ignore what you put me through! My life has been suffering upon suffering.”  “Every individual has their own path to make, you Samual are the sole one to blame.”  “Call me Samual one more time and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”  “Ahem, well then, Sam, you have caused a dis-balance that now must be fixed. You hate royalty, you hate normalcy, let me give you a role to fill. It will, how do you say, enlighten you.”  ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prince Edward, third son of King Hendrick, gathered with the wizards of the palace on a sleepy field. Today was a special day, the day of his first grand summoning. Edward aged eighteen was a very studious child. Achieving the role of summoner at fourteen he had made bonds with four different familiars. Now, with the church of humility’s teachings, he could achieve what usually took years to partake in. Eight different mages stood in a circle forming a pentagram with Edward in the centre. Edward then began chanting,  “ho yloh tirips od uoy ekil srekcarc. ho yloh tirips od uoy ekil srekcarc. ho yloh tirips od uoy ekil srekcarc.” In response a grave thunder rumbled turning the sky a purple hue. A staggering lightning bolt then proceeded to come out of the sky with booming noise. A figure arose from where the lighting hit across from where Edward had been.  “I-Impossible a black knight!”  In response the knight turned around to their new master. Uttering something that shocked everyone in a beautiful and utmost elegant feminine voice.  “Oi, who the fuck are you?” 

02 : The mysterious rooms. "Mom you are overreacting, its just a trip, I will be back in a days" "I am not comfortable with it, why did they chose you specifically ?" "I don't know, maybe they choose people from every country, and I was lucky enough to be selected" Eyad changed the tone of his voice before he continues "Listen mom, this trip is important for me and my career as a naval officer.. And its an order from the government anyway" "Okay.. when you will leave exactly ?" "My plane will take off in a few hours" "Okay, wait a minute I will bring you some warm wool clothes, the weather must be cold there" 'No, not those rags..' "Right.." 'All of this despite I talked with her about the subject over the phone before three days..' Hours later in front of the airport, Eyad's family were saying goodbye to him. "Goodbye mom, take care of my little brothers" "Be safe son, I will pray for you.." The young man entered the airport, and put some sweaters in the trash before boarding his plane. *** Eyad was so confused when he woke up to the sound of continuous light buzzing 'What is this place..!?' He was rubbing his eyes not believing what he was seeing. 'This place is very quiet..' 'I would've thought it was some kind of paradise if it weren't for these cameras and lights and this terrible smell, something doesn't seem right..' 'Did NASA found us ? if that was the case, then I would've been in the hospital of something, its strange..' 'And also, I almost forgot, when the hell seals were that big!?' Eyad couldn't stop thinking and asking questions about his situation, but this didn't stop him from moving around and exploring the place. Every human being has a sense of curiosity and exploring the unknown, but the degree of this instinct varies from a person to an other. And it seems that our boy right here doesn't lack it. On the contrary, Eyad isn't weak hearted, as he accumulated many bitter experiences in his life. Experiences make men, strengthen determination, and refine the character. Courage, daring and persistence are all good traits and qualities, because a man who does not have goals that he seeks and strives for, isn't a real one. A person cannot attain excellence if he does not take risks and step out of his comfort zone. However, it should be mentioned that these risks must be calculated, and that courage turns into recklessness and foolishness if it exceeds a certain limit, and if you neglect that, life will often teach you a lesson, and life lessons are very expensive and cruel. While Eyad was combing the area, he noticed that some of the side walls bore signs and guiding arrows, and on the floors of some rooms there were some numbers written repeatedly, and specifically, there were only three numbers that were repeated. Six, nine, and three. 'At least I know I'm somewhere on earth, but where is this place, and who written these things..?' Eyad's brain was giving him the best possibilities of an optimistic nature, so he's now thinking that he has been rescued and he's now lost somewhere for some reason. He was truly trying to find a way out, and the signs on the wall continued providing him with some hope. *** 'Damn it, I can't stand the sound of these lamps anymore, they're so freaking creepy' after hours of walking, Eyad started to feel nervous. The rope of hope he was holding showed signs of tearing, Eyad started to despair after he marched long distances. 'I feel lost in a loop with no discernible progression in this place.. like an ouroboros' Despite he was tired mentally, he wasn't ready to give up yet, so he continued walking. But in the meanwhile, the young man was turning his head around, because he felt as if he was being watched by someone, but no matter where he looked, he could find nothing but yellow. A sense of strangeness and loss in an endless maze. As normal human, after a long walk, Eyad wanted to sit down and rest his mind for a bit, but suddenly he heard a faint sound. The dude's heart skipped a beat 'I think I'm starting to feel paranoid..' After a few seconds, this faint sound was followed by a strange non-human scream, it was extremely loud. Eyad almost fainted of fear, he had never heard anything like this before. He turned around to follow the exact source of the voice, but he didn't see anything. However, an enormous amount of adrenaline was pumped into Eyad's body, which gave him an extraordinary running speed. 'What did I do to deserve such torture!? Oh my God what is this!??' 'I wish I could wake up from this nightmare..' Eyad almost cried while sprinting. In the meantime, its the survival instinct who was having the remote control, that's why he kept running opposite the sound screaming. However, he was hearing the sound of fast steps approaching him. The same scream reappeared, only louder and closer than it had been. He turned his head subconsciously to see what's the thing that was following him, and what he saw made his heart almost stop. He saw a creature far more horrific than that seal. Something he had never seen before, even in his darkest nightmares. A thin creature that gave a feeling of frailty and bloodiness. it had a body and walk of a dog, but with human skin and head. It had short legs and arms, and its facial features were covered with thick hair coming from the top of its head, it had also a bloody saliva dripping from his mouth onto the yellow carpet. This creature was running so fast on his four hooves, so Eyad couldn't keep looking at it for long and continued sprinting. He has never been more afraid and terrified in his entire life than at this moment, especially since the human mind bids you farewell at such moments and wishes your survival instinct luck. The distance between the two was gradually getting closer and the non-human screaming was getting louder to the point that it almost punctured the eardrums. When the loved ones finally approached the gathering, Eyad glimpsed a room that stood out from the rest of the yellow rooms. The lights barely reached that room, so the walls were dim and dark. Inside that room, in one of the walls, Eyad glimpsed something resembling a door, so he instinctively turned his direction there under the loud screams. The turn that he made, slowed him down slightly, and this slight change was enough for the thing behind him, so With Eyad imminently approaching the door, the hideous creature jumped and opened its mouth, which was even more hideous, and pounced on his right arm. He started to hear savage biting and eating, and with that came an indescribable pain. Nevertheless, Eyad kept running towards the flame of his hope with great will, and eyes bearing great determination and an unbridled desire to try that door. He subconsciously and firmly believed that it was the way out of his predicament. When the one-armed man felt that he almost touched the door, he felt that he had turned into something immaterial, and this sensation lasted for a few milliseconds. This sensation was accompanied by the feeling of touching and penetrating an unreal wall or barrier.

03 : The reincarnation. In an ordinary medium-sized hall, there was a man in his early forties standing in front of a group of young men. These young men were sitting on chairs, and in front of them were tables with open books on them. Behind the man was a large black board with some white writings and drawings on it. The standing man was holding chalk in his hand. His mouth was moving while distributing eyes evenly to the corners of the hall, and suddenly this forty-year-old broke the chalk in his hand into two halves, then sent one of these two halves to a certain corner of the hall. 'Direct shot!' a small amount of dopamine was pumped into the pitcher's brain. The half chalk hit the head of a young man who was resting his face on the table in front of him. It could of course be said that this forty-year-old possessed some sniping skills, which seems to be a skill that comes with being a teacher. "You bastard! are you laying on books again! How many times do I have to tell you, if you don't want to study, don't come to school!" Edwin, the history teacher, shouted at the sleeping student. "Ugh" Eyad slowly opened his eyes. The class burst into hysterics laughter. When Eyad opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the scene of the classroom, the wooden tables, the professor, and the students who were wearing uniforms and looking at him while laughing. Although what he is seeing now is not as terrifying as what he experienced a while ago, this constant switching of places does not at all give him a feeling of safety. 'Oh god, where am I no--' Eyad was intending to start another round of expressing his shock and indignation internally, but he was interrupted by a terrible pain that was incomparable with the simple one that woke him up. He fell to the ground holding his head while he was reeling from the severity of the pain that took him by surprise. Edwin was marveled at what just happened,  which from his point of view was an exaggerated reaction "Oh c'mon now, its just a chalk, what do they feed you? wax?" "Seth, what's wrong with you, you don't look well man?" Adam, the student who was sitting next to Eyad, bent down as he whispered anxiously, but he got no respond. A lot of memories were pupping into Eyad's brain. After a while, the pain left him letting the confusion to appear on his face. 'What's these memories? who's Seth Mormon..' 'Nothing makes sense anymore.. I just want to go back home..' The young man stood up slowly, and turned around in a fluster as he began to size up the environment he was in 'Where am I now? who are these people' The professor started yelling "are you fooling me? get out and don't come without one of your parents tomorrow, or else I will demand your dismissal!" Eyad processed a lot of information quickly before he replied "Okay, I'm sorry" then he got out. *** In the corridors of the school, the sound of Eyad's footsteps echoed as he was trying to analyses his situation. 'I think I understand what's happening now, when I crossed that door, it somehow transferred me to this world like a vortex, but this doesn't feel real.. Its so fictional..' 'In fact, I'm starting to think that I am just having a bad dream.. Maybe I just have to sleep in this world so I can wake up in my house..' But he quickly rejected this idea due to the pain that he had and the fatigue that he's feeling right now. He eventually decided to start extracting the most important information from the memories that he received. The original body owner called Seth Mormon, 22 years old, a young man who can be said to be a college student, but that term, college or university doesn't exist in his memories, it seems that they haven't made this system yet, in fact there is only one school in this city, Wichter. Wichter is one of the most important cities in the country of Rimory that is colonized by Dosvungo, the northern neighbor. One of the results of this colonization is that it established the academic school system in this country to create a semi-educated class that helps in digesting the culture of the colonizer, in addition to decorate its image in front of other countries and international organizations. In the whole country, there were only two schools, one in Wichter and the other in the capital, Kardid. Various subjects and subjects were taught in these two schools. More than ninety percent of the Rimorians are illiterates or got only the basic education given by the temples. Seth Mormon was one of the lucky few, in the eyes of the public, who could obtain an academic education. After Eyad left the school, which was in a somewhat secluded place, he went a long way until he went out to the public street under the guidance of the memories of the original body owner. There he saw a scene that made him stand still for a while.

“Oi, who the fuck are you?”  “W-wait my voice!? What’s wrong with my voice!?”  My once subpar baritone voice was now a high feminine one as sweet as honey.  It didn’t help either everyone was so much shorter than me, or, was it that I was, taller? This blonde haired kid seemed to call me a black knight but, what is that?  “I know you have many questions miss knight, but you were summoned to serve me. I am Prince Edward of Asperia in line to inherit the throne. You have come in part of the goddess of humility.” Miss, for some reason, I rather liked that. Instead of correct it simply because it was too, annoying to obviously, I wanted to get out of this summon nonsense.  “Right this is all that damn goddess’s fault, no I’m not serving anyone. More less you dumb nobles.” “Kneel.”  One word was all it took for me to drop down, how is this possible?  “You seem rather shocked for someone who answered my call. The moment you ventured to this realm you decided to serve me.”  Causally sauntering over to me he had an air of cockiness. I kept trying to move with all my might to punch this bastard to no avail. Raising my chin with his index finger his eyes burrowed through my helmet.  A smirk, was plastered across his remarkably handsome face.  “I shall name you Rose, my black knight, you will make a wonderful addition to my collection.”  “I’m no collectors item you b-bastard! I’m a living breathing hu-!”  “Human? No no no that you aren’t, why don’t I show you?”  Proceeding to slide my helmet off with a surprising amount of ease red hair flowed down to my shoulders. My pale and damaged skin had become a creamy purple colour lacking blemishes. Even though I couldn’t see my face, the reactions of those around me were enough to demonstrate my beauty. “Eek! She’s so cute oh my gosh!”   “I’m, c-cute?” The mages were still here from the summoning, out of the eight one seemed particularly excited. She called me, cute. For whatever reason that strung chords within me I didn’t know I had?  “Hey Prince Edward! I know traditionally it’s the role of the servants but can I show her around? Pleassse!~  “Yes yes do what you must so long as I can give Rose a test run after supper. Now why don’t you get up and follow Alyssa here. Oh, while we’re at it leave that helmet off, cutie.” Was he mocking me? What a literal piece of royal crap.  Standing up with a faint flush on my face from Edward’s taunting and Allyssa’s compliments, I stomped away.  “Hold up Rose I need to teleport us to the capital!”  She was panting hard to catch up to me was I seriously that fast? Beyond that the capital? I’ve always heard stories but only the top one percent live there. It’s not something a lowly mercenary like I could see but imagining it was quite the past time.  “Sorry there um, Alyssa? Why is it that we’re going to the capital.”  “Well you serve the royal family now where else silly! You’ll be staying within the capital in the castle. Of course depending on the whims of your master things could change.”  “He. Isn’t. My. Master.” “Rigghht, anyway! Hold my hand so we can begin the teleportation.” Grabbing her hand, which had a sturdiness I wasn’t expecting, within seconds we were off.  “And here we are! Not sure if you’ve ever seen it but the capital is a sight to see!”  “Wow...”  All around there was something that seemed to catch my eye. Venders of all shapes and sizes selling luxurious goods I couldn’t hope to own. Various signage floating about with the use of magic. Following the spiralling road that contained an intricate design lead to a towering castle. So tall seeming to almost reach the sky with a faint blue colour making it almost glow.  “Beautiful...” One brick of that castle would be worth a fortune. Maybe I can start pawning away bricks?  “Isn’t it beautiful! Well personally I prefer the interior but don’t tell his highness that.”  “Rich...”  I could be rich in a matter of months!  “Yes yes it is very rich with colour now come on.”  Yanking my arm before I could further take in my surroundings we approached the gate. Two ruffled looking men in slightly gaudy armour stood there.  “Ah Alyssa welcome back, and who’s this tall lady, the new summon?”  “That’s right I was just about to show her around her new quarters.”  “Sounds good, open the gate let these two in!”  The gate rumbled open leaving me awe struck at the large corridor inside. I may be stuck here for now but with so many valuables nearby I’ll easily escape.  “Oh right before anything I should introduce you to the other summons you’ll be with.”  “There’s more like, me?  “Why Prince Edward is the utmost talented summoner in all of Asperia of course.”  Bumbling around like a lost kitten I kept following her to where the other summons were. Maybe, they’ll help with my escape?

01: Escaping the torment. "Cough, cough..." 'What a terrible weather' Eyad could not stop his internal grumbling about the harsh climate in which he was. He was one of the men who formed a scientific expedition assembled after a NASA satellite spotted anomalies in Antarctic polynya. The mission's goal was to explore and study these changes. 4 days after the start of the trip, a strong snow storm that wasn't expected blew and lasted for days, it was so strong that it didn't even allowed vision to exceed for a few meters, and it was accompanied by strong winds that made the walk much harder, especially with the equipments that they were carrying on their backs. Eyad was the one who suffered the most from the difficulty of the weather here, and this was due to several reasons, the most important of which was that he grew up in a north African country, where the region's temperature is moderate to hot there, and the rainfall is weak, not to mention the snow. This storm, which was not predicted by the meteorologists, caused the division of the original expedition group, so the Eyad group consisted of only 6 individuals. In fact, the weather news error is not very shocking, despite the rarity of this case, because the South Pole is not normal as other geographical areas. "We've been walking for days, are we close?" Eyad's voice could be barely conveyed to others ears due to the screeching of wind. "I think we're getting close. This is the 9th day. We should arrive soon, I think. I'm not sure, but we don't have a choice anyway. the helicopter can't go deep in this geographical area because of the magnetic field" Joseon replied, who, like the rest of his colleagues, was walking with difficulty that every one of his steps was digging deep into the snow "Just be careful while walking, the size of the polynya is almost equal to a small country" Now that they had strayed from their original path, Johnson, who had been leading them due to age and experience, hoped to take them to one of the centers or headquarters that NASA had built underground in the Antarctic in previous expeditions. These places were equipped with long-term supplies, as well it contained special communication devices. "We'll run out of food soon even after we've slaughtered the last of the sled dogs, don't forget that most of the supplies and equipment are lost with the other members, so I hope you're right" Brad reminded him of their current dire situation. Anthony commented with impatience "I hope so.. or else we shall starve to death, that if we didn't froze alive befor--" His voice cut out as if it was being muffled by a remote control. The reason was that he, like most of his companions, had heard a slight sound. It was like the sound of ice breaking. He held his breath and turned to see what was going on. There he was dumbfounded by the appearance of something emerging very quickly from under the ice that had broken.. A huge creature with wet gray silky fur, large nose, with gray hairs emerging from its cheeks near its nostrils, and black eyes showing a strange and paradoxical kind of sympathy. It was a huge seal, with unnatural size, bigger that anything he had seen before. This seal opened its large mouth and pounced on the body of Edward, one of the men at the back of the group, and closed its huge mouth as if it was a guillotine. The lower half of Edward's body fell to the ground in a shocking sight. The throat of this huge creature moved as a sign of chewing and then swallowing the other half. The bodies and minds of the rest of the five stiffened as they watched the seal's mouth stained with blood, as if it had come out of a horror movie. It all happened so fast, it was too quick for them to react or try to save their colleague. Eyad was the first to regain his focus, and after a huge amount of adrenaline was pumped into him, he threw his bag that was weighing him down and ran desperately for his life. Three of the remaining four, when they saw Eyad run away, barely recovered too from the horrific shock. And the expressions of the fear and panic began to appear on their faces. Unconsciously, they threw away what they were carrying and ran following Eyad. As for the fourth person, he remained standing where he was, like if his soul had left his body. Unfortunately, life is not kind to the faint of heart. During the three's racing with the death, they were able to hear the sounds of chomping and bones breaking behind them. Yet they could only run away, tears and snot coming down. They couldn't even turn around and take a look. *** After they ran away a few hundred meters, they were surprised to see Eyad, who was ahead of them, strangely stuck in the ground. It is hard to describe it.. He wasn't sinking or falling, it was as if his leg was stuck under the ground with no hole to justify it. And in the next second, he suddenly disappeared in front of them as if he had been swallowed up by the earth. It was a strange scene, like a glitch in a game (NoClip). Here came another wave of shock and terror that was pushed into their hearts. They subconsciously stopped running trying to analyze what they saw worried of meeting the same fate. "What's happen--" Johnson interrupted in a familiar voice. The sound of ice breaking again. But this time it was coming from more than one place. The three miserables quickly turned back in disbelief. Their hearts began to beat violently. A few milliseconds passed until four huge seals jumped out from under the ice at a speed not befitting their size. *** Eyad slowly opened his eyes to a continuous humming sound and a stink smell filling the place '..' 'What happened..!?' His eyes caught a strange place resembling the office hall, a place that had nothing to do with the frozen hell he was in before he blacked out. 'What is this place.. Is this the life after death?' The young man was seeing a lot of rooms and wide corridors with high ceilings, which were consistent and covered with yellow wallpaper, while the floor was a damp carpet of the same color, and the ceiling had office lights and surveillance cameras. It turned out later that the lights and cams were the source of the incessant buzzing that he heard.

[2045/05/20 Tuesday] [Greenlife foundation discovered radiation level of 100 mSv emitting from a cave] [2045/05/25 Sunday] [A group of research camps got built around the cave.] [2045/05/27 Tuesday] [The radiation level plummeted. In contrast an inconclusive portol opened] [2045/05/28 Wednesday] [Multiple Drones sent inside the portal. Foreign land detected.] [2045/05/28 Thursday] [News leak of Foreign land discovery causes mass disturbance on Country 202] [2045/05/30 Saturday][Present Time] “How certain is this discovery?” asked the elderly, as he smoked a cigar and leaned back on his chair. “Considering, how all of the simulations we ran worked perfectly. I would say absolutely certain,” said the man, who stood across the table wearing his black suit. The elderly man stood silent. His steel-grey hair, hazel eyes, and thick rimless glasses reflected elegance. On his shoulders rested many responsibilities as he was none other than the president of this country. “And the resources?” asked the president. “The resources we discovered have been astonishing, so far. We discovered an alternate source of natural fuel. Not to mention, elements we have yet to understand. We also discovered species whose life expectancy crosses over 1000 years.” The researcher enthused over the discoveries as he continued to inform the president on the factors discovered. The president held the cigarette in his hand as he puffed out the smoke. “The Proselytization Protocol. Such a bizarre thing to request for.” said the president as he chuckled. “Tell me more, about the ones who are involved in this.” The researcher opened the file he held in his hand. “If everything goes as planned, in total, three people will be sent through the breach. Adrian White. A man who served in the military for over ten years. Famous for his physical prowess and ruthless behavior. Noah Erickson. He…was imprisoned in the physic ward for six years. He is known to have Dissociative identity disorder (DID). However, an expert on Structural Engineering. And finally, Marcus Frankenstein. A young prodigy with poly doctorates. Also known as the mad scientist. He was the one who purposed this Protocol.” The president chuckled, “The entire Protocol is reliant on such men. For such a day to arrive." He sighed, "Although, If someone could truly pull this off, then it would be a man who convinced over 18 ministers, the health bureau along with the human rights association. And, now pressurized me, to authorize this” The president uncovered the files and took out a pen from his pocket. With a pale face, he signed the papers. [2045/05/30 Saturday At 12: 15 PM, The Proselytization Protocol got officially authorized.] [2045/06/01 Monday] In the detention room rested two individuals. The empty white room had but a desk and two chairs present. The individuals sat across from each other. One a blonde woman with enchanting red lips, who wore a white apron and carried a set of files on her hands. Next a man with handcuffs around his hand. “When you heard the rumors,” He raised his legs over the desk, “Did you imagine an old, greasy, dirty man with no remorse. And cursed your job as you would now have to brief that man.” “I imagined no such thing,” said Lisa, denying him with firmness in her eyes. “Your face seems indifferent, yet your pupils seem dilated.” Marcus met his eyes with hers. Her chicks slightly reddened, “A girl is not to be blamed if she flusters while talking with me. But your emotions seem composed to a degree. Tell me, were you ever bullied?” “I so was not!” She frowned, “I’m here for the briefing not—” He interrupted, “You seem to have insecurities about your past, I wonder if your fiancé realizes that. After all, he is not a man who cares for others.” She flinched, “Don’t you dare lie about a man you have yet to meet” He chuckled, “Ah, so there is a fiancé. I took a guess on that one. And yes, I don’t know him but I would be delighted to meet the man who stole the heart of such a beauty.” She slammed the files on the desk, “Enough!” She roared. “My job is only to brief you on the Protocol. But you seem to have no interest in that, so allow me to leave. And I pray never to be in a room with a man like you ever again.” “A man like me,” He paused, “No matter what the rumors say I am but an innocent man despised by those less achieving than me” He swung his legs from the desk to the ground. She flinched back as he abruptly stood up, “Mark my words, a day will come when you gossip in pride about the day when you were in the same room as Marcus Frankenstein.” He turned, “And about the briefing. Tell your superiors, I formulated the Protocol and surely don’t need their petty help.” She dazed, looking at his back with puzzled eyes as he left the room and returned to his cell. [2045/06/03 Wednesday] On a room filled with shelves and shelves filled with trophies. Two men got into an argument. “Adrian! You cannot do this,” The General raged, “You cannot leave.” Adrain kept silent as he stripped off the military badge on his shoulders. “You…Do you realize the consequences of your actions!” The General grabbed Adrain’s shoulder from behind. “All the years….I spent on making you the perfect figurehead…the reputation built throughout the years. The devised hierarchy. It’s all gone if you leave.” The General’s words were like needles on Adrian’s head. The more he listened, the more his stomach soured. So, he retaliated. “Look at me!” Adrian ripped off the golden badge embroidered on his uniform. “Look at me. General!” When he ripped off the badge near his chest, his shirt fell apart and revealed his masculine frame. “I mercilessly trained for years. With sweat and blood, I built myself. Yet you think making me a figurehead serves as a reward for me?” Gazing into the General’s eyes, he poured out his buried beliefs, “The sheer amount of skills I honed. All for what? To get used as a political tool for people like you. Not anymore” The General’s fingers fluttered, and his face scowled, “The Proselytization Protocol is filled with hazardous conditions. If you die, then things will revert back like 10 years ago. Set aside your selfish wishes for a moment and think about how the ranks would collapse-” Adains interrupted, “Enough! I’m a soldier. From now on, I’ll live my life as a soldier and if be, die as a soldier.” With precise determination in his eyes, he walked past the General, “The shackles you used to cage me are no more. " [2045/06/04 Thursday] On his way back to his room, Noah crunched upon some chips. To him, this was yet another simple day in his life. But things took a sudden turn as he left the elevator and walked towards his room. When he opened the door, he saw a man in a black suit reading one of the books from his shelf. His body flinched as he turned and attempted to run. Thump! He bumped into another man’s chest and fell back on his buttocks. “Oww, oww” Looking above, he noticed another man in a black suit blocking his way. “But I’ve not done anything!” Noah continued, “I’m a free man now.” Noah flinched as he heard the sound of a book closing from behind. “Noah Erickson, I must say, I have never seen a dirtier room in my entire life.” “No one told you to enter,” Noah whispered as he stood up and gazed towards the man inside his room. “Am I going to be arrested again?” asked Noah “Why don’t you first sit down?” The man in the black suit offered as he himself sat on the one bed present in Noah’s room. The room had no chairs. Only one cushion, which Noah used while playing games on the monitor. Thus, he sat down on that cushion. “My name is Rudolph Flynn.” Flynn spoke with a light smile on his face, “I work for the government. And as the government received no response for the mail they sent to you. They sent me here.” Noah’s expression remained frim, “I did respond. I declined for whatever the Pro…pr..prose..per-” He struggled to pronounce the word. “Proselytization Protocol,” Flynn added. “Yes, that. I have no interest in risking my life especially for the government.” “Your life,” Flynn chuckled, “Very well, lets set aside everything for a moment and talk about your ‘Life’” “What?” Noah dazed in confusion. “When I read your file, I became quite amused. A prodigy who helped design the world’s most secure edifice. And broke into that very building to steal government files.” Flynn laughed, “But what I find hilarious, is how you got caught in your own room. The cops say you were singing in the shower when they caught you” Flynn stopped his laugh and gave a light smile, “What kind of idiot returns to his dorm after stealing the government’s most classified files? But I’m more intrigued by how you were able to devise such a proficient plan to steal it, and at the same time were moronic enough to get caught like that.” Noah’s face reddened, “I never stole anything. The Evil Organization set me up!” “The Evil Organization, I see, nonsense like these are why people call you retard” “I’m not a re-” Noah’s voice died down. He realized it would be pointless. After all, No matter how many times he screamed, ‘I’m not a retard’, No one ever believed him. “I even heard other stories, like how once woman robbed you of your entire fortune, or when you tried to rob a bank with a Lolipop. What kind of man fails to distinguish between a gun and a candy?” Flynn laughed “So? you’re here to make fun of me?” asked Noah as he looked at the floor, unable to raise his eyes. “Just why? I spent 6 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit. And now, when I’m finally a little happy with my life, people like you come and interfere. Just…leave me alone” His eyes turned watery. “Happy with your life you say. Look around, a 27-year-old man who lives in a cramped room playing video games. When asked the neighbor about this man, they said, a retard lives next door. Pityful. For a whole year, not a single person ever visited you. You have no friends. You have debt piled up. And you refuse to work because you fear some non-existent evil organization might take advantage of you.” said Flynn bluntly. Noah remained silent. “I’m not here to laugh at your misery but I’m here to help you” Flynn stood up, “If you only had read the entire mail then you would have known, Proselytization Protocol was not initiated by the government but by none other than Marcus Frankenstein.” Noah’s eyes slightly lit up after hearing that name. He looked up and met Flynn’s eyes. “Rejoice, as there are still some people who care for you,” Flynn said with a light smile. “And you don’t need to risk your life for the government or for anyone else. You now have a second chance. Risk your life to siege that second chance.”

Announcement Helloooo everyone, I'm not dead! Sorry it's been so long but I've got a fun new tf story set in https://www.scribblehub.com/profile/69002/leviathan86/ werewolf setting although this might be a bit different, also yes I know the title is dumb it's just a placeholder for now and I'm a memer.   Alec’s perspective   It was a beautiful day out, birds were singing, the sun was shining, and I was miserable. You see it was the time of month where I found myself locking myself in my room and trying to not interact with the world at all. Admittedly that isn’t all too different from how I normally behave but, it is still a departure all the same. The reason I spend several nights a month locked in my room not even letting my roommate in is because I’m a lycanthrope, or at least close enough to one.    You may ask, how did this situation get started? I’ll tell you, I don’t know, but however this started the fact of the matter is I need to live with it for the rest of my life. Fortunately my antidepressants stop it from being too bad, but I still have to deal with certain, physical changes. Thankfully my roommate has the patience of a saint and never bothers me when it’s that time of month. So the plan is simple as always, distract myself with my classes then as soon as I get home lock myself in my room with my equipment and ride out the changes like I’ve always done.   Noel’s perspective   As I was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast I noticed my roommate do his usual dash out of our house as quick as he could. Every month at around the same time he would get really weird for about a week and then go back to his somewhat depressed self. At this point I wasn’t sure why he might be acting like it, I had my theories of course like any good scientist but I had no way of testing them. One of my earlier theories was that perhaps he was a trans man, and this was his time of the month and that was causing him dysphoria, but then I found out that he was in fact amab based on accounts of his childhood he told me about. For a while I thought maybe he was a werewolf, but his weird behavior never seemed to line up with the full moon so that couldn’t be it. At this point I had resigned myself to just hoping he would tell me eventually.   Alec’s perspective   Classes as usual were rather boring but something felt slightly off, I couldn’t explain what it was but I could definitely notice something was off. My lunch for instance didn’t really seem all that appetizing even though it wasn’t anything unusual, just a simple burger and fries. Maybe I was coming down with something, I also noticed myself feeling more depressed than usual. Suddenly it hit me, I was out of my antidepressants because I was too depressed to go to the pharmacy over the weekend! Fuck this was bad, there was no way I’d be able to get them to send in my meds by tonight since I was also too depressed to call in my meds over the weekend. Damn antidepressants weren’t doing their job anymore if they left me too depressed to call in for more of them, that or my depression was getting worse. While both possibilities were concerning I was far more concerned with getting home as quickly as possible and hiding out in my room.   Noel’s perspective   If I was suspicious something was wrong before I was almost sure of it now. As soon as Alec got home he all but sprinted into his room, I decided to leave him be, since he seemed to be going through a lot. Things stayed like that for a while, he popped out once to get some food but he was back in his room before I could ask what was up. After that is when things started to get weird, the first thing I heard was a crashing sound coming from his room. Now I respect people’s privacy but a crashing sound when someone already seemed pretty out of sorts is quite concerning.    So I did what any self respecting nosy roommate would do, I put my ear up to his door. At first I didn’t hear much other than some grunts but it almost seemed like the pitch was getting higher? I continued to listen and eventually heard a moan, although it sounded almost more like a moo than a moan but that would be ridiculous, I think I would notice if my roommate was keeping a cow in his room. However sure enough I heard it again, louder this time and unmistakably a moo, unable to hold back my curiosity any longer I opened the door and was dumbstruck by what I found.   Alec’s perspective   I was about two blocks away from home when I started feeling even more weird. I was starting to feel claustrophobic on the bus, like the walls were going to close in around me and crush me. I decided to get off early and walk the last two blocks and that was the first time today I actually felt ok, for whatever reason being out of the cramped bus felt like a wave of relief washed over me. Shortly after the bus incident I made it home and rushed into my room as nonchalantly as I could, I like to think my roommate barely even noticed me getting home. Not long after I found I was starving, I made a quick dash for the fridge and made myself a nice salad real quick. Although I realized I forgot to add any dressing or condiments, it still tasted delicious thankfully but that’s when it hit me, I was already changing.    This wasn’t supposed to happen so soon, not to mention it explained why I felt so off today. But it didn’t make any sense, I’d been feeling off ever since this morning, even before I got on my meds it never happened this early. Once I realized what was happening the changes started to accelerate, first was the fur of course quickly covering my entire body. I knew if I wanted to keep my clothes I had to get out of them quickly, thankfully I was able to strip down just as my feet started to change. The feet were always a weird experience, the sensation of them elongating and developing the shape and material of hooves was an odd but not unpleasant experience and a moo escaped from my mouth before I could stop it. Shit, I was already mooing, that meant next were the horns which meant a similar sensation to my hooves. From there the rest of the transformation was quick and I found myself with considerable chub, very large breasts, a cute tail, and at least a foot off my height. The worst part of the transformation was that it made me like it. I knew werewolves claimed that their transformations were affirming but I didn’t believe it, in my opinion it must be changing their minds to force them to like it. I was unfortunately brought out of my panic by a soft gasp at my doorway and as I turned to look at the door I couldn’t help but be glad I wasn’t alone. Wait what? That’s not how I’m supposed to feel!

This afternoon, the sun shone unusually bright, as if it specifically directed its light to Bay and Amy, who were walking next to Phan. Not only that, but the whole road also seemed to be under some sort of spell. Everybody stopped whatever they were doing when they saw the pair. Even the cleaning service workers couldn't take their eyes off them, shaking their heads and clicking their tongues. They were probably internally wondering how kids these days could have such an extraordinary presence at school. This situation made Phan, who had known her two friends since high school, realize how blinding they were. "You must get used to it, Phan," Bay smirked and lifted his flat eyebrows while combing his side-swept hair with his hand in a grand manner like a model of a shampoo commercial. Walking between Phan and Amy, it looked as if he was a crown prince leading his private harem. "Your friends are two of the most popular freshmen this year. Right, Amy?" "I think you're still the most blinding one here, Bay," Amy lightly elbowed her childhood friend's arm. She was the smallest among the three, but also the cutest. When she smiled, her upturned eyes sparkled like a starry night. For the rest of the walk, Phan positioned herself between Bay and Amy, forming a human staircase. "This way, you guys will be less blinding and I'll be less invisible," she reasoned. "But with two blinding lights on your sides, you might be getting blinded instead," Bay retorted. Actually, Phan hadn't expected to reunite with her friends during the evening peak of Welcome Week. She hadn't even known that they went to the same university as her. While it certainly wasn't that surprising to see Bay as a Campus Ambassador, Phan still couldn't believe that Amy, who was usually shy, would also participate in the contest and make the boys swoon. Phan hadn't even known before that Amy could play the violin, which granted her the nickname "The Violin Goddess" after her solo performance during the talent show round. Smiling sheepishly, Amy dismissed Phan's compliment on her violin play. "I wasn't that good," the petite girl said as she tucked some strands of her long, brown-dyed hair behind her ears, exposing a small blue butterfly earring. "I would've been better if I hadn't skipped my tutoring sessions when I was little." "Don't say that. I think you were awesome," Phan said truthfully. Although she might know next to nothing about music or musical performance, as a part of a general audience, Phan could judge if a performance was enjoyable. After all, she hadn't been the only one giving Amy a standing ovation that night. "I'm just surprised you would take part in the contest." "Yeah, me too," Bay chimed in, though with a teasing tone. "I wonder what—or who—could motivate Amy to become an Ambassador." "Hmm, it must be Doctor Phuri, isn't it?" Blushing, Amy was about to argue when her phone suddenly rang. Her face only turned redder when she saw the screen, and she quickly picked up the call. Looking at her attitude, Phan and Bay shared a nod and muttered at the same time, "Speak of the devil!" "Hello," Amy said to the person on the other side with a blooming smile on her small face. Her voice was usually sweet, but right now, it sounded more endearing. "Oh, yes, we've arrived at the front of the building... Ah, you don't need to pick us up... Yes, we can go there by ourselves... Okay... Yes, see you too." "Ah, you don't need to pick us up..." Bay imitated Amy's voice once the latter hung up the phone. Phan couldn't hold her laughter, while Amy blushed more profusely. Amy's relationship with Phuri, nicknamed Phu, was also breaking news for Phan. She'd only known that Amy had been the upperclassman's secret admirer back in high school. But according to Bay, it turned out that both Amy and Phu had unknowingly had a crush on each other until the mutual confession a week before the evening peak. Later on, Phan had found out that Amy's violin performance was addressed to Phu. "You should've been there when they confessed to each other," Bay said with a big grin, showing off his perfectly neat row of teeth. "Their first day of becoming a couple was full of sweet, nostalgic talks. I cringed a lot that it hurt!" "Oh, how cute," Phan bumped Amy teasingly. "Sadly you didn't win the contest. If you'd won, your love story would've been like a fairy tale or those romantic web novels: 'the Campus Ambassador of the year is dating the previous Campus Ambassador.'" Despite being unable to hide her bashful smile, Amy shook her head. "The seniors appointed me only because they thought I was smart enough to give convincing answers during the Q&A round. But the Ambassador from the Faculty of Law is much smarter than me. She deserves the Campus Ambassador title." "Well, she did look and sound very knowledgeable," Phan nodded. Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "Eh, but if you didn't win, how could Bay become the Campus Ambassador?" Phan turned to Bay. "Didn't you say Amy helped you prepare for the Q&A round?" Bay smiled smugly, "Well, maybe I'm just that good." Phan snorted. This friend of hers indeed had an unlimited amount of confidence. But that was just a part of his charms, apparently, at least according to other girls. "If Amy were a guy, you would've been defeated by her," Phan blurted out jokingly. Amy laughed delightfully at this remark. "Bay was doing it for someone too, you know," she said, seemingly taking the opportunity to take revenge on her childhood friend. "Now that he has become the Campus Ambassador, the person will of course start to notice him, right?" "Really, Bay? Who is it?" Unlike Amy, Bay didn't show any slight embarrassment. "You'll see. We're gonna meet that person soon." * The food court was across from the Faculty of Medicine building. When Phan, Amy, and Bay arrived at the place, they headed to the table reserved by Phu and his two friends, Might and Chan. The three of them were known as the Golden Trio of the Faculty of Medicine, inspired by the protagonists of the Harry Potter series. "Amy, I've ordered your favorites," Phu said with a broad, gentle smile directed only to Amy. He was supposed to be the Harry Potter of the group, but it was easy for Phan to point out the differences. Not only was Phu always an ace student, but he was also the tallest among the trio. "Oh, aren't you a gentleman, Phu?" Might teased. Rather than Ron Weasley, Phan's first impression of Might was of a joker. With big, rounded eyes that gave off a mischievous, child-like aura, nobody would've guessed that he was a Faculty of Medicine student. "I almost forget you're the same person as that high school boy who only dared to watch your crush from afar." Hearing this, Amy immediately looked down to hide her embarrassment. Meanwhile, with a proud smile, Phu replied, "Well, at the time I wasn't confident enough. I'm glad I can meet Amy again at university." "Yeah, yeah. Now that you've ever got the title of the Campus Ambassador, you feel like you own the world, huh?" Chan remarked. Despite her mature and gentle demeanor, Chan turned out to be rather outspoken. According to Amy, it was her noteworthy intelligence that had granted her the nickname of Hermione Granger. Unlike the rest of them, Chan hadn't gone to the same high school. She was Phu's former neighbor and classmate from primary school. "The best thing about being the Campus Ambassador is getting the person you like to notice you," Bay chimed in, his charming smile directed at Chan. Right at the moment, Phan realized that her friend had been staring at the older girl nonstop, complete with a meaningful smile on his face, though Chan didn't seem to notice it. Phan lightly elbowed Bay and confirmed her guess with her eyes, to which Bay replied with a smug smile and raised eyebrows. Phan shook her head in admiration and disbelief—mostly because she'd never seen Bay have a crush on anyone—before giving the guy a supportive nod and two thumbs up. Amy stifled her chuckle as she witnessed the silent conversation. However, it turned out that Amy wasn't the only one noticing the interaction. "Hey, what are you two doing there?" Might called out before pointing at Phan with his chin. "You, what's your name again?" Phan was startled. Trying to use a normal tone and show a casual smile, she eventually replied, "It's Phan." Had it been last year, she wouldn't have been able to respond normally, but thankfully, she'd gotten used to this kind of situation, thanks to her practice during the last few months of high school. "Right, Phan. You said you were Amy and Bay's classmate back in high school?" "I was in a different class." "Really? But why can't I remember seeing you anywhere at school back then?" For some reason, Phan felt her heart beat faster. She had a hunch about the direction of the conversation, but she didn't want to react hastily. According to her practice, it might be better to maintain a smile without saying anything. "Oh, I remember!" Might suddenly exclaimed. "You were Faye's friend, right? You always followed her around, didn't you?" From the corner of her eyes, Phan noticed that Bay and Amy exchanged looks at the mention of the name. Sensing the subtle worry in their expressions, Phan tried to show her friends that she could handle the situation. "Yes," she nodded, surprised by the nonchalance in her voice. Might seemed to be about to say something when Chan suddenly stopped him. "Hey, what are you doing? Are you interviewing her for a gossip magazine or what?" she asked in a tone sounding like a scolding, which honestly didn't match her gentle voice. Nonetheless, the interruption gave Phan a little time to discreetly let out a sigh. "Can't I?" Might said in a challenging tone. This friend of Phu undoubtedly had a hobby of debating others, but it surprisingly could become a good distraction sometimes. "I'm just asking her because I don't remember seeing her hanging out with Amy and Bay back in high school." "And why does it even concern you? Maybe you just didn't pay much attention," Phu chimed in. Phan was certain that Amy wouldn't have told Phu about what had happened to her in high school—it wasn't like he needed to know. But even with that troubling possibility, Phan was grateful that Phu, though perhaps inadvertently, had stood up for his girlfriend's friend. "No, that can't be," Might argued. "Because you had a crush on Amy, my radar kept noticing whenever she and Bay were around, you know? I should've remembered at least a single occasion when Phan was with them." His following rebuttal was enough to silence Phu and make him blush instead. "We became closer in grade twelve," Bay suddenly spoke up with a friendly, casual smile that Phan hadn't yet mastered. Being a smooth talker as he was, Bay was seemingly trying to steer the conversation away from her, and Phan genuinely appreciated it. "See? You're not the All-Knowing," Chan chided again, still with her gentle voice. "Don't tell me you actually like Phan?" "Oh, no way," Might shook his head. "If I liked someone, it should be a Campus Ambassador, like Ploy!" "You should stop making jokes like that about Ploy," Phu said, his tone giving off an aura of a mature, independent, and wise person. "If she heard it, she would give you a lesson for sure." "Eh, Ploy isn't coming?" Amy asked. When Phan caught Amy glanced at her with a small smile, Phan knew that Amy, just like Bay, tried to distract the Golden Trio from talking about her. Phan smiled back appreciatively at her. "Oh, she sent me a message earlier," Chan explained. "She said her class is postponed, so she can't join us for lunch." "Why has she become so diligent lately?" Might wondered aloud. "I think that's good for Ploy," Phu commented, his tone still sounding like an older brother talking about his younger sister—or a father talking about his daughter. "Surviving in the Faculty of Architecture requires a lot of hard work. Right, Bay?" "That's correct," Bay replied. "But in my case, you don't need to worry. I'm always serious in what I'm doing." Catching a particular tone in Bay's voice, Phan looked at him, only to find that the guy was smiling quite broadly, his eyes never leaving Chan. When Phan turned to the older girl, she noticed everyone also did the same thing, obviously comprehending Bay's intention. Chan, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice the gesture. She didn't even look at Bay as she took a sip of her drink. "What the hell? Don't tell me I'm gonna be the only single person in this group!" Might exclaimed all of a sudden while shaking his head, startling everyone. Phan couldn't tell, though, whether the guy was frustrated by the possibility of being the only single person or by Chan's unawareness of Bay's overt gestures. "What are you shouting for?" Chan asked in confusion. "Chan, my child, you are a big girl now," Might said in a tone used by old people in movies and dramas, though obviously exaggerated. "Soon you will find someone who loves you. Father cannot take care of you anymore." "What are you talking about?" Might only shook his head and sighed loudly while the others tried to stifle a laugh. Phan thought Bay must be happy that neither Phu nor Might showed disagreement with his approaching Chan. Since the conversation wasn't about her anymore, Phan almost let her guard down, but that was when Might suddenly turned to her and asked, "Phan, don't tell me you've got a boyfriend too?" Phan almost lost her control. It seemed that being a new face in the group aroused Might's interest so much. Trying to laugh as naturally as possible, Phan replied, "Don't worry. I'm single too." "You too?" Might put on a fake melancholic expression and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Shall we go out, then?" Phan hadn't anticipated this one. Nobody had ever asked her out before. But Phan quickly realized Might must be joking, so it would be best to go with the flow. "Are you serious, Might?" she asked jokingly. In an attempt to avoid further discussion on the matter, she immediately added, "That actually could be a good idea, but I'm sorry. I'm currently not interested in having a relationship." "Oh, aren't you cold, Phan?" Might snorted. Then, sighing exaggeratedly again, he said, "If Ploy were here, I would ask her out for real." * Right at the moment, a guy walked past the group. Just like the time with Amy and Bay earlier, every pair of eyes followed the guy's every movement. Girls were lost in their thoughts while some guys secretly stole a glance. If it'd been a scene from a drama, Phan thought, there would've been rose petals and sparkles everywhere. "Here it is, another campus celebrity," Might announced the guy's arrival. Even before Might did it, everyone at the table had already been aware of the guy's presence. Walking casually, the guy, who was only slightly shorter than Phu and Bay, carried two textbooks in his hands. His sharp facial features made him look like the type of person that would bury his face in stacks of books all day and night, but his kind expression and manners suggested otherwise. "Hey, Art!" Might left his seat and called the guy. If someone hadn't known better, they would've thought Might was about to bully the guy. But Phan supposed the guy was pretty familiar with Might's normal way of speaking, as he didn't seem too surprised by Might's loud voice. "Hello, Might, Chan, Phu. Oh, Bay and Amy are here too," Art greeted with a polite smile, seemingly familiar with everyone. Even when Art undoubtedly didn't know Phan, he was kind enough to acknowledge her presence. "And you are..." "I am Phan." "Oh, I see. Nice to meet you," Art nodded and gave Phan a friendly smile before turning back to Might. "Do you need anything from me?" "Yes, of course," Might replied before putting his arm on Art's shoulders. Pointing at the books in Art's hands, he asked, "Where are you going with those books?" Art subconsciously followed Might's gaze. "Oh, I've just borrowed them from the library earlier," he explained. "I'm going to use them for my assignment." "Ugh, why is everyone so diligent these days?" Might groaned. Art laughed. "Do I have a choice? I want to become a doctor." "Do you hear that, Might? Aren't you here to become a doctor too? You should learn from him," Chan chided. If Phu were the father of the group, Chan would unarguably be the mother. Turning to Art, she asked in a friendly tone, "So, are you going home, Art?" "I'm going to have lunch first." "Then you should join us!" Might exclaimed. Looking directly at Art, he added, "I have something important to ask you." After pushing the confused Art to sit next to Chan, Might sat next to Bay. With a serious tone, he asked, "Tell me, Art. Do you have a girlfriend?" Although Phan was relieved that Might stopped being curious about her, she still felt sorry for Art. Who would've opened a conversation with such questions? However, it turned out that Art was more experienced in handling such situations. Phan should learn from him. "Why are you asking me that question all of a sudden?" Art asked back calmly. "C'mon, just answer me. This is for a research purpose." "What kind of research is that?" Art laughed, noticeably trying to evade the question. He still ended up answering it, though, probably because he also knew Might was only playing around. But the answer wasn't something anyone would've initially guessed. "I don't have a girlfriend. I'm single." Phan noticed that everyone at the table, including her, turned to Art at the same time. The guy seemed aware of it, though he didn't show it on his face. Squinting his eyes, Might asked, "Really?" clearly not believing the answer. "Yes," Art nodded convincingly. "Oh, I thought someone tall, handsome, smart, diligent, and friendly like you would have a girlfriend, Art," Chan commented. "You've got a lot of fans, you know. Even in my class." As Chan was saying this, Phan felt a shift on her left side. Turning to Bay, she noticed that he was staring at Art with a completely different expression from the one he'd directed to Chan. "No," Art shook his head. "I really don't have a girlfriend." Finally convinced by Art's answer, Might crossed his fingers in front of his mouth and put on a stoic face. "That makes four of us," he said. "Four?" Art asked. Might nodded. "Yes," he said in a contemplative tone. "You and I are both single. And I think Ploy is also single." "You mean Ploy, the previous Campus Ambassador?" "You're right," Might replied. "Ploy is our friend from high school. Normally everyone expected that she would've gone out with Phu, especially since both of them were last year's Campus Ambassadors. But Phu's got someone he's liked since high school right there. They just haven't announced it publicly." Might gestured at Amy, who tried to hide her embarrassment. Meanwhile, Phu only shook his head, though his sheepish smile couldn't conceal his true feelings. "I guess you really shouldn't assume things, huh?" Art nodded in understanding. "Then, who is the fourth person?" Hearing the question, Phan suddenly felt hundreds of butterflies filling her stomach. Sure enough, Might once again turned the focus of the talk to her. Pointing his chin at Phan, he said, "Phan. She said she isn't interested in having a relationship." "Wait, Might," Chan interrupted. "Why did you say there are only four? I'm single too." In that moment, Chan's image looked like an angel in Phan's mind. Might sighed audibly. "I've told you before," he said slowly as if he was explaining to a little kid. "You will soon find someone who loves you with all his heart, my dear child." "What are you talking about?" Ignoring Chan, Might said contemplatively, "Hmm, if Ploy is single, then I can be with her." It was an obvious joke, but Phan hoped it would continue so that Might would stop talking about her. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of Might's rambling. "Hey, Phan. What about you? Art is single too. Are you still not interested?" This time, Phan couldn't hide her bewilderment. Flustered, she tried to look for an appropriate response—that hopefully would put the conversation to an end—when Art suddenly asked with a curious expression, "Why aren't you interested in having a relationship, Phan?" Trying her best to act normal and show a casual smile, Phan quickly blurted out the first thing in her head, "Oh, it's just not my priority at the moment." Phan thought it should be enough for an answer, but apparently, not everyone thought so. Unexpectedly, it was Phu who raised the first question. "But, Phan. What if someone suddenly starts approaching you?" he asked. "Huh? I've never even thought of it as a possibility," Phan laughingly replied, trying to maintain her smile. "Maybe I should just tell that person from the start that I'm not interested." "But what if that person keeps hitting on you?" now it was Chan. "Hmm, I'm not sure about that," Phan replied after a while, struggling to keep herself—expression, gestures, heartbeat—under control. "Should I just wait until that person gives up?" The next question, surprisingly, came from Bay. "But what if you end up falling for that person?" Phan almost lost control until she realized that Bay's eyes were locked on Chan, who was still oblivious to his intention. Phan immediately seized the opportunity. "Oh, is this still about me, Bay?" "Yes, guys, is this still about Phan? I thought you said we shouldn't interrogate her like journalists from some gossip magazine." Might complained. "At least our questions are more reasonable," Chan argued. "And mine were not?" Might debated. When he turned to Art, Phan thought she was finally safe. But Might was unpredictable. "Hey, Art. Why don't you try hitting on Phan?" Phan turned to Might in disbelief, and so did the others, including Chan and Phu, who should've gotten used to Might's antics. "What does it have anything to do with me?" Phan made an effort not to sound exasperated, but she doubted her voice cooperated. "Hey, don't joke around. Do you think you can simply hit on girls without consent?" Chan chided, granting Phan's gratitude. Bay, however, was dumbfounded. "You should ask Phan first if she's okay with it," Chan continued with a grin. Now it was Phan's turn to be baffled while Bay smiled triumphantly. "That's right. Phan's consent is the most important," Art agreed. Phan wondered if it was possible to be disappointed with a person you'd just met. But perhaps Art was only going with the flow, just like her. Maybe she should do the same. "Seriously, Art? Do you really want to make me fall for you?" Phan jokingly asked. Art laughed back at her. Unfortunately, Phan's words only encouraged Might. "You're not scared, are you, Phan?" he teased, winking at her. "Are you worried you're gonna fall for Art?" "I don't think that would happen," Phan shook her head, still trying to act normal despite her inner mess. "Should we prove it, Phan?" Art suggested, hopefully as a joke. Phan laughed. "Bring it on." * Phan silently let out a long sigh. She'd thought she was ready for a university life full of social activities, but a single Might unexpectedly could drain her entire social energy at a single lunchtime. "I knew it," Amy turned to Phan, smiling. "You haven't changed at all." "You always sigh after meeting many people, especially those you're not familiar with," Bay clarified. He and Amy were always able to understand each other as if they shared a mind, and Phan was still amazed by it. "Wow, I don't know you guys are so perceptive." No, Phan knew. Ever since the three of them had become close in their senior year of high school, Amy and Bay had always been there for Phan. They'd always accompanied her, talked to her, and involved her in various activities. She knew they were concerned for her. "Of course, we're your friends," Amy said with her gentle, angelic smile, the kind that made anyone feel at ease. "Yeah," Bay added. "It's good you've opened up. You look more cheerful and approachable. I like this version of Phan too." Phan smiled. Although she'd never expressed it out loud, Phan was always grateful for her friends. "I just thought that I should learn to socialize more," she replied, as casually as possible, to show that she could handle her issues. "It's good to meet new people, right?" "That's right," Amy nodded, her expression showing genuine happiness. "I'm surprised you could even handle Might. We were worried you wouldn't be able to take it, you know." Phan laughed. Recalling the scene, she could only remember her struggle to hide her nervousness, maintain a casual attitude, and keep participating in the conversation. Her mind was messy, overloaded with thoughts, calculations, and silent screams of her social brain cells compelled to work in extremities. Now she wasn't sure if she'd handled it well. She didn't want her friends to know what went through her mind, though. "Actually, I was just going with the flow. I thought since Might was only joking, I shouldn't take his words seriously." "But it's Might we're talking about," Bay laughed. "He won't stop teasing you and Art from now on." Honestly, Phan hadn't thought about that. Although Might's antics had been well-known since high school, it was the first time Phan had interacted with him. When she'd gone along with his jokes, it'd only been for the sake of participation and avoiding awkwardness due to her lack of social knowledge. "Well, as long as Art doesn't take it seriously either, it's fine," Phan reassured—herself more than her friends. "It's just a joke, anyway." "Hey, Phan," Bay called after they crossed the road, his eyes still looking ahead. Phan remembered some girls had once talked about Bay's side-view. At the time, Phan had only giggled because she was used to looking at Bay's face, but now, Phan thought the girls were right. Bay was gifted with the perfect face. Turning his head to Phan, Bay asked, "When you said you're not interested in a relationship, were you being serious?" Phan could guess where this conversation would go, but she couldn't ignore or dismiss Bay's questions. Moreover, she knew he and Amy always treated her with her best interest in mind. "Um," Phan nodded—maybe almost too quickly—while showing her best smile. But she knew the short answer wouldn't stop her friends from asking further. "What's the reason, Phan?" Amy asked. Seeing her eyes that were full of worry, Phan knew her friend had seen through her act. Phan still tried to maintain her smile. "Haven't I said it earlier?" she replied. "It's just not my priority at the moment. I'm not even good at socializing. How can I have a relationship?" "So, it's not because of..." Bay trailed off, but Phan could easily guess the rest of his words. He and Amy must have sensed it when that particular name was mentioned. They must have figured out the connection. "Well, it may have something to do with that," she admitted, "But don't worry. Maybe after I'm used to interacting with people, I can get a boyfriend and be all lovey-dovey like Amy and Phu." That last sentence was only intended to distract her friends, but it surprisingly worked. Amy's face turned scarlet, and Bay laughed at her. However, this time Amy didn't give in without a struggle. With a fake annoyed face—because she'd never mind being teased with Phu, Amy threw a counterattack at Phan. "Don't blame me if your first boyfriend turns out to be Art." As expected from Amy, she couldn't come up with anything evil. Her words sounded more like a well-intent wish—though one unlikely to come true—than a threat. "Do you really think that's possible?" Phan laughed. "Who knows, Phan?" Bay said. "But you better get a boyfriend soon. I won't be able to spend much time with you after I go out with Chan." "You should work on making her notice you first, Bay," Phan blurted out, drawing a laugh from Amy. Since it was Amy, even her uncontrollable laughter still looked elegant, with her sparkling eyes squinting and her delicate hand covering her mouth. "Soon, soon," Bay crossed his arms while giving a confident nod. "I know my strategy." "What is it? Tagging along with Amy every time she goes to the Faculty of Medicine building?" "How do you know?" "Isn't that obvious?" They shared a laugh. If it'd been last year, Phan might've never dreamed of experiencing a moment of friendship like this. If it'd been last year, she might've never even dreamed of having friends like Amy and Bay. "Phan," Amy said afterward, her heart-shaped face showing a tender expression. "Although you can't fully trust people, you can always talk to us." Bay smiled and nodded. Before, Phan couldn't have trusted anyone. Right now, perhaps Amy and Bay were the only people she trusted the most in the whole world. "Thank you." ***

The next day, Bay once again tagged along with Amy to have lunch with the Golden Trio of the Faculty of Medicine. Of course, he didn't come only to accompany his childhood friend or support his high school friend on her social skill improvement journey. Amy might look fragile, but with Phu by her side, Bay had less worry. As for Phan, Bay only needed to watch over her as she seemed to have better control of herself lately. His primary purpose was the older female student sitting across from him right now. Chan's brown eyes looked down on her plate of fried rice—her favorite. Her eyelashes elegantly fluttered when she blinked. As her slender right hand moved the spoon to scoop some rice before leading it to her thin pink lips, the delicate fingers on her left hand gracefully tucked some strands of hair behind her left ear. Chan had her shiny shoulder-length brunette hair down like usual, but today, she was wearing a small light purple hairpin decorated with a cherry blossom flower on the left side of her hair. Bay couldn't miss this opportunity. Girls usually like it when you notice even the slightest change in their appearance, and they will like it more if you compliment the transformation. "Chan, that hairpin really looks good on you," Bay said in a gentle tone as he showed his most charming smile. Chan looked up. Her downturned eyes met Bay's before they slightly squinted as the older girl smiled back at him. It was a casual smile, not the bashful and embarrassed smile of other girls when he praised them, but it was more than enough for now. Chan had just smiled at Bay. "I'm wearing it so that my hair doesn't touch the food," Chan adjusted the hairpin. "I'm not used to short hair yet." Bay didn't know how many times Chan's gentle voice had played inside his head whenever he thought about her—which was near all the time, to be honest, but he liked it. Her voice was like an embrace of a mother, covering his whole existence with a sweet warmth. "You look good in short hair," Bay threw another honest compliment. Chan should soon notice how genuine Bay was. "Oh, thanks," Chan smiled—to him—again, broader this time. Bay felt as if a million fireworks were set off inside him. "Chan, aren't you supposed to have a higher IQ than me?" Might suddenly asked. "I start to think I'm actually smarter than you." Right, there were other people at the table. Bay didn't forget, but it was easy to ignore any other presence when Chan was around. Listening to Might's comment, Phan and Amy shared a giggle, while Phu only shook his head like a real father he was. Of course, Might had to interrupt the sweet moment. When Chan turned her head to Might, Bay had the opportunity to see Chan's side view—her rounded chin, sloped nose, and delicate cheekbone—which was as equally beautiful as her front view. "What's this all of a sudden?" Chan asked. Even her obliviousness was cute. "Are you really clueless or what?" Again, Bay would use this opportunity to get Chan's attention. Girls like it when guys stand up for them, right? "I don't think Chan is clueless, Might—" "Kim! Art!" Everyone turned to the two people—who had taken Chan's focus off Bay's words, damn them—Chan had just called. The first person was Art, the Ambassador of the Faculty of Medicine. For some reason, Chan seemed to be quite fond of this particular junior. She always talked to this guy first, while Bay had to keep looking for chances to initiate a conversation with her—which usually only lasted for one or two exchanges. As a senior and junior, Chan and Art were naturally familiar with each other—Bay was pretty aware of it. But Bay was the Campus Ambassador here, not Art. Shouldn't she notice him more? Walking with Art was the supposedly "Kim." Bay's first impression of the guy was that he always looked sleepy, though it might just be his droopy eyes. Despite that, Kim seemed to be the athletic type. "Oh, everyone's having lunch together again?" Art smiled at everyone at the table. When his eyes landed on Phan, his face lightened up. "Hello again, Phan." "Hi, Art." Phan greeted back with a smile. If it'd been back in high school, the girl wouldn't even have shown a slight smile, let alone responded to the greeting. Seeing her attitude at the moment, Bay was happy for his friend. It was good that Phan tried to be more sociable because it meant she'd started to move on from her high school days. "Do you want me to buy you something to eat?" Art offered, though from his tone Bay knew he was only following up on the joke from yesterday. Phan laughed, understanding. "No need, thanks. I've got some here already." She showed the meals in front of her. "Oh, this is Phan you told me about yesterday?" Kim asked. His deep voice sounded calm and soft despite the slight excitement in his tone. "I've gotta tell Choi about it!" "Who is Choi?" Might asked. "My twin brother." "You've got a twin brother?!" Responding to the surprised expressions around the table, Kim recounted how he and his younger twin brother, Choi, who studied at a different university, had gotten their nicknames: since their mother was a big fan of Korean drama, she'd insisted that her children had Korean-themed nicknames, so when the twins were born, the mother decided to name them with two of the most popular Korean surnames. Unfortunately, there was no chance to start a conversation with Chan for the rest of lunchtime afterward. But Bay wouldn't give up. He was a patient man. He would keep approaching Chan until he was the only one in her eyes. Then his feelings would reach Chan's heart, no doubt. * Mr. Teerawut's class ended later than scheduled the following day. It was a mandatory course that would help Bay perfect the design for his future house—which he'd always dreamed of since that time at the exhibition eight years ago, but the professor didn't look like the fun type. Not only had he jumped to the materials without making an effort to create a pleasant first impression, but he also seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. Now Bay had to figure out a way to get through this class successfully. When Bay checked his phone, numerous messages had been waiting for his response, two of which were from Amy and Phan. After replying [I'm definitely coming] to Amy and [My class has just ended] to Phan, he immediately headed to the parking lot. When he was about to walk out of the building, he heard someone calling his name. Turning his head, he saw Ploy, last year's Campus Ambassador, walking toward him. Next to her was this year's Ambassador of the Faculty of Architecture, Nan. Bay recalled there was an unread message from Ploy on his phone. "I asked you to discuss the event next month with Nan and the members of the Student Council," Ploy explained the contents of her message. "Are you going somewhere?" "I'm going to the Faculty of Medicine," Bay replied, only remembering that becoming an Ambassador meant being involved in any kind of campus activities, and he had no right to refuse. "What are you doing there, Bay?" Nan asked, her voice high-pitched, her tone melodious. Her cheeks flushed as she stared at Bay with a broad smile. It wasn't that hard for Bay to figure out Nan's feelings for him. There were a lot of girls like her. "I'm having lunch," Bay smiled. Knowing full well that Nan would ask to join him, he added, "With Amy." Looking at Nan's slowly faltering smile, Bay knew two things: Nan didn't know about Amy and Phu's relationship, and she was among those who thought Bay and Amy were going out. Bay felt kind of bad for using Amy like this, but he knew Nan was the type that would bother him nonstop if he didn't use this trick. Moreover, people had always assumed the same thing about him and Amy, and it was getting tiring to correct them every time. The truth was, Bay and Amy could only see each other as siblings. They'd seen enough to eliminate each other from their romantic radar. Even their parents had agreed not to marry them to each other. Unfortunately, the trick didn't work well this time. "Then, shall we discuss the event there?" Nan turned to Ploy. "What do you think, Ploy?" Ploy was expressionless—or rather, stiff?—when she replied, "If you want to discuss it there, just ask Bank to go with you. I still have something else to settle here." Without waiting for Bay and Nan to respond, Ploy left. Watching her walk away, Bay realized that he hadn't seen Ploy hanging out with the Golden Trio these days. Back in high school, she would've always been with Phu and Might. Could something have happened? "So, Bay," Nan broke Bay's thought, her bashful smile returning. "Shall we go to the Faculty of Medicine together?" How would Chan look like if she smiled like this? Bay suddenly thought, and now he wanted to run to see the girl right away. He'd wasted too much time here. "I'm sorry, Nan," Bay showed an apologetic smile, specifically calling Nan by her name to give the impression that he was considering her feelings. "I think we must do it another time. Should I Line you later?" At the food court—after leaving the reluctant-looking Nan—Bay walked to the same table as yesterday. It seemed that it had been public knowledge or an unwritten custom that the table was already reserved by the Golden Trio, who were now sitting with four extra people. Four? As Bay got closer, he saw that other than Amy and Phan, there were two other extra people at the table: Art and Kim. When he arrived at the table, Kim had just said something that made the others laugh. He saw that the guy was sitting a little bit too close to Phan—who, if felt uncomfortable in any way, surprisingly did better at concealing it. But Bay's focus was on Chan, who was laughing heartily until her eyes got teary. It was the first time Bay saw Chan laugh that way, and he felt a certain flutter in his chest. Chan's expression was beautiful. Chan's laughing voice was beautiful. In other words, Chan was beautiful. She would perfectly fit in Bay's dream house in the future. But it would only be flawless if he could also make her laugh. "Bay," Amy waved her hand at him. As the others noticed Bay's presence, they turned to him, except for Chan. She was still wiping away the tears with her beautiful fingers. "Sorry I'm late," Bay took a seat. Since he arrived last, the only free space left was the one across Phu, beside Phan. Sadly, it was far away from Chan, who was sitting at the other corner of the table. "What were you guys talking about?" Bay asked. He wanted to know what kind of jokes could draw an uncontrollable laugh from Chan. He might be able to learn something new. "I was telling Phan about Art's embarrassing moments in middle school," Kim replied laughingly. Art only shook his head, seemingly not minding the exposure. "Can you believe it? Art fainted twice after donating his blood in Grade 7, and out of panic, Choi and I pushed him in the wheelchair all around the school!" "How is it, Phan? Have you fallen for Art yet?" Might asked, still cracking up. "He's a perfect man." Everyone laughed again. Chan laughed again. Never before had Bay ever wished he could somehow embarrass himself. * On the day after that, Bay made sure he wouldn't be late for lunch. In Mrs. Sunathneeya's class, he politely reminded her that the time was up. Fortunately, the relatively young lecturer appreciated the initiative, saying that time management skill was a quality a Campus Ambassador like him should indeed possess. Hearing that, he only smiled and nodded because his mind had gone to a particular face at a certain table in a specific eatery. Then, he sped up his car to pick up Amy and Phan and quickly headed to the food court. As if the situation couldn't get even better, when the three arrived, the table was occupied by only one particular angel, precisely the image Bay had conjured during Mrs. Sunathneeya's class. If Bay had been picky, he would've complained about the first person Chan greeted once she saw them. "Amy," Chan waved her hand at Amy. Was it reasonable to feel jealous of your childhood friend? "Phu's still in class. We're having a pop quiz." Amy nodded in acknowledgment, taking a seat next to Chan. "Yes, Phu messaged me earlier." "What about you? Why aren't you in class?" Phan asked after sitting in front of Amy. "Oh, I've finished it," Chan replied matter-of-factly, without a hint of arrogance. Brilliant, honest, and humble, as expected of Bay's future girlfriend. "Aren't you a genius, Chan?" Bay quickly took the opportunity to compliment the girl once he seated himself across Chan, his new favorite spot. Still, from her indifferent expression, Chan didn't seem to buy the flattery. But Bay couldn't be sure because before Chan said anything, two people suddenly claimed the free space beside Phan. Art and Kim. Again. "Are you going to have fried noodle and coconut water again today, Phan?" Art asked, smiling at Phan. Phan laughed, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that Art was sitting right next to her. She was getting better at patronizing other people. "Yes, actually," she nodded. At the same time, Phu and Might also arrived. Phu sat next to Amy while Might plopped down next to him. "Oho, Art. You've remembered Phan's favorites now, huh?" Might teased. "Hey, Phan. Just fall for Art already." "Yes, Phan," Kim chimed in. "It's not every day you can find a perfect guy like my friend here. Handsome, brilliant, the Faculty Ambassador, and full of love!" Bay secretly sneered. All those claims might be accurate, except Bay also had the same qualities, even several levels higher. But, Bay thought, if Phan had been somehow convinced to go out with this person, Bay would've given her his blessings, for sure. "Hey, you can't force someone to fall in love like that." Chan's words were spoken at the perfect moment, for a second Bay thought she'd read his mind. It'd also happened the other day when she suddenly talked about getting a girl's consent before hitting on her. Bay was almost sure that Chan had only pretended to be oblivious of his moves. "You two should at least get to know each other better," Chan added, smiling meaningfully. Bay was relieved. Chan didn't seem to mind the idea of Art hitting on Phan. Also, her expression was adorable. "So, if we know each other well, we can fall in love with each other?" Bay didn't think twice before seizing the opportunity to send his feelings across. Chan turned to Bay, still smiling. Their eyes met, and he was once again enraptured by the most beautiful pair of brown irises. If only there were technology to capture the entire reality of this very moment. "Of course it depends on the heart," Chan said, her melodious voice resonating in Bay's ears. "No matter how much effort you exert, if the other person doesn't feel the same thing, nothing will come out of it." Chan was only giving a general elaboration of her perspective, nothing particular. But even after she looked away, Bay was still stunned for a moment. "Wow, Chan, you sound experienced," Kim commented. Chan chuckled. "It's not like I've never gone through something like this before," she said before turning to Phu. "Right, Phu?" Phu laughed. "Yeah, that's right." There was no way Bay wasn't curious about Chan's past. But he somehow couldn't get himself to ask. It was Kim who voiced Bay's inner thoughts. "Hey, hey. What secrets are you keeping from us?" "Phu's and Chan's parents agreed to set them up for an arranged marriage when they were kids," Might nonchalantly replied. "Seriously?" Kim exclaimed, now representing everyone's surprise. Bay stole a glance at Amy, and sure enough, she looked appalled. No one else at the table—except maybe Phan—would notice the subtle change of expression, though. "Yes," Chan nodded. "We were always together, just like Amy and Bay. So, our parents thought we liked each other." Bay's ears perked up when he heard his name. Wasn't it the first time Chan had ever mentioned his name? Bay was elated. Storing the particular sound into his memory, Bay imagined Chan saying his name to him—calling him. "But we didn't," Phu added, and Bay saw Amy smiled at her boyfriend after letting out a subtle sigh. "I always thought she was a show-off." "I always thought you were a snob," Chan mocked back. Now Amy could laugh with the others. Bay laughed too. "So you called off the arrangement?" Art asked. "We didn't," Chan shrugged. "The arrangement is still on?" Kim asked in disbelief. "What if your parents made you get married later?" "Oh, come on," Chan chuckled. "Our parents were just joking. They might have forgotten about it already." Chan's answer was supposed to make Bay feel relieved, and looking at Amy, his childhood friend didn't look bothered by the past arrangement anymore, either. Even so, something was still bugging Bay. It had never occurred to him that there was even a probability of Chan not having the same feelings for him. But could it be possible? Could there be someone else? * "It's possible," commented Phan. "But I don't think so," Amy argued. "Phu's never said anything about it." This evening, Bay and his friends were at Maracaturra Café, which was full of students like them going there to study. Although the three of them most likely couldn't assist each other in their respective assignments, for Bay the company was more important. Besides, they could talk about something completely unrelated to studying, like this. "What if he keeps it from you?" Bay asked hypothetically. Phu seemed to be the kind that wouldn't spill his friends' secrets, like about the guy Chan liked. "They're best friends." "Maybe," Amy agreed, though she still sounded uncertain. "But I think you worry too much." "Aren't you, Amy? Phu was once arranged to marry Chan, you know." Bay noticed an unfamiliar tone in his voice. It sounded like Amy's last year when she'd thought Phu had forgotten her. Bay had identified the name: desperation. But could Bay possibly be capable of feeling such emotions? "That was in the past," Amy said, somehow speaking more softly. She must've noticed the unfamiliar tone too. "They said it themselves, right? They've never liked each other that way. Chan is like my big sister. Besides—" Amy shuffled in her seat before adding in a low voice, "—I know Phu likes me." Bay didn't need to see her face to know she was blushing. Lovebirds. "Right," Bay rolled his eyes. He was genuinely happy for Amy—after all, he'd pushed her to enter the Campus Ambassador contest to get Phu's attention. But for some reason, he felt annoyed. "You can say that because you're his girlfriend. I'm not Chan's boyfriend. Yet." The unfamiliar tone was there again. "Bay," Phan, who'd been quietly enjoying her drink while listening to the conversation, put down her glass. Despite being in a coffee shop, she'd ordered a chocolate float. "Are you always this..." her hand made a circling movement in the air, "restless... when approaching a girl?" "Bay's never approached a girl before," Amy responded as if it was a general knowledge taught in primary school. But it was the truth. Bay might have a long list of relationships, but naturally, none of them was his initiative. Girls always flocked him, after all. "Oh," Phan raised her eyebrows and nodded, dragging her words as if she'd just figured out a world-level mystery. "So, Chan is basically your first love." "Yes. I think so... Yes. She is." Of course, Bay was aware of it. He'd noticed the constant flutter in his chest and warmth on his face every time he thought about Chan, and the sensation would only intensify whenever he saw her. But, now that Phan had spelled it out, he somehow felt peculiar. The unfamiliar emotion—the desperation—suddenly felt real. "And your first love happens to be someone who doesn't look at you like your past flings," Phan continued. "...It seems so." "This is like a typical plot of a TV drama," Phan concluded, shaking her head. Her face didn't show much emotion, so Bay didn't know if the discovery was unbelievable or amusing for her. Maybe both. If it'd been a TV drama, Bay certainly would've been the handsome and charming main character. Chan would've been the female lead, whose beauty was like a goddess. Then it would've been obvious that they would end up together, and the entertainment would've been in how they overcame the obstacles along the way. It always looks so easy on-screen. "Yes, complete with third wheels everywhere," Bay clicked his tongue. His mind went back to each time he'd attempted to get Chan's attention, and one face always appeared to block his way. "Like Art. He keeps stealing the spotlight." "Hey, don't put the blame on him," Phan protested. "Oh, so now you're defending him, Phan?" Bay taunted. He knew that Phan regarded Art highly because he was her first friend in university, but if it'd been a TV drama, this male lead would've been more than happy to see his sidekick getting together with the third wheel. "Do you like him now?" Phan straightened her back. "I don't." "Bay," Amy put her hand on Bay's shoulder. Looking at her reassuring smile, Bay realized that the unfamiliar emotion had filled him. "As someone who once had a crush on someone, I can assure you that what you're going through is normal. Now you know how those girls must feel." "This is the first for me," Bay sighed. Denying his emotions to Amy was always futile. After a brief silence, Phan said, "I know nothing about this sort of thing, but let's say you were Amy having a crush on Phu, or a girl having a crush on you. What do you think they would do in this situation?" Bay imagined a scenario that had often happened in high school. There would be girls who liked him, but they would be aware of their numerous competitors. Usually, they would try to get into Bay's good side by showering him with gifts or using his interests as topic starters. Sometimes, they would approach Amy with the same intention. There would even be a rare case of argument and fight. No matter what method they'd used, the goal had always been the same. "Eliminate my rivals." "What?" Amy and Phan exclaimed in unison. The customers nearby turned their heads, and even the barista took a glance at their table. "I don't think I've ever done that, Bay," Amy shook her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "You've never had a rival. Phu has always liked you." In Amy's TV drama, the story had come to a happy ending. In Bay's, the end depended on him as the main character. He would take the lead and pursue Chan. He would overcome every obstacle and get the girl. "What are you going to do to Art?" Phan asked. There was a hint of concern in her voice. "Stop defending him, Phan. You're on my team." * When Bay, Amy, and Phan arrived at the food court the next day, the Golden Trio's table was still empty because they had another pop quiz. Only a while later did Bay spot Chan walking elegantly with Phu and Might on her side. That was exactly how a female lead in a drama would look. Unfortunately, Bay also saw Art and Kim alongside the trio. Looking at Chan talking with Art, Bay felt a burn inside his chest, but he didn't want to give in to that uncomfortable emotion. "Is the pop quiz that easy? Even Phu and Might can finish at the same time as Chan," Bay grabbed the first opportunity to praise Chan. As they say, the early bird gets the worm. "Nah, Chan finished early," Might said. "She stayed back for us." "I had a bad feeling, and I was right," Chan glanced at Phu, whose face looked somewhat troubled. Naturally, Amy noticed it too. "What happened, Chan?" "Ask your boyfriend," Chan sat down. Bay almost couldn't contain himself when Chan chose the empty seat in front of him. But when he saw Art sit beside her, he wished he could cast the Evanesco spell from Harry Potter at Art to make him disappear. Next to Phan, Might was animatedly recounting an incident that had happened. It turned out that a girl had hit on Phu earlier. "I hadn't finished my quiz, so I didn't see it clearly. But I could see Chan taking the girl down and rescuing Phu! I almost laughed out loud!" "What did you do to the girl?" asked Kim. "Not much, to be honest," Chan replied nonchalantly. "The girl insisted on giving Phu pink milk, for some reason. So I told her, 'Phu doesn't like pink milk. If you really like him, you should at least know this much.' Then I dragged Phu away." "Wow, Chan. You are really cool," as expected of my future girlfriend, Bay smiled approvingly. "It's not long until a rumor spreads about your past arranged marriage," Might snickered. "Not as long as you keep your mouth shut," Chan retorted. Even when she spoke sharply, her voice was still as gentle as ever. "Have you always covered up for Phu like this?" Art asked. Of course he would take Chan's focus off Bay. Bay held himself back from actually incanting Harry Potter's vanishing spell. "Not really. People usually assume Phu is dating Ploy, so I don't need to meddle." "Still, you're really brave, Chan," Kim chimed in, clapping dramatically. Did Bay also have to handle the enemy's sidekick? "That's what friends are for," Chan lifted her chin. "After all, I'm his childhood friend, so I know a lot about what he likes and dislikes. That's an advantage. I can evaluate every girl who gets closer to Phu." Bay found it endearing that Chan took more pride in protecting her childhood friend than finishing early at a pop quiz. "So, Amy has passed the evaluation?" Kim asked teasingly. "Certainly. I can see how they complete and understand each other." Phu and Amy blushed. Turning to Art, Chan continued, "That's why I told you before, Art. If you're hitting on Phan, you should at least find out what she likes and dislikes. Who knows? Maybe Amy and Bay have been evaluating you all this time." Art laughed. "I'm gonna have to boost my game, huh?" Honestly, Bay was aware that there was nothing between Chan and Art. But Art could develop feelings for the beautiful, compassionate, and brilliant Chan. That was why Bay didn't mind Art being serious about Phan. Art was a decent guy for Phan, but Chan was only suitable for Bay. Maybe Bay should help them. "Phan, didn't you say you like Art?" Amy's eyes widened hearing this. She didn't say anything, but her expression suggested that she reprimanded Bay for going along with the whole joke about Art pursuing Phan. Bay only raised his eyebrows meaningfully as a response. "What? When did I even say that?" Phan seemed baffled, but Bay thought he saw a tint of red on her cheeks. "A few days ago. You said you liked the performance from the Ambassador of the Faculty of Medicine the most, didn't you?" Art, who looked surprised, somehow sounded delighted. "Is it true, Phan?" Bay was ready to assist Phan if needed, but she unexpectedly could handle the conversation really well. "Well, I talked about the performance, to be exact," she argued sheepishly, "not the performer." "Don't be shy, Phan. Just admit it." Might taunted. "Don't tell me you can play yo-yo too, Phan!?" Kim followed suit. "No, but my cousin can," Phan tried to explain herself. "I wanted to learn before, but I kept getting sidetracked, so I gave it up altogether." Seeing the banter between Phan, Might, and Kim, Bay felt accomplished. Now it was only a matter of time before Chan's focus turned to him. "Does it mean Phan has passed your evaluation, Kim?" Chan asked. Yes, please be happy for them. "Certainly," Kim gave a thumbs-up. "Phan may be the right person to fill Art's current loveless life." It was the perfect time to launch Bay's next attack. "Hey, Might. Have I passed your evaluation?" Being a jokester as he was, Might's brain caught up immediately. "Let's see," he pretended to think. "Looks, acceptable. Brain, okay. Attitude, not bad... Yeah, you're fine." "Do you think I've got a chance?" "The final decision must come from the person in question," Phu took over, probably preventing his friend from speaking any more nonsense. But that was what Bay needed. Turning to Chan, he locked his gaze with the brown-eyed girl in front of him. "What do you think, Chan?" Chan blinked. "Huh? Why do you ask me? I don't even know who you like. But if you're determined, just take action. I believe you'll get the best result." Bay smiled. "I'm always determined. I'll take action for sure." Time to step up the game. ***

[Author's Note] Hello, everyone. Lucky Cake here. Nice to meet you! Thank you very much for picking up this book. I actually started writing this before "Eternal April," but due to several circumstances, I had to temporarily put it aside. Now that I'm back, hopefully I still remember how to write regularly so that I can properly finish this book. Inside, you will meet several main characters. I hope at least one of them will pique your interest, so please look forward to their stories! And as always, your constructive criticism is highly appreciated. Anyway, I shouldn't take too much of your time. I hope you have an enjoyable reading experience with this book. Cheers! — Lucky Cake

With a sky as clear as today, many from nobility were having picnics among friends, enjoying the company of others with fine cuisine, visiting their neighbouring acquaintances in limiting counties, or listening to a young genius musician performing in front of a selected few. It would have been a shame to waste such exquisite weather without expanding on social interactions or political negotiations. All but one particular villa slightly far away from heavy political influence were having a blast or pretending to have one among others. Dozens of servants walked in fast and short strides to reach every single corner hidden from view, making sure the place would be spotless as the preparations required. Such an event needed many decorations and effort to be perfect. It was unusual for them to be so lively at this time of the year, as nothing major should have been taking place. “I can’t believe it. He was so young.” “Young for you maybe, he was older than my late father. May he rest in peace.” The murmurs of the servants would often be left alone, as long as the topic of the conversation was amicable and there weren’t any nobles nearby — as undesirable confrontations could arise. “Girls, please.” The head maidservant supervising the affair raised her voice just enough to make herself known. She knew those kinds of talks very well and even though her eyes were stern, her lips were drawing the bare minimum of a smile. “But was he young, or not?” The first servant replied. The head maidservant shook her head, letting them know she wouldn’t partake in those conversations for the time being. There were many other tasks that required her attention at the moment. If she indulged in the first small talk she happened to pass by, there would never be the end of it. “Marie.” One servant that had just entered the room spoke in a moderate volume. “The lord requests your presence in the study.” “Marie again?” “I tell you something is going on.” “There goes the favourite, again.” “Quiet.” The head maidservant spoke more loudly this time, she was older than every other servant working in the household, except for her husband. They would become uncontrollable if she didn’t impose her authority in short order. She turned to a particular corner, where a girl of small build, soft spoken and obedient was arranging bouquets of flowers alongside a few of her peers. Even though her looks were delicate, she was a grown woman and wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her mouth, unlike others whose parents were influential enough to arrange for their sons and daughters to work under even more influential individuals for the benefits they would gain, after all, she was an orphan from a very early age. The girl had raised her head to look at the commotion. Fully aware of the situation, she excused herself to the head maidservant and quickly left the room. The older woman had been working there by the time the girl arrived, merely 5 years old at the time. She used to be much more mischievous. Poor kid. Her arrival had become her shackles.   Marie knocked on the door of the study, announcing herself and promptly receiving an invitation to enter. Even though the study was one of the smallest rooms in the building, it packed several bookshelves filled to the brim with manuscripts and other books with complex titles. Not like she could read them. In the centre was a desk with a few books by the side, ink and a plume. Sitting behind the desk was the lord of the household and the fields surrounding it. He was young, of around 20 years and immersed in a book he held in his rugged hands, showing proud marks of his unusual gardening hobby. “Did you request for me, my lord?” Marie asked in a small voice. The man raised his head, smiling sweetly at the girl who had just entered. “Don’t be so cold, Marie. We are alone right now.” The maid sighed, relaxing her tense shoulders. “Please, this is the fourth time this week. Could you refrain from calling me so often? The other servants are already gossiping about us.” His smile did not waver, “Let them gossip. That won’t hold me from asking to see you as many times as my heart desires.” “But you are already of age to marry, you cannot keep fooling around with servants.” “I will do whatever I want, my father is no longer here to tell me what I should be doing.” He chuckled. “Besides, I haven’t called for you today only to see you.” “What do you require from me?” Marie asked, a bit perplexed. The man motioned to an empty seat nearby. “Please, get yourself comfortable.” He said. “I don’t need-” “I insist,” his tone didn’t accept a no for an answer, “this will take a while.” The maid took the chair for herself, slightly confused at the meaning behind such words. His voice revealed an urgency she didn’t remember hearing from him in a long time. “You see, today…” He stood up when she had finally sat down. “Yes, today is different.” The man walked around the desk and sat upon its surface, facing her before speaking once again. “Did you ever wonder why my father brought you with us, why he took a kid with no parents, no social standing nor economic gain to become a servant?” The lord asked with a small sad smile over his lips. The maid fidgeted in her seat, wondering where he was going with this. “I have, sir. I-” “Please, Marie. Call my name as usual.” She was used to keeping up appearances and behaving in a certain way when around other people, but he kept trying to change her behaviour whenever the situation presented itself. It was hard to play a double life, even if it was something as simple as a name. Nevertheless, she nodded. “I have thought about it, Adrian. But never reached a conclusion. I was told it was something I had to take pride in and make sure to work hard for the trust they placed on me.” Marie looked up to clearly see his face, he was still smiling sadly, but kindly as well. It wasn’t an entirely bad expression. She was sure of that as the sole receiver of its influence. “I have wondered for years. Remember when we first met? I would sneak outside, bored about the day’s lectures, and find myself lost. You found me and played with me until they came looking for me. You kept me company that day.” Marie nodded at the memory, a small smile forming on her lips. “Then I would sneak day after day just to meet you again.” She chuckled. Those were fun times, with little worries about the world. “At first I thought my father had gotten tired of my escapades and decided to bring you along just so I would stay put. But I always had the nagging feeling something was wrong. Yet I couldn’t figure it out, that is, until two days ago.” Adrian raised a hand, in it he held a book with no distinct drawings nor text on its cover, its colour slightly faded and a bit torn around the edges. Nothing stood out about such a plain book aside its age. When she had scanned the object, she turned back to his captivating eyes. “This is my father’s diary. The seventh volume, in fact. He always liked to write his experiences alongside the negotiations.” Marie mouthed the word ‘seventh’ in disbelief, to which he shrugged his shoulders unable to explain any further. “Most of what’s written in any of the volumes is nonsensical, there are some good titbits of information here and there. But nothing of real importance. Which is why when I found a good chunk of pages missing… I knew something was up.” Adrian pulled some pages free from the book, their edges ripped and his smile transformed into a grin. “It took me a few hours to find them. These pages hold a very uncomfortable truth my father tried to cover.” Marie looked in awe, wondering if she should be witness to something the previous lord of the household tried to hide. Yet at the same time, she felt drawn towards those pages. There had to be something unbelievably juicy that could put to shame any other secret she had heard from the other servants. “Is that secret… somehow related to me? To us?” She asked, trying to piece together why she would be brought for such a reveal. Adrian nodded with a smile on his face. His overly giddy expression left as soon as it had come. “When it all started, it was indeed a way of controlling me. Keep me in place. From there on, things spiralled out of control.” He paused, looking guilty. That expression always pained Marie, wondering what could be done against it. He left the book and papers on the desk and walked up to the woman. Kneeling in front of her, he grabbed her hands in his. “And I want you to know in advance that I’m sorry, and want to make it up to you in some way for dragging you into this mess.” The servant girl looked into his eyes for clarification. “I don’t understand.” “It’s complicated,”—he bit his lower lip—“I guess I’ll start explaining.” Adrian stood up, moving back to sit on the desk. “Do you… remember the name you were called at the orphanage?” Thinking for a moment, she couldn’t remember much of that time. It was a blur of images, remembering a situation was a stretch, much less a name. She had been too young. She shook her head. “Do you remember having a different name before?” He pronounced each word carefully. To this she knew the answer. “Yes, I was given Marie Anne as a new name that fit my position as a maid better.” “And why didn’t your previous name fit your new duty?” Adrian asked with a knowing smile, as if he knew the answer before she had even considered thinking of it. “Because… it wasn’t graceful enough.” She replied, a bit unsure. “But why would a maidservant’s name need to be graceful?” “I don’t know!” She said a bit forcefully, “I remember fighting for my name at first, trying to avoid losing what my parents left with me. But it doesn’t matter now, it’s all forgotten.” Adrian stared impassively for a moment, and in the same careful tone as before asked, “Does the name Thomas ring any bells?” “What does the baker’s son have to do with this?” Marie became completely confused. She thought they were talking about her previous name, what had that guy had to do with… Adrian laughed quite abruptly, he couldn’t contain it and smaller tears were threatening to run free. “Sorry,” he said, trying to calm himself down without much luck, “I wasn’t expecting that reply at all.” He had a sweet laugh, but she kept wondering what he found so funny. What other Thomas did she know? If she remembered correctly there used to be a miner called that. But they barely met so she doubted it was him. And why would any Thomas have to do with her former name? Did “Thomas” know it? Someone related to her? Her eyes widened. “Did you find my father?” she asked, almost shouting. It was the most logical conclusion. “No, sorry.” Adrian cringed. Her expression deflated. So her parents were still missing. “I was trying to say that Thomas used to be your name at the orphanage.” “Why would anyone call a little girl Thomas?” That was a very odd consideration, even for him and his eccentricities. Adrian fidgeted on his seat, he looked unsure of what to say next. “That’s incorrect. You see, they wouldn’t call a little girl Thomas… because there was no girl, there was a boy.” Marie frowned as she stared wide eyed at the man in front of her, waiting for the joke to be delivered. As the seconds passed and nothing happened, her frown deepened. “What. Do. You. Mean. Adrian?” Her words were punctuated and carefully said, but bordered on an outburst the man was sure he didn’t want to be on the receiving end. So the next time he spoke, he did so almost in a whisper. “I’m saying… at the orphanage you were a boy named Thomas.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he braced himself. Marie stood up in a swift motion, almost tumbling her chair down if it weren’t as heavy as it looked. “Do you find this funny? Are you even listening to yourself?”—she pointed at herself—“I’m no boy!” Adrian gulped, taken aback by her sudden — but foreseeable — outburst. Slowly with his hands in front of him he said, “I know it’s hard to believe, but there’s more to this diary. Also please, don’t shout. Someone might hear us.” The servant girl crossed her arms, her frown still present. And in no mood to sit down again. “Go on.” The man nodded in slow motion. “In the diary it’s mentioned how you are taking constant doses of a medication every morning and night.” He waited for her to nod. “They told you it was to avoid a repeat of the surgery from the past, was it not?” “Yes, I had an illness when I was a kid, and surgery was needed. This medication helps keep the illness at bay so it doesn’t develop again.” “And you have a scar where it was performed.” Marie nodded. “Where is it?” Adrian roamed her body up and down, stopping below her waist as if knowing the exact position through the cloth without any input from her part. She quickly untangled her arms, covering the spot he was staring at intently as her cheeks turned red within seconds. The man nodded at the confirmation, and spoke slowly. “It’s all registered here,”—he pointed to the diary—“the medication, the surgery, the day it was done, the doctor, what they told you… everything.” The last word seemed strained, as if there were a lot of unspoken words behind it that had a lot more force and meaning. Words she didn’t know she wanted to hear. Marie nodded in acceptance, giving him the push he needed to continue. “Your medication is well known among noble women. From what the scientist I asked said, it’s called Goddess Nectar. Very popular because it seems to enhance a woman’s natural charm.” “What do you mean by natural charm?” Her blush had receded as the conversation shifted in another direction, only to be replaced with a frown. “It’s meant to enhance…” he gulped, tilting his head to the side as he sneaked a peek at her torso, “a woman’s bust”—he quickly added the next part as if it weren’t that important—“as well as her fertility.” As quickly as Marie had covered her lower spot, she crossed her arms in front of her small chest. Her expression portraying a mixture of embarrassment and confusion. “If what I hear is right, then my medicine can’t be that nectar,” she lowered her voice to a murmur, “I don’t have much.” Adrian, with his gaze turned and a hand covering his mouth, said “I think you are lovely.” Before Marie could react, he coughed and went back to his serious political self. “If, and only if, we gave that nectar to a boy, what do you think would happen?” The girl’s eyes shot open for a moment, considering his far-fetched supposition, “it wouldn’t work because it’s made for women?” With a jolt Adrian stood up, grinning from ear to ear, and approached her with confident steps. “That’s what’s fascinating about this, it would work!” He paused for a second. “This beverage does not enhance a woman’s natural charm, it enhances the body parts that make a woman attractive, meaning that if a boy were to ingest it, he would develop woman’s attributes.” Adrian paused again, catching his breath. “That means a boy could develop a bust! Isn’t it fascinating how the human body works?” Marie on the other hand looked at him with an expression of pure bewilderment. She had stepped back as many steps as he had taken forward. However, it wasn’t enough to put distance between themselves as their bodies were almost touching. She found herself leaning backwards, while Adrian was leaning forward. As the man took stock of the situation, he stepped back and turned to look to the side. After coughing once again he said, “I’m sorry.” His mood however returned to wonder in a second, “But you see where I’m going, don’t you?” Marie had never been that close to a man in her life, he was cute when he got amazed by something, so she could easily forgive him. It was just different to… her teachings. So it took her a moment to compose herself. His breath had been warm. “So, what you are saying is that I’ve been medicating myself with this nectar thing and that’s why I have what other women have.” Adrian nodded with a goofy smile on his face. “But shouldn’t I have grown into a man with woman parts? Having a stronger body, a deep voice...” “This is why the surgery was performed.” He pulled a few other papers from a pile nearby, his sight focusing entirely on them. “I have looked into it more outside from my father’s journal to compare. It’s commonly known as castration, it’s performed in many places around the world for various reasons. One is for children in choir to keep their angelical voice when growing up.” He looked up from his documents. “The idea is that if you still kept your male genitals, you would have grown into a man with woman characteristics. But since those were removed, you don’t get to grow into a man.” Adrian started mumbling as he often did when something took his interest. “It seems there’s a direct connection between the male genitals and the growth…” “Adrian.” Marie touched his arm. “What- oh right, sorry.” He smiled at her. She tended to bring him back from his thoughts whenever he went on a tangent. Sometimes it happened way too often. But she didn’t mind it as much as one would assume from taking care of him. “Where was I…?” “The surgery.” “Right, the details pertaining everything about the castration, who performed it, when, what kind of day it was, how much it cost and above all else, how my father kept repeating the word gamble.” Marie looked confused, “what gamble?” “You see, he felt the entire operation was a gamble, and a risky one at that. Do you know what the survival rate is for a full castration?” She shook her head, “what do you mean full?” Adrian’s eyebrows shot upwards, “I forgot to mention! There are two types of castrations, the partial one only removes a specific part of the genitals, while the full one removes everything, as well as being more dangerous on the patient. Very few survive a full castration.” He sighed. “My father assumed it was worth it to take the risk of the surgery, rather than not performing it at all.” Marie stepped backwards once, unable to believe what she had just heard. His father would have preferred her dead if the surgery hadn’t been performed. Adrian moved closer to her, touching both her arms soothingly. It was a simple gesture, but it was slightly comforting. “Why? Why go through such lengths to change me? What did they gain from changing my body, my name? To make me like a woman?” Her voice cracked. She could fit all the pieces together, and if it was true, she felt wronged and deceived. Adrian, still grabbing her arms, looked embarrassed as his cheeks turned red. But there was also another expression mixed in, he looked sad. With a tiny voice he said, “Because of me.”—he gulped—“It’s my fault this happened to you.” Marie’s brow furrowed. “But it was your father who did this to me, what are you talking about?” “When we were little, that was when I met you the first time, I never got your name. But I still liked you enough to come back again, to see you and talk with you.” He smiled. “When my father learned of this kid who could make me leave all my responsibilities behind, he thought of bringing you with us so I would stay put. He wanted to control me through you, but he couldn’t control my feelings.” His gaze became serious as he looked into the girl’s eyes, the slight blush intensifying with it, “I’ve loved you since then.” Love, that was a strong word. Even though Marie knew, she was astonished. She knew he liked her for a while, but she thought those feelings had developed later as they grew up as adults. To say he loved her from such a young age… those feelings must have been rooted for way too long. “However, my father realised those feelings as well,” Adrian lowered his eyesight. “He couldn’t bear the thought of his son loving another man, I would be prosecuted and my family name tarnished… And you would suffer the consequences too.” Adrian bit his lower lip, his gaze unable to meet hers. Marie knew he was a good man, and a good lord as well. At times she almost fell to the idea of being with him, but their roles and status were incompatible. She was a mere servant. And he had higher duties that required him. He would marry a noble lady and that would be the end of it. The man turned to the desk for just a mere second, as he faced the woman once more with some papers. He grabbed her hand, placing the sheets on her palm. “This is the entire story, written by my father. You should have it.” With an audible gulp, Marie held the papers firm. She had no intention of letting them go for the time being. “Thank you. I’m still learning to read, so I will have to postpone reading them for now.” She smiled at him. It was bitter, Adrian knew of that. “And to be honest, I’m not sure I want to.” She took a few steps back, turning her back to him. Adrian wanted to hold her, his expression said as much, but he held back. She needed her own space. “I…” She hesitated. “I need some time to think.” Marie stood by the door, unsure whether to continue walking or not. Adrian took a few steps forward, reaching his hand through the air in her general direction. “Is there anything else you require of me, my lord?” The words hurt him deeply, he rationally knew why, but he couldn’t calm his suffering heart. “No, you are dismissed.” Adrian tasted sand in his mouth. As he watched her back for the mere seconds it took her to disappear behind the door to his study, a rising feeling of despair took hold in his gut. He was sure she would leave him now that she knew the truth, in a few days she would resign from her position as a maidservant and leave behind everything that reminded her of this place and his father. And he would never see her again. He returned to his seat behind his desk, looking at his father’s journal. In a single motion the book found itself thrown across the room and lodged into the wall for a second, before crumbling into a mass of pages. Adrian heaved a sigh and ran his hands across his hair, almost digging his fingers into his skull. He stared ahead, not focusing his gaze at anything in particular. As his eyes closed and his breathing became ragged, a knock brought him back to his senses. Quickly, he readjusted his position, relaxed his breathing and brought a smile to his slightly quivering lips. “Come in.” He said. The door creaked open to reveal a different servant. For a single second he hoped it would be Marie again, but soon discarded the idea. “Lord and Lady Besston have arrived, my lord.” The boy announced. Adrian sighed, his duties as the new lord demanded his full attention. “Very well, I’ll meet with them shortly.”   Days passed with Adrian and Marie never meeting once, much to his heart’s chagrin. He gave her all the space she needed and thus decided not to call for her until she was ready. However, each time Adrian saw the woman scurrying about, his heart was filled with a mixture of hope and despair. She hadn’t left, but she also wouldn’t look his way. And if their eyes met even slightly, Marie would quickly turn away. Even the head maidservant would give him a knowing stare, as if to make sure he wouldn’t approach just yet. An excruciating week had gone by after the funeral ceremony. Adrian found himself staring mindlessly at some documents that were supposed to be of great importance, at least that’s what he had been told, he hadn’t even opened the envelope that contained the files yet. His mind kept counting the days he hadn’t met Marie. A knock brought him back from his reverie, and as was the norm he recomposed himself, albeit slowly. With each passing day he found it harder and harder to appear presentable when he barely felt it inside. He didn’t want to bark at his subordinates just because he was feeling grumpy, but it was getting difficult to keep in check. The door creaked open before he had issued permission to enter. Luckily, the trespasser brought a smile to his lips in mere seconds. Adrian rose up from his chair just as quickly and ran to the woman, pulling her in a bear hug. “Adrian, stop! You’re suffocating me!” Marie quickly struggled within his grasp. Noticing what he was doing he released her and took a few steps back to give her some air. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t control myself when I saw you.” He said, presenting as a mischievous child who had been scolded for doing something improper. Although his smile demonstrated he wasn’t guilty at all for his actions. Marie loosened up her frown mere seconds later, not as mad about it as her previous cries let on. She knew perfectly well she couldn’t get mad at him for long, and her expression gave way to a little smile. The ambience took a silent turn as in that moment they were alone in the study. Enjoying each other’s presence. Just them after such a long time. Although Adrian knew the moment wouldn’t last forever, as there were pressing matters to discuss. Even if he didn’t want to address the elephant in the room. “So… what brings you here?” He asked, already fearing for the answer. Marie bit her lip. “I have given it some thought and…” The silence that followed gave Adrian goosebumps unlike the one before. There came her resignation. The moment their lives would follow different paths. He closed his eyes, hoping to never listen to the words she was about to say. “I want to stay with you forever.” Adrian opened his eyes in shock. He stared dumbfounded at the woman for an eternity, waiting for a follow up. She was looking to him expectantly, still biting her lip. When nothing else happened, he opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to formulate a sentence without much luck. Finally, he said, “I don’t understand. I thought you wouldn’t want to stay here any more. I thought you would be furious.” Marie sighed. “I was furious. I wanted to have a few words with the man who thought it was a good idea to distort my life to such an extent. I could have become a handsome man, married into a beautiful woman and opened my own bakery, or maybe become a florist or a farmer. Maybe someday have my own kids...” Adrian looked at the floor ashamed. “But I can’t tell him anything, he has left this world after all.” She sighed, “And even though I wanted to yell at him, I realised at the same time I should be grateful for his actions.” Adrian stared at her, his eyes even wider. “How can you say that?” Marie smiled, “Because it’s thanks to him that I’m here, with you. And I wouldn’t want to change that.” “But-” she quickly lifted a hand in front of his face, cutting him off. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not forgiving him. He took things too far. But at the same time he gave me an opportunity I might have not known existed.” She placed a hand on his chest, sensing his accelerated palpitations as if they were her own. “I could have become many things, but this is who I am now, and I actually like my situation as it is. There’s no dwelling into situations that could have happened if I hadn’t been… changed.” Another silence followed, more similar to the first one, Adrian placed a hand over hers and their eyes met. “When you said you wanted to stay with me forever, did you mean…?” “Yes.” “I haven’t even…” “Yes!” Marie quickly hugged the man in front of her. “I’m tired of behaving like the servant your father wanted of me, tired of keeping my feelings bottled because it wasn’t proper. I want to stop hiding behind a façade, and decide for myself what I want to do with my life.” She said, lowering her volume to a whisper, “And this would be my revenge on him.” Adrian grinned, quickly embracing her back. His touch was divine and she melted into his arms. A short while later, he placed both hands at either side of her head. Their breathing raised as his head leaned forward and their foreheads touched. Both knew what would come next and Marie found herself feeling giddy with excitement. She didn’t know such a feeling existed, and she liked it. “I have been waiting so long for this moment to come true.” He chuckled. “I admit you have been very insistent.” She said in a chuckle herself. However, there was something important she had to mention. “I can’t give you children.” “We will figure something out. You and me. Together.” Marie smiled. She had been trying for so long to avoid getting into any relationship, even more so with Adrian. She had been reminded over and over how their status were so different, but this time she didn’t care. She was going to embrace it. Within moments both leaned forward and their lips touched.   Months later, news about a noble and a servant who had married were trending. This reveal scandalised not only the higher circles, but the common folk and servants as well. Although it wasn’t known whether it was due to jealousy, stubbornness or something else entirely. The pair in question suffered the ire of the known world in a 500 kilometre radius. They were shunned from many social interactions and many wouldn’t do business with them. Nevertheless, their attempts didn’t manage to harm the pair. They were happy doing whatever they wanted, and could survive perfectly fine with the taxes they collected. There was little need of much else. Once the time came to form a family, they decided to adopt children from the same orphanage Marie had grown up in, two boys and a girl. Given time, people would forget the scandal in detail, and simply remember the tale of how an orphan girl without background managed to marry into nobility with the one she truly loved since childhood. Even if the tale might have become distorted with time, it was nonetheless a favourite among the girls at the orphanage for years to come.

Hello there, readers! I'm new here to the site, but I'm so excited to start posting here! I have other stories that I plan on uploading chapter by chapter as well! You can also find my stories on Fictionpress.com and SoFurry! I go by the names Elite Shade and Shadow Lion on those sites, respectively. (And of course, you can find my cute fanfictions on SoFurry too! As well as on FP's sister site, FanFiction.net, also under the name Elite Shade!) Sorry for the long explanation. Please enjoy chapter one of my newest story! Also, please consider leaving a review as they can really be a pick-me-up to authors! OH! One more thing! There will be TG/TF elements in the next chapter. Just a friendly heads up!   Culture Shock (Chapter 1)   by   Elite Shade "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are approaching our destination. Current time in Kyosho, Japan, is 9:13 am." The captain's voice on the speaker makes me jump. I yawn and look out the window. I see the sparkling Pacific Ocean below, and smile a little as I can see my new temporary home fast approaching. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to go to Japan. And now, thanks to my school's study abroad program, I'll get to go for two whole semesters! My name is Ambrose Miller. I'm fifteen, and this is the farthest from home I've ever been, and honestly, I couldn't be happier. My family are not exactly easy to get along with. As I continue to stretch in my seat and look out the window, I pause. I can see us fast approaching the "Border." It's a strange phenomena that's been studied and debated about plenty throughout history. For reasons that still have yet to be explained, the entirety of Japan is surrounded by some kind of dome that makes everything and everyone within it cartoon-like, and not just in appearance, but it also affects the laws of physics and nature. This phenomena is called... anime. I look around at the other passengers, many of whom are either Japanese themselves or of Japanese descent, and they do not look one bit like anime, as the effects seem to, mostly, be contained within the "Border". Excited, and yet a little nervous, I watch as the slightly hazy dome approaches, almost like a gigantic snowglobe. It happens quickly, and aside from a slight tingle, I feel nothing. As the tip of the plane pierces the dome, it immediately becomes anime. Soon, so does the entire cockpit and the pilots within, not that I can see this happening, but it was covered in the pre-flight safety video. Then every part of the plane's body as it passes through the border, as well as everything and everyone on board, myself included! YAY! We're through! I look down at my hands, and gasp. They look just like anime characters from the TV shows and movies filmed right in Japan! I look out the window, the haze behind us, at the beautiful anime sea and land and sky before us. I can't help myself, and look around. Those who make trips to Japan regularly are unfazed, and those new to this transition, like myself, are all looking around in wide-eyed wonder. I do notice one odd thing, however. Hair colors and styles seemed to have changed for quite a few people. Some, seemingly minimally, and others more drastically. I'm seeing blues and greens and pinks. There's even a guy around my age now obliviously sporting a similar wacky hairdo from that one TV show about those trading cards. It wasn't one of my favorites, so I'm having a hard time remembering it, but I remember the main character's hair. And that is a dead ringer. Panicking a little, I try to see my own reflection in my window, and from what I can tell, my hair is the same soft brown it was before, although now I seem to have some kind of stylish bedhead. The flight attendants are making the announcements that we will be landing soon, and to strap in. I'll just have to comb it down when I can get into a bathroom at the airport. Soon enough, we make our descent, and are coming to a stop on the runway. The entire time, I'm watching outside with rapt attention, just amazed at how everything looks now. Of course, we taxi to the gate, and start to disembark, after gathering our overhead luggage. With my black roller suitcase trailing behind me and my forest green duffel strap over my shoulder, I head towards the gate. I come out of the gate, hoping to find a nearby restroom to fix my hair and make myself look a bit more presentable to my host family that shall be picking me up soon... when I see a sign in English with my name on it. The sign is written on a white board, with some colorful flowers drawn around it, and is bobbing up and down. This is because the teen girl holding it above her head is excitedly hopping up and down. I blush a little, and hope that they don't judge me too much on my hair as I approach. "Ambrose-kun! Over here!" the girl shouts in renewed effort once she spots me looking at her sign and approaching, in excellent English. Which is a surprise. I've been learning Japanese for years, and admittedly, I do still get hung up when trying to use kanji, but I'm working on it. I feel a little confused about the -kun being tagged on, but shrug it off as being misheard on my part. Soon I am standing before my host family, the Nakamuras. They match the photos I saw during the interview process. "Hello," I greet them in Japanese, my stomach in knots from how nervous I am, but I smile anyways, "thank you for coming to get me. I am Ambrose." I think I didn't stutter or botch that too badly. Something slams into my side and I feel two arms grab and start crushing me. I realize that the girl holding the sign has just glomped onto me in a surprisingly bone-crushing hug. "We're so excited to finally get to meet you, Ambrose-kun! I'm Aiko, your new big sister!" she says. This seems contradictory to what I learned of Japan in my studies. She then lets me go and steps back, looking at me with... did her eyes get wider? And they're so... sparkly... I thought that that was just special effects on the shows! I look at her, taking in her shoulder length sky blue hair, and her sparkling green eyes. She's wearing a peach blouse with a heart on the front, and a pair of jeans with some light pink sneakers. To her left steps a smaller girl with the same hair color, but much longer, and with her brown eyes peering out from behind her glasses. She's wearing a purple shirt and jeans, with a pair of purple sneakers. She bows to me before smiling wide. "Nice to meet you! I'm Aimi! Please ignore my big sister. She's crazy," She said. Suddenly, one of those red anger-veins appeared on Aiko's head. "Don't tell him I'm crazy, twerp!" Aiko said, her head suddenly much bigger than it was, angrily leering down at Aimi. But instead of shrinking away or even looking surprised, Aimi's own head suddenly became as large as Aiko's. "Who're you calling a twerp, you ditz!" "Girls!" The mother's voice cut through any further retorts... and suddenly, their heads are normal-sized, but both puffing out their cheeks, in what I guess to be annoyance. "Please don't make a scene at the airport... again, especially in front of our houseguest." The mother turns to me, and I am struck by how beautiful she is. Long black hair that flowed down to her waist. Serious, yet not unkind, brown eyes looking me up and down. She is wearing a lavender blouse with a darker knee-length skirt and a pair of black heels. A navy blue purse is over her shoulder. "Hello, Ambrose, I'm Ichika Nakamura," she said as she bows to me, "and welcome to our country. We all hope that you'll have a wonderful time staying with us. Also, your Japanese is excellent." "Thank you," I say, feeling relieved. That is, until I notice that Mr. Nakamura has been staring at me this entire time, rubbing his chin. Well, I notice that, after my eyes are drawn to what is the most impressive moustache I have ever seen! It honestly looks like it should be on a paintbrush that's used for painting houses. He has short light blue hair like his daughters, which matches his eyes. He's wearing a green polo shirt, showing off a set of well-muscled arms, and some khaki shorts. He then nods and smiles as he steps forward to bow... before bursting into tears. "You must feel so nervous and alone, a stranger in a new land!" he says in a very deep voice as water sprays from his eyes like hoses, and he pulls me into an even more bone-crushing hug than Aiko's had been. The three ladies all have a large drop of water appear on their heads that slides downward in embarrassment. "Dad, please stop, you're making an even bigger scene and embarrassing us all!" Aiko says. Letting out a huge sniff, he nods, and let go, straightening up, the tears stopping. And people are staring... oh boy... "Sorry about that, young man," he says, his voice without a trace of the sadness he displayed not five seconds ago. "I am Itsuki, and it is a pleasure to meet you." "It's n-nice to meet you as well, uhm, sir," I say, thrown off by all this. "I do have one question for you, though," he says, his eyes seeming to glow as his face appears to be shrouded in some kind of sinister shadow, "how do you feel about ninjas?" Confused, I open my mouth to answer, only to see a hand chop him on the top of his head. Said hand belonging to Mrs. Nakamura, who is looking very annoyed, complete with anger vein. She is looking at her husband, who is now sporting a lump that must have rapidly formed atop his head, her hands now on her hip. "Don't you start that here and now! The poor boy has had a long flight, and would probably like to rest!" she chides. "Yes, dear," Mr. Nakamura says in a weakened voice, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. "Let's go get the rest of your luggage," Aiko says, tugging me along via my duffel bag. I do remember that my interviewer had told me that my host family was a little on the... unconventional side, but that seems to be an understatement. At least they seem nice. Mr. Nakamura even takes my two extra suitcases from the luggage carousel. After he and I pack away my belongings in the trunk of the red rental SUV, I find myself seated in the back with Aiko and Aimi on either side of me. Mr. Nakamura gets in the driver's seat, and soon we are off. "Uh, M-Mr. Nakamura?" I ask, still feeling intimidated by him and his general imposing figure. "Yes?" he asks, looking back in the rearview mirror with a smile. "You forgot your wife," I say, looking back to see Mrs. Nakamura staring at the car with her arms crossed, with one of those red anger veins again... oh wait, another one just popped up. "Huh? ... Uh-oh," he says, hitting the breaks and quickly throwing the car into reverse. When we pull up next to Mrs. Nakamura, she's now sporting a third anger vein. "Hehe, s-sorry, my love," Mr. Nakamura offers. "Idiot! How many times must you drive off without me before you learn to stop and check to make sure I'm in the car first?!" she yells, her head doubling in size, her eyes white and pupiless, and her teeth veritable fangs. "I'm so sorry, my love!" Mr. Nakamura says after turning to face her in his seat, hands together in a bow, looking as though he's praying for mercy to a terrifying entity... which maybe he is? "Dad does this all the time," Aiko whispers to me with a quiet giggle. "Sometimes we place bets on how far he gets before he realizes," Aimi added in. "Now, get out," Mrs. Nakamura says, her head back to normal, but her arms still crossed. "B-but..." Mr. Nakamura starts, before thinking better of it. He got out of the driver's side, holding the door open for his wife. He scrambles to the passenger side, saying nothing. Almost instantly, Mrs. Nakamura's demeanor becomes cheerful and upbeat. "I'm sure that the flight must've really taken a lot out of you, Ambrose," she says... with flowers appearing in the air around her head? Woah. I thought that was special effects on the shows and movies! "So our plan was to head back home and help get you settled in and rest up a bit before maybe going out and showing you around a little. At least to help you get a bit more familiar with your new surroundings." "I do feel a little jet lag, Mrs. Nakamura, thank you. However, it's not too bad. I made sure to stay up late the night before the flight, so that I could sleep on the plane," I explain. "Smart idea, Ambrose-kun!" Aiko says, smiling. "Ah, yes, I see," Mr. Nakamura says, rubbing his chin. "So you have a natural talent for controlling your circadian rhythm. A skill that could come in quite useful, especially if you are interested in the exquisite arts of the ninja--AGH!" Without taking her eyes off the road or even breaking her smile, Mrs. Nakamura, one hand still on the steering wheel, manages to land a chop on her husband's forehead. "You can ask Ambrose about your hobby later, sweetie," she says. "... Yes, dear," Mr. Nakamura says, now with an even bigger lump on his head! Feeling a tug on my sleeve, I look at Aimi who leans in to whisper. "Dad's kinda like a big kid. And he's always been obsessed with ninjas. So he's probably going to try and get you to train under him. Just a heads up." Wow. I mean, I kinda gathered something to that effect from the clues he's been dropping, but still, that kinda came in out of left field. As we drive through the city, the Nakamuras and I fall into a surprisingly easy exchange. I learn that the name of my high school is TG Academy, and it's actually a private school, which sounds pretty nice. There is a semi-strict uniform code, but it doesn't sound too bad from what Aiko tells me. Aimi will be going there starting next year, as she is thirteen but already studying advanced classes in her middle school. Aiko, despite her youthful energy and overall petiteness is actually a year ahead of me. Oh, I'm fifteen, by the way. She's a member of a few clubs, including a martial arts club, and something called the "Spy Club". Mr. Nakamura, I learn, is actually a book author, and has had a few titles published already. Mrs. Nakamura is actually an English teacher at the school, which if I remember correctly, is actually a pretty lucrative position. Soon, we are driving through what appear to be... suburbs? Oh! We pull up to a brick wall with a metal gate that has some buttons and a speaker on the front. The house itself is definitely modern, constricted from brown bricks, with three long vertical windows facing the front.. It's made of brick, and I can see the front door and a side sliding-glass door leading to what I presume is a patio, obstructed by the aforementioned brick wall. It has a second storey. I can see two separate sliding glass doors leading to a balcony that also faces the front of the house, and long strips of windows. There's also a couple of trees to the left of the house, adding in some lovely green. While not as big or fancy as my family's house, it is definitely a nice, and very well maintained house! Not that I was expecting anything less. "And home sweet home!" Mrs. Nakamura says in a sing-song voice. We all pile out of the car, with Mr. Nakamura heading around to the back and popping the trunk. I go to join him and help carry in my stuff. I'm going to try and grab as much as possible, so hopefully I won't seem rude. ... Wait, why did the light just glint off of Mr. Nakamura's eye? And why is he chuckling and rubbing his hands together like that?"He he he, now is the perfect opportunity to test out my new Secret Luggage to Guest Bedroom Teleport Jutsu!" How did his voice reverberate like that... woah! Mr. Nakamura is making a rapid series of complicated hand gestures. "Dad, please don't!" Aiko begs, but it is too late. With a flourishing clap... my luggage is now gone! "See? Nothing to fear! I am a master of the ancient ninjutsu arts after all!" he says, giving a thumbs up while looking very proud of himself. "Uh, Dad?" Aimi chimes in. "Yes, sweetie? Did Daddy impress you enough with his ninjutsu that now you wanna learn how to become a ninja yourself?" "No... I just noticed that all of the suitcases are now on the roof." We are all silent as we look up to find that yes, all of my luggage is now currently residing on tha Nakamura household roof, stacked all on top of one another. "Dear," Mrs. Nakamura says with a sigh while rubbing her temple, "please get our guest's suitcases off of the roof." "Y-yes, of course my love!" he says, a large sweat bead running down his face. He then holds up two fingers on his right hand... and vanishes?! Oh wait, he's now on the roof. "I am so sorry for my husband using his... let's call them skills, on your luggage." Mrs. Nakamura looks over to me as she says this. "It's quite alright," I say, now wondering if I have a giant bead of sweat myself. I'll have to do some extensive studying in a mirror at some point. "Our Dad likes to practice and experiment with his ninjutsu whenever he can... with mixed results," Aiko says-- yup, now sporting a sweat thing of her own. We head on inside, and I remember to take my shoes off just inside the door, hence why for the flight, I wore slip-ons! Inside is very cozy. Eggshell white walls with family pictures adorning the walls, an umbrella stand right by the front door. The hallway opens up to a living room with a large couch, some chairs, and an entertainment center. "How about a quick tour of the house?" Aiko asks, already grabbing my arm... wow, she's got a really strong grip. I mean, I've heard of vice-like grips before, but this actually WOAH! Without waiting for an answer, Aiko bolts off with me trailing in tow, my feet no longer touching the ground, somehow kicking up clouds of dust in this impeccably clean house! "You saw the living room, so here's the kitchen!" she says; the sudden stop is quite jarring. I do take in the details of the kitchen like the soft grey tiled floor, the darker grey formica counters, a large metallic fridge--WOOOSH! And we're off again. "Here's the dining room!" I'm feeling a little dizzy, but I can make out one of those low-tables with the cushions on the floor. I've always wanted to try eating at one of those! I open my mouth to say as much, only for the wind to rip the words away. This continues on to the downstairs restroom, then upstairs to her bedroom. We're back out in a flash, but I notice a very impressive PC on her desk, as well as a bookshelf filled with all sorts of books and manga, but in a flash I find myself being shown Aimi's room. Huh, she's got several bookshelves, mostly filled with thick and well-worn books, some even being leatherbound. We pass by her parents' bedroom and then, finally, stop at what is to be my room. "Ta-Daaa!" she says, finally letting me drop. I am fairly certain that my arm has been dislocated. Wobbly, I make it to my feet, and actually see myself in a mirror... my eyes look like... spirals? I shake my head, and things seem to shift back to normal in my vision. I see that all of my luggage has been stacked in the middle of the room. Looking around, I see a desk facing out one of the windows. There's some paintings of flowers hanging on the walls, but otherwise the walls are bare. I see the sliding doors of a closet, fairly certain that there's a rolled up futon waiting for me. I'm excited to give sleeping in one of those a try! Oh hey, there's a flatscreen TV on a wall, right next to a dresser, and a sliding glass door to the balcony! "I know that it's a little on the bare side, but together, after you unpack, we can spruce it up!" Aiko says, as bubbly as ever. "And the balcony looks out onto our backyard and garden!" she says, leading me to the door and opening it. We exit outside and I must say, that is one impressive garden. I see flowers and a tree, and what looks to be several cacti, neatly packed into the admittedly small area they had to work with. Nothing looking cramped or crammed in. There's even a shed. "Well," Aiko starts, having turned to look at me, "what do you think?" I smile. "Your home is amazing, and I'm really excited to be here." I mean it too. My family's home is much larger and well-kept... but... it's a very cold house. And I mean that emotionally. Conversely, the Nakamuras' home, while much smaller in comparison, is so much more warm and inviting. This seems to please the odd yet likable girl before me. "I'm so happy!" she giggles as she jumps. "I've always wanted a little brother!" Okay, the hair ruffling is a little much, cute girl or not. She stops and giggles some more. "I'll let you unpack. Just come on down when you're ready to see some local sights!" Aiko then leaves the room, closing the door behind her. Not wasting any time, I set to unpacking my bags. As I hang my shirts up, I confirm that there IS a rolled up futon in my closet. SCORE! Scratching my itchy wrist, I set about taking care of the rest of my luggage.     And there you go! I certainly hope that you enjoyed the first chapter of my newest story!

Limping forward, every bit of pressure made my leg feel as if it were about to give out. Blood trickled down my leg, making me feel uncomfortable, but I couldn't stop. "Split up and find him! He stole from us Python Gang! Whoever finds him gets to kill him!" An angered voice roared. I smiled as I hobbled forward, one hand holding a gun and the other keeping me on my feet. The sound of footsteps and curses made me curse silently at the rating of this mission! How could I have known that instead of a helpless target, he was a terrifying gang leader? Of course, if I could see those bastards who gave me such a job, I'd probably shoot them myself. I made it to the end of the corridor, and turned around in time to see a young man with tattoos rush around the corner. Apparently, he was the smartest of the bunch and followed my trail, however that wouldn't be enough. A bang sounded as the gun in my hand sent a wave of force through my body, making me groan in pain. As a hitman, I may be a killer, but I was still human, and every human has weaknesses. Weaknesses easy to exploit. The bullet whistled over and before the young man could react or aim in my direction, he was already toppling to the floor, dead. I may or may not have been first place in accuracy while shooting amongst our small community of hitmen. Just as he fell, another rushed around the corner, gun aimed in my direction, but with the twitch of a finger, the man who was quite burly staggered and fell in a heap. I wheeled around and tried the door, a door made of iron, or maybe steel? Any one would suck as I'd have to find another way out. As expected, it was locked. I narrowed my eyes and kept moving, leaving the two corpses as a present. Because I felt my chest aching in pain, I knew that I might die today, but I may as well bring down as many as I could with me, right? After checking my clip, I found out I only had a few bullets left. Courtesy of me exchanging fire with several thugs earlier. Coming upon another door, I aimed my gun at the lock and fired, smashing my shoulder against the door and succeeded in opening it. Looking into the darkness, as well as the chilly air, I realized I was outside. Of course, I wasn't safe yet, I was still in the Python Gang's territory. Closing the door behind me, I limped out of the alleyway and tried to blend in with the crowd, however everyone gave me a wide berth as if I were contagious or something. Looking down, I realized that my previously white shirt was stained in red, and with a gun in my hand, I probably appeared to be a lunatic to them. The door of the bar burst open, making me wonder why I spent all that effort if I could just leave through the damned front door. Of course, I didn't know that the first place that was blocked was the front door of the bar. Going around actually preserved my life for a little longer. After raising my gun, I started to fire, not minding the screaming crowd who scattered, however some were highly unfortunate as they ended up receiving wounds from the exchange of bullets. Just as more men rushed out the door, I felt a stew be sensation envelop me, as if death were holding it's grim scythe to my neck. In the instant that I froze, I heard a horn and turned my neck in time to see a truck a few meters away and getting closer. Adjust the dumbstruck gaze of the crowd, I tried to evade, however the damned truck turned as well, as if determined to hit me to the high heavens. I can't even begin to describe how it felt when I flew in the air, then abruptly fell to the ground, blood leaking from several wounds I just acquired. As if that wasn't enough, the truck accelerated and drove towards me, leaving me dumbfounded. 'How the fuck is this still a truck? Did you have a grudge with me in my past life? Why are you so determined?!' I can't recall anything after than as my vision abruptly darkened, along with my conscious mind. ... Rito, the Leader of the Python Gang absently wondered if the truck was being driven by someone who hated the hitman who attempted to kill him. Before he could stop it, the truck ran over the half dead hitman, leaving him little more than pieces of meat and bone on the ground. "Fuck! How am I supposed to find out who sent him now?" Looking at his underlings, he sighed and gestured, heading back inside to hide everything before the cops arrived. ... I gasped for air, however it wasn't done out of necessity, it was mostly out of reflex. My mind seemed to be rebooting as I tried to figure out what happened.  The last thing I could recall was a tire quickly running over me, and then a sense of vertigo, and then I found myself... where exactly? Opening my eyes, I looked around and saw nothing but stone walls and a pathway leading somewhere unknown. Strangely, despite the clear lack of lighting, I could still see as if I were looking through a binoculars, as everything was within perfect clarity. After a few more breaths to calm myself, I froze as I registered the strange scents in the air. I could somehow trace the scent leading off somewhere. With little to go on but my sense of smell? I walked forward, following the smell as I tried to figure out what happened. I wasn't overtly shocked, I read webnovels for fun, how could I not be familiar with Truck-kun and being isekai-ed? However, I no longer liked Truck-kun at all! You try getting run over after being hit by a truck, I guarantee you'd feel my pain, literally. With a soft breath, I kept to the wall, trying to make sure I didn't get lost. My sense of direction left little to be desired. After an unknown amount of time, as I am not a human clock, I finally saw a brighter hue all around. With a bit of exhilaration, I saw an opening that showed a valley bathed in sunlight with trees in the distance! As I left the tunnel I was in, a horrific burning sensation immediately assaulted my whole body, as if I were doused with gasoline and lit on fire! With a strange shriek, I leapt back towards the shadow of the tunnel, covering three meters in a single leap. 'Fuck! What the heck? Why was it so hot?! I nearly burnt to a crisp just from a few moments in the sun? Is this world safe?' 'Wait! I can't withstand sunlight? Wouldn't that make me some kind of creature of darkness then? Like a Vampire or something?' Along with the fading sensation of burning, my eyes turned bright as I looked at my arm, only to frown a few moments later. Instead of being seared and burnt, my arm was light red, and even that was fading to an unhealthy pale color. My fingers were small and tender, similar to a child's hands. With a strange sensation similar to a rock on my chest, I immediately grasped for my crotch. With a moment of silence, I silently prayed for the continued happiness and luck of my manhood. Despite losing my manhood, my thoughts weren't as dark as you think. I normally had no problem with the fairer sex, hell, the best hitman in the city was a woman. Quite scary and ice cold like a glacier. Now after confirming the lack of my manhood, I didn't devolve into a whining mess, instead I grasped my chest, feeling the soft mounds that made a jittery feeling course through me. "Fuck!" Without bothering to keep my voice down, I stared at my clothing with disbelief. I wore a black gothic dress, complete with ribbons and bows. Judging from the long silky black hair that appeared every time I moved my head to fast, I was indeed female. 'I may have no problem being a female, but I don't want to acquire any strange habits...' With a lack of confidence in my tone, it sounded more like a question. I could only look outside to pass the time, rather curious about my race. On Earth, I would immediately come to the conclusion I was a vampire, but who knew if it was normal here in this world? 'Heck, maybe everyone is a vampire and I just happen to be one who lives in a tunnel.' I smiled bitterly. 'Aren't vampires supposed to be rich? Why did I have a freaking tunnel instead of a mansion with servants?' "Ah! Where are my servants?" I asked aloud, puffing my cheeks out in annoyance, however I froze suddenly, as if all the bones in my body were locked in place. 'Why am I acting like this is okay? I died... D i e d. Yet here I am in someone else's body acting like a child! Am I going mental?' With confusion welling up inside me, I sighed and decided to wait until the sun left the sky, I mean, it had to right? It wouldn't just stay there all night, right?  

My mother gave me something sharp and hard. I didn't know that many words back then, so in my mind, I thought of it as "hard hurty". Due to it being both capable of hurting, and also being solid. As opposed to hot water and scary dogs, which were thought of as "soft hurty". I know now that it was a sacrificial knife. I was a 19 years old slightly overweight redhead standing in a plain waiting hall.    Before continuing, I should probably address the issue of my title. Seeing as I was once mentally impaired, am I allowed to use the demeaning term "retarded"? Am I perhaps as a normally developed individual risking reproducing harmful stereotypes by referring to my past self in this manner? Am I destigmatizing the word, thereby robbing it of its power? Make of that what you will, I am well aware of the concerns and willing to listen, I don't shy away from critique. But I won't change my natural way of communicating to the whims of others, so we will likely have to agree to disagree when it comes to nomenclature.    Back then I didn't know what the term meant, my parents referred to me as "having my own challenges". I didn't even realize I was "special". My family knew of the word though, my oldest brother almost challenged a stranger to a duel for using it to snicker at me (my mother hindered it from coming to blows).   "Kåre, Kåre?" Mother was trying to make me concentrate on her instead of the ceiling fan. I loved ceiling fans. I couldn't have expressed it in these terms, but I found them aesthetic and well-balanced. As well as wondrous in their constant and circular movement. The cool air that emitted from them made me also think of them as "nice", a term I had learned from my parents who used it to describe things that worked as they were intended and behavior that was approved. I guess my thinking pattern back then can be described as moralistic and teleological, in other words, I believed intimate objects and living things had a purpose — and I would at times get upset when they didn't fulfill that purpose. Broken ceiling fans were horrible for the same reason mean strangers were, they didn't fulfill their natural purpose — to spin or in the latter case to be kind.     "If you listen, that would make me very happy", mother knew what worked. I lowered my sight from the lovely purpose-fulfilling machine. "You're going to have to do something that feels hard, but it will be okay". I was filled with hesitation, mother spoke to me the same way she did before a dentist visit. "Don't shake, it's okay." I hadn't realized my body had started to move, but she was right and the shaking was subdued due to her warm smile. Mother was the center of my universe, I didn't realize she would die one day. She was eternal and kind, like a saint of familiar love. Occasionally I would grow angry at her, I didn't have the term "tyrant" in my vocabulary, but that was basically how I thought of her those days when she insisted I go to bed early or denied me to eat expensive candy I saw in the store. During a few of those episodes, my temper had gotten the better of me and I hit her. She fell to the ground once after a punch, I cried more than she did after that. Wrought by guilt enough for her to spend more time comforting me than being angry.  Memories like those are why I won't name my diagnosis. I wasn't a bad person, because I couldn't control myself. I don't judge people suffering from the same disability I had, and neither should you. I know that a lot of those who have made the same journey as I have don't share similar experiences, having been less harsh and violent. So as to not tempt readers to generalize from what might have been a particularly severe, even misrepresentative case, I'll allow my precise diagnosis to remain redacted. Knowing that the trained psychiatrists and other medical professionals amongst my readers probably have a good guess — I ask you to try and respect this decision.  "I won't shake"   "Good, good! You're so nice."   "I'm nice, I'm nice, I'm nice" I said happily. I was fulfilling my purpose. She waited for me to finish.   "Now, Kåre, you have to do what I tell you to do. No matter how scary it feels. Do you understand?" I nodded. "No matter how not-nice it feels" This confused me. I was implicitly asked to do something which wasn't nice, in order to make my mother happy, doing something not-nice to do something nice. I felt like a mortal who was told by his prophet to love his neighbor by stoning him to death for blasphemy. "No matter how not-nice it feels. We have to do it. Do you understand". The "we" in that sentence made me put the pieces together. Mother must be referring to something which appeared to be not-nice, but was in actuality nice — to see past a type of moral mirage. I nodded, happy that I managed to figure it out.    We left the waiting area, going through a long glass hall and then exiting into wild woods. I usually loved going into nature, but this wasn't right. I tried to turn back, but mother caressed me and reminded me that we had to do this. The screams and crying were what scared me. When we arrived at the bleeding men hanging from the tree, things didn't get better. Other children like me crying nearby them. I ran, but two guard-bots caught me. Mother caught up, and pushed them aside. They had built-in pillows on their arms to ensure soft grips and were designed to look friendly, but still frightened me then and there.  "It's okay. I'm here." It felt good being held by her.   "Home! I want to go home! Home!"   "It's okay, we can't go home right now. We have to do this first"   I cried and screamed. But she insisted that this had to be done first. I realized that this was one of those immutable imperatives, like going to the dentist or going to bed. It wasn't one of those obligations that could be negotiated away, at most this could be delayed. With heavy steps, I walked towards the trees with the bleeding men. She had the knife I dropped.    As I came closer, I realized that the screaming came from them. Partly muffled by the gags placed in their mouths. The knife was placed in my hand. They had wounds in strange shapes, I didn't recognize it then but the cuts formed religious runes. She guided my hand, and I cut into one of the men. Drawing a piece of one of the signs, him screaming and me crying while doing it. That was my cost, having to play a small part in it. Shortly after I lost consciousness, not because of the stress but due to the ritual taking effect.    I didn't wake up for over a week. When I opened my eyes mother was beside me. It's hard to describe how it was, seeing her with my new perspective. The same person, with the same features, but my sensations now conveyed more information and nuances. Thoughts were processed quicker and could provide more answers to the same question than before. For example, based on the wetness on my mothers face I deduced that she had most likely recently been crying. Upon the subtle details on her face, I realized without processing it consciously that they must have been tears of joy.    "Kåre!" She bent over the bed and hugged me. I held her tight while processing information about my own name. Who was Kåre? Like when you stare at a cloud that suddenly changes from an amorphic figure into something specific and meaningful, you changing when it feels like the world is, the memories in my past were recontextualized.   "I'm no longer retarded" I said in awe. She laughed at me and reprimanded me for using that awful word.   It is challenging to write this. Because I don't want to convey the idea that people with cognitive disabilities live unworthy or unfulfilling lives. I was happy as my former self. Imagine that you had been given wings one day, that would have opened up a new world to you. It wouldn't make you look down upon people without wings, it would just make things faster for you and provide more options. My journey was the mental equivalent of that. The same experiences and information became easier to understand immediately on a surface level, while I could also generate more elaborate interpretations — being able to see through previously murky water at a glance and dive deeper than I had thought possible. In the previous part of my life, an angry face meant that somebody was angry. Now I knew they might be making a silly face as a joke, faking an emotion for some instrumental purpose, or simply have a "resting bitch face". These explanations aren't mutually exclusive either, questions can now have several answers which are pieces of a puzzle.   I was and am immensely thankful to my mother and family. They were amazed to get to know the new me. My two older brothers helped me with homework as I started to study to take in all the information I'd missed while placed in a special school. When they heard me discussing boys candidly for the first time, that celebrity so-and-so could do what he wants with me, my youngest brother looked like he was about to die out of embarrassment. His image of me as naive and completely innocent dying in a violent coalition with reality.    The studying wasn't that hard. I don't know if most of the information needed had been implanted as a part of the theurgical process ("theurgy" is magic by channeling powers from gods). If my new mind had just absorbed details from old memories, such as hearing my mother discuss parliament with a friend once, and from that conversation now having deduced that we lived in a society with some type of citizen participance in regards to government policy. Perhaps both in some way, or neither and instead a third alternative I haven't figured out. My mother insists that I'm just very bright and a natural learner, but being unbiased in regard to her daughter's capabilities isn't her strongest feature (a flaw I love in her).  As I came to understand what had happened in greater detail, and why, I of course suffered the "beneficiary's guilt", asking myself if I was really worthy of all this. Beneficiary interest groups (organizations for people healed by rituals) had long before made the heavy lifting for me, petitioned the king, and lobbied political parties. I was entitled to all the stored information on my case, including about the man I had cut that day. I won't reveal his name publically, I just needed to know. At first it felt idiotic to send the message I wanted to write, other days it felt like a moral necessity. In case the recipient turned out to be a crazy stalker, I arranged to get a temporary number and then reached out.    The text message included the following:  "Hey, we don't know each other. What I'm about to say might bring up painful memories, I apologize if it is hurtful to read, I'm sending this because me saying nothing feels like it might be even worse for you. I was the one your son was sacrificed to heal. I just wanted to let you know that the lottery didn't pick him out to die to help some vain idiot get a better figure, it helped me live a normal and independent life. Which would have otherwise been completely impossible. I don't know if you want "a thank you", or if that feels unimportant and even insulting. But if it would help, then yes, I am extremely thankful.  Sincerely, Kåre" I didn't include my last name. Didn't want them to be able to look me up, beneficiary rights ensured that I could remain completely anonymous if I chose to. The phone rang, fuck! Why couldn't they text back first, to let me evaluate their craziness level by proxy. I answered, the person on the other end was crying.   "Oh, I'm sorry" I blurted out, guilty over having brought this storm of emotions on her.   "Don't be!" She almost screamed in my ear, the voice belonged to a middle-aged woman "You did the right thing. It's just that thinking of it makes me emotional."   "Okay" I didn't know what to say.   "Don't feel bad. We should meet up, to talk about this." I hesitated "in a neutral public place. So you can feel safe, trust me I'm harmless. But nonetheless"   I agreed but brought my two brothers with me, two gingers both a far bit taller than average (both of them secretly armed).  The cafeteria she picked out was a very picturesque place, so I tried to joke with my brotherly body guards that if I was murdered it would at least be in a pleasant setting. Mr. and Mrs. X didn't look particularly murdery upon arrival. The slim dark haired father had acne scars across his face and a stern look, the mother was blonde and slightly chubby. If they were intimidated by my brothers, they didn't show it.   After exchanges of standard phrases of politeness, and me explaining my former condition, Mr X got to the chase — "You don't have to feel guilty. If anyone should feel guilt, it should be us"   "No, don't say that"   "It doesn't matter if I say it or not, it's true. We failed as parents."  Mrs. X nodded along. "We tried to convince him to get a decent living. Told him not to accept sacrificial-lottery tickets. He responded in some glib way like 'if you believe in astronomically unlikely events happening, then why don't you buy tickets for the normal lottery? And we'll see what happens first, you get your name called and become a multimillionaire, or my name gets pulled and I die'. Or 'you know the more people take these tickets, the less likely it is that your name will get pulled. Just like the chance of winning are watered down by selling more tickets in regular lotteries. So isn't me accepting a ticket really the heroic thing to do?'. We tried to be serious, but he just goofed around about it. Wouldn't listen"   "He didn't get along at any of his jobs" Mrs. X continued. "Management and him ended up arguing, and either he left or they fired him. It wasn't his fault, I heard stories of how they treated him. But he probably could have done more to become agreeable."   "So he participated in the lottery not to become homeless?" I said, afraid I might have benefitted from a man selling his life in a desperate situation.    "No, nothing like that deary. We were always there for him. And the basic income is more generous than a lot of activists claim. If you just live prudently, no drinking or shopping expensive things, and you can make it by with a home, food, and all that even without a job"   "Problem is, that's one of the points where we failed as parents" Mr.X filled in "he didn't settle for living a simple life of unemployment, or just biting his tongue and taking a few hits to the ego to continue earning a paycheck. No, not only didn't we teach him how to listen properly, we didn't manage to teach him how to live modestly. He bought consoles, computers, sex-bots, a clean-bot, drank, gambled. Was the life of a party. The only way you can pull all of that off is if you're a doctor or something, commit crimes, or take part in the lottery. So he accepted the temple's money, and boy do they pay you well to take part.   Give you little brochures as well, and show you information videos. Telling you how unlikely it is, 'its likelier to get cancer without smoking than to get your name called, its less probable than being killed by a stranger in a robbery gone wrong', and all of that shit. Well, the brochures weren't all wrong in his case. They blabbered on about all the lives you could change for the better, and he seems to have genuinely done so for you."   "Yes, I don't know how to say this, but if not for your son I would still be retarded" They winced at the word, then we laughed all of us at the absurdity of the situation. "Have you seen the recording?"   "No, and you shouldn't either." Said Mrs. X. "We remember him for the good things in his life. His kindness, his generosity, and his charm. You shouldn't focus on how he ended his journey". Seeing as I was the reason his journey ended, I felt that I had to. We separated on good terms that day, I still met them for coffee occasionally.   I lied to them as we departed, said I wouldn't look up the video. A few emails to the right government agencies, they acquired the file from the temple, responded to me after three days, and after a short download I would just have to hit play. Never had any object in my life been harder to move than the computer-mouse was at that moment, having heard lectures from benefactors who were both for and against looking up this type of information, I was pulled in two. After thinking of how I would have felt in his place, I would have wanted people to know what I went through, I pressed play.  The forest was there on my screen again, an information bar indicated that I could toggle between different camera angles. I lowered the volume as to not be deafened by the men screaming and the mentally handicapped teenagers and children crying. I now knew the societal background of what was happening. Deities did provide miracles, at the cost of human blood. While billionaires could pay out of pocket for people to risk becoming a human sacrifice in exchange for a small fortune for everyone whose name wasn't called out, ordinary people had to finance these grisly rituals through insurance cooperatives and the like. When I was born, my dad's labor union membership had turned out to include access to being the beneficiary of such a lottery, the union paid people like X an enormous amount of money each to put their name in a machine, and the "winner" was killed in a ritualized manner. Seeing as the arrangement was expensive, my parents had to take me through a lot of evaluations to prove my condition, and a lot of natural treatment to see if other options could help, before I was put on the waiting list.    Once all of that was done, I had to wait for the terminally ill kids to go first. Then people who suffered immense pain due to their conditions, who were regularly dangerous (my occasional punches at mom weren't enough to qualify to butt in line). The union couldn't waste that much money on a benefit either, so there weren't a lot of lotteries held every year. My mother bought into separate waiting list through her home insurance, my name now on two lists. Still, it took until I was 19. That's when I walked up to X in that forest.  As I saw myself carving into him, I felt sorry for me. But not in the classical self-pitting way, but rather like I saw a stranger going through it. So much had changed that I felt like a different person. After the old me fainted and was carried away, it took a while for the other benefactors to be coached into carving into their sacrifice victims. Benefactors who physically couldn't participate, such as those in a coma, or who wouldn't due to psychological reasons, had to have a series of runes carved into themselves instead. Without anesthetics. I wondered if that might have been better.  Once we left, there was only the bleeding men and chanting priest who just entered the scene. And then it came, what the chanting had called forth. Most gods have a sacred beast, an animal that they regard as having a higher value than humans. Dead people are fed to them as burial rituals, priestesses and priests spend time grooming and carrying for them. Due to their subconscious connection to the divine, their god acting like an invisible pack leader or pet owner in their minds, the beasts are studied for signs from their god. Movements are carefully observed and documented.  From the woods came a hybrid creature. Part snake, part horse, part wolf — with human female ghostly body parts thrown in for good measure. Sacrifice victims to Hera could be fed to her spiders, monsters that buried through their skin, laid eggs inside them, for the poor souls to eatan from the inside by their young. Freya's cats toyed with some of their victims, and being fed to the worms of the earth goddess Ale didn't seem like fun either. But I wondered if this wasn't worse than all of those. The creature belonged to Loke — who had fathered the snake Jörmungandr, the horse Sleipner, the wolf Fenrir and the semi-corpse goddess Helena. The animal carried features of all of his children, as some type of cruel divine joke I presume. It hobbled forth more than ran or walked, levitating bit by bit, to then fall to the ground.  Out of a semi-transparent humane female face, a set of wolf's jaws emerged and started tearing one of the men to pieces. A second head, snake-like, opened and two humanoid arms came out, sharp fingers cutting through another man and pulling his remains into the snake's mouth. I vomited, paused, and went back to see what I missed. If they had to go through this, then I could at least force myself to watch it.    It was just as slow and painful as you expect of being eaten alive, with the added horror of it being carried out by a monster. I wasn't the first to ask this question, but why? Why do the gods demand this cruelty from us? Couldn't Loke have healed me without X going through this? There are mountains of books trying to answer this. Some say that the gods are well-meaning but limited in their ability to affect our world, rituals like this open up pathways for their magic to work. Others claim that the gods are mad, demanding these macabre acts to drive away boredom. I sure won't end that debate here.    Another debate I won't end is if this was right. Should people be paid to do this to themselves, even if it gives the less fortunate like me a new life? Are the Muslims, Christians, and Buddhist right, that we should bow down to gods who refrain from such harsh demands? If not, what is our answer to those who follow "the thorny path"? Worshipers who don't compromise with the bloodier demands of our gods, instead raid to collect involuntarily sacrifice victims, and partake in rituals dedicated to our gods but that we deem to be "dark magic" due to their high costs and risks. The fact that X had to volunteer and be paid are human inventions, the ban against child sacrifices is a human invention. Concessions we force on the divine rites to make our symbiosis with the metaphysical masters more tolerant to our sensibilities. If we condemn Muslims, Christians, and Buddhists for forsaking the gods of our ancestors, how do we defend ourselves against similar accusations from the thorned ones? I don't have all the answers. It seems like there is a middle way between paternalistically denying adults options of making bad decisions, and removing all traffic rules for the sake of freedom. As well as a compromise between saying "tough luck" to people with disabilities untreatable by mundane methods and allowing someone to die screaming so that a rich guy can get a bigger penis. I'm obviously biased, but to me, it seems unconscionable that we continue to allow human sacrifices to increase the IQ of normally gifted individuals, the beauty of the non-disfigured, and similar. People who have been given reasonable cards in life shouldn't be able to buy themselves a winning hand, while people who have been denied a set at the table should be allowed a place to sit — as long as someone of sound mind consents to take the risk of being sacrificed and is compensated handsomely for that risk.  If it wasn't for X, I wouldn't have found a man to marry and have a child on the way. I wouldn't have graduated from MedSchool, how many patients won't I be able to help through his sacrifice? So I would like to briefly address him directly. If you can look back on this world from the next, then I thank you with every atom of my being.

Transported Into An Evil Empire.   It was all normal, just how I liked it. I woke up early, got ready and started watching the first few episodes of my favourite anime. It was a long journey but I had finally got through the hundreds of episodes, and now I was on my last one. But I had college, this last one could wait, I would watch it when I came back. I got on my bike and made my way to campus, followed by a lecture on history, something related to anthropology and early humans, I took my notes and paid attention as this was a subject I was very interested in, not that I ever wanted to live in a very primitive, stone age world, a scab could kill me. Once that was over and done with, I devoted some time to study in the library, which may or may not have consisted mostly of looking at memes on my phone instead of actual study. Once I felt like I understood most of the info, I could finally get back to the last episode of that show. I got on my bike and cycled as fast as possible, I did not want to waste any time. I switched to the highest gear and sped down and trudged up hills until my apartment block was just on the other side of the street. Look left, Look right, Look left, it’s alright. I pedalled onwards and just as I was about to go onto the opposite curb, felt something beside me. It looked like a ghost truck, it appeared translucent and ethereal, like something out of this world, I couldn’t help but stop and look as it continued rushing towards me. Splat! I was trapped in a dark box, I felt tiny and weak, I couldn’t see anything. I tried pushing out but nothing happened. This enclosure was too strong, too tough, it felt like icey steel, I had goosebumps all over and I was shivering. Is this death? Are you just stuck in this compartment forever, just letting consciousness run until you can’t think or feel anymore? There has to be more, there is more, I don’t know what this is, but I know it's not all there is to the afterlife. I pushed again, this time revitalised with strength, as if my confidence boosted me. The box faltered, it bent around my hands, and with a final push with my legs, it burst open. “Damn sonny, how did you get in there?”  I saw a dark man standing over me, shadowed by the sun. “There are easier ways to scrap these boxes, have this.” He tossed a crowbar to me and I instinctively caught it. “Should crack open with only the slightest amount of pressure, using your hands is a chore and get you cut.” I stood there, dumbfounded and confused. “Get to work maggot! I’m being nice cause you’re new, but I ain't gonna be like this much more.” “Yes sir!” I blurted out of nowhere, I had a talent for looking the part, I was able to sneak into concerts and events. I quickly followed this with a salute, then crawled out of this box. I was able to see my foreman - foreman? We’re scrappers, so that’s the term if he’s the boss, yeah - and he was adorned in very fancy metal armour, complete with gold swirls and dragon insignia which did little more than to signify rank and importance. I could certainly fit in, but i needed to learn where the absolute fuck am I, I would start by finishing today’s job and then asking around, it wasn’t too hard, this metal was very weak. I walked up to rows of metal boxes and broke a slit with my crowbar near the top and wrenched upwards,taking off the top, then i made my way to the sides, making a slit, wrenching out, and I would  just kick the rest down once I could make my way inside freely I saw some very exhausted and soot covered men carrying these scrapped boxes into a pit.  I gathered the sheets of metal I had scrapped and held it above my head on both hands, seeing as there was no other way to comfortably do it, the shape was awkward. - I need to get back home, I need to finish that anime, things need to go back to normal. I got lashed for not carrying these sheets of metal fast enough, and again for not carrying enough. I scrapped three boxes and jogged with the sheets above my head, tossed it down the pit and went back. I could never do this work for more than 3 days, my back was hurting, I was wheezing and it hadn’t even been 2 hours yet, the sun had barely shifted. “Maggot, faster!” He ordered. “What level’re you anyway, how did you even get assigned this job, work’s barely started and your having a fit.” “Level?” I asked.  “Y’don’t know about levels, how have you even gone about living, how old are you?” “19..” "19 and I doubt you’re even level 3 yet, did your parents feed you dirt? Say ‘Status’” “Uh..” “Now maggot!” “Yes sir! Status." [James Green] [Health:30/30] [Level: 1] [Stats:] [Strength:5] [Speed:4] [Vitality: 3] [Mind: 5] [Free points: 3] [Skills:] [Loot boxes:] [Basic: 1] I read my stats to him and he howled in laughter. “No skills, all single digit stats? Hah! How the fuck!?” I stood there, all awkward and confused, I didn’t know what these numbers meant. “Come with me.” He said, quickly changing his tone and walking off, I followed closely and was led to a small with a name on it. FOREMAN RATH TUK “Give me access to your sheet, I’ll kill you if you were lying about what you said, the empire has got no space for spies.”   A/N: [If you're interested in this story, please check it out on Royalroad, I'll be posting exclusive stuff on there that you won't be able to access here.]

He was imperfect, more than just a scratch instead beaten with a hammer. His hair was messy, his arms were twigs, his eyes were shadowed, and his height nothing to glance at. His clothes were baggy, and his skin pale. His voice was still childishly high, and his posture hunched with eyes locked with his toes. But even such a physically flawed specimen is worth something, a savior of the damsel in distress. She didn’t remember him though, the savior who pulled her out of the way of a speeding truck tossed to the wayside quick as the truck whizzed by. That was the last time they ever met, the only time they ever met. This isn’t the story of how a boy betters himself and wins the heart of the maiden who doesn’t remember his name. Years pass and the boy absurdly the same, except a slightly lower voice along with the few inches in height. He didn’t save a girl from becoming roadkill but instead crashed into a lady walking down the sidewalk. He backpedaled and helped her collect her scattered things, but the two parted ways after a formal thank you, and you're welcome. This is not the story of how two jilted loners found love for the world through one another. A coffee mix up at the café led to no late night cliques, now nothing more than a faded memory. Lab partners laughs forgotten as the class bell rang. Friendly late-night studying never escalated to late-night romance. “Aster are you okay?” Abigale asked concerned for her childhood best friend. She was beautiful in her own right, shining rays of moonlight for hair, white porcelain skin, eyes that glowed, and a figure from the divine. “I’m fine Abby. Just exhausted.” His voice has grown deep over the years but the same flawed features didn’t mitigate. “Aster you know you can talk to me about anything.” She informed as she took a seat on the couch beside him. “Abby, I’m fine, really. Just look at his smile!” His teeth were stained yellow and crooked beyond repair. “I’m worried about you.” “Thank you, but it seems Ryan is out of class now, get going, I’m fine.” This is not the story of childhood friends turned lovers. So, what is this story? “Let’s all move in together!” Aster suggested with a gleeful shout into his Harmony call of friends. Two were guys and one was a girl, none were amazing looking but all had their unique traits. Grey’s glasses were a teal blue, Holland’s hair was flame red, and Kate had a prosthetic left arm. This is that story. Not of a story of coincidences, nor a novel of failed escapades of young love. This is the story of companionship, not to be confounded with lovers, but instead friends. “You are never alone, always remember that no matter how dark, you are never alone.” Aster had that quote plastered as his computer wallpaper. There under it was a photo of everyone smiling, as may be just for that moment, they were happy. Happiness is not something gained in a day, or even in a single instant, but achieved. Something you work towards, something you desire more than wealth. Money can be made in an instant but smiles can take a lifetime. What will you give up for wealth? What will you exchange for happiness? Will you be of resounding resolve for your cause? Or will you falter under the immense pressure? As Aster took the razer to his head and shaved himself bald, he began a new journey, not for love, not for anyone besides himself. Today he would become a better person. As he stared at his bed with weary eyes he decided it wouldn’t be today, but tomorrow, tomorrow sounds better.

Chapter 1: Fate ——————————————— White hall, City Z ~~~ Sept 2065 ————————-———— “At what point does a man become irredeemable. You ask,” He puffed on a cigar, “Most would say— people become irredeemable when they start to relish the dreadful acts they commit. Although some might argue, people can commit heinous crimes and be ghastly, terrible people, but it’s always possible. Even if it’s unlikely, for them to change— turn their lives around, regret what they’ve done, and do as much good as they can while they’re still here.” “Mr. President, but what about Razius the dead?” asked a reporter “Can he be redeemed?” asked another reporter. After a moment of silence, “No matter what the world might say, Razius was a good man” He continued, “A good man with a rotten fate.” “So, can his actions be justified on the basis of his orthodoxical upbringing and prejudiced treatment during his childhood?” “Evil—” His low tone in his voice shifted, “—can never be justified. The world has never been fair, and countless people have experienced a fate worse than Razius’s, yet they didn’t give up on their sanity. They walked a thorny path of a martyr and engraved their names on the pages of a history book.” “So, he cannot be vindicated under any circumstances?” The white smoke filled the room, “That’s not for me to decide.” —————— 30 Years Ago ———— One decision. Life gave him one last choice, Quest: Dragon’s Inheritance You shall inherit all of the ancient dragon’s abilities and tasks. Tasks including killing all of the rankers in this room and maintaining the ever-lasting cycle of chaos. Further details will be revealed upon quest acceptance Quest Start Time ‘- 20 years’ Do you accept (Quest: Dragon’s Inheritance)? Yes No One decision. Looking at the quest, he wondered, just why? Why him? ————————— 24 hours earlier —————— [The five high-rankers shall today embark on a journey to vanquish the dread of the Tower.] [After 20 years cruel years, the world will now enter an era of peace and prosperity] The squabbles from the TV spread across the reasonably small room. Except in front of the door, bookshelves occupied all other corners in the room. The sole source of light in the room was the fluorescent light bulb hanging in the ceiling. There were no windows. Piles of notes and written runes were arranged neatly in small tables, resting in front of the shelves. Razius didn’t enjoy board places. So, even though he could afford extravagant villas, he lived in a congested apartment. Money served like dirt in his hand. As a high-ranker, he could collect as much dirt as he desired, but Razius relished his mediocre lifestyle. From his wardrobe, he took out a black leather coat and pants. He only had two pairs of clothing. One the ranker outfit he wore when going to work. Another a simple black robe he wore at home. After he donned on his black ranker outfit with silver linings, he glanced towards the TV News. The squabbles about the high rankers final quest had spread like wildfire across the web. His arms slightly quivered in a forecast of what was to come. ——————— On the way, ————— “Go heroes!” “Hail to a new future!” The crowd screamed. They cried; they roared, all in excitement. Five Rankers ambled across a red carpet, waving at the people. The one-hour walk commenced from the Hunter Association would end at Triple-Gate. Rather than using any vehicle or transportation spell, the five rankers choose to walk in glory. The walk served a purpose—to spread a message of humbleness and inspiration. And assured the people that everything was going to be alright. A red carpet stretched across the middle of the street, where the rankers walked. On other sides, people gathered and hooted with long banners. Razius scouted his eyes across various people and glimpsed at the names on the banners. Redsworn, Scarlet Viper, Phoenix, Reaper. People worshipped the names of the four high rankers. Big posters were hanged from the roofs, cheering the rankers. Some even went as far as to tattoo the ranker’s symbols and faces on their own body. Razius surveyed his eyes through the crowd of over 20,000 people. Even among thousands of banners for other rankers, he saw just one-two banners, with the name Razius the Dead. But when he saw those two banners, he felt some warmth in his heart. Razius had pale skin mottled with blue and purple patches. In the eyes of others, he looked like a walking corpse with a hideous face. So, people called him Razius the Dead. Initially, the title had started as an insult by one of the fellow rankers. But the name stuck over time. Razius didn’t mind the name. At least it was better than the insults he got as a child. ——————— After the Quest ———— “Make sure to fit the entire head!” Redsworn rested atop the severed green dragon head’s snout. He was an eccentric young man with red hair and donned red-scaled armor made from fine serpent scales. “Eh? But the head's too big...” Reaper stood in front of the dragon’s head. His blue eyes glittered even in the dark, contrasting perfectly with his black robe outfit and a hoodie. On his face, he wore a simple black mask, covering his face from the nose below. “Why do I have to do this?” He whispered as he struggled to capture the entire dragon’s head along with Redsworn in the camera’s frame. Meanwhile, Phoenix examined the colossal dungeon gate that had yet to open. Her golden eyes peered upon the dragon runes engraved upon the gate. With her two soft hands, she pushed the gate with all her might, but the gate did not budge an inch. “Tsk” Her face brewed a scowled expression. Right after the five had slain the Keeper, a notification had emerged in front of all of them. [You have slain the Keeper. The 5th Dungeon Door would open after 30 minutes.] She found the notification suspicious. They had already slain the Keeper, so what was the point of trapping them inside here? Not to mention, she couldn’t access any of her abilities right now. Looking back, she saw Redsworn and Reaper goofing around like always. ‘Idiots’ Then, her eyes fell over Viper. Like always, the scarlet-haired women looked busy dismantling the dragon’s corpse. Phoenix’s veins bulged, looking at how none of the others felt any concern about the current situation. ———— Razius rested, leaning against the wall in one of the corners. From his view, he could see Redsworn and Reaper near the severed dragon’s head, and Phoenix near the gate. Killing the Keeper turned out to be easier than expected. The dragon wasn’t weak. The five of them were just too strong. Right here, looking at the others, he dwelled on a question, “Why are they adored and idolized?” Many times had he contemplated the difference between him and the others. He, too, possessed parts of the traits that made the others famous. Reaper had a timid personality. He was shy and would often teleport away in the sight of a camera. The public found such a trait adorable. Razius, too was similar. He was shy, but of course, no one knew what kind of personality he had. Cameras were rarely pointed towards him, as people found his face grotesque. Redsworn was known for his flaws. Just a few years ago, his drinking problem and drug addictions became public news. Thereafter, he was idolized as a man, who even with flaws, always kept fighting for the people and saved millions in the battle against the red serpent. But no one ever praised Razius for fighting to protect the very people who despised him. Phoenix—she was considered a Paragon of Justice. She gained that title during the conquest of the ten demon lords when she saved the children enslaved by the Demon Lord of the frosty mountain. In truth, she mindlessly spread her flames throughout the hill, not caring about the civilians trapped in there. It was Reaper who stopped her flames from demolishing the innocents, and Razius who rescued the children. But alas, the kids considered Razius a monster and a demon and ran away. He didn’t mind. They were but children, after all. Later Phoenix got the entire credit for the operation. And last, Viper. No one knew her origins. No one knew what kind of person she was. She never participated in any form of rescue operations and only fought when she needed samples for her research. Yet, people still tattooed her name in their hearts. All because of her enticing and enchanting face. Razius sighed. Life was unfair. He realized it better than anyone and had come to terms with it. At least, he thought he’d, but all it took was one notification to make him question his entire life decisions.                                             You have met the requirement conditions Quest: Dragon’s Inheritance You shall inherit all of the ancient dragon’s abilities and tasks. Tasks including killing all of the rankers in this room and maintaining the ever-lasting cycle of chaos. Further details will be revealed upon quest acceptance Quest Start Time ‘- 20 years’ Do you accept (Quest: Dragon’s Inheritance)? Yes No “What?” He looked in awe. “-20 years?” For a moment, his entire life flashed in front of his eyes. “No, no” He shook his head and facepalmed. It was a ridiculous quest—kill all of the rankers in this room. How could he possibly do that? They were not bad people. Especially Redsworn, Reaper and Viper. Three of them were the only ones who never looked down on him. But if the quest starts 20 years earlier, then this future would cease to exist. That would mean… “I never killed anyone.” “No, no” He shook his head. But images of what-ifs kept flashing through his mind. If he could travel back 20 years, he could avoid the incident that caused his exterior to look nightmarish. He could make a better impression during awakening, “No, no.” Since his awakening 20 years ago, the one thing he realized was that the system was absolute. But still, he couldn’t convince himself to accept this quest. True, he may not be liked by everyone, and other rankers might have millions of admirers but he’d at least 10-100’s of admirers. That was enough for him. He may not have fan-made sites like other rankers, but he could still find articles about him being an underrated Ranker when he searched his name. Such little things helped him come to terms with his life. His struggles laid a foundation, which in turn gave birth to an unwavering conviction. But if he accepted such a quest now—it would mean his conviction was a lie. A man who’s properly content with his life doesn’t dream of a second chance. Razius struggled to convince himself that he was satisfied with his life. His arm quivered as he lifted it to press [No]. This was the only way. This way, he could prove to himself that his life was not a lie. You have accepted the quest He could not do it. Who was he kidding? He could not even convince himself that his current life had any meaning.Looking at the grim ceiling, he realized how pathetic he was and how miserable his life was.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS CLASSIFIED ACCESS BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITEDPERPETRATORS WILL BE TRACKED, LOCATED, AND DETAINED Attention: The following reports are to remain undisclosed to any unauthorized personnel. Clearance Level  : 3Agent(s) On Site : ████ ██████, ███ █████ Reports of a massacre occurred within the shuttle RV. ██████ (Research Vessel), also known as “ The Skeld ”, led under the investigation of Special Agents ████ ██████ and ███ █████ has generated more questions than answers. The result of the investigation has been made clear that there are no outside interferences towards the deaths of many crewmates of the shuttle, as well as the damage dealt within the interior. Special Agent █████ described the state of the ship during the time of discovery as “in total carnage of blood and havoc” as several interior spots are splattered with dry blood and remains of entrails, with some of the critical parts of the ship damaged. The shuttle’s automatic data log suggests that the ship’s reactor has nearly in critical failure and almost exploded several times during the course of the travel, which considered by Special Agent ██████ as “extremely odd” and “illogical” as the reactor would never be in the critical state so many times, being that the only way for the reactor to malfunction so frequently was due to an act of sabotage. Another info suggest that the oxygen supply was also repeatedly sabotaged as shown by the log, giving another clue that both sites are targeted seemingly to kill the entire crewmates. The Agents have also safely extracted the remaining two surviving crewmates of the shuttle, whose names are to be disclosed, but they are color coded using the special astronaut suit that are each given specific color code for an easy identification during their tasks within the shuttle. These surviving crewmates are BLUE and PURPLE. During the rescue, the surviving crewmates were showing visible symptoms of PTSD; reacting poorly in darkness, avoiding small crevices like vents, to avoiding people in general (Psychiatric Doctor █████ ███████ found out that the survivors are more comfortable in groups of three (3) people and above). Both crewmates BLUE and PURPLE are to be closely monitored to ensure subjects away from committing self-harm or to others. Interrogations of the survivors are to be scheduled. (See Addendum ████-C for BLUE, and ████-D for PURPLE). Addendum ████-C: Portion of recorded transcript of interrogation.Subject: BLUE <Log, skip to 00h-11m-32s> Agent █████: So, what do you call these crewmates whom you suspected as the killers? BLUE: I’ve told you guys and that psychiatrist so fucking many times, already! I- well, WE call them “Impostors”. Agent █████: These “Impostors”, can you tell us which one they are? BLUE : I… I don’t know… they, (mumbling sounds). Agent █████: Excuse me, can you repeat that? BLUE: I said I don’t know… the moment we found the first body, we started accusing one another. We started to take a vote to kick someone off the ship using the air-lock. Agent █████: But do you know who are the “Impostors”? BLUE: No! I don’t! We kicked like three people, I don’t know which one are the impostors. Agent █████: You don’t know which one are the impostors so you randomly vote to kick the other crewmates to the air-lock? BLUE: (subject slammed the table) You don’t understand! These impostors are acting like us! When we’re doing our assigned tasks, we kept glancing at each other to see if the others are doing their jobs. (subject started sobbing as he slams the table with his fist) I… I almost trusted someone… until I saw him killed the other crew. (subject sobs uncontrollably) I… almost got killed because I trusted him. -After forty (40) seconds of waiting until BLUE calms down- Agent █████: So, you started to vote to kick the crewmates to kill these impostors? BLUE: No, we started kicking the suspected members. The ones who are acting weird, we put them as suspects… I was also deemed a suspect just because I avoided certain places. Interrogation of BLUE has been suspended after this last exchange as Agent █████ was unable to extract more info regarding the incident. <End of Log>   Addendum ████-D: Portion of recorded transcript of interrogation.Subject: PURPLE <Log, skip to 00h-34m-46s> (Voices of crashes and slams as PURPLE tried to avoid the Agent) Agent ██████: Please calm down! I’m not here to harm you, but rather to ask you some questions. PURPLE: (Rattling sounds from holding the chair as a weapon) Stay back! Stay away from me! Subject PURPLE went berserk towards Agent ██████, until Dr. ███████ suggested to bring more than two people inside the interrogation room. Several minutes later, two Special Agents and Dr. ███████ are inside the room. <Log, skip to 00h-37m-23s> Agent ██████: Are you calm now? PURPLE: Yes… Agent ██████: Good. Now, can you tell me all that happened within the shuttle? PURPLE: Yeah… Umm… (groaning sounds) I don’t know what went wrong. At one point we were doing our tasks. I was working in the Administration; I saw CYAN at one time working to fixing the wires right next to me… and then he left, so I followed… but then… (subject starts to scream while pulling his hair) I saw someone came from the vent and murder him! And I can’t even point out WHO! (subject starts to go rampage) Who are the FUCKING IMPOSTORS! Dr. ███████: Dammit, hurry and hold him down! He’s going to hurt himself! Agent ██████: Hey, hey! You, grab him from that side! (rattling noises from the Agents trying to hold subject down) Subject PURPLE began sobbing and rampaging uncontrollably while trying to harm himself, prompting Dr. ███████ to order the Special Agents to hold him down before any damage was done. Interrogation to subject was ended. <End of Log> It is unclear whether the aforementioned "Impostors" are spies from another colony, sleeper agents, or other possible unknown scenarios. Nonetheless, it is critical to all agents and personnel involved to keep the subjects and shuttle under quarantine as long as needed. Further investigations are needed.   Samuel_Spader Hey what is up guys, this is just a One-shot kind-of Fanfic about the game Among Us, made just for fun. There's not going to be a full series of some sort, but if you'd like, I could continue this as a story. Just give a holler and I'll write it up. But anyways, I hope you enjoy this shorty.

Chapter 1: Psycho Loli With a Minigun Underneath the vast night sky of Violence City with it's endless neon billboards and holographic advertisements, stood a woman on a pile of bodies as gunshots, magic bolts, and terrified screams played out all around her. “AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA DIE YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKS! DIE!” The deranged shortstack woman in a maid outfit screamed as thousands of rounds of 7.62 flooded the cramped slave house. “Lilly! LILLY! LILLLLLY! STOP SHOOTING YOU CRAZY BITCH WE’RE OVER HERE!” Hamilton screamed as a very large and muscular black man held up a magical barrier to protect them from the hail of bullets that ricocheted off of it in a show of sparks. Suddenly the electronic whirl of the minigun spun out with the sounds of bullets being fired ceasing shortly after. "Oops." The petite woman giggled, slinging the heavy weaponry over her shoulder as she hopped out of the wreckage of the white minivan that had been rammed into the side of the building. "Well I think I got them all." "You think?! YOU THINK?!" Hamilton snapped, standing up from his prone position.   Vaz helped him to his feet as he sighed, taking in the carnage of the once pristine warehouse. All around him and the bulky ex-priest were mounds of red gore that had replaced what were once dangerously armed gangsters just moments prior. "Great, just great Lily! How the hell are we supposed to locate the kidnapped girls with no one left to interrogate?!" "What's da fucking problem? Just call up a necromancer or something jeez." "That costs hundreds of thousands of creds, woman?! More than we'd make in a year plus taxes! Fuck I have so much paperwork to fill out!" Hamilton gripped his thinning black hair, letting out an exasperated gasp in frustration. Weeks of undercover work and planning tossed out the window by a flood of bullets and a crazed battlemaid. "What else was I supposed to do fuckface! They were gonna kill you!" The woman pouted, brandishing the comically large minigun in both hands as she stomped on the ground. “I had it in hand! Vaz! Tell her we had it!” The bald man’s gaze quickly shifted between Hamiliton and Lily. “We did not, as you say, have it.” "See I tol- wait waht?!" Hamilton turned, a look of exasperation on his face at the betrayal. “Ha! I’ll be waiting for my apology fuckface.” Lily said, the frills of her skirt spinning as she leapt off the floor and onto a pile of shelves that had been bisected by her rain of bullets. "Hulp!" Suddenly the ground gave way, sending the tiny woman almost crashing through the floor if not for Hamilton grabbing her by her backpack last second with Vaz holding onto his belt. "Welp. I think I found where the girls are." Lily beamed, smiling up at Hamilton as dozens of caged frightened eyeballs stared up at the dangling duo. – “Twenty three suspects dead, bystander property damage totalling 80 thousand, 6 thousand round casings of 7.62 that were labeled missing by SECFORCE, fired by, what I’m going to PRETEND is not the Army’s missing West-tek Minigun, and last but not least, stolen artwork belonging to the Viceroy valued at 50 to 60 million credits completely eviscerated by a storm of bullets…. Did I name everything correctly?” Captain Hughes, the head of the police force listed off as he crushed a stress ball into a fine dust in his hands. The trio of mercenaries were now in the Central Peacekeeper HQ of Violence City, getting berated by the head of Police who had contacted Hamilton and his team when his men failed to find any concrete leads to the kidnapped victims. Hamilton cleared his throat. “Uh, so I know it sounds bad, but! And I personally think this is the important part, you forgot the part where we rescued thirty girls, two babies, and not to mention the copious amounts of drugs and contraband.” Hamilton offered with a nervous smile. The man lit a cigar, taking a deep drag of it before fixing his gaze on the gruff looking Hamilton, the stoic and now sober blank priest Vaz, and the humming little woman who was dangling her feet off the chair. "I supposed there is some silver lining amidst all the blood and shit spilled across my shoes." The man grumbled, closing his eyes and shaking his head with a resigned expression before glaring at Hamilton. "Ah! So does that mean we'll still get paid?" “Get the fuck out of my office.” -- Now standing on the sidewalk of the police precinct, in downtown Violence, Hamilton fell to his knees. His arms raised to the neon lit billboards and advertisements in the sky above. "WHY?! WHYYYYYYYYYYY!" The grown man wailed, screaming at the heavens and demanding answer. Alas, the only thing to come back were the humming of his manic assistant, and the slow applause of a couple of cops nearby. "Bravo! See that's a man who can act." One cop said, shaking his head with a smile. "Good work with the kidnapping case Hamilton. Thanks for taking out the trash." The other jeered before both walking off. Leaving Hamilton to grieve at the lack of pay and his team alone in the police driveway. They were broke. This job had been the latest in a string of failures that Hamilton had hoped would be the end of their bad luck, only for them to not only not be paid, but also be black listed from any VCPD guild jobs. It was over. They were screwed. "Oh cheer up Hammy, we'll get another job. Theres always plenty of people who need killing." Lily said, hugging the side of Hamilton's crying face. Vaz approached, placing a rough hand on the sobbing man's shoulder. "Hamilton. Often times, when the lord closes a door he opens many others. You need not worry, for the path will be unveiled should you posses the will to move on." The soft giant said, looking down at Hamilton with a soft smile plastered on his bald face as he brandished his order's holy symbol. Instead of feeling better, Hamilton felt worst.   "Aaaaargh I'll be stuck with you three forever!" The man lamented as he slammed his fist into the concrete.  

When Tala was young, she learned that the world was unfair, highly unfair. Even if she was one of the fortunate, she still knew how hard it is to be unfortunate. As her life was one before she turned 3. When she was two, a new energy was discovered and only children under the age of four, or exactly four, could use it. As she was in that age requirement, her parents had sold her for money instantly when they learned they could. They thought I was useless, and the police nor the Heroes explained the new energy at all. So, her mother probably thought it was just some experimental facility for young children. But she made a large mistake there. When Tala arrived, she was injected with a syringe filled with a clear liquid. But they waited until she was ready, and she was glad for that at the time, even now. Anyway, when Tala was ready, they injected the liquid inside her. And they constantly reminded her that she didn't have to go through this, but she chose to anyway. She was smarter and more mature for her age, even if she was two. Why? Because of the early abuse that her mother started after her father died when she was a year old. Although her mother wanted to wait until Tala was four, her grief blinded her and started to abuse her, making Tala have to grow up faster than others. After a year went by and still no result in the energy from Tala's body, finally a surge and overflow of the energy, that was known as Psy now. Tala was overjoyed, especially when she heard that she could eventually ascend essentially into a higher lifeform. But lost a lot of that joy when she heard that it could take years. But she decided not to give up. And being three now, her child energy was still in her and so she used that energy to train her Psy. And finally after 15 years, she was allowed to leave and start a life of her own. Although she is 18 now, she wanted to have something that everyone thought was important to do to have a better civilization: have kids. And although Tala didn't want to, she eventually did, as she fell in love with a boy named Tengan Aizawa. Her name being Tala Hisami. And they got married and her family name was changed to Aizawa. They had two kids, fraternal twins. One of female and the other male. And both retained a combination of the parent's traits. And the boy had one very special trait, he was born with Psy inside him. While both could possibly gain more than one quirk, only the boy was born with Psy. But she decided to wait until they were four, then wait until they were 16. Only then, will she teach the one how to use Psy, and the other how to absorb Psy and make it her own. 10 years ago, when she was 10, the nice scientists spread a large jar of energy out into the world for people to use, also allowing Psy to duplicate and gain sentience. Since she was one of the first kids to have Psy in their bodies, she was naturally very gifted and loved by the Psy Spirits. And it seemed they loved her son and daughter just as much as her. And she loved that the spirits recognized how much she adored her children, so much so that they wanted to give blessings to her children as well. But she made a restriction of the blessings, only when they both turn 30, can they receive blessings, only then will they not feel any pain when the blessings are given. But when her children were turning three, a higher lifeform from the Second Route of Deities came and told Tala if that she didn't let him take her children, she and her husband would die. She had a year to think. She is almost 21, meaning the date is almost up, and she had been training even harder than she did when she was young. When she finally was able to ascend into one of the five realms, she was shocked to find out she was one of the first five in her dimension to control and be able to use Psy. So, that allowed her to ascend to the Fifth Route of Creators. But she had one last task to do before she ascended. She would need to change her children's looks and send them away with her now tenfold power of Psy. That meant that she was already more powerful than the deity that threatened her, but her children weren't. So, she did what she had to do. The only thing that she kept out to her children was that they contact each other telepathically when they turn five. And only when they turn 18 can they remember about her and their father. Until then, they would believe that the family they were going into is their real family. She sighed as she had to create two whole new families and ancestors to let the world believe that the two freshly made families were real. And with that, she ascended to the Creator Realm after blessing her husband with the same love, but still lesser from her, that the Psy Spirits gave her. Hopefully he could join her in one of the realms soon enough. She shed a few tears before she fully ascended and left her depressed husband behind. Hoping that when he was ready, he would realize the blessing she gave him. It is now the present. Aizawa's 30th birthday was today and only two people knew about it. His twin sister that he never told anyone about, not even his husband, and his husband of course. That day, he had a lot of actual fun and joy. But he during the night, he still trained harshly. He had to get to his mother. Otherwise he wouldn't forgive himself. And neither would he forget himself if he didn't at least achieve the Third Route of Ultimates. And also that night, he contacted his sister, Rasi. But her name she went by was Osaka. Shouta's real name is Nuku, but he never told anyone, but his sister knew of course. And when he at night, when he finally stopped training, he felt pleasure go throughout his entire body, bliss beyond anything he could imagine. He remembered his mother telling him something about blessings that he would get with his sister on their 30th birthday? Was this it? That was when he felt his Psy Tier go straight up by one. Meaning that he skipped a whole worth of Major Ranks, Minor Ranks, and Stages. He was shocked, is this what blessings can do? Although he already had one from his mother, he still thought that the new blessings all together might be more powerful. But suddenly, he felt a burst of power from his mother's blessing. Meaning that it was either going corrupted or it was about to give more power to him in return of he gave more Psy monthly to the Spirits. He agreed hesitantly and he was shocked, his Tier went up by two! Double the power and strength of the rest of the blessings combined. (Shouta will be referred as Nuku from now on in the story) Nuku then decided to check his exact Stage and Minor and Major Ranks. What he saw amazed him. Tier 5; Major Rank 9/10; Minor Rank 18/20; Stage 25/30 He was shocked at how close he was to Tier 6. Why didn't it go to Tier 6 actually? Maybe because he didn't have enough control? No, he had too much honestly. Maybe his body couldn't handle it as of now? Could be, but not an actual conclusion. He pondered about why he didn't receive the rest of the energy for an hour, before he realized the time, it was midnight. And his two cats, Yogan and Yuki. One was as white as snow, thus her name, and the other had black fur with some orange here and there, thus his name is Yogan. And though he had made sure to wait for them two to have kittens, he decided to give up tomorrow as he would love more cats at this point. He smiled at the thought. Before he got off the floor a from where he was laying and carefully got into bed beside his two cats.

A hundred and fifty years before, when the parochial disagreements between Earth and Mars had been on the verge of war, the Belt had been a far horizon of tremendous mineral wealth beyond viable economic reach, and the outer planets had been beyond even the most unrealistic corporate dream. Then Solomon Epstein had built his little modified fusion drive, popped it on the back of his three-man yacht, and turned it on. With a good scope, you could still see his ship going at a marginal percentage of the speed of light, heading out into the big empty. The best, longest funeral in the history of mankind. Fortunately, he’d left the plans on his home computer. The Epstein Drive hadn’t given humanity the stars, but it had delivered the planets. Three-quarters of a kilometer long, a quarter of a kilometer wide-roughly shaped like a fire hydrant-and mostly space inside, the Canterbury was a retooled colony transport. Once, it had been packed with people, supplies, schematics, machines, environment bubbles, and hope. Just under twenty million people lived on the moons of Saturn now. The Canterbury had hauled nearly a million of their ancestors there. Forty-five million on the moons of Jupiter. One moon of Uranus sported five thousand, the farthest outpost of human civilization, at least until the Mormons finished their generation ship and headed for the stars and freedom from procreation restrictions. And then there was the Belt. If you asked OPA recruiters when they were drunk and feeling expansive, they might say there were a hundred million in the Belt. Ask an inner planet census taker, it was nearer to fifty million. Any way you looked, the population was huge and needed a lot of water. So now the Canterbury and her dozens of sister ships in the Pur’n’Kleen Water Company made the loop from Saturn’s generous rings to the Belt and backhauling glaciers, and would until the ships aged into salvage wrecks. Jim Houle saw some poetry in that. “Houle?” He turned back to the hangar deck. Chief Engineer Naomi Nagata towered over him. She stood almost two full meters tall, her mop of curly hair tied back into a black tail, her expression halfway between amusement and annoyance. She had the Belter habit of shrugging with her hands instead of her shoulders. “Houle, are you listening, or just staring out the window?” “There was a problem,” Houle said. “And because you’re good, you can fix it even though you don’t have enough money or supplies.” Naomi laughed. “So you weren’t listening,” she said. “Not really, no.” “Well, you got the basics right anyhow. Knight’s landing gear isn’t going to be good in the atmosphere until I can get the seals replaced. That going to be a problem?” “I’ll ask the old man,” Houle said. “But when’s the last time we used the shuttle in the atmosphere?” “Never, but regs say we need at least one atom-capable shuttle.” “Hey, Boss!” Amon Harris, Naomi’s earthborn assistant, yelled from across the bay. He waved one meaty arm in their general direction. He meant Naomi. Amon might be on Captain McDowell’s ship; Houle might be the executive officer; but in Amon Harris’s world, only Naomi was boss. “What’s the matter?” Naomi shouted back. “Bad cable. Can you hold this little fucker in place while I get the spare?” Naomi looked at Houle, Are we done here? in her eyes. He snapped a sarcastic salute and she snorted, shaking her head as she walked away, her frame long and thin in her greasy coveralls. Seven years in Earth’s navy, five years working in space with civilians, and he’d never gotten used to the long, thin, improbable bones of Belters. A childhood spent in gravity shaped the way he saw things forever. At the central lift, Houle held his finger briefly over the button for the navigation deck, tempted by the prospect of Ade Tukunbo-her smile, her voice, the patchouli-and-vanilla scent she used in her hair-but pressed the button for the infirmary instead. Duty before pleasure. Shed Garvey, the medical tech, was hunched over his lab table, debriding the stump of Cameron Paj’s left arm when Houle walked in. A month earlier, Paj had gotten his elbow pinned by a thirty-ton block of ice moving at five millimeters a second. It wasn’t an uncommon injury among people with the dangerous job of cutting and moving zero-g icebergs, and Paj was taking the whole thing with the fatalism of a professional. Houle leaned over Shed’s shoulder to watch as the tech plucked one of the medical maggots out of dead tissue. “What’s the word?” Houle asked. “It’s looking pretty good, sir,” Paj said. “I’ve still got a few nerves. Shed’s been telling’ me about how the prosthetic is gonna hook up to it.” “Assuming we can keep the necrosis under control,” the medic said, “and make sure Paj doesn’t heal up too much before we get to Ceres. I checked the policy, and Paj here’s been signed on long enough to get one with force feedback, pressure and temperature sensors, and fine motor software. The whole package. It’ll be almost as good as the real thing. The inner planets have a new bio gel that regrows the limb, but that isn’t covered in our medical plan.” “Fuck the Inners, and fuck their magic Jell-O. I’d rather have a good Belter-built fake than anything those bastards grow in a lab. Just wearing their fancy arm probably turns you into an asshole,” Paj said. Then he added, “Oh, uh, no offense, XO.” “None taken. Just glad we’re going to get you fixed up,” Houle said. “Tell him the other bit,” Paj said with a wicked grin. Shed blushed. “I’ve, ah, heard from other guys who’ve gotten them,” Shed said, not meeting Houle’s eyes. “There’s a period while you’re still building identification with the prosthetic when whacking off feels just like getting a hand job.” Houle let the comment hang in the air for a second while Shed’s ears turned crimson. “Good to know,” Houle said. “And the necrosis?” “There’s some infection,” Shed said. “The maggots are keeping it under control, and the inflammation’s a good thing in this context, so we’re not fighting too hard unless it starts to spread.” “Is he going to be ready for the next run?” Houle asked. For the first time, Paj frowned. “Shit yes, I’ll be ready. I’m always ready. This is what I do, sir.” “Probably,” Shed said. “Depending on how the bond takes. If not this one, the one after.” “Fuck that,” Paj said. “I can buck ice one-handed better than half the skags you’ve got on this bitch.” “Again,” Houle said, suppressing a grin, “good to know. Carry on.” Paj snorted. Shed plucked another maggot free. Houle went back to the lift, and this time he didn’t hesitate. The navigation station of the Canterbury didn’t dress to impress. The great wall-sized displays Houle had imagined when he’d first volunteered for the navy did exist on capital ships but, even there, more as an artifact of design than need. Ade sat at a pair of screens only slightly larger than a hand terminal, graphs of the efficiency and output of the Canterbury’s reactor and engine updating in the corners, raw logs spooling on the right as the systems reported in. She wore thick headphones that covered her ears, the faint thump of the bass line barely escaping. If the Canterbury sensed an anomaly, it would alert her. If a system error, it would alert her. If Captain McDowell left the command and control deck, it would alert her so she could turn the music off and look busy when he arrived. Her petty hedonism was only one of a thousand things that made Ade attractive to Houle. He walked up behind her, pulled the headphones gently away from her ears, and said, “Hey.” Ade smiled, tapped her screen, and dropped the headphones to rest around her long slim neck like technical jewelry. “Executive Officer Joanna Houle,” she said with an exaggerated formality made even more acute by her thick Nigerian accent. “And what can I do for you?” “You know, it’s funny you should ask that,” he said. “I was just thinking how pleasant it would be to have someone come back to my cabin when the third shift takes over. Have a little romantic dinner of the same crap they’re serving in the galley. Listen to some music.” “Drink a little wine,” she said. “Break a little protocol. Pretty to think about, but I’m not up for sex tonight.” “I wasn’t talking about sex. A little food. Conversation.” “I was talking about sex,” she said. Houle knelt beside her chair. In the one-third g of their current thrust, it was perfectly comfortable. Ade’s smile softened. The log spool chimed; she glanced at it, tapped a release, and turned back to him. “Ade, I like you. I mean, I really enjoy your company,” he said. “I don’t understand why we can’t spend some time together with our clothes on.” “Houle. Sweetie. Stop it, okay?” “Stop what?” “Stop trying to turn me into your girlfriend. You’re a nice guy. You’ve got a cute butt, and you’re fun in the sack. Doesn’t mean we’re engaged.” Houle rocked back on his heels, feeling himself frown. “Ade. For this to work for me, it needs to be more than that.” “But it isn’t,” she said, taking his hand. “It’s okay that it isn’t. You’re the XO here, and I’m a short-timer. Another run, maybe two, and I’m gone.” “I’m not chained to this ship either.” Her laughter was equal parts warmth and disbelief. “How long have you been on the Cant?” “Five years.” “You’re not going anyplace,” she said. “You’re comfortable here.” “Comfortable?” he said. “The Cant’s a century-old ice hauler. You can find a shittier flying job, but you have to try really hard. Everyone here is either wildly under-qualified or seriously screwed things up at their last gig.” “And you’re comfortable here.” Her eyes were less kind now. She bit her lip, looked down at the screen, and looked up. “I didn’t deserve that,” he said. “You didn’t,” she agreed. “Look, I told you I wasn’t in the mood tonight. I’m feeling cranky. I need a good night’s sleep. I’ll be nicer tomorrow.” “Promise?” “I’ll even make you dinner. Apology accepted?” He slipped forward, and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed back, politely at first and then with more warmth. Her fingers cupped his neck for a moment, then pulled him away. “You’re entirely too good at that. You should go now,” she said. “On duty and all.” “Okay,” he said, and didn’t turn to go. “Jim,” she said, and the shipwide comm system clicked on. “Houle to the bridge,” Captain McDowell said, his voice compressed and echoing. Houle replied with something obscene. Ade laughed. He swooped in, kissed her cheek, and headed back for the central lift, quietly hoping that Captain McDowell suffered boils and public humiliation for his lousy timing. The bridge was hardly larger than Houle’s quarters and smaller by half than the galley. Except for the slightly oversized captain’s display, required by Captain McDowell’s failing eyesight and general distrust of corrective surgery, it could have been an accounting firm’s back room. The air smelled of cleaning astringent and someone’s overly strong yerba maté tea. McDowell shifted in his seat as Houle approached. Then the captain leaned back, pointing over his shoulder at the communications station. “Becca!” McDowell snapped. “Tell him.” Rebecca Byers, the comm officer on duty, could have been bred from a shark and a hatchet. Black eyes, sharp features, lips so thin they might as well not have existed. The story on board was that she’d taken the job to escape prosecution for killing an ex-husband. Houle liked her. “Emergency signal,” she said. “Picked it up two hours ago. The transponder verification just bounced back from Callisto. It’s real.” “Ah,” Houle said. And then: “Shit. Are we the closest?” “Only ship in a few million klicks.” “Well. That figures,” Houle said. Becca turned her gaze to the captain. McDowell cracked his knuckles and stared at his display. The light from the screen gave him an odd greenish cast. “It’s next to a charted non-Belt asteroid,” McDowell said. “Really?” Houle said in disbelief. “Did they run into it? There’s nothing else out here for millions of kilometers.” “Maybe they pulled over because someone had to go potty. All we have is that some knucklehead is out there, blasting an emergency signal, and we’re the closest. Assuming… ” The law of the solar system was unequivocal. In an environment as hostile to life as space, the aid and goodwill of your fellow humans wasn’t optional. The emergency signal, just by existing, obligated the nearest ship to stop and render aid-which didn’t mean the law was universally followed. The Canterbury was fully loaded. Well over a million tons of ice had been gently accelerated for the past month. Just like the little glacier that had crushed Paj’s arm, it was going to be hard to slow down. The temptation to have an unexplained comm failure, erase the logs, and let the great god Darwin have his way was always there. But if McDowell had really intended that, he wouldn’t have called Houle up. Or made the suggestion where the crew could hear him. Houle understood the dance. The captain was going to be the one who would have blown it off except for Houle. The grunts would respect the captain for not wanting to cut into the ship’s profit. They’d respect Houle for insisting that they follow the rule. No matter what happened, the captain and Houle would both be hated for what they were required by law and mere human decency to do. “We have to stop,” Houle said. Then, gamely: “There may be salvage.” McDowell tapped his screen. Ade’s voice came from the console, as low and warm as if she’d been in the room. “Captain?” “I need numbers on stopping this crate,” he said. “Sir?” “How hard is it going to be to put us alongside CA-2216862?” “We’re stopping at an asteroid?” “I’ll tell you when you’ve followed my order, Navigator Tukunbo.” “Yes, sir,” she said. Houle heard a series of clicks. “If we flip the ship right now and burn like hell for most of two days, I can get us within fifty thousand kilometers, sir.” “Can you define ‘burn like hell’?” McDowell said. “We’ll need everyone in crash couches.” “Of course we will,” McDowell sighed, and scratched his scruffy beard. “And shifting ice is only going to do a couple million bucks’ worth of banging up the hull, if we’re lucky. I’m getting old for this, Houle. I really am.” “Yes, sir. You are. And I’ve always liked your chair,” Houle said. McDowell scowled and made an obscene gesture. Rebecca snorted in laughter. McDowell turned to her. “Send a message to the beacon that we’re on our way. And let Ceres know we’re going to be late. Houle, where does the Knight stand?” “No flying in atmosphere until we get some parts, but she’ll do fine for fifty thousand klicks in vacuum.” “You’re sure of that?” “Naomi said it. That makes it true.” McDowell rose, unfolding to almost two and a quarter meters and thinner than a teenager back on Earth. Between his age and never having lived in a gravity well, the coming burn was likely to be hell on the old man. Houle felt a pang of sympathy that he would never embarrass McDowell by expressing. “Here’s the thing, Jim,” McDowell said, his voice quiet enough that only Houle could hear him. “We’re required to stop and make an attempt, but we don’t have to go out of our way, if you see what I mean.” “We’ll already have stopped,” Houle said, and McDowell patted at the air with his wide, spidery hands. One of the many Belter gestures that had evolved to be visible when wearing an environment suit. “I can’t avoid that,” he said. “But if you see anything out there that seems off, don’t play hero again. Just pack up the toys and come home.” “And leave it for the next ship that comes through?” “And keep yourself safe,” McDowell said. “Order. Understood?” “Understood,” Houle said. As the shipwide comm system clicked to life and McDowell began explaining the situation to the crew, Houle imagined he could hear a chorus of groans coming up through the decks. He went over to Rebecca. “Okay,” he said, “what have we got on the broken ship?” “Light freighter. Martian registry. Shows Eros as home port. Calls itself Tempest… ”

It was a cloudy autumn day as a carriage speedily travelled on a rocky path. It entered through tall black steel gates, passed a black stone fountain, and stopped in front of a European-styled building standing three stories tall with blue roofs and yellowish walls covered with green ivy.   Children's laughter could be heard in the distance as a man and a woman got out of the carriage. The woman turned back and extended her hand, but before she could do anything, an 8-year-old boy jumped out. Startled, she stepped back but the boy paid her no mind as he turned back and extended his hand.    From inside, another head poked out, crouching down and clasping the offered hand as he slowly and carefully stepped down the steps. On the last step, the first boy extended his other hand as he lifted the other boy with some effort from under his armpits and carefully put him down with a shaky breath.   “Shall we go now?” the lady gently asked in a kind tone.   The first boy, with a blank expression on his face, nodded to her as the second boy clutched his arm. Tentatively, the second boy peaked up to reveal an identical face to the first boy. The first boy, Nathan, had nape-length dark chocolate brown hair and slightly downturned round eyes with enigmatic deep green irises, while the second boy, his younger twin brother, Ethan, had unruly short brown hair with warm amber brown eyes, just like a cute little animal.   They intertwined their fingers together as Nathan led his brother to follow the lady, Nora, a civil worker, to the third floor. Nora asked the man to keep an eye on them outside as she entered the orphanage director's office.   Although the door was poorly insulated, so they could hear the voices of the lady talking with someone, their words weren't clear, and Nathan couldn't discern their sentences. And because of the man standing guard, he couldn't get near the door.   Nathan shot an annoyed glare at the man but swiftly diverted his gaze as the man glanced toward them.    Nathan is a Reincarnator. Yes, that's right. A Reincarnator. As in someone who died and then got reborn as a baby while still remembering the memories of his previous life.   At first, Nathan was very startled and didn't know what to do. He had one second, been a 27-year-old man, getting off his job, on the way to return to his lonely apartment. And the next second, a car swerved on the road, crashing into a van which sent him flying. But, he did not die from the hit. Instead, he fell on the road just in front of a high-speed truck which crushed his body.   All he could remember was the feeling of unreality. Everything happened so fast. Since the van was so close, he didn't even have the chance to dodge as he rolled over to the road. He watched as the truck crushed him. It was as if he could feel his bones breaking. But for some reason, he couldn’t scream.   And then everything was in slow motion as the crowd surrounded him. He could even see some people start to record on their mobile phones, their flashlights blinding him, and thunderous voices deafening him. The worst thing was he was alive when the paramedics and the police arrived, and he still didn't lose consciousness until he was put onto the stretcher and an oxygen mask was pulled on.   Maybe it was because at that time I couldn't release my emotions.    A red glint flashed in Nathan's eyes. He snapped out of his daze when Ethan clutched his arm, looking worriedly at him. The blank expression on his face softened with an imperceptible smile and there was infinite tenderness in his eyes as he clenched his hand back. Ethan reassured, smiled softly. Instantly a metaphorical arrow pierced through Nathan’s heart.   If it weren't for the extra person in the room, Nathan wouldn't have controlled himself and would have pulled Ethan into a bear hug. Instead, he used his free hand and put it over Ethan’s hand, which was grasping the sleeves of his warm brown sweater under his olive green cape coat.   Suddenly, the door opened and Nora came out. She whispered something to the man as he left. Nora crouched down, coming to eye level with the twins.   “Nathan, Ethan, from now on you will be living in this place. Here no one will hurt you and you can make lots and lots of friends, eat delicious food, and wear nice clothes. And you could even have a newer, nicer mommy and daddy. But you will have to behave and be good, nice, obedient children. Do you understand? Hmm? ”Nora asked in a sweet voice.   “Yes,” Nathan answered with a nod, which Ethan copied with a quiet hmm.   Looking at their cute actions, Nora couldn't help smiling. She took out two small leather pouches from her bag, handing them to Nathen.    She has been with the twins for five days now and understands that when dealing with the twins, she should address her attention towards Nathan and not speak with Ethan directly. Not only because Nathan would not allow it, but Ethan would also duck and hide.   Because of what they had been through, Nathan had an overly overprotective personality, while Ethan had a timid, meek, and antisocial personality and refused to communicate with anyone other than his brother. Talking to him is the same as talking with a rock since he gives a cold shoulder to all others except his brother.   Nora had tried to interact with him but had to retreat under Nathan's disapproving glare and Ethan's quiet rejection.   "Thank you for all you have done for us, Miss Nora."   Although Nathan said this, there was no gratefulness or attachment in his tone. It was the same nonchalance, with no fluctuations at all. This caused a shiver to run up her spine. Before a frown could appear on her face, she stood up.   At this time, a man exited the door adjacent to the director's office.    SunShiningBrightly Please click the heart button and comment and rate this novel if you like this chapter~~♪┏(・o･)┛♪┗ ( ･o･) ┓

It was a tall, lanky man with sallow skin and a large hooked nose. His shoulder-length, black hair hung around his face like a curtain, wearing a dark blue 3-piece suit with a high collar shirt, looking like an uptight noble man. A chill went down Nathan's spine when his cold, blue eyes looked over. He had unknowingly lowered the centre of his gravity, but when Ethan clutched his arm, he was reminded of the situation and forced himself to calm down. But despite his best efforts, his muscles were still stretched taut.   Fortunately, their insignificant movements weren't noticed by the adults.   "Ah, very good morning Mr Norand. "   "Very good morning to you too, Ms Nora."   Nora smiled like a flower at his greeting.   "And who do we have here?"Mr Norand shifted his attention to the twins, glancing at Nathan and then fixing his gaze on Ethan. Nathan moved so Ethan was behind him, shielding him from Mr Norand's sight.   Mr Norand raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment.   "Ah, this here is Nathan Winterberg, and behind him is his younger brother, Ethan Winterberg. They are the new children I was talking about the other night."   "Hmm, yes. Very glad to meet you. Welcome to the North Star orphanage. I am Norand Robert, one of the caretakers here. If you have any problems here, you could always come to me. Please wait a moment here."Mr Norand spoke carelessly as he turned around and entered the director's office.   While they waited, the man who was with them, came back with 2 small suitcases in his hands.   "Please come this way. I'll show you to your beds." Mr Norand spoke, as he exited the office and led them through a hallway, down the stairs, to the 5th door on the left.   "The dining hall, laundry, and water closet are downstairs. You shouldn’t go to the third floor unless you are called and don't be loud because the nursery is just at the end of the hall. The infirmary is beside the nursery," Mr Norand stated.”The library and classroom are at the other end. You get up at 6 and go to bed at 9. No exceptions. Breakfast is at 8, Morning service at 8:30, Evening service at 5:30, and dinner at 7. The classes are from 9 to 11. From 11 to 12 is your spare time. Every day you are assigned a work quota and as long as you complete it, you are free to do whatever you want. "   Creak   "You can choose any unoccupied bed. Don't fight with the other children. "   The beds were aligned to the walls with a small drawer between every bed.   After a few words of farewell, the three adults walked out. Leaving the twins on their own.   Now...this is our life...   Nathan stared out the window.   Useless orphans. Great. Just great.   A sigh escaped his lips as he looked around. He looked at Ethan and Ethan turned to look at the bed on the right end. As they started to arrange their luggage, the door opened and a bunch of children walked in.   "Yo, the new kids are here."   "More like new punching bags."   "Do you think they can hold on for a week?"   "A week, puff- more like a day."   "puff-I bet they can't even last a single blow. Too bad. The demon doesn't have any mercy."   "Hussh- Don't be like that or they'll cry." One of the boys put a finger to his lips to make a shushing gesture.   Just like cannon fodder in those shitty novels.   Their words weren't pleasant and their hostility was unwarranted. Although Nathan was an adult at heart, he still felt very annoyed.   Demon. Hmm.   But Nathan paid more attention to their words. Swiftly, under the cover of the bed, he waved his hand and several objects disappeared simultaneously.   Standing up, he and Ethan walked to exit the room, but how could that be so simple?   "Hey hey hey, and where do you think you are going?"   One of the older boys grabbed Nathan's arm.   "Let go."   The boy let go, shrinking his shoulder like a quail.   "Hmph. Pathetic"   Ding.Dong.   As they walked out, the sound of the bells ringing could be heard. Nathan's attention was distracted by the bells. They had arrived around 5 and it was already 7. Time passed by so quickly. He just hoped that the dinner would be decent and not any unidentifiable, mushy, and foul-smelling food described in those crappy novels. Thinking of this, the image of stale bread, watery soup, and some gooey thing came to mind.   They might just have to go hungry. Or he could just sneak into the forest to forage...if there was anything to forge, that is.   A sigh escaped his lips.   It was really hard to survive in this dog-eat-dog world, especially with a harmless, cute cinnamon bun with him. The best course of action for him would be to slowly distance himself from Ethan, let Ethan be adopted by a good foreign family, and let him have a peaceful life. From what he knew of future events, wars were just around the corner. And this nonexistent peace is about to be blown away.   Slowly and gently, he reached his hand to caress Ethan's face. Ethan too nuzzled up in his hand, acting spoiled. Pulling his sleeves to gesture to him to go to dinner. A warm hue shone on Ethan as the rays of the setting sun fell on him.   He softly chuckled, honey dripping from his gaze.   But Nathan was unwilling to leave this harmless, cute cinnamon bun behind. Even if it caused both of their deaths. And how could he?   This was his family.   His blood-related twin brother.   His other half.   His light.   His hope.   His only reason to continue, when he had almost given up.   His...Iain...   He would not allow anyone to separate them.   No matter who it was.   A dark light flashed in his eyes.   Even if it was god himself.   Going downstairs, and entering the dining hall by following the crowd of children along, they came face to face with a black-haired, red-eyed boy. His eyes, resembling blood, glanced over at them and a word unintentionally escaped Nathan's lips.   "Asian"   Instantly, those eyes widened. Promptly, the owner of those eyes grabbed Nathan by his collar, dragging him somewhere.   "BROTHER!!!!!" Ethan was obviously alarmed.   It had been a while since he had heard Ethan speak so loudly.   Unintentionally, Nathan's mind wandered while being choked.   And what great timing! Just when I thought of crushing anyone who caused Ethan to worry. What a bummer    He could hear the sound of anxious footsteps behind them and felt very distressed. Suddenly, they turned a corner and he was pushed against the wall.   "Repeat what you just said."   SunShiningBrightly Please click the heart button and comment and rate this novel if you like this chapter~~♪┏(・o･)┛♪┗ ( ･o･) ┓

Joanna Kain was finally ready to be shot after the Tempest had been taken eight days ago. It had taken her eight days of being trapped in a storage locker to get to that point. She'd remained motionless for the first two minutes, certain that the armored men who'd placed her there were serious. Because the ship she'd been taken aboard wasn't under thrust for the first few hours, she floated in the locker, using gentle touches to avoid colliding with the walls or the atmosphere suit she shared the space with. She'd stood silently until her legs cramped, then sat down slowly into a fetal position as the ship began to move, thrust giving her weight. She'd peed in her jumpsuit, not caring about the warm itchy wetness or the odor, only worried about slipping and falling in the wet spot it left on the floor. She couldn't make a sound. They'd kill her. Thirst had compelled her to act on the third day. The ship's noise was all around her. The reactor's and drive's faint subsonic rumble. As the pressure doors between decks opened and closed, there was a constant hiss and thud of hydraulics and steel bolts. A swarm of heavy boots walks across metal decking. She waited until all the noise she could hear faded away before removing the environment suit from its hooks and laying it on the locker floor. She slowly disassembled the suit, listening for any approaching sounds, and removed the water supply. It was old and stale; the suit had not been used or serviced in a long time. But she hadn't had anything to drink in two days, and the warm loamy water in the suit's reservoir bag was the best thing she'd ever tasted. She had to fight hard not to gulp it down and vomit. When she felt the need to urinate again, she took the catheter bag from her suit and relieved herself into it. She sat on the floor, almost comfortable thanks to the padded suit, and wondered who had kidnapped her - the Coalition Navy, pirates, or something worse. She slept on occasion. * Isolation, hunger, boredom, and a decreasing number of places to store her piss finally pushed her to contact them on day four. She'd heard hushed cries of agony. Her shipmates were being beaten or tortured somewhere nearby. If she drew the attention of the kidnappers, they might simply take her to the others. That was fine. She could take a beating. If it meant seeing people again, it seemed like a small price to pay. The locker was located next to the inner airlock door. Normally, that wasn't a high-traffic area during flight, but she didn't know anything about the layout of this particular ship. She deliberated on what to say and how to present herself. When she finally heard someone approaching her, she just yelled that she needed to get out. She was taken aback by the dry rasp that came from her throat. She swallowed, worked her tongue to produce saliva, and tried again. Another tremor in the throat. People were standing right outside her locker door. A quiet voice was speaking. Joanna was about to bang on the door when she heard what it was saying. No. No, please. Please, no. Dave. The mechanic on her ship. Dave, who collected old cartoon clips and knew a million jokes, pleaded in a small broken voice. Please, please, please don't, he said. As the inner airlock door opened, hydraulics and locking bolts clicked. As something was thrown inside, there was a meaty thud. The airlock closed with another click. A hissing sound of escaping air. The people outside her door walked away once the airlock cycle was complete. She didn't bang on the table to get their attention. * They'd cleaned up the ship. Detention by the navies of the inner planets was a bad scenario, but they'd all been trained to deal with it. Sensitive OPA data was scrubbed and overwritten with innocuous-looking logs that contained erroneous time stamps. The captain destroyed anything too sensitive to entrust to a computer. When the attackers boarded, they could pretend to be innocent. It hadn't made a difference. There were no inquiries about cargo or permits. Captain Darren had rolled over like a dog as the invaders walked in like they owned the place. Everyone else—Mike, Dave, Wan Li—had just thrown up their hands and walked away. Pirates, slavers, or whatever they were had dragged them off the little transport ship that had been her home and down a docking tube without even the most basic environmental protection. The tube's thin layer of Mylar was the only thing standing between them and hard nothing: hope it didn't rip; if it did, goodbye lungs. Joanna had also gone along, but the bastards had tried to grab her and strip her naked. Five years of jiu Jitsu training in low gravity and then in a confined space with no gravity. She'd caused a lot of havoc. She'd almost given up hope of winning when a gauntletted fist smacked into her face. After that, things became hazy. Then the locker, and if she makes a noise, shoot her. Four days of silence while her friends were beaten down below and one of them was thrown out of an airlock. Everything fell silent after six days. Shifting between bouts of consciousness and fragmented dreams, she was only vaguely aware as the sounds of walking, talking, and pressure doors faded away, as did the subsonic rumble of the reactor and the drive. Gravity stopped when the drive stopped, and Joanna awoke from a dream of racing her old pinnace to find herself floating while her muscles screamed in protest and then slowly relaxed. She dragged herself to the door, pressing her ear against the cold metal. Panic washed over her until she heard the quiet sound of the air recyclers. The ship still had power and air, but the drive was not activated, and no one was opening doors, walking, or talking. Perhaps it was a crew meeting. Or a party on a different deck. Or perhaps everyone was in engineering, resolving a major issue. She waited and listened all day. Her last sip of water was gone by day seven. No one on the ship had moved within twenty-four hours of her hearing range. She sucked on a plastic tab she'd ripped off her environment suit until she got saliva in her mouth, at which point she began yelling. She yelled until she was hoarse. Nobody showed up. She was ready to be shot by day eight. She'd been without water for two days and had a full waste bag for four. She pressed her shoulders against the locker's back wall and her hands against the side walls. Then she kicked out as hard as she could with both legs. The cramps that followed the first kick nearly knocked her out. Instead, she screamed. Stupid girl, she thought to herself. She was thirsty. Eight days of inactivity was more than enough to trigger atrophy. At the very least, she should have stretched. She massaged her stiff muscles until the knots vanished, then stretched, focusing her mind as if she were back in dojo. She kicked again once she regained control of her body. Once more. And again, until the light began to shine through the locker's edges. And again, until the door was so bent that only the three hinges and the locking bolt were in contact with the frame. And one more time, until the door swung free because the bolt was no longer seated in the hasp. Joanna emerged from the locker, hands half-raised, ready to appear either threatening or terrified, depending on which appeared more useful. The entire deck level was deserted: the airlock, the suit storage room where she'd spent the previous eight days, and a half dozen other storage rooms. Everything is empty. She took a magnetized pipe wrench suitable for skull cracking from an EVA kit and descended the crew ladder to the deck below. Then the one below that, and the one after that. Personnel cabins are neatly organized, almost military-style. There were signs of a struggle in the commissary. The medical bay is empty. Torpedo harbor. No one. The communication station was unmanned, turned off, and locked. The Tempest was nowhere to be found in the few sensor logs that were still being streamed. Her stomach tightened with a new dread. Deck after deck, room after room, lifeless. Something had occurred. A radioactive leak. There is poison in the air. Something had compelled an evacuation. She pondered whether she'd be able to pilot the ship on her own. But she'd have heard them exiting the airlock if they'd evacuated, wouldn't she? She got to the final deck hatch, which led into engineering, and stopped when it didn't open automatically. The presence of red light on the lock panel indicated that the room had been sealed from the inside. She considered radiation and major failures once more. But, if either of those were true, why would the door be locked from the inside? And she'd gone through wall panel after wall panel. None of them had been flashing any kind of warning. Not radiation, but something else. There was more upheaval here. Blood. Disorganized tools and containers Whatever had occurred had occurred here. No, it had begun here. And it had all happened behind that closed door. It took two hours with a torch and machine shop prying tools to cut through the hatch to engineering. She had to crank it open by hand because the hydraulics had failed. A gust of warm wet air blew out, carrying the scent of a hospital but not the antiseptic. A metallic, nauseating odor. So, the torture chamber. Her friends would be beaten or cut up inside. Joanna gripped her wrench, ready to sever at least one head before they killed her. She descended. The engineering deck was massive, with vaulted ceilings reminiscent of a cathedral. The central space was dominated by the fusion reactor. There was something wrong with it. A layer of mud seemed to flow over the reactor core, where she expected to see readouts, shielding, and monitors. Joanna floated toward it slowly, one hand still on the ladder. The strange odor became overwhelming. The mud caked around the reactor had a structure like she'd never seen before. Tubes, similar to veins or airways, ran through it. Some of it pulsed. Then it's not mud. Flesh. The thing's outcropping shifted toward her. It appeared to be no bigger than a toe or a little finger in comparison to the whole. It was the head of Captain Darren. "Help me," it begged.

On a bright, sunny day a woman walked down the street, enjoying the smell of the market and the gentle breeze. She was pondering to herself how she should spend her day when her thoughts were interrupted by a cry. Laughter followed, and so she followed the laughter, her body moving of its own accord.   Down the side street, and into a secluded commons the cruel laughter of children grew louder. Beneath the chorus, the sobs of the one they tormented grew quieter. Suddenly, her voice rang out, loud and clear as a schoolmarm "And what is going on here?!" The words put an end to the laughter, and the air was filled with the bustle of feet as the tormentors fled.   Without their laughter, the gentle sniffling of one little girl could be heard, growing slightly louder as she uncurled from her ball, and pulled her face from the well worn and thoroughly repaired bear in her hands. The woman approached, her voice filled with honey and love as she spoke. "There there little one, they're gone now. No need to cry, I'll get you a snack from the market."   Yet as the girl stood, it became clear to the woman what was the matter. The arm of the bear was in one hand, while the rest of the bear was in another. "I see I see, well why don't I fix that for you then? I have a needle and thread in my purse, it won't take a moment." But to her dismay, the girl only cried more!   "But I don't WANT to have to fix her again! She keeps getting torn, and hurt, and dirty, and it's all my fault! I don't want her to keep getting hurt... I don't want her getting any more ugly lines because the stitching wasn't right, or miss-matched patches because we don't have the right fabric... She's such a good bear and she deserves a good owner that can take care of her!"   The woman adjusted her dress, and took a seat on the ground, pulling out her sewing kit as she spoke. "Come now, take a seat and I'll tell you a little story as I do the repairs." Despite what the girl had said, she couldn't resist the offer, and so soon she sat as the woman began to repair the toy.   "Do you know why we give these bears to children? Most have forgotten now, and think of them simply as toys..." The girl shook her head, and the woman carried on. "They were guardians. They were made in the shape of mother bears, so that they might defend their children with all the ferocity of one. The story goes that they would guard their children from all that lurked in the night, and the forces of fortune and fate that sought to bring them harm."   The woman paused, letting the idea linger in the air as she continued to stitch. "But these guardians are not invincible, and so they pay a price each time they guard their child. A tear here, a mark there, perhaps even a lost eye if the foe was fierce enough." The little girl looked at the bear's miss-matched eyes, and the woman knew she was recalling what had happened to require the replacement. "But you know, it is in their nature to protect those they love, and all they ask in return is that their loved one is well... Did those children hurt you?"   The girl sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "N-no..." The woman smiled. "Then I'm sure your bear is pleased. They aren't like us, it doesn't hurt them to lose an arm. What hurts them is seeing us cry." The girl sniffles, trying to fight back the tears. "B-but s-she's got all these dumb patches and... and weird lumps and stuff! She must hate looking all... all messed up!"   The woman chuckled, pausing her work to pat the girl's head. "To a bear, those are marks of pride. Each one is a memory of a time she was able to protect you, and a reminder that you loved her enough to fix her up. Each patch and miss-placed stitch shows the rush you were in to fix her, proof of your love and appreciation. What bear could hate the evidence of such warm feelings?"   The woman took her time, and made sure each stitch was carefully placed, as the little girl watched and thought about the story she'd been told. Once the repair was done, and the bear returned, the woman began to leave, only to stop and turn to give one last piece of advice. "From now on, don't cry because she's been hurt, thank her for protecting you, and when one day it's time to let her go... Send her off with all the love you can."

Ah, yes, 2121. The second year of the decade of opportunity. Genetic studies have produced major scientific breakthroughs and now we have new species walking around like one of those old, but still very popular Star Wars movies. Cat girls, monster girls, you name it. 2121 was basically the early 2020’s, but with some brief, extreme changes. Technology as well had improved since what people described in 2021 in my History class, but while spam was solved, it didn't stop hackers, especially the famously notorious trio known as PLAGUE. It didn’t stop a hacker like me either. But unlike PLAGUE, I was a nobody. I wasn’t noticed. Hell, I was still a schoolboy finishing my last year of high school! Just like technology, my status as a nobody didn’t stop me from doing what I was about to do.

A month later, things were very different. Brendan and Lucy were no longer alone, countless men had come out to reveal that their bodies underwent a strange change after exposure to the Impossible Burger. The burgers were recalled, but apparently the change had something to do with specific genetic markers, so not every man who ate it was changed. Brendan envied those men as he stared at himself in the mirror. His breasts had stopped growing at B-cup, and Stacy and Lucy had encouraged Brendan to embrace femininity as no news of a cure was forthcoming. Brendan wasn’t entirely convinced that he should give up on masculinity, but had conceded to wearing panties as the shrinkage began in his groin. “It’ll be more comfortable, I promise.” Lucy said as Brendan scrutinized himself in the mirror. The image was confusing to him. On the one hand, he looked like himself, it's not like his skull had changed shape, but subtle changes, his lips becoming fuller, his nose reshaping slightly and his eyes had even changed shape. Brendan was even less sure of embracing makeup and hairstyling. Up to this point, he’d been content to leave his raven-black hair in a low ponytail, but Stacy and Lucy insisted on some modifications. Brendan pouted as Lucy worked Brendan’s hair into a french braid. “Listen, I know it’s uncomfortable, baby.” Stacy said. “But you’ve got to start making strides.” “I’m fine the way I am!” Brendan insisted, crossing his arms. His voice had gone up a few octaves in the last month. “I was the same way, Stace.” Lucy said, walking into the bedroom. “Of course I was justified since only a few days ago I’d been a man’s man. Brendan, you’ve had a month to cope with this.” “Maybe I just don’t want to cope, did you think about that?” Brendan snapped. “Maybe I don’t want to be a woman!” “Baby, we know this is tough, but if there isn’t a cure, and it sure as hell looks like there isn’t, you need to be prepared to face the world as… Well, a woman!” Stacy said. “Believe me, it doesn’t get easier.” Lucy said. It was a similar fight a few days later, as Stacy and Lucy tried to get Brendan to pick out an outfit for work. “You’ve already done the hard part, you told your job what happened, they understand because it’s a national crisis, and they’re prepared to make accommodations.” Stacy said. “I just don’t see why I can’t wear my own clothes. My… male clothes.” Brendan said. “We’ve already gone over that, for one thing, you’ve lost almost six inches since this whole thing started and your feet have shrunk, you just don’t fit into any of them, at least not comfortably.” Lucy said, holding out a skirt. “Besides, you should at least try one on. I ended up liking ‘em.” “Well maybe I’m not you!” Brendan shouted. “Maybe you were never a real man anyway, if you’re so willing to throw away everything just cause you grew a pair of tits!” Lucy stared down Brendan with fire in her eyes. Lucy’s fists curled, but she quickly unclenched them. “I’m going to forgive you for that because I know how hard this all is, but that was uncalled for.” Lucy said. “I’m gonna go.” Lucy dropped the skirt and stormed out of the room. “Wait, Luce… Lucy!” Bredan tried to give chase, but Lucy had already exited the apartment. Stacy came over and put her arm around Brendan. “It’ll be okay, baby.” Stacy said as Brendan began to sob into her shoulder. His first day back at work was an event, everyone walked on eggshells around him, some even afraid to call him by his name. Many of the victims, like Lucy, had changed their names to suit their new looks. Brendan wasn’t one of them. He was still holding on, wearing the bare minimum of gendered clothing, a simple blouse, dress pants, even his shoes, while a women’s style, were nondescript enough to pass for men’s shoes. He clipped his nails as short as they could go, short enough to cause pain to prevent his nails from growing long enough to be painted or shaped. And in a fit of rage, he’d cut off a good chunk of his hair. It took Stacy and Lucy together to restore it into a proper short style, which, ironically, looked far more feminine than it had before. It was after that incident that both Stacy and Lucy insisted that Brendan go to therapy, as had been suggested for victims of the Impossible Burger. The tension in the room was palpable as Brendan and the psychologist had a staring match. Neither of them spoke until the psychologist cleared her throat and spoke up. “Why don’t we start with why you’re here?” she asked. “Because Stacy and Lucy think that I need to be here.” Brendan replied. “Who are Stacy and Lucy?” the psychologist asked. “My girlfriend and my best friend.” Brendan replied. “Let’s explore that. Why do they think that?” she asked. “Because my body is changing into a woman’s and they want me to cope with it.” Brendan replied. “And why don’t you want to cope with it?” “Because I refuse to give up! I’m a man, I’ve always been a man and if I start acting girly, I’m just letting this thing destroy everything that makes me… me!” “Your identity seems to be very tied into your presented gender.” “Of course it is! If you woke up with a dick tomorrow, would you be okay with that?” “I don’t suppose I would…” the psychologist chuckled. “But we’re not here to talk about me. You mentioned ‘giving up’, why don’t you explain that to me? Why do you consider adapting to be giving up?” “Because it’s not right! I don’t…” Brendan started to sob. “Stupid hormones… I just want things to go back to normal.” “We both know that’s not possible. And adapting isn’t giving up. If you had lost a leg, and insisted on walking around without a crutch or prosthetic, would that make sense?” “That’d be stupid, if I don’t have the leg, I need that stuff to walk.” “And if you don’t have your gender… Look, no one is saying that you have to go around wearing dresses and heels and makeup all the time. Not every woman does that nor should they be expected to. But at the same time, refusing to explore this new world you’ve entered is preventing you from growing as a person.” “That’s what Lucy said…” Brendan muttered. “And Lucy…” “She’s another victim like me, only she went all-in on being a girl once she realized she couldn’t go back.” “I see. And do you think it’s possible that some of your problems with adapting are related to how quickly your best friend adapted?” “I guess it’s possible…” Brendan started. “Luke was the manliest guy I knew and then he just became a girly girl overnight! It’s not right! He didn’t even fight!” “I’m sure that isn’t true. You said that you wanted things to go back to normal. Lucy simply changed her definition of normal, sure, this isn’t what you could consider to be ‘normal’ for a man, but it’s very ‘normal’ for a woman. Think about it.” Brendan sat there for a moment and ruminated on what he’d been told. It was a long time coming, but Brendan and Stacy’s relationship was over. At least the intimate aspect of it. They both realized it at the same time. After another attempt at lovemaking, despite Brendan’s performance issues, given the shrinkage he’d experienced, which ended in failure, they both laid back, staring at the ceiling. They turned to each other at the exact same time. “I…” they said in unison. “No… you go first.” “I’ll go…” Brendan said. “I appreciate how supportive you’ve been, and I still love you just as much as I did before the burger but…” “I don’t have feelings for you anymore.” Stacy blurted out. “At least… not sexual or romantic ones. That’s what you were going to say… I could feel it. I feel the same way.” They both frowned. “I guess on some level, we knew this was coming.” Brendan said. “Right? The psychologist said that it was ‘normal’ but who knows what ‘normal’ is like this?” “Yeah… But this doesn’t change that we’re friends. I don’t want you out of my life, and I hope that you still want me in yours. Although maybe one of us should take the guest room.” Stacy said. “Lucy said she was looking for a roommate. I think I might take her up on her offer.” Brendan said. “You’re just going to leave me? I didn’t want you to leave, I just wanted…” Stacy started tearing up. “It’s not because we won’t be together. I just think it would be healthier. Wouldn’t it be super awkward if you start dating again and bringing home partners while your ex is in the other room?” Brendan asked, wiping Stacy’s tears away. Stacy nodded. The two embraced in a long hug as they realized their formerly entwined futures had been severed from each other. “Besides, the psychologist said that I had to find a new normal, and all this place reminds me of is my old normal. If I want to find out who I am now, I need a change.” Brendan said. A few weeks later, Brendan and Lucy had formed new routines once Brendan moved in, making it a point to share breakfast together before they went to work. Brendan uncomfortably adjusted his bra strap through his shirt. “Given any thought to my offer? Once this stabilized, going back to the gym was a first step back to normalcy.” Lucy said. “You can try out my yoga class if you want.” “Yoga? That’s so stereotypical! Just because I look like this doesn’t mean I’m going to become a girly girl and I’m not gonna be doing free weights and rowing.” Brendan scoffed. “I didn’t say that was all I did.” Lucy chuckled. “Either way, yoga is good for giving me a sense of balance. You could try anything, yoga, spin class, or just go back to the machines, though you’d have to adjust your old routines. Oh, I should let you know, I might not be home tonight. I’ve got a date.” “A date?” Brendan asked. “Yeah, this guy Craig from work, we’ve been talking for a few days and really hitting it off.” Lucy replied. “You’ve been dating guys?” Brendan questioned. “That’s so gay!” “Not anymore.” Lucy motioned to her body. “I haven’t felt anything from a woman for weeks now. It’s the next logical step. You and Stacy have been separated for a bit now, when are you going back in the field?” “I don’t know… I’m not attracted to women anymore, but I haven’t felt anything for a guy… maybe I’m asexual now.” Brendan said. “That’s what I thought, just wait.” Lucy giggled as Brendan rolled his eyes. Later, Brendan walked into the gym in an exercise shirt and exercise pants. The shirt was bulky, but the pants unavoidably accentuated Brendan’s new curves. A sports bra underneath the shirt kept his chest bound, but Brendan still felt stares. Lucy had insisted, since his hair wasn’t really long enough for a ponytail, that he use a headband to hold his hair back, which Brendan reluctantly acquiesced to. This was his first time back in the gym since the burger, and he’d lost a lot of muscle mass, owed mostly to the fact that the changes redistributed fat and muscle to create his new body. The changes had pretty much halted, so Brendan felt that now was the best time to work on bulking himself back up. His first step was to re-acclimate himself with the free weights. As he approached the rack, Brendan noticed a man standing in front of the weight that he wanted. “Scuse me.” Brendan pushed past the man. “Sorry.” the man stepped back. “Oh hey, it’s you!” Brendan scrutinized the man’s face, not really recognizing it. It was the same sort of face that Luke used to have. Square jaw, beard, in a way, Brendan envied him. “Do I know you?” Brendan asked. “Not officially, I guess. I’m Marshall.” the man held out his hand. “Brendan.” Brendan hesitantly shook Marshall’s hand. “You used to come here a lot, I used to use the elliptical machine right after you.” Marshall said. “I noticed a lot of guys stopped coming. Not hard to figure out why. I’m glad that you decided to come back.” “Yeah, so am I.” Brendan smiled. It was nice to find someone who didn't care about offending him. “I’m a personal trainer… you know, and I’ve been helping a lot of people like you with new routines because of… you know.” Marshall stammered. “Thanks but…” Brendan started, but remembered the talk with the psychologist. ”You need to find a new normal.” “You know what? What do you recommend?” Brendan asked. A week later, Brendan and Marshall were still trying out new additions for Brendan’s new routine. Brendan couldn’t bench press anymore, at least not yet, but they substituted a chest press machine to help build up his arms. “And… finished!” Marshall said. “Finally…” Brendan sighed as Marshall handed him a towel and a water bottle. “Thanks.” “I think we’re starting to find what works.” Marshall said as they started to head towards the locker rooms. “Agreed.” Brendan said. “But I’m still not back to full speed yet.” “Say, this might be weird, but do you wanna get dinner, maybe discuss some workout ideas I had? Cause you’re the first person I’ve had who’s stuck with it as strictly, I was thinking of making it an official thing. Maybe you could help me refine it?” Marshall asked. “Nothing fancy, just a diner or something.” “Oh!” Brendan blushed. They had been spending a lot of time together, but only at the gym. But Brendan couldn’t deny how his heart jumped whenever he felt Marshall’s hands adjusting his position, or the hot flush he got when he thought about the workouts while sitting at home. Since his breakup with Stacy, he hadn’t done much in the self-gratification department, given the utter uselessness of his equipment. Not that Lucy hadn’t tried to convince him to try… other means. ”I’ve got some toys if you want to experiment.” Lucy had said. “No!” Brendan replied. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet, Luce.” “Suit yourself. Of course, nothing beats the real thing…” Lucy giggled. “Gross! I don’t wanna hear it!” Brendan covered his ears. It was only a matter of time after his discovery of loss of sexual attraction to women that he’d discover a new focus for it. Much like the support he’d gotten from Stacy and Lucy, his friendship with Marshall had been helping him through the changes. So it was an easy decision. “Sure!” Brendan replied. “Sounds like fun.” As they approached the locker room, Brendan and Marshall stopped by the door to continue their conversation. As they did, Lucy strolled out carrying her gym bag. “Hey guys!” Lucy said. “Just finishing up?” “You know it!” Brendan remarked. “So I’ll pick you up around six?” Marshall asked. “Sounds good. See you then.” Brendan replied, blushing. Lucy smiled as Marshall walked away. She turned to Brendan. “Going out on a date with a guy? Isn’t that gay?” Lucy asked. “Shut up!” Brendan blushed even harder. “It’s not a date! We’re just friends.” “Sure you are. That’s why you’re redder than a tomato right now.” Lucy said. “Oh my god… it is a date.” Brendan muttered. “What am I gonna wear?” “Now who’s being stereotypical?” Lucy giggled. Marshall pulled up to the front of Brendan’s apartment building, looking around for Brendan. He’d been expecting Brendan to be wearing baggy clothes like he had at the gym. He wasn’t expecting to see Brendan exiting the building in a midriff-baring blouse, skirt and heels. Nor was he expecting Brendan to be wearing makeup, as light as it was, it was noticeable. Brendan walked with full concentration on his steps, heading for the car. Clearly this was his first time ever walking in heels. Brendan opened the car door and hopped into the passenger seat. He smiled as he turned to Marshall. “Brendan… this is a new look for you.” Marshall said. “Yeah, I… I figured I should switch it up a bit.” Brendan nervously laughed. “Do you like it?” “It looks good on you?” Marshall said. “I dunno, you don’t look comfortable in it.” “Yeah, I’m not. But Lucy convinced me to really get out of my comfort zone. I think I’m gonna stick with pants and flats in the future.” Brendan smiled. “Do you want to go change?” Marshall asked. "I'll wait, it's not like we have reservations or anything." Brendan hesitated a moment before he quickly opened the door to the car and hopped out. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” Brendan replied as he rushed back into the building as Marshall laughed. After finding his new normal, Brendan had changed drastically. He’d let his hair grow out and had it in a messy layered style with bangs. While he hadn’t taken to feminine clothing, he’d grown a healthy appreciation for hair-care. As he walked downstairs, wearing a pair of jean-shorts and a tank top, he passed by a few neighbors and waved to them, admiring his painted nails, sporting a sky-blue polish, another feminine affectation that he’d taken to after a night in with Lucy. Exiting the building, he approached Marshall, waiting outside for him. “Hey, babe.” Brendan pecked Marshall on the lips while standing on his tip-toes, also sporting the same polish that was shown off in the sandals he was wearing. “Ready for the big day?” Marshall asked. “Yeah. This past year has been rough, but I think this is healthy to do.” Brendan replied. “You know you don’t have to do it, right?” Marshall reminded. “I know, but to be honest, at this point it feels weird not to.” Brendan replied. “Besides, it’s such a small thing now anyway.” As the couple approached a local bar, they walked in, finding a table near the back occupied by Stacy, Lucy, and Lucy’s boyfriend Craig. As they sat down, Lucy placed an envelope on the table. “Came in the mail this morning.” Lucy said. “Are you ready?” “Yeah.” Brendan sighed, taking the envelope. “Before I open this, I just want to thank everyone for their support. Stacy, without you, I don’t know how I’d have coped with the changes. Lucy, you helped me learn to accept them, and Marshall, you showed me that change wasn’t always bad. Craig, you helped me the most, because you’ve managed to keep Lucy too distracted to make me over into a girly girl.” The group laughed as Brendan used his nail to slice open the envelope and pulled out the contents. “So, what do you think?” Brendan pulled out an ID card and showed it to everyone. On the card was a recent photo of Brendan, but next to his picture was the word “Brenda”. “I haven’t figured out whether I’m going to go whole hog on the pronouns, but I think my new self needed a new name.” Brenda said. “I think that’s a beautiful name.” Marshall said. “I still can’t believe that this all started because of a burger.” Stacy muttered. “Yeah, if you told me this would be how my life would turn out…” Brenda started. “I’d tell you that was impossible.” As they laughed, they also raised their glasses and toasted to Brenda’s new life. The End

A car drove past a billboard on the road that proclaimed “Try the BRAND NEW Impossible Burger at BQ!”. Inside the car, Stacy turned to her boyfriend Brendan. “Do you think you’re gonna try the Impossible Burger?” Stacy asked. “I don’t know. It seems interesting, but I’m a meat-eater, so I don’t see any time I’d want a vegan burger.” Brendan said. “It would be healthier.” Stacy added. “And apparently you can’t taste the difference.” “I’ll just have to see, although I’ve heard stories online that the burger makes guys grow boobs.” Brendan chuckled. “Something about plant estrogen.” “That stupid conspiracy theory? It’s not scientifically accurate, and plant estrogen is in like a bunch of other foods.” Stacy said. “Besides, the only people who believe that are far-right lunatics.” “I dunno, I guess I’ll just have to see if I’m ever in the mood to try it.” Brendan said. A few days later, Brendan was taking his lunch break from the office, and passed by a Burger Queen. Walking inside, Brendan spotted a familiar face, his friend Luke in the line. “Luke! What’s up?” Brendan asked as he joined Luke on the line. Luke was a big guy, broad shoulders, beefy arms, and a lumberjack beard, truly a man’s man. “Not much, just here to try out the new Impossible Burger.” Luke replied. “Really? Never pegged you for a vegetarian.” Brendan said. “I’m not, it just seemed like an interesting thing to get.” Luke said. “Plus, if I wanna keep these muscles, I’ve gotta stay healthy.” “Good point.” Brendan nodded as Luke flexed. After they ordered and received their food, Brendan and Luke sat down at a nearby table and started to eat. “How is it?” Brendan asked as Luke took a bite out of his Impossible Burger. “It’s incredible! It tastes just like beef!” Luke exclaimed. “Wanna try?” “I think I’ll pass…” Brendan said. “I’m content with my chicken sandwich.” “Your loss…” Luke muttered as he continued eating. Returning home that night, Brendan sat down on the couch next to Stacy as yet another commercial played on the TV for the “Impossible Burger”. “They’re really promoting the crap out of this thing, that’s the sixth one during this show!” Brendan remarked. “I guess it’s really good.” Stacy said. “Have you had it yet?” “No, but I ran into Luke today and he was raving about it.” Brendan said. A few days later, Brendan decided to take his lunch break at Burger Queen once more, and got on line. “Hmm… Maybe I will get the Impossible Burger today…” Brendan mused. “Then again, I feel like maybe I want the fish sandwich…” “Brendan!” a voice shouted from behind. Brendan turned around and was shocked by what he saw. Luke’s full beard was gone, and his hair, which seemed longer, sat messily around his face. “Luke! Holy shit! You shaved the beard!” Brendan exclaimed. “Yeah, I just felt like a change.”Luke said nervously. “And your hair… it seems longer.” Brendan said. “It's only been a few days, is that possible?” “I was running late after the gym and didn’t have time to brush, that’s why you notice.” Luke said, running his hand over his hair to smooth it down. “I see.” Brendan said. “Back for another burger?” “You know it! That Impossible Burger is so good!” Luke said. “You gonna try it?” “Maybe another time.” Brendan said worriedly. Later, Brendan and Stacy were laying in bed together as Brendan explained his concerns about Luke. “I’m telling you, right after he ate the burger, he started acting weird.” Brendan said. “You know Luke, he loved that beard!” “People can change their opinions about their looks whenever they want.” Stacy said. “Like if I wanted to be a brunette tomorrow, I could be.” “I think something’s going on with Luke.” Brendan said. “I just hope he’s okay.” A few days later, Brendan was arriving at the gym to work out, since he had to make up for all the fast food he’d been eating lately. As he arrived, he bumped into a person wearing a bulky hoodie and sweatpants, knocking them to the floor. “Sorry about that.” Brendan said, extending his hand to help the person up. The person took his hand and Brendan began to help pull them up. The hood fell back, revealing Luke, who looked emaciated compared to how Brendan remembered. His full face was thinner, his hair was much longer and messily tied back with some longer strands glued to his face by sweat, plus, despite the implausibility of it, Brendan almost felt that Luke was shorter than he’d been just a few days earlier. “Luke?” Brendan exclaimed. “What happened to you?” “Nothing, I think I’ve got a bug or something, but it’s fine, I’m working on it.” Luke said, his arms crossed over his chest. Brendan’s eyes drifted and he could swear he noticed something straining against the hoodie on Luke’s chest. “They couldn’t possibly be breasts, right?” Brendan thought, then aloud he said, “Luke, whatever the problem is, I’m there for you. Stacy too! If you need anything…” “Just let it go, okay?” Luke's voice cracked, as he demanded, pushing past Brendan and rushed out of the gym. Brendan could only watch with concern and dismay at what his friend had become. There was definitely something going on there. “All right, all right!” Stacy exclaimed. “I’ll eat the stupid burger, but I still think you’re overreacting. I mean, what are the odds that all this stuff happened to Luke just because he ate a burger. We’d hear about this stuff on the news!” “I know, I just… I need to be sure.” Brendan said, frantically. “Luke won’t talk to me, he hasn’t answered the door…” “I know how worried you are about him. I am too.” Stacy said. “I’ll order in, you want anything?” “Yeah, just get me a regular burger.” Brendan said. A while later, the couple was sitting on the couch, eating the burgers. Brendan put the last piece of his burger into his mouth and swallowed. Stacy put down her burger and examined it again. “It’s amazing! It actually tastes just like meat, you’ve gotta try it!” Stacy insisted. “I don’t think so.” Brendan said, putting a hand on his stomach. “Even if I wasn’t full…” “I just can’t believe it.” Stacy looked at the wrapper. She turned to the wrapper that Brendan was quickly balling up. Her face fell and she grabbed it out of his hands. “Hold on!” Stacy demanded, unwrapping the wrapper slowly. “Oh no…” “What?” Brendan asked. “I think they screwed up the order. I think we got two Impossible burgers.” Stacy replied. Brendan started to feel nauseous, but pushed the feelings back. “Guess it really did taste just like meat, right?” Stacy asked. “And listen, it’s like I said, whatever’s going on with Luke might not even be related to the stupid burger. Brendan? Brendan!” Brendan couldn’t respond, he simply stared forward with a worried expression on his face. The next morning, Brendan woke up, and immediately knew something was wrong. His chest felt like it was on fire! Brendan rushed into the bathroom and turned on the lights. He looked into the mirror as he examined his chest. His pecs were puffy and the nipples were red and swollen. “What the hell is all this?” Stacy shouted from the other room. “Brendan! Why is there hair all over the bed?” “Why is there what?” Brendan asked, before looking down at his body. His normally hairy legs, hairy chest, hairy arms, they were all smooth and bare. For the first time, he noticed how cold the linoleum floor was as he felt chills going up his body. “Did you hear me?” Stacy asked. “I said why is there…” Stacy stopped in her tracks as Brendan turned around and she saw his chest and lack of body hair. “What the hell?” Stacy asked. The doctor looked over a clipboard of test results as he turned back to Brendan, sitting on the exam table fidgeting around. “Well, this is absolutely incredible.” the doctor said. “What’s wrong with me, doc?” Brendan asked. “According to the blood test, you’ve had a sudden spike in estrogen, which is essentially causing your body to… for lack of a better term, go through a second puberty. Except it’s a version of female puberty.” the doctor said. “And you’re sure the only estrogen you’ve been exposed to was that burger? You didn’t accidentally take some of your girlfriend’s birth control pills by mistake?” “The only thing out of the ordinary was the burger.” Brendan insisted. “I see…” the doctor noted on his chart. “Can this be reversed? Is it gonna turn me into a full on woman?” Brendan asked. “Unfortunately, I can’t answer that. You’re the first case I’ve seen,” the doctor replied. “Your case is unique for the moment until I have a case study.” Over the next few days, Brendan experienced slow changes, his hair growing, loss of muscle mass, and the swelling in his chest eventually graduated into being what Stacy qualified as A-cup breasts. At her insistence, he started wearing a bra. But the biggest change came on the third day, when he stood up from bed and discovered that he’d lost about two inches off of his height. He’d given Luke enough space and hadn’t even tried to visit as he and Stacy were too preoccupied with figuring out what was going on with Brendan’s body. But now he had to find his friend. “Luke! Open up! I need to talk!” Brendan frantically pounded on the door to Luke’s apartment. “I had the burger, it’s happening to me too! I’m freaking out and I need to know you’re okay!” After a few moments, Brendan heard the door unlocking. He stepped back and looked at the floor as the door opened. In front of him, he saw a pair of dainty feet with painted toenails. Following it up the body, he saw a pair of shapely legs in yoga pants, a t-shirt covering a pair of C-cup breasts, and Luke’s face, all the features were there, just changed, and with makeup on them. A smaller nose, fuller lips, and long hair tied in a messy bun. To top things off, the friend who used to be inches taller than him was now dwarfed by Brendan’s 5’8” frame. “Luke? Brendan asked, his voice cracking. “I… I go by Lucy now.” Lucy replied in a higher voice. In what was formerly Luke’s, and now Lucy’s apartment, the two friends caught up over coffee. Brendan watched as Lucy’s hands with manicured fingernails gripped the mug as she… there was no other way Brendan could think of Lucy, lifted it to her face. “Is that part of it?” Brendan asked, motioning to Lucy’s fingers. “Oh, the nail polish? No, they just grew longer.” Lucy said. “My sister Carrie did that. She was the first person I told.” “The nurse.” Brendan remembered. “Yeah, I figured she could help me, but she couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I didn’t even consider it was the burger until I had the second one and things started to ramp up faster. I mean, it’s been a few days for you and you’re still mostly male. I was way further along. “Lucy said. “That’s why I was so skittish at the gym. I was trying to… I dunno, sweat it out? Or bulk up my body? But it wasn’t working, and when I saw you… I was ashamed, I guess. That’s why I ran.” “And you’ve just accepted it?” Brendan asked. “Not accepted, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a cure, so I’ve got to make the most of it. At least that’s what Carrie said. She’d been a real help, buying me clothes, teaching me about being a woman.” Lucy said. “Do you still have… you know?” Brendan asked. “Mine hasn’t changed yet but…” “I’m surprised at you, Brendan! Asking a lady about what’s in her pants!” Lucy made a mock offended face, then softened. “It’s still there… but it’s shrinking, and hasn’t been much use. I don’t think it’ll just go away, but Carrie said if it gets small enough, I’d need surgery so that I can pee correctly.” “Is that gonna happen to me?” Brendan asked, shocked. “I don’t know.” Lucy said, grabbing Brendan’s hand. “Like I said, I had a double dose so my experience might be greater. Who knows? You might be able to reverse the changes.” “I hope you’re right…” Brendan sighed. “Do you mind showing me how far along you are?” Lucy asked. “I guess not…” Brendan said. Brendan stood up and pulled up his loose-fitting t-shirt to show Lucy his chest. She simply nodded solemnly. Things were far from over, this was only the beginning. To Be Continued

It was still dark for the most part, the sun was barely peeking out, making for a scene that would have been appreciated by most people, if only the one enjoying the scene was not bathed in blood and on the verge of dying.  At the face of death, as he reminisced about his life from beginning to end , he had regrets, he held fear , and slowly he came to terms that he didnt have much time left, slowly he reached the memories of his life from a few years before now. At that time he had reached a new level of magic spells, it was not just a quantitative change but a qualitative change . He made a few spell, all of which were quite complex and seldom used by him throughout his life. " It was a life full of naivette and regret, but I did reach some good heights in my lifetime. Ha ha ha ,it is a pity this is where I die, but this is quite the feeling, throughout the years I have come close to death many times but today ... feels different, atleast the scenery is worthy" Suddenly he realised something , that was : One of the spells he created , he wanted to try and see if it works ! Why ? Because it was a spell that would basically send his will back through the river of time into his body from the past. If this spell was so powerfull then why didn't he use it before ? That was because his spell and his mana were not the only requirement for this spell to activate. Nael Beryldot , he was a mage with the elements of water and wind, using his natural talent he made ice magic his specialty. But how can ice magic tamper with time ? His Ice magic could partially mimic time magic, let alone going back in time. However now that he had one of the strongest time magic stone in his hand , how could he not give it a try ?  Thinking this he started to activate the spell.  Countless strands of mana came out of his body and intertwined in various shapes and forms. If someone were here they would surely want to take a picture for the already beautiful scenery was bounlessly improved when the countless blue lines waved in the air , illuminating the land near them. It was a scene out of a dream! This scene did not last, soon the spell was completed - Boom !  His whole body exploded.  

The water was cold. It burned with cold. Luke felt his lungs shrink and push air out through his nose and mouth. The shock hit him. He couldn’t tell which way was up. He forced his eyes to open, despite the sting of the salt, to look for the surface of the water. He flailed his arms to get the seaweed –no– long hair? out of his face. His muscles moved, his arms swept automatically, but there was something about the freezing water: he lost his sense of form, his fingers weren’t quite where they were meant to be, his biceps were out ahead but they were brushing his… His chest? His feet didn’t move water as much as they should. He must have been sinking as he struggled, he felt his hip touch rough stone that he figured was the bottom. He realised he was sideways, moved one leg over the other to right himself –something strange in that motion too– and kicked towards the light.   The air hit his hair and made it heavy before it hit his mouth and made it sting. He could taste blood and salt, he couldn’t see past his long hair –He didn’t have long hair– He swept it out of his face with a narrow finger for a brief second before putting his slender hand back to work treading water. He spun his head faster than he could see, whipping his hair behind him. He gave a strong kick that lifted him out of the water all the way down to the –the nipple? The breast? Before the weight of his sodden t-shirt pulled him back down. He saw cliff ahead, turn, more cliff, turn, he saw the lip of the rock and kicked formlessly. His arms pulled water back in quick narrow breaststroke. Instinct tethered them close to his core for warmth; his will pushed them away to pull water.   His hand touched rock, Katie grabbed his wrist and pulled. She was strong and he was lighter than he had been, but his clothes were sodden with water. His determination made him pull with his other hand, his waist scraped close to the rough rock but didn’t break skin. Something must have cut him though, the pool was pink with blood. His feet scrambled to push him over, fully onto damp land. When he got to his knees he felt the pain hit. In every part of his body he felt stretched, shrunk, broken and re-fused.   He vomited. Katie grabbed his new hair and crouched down beside him, her soft skirt brushed his side. He spat saltwater and blood until retching didn’t bring anything up, then he collapsed on to her lap and cried.   "Aw, there-there poppet, I know it hurts but it's ok, it's ok, shh" Katie comforted him over the sound of the sea and his unfamiliar sobs "I know, I know it hurts".   They stayed there, water spraying Katie from the sea and pooling up on her skirt, for a long time. Luke’s new body shivered under her hands. After Luke quieted a little she handed him a smartie and told him to eat. She reached into her bag and pulled back out the hand mirror.   “Ok pet, I know you’re still hurt, and cold, and this is going to be another big shock, but I did what I just did for a reason. I need you to look at yourself.” She put the mirror in front of herself, turned Luke’s damp head away from her stomach and towards the mirror. His stinging eyes took a second to unblur, to focus at the two women in the mirror. Katie and… and someone. He saw Katie and he saw a crying, soaking woman with Blonde hair and a nose like his mother’s -like his nose?. He saw, he saw her, and she saw herself back.   “Katie? Who is..? Who am..? Thank you!” she sobbed in a raw, new voice. and collapsed again.   Katie was unsure what to make of that. She hadn’t had that reaction before. Usually she’d explain while the mirror shock set in. Luke seemed to be handling it strangely. She soldiered on; she still wanted to keep control of the situation.   “There are certain powers at play here Luke. What just happened to you wasn't just a cold swim, it was a magical event. Do you understand? I need you to nod if you do.”   Luke shivered and nodded. Katie gave her another smartie.   “Ok, do you understand that you look very different now? And that you’ll sound different when you speak? Say you understand.”   “I… I do… thank you!” Luke said; hot tears cooling, gaining composure.   Katie laughed nervously “Um… you’re welcome I suppose? That’s not how I thought you’d react. I am true to my word, you can register tomorrow, and you can be eligible for the woman’s bursary if you run like this every week. It wears off in two low tides, about a day, and it’ll be sore in the other direction too, but you can be a boy again Sunday through Friday…”   “No.” Luke shook her red blotchy face, felt her teeth start to chatter.   “Ok, ok poppet, if you never want to do that again that’s ok too, but you can’t register as Luke like that, so we can come up with an excuse for you to drop out of this and that’ll be that. But I think you’ll feel better about this after some tea and dry clothes. Come let’s see Hannah, she does live close” Katie moved to stand, and help Luke to her feet.   “N-no that’s not what I…” he said, and thought “Come on it’s now or never, you have to tell her you shivering coward.”    “I d-d-don’t w-want to g-g-go back tomorrow. I w-want this, I have for a long time, th-this exact-t–t-th-thing. Do you under-understand? You can nod your head if you do now.”   “Oh” Katie wanted to be in control of this, but she was on the back foot “Oh!” she nodded. “That’s ok, I’m sorry you had to go through that.” She was going to continue but she was cut off.   “Oh-k-k-kay, thank you, k-k-can I get warm now?” said L, getting to her feet, lifting her sodden clothes.   “Yes, yes you can. I haven't lied to you, not really.” Katie followed her in standing up, she swapped her mirror for a phone and sent a text. “Ok, it’s just a little further. Hannah will meet us on the way”.   They walked slowly, Luke leaning on Katie. Luke’s heart was beating hard, she was barely lighter physically, but in her chest she felt an anxiety that made her feel like she could float away. They came to a set of steps where a woman Katie’s age was waiting with a towel. She half-ran over to them when they limped four-leggedly into view, and threw it over Luke.   “Awh” Hannah clicked her tongue “I missed the fun part! How was it? I don’t ken how you looked before but you make a fine lassie!”   “Th-Th-Thank you!”   “Taking it better than me I see, let’s get you in, you look awfie cold.”   Hannah led them up the stone steps, unlatched an old wooden gate, and pushed open the door to a small stone house. “In you go. Don’t worry about the carpet. Theresagirl- oh sorry is that alright? Theresaboy I suppose if it makes you feel any better. Right through here, this way, here’s the bathroom, we’ll give you some time to get acquainted with yourself, won’t we Katie?”   “Of course, Thank you Hannah, and… Luke? This didn’t quite go how I planned; I’m used to being the villain. I hope you can forgive me.” Katie sighed.   Luke took a silent step past onto the linoleum, closed the door, and twisted the lock an eighth-turn closed. She gave a small pull to check it was locked, stripped her heavy clothes off, struggled removing her laces with her clawed-cold hands before just kicking them off her too-small feet. Her awareness stayed always on the next thing, the careful step over the edge of the bathtub, the button on the shower, frantically turning the dial towards blue as the modest heat of the shower felt scalding on her feet. Slowly, as she stood there cranking the temperature by degrees at a time, she came a wider awareness: she was in a strange woman’s shower; she was a she; she was alone and getting warm again; there was a mirror in the bathroom with a girl in it; she was that girl; she was pretty; she had all the parts and curves she’d expect from the reflection, and they were pretty too; her hair was the same blonde colour, her face had the same tight angular shape she’d grown into but softened at the jaw and more slender; she was a she; she was a girl; she was a girl.

    The weekend at BLAZE Convention Hall was going to be very busy. Two big events happening at the same time as the building was separated into two halls. A Lovethread Concert, and Anime SmileFest, side by side. It created such a buzz on social media for better or worse, as it would mean an enormous flow of people in the area. The traffic would also be bad, so staying around the vicinities would be better for the visitors. To top all that, the hotel fees were expensive.   Hanamiya Sakuya, a fan of the rising and popular girl band Lovethread, was a little peeved by the announcement. She stayed not far from BLAZE but there was no way she would want to go through the traffic hell. The concert was on for two nights, after all, and she certainly would watch both days given how they usually had a slightly different setlist. Fortunately for her, the Organizer had a sharing package for the duration, in which the ticket holder would be roomed together with another fan in a twin-bed room.  “Sharing with a fellow Lovethread fan will not be so bad, after all. Perhaps I can even make new friends.” Arisa said to herself as she booked the room. The package was decently priced too, so it was a win-win solution.   Little did she know that both events were held by the same Organizer. With the package being an extremely popular option, they tried their best to match the interest of both sides. However, they still had one spare Deluxe room and two different packages. It was a mix-up by the hotel so they had no choice but to mix the two guests from different tickets into the same room. After all, what was the worst thing that could happen?   Sakuya was so excited as she checked in to the hotel one night before the event; the package was for 3 nights in total so the guests did not need to rush during the day. As the receptionist informed her that her room would be upgraded to the Deluxe Room upon checking in, she was delightfully surprised. “Lucky!”, she thought, unaware that she only get so because of the ‘mishap’ from the Organizer.  As her house was not that far from the hotel, Sakuya took her sweet time going to the hotel only after dinner, which meant that her roommate for the event would have already been there. She opened the door gently as she saw another girl already on top of her bed, playing with her phone.   Their appearances were quite in contrast with each other. Sakuya had soft pink hair, long enough to go past her shoulder to the waist length. Wearing her plain white t-shirt underneath the band’s light blue iconic jacket, with a long jeans skirt and black stockings. On the other hand, the girl was just wearing her light green bedwear, looking a bit more simple with her black, shoulder-length hair as she was already resting on her bed.  “The name’s Hanamiya Sakuya, nice to meet you.” Sakuya introduced herself as soon as she put her stuff down.  “Nice to meet you as well, Hanamiya-san. I’m Hifumoto Iroha.” The girl put on her glasses as she said that so that she can look at her roommate better.  “Don’t be strangers, we are both fans so we are basically sisters!” Sakuya was pretty easygoing as she was just so excited to meet a fellow Lovethread fan. “So, who’s your favourite girl group?” Iroha was surprised at the sudden question. She immediately thought that it was about group anime song (anisong) singers as she said, “Try Sphere. What about you?”. Sakuya was naturally unfamiliar with the name as she wondered if they were indie groups. She made a mental note to search it next time. “Ah, that would be HoneyFlower. But I like girl bands overall, so I often went to BLAZE to watch them. This place is just like, 30 minutes from my house on normal traffic. Although as you can see, it’s going to be very crowded so that’s why I take the room package.  I’m glad that I do, though. You seem fun to talk with.” The pink-haired girl said with a wide grin.  This time it was Iroha that was wondering what ‘HoneyFlower’ was. She had yet to hear anything about any song sung by that group, but not that she followed every anisong each season. She might have missed a couple or two…  Both of them had yet to make the connection as the conversation shifted to the more general stuff. Sakuya was older so she kept talking in her more casual tone, and she found out that Iroha was from another city. She only went to Tokyo (and BLAZE) at best three times a year for similar events. Even when they were completely different, opposites do attract as they seemed to hit it off pretty well, united by their love for (2d/3d) girls. Apart from fashion, they seemed to have similar tastes in food. Even the (non-anime/manga) books and movies. It seemed that they were saving the topic of the concert/convention afterwards so that they could nerd it out and had a lot to talk about after the next day. They still had two nights together, after all.   It was already quite late when they met in the first place so it was close to midnight by the time they finished talking. Iroha excused herself to rest. She had to wake up early morning on the next day, and as she was already in her bedwear she lay down on her bed to rest while turning the lights on her area off. Sakuya on the other hand still needed to take her bath as she slowly walked toward the bathroom; the other girl was already asleep by then when Sakuya took her warm shower. Not long after, she got changed into her sleepwear and laid on top of her bed before eventually falling asleep as well.       The next morning, Sakuya woke up to Iroha about to leave. The black-haired girl excused herself to depart early for the merchandise. Sakuya was still groggy from waking up as she got confused; the merchandise for Lovethread would just be open at noon at the earliest. She was still half-asleep so she let it pass. “Have a nice day…” she said, as she returned back to sleep. Sakuya was not really a morning riser after all. She only woke up close to lunchtime as she departed to get the merchandise in the afternoon. The hotel room was nicely divided as each guest had their own wardrobe so the two did not know what each other bought. Coincidentally, that time when Iroha returned to store her early bird purchases, Sakuya was already resuming her sleep. On the other hand, Iroha was still in the anime convention during Sakuya’s return.   That evening, Sakuya went to have her early dinner first because the concert would have ended pretty late, not to mention she needed the extra strength to support her idols. “Ah, I forget to ask for Iroha’s contact…” She only remembered as she wanted to ask her to tag along. “Maybe I’ll meet her in the concert hall.” she hoped; watching a concert side by side with someone was generally a pleasant experience. As the concert started, she could not find Iroha around. There were a lot of people, after all, so she gave up and just hoped they could walk home together. The opening act had started so the pink-haired girl was lost in the moment, which was amplified when Lovethread appeared.   Even until the concert ended, Sakuya waited a while for the audience to clear out yet she had yet to see her roommate. “Maybe she’s already back,” she said as she walked to the hotel that was just a couple of minutes from the concert hall. The anime convention was still ongoing, fortunately so the human traffic was manageable. Inside the room, there was no one yet as apparently, Iroha had yet to return. Sakuya rinsed herself while wondering where might the other girl go. Perhaps as she was from another city, she had time to meet her friends from Tokyo.  This time she was the one relaxing on top of her bed with a t-shirt and shorts as bedwear when the door opened. “Ah, welcome back Iroha-” Sakuya’s words were interrupted by the sight of a beautiful, long-haired blonde with red eyes. She immediately wondered who the girl was, as she could not be in the wrong room given how her key managed to open the Deluxe Room. “Are you by chance Iroha’s friend?” she asked, still puzzled by the unfamiliar girl. “It’s me, Sakuya-san.” the blonde said, getting confused herself. She kind of forget that she was still cosplaying. “How do you know my name- Wait, that voice, Iroha-chan?!” It took several minutes for the confusion to settle in as the two noticed what had happened. Iroha’s cosplay, as well as Sakuya’s Lovethread t-shirt certainly explained the confusion they had these past nights.     Even when they realised the mix-up, at this point the two of them already enjoyed each other’s presence and chose not to fuss over it too much. The ‘blonde’ put her stuff down as she took a seat on the chair, resting for a bit after a long day before taking her bath. “You really look so different though! What are you cosplaying as? You’re beautiful, almost like an idol!” Sakuya said excitedly as she observed her roommate’s clothes.  “I’m cosplaying as Megu-chan from IdoLive7, an idol anime.” In contrary to last night, Iroha was in high spirit as well, as she talked about her favourite anime character. She took out her phone to show her character’s image and Sakuya was impressed to see the resemblances. “2D idol, huh... Pretty interesting.” Sakuya recalled that she had seen their posters when she went to the Electric District, alongside the crowds forming in the CD shop whenever the artist had a new single. Iroha added that the main difference between the 2D idol genre and other anime was that the voice actress ended up being an idol as well nowadays, even holding concerts annually.  “Ah, the voice actress of Megu-chan is cute as well.” Sakuya stumbled upon her when she searched for the character’s information. “Now let’s hear how her song is.” This time, the pink-haired girl was the one that searched proactively for the character’s theme song. As Megu-chan was one of the main characters, she had her character song and several group songs available.    Sakuya was pleasantly surprised when she heard the song. Granted, it was slightly different from the girl groups she used to see and hear, especially when the movements involved the anime character than the girl band members. The dance moves were not that sophisticated as well as they rely more on the visuals, with the voice on par with some of her favourites. As Iroha saw her roommate lost in the music, she slid herself to the bathroom to take a shower and get changed.   “Ah, Megu-chan’s gone…” she teased the black-haired girl as she walked out of the bathroom. It was Sakuya’s turn now to show the wonder of her girl group as she had already opened the music video tab. Iroha, while blushing, sat at the edge of the bed to observe the laptop screen. There were indeed some parallels between the 2d idols with the girl group, especially on the rhythm. Although, the girl group members do have powerful dance moves that Iroha would love to see from her favourite idols (and their VA counterpart). Sakuya smiled as she saw her roommate seem to vibe in love with the music. Good music is good regardless of the genre, after all.   As the two were lost in each other’s music, time really flew as it was already midnight, once again. Sakuya recalled that her roommate needed to wake up early as she asked, “Don’t you need to queue up for the merchandise?”  “There’s no new merchandise on the second day so I will just arrive at the opening hours. I’ve bought everything I want, and what’s left are just the stage events and meet-and-greets,” she said while opening her wardrobe full of anime goods.  “What about you? Want to sleep longer?”  “I don’t have to go to the venue before the concert time as well. And same here, there’s no new goods for day 2…” Sakuya thought for a bit. Perhaps they could have lunch together if Iroha was not busy. Or the early dinner.  But before Sakuya could propose her idea, the otaku immediately asked, “Want to join in the anime convention? They sell daily entry tickets.”       Hanamiya Sakuya had never expected that she would actually join an anime convention. They bought the ticket online last night, as she walk side by side with Iroha who was already wearing another cosplay. As she was not in a hurry, she wore her costume and did her makeup in the hotel earlier, with Sakuya’s help. This time her character was called Hiyori, another idol of the same unit franchise. The character was also raven-haired so she did not have to wear any wig, only styled it differently and wear her blue contacts. “I feel like walking beside a real idol.” Sakuya could not help to tease her when they entered the Anime SmileFest.   It was a completely entirely different world as Sakuya did not expect that it was actually inside BLAZE, on the other side of the concert hall. She might not be into anime yet but she had found an interest in the idol anime genre. The music, at least as she had yet to watch a single episode. Iroha immediately brought Sakuya to the IdoLive7 booth as they were selling the CDs with autograph tickets. Sakuya ended up buying a CD containing the main theme and the character songs of the main characters.  The live autograph event happened not long after as she queued behind Iroha who looked super excited. The autograph session was similar to an idol meet-and-greet, as the voice actress sign the cd cover, and shake their hands with a smile.  ‘So this is what they call 2.5D…’ Sakuya thought to herself as she thanked the idol.        The duo spent their time walking around the convention and when they were done, it was already close to evening. They took their break by having an early dinner before the Day 2 concert started. “Too bad the Lovethread concert tickets are sold out… I’d love you to join me…” Sakuya sighed as she sat down to rest. “It’s fine, I have my anisong concert at night, after all. I also need to head back to the concert hall soon.” Iroha smiled as she started eating her meal. The two exchanged their contact number before they part ways; so far they had been walking together the whole day.    The second day’s concert eventually ended as Sakuya walked toward her hotel room. Usually, she would have just gone back to her house after the concert ended but she was thankful that the package had her extra night because she would be able to bond with Iroha further. Her phone chimed as Iroha messaged her and told her that she was already back in her room. When Sakuya entered, the younger girl was busy packing her goods as she needed to check out early the next day to catch her bus. The pink-haired girl rinsed herself and helped Iroha right after, admiring the cosplay outfits when she folded them. Iroha also helped Sakuya to pack up right after, it was just a hand-carry suitcase worth. The two were exhausted after packing up that they ended up sleeping on the same bed. The extra warmth and comfort helped them fall asleep almost immediately.       The next morning, Sakuya woke up with Iroha already all packed up and ready to go. Her bus would arrive within an hour but the bus stop was just in front of BLAZE which was next door. “I’ve got to leave soon, but I am happy to have met you.” the black-haired girl said. Sakuya washed her face and got changed to walk together with her new friend. As they reached the bus stop, the two of them recommended more songs to each other,  as the two dwelled further in the world of the 2D and 3D idols.  “The next time I come to Tokyo again, I’ll tell you,” Iroha said as she was about to depart on her bus. Perhaps next time they could watch the next IdoLive7 concert together, which should be held later that year. “Likewise, if any of my favourite idols have nationwide tours to Nagano I’ll tell you. Next time, let’s watch it together.” Sakuya said as they waved their hands at each other to say goodbye.   After she watched Iroha’s bus departs, Sakuya went back to her hotel. She looked at the CD she had bought yesterday and played it on her laptop. She spend the next hour listening to the full album while remembering the ‘mishap’, and was grateful that it happened.

A story by angel_levi RETURN OF RYLIN HAN The smell was choking, but he withstood it. He kept telling himself that this was the final stage for him to attain his freedom. Nine hundred years in this limbo was enough to rip his soul and tear what was left of his sanity, but he was a force to be reckoned with. His sight began to dance in a daze of utter confusion, and his breath was locked in his throat, burning painfully through his soul. How many more minutes, seconds, or even years would he have to wait to return to the world that abandoned him? How many more lives would he have to sit by and watch to die before he is allowed to return in a body, to live like he used to, and to bring back his people from the lost world? As his consciousness dwindled, and he struggled to keep his eyes awake, the voices started to whisper to him. The incense burned, and the smell worked into every pore of his body, killing him so he could rise again. "Chang Ryu." He kept muttering to himself. He never wanted to forget that name because he swore that even if it took him a billion years to return to the realm of mortals, he will find Chang Ryu. And he will kill him in the most painful ways. *** "...there's a condition for your return." The voice told him in the sultriest whisper. He struggled to stay awake, he fought to hear what the condition was. "Chang Ryu." He muttered again in his deliria. It will be a huge loss if he forgot the name and the face of the murderer, betrayer, psychotic sadistic bastard who committed the worse of treasons. "...for humans to live, and for humans to die..." The words of the whispering voice broke into bits, rendering the meaning useless. But, he had to know these words by heart because they will be the guidelines for his new existence. Rylin Han's struggled some more to stay awake, but it was difficult. The smell of the incense had taken over his soul and what was left, lying on the cold concrete floor was nothing but the carcass of the spirit who was locked in limbo for nine hundred years. *** His eyes opened. He wasn't sure what era he had come to - was it a frame from his past, or a frame way into the future? He rose from his lying position and looked around. The atmosphere looked very different from what he used to know. There was a sterile smell in the atmosphere, and several wires ran into his veins. He looked around, and there was a very large beeping machine in a corner. Everything seemed so foreign. Not sure of what this new world is, Rylin Han jumped to his feet and yanked the tubes from his veins. A strange overwhelming pain shot up his arms, and he was consumed by weakness. The initial puzzlement was replaced with a broader scope of confusion, and he realized that he might be stuck in another limbo - a limbo where nothing was real. He stumbled out of the sterile room into long corridors, wondering if the gods that brought him here had done this on purpose to haunt him. This was his punishment for leaving his world too early and in the hands of... There was a name he wanted to remember, but couldn't. Why did it feel like he was forgetting something, someone… As he raced down the corridor of strangely built walls, his mind became fragmented, snapping into bits like a dry twig. 'Where am I?' He asked himself. The questions soon transcended from where to what... To who. "Who am I?" He stopped in front of a glass wall, and the reflection that stared back at him was so shocking. He was staring at the reflection of someone entirely different. The person that was staring back at him was a man, probably in his mid or late twenties, with short black hair, brown eyes, with rimmed lenses sitting at the edge of his nose. The reflection that stared back at him didn't look scared like he felt. The reflection seemed angry, cold, and bitter, and there was a dark shadow that hovered over his shoulders. The slender frame of the reflection felt bigger and stronger than he was. "What am I?" He asked himself, not intending an answer. He looked around again, and there was no one around, just this reflection staring back at him in the most condescending way - like a fellow comrade that had seen years of endless pain and suffering. "You are death." The reflection spoke back, sending a ripple of fear throughout his system. Rylin fell back on his bottom and skidded away from the reflection, but somehow kept his eyes on it because there were so many unanswered questions. Death? How could that be? How could he be dead if he was alive? "You are not one of them. You are not a mortal until you finish your mission." His reflection said to him. But what mission? His mind was fragmented into bits, and he didn't know what or what not to believe. With each second he lived, he seemed to be forgetting his roots, the entirety of the pain and suffering he spent waiting for a chance to get out of the limbo. Why was he forgetting? As he struggled with his mind, a voice reached him. He turned around, and there was someone, a man, looking at him with wide eyes. "You should be off your feet."  The man said. He was dressed in a white garment and had a name tag; Chang Ryu. Rylin felt nothing at all. To him, this was a usual occurrence - two random men meeting even though a part of the encounter left shivers down his spine; he blamed it on his fragmented mind. Rylin was silent. He had a lot of questions, but if the gods that sent him here broke his memory into a puzzle, he'd have to find a way to fix it.

You have to tell them at some point– he thought – Fuck   The ferry cut its trail through the sea towards Brana. Wind blew waves on the sea and across Luke’s loose hoodie; it chilled his close-cropped skull. He watched the sea using the railing to prop up his box of chips, playing the game of unfocusing his mind just enough to stop conscious thought almost entirely without going so far that his unconscious bubbled up; just chip grease and the patterns in the wake.   Consciously he was still worried there was some trick in the wording of the bursary; that the easy money Dylan had figured out was, until delivered into his hands, a wild goose chase and 12 half marathons for naught. He needed the money so he could stop relying on his parents for the next school year. Unconsciously, his brain was trying to make him face why he needed to stop relying on his parents next year. You have to tell them.    "Explain it to me then, Luke?" Callie asked. She had sidled up to him quietly and Luke's subtle flinch almost made him drop the last of his chips overboard.   "Oh?" Luke said. He felt vulnerable getting caught with those thoughts in his head.   "Why are we spending all summer on a one-shop island which didn't get internet until like, last year?"   "Ah, uh, yeah, so… Dylan figured it out, you should maybe ask him?” “He’s in the bog. He’s seasick apparently”   “Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Luke raised his eyebrows and explained: ”There's this bursary at mine and Dylans uni called the Young Man’s Island Runnend r’s Bursary but, and I called to confirm this, it’s gone unclaimed for the last five years. You need to run like 12 registered half-marathons on one of 3 islands and the only halfway feasible way to do it is to run the weekly Branna half-marathon like every week it runs: all through the summer.“   “Ouch”   ”Ouch is right. I dug about and it’s purposefully stupid and hard to even figure out how qualify for because it's hard to figure out the Branna Half Marathon runs weekly and the wording is kind of odd. Apparently because it was made as a way to funnel money from it’s patron to his son and write it off as charity, but he died and the son disappeared and the money is just waiting for some stupid runner to take the prize.”   “And you and Dylan can, what, both get it? Split it?”   “I think so” Luke said, and felt a rush of doubt. You’ve checked this five times already. Still he pulled out his phone to see the saved copy of the website “Up to two island runner’s bursaries are awarded each year.” read the page. He mouthed it to himself like a good luck charm all the same.   “God, I can’t believe I have nowhere better to spend summer than some remote island with two sweaty men running marathons.” Men, Fuck! Luke stuck his fingernails into his palm. Why did she have to say men?   “And girls.” Luke forced out of his mouth “Dylan’s sister’s there” “Yeah I keep forgetting Katie’s already there, I hope she bought food!”   ***   “Oh my God! I really hope she bought food” droned Callie,  “We’ve been walking for an hour!”   “Fifty minutes! We just passed town ten minutes ago so we’re only, like, five more to go. Knees up!” Dylan marched past them like a beefeater for effect, “But she probably has, Katie’s terminally organised and she comes here, like,every year with a new boy, so I’m sure she knows the drill”   “I can’t believe you spent the last half hour puking into a ferry loo.” said Callie “You’re too peppy; were you doing lines in there? If you stay here every year, have you ever met the rich guy?”    “What rich guy?” replied Dylan   “The original guy who got the bursary” Luke mumbled   “Speak up man”   “The original bursary guy.” Callie repeated, “Like, the money was all laundered so one guy could get it, did you ever meet him? Since you come here every year”   “For one, I don't come here every year, my sister does and I travel to exotic corners.” Said Dylan, “She might have met him I guess? He disappeared, what, three years ago? And for two I don't imagine she'd like him if she did; all the boys she meets end up in messy break ups. I haven't heard from a single one of her exes in years. She knows some girls that live around here so they might have met him, I guess?"   The cottage came slowly round the corner as the trio trudged along the unmaintained road, it looked surprisingly pleasant against the state of island infrastructure. Somehow everything man-made on Branna looked in a state of disrepair; it’s finish sandblasted away by nature.   “See, there we go!” Dylan waved and the others saw his sister on the porch, “Hey! Hi! Katie!”   Katie held up a mug in a toast to their arrival. She was still a little way off, but Luke saw her and looked for the family resemblance; it was there under all the black ripped clothes. She was slim like her brother but without his lean muscle it made her look skeletal, spooky. Still she had his charming affect in the way she grinned wide enough to be seen from their distance. She was a couple of years older than Dylan apparently, Luke couldn’t see where the years went on her.   “Tea?” She asked when they got closer, “I didn’t get milk, but I have a lot of herbal stuff”   “Oh thank god! You’ve been to the shops!” said Callie, exhaling with joy as she collapsed on the deck.    ***   The cottage was cosy. Years of holiday photos covered every surface. The main room served as kitchen-living-dining room, and had accumulated years of board games, tatty books, and interesting shells; the three bedrooms had similar character. Katie had taken one and seemingly converted it into a botany-laboratory with plants, in various stages from seedling to dried, hanging from the roof. Dylan had apparently had one of them in childhood; his old teddy still on the bed. The final was more plain, apparently for guests.   “Ok! three bedrooms and four of us, who’s bunking?” asked Dylan.   “Ew! No way am I in with either of you if you’re going to be sweating all summer; I can’t come back to the mainland smelling of your pits and whatever other fluids you decide to spray around”   Luke dug his fingers into his palms, he didn’t know if he could deal with being seen like that all summer, or with getting undressed in front of Dylan. He was always careful to bring a change to running meets or go in the bathroom; his body felt so big in public, so broad, so there.   “Ha ha. Can’t the brother and sister share?” Luke offered, as casually as he could muster.   “No way, man, last time she was in the same room as me I woke up with her friggin’ snake on my chest! Never again!”   “Aww, she doesn’t bite!” Katie batted her eyes in faux-innocence and saved Luke from his dread.  “Callie, you should stay with me; it’ll be a little all girl sleepover. Oh and, Dylan, you’re never entirely safe; snakes go missing around here all the time”    Callie smiled at this, “You do have the biggest room, and I’ll share with you if it means not sharing with them!”   This conversation was taking it out on Luke’s head. His heart hurt. He muttered something like: “I’m not that bad am I…” –You Have to tell them– but nobody quite took notice, and so the rooms were decided. His was the featureless guest room, it felt stayed in, but never quite owned.   ***   Luke woke up to the beeping of a watch alarm. It was Thursday morning. The first race was on Saturday, so these couple of days were to be savoured. These were the last couple of days he wouldn’t be so fully in his body, like he would be with 13 miles of stiffness in his legs. Still, the thought was counterproductive, it alone placed him back behind his bleary eyes, feeling his shoulders and knees in his pyjamas. Hollow energy pushed him out of bed then, into the main room.   Katie was already up and dressed, she raised her cup to greet him as she had yesterday, but with just the two of them in the kitchen it felt… more forceful? She managed to command a certain assuredness that wouldn’t let Luke forget he was in his pyjamas.   “He-Hello?” he said.   “Hi.” Her voice flowed like syrup “You’re the first one up, it’s nice to meet you alone. Tea?”   “Uh, sure”   Katie reached behind herself and clicked the kettle on to boil. The tea she made was sweet even without sugar. The silence as she made it felt friendly without feeling comfortable.   “I’m surprised you’re here, to be honest. Callie makes sense, but I didn’t expect my brother to invite competition” she said   “Oh- I’m not- uh- he said that you said- and the website said- there were two awards?” Luke stuttered Fuck did I miss something?   Katie furrowed her brows, then leaned back and laughed from the bottom of her throat, “Ha! I understand what’s happened! It's, pfft, poetic frankly. You should drink that and then get dressed.” She offered.   “Is something… did I get something wrong?” He asked.   “Oh, oh no pet, my brother might’ve, nothing I can’t put right mind you. Sometimes the stars align that way.” She took a beat so Luke couldn’t quite connect what she said next to what she said last, “Oh this is going to be such a fun summer!”   *** “I said you should bring a girl!”   “I brought Callie!”   “No– because there are two different… Urgh!”   The roar of the shower kept most of the discussion between Katie and Dylan out of Luke’s ears. He liked it that way. Snatches of laughter and the odd exclaimed curse broke through the peace and Luke had to tell himself It’s going to be fine it’s ok it’s going to be fine. The water on his back melted his own perception of himself comfortingly; his shoulders felt hot, so they couldn’t feel broad. His feet were more careful in the wet tub; smaller in traction if not quite size. He was happy losing himself if he closed his eyes. It’s fine and you’re here now no matter what happens. It’s fine. It’s fine.   When he was dressed he reentered the kitchen, apparently Dylan and Katie had moved on to some other topic of conversation. “You’re sure?” Dylan trailed off as Luke entered.   “What’s up?” Luke asked.   “Oh, it’s all good, there *are* two bursaries, but apparently you need to make sure you register for the races the right way.” Dylan waved a hand dismissively “Bureaucracy, whatever.”   “It’ll be… fun. I’ll take you tomorrow to make sure it’s all sorted before the race.” said Katie, “You can still just register on the day though. I’ve helped a few friends get the woman’s bursary, yours should work the same way.”   Luke’s mind whirred. He felt like he was missing something, but wasn’t sure what.   “Tea?”   Whatever he was thinking, it was gone.   ***   That afternoon the plan was to take a walk on the beach while the weather held up. It was a slow stroll. Little groups formed and broke up as one straggler drifted forward or fell behind. The landscape felt grand and sheltered. High cliffs blocked off the route inland apart from a couple spots where stairs were cut down; the sound of the sea bounced off them in odd ways making synthetic-sounding “sheow”s and “zwoop”s.   “So what’s up with you dude?” Dylan asked Luke “I know exams at the end of term can be real time sinks but I haven’t seen you at all the last couple of months. You got a girl you’re not telling me about?” “Oh, uh, no. No girls.” –kind of a girl though, right?-- ”I uh, yeah I guess I just felt a bit busy with revision” you didn’t do fuck all you were in your room sleeping through it and eating cereal bars.   “Well it’s good to get to see you now” said Dylan. “It only took a bunch of money to lure you out.”   “You’re a good friend, I’m sorry I’m not more social.”   “No no, don’t think about it. I just want to make sure you’re alright, man.”   “Yeah.”   “Yeah, yeah.” Dylan paused, stared down the discomfort of the conversation for a second, and blinked  “So there’s pretty much fuck all internet here but we still get TV and we have a playstation” he said “Have you played Grand Prix 2014?”   They dropped back into chatter: The latest TV series, the way their courses were disorganised, places they had to go when they got back in 3 months. Eventually they fell into comfortable quiet and clumped up again with the girls. The other girls.   "Decided to fall back and join us?" Callie asked “We were just talking about Summer projects, do you have any? I’m going to finally read Tolkien.”    “The half-marathons?” Dylan said, “I don’t know if you had forgotten or..?”   “Oh my God obviously but what about the other six days? Did you bring a book? Are you learning Spanish?”   “Me and Luke were gonna get some world-class times on the Grand Prix 2014 Leaderboard, right?”   “Uh yeah I guess” Luke said.   “Sounding confident there L” Katie smirked “Not much of a project though, is there really nothing you’ve been putting off?”    Can she see through me? She called me Elle? L?   “Not uh, Not really?” One thing, but that’s staying in the fucking backlog   “Guess you’re the test subject then! I was thinking of doing some sewing, maybe some cooking, if you sit still I’ll end up using you for makeup practice”   “I’d uh, I, um, I’d’ Fuck what do you say to that? I want that but.. no! Shit No we are not facing that right now “I’m good as I am thanks.” Fucker!   “Oh relax! No makeup if it’s such a threat to your musky unshaved masculinity, but I’ll have you looking pretty pretty soon, mark my words.”   Somewhere in Luke’s brain his desire was sprinting and windmilling arms as some impostor for common sense held it back by the scruff of the neck. Whatever was left in his head made his mouth force out an apologetic smile.   “Yeah, anyway… maybe I’ll get some reading done?” I should shave, shit. “Do we turn back here? Or?”    “Yeah we head up here and we can go back via the shops. What’re we thinking for dinner? Pasta?”    ******   The pasta was nice. They ate it outside and the summer air still pulled the heat out of it before anyone could finish but the simple bolognese Katie whipped up was spicy to make up for it. The Cottage had a view of the sea, and they sipped whiskey as the sun went down late.   ****   The whiskey was still swimming around a little in Luke when he woke up. He could faintly hear the girls –The other girls– In the main room; it was barely separated by a metre of hallway from any of the rooms. Still, he didn’t want to leave his bed to actually talk to them so he listened in. Callie could have sworn down, apparently, that she had packed The Hobbit, but she couldn’t find it in her bag. Katie suggested she check out the library in town in the afternoon. Oh! the porridge was ready apparently, Luke took the chance to hop out of bed. She –He! Fuck! How bad did the alcohol send you spiralling into yourself last night! – had enough post-booze hunger to override h–his– bed-based comfort.   “Morning Lu, You’re bang in time for porridge, if you want some?” offered Katie “Or did you hear and get up for it?”   “Yeah I ah, serendipitous timing I guess,  I smelled it when I woke up.”   “You feeling good?” Callie asked, affecting Katie’s head-nod-cup-raise gesture  “That bottle was full 12 hours ago” she gestured to the mostly empty whiskey bottle.   “I don’t know how much of that was me; I don’t think I got that far gone” Which was half true. Luke always stopped when he started feeling his thoughts slipping places he didn’t want them because he was afraid of his mouth slipping places he didn’t want it.   “I was going to head to the library later” said Callie between spoonfuls of porridge “do you want to come?”   “He’s with me” said Katie “We’ve got to go see a friend and make sure he gets registered correctly tomorrow, remember? But you could steal him if you have him back by lunch.” said Katie, “We have to wait on the tide anyway.”   “You want to?” asked Callie.   Luke sprinkled some brown sugar on his bowl.    “Yeah alright, I could get ready pretty quick, let me finish this and get out of my pjs.”   Luke ate quickly; pulled on jeans and a hoodie despite the weather -even on branna- being too warm for hoodies in early June; and took an empty rucksack assuming he’d check something out himself. They left Katie (she volunteered to wash up breakfast) and Dylan (asleep). The walk took them back along the unpaved road to the only local town, Brone. Luke and Callie had so far only walked through Brone a couple of times, and had seen only a small section of the high street that sidled up to the circular road around the island. They had barely walked along it only as far as the co-op that served as the one supermarket within a two hour walk or a ferry. They turned onto the high street again this time and walked a little further up looking for the library. Brone High Street was a charming mix of listed architecture and betting shops and betting shops in listed architecture. A couple of off licences operating on handwritten prices sandwiched a chain coffee shop done up to look like every other chain coffee shop a couple of years ago. The Library was an optimistic build in the 80s, taller than its neighbours in two glorious stories of concrete, and muffled as only a library can be with layers of community yoga class posters and world book day cutouts of children’s characters on the walls. The librarian glanced at them as they came in, they didn’t interact but turned to find some relevant section-title on the bookcases.   “This is fantasy. It should be here, can you find T?” asked Callie   “Stevens, Swayze, Talbot, Teesdale, Trebbins, Vincent. Yeah nothing between Teesdale and Trebbins.”   “Shit, there’s the Lord of the Rings on the bottom, no Hobbit though”   “You could ask, I guess? Suggested Luke, pulling out the Trebbins book, it had a stock photo of a rose on it and the review ‘It’s Great!’ from the west midlands review of books, Luke resolved to take it out and see what it was about.   “Gimme a sec.” Callie wandered over to the desk while Luke leafed through the foreword to A Rose Of Fire And Roses. When she returned she gave Luke a short jump; he had gotten a little carried away with the flowery language.   “It was in the children’s section,” Callie laughed a little “I’ve taken it out, so if you want to withdraw that I think that’s all we need.”   Luke took the cue. He had to fill out a form and write his name on the back of a library card, and tossed the book in his rucksack.   ******   “Glad you’re back!” said Katie “I made soup”. She had, and it was good; lentily but bright pink “I added beetroot, for colour!” It was earthy and salty and all the more nourishing for coming out of mismatched bowls. “We’re meeting my friend Hannah this afternoon,” She slurped, about 15 minutes later “She’s got the woman’s bursary a few years back. Do you remember her Dylan? I don’t remember if you’ve met before.”   “Maybe? Is she the one with the hair?”   “Sure, pet, she has hair. She got the bursary a while ago and she had to do some.. Stuff about it, so I asked and she said if you come over she’ll keep you right. You’ll like her I think, she used to be a lot like you.”   “Oh, how so? Did she study the same thing or?”asked Luke.   “I think she did a music degree, but yeah something like that. She had a similar facial expression to you, head in the clouds.”   Luke furrowed his brow -urgh brow- manually, his awareness drawn back to his facial expression, I have a facial expression?   “I layed down some good times this morning, by the way, you’ll need to get on your game to catch me!” Piped up Dylan after the silence.   “I’m gonna smoke you tomorrow in the real world, no need to get good at games!” Luke replied, he earned a smile from Katie.   Luke cleaned up lunch. There was something soothing about having wet hands and hearing running water. He normally kept his hands out of his mind or felt ear ringingly iffy about them, but like in the shower running water always sort of melted his mental map of them. He threw an occasional quip at Dylan as he tried and failed to beat his previous lap time on the console on the other side of the big room. Callie did a good job of ignoring them both and making steady progress though her plastic covered copy of the hobbit, and Katie was in her room “Packing a bag for the walk”.   They set off early in the afternoon, “taking the scenic route” apparently, first along the grey overcast beach and then along the coastal path by a rocky patch of coast. Katie rustled around her canvas shoulder-bag looking for something, asked Luke to “Hold this”, a Victorian looking hand mirror, pulled out a ziplock of Smarties, then returned the mirror.   “Stop here for a second, would you?” She said, halting by a pond-sized tidal pool covered on three sides by the cliffs and rocky and steep at its lip. The area they were standing on presumably flooded at high tide making a perfect little swimming pool, except the fact it was obviously as freezing as the sea that filled it even on a warm summer day.   “What’s up?” asked Luke.   “It’s about the bursary and my brother.” replied Katie, “Here’s the thing: I love my brother to bits and I’d do anything for him: that’s why I told him about the bursary, that’s why I pulled strings to keep the men’s bursary going until he could get it. I loved my friend Hannah too, so I pulled strings to make sure she got the woman’s bursary when she couldn’t get the men’s. I've pulled those strings a few times for my partners, but those are all the strings I can pull. So I told Dylan about the bursary, and about the second bursary in case he had a friend that could take it but, and I’m sorry for this, you can’t both get it and I can’t let you take it over him, so this is me pulling a string. Do you understand?” Luke felt like he almost did, but there was something missing. He had plans for next year and he needed that money, that stability, to see them through without his parents' support. What had she said that he had missed? The sea was loud, the pool-cove focused the white noise on him so he couldn’t hear himself think, static straight to the brain. Katie spoke above it.   “Luke, there are two bursaries, but there aren’t two men’s bursaries.” she said, and pushed him into the water.

Yuusha unsheathed his sword from his back with his right hand and sprinted at the Dark Lord. Yuusha slashed down diagonally. The Dark Lord raised his sword in his right hand and blocked Yuusha's slash without flinching. The Dark Lord stood firm against the force of Yuusha's strike. The Dark Lord parried Yuusha's attack and flung him to the opposite wall of the Dark Lord's throne room. Yuusha smashed through the stone wall as rubble fell on his already seriously injured body. Not allowing Yuusha a chance to breathe, the Dark Lord raised his sword at Yuusha and fired a large vortex of dark magic at him. Yuusha barely managed to raise his sword. Almost swallowed by the dark magic, Yuusha managed to unleash a blast of fire magic. He bought time, but the dark magic continued approaching. Yuusha dug deep to force any last bit of energy out of him. He no longer had the luxury to imagine making it out alive. Yuusha steeled his resolve. He burned all his life force to fuel his fire magic. Yuusha's fire burned even brighter and swelled in size and intensity. The dark magic lost momentum and was forced back. For the first time in his life, the Dark Lord felt fear. Fire swallowed the dark magic and hurtled back towards the Dark Lord. The fire seared his hand, losing his grip on his sword. The Dark Lord's sword hit the stone floor. His black robe burnt away as his sickly white body was incinerated to ash. Yuusha lost feeling in his arm and lost his grip on his sword. Yuusha's sword fell to the floor. His limp arm dropped to his side. Nothing was left in the Dark Lord's throne room, but the two swords, Yuusha's still body, and the pile of ashes that was once the Dark Lord.

[Scanning…Scanning…Locating Suitable Host…] [Suitable Host Not Found. Scanning Again…Suitable Host Not found.] [Suitable Host, Not Found…Not found…Not Found…Not Found] [Possibility Of Finding Suitable Host Less Than 0%…] [This Is To Be Expected, Now Beginning Fall Back Plan…Creating Suitable Host] [Suitable Host Created] [Suitable Host Located] [Now installing…Dragon space system(DSS)…] [Now Creating Dragon Space] With a sudden burst, a void deprived of color manifested. A sound came, and the void that was once empty became filled with lakes, hills, and mountains. Sprouting from the ground a rainbow color grass… SNAPP The sound came again appearing at the top of the highest mountain, a cherry tree. The tree moved and flowing from it were 12 dragons silhouettes each with its own shapes and systems.  Fire, water, earth, wind, wood, lightning, darkness, holy, space, time, star, and force  The 12 dragon silhouette were two-dimensional, flying in circles above the cherry tree where they stayed seated. RAWWWRRR An earth-shattering roar fell causing the ground to shake and the space to rattle.  [The 12 Great Dragons Have Been Seated] [Now Randomly Choosing One Of The Twelve Great Dragons To Hatch!] Sounding throughout the space, was a ticking sound. There were times when the ticking sound slowed down and then randomly speed up. Only to stop a few seconds later. [Congratulations, Now Hatching…Star Dragon! Time Limit: 10 Minute] In a flash, ten minutes came. The yellow and blue dragon silhouette shimmer.  Shining a bright light, the star dragon silhouette moved, coming from it was a large dragon, with a black egg placed on its head. [Host Has Been Born! Star Dragon Has Been Born!] A large blue dragon, the only parts of its body that were yellow is, the star-shaped mane around its face and a few yellow marking on its scales.  She also has four wings, the top wings were bigger than the bottom. Spreading its wings, the star dragon's large body slowly fell to the ground. Instinctively place the black egg next to the cherry tree. While patiently staring at the motionless egg. Time passed by, how much time exactly is unknown. The star-like eyes of the star dragon jumped up, staring closely at the egg, it was moving. Wagging its tail excitedly, its mane glow a yellow light. [Host Has Been Born] When the sound sounded, the egg shattered and coming from it was a black dragon with blue making on its scales. Opening its mouth and closing it, the baby dragon looked toward the giant dragon that was in front of it. Still wagging its tail the giant dragon lowered its head and said in a soft voice. “Star dragon greets king!” The size difference was that of a tiger and a mice. The star dragon stood in place waiting for instructions but when she felt something strange she raised her head. She saw the little dragon staring blankly towards her, not at her exactly but at something in her direction. Shifting her head she look on in confusion, what could he possibly be looking at? When she was about to speak a voice came. [Now Beginning Modding…Warning Warning The Process Will Be Painful Host Be Prepared] When the voice fell, a bolt of lightning formed, heading towards the two dragons. BOOM Felling on the dragons, a loud shriek sounded in the void. After a few minutes, the shriek died down. In a cloud of dust and smoke, two figures showed themselves. One of the figures is a girl, she is about 5 foot 4, she had long blonde hair, blue eyes that are very similar to a pit viper. She is currently wearing a dress and a maid outfit with silver amour. A Beauty in a dress. Shocked by her sudden change, but more worried about her king, she quickly stood on her feet. “King?” Waving her hand, the cloud of dust cleaned, revealing the figure known as King. Standing in place is a male that is 6 foot tall, with black laidback hair and cold black eyes. He had a dark blue marking on his forehead.  Not really a marking, more of a leafless tree Clenching his fist, and checking out his body, he wasn’t as worried as the girl. [Transformation Compete!] [Please Check Personal Information!] Without the black hair male saying anything, a panel appears. Name: Wade Grace Realm: Copper First Rank(100%) Elements Star Magic(1%) Magic Skills Star Dragon Breath(10%) Dragon Eye(8%) Martial Art Skills  Star Dragon Fighting Style(4%) Body Skills Dragon King Transformation(0%) Mind Skills Dragon King Authority(15%) … Name: Stella Grace Realm: Bronze Second Rank(50%) Elements  Star Magic(20%) Magic Skills Star Dragon Breath(25%) Dragon eyes(19%) Martial Art Skills Star Dragon Fighting Style(7%) Body Skills  Star Dragon Transformation(40%) Mind Skills Dragon Spirit(11%) ….. … .. . Realms go by Copper, Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold  Each has 3 Ranks

The desert was blinding, brilliant, and empty. There was nothing but sand, as far as the eye could see. It stretched out for miles without a hint of life and without a hint of shade. The only interruptions in this endless rolling expanse were vast mountains in the distance, dark spikes of rock that rose from beneath the dunes like the ominous talons of some great beast. The sun was a harsh, glaring red disc in the sky, and the air was filled with a spectral stillness that seemed to seep deep into one's bones. Half-buried in a pale dune, undisturbed for an untold number of centuries, was a tall metal box: a harsh, jagged, bulky shape constructed of blackened steel. Its surface was battered and corroded, weathered down by the ages it had spent in the sand. Though none of this planet's inhabitants would know the word, it was a coffin... or something like a coffin. The wind blew fiercely today, more fiercely than it ever had before, shifting the coffin in its dune. A small movement, but one that triggered some kind of chain reaction. All of a sudden, after so many years inert, the mysterious box hummed to mechanical life. It started to shudder in place, the whirrs and clicks of spinning servos mixing with the sound of the rushing wind. Red lights flashed across the surface of the coffin as it opened itself up, the interlocking halves of the front panel splitting apart. A being of both flesh and metal, body aching all over, stirred for the first time in a long time. As the coffin opened wider and wider, sand flooded in to fill the empty space within, trapping the man's legs. With every fiber of strength he could muster, he clawed his way out. His metallic hands gripped at the sand as it flowed through his fingers, hot like fire, and his powerful arms pulled him forward and upward. Sensing the heat and the pain only distantly, he kept going and managed to dig himself out of the sand. Weakly, he rose to his uncovered feet and guarded his eyes from the powerful wind. His first few steps were uneasy, as he was anxious of the desert shifting again and sucking him back down. It was hard to breathe, and he felt like he had been sleeping for a thousand years. But he could not remember anything before the coffin. He straightened himself, reacquainting himself with his body. He looked at his sleek, gleaming metal hands, flexing them as if testing out a new tool, then felt his face, fingers tracing against soft flesh. There was no expression on his face, no smile or frown. Just a blank stare into space. He looked around, feeling the heat of the sun but unbothered by it. The air and sand was hot and dry, but he felt no thirst. He was not hungry either. A single thought surfaced from the sea of confusion that engulfed him. Adam. He recognized it as a name, his name. Then he recalled it was also how Father had addressed him, before he entered the mysterious coffin. Adam. That was all he could remember from before the mysterious box - his own name. The sun climbed higher in the sky, and Adam began walking. The desert looked intimidating to him, too vast and open to feel safe in. He set off towards the mountains, where the most life would be found, at least, where he assumed more life would be found. Though he walked slowly, Adam did not seem tired. He passed over the sand dunes, climbing them with his metal hands, moving in a clumsy way that seemed like he was overcompensating for a missing leg. His movements were awkward and heavy, but he did not waver or fall. The endless expanse of the desert swallowed up his slow footsteps, and he quickly lost sight of the place where he had awakened, leaving no trace behind. He continued on, not even noticing the lack of markers to know how far he had gone. He was lost in his own thoughts as he walked, not even really knowing why he had chosen to walk in the first place. It was really the only thing to do, he figured, to find someone else and figure out what had happened or where he was. After what felt like hours, Adam came to a stop, feeling something ahead of him that had not been there before. He narrowed his eyes and raised a hand to blot the light, straining to make out what lay in wait for him. The desert felt alive somehow, and the more he concentrated, the clearer it became - a creature of sorts was approaching him from the distance, skimming over the sand like a basilisk lizard dashing across water. Adam tensed up as he noticed the creature coming closer. The monster looked like a reptile of some kind, but had the build of a wolf. It had four legs and was large enough to be as tall as Adam himself. Its skin was covered in scales that glinted in the sun, like diamond chips had been embedded in its hide. It must have sensed his presence because it stopped about twenty feet away from Adam and snarled menacingly at him. As if it were challenging him for territory or waiting for a fight. Adam felt panic rising in his chest. Though his mind was paralyzed with indecision, his body moved swiftly into action. His right hand began to contort, as if manipulated by an invisible force. Suddenly, a spinning sawblade jutted out from the palm of his hand, its razor-sharp edges slicing through the air with a menacing hum. His fingers folded backwards and his palm twisted and inverted. In a flash, his hand was gone, and a buzzing saw had taken its place. The strange lizard stepped back, clearly intimidated by the sudden appearance of the weapon, but it regained its predator composure quickly. Hissing, it puffed out a colorful frill around its neck, lunging forward towards Adam in a dominance display. Adam was taken by surprise. He stepped back, trying to keep a safe distance between himself and the creature, but he did not abandon his defensive stance. He held out his saw hand in front of him and began to circle around the beast, attempting to intimidate it. He swept the spinning saw around, finding he could control how fast it spun just by thinking about it. Faster, he thought, and it went faster. He turned it up as fast as it could go, hoping the whine of spinning metal would annoy the beast and force it away. The lizard didn't seem deterred in the least. It opened its mouth wide and lunged towards Adam with a high-pitched roar, its sharp claws extended and ready to tear into his flesh. Its long, whiplike tail came sweeping around from behind it and smashed into Adam's legs with enough force to knock him off balance. Adam stumbled backwards, crashing into the sand as he tried desperately to push away from the raging monster. But it was no use. The beast was upon him. He grappled with the lizard, rolling around with it in the sand. Adam managed to get atop the beast, but before he could lock his thick arms around its neck, it had thrown him off and pounced atop him again. His metal fingers wrapped around one of its wrists, and with a grunt of intense effort, he managed to flip the lizard backwards. It hit the sand with a powerful impact, but again the beast quickly recovered, and before Adam could even rise to his feet he felt his weight on him again. He kept pushing the beast away, but he could not overpower it, or even slow it down - it kept coming at him despite him using all of his strength against it. Finally, in desperation, Adam pushed his saw at the creature's throat as hard as he could. The beast had avoided his saw previously, but this blow landed, and it landed hard. The whirling metal dug into the lizard's scaled hide, tearing through flesh and drawing thick green blood. The lizard leapt back, howling in pain, but the injury didn't slow the beast down. It leapt towards Adam, pinning his right arm to the sand with one of its powerful forelegs. Adam wrapped his fingers around the beast's throat, pushing it back as it snapped at him. It wanted to sink its fangs into his neck, and if Adam couldn't think of a way out of this, he'd be this lizard's meal. Suddenly, the lizard let out another roar of pain. The large creature stumbled and fell off of Adam, who jumped back with horror in his eyes. As the lizard turned and ran, he could see that something had sizzled the skin off of its back. The flesh was pink and tender, exposed muscle bubbling and steaming, white bone showing in the areas hit the hardest by... whatever had hit it. Adam could see thick, chunky half-dissolved hide running down the side of the lizard's body and dripping into the sand as it ran off. A hand extended towards his and he took it. It belonged to a woman, short and strange looking. She had rough yellow skin, pointed teeth, and narrow, beady eyes. Despite her small stature, she was strong, and hauled Adam to his feet. Adam thanked her as she pulled her hand back to her side and studied him with her thin gray eyes. "You hurt that bigteeth good," the woman said, her throaty voice almost a growl. A streak of emerald fluid trickled from the corner of her lip to her chin. The woman wiped it away with her hand, then shook it clean, the green flecks flying off her fingers and hitting the sand. Each drop caused a hissing fizzle and a mini-geyser of vapor. "But they okay with being cut. Thick blood, clots up and seals, they stop bleeding fast. Acid hurts them most. Brave to fight bigteeth when you can't spit bile." Bile? Adam stared at her lips, at the trace of reflective liquid still on her skin. Acidic bile. That was what had forced the beast away. What an odd biological weapon. The woman kept looking him over, circling around him. "What with the metal parts? Spinny hand? Never saw thing like that before." Adam looked down at himself, feeling the hum of the still whirring saw blade running through his right side. He clenched his left hand into a fist and willed his right hand to return to its original form, and the response was instantaneous; the spinning sawblade receded and his fingers and palm unfolded and snapped back into place. He opened his mouth to respond to the woman, but he felt a sudden wave of dizziness come over him and stumbled backward, nearly fainting. The woman grabbed him before he fell, her grip firm as she held him upright. "You okay?" she asked quietly. "I'm not sure," Adam replied wearily. He had no idea who he was or where he came from - all he knew was what had happened today: he had pulled himself from a coffin in the middle of some unfamiliar desert, got attacked by a giant lizard creature, and then this strange acid-spewing yellow woman-thing had saved him. Everything beyond that was a question mark. She leaned closer to examine his face, peering at him curiously. "No place to go?" The woman asked. "You far away from anywhere. You come with me, I have camp. Food." "You live around here?" "Yes. Mile north, have camp." She said. Adam thought for a second. This woman, strange as she looked, seemed nice. Or at least seemed like she wasn't going to try and kill him, if she bothered saving him from that reptile. Maybe she could help him figure out something, anything about this strange world. "Okay," he said finally. "I'll go with you." "I have question, though. Never saw no one from no tribe have pink skin and metal parts. Where you come from? You from desert?" "No, well I don't think so," Adam replied. "I don't remember much. I woke up, and I was here." She lifted a thin eyebrow. Was she suspicious? Confused? Both? "I know this must sound awfully strange." Adam paused, unsure whether to tell her his story. "I was in a box, buried in the sand. Sleeping, I think. Then I woke up, I started walking, and now I'm here." The woman seemed to tense up, her small eyes widening as she stared intently at him. "You were buried?" "Yeah. Like, inside a... a coffin, I guess, but it was made of metal." He said, just as baffled as the woman was. "I don't even know why. Maybe it was a mistake. I can't remember anything, I don't have any memories. It's all blank! But I think that... I think something killed me, and now I'm alive again." The woman took a deep breath and looked away, as if frightened by Adam. "You creepy," she said, shaking her head. "Only dead get buried. You dead man walking." She started to walk off, heading north. "Come along, dead man." There was nothing else, so Adam followed.

A cave in the parallel world seemed small from outside but as you step in, a complete palace was evident. On both sides of the path, candles were lit up, made it look like the path was burning. The palace was made of stone, engraved with faces, names, and dates of previous Lords of Hell, along with beautifully engraved snakes. Even the entrance door was designed with snakes. More like Cobras. Written above the door was 'Gates to Ordeal.' "Grim Reaper, you came," the doorkeeper said. "Yes," a thick toneless voice came.  "Lord is accompanied by Great Lord," he said.  "I see" every step made the robe elegantly float in the air along with Grim Reaper's hair, making it look like a grand entry. "This way," the doorkeeper said while bowing his head. "I know, you don't need to show me the way." the voice still toneless, gesturing him to leave. Stopping midway Grim Reaper asked, "Wait up, where are other servants?" "There." pointing his hand on the left side, his head, still hanging low.  "Female servants too?"  "No, female servants are on the other side, on your right Grim Reaper." "Okay, leave."  Opening the doors to the hall. The hall had stalactites hanging low. Grim Reaper never understood why the hall was designed in this way.  Lord of Hell and Great Lord sat on their thrones, chatting.  Bowing down Grim Reapers said, "sorry for invasion."  Great Lord said, "Oh, no no, we were just chatting about the weather and stuff."  Lord of Hell didn't even greet Grim Reaper, "Grim Reaper, you know, what punishment you will have for this sin?" He didn't wait for her answer. "You will feel the pain, the pain that people felt when they died by your hands." The first thing Grim Reaper felt was a slash from a sword, even though there was no physical sword but still, the pain and blood oozing out felt real, she tried to stop the blood with her robe. Even though nothing was oozing out.  Next, she felt like her senses were getting silenced, her vision got blurry, numbness spreading across, her body getting stiff, she wasn't even able to curl her fingers. She thought this will be her last breath. But after a while, she opened her eyes to see Stalactites. She was alive. Looking around she found two thorns one was of Lord of Hell and one was of Great Lord. Both the thorns were contradictory. One was glassy with long wings on both handles. Beside was Lord of Hell's throne was with a red cushion, the head of Cobras on both sides as handles, the legs of the throne felt like roots of trees, buried in the flooring. Both the thrones were beautiful in their ways.  "Are you okay?" Came Great Lord's silvery voice. He has hazel eyes with golden and green flecks. It looked like Earth. "Yes," Grim Reaper said even though stumbling but soon regaining a static posture, proceeded to bow down again.  Looking at Lord of Hell, Great Lord asked, "Why did you do this?" "Why? She spared a life." Lord of Hell said furiously. "Lord, I didn't mean to" after a pause she continued, "Sorry Lord, it won't happen again" "Again? Do you think I will give you another chance? No, you are not going to step on Earth. You will stay with me here as my subordinate."  "Then who will collect souls?"  "Not thought about it yet." "How can a Grim Reaper be locked here? It'll cause havoc on Earth." After a pause Great Lord said, "My advice is, let her be on earth until you find another soul to take her position." Lord of Hell took some time to think, then said, "Your advice seems rational." "Absolutely," Great Lord said with a smile.  "Okay, you will stay on Earth until I find your replacement."  "Your wish is my command, Lord."  "Hm, leave." Grim Reaper proceeded to leave when Great Lord asked her to have some tea with them. "Yes, Great Lord." "Good, sit."  She sat on the chair that one servant brought for her.  Great Lord asked, "Why did you spare that kid's life?"  "I felt like," Grim Reaper said. Great Lord tried to search for sympathy on her face but, her face was cold, scary yet beautiful. She was indeed a gorgeous Grim Reaper, Hell ever encountered. But her sins?! Extremely brutal.  He repeated her sentence, "You felt like." After a pause, he said with a laugh "Good." Beside him, Lord of Hell drank the tea in silence, he knew this will only lead to deterioration. He was also worried about the data that should be submitted to 'Palace of Garner'. Sighing he asked Grim Reaper "Now what are you planning to say to 'Palace of Garner'?" "I will rightfully accept my sins." "No need, go, collect your belongings and go back to your work."  "Yes, I will take my leave." Grim Reaper said. After she closed the door behind her, Lord of Hell said, "I eradicated her sense of emotions. But still, she spared that little kid's life!" "Well, let's see what will happen," Great Lord said sipping his tea. A faint smile was visible on his lips. 

                                                            “KUKLON”                   Standing at the door was an average-sized man with a square jaw, clean-cut and athletic, his dark brown eyes burning beneath his freshly shaved head. His piercing, suspicious gaze was making James Zaruari, a circus illusionist, feel ill. “Cop,” determined Zaruari and, remembering that attack is the best form of defense, spoke first.             “Jesus Christ! What do you want from me now!?” he blurted out shrilly. “I’ve already been questioned a dozen times! When is this outrage going to end!?” The visitor, however, seemed unmoved by the attack. In a calm and measured tone, pointing a finger at him like an emotional prosecution lawyer, he asked:             “Unless I am mistaken, you are Monsieur James Zaruari, the illusionist? Magition?”             “Is it a crime to be an illusionist?” asked Zaruari loudly, almost shouting, in place of an answer. “Are you from the police?” he added a second later in a noticeably less shrill voice, seeing the futility of his outcries. “If so then I’ll contact my lawyer! I don’t intend to answer any more of your idiotic questions!” The visitor pursed his lips, as if grinding the question down with his powerful jaw, then answered:             “I’m not from the police, Monsieur Zaruari.”             “Then who are you?” demanded Zaruari.             “A private detective – Michel Akuev. Here’s my ID.” Zaruari’s face began to turn red with rage.             “Get lost, Monsieur Whatever-your-name-is!” he cried out with a hiss and started to shut the door. But Akuev, unexpectedly shoving his boot into the doorway, brought the door to a stop.             “Move your foot!” shouted Zaruari, enraged, switching back to his shrill voice in an attempt to get rid of both the boot and Akuev. But his efforts were of no use.             “I’m not taking it out,” replied Akuev darkly and, pushing the illusionist out of the way with a shove, he walked into the house.             “If you don’t go away this instant, I’ll – I’ll call the police!” said Zaruari, now in a much less confident voice.             Akuev slammed the door and unceremoniously walked into the living room, looking around at the furniture inside with interest.             “Go ahead, I dare you,” he said, continuing to search the room with his eyes. “I think they would also be interested in taking a look at the chest!”             Zaruari hurried behind him into the living room.             “Don’t try to intimidate me,” he said as he entered, wrapping his dressing gown around him as though suddenly cold.             Akuev turned his burning gaze towards him.             “No-o-o? Then why aren’t you calling the police? Are you afraid of something?”             They looked at each other for several seconds. Zaruari, unable to bear the intensity of his stare, backed down. Looking away, he spoke in a fairly low voice:             “You’re bluffing, Monsieur Detective. You’re trying to intimidate me so I spill the beans about something, but it won’t work. That’s a mug’s game!”             “No-o-o?” Akuev drawled once again, resuming his interrupted inspection of the room. “Are you so sure about that, Mr. Chestmaker? Which reminds me. Where is it?”             “What chest? You’re not going to fool me,” snapped Zaruari, his voice finally seeming to lose its nerve in front of the pushy detective.             “Stop the farce,” said Akuev, cutting him short. “The chest, the prop you use in your act. Zaruari’s renowned Disappearance Chest!”             The illusionist said nothing, and Akuev continued:             “Nothing to say? OK. I’ll start by telling you a story to refresh a few details in your memory, then we’ll carry on.             “So – several weeks ago, a lad by the name of Alex Remen set off for the circus with his mother. It was a beautiful evening, and Alex Remen had recently taken part in a fencing championship in Marseilles, where he had come second. He and his mother were in fine spirits. They watched the dancing horses, jumping tigers, dogs with bows, and other bits and pieces that are performed at the circus with delight. Everything was generally hunky-dory until the famous illusionist began his part of the show. He – The Alabama Magician – James Zaruari – was performing his famous disappearing act. During the act, Monsieur Zaruari calls for a volunteer from the audience and puts him in a chest. Then the person in the chest disappears. Alex jumped at the chance to volunteer. His mother was a little bit worried for her only son; perhaps if she had read the article about you in World of Illusions magazine or the small piece about you in Time, she would have been unlikely to let her son get into the ring. But unfortunately, she hadn’t heard anything about you and did not interfere with her son’s desire to take part in the famous illusionist’s act. And so, once Alex had climbed into the chest, it was locked with a key and lowered into a special glass tank full of water. Then the chest was taken out and – ta-dah! – the boy had disappeared! This was greeted with rapturous applause. Usually, in such cases, illusionists perform a reverse process; they close the chest again and the volunteer mysteriously reappears. Monsieur Zaruari, however, had been neglecting this part of the act, sometimes, and nothing he did after bring Alex Remen back. He was suddenly taken ill and was driven away from the circus in an ambulance. Since then, Alex Remen has not been seen by a living soul! He has disappeared without a trace as if he’s hiding at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Alex’s mother has run herself ragged looking for her son. She roused the entire Marseilles police department, which is where it all happened, by the way. But there is no point in finding fault with them. Monsieur Zaruari swore that he had released the boy along a special tunnel under the ring, which the volunteer had reached by falling through a trapdoor at the bottom of the glass tank. There was no reason to disbelieve him unless you believe in magic. And usually, judges do not believe in magic as well as Marseilles police don’t believe in magic. And from a legal point of view, if there’s no someone's body, then there’s no case! As for the boy, meanwhile, it’s as if he’s vanished into thin air, disappeared without a single trace! Fortunately, Alex’s mother was no fool. She kicked up a real scandal in the media, and tabloid journalists love mystery stories like these. She took you to court, which came to nothing, of course, except providing some sort of amusement to the readers of the gutter press following the case. And, eventually, it found its way to me. I took on the strange case, which drew me in with its mass of details overlooked by the police. I dug into your biography and found that there were at least half a dozen other cases of this kind. Several other people have disappeared from your chest. It is one of the reasons why you move from country to country so often. You have to involuntarily start to believe in miracles! To wrap things up: that is where I’m going to finish, and you’re now going to carry on!”             Zaruari, who had been silently and almost unflinchingly listening to Akuev, suddenly burst out laughing.             “You’re wrong, Monsieur Akuev. My act has deceived you, which is not surprising. Hundreds of professionals who have seen it performed have attempted to solve it!”             Akuev, however, was not buying the illusionist’s cheerful tone and forced laughter.             “I am never deceived by anything, Monsieur Zaruari! Show me how the trick is performed and I’ll leave you alone. Otherwise...”             Zaruari lifted his chin proudly.             “A magician never reveals his secrets! You should know that!”             “Sure! I know that,” said Akuev in the soulless tone of a serial killer, his voice as cold as the Antarctic.             Then he quickly took a step towards Zaruari, seized him by the collar of his dressing gown, and lifted him, pinning him against the wall.             “I see you don’t quite understand,” Akuev continued. “Monsieur Zaruari. The mother of the boy who disappeared in your chest is my sister. And Alex Remen is my nephew. A beloved nephew!”             With the last word, Akuev loosened his grip and Zaruari was able to breathe a little air. Out of fear, he began to hiccup, and the detective let go of him contemptuously. Zaruari flopped to the floor.             “Show me the trick and I’ll leave,” said Akuev. Somewhat strangely, Zaruari quickly recovered himself.             “OK,” he agreed. “I’ll show you the trick, Monsieur! In fact, I’ll show you with pleasure!”             And quickly getting to his feet, he went into the next room, where he kept his circus prop.             In the middle of the room stood what looked like an ordinary chest. Nothing remarkable, just a chest bound with iron plates, old and darkened with age. The chest was big enough to hold a person, although it would have been somewhat tight for a big guy like Akuev.             With a look of determination, Zaruari approached the chest and threw back the lid.             “Climb in,” he told the detective.             For a brief moment, Akuev was taken aback. The chest was empty and completely ordinary. But to climb into it after everything?             “Whoa, Chestmaker,” said Akuev, reining the illusionist in a little. “Not so quickly! First the secret.”             Zaruari spread his hands apologetically.             “Forgive me, but how am I supposed to show you the secret of the trick without doing it?!”             Akuev paused to think for a moment: “What, after all, can happen to me in the chest?” he thought.             But before he climbed in, he warned Zaruari:             “Remember, if you’re thinking about doing something funny...”             Zaruari’s lips twisted into a caustic smile:             “This is just a circus trick.”             “The dirty circus trick,” Akuev corrected Zaruari. “I have a 45 caliber gun with me. I’ll shoot the lock off of this thing – easily! And then your head, as a next move!”             Zaruari nodded impatiently.             “Ye, ye, whatever you like. So climb in now. There is a great deal for me to do once you leave me alone. I will prove my innocence to you, even at the cost of giving away the secret of the most famous trick in my arsenal.”             “Don’t worry, I couldn’t care less about your trick,” Akuev replied, and climbed into the chest.             Zaruari slammed the lid shut, smiling to himself about something.             “What should I do?” asked Akuev, whose voice sounded muffled and not quite audible.             “Nothing,” replied Zaruari. “I am now going to turn the key, and you will see everything for yourself.”             Hurriedly, the illusionist inserted the key and turned it. And then, feeling a sudden wave of tiredness, he sat down exhausted on the lid of the chest.             “Done,” he thought to himself. “Finally, I won’t be bothered by this guy anymore.”             Meanwhile, not a single sound was heard from the chest. But then James Zaruari had not expected to hear anything. He knew that there was already nobody there. For form’s sake, however, he still checked. But first, he fetched a bottle of beer from the fridge, and then, holding it in one hand, he unlocked the chest. After taking a big greedy gulp, he threw back the lid. The chest was empty.             Examining its empty bottom, Zaruari once again pondered: what the hell does this damn chest do with people? And why does it happen when you turn the key in the lock, for God’s sake? What it has to do with the key? Why was the chest, at first, used to bring the people back? I just had to put the key back in the lock and turn it, and the person would reappear! He had used it for a long time, even confounding by that many renowned professional illusionists. His trick was unbeatable. Because it was real magic! One hundred percent real magic! They just didn't know that. But lately, however, there had been something with this accursed item. It flatly refused to bring the people back, even when you turned the key again and again, a hundred times if you wish! And started to swallow people on regular bases! Every time!             For a whole hour, Zaruari sat in the room with the chest, thinking it over and quietly getting drunk. Outside it had started to get dark, and twilight was sneaking its way inside through the barred windows of the house...             A ring at the door found the illusionist already half gone. He got up slowly, staggering a little, and headed for the front door. “Who the hell can that be now? Whatever, I don’t give a damn! I’ll send them all off in the chest!” he repeated to himself, feeling drunk as he walked.             But Zaruari didn’t have time to open the door. The newcomers turned out to be too impatient to wait and simply kicked the door in.             Their powerful blow had the door jumping off its hinges and plaster raining down from the ceiling, then two madmen burst into the room!             The first one, older than the other, had long dark hair, a grey beard, and a black eyepatch over one eye like a pirate cliche from movies; the second was still really just a lad, but with a weather-beaten, severe face.             Zaruari, confused, look from one to another, eyeing their outlandish clothes: long black coats, leather jerkins, and odd swords, sharp and ominous as death itself, flecked with dried blood. He had only just opened his mouth to demand an explanation when the one-eyed madman grabbed him by the collar of his dressing gown, exactly as the private detective had done an hour before, and pinned him up against the wall. This time, however, he could feel the faintly shimmering blade of a sword against his throat. Losing the ability to speak, the illusionist could only squeal.             “Do you know me?” said the one-eyed man through clenched teeth, in a disturbingly familiar voice.             Astonished, Zaruari stopped shrieking.             “It’s you!!!”             He was now completely sober. The one-eyed man grinned ominously.             “That’s right, it’s me! Michel Akuev, the private detective that you sent God knows where three years ago! You can’t imagine how long I’ve waited for this moment! You’re even...”             And Akuev found himself overcome with emotion. Without finishing, he turned around and asked his young companion:             “Well Alex, what shall we do with him?”             The fair-haired boy, the detective had spoken to, moved closer.             “I don’t like it, Uncle Michel,” he said. “He certainly did us wrong, especially to you, but maybe it’s not worth killing him. He’s just a fool.”             “No, we definitely have to do something with him!” said Akuev, shaking his head. “I was a galley slave to Andir slave traders! He owes me something. A big one! Oh, how he owes me!”             “Then, maybe, we can do the same thing to him as he has done to us?” suggested Alex, tentatively.             “Excellent idea!” said Akuev, with a malevolent smile. “This addled egg wouldn’t last more than a couple of days there! And we wouldn’t even need to get our hands dirty! You’re smart, Alex. I’ll give you a job at my agency, first mate.”             Zaruari, who had worked out what they were planning to do with him, was shrieking worse than before. But this time Akuev stopped the noise, pressing his hand over the illusionist’s mouth. In a matter of minutes, he had dragged the struggling magician to the chest in the next room and, flinging back the lid, had thrust the hapless Zaruari into it, kicking and screaming. He slammed the lid shut and sat on top, preventing his victim from opening the lid of the chest from the inside.             “Where’s the key?” he asked and then, catching sight of it in the keyhole, cried out something unintelligible:             “Ah! Kuklon! Kuklon! Vasata mi kari! Oh-h-h! Vasata mi kariii!” Screaming out these incomprehensible words, he was ready to turn the key when Alex suddenly stopped him.             “Wait, Uncle Michel. I want to give him a bit of advice for the road. He still has the right to at least some kind of chance.”             Reluctantly, Akuev agreed.             “OK, Alex, it’s your lookout. But if you ask me, the bastard...”             “Listen to me carefully, Monsieur Zaruari,” began Alex, but was unable to finish as a new series of shrieks erupted from the chest.             “Knock it off!” roared Akuev, and slammed his fist down onto the lid of the chest.             To his surprise, Zaruari went silent.             “Listen to me carefully,” began Alex again. “I don’t have any particular desire to do this to you, but my uncle is pretty furious with you. And nearly everyone you sent there, they... they died, some in a very unpleased way...”             “Six months I was a galley slave!” interrupted Akuev, and slammed his fist down onto the lid a second time. “Do you know what that means – to be a galley slave to Andir slave traders? You’re a bastard! You don’t know anything except for your vile tricks with the chest!”             “OK, Uncle Michel,” said Alex, placing his hand on the detective’s shoulder, and continued with his "briefing". “Listen. When you get there, don’t torture yourself about whether it’s real or not. Save yourself a lot of valuable time and nerves. Just adapt, only so you’ll survive. And remember the most important word: KUKLON! It’s the only way to get back! If it works, then not only will you get back, but you’ll get back on the same day, no matter how much time has passed in that world. Understand?”             “What’s Kuklon?! Where’s ‘there’?!” came Zaruari’s voice, which because of the walls of the chest sounded nasally and whiny, “Let me out, I don’t want to go anywhere!”             “And you think I did?!” asked Akuev, with undisguised malice in his voice. “Seven months I was a galley slave! Do you have any idea what is that? To be a galley slave of the Andirian slave traders?! Do you have the slightest idea what is that?             “Six months,” corrected Alex, calmly.             “What’s the difference, Alex? We’re still being too easy on him. Giving him advice for the road! Who gave us any? Are you finished?”             Alex nodded. But Akuev, unable to pass up one last chance to torment his victim, said in farewell:             “Enjoy your flight to the magical land of Oz, Dorothy!”             And turned the key.

This Story containsPhysical TransformationA large amount of 2B’s               “Save humanity, join YorHa!” a flyer said, with a few slips with an address hanging from it. Most of them had been taken, and James was wondering if this was part of a convention promotion or something. After all there had been a ridiculous amount of 2B cosplayers lately.             Even if a 2B in flannel, overalls and using power tools to install a wheelchair ramp wasn’t what he’d consider cosplay. The undercut was also different, but so many people were wearing the same blindfold. But they did have a snack offer and something about paid positions.             “Dress casually, bring a picture of your favourite character too!” the flyer said, getting James to raise an eyebrow. But hey, it was Saturday night, he had no date, no bottles of shasta and his all rush mixtape was missing. So, he went to the address after grabbing a picture of Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, some may call James basic, others would mind their own business. But regardless he drove to the address and was distracted by a few things.             Firstly, was that the building was sleek, almost disturbingly so. Minimalist designers wished they could make something that was as minimalist as a tan cube with a single door and two delivery truck entrances. Windows were either somehow invisible or not there at all. He got out of his car and noticed just how many cars were parked nearby. Most of them had been placed or were being placed in a large similar looking building. Once again by various 2B cosplayers, some in the black outfit from the game, others in work gear or clothes meant for high visibility.             A neon orange and yellow 2B outfit was certainly disorienting. But James went towards the only door, if for nothing else but to see what would happen. Idle hands are the 2B’s playthings as the saying goes.             Or was it the devil? Regardless, James noticed a doorbell,             “Applicants press here!” it said in big blocky text, so he shrugged and rang it. On cue the door opened, revealing yet another 2B unit, this one dressed in a dark blue suit and tie.             “Reporting for a position?” She asked, grabbing a clip board from seemingly out of thin air. James tried peeking past her, only to see a table with a 2B in a red suit that was well, only barely on her. Leaving only an almost skin-tight black leotard illuminated.             “Yes?” James said, the Blue 2B waving him inside. She didn’t say anything, just walking with the clack of her heels echoing through the room.             “Name?” the red one said, her voice in a deep sultry one, one that you’d half expect to be swirling a martini in one hand and preparing to take your wallet after fucking someone’s brains out with the other.             “James?” the man said, looking confused at how someone who looked like she may have been on top of or underneath the other was still running an interview. “I saw a flyer and have nothing else going on so-“             “Oh, that was me before I became 2B.” the blue one said, her voice completely flat and emotionless. “I thought I had nothing better to do, but now I’m the office public slut.”             “Before you ask, no, she’s not joking.” Red interjected, somehow despite the blindfold covering her eyes knowing James did a double take. “Her monotone betrays her, but that’s what happens when she tries to self upgrade to remove a stutter.”             “…so, when do I wake up from this weird dream?”             “have you tried pinching yourself?” Blue said, removing her coat to reveal there was a white button up shirt that was purposefully sized down. “or I can pinch you?”             James immediately pinched himself, with Red laughing hard enough that the metal chair protested to the sudden movement. Nope, he was awake, weird how he hadn’t considered trying that before getting here.             “By the way, pinching doesn’t usually work, it’d have to be caused by outside stimuli.” Blue said, noting something down on the clipboard. “By the way, permanent or temporary.” The monotone making James wonder if it was a question or an order.             “Temporary?” James said, admittedly still nervous as hell.             “Do you want to do sick flips for a weekend or do sick flips forever?” Red chuckled. “You can always change your mind later.”             “Depends on how sick the flips are?” the human said, trying to beat his own anxiety back with a mental stick. If it was temporary, he could try it for a day then pretend nothing happened, nothing at all. But after seeing Red go from a sitting position to a handstand on the back of the chair, he had to agree that it was pretty rad to do flips like that.             “Temporary?” he said hesitantly, with Blue nodding and noting it on her clipboard.             “Character you enjoy if you’ve brought one?” Blue continued, taking the image of Cloud. “Any changes, headcanons or personality tweaks you’d personally make?”             “Uh. Probably hiding the lack of confidence less so he’s more open?” James said, not noticing Red now hand standing on a comically large lever. He was more distracted by the skirt of her suit obeying gravity and revealing her frankly massive ass. Naturally he turned red, not noting what Blue was doing.             “Removal of false bravado, any physical changes to your body?” Blue continued, James snapping back to her with a raised eyebrow. “Genitals, muscle tone added or removed, ect.”             “I mean, I could lose a few pounds…” James mumbled, not sure where this was going.             “Then welcome to YorHa, processing will begin momentarily.” Blue said, the neutral expression breaking into a fiendish smile. The last thing James saw before the clunk of Red pushing down the lever were Blue’s fang like teeth.             “…I’m starting to think this was maybe not a smart idea.” James said as the chair sunk lower into the ground. He was absolutely trying not to panic, after all, if this wasn’t a dream, he at least selected temporary and could undo anything. His chair stopped and began folding out into a metal table. With metal restraints wrapping around his wrists and ankles.             “Welcome, new recruit, to YorHa.” A voice said, James wondered if it was Blue, but likely wouldn’t find out until it was too late. It was just as robotic and monotone, possibly a recording. “Here, you have volunteered for a position as a unit 2B convert. No matter the reason you have joined us, you will be welcomed.” The room lit up, revealing everything to be that same tan colour as the outside building. Except infinitely larger than anything had any right to be.             “Here you will be witnessing the process you will be going through momentarily.” The speaker continued, the table shifting to let James look around from an upright position at a pair of volunteers. “Thankfully we are also able to provide examples of the de-conversion process, so volunteers who only wish to join temporarily are able to temper their expectations.”             The two volunteers were being processed. One being stripped down completely naked from what appeared to be some old sweatpants and a heavily worn tee shirt. The other, was in a blue and gold 2B dress, with black hair in buns and the thickest muscular thighs James could comprehend. Her dress simply vanished in a flash of light leaving them both exposed.             “This 2B unit used our facilities for a temporary exploration of their gender.” The voice continued, James idly wondering if it was only talking to him or the whole facility now. “After ten months they have requested partial de-conversion and remolding to continue this exploration.”             “This volunteer wishes to remove themselves from an unfortunate circumstance. And YorHa is more than willing to help affirm and protect volunteers.” The voice said, clearly leaving details out to protect the volunteer. “As such, we will be formatting them appropriately.”             James watched, or rather was in no position to look away as they both started to undergo the process. The 2B’s features were removed, leaving only a blank base form as machinery hovered around the temporary volunteer. Their chest was flattened, their hips were widened, and their hair was dyed a platinum blonde before being lengthened down to near their feet.             The other volunteer however had the giddiest expression imaginable on her face as the machinery whirred and started scanning her body. James could barely make out the images of three characters, making him wonder if he could’ve brought more than one. The first change was out of nowhere, a large metal plate being moved in between her and the still being remodelled 2B unit. The metal shifting to match what James could only presume was the mold of one character.             “We are of course going to ensure you are mentally prepared for your own processing Volunteer,” the announcer said, the mold he was looking at now resembling a frankly gigantic person with visible muscle across their entire body. “Their first selection was rather unconventional, but nothing is impossible.” There was a flash of light as the mold pressed onto the Volunteer and pulled back, revealing that somehow, they had almost doubled their height and grown long fluffy looking white hair.             “…okay that shouldn’t be physically possible.”             “That’s what all volunteers say, but it is quite possible.” The announcer said, letting James watch as the metal plate changed shape again, this time to a much slimmer build. “Nothing is impossible, and they will make a wonderful 2B unit.”             “Is their hair white and pink? How?” James said, his curiosity peaking. This was completely insane and now if it was a dream? He didn’t want to wake up. There was another lash of light, with the applicant’s hair now being braided up and a visible penis now on their body.             “Our technology is giving them the body they desired.” The announcer continued; the applicant being coated in the metal plate one last time. There was another flash of light, the plate pulled back and the applicant was now wearing a pink blindfold over her eyes. Their bangs were cut and styled like the rest of the 2B units, with the long pink and white ponytail folded over their shoulder. “Now, you may witness our removal process.”             “Right…” James said, wondering what would make someone not want to consider staying like that. The person was still a blank base, like a doll used for posing in art classes. Nothing distinguishable beyond the platinum blonde hair as a metal plate lowered in front of them. Then the plate pressed on them, with a flash of light before it pulled back. Revealing that not much had changed beyond their facial features being returned.             “They have requested to have their features exaggerated, however, to do this we need to completely reformat their body.” The announcer continued. The human looked around, looking at their hands before a LED screen was placed in front of them and the bindings on their arms disappeared. “To do this they have to choose. Then we will comply and turn them back to their specifications.”             “So…” James started to say, noting how the unit’s hands seemed to drag several things to one side of the screen. “When I get turned, I can change how I look?”             “Yes,” the announcer said, a hint of amusement coming from the speaker. The 2B unit’s decisions were finalized as everything around them shifted. The metal plate lowered back in front of them and the plate they were fastened to restrained their arms. It lowered, shifted, and pulled back to reveal a buxom woman with more curves on her than a series of hills. Her chest was impossibly large, with visible metal holding her breasts up to look perky. Her hips were large, with thighs that looked like they could crush someone’s head between them. “This one has decided something more impossible would fit them better. As such, we’re accommodating them before returning them to recruitment duties.”             “Uh huh…” James mumbled, looking at both 2B’s as the changes were finalized. Admittedly feeling himself get aroused at the situation but tried to shake it off. That could wait till later. “So… what now?”             “Now?” the announcer said, James’ chair folding out and turning into a metal plate like he had been looking at. Everything restrained as he took a deep breath. “Now, you get to change.” 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! https://www.patreon.com/MagicLottie 

This chapter contains transformationvicious hatred towards fascism “Changes…” James mumbled, still not knowing what this would feel like. After all, he just saw someone get cybernetically enhanced and someone get removed from a 2B skin suit. Is that why they asked him about a character? Would that factor in? Would he be some kind of hyper twink Cloud and android fusion? “at least I get to choose?” “As much as you get to choose your pronouns,” one of the organizers said through a speaker. With the recruit feeling the smile on their face. “By the way, do you want blue hair?” “Blue hair? Pronouns? What, am I? Some kind of… unfunny bigoted joke?” James sighed, trying to picture what the hell he’d look like. “Sure, why not, give me a blue highlight that says ‘fuck nazis.’ Just to spice it up.” “Unfortunately, the highlight we can do,” the other 2B in charge said, it was probably Red. “But fuck nazi’s is hard wired in, so you’ll have a sword whenever you see one.” “Why wasn’t that in the ad?” James chuckled, trying to calm his nerves. “If they said ‘kick nazi ass’ you’d probably have a line every day.” “Threatening politicians gets ads pulled if you’re not rich, white and cis.” Both 2B’s sighed. “So, we can’t even put them up anarchy style or else they get on it faster than a dick drawn on a pothole.” “Yeah. I bet.” James sighed, a bit of his body was now relaxed, so it was probably about to stop being calm and he’d go through whatever this is. “So, will this hurt?” “Nope, you won’t feel a thing.” Said Red. “You might feel an extreme burning sensation.” Said Blue. “One tells lies the other tells truths.” “If this wasn’t obvious as a joke, I’d be impressed.” The human deadpanned, getting an annoyed groan out of the two. “So, probably somewhere in the middle?” “Yeah basically.” “Great” “Just scream if the burning starts.” “You were both doing so well at selling this. So, so well.” James chuckled, still trying to calm down as the process started. And that’s how he found his clothes removed without destroying them, despite the arm and leg restraints. “Now then, you chose a character, Cloud, to add as a template to your new body.” Red said, a visual representation of the 2B unit now floating in front of James. It was smaller, more like something out of a chibi anime than representation of the persons actual proportions. “As such, the default combination will feature some spiky and platinum blonde hair.” There was something that looked like James, or rather, what he assumed he would look like as they went through the process. Once again, a small, stylized avatar of what was a shining blonde 2B with hair spikes. “Naturally,” Blue interjected, “you get to control proportions, height, muscle definition, ect. As such, please let your mind wander. Let any idle thoughts that feel correct make their way into your new skin.” “Idle thoughts?” James muttered, watching the display as something pinched the back of his neck. Not enough to vocalize the discomfort, but it was strange, like someone was reaching into his mind with a probe. “That’s… vague.” “That’s what everyone says, but you’ll find something you like!” Red laughed, the screen updating as James’s mind was starting to wander. The model didn’t update, at least for what felt like an eternity, his mind started to think. The model had big visible dog ears and a large fluffy tail suddenly and was visibly more bottom heavy. With wide hips, defined with muscle and the platinum blonde hair extending down into a braided ponytail. He felt his face flush as Red, and Blue’s mini models laughed on screen. If they were trying to influence his thoughts, they weren’t trying very hard. At least until the model was naked and they began poking and prodding various parts of his model. But something seemed to be matching their motions on his physical body. Maybe it was preparing a scan of some kind? But regardless, James did his best to try and keep his thoughts in line. 2b, Cloud and a dog? That did sound nice, but it was probably his limit. Then the two managers decided to show off their chests. Trying to worm out and idle thoughts they could about what his body would look like. Blue made motions imitating a flat chest, while Red was exaggerating having massive breasts. If James could’ve stopped himself, he would’ve tried to stop thinking about it, but in an instant, his model now had breasts. Large ones. Large and perky ones like they were full of silicone. Which then started messing with the model in more ways than he expected. Different characters started worming their way to his mind, whatever mental probing was happening putting them on screen. Anime, games, movies, dozens of characters worked their way around with the RG2B’s playing gatekeeper. Cloud was still clearly half of the base, that much was accurate, but now they were letting in the characters resonating strongest with his mind. Short shorts, barely not a thong with his models’ proportions were added. With James just realizing he had a massive bulge on the model. The lips were painted, the top pink, the bottom a dark purple. White demonic looking horns were added along with bat wings. “Well, this is getting extreme” Red’s avatar said as James body started to tingle. “But now the fun part!” “Gender, pronouns, big money, big prizes! I like it!” Blue finished, the additives to his model fading away into the background as three slot machine reels appeared. “You started as a guy, nothing wrong with that, but lets see if your mind agrees with that now!” Red’s avatar said, holding a microphone like they were on a game show as the first reel spun, different symbols James was only passingly familiar with going in a blur. “Let’s let the probe dig that out and see how you like it!” There was a beep in James’s ear, like he had hit the stop button on a slot machine. The reel slowed, slowed, and landed on both the traditional male and female symbols. “And he gets Bigender!” Blue said, an applause coming from somewhere as the human tried to process what that even was. He never did have a problem if someone called him a girl, hell, even bullies couldn’t get to him with that. But seeing the symbol it felt… worthwhile to try. “Any two sets of pronouns, right now it could be he and she, but maybe they them pronouns are in your future! You’ll have to check that out next time!” “Uhhh,” James said, looking at her model bounce happily holding the flag in his arms. “Do… you always do this?” “Yeah, pretty much.” Blue’s avatar responded as the second reel started its movement. “But now, lets see what your orientation really is! The deepest secrets! The hidden desires! granted I’d be shocked if Sappho’s wasn’t on your side with that part of you.” “I mean I don’t think there’s much to hide there.” James admitted, watching it stop on a heart with the word femme on it. “Yeah. I can’t say that’s a revelation.” “well, that’s good at least!” red laughed, looking at the third reel. “And now this part!” “And that third one is?” “How much of this avatar translates to your new temporary body!” 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   

JK-Sama Hannya - a kind of Japanese mask, an example of one. Oh, such luck. It’s just of those days, I wonder as another cloud of icy breath slips through my lips—something that I envy I wish I could do now. Without another thought, I shove my fidgeting hands into my jacket’s pockets. Freezing? Fear? Who knows at a time like this? “Hey? You listening? The boss asked you a question, punk.” Something metallic lightly taps the back of my head. I instinctively let out a shudder, something the boys chuckle at. “You’ve got a lot of nerve walking all by your lonesome through these parts of the town,” the one farthest from me circles around me, letting his bat hit the snowy concrete and dragging it behind me. Any moment now I expect him—any of them, to whack me—an action that never comes. He’s right. You’ll never catch me dead walking around—especially not at a bad time like these. Looters, rioters… NOSP agents are up to no good, you never know what you might expect as the sun starts setting. “Not much of a talker, eh?” another one remarks. The posse laughs again. Glancing around, besides their questionably fashionable jackets and excessive straps they wear nothing but black or green boilersuits. Most of their jackets are embroidered with extravagant slogans of all varieties. Ranging from army Legionnaire scribbling, anti-Federation messages like a caricature depiction of the Prime Minister with his head decapitated—you name it. And then, of course, are their hannya masks with elaborate war paint color schemes. If memory serves me right… Another jab from behind, I stumble forward. “Hey, hey, hey!” A woman off to my right taps my shoulder with a golden adorned bat, “anyone home in that head of yours? It’s freezing, but it ain’t that cold!” —The Zero Nakamura gang, some kind of biker gang that happened to foster in this troubling, unforgiving city over the years. These misunderstood misfits range from your typical troubled youth of society to returning Legionnaire veterans—some are rumored to be as old as Mars combat veterans. The Zero Nakamura have clashed with the NOSP on more than one occasion; hell, I heard they were bold enough to raid a NOSP headquarters right in the smack of town. “You know, when someone is talking to ya, you’re supposed to acknowledge them and humor them a little, no?” The woman says with a sneer, poking at my feet with her bat. I grit my teeth, clenching my fists but standing firm nonetheless. “That’s enough, Emilie,” A large man steps forward, his bat eagerly tapping against his wide shoulders. His jumpsuit is partially unzipped, and his elaborate jacket flutters in the cold breeze. He’s nicely toned, to say the least. In comparison, I shudder and hug myself in the freeze. He has golden pompadour hair that nearly covers his hannya mask—and unlike the others, its horns are torn off, and a scar-like crack zips horizontally across the mask. His oceanic eyes seem to burst at any moment through the burgundy-matte hannya mask. At first, the woman chuckles. But it takes a stare from the man for her to back down. “Sorry, Mountain,” the woman murmurs. And in a crunchy unison, Mountain’s posse widens the circle. And for a brief moment, a NOSP armored van wails by, blinding everyone with its siren. My eyes take some time to readjust, and in that span of a second the realization hits me; I’ve lost that minuscule window of opportunity to make my escape. No one comes to my rescue, no one to save a nobody. Nobody can save me. “Listen, buddy,” Mountain speaks after adjusting his collar—not even glancing to check he’s in the clear. His burly chest heaves with each icy breath. “I’ll make this plain and simple for you—that jacket,” he points with his bat—more like a studded metal club—at me. “That jacket of yours,” his deep eyes look me over. “It’s nice, it seems cozy… it’d look great with graffiti, yeah? Maybe a bit of spraying here and there.” I clear my throat. Snugging my jacket. Carefully wrapping my hands over my last resort to not arouse suspicion. One of the Nakamura boys squints at me but says nothing to the others. Is he catching on? “You know where I’m going with this, right? I don’t like having to spill things out with civilians. It’s not my thing. I’m a nice guy. Reasonable,” Mountain gestures with his club towards the snow. “Take it off,” he orders. “I—I can’t,” I answer. Digging my heels into the snow. It’s just like how those overpriced lessons were. The Zero Nakamura merely chuckles at first—hesitation, maybe, not wanting to upset Mountain. “And why’s that?” The Nakamura honcho answers. My hand fidgets, ready to brandish at any given moment. I don’t want to do this, it may not even work. I should run for it. I might be able to jump over onto the snowy canal below. Might hurt my legs a little, but it’s better than what I have coming. “This jacket belonged to my old man,” I respond. The shivering only gets work. “I’ve had this for as long as I could remember,” it’s getting harder to talk, the coldness sweeps in through the jacket and makes me jitter with each passing moment. It’s like the only thing I have for an identity. It’s what makes me who I am in this godless wretched city. Possibly the only thing that keeps me sane. The Zero Nakamura only laughs in response. “Ain’t that adorable?” One of the members cries out—Mountain lowers his metal club and rests both hands on it, undisturbed by the snow blanketing us and the peanut gallery. “One of my boys needs it,” Mountain says, I follow his gaze to a younger member who only wears a black boilersuit, plain, mostly. He has a half-mask and short brown hair. He looks bewildered, and his bat is smaller than the others. “Poor momma’s boy ran away from home and hasn’t found his way yet in the crew—only his second day out on the prowl. You understand, right?” Mountain says, another icy mist escaping through his mask. “I want to do this the easy way—you part ways with your heirloom and we’ll be on our way.” I only hug my jacket tighter, taking a step back. The circle encloses again. “Am I to take that as non-compliance?” Mountain asks. He blinks several times and raises one hand to gesture the others at me. Extreme pain reverberates from my lower body. I let out a scream that nobody hears—a cry for help drowned out by the howling, uncaring wind. Then a sudden pull at my jacket as the Nakamura tries to pry it from me—all it takes for me to whip free and brandish my pistol. “Get back!” I cry, my hands fumble from the pain and cold. “So help me god, I’ll do it!” I wave it around at the shocked Nakamura. The barrel points at several of the individuals—at Mountain, the woman, and then lastly the boy. The poor kid falls to the snow, his eyes widening by the second. “All it takes is one shot and NOSP will be over the scene like flies!” My lungs burn with each word. “Is that what you want? Is that what it’s worth over a goddamn jacket?! Is that what this city has come down to?!” It’s a bluff. The pistol can be hardly qualified as a pellet gun—I could never be bothered even paying a pretty dollar for the ammunition. Those crazy bastards in Terra outlawed guns well beyond my time and expect spacenoids to live pretty little lives. And look at where that’s gotten me—this facade of a world into! Several steps back, “nobody move—and I’ll be on my way,” I sneer. I grip the pistol as tightly as I can in this numbing cold. Just a few more steps—and I’ll be on my way to— I nearly black out as I crash to the snow bedding, insane pain prevails from my lower back. I hear a grunt as the pistol is kicked over the railing. It failed. I’ve failed. The Zero Nakamura hone in on me like vultures and beat me senseless—ripping my prized jacket off me. Soon enough, only the snow is left to bring me solace as my back becomes a practice target for the Zero Nakamura. But this feeling of twisted paradise doesn’t last long. I’m propelled up from my snowy grave and given the full-frontal treatment. I can’t wrestle away, I can’t so much as turn. It’s as though I’m lobotomized, hanging only from the hydraulic grips of several Nakamura members keeping me upright. My vision blurs in and out—and all I can make out is Mountain standing from afar, resting with his metal club as his goons make work. And the beating stops. The pain lingers—my knees give out, and the slayers of snow cushions my collapse. Painful gasps escape me as I realize the only breathtaking thing about this city—the pure, blissful snow now stained crimson. I slump forward—but my hair is pulled back by the woman. The Zero Nakamura remarks something to one another, and the young lad steps forward. Someone helps him raise and shadows him as he practices swinging his bat. We make eye contact—time has frozen for the two of us. He takes one foot forward, then the other. The bat shakes in his hands. He’s as scared shitless as I am. But in my case, all I desire now is death—an end to this torture. Most of my life has been varying degrees of suffering. All I’ve wanted is a paradise—and maybe this kid and his bat is the key to it. My heart beats rapidly… progressively, as the kid takes a few more steps. I can’t make out anything else anymore. My vision narrows to just the kid and nothing else. The world is a blur, and soon enough it won’t be even that. To be done in like this—is merely misfortune. Even as a child I faced nothing but hardships… in these fleeting moments fueled by pain and misery I can only wonder if I ever truly experienced a genuinely happy moment in my life. I’ve never once considered suicide—I merely soldiered on, for my sake and my parents. Where did I go wrong? Where did they go wrong? They did their damn best. And I’d fault them over nothing. I can only wonder how I should apologize that I’ll be seeing them sooner than expected. I have no idea what I should say or do. I failed to carry on with their dreams of getting to space. I’ve never been religious, much less believed in the afterlife. As the kid raises his bat over his head, I close my eyes one last time. I draw what may very well be my next breath, and ponder; maybe in the next life, I’ll live in a world where I and others can achieve our dreams with ease. My shoulders suddenly light, and I find myself once again embraced by the snow. I can make out shouting—just barely—and a stampede through the snow—it’s not long before it fades and ringing takes over. My head throbs relentlessly. Using what energy I can, I crane my neck and see a pair of black boots in my periphery. I hear nothing but muffles drowned out by the ringing—and as the ringing stops, I can hear a man’s voice. This person seems to shake me, and I’m slowly but surely coming back to my senses. A surprise, given the shock I’m enduring. I’m cold. I’m so cold. I want to say, but the words never form. Whoever this person is—it could be an angel for all I know—they sit me up straight and pat me down. My battered mind only simply wonders. Are they another thug? Perhaps someone chasing after another’s prey? Are they operating alone? Who of all people could scare off the Zero Nakamura? My vision is still blurry, they face me and pat my frozen cheeks. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? The words slowly come to me. Questions I try to answer, but the dizziness makes it hard to formulate an answer. They get up and shuffle around as if looking for anything valuable before coming back to stand in front of me. They pat my cheek—roughly, this time—and out of reflection I slap their hand. The man pulls his hand back and chuckles—and, oddly enough, that is enough to jolt me to life. “Am I dead?” I whisper, squinting as I stare up at my angel retrieving my soul. Maybe the last couple of seconds were hallucinations. Maybe… The man ponders—a little chuckle. He only grins, extending a hand out to me. It’s practically… the single nicest thing someone has done to me in my life. Someone who notices me… who offers their support—if only briefly—to someone whose life is literally on the thread. I must be dead. But his words defy that. Truly, this man is a magician, capable of reviving a pathetic little fool straight from his frozen tomb. “No, you’re not dead,” the mysterious stranger answers “so… er, this may be an odd time to ask, but… what’s your name?” My eye ducts are frozen the moment my emotions attempt to pour out of them. And yet—and yet, my body is warm. It blazes as fiery as ever, like a phoenix igniting its surroundings in a fiery blaze of reincarnation. My name? A question so mundane—so typical, but for me, it feels like being asked a million-dollar question. I cannot even remember the last time I’ve been asked my name—the last time I even recall ever thinking about my name. It’s almost like the first time I’ve genuinely been asked the question. A question so simple in its very nature, yet colorful. My name…? “Shin,” I splutter; we lock eyes as my lips tremble. “Shin… Araki.” I use what little strength I’ve regained and clasp his offering hand. “Shin Araki,” the man repeats, nodding and smiling. Just hearing those words uttered by another gets me riled with emotions. We work together slowly, keeping me on my feet. But I nearly fall over—to which the kind individual is quick with carrying me by the shoulder. It doesn’t snow as much. The night feels calmer. Like a still moment. A moment that I couldn’t express to this kind stranger. The familiar silence makes me at ease—my body disperses all negativity. The kind warmth of this man is my spell over this hellscape we live in. “I…” the guardian angel looks at me in curiosity. He seemingly takes a moment to answer, perhaps coming to the same contemplation one way or another. “I never got to ask for yours… your name, I mean.” A long trail of silence follows. Dawn begins to break, and I see for the first time a colorful view of the world. Our word. This world that Shin Araki and this man of integrity soldier on through. And the man ponders, concentrating full speed again. Where were we going? It didn’t matter. And like the snap of a finger, I’m brought back to reality when the angel clears his throat—perhaps out of embarrassment. I’ll never know, it doesn’t matter. “My name,” he begins, “is Karwoski.” Karwoski… it’s a name that practically imprints itself on me. Struck by profound eureka, I spring free of Karwoski and find myself rejuvenated—Joy? Adrenaline? My mind races at such an exciting speed that I have no idea what it could be. Whichever the case, I find myself struck by awe, extending a proposition of sorts to the equally captivated Karwoski. “Karwoski!” I proclaim, oddly caught in the moment by my sudden excitement, “I present to you this: the two of us, binding together to fight and survive in this city! One’s back to the other—brothers-in-arms in this unfateful world!” Karwoski, thunderstruck by the bewildering question, stumbles back and nearly loses his balance. Karwoski scoffs and gets up to take my offer by the arm. This mutual promise is predestined for the two of us—for Shin Araki and Karwoski. JK-Sama A bit of cutting board ideas; this is something I like to do at end of chapters, if you've read SotCH's later chapters it's my thought process and ideas that didn't make it in, or plot points considered but didn't make sense. Trivia, basically. ○ Mountain was originally just going to be a nickname of the Nakamura Boss. But it's his actual surname. ○ Karwoski was originally going to be some NOSP agent or something—he'd be wearing the armored vest of one and Shin would comment on this. But Karwoski would just dismiss it's stolen and it's to scare off people. ○ Originally, I thought long and about hard who Shin's savior is. It wasn't actually Karwoski at first—my first take was either Emmanuel Leone or Richter. But Shin meets them way later on, and it occurred to me there would be a confusing continuity of when the three would ever meet. ○ I kinda settled on Karwoski for that shock value or something, and it's never explicitly mentioned where and when he came into the picture. Some music that I wrote this chapter to that really made my creative flow burst like floodgates. Rasen no Piece Ima wa Koko ni

The sand glittered gold under the morning sun. There was not a cloud hanging in the sky to block it, which made the bolt of lightning shooting through the air a bit out of place. Nothing could stop the bolt as it crashed into a hill. As the light of the blast faded, a woman with torn robes emerged from within. Her blood stained the sands red as she fell to the ground. She trembled in pain from the burns and gashes all over her body as she reached for the box on her arm. With a touch, a card fell from within. She spoke, her voice cracking from the pain.  “Heal.” As the word left her mouth, the card glowed a pale blue, melting into a strange ooze that washed over her.  “Damn those tree-hugging rats. The gods want us to find places for their kids to hatch in, not kill each other. They will pay for this or my name’s not Latvena.” Latvena felt her body tighten like someone was tying her up with rope as the words left her mouth. “Ooh, even my goddess agrees with me. Hahaha, you rats have done it now! Don’t expect Humias to hold back… still would be nice to get first blood though.” While her thoughts ran wild, the slime drifted away without its color. It took all of her injuries with it. Not even a mark remained. As Latvena sat up, her mouth fell open in shock. A vast desert stretched out before her eyes. Thanks to the sun, the sand looked like gold flakes. Glass crystals were shooting out of the sand everywhere. Each one had a different color, and some were the size of buildings. The cacti were just as huge, and their green brought more life to the scene. A jolt struck her spine as a cracking sound came from behind her. Latvena snapped her head around to see a green wolf trapped in the air, mid-jump. Its maw was open and ready to take a bite out of her. A shame that it got stuck in slime hanging in the air. Its legs pushed against the floating blob, but the slime was too sticky. Soon the slime swallowed up the wolf, trapping it inside the bubble. “What the hell, first elves and now a mangy mutt tries to kill me?! No, screw this. Let me show you why you don’t attack other envoys.” Her long sleeves rustled as Latvena flicked her arm, and a card flew into the air. Red light poured out as the card burst into blue flames. The wolf arched his back to howl to the heavens, but it was far too late. The flames gulped up the slime and wolf in seconds. Only a crater of glass remained. “Hahaha, well that was some nice stress relief.” Latvena’s eyes turned back to the desert. “This place is so beautiful, it must have a mana spring feeding this sight. If I can find it, I should be able to use it to hatch the egg I got.” She stepped forward into the desert, but as she lifted her foot, it got caught. The shock was too much, and she failed to catch herself. Her body dived face-first into the sand. She was not down for long before she picked herself up. “What in blazes just tripped….” Only to freeze as she saw a vine with a blue line running through it. It was a tiny thing, but the way it crept through the sands and grew thicker told her it won’t stay that way for long. “Crap, that’s a Gateway Sprout. Those shitty elves want to finish the job, huh?!” Her body shifted as she threw out a card with all her force. The blue flames burst from within it once more than the card reached the vines. But the vine did not fall. It greedily slurped the flames into itself and grew even larger. As the flames died, the vines spread out into the sands. Latvena couldn’t help but mutter. “Alright, time to run.” Thus, she turned around and slapped herself with a card. It melted inside her as a blue aura formed around her feet. With a little push against the ground, Latvena flew through the sky. She landed on a nearby hill and frowned. She wasn’t happy with how far flew. So she took off once again. After several more jumps, a wind blew past her. Her face scrunched up in disgust as a smell entered her nose. What in blazes?! Why is that smell so strong? I don’t even see anything bleeding out here. How much blood does there need to be for this stench? I wonder if I can use this... With her mind made up, she hopped across the desert dunes. Each jump forced an even worse stench into her nose. As she landed on the last dune, she was already in tears from how bad it the smell was. The sound of something howling nearby told her she must be close, though. She fell to the ground and peeked her head over the dune to see what was happening below: A wolf shot through the air, grabbing onto the back of a furry elephant with its six legs. As the claws dug in, the elephant roared in pain. It swung its trunk back to knock the wolf off, but the wolf caught it in its mouth. With a twist of its neck, the wolf snapped the trunk in half and tossed it away. Then it used its teeth to tear into the elephant’s back. The elephant’s cries grew louder as it tried to shake its body, but the wolf would not let go. After a few minutes, the elephant fell to the ground, tired. Dozens of mice burst out from the sands with their jaws wide open. They tore through its belly, and the elephant stopped breathing. The wolf’s tail wagged while it munched on his meal. As it was swallowing the meat, the rats popped out from the insides of the elephant. They sailed through the air trying to attack the wolf, but it thought fast and spun. Its tail slammed into them and sent them flying away. Yet a few slipped through and they latched onto its face. With lightning-fast speed, they tore into the wolf with their teeth. As the wolf screamed in pain, a cry came out from above. A massive blackbird slammed down onto the wolf and its back made a sickening crack. The wolf fell to the ground while the bird hopped away. This was not the only fight, though. Hundreds of beasts tore into each all over the valley. Their blood poured out and soon they were fighting in a lake. Under the heat of the sun, the blood boiled and something else pulled at it. Latvena’s gaze followed the blood as it flowed toward the valley’s heart. She watched as the blood drifted out of the lake and fused into a ball. Every so often Latvena thought she could see a face peeking out from inside. “Well, that’s the mana spring, and I guess this is the Beast Tribe’s Blood Ritual. It’s way worse than I heard, though. There is no way in hell the god born from this mess will be friendly. I should get out of here before they spot me. Hmm... still, this might be useful to me.” She crawled back from the hilltop before rolling down and jumping back towards the vines. It took her but a few jumps before she landed back on the hill. The vine had not wasted its time. It was now as tall as Latvena. The vines grew strangely, though. Instead of shooting straight up, it bent around, leaving a large hole. “Not much time. I’ll have to move fast.” Four cards flew out of her hands. They dug into the sand around the vine as lightning shot out of the cards. Everywhere the bolts touched turned to stone. When the stone stopped spreading, Latvena spread her feet apart. She moved like she was trying to lift something heavy. As she struggled with the invisible thing, the ground shook. The stone slab slowly rose into the air. The vine had nowhere to grow now. It meant nothing to it, though, as it filled the hole with power. “Shit, they are trying to come through. Well, no time to drag this over.” With a twist of her hips and a cry, she swung her body towards the valley and let go. The stone slab shot off into the distance. She watched as it skipped off the dunes. A smile bloomed on her face as a blast shook her ears. A few minutes later, light shot out from the valley. Screams of terror and roars of happy monsters followed it. “Serves you right, ya damn rats. Hope you all kill each other. Hahaha!” An icy chill struck her spine as she laughed like a hyena. She could feel something looking at her. Its gaze was weird, though. It didn’t have any malice in it, no; it held joy and delight instead. Still, they kept themselves hidden. “Yeap, I am not taking a chance with this one. Screw this place.” Another card fell out of her box into both of her hands. With a single twist, she ripped the card apart. Thunder and lightning shot out from within, swallowing her whole. As the light faded, there was no proof she even was here but the scorched sand.

* Literature Class 1* Taking notes of what ma'am taught was a girl with short black hair, lashes covering her coffee brown curious eyes, a simple smile but the dimples near her lips made her look warmer and cheerful. "Take your seats" came the professor's voice. History of English Literature was Sofi's least favorite subject. So she was ready to write an imaginary chapter in her head till the next bell rings. She looked out of the window to project her imaginary couple. While projecting the story two vehicles started to honk at each other pulling her back to reality.  As this was nothing new she started to look around, trying to find something new, disappointment flooded in as she didn't find anything interesting. Paying back her attention to the class she stopped halfway, turning her attention again on the streets she saw someone leaning on the street lamp. A girl more like a woman might be in her 30s, wearing a dark brown turtle neck over it was a black suit, making her look confident, she had a necklace, hanging low, was something shiny.  Suddenly, that woman looked up at Sofi as if she knew Sofi's eyes were on her. Sofi's eyes swiftly moved back on the whiteboard making her leg spasm, diverting the professor's attention on her.  "Go take some fresh air and wash your face, come back quickly," Professor said. He knew the History of English Literature was a boring class.  Stepping out of the class, Sofi inhaled the familiar corridor smell. Happily sighing she went to roam around a little, then, entering into the washroom, she splashed tap water which sucked out her boredom. While she was wiping out water off her face she heard the washroom door open again, turning around out of curiosity she saw the same women who caught Sofi staring at her. That woman had suntanned skin, a prominent face. Click-clack of her heels followed as she ambled to stand beside Sofi. Turning on the tap she asked, "When will you stop staring at me?"  Realizing that Sofi turned to look at herself in the mirror, awkwardly brushing her hair.  "I know I'm beautiful but that doesn't mean you can just stare at me like this." "Sorry, I didn't mean to." "Are you sure?" The girl started to walk towards Sofi, step by step, Sofi was frozen in one place and so were her eyes.  As their eyes met Sofi heard a vague voice. Her head started to hurt as the voice increased.   The girl didn't stop until they were few inches away. She smelled like lavender. One hand leaning on the countertop beside Sofi and the other tucked in her back pocket.  As Sofi took her eyes off, the voice disappeared and so her headache but she didn't have time to understand why did this happen because she saw the pair lips tinted with rich rosewood lipstick. Sofi quickly looked up to see the woman's eyes on Sofi's lips. She opened her mouth to say "are you sure?"  Her voice came like a whisper. Sofi's hair stood up followed by a tingling sensation. The air between them was filled with a blend of lavender and mint. Sofi leaned in closing her eyes. But heard a bang of washroom door. She opened her eyes to see no one. That woman left.  "Should have asked her name" Sofi murmured "she was mesmerizing" Then she thought 'if I'll run now I might catch up with her'  She ran out to see no one around. Running down the corridor found no one, she went outside scanning through the streets, the campus, that woman was nowhere to be found.  "Where did she go? How can she disappear this quickly?" 

Announcement Wanna check out the main story? It's right here on Royalroad! Click the banner below for it. Full cover art by Vertutame.  “Sorry, kid,” the manager mumbles, turning his back to me. The envelope he casually slid across the table feels like it has shrunk compared to the last one. “There has to be some kind of mistake, Leo,” the words fumble out embarrassingly. This can’t be happening. Peeking inside the faded yellow envelope, I don’t want to believe what I’m seeing. This can’t be it. “I thought my sick day was covered?” The balding old man sighs and pays me no attention, instead gazing out the parlor’s window at the depressing outside world. “I-I can’t work with this, if it can help, I can work some extra hours as make-up…” “Boy,” Leo’s droopy eyes never once cross paths with mine, “that’s all I can do,” he rests upon the counter, stroking his silvering goatee. “I’m having to pinch nickels and dimes here, too. It’s a troubling world out there, boy.” With a grunt, Leo props himself up against the table. “Running a business like this isn’t going to cut it anymore. In all my years of running this place, my token of gratitude is in that there packaging.” “No,” I mumble. Leo doesn’t so much as flinch. “No, mister Leo—I swear, t-there has to be an error, there has to be!” “My boy,” Leo interjects, a bunch of no-good hooligans speed by outside, briefly obscured by the neon, half-functioning CLOSED sign covering the cover. “I counted it myself, thrice. It made my heart throb knowing I made no error. It’s a fact that I cross-checked just as much with the book.” The pressure in my chest intensifies. “Surely—okay, but… surely I can pick up more hours? My other job is cutting hours, too, Leo—please, you can’t do this to me. I’ll work whatever shift you give me—“ “This is your last day here,” Leo responds. The aging manager slowly reaches for the cabinet and also for a small glass, to which he pours himself a drink. I let it sink in. I let the words pierce and soak in as I agonizingly watch Leo smack his lips and down the hatch in one shot. The glass is let down gently—more forgiving than Leo’s treatment of me in recent memory. Come to think of it, Leo has always been sort of distant to me. Everyone that I thought I was acquainted with has been acting the same way. The two of us remain silent and not once does Leo look up to see if I’m still present. No, maybe my aura has simply never been sensed by Leo in the first place. I show up for work, stand here, clock out and go home—and maybe drop by for the paycheck. Leo doesn’t so much as offer me a drink, either. I watch the caramel-like liquid pour out of its crystal clear container, splash into the drinking glass, and mend together with the pinkish soft drink Leo had on hand. And much like my allowance, disappears into the abyss as the cocktail drains through his lips through tiny sips here and there. Leo continues to pay me no mind. Instead, his focus is on the television; a demonstration in our city. Anti-war protests on the war on Perdenes. Close-up of draft cards being burnt and intense stare-down with NOSP anti-riot units. He hasn’t addressed me by my name, it’s always you or boy. I feel as though he has never actually acknowledged me for who I am. “S-sir,” I finally croak, but Leo doesn’t even bat an eye, he merely takes a shot from his glass. It’s slammed harder than before, making it a little unnerving. “Am I to take it that I’m being fired?” Nonchalantly, Leo answers, “I did say it was severance pay.” “So shouldn’t I be getting this as a bonus? Um… I mean… the normal pay and the severance pay.” I realize too late I may be grasping at straws here, but it never hurts to ask. This is simply just so out of the blue—so random. Or maybe I’m simply so caught up in my mundane life I simply never saw it coming. But there were just no warnings… why, God, why? Only a heavy sigh as Leo licks his lips. “It’s your final paycheck, sorry, kid.” A mere apology. Nothing more, nothing less. “That's all I could scrounge up, boy. A fish has to answer to bigger fish, you know?” What the hell? Saying sorry doesn’t solve life’s problems. The thought rings so loud it’s as if telepathy could also, funnily enough, fix all of my problems. My lips remain tight-lipped, and with a short bow, I excuse myself. Not so much as a goodbye, or acknowledging me by name for the first and last time. Nothing. That's all I am in this city. It’s all I am in life to others. You. That guy. Sometimes even a measly hey. As I leave, a man in a tan business suit and fedora bumps into me. I’m quick to regain composure—expecting a rowdy customer, it’s an instinct to immediately apologize in the face of immediate retaliation—but I’m taken back when the man is kind enough to help me steady, A cigar hangs from his lips as he taps it and stares me with a big radiating grin. At me, of all people. He’s clean-shaven for the most part, and shiny—a bit of peach fuzz but otherwise a gentleman from out of this world. Whoever he is, he’s the polar opposite of the fat, lazy Leo I’ve known for a year. Hell, he sticks out like a sore thumb so much it hurts. “Sorry about that,” the man says in a clear baritone voice. “I believe you dropped this young man—hm?” “Ah…” Leo, as if waking from a daze, turns his attention to the commotion—colors drain from his face and just as fast recovers. Leo practically jumps out of his skin to greet the customer. “Mister Constantine! I didn’t see you come in—“ “Is this his paycheck?” The one called Constantine says in a less calm voice. It’s like the room’s atmosphere became more boiling than even the hottest summers we’ve had in Yefren. He’s quicker than I in swooping the pasty-yellow envelope, flapping its less-than-desirable amount in Leo’s face. Leo clears his throat—for the first time in forever making eye contact with me, his pupils shaking. But our brief gaze breaks off in a matter of seconds. Leo reluctantly nods. “Constantine…” Leo stammers, “I can explain, er…” Constantine cuts him off with the clicks of his tongue. “Don,” Constantine retorts with a heavy sigh, “Don Constantine—we’ve been doing business for how long and you still fail to respect me, Leo?” Leo practically gets on his knees, the color seemingly draining from his body again. Constantine looks him over, then at the counter and television. “You lousy drunk! Drinking during the day after cutting loose your one and only employee,” a sharp glance at me—a sly smile before he turns his attention to Leo, “were you thinking of closing shop, running away—“ Leo gasps and shakes his head, beads of sweat rolling down his fat face, “hoping for a new change of life in the Clusters above? Life isn’t that simple, Leo!” Leo cowers by covering and shaking his head. I cannot tell rather if I should be horrified or impressed that I would ever see Leo in this state. But when Constantine looks me over, I can’t help but feel a storm of intimidation crash over me. “Please,” Leo whimpers, looking up at Constantine with a peeking eye, “please—please, don’t misunderstand the situation. I’m simply… I’m simply planning on operating solo for a while, at least until I can pay for your fees.” “Oh! How pathetic you’ve gotten, Leo! It almost hurts my soul to see you like this,” Constantine cries, grabbing my former manager by the collar and setting him on his feet. Leo wobbles but uses the counter to relax as best as he can. “If you need some extra muscle—I have a cousin in need of some pocket money… perhaps I can put in a word for him to work here?” Wait… huh? Bewildered, I almost want to step in and ask why he wouldn’t just ask Leo to rehire me, but Constantine continues before I can say anything. Leo is just as equally baffled—but then again, he could just simply be too groggy to properly process the information. “Of course, I’ll let you off with…” Constantine paces the room, tapping his chin. He whirls around, the jacket on his shoulders fluttering behind him. “Hmmm, four months’ worth of protection fees, I suppose? But in exchange, you must pay him properly… he’s quite the frivolous spender you know? I’ll even forgive your past debts for the past couple of months as a sweetener. A fresh slate, Leo my boy.” I’m taken aback. Why is this happening? Why should Leo even accept this offer or whatever it is… then the thought strikes like a thunderbolt. Leo is a victim of racketeering. I can’t believe it. But the fact that our part of the city is infested with gangs—it really shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it does. “And you, my boy,” Constantine takes long strides to wrap one of his great, big arms around my shoulders. Constantine reaches for my puny severance pay and puts it in my palm. “Mister—er, Don, sir…?” I stammer, what’s the meaning of this? Before I get a chance to register what’s happening, Constantine reaches into his back pocket and slaps it onto the small, crumbled envelope. At first, it’s a few wads of paper—and then the realization strikes me hard. Constantine must’ve sensed it when I gasped since his strong arm keeps me steady. Had it not been for him I would’ve most likely just fainted. Several dozen wads of Ruthenian marks practically spring up in my hand. Some slip out of my cupped hand but all the same, I feast my eyes upon a treasure that I would never even think would be possible. And these aren’t just small chump changes like Leo’s severance pay—no, these colorful marks aren’t just ones, fives, and tens, this is practically a huge clump of fifties and hundreds! My heart won’t stop beating rapidly. My hands shake, and it’s like jolting out of a dream when Constantine pats me on the shoulders. “Ease up there, champ!” Constantine says with a happy grin. “Consider it a parting gift from yours truly, eh? Don Constantine, that is,” Constantine flashes me bright white and gold teeth that are just as blinding as the wads of marks in my possession. This is too good to be real. This is heaven. I turn to show my gratitude to the Don but my mouth is only dry—I can’t express my total joy. For a moment, it’s like I never got fired, it’s like I own the world—like all the past grievousness until now were converted into good karma. “Good to see you in good spirits, champ,” Constantine says with those gleaming eyes of his. He waves to Leo and with his strong presence, motions me out the door. It truly is no longer like I’m getting laid off or fired, but otherwise welcomed into a new path in life. A path of riches. All the worries I have are seemingly swept away. “As a further extension of my gratitude,” Constantine says, “I want you to contact me for money—for protection, anything…” Constantine slips into my breast pocket a business card, tucking it in and patting it like it’s his pride and joy. “This is my side of the strip—“ Constantine whispers into my ear, “I own this territory. You need something—money… I can lend, problems with a landlord—“ Constantine tilts his hand and waves to the mirage of skyscrapers, “I can turn a few cheeks here and there… my boy,” with his large hands, he makes me face him, “I take care of those in need,” mesmerized by those emerald eyes, I take in his every word. All that fear, all that intimidation I had of this mind and the thought of illegal racketeering are like they never existed. “Go on, kid, make as much of a living for yourself as you can. That should last you for…” Constantine cranes his neck, his eyes rolling around as he seems to decide for me how my life plays out. “Half a year, a year if you’re lucky. Now, I do expect some of that money to drip back to me” he raises a hand, flat and tilting it a bit as he talks, “think of it as a… spider’s long web—a lifeboat for those in this purgatory of a city, ready to save those one foot in the grave and,” he makes a fist, pulling the fist away from my face and towards the distant mirage of industrial buildings that do what I can do not—reach for the skies, the very heavens themselves, “propel them into a new life!” With a roar of laughter, Constantine pats my back. “These are tough times, kid. Watch out for yourself. You might be on the road to the high-end life—somebody in this nobody world, or you might be waddling through the marshes of Perdenes with a heavy machine gun in hand. Riddled and face-down the dirt, gurgling in a pool of your blood…” the eerie thought looms over my mind, bringing me back into the fantasy I was presiding in. But still, glaring at the huge wads of Ruthenian marks in my hands—the shaking resumes, and I take deep breaths to calm myself. This is reality. This really is happening. Maybe Don Constantine is right—this could be my ticket to no longer be just a hey you to everyone. I can finally be me. “So long, kid,” Constantine says, “I’ll catch you around soon, I hope!” with a chuckle, Constantine gives me one last pat and heads back into the parlor. The half-functioning CLOSED neon sign buzzes on as the door slams behind him. Stuffing the money into my pockets, I head off into the dusky night with reinvigoration. Full to the brim with thoughts on what I should do with the money. Invest it in stocks? Pay off the rent I’ve been following behind on? Passing by streets and corridors, some are cordoned off by NOSP and their Legionnaire-embedded riot units. It’s a sight all too common these days. If only I could’ve taken the train or even a taxi home, but sadly even those went on strike. The whole downtown area has been teetering on chaos, and I should thank the stars above that I’ve always been too poor to move in there. There could’ve been a whole lot of prospects if I had my way in life. Staring at the gloomy sky baking me in its charming moonlight, I tug on my coat and breath out icy breath. Maybe I should move out of this side of Yefren altogether. It’s always been too chilly here. I hear there are smaller towns and ranches on the Eastern side of the planet that are slightly warmer for most of the year. Never had the money, and never dared to do so until now. The sight of a rocket launch in a distant spaceport leaves me with wonder. Up above, high above the atmosphere of space, Side colonies have always been advertised as an escape from mundane planetary life. My parents dreamed of going to space, but they died old and penniless—and now I’ve sort of inherited that dream of theirs. But… I could never accomplish that. I could never be somebody—never any more than a hey you to people with this life. I wanted to go to space in the hopes that would change… but instead, I languished here, as Constantine would put it, in purgatory, reaching out into the abyss grasping blindly and desperately for hope. And the light answered. Examining the money again. My bated breath lets out the occasional icy cloud. There’s enough money here that I could easily head migrate to space in a matter of days—even tomorrow if I so desire. And still, possibly have enough funds left over that I could find an affordable place and a small motorized vehicle if I’m lucky. I have no real belongings to hold me down—a bunch of extra clothes, mainly. A couple furniture I could sell off for a pretty buck. It’ll be trivial, I could be on my way tonight for the next flight if I wanted! But… I squeeze the money. What about Constantine? Enamored as I was by his baritone voice, it’s only now I have a nagging feeling I’m falling victim to the same thing that poor Leo does. Like I’m a fly nonchalantly waiting for a Venus fly trap to crush and devour him. Life threw me a curveball. A nasty curveball. I owe someone I barely know anything of but likely knows about me and where I live money, a potentially dangerous individual who’s not exactly a law-abiding citizen of the Federation. Someone who owns an extortion network and punishes those who don’t owe up to their favors. Someone capable of snipping the lonesome web of hope in a pit of eternal despair. I may be in a worse predicament now, than if I hadn't bumped into him and simply tried to slog along and apply for work—as incredibly difficult as it is—elsewhere. I’d work in the sulfuric mines if I have to. Would it be appropriate to return the money, though? After that little scene he did, I have a feeling he wouldn’t take it so well. He went out of his way to make me feel better about myself—give me a head-start in this crappy city that’d eat me alive either way. It’s either I die on my terms, or I die on his terms. The money may be insane, but who knows what demands he may have in store for me in the future? If I didn’t know any better… I imagine he’d have some muscle-men ready to collect his share of the rent. Who knows what that man is capable of if it frightens some so docile as Leo? I stop in the knee-high snow. The rocket’s ignition still lingers like a painted line among the dark canvas of space. I should turn back and return the money; to apologize that I simply cannot take it out of principle. That I’ll crawl out of hell myself one way or another. I don’t want to live the foreseeable future indebted to someone else, knowing that what I say or do wrong might rub someone like Don Constantine the wrong way. I’ll shoot my way to space with no one else’s help. My parents had each other and no one else in even their darkest hour, doing their best for themselves and their son. I’m not about to languish here forever! Boots crunching through the snow. Some chuckling circulates around me. A tap on the shoulder—it’s a bulky feel, not unlike a finger. Turning around I find myself greeted by a group of street punks. True to their nature, they wear colorful striped jackets and demonic face masks. And judging from the bats in their possessions, they don’t seem like they’re on their way back from a game of ball. “Hey, you,” the biggest one of them, a man with shaggy hair sprouting from his red demonic mask. “You lost?” JK-Sama A bit of tidbit trivia; something like cutting room floor ideas and such that I frequently do post-chapters. • Constantine's name was originally Oliver. However I realized a little later into the process that I already had a character named Simon Oliver in the main story, so I changed it to avoid any confusion. • This story was a idea that I sort of had laying around now in dormet. After watching Cyberpunk Edgerunners and ostensibly listening to its opening for a while, my creative mind was bursting at the seems and so this side story was born. It's a really good song too. • I wanted to keep the name of the protagonist secretive until the next chapter.  It felt to me it had a bigger punch that way. I guess it's more like enticing for people who might've read the original novel and wondered who x was and whatnot. • The alluded Perdenes conflcit was originally about the Mars conflict. However, those Mars wars were decades before in the story—about the 150s', whereas the short story is somewhere in the late 170s'. For contrast, the main novel series is set in the 200s'. The aforementioned song I was referring to; This Fire

My prince charming is here to save me. At least that’s what Drop thought laying on the floor covered in dirt and mud looking pitiful as one can be. The ground was dyed red with blood, his blood. There was a huge hole in his abdomen, his right hand was pressed on his abdomen trying his best to stop the wound from bleeding but he was losing strength every second. Even breathing was becoming hard for him. As he was fading in and out of consciousness he saw a handsome guy about ten steps away from him. At first he thought maybe the handsome guy was an outsider but he didn’t seem like it. Drop thought he must be lucky today….well after all the unlucky things that happened. He was thinking he might be saved by this ‘prince charming’ when he saw ‘his prince charming’ pull up the hood of the black hoodie he was wearing and quietly turn around, walking away from him. Drop:"...." Alright he must be hallucinating, where in the universe would there be another normal human in this corrupted planet and he was too good looking to be true. His mind drifted out of consciousness as he thought of this. He heard a slight noise in his half conscious state and did his best to lift up his heavy eyelids. He saw the same handsome guy he had seen before he closed his eyes but this time the handsome guy was right in front of him. ‘His prince charming’ seemed to remember something as he looked at him then started stacking up piles of things to cover him up. Drop:"....." Wait…I’m not dead yet. He couldn’t open his mouth and speak so what else could he do as he watched ‘his prince charming’ help him do his burial and closed his eyes again. The next time he opened his eyes, what greeted him was piles of things stacked on top of him. He might have suffocated to death if he woke up a little later. He struggled to push all the things and stood up almost tripping on a pile of wood that was on top of him just a second ago. He looked around trying his best to recall what had happened.  ..... Drop was the captain of a special force team from Planet Drone. He was on his way to Planet Coast-R for his mission with his kids….uh team members. While their spaceship was traveling through the intranet between the two planets the spaceship issued a sudden warning. Before he had the time to see what the warning was about their spaceship was thrown off of the intranet. Suddenly disconnecting from the intranet the spaceship that was on autopilot mode lost its control and collided with a random asteroid heavily damaging the spaceship. Drop and his team members who were casually chatting inside the spaceship cabin were also thrown off each losing balance and colliding with things inside the spaceship whether it was the wall or the cabinet or the floor. Drop who had hit his head on a cabinet had no time to think about the pain or anything rushing to take control of the spaceship. He quickly did an emergency space jump to the closest planet he could find and ended up being thrown once again on a corrupted planet. After being thrown twice in a row Drop didn’t forget to curse first then go check up on his kids.  Landing 'gently' on this unknown planet, Drop collected his broken kids and tried to reassure them saying all they had to do was send messages to the communication channel of planet Drone to be saved but who could have guessed that after landing ..no being thrown on this corrupted planet they would lose signal to the communication channel. Not being able to communicate or even send signals to anyone outside from the planet they thought they might as well get to know the situation of this planet. Before getting out from their broken spaceship, Drop had joked to lighten the mood. He had said, "Alright, which kid is so unlucky today." Dawn, the vice captain of the team and the only daughter of the team had replied with, "Dad aren’t you the one who is always walking around being unlucky. We used to call you god of misfortune behind your back, now we might as well call you that straight in front of you." Truth to be told he was indeed the unlucky one because within a minute of them getting out and figuring out the situation of this planet they were swarmed by the mutants of this planet. Drop in order to help his kids get back to the spaceship had used himself as bait to lure the mutants away. While running away from the mutants he was yet once again unlucky and had injured himself. After separating from his kids and successfully getting rid of the mutants chasing him he took shelter to hide himself inside of a building which looked like the power station of this town. The wound on his abdomen was a little too serious and he couldn’t do much about it. Bleeding too much and exhausting his energy he sat his butt down on the ground and struggled to keep his consciousness.  He didn’t know how long he was out for. He glanced at his wound and was surprised to see that it was wrapped with bandages. He suddenly remembered his prince charming….wait no the handsome guy. He had thought that what he saw was him hallucinating but it seems like it wasn’t the case. He didn’t know who that handsome guy was and where he went after helping him. He didn’t dwell on him too much since he had to find his kids and make sure they were ok. He walked out of the building after making sure there weren’t any mutants hanging around. His gun was empty. He had run out of bullets during his battle before. He looked around and saw corpses wearing battle suits on the ground. All the corpses were wearing the same dark red uniforms. He quietly squatted in front of a corpse and took the gun that way laying beside the corpse. Still have some bullets left. He collected the guns from those corpses and coldly looked at them once before leaving the area.  ...... Notes: Outsider- those who refuse to follow the universal laws and lives hidden in the outer space or in some corrupted planets causing troubles among other planets. Intranet- a special way of travel in the outer space between the planets. It is the fastest and the safest way of travel since the intranet secures the spacecraft from any other random heavenly bodies floating in the space. While traveling through an intranet spacecraft doesn’t need to be operated and can be left on autopilot mode only needing someone to take off and land the spacecraft after reaching the destination.  Corrupted planet- planets that have been abandoned and no longer have any normal humans living on them. Some outsiders might choose to live in them.  Emergency space jump- gathers the full energy of the spacecraft to jump from one place to another. Extremely dangerous and not safe since it is not sure whether you will end up on a planet or a black hole after the space jump. Author has something to say: Yes, Drop did not hesitate to do the emergency space jump.        

In the Perfica Forest. A relatively strange child was born into the tribe of the elves. He was a dark elf, his pointed ears and his skin as dark as cocoa beans indicated this; but although he possessed his characteristics, it did not take away from the fact that he was different. When he was born, no sound came out of his mouth, his small lips remained sealed while his eyelids lifted. Yes, even before he produced any cry, he opened his eyes, revealing two red pupils, which excited everyone who saw his birth. After all, red irises are synonymous with good omen for the dark elves, although there was not a single one still alive in the tribe with this hue. Not even his biological mother had one. Everyone then stared at the young newborn child, expecting another abnormality from him, but nothing came, he just stared back at the tired looking woman, his mother. The strange little child stared at her for a few more seconds, until he closed his eyes and fell asleep. He slept for a long time, until his hormone-chained brain woke him up for a feed. But he still didn't cry, he just moved his little arms in search of his mother's succulent breasts, his lips sucking her nipples gently to extract the mother's milk. It not only contained good nutrients, but was also tasty. These actions were repeated and repeated over and over again, causing his mother to take him to the village chief to examine his body, after all it is a common thing for babies to cry, but this one didn't and his appetite was a little larger than normal. He was examined with the best of spells, but no abnormalities were found in his body, he was completely healthy apparently. And there was nothing that could be done, just wait and see as time went on, maybe he would speak in the future or it would become clear that there was a defect in his vocal cords. And his hunger could be related to his growth. Without much choice, his mother could only sigh and continue caring as she was. But unlike all the others, the child named Siegue didn't care about anything, he was indifferent to all the worried acts and demonstrations of affection. He just continued with his routine, drinking milk and sleeping Besides his demonstrations of indifference to everyone around him. Another surprising fact occurred with Siegue, he was already on his feet stumbling ahead of time. The little elf started walking much faster than everyone his age and even some older ones. Siegue was completely the break from elven culture, an inexpressive child who was the opposite of all others. While some crawled, he ran naked all over his house trying to escape the baths, but his resistance did not last long for when his mother whined, he gave up. Despite showing no affection, Siegue seemed to care about his mother, even if she only pretended that she could not reach him. Besides her being his only family, since his father never showed up In his early years, the young elf learned the basics about his own kind. The first lesson was language, which demonstrated how well his vocal cords functioned. But it did not remove his lack of communication, only when it was necessary for words to come out of his mouth. He was also taught by his mother how to hide in the forest, as camouflage was important to hide from possible enemies and ambush prey, about the edible fruits that can be found in the forest and those that are poisonous. The types of medicinal herbs that could be collected and where they could be found; weapon handling was an important lesson too, with them in hand he could defend himself against various enemies and hunt animals in the forest. Training with bow and arrow, spear, daggers, and a short sword that eventually became his favorite.   His mother taught him how to skin and cook his captured prey. And when he tasted meat for the first time. Siege's face made a slight expression of surprise, the taste of meat seasoned with village spices surprised him and the meat became his favorite dish. Although Siege was perfectly aware that it would not be possible to eat it every day, he would make some efforts to conquer this feat. Another important point was his magic, Siege could handle the magic power inside his body very well. He knew how to mold it and transform it into magic after his mother's demonstrations.  The young elven continued to learn as much as he could at an abysmal speed, he was the definition of a prodigy. Everything that was proposed to him, he could learn much faster than anyone else. In group training sessions conducted by some high ranking members of the tribe, Siegue overpowered all his opponents with ease, his agile movements evading any attack, and in conjunction with his good strength. He knocked them down easily. When they switched from the physical to the field of magic, he still stood out over all others with notoriety. All elves his age, and those a little older, were no match. The discrepancy in strengths was great and only tended to increase as time went on. All the elves that had been defeated by Siegue were divided in their opinions. Some admired his strength, after all, having strength living in the Perphic Forest was synonymous with success and survival. His position in the tribe would be high, everyone showed him respect! So, seeking an approach would be a good choice for everyone, especially for the women who would have a very strong and handsome future suitor. Too bad Siegue didn't care. There was the part that spat venom from their rotten mouths, they died of envy for having to lower their heads to someone their own age or even younger. And even for these, Siegue didn't care a bit, their existence was insignificant in his eyes. Without caring about others around him other than his mother, Siegue continued to progress, more and more he ventured into the forest alone, his good skills allowing him to survive on his own. He hunted animals for his favorite meal with great satisfaction. The part that caught his attention the most was his expression, it remained unchanged as he took lives. Her blood became cold on these occasions! With so much progress, Siegue attracted the attention of everyone in the tribe. The higher echelon could not take their eyes off his steps. Even the chief of the tribe arranged a meeting to meet him in person. Being a tall and strong elf he was in a great position to intimidate. The chief tested his reaction, but Siegue's expression remained unchanged before his presence This boy stood firm before me and did not show a single expression. What an interesting young man we have here. thought the leader as he examined the young man from head to toe, while looking deeply into his mesmerizing red eyes. I will train him myself! This was the leader's decision after his meeting As he had imagined, the young elf was amazing in all aspects. He could receive and understand your advice very easily, his movements were based on the enemy, he sought his weak point in the blink of an eye. All the gaps did not go unnoticed by his eyes, he took advantage of them very well to attack. He managed to mix good technique with his agility. However, the boss was still curious, how come the boy in front of him still had the same expression? Does he not feel emotions? Didn't the taste for a good fight permeate his mouth? The boss was puzzled as to how the boy could, how he still remains so calm? The rumors about his lack of expression at all times were real, it was verified. Nevertheless, the boss remembered some of his mother's words. He is so happy when he eats meat. This made him frown. How can someone smile when eating meat and not when fighting a good fight! You push him, maybe by pushing him as hard as he can he will show something. The boss decided. The level of his training increased voraciously in the blink of an eye, his movements were fast as air, the swing of his sword was impeccable. He pushed Siegue to the limit in his training and as incredible as it was, the young man responded, his level rose. Even though he was not at the same level of strength, Siegue fought bravely And something changed inside Siegue as he lived up to the boss's expectations. A new feeling hammered in his chest, like when he first ate meat, he felt excitement at exchanging blows with someone strong, fighting with someone capable of pushing him to his limit. Happy, Siegue showed a happy smile as he fought, he felt different this time. He continued to the limit of his body, only when he couldn't anymore the fight ended and for some reason, Siegue felt sad and happy at the same time "That's the first time I've seen a smile on your face boy" the boss stated while displaying a big satisfying smile "... I have no idea what you are talking about" Siegue denied while adopting his usual inexpressive face "You can deny it all you want" he laughed, "It's very vivid in my memory" Siegue who was collapsing on the floor, stood up and sighed, "Training is over for today, so if I may. I am withdrawing" "You may go. But I don't want you to forget, hold that feeling to your chest and don't let it go anymore boy. Being inexpressive, may help you in many moments, but don't forget to live too. There are many things in this world that can and will make you feel desires", the chief said while patting him on the shoulder, "Think a little, try to live as much as possible young man". Without answering the words of the village chief and also his master. The young Siegue went back to his house to rest for a while, the chief's words echoing endlessly in his head. Even though he didn't want to think about it, he couldn't forget all of his speech. It gripped him. What do I wish to have? Siegue wondered What would make his body react the way it did to the fight against the boss? He didn't know, for nothing made his heart feel so throbbing; the desire to face someone strong, to put his skills to the test. He liked that! But what else would make him feel this way? Siegue didn't know, he could only sigh and call it a day. The next day, he returned as quickly as he could to resume his training, but it was not with the intention of improving his skills, he wanted to feel again. And at the end of the day, he got what he wanted. Fighting against someone very strong awakened a primitive instinct inside Siegue, who longed for much more "Today was a great training day. You were much sharper with your moves" "... Thank you, I was only able to go to my limit thanks to you," Siegue replied truly appreciative "Hahaha, no need to thank me , I just did my job as mentor and tribe chief, I must ensure the best for the next generation. Speaking of which, we won't have training tomorrow, I'm thinking of something different for you hehe, so come a little later" Siegue just nodded with a neutral face and wondered what was next...

Back at the broken spaceship Dawn surveyed the situation outside of their spaceship through her personal device on her wrist and said, “There are only a few of those mutants outside. Dad shouldn’t have trouble getting back right?”  Reggie, one of the team members, was also checking information on his personal device. The electronic screen from his device showed a picture of a planet and picture of mutants similar to those outside.  He replied, “This is a corrupted planet named Zera. In the universal year 5976 this planet was hit with a virus causing humans to turn into those mutants. The virus was named the M-Rig virus. The scientists tried to find the cause of this virus but with no luck they couldn’t find the cause leading to no breakthrough for this virus. After finding out the virus was incurable the rest who weren’t infected left the planet and were taken in by a different planet.” “The mutants completely lack any senses except for hearing. They rely on the sensation of hearing to hunt. As long as you make no noise those mutants cannot find you. The only issue is that these mutants are special and cannot be killed through normal methods. Even guns or any other weapons are only useful to distract them for a few seconds. They have an extreme tendency to tear apart and gnaw on anything they could find. I can’t find anything more so I’m not sure if these mutants have any weaknesses.” “The number of first wave of mutants we encountered was quite huge so they must have heard the loud crash noise from our ‘gentle’ landing and chased us. As long as Dad throws off that wave of mutants he should be fine.” Dawn nodded and said, “How much supply do we have?” Force who had just gathered up the supplies replied with, “The emergency supply is only enough to last us for three days.” He looked at his team members quite helplessly and said, “I just checked the food and water supply along with all the nutrients. Now tell me who went through the emergency supply. Half the food is missing.” All the team members looked at each other and none of them spoke but they all knew who the culprit was.  It was their damn Dad.  Reggie suddenly cursed and said,” Fuck. Don’t tell me my special handmade sausage I bought is gone.” “It’s gone.” “My sausage-”, before Reggie could finish his word somebody spoke. “Not your special sausage. Captain’s locator is gone.” Only then did the members realize who spoke. Jett was the only member in this team who was serious. While all the other members joked around calling their captain dad he was the only one who would call the captain with his title.  When the other members were chatting about special handmade sausages or whatever he was sitting on the pilot seat trying to check how much of this broken spaceship he could make use of, at the same time his personal device on his wrist was also open, there was a blue dot on the screen. Since they were a special team force all of them were required to have a locator on their body so even if they separated from each other they could locate the other party. Although the locator could be turned off none of them ever did so since turning it off meant it had no use at all.  Jett was recalling all of their encounters after they left planet Drone. He was actually pondering on why the Captain did an emergency space jump after their spaceship collided with an asteroid. He didn’t know how much their spaceship was damaged after the hit but an emergency space jump was something meant only for the last option. As he was thinking this the blue dot on his personal device blinked a few times and completely disappeared. The disappearance of the locator only meant two things: either the locator was turned off or the one who had the locator on their body had died.    “What!” The three other members shouted at the same time. …… Drop whose locator had died was currently on a high platform of a building looking down on the city below looking more as if he was standing there to watch the sunset rather than anything else. The wind was a little too strong blowing his black wavy hair. The sun was setting which gave out warm light hitting straight at his figure, making the stud on his left ear shine.  The mutants below were truly an unpleasant sight, gnawing and tearing at each other since the mutants had no other food and they themselves were the ones making noises attracting each other. Although they had no other senses their hearing was top notch. He was trying to redirect his way back to their spaceship when he caught sight of a figure in the building opposite of him. The figure was on the third floor peeking his head out the window to look outside. Drop recognized the black hooded handsome guy as basically his prince charming. He whistled, not caring about the noise he made attracting all the mutants below him wanting to get the attention of the handsome guy. The handsome guy paused and raised his head directly meeting with his gaze. They stared at each other for a few seconds and the handsome guy averted his gaze looking down again. The next second Drop saw the handsome guy leap down the window, his figure landing gently on the ground. Drop could tell the landing wasn't hard but the mutants that were lingering on his side still heard the noise, attracting them. Seeing this Drop shouted loudly, "Hey handsome.That jump was sick!" The loud shout made the mutants change their target running to the building Drop was on. Sadly the handsome guy didn't turn around to look at Drop running swiftly his figure disappeared. Drop noted the direction where he ran and looked at the situation on his side.  ……. After running from the mutants Cash found his way back to his spaceship. His spaceship was just a private personnel spaceship and wasn’t that big but it still had everything needed. It had more of a homey vibe like a tiny apartment. He walked into the control room and turned on the holographic control panel. The communication channel still could not be reached. He suspected that this planet actually had a signal jammer. Seeing the situation today he thought it was probably a bad idea staying on this planet. He needed to leave as quickly as he could but his spaceship was damaged a little and he had to fix that issue first. He closed the holographic control panel and walked to the bedroom door. It was said to be a bedroom but it was more like a tiny apartment. It had a bed, small kitchen, a closet and compartment above the bed as storage.  He walked in and the door closed itself. He pulled off his hood, ruffled his long brown hair then smoothen it out gathering half of it to tie it behind like a half up half down hair look. As he did so he heard a whistle behind him. It was much more quiet and gentle than the one he heard earlier, almost like a whisper. He paused and turned around directly meeting with the muzzle of a gun pointed at him. It was the guy he saw on the high platform. He had the corner of his mouth pulled upward, his eyes were curved a little but the look on his eyes wasn’t gentle at all. Cash thought what he saw on the high platform and what he was seeing now had a totally different vibe. With the gun pointing at him the guy asked, “Who are you?” Author has something to say: Cash: You whistled at me, cashed after me, sneaked into my spaceship, I even saved you and you're pointing your gun at me?      

BANG BANG! Doctor: ThE YuZa ARE HERE! Doctor: WAKE UP PROJECT 45 RIGHT NOW JENNER! Jenner: yes doctor Project 45 container opened and he could only think one thing KILL YUZA KILL YUZA THEY ALL MUST DIE! Doctor: follow me project 45 Project 45 did not listen and stayed in his container Doctor: there are Yuza over here follow me Project 45 jumps out of his container and followed the doctor Project 45 sees the Yuza and enters attack mode you would think he was a demon when you saw his face turn red, blue cracks went down his face and he started having a golden aura come from him He attacked the Yuza with a kick to the neck it happened so fast the Yuza couldn’t block he tried hitting Project 45 leg while it was coming but it was to fast and as hard as gold he knocked the Yuza clean out with one kick to the neck Doctor: Nice job project 45 System: luckily there was only one Yuza he was a wondering traveler so there are no others we do not have to relocate for now Doctor: thank god Doctor: project 45 I command that you go back to your container! Project 45 didn’t listen Doctor: I didn’t wanna have to use this but you left me no other choice Doctor pushed shut down button on his control panel Then project 45 shut down and fell to the ground so the guards brung him to his container again and locked it Several days later System: a hero has been summoned I repeat a hero has been summoned! Doctor: Yes Yes ARE STUDIES HAVE NOT BEEN FOR NOTHING! The Doctor yelled in a crying voice Everybody in the underground civilization went to meet the hero at the spirit tree right next to the laboratory underground Everybody was shocked to see the hero had brown hair looked to be wearing some strange cloth with buttons on it the hero tried pinching himself than realized it wasn’t a dream Doctor: hero we thank you for answering are call for help Hero: I didn’t answer shit I was brought here out of my own free will! The hero yelled with a hatred in his voice The civilians had a scared look on there face like they just seen a ghost they started gossiping about if the hero would help them or not Doctor: hero your scaring the civilians please follow me to my lab where I can explain everything to you Hero had his suspicions at first but than he saw the scared people in the crowd and the babies crying so The hero followed the doctor to his lab and the doctor explain the worlds situation and told him he had to defeat the Yuza king Hero: how do you expect a 15 year old boy to save this world I’m sorry but I wanna go home you have to find a different hero Doctor: that’s not possible in order for us to have a new hero you would have to die or return to your world by defeating the Yuza king Hero: WhAT! I guess I have to now or I’m guessing you will Doctor: yes we would kill you and wait till another summoned hero showed. Now that you understand the situation I will bring you to the demon sword holy sword you should be able to pull it out considering you are the hero after all Hero: ok doctor will it give me some weird power or something Doctor: know but it is the only thing that can kill the Yuza king Hero: so I get no special ability’s that help me become better than everyone else and super over powered Doctor: yes but you can increase your skill points slightly faster than regular humans so if you do the training schedule for a year with the other soldiers you and the soldiers might be able to beat the demon king but you do have one over powered aspect you can go past level 100. Unlike you are soldiers can only get to level 100 Hero: said ok than I’m guessing you want me to pull this sword out now The hero tried pulling the sword out and struggled for five minutes than he finally got it out than instantly dropped it because it was to heavy Doctor: that’s good now bring the sword to the battle lab oh right you don’t know where that’s at just follow me The hero dragged his sword all the way to the battle lab Doctor: ok your room is gonna be in the lab room floor 3 number 45 here is the key ask a Jenner when you need help getting there. Train here in the battle lab for 13 hours a day there will be simulations of Yuza attacking you when you enter the lab practice with your sword and study there movements it will be risen a level every week Hero: ok but can I use a different sword this one is to heavy Doctor: No you have to learn how to wield the Demon sword correctly Hero: did you say demon sword? Doctor: what are you talking about I said holy sword now get to work if you wanna be able to sleep tonight Hero: ok ok the hero dragged his sword in the laboratory and started training 5 hours later Doctor: I should go check up on the hero and see if he is doing ok Doctor walks to the battle arena Doctor: system what are his stats so far System: Doctor. ****** his stats are 25 loses and 0 wins Doctor: system if he doesn’t get a win by next week use plan 45 System: yes doctor End of chapter 1

The Degenerate Sage *For the love of all that is good please remember that this is a work of fiction. Meaning that none of it is real. Except maybe in our heads. Think of it like gta san-andreas we’re not cj but we do enjoy thinking we are and have fun doing so. Proceed at your own peril. Peace.* Hardcore It is all vanity. It is all meaningless. And yet, it isn’t. I have lived long enough to know that this life we live is meaningful to us. But I have also seen enough years to know the truth that lies beneath this veneer of meaning we give to our existence. The thickly bearded man thought to himself. I saw HIS face and I will never be the same. “Hahahahaha!” laughter burst out of his lips, reverberating through the quiet room. His bloodshot, sea-grey eyes watered, tears slid down the sides of his mature face, caressing aged scars and thin wrinkles before finally disappearing into his ginger mane. How did it take all these years to go by before he realized the simple truth—this was the only life he’d live, and he had wasted it on meaningless matters for far too long.  The knowledge of the world would never be exhausted, as much as one discovered, it made one realize that there was even more to discover. No one person, despite how long lived they be, could ever master all knowledge. That would require omnipotence. He had seen the face of Omnipotence and that was not a state he wanted to exist in.  It was sublime and uncharacteristic, lacking any sense of individuality, a terrifying and horrendous state, for any being that had once possessed a sense of self, made understated by the use of comprehensive words.  If only I had learned this earlier. He lamented. “If only” How many had repeated those exact same words before him? More than he cared to count. And many more would repeat it after him.  The sage came to a wild conclusion—he would do as he pleased from now on. It was simple. Very simple. He would do as he pleased, no more would he deny his desires or urges. No more would he conform to the morals he had so upheld for such a long time, no, he had seen what lay beyond and this life—what little remained of it, was all he had. He wasn’t a mindless beast or a heartless creature, he was Givan The Great, sage of Almedonis, slayer of Terror Wynds, destroyer of Deatholds, and he has decided.  Perhaps he might search for immortality or a way to preserve his soul without losing his core, but those could wait, for now he had much to do. He reached for an item on his wide, scroll filled desk. A tiny bell which he then struck. The chime was almost imperceptible to the ears of normal men, but to his servants it was as clear as day.  A moment later, tap, tap, a soft knock rattled against the great door to his study chambers.  “Enter.” He said with a deep, baritone voice.  The servant, a middle aged woman dressed in customary maid outfit which consisted of a pristine ankle length black dress on top of which was a spotless white apron with a matching white headcap, bowed her head as she walked in.  “This humble one is at your service master.” The amount of magic in this one room made her feel more alive than taking a warm evening bath after an exhausting day.  Givan cared little as to how nearly orgasmic she felt next to him, “Fetch me Yulanda.”  “Yes lord.” She bowed again, reluctant to leave the chamber but hiding it well.  Givan did not need for the maid to call him his second disciple, no, he needed the time she could afford him to consider his actions. Once he took a bite of this fruit, there would be no going back, no returning. He could pretend that all he learned was false, maybe even dwell in the bliss that was ignorance and live out his days peacefully.  Impossible. To become a sage one must constantly confront the truth, he’d conditioned himself in a way that would clash with admitting and accepting to be ignorant of this truth he knew. It would gnaw at him, torment him, torture him endlessly. He could not.  Another knock sounded on his door, he raised his head and gave a command. “Enter.” In came the young lady to the devil’s den.  “Teacher, I’m so glad you called for me!” The lively lass said, pulling down the purple hood to expose straight golden blond hair, leaf green eyes and cherry pink lips. “I’ve been having trouble constructing a third spell model, I’ve tried all the meditative methods and yet I still cannot seem to conjure my model.” She spoke with the familiarity one might have towards their father.  The great sage smiled, “Come child, let’s see what the matter is.” He said. The girl walked along, her large bust bouncing and pushing against the long sleeve, pink knee length dress she wore beneath the purple robe. He admired her form, her valleys and crests, her emerged child bearing hips and untouched body. He rose from his chair, a grand magically enchanted wooden thing almost as old as he was. He towered a full arm length above her, he ran strength filled fingers through the soft gold forest on her head. It smelled of lemons and sunlight.  She cooed at his touch, it was pleasing and cozy. This was a rare moment for Yulanda, these past years the master sage had been nigh impossible to reach, he was either out on one adventure or the next and if he wasn’t he would be absorbed in his books for months at a time. She’d be lucky to see him twice in a year and even luckier to have an audience with him.  The fact that he was spending time with her like this filled her with appreciation for the man. It reminded her of just how much he’d done for her asking nothing but determination and diligence in return. And here she was now, a third order mage at the cusp of adulthood, a prodigiously astounding accomplishment that wouldn’t have been had she not received his guidance.  “Remove the robe, the magical interference must be minimized.” She obeyed without giving it much thought, the master sage was never wrong. She unclasped the buttons that held the enchanted robe closed and pried it off her body. Presenting her magnificent bust that furiously pushed against the restraining pink dress.  His hand left her head and hovered over her chest, slowly he lowered it, resting it between the flesh of her breasts, which was basically inaccessible unless one separated the melon sized glands, hence he pushed through her bust burying his hand within the soft mounds.  Yulanda widened her eyes, a blush enveloping her neck and cheeks. She looked at the master sage but found the same expression he had from the start a kind, genial look across his ruggedly mature and handsome face.  How could I bear such lewd thoughts towards the master sage? She chided herself, closing her eyes to channel her thoughts away from the risky mental image building up in her head, mages had powerful imaginations, the good ones at least, it was essential in creating and visualizing spell models.  She staggered at the magical energy flowing from his hands and into her internal system. “Ah~” she moaned unconsciously again as it flowed deeper into her mana channels, it was a warm wave of vitality that cleared away all stress from her system, she felt herself melt like butter in the sun. She blushed harder, hoping against all hope that he hadn’t heard her voice. What are you doing Yolanda, what would Mikel think? She called the name of her lover in the hopes that it would rouse her from her nearly drunken state of mind.  The master sage abruptly cut off the energy feed, making the young woman snap her eyes open and on the verge of asking why. “It’s quite serious.” His expression turned grim. Yulanda interpreted his statement as there being something woefully wrong that the master sage had discovered within her. Fear gripped her entire body; she could barely even open her mouth to speak.  Givan the great had uttered those words to himself, he felt shadows of his moral compass lingering within his psyche trying to stop him from doing what he actually wanted. What he wanted was to utterly defile the young lady, to ravage her entirely and forever leave his mark on her. This wasn’t the time for romance, he wanted to fuck.  “This is for your good. Don’t resist.” He said, Yulanda nodded quickly in response. He hooked his hand into the neck of her dress and pulled down, tearing the piece of clothing off her as though it were wet tissue. Yulanda gasped, and backpedaled only to find a strong wrapped limb around her back and holding her in place.  There was a primal aura in the air and it was making her tremble. “T-teacher what’s ah~~” His touch was jolting, a finger placed right on her womanhood sent a wave of magical power through her sensitive spot. It was a feeling she couldn’t put into words, clouds occupied her mind and the hands she managed to wrap around the master sage’s arm to stop him from going further loosened.  She felt his fingers grip her undergarment and pull them off, leaving her as bare and naked as she came to the world. “Ah~ t-teacherrr~ Nghno~” Her words slurred, her senses went on fire when a warmth engulfed her pink and hard nipples, his tongue flicked back and forth along the very sensitive organs. Her toes curled and her fingers spasmed as he worked her both above and below simultaneously. “UWahh~~” She cried as a shower gushed from her soaked vagina.   She felt herself float and then slam into the teacher’s desk on her back. Her eyes on his, he came over to her face and then took his own robes off. She stared up at him and balked at his scarred and massive chiseled body that only great fighters possessed. And then something rose like a snake, the large, dark, thick and veiny thing looked naturally unnatural.  He held it at the base and slapped it a few times across her lips, the manly scent it gave off was strange yet intoxicating. Her lips had parted from wonder, she imagined what it would feel like within her. Could she even wrap her mouth around it? The teacher retrieved a potion from his spatial dimension and poured it down her body, the warm fluid evaporated on contact and she felt no noticeable difference in her body. “Ugh!” The teacher pushed it through the small opening of her lips, the head alone parted her mouth unimaginably wide and yet she felt minimal pain from it. Her mouth was so full of saliva it dripped uncontrollably down the sides of her mouth and down the teacher’s length. Hands wrapped around her neck from above and held her down. “Ughk! Ughk! Ughk!” Teacher began pounding fiercely into her mouth. His scorching rod rammed into her mouth and down the back of her throat forcefully pushing air in and out of her lungs. His testicles slapped against her face and nose with each thrust. Saliva and tears stained her beautiful face and soaked her hair. Breathing was getting harder. His spear widened within her mouth and his thrusts became so fast they scraped her taste buds raw. It bulged more, tears fell uncontrollably out of her bloodshot eyes as he pounded harder for what felt like hours.  Shmack! Shmack! Shmack! Shmack!  “Arhh” He grunted, pressing down on her bruised neck and with one brutal thrust releasing his potent seed down her bulging throat, painting her esophagus in so much white she coughed and gagged as spunk spewed out her mouth and nose.  “Haa! Cough Cough Haa!” She took greedy gulps of air, swallowing as much spunk as she could to clear her airways the rest she vomited. By now Yulanda looked unrecognizable to her past self, her once pristine neck was and angry red finger prints on them. Her golden hair was painted with strands of white, her eyes were bloodshot and watery, snot and semen flowed down her nose and mouth. Her passage below was painfully wet and slippery, each time she moved her legs strands of mucus connected from one end to the other. She shivered and tried to breathe, thinking that it was all over. With how much he had just released it was obvious that any other man would be spent, but this was the sage, the master mage and he was no ordinary man.  A hand, one she recognized from the grip strength and the fact that it was the only other hand from hers, clasped around her neck and hefted her up helplessly like a toy.   “N-n-no gods have mercy teacher!” She shouted, trying to futilely escape from him. “There are no gods child, not here.” He pushed her down to the dreaded desk, laying her on her front and applying his weight on her back, making her breasts sensually grind against the hard, wooden table.  She felt his hands dig into the flesh of her backside and part them wide, so wide she could feel the breeze tickle her sensitive spot. Her teacher’s hot rod stroked up and down her wet slit, wetting the engorged member in her young viscous juices. She struggled and pushed back but that served to only make her more excited from grinding her nipples and clit against the desk. He wrapped an arm from under her head, immobilizing her further.  “Ahnhh~~” She moaned from deep within as her teacher’s scalding cock parted her labia and crept into her wet tunnel. It was unimaginably tight and scorching hot, flesh strangled his cock with the force of a vice clamp. Further he pushed, going slowly, she felt full as though she’d engorged herself on food. The deeper he went into her, the fuller she felt and the wider she became.  Spit drooled down her mouth, her eyes went unfocused, her flesh stretched to the limit she could even feel it push her flesh against the table beneath.  “Uwuuah~~!” He pulled out suddenly, letting her feel a strange sensation of emptiness. I’m ruined. Teacher has ruined me. She concluded. “Aaaahnn~” Her mind went blanc when he shoved his meat back into her wet portal, holding nothing back. “Ough~~” She groaned as he repeated his action of pumping into her with piston like movement.  Plohhp! Plohhp! Plohhp! Plohhp! Wet slapping sounds accompanied his every stroke, as with her throaty cries and moans. She clasped her hands over his arm around her neck to hold on for dear life. Her clit and mounds continued to grind against the hard surface and within her the thick rod was rummaging through her insides pushing a spot that was driving her to the edge.  Plohhp! Plohhp! Plohhp! Plohhp! “Aiieehnnn~~!” She threw her tongue out, shivering and convulsing uncontrollably from reaching the most intense orgasm she had ever felt in her life. This was nothing like doing it with Mikel. Her teacher was using her like a ragdoll made only to relieve his sexual urges and that thought was driving over another edge as more fluid gushed out of her widened pussy. Plohhp! Plohhp! Plohhp! Plohhp!  “T-te..ahh~~ teach~~ ahuh~~ nn~~nno~ mooore~~~” She spoke gibberish. Her mind wasn’t even responding to her thoughts. She sought him now, grinding harder against him as he pounded her insides raw. He reached for her hair and pulled hard, snapping her head up as his piston movements went up a magnitude. The pain mixed with pleasure, the degradation and domination shut down her reasoning and overloaded her pleasure centers. Her eyes rolled backwards, her legs kicked frantically, her body spasmed madly and her cunt forcefully expelled the fluid content of her body as juices.  “Uya~~uh~~hnnN~~nn~~”  PHLOP! PHHLOP! PHLOP! PHLOP! He pulled harder on her hair, wrapped the arm on her neck tighter and plastered his bulging cock so far up her vulva he hit a flesh wall. “Urrhgmm” He grunted like an angry bull, shooting rope after rope of steaming hot semen into her young womb, filling it up so much it spurted out. He pushed in further still, dragging her body and the desk forward, his meat wrecking her sperm stained insides, reaching the last of his potent seed deep into her womb. He pulled out of her with a wet pop! A tide of white fluid rushed out the young lady’s gaping tunnel. Her unfocused eyes glanced around drunklike, her tongue hung out of her mouth as she panted for air.  The master sage retrieved another potion from his spatial space, he deposited his semi soft member into her mouth, which she vigorously began lapping at like a thirsty dog. He opened the potion and poured it glowing green content along the length of his cock and into her mouth, making her suckle on it, even as she drifted into sleep.  “Rest child. This day has just begun.” A grin cracked across his sweat filled face, he was going to enjoy living life like this. <<\\//>> Hi, you can call me MetalKase or Metal for short. This was my introductory piece and I hope you all enjoyed it.  I just want to freely create art or maybe just express things like these in writing without worrying of consequence or being restricted. Which is a very hard thing to do in today’s world. If you happen to like what I made and would like to shill, see me eat so I can write more or just simply support me, my pat-re-on and crypto plug lies below.  Here's my social if you want to follow or hit me up  Twitter: @Metalkaze Patre_on : patreon.com/Metalkaze Bitcoin : bc1q05cly24phpfx96awzw0a6td6pv0puw8ldhatlh Thank you all, have a great time. Stay deadly.

Riley's life was incredibly pitiful, he was a shut-in gamer, high school dropout, while his little brother was the complete opposite, top of his senior year class preparing to graduate early, Good at sports and had a much larger, masculine build compared to Riley's small, feminine body.  He was absolutely fed up with his life and decided to become a streamer. He came to the conclusion that he would crossdress while streaming. He had ordered a cheap outfit from a shady website called Midnight Inc, And was expecting it to be delivered any day now, he was checking the tracking when his little brother, Liam barged into his room, a large package in his arms.  “Hey this came for you in the mail?” Riley looked up at his brother angrily and grabbed the package from his hands before pushing him out of the room. “Stop! Don't come in!” he said loudly. His brother looked down at him and rubbed the back of his head in a bewildered manner. “But you didn't answer when I knocked?” Riley glared at him and slammed the door before yelling “don't you dare enter my room from now on!”  Liam backed away from the door and just shook his head while walking towards his room, he wanted to help his brother be more social and less of a shut-in but all his efforts were fruitless.  Riley quickly tore open the box and put on the cheap skirt and top then grabbed the cute metal collar he'd selected with the heart gem-shaped lock. He smiled and slipped it around his neck, locking it in place.  As soon as the lock was clicked the collar started to glow a strange blue pigment, Riley's eyes widened as his short blonde hair begin to grow out rather quickly, reaching all the way down past his shoulders, he felt the bones in his face painfully shift as his gaze traveled downwards, his chest begin to fill with fat as large, heavy breasts grew, he stared in shock as his waist slimmed inwards, his hips bulged out and his ass inflated with plump fat, followed by his thighs thickening considerably, his bones shrank, his shoulders slimmed down and became more narrowed, while his feet and hands shrank becoming dainty and feminine.  He let out a small squeak in his new high-pitched voice.  He quickly opened the webcam on his laptop and stared at himself in shock. He put a dainty little finger to his plump lips and made a pouty face. “This isn't so bad.. I'm.. I'm really cute!” he said to himself in his new girl voice. He smiled at himself in the webcam's reflection and started posing and making cute faces before he opened up the streaming website.  He started a lifestream and begin posing, flashing his large tits and soaking pussy, he started to masturbate in front of the camera as to his surprise thousands upon thousands of viewers quickly filled the stream.  The comment section was filled with compliments and requests for different poses and positions. He complied with his viewers and bent over on his bed, showing his pussy on full display while he furiously slid several fingers in and out of his sopping wet cunt.  He was happy to find that he was receiving hundreds of donations on his first stream. After several hours of this he finally felt satisfied, orgasming for his audience multiple times, he eventually thanked everyone and logged out.  He stripped out of his outfit and found the key to his collar, he undid the lock and slipped it off of him and to his surprise his body reverted back to his original femme-boy form.  He smiled to himself knowing he could do whatever he wanted on his streams now, no one knew him and his collar kept his identity secret.  Several weeks had passed since that day and Riley found himself spending most of his time wearing the collar, even when he wasn't streaming.  He had become addicted to his female body and the intense orgasms and highs he got from being a complete slut on the internet.  He spent more and more time streaming and receiving cute clothes and gifts from his fans, he'd pose for them in the sexy lingerie they'd send and his view count skyrocketed.  He began using toys on himself at the request of his audience and quickly became addicted to filling his hole.  After a month of this his subscribers hit a plateau, he desperately thought of ways to raise his views.  He was doing just that, wearing a cute cosplay outfit with faux cat ears clipped into his hair, his makeup was done perfectly as he had been practicing everyday.  He was moaning loudly, his cries could be heard throughout the entire house and at this particular moment his brother was growing more and more frustrated at the loud sounds of what he thought was porn coming from Riley's room.  He’d had just about enough of his brother's antics as he stormed down the hall and burst into his Riley's room. “Can you keep it down!? For God's sakes wear a pair of headphones!” Liam yelled loudly before stopping in his tracks as he saw the naked girl on his brother's bed, fucking herself furiously with a large pink dildo. “Huh who the fuck are you? Where is my brother?” Liam said still staring wide-eyed at this lewd girl. Riley froze and looked at Liam in shock before he grew relatively angry.  “I.. I told you not to enter my room!” he yelled at him. Liam raised his eyes-brows and realization dawned on him as he noticed this girl had similar features to his older brother. “Riley?” Liam said hesitantly. Riley smiled at him and stuck out his tongue, suddenly his eyes widened and a grin grew on his face, drool dripping down the side of his mouth as he realized his little brother had a raging hard-on from looking at him.  He bent over and showed his ass and leaking pussy on full display for his brother. “W..what are you doing?” Liam said quietly. Riley got up and grabbed his brother's hand pulling him over towards the bed and gently pushing on his chest so he would lay down, Liam reluctantly did and Riley quickly pulled a facemask out of a drawer and handed it to Liam, out of view of the webcam.  “There's something I've never done before!” Riley said with wide eyes and an excited expression. “A live sex show!” he giggled and positioned his laptop towards the two of them, climbing onto the bed and unbuttoning liams pants, his thick, throbbing cock sprung upwards at attention as soon as it was freed from it's fabric prison.  Riley leaned up and whispered in Liam's ear. “If you resist I'll yank this mask off, then everyone will know who you are.” Liam's eyes widened before he grunted and whispered back, “you really are my brother then?” he scowled and grabbed the back of Riley's hair, pushing him down hard, his lips wrapping around Liam's cock hungrily. “If that's how you want it then fine.” Liam said thusting his cock deep into Riley's mouth making him deepthroat his large member.  Riley continued sucking his cock until a bit of precum leaked out. “Nuh-uh not yet.” he said as he pulled away from the throbbing dick in front of him. Riley turned around and grabbed a pack of condoms, opening one and gently sliding it on Liam's cock. He noticed that his subscriber count had surged by the thousands and the comment section was filled with requests and nasty suggestions.  ‘Holy shit are they siblings?’ one comment said. ‘What a gross slut!’ another said. Someone requested bareback and said they'd donate $1000 for sex with no condoms.  Riley jumped at this request and yanked the condom off Liam's dick. “Okay guys I'm going to ride my brother's big fat cock now!” Riley said smiling at the camera. Donations filled the chatroom as Riley slowly lowered himself on Liams throbbing dick.  He let out a soft moan as He slid Liam's dick into his soaking wet, cunt. He begin to bounce on it, fucking himself as Liam grunted from the pleasure. He let out a howling moan as Liam finally came deep inside of him.  Riley's eyes widened as he hadn't thought of the consequences of fucking without a condom. Could he even get pregnant? He thought to himself. Liam seemed to be thinking the same thing as he pulled Riley down further onto his cock, making sure all of his cum went deep inside Riley’s womb. “Don’t worry. I'll take responsibility,” he whispered to Riley.  They laid there like that for several moments. Riley thought to himself, raising kids sounds like a bother but it feels good so fuck it. even if he did get pregnant it would be okay, Liam promised He’d take responsibility. Besides he was smart and had a promising future, in the end Riley didn't really care that much.  Epilogue: Two weeks later. Riley was wearing his now Her collar, she'd thrown away the key after that last streaming session. She was walking through the local park with Liam, holding onto his arm and looking up at him. She could feel all the lewd stares she was getting from wearing such a skimpy outfit in public.  She had on a pair of black booty shorts, only covering half of her massive rear, a thin crop top, some knee high socks and sneakers. Her pussy was soaking as she was getting extremely horny from all the stares.  She leaned up and whispered in his ear, “fuck I'm all hot and bothered now, Fuck me raw again when we get home?” he looked down at her and sighed, rolling his eyes. “Sis please behave in public.” End. 

It was a day like any other as Millie woke up with her face firmly planted on her keyboard. "Not again..." She moaned in anguish while rubbing her forehead, hoping to remove the 'QWERTY' markings that had made their home there during the night. "What time is it? It can't be passed noon can't it?" She knew it was most likely passed noon, but she didn't want to accept the cruel reality. "Oh no! It's 4pm! I'm gonna be late for school!!" Nearly tripping on her own two feet, Millie dashed towards her closet to get dressed. It took her a solid fifty-five minutes and thirty-seven seconds before she finally remembered that she had graduated last year... "Oh...right. I don't have to go to school anymore. Good thing I live alone and nobody saw this..." Her cat on the other side of the room saw it all and judged her severely. With her rough 'morning' settled, Millie wasted no time settling into her usual routine and sat back in the cheap gaming chair she bought on eBuy last year for twenty-five dollars and fifty-three cents. Now comfortable, she turned her PC on and booted up her favorite game: World of Kaijus. "Come on! Just a bit more grind...Yeah!! I Did it! I finally levelled my kaiju to level 100!!" Unable to control her joy, Millie sprang up from her cheap gaming chair and struck a victory pose for several seconds before doing an impromptu dance that would undoubtedly shame her ancestors. "This is by far my greatest accomplishment in life!" she yelled at the top of her lungs before a moment of deep realization struck her. "...Shit." "Well, it can only go up from here right?" As the contracted narrator of this story, I am mandated by paragraph six of my contract to answer yes regardless of my own personal thoughts on the current situation. After a moment of clear shame, Millie continued on with her gaming session until she had no choice but to stop due to the one thing that could disturb a gaming addict—hunger. "Shit...I forgot to eat again. But I really don't want to prepare food...that would drain my stamina, and I need that stamina to play games! In Millie's head. This made perfect sense. "Bah, I'll just have some milk. That will take care of the hunger!" Still on her gaming chair, Millie rolled all the way to her kitchen in an attempt to preserve 'stamina'. However, it was upon opening her fridge that Millie came to the all too important realization, that she had run out of milk. As well as literally everything else besides a single expired can of soda. "Oh no! I ran out of food!! I'm gonna starve to death!" With exaggerated agony, the poor girl fell off her gamer chair and into the ground on her knees. "Didn't I order some groceries online the other day? How could this be!?" It had now been 3 weeks since "the other day". "Guess this leaves me no choice...I'll have...to go outside..." "Out in the cold harsh world..." "Filled with people..." "Sigh" With extreme reluctance, Millie exchanged her comfortable pajamas for her comfortable hoodie. To her, increasing the comfort stat was important in order to face the naturally uncomfortable outside world. Now that she was equipped with her best gear, Millie walked towards her front door and stood next to it as she attempted to relax her breathing. "Come on Millie...what's the worst that could happen? Worst case scenario someone waves at the person behind me and I accidentally wave back!...Again..." A collection of painful flashbacks started playing in the girl's head. "On second thought maybe starving isn't so bad...sigh" Before the pessimistic girl could give up. A friendly sound snapped her out of her fear. "Meow." It was her cat. "Oh! Morgana! What's wrong buddy!? Are you hungry too?" "Meow." Said the cat with no emotion in display. Only a cold gaze towards her master. "Oh, that sounded like a hungry meow. Wait—I forgot I ran out of cat food! I really have no choice but to go outside now! Don't worry Morgana! Your loving master will bare the hardships of the world for your sake!!" "Meow." Said the cat still with no emotion in display and an even colder gaze towards her master. It took a great amount of resolve, but Millie finally managed to turn the door handle and thus opening the creaky door of her apartment. "Time to go..." Driven by the love for her cat, Millie headed outside her apartment complex and ventured out into the world. The trek down the stairs had challenged her will, but eventually, she managed to reach the ground floor as well as the door to the outside. However, once again she was trapped by hesitation the moment she reached the door to the outside. "I really don't want to go outside..." "Come on Millie! It will just be a quick trip down the block into the convenience store! You've done this before! Just go in, buy milk, a twelve-pack of ramen and some cat food! Easy!" With newfound optimism, Millie took a step forward and left her apartment. "See! This wasn't so bad! I did it!" "*Ring Ring*" The girl had spoken to soon... "Huh? What's tha— *CRASH*

Miami, Florida November 1st, 2092 Near the heart of downtown Miami, a city that in the early 21st century feared it'd be largely devastated by climate change, stood a solitary estate. This estate was staffed by a small number of professionals, all of whom were well-paid and treated more than humanely by their boss, the world-famous mediator Dr. Lorenzo Arias.  Dr. Lorenzo Arias was a skilled, multilingual mediator who had lived the sort of life that would make saints green with envy. He was a world-traveling mediator who settled conflicts between religions, nations, and even played a pivotal role in ending conflicts that plunged continents into war. And in the hours after his death, during the brief period in which no one knew he had died, those he employed thought about how he was just two days from turning ninety-nine. He was kind, intelligent, and a deeply humble boss who worked hard to ensure that his employees had little to do. He himself passed away in his sleep, and in the aftermath of his demise, his soul left his body and went not to Heaven or Hell but somewhere else. Instead of going straight to one of the two dimensions where most deceased humans ended up, Dr. Arias's soul was bound for a unique meeting place between Heaven and Hell outside of Limbo. That said, the world would learn of his demise early in the morning, relative to Florida anyway, and mourn his passing.  All over the reformed United States communities, politicians, celebrities, and activists of all stripes mourned his passing. Beyond the United States, tributes to his life were even more impressive. The Grand Republic of Latin America, a coalition of Latin American states that formed one single superstate in 2065, unanimously voted to declare his birthday a holiday, and nations that he personally visited, such as Indonesia and Croatia would name schools after him in the days and weeks to come. Even nations he hadn't visited but that felt the impact of his activism, such as Iran and Japan mourned his passing and declared temporary ceasefires with their enemies in an effort to act as they believed he'd have advised.  That said, death was not the end for a human being. Death was merely one step in a long journey, and for many people, one's death on Earth was only the first real step they'd ever take towards their destiny. Dr. Arias was one such person, which was precisely why when he first opened his eyes after dying, he'd not find himself greeting Saint Michael on his way to Heaven or standing in line in the first circle of Hell, but inside of an incredibly nondescript room. The Entryway After the latest in a long line of peaceful, but boring nights I awoke abruptly and immediately began to experience something I hadn't been expecting; the sensation of a chair supporting me instead of my bed. Even before I opened my eyes, I was so intimately familiar with the sensation of my bed that the fact that the first thing I was feeling was the back of an admittedly comfortable chair rather than the softness of my bed was enough to send a bit of a jolt to my mind, and shock me into full wakefulness.  For a long moment, I allowed myself to sit in silence and kept my eyes closed. During this time, I allowed my mind to wander. I mused on the nature of my work, and the history of human-on-human conflict.  I thought about mankind's amazing ability to invent weapons. I thought about our tendencies towards violence. For a few minutes, I even allowed my mind to muse about how humanity's fictional stories often needed violence or conflicts of some sort. To me, one of the more fascinating aspects of my field, the field of Peace and Conflict Studies, was how it allowed me to study violence in oftentimes fairly gruesome detail. During my life, I had seen horrors, from the conditions some North Korean families had had to endure while attempting to escape the authoritarian state to the conditions some families of undocumented immigrants in the United States endured while waiting for their cases to be heard by immigration judges and all of this I had had to see while doing my job as a mediator and peacekeeper.  Curiously, the thing that eventually made me first want to open my eyes was not recalling the horrors of the past but the fact that I could recall such horrors at all. Over the past few decades, my memory had not been fading, not so completely that I was losing memories at any rate, but my earliest memories had indeed been losing clarity due to the natural rigors of age. That said, for some reason, in this odd seat, my memory felt sharper than it had in decades. Upon mentally exerting myself I found that I could effortlessly recall every memory of mine with the natural ease of someone with a perfected memory.  I could recall the faces, names, and even entire conversations I had had in the past with long-dead relatives. Even relatives who perished when I was but a young child. All of my memories came flooding back to me, ones I had forgotten when I was young and ones I had made yesterday. And I wanted to know why that was, even though I was quietly, grimly, aware of at least a few possible reasons why I could suddenly remember things so clearly, so I opened my eyes.  Upon opening my eyes, I found myself inside of a room with an impossibly white floor. I was staring straight down, able to see my pants and my shirt, and parts of the chair that I was sitting in. The chair itself was a simple wooden thing, not even remarkable in craftsmanship. It was honestly just a chair, and as soon as I realized that I got up and in doing so noticed that I was dressed in a pair of khakis and a matching button-up shirt. I was also facing downward, my head positioned so that it was staring at my pants. I correct this, and upon sitting up straight I found myself looking at two differently shaded silhouettes.  One of the odd silhouettes gently radiated an amber-colored aura, while the other radiated a sort of anti-aura that sheds darkness as easily as the other aura faintly glowed. Both silhouettes were seated on the other side of a desk, which itself was positioned in front of me. The desk was devoid of decoration, and faintly registered as more an attempt to give the room a thin veneer of normalcy rather than as an actual piece of furniture. I studied it for a moment before hearing a soft voice whisper into the back of my mind. "Hello Dr. Arias, can you hear me?" Asked the voice, sounding both rather gentle and concerned at the same time. I was unsure of whether or not the voice came from either of the silhouettes, but it didn't take a genius to realize that that assuming that the voice came from at least one of them was not illogical.  "I... I can hear you." I stammered out, replying to the silhouettes while trying to smile, rather pleasantly. I wasn't sure if my smile could reach my eyes, but I was able to do the gesture at least.  "Ah, excellent. Do you... Do you know what is going on?" The same voice asked, a second after my response. I chuckled a little and closed my eyes for the first time since I lifted my head up and initially saw the two silhouettes. "I... I might be hallucinating. I also might be dead, or at least dying. And those things aren't really mutually exclusive. I could be dying, and this is my brain producing one final, strange hallucination to entertain me while my body ceases its functions." I remarked, almost introspectively. The silhouettes in front of me both shifted slightly in their seats, in response to my words and while I was not sure of how I could theorize about this, something told me the two of them were uncomfortable. Perhaps they weren't prepared for me to be so... annoyingly self-aware?  "Well... Actually, that second possibility is the right one." Muttered another voice, presumably that of the darker silhouette. This voice was quieter, lower, than the other one that spoke to me in ways I couldn't fully understand. It was obviously some sort of telepathy, but... how could the thing speak telepathically? Regardless of the origins of their supernatural abilities, the voices were not done with me just yet.  "Dr. Arias, after a long, eventful life transforming conflicts, and pursuing justice, you have died. You died of old age, peacefully, in your home, in your sleep in fact. And now your soul is being prepared for... well, for what comes next." The "Other" voice explained, carefully. I could almost sense the gears turning in its mind as it tried to find the most tactful way to tell me I died. Fortunately for it, the second, darker voice seemed almost eager to speak and begun to do so as soon as it was done saying its piece. "You are... a deeply unusual soul, and so Heaven and Hell have come to a rather unusual solution to the problem of where to put your soul for eternity. We are going to share you!" The second voice, which I assumed belonged to the creature with the anti-aura, revealed, quite eagerly at that. My eyes widened in alarm, and I was surprised to suddenly hear soft peals of laughter from the two beings. "Dr., please relax. We both understand how that phrasing sounds, but we assure you it is not as unpleasant an arrangement as you might think. We need your diplomatic, peacemaking and peacekeeping skills, and so we truly want you to be comfortable." The brighter voice was cheerful, perpetually so, and skillfully defused a bit of my fear and uncertainty.  "We don't want to overwhelm you, and we don't want to bias you unintentionally, so we are forbidden from explaining more than what we've already explained. Now, as... as sudden as this may seem, we are going to ask you whether or not you want to first visit Heaven or Hell." Explained the second voice, speaking with more gentleness than it had previously. As soon as the thing was done speaking two portals appeared where the silhouettes were once sitting.  The portal where the bright silhouette was once sitting showed me a city atop the clouds, with tall golden towers, and city streets. Some of the streets were packed with what were clearly human beings, as well as the occasional angel floating in the air above the city, looking down on it like a strange alien observer. The second portal, positioned where the dark silhouette was seated, showed me a city positioned atop what looked like a field in a volcanic plain, with tall buildings made of some sort of artificial obsidian. Its city streets were packed with humans, and demons wore the clothing associated with white-collar professionals, even having briefcases and golden watches.  "We understand the chaotic nature of what we are asking, and neither of us agreed with this plan, but celestial and infernal forces above and below us demanded that this be how we introduce you to Heaven and Hell. Neither choice presented before you is right or wrong, and almost everything you know about both realms is wrong. There are dangers in both realms, but there are also opportunities and tasks that only you can do. In time we'll reappear before you and allow you to visit and settle into whatever realm you didn't pick. All you have to do, for now, is make a choice; Heaven or Hell?" Asked the initial voice, all while waiting for me to get up and walk into one portal or the other.  I quietly get up, and sigh while deciding to fully embrace the chaos and absurdity of this situation. Truthfully, I was not sure if I was actually dead, but I quietly resolved to not let that uncertainty keep me from... well, living. I don't hesitate and I march to the portal leading into Hell. As I stepped to it, I remembered all the times I faced down dictators and talked down armed militiamen. I silently hoped that I wouldn't need to rely on the skills that allowed me to survive those encounters on Earth, and I boldly strode through the portal, which immediately closed behind me and exposed my senses to the chaotic cityscape that the portal had just deposited me in. I grit my teeth even as my senses are suddenly assaulted by strange, demonic noise, and I find myself in the middle of a dinghy alleyway in the bustling heart of some hellish metropolis. 

A Golden haired girl with golden eyes wearing a white dress probably close to something royalty would wear and seemingly comfortably sandles could be seen in the halls of the academy on this early morning. 'heh.' Soon reaching her destination she arrived in class and took her seat. Not long after she and the rest of her class sat through a lesson. "Guys did you hear about that legend? It's said it turned out some one of the mage tower sensed something in Iyuster hill." "Haha yea I might have actually believed it if it wasn't a novice handling the artifact." "An artifact is an artifact ya know.." "Yea well I won't waste my time." 'Iyuster Hill.. that's not far!' Her carefree speed became rushed as she gathered her things and ran out of class. "Hey, you don't think.." "She doesn't have any magic or martial arts so of course." "Should we check it out?" "Yea." "Where's that reluctance from earlier?" "Shut up!" And thus two students quietly followed behind. She was quickly stopped by a teacher in the hall though having the two following her in secret stop and act like they're not involved. "Sigh, I'm sure you're trying your best Rena, maybe the goddess will bless you." He said, seemingly not sure what else to say or as if he had too much to say he left like that. Regardless she ran again and this time full force until she reached the foot of the hill. "Hey did you know she could run that fast!?" One of her followers said while panting. The other was in the same state as he rest his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "Not at all! Maybe they were wrong and she just need martial arts!" Realizing they were quite loud they began to speak in whispers. She stopped running and continued to walk while looking for anything in particular.  She ran into a grave. Legend has it that a great swords man existed a long time ago, he saved many and never retreated each battlefield he met the enemy head on however of course soon the time came. He was poisoned by a witch and died.. she disappeared with out anyone finding her and after that he was buried here. "Look here it is! With this we'll finally be rich boys!"  "We'll make it big!" "Soon as we get into town I'll fuck up every single noble." Several bandit arrived on the seen but saw a girl and two kids not far from them their immediate thoughts were.. "My, kiddies-" interrupted by a kick in the face the girl quickly dispatched the lead and kept her momentum pursuing the next person while drawing her sword and cutting they're neck. The next one is an archer so she easily killed him close up, a couple of steps brought her close enough to kick again but the bandits were alert now. "This girl! Everyone kill her now!! Don't think youre getting away with this!" The leader got up screaming while drawing his double double edge sword. He produced a huge swing but leaned to the side dodging it easily and cutting off his neck with a side swing. An archer given enough time shot at her but she quickly cut down the arrow and stepped in range to cut him down. A fire ball shot her way having her retreat.  "That's far enough." "You think bandits are a joke?" The two conjured a large fireball and shot it aiming to kill her as soon as possible. She jumped back, glaring at them. "Using magic against someone who can't youre scum." She said as she fell back from the debris. A hole was blown into the hill and the casket could be seen. "We don't need to be manner able when you attacked our men first and we're bandits to begin with." "Don't worry missy I can use magic let me teach you." Saying so they launched lighting magic at her while she retreated further up hill. - "Hey, she's on an entirely different level!" One of the students who were following her earlier said. "The mages are too." The other responded. "We should.. should help her." "You're crazy! They master stage 4 we will only die if we get closer." "If anyone finds out we were here and did nothing.." "We'll think of something.." -  The girl who knew they were following all along sneered as she heard they're conversation. "Useless." She muttered. "We're useless you say?" Said one of the mages, they're gone dripping with malice. "Let's see how you retreat with this one." "That's right dance for us until you-" Suddenly she stopped retreating and went on the offensive.  She dashed forward suddeness of it disturbing they're chants causing them to restart. She ran to the one on the left and cut him down. "Damn-n it." "Die!!" The last mage shouted and launched a cyclone at the girl. With nowhere to dodge such a large attack she ran into the part of the hill they're magic has been hitting for a while now and hid. "It's not closed?" She looked at the casket and while she was sure it was closed during the fight somehow the lid was off. [Give him your sword.] She stood still in shock, that was a voice she hasn't heard since she was 5. And to hear it again..  "No! Explain your self why haven't I heard you in all these years!?" She shouted. Not stopping her movements she peeked outside and checked the mage. He seemed to be in the middle of a meteor spell.  The meteor was quite a ways away half materialized from a magic sigil in mida air. The girl dashed out and quickly stabbed him in the chest. [Listen Sana, I know you're angry but Goddess and God's are forbidden to interact so closely with mortals.] "I don't care! I said I would save you right? What ever troubles you.." Sana began crying. "So why!?" [Sana..] "I said why!?" [Sorry Sana.. I won't do it again.] Sana cried for a moment then started to move again. Heading to the cave in the hill, she went to the casket and placed her sword into the hand of the legend. A golden glow appear which drastically changed the skeletal legend, bringing back his flesh. When it was done a golden hair and tall but armor man laid they're with a heroic expression. He slowly opened his eyes and looked to Sana. He quickly rolled over, dropped the sword and became a skeleton again. Somewhat stunning Sana. She went around picked up the sword and placed it in his hand again only for him to throw it to the entrance and become a skeleton. [Sana.. the hero didn't die because of the poison like the story's say. He actually became lazy. He realized his life was filled with saving others and fighting so much gave him a battle junkie like style. Thus he put an end to it by asking his friend, a witch to curse him. Which brings us here. He concluded if he died no one would bother him and he could also uphold his image, however the world needs a hero again. I don't want you to be the hero Sana so my only solution for now was to wake him. The other Goddesses and Gods want you as the hero. Sorry this is all I could think of.] "Me?" [You have a lot of potential, although you don't practice as much as others you made it so far. Also what your specialty is isn't magic but Aura. That along with your talent in combat will put you on the level of God's I mean Omnipotent.] "Aura.. everyone has it why would mine specifically put me on that level?" [You are actually someone who incarnated as a mortal to fill your days with joy as you lived a rather sleepy headed life. Hehe] the goddess giggled. [We were also friends then.] "I see.."

With a jerk, I opened my eyes. A ceiling, luxurious ceiling. I looked around my new bedroom, and the only thing that I could say was marvelous. I found a dressing table and went to it to see myself in mirror. I looked like a totally hot silver haired babe. Atleast this body got the boobs. Suddenly, a slight headache happened and the next thing was I got implanted by some instructions on my identities. Apparently, my new name is Helexa Bluxy. My father owned a 75 storey building in US and he died sometime ago. I never had a mother as she died after giving birth to me. I was a typical 17 year old loner who got bullied, and therefore, am transferring to the Midtown High School of Science. And today is my first day at that school of spiderman. Urrgh!  I quickly freshened up in a rush, and then tried finding my uniform. Ah! They don't have uniform in high school here. So I just wore a blue jeans, white t-shirt, grabbed my already packed bag, and looked at my wallet. 2000$ and a debit card in which I held a small amount of money, according to the instructions planted. My house was the entire first floor of the building, which meant 20 2BHK apartments each. The rest of the apartments were on rent, and I earned around 3 million dollars every month. Anyway, I rushed out of the house, and the driver was ready for me. I seem to be getting information on the go. I got into the old modelled ford car and he started driving me to the school.  It seemed that I was in 1998. Google was there, but no 2G and smartphones. I had the legendary Nokia 3310 with me right now. I wonder if it will work against Thanos? He just might get isekai'd. Shaking that thought away, I started planning what to do from here on out. I am a normal person. That's why I am going to get some powers, because that's the normal thing to do. About how, there are only a few options.  1. Get bitten by spider, but nah. I think some guy got taken over by spiders. I am not going to take a risk like that. 2. Get venom symbiote before Peter corrupts it. That's what I am going to do. Peter was just not mature enough to handle a symbiote. And I have enough money to keep feeding it chocolates. 3. Have a suit like War Machine and Iron Man. That's reasonable. I will just have to convince him and I think I know how. 4. Then there is magic. I don't know where she lives, but atleast I can keep practicing spinning my hand in perfect circle till I find the old lady. 5. There seem to be mutants in this world too. I am going to copy some of their abilities with the symbiote. That's about the basic idea I have to get powers. I need venom symbiote before Peter. Spiderman hasn't appeared yet, so it is safe to assume that I have two major villains, Green Goblin and Harry before it appears.  And I am going to heavily invest in facebook, Google, Android and Apple. I will build some things as well, because I have experience in making the rip-off's of tiktok, YouTube, facebook, instagram, Microsoft, etc. What? It's a totally normal thing!

Normality. Such a beautiful and peaceful thing. I had a normal job and normal salary, and I was totally happy about it. Afterall, I loved being 'Normal'. And on a normal day, the normal me was taking a path normally in a totally normal park. A normal dog came to me asking for biscuits like some people give him, or her.  So, as a normal person, I threw a stone at him/her. I mean, more people would throw stones than biscuits. So what I did was completely normal. Him/Her being a scary German Shepherd didn't influence my decision. As a result, he/she started chasing me. So as a normal person, I ran with all my might while screaming so loud that even the dog that was chasing me got scared and started whimpering. But as a normal person, I kept running in fear, tripped my foot, and fell headfirst. And the next thing I knew, I was in some some sort of supernatural plane with a fat golden man standing in front of me. He just seems like the incarnation of wealth. His eyes opened and they were diamonds. They were very beautiful. I wonder if I can snatch one? They easily seem to be 4-5 times expensive than the Kohinoor. "Sorry, but my eye is not for sale." The fat man said to me. I instinctively knew that he is the wealth god.  "O' great God! I must worship you from now on. If you just make me a billionaire, I will even make a temple, mosque, church or whatever you fancy!" "Kid, I just can't provide you wealth like that." "Oh! Then it must mean that you will impaet some future knowledge in me on what to invest right! I am very thak-" "Stop there kid. Please calm your mind. Because what I am going tell you is very serious." "I am completely calm." "Ok. The thing is, you died just now." "I see. Now let's start what I want for my isekai. First I want a cheat abil-" "Woah woah woah!!! You just died! Grieve a bit, will you?" "Why should I? Didn't the great ol' people say that death is just the ending of the life and beginning of a new? That one shouldn't be worried about being dead?" "You are a strange one, aren't you?" "I am the most normal person you will ever find." "I see. You are delusional as well. Anyway, let's just get it over with. You see, in one of the Universe, some purple dude killed half of the living creatures and the god of death got swamped with work. So he/she/it or whatever handed some work to other gods to lessen his workload. Unluckily for you, the God of Health handled your file. And he got confused over his own handwriting, mistaking 78 to 18. So because of that, you died 60 years early. So, how about I give you some privileges in your next life and you forget about this matter?" "I see. You are really the God of Wealth! Even your way of settling things is the same. Okay. First, I want to have complete control over the universe, second-" "Kid. My time is important. So I will just tell you. You are going to be reincarnated in the world of Marvel or whatever you call it. An alternate universe as the purple guy. And the gift I can give you can only be wealth related, because I am the God of Wealth." "No powers for me?" "No kid. Find other powers on your own later. But I am giving you the best power, money." "Okay. So give me enough money to buy the whole universe." "Kid. I am going to drop you into the country called USA with 1 billion USD. Deal with it." "Hey! That's too low!" "Really? Then I will give you a skyscraper as well." "It's still too low!" "Uggh! Fine! This is the last privilege. I will give you an identity and convincing backstory too." "Wait... You weren't planning to give them before? Are you trying to get me arrested!?" "Kid. I am busy, so that's all I can do for you. Enjoy your new life." Before I could say anything more, I found myself as another person in the Marvel world. Time to live a normal life in this normal Reincarnation.

You know, I am really not liking my situation. First my normal life was cut short by 60 years due to some god with bad handwriting. Then I got transported into the universe of Marvel. I didn't get any powers. A pity. But atleast I got 1 billion$ and a 75 floor building!  I had planned about how I was going to become the richest person by stealing future knowledge of Google, facebook, etc. Then I was going to get symbiote and have a happy power collecting spree! But here I am. It hasn't been even 2 hours since I was brought to this world, and I am kidnapped. By none other than the cockroach organization Hydra. Ugh! My driver turned out to be a member of Hydra! As soon as I got in the car, I became unconscious. And now here I am. A group of armed cultist surrounding me, in a closed chamber and to who knows where. I looked over to the group of men, some with white lab coats, and some present to beat me up if I disobey them. I sighed. I really don't want to think too deeply anymore. "So gentlemen, can you please tell me about why I am here?" The old doctor spoke to me while taking a seat. "Ms. Rosie. We have an offer for you." "If you had business and wanted an investment, you should have come to my building's office. Kidnapping does not exactly leaves a good impression." "Ahem! Sorry about that. Ms. Rosie, do you know that you are very talented?" "I do." "So, you want money and power?" "Hmm, I believe I have enough money, if you don't know. And power... isn't money the power itself?" "Haha! I like how honest you are. But I am not talking about that kind of power. Do you know about Captain America? We can give you that kind of power." I deadpanned. Does he think that I am a toddler who can be convinced by a candy? "Do you think I am stupid? First of all, I believe that Captain America is just a propaganda from the US for publicity and attracting scientists and soldiers. And, let's say that it is true, then why did you not make an army of Captain Americas and try to conquer the world? US is not exactly a peace loving country who will sit back. We all know what it has done and doing in Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc." "Miss Rosie, I think you are misunderstanding something. We do not work for the government. The government works for us. Captain America is real, and we gave him that superpower. And there are many superhumans in our ranks. It's just that the world doesn't know." He is lying. Cap was given powers by Tony's Dad and his friends. But whatever. "But you wouldn't give me power for free, will you? There is nothing free in the world afterall." "You are right. You just have to fund our projects, and you will have power." I see. So not only having power attracts attention, money does too. Atleast powers let you defend yourself. "Dr., I don't think that's beneficial to me in any way. I give you money too, and you turn me into a soldier? I thought that we were having a business deal?" "No no no! You will not be a soldier. You seem to have a good knowledge in business and a smart brain. You will be quickly able to become our executive. Fighting is for poor, not wealthy people like us." "I see. First, I want to see what a superhuman in your ranks can do. Then only I can decide about how much to fund your research." "So you are favourable to this idea?" "Yeah. Doesn't it feel exciting to be in a secret organization? I get goosebumps just imagining being a boss lady with power and controlling everyone in shadows!" "Ho ho ho! I like you more and more Miss Rosie! I didn't know you were such a devil." "Teehee~ I am just an innocent girl, doctor." So yeah. My second life's goal has changed. Instead of being a hero, why not just become a villain? I will just take over the cockroach organization Hydra instead of building one myself. That, or just get killed, my money and property and money getting transferred to some orphanage which is controlled by Hydra. And if not killed, getting brainwashed, beaten black and blue, and becoming a test subject with all my money gone. My life has taken a f*cking turn!

  There was a quiet residential neighborhood with an apartment and a dimly lit room. There was a young man standing in front of the window. The young man was in good shape, to say the least, he was tall, and had a muscular body suggestive of strength. but His shaggy hair that hasn't been cared for for days, the dark circles under his eyes, and the faint sigh that came out of his mouth now and then, showed how tired and exhausted he was. Also, his dark eyes couldn't hide the fear he felt The young man's name is John Graham, at least that was his name in his previous life and before he mysteriously dies and wakes up in the body of someone he didn't know with a bunch of memories. and now and according to the memories that equal twenty years of experiences in this world, he's now in the body of someone called Ju Feng Even more ironic is that he already has some doubts about the reason for his current position and where he is now, but although it may seem illogical and make some people laugh, waking up in a new body is, after all, irrational as well. so by removing judgment of what is true and what is not, and with reference to the last minutes before his death, there is a clear allusion to the reason for his current position. Like every day, he was spending his time playing games, surfing the internet, and eating junk food and by the end of the day, he started reading a novel. and as always he didn't like the story and considered the reading experience to be bad, at least that's for him, so he did what he often does. evaluate Novel poorly and browsing the comments to search for someone who shares the same opinion as him, but unfortunately, all he found was a sea of praise, so he left a comment and quit "I could have done better than the protagonist" For someone who never leaves his room and without any kind of skills or achievements, the answer he left may seem very arrogant but it comes from his frustration with the novel and the character of the protagonist. after all, even the protagonist has shed tears and bled, Which is something our hero doesn't think he can do. He is just a coward who does not like suffering and prefers easy things, so his behavior can be considered unfounded arrogance resulting from his frustration. But while John was trying to shut down his computer, suddenly a notification popped up filling the entire surface of his computer [ You got it ] Two words in dark black, seem to welcome the person into the abyss Confused. the first thing that came to his mind was that his computer had been infected with some kind of virus. before he acted suddenly his limbs fell lifeless and then his body followed it and fell on the ground If someone looks into his eyes he will find it empty. without life. a little while ago alive, and after a second he fell dead and without reason After several days his body was found and examined, but the strange thing was that they did not know the cause of his death, so they put it as a heart attack. in the end, no one cares about his death, and no one will bother to do a deeper investigation . Back to Ju Feng which standing in front of the window, his consciousness had back from remembering his last moment Another reason that makes him certain that he reincarnation in the novel he saw is that the current memories correspond to the events of the novel “I don’t know why someone would want to give me such a chance, in the end, I’m just an ordinary person, hell I could even be a bad person or a scum.” muttered softly Ju Feng is well aware of what kind of person he is. and he deeply doubts that whoever brought him to this world does not know Although his eyes contained a touch of fear because of what happened to him. still he couldn't hide the expectation and hope that shone in his dark eyes. He now has a new opportunity to become something bigger, something important, something great, and he certainly will not let this great opportunity slip from his hand, it is like a poor suddenly has a real chance to become a billionaire. even if it means that he will become the devil hemself, he will not mind as long as he achieves his goal His tongue was licking his dry cracked lips. his lips did not get enough water and food for several days. Before he took possession of the current body and according to the memories, nine days had passed that were disastrous for all beings in this world It started with the appearance of twilight around the world, which is ironic because many people saw it as a herald of something beautiful to come. Contrary to their expectations, what came is a series of accidents that seem to be prepared by Satan himself and began with a complete outage and destruction of all electronic devices, which caused accidents and the fall of planes from The sky and Ships to stop in the sea, and also there were even many people who got stuck in the elevators and several facilities. Is the disaster over? No, it just started. The next day, dozens of coasts around the world, Suddenly it was engulfed by tsunamis that reached frightening heights For nine days in which catastrophic natural disasters alternately occurred without giving humanity even a chance to heal its grief or think of ways to escape, those nine days paved the way for a world without law, a chaotic world. The owner of the original body and in these terrible circumstances and disasters, he thought that going out to buy food is a very big risk, so he was satisfied with the little food he had and decided to stay in his apartment at least until the situation calmed down, but he did not expect that the situation would last for a long time, which makes him in a state of extreme hunger "grrr" Ju Feng touche his hungry stomach, she was making sounds and he couldn't help but sigh. He changed his gaze to a square gray screen floating in front of him in a gravity-defying manner. Since his awakening in this body and this world, He discovered the screen in front of him, which looks like a status screen and also vaguely reminds him of the cheat that was the protagonist have in the novel The Dark World Status screen contains .  Name: Ju Feng Level: Mortal Combat Power: Mortal Abilities: none Cards: none Log in: [ supermarket ] . Ju Feng's eyes scanned the screen from top to bottom and eventually ended up stopping at the last line He still remembers when he was suffering from hunger, he thought of going to the supermarket and eat from left to right, and filling his stomach, then suddenly a notification popped up asking him to sign up in the supermarket. "It's like the golden finger that protagonist had"    

  Ju Feng's eyes scanned the screen from top to bottom and eventually ended up stopping at the last line He still remembers how that happened, while he suffering from hunger, he thought of going to the supermarket, eating left and right, and filling his stomach, when suddenly a notification popped up asking him to sign up for the supermarket. "It's like the golden finger that protagonist had" He muttered quietly with a hint of happiness in his tone. He was still remembering the cheating of the protagonist in the novel 'the Dark World', and knowing that he had the same cheat is really comforting. the cheat is powerful and sometimes asks him to log in to private sites and areas and in return offers amazing powers and abilities, but this also makes him wonder if the protagonist has get his golden finger or not. Internally, he wishes to be the second option, as he does not want any competition. the mountain can't host two tigers, but in both cases, it does not matter, after all, he is willing to formulating his way to the top. not for the purpose of saving humanity like the protagonist of 'The dark world'. Ju Feng does not care about humanity. What he wants is the same as any ordinary person in his situation, using the system to get power, wealth, women, status. things that everyone craves. well, not everyone wants these things, there are very rare exceptions. people with the personality of a hero. they don't care about these things even with the temptation of power They don't misuse it, unfortunately, Ju Feng is just an ordinary person, not among those rare people He changes his gaze from the status screen to the glass window, which is currently exposed to heavy black rain causing a sound of crashing against the window glass, which is the only sound audible in the darkened apartment, giving it a kind of gloomy feeling. “Even a fool can say that this black rain is unnatural. it really amazes me how stupid some are.” With black drops flowing from the outside of the window. Ju Feng raises his binoculars and looks at a street more than a hundred meters away to see a few families packing their luggage and riding their cars to leave the neighborhood. on the other side, there is a man who robs an electronics store and carries the devices to his car. He drives his car quickly and suddenly he crashes his car against garbage. After a momentary pause, he continues his way, and this time he crashes into a person, but the driver does not bother to stop and check the person he hit him. he continues on his way He drives badly and looks like a thief, maybe the car is stolen too. Without electricity, Ju Feng's only entertainment is watching from the window, repairing and operating a few machines and appliances Ju Feng looked back at the person who got hit by the car. he got up slowly and like an old man suffering from joint pain. He walked with a broken leg and continues behind the car that has left. with a slow gait and strange but frightening and faint sounds coming from his throat Suddenly, a father of a family appears to order his children to go to the car, and then he shot an arrow into the skull of the man who follows the car. "Tsk that's a good shot, the shooting is excellent and he seems to be used to the hunt, the chances of survival are high, but unfortunately this is not a simple zombie world." He removed the binoculars with a frown. his wrinkled facial features and his eyes showing that he was deep in thought He tapped his finger on the binoculars and finally shook his head "I don't have a choice, the more I postpone it the more dangerous the world becomes. I'll need to register at the supermarket sooner, I can't let my fear ruin everything" He put the binoculars near the window and went to his office Although he said that he needs to go to the supermarket, he first needs to prepare. he will not risk his life easily, and also he has to wait until the black rain is over outside According to the novel, anyone who gets injured or exposed to this rain will eventually turn into a zombie, and the transformation period depends on how much wet and how much the body comes into contact with this black rain. If the black rain is so dangerous, some may wonder why there are people outside, well, not everyone knows the danger of the black rain. of course, the military bases and researchers know and they spread the news via radio and broadcast signals. but not everyone has or knows how to pick up this transmission. hell many people don't even know that the government is doing some kind of broadcasting He pulled out the chair slowly and sat down. in front of him is a table full of machines, spare parts, welding and repair tools He turn on the lamp on the side of the table, what the researchers called the electromagnetic wave may have destroyed the electronic devices, but the truth is that only those devices and machines that were working at that moment were completely damaged in their circuits, while the equipment that was not damaged by the electromagnetic wave can be repaired, and that is the reason why the government has not lose hope yet. and also the reason why some are able to use cars and some devices He opened his notebook, put on his glasses, and started taking notes On the thirteenth day. so far only two types of zombies have appeared, the first type is the walker. a weak zombie, a semi-decomposing body, his speed, and his strength are equivalent to an old man. his bodies are very damaged and decomposed, according to what I picked up from the radio signals, this type of zombie is coming from the cemetery, it seems that the buried corpses, which did not fully decompose, is starting to leave their grave The second type is the hardest and the most widespread and I call them runners. The speed and strength are equivalent to the normal person. Referring to that they do not get tired while running, they are the worst chasers at the end of the world. Their detection abilities are much better than the Walkers, to finish them you must cut or destroy their heads. and the person has to take more care when dealing with them compared to the Walkers Ju Feng straightened his glasses while his eyes scanning the contents of the page "Advanced zombies haven't appeared yet, which is a bit of a relief" He muttered softly while the pen in his hand had back to finish writing.  

Announcement I decided to write this to take a break from the current chapter of the young lady has run away because I was having a hard time writing it, but then the chapter ended up being twice the normal length, so uh... sorry about the long wait for chapter 52. Also this story is going to be on the back burner until the young lady has run away is finished. Expect erratic and infrequent updates. "Lu..." "...Mia" "LUMIA PLEASE WAKE UP! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR BREAKFAST" "HWAH?!" I'm violently shaken by a lady in a maid outfit. When did I hire a maid? Despite my confusion, the maid dresses me in such an efficient manner that I can only gawk at the artistry of it. Also isn't this a dress? While I was naked I didn't see any male parts either. "Come along, Lumia. His highness is likely waiting for you." Wait. . . Lumia? As in the princess from that game I played a lot, Shadow Kingdom? If I'm the princess, calling me by name would be a massive breach of etiquette and could get you killed. To say that name with such ease, this maid must be the 'Caretaker'.  The 'Caretaker' is the player's best friend in Shadow Kingdom. They're an immortal being with lots of power behind the scenes and fiercely loyal to the royal family. Their job is to protect and raise the heirs to the throne. As such the goal of the game is to raise Lumia so that they can deal with a war in the future. Of course even getting to the war itself is difficult with the many many bad endings, but the 'Caretaker' is your get out of jail free card. Of course they have their limits, but they've bailed me out of a ton of difficult circumstances. For the time being I'll go with the flow and eat breakfast. My brain is already moving at light speed. There's a lot of things to prevent and a lot of things I need to do to do so. ----- At the table there are many fancy foods. The fanciest thing at the table however, is the king. He welcomes me with a smile on his face. "Come and sit my daughter! We have a lot to discuss." I recognize this dialogue from the game. It seems I'm at the very start of Shadow Kingdom. A little earlier would've been nice, but this is doable. The king continues, "Starting the day after your fourteenth birthday, so two days from now, you'll start your training with the 'Caretaker' in earnest." Yeah this definitely is the start of the game. I finish chewing then look at the maid who brought me here. "Hear that 'Caretaker', I'll be under your care from now on." The maid blinks a few times and then their smile becomes unnaturally long. There were hints in the game but seeing it in reality is unsettling. "It has been many a generation since I've last been found out, pupaling. Such an event is usually a good omen." The 'Caretaker' looks over towards the king. "It seems you've made for good breeding stock." The king shudders. The 'Caretaker' returns to their disguised state. After a few moments the king recollects himself. In that brief window of time, I realize me, the king, and the 'Caretaker' are the only ones in the room. The king coughs and continues, "To tell the truth, if you were a bit older when your mother died, you'd already have my job. So as the law of Luwisha demands I'll be passing on the title of ruler on to you after your birthday." Luwisha, the country I'm the princess of is a matriarchal society. Succession for the seats of power go to the females before the men. Since I've reached "of age" by this worlds standards I'm basically all but forced to take on the role of ruler, lest the nobles rebell. Of course they don't particularly care whether or not the new leader is woefully unprepared, that makes things all the better! We have to have a woman on the throne after all! It would be breaking tradition if we didn't, we totally don't want to take advantage of the vulnerable leader for political gain. In reality they just want the king who is hard to sway off the throne. He was competent enough but mostly just kept the status quo and there is a faction who isn't exactly fond of that. Well I suppose there wouldn't really be a game if the king didn't give up his spot to the princess.  The king continues on, "I may have my doubts regarding what the 'Caretaker's' lessons involve, but I do know that it is tradition for the royal family and that it's what your late mother would've wanted. So please take the lessons seriously." "You don't have to worry, Orien. Your daughter is under good care." ---- Some time has passed and we've finished eating. I'm currently being escorted back to my room by the 'Caretaker'. Considering its just the two of us, I think its a good time to hash out some details. "I have something to discuss regarding my lessons 'Caretaker'." "Oh?" "I have no intention of becoming a noire like the late queen." She stops in her tracks and turns around to look me in the eye. "You'd deny your birthright?" "That power is bad juju. I have no intention of becoming some monster's food." "What are you talking about? The noire would make you strong enough to fight monsters, not make you susceptible to them." "You ate the queen did you not?" "..." "You're a dusk stalker correct?" The noire is the magic system in this world. Its a mysterious power that requires you to attune yourself to a rare artifact to use. Only one person can attune to an artifact at a time and the only way to undo attunement is death. Of course the more artifacts you attune to the stronger you become. After a certain amount of strength is gained you reach a state called 'Dusk' where your abilities evolve. Of course most don't know this state exists because those who achieve dusk quickly die off, the reason for their demise, the dusk stalkers, are even more unknown.  There's only two instances where dusk stalkers were referenced in game, a bad ending where you raise an army of noire to fend off the main antagonist and a very difficult optional event that only rewards you with a slightly altered version of another ending. Their mystery has sparked many theories online and the 'Caretaker' being a dusk stalker is a common one. Of course now that the game is reality, that has become abundantly apparent. "It has been a very long time since I've been referred to as a dusk stalker. The Kingdom that called my kind that died out long ago. I presume you know that land is now referred to as the Lingering Shadow?" "I do." The dusk stalker's eyes blacken. Their mouth sprouts sharp mandibles and a proboscis. Their size grows until they start to dwarf me. They lift me up off the ground with their claws. "I wonder how you came across that knowledge. My kind has covered its tracks quite well. There very well could be some surviving records, but the person to access them one would have to be quite the advanced noire-." "Because they encrypted their knowledge using powerful magics." Their grip tightens after I interrupt them. "You're clearly not Lumia, so who the hell are you?" Their grip hurts, but I need to press on. "Are you sure you want to kill me? While I may not be Lumia, this most certainly is her body. If you break this body the Luwisha royal lineage would come to an end." She hisses and releases me upon hearing that. Thank god that was enough to convince her because I didn't have a trump card other than that. Well if that'd happened I probably would've been able to come up with something . . . I hope. "What is your goal? Why take over MY pupaling?" "Well it wasn't something I really planned. Its more like an accident really. I'm not sure how it happened or how to undo the possession..." "Curious." Her face softens slightly after hearing that. She raises a claw and dark energy manifests on it, before shooting out at me. I flinch as the energy covers me in my entirety. However it only lasts for a second as the magic shatters. The dusk stalker recoils as a light shoots back at them. The light barely misses their head, but bounces around the room making the dusk stalker move erratically to avoid it. The light eventually fizzles out and they breathe a sigh of relief. "The hell just happened?" "I used the noire to try and scan you, but it seems like that'll be impossible. I've never seen the noire reject something that strongly before." I then hear a sound effect in my head and a screen of light appears before me. Character Profile Updated! Name: Chu'phide Title: Caretaker of Luwisha  Race: Ke'roh Threat level: Moderate Affection: 25 Feeling: Wary Bio: a loyal servant of the Luwisha royal family who has been serving for generations. Their excuse for living so long is their prowess with the noire, but it seems like the truth is that they're not exactly human. Will their loyalty to the royal family outweigh their distrust of you? Hmm this box is a part of the ui from the game. It was very useful because you need to keep track of a lot of characters and it was very easy to forget things. However the affection is unusually low for the 'Caretaker' as in game their affection for Lumia is always maxed and impossible to drop. The name in game would be whatever you typed in at the start, so I guess Chu'phide is their actual name. "...me" Its only just now that I realize Chu'phide has been talking this whole time. "Oi, can you not space out like that?" "Ah sorry about that... What were you saying?" "What should I call you? You're obviously not Lumia so what is your name?" I open my mouth to speak, then pause. I can't remember my name. I. Can't. Remember. My. Name. How the hell do I end up forgetting my name?  "I'm waiting." "This is a little embarrassing, but I can't seem to recall my name." She narrows her eyes and says to me, "Then come up with one." "Uhhh, how about Lumio?" "Unoriginal, but good enough I suppose. Do you perhaps need a tour of the castle?" "That would be appreciated." "Very well come along then." She tampers down her body back into a human form and starts walking. I follow, but then I suddenly get an idea. If I can see character profiles, then can I see my own skill levels from the game as well? "Status" A screen pops up if front of me, but I'm interrupted before I can get a good look at it, "Why the hell did you randomly say status?" "I'm testing something out." "Oh?" "Can you see a screen of light in front of me right now?" "No?" "Interesting... Well pay it no mind." "Understood, but don't go doing stuff like that at a party or something, pupaling." "Gotcha." YouLevel up available!Level: 0HP: 10Strength: 3Agility: 5Noire: N/ACharisma: 15Composure: 75Mood: 50Morality: 0 SkillsAnimals: 0Beast lore: iWeapons: 0Noire: N/AEtiquette: iSong: 0Dancing: 0Art: 0Royal demeanor: IHistory: iDomestic politics: VIForeign politics: VIAccounting: iPublic speaking: IIEspionage: iMilitary: iiMedicine: 0Poison: i Hmm theres some stuff from the game, but also new stuff as well. First of all lets talk stuff from the game.  Mood, morality, and composure were in the game, but they weren't shown as a stat because the game didn't have stats. They were a meter that went up and down depending on your choices. Mood and composure mainly affected the speed you could level up skills and had some minor dialogue changes as well as made certain skill checks harder or easier.  Low composure basically meant Lumia was paranoid in dialogue and made skills to protect you level up faster. High composure made Lumia an unshakable wall and improved the level up of social skills. Mood correlates with Lumia's happiness/sadness. It has similar dialogue affects like composure and also benefits skill learning, however when Lumia is sad there is mostly demerits. The exception is animals, but animal handling classes would raise the happiness meter. Finally Morality just altered the ending you got. All the skills here were in the game and are fairly self explanatory. They're done in roman numerals and have 9 levels. It starts with lower case i and stays lower case until you hit iii. Next it becomes uppercase I and goes all the way to VI which is supposed to be max. The red i in history and beast lore in new though. My only guess is that it has something to do with me figuring out about Chu'phide's true nature. Stats are completely new to me. I click on the 'level up available!' Text and a new screen pops up. Level up available!Whenever you raise a skill you get exp. After gaining enough exp you level up you get to raise a stat by 1 and completely refill your hp! Level ups available: 36Choose a stat:HpStrength Agility Charisma  Hmm for the time being I decide to evenly distribute my level ups into hp and Charisma as i won't need to fight for awhile, but I'll need to talk a lot. YouLevel: 36Hp: 28Strength: 3Agility: 5Noire: N/ACharisma: 33Composure: 80Mood: 75Morality: 0 When I look up from the screen, I see Chu'phide looking at me. "The hell did you just do?" "What do you mean?" She rushes towards me. I flinch as she grabs my head. "You made Lumia cuter!" "A-ah, is that so?" "Yep! Lumia was already an adorable little bug, but you somehow made that cute little face better, So make sure to get the hell out of her body as fast as possible, Lumio." "U-understood Ma'am!" ------ "Well that's just about the whole castle. Any questions?"  "WHO THE HELL DESIGNED THIS PLACE?" "Arthur Brigham. He was a prolific architect under the rule of queen Lual Luwisha III. He had a very practical mindset and valued purpose over form, so he refused to add excess adornments in favor of adding many more secret passages and other security measures in case of a siege." "THIS PLACE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A WAR CRIME!" "If it makes you feel any better Arthur was later executed by queen Lual III because he knew every detail about the castle's secrets. That brings me back... she was always the paranoid type." "THERE'S A PIT FALL TRAP WITH LIVE ALLIGATORS IN FRONT OF MY ROOM! HOW DO YOU EVEN FEED THEM?!" "We don't. It makes them more ravenous and buying new alligators is slightly cheaper than keeping them alive." "I'm to exhausted to deal with this, let me retire to my room." "Understood, sir follow me and watch your head as the ceiling was designed so most would bump their head on it." "I'm not even gonna comment on how this is a completely different path than how we arrived." "Well of course, the path we came is designed to be one way if you go back that way you'll-" "I don't want to know." "Understood." After a long agonizing path we finally made it back to my room. Afewconcepts65 this story is heavily inspired by a game called long live the queen, I feel like it'll become kinda obvious as the story goes on. I also took some inspiration from the princess maker games. Both of these sources have some creepy aspects so check them out at your own risk.

Day ??? Hello. I’m *****. I don’t think my name matters anymore given I’m the only living being in this world. I’m writing this on the spur after watching an anime so idk how long I’ll keep writing.   After all, any changes I make are reset at 12 A.M. everyday.   - - -   Day ??? + 1 So... it’s the first day after I started writing a diary. Good job me. I thought for sure by now I’d have ADHD given how nothing ever changes ‘cept for my memory.   - - -    Day 2 Thinking back, I’ve never really explained the intricacies of this world. Intricacies. Huh. Quite the intricate word.     Sorry for the pun. Anywa - - -   day 3 it’s past midnight i think whoever’s reading this can guess what happened. i think i gonna go to bed i’ll write that intricacy thing later.   - - -   day 5 sorry for not writing anything. Basically i just moped around. Sleeping or watching anime or manga Don’t ask me how the internet’s working. Idk either.   all i know is everything but my memory reverts to their position when the resets first began   it’s close to midnight now.  In a few minutes, even this entry will vanish like all previous ones Haha. I wonder why my chest feels all weird as I’m writing this. i never felt this all those days before you know. How many months, years even... and ye - - -   day 8 i cried. Yeah. A lot. Heck i think i broke a few things around my house. Can’t remember tho after the reset.   okay. A few may be an understatement. I think i was like a typhoon around the house   - - -   Day 9 Yosh. I decided to cook. I’ll write the results here after I finish! Hope it goes well!   Result — Don’t make anything more than boiled rice, toast and eggs. A work in progress i I guess?   - - -   Day 9 (A/N : 10) hmm. This fried rice is nice. I’m writing this as I’m eating even though I have no need to eat. Although I do get hungry and need to go to the restroom a few times throughout the day, I don’t have to if I sleep for most of the time. Everything just resets after all. Anyway, fried rice. I pushed myself and if I may say, the fired rice is decent. Though I think it’s missing something. Can’t put a word on what though.   - - -   Day 12 (A/N : 11) I think i made a mistake with yesterday’s entry. It should’ve been 11 and not 9 Anyway, today I finally finished watching Nar*to. Should I watch the sequel or switch to reading a light novel? Hmmmmmm   - - -   Day 14 Decided to play a gal game yesterday. Bad choice  Couldn’t finish it. Sob.    - - -   Day 17? 18? (A/N : 19) Sorry for not writing anything for a day or two. I guess I’m slowly losing it. Anyway, the reason why I didn’t or rather couldn’t write was because I was horny...   That’s right. H.O.R.N.Y After that, I fell into that post-clarity depression. Like, just took a shower and fell asleep in the bath tub.   I think you can guess but, that wasn’t enough to end this.    Nothing is.   - - -   day 26? (29) idk. I think 26 is a nice number. i think it’s been more than a week since I last opened this notebook but I’m still going. Yay me *sarcasm*   Anyway, I think I mentioned something about post-nut clarity before. They say women feel better after orgasming but idk. I think I’ll look it up on red*it later.   - - -   day ??? (47) Can’t really remember how many day’s it been but i think I lasted 25 days before I stopped writing. I think that’s praiseworthy for a self-diagnosed ADHD patient. I wonder what will last longer. These resets?   or m - - -   d ? (61) t i r e d .   - - -    d ? (67) _____________   - - -   ? (81) h e a v y   - - -   1 5 3??? (100) q u i t_____________________   - - -   Day ??? (A/N : 10 yrs after the final entry of his nth diary) Hello. Hmm, I think I wrote a diary before but can’t remember when. I’m writing this on the spur after reading a novel so idk how long I’ll keep writing.   After all, any changes I make are reset at 12 A.M. everyday. Well then, let’s see how long I’ll last! :) :) Gambatte ore!   - - -   THE END

 “Sigeberht, sigeberht can you come to my room please” Called my father in his usual soft voice. “I’ll be right there, father” I replied as I laid down my makeshift wooden sword on bed. I knew this was coming. I have just turned 17 a few months back and the time has come for me to discuss about my future with my father. Arranging my thoughts in my head I reached my father’s room. Knock knock. I knocked on the door and waited for his reply. “Come in son” he replied in a noble yet meek voice. I must inform you that my father is kinda sacred of me. So, despite all his tries, whenever he talks to me, he shrinks back to his meek personality. I entered the room. It was a room suitable for a noble man. Decorated with the most expensive and exquisite furniture, clean to the point of shinning and of course bigger than a commoner’s house. And inside this beautiful room sat my father on his king-sized bed. “Good morning, father” I bowed respectfully as I greeted him. He nodded in acknowledgement before asking me to sit on the chair placed before his bed. “Sigeberht, I assume you know why I called you here” said father still trying to put up a brave front against me. “I do” I replied before continuing.” It is to discuss about my future, right?” he just nodded. “I have already told you my answer father and I am not willing to change it.” I said in a firm voice making my father to cower farther. Sacring my dad is not something I want but no matter what I do he is always sacred of me. “I will be joining our military” I once again repeated my decision to him. He frowned. Concern itched on his face as he got the same reply, he was getting since last year. “but…but” he stammered before taking a breath to relax himself. “Son, Military is not a safe place. I don’t want you to risk your life.” Tears were welling up in his eyes. “I know you don’t want to be married but joining military to escape it is foolish” His eye were red by now but he continued further. “I know some very good noble. I could arrange a very good girl for you. You will like them I guarantee.” I have stopped listening to him a while back. I already knew what he was going to say anyway. But this time I wont simply ignore him. He and I both know the truth, yet he is simply deluding himself. Trying to run away from it. Thinking If he didn’t see it won’t happen. But this time I can’t let him face away from it. He and I both know my fate and sooner he accepts it the better. “Stop deluding yourself father. Look at me, look at this face. Do you think any reputable family will agree to marry their daughter with me?” I stood up and held his chin refusing him to turn his face from the truth and from my face. I had some of the most undesirable characteristic in this world. I had what you could describe a ‘manly’ feature. And from the time I spend in this world I knew this was a big no no especially in the higher society. I let go of his chin and sat back on the chair. “I don’t think you can find a girl of me and even if you miraculously found one, where do you think they will dump me right after marriage? Military. So, if I am going to end up there no matter what I do then I will be more happy to serve our military than others.” There was a silence after my rant. But from the look on my father face I could tell that the discussion has ended. From tomorrow onwards I will be serving in my army.   I was a normal guy before coming here. So, if you would have asked me what my expectations from a isekai world would be if I ever get isekai’d, my answer would have been very generic. I mean, why have lofty expectations when the generic ones are already amazing. So, an overpowered ability, a world of magic and swords and me have knowledge that can actually be applied in real life will be more than enough for me. It would become amazing if the god added bonus of me being born in a rich family and having a harem of hot girls. Pretty generic and pretty good. Or so was what I wanted when I was sent to a white empty space after getting hit by truck-kun. The gods had different idea it seems. First, no god came to visit me in that white space. So, as not god came, I didn’t get to ask for an OP ability neither I was informed about the world they were planning to throw me in. After waiting for what seemed like 5-6 hours, I was thrown down or at least my soul was thrown down. Flying through some strange space my soul entered the body of a12 year old boy standing alone in a grass field. Thus, my isekai journey started in a shitty way but what was about to come was even more shitty. You must be thinking why I am so whinny about this whole ordeal. I mean I wasn’t welcomed properly by god but at least I got a new life in a new world, right? WRONG. This isn’t a world I wanted to spend a life in. I mean, I was a pretty good guy in my last life, so I was probably going to heaven anyway. Then why must god make me suffer by sending me to this world where I was sure not going to enjoy living. Simply put this world was Matriarchy and I was a boy. Fuck that, even calling it matriarchy won’t cut it. It felt like a world created by women where men were just added later. And this was even more prevalent in higher society where the boy, whose body I was in, born. This story is about my life in a world where being a man is not acceptable.

      There is one thing that I know in this world. All of us will eventually know pain and suffer. There’s no one that will live a happy life without problems and sadness. There’s no such a thing like a happy life. I’m a high schooler and I study at Green Valley, a high school close to my home. My name is Nakata Koichi and live with my mom because my dad did suicide when I was 14. Since then, I couldn’t forgive my mom for the fights that she had with my dad. My room is upstairs so I don’t interact with my mom most of the time, since she is downstairs. It is small and everywhere you can see books, movies and food. I like watching movies while eating pizza and reading while eating pizza. I think these are the single things that I like… The things that I don’t like, well are a lot. I realized since I was young that people are merely obstacles that make you have regret and question your life. So I can say I don’t like people.     I’m thinking how my life would be now if my father was still alive. I liked spending my time with him. When we had free time, we would go fishing, letting me drive his car even if I didn’t have a license. We did a lot of things together. I remember one day, it was my mom’s birthday, so me and dad prepared a surprise. I’ve written a letter where I said that We love her, wish her to be happy, be healthy and live 100 years! She made a face like she was happy to see all those surprises. Now I can realize that she wasn’t happy at all. She just wanted to look happy, but I still can’t understand what she had on her mind. I want to forget everything, but the memories won’t let me to. Every time I try to forget what happened, some memory pops up in my mind and I feel like throwing myself from a bridge. Though, one thing makes me still being in this world. I want to be a good father, spending my time with my son, playing games, maybe drinking together when he’ll be over 18. I want to be there for him always, and don’t leave him alone…      Before my father died, I had a friend. His name was Fujita Yuichi, but I didn’t want to talk to him since my dad died. Or maybe I should say I didn’t want to be contacted by anybody since my father died. I became distant with people and I started to don’t understand them. I’ve come to the point where I don’t like them anymore. I don’t know if it’s because of me or them, but all I know is that I want to be it all over, even if it can’t. My mom knocked at the door.“Morning! Can you come downstairs for a second? It’s someone here waiting for you.”I didn’t answer. I was wondering if I should go down. Who is it anyway? I stayed for 5 minutes in my room, but then I decided to go down. I feel like what she said was true.

For 2022, I’ve been wanting to write more ‘creature features’ and generally improve my short story writing. My partner got me a Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual for my birthday so I came up with the idea of writing a story every week based on a different creature from that - All There in the (Monster) Manual. Hope you enjoy! This Week’s Inspiration: Death Dog Trigger Warning: Loss of a Pet ======= Of course Darrell missed Henry. Photos of the giant, affable Great Dane plastered the front of their refrigerator to remind him of good times and bad every time he entered the kitchen. With a blue-grey coat, Henry had stood waist-high at the shoulders. In most of the photos, Henry’s slab of a tongue dangled out of his mouth in a goofy expression. “Maybe it’s time to look at getting another dog, you know?” Molly said, seeing Darrell linger by the fridge. “Yeah, maybe, but I just wouldn’t feel right about it,” Darrell said. “Not when I was responsible for what happened.” “You need to stop punishing yourself, we’ve been over this and it wasn’t your fault! The latch broke, it could have happened at any time.” Henry was a loving and fun dog but he wasn’t smart. Six months ago, when Darrell left for work he’d failed to notice the latch break off as he swung the gate shut behind him. Henry, as he did at every opportunity, got loose. Unfortunately when he ran out on a nearby road he was hit by a bus and fatally injured. Someone called the number on Henry’s collar and Darrell raced him to the emergency vet but there was nothing they could do except ease his suffering. Darrell had wept at Henry’s bedside as he watched the life fade out of his best friend’s furry body. “You know, it's amazing that Henry didn’t leave us with any little grandbabies to take care of when he went,” Molly said, trying to lighten the mood. “The way that dog would hump everything in sight.” Darrell let out a short laugh. “Yeah, at least we know he died doing what he loved.” As sweet and fun a dog Henry had been, he also had a notoriously high libido. Darrell and Molly eventually trained him out of trying to mate with their legs or hips all the time but woe betide any guests who made the mistake of bending over or showing a bit too much thigh. No single piece of furniture in their house had gone unmolested. When taken on walks, Henry had to be tightly leashed or else he would run off and leap on the first dog or cat he saw. Given his size relative to most pets, the results were often hilarious albeit terrifying for the animals in question. Trees, bushes, park benches, low walls, unlucky children and mounds of autumn leaves had all fallen victim to his reign of humping. According to bystanders, on the day he was hit by the bus the reason he’d run into the road was because he was trying to make time with a halted smart car. “You’re right, maybe it's time to think about getting another dog,” Darrell said. “I’ll look at cleaning out some of Henry’s old stuff today.” ~~~ It took Darrell a couple of hours to build up the strength to tackle Henry’s old things. They’d moved them all to a rarely used cabinet in the laundry along with a half-empty bag of stale dog food. The smell permeated the walls of the cupboard. Henry’s leash sat on top of his old bowls and toys. Stuffed in the bottom of the cupboard was the dog bed they’d gotten for Henry when he was just a puppy. He’d quickly outgrown it, and the bed had become a frequent victim of Henry’s early amorous nature. Darrell wasn’t sure why they’d kept it, they should have thrown it out ages ago. But if they were to get another puppy or a smaller dog it might be useful if washed, and provide a sense of continuity. Darrell felt torn. Most of the toys and bowls were too chewed up to keep but he couldn’t find it in him to throw them away. Darrell picked up Henry’s leash and held it in his fist. “Henry, buddy, I just wish-, I wish you’d known I was there, right there, until the end. I hope you weren’t too scared.” Suddenly, a loud thud made Darrell jump. It was followed by two more, as if somebody was throwing something against the house. He spun and stuck his head into the hallway. “What was that?” Darrell shouted. Molly didn’t reply. She was probably in her office with her noise-cancelling headphones on. The thuds came again, from the front door. From where he was standing, Darrell could see the door shake. It was like someone was trying to kick the door in but they only hit it three times and then stopped and waited. “Hey! Hey, cut that out! I’m coming!” Darrell said. Still holding Henry’s old leash, Darrell hurried to the front door. He looked through the peephole before opening it but couldn’t make sense of what he saw. Someone seemed to have constructed a small tower right in the middle of their front yard. Black shapes, like giant insects, flitted around the tower and past the peephole. Darrell unlocked and swung the door open. “What the hell?” Darrell said. An enormous figure, at least twelve foot tall, stood in the centre of Darrell and Molly’s front yard. Resplendent black and silver robes draped from their high, pointed shoulders to the ground. Their face turned toward Darrell but was hidden behind an unsmiling mask made of bluish iron, thick and immensely heavy. Yellow fire burned behind the eyes of the mask and across the back of the giant figure’s head. “ARE YOU DARRELL MALCOLM STAHL, SON OF GEOFFREY MALCOLM STAHL?” The figure asked. “THIS IS SIXTY-TWO MONTAGUE STREET?” “Uh, yes, yes that’s right,” Darrell said. Black shapes ripped across the yard in blurs of motion. Now that he was outside, Darrell could see they were small, implike creatures, each less than a foot tall, pure black and all angles, with razor sharp faces and batlike wings. They cackled as they flew around the front of the house. “I AM HADES, THE UNSEEN, LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD AND GOD OF DEATH,” the giant said, with a voice like stone slabs falling down a mountain. “YOU ARE MASTER OF THE ANIMAL HENRY STAHL, SON OF BOBO?” “Yes, I am, I was,” Darrell said. “Actually I was just-,” “THIS IS YOURS.” Hades gestured with one gloved hand. Glimpsing a bright yellow blaze between the lip of Hades’ glove and his sleeve, Darrell realised the god was a being made entirely of flame, just clad in dark robes and an iron mask. His presence, however, was deathly cold. Darrell could feel himself getting chillier and chillier the longer he stood on the porch. Two of the implike creatures shot forward carrying a large cardboard box. They slammed it into Darrell’s chest and flitted away, laughing. Although he was carrying Henry’s old leash in one hand, Darrell managed to catch the box before it fell. The container was reasonably heavy, and it writhed and wrestled in his arms as if something inside was trying to get out. “What, what is this?” Darrell said. “MY FERRYMAN, CHARON, SAID FROM THE MOMENT OF HIS ARRIVAL YOUR PET, HENRY, WAS A MOST SINGULAR ANIMAL. VERY NEARLY DID CHARON THROW HIM OVERBOARD INTO THE RIVER STYX FOR THE LIBERTIES HE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE. BUT THEY CROSSED TO THE OTHER SIDE WHEREUPON HENRY SET ABOUT DEFILING ALL IN ELYSIUM HE COULD GET HIS PAWS ATOP.” “That does sound like Henry,” Darrell admitted, struggling to contain the box. “WHILE THIS BEHAVIOUR I COULD TOLERATE, YOUR HENRY THEN SET HIS SIGHTS ON SEDUCING MY ETERNALLY LOYAL GUARDIAN, CERBERUS,” Hades continued. “WHILE I AM CONTENT THAT SHE COULD MORE THAN DISSUADE HIM HAD SHE BEEN UNWILLING, I REFUSE TO CONTEND WITH THE RESULTS OF HIS ISSUE.” “I’m sorry, what? What is this?” “HIS PROGENY.” “His progeny? You mean they had puppies? But, we had him fixed!” “AFTER PASSING FROM THIS WORLD AND INTO THE NEXT, ONE FINDS THEMSELVES COMPLETE AGAIN IN BOTH BODY AND SOUL, REGARDLESS OF OCCURRENCES HERE ON THE MORTAL COIL.” “So you’re giving them to me?” “THEY ARE YOUR PROBLEM NOW.” Hades gestured again and another imp shot forward carrying what looked like a small but heavy sack. They dropped it on the porch where it split open at Darrell’s feet. Silver coins spilled out of the opening and rolled in various directions. “CONSIDER THAT CHILD SUPPORT.” Hades began to turn as if to stroll away. “Wait, wait! I mean, you’re the actual god of the underworld! I’ve got so many questions!” Darrell said. “YES?” “Well, I don't know about the big questions exactly, but what about Henry? Is he happy?” “ENTIRELY TOO HAPPY FOR MY LIKING. I WOULD SEPARATE THE TWO OF THEM BUT CERBERUS WOULD NOT ALLOW IT. AND HE REMEMBERS YOU FONDLY, HE KNOWS YOU WERE THERE AT THE END.” Darrell felt tears filling his eyes. “Can I-, could I see him?” “YOU WILL. SOONER THAN YOU THINK.” “Sooner than I think?” “FOR YOU MORTALS THE END ALWAYS SEEMS TO COME SOONER THAN YOU THINK.” Hades turned toward the gate as if to leave. His imps swarmed around him. Before Darrell could say anything more, there was a flash of fiery light and a thunderous eruption of sound. The shockwave shook the house. Up and down the block, several car alarms started to squall. When Darrell looked back he saw a large symbol burned into their lawn where Hades had been standing. Its edges glowed for a few moments, singed, before going out. Darrell went back inside, wrestling with the wriggling box. As he shut the door, Molly came hurrying down from her office upstairs with eyes wide. “What was that? It sounded like some kind of explosion!” Molly said. “What have you got in that box?” Darrell carried the box to the kitchen, setting it down on the table where Molly had been sitting earlier. He quickly explained what had happened and what Hades had told him. Eventually he remembered to go back and collect the silver coins one of the imps had dumped on the porch. They all looked ancient, pitted with use. All of them had stamped symbols on one side and stuff like emperors, owls or creatures on the other. As they spoke, the box continued to writhe and make strange mewling sounds on the kitchen table. “So these are Henry’s puppies?” Molly said. “And Cerberus,” Darrell said. “You remember Cerberus, right? Monstrous guardian of the underworld with three heads?” “Well, you remember Henry. He’d hump anything.” Finally, the two of them opened the lid of the box. It smelled of animal hair and sulphur. Whatever was inside had settled considerably since Darrell put the box down. “Oh, my God,” Molly said. “Which one?” Eight puppies no bigger than a handspan in length had been bundled into the box. Some had curled up to sleep. A couple of them wrestled and one kept licking and chewing at the cardboard. All of them were mutts and looked like a cross between Great Danes and some black, shaggy, wolfish breed. Darrell couldn’t imagine how big they would get. And each and every one of them had not one but two heads. A middle ground between their parents. “Eight puppies, what are we going to do with them?” Darrell said. “We could give them away, or sell them? They might sell for a lot, they’re a pretty exotic breed,” Molly said. “But after what we were talking about this morning, maybe we should keep one?” “Which one?” Most of the two-headed puppies continued to ignore them after the lid came off. One, however, jumped and clawed at the edge of the box as if trying to get closer to Darrell. He reached down and scooped it up. Twin tongues worked in unison, lapping at Darrell’s chin. “He likes you!” Molly said, smiling. “What should we call-, it, them?” Darrell checked that it was a boy, and held the puppy against his chest. One of the heads looked sleepy, comfortable, and blinked heavily, while the other remained alert. Fur on their back rippled and the lively head belched, letting out a small lick of flame. “How about Bernie?” Darrell suggested.   =======   “Old Cerberus has four heads, don’t you know that? The fourth’s her maidenhead, and she’s such a bitch no dog can take it from her.” -- ‘The Fifth Head of Cerberus’ by Gene Wolf Sean: Apparently Henry succeeded. I always loved Cerberus when it came to mythical creatures, ever since I was a kid. What’s not to love about the thought of a huge, scary, three-headed dog as a pet? The inspiration for this story was the two-headed Death Dogs that I found in the back index of the Monster Manual. I'll probably try to pull something out of the back index at least once a month. Mine aren’t as scary as those ones though, and probably because the second part of my inspiration was from a kids series I wanted to write a few years ago. It was very much a ‘Spooksville’ pastiche, involved a Dracula type who owned a Cerberus and I intended for her to eventually have puppies with a stray and for one of the two-headed puppies to become the team pet although I’d have to go digging through my notes, wherever they are, to find out what I intended on calling it. If you’ve lost a pet, as I have, this one goes out to you. It’s never an easy thing to handle especially when you don’t have that kind of closure at the end. Comforts me to think of them as somewhere on the other side, whatever shape that takes. Keep your eyes on my website for more in this series, I fully intend to release one every week across 2022 – totally free. And for more updates you can find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Announcement I'm so sorry for marking this complete. i did not expect the positive response it has garnered so i will be posting at least one more chapter rather than leaving this as a oneshot. writing is well underway. “Surprise!”  I watched her expression as her eyes flicked back and forth across the card. Her mouth opened and closed a couple times and her brow knit in confusion as she read and reread my handwriting.“You want me… to change how I look?” she spoke slowly though I could tell ice was seeping into her tone. “No! Nonono. No. I mean you can if you want-” fire flashed in her eyes as I choked on my words. “But that’s not what it’s for! You can change how I look. If you wanted to. Or something.” I had been so sure it would be a fun thing, who wouldn’t want to play around with a different appearance for a weekend? “You want me? To change you? For me?” her eyes seemed to burn into me as I chose my next words as carefully as I could. “Exactly!” Her frown deepened.“I mean not to change me as a person. It’s not like- I didn’t mean… it would just be for fun! For a weekend!” I shut my mouth as she folded her arms. At this point I was going to backpedal off a cliff if I kept talking. She reconsidered the card for a horribly drawn out moment.  “You know how I feel about people being treated like projects…” My heart sank like a rock. And her eyes continued to bore into me as she seemed to consider me in a different light. “Right, and this isn’t like that. I’m not asking you to complete me or like… it’s just for a weekend. If you want. I can return it. Ill just return it this was a stupid idea.”“What did you want me to do with this?” she flipped the card to the back almost casually. “The business is just getting popular, you know? I thought it would be a fun couples thing to let you like… pick out something silly to change me into? Cuz like I know you are super into like supergirl and stuff and you could make me look like one of those celebrities or…” My stomach tightened in anxiety but some of the concern left her expression.“A couple’s thing huh?” she twirled the card as I bounced my leg. “A few silly ideas do come to mind… I think there’s a way I could do this that would work out.” she caught my eye all of a sudden. “It’ll be for fun right? Because i’m not going to play games where I turn you into someone else and let you wonder if I wish I was with someone else instead.” I was already nodding as she spoke and I felt a flood of relief as she typed the coupon code into her phone.  I bit my lip as she snatched the invoice out of the small insulated box. She had been aloof about her plans ever since I gave her the card and no matter how I asked she continued to deflect. Two little purple vials sat nestled in paper shavings and gel packs labeled "part 1" and "part 2".  “Are you excited?” her smile seemed devilish as she grabbed vial 1 and traded it for the box. I managed a thin smile as I fumbled with the cork. “Excited is one word for it, yeah.”  She caught my hesitation as usual. “A surprise for a surprise seems fair to me don’t you think dear?” her grin was bordering on predatory now as I glowered down at the thin fluid. “But… I mean… it doesn't need to be a total surprise if…”I shook my head. “Nah, fair’s fair. I trust you anyways.” I tried not to have any doubts as she beamed at me. Careful not to spill, I raised the vial to my lips, I looked away to take a sip, afraid I'd choke on the potion if I didn't steel myself. But all said and done it wasn’t as bad as I feared. I was half prepared to drink burnt hair for this to work but the actual flavor was more like drinking grape juice from a cup that had a little bit of soap left in it. The fact that it was still chilled helped too. I exaggerated a sigh of enjoyment for her benefit as I drained the flask, checking to make sure I hadn't missed a drop before stoppering it and dropping it in the box.  “So now are you gonna tell me what you chose?” “Oh I think you’ll know soon enough.”I rubbed my neck as she continued to stare at me. “Though… I don't think it would hurt to recommend you get out of any clothes you care too much about.” I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as she finished speaking and concern flashed across her face as I hugged my midsection. As soon as the pain started though it was replaced by a spreading warmth. I massaged the area anyways as I contemplated her warning. “I’ll go find some gym shorts-”“I think you should take off your clothes here actually.” I felt a blush work its way into my cheeks as I recognized her tone. “Right now if you would.”The warm feeling continued to spread, seeming to radiate from my bones as I worked off my boots and pushed my jeans down. I could have sworn I wore the loose ones today but I peeled them off my thighs as quickly as I could anyways. My shirt also gave me trouble as it seemed to cling to my arms and chest as I tugged at it. Usually I would just pull from the collar over my head and the rest followed but it didn’t seem to work right now. Whatever changes she had planned wouldn't permit that. I struggled with the cloth in vain for a moment before I changed tactics. I felt foolish for the insecurity but a while back, one time when I was alone, I had read an animation tutorial on how women take off their shirts vs how men do due to the fit of things and skeletal structure. My blush seemed to burn independent of the other heat going on as I crossed my arms over my stomach, peeling up the shirt and lifting it over my head in a somewhat smooth and, in my opinion, distinctly feminine motion.  She raised an eyebrow at me as I turned the shirt right side out again before dropping it on top of my jeans beside me. With that out of the way I had a better view of the beginnings of the change. My body hair seemed to be thinning, no. falling out. It was kinda gross watching it slough off like snow and I rubbed my arms in resignation trying to speed up the process. I grimaced at the mess, wiping everything I could reach off as though I was covered in cobwebs. I wondered for a moment if she didn’t like the hair or if I should have been shaving my body before but I pushed the idea from my mind. This was just for fun and not supposed to be indicative of what she wants me to be. We discussed that. Still. As far as my own preferences went I couldn’t deny that the feeling of my skin without hair was far preferable to even the softest peach fuzz I had before.  As I looked around for any hair I might have missed I began to notice a strange change to my coloration. In some places my skin seemed to pale but in others it just lost color. I quickly determined it wasn't something about the lighting but rather I became more and more certain I was turning a navy sort of grey, even as I watched the blue began to border on purple and then a grey-red contrasted by white. My stomach and breasts seemed to be the palest while my back and tail seemed to be darker.  My girlfriend giggled as I did a double take, simultaneously cupping my chest as I spun in a half circle to look at my tail. The protrusion grew before my eyes, thick and weighty as it sprouted from the base of my spine. Semi-rigid fins appeared from the sides as I watched but my attention was drawn away from the spectacle as my boxers began to cut into my hips and my breasts grew heavier in my arms.  Fuck they felt good. I only spared a hand to push my boxers off for one second before I returned to holding them. I didn’t even care about my girlfriend’s manic laughter, what did she expect anyways? Any guy would love this. I bit my lip as I pinched a nipple, squeaking in surprise as I tasted blood. I felt my lips and teeth as gently as I could manage, finding the small cut I had made in my lip as well as the more notable sharpening of my teeth into points. I pressed on one and it pinched but I was happy to note it wasnt razor sharp as I had feared. I made a note that I probably shouldn’t bite anything very hard for a while until I had a better sense of it. Continuing my exploration my hands went to my crotch. I brushed away the last of the hair and stepped out of my boxers to really inspect the change. Hell. fucking. Yeah. I bent over forward, nearly losing my balance as I tried to get a better look before digging into my jeans pocket for my phone. In no time I had the camera up and I contorted to get a good look at my new genitalia. “And I thought you’d hate that part.” my girlfriend mused, shaking me from my thoughts. She was resting her head on her chin, bemused as I dropped the phone back on top of my clothes. I shrugged and swung my hips a bit, giggling drunkenly as my tail knocked my pile of clothes onto the ground. “I dunno why. This is pretty fucking cool I think.”   “Mhmm?” as she stood my eyes widened. I was looking up to her now. And I wasn't sitting. Uh oh.I almost bit my lip again as she caught my chin and turned my head side to side. “I hope the hair on your head doesn’t fall out too now.” she laughed as my eyes widened in horror. “I’m only teasing, it wont take away your gorgeous locks, don't worry your pretty little head.” I did my best to squint up at her in reproach, losing the battle for a pouting demeanor as she pulled my bottom lip down with her thumb. “Those look fun though.” I batted her hand away, baring my teeth in the widest smile I could “Isn’t there a saying? Don’t look a baby shark in the teeth or something?”I squinted as she shook her head, whipping my face lightly with her hair.“No, and if there is, we can burn that bridge when we get to it.” I felt myself grinning like a fool as she pushed my hair back, brushing my ear as she looked at the gills on my neck. I squirmed, trapping her hand between my shoulder and neck as the foreign sensation made me clam up. “That feels weeeeeeird” I groaned as she wiggled her fingers out and I shook my head to forget the sensation. She only nodded as she trailed her hand down to my arms. Despite being shorter and generally thinner it felt like I had put on a little muscle. I flexed as she squeezed my arm. It was her turn to bite her lip as she stared at the now visible muscle groups in action. “Got a thing for buff ladies?” I struck a goofy body builder pose as she laughed at my antics. “Honey we both watched Legend of Korra. You know what I like in a girl.” I shrugged, dropping my arms. “Sure, sure. Didn’t expect you to make me into one for some reason but I aint complaining.” “As you shouldn’t, seeing as it’s your gift to me rather than the other way around… in fact if you groped yourself any harder i’d suspect it WAS the other way around.” I tried to act casual but I could tell my guilty smile was visible from orbit. “I don’t see why i'm not allowed to be happy with your choices.”“Oh you’re allowed alright. In fact it makes this next part much easier.” I didn’t have time to ask for clarification before she had stepped forward, lifting me bodily into her arms. The room spun for a moment as she caught up my tail, settling my legs around her hips as she carried me like an overgrown pet to our bedroom. I knew better than to resist her embrace but I still found myself pushing against her as the buttons of her jacket felt like ice against my chest. As quickly as the trip had started though it was over with me dropped backwards onto the bed. She brushed a hand along my inner thigh as she stood up beside the bed, gazing down at me hungrily as she threw the jacket off her shoulders. “What are ya fukken gay?” I teased, lifting my arms above my head as I enjoyed the show. “Shhhhhh stop erasing Bisexuals.” she batted away my foot from where I attempted to brush her thigh before kicking off her jeans and crawling on top of me.My breath caught as she lay down against me and I found myself a little disoriented as she captured my lips in hers. It wasn’t really supposed to be new was it? She’d thrown me on the bed before, crawled on top of me too but this time my body seemed to actually fit against hers. Sure I felt a connection with her whenever we held hands and kissed but this felt like a full body kiss. However, the puzzle of the newness of the situation dissipated like smoke as she wove her fingers into mine above my head. So high above my head too, far higher than she had ever reached before. I wondered when the bed had gotten longer before that puzzle also seemed to slip out of my mind. Most thoughts seemed to slip from my mind in fact. All thoughts except her hands, particularly the one she had worked between my legs. I decided that hand would be my favorite. “If you start singing baby shark, I can, should, must, and promise I WILL spank your ass raw.” She punctuated the threat with the firm press of her hand and I provided all the resistance of butter to a hot knife as she slid a single finger to the second knuckle into me.“Fit-ah! Fitting for you to have something stu-” I broke off with a choked cry as she pressed further, simultaneously squeezing the hands above my head until they ached. “Stuck in your head- FUCKING hell. With your fingers stuck in…” I trailed off into a breathless gasp, I couldn't speak and I felt the breath rattle my chest in an unstoppable moan as she fixed her lips below my jaw. I couldn’t tell if it was her hips moving or mine. Or perhaps both of ours were working together. Something inside me wound up tighter and tighter with every thrust of her finger. The tighter it got the harder it became to breathe until I had no breath to talk. I felt the air rush over my teeth more than I felt it fill my lungs as I grew dizzy but still I pushed and squeezed and wound myself up harder and faster until I felt something began to break over. She seemed to feel it too as my breathing lost it’s rhythm the rocking of my hips became unproductive. She curled her fingers inside me and I came unwound violently and passionately in her arms. Fiery heat roared through my body under my skin. I could feel the wrinkles in the sheets below me, the hairs on my scalp at risk of being pulled out, the bones in my hands clamped together in hers, the very fiber of my being charged to a flashpoint and every speck of the inferno was focused on her. Her body on mine, the feeling of her hair on my neck, her voice indistinct in my ears and almost as an afterthought her fingers inside me. Brushing at the untapped core of my being as though she had lifted the lid off my heart and dipped herself in for a snack.Words became too much work. She screamed and bit my collar bone as my nails dug into her back and I screamed back, the sound cutting off into an inaudible howl as she put all the weight of her hips behind her hand. Too much. Much too much sensation washed through me. Everything that was pain was bright just like everything that was pleasure. Blinding and rushing through my body just like the stars across my vision. Someone somewhere was crying, and someone else was making gentle shushing noises. Sticky fingers brushed my cheeks, my face damp with someones tears as the love of my life looked down at me. She looked flushed. Was she angry? Her eyes seemed so full of love. Someone was still crying though, choking sobs that shook my whole body. My hands were aching, my eyes stung with tears and my chest felt full. Bursting with love. “Shh, shh shhh.” I pressed into her hand where she held it next to my face. it felt cooler than it had any right to be and I swallowed the last of my sobs as the stars faded from my vision. “I thought I broke you there for a second” she smiled despite her concern as I tried to take a deep breath. Her hair billowed around her neck from the effort. “I think you did.” I sighed as she wove her fingers into my hair. I flinched as she repositioned, her leg brushing my overstimulated core as she lay down beside me. “You’ve never been so vocal before.” she whispered and winced as my hand rested against the fresh scratches on her back. “Or physical for that matter.”“I’ve never been astrally projected from my body by an orgasm either.” She rolled her eyes as I wiped my face with my free hand. “First time for everything I suppose.” I brought my aching legs back together, half pulling them to my chest beside me before draping my knees over her legs. “Is that a normal thing for girls? I dont think ive come so close to passing out since I ran into a fence in 3rd grade and woke up screaming.”She rolled her eyes. “Sex isnt supposed to be like brain trauma. But we have a whole weekend to see if pressing your buttons breaks anything permanently.”I laughed in a shuddering mirthless gasp, too exhausted to even blush as the prospect of more to come. “Was it everything you hoped it would be?” she continued, playing with my hair as I hummed tunelessly.“I dunno. I guess? I think I dreamed of it being less stars and more flowers or something.” “Oh, well duh. You get the flowers with oral. And stars with fingers. You should have specified up front.” she pulled one of my hands into hers, weaving our fingers together as I giggled at her sass.“Whoopsies my bad. Yes, next time I would like the flowers with a side of chocolate and ice cream.” I glanced at the talon-like claws my fingers had become. “Or perhaps sushi.” She wrinkled her nose at me. “I’m starting to think you’re just hungry for real food rather than sexual metaphors because all of that sounds nasty.”  On cue, my stomach rumbled under our clasped hands, setting off another slightly pained giggle fit. “But seriously babe, are you gonna be okay? You scared me a bit there.” she turned my face to meet her eye, seeming to stare into my soul as doubts crept into the back of my mind.“Haha. yeah i'm fine right now. All you gotta worry about is if I get addicted to that or something.” My tail whapped against the wall for the umpteenth time and I let my head fall into my hands. I wanted to disappear and our food hadn't even come out yet.“Couldn’t we have ordered to-go?” I half hissed under my breath as my girlfriend beamed across the table at me.“And miss this? Never. Have you seen yourself blush? Delectable.” I pulled the hood lower over my face, before reaching back and tugging the back hem to cover a couple more inches of my tail. Sure the online potion shop was popular, incredibly so, but that didn’t mean a shark girl was any less conspicuous. My tail whapped the wall again as she pulled my hands from my face, cradling them in hers. Were sharks even supposed to wag their tails? Wasn’t my heart thundering enough to make up for it?  She didn’t seem to mind the attention at all, maybe she couldn’t be bothered to notice anything past her complete fixation on me. I couldn’t so much as breathe without her gasping about how cute I was. And sure, yeah, I'm cute or whatever but being under a microscope wasn’t fun.“We haven’t even gone swimming yet!” She earned a fresh groan, just in time for the sushi boat to arrive. I wasted no time snatching a salmon nigiri as she continued her teasing.“You didn’t seriously think you’d get through the weekend without a dip in the ocean did you? At least not with that body.” she rested her head on a palm watching me chew as if me eating had become her new favorite spectacle. “Honestly.” I snorted, pausing to swallow “I don’t know when you think I would have had time to think any thoughts at all with the attention you’ve been giving me.”She rolled her eyes, and took her first piece of sushi, she probably realized that since I'm on my third she’d have to start now if she wanted any. “I thought you hated salmon.” I took my turn to roll my eyes, dropping another piece in my mouth. “Sharks eat fish right? Besides this stuff tastes alright now so it’s whatever. I’m hungry okay?”She nodded. Pushing a piece of ginger around with her chopsticks as she considered something.  “So you’re so committed to the RP that you’ll eat fish? Thats cute.”“I was thinking of it as more of a ‘when in Rome’ sort of thing. Like how I'm okay with wearing girl clothes since I'm a girl for now.”She stopped chewing for a second and I thought I saw a strange look pass her face but as soon as it came it was gone.  “Sure sweetie.” After a moment she pulled out her phone and flicked idly as we took turns on the remaining pieces and negotiated the terms of the swim date.“So i’ll probably just cut a hole in some old denim shorts or something to swim in. I don't really want to go shopping and I dont think your outfits will fit.”  She was shaking her head before I finished though. “Nonsense. The chafing would be horrible. We’ll reuse the swimsuit for the next time you want to do this anyways.”Her grin could scarcely be wider as it took me a moment for the logic to sink in. “Wait. I mean. Well…” She cackled. Holding her stomach as she laughed at my expense. “Oh my GAWD you are addicted aren’t you? You do want to do this again already!”I couldn’t help but look around in alarm as the other customers began to stare again. “Geeze please keep it down?” I hissed as she made a pitiful effort to contain herself. I opened and shut my mouth a few times as I worked on a retort but every time I screened my response for lies the response fell apart. I did like it. I didnt even hate it when she teased me about it. “I don’t like drawing lots of attention…” I muttered as she wiped tears and did her best impression of a serious and repentant nod. “Okay babe, i’m sorry im so good at teasing you it breaks your lil mind sometimes.” She covered her mouth as I growled and the plates rattled on the table as I thumped my head against it. “No. absolutely not. Nope.” I shot down the third bikini in a row as I followed my girlfriend around the swimshop. “If you don’t pick something you’re swimming naked.” she made the empty threat again, this time loud enough for the cashier to hear. I grit my teeth as she held up a one-piece suit “and I WILL pick something as soon as it contains more material than my pocket lint.” I snatched the offered suit from her hands. “I'll try this one.”“Perfect!” she clapped her hands and shooed me to the changing room as I got a closer look at the suit. Suddenly it occurred to me that she never expected me to accept the bikinis but I never would have accepted this to start. “You’re a stinker, you know that?” I rolled my eyes as she closed the changing room door behind us and dragged my hoodie over my head.“Mhmm” she sounded bright as ever as she methodically separated me from my clothes. I held her shoulder for balance as she guided me into the suit and I fidgeted a bit to get everything situated as she worked. “Is this… fun for you still?” my voice came out nearly inaudible as I mused aloud. Seeing her nod I pressed further. “Even with me being a stick in the mud and all that?”She paused, the top half of the swimsuit lay limp over my thighs as she looked at me. “Is this not fun for you?” I fiddled with the straps of the suit. “I dunno. I don't think I'd call it fun? It's interesting but it's a lot you know? Like all the mental and biological changes are pretty heavy? And I still like it. I really, really do but I dunno.” I pulled the straps up, leaning forward to situate my boobs in the built in bra-ish thing. “I guess i'm just surprised it's still fun for you to see me like this. All out of sorts and whatnot. I can’t even tell how much of this is me and how much is from the potion…”She bit her lip, staring at my chest for a long moment as though staring into space. After a while she seemed to realize where she was staring and met my eye. “I'm sorry it's confusing but I really appreciate you continuing to stick with it? I mean don't stick with it on my account but… I just like that we’re having these talks and stuff still… Also you are seriously cute like this and I burst with joy every time I see that toothy lil smile- that one! That's the smile. Fucking love that.”I rolled my eyes and fussed with the hem of the suit, letting her flit about and check the fit while she had her fun. Unsurprisingly, tails are kinda difficult to accommodate with a normal swimsuit in a remotely flattering way.  “SHARK!”  The scream of a child made me nearly jump out of my skin for the third time, not because I even remotely believed there was danger but because of how incoherently stupid it was to hear the same joke for the third time when I hadn’t gotten hip deep into the ocean yet. I glanced sideways at my girlfriend. “Can I bite him? I really want to bite that kid.”  She managed half a weary smile in return. “You don’t have shark instincts. That’s just the human irritation.” “A human bite it is.” I'd half turned to chase the runt but was swiftly stopped by firm arms around my waist, she trapped my tail between her legs as she rocked a bit with the waves and stared out to sea. “Okay so I didn’t think that particular part through as well as I could have.” I felt her lean down to kiss my temple and shrugged apathetically. “Sea world might let me in.”  “You know they wouldn’t and you aren’t an animal intended for captivity and entertainment”“She says, holding me captive in her arms as kids point and laugh.” I stuck out my tongue as I turned in her arms to look up at her and she played at biting it. “Stinker. Anyways, do you wanna build a sand castle?”I wiggled my tail out from between her knees, trudging through the water to the shore. “Yeah might as well.”I followed her lead, nodding as she rambled about ideal locations and engineering strategies until she found a section of the beach that had fewer tourists. I plopped down near the surf, letting the waves just reach the tip of my tail as they surged in. I occasionally tried to flick some sprinkles at my girlfriend when they did, much to our mutual amusement. Despite my fooling we worked well as a team. I dug up buckets and packed them down as best I could and she carefully placed and unmoulded the corners of the tower. We took turns with the shovel to dig out the moat and by the time the surf had reached my toes the castle was beginning to take shape. PIFFsssss   Sand showered on our heads as the debris of our castle settled. A volleyball rolled away as my shock was replaced with fury. However I had scarcely dug in my claws to the sand to give pursuit before I was tackled sideways.“Let them go.” She struggled to hold my arms down as I tried to figure out how to escape without hurting her. I thrashed for a good few seconds, giving her hold on me a thorough test before seeing my prey disappear into the crowd. I slumped in the sand, looking at the upside down beachfront as my head rested in the remains of the moat we built together. “That was the least cash money thing yet.” I grumbled, my words came out oddly distorted because of my position. I lifted my head, bumping foreheads with hers as she surprised me with a kiss.“Im sorry. But I didn't schedule time to go to jail for maiming.”“It’s not called maiming when all that’s left is chum.” I smiled despite myself as she sat up and shook some sand out of her hair. “You take this role playing thing waaaay too seriously.” I rolled my eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time today. “I told you it's just my new biology.” I let her pull me to sit up and she climbed off my lap for a second to let me situate my tail before plopping down again. “Okay, now that I have a captive audience I gotta lay some truth on you.” she took my hands in hers and looked me the eye. “There isn't any biology happening. I googled it. I triple checked. I called a guy at the company while you were in the bathroom. Your body isn't flooded with hormones, your nervous system hasn't been super clocked or whatever, it's just you in a different shape. Rearranged.”“But-” I looked from one eye to the other, searching for the slightest indication of a prank. I remembered the euphoria I had felt touching my body for the first time and I had assumed it was just chemicals. How could I explain the sensations that ripped through me if it wasn’t the potion? How could innocent and mild curiosity possibly account for mind melting euphoria?“Yeah. that means exactly what you think it does.” Oh no. no no no no. The things I had done. I sang. I danced. I blushed and flirted and poured my heart out and I pretended every sincere yearning I dragged up from the abyss was fake. I started living my heart-felt dreams because I opened up. Like a fucking book and she read it all, she'd read me cover to cover now.  My throat felt like it was closing up. “I can explain-” she brushed sand off my cheeks, her smile sad as I fumbled my words. “You’re a girl… aren’t you?” My mouth hung open and I searched for words fruitlessly. I had nothing. I might as well be naked under her gaze for all I could hide now.“Okay let me phrase it this way, are you a girl right now?”I hesitated. The answer seemed obvious but so complicated. I’m not a girl, I wasn’t born one. People can just be a girl though… I could be a girl if I wanted. If I only wanted to be a girl then I would just be one right? I wish I wanted to be a girl. Really wanted it, not in this “think about it all the time” way but a “I’m going to do something” way.  “Maybe. I guess. A little.” “Okay that’s a start. Consider this, If you might be a girl right now. You might always have been a girl.” Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt my shoulders grow tight as she held my face. I felt my world crumbling a bit and like the sand castle I slumped forward into her embrace. It hurt. All the things I’d held back for so long had floated right up to the surface and it felt like she was wading through my life cracking the tops off all of my jars at once. My memories of hating puberty, my envy of girls, the loathing I directed at trans women for indulging in what I refused myself. The seal was broken and it felt like hope had escaped with the rest and my girlfriend was playing pandora. A painful wail built in my stomach, bursting out through my teeth as I pulled myself to her chest. It hurt. It hurt much more now than before. She rocked me side to side shushing me as my shuddering breaths shook us both.“Let it out baby girl” she murmured and I hiccupped sourly.“What am I gonna do? What the fuck am I gonna do?” “Don't worry about that right now, i’m here. Shhhhh.”She rocked me like that for a while, eventually the sounds of the waves were drowning out my shuddering breaths and the cold seawater splashed over my legs into her back. The sandcastle was in ruins. I felt like a ruin. So I just sat. held down by her as I waited for the miserable pain to lift off my shoulders.“Let's go home” she whispered and I let her lead me back to the car. The drive was quiet. There was a lot to think about. “Is it okay… if i’m a girl?”She snorted. A half sob of a laugh as she took a quick look at me before returning her eyes to the road, “Yes dear. It's okay if you’re a girl.” Silence hung as a small smile crept into my face. “Are you absolutely sure the potion didn’t make me like sushi?”Her laughter was music and I laughed with her as we picked up the pieces. Hope was out of the jar but it wasn’t out of my life anymore.

It was a normal day of a summer break. Most kids are going out with their friends or playing games all the day. Not that I don't have friends its just that I have different hobbies. And what was i doing? Well I was nerd into things like computers, rockets, military technologies and so on. So as my computer was installing some programs I decided to just watch some videos on my tablet which i barely use since the smartphone is more practical but this time the tablet was closer. Yeah I am somewhat lazy person. Not that I am extremely lazy it's just when i don't do things i don't need to. Seeing that the installation will take a while and after realizing that there are no sweets in the house I decided that I should buy some. And as the story usually goes I saw a little girl crossing the road but she didn't saw the incoming truck. So as any other hero I immediately pushed her out of the way and of course the truck hit me. {MC}"Ahhh shit! Fuck me! Come on... I didn't wanted to die 17 years old virgin! It's the worst nightmare for a man. And it was supposed to be a nice casual day. Wait why am i still thinking?" {???}"Because your soul is still alive." {MC}"What? Ah never mind but why i can't see a shit?" {???}"Watch your language young boy." {MC}"Sorry... Its just to much at once. What about my family? My friends? And what now?" {???}"Don't worry about them they will move on after your death. And why are you here in this void is simple. I saw that you like to read all kind of novels on the internet so you will catch quickly. So this is how the things are..." So basically it's somewhat like that. I am to be reborn in the Naruto universe because one of the 'gods' picked a few people and gave them OP abilities and send them to this world. Of Course I don't need to kill kill them but the powers they have will cause some sort of ripples that will transport things from other universes until ultimately the whole universe is destroyed. {???}"I hope you will like the new start. Also when you will reach your third birthday I will send you that tablet you had with an internet connection. That's all I had to say you, now go." Before I could say anything I lost consciousness. It hurts like hell! Who would have thought that being born will hurt. I opened my eyes to see what I suppose is my mother and a doctor. I don't know what they are saying except for two words , Shiro Akiyama , which i presume is my name. At least it sounds good for me. My mom looks like a normal looking woman in her twenties but one thing which stands out is her beautiful silver hair with red ends. After a while the doctor hand me over to my mom. Not even 10 seconds in mom's embrace and I already fell asleep. It's been three days and mom brought me home. We are living at the edge of Konoha and the closest house is at least a kilometer away. At least when I start experimenting with stuff I won't bother neighbors. But i noticed one thing. I still didn't saw my father. Is he not with us? I will ask mom when I can. Well nothing I can do since I am still a baby and can't even speak properly. Seems I need to take things slowly and wait for that tablet because I don't have any sort of OP powers. I wish I could have one of those because this world is cruel towards those with no power. And what happens when you put a human into hostile environment? Build a goddamn nuke and blast everyone off! Well maybe not but the technology is the right answer, and maybe that nuke too...

I groaned in delight as my girlfriend massaged my tail. She was straddling my legs holding the appendage straight up in the air while she stroked it from base to tip over and over again. The pads of her thumbs dug in occasionally, eliciting a groan that got muffled through the pillow I was hugging for dear life. “God, I needed this,” I moaned and gasped as she started lower and lower.  I squeezed the pillow and yelped when her thumb brushed my sex but she pretended not to notice anything. “Babe you need to change back. Your body isn't built to be cooped up in this shape forever.” “Five more minutes, mom” I whined back, nearly jumping out of my skin as she squeezed my ass.  “You get three.” she whispered and my eyes flew wide open as I recognized the tone of voice. I’d been hearing it more and more over the last week and everytime it meant my brain was about to get melted. There was no warning as one of her hands left the tail and effortlessly pushed my panties to the side. Her thumb slipped into me practically to the palm. Fuck, she’s evil.  I had no energy to push her off or squirm in a meaningful way. She held my tail to her chest, rocking her hips into the base of it in time with the movement of her wrist. Meanwhile I was in the most heavenly hell I could imagine. I beat my hands against the bed, I begged, bargained, and promised all manner of unprintable things but she was unphased. In and out, pinching and rubbing and biting all over my back end as I pleaded for mercy.  She paused her movements suddenly, fixing my panties back in place and wiping her wet hand on my asscheek.  “If I let you cum will you drink the potion?” her tone left no room for bargaining and she held all the chips. “Yesh” I sobbed into the pillow as she massaged my tail as if nothing had happened. “How do you want it, babygirl?”  I still flushed hot at the name, even after a week. “Can you use the vibrator? And maybe the plug too?”“Oh you are in a hurry aren't you?” she teased as she got up off of me to fetch the toys.  My tail made a dull slap as it fell against my calves and I sighed as the bed resumed a more flat shape without the extra weight holding my legs down. She was right about the potion of course. I should have taken it when the weekend was over and just changed back but I didn't want to and every day I begged extra hard to stay. Steadily I had begun to pay the price. There wasn't any pain exactly, the impacted organs didn't have any pain receptors to communicate their longstanding discomfort but the toll on my body was manifesting in other ways. Migraines, cramps, and exhaustion. I heard her walk back into the room and I could tell she brought the potion as well as an extra box I had seen arrive in the mail earlier today. She placed them on the nightstand before hopping back on top of me. My panties were off in a moment, flung across the room and she seemed to have the tip of the plug on my ass before they hit the floor. I sighed in a perverse delight as she coaxed it in and I scarcely had time to enjoy the fullness before I heard the buzzing sound pick up.  Where before she had been slow and methodical now she used force. The bed creaked as she pressed the wand home and I groaned as she paired the movement with a sharp tug on my tail. I clasped my hands on my back and she took them in one of hers automatically, pulling my shoulders back as she worked the vibrator with more force in a circle.  My mind left my body, imagining a future where maybe I didn't have a tail but she had a strapon instead, me bent over the edge of the couch filled impossibly full as she tugged my hair. She would be saying alternatingly degrading and validating things calling me cute just as much as she would call me a slut. My hold on the fantasy diminished quickly though as the vibrator kicked up. What I had assumed to be a high setting proved to be a very low setting as she began to work me over harder, augmenting the vibrator with her fingers and curling them occasionally seemingly just to get a rise out of me.  I felt a building tightness in my core compete with my exhaustion as she worked and any restraint I would have employed to keep from cumming too soon was lost. I came. More gently than usual as the warming waves of pleasure crashed over me. I felt dizzy trying to breathe through the pillow and worked in vain to spit it out and get it out of the way.  Either she didn't notice I had orgasmed or she didn't care because her pace didn't change in the slightest, every third circuit of the vibrator I seemed to hit another crest of pleasure and my throat felt hoarse from the cries of ecstasy I was creating. Eventually she seemed to notice that I was going limp because she released my hands and I drunkenly pushed the pillow out of the way. Somehow she wasn't on top of me anymore but as I rolled to the side I felt her lips crash into mine. There was a buzzing in my ears, probably the forgotten vibrator as she rolled me full on my back and pressed me down into the bed. I weakly wove my fingers into her hair as she worked with her fingers again. I hardly felt anything down there as she shook the bed with her movements and eventually I had to push her face off of mine to tell her that I had already cum.  “What?” she seemed incredulous.“Yeah” I mumbled “it happened like twice or maybe five times while you were sitting on top of me. I think.” I yawned as she rolled off of me and the stars began to fade from my vision, letting the world and the rest of sensation settle in. Yep. I was going to be sore from that one.  “You really need to change back.” she insisted, seeming to notice for the first time my oxygen deprived state.  “I really need… uh…” I lost my train of thought as she placed the vial in my hand. “Okay fine.” I drank the vial slowly, tasting little as I knocked it back. Luckily I had been divested of all my clothes throughout the preceding activities so there was no strip tease required this time. “When does it start?” I murmured as the now familiar ache hit my stomach. She just shook her head with a sad smile as I lay back and took deep breaths.  The first thing that was different was the pain. It hurt like a kick in the crotch to go from an innie to an outie. Probably a consequence of my procrastination. I felt that bit in excruciating detail. The bed seemed to shrink under me as I grew taller and as my tail dragged its way up the bed I felt my breasts deflate gently into normal boring pecs. Bleh.  “I could use a nap now.” was all I could think and say and I didnt wait for her permission before letting my eyes shut and going numb to the world. Tears stung my eyes and it didn't feel like it was from the physical pain.  When I woke up the room was pitch black and she was sleeping beside me. I wrinkled my nose at the smell and grimaced further at the plug still embedded in my ass. I hobbled to the bathroom, less interested than normal in seeing my reflection and took care of business. Lots of things hurt. My stomach felt sick from the potion and I felt achy all over for whatever other reason. There were several candidates.  I heard rustling sheets and a click as light appeared under the door to the bathroom and I suddenly felt like crying knowing I'd have to be seen like this. I heard a gentle knock on the door before she let herself in. I caught a glimpse of her feet walking to the tub before I closed my eyes.  “I know you didn't want to change back.”  I felt a bitter laugh rumble out of my stomach. But I made no verbal reply. “So I reached out to the group that makes the potions and told them a little about the situation. They actually had a solution that they would like you to try.” she spoke like she was addressing a wounded animal and suddenly I had the strangest sense of deja vu from when I had been trying to carefully explain how fun these potions could be.  Maybe I'd be happier now if I had never known happiness to begin with. “Is this one a rabbit girl?”“No sweetie, it's a permanent girl.”  She had my attention with that. “This isn’t a decision you should make lightly. They said it hurts like hell and the results might not be everything you hope for them to be.” “S’better than permanent boy potion.” I mumbled and she laughed her musical laugh and patted my back. “You can take it as soon as you’ve recovered.”  I heard her pull the shower curtain liner out of the bathtub and the thunk of the drain plug. “Whatcha doin?” I asked, knowing full well she was running a bath.“I think you could use a soak. It might help the soreness.”  I shrugged my agreement and before I could shut myself up a dark thought bubbled to the surface. “Guys don't usually take baths tho.”  I felt her hand land on the top of my head and scratch it gently for a couple seconds. It felt nice. “Guys dont get all happy and squirmy when they’re called babygirl either so I think we both know what your deal is.” she teased as she scratched my scalp more intently. “Fiiiiine” I groaned. I contemplated admitting I was a girl even still but hearing my own voice, it felt like a bigger task than I could manage for the moment.  After helping me in she held my hand over the edge of the tub. She drew random patterns on the back of my hand as I soaked in the fragrant water.  She was first to interrupt the piercing drip of the leaking faucet, “Whatcha thinking?”I shrugged, grimacing at the disturbance to the water when I did so, “thinking about the permanent girl potion you got for me. I feel like in a vacuum where the world was just you and me it would be a no-brainer. No matter the cost. But we have family to think about,” my cheeks grew hot “and maybe a family someday… to think about…” She swirled her hand through the water over my legs, tickling me with the current for a second before responding. “This is your life. Not your family’s life. Maybe decisions like this should be made in your little sphere rather than some globally minded operation. The only vote that matters on this is yours.” “And yours” I argued but she was already shaking her head. I decided to drop the argument.  “I had a feeling. The moment you first changed shape before my eyes that this is what you would want. It was the small things. You stood up straight, you smiled, you laughed, you were suddenly the happiest I had ever seen you again and it was because of something I intended somewhat as a prank… i'm not gonna say there were no signs but I missed them. All of them and I'm sorry for that. I thought I was paying better attention to you but it's like seeing you for the first time this last week.”  “And you liked what you saw” I snorted and she splashed me gently in reproach. “I love what I still see. I love you. And I want to see you able to be at your happiest every day from now on.” “Gay.” I whispered, earning another splash. “Yeah okay. Lets be gay. Let's turn me into a girl.” seeing her budding argument I cut her off. “Lets fix my body to be all gay and stuff since im already a girl.”“I’ve trained you well young padawan.” she giggled and helped me stand in the tub.  She closed the curtain more for cleanliness than privacy as I unplugged the tub and rinsed off. In minutes I was back to 80%. even a bath couldn't take me to 100% but it sure beat the 5% I felt waking up.  Apparently she had skipped off to throw a towel in the dryer because as I got out she had a particularly warm one held out to me. I dried off and wrapped myself up.  "So can I take the new potion now?" She rolled her eyes. "I can hardly stop you. I must admit I am also curious… I changed the sheets, go ahead and get comfortable on the bed." I flopped on the bed obediently as she ripped open the package and read the pharmacy style instructions.  She mumbled as she read. "Don't take with food, side effects include abdominal pain, sweating, yada yada yada. You’ll feel this one more than the last one.”I gulped in apprehension but took the offered vial anyways. This one tasted sweet and more like medicine than the last one did. I still drank it in one go and I felt myself blush a bit when I burped at the end.  This vial did feel a lot more intense than the last one did. I felt a bruise-like ache and tenderness on my chest and groin, not as though I had been hit there, but more like I had forgotten until just now that I was hit by a truck a week ago. The pain sharpened the most in my groin where I felt my testes rise back up inside me. The skin there seemed to tighten on its own, drawing back and shrinking to smoothness as I sensed a slit would be forming there shortly. The tenderness in my breasts ebbed and waned but nothing major seemed to happen. A firm flesh seemed to have developed under my nipples but they weren’t busting out of my shirt or anything.  I assumed the worst was over until I felt a migraine come on out of nowhere, I heard popping noises as my skull compressed in slightly. I felt a pressure on my brow and jaw as well but before long it felt less like something was pressing there and more like it was pressed and was staying like that on its own. My shoulders also tightened just as my hips seemed to roll and spread just the tiniest bit. As rapidly as it started though it finished. I felt a scratching sensation in my throat as if I was going to die of thirst but that too subsided before long. “Whoa” I breathed and then hearing my voice I said it again and again.I tried to sit up but I felt drunk with exhaustion. I gave up and laid back down as my girlfriend crawled into bed beside me. “I was half prepared for screams of pain honestly.”“Nah. i'm a tough cookie.” I cleared my throat, still feeling weird talking in a new register. “I mean it hurt like a motherfucker at some parts but not for long. She nodded as though this made perfect sense and brushed her fingers through my hair.“I can’t take your cursing seriously with your little baby voice.” “That's a grown woman's voice to you, young lady,” I tried to sound upset but it came out cute. Not babyish like she had teased but my pitch had overshot feminine to be just the slightest bit squeaky. I figured I'd learn to accept it though.  She’d said my voice was cute last week but I felt like I had heard myself more or less the same. This time it felt different too but I also felt too tired to talk much about it. “It looks like you are stable so i'm going to get ready for work,” she seemed to notice my alarm “i'll come back during lunch to check up on you and I can go with you to see your boss. Try not to dwell on that today okay?” I nodded and scrolled idly on my phone while she flitted about the room getting dressed. She kissed me on the forehead before leaving and I just lay in bed for most of the morning. At times I heard a dull pop as a bone somewhere readjusted more aggressively than normal but as long as I didn't touch my chest I didn't feel much pain. The tenderness was bearable just so long as I didn't touch anything. I nearly screamed in pain when I dropped my phone directly on my left breast but I learned to hold the phone more carefully after that. I tried taking a few selfies but the state of my hair and exhaustion generally ruined the effect. So I slept instead, waking up for lunch and whenever my body said “go to the bathroom now.”  By evening I had some milestone progress. I had grown my own curves in the right places, real places too. I think I got what was called "double hips" but I was just pleased to have hips to begin with. My breasts were there. Not enough to make much cleavage from but real and sensitive as fuck. I still couldn't handle a shirt so I tried to enjoy being topless around the house. Surprisingly my new vagina felt normal. I read the package for the formula and found that was to be expected. The potion mostly changed primary sexual characteristics and then left the job of secondary characteristics to the newly refurbished endocrine system. Sweet. Homegrown tits. Basically puberty but faster this time. Hopefully with less mood swings.  I dropped the box back on the table as I heard a key turn in the lock of the door. My girlfriend's eyes widened as she met me, beaming and naked as the day I was reborn.  "Well hello there. Starting a new household tradition?"  It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize she meant my nudity. "No, shirts just hurt too much right now and I'm worried about wearing bottoms while my hips are growing." She nodded slowly as her eyes roamed my body. Her gaze went from academic to something far less innocent rather quickly.  I took a step back automatically as she stepped forward. She raised an eyebrow and I stepped back forward again. She raised her hand slowly to palm my chest and I bit my lip hard. Her hand was warm but the first second of the touch felt like she was pressing a bruise. Then a switch seemed to flip in my mind and her touch was the most soothing massage I'd ever known. I didn't have much time to consider how or why that happened before I felt her breath on my cheek. I opened my eyes, to find her lips inches from mine and I carefully leaned forward to kiss her.  I saw stars as she hugged me to her, thankfully her tee-shirt was very soft but even still I felt chaffed. But she held me still and I figured out how to breathe without rubbing.  "Is third base as sensitive as second?" She purred the question to my neck. "I don't think so."  "Pity"  I scarcely had time to process the remark before I found my back pressed to the wall, just missing the board where we hung our keys.  "May I fuck you here?" She asked in a mock righteous tone. Pairing the question with a hand cupping my sex.  "Can't we go to the bed?" I groaned as she kissed my neck, still ever so careful to avoid my chest. "You would make me wait that long?" Her tone was that of a disgruntled ruler and I melted a bit at the authority it carried.  "H-here is fine." I'd scarcely finished talking before she slipped a finger into me. In seconds she had pulled one of my legs around her hips and she had me standing on tiptoe, holding onto her for dear life as she fucked me into the wall. There was a thud and a crash as I elbowed the key holder off the wall but she paid no mind.  It hurt like hell at parts and felt like heaven at others. Before long I couldn't distinguish which was which. I just had the feeling of her between my legs, pressing my entire core to the cold wall while she tickled every bundle of nerves she could find. I marveled at how she found them blindly before I couldn't marvel at anything anymore. Seconds and hours later I felt a pinching tension build in my hips and then between my gasps she pressed home. My wail of ecstasy came out choked and hoarse seemingly across the room as I came in her arms.  Suddenly "against the wall in the entryway" seemed like the most romantic place for a first time. Or first-ish if you didn't count the dozen ways I had had it the week before. There was something to be said for the detail of the shark potion because in the end it didn't feel phenomenally different.  Finally she let me put my feet down and held me up as she surveyed the damage. There was no blood but I'd nearly knocked a hole in the wall and the keys were scattered.. "Did you learn your lesson from greeting me naked at the door?" She knelt down and lifted me bridal style into her arms. "What was I supposed to learn there? because I feel richly rewarded for the act." She rolled her eyes as she deposited me on our bed.  "I'll work on my teaching skills then because--" she punctuated the conjunction with a poke in the stomach "you were supposed to learn to not do that."  "Oh, you'll have to fuck me much harder for that." I tried to sound brave but her predatory grin caused me to stutter and fumble the words.  She worked her clothes off beside the bed, turning around to make a show of pulling her panties off. I laughed at the absurdity of the display causing a shared giggle fit that lasted till the moment she pulled a wand out of the drawer. "Sit up for a sec babygirl, let me get behind you."  I did as directed and watched as she stuffed pillows against the headboard and made a little nest out of her legs for me to sit in. I scootched backwards into her lap, sighing automatically as she wrapped her arms around my stomach to hold me. I felt her kiss my shoulder before she flicked the vibrator on.  "Now for your real funishment." She murmured and dragged the vibrating bulb of the toy over my stomach across the top of my thighs. "I just came though." I whined half-heartedly as the vibrator passed under my belly button.  "Oh I don't think that excuse will hold water anymore." My head fell back on her shoulder as she touched the head to my clit and she began to work the tip between my labia. Luckily I was soaked and she made short work of coating the outside of my sex with the stuff.  I held tight to her other arm as she worked until she switched it up, simultaneously raising the intensity as she took my hands instead and guided them down between my legs.  She silently instructed me to rub myself in slow circles as she dropped the vibrator and worked her index finger into me in sync. My breathing grew heavy and erratic as she brought her hand up between my breasts, almost brushing a nipple before clasping my neck gently. She applied no pressure at all but somehow the touch excited me still. But as suddenly as she had started the touch she moved her hand out from under my arm and started dragging her fingers through my hair, pulling a bit with every stroke as she added another finger.  She made shhhing noises as I babbled and begged and when I began to clumsily rock my hips she placed a hand over my stomach, holding me fast as she pushed deeper and deeper.  I cried as I felt her lips on my neck marking me again and again as I felt a crest of pleasure coming on. Her hand wasn't enough to stop the rocking of my hips this time as I rode toward the orgasm I felt approaching. My hips fell onto her fingers and she struck the best place every time My knees came together around her wrist and I curled forward in her lap. I seemed to regain consciousness in her lap, legs still together around her hand which she wiggled playfully until I relinquished it. I wanted to lie down and bask but she pulled me back to her chest and rocked me side to side as I calmed my breathing.  "Did you learn something this time?"  My voice cracked and I had to clear my throat to be able to speak, much to her amusement, "I don't know whether to say yes or no but please let me recover before we try that again."  She giggled maniacally, "That's a yes, dear. It seems you learned your lesson."  We lay like that for a few minutes, just breathing and enjoying the skin time. "So when did you want to try the bunny girl potion you asked about?" She laughed at her own joke as I blushed in her lap.  I shook my head, flinging my short hair in her face and causing her to spit and laugh at my antics. "I've done enough potions lately. It should be your turn to be the animal girl."  "Or animal guy." She growled suggestively. "We could see if you're bisexual too."  I felt my face go red as I involuntarily imagined the implications of my lover in boy shape.  "Bwuh?" I felt real intelligent balking at her suggestion. Part of me wondered if some part of me felt compelled to act a little straight just because of hormones but a quick check of imagining other guys confirmed it was just her. Something about the idea of her in any shape at all made me feel at home.  "I know how overactive your imagination is so I won't fry your brains right now, dear." She pulled me back to the present with a soft kiss on the shoulder as she continued to rock side to side.  "Can I just admit defeat right now? I feel like I get soundly finessed no matter what I say." I flopped sideways out of her lap and crawled a bit to sprawl on the empty part of the bed. "As long as I get to claim my victors spoils." She growled but this time I actually rolled my eyes.  She seemed to at least notice my lack of enthusiasm and paused to lie down next to me.  "Whazzup babygirl? Don't want to go for round 38? That seems utterly reasonable of you." She smiled good naturedly and scratched lightly at my back.  "I'm just not an athlete like you. I can't marathon sex." I sighed and closed my eyes in delight at the gentler attention. "I need snack breaks and innocent cuddle time too." I cracked an eye open, "rest assured I'll get you back for today though. Revenge will be sweet and tender."  She made a show of mock fear which we both laughed off. "Other than in need of a break, how do you feel?"  I shrugged, "I feel really tender in the chest but it's hard to describe in what way. I think it's literal growing pains like puberty. Elsewhere I feel totally normal."  "Any moodiness? Bleeding?"  I shook my head. "not yet. It's an altogether very weird puberty I suppose." I perked up suddenly. "Maybe the vial makes me a girl version one point one! Maybe I won't have bleeding!"  She laughed at my excitement. "Maybe. But I think they would be even more popular if they were offering updates like that."  "I hold on to hope!" I said more to the pillow than her as I fist pumped weakly and fell still. We settled into a comfortable silence of her gently scratching small circles on my back. "But other than physical… how are you doing emotionally?" I felt a tightness in my stomach just thinking about it. This shotgun transition had seemed so small when it was just us. It almost felt normal here already but in the grand scope this was a big deal to some people. Nobody even knew I was questioning and now I'm a girl? The explanation wouldn't be fun.  "I'm scared to come out." I mumbled, turning from the pillow to look her in the eye. "I think I made the right choice but I'm scared to defend it. I feel like I have to defend this like an expert and nobody has even argued at me yet. Why do I feel the need to debate my existence already?" "Because society is fuck. And you have been given reason to psych yourself up. Here, come be my little spoon." I rolled on my side obediently and let her pull me into her embrace. I took deep breaths as she held me close. "I feel better for now but I'm still scared." "It's scary. I'd be worried if you weren't scared. I just want to make sure you aren't paralyzed by fear. I want to help you have the courage to get past it."  I nodded and wove our hands together on the pillow in front of me. They still fit after everything. "Do you want to make a plan for everything or do you wanna cuddle and rest?" She yawned behind me and shifted a bit to lay a bit more on top of me.  "I don't need sleep but I don't want to be productive. Maybe we can watch a movie or something?" She mumbled her agreement so I waited patiently to be released but if anything her grip grew tighter.  I was about to ask what movie to watch when I heard her snore and roll forward slightly.  Resigned to my captivity, I listened to her deep even breathing and fell asleep again. Announcement now its finished. I hope y'all got everything you wanted out of this continuation and hopefully it doesn't beg for more this time :P

Have you ever run into an offer that was way too good to be true, but you just couldn’t stop yourself? For example, imagine reincarnating as a fox and spending each day scurrying around, scrounging the forest for scraps… until finding a giant metal fence with paradise on the other side! A fox-sized hole left uncovered? For me? Don’t mind if I do! That mansion over there is probably abandoned anyway! Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, elderberries… ohh, it’s like the Garden of Eden! There are bushes everywhere practically bursting with juicy berries, all ripe for the picking! Sweet heavenly goodness, even as a fox, I think I can die happy now— “GOT YOU!” Two hands clamped down on my sides. I could barely yelp before I felt my small fox body lifted up in the air. When I wriggled around to see the culprit, I stared eye-to-eye with a young, scowling girl—a noble girl by the looks of her beautiful brunette hair and frilly dress. She had the face of an angel… and the ice-blue eyes of a villainess. “Thief!” the girl cried. “Who gave you the right to enter my garden uninvited?!” I felt like I’d seen her somewhere before. From her features to her ‘off with their heads!’ demeanor, it was too familiar… Wait. No, not her! Anyone but her! I should have known this wasn’t Earth. No, I’d been reincarnated into the world of my least favorite light novel ever… and now I was stuck in the clutches of literally the worst character: the tragic villainess, Angelina Dourwood. A dozen squealing maids quickly surrounded us. “Lady Angelina, be careful! You’ll get bitten!” “You’ll get your dress soiled!” “You’ll get—” “Quiet!” Angelina snapped. “I’m not done. This just isn’t fair! What do you have to say for yourself, fox?” Oh, no… Even if I managed to break free, there were too many angry maids guarding my escape route! I’d barely lived one year as a fox—I’m too young to die again! I never even got to finish my heavenly lunch! That gave me an idea. If my fate was sealed with this villainess anyway, then I’d stain her pride with my ultimate attack…! I licked her face. For a moment, Angelina looked like she would soil her dress. When the shock faded, she reached a shaky hand to touch the thin layer of ‘jam’ on her cheek. “Berries…” I watched the first glimmer of tears begin gathering in her eyes. Her face showed too many different emotions, and I felt her grip loosen around me. Just when I tried to escape, her expression suddenly lightened… until she burst out laughing. “Oh, you silly little fox!” she said through a fit of giggles, hugging me with both arms. “You could have just said you were hungry! Here, do you need some more?” …Huh? *** In my previous life, I had always dreamed about being a queen. I wanted to enjoy all the luxuries of living a noble life as I please—without any of those icky noble responsibilities, of course. In the weirdest way possible, it felt like my dream came true. “Sophia, look how much Ange just picked for you! Now say ahh~!” Ahh! Free berries forever… this is the life! Reborn as a fox in a fantasy world, I did get to keep one thing: my name. Ange couldn’t decide on what to call her new favorite girl, so she rattled off names until reaching ‘Sophia’ and I spoke up. She couldn’t exactly understand my excited foxy barks, but we made it work. After a month, it still felt like a dream. Somehow, I ended up living in the mansion with a light novel character I thought I knew… and despised. But even though Angelina Dourwood was only twelve now and years away from her ‘real’ villainess debut, she had a sweet and gentle side I never would have imagined, and not just because she secretly loved animals. I couldn’t help liking her a little more every day. Across both lifetimes, I was a whole year older than her… but I was a fox. It felt intimidating at first, walking across plush carpets on all fours with suspicious maids towering above, watching my every step. And the stairs, why were there so many stairs?! Ange stood up for me. When the maids protested how I was allowed to roam free indoors and jump on her canopy bed, she protested harder until they relented. Somehow, the lord of the estate never seemed to mind—so long as Ange fulfilled her duties. Every day she endured maids fussing to fit her with dresses she didn’t want, and practiced her etiquette, and took lessons with a dizzying amount of tutors. As a fox, I never had to bother with any of that! My soft fur gave me a comfy blanket wherever I lay, a fluffy tail to wrap around me for the perfect pillow, tons of warm cuddles with Ange, and a whole mansion to explore whenever I wanted! In a way, it felt like I was the one who really got to enjoy the noble life, and Ange noticed. One evening, I lay curled up in her lap while she brushed my hair. Ange hummed a gentle tune as she always did… until stopping all at once. “Oh Sophia, it’s not fair!” she huffed. “Can’t we switch, just for a day? I wish I could run away and have an adventure whenever I wanted!” Ange… It’s like I thought. When she caught me in the garden that day, she was just… envious? Not long ago, I would have laughed at a noble girl who envied a fox. But now? I understood her too well. The lone maid in her bedroom shifted on her feet—Ange’s favorite, Katia. I wasn’t sure if she liked Katia because she easily bent to Ange’s whims, or because the young maid was unique with two feline ears overhead and a dark cat’s tail behind. “Lady Angelina, I-I think it is an honor to call House Dourwood my home!” she said. Ange sighed, ignoring the attempted comfort. “Katia, tell me another story! You know—about the Mother of Death!” The maid trembled on the spot. “M-my lady, that’s… It isn’t proper for a human noble to indulge in beastkin f-folktales!” “Come on! Pleeeease?” Katia’s tail twitched back and forth before she glanced around as if to check no one else was listening. Satisfied, she leaned forward with a conspiratorial smile. “Well, just one more…” Even with my past-life knowledge, it was news me. In this world, many believed in a supernatural entity called the Mother of Death—often a sympathetic death goddess, a benevolent trickster… or like the Grim Reaper. Legends told of her protecting the innocent, meting out justice to the wicked, and guiding the recently departed to the next life right where they were needed. Suddenly, Ange hugged me a little tighter. “Do you hear that, Sophia? She could be watching over us right now!” For all her excitement, I couldn’t help finding it ironic at first. As a ‘goddess of the common folk,’ the Mother of Death sounded like the kind of deity who would rather send a future villainess to the afterlife than save her! But I know Ange now! I know what she’s really like! ‘Till Death Do Us Part.’ It was an infamously tragic light novel I’d read in my previous life, a Cinderella-like story about a heroine overcoming hardship to win her true love—the heir to the throne who… was actually engaged to the villainess: Angelina Dourwood. Ange’s noble family had fallen on hard times even before her birth. Her father died mysteriously when she was too little to remember. Her mother passed of illness soon after, leaving the young Ange with nothing but her old violin and musical talent that no one else cared for. Ange was taken in by her aunt and uncle of House Dourwood where she lived now. But they only wanted to use her for their own political gain and groom her for an arranged marriage. She never asked for that! I see why should would want some death goddess to save her! What else could we do? After Ange tucked herself in that night, I gave her fluffy head rubs until I saw her smile again. “It’s okay Sophia, I love you the most. Good night!” Good night, Ange… but now I’m not tired anymore! The Mother of Death? I don’t believe in anything like that! We’ll figure something out. Somehow… It only seemed like a made-up legend to me—until the dreams began. I woke up in the night, back in a girl’s body instead of a fox. Weirder still was the ominous presence I felt looming outside. I shrugged it off at first and went back to sleep. Then it happened again, and again. Eventually, I worked up the courage to head outside and investigate. I didn’t have to go far; a dark silhouette stood in the estate’s gardens, suspiciously close to that hole under the fence. I approached one cautious step at a time. When I finally got close enough, I spotted someone wearing pitch-black robes, just curvy enough to reveal a feminine figure. A big, round hood covered her face, but she didn’t react to my presence at all. She only seemed to stare toward the mansion… Right where Ange lay. “Creepy much?” I scoffed. No response. “I get it. You’re mad because you think I cheated death in this garden, so now you want to take Ange instead!” I’d been afraid that was her fate. In the novel, Ange had everything taken from her. All that remained was a reluctant engagement to the crown prince… and the heroine ended up taking that, too. Not long after she turned eighteen, they all gathered for the queen’s ball at the palace. That was supposed to be the opening to her marriage celebrations. It all went wrong when Ange was rejected in front of the whole court instead. And then… and then…! Well, they didn’t call it ‘tragedy’ for nothing. But that was just fiction. None of that had to happen! We could write a new story together. The two of us could reach our own happy ending! I turned to the robed figure again, confident now. “Guess what? I don’t care what you want—you can’t have her! Ange is mine! For as long as I live, I’ll be the one to protect her. That’s a promise!” I never had that dream again. *** There wasn’t a day to waste. After an exhausted Ange finished her lessons that evening and retired to her room, I got to work. I knew where she kept the old violin case. I just had to bite the handle to carry it over. “Ange, play!” She couldn’t understand my fox ‘speech,’ but her eyes went wide at my delivery. “Sophia, that’s not a toy!” she said, hugging the case. “That’s… the only thing my mother left me.” “I want to hear you play!” She bit her lip for a silent moment, deciding. “I… I remember a song she used to teach me.” With a look of practiced grace, Ange held the violin to her chin and slid the bow across its strings. She played a slow, enchanting song, almost as if she were sharing a bittersweet memory and bringing me along for the ride. It wasn’t long before her ice-blue eyes began melting with tears, trickling down her cheeks until she stopped. “I-it’s out of tune…” She sniffled, adjusting her grip with a shaky hand. But she never finished. “Sophia, I can’t.” I gave her another fluffy head rub. “You can do it.” Before, Ange only seemed to regard me as her dearest pet fox. Now, it felt like she saw me as something more. “You can understand me, can’t you?” A lump caught in my throat. Somehow, I found myself nodding anyway. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes with a fresh smile. “I knew it! I thought you might have been a fox spirit sent to watch over me. By the Mother of Death, of course!” Oh, the irony! If only I could tell her… Something about my expression made her giggle, and she reached out to hug me. “Alright, Sophia! I’ll play my violin for you.” Ange began practicing with me every day. I wasn’t much of a tutor, but Lord Dourwood forbade her a formal instructor, and my presence was enough. Besides, I knew Ange had the talent to become the incredible musician she always wanted to be—just like her mother. Ange shouldn’t be anyone’s political pawn! We can make this work! One year passed into the next, and I spent my ‘teenage years’ growing alongside her. I quickly became a full-grown fox, while Ange blossomed into the charming figure of a lady. It was hard to not envy her now, but the free berries and fluffy cuddles were always worth it. Something kept Ange busier late one evening. I only discovered she’d had a visitor until I heard the horse-drawn carriage departing. She dropped onto the edge of her bed, shaken. “Sophia, can you believe it? The crown prince suddenly showed up, a-and… asked for my hand in marriage!” No, it’s here! Her first doom flag! She— “I turned him down on the spot, naturally. We hardly spoke when we were kids, and he still never apologized for all those things he said! No; not now, not ever. I don’t care how much my uncle invested in this, either!” She rejected it? That means…! Ange turned to me and gently stroked my hair. “You’re the only one who really understands me, Sophia. I love you. Even if I can’t show you, I mean it.” My heart skipped a beat. My tail wagged a little faster. I love you more… “But what now?” I asked, my ‘voice’ coming out like a whimper. She picked me up and held me in her arms. “It’s alright. I’ll take care of you, no matter what happens.” Ange, I wanted to be a queen before. But now, I only want to be the one holding you in my arms… We had to leave. Lord Dourwood was most displeased with Ange, to put it lightly. All we had left was a trunk of her clothing and several coins—just enough for humble lodgings in the capital city. A beastkin landlady took us in. Ange had grown skilled with her violin to make any audience stop and stare in awe, but her casual performances weren’t enough. I spent most days curled up in our tiny room, tired and weary and doubting everything… like a sickness I couldn’t shake. Ange applied to everyone who would listen, but no one—noble or not—wanted to accept us. Her reputation preceded her. Somehow, Ange became known as the villainess who rejected the throne… nevermind those rumors involving her pet fox. Hmph! Still, we stayed together through it all, practicing… and dreaming… and waiting for a miracle. But we ran out of time. Ange’s eighteenth birthday came and went in a flash. I only realized it after she returned one fateful evening, holding me tighter than ever. “Sophia, this might be our chance. It’s silly politics, an offer from my uncle’s rival, but… The queen is hosting a ball at the palace. And I’ve been invited to play—” “No, you can’t!” Her lip quivered at my reaction. “I’m sorry, Sophia. We’re out of money. I have to go, and I can’t bring you with me this time.” “Wait! Something bad will happen, anything but that! Let’s run away. Let’s have that adventure you… always wanted to…” She touched her forehead to mine. “I’ll see you soon.” Ange put on her fanciest dress, grabbed her violin case, and walked out the door. No, no… We worked so hard. This isn’t supposed to happen! That’s where she dies! Or— Any icy chill cut into my bones, shrouding my vision in darkness. My body felt impossibly heavy. When I struggled to stand up, my legs crumpled back to the floor… no matter how many times I tried. These are the longest hours of my life! What’s happening? I’m scared, Ange. This isn’t like when I’ve gotten sick before. After all these years, why… Years? Oh, that’s right… Foxes don’t live very long. I… I’m going to… When the door flew open, the whole room trembled. “We did it, Sophia! They loved my performance—‘the finest violin in the land!’ I couldn’t have done it without you! Everything will be alright now, we can… Sophia?” I got to see her again, one last time. Even when the world had turned so cold and dark, I was happy. I couldn’t make out the words she wailed or the tears streaming down her face, but I could still feel the warmth in her arms. You don’t have to apologize, Ange. We won. But… It’s not fair… At the corner of my fading vision, I spotted something. A hooded figure in pitch-black robes stood watching us, someone I’d seen in a dream long, long ago. You can’t have her… Slowly, she pulled back her hood to reveal a gentle smile—and two fox ears over her head. “You kept your promise.” *** In my previous life, I had always dreamed about being a queen. No, that was two lifetimes ago. The morning sun peeked through the window of our lodging, a tiny room that seemed a little tinier now. The air felt chillier too, but… That was because my skin didn’t have fur anymore. As I sat upright, the mirror on the wall showed me a reflection of the lady I always would have been—well, with an extra pair of fox ears, and a fluffy tail behind me, and a beautiful brunette crying on my lap. She had the face of an angel… and the tear-stained eyes of the villainess I love. “Sophia, I’m sorry… please…” Moving my new hands felt strange at first, but I gently rubbed her shoulders until she looked up. “W-wha…?” She doesn’t get it? Well, I’ll just have to help her understand…! I licked her face. “It’s not quite the same, is it?” I smiled. “You’ll have to give me more berries first.” “Sophia!” Ange buried her head in my shoulder, sobbing all over again. “I love you! I love you so much, more than anything in the world!” After all this time, I can finally hold her in my arms. We have so much to catch up on… but that’s alright. We can take all the time we need. ♡     Malonymous Thanks for reading. ❤️

To my future children: If you are reading this, it means I’ve long since passed on. I know this is redundant; no parent lives to see their children. Still, I am sorry. I wish it were different. Children are born from the death of their parents. This is the guren way. It’s not just a biological imperative; our culture celebrates it. We wax poetic about how our existence mirrors the cosmos; how, in our final, most brilliant moments of our lives, we sacrifice ourselves to give rise to new life. With every end, a beginning. With every death, new life. A beautiful, endless cycle. I could never see the beauty of it. It didn’t have to be this way. Most of the animals we’ve documented manage to live alongside their offspring. It’s easy to imagine a world where we could do the same. One where lovers could mate more than once and children could be raised by the people that gave birth to them. Instead, to bring us into the world, our parents first have to become one by literally fusing together into a birthing pod. Inside, their bodies are dismantled and remade into our brothers and sisters. We emerge, at the end of this process, into a universe where our parents have already ceased to exist. We’re the only species in the universe capable of comprehending our own mortality, and to have children we must also choose to die. This is preposterous, and yet my view seems to be in the minority. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing. From the moment we’re born, we’re taught to remember and honor our parents above all else. We listen to stories told by friends who knew them in life. We receive diaries they kept before they passed, like the one you’re holding now. We spend our entire childhood building a connection to people who are already gone. Maybe all of that makes it feel natural. But I never experienced any of it. I had no stories to remember them by; no diaries or keepsakes to inherit; no people who knew them in life. I didn’t even know their names. There was only the void left by their absence. To me, a parent who dies and leaves their children behind constitutes nothing but a tragedy. But here, for the first time in my life, I think I see the beauty hiding within. We may never get to see our children grow up, but we can leave so much behind for them. Our memories, hopes and dreams; lessons we’ve learned and guidance we wished we could give; messages of support, comfort, and love. We can record them in diaries. We can entrust them to our friends, who will pass them on to you in our stead. Before we leave, we can give you a place to belong. “It is the duty of the child to remember; it is the duty of the parent to record.” So goes the ancient proverb, yet I’ve avoided both for all my life. But now, I can run no longer. I must change; for my sake, and the sake of others, but mostly for you, the children I may one day in the far future leave behind. If you are my child, reading my words in this diary I have left for you, know that I love you. I love you more than you could possibly imagine, and I am sorry I cannot be there for you. I truly wish I could. But I will leave behind all I can for you. Every story, every moment I can think of. I will do everything in my power to ensure you know where you came from. I will never let you feel lost and adrift. You will carry me with you, always. There are many stories I have to recount. No doubt you have already been told some of them; tales of fantastic adventures I went on in my youth. I will write them down someday. Maybe I’ll record myself narrating them—I bet they’d make great bedtime stories. But there is one I must tell before all others. It was the end of a journey that had spanned centuries. It was my greatest adventure, and also my deepest regret. It’s what spurred me to write this diary. This is what happened on my final expedition to seek Origin.

When you’re out exploring new worlds, sometimes you’ll come across an alien environment so dazzling, it’ll take your breath away. This planet was one such example. A binary star system was drifting towards the horizon, dyeing everything in a beautiful orange glow. Oversized fronds rustled as a gentle breeze rushed past, carrying the faint scent of salty seaspray. In moments like these, it was easy to stand still and let the experience wash over you until you felt at one with the universe. Unless you were too preoccupied with running for your life, of course. “Hey, Kethe! Mind picking up the pace a little?” “I’m… working on it,” I managed to wheeze back. “You know… this might be easier… if you weren’t constantly yelling at me… just a thought, Micken.” “I only got time to yak ‘cause I have to slow down to match your pace. If you’ve got the energy to flap those gums, maybe you should move that bum instead.” I grunted in protest, but Micken was probably right. It took all my energy and focus just to keep up with the other two. Run from giant bugs first. Censure Micken later. “Captain!” I heard Brunow call out to me from up ahead. “We’re in range of the landing site.” Those were the words I’d been dying to hear. I slowed down and caught my breath. Up ahead, Micken and Brunow were standing near the edge of the jungle. Past the trees I could make out a stretch of rock that abruptly fell away, revealing the ocean beyond it. If memory served, that cliff was our evac point. I trotted up to the other two. “Let’s set up defenses here, a little ways from the cliff. If those bugs are still following us, we might have to make a stand until the lander arrives. I’ll contact Alesha while you two set up a barrier. Give me a holler if anything happens.” They nodded and got to work immediately. Brunow dropped his knapsack and pulled out a chunk of steel that unfolded into a thin but durable palisade. With Micken’s help, he quickly locked it into position and began hammering it into the ground. I decided to give them some space and walked over to the treeline. I tapped the communicator in my ear to make sure it was working and opened up a line to the bridge. “Hey Alesha! We’re at the rendezvous point. Where’s the lander?” A burst of angry static filled my ears before I heard the voice of my longtime deputy. “It’s still en route, Captain. About fifteen minutes out.” “Hrm.” I scratched my chin. “If those bugs are still on our trail, this could get ugly. I really don’t want to fight them.” “If I could switch with you, I would,” said Alesha. “It’s been ages since I’ve had a good fight.”  “Yeah, well, you’re stuck on the bridge and I’m stuck down here. Is there any support you can give us from there? Maybe a drone?” “We lost our last drone on the previous planet, if you recall. You flew it straight into a thunderstorm.” “Right, my bad. At least it wasn’t for nothing. That chunk of hail was huge. Real lucky to have caught it on camera.” “...This is why we always run out of drones in the middle of an expedition.” Alesha sighed. “One of these days your recklessness will get you killed.” “Wait, hold up, you’re telling me off for being reckless?  “Unlike you, I can hold my own in a scrap.” There was nothing I could say to this. She had lightning-fast reflexes and surprising strength despite her small frame. That, paired with her quick thinking, had saved my life on more than one occasion. Taking my silence as an admission of defeat, Alesha returned to the problem at hand. “I could launch a crash pod from orbit, but it wouldn’t arrive any earlier than the lander. Besides, I’m not sure how much it would help.” I gazed out at the water. Far below the edge of the cliff, out of view, I could hear waves crash against the rocks below. “I guess we’ll just have to hold the fort here until then.” “Roger. I’ll stay on this line and keep you updated, Captain.” I made my way back over to the others. They’d expanded the palisade and reinforced it with branches and fronds from the jungle and were standing alert behind it, peering into the jungle. “The lander is still on its way. We’ll have to hold out for fifteen minutes or so.” “That’s doable!” said Micken, ever hopeful. “Haven’t seen any of those insect things since we skipped out from the hive. Maybe we lost them?” Brunow stared into the depths of the jungle. “For some reason, I do not think that is the case.” I followed his gaze. At first glance I couldn’t see anything, and I wondered if Micken’s optimism was on the mark for once. But it wasn’t long before I noticed signs of movement in the trees and underbrush. I gripped my rifle tighter and took a deep, steady breath in, then exhaled slowly. “Here they come.” All at once, a swarm of ant-like insects emerged from the trees and skittered towards us. They were smaller than the ones we saw at the hive, but still big—about the size of a head. The analogy conjured an image of one of those things wrapped around my face, which I promptly expunged from my memory. “Might be scouts,” I judged, leveling my sights. Without waiting for a response, I opened fire. The others wasted no time following suit. Though scary, the bugs didn’t put up much of a fight. They marched directly toward us in tightly clustered groups, making them easy targets. Even at its lowest setting, the plasma rifles were capable of carving scorching holes through their exoskeletons. At first, I wondered if we overreacted when fleeing from the hive, but then I saw some of the scouts retreating. “Shoot the ones fleeing!" I barked. "They’re heading back for reinforcements!” The idea was sound, but there were simply too many of them. They slipped back into the undergrowth and disappeared in the direction of the hive. I thought we at least might get a short reprieve, but another group of scouts emerged from a different part of the jungle. “They. Just. Keep. Coming,” complained Micken in between the rapid fire pulses from his rifle. “Sounds like you guys are having fun down there,” Alesha chimed in over the radio. “I’m feeling a little left out.” “This again?” I rolled my eyes in exasperation in between shots. “Look, if I had known, I would have let you lead the ground team instead. Believe me, I regret it as much as you.” She chuckled. “You only have a few minutes before evac arrives, so enjoy the action while it lasts.” “I’ll try, thanks.” Brunow looked over at me surreptitiously. “I’ve been thinking this for a while, but… your second-in-command, she has a strange sense of humor.” Micken ejected his heat sink and pulled a replacement from his belt. “That ain’t humor, she’s serious.” I cut in between the two. “Heads up! Main force is inbound.” Another wave of bugs burst out of the undergrowth, shredding through everything in their way. Compared to the scouts, they were larger, faster, and meaner. They charged straight at us, razor-sharp mandibles clacking in anticipation. “Those look like the ones from the hive,” Brunow commented as he shifted his focus to the new arrivals. “I’d wager they’re the warriors. They were probably patrolling when we—shit!” I raised my arm just in time to block a jet of fluid aimed at my face. “Kethe, you alright?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” I ducked down behind the barrier and examined my arm. The carapace covering the outside of my arm was unaffected, but some of the liquid had splashed onto the inside. I felt a mild prickling sensation consistent with a chemical irritant. “I think it’s a weak corrosive—probably formic acid, though I’m not sure. Just try to avoid getting it in your eyes and you’ll be fine.” “Easier said than done.” Micken and Brunow were ducking behind the barrier frequently, probably because of all the acid being sprayed their way. “Mind helping us out a little, Kethe?” “Yeah yeah, I’m on it.” I grabbed a plasma grenade from my utility belt, primed it, and lobbed it over the barrier. “Grenade out!” A few seconds later, a flash of light and a large blast came from the other side. I felt the shockwave in my bones as I watched the forest shake from the impact. “By the ancestors, Kethe.” I poked my head back over the barrier as Micken surveyed the carnage. A large swath of the underbrush had been incinerated, and a few trees had caught fire. “Whatever happened to ‘not disturbing the beautiful ecology’?” “I make exceptions for things trying to kill me,” I shot back. “Yeah, well it’s not just you they’re after, in case you haven’t noticed.” Micken readied his rifle again as another wave of alien insects advanced. “These damn things don’t quit, I’ll give ‘em that much.” The three of us kept shooting, ducking, and reloading, but there were simply too many of them. Warriors climbed over the corpses of their brethren, while the scouts started to flank from the right and left. “You wouldn’t happen to have another of those grenades on you, would you Kethe?” Micken’s voice was controlled, but grim. “Sorry Micken, that was my last one.” “Captain, I’ve got too many incoming on this side!” called out Brunow in a panic. “We’re being overrun!” “Alesha, where’s the lander? We can’t wait any longer for evac!” She started to reply before I finished. “I was just about to inform you—the lander should be arriving in a few seconds. The aft loading ramp is lowered and ready for immediate extraction.” “You heard her! Get to the cliff, now!” My order was unnecessary, as Micken and Brunow were already heading for the treeline. I ran after them, but the gap between us steadily widened as I fell behind. Through the trees, I saw the lander swoop down and hover at the edge of the cliff with its ramp open. Brunow was first aboard, with Micken joining soon after. “C’mon Kethe!” Desperate to eke out whatever speed I could, I threw my rifle to the side. With that literal weight off my shoulders, I lowered my head and pumped my arms up and down, willing every muscle in my body to strain itself for one final push. Behind me, demonic arthropods spewed acid and lunged at my heels. Jets of plasma scorched the ground around me as Micken and Brunow gave fire support from the cargo hold. With their help I broke through the treeline, raced across the rocky clifftop, and launched myself up the ramp. “Close it!” Alesha must have heard my command, since the ramp started to raise. Brunow steadied me as the lander began to move. A few of the bugs launched themselves off the cliff in pursuit, only to plummet into the waves below. I got one last glimpse of the swarm—furious, I imagined—as the ramp closed. All three of us breathed a sigh of relief. “How many times has it been now? You really know how to flirt with death.” Micken laughed, but his eyes were darting around instead of focusing on me. He might be capable of hiding his anxiety from Brunow, but I knew him better than anyone. Alesha chimed in over the radio. “Yet another close call, I take it?” “Too close,” I grumbled, breathing heavily. “I’m... ready to get off this planet. Alesha, have you dropped the chain yet?” “The tether is already deployed, Captain.” “Perfect. Micken, head to the cockpit and take manual control. Get us to cruising, but don’t gun it until we get closer. I’ll copilot, I just… need to catch my breath for a few minutes here. Brunow can handle it for now, if that’s alright. Oh, and… thanks.” They both nodded. Micken patted me on the shoulder, then the two of them left. A little while later I felt the gravity shift as the lander gradually climbed into the upper atmosphere. Rather than getting up, I sprawled out and surveyed the stains on the ceiling, feeling the vibrations of the engine through the floor. As my adrenaline subsided, the aches and pains I had been ignoring came into focus. Every muscle in my body was sore, there was acid all over my shell, and my rifle was lying in a bush somewhere. I felt miserable. All that effort, and I could barely keep up. Even as a child I was always last in the rankings. The slowest, the weakest, the dumbest. I despised it, always. I hated how I had to work twice as hard to even keep up. It was unfair. These things that came naturally to Micken, Alesha, and the others… they were impossible for me. Compared to them, I was useless. “No… You know better, Kethe,” I whispered to myself. “You know that’s not true.” I closed my eyes and breathed in. Sure, Micken was an ace pilot and gifted engineer. But I knew him before he was either of those things, and I was there to witness every ounce of effort that got him to where he is today. And Alesha… well, she was just a freak of nature. But even so, she sparred with others daily and never let up on her training. Being jealous of them and ignoring their effort—that was unfair. Besides, it’s not like my effort didn’t pay off; here I was, flying above an alien planet, living the life of adventure and discovery I’d always dreamed of. I breathed out slowly and opened my eyes. “Enough of the pity party. Let’s finish this.” With that, I pulled myself up, wiped most of the acid off of my shell, and made my way to the cockpit. *** “Nice to see you didn’t end up in stasis back there,” said Micken when he heard my approach. Brunow had already moved back, so I sat down in the copilot seat. “Don’t tempt me,” was my eventual reply. Micken laughed. “Alesha and I were just, uh, discussing how you threw away your plasma rifle at the end there. Great choice. Looked hilarious.” “I expect that to come out of your personal expenses,” added Alesha. “Seriously?” I groaned. “You know how much those things cost, right?” “All the more reason not to throw one away.” “It was either that or my life. I think it was a pretty good trade.” “I agree,” said Alesha, and for a brief moment I felt vindicated. Then she continued. “Still, none of this would have happened if you hadn’t stumbled blindly into an alien hive in the first place.” “It looked kinda like Progenitor architecture!” “Everything looks like Progenitor architecture to you, buddy.”  I shot Micken a glare even as I admitted, internally, that he had a point. “It’s a reasonable cost to incur for jeopardizing the mission and the lives of your crewmates, no?” There was no arguing with Alesha, so I mumbled my assent. In truth, I had long since come to terms with shouldering the cost myself. I just wanted to put up some resistance. Maybe convince someone, anyone, that Alesha wasn’t the one actually in charge of this whole operation. No one else had anything to add, so I turned my attention to the locket hanging around my neck. Tucked safely inside was a small antique compass—a relic from the distant past. I pulled it out and watched the needle steadily track north. In space it would usually point in arbitrary directions due to nearby equipment, so it was rare to see it functional like this. “Still lugging around that old compass everywhere?” I looked over at Micken, who had glanced over at my locket, and eyed the large medallion resting on his torso. “I’d rather wear this than that garish thing hanging around your neck.” “You’re just jealous.” Micken caressed his medallion. “Not that I blame you. Digital storage encased in a pure tungsten shell, lovingly engraved with my name and details. Form and function, forever together.” I shook my head in disdain. “Ugh, you’re so in love with that damn thing.” “You’re one to talk,” he fired back at me. “Why don’t you put down the trinket and write a diary entry for once?” “What, you want me to obsess over my diary like you?” “Can't be obsessed with something you don't have.” Micken turned and looked at me. “Do you even realize how weird that makes you? Two hundred-odd years, and I’ve never seen you write or record a single entry. Instead of keeping a diary like a normal person, you tote around some obsolete piece of history.” We’d had this exact argument more times than I could recall. Perhaps we were lucky, because Alesha interrupted over the radio before we could continue. “We’ll be coming in range pretty soon, Captain. Make sure to grab on, since I won’t be coming around for another go if you miss.” “Ha ha, very funny.” I put away my compass. “Besides, Micken’s the pilot. If we miss the tether it’s his fault.” Micken brought the nose of the lander up as we started to climb and grinned. “I’ll consider it. Nothing like a little light mutiny to liven things up, eh Cap?” I feigned offense and scoffed. “Everywhere I go, I’m surrounded by insubordination.” “I’d say that speaks more of your leadership than anything else,” came his instant response. Over the comms, I could hear someone laughing—probably Alesha, although it could have been Primm. Or both. “I swear Micken, if you weren’t my best friend you’d be absolutely insufferable.” “You’d also have no friends.” “By the ancestors, you’ve always got something to say. It’s like a disease.” Despite my complaint, I couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Oh, how’d you hear? I only got diagnosed by Elija the other day. Yep, proper medical disorder. I have to have the last word, otherwise I’ll start aging again. It’s contagious too, so one-up me at your own peril.” I just shook my head in response. There was no winning against him. “You two are... very relaxed considering we almost died.” I glanced back at Brunow, who’d been silent until now. Although his remark wasn’t pointed, from the way he was clutching his pendant, he was still clearly on edge from the previous fight.  “Well, fly long enough with Kethe here and you get used to it.” Micken patted my arm as he said this, although he kept his eyes on the instruments. “Besides, situations like these call for levity. Laughter helps you relax.” “You have my respect for looking at it like that. And it does help, a little. Even so…” Brunow trailed off. It seemed like he was carefully searching for the right words. “I think I may not be suited for this life. If I choose not to renew the contract… I hope it will not cause offense.” I glanced at Micken, but didn’t hesitate to respond. “It’s not an issue at all.” “Good. I don’t want to sound like I am being critical of you. I think you guys are exactly what Seekers should be. I just…” Brunow paused again before continuing. “I did not truly understand what an expedition would be like when I signed up.” “That’s perfectly normal.” “Yeah, no harm, no foul,” added Micken. “Plenty of people quit after their first expedition. The ones that stick around tend to be weirdos like Alesha and Kethe here.” “Guilty as charged,” said Alesha. “Look, I’m just very dedicated to the search, alright?" I protested. "And I hope you’re including yourself in that group.” “You know it. Point is, you shouldn’t feel bad about quitting. You’ve got a long life ahead of you and don’t want to lose it. Congratulations, you’re sane.” “Thank you for your kind words.” Brunow relaxed a little as the conversation ended. For a while, the three of us sat there in silence. I gazed out the window and stared at the ocean. We were high up enough now that I could make out the curvature of the planet on the horizon. Finally, Alesha broke the silence through the radio. “Tether is about thirty seconds out. Everything look good on your end, Micken?” “Yeah, I can see it coming up behind us. We’ll be in position to catch it.” “Roger. Engaging retrothrusters,” replied Alesha. I watched Micken at the controls as he deftly maneuvered the craft into position. It was hard to explain, but at times like these it almost seemed like he became one with the machine. His orange carapace melted into the glow of sunset streaming through the window behind him, amplifying the sense that something otherworldly was taking place. I only snapped out of my reverie when the lander lurched forward abruptly. “Tether secure,” called out Micken. Sure enough, I felt it gradually begin to pull the lander up and out of the atmosphere. “Roger," confirmed Alesha, "I’m handing over control to Second Officer Raynor. He’ll take you up the rest of the way and handle docking.” “We’ll see you in the hangar then,” I said. “I’ll be waiting.” *** An hour later, the Lodestar came into view. Once we detached from the tether, I was able to get a clear look up at it from the cockpit of the lander. It was a boxy old freighter that I’d gradually retrofitted for interstellar exploration over the past couple of centuries.  After installing a decent FTL drive, I dedicated most of my resources towards assembling an impressive suite of surveying instruments. Near the bow of the ship I could see the cluster of scanning devices used to analyze planets from orbit, including radar and laser altimeters, microwave radiometers, and spectrometers. I still felt giddy whenever I caught a glimpse of them. The interior of the ship remained largely unchanged, requiring only a few changes to suffice as a Seeker vessel. The Lodestar’s former cargo hold now served as a vast hangar, capable of storing a few satellites, a telescope, two landers, and a handful of drones and crash pods. It was mostly empty right now; two of the satellites were still in orbit, and our last drone had been… rendered inoperable via unforeseen circumstances. (At least drones were relatively cheap to replace.) The hangar door was open and waiting for us when we arrived. Micken steered the lander inside, bringing it close enough for the automated system to take over and set us down on the hangar floor. “Lander-1 aboard. Thanks for checking my work, Raynor.” “Hmph. Just doing my job.” Micken wasn’t bothered by Raynor’s gruff reply—like most of the long-serving crew, he knew that was just how Raynor spoke. Despite being quite levelheaded and approachable, people meeting him for the first time often assumed he was a callous brute. Being Alesha’s right hand probably contributed to the impression, and his large build, sanguine shell, and numerous scars didn’t help. After gathering all of our equipment (we were conspicuously short a single plasma rifle), we stepped out into the hangar. Kolle was clearly on cleaning duty, as he was already wiping down the exterior of the lander. Standing nearby was Alesha, her arms crossed in a casual pose.  “I may have heard, but how was the trip?” “Uh, let’s see… I fell headfirst into an alien hive, was chased clear across the jungle, used up a plasma grenade and lost a rifle, and have nothing to show for it.” I shrugged. “Aside from that, it was fine.” “Nothing?” Alesha looked at me skeptically. Maybe it was just my imagination, but the spikes and serrated edges on her shell felt sharper than usual. “You did get the samples we needed, right?” “Well, okay, I suppose I’ve got these lousy samples.” I walked over to the equipment bench and set my utility belt down. ”I collected them before the whole fiasco with the hive.” “These ‘lousy samples’ are worth millions of quarnas.” Alesha examined the various soil, water, and vegetation samples I’d brought back. “This should be enough to complete the contract.” “Expedition's a sweep, then, right Kethe?” Micken let out a whoop and clapped my back. “You and me, we should drink something tonight. Just relax. Really let loose.” Alesha cut in before I could respond. “Don’t get too comfortable, Micken. Sothas told me to have you visit the engine room when you got back.” Micken groaned. “Not another lecture. We’ve been working together for nearly a century. He should know by now that I know my way around a drive core.” I gave him a cautiously optimistic look. “You never know, it might be something else.” “Well, whatever it is, I better not keep him waiting.” Micken dropped off his equipment and made his way towards the exit. At the door, he turned around and shouted, “I’ll check in later Kethe—we’ll find a way to celebrate!” before disappearing from sight. “I’ll be heading back to my room too, unless there is anything you need from me Captain,” said Brunow. I glanced at Alesha, who shook her head. “No, I think we’re done here. Go ahead and get some rest; you deserve it.” Brunow nodded at me and followed after Micken, leaving just Alesha and me by the bench. The two of us watched Kolle work in silence for a moment before I spoke up. “Well, that’s one more person we’re gonna have to replace when we get back to Navas.” “Brunow?” Alesha looked back at the exit in surprise. “I thought he was handling it pretty well.” “He’s certainly skilled enough for it. I think it’s just, you know…” “The whole risk-aversion thing?” Alesha asked. “It’s baked into our species, I swear. I mean, I get it. Stay out of trouble, and you've got a couple thousand years ahead of you. Most people shy away from hazardous occupations like these, knowing what they have to lose. We’re the few exceptions.” “Like what Micken was saying earlier?” “Yeah. Hopefully that helped Brunow feel better about it. Although I admit, calling all of us ‘weirdos’ is not how I would have gone about it.” I leaned back against the wall and exhaled deeply. “This cycle is going to hurt. Between all the repairs, restocking, and hiring new crew, we’ll be lucky to break even.” “We completed every contract and no one died. I’d call that a win.” “Didn’t find a single clue about the Progenitors or Origin, though,” I grumbled. “But you’re right. All things considered, this expedition went well. Maybe I’ll take Micken up on that offer after all. Care to join?” Alesha shook her head. “I’ve still got a few scans to run through before we can leave. I don’t want to push all the work onto Raynor. We’ll have another chance during the trip back.” “That’s true. Either way, the three of us can go out to eat once we get back to Navas. It’s practically tradition at this point.” “I’ll hold you to that.” Alesha smiled—a genuine one, not a wry one like I usually saw on her. “Glad you made it back alright, Kethe.” “All thanks to your support. And some sharp shooting from the guys.” I scratched my chin. “Come to think of it, maybe I should take Brunow out to lunch sometime. Even if he’s quitting, he did save my life.” “If that’s the case, you’ll have to buy meals for most of the crew.” “Maybe I should. Wait, hang on, aren’t I already doing that?” Alesha’s laughter echoed throughout the hangar as we left.

[Spring] “Do you see her,” my mother asked. I nodded. Who wouldn’t see her? Her long snow-white hair alone was enough. It waved in the mild spring breeze, as if it was beckoning me. It danced under the blazing sun, as if it tried to entrance me. Here I am, it screamed. Look at me, it demanded. And I obeyed. “Go and play with her,” mother ordered. A pat on the back. And I obeyed. I was 12. And the distance between us, not much more than a few minutes’ walk for an adult, felt endless beneath my short legs. I breathed heavily while climbing the steep hill outside the village. Torrid air seared my throat. And warm sweat drenched my clothes. I hated the heat. But the girl in front of me was untouched, neither sweat nor discomfort on her face. A slender statue, made of marble, returned my gaze with a smile. But the moment I was close enough to see her blue eyes, she opened her lips. A brief laughter rang out. A pure sound. Like bells. And she was gone. Vanished into the forest behind the hill. I sighed. Should I go back home? I could tell mother she ran away, that she didn’t want to play. And hide myself from the sun. With an icy drink against the heat. Perfect. But her white hair entered my view once more. Not too far away, between the leaves, it beckoned once more. I sighed. At least there were shadows beneath the trees, cooling the stagnant air. More pleasant than the hill. Still worse than my room. But I kept following her hair. Always out of reach, always teasing me from a distance, but also visible and inviting. Until I stumbled onto a small clearing. And there she was, in the shadows beneath a massive tree, lying on a bed of moss. “You found me,” she said. Still that same smile on her lips. “Now you get a price.” “I don’t want a price,” I grumbled. Nothing was worth the exertion. “Don’t say that. It’ll make me sad,” she responded with an exaggerated grimace. “I’m Luba.” “Arina.” “That’s a beautiful name,” Luba exclaimed in honesty. “I’m jealous.” “My mother gave it to me,” I responded with pride. I had won against her. “It stands for peace. Because I was born during the war.” “Peace? Obedience fits better.” She laughed. “You followed me all the way here. So here is your price.” The next moment her face filled my entire view. Deep blue eyes like a cold forest stream. Her marble-like skin. White and cold, with no blemish. A handful of freckles on her small nose. And then her long eyelashes moved and covered her eyes. And for a single moment something touched my lips. “My name is Luba. For love.” She repeated her introduction, withdrawing to the edge of the clearing. “I like you. Come and catch me.” She was like a snow storm. Overwhelming, nonsensical, but fascinating. And while I don’t remember the clothes she wore or the date her family moved into our village, I still remember my first kiss. It wasn’t love. How could two twelve-years-old understand love? It was a joke, a childish prank, a whim. But that chilly feeling on my lips still lingered as I chased her beneath the blazing sun. [Summer] “Do you like him,” my mother asked. I froze. Who would like him with his curried looks and his sunny disposition? But I couldn’t say that. Therefore I stayed still, pretending to miss her question. “You should go out with him,” she suggested, although it felt more like an order. “He has excellent looks and his father told me he’ll continue their family’s shop. We would sleep better if your future is secured.” I nodded. It was her daily lecture. The same topic, the same arguments, with switching adolescent men. An unchanging routine since my sixteenth birthday. Go and find someone who warms your bed. It was a simple command. “I have to go,” I interrupted today’s speech. “Luba is waiting for me.” “Her again.” Mother sighed. “I know you two are wonderful friends, but you should keep your distance. The neighbors are talking already. Filthy rumors.” “I’ll be careful,” I assured her. “But I have to go now.” “Wait,” my mother began anew. But I didn’t obey. I had to go now. Outside, the air above the hillside glimmered. The sun was doing her best to turn our tiny village into an endless desert. But I ignored the sweat on my back and sped up my steps. Luba’s hair sparkled in the sunshine. The same slender statue on top of the hill. “You are late,” she complained the moment I was within earshot. “I waited forever.” “Sorry.” I gave her a quick hug. “Let’s go.” Our goal was a small park on the other side of the village. A neglected project, more a waste dump than a leisure area. But both the forest and the clearing were long gone, replaced by new apartment buildings. And the quiet park was one of the few places without annoying eyes and ears. Today was the same. We were alone. Luba laughed, the same bell-like sound as ever, and danced through the small square. A beautiful display with her long, white hair flowing behind her. Overwhelming, willful, and free. Like a snow storm. “I missed you”, I muttered to myself. “Of course you did,” Luba laughed and embraced me. “I would do the same.” I smiled and rested my head against her chest. My growth had slowed down, but she continued to stretch herself. But I liked this position. I could hear her heartbeat while her slow breaths tickled my neck. How could this be wrong? “You have something on your mind,” Luba said. More a statement than a question. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” I brushed her off, hoping for a new topic. But she just stood there and waited. “My mother talked to me again. She is serious. I don’t know how long she’ll relent. And then…” “Let’s run away!” Luba interrupted me, grabbing my shoulder and holding me at arm’s length. Her cold blue eyes filled with determination. “Let’s just run away. Away from this village. Our parents, our classmates, our teachers. We don’t need them.” “But…” “There is no but. We can board the train to Moscow and jump off whenever we want. Somewhere where nobody knows us. Where we can be ourselves.” “But…” “Don’t worry.” Luba laughed and pressed a forceful kiss on my lips. “I’ll protect you.” I smiled. Once more I was defenseless against this side of her. And so I grabbed her hand, cold and beautiful like marble, and boarded a train towards an unknown future. [Fall] “Anything else,” the woman in front of me asked. I nodded. Today had to be special. So I picked a cheap bottle of wine and a pack of candles and added both to my purchases. This should be enough. “That’s all?” The woman made sure before telling me the total amount. I sighed and counted a row of dirty coins into her hand. It lightened my small purse considerably, but it was a sacrifice that had to be made. I smiled in anticipation, collected my purchases, and left the tiny store. The cold fall air greeted me outside. Soon it would snow. A young boy sold newspapers on the street. The boycott of the Olympics in Berlin. Strains between other nations. An appeal for fresh recruits. The world was going to hell. But it had nothing to do with us. Our apartment wasn’t far from here. Just a few minutes’ walk. But I encountered our neighbor in front of our house. Useless chatter birthed by a conniving mouth. A waste of both time and sympathy. I knew he talked behind our backs. A husband who couldn’t seal the deal after two years. Barren was his friendliest description. But it was better than rumors. So I smiled, nodded, and assured him of our successful marriage. Back inside, I began with my work. I cooked soup for dinner, decorated our dining table with the candles, and cooled the wine. Afterwards I sat on our small couch and waited for my husband. Heavy steps announced the arrival, so I stood up and welcomed her at the door. “Welcome back,” I said with a smile, helping her out of the heavy coat. “Everything fine at work?” “Nobody noticed anything,” Luba answered, completing our ritual. Two years in the same factory, two years of the same ritual. An acknowledgement of our love in its own way. “Go and wash your face, you’re dirty.” I laughed. “I’ll warm the soup in the meantime.” Dinner was silent. We both had nothing to say. But that was a wonderful thing. No news meant no unpleasant news. No problems. No rumors. An enjoyable silence full of hope. “So I gifted myself a bottle of wine,” Luba asked with a chuckle after we had finished. It was a joke but it still hurt. She had took on the role of the husband and earned our money. And there was nothing I could do. Laundry, washing up, cleaning. How could that offset a day in the factory? I wanted to kneel, to apologize, to ask for her forgiveness. But I couldn’t. It was her decision. Any excuse would shame her dedication. So I kept quiet and enjoyed the icy wine. “Actually I want something else as a present.” Luba interrupted my thoughts. Had she seen through me? She stood up, bowed in front of me, and offered her arm. “How about a dance?” I laughed. And answered her with a curtsy. “It would be my pleasure.” I grabbed her marble-like hands. Still white and cold, but with rough calluses from her work. And embraced her slender, now even meager, body. Her snow-white hair now short, not flowing anymore. The once unblemished statue, now laced with chips and cracks. But my head still found his place right above her heart. A slow song filled the room. Not from the radio but Luba’s mouth. An enchanting hum that fascinated me every time anew, filling me with happiness. Nobody would see her as a man after they witnessed this voice. But only I could hear it. “I love you.” I uttered my feelings in a trance. “I know,” Luba responded. “And I won’t let you go.” I tried to retort, but she closed my lips with her own. First with reserve, but soon more and more greedy, pushing me into a different trance. “You want another present? You are too greedy.” I smiled. And followed her lead towards our bedroom. I didn't resist. She was overwhelming, aggressive, and irresistible. Like a snow storm in our own small world. [Winter] “Are you awake,” Luba asked me. I nodded. Who would fall asleep after her morning attack? I just wanted to watch her in silence for a while longer. Enjoy the cold of her skin against my own. “We need to talk,” Luba said. “Wait in the living room.” I nodded, put my pajamas on, and left our bedroom. I knew something was wrong. Had noticed it this morning. She was more forceful than usual. More driven. As if she was cornered. Did someone blow our cover? Our neighbor? Or her coworkers? A thousand thoughts collided inside my head. But they were shattered when Luba entered the room. She didn’t wear her normal clothes. Not even her heavy coat. But black leather boots over green pants, a green quilted jacket on top, held in place with a brown belt. “No,” I stammered. “No. You can’t!” I knew the uniform. Everyone knew the uniform. Once a sign of pride, it had become the proof that the war had gone south. Old uniforms, re-used, because new uniforms cost too much. And now she wore one in front of me. “The order came in yesterday,” Luba said, a wry smile on her face. “All men have to go to the front. So, the husband has to leave his home.” “No. No!” This was wrong. This couldn’t happen. “I… you… you can’t. We… we have to run away. Let’s take the train. To somewhere were nobody knows us. We can start anew.” “We can’t. The trains don’t run for civilians. They all transport soldiers now.” “Then… we just walk. Or we use our savings and take a horse carriage. As long as we get out of here…” “We can’t.” Luba repeated. “They’ll hunt and kill deserters. We have no choice.” “But you aren’t a deserter. You aren’t even a man. You are just mine.” My brain hurt, desperately trying to find a way out. “It’ll be disgusting, but they can check. We are both women. We can go to another village and say we are widows. There we can support each other. And then…” A chilly hand on my forehead stopped my fever dream. “We can’t.” The same answer again. “The rumors will start again. And… I don’t want to do that.” She kneeled in front of me, framing my face with her hands, looking right into my eyes. The same dark blue eyes. Cold and full of determination. “I don’t want to do that,” Luba repeated. “I don’t want to say this family was a lie. You… I can’t say that my feelings for you were a lie. And I don’t want them to dictate our lives. I don’t want to run again and again and again. Whenever there is a rumor. Whenever there is an obstacle. I can’t. If the only way we can be together is a lie… then I want to take this lie and live it to my fullest.” “But! I…” “I know.” Luba acknowledged and covered my lips with her own. Not forceful or greedy, but slow and gentle. A refreshing cold towel on a torrid day. Packed with all her feelings and believes, overpowering everything I wanted to say. No words left. Our lips parted after an eternity that had rushed by during the blink of an eye. There she stood before me. With her hair the color of freshly fallen snow. A perfect marble-like statue, all her cracks covered by the uniform. “My dear Arina,” she recited with a salute. “Please watch over me and bring peace to this family.” I nodded. She smiled. A smile so beautiful nobody would mistake her for a man. The last treasure she could give to me. And I smiled back at her. A horrible grimace. But filled with all the words I couldn’t say. Her figure, now blurred, turned around and left. Not once looking over her shoulder. And I couldn’t stop her. I couldn’t reason with her when she was like this. Overwhelming, willful, and unseizable. Like a snow storm. [Spring-Time] “Any news,” my neighbor asked. I shook my head. Nothing to share. Not with her. I knew she wasn’t here for sympathy but for rumors. Not with me. “That’s odd,” she wondered. “Let’s hope he’ll return soon.” I nodded. Let’s hope. What else was there to do? I couldn’t travel to the frontline. I couldn’t talk with the commander. So of course I would hope. I did so for the last years. “I have to go.” I interrupted her and fled like a warm spring breeze. Below the blazing sun, past unknown faces and victory posters, until I reached the comforting cold of the hallway. Silence greeted me inside my apartment. A small one, more like one combined room, paid by a small job in the factory. They accepted women now. Of course, they did. The men were all gone. But it was enough for me. Enough to survive. Enough to wait for her. Dinner was yesterday’s soup. Cold. Afterwards I wrote another letter to my parents. I had written to them after the war had ended. Assured them I lived in a loving marriage. No need to worry. They were shocked to hear from me after so many years. I have a little brother now. And they invited me to visit them. But I wrote we were busy for now. I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t want to see that hill again. It would be too painful. I knew something would break when I stood atop that hill. And for now I wanted to hold on to my hope. “I’m tired,” I said towards the other side of the table. Not towards the chair but the table itself. On it a worn letter and an old photograph. Luba in uniform, striking a weird pose. I chuckled, as I always did. She was still the same. That marble-like statue, with short snow-white hair, recorded for eternity. Unmovable but still full of life. Like a storm that blew through the world and ignored all rules. Overwhelming, bothersome, but full of love. Delivered together with her only letter from the frontline. A short I’m fine written over a full page. A small I love you in the bottom corner. Just like her. “Goodnight.” I said to her, pressing my lips against the photograph. A cold sensation against my lips. “I love you, too.” I stood up, glancing at the other letter. An official seal on the front. Ministry of Defense. Standard format, following all the rules. Nothing that fit into our lives. Not today, I decided for myself and went to bed. The air outside the window was still sultry. Too hot for the season. But I needed fresh air. The city’s noise echoed through the air. A pair of lovers performed their ritual. A lonely dog whined in the distance. I closed my eyes. The air’s smell tickled my nose. Like flowers and warm earth. It was spring-time. The season for snow was over.   LostLibrarian This is my original entry. While I like how the overall story turned out, I thought of ideas to rewrite the last part (and also polishing the whole story)

 Have you ever wondered what it feels like to escape death? Have you ever considered what it feels like to narrowly escape dying?You most likely haven’t ,Right?That's why you're reading this. If you have experienced the previous state of mind ,your life must be really bad ,huh? Well let me tell you the tale of a certain boy who has had countless experiences with death while still being a normal person.  You heard right, I said he was a normal person . He was not not a military personnel , no one with a tragic backstory , nor some kind of thrill-seeker, he was just a perfectly average young adolescent boy just like someone might have seen around you.  He was not anyone with some great fate neither was he special in any way he was simply normal . the only thing about him that was somewhat abnormal about him was the way he died ,for your information his death was not heroic in any way it was the direct opposite it was pathetic ,cowardly and common.  During the ten months  before his death he was in many different forms of accidents and incidents ,whether it be natural disasters like earthquakes, floods or typhoons or man made incidents like robberies or slasher attacks ,he  survived many different forms of near death  happenings .  Now you might be thinking this boy is extremely lucky or is there someone plotting something against him?  The second point I don;t know but i never said anything about him being lucky  did i ? although he himself might survived all these occurrences the people near him didn’t , a lot of his friends, his family ,his relatives and even random bystanders all died while something happened near them/  Your probably thinking how did he not commit suicide after all of this? Does he not feel anything from people near him dying/  He did try many times to kill himself but each time he did something happened , either some kind of person who detests suicide came and stopped or some other strange coincidentual thing happened  You're wondering where the person I am talking  about is still alive ?  and to that question my answer is he is dead . He finally died after everyone near him passed away. He was this depressing cause this was not meant to depress, it is simply what happened . may his soul get solace  BTW his cause of death was him getting run over by a truck which for some reason, even after hitting him didn’t stop  and ran into a nearby airport and crashed into an empty plane ******** [Ugh everything hurts ] [ Getting run over still hurts ] [Did that do it ? Am I finally dead/?] Or is this some kind of last minute hospital ward for running over people like the other one?/if it is I,I,I can’t do this shit anymore just let this end I wanna die just let it ALL END ALREADY!!! For now let's open my eyes and see what's up {uhm,Uhm huh? Why is it so dark ?] It’s really dark I got run over right , so,I should be in a hospital somewhere right? This is a hospital right ? [Huh, why am I naked? Did I get kidnapped to get sacrificed again?]    Well if i am kidnapped for sacrificial purposes again i hope they succeed  Any second somebody should be coming to get  me from whatever cult responsible for this Any second now,, any second now   Ten minutes later Any minute now, any minute Why is no one coming ? Do you even not want to kill me ? [Hello , is anyone there ?] I asked in a decently loud voice to which there was no answer  Not feeling discouraged I yelled in a much louder than before  [ YO, FUCKWADS WHO DRAGGED ME HERE AREN”T YOU GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH ME? OR AM I JUST GONNA SIT HERE? ANSWER DIPSHITS] That should atleast make someone come here  Five minutes later Come on at least someone respond  [hellooo, Did YOU not hear me I called y’all a bunch of fuckwads and dipshits , so at least respond if you don’t want to prove me right ] [ Hey, are you listening? respond when someone is talking] Ten minutes of shuting and verbal abuse  [ARE YA”LL FUCKING JAPANESES ISEKAI PROTAGS , GROW A FUCKING PAIR AND RESPOND ,I AM A SUICIDAL WRECK OF A PERSON BUT EVEN I WOULD REACT IF SOMEONE SAID SO MUCH SHIT ABOUT ME , YA”LL ARE FUCKING PUSSIES, RESPOND RETARDS, FUCKING RESPOND!!] [hum, hunh, humh , huunh] What kind of pussy-ass cult kidnaps someone and does nothing after  When I get out of whatever is restraining me i’ll beat their asses [ huun, hhunnh, hhuun, nhhen] After a full minute of continuous struggle against my constraints i managed to break out  I tried to search for the constraints but i couldn't find them it was as if they disappeared [Okay, let's find the exit and also beat up one of my kidnappers , that will make me feel good ,yeah ,meaningless violence] [ okay, let’s see the least amount of echo was over here I  think so I should also go this way, yeah ,that logic is perfect. So let’s also”BWACK'' ow.] Did I just crash face first into a wall , thats so stupid  [ if there is a wall here i can use it as a guide and find the exit] So let's do that “Caress “touch ‘ “touch  [ Ohh, here i can go through here, lets go} I start walking at a brisk pace that isn't too slow or fast after sometime I see some light in the distance. Thinking i found the exit of where i am i increase my speed and run towards it After I ran to where the light was i saw something very - [it’s an Ipad] As i can tell it’s an Ipad, not only that but it is a floating Ipad on a pedestal  My instincts which i have thoroughly developed in the last ten months of my life are telling me touching will lead to something bad,but i am a dipshit who likes to go against reason and the worst thing that can happen to me is death which i wish for so I’mma go touch it [ Okay, i should first bring it down ] “Click” That w-was definitely a click right. I clicked something, RIght? When  I was panicking over what i clicked i noticed there was a piece of paper directly below where the Ipad was so tied to read it [let’s see”Thou who readst thine paper hast most certainly passed thyme mortal coil , whence thou activate thisth odalisk thine existence shall beith reconstituted] [ What kind of prick wrote this bullshit, oh this is the place of the pussy cult. I Should find my clothes and le-...??] Wut da fuq. ????? [My hand, my hand , my sweet glorious hand!!!!!!!] My hands are disappearing(well only one of them {what’s happening ,how is this possible ?] Okay , okay calm down me and think [ the note it said something about oda-something and activating does that mean the Ipad(??)]  But when did I turn it on [The click sound ] If we are following that logic means I ‘m finally dead, well this was unexpected. [hUUNNUUUUUHHHHFFFF . FUCK YOU RELIGION-...] That is how I completely turned to dust   Sometime later in another world far away from here a certain grey-ash haired boy was born in a certain village in a world of swords and magic >>>>>>>>> Hi my name is Allen and i am a genius  Why am I a genius you ask because at 3 months of my birth I learned how to walk at 9 months of birth I could speak pretty well and at 2 years of age I used magic it totally stunned my parents when I did it, so yes i am a genius I am currently 3 years old I live in the village of Orin Recently I have been having strange dreams of a place I have never seen ,or a very dark room with someone I don’t know talking to me  When I tried talking to me my mother About it she said It’s not anything important but I’ll figure it out sooner or later , because I am a genius

                                                                                          Thank you Zoe for the Cover Art   Upon reaching the Library of Crineforge, the elvish Queen, Queen Arein of Ermintale glances across the overwhelming tower of a library which towered over her, built under the secrecy of an ancient fortelling book. The skies were lifeless and dull as rain was inevitable. Peering towards the distance however Queen Arein finds the tower itself was made of arcadian steel, a durable form of steel able to withstand the toughest of wind currents, and was well reinforced too. Arein thought it could reach higher than even the highest of mountains, as if the library was built to reach for the heavens.       It was the twenty third day of her restless travels and since her departure from her kingdom, Being escorted by five of her best knights as she flew atop a brown Drejin. Glaring back to watch the final knights making their landings, she converts her attention to her large avian beast, larger than two full grown men as it rests its hazel eyes.   Alongside her were two Lords, sworn to loyalty, Lord Faryn and Lord Idriica. Queen Arein continued onwards towards the gates, her thorny crown gifted to her on her coronation glittered violently from the several jewels placed on top as she trotted closer and closer towards the gates. Arein had a serious frown painted on her pale, elvan face. A cool breeze hit her body, marking a close end to the Autumn season.      “My Queen”, Four knights bearing Arcadian Armour kneel down before her. While towering above them, she stares a dully at them. Her white hair swayed with the violent winds, the trees danced side to side as if about to snap, “Get up and open the gates” she orders, within a heart-beat the four men rise up towards the gates, pulling a lever as the great iron wall slowly rises. There, awaiting the queen, was a large bridge which led to the library far beyond mortal comprehension.         The Queen had been called in for a council meeting, to fulfil an ongoing pact which was established many years before her birth and upbringing.  “But my queen, the Aerilonian Guild Exams?, we must make it to Aerilon and back in time!” says Lord Faryn, walking to her right, Lord Faryn was an old man, around his sixties, with a bushy beard and a crooked nose, he was, however, very wise, and was seen as an advisor to the Queen. As they walked across the halls, the pristine tiles beneath them shined so bright it could blind a man, with books which reached far beyond infinity, the libraries decor was on par with that of any royal palace, as it was tended to greatly. “The Guild Exams can wait, im sure the Kayuu family have many other families arriving, we are not needed” Arein replies, as they turn halls, many of the scholars watch them in shock, the queen of Eastern Estapar has paid them an unforgettable visit. “What exactly are we doing here my Queen?” “Don't question her” Lord Idriica scolds Lord Faryn. To the left of the Queen, Lord Idriica, was an old woman too, no older than her mid-fifties, wearing an elegant gown, and bearing purple eyes, she had lived long enough to understand never to question those of high status.     “It's fine Idriica, if you must know, we are here to pass a message onto the Ano Family in the Western lands of Storfis, its of the Craeforion'' before they enter the Meeting hall, they peer across the large wooden table which seated 10 elders of the library. “Our Queen '' an elder said, she had rough skin with white hair, she was mostly identified with a cut on her left eye, deeming her half-blind. “We have awaited your arrival for months… we have assigned three of our best scholars, one with ties with King Arton Ano, to safely send the scrolls to the King of the West to warn him of the dangers that are to come…”   Peering across the room, she sees the 3 scholars who stare in excitement at their queen. “What is your name?” asks Queen Arein, she looks towards a man with a cunning smile “My name is Lannis Orindite, sent to the library by the perished King Alpon Ano'', Lannis was the mature one within the bunch, Arein could sense it, he had just passed his thirties by the looks of it and carried a bright ecril sword along his waist which was covered by a silver painted sheath, “What about you, young boy?” She switches her attention towards a scrawny boy, no older than his teen years, maybe 17 at most, unable to keep eye contact with the queen. “M-my name is Krial Irvan, and my brother, next to me is Aeris Irvan…”, He replies, looking to the side. Krial’s brother, Aeris, palmed himself of the embarrassment his brother bestowed upon them, the two had golden hair, with Krial wearing blue eyes while Aeris brown. As the Queen, while observing the luxurious marble built meeting hallway, steps closer towards the large wooden round table. It was crafted by the finest of woods, most likely wood from the Elder-forest near her kingdom, the table held stacks of paper and books and was very well kept. Arein crept closer towards the table while the elders insisted for the Queen to write on the scroll, looking down on the brownish scroll in front of her she reaches for an ink pen to her left      Swaying her arms and wrists, gliding across the scroll as if it were a canvas, she holds it tightly, closing her eyes before walking towards Lannis Orindite and pulling out his hand. “You must hurry, the entirety of Aestane lies within your palms, Lannis Orindite” The Queen places the scroll on his palm before closing his fingers, Lannis grips the scrolls tightly, as the three make way for their departure.  The three men set off for a long journey which awaits them, Krial had frightening thoughts playing in his mind, remembering the tales of the unfortunate who fell off the backs of birds and fell to their deaths, if even a single thunderstorm was to form while closing near Storfis it could set back their journey for months. Riding on the feathery backs of a Drejin, one brown, another black and the last, an albino. All packed for the journey ahead, they say their farewells to the cool breeze they were used to in Eastern Estapar, as Lannis latches his sword and puts the scrolls in a brown pouch around the flying beast before mounting on top of it. Clinging onto its soft fur Queen Arein prays before wishing farewell    “Hyah!”    Shouts the three, the Drejin flapping its large wings. As rain began to pour slowly and softly. The skies had left no more room for the sun to shine upon them. Rising higher and higher, Krials heart pumps faster and faster “I don't think I like this”, says Krial, as he holds tightly to his Drejins clean brown fur.     “You’d best shut your mouth Krial, would make this journey a whole lot faster” replies Aeris, who by that time was already sick of Krial. Aeris looks to Lannis, “How long is this journey meant to take Lannis” he questions, they reach above the clouds, as Krial panics silently. “Two weeks if left unbothered, we shall take a route from the Eastern Gates to the Grand Path which will lead straight to Storfis, it's one of the largest paths I know of” he replies “By my estimates in a week's time we will already be half-way towards Storfis, it should be fairly easy to reach” Lannis continues on. He remembers of being a child, living under the great perished king, King Alpon Ano, Lannis was once friends with the current King of Storfis, King Arton, but through his father, he was sent through the Grand Path to the library, forgetting his old life-style on the floating kingdom of Taettaris Empire, and becoming a student, sworn to loyalty by oath.       “Two weeks above the ground in the perilous skies… why have the gods forsaken me” Krial mutters, by that time they were overlooking the clouds, the sun shone so bright above the grey skies. It was truly an amazing scene, Krial himself thought it was heaven. Just as their Drejins began to steady, Lannis reached in for his brown pouch mounted onto his Albino Drejin.       “What does the scroll read, Lannis?” Krial questions.   Fixing his eyes on what he really needed to read, he replies “It says ‘Your children are the Phoenix Children, the prophecies are true and will be fulfilled, such claims will also mean the two prophecies are true….’ i don't understand what this means however” a perplexed Lannis replies.    “Read the prophecies” Krial replies back, hinting he too was confused. Within seconds Lannis reaches in for a second scroll the Queen had given him.  “Prophecy One, Chapter 400: King of Shadows the II, it says ‘ Oh Mad One, who will wage conquest of all of Aestane for a legendary cause. However, is blinded by ambition and manipulated with lies ’... I don't understand this?” he says, looking confused, the winds picking up. It's almost as if an image played in his head, like a vision almost… Lannis, in that very second saw fire, a fire which raged and burnt through the lands of Aestane, as he envisions a King coming out with a bloodied blade. But he is interrupted.       “Read the second then” Aeris replies.    “Okay, uhm, Prophecy Two, Chapter 401: The Light Seeker, this one says ‘ The Light Bringer of hope and justice among their race… who shall lead a cause of light and justice to rid Aestane of its inevitable war ’ I can sense a connection between the two but how does the third prophecy connect?” he questions as he looks down at the scroll, the sun shining on his back. Lannis envisioned another image in his head, he saw hands rising up, as a silhouette of an angel rises up, rising towards something as others follow.      “Okay let me see the final prophecy” Aeris says once more.   “Prophecy Three, Chapter 402: Lords of the Phoenix, ‘ The children of three, born by a mighty king, will become lords of the Phoenix, and help a forbidden cause ’- this has to have a connection between Artons children… This must be why the Queen sent us to Storfis… which other House has ties with the phoenix?” Lannis says, cracking the code between it all, everything was connected but they had no way to explain it or even identify who.     “If it’s all connected.. That must mean everything we were taught of, the pact for the craeforion, the families part of it, was a lie…” says Krial as he questions everything he had been taught of in the library.     “We were taught the Craeforion told prophecies of the four royal families of Aestane through a pact”       “The Ano Family”           “The Palmer Family”     “The Ivor Family”           “And Lastly the Farmin Family, Queen Lucielle was to make a book to ensure her family was safe from any dangers by telling the futures of her family, but never specified when, so prophecies could take decades and in this case… centuries for simple things to happen… Deeming the book worthless, she formed a council” Lannis continued, trying to jog his memory as best he could.     “She formed a council called ‘The Sisla Council’, inviting 3 other families allied with Eastern Estapars forces, the Queen was to give the Craeforion to one of the families, she chose King Harold Ano of Storfis” Aeris continues.     “However, King Harold handed it to King Aldrin Palmer of Ilugara Region, as a sign of peace between the two countries, King Aldrin Palmer instead gave it to King Vercin Ivor II, King of Kanaria'' Krial says with a smirk on his face, proud he is somewhat on par with his brother, “Ah but King Vercin Ivor gave the Craeforion to his eldest son, Prince Aldrich Ivor, the knight son of the King. I suppose he would then go on to make the Library of Crinforge to show gratitude to the Queen, as loyalty to her i suppose..” Aeris interrupts.      “Yes.. but when Aldrich made the Library he made one last blood oath with all the families he was allied with… forging their families futures and sealing it into the Craeforion…” Continues Krial as he tries to best his brother.       “Indeed… But it did not specify which families he was allied with…” Lannis continues on.   “What do you speak of?” Krial, confused yet excited, as he always was in the face of a new adventure.     “If my suspicions are true… when Aldrich made the blood oath he may have added other families into the Craeforion without the Queen knowing, the secret must have died with him however….”     “So what do we do now?” Aeris had a confused look drawn all over his face, “We warn the king… as for one thing I know certain, its manifest at this point of time-” he continues with one last line. his golden eyes widening.     “A great war is coming to Aestane” Fun Fact: “Rumours in the south speak of a great claim, a creature of brawn and idiocy leaving its marks in the trees in the mysterious and eerie dark-wood forest, knights have tried ferreting out this beast but their efforts are futile"

[System 001 assigned by lord god ready to receive host] The most powerful system in the Elphian galaxy floated above the system space looking at its to be host. Even if it had lost some of its memory it could cleary remember the fear it had of the beautiful man sleeping in the capsule  It move with caution. [Host wake up you have to get ready for your missions] The young man that was sleeping slowly flattered his eyes open catching the system of guard, his jade like hands held his obsidian hair above his head preventing them from obstructing his vision as  his Sapphire eyes scanned around the area around him taking in his environment. He was in lying meadow close to a lake and the area  was surrounded by mountains. He looked above and spotted a young boy about his height looking at him.   "Who are you?" His voice was enchanting, sweet enough to attract and seductive enough to trap combined with his play full eyes they made him looked ethereal.   "I'm system 001 host,"   "Where are we?"   "We are at the system space host I redesigned it to fit a calm environment for you,"   "What are we doing here and how did we get here?" [Since their is resriction on me the information i can tell you is limited.  You were running from a powerful being and  about to crush so i brought you to the system space under cryogenic sleep to heal both your soul and body] "How long was i asleep?" [10000 years] "Well this is great," "you said you had restrictions why?" [ your command power is too low so the information  i can tell is limited you have to do missions in order to gain more power and possibly return to your full capacity so that you can get more information from the system that's all i can tell you for now ] "Explain,"   [I have to send you to different worlds for missions in order for you to regain your power and for me to get back my control over the system and we can be able to leave the system space] "Do you have information about me like my name," Immediately the surrounding area turned   data and a huge blue screen appeared.   NAME: Arisa Aranow SPECIE: God STATUS: injured ABILITIES: Fire, water, earth, air,......, ……, ......, ……., ……, ……,       That summarized what was on the screen. Arisa raises an eyebrow the looked at system 001.   "Cough....Host for the level we are at that's the only data we have,"      "It's alright  all I have to do is clear missions right?"   "Yes would you like to begin,"   "Sure,"   "For the first four missions we have an F ranked world for you to get adjusted to the missions before we raise ranks, the first F ranked world you'll go to is an acting and modelling world the world plot will be given upon entry into the world,"   " Okay I'm ready,"   

Hi I am Allen I am 6 years old  I live in the village of Orin.My mom says I am a genius. So I must be. Recently I have been– [Hey Al, come help me out ] [Coming!!] I said so as I stop writing the diary on my table and went to help my mother  It’s not my favourite thing to do ,  I mean physical exercise,not neglecting my mother , I don’t hate the act of helping my mom , it’s just i don’t like work that involves doing repetitive things, That's all , No other reason [Al,, grab the bucket were gonna go get water from the well] [okay] I grab the bucket that's in  the barre in our kitchen and make my way over to mother [ Got it] [ Good boy , now let's go or we might meet someone we know ] Saying this to me my mother holds my hand and went outside our home  >>>>>>>>>>>>   [We’re lucky today, looks like  no one is here right now]  My mother said in a jovial mood as she hadn’t come outside the house for the last week [ Mom ,why do we always try to avoid people when we go outside? And also when I go outside I have to pretend to be uncle Cain’s adopted son even though you’re still alive? You and uncle Cain aren’t married , neither do you two live together? Then why/]   When I said those words my mother had a very complicated expression and after a few minutes of being in deep thought she said  [ Th-that is is, a very complicated question if you want to know that you have to wait another 10 , no 15 more years , so don’t  ask anything any more okay} [But that doesn’t say any] [No more questions ok] [but] [No.more.questions] [bu] [ No.More.questions] My mom’s smiling face at that time at a strange sense of pressure behind it which really scared , so I didn’t ask anymore questions [Oh, it looks like no one is using the well today. We must be lucky today] [Mother ,since I can’t anything related to that matter anymore I have another question then] [Sure ,ask away] [Why do you wear a hood whenever we go outside?] [Listen Al and listen well, when Mom was younger and you weren’t born yet, mom did some really bad things to some really important people and that was really bad ,so I had to go away from the place I lived before and come here. And now If the important people I did bad things to find me .They will take me away and lock me up without letting me out. That’s why I wear a hood s] [Okay next question] [go ahead] [does any of this have to do with my previous question] When I asked my question Mom turned around and made a very radiient smile The smile was so beautiful when i looked at her it felt like all evil in me was purified Normally such a smile would mean something good would happen, right/ Yeah that would be the case normally. But for those who know my mother this face meant only one thing  Death , or something close to it at least Last time I saw this was when Old Cain)39) got drunk and try to jump My mother [Mr Allen do you want to not to eat tonight] [ That’s doable .So, I’m fine with that] I said in a monotone voice [[Oh that's such a shame I heard  from a little birdie that Cain had acquired some really good cockatrice -meat which can be turned into a mouth-wateringly delicious food which I was going to make for you. But since You aren’t having dinner i won’t make any] Fried chicken the situation has changed  On one hand there is knowing what my mother is hiding on the other hand fried chicken  This is very hard the matter of the hood always bugged me , but fried chicken is delicious Which is it gonna be hood or chicken  Hood ,chicken Chicken,chicken  {Ma’am forgive this one's insolent actions towards . this one shall not ask anymore questions!!] [good,Now be at ease soldier] [yes Ma’am!] After this dumb backeforth between me and my mother I saw something In the ndistance  To be frank it was not that far But I’d still need to run to get over there [Mom, final question] [Maybe when we go home?] [ but I need to know now] [Do you really need to?] “sigh”[Okay, go ahead] [Should I go help that kid over there who’s being pelted with water magic and mud balls] [Do you think doing this will make me happy?] [I don’t know} [ And with that do you still want to do it] [Yes] [Why do you want to do it?] [ Because many people are bullying one person. That’s not right bullying should be done one-on-one] [That's a very original opinion. Where did you learn what bullying is and that it should be one-on-one] [A few weeks ago when you locked yourself in your room at night after dinner and told me not go near there for a while I got curious and heard you talking to yourself about it] [ what else did you hea-, anyway that's not important you should go help that bullied kid first afterwards you don’t have to come here i’ll everything by myself you go have fun with that kid and come back home later, okay] [Okay, off I go] Btw, I am not doing this because I think bullying is wrong or anything, it is natural for weak people to be picked on by everyone else. It’s just not in my taste(mostly). Also their way their doing it is wrong ,  It should always be one-on-one As I think these word speed up my running speed even more with magic spell [LESSER QUICK:20%:5s:X3] As expected of me. trully, I am a genius With my increased seed I reach the place very fast and get behind some tree  This is not for hiding this is for making an entrance cause they are important If I don’t make a dramatic entrance How will the person I am saving remember mes the cool protagonist type person I I don’t make an entrance [Hey losers, you shouldn’t bully people like that , it should always be one-on-one. Got that ,if you did stop before i make you] I say those words while making intimidating smiling face [who the hell are you] The oldest looking kid I presume the leader asked me [My name is Allen. And I am a genius ,so I shouldn't be talking to you side-characters like you so listen to my orders and scram now] I again try to present my dominance to these side characters [Get him!!] As soon as I said those words the leader like kid snapped and ordered the other kids to attack me, Pussy, can’t do anything himself and can’t also give people instructions. Truly,such  mob character [WATERBALL:COLD:3X3X2cm3:X4]... Saying saying those words I use the water and and ice attribute beginner spellIi had prepared “splash”[Guh] [Bwahaha. Losers hows the temperature i made really and its winter have fun staying in bed for the next few days after this] I laugh at the faces of the now drench losers I just hit them very cold water in the middle of winter. Their pathetic weak boieys drenched in cold water look so stupid ,hahahahaha!!! As i thought this is the way people should bully someone, this so much fun ,what was going through their heads ,ganging up on someone ,when bullying it should always be done one-on-one [Dammit, the little shit knows magic too, you guys get ready] [on it] [Like i’d let you DUST SPRAY:WIDE:3M] [Wha]”Gwah” [cough”Cough’’Bleh”ThU’i got dust in my mouth] [disgusting] [It got on my tongue “euh”] [gyahahahaha, that's what you deserve losers, eat more dirt here] [EARTH SPHERE:SOFT:ADD WATER ATTRIBUTE:X4:2x2x2cm3] Whilst laughing i threw a ball of mud to those guys [Bleh it went in to my mouth, that does it.  We”re kicking this little shits ass FIREBALL:3X3X3CM3:1] When he finished his spell a 27cm3 ball of red fire formed near his hands and proceed to fly straight at me [Oh thats big, well BARRIER:CIRCLE:TOPLESS:SELF:2X2X3:5s:ANTI FIRE:1] Right before the ball of flame hit me a thine pale blue membrane protected me  That was close,whew [Get him ,he shouldn’t have much mana left] [Shiet, the losers are getting smart but I am a genius so it’s fine, LIGHT FLASH:ALL DIRECTION:ABOVE:3s:MID] My spell created a flash of light above me,which stunned the the mob trash but not me since before the spell itself started I closed my eyes so I am perfectly fine [AHHHHH!!] Shit one of them wasn’t stunned by the flash , did I underestimate these trash mobs [BARRI-AH” GUH}”Bwack”BANG] Failing to activate my magic a get tackled away by the kid who charged at me resulting in me colliding with a nearby tree [Dammit, that actually hurt , you little shits are gonna die todayFULL ENHANCE:ALL ATTRIBUTE:SELF:FULL BODY:QUICK BURST:70%:5s:X2] [Hey Sam He’s glowing,what should we do ] [What else, surround him and jump at the same time]   The leader kid named Sam gave a clear instructions this time This still doesn’t make him any less of a mob though. Hmph [Like I’d let you] [What-Guh]’stumble”thuck” [Hehe,When fighting a group always target the leader first] The idiot leader(Sam) didn’t even see my movements , I was so fast , that was a good sucker to the stomach,  Good sneak attack me [What, so fast and Sam in one hit too] Perhaps to awed by me frankly badass action, the three continued staring at me  I watched with a smug expression on my face until I felt a tug on my leg [Dumbasses, beat him down I’ve grabbed both of his legs and the last spell must have finished most of his mana] [You ain’t dead yet, die like a good trashy background character] Saying this I started kicking his face  I’m still powered up so these would hurt a lot So Just die already(means getting knocked out in this case) [shin”shing”] But my kicks were being blocked by a barrier  This explains why he’s not knocked out yet [huh,huh,hunh,huu] Crap the magic ‘s out [You dumbasses attack all ready his mana just ran out,he’s completely defenceless] [Okay ,this is for Sam] Idiot leader isn’t dead yet though.I retort in my head Saying those words the fattest one of the group(theTackler)came over to me and picked me up by the collar and proceeded to beat the shit out of [Where ‘s your magic now weakling] [hehe,you talfin aboutf yofelf faffaas]] [What did you say loser] [I said you are the weakling fatass] [No one calls me fat] [Yea, show that kid whos boss tory] [Your name is Tory  are you a girl? , cause I didn’t notice because of the fat] [ouh ‘you two help out as well] [Y-yea’ we should for Sam] [yeah that's what Sam would have wanted] Why are you making your out to be dead [Anyway FIREBALL:X1] [FIREBALL:X1] Saying the spells Mob A and Mob B(which I have named them just now} made there way towards me I mean fatass’s(tory) punches didn’t hurt to much but this is gonna hurt a lot, cause yunno it’s fire and I don’t have anymore mana to make a barrier anymore , so this gonna hurt a lot [go] [yea, aim at the kid] {STOPIIIITTT!!!!] As soon as those words were yelled the fireballs headed towards me, they vanished ,  More accurately the disintegrated All of us at that time looked at the source of the yell at the same time It was the bullied kid With silky golden blonde hair,emerald green eyes  and an effeminate face , that was very well proportioned, especially for a child .It made Him(??)look like a picturesque beautiful person Why did I call them beautiful? Because I know my mom is beautiful, they can give my mother I run for her money. Why did I say him, because he is wearing boy's clothes.  A beige shirt and trousers to be exact [I didn’t do anything when I was getting hit by you people but don’t get other people involved ,If you know what's best for you then let that kid go] He(??) was saying this to us in a low but serious voice while donning a serious expression on his(??) face Well I Wasn't looking at his(??0 face much, I was just focusing on one part of it. The eyes He(??) had the eyes of a beast looking at it’s powerless prey I know those Eyes because lat year a monster broke into the village and almost made it near my house,luckily it was killed by adventurers who came to kill it, but for the brief moment I made eye contact with it It showed me the same kind of eyes Oh shit depending on what I or more importantly they do ,this could get really bad really fast let's believe in them. The other guy was able to make a barrier just before my attack, so he should be smart and smart people should attract smart people ,right?  Yeah let’s believe in the ,let's do it  Go idiot squad don’t do something stupid I believe in you [Ha-hahaha] [hahahahaha,why would we listen to you] [Why would we listen to the words of someone way weaker then us, are you stupid] What the fuck are they dumb ,don’t do that are trying to get all of us killed are you an idiot Stop , before you get me involved, stop!!! [Hey weakling you should you should also say something Slap”slap [Hey ash boy boy say something or are you dumb?hm?hmm?] [...shut….. up] I tried warning the idiots in a really small voice  [what did ya say] Which they completely ignored, for god knows what reasons But me being the great person I am, tried telling them again This time in a more audible voice [SHUT the FUCK UP and do what ever she demands] Oh shit I think I misspoke somewhere that should not be important riight  Yea let’s ignore it for now [Huh why the fuck would we listen to either of , your the one’s getting beaten up not us] Fatass ,says that as she grabs my neck and begins strangling me [are.y-you fuckin…dumb] When I was about to finish my sentence  felt a strange pressure on top of me I wasn’t just me all of the felt it  They might not know where the pressure was coming from, but they felt it [..........]X3 [.....Hummm”Inhale”Huuu”Exhale” Okay, blonde  bro I tag you in now kick these  guys butts with the power of friendship,as expected of my friend awakening  a special power at the last second while the protagonist is losing and then saving them,what a great companion character ,NOW GOOOO!!! Kick their asses] Perfectly ,handled situation as expected of me a genius Now go along with It and kick their asses,GO Blondie! GOOO!!! As I was celebrating in my head he started opening his hands and made three light spheres appear Silent and quick casting heh that’s almost as good as me(sweats) She continued walking until a little farther away from us opens and then closed her hands tightly assumed a throwing stance and then threw them [GUH!!!]X3 The orbs she threw accurately hit the faces of the three idiots and blew them away I mean if they had been Team R**ke*  this would be straight of an episode of ____mon  What should I do now do I demand compensation or say thanks for the rescue  Lets do both, Yea no problems with that at all  This is 100% safe and will not backfire. [Thanks for the save as reward for it , l might consider letting you be a friend of mine] {No thank you] Saying that she started walking away Wait what…what just happened Did I just get rejected to my face  HUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

The afternoon sky put on a display of it's wavering temperament for the day. The rain clad clouds stood still waiting ever so patiently to treat and comfort the burning fever of the Earth that had tormented it for more than 2 weeks now. The overall weather seemed a bit too humid but the air of darkness that rumbled sparking matchsticks into the horizon of the sky for it to light up with streaks of silver had given the overall atmosphere,a hope of future comfort and a promise for a goodnight's sleep after the long foreboding days of summer heat. A group of pigeons retreated at a distance, flapping there wings ever so steadily making haste to there nests which were hopefully not too far away and then, after having warned everyone of it's incoming torrential force, it came pouring down in splurts and splashes, raging, roaring it's way down to meet it's long forbidden lover.  Ren was sitting with his laptop devoid of any knowledge of the ever so flamboyant nature of the weather that he loved so much. He was rather engrossed in continuously writing and erasing lines with an impatient look on his face. In the background the  heavy noise of pitter patter accompanied by the growling thunder strikes had slightly awakened his senses, finally acknowledging the change in weather he rather absentmindedly abandoned his chair to make himself another cup of warm coffee. After having obtained his ever to slight desire, he moved back to his designated seat.  On his desk lay scattered a thick layer of unorganized sheets and pencils and on top of it was a laptop with it's screen brightly lit. As soon as Ren sat down, the blue light from the machine fell on his face. In it's distinct light, his face glowed like an effervescent lamp. He was beautiful, from his slightly stretched out eyes that resembled the ever to poetic ones of a swan, to his perfectly carved lips that stood distinct, like the Cupid's bow, everything about him seemed imperfectly perfect. His warm yet bright skin tone seemed a tone lighter under the effect of the blue light from the screen, which displayed on itself, some pretty words that were soon erased again by the writer, a renowned one in fact. It was poetry.  He was writing a poetry for the person he loved, so he could not afford it to be just some baseless mind jarring words that failed to represent his devotion. Just as he was about to concentrate on his words again, his phone rang. The caller id lay hidden but had enough potential to put a smile on his face.  He picked it up and ran to the balcony, almost slipping and hurting his head in the process but fortunately he caught hold of the nearby shelf and thanked someone in his mind. It was soft, a whisper. If someone where to stand on the foot of the receiver then they could hear it. A voice, rough and raspy, the words spoken were soon entangled with the sounds of rain and disapeared into the thin air. The person didn't seem the least bit bothered of his reckless "almost death fall", he rather quickly stood in the shade of his balcony where the rain could not reach him and said in his usual casual tone, " Hi! I was just thinking about you, I have something to give you" , the other voice asked about what was being given to him in their usually raspy tone but now it had embedded in itself a unique gentleness.  "A poem." "Really." The person laughed and said "Are you writing me a love poem?" "Yeah" The answer was simple yet it made an impact. His ears had turned red.  "Really?" "Really!." "But I thought you wanted me to leave. Didn't you?" "Well I don't anymore. Don't leave. " "Why? " "I'll be alone again. Don't leave. I don't want to be alone anymore" "Don't you hate me for what I've done to you? " "No. You've hurt me but you've saved me too and now you're a part of me" "Are you sure about this? " "Yeah, I'm sure. " "Okay. Show me then, the poem? " "Let me complete it I'll show you then. " The scribble continued till the rustic orange of the sun turned to the pale black in the company of the rising moon. The rain continued.  His phone ran again, he picked up, the caller id reflected the name of his best friend. As soon as he picked it up, Ren was bombarded with questions "Did you take your medicine today? How are you? I wish I could be there with you right now, I shouldn't have chosen to study abroad" The continuous apologies and queries went on, when they finally stopped Ren spoke, his voice calm, as if the broken slumber of a snake arousing from it's hibernation, his mind was as clear as a sunny spring day, more than it had ever been. "I don't need those anymore."  "What do you mean? " His best friend didn't quite understand...  "I like it like this. " "What are you saying? Have you really lost it? " The  other argued "It's okay, I feel better now" The other person wanted to argue but this had been the first time in the past one year that he had heard his friend say, he was feeling better. His heart softened and he decided to give his friend a chance. He'll just see for himself he's better or not, next month, when he'll be back in his hometown for his vacations. The conversation took a different direction and continued for sometime. Finally keeping the phone to his side, Ren stared at the medicine containers that would be disposed of tomorrow with the garbage. On the side of the shelves storing the medicine lay one of the prescription, on which the words were engraved on the point of a ball point black pen, 'Diagnosed with split personality disorder'. The prescription dated, a year ago.  "What are you thinking? " "Nothing." "Then read me the poem" "Hey, before I read it can I request you something? " "Yeah, tell me. " "Don't ever leave me, I'll die. " "I promise" The rain outside continued, painting the world, grey. The poem was being read out aloud.  "You're like the crimson red, a night full of hope. A nightmare in my pleasant dream scope, I wish I could touch you in a different world were our minds would be the same but bodies quite not... Bring me a dream of hope... Meet me in my dream scope..... "  The poem was a long one, not all forbidden lovers are the same, some have bodies while others just a mind. 

  Not far from the beach, a boy was seen lying under a large tree. The little boy looked at the white clouds slowly moving across the clear sky. He seemed to be contemplating his future life, or his current life, or perhaps contemplating his past.   The boy's name is Argon, Argon Ramsay. Argon is not from this world, he is from Earth. At this time he was 11 years old, and two years had passed since his arrival into this world. <Two years ago>   Two years ago, He was just an ordinary young man in his early 20s, he had not even graduated from college and was forced to postpone his studies, due to the spread of a deadly virus worldwide.   On earth, Argon has a house not far from the beach, because at that time he did not have any activities in his house, he planned to lie down under a tree near the beach, because it was almost his habit.   Argon leaned under the tree, looking out over the beach, which was once busy, but now very quiet. Because everyone limits themselves to interacting with other people and always keeps their distance, even though it's only natural in a situation like this.   Argon lay under that tree and accidentally fell into a very deep sleep. Several hours later he awoke from his sleep, but the scene he saw around him at that time was very different from the scene he saw before falling asleep.   Yes, it was still a lonely beach scene, but the beach looked much more beautiful with clean white sand and very clear sea water, at that moment he felt that he had been transmigrated to Another World. However, he would soon find out that his previous thoughts were the truth. He is in another world.   At this time Argon has the body of a 9-year-old child, yes, the body of a little boy. For a moment he was even confused about what to do, but in the end, he was forced to look at his surroundings, and find a residential area to find out where he was at this time.   Several hours have passed, Argon has met many people and asked various things. But all the information they provided made Argon feel very incredulous, finally after confirming it again, he now realized that what those people said before was the truth, he also felt very fortunate that everyone he had met at this time did not have malicious intent on him.   Yes, he is in the world of One Piece, to be precise he is on Swallow Island, North Blue. And his first reaction when he realized he was in the world of One Piece was, Panic !!   Of course it is a natural reaction if someone finds out that he is in a world full of chaos, full of violence and full of crime. Even though not all places are like that, but he still panics, after all at this moment he is just a child who is 9 years old.   Since there was no one he knew on this island, and also because he didn't want to test his luck to find someone who would help him, he finally started living alone by the beach.   At this time he is very grateful that in his previous life, he had a place to live near the beach. He also often camped with his father by the beach and learned a little about how to survive in the wild. So, he was experienced enough to forage on his own by the beach even though he currently has the body of a child.   Several days have passed, at first Argon really hoped that the situation would be the same as the fanfic he had read, like getting the System or OP powers or something like that, but he didn't get anything !! he only feels slight changes in his body, he gets hungry easily and also eats a lot more than when he was on earth, but he feels it is only natural for the people of this world.   So, he is in the One Piece world with the body of a 9 year old child and without any strength! He's just a normal kid! Honestly, at this point Argon was too scared to meet other people, at least until he really knew the surroundings, the lives of the people around him and the nature of the people in this place.   However he didn't want to test his luck, it would be very dangerous if he met a bad person, maybe he would be sold, made into a slave, or maybe raped.   Two weeks later, Argon began to know the location around him, he was lucky enough that he was on the side of the island which is quite safe, because not far from here there is a Marine base, so the environment around here is quite safe and controlled. But on the other side of the island is quite dangerous, at least in one day, there will be people who are killed because of fights and various other crimes.   While Argon was walking around the island, he saw a very old house, then he looked around the house, and it seemed that there was no one in it because there was a lot of dust and a lot of damage in the old house, so he planned to stay in that house, of course after he had repaired several parts of the house that had been badly damaged.   The next day, Argon wanted to fix the house a little bit, but because he didn't have any tools to fix the house, he had to borrow it from the local people, and ... nobody wanted to lend it, none of them.   Even though the residents here weren't bad people, it didn't seem like they were good people either, or maybe the situation on this island forced the residents to behave like this. Because many abandoned children on this island become thieves.   Argon was lucky enough, because there was a resident who wanted to lend him tools, even wanted to help him repair the old house. Of course at first he was very suspicious of him, but after chatting for a little longer, Argon began to trust him a little.   The man turned out to be a former marine who owned an orphanage not far from the marines' base, of course the man invited Argon to live in the orphanage, but Argon refused, for now.   Argon knows that the kids in the orphanage will become marines, of course that's not bad, it's even a good thing, they'll have a pretty safe haven in this cruel world.   Even though the man's offer was quite attractive to Argon, he didn't intend to live in an orphanage for now, maybe he would go there when he didn't have a safe place to live anymore.   A few moments later, Argon and the man arrived at the old house, and strangely the man had never known the existence of this old house before, even though he had lived on this island for a long time.   Argon and the man repaired the old house together, occasionally they had random chat, the man named Tigril also asked about Argon's situation and Where it come from, of course he answered it smoothly and without hesitation, because he had prepared this answer two weeks earlier.   In just one day, Argon had repaired and cleaned the old house, Tigril also gave some children's clothes for him, because he did not have any clothes to change.   As the days passed, Argon's life was quite ordinary, yet very safe. Every day he would go fishing on the beach, he could even sell the fish he caught to other residents, albeit at a cheap price. At least he could buy something for other necessities, he also started training, yes, he started training his body to get stronger. He had to become strong so he could survive in this cruel world.  

<Two Years Ago>   One week later, on a sunny morning, when Argon was preparing his breakfast, he felt that he was being watched, but when he looked around, he did not find anyone, just as he wanted to continue eating breakfast, he felt something staring at him with very strong, like he was being stared at by a monster who wanted to devour him.   He felt the gaze coming from right above him, and when he looked up, he saw a wrinkled old man staring at him with a blank gaze, as if he looked dead. Argon was so shocked and scared that he couldn't even move.   "Booo !!"   “Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!! Ghhooost!!!!"   Argon was finally able to escape, he immediately ran as hard as he could to the exit of his house, but when he opened the door, suddenly the figure of the old man was in front of him, then the old man laughed very creepily.   “Ghahahahaaa !! Ehhh ..? he passed out? Sigh, I think I'm too much” said the old man when he saw Argon fainted.   An hour later, Argon woke up and saw that he was in his room, he immediately examined his whole body and then was grateful that he did not find anything strange in his body.   “Brat, you are so rude !! What do you think I'll do to you, Hahhh ?" asked the old man irritably.   "Ahh ?? I'm sorry, I thought you were a ghost. So, what are you doing sticking to the ceiling of my house, old man ??" Asked Argon.   "Your house? Brat !! This is my house!!"   "What are you saying?? Hey old man, this is my house !! If you ask nicely I might let you stay here, but you suddenly come and claim this house, so, you can come out right away!” said Argon irritably.   "Brat, this is my house, I've lived here for 10 years!"   "You're lying, this house has obviously been abandoned by the owner, because it's so damaged and dirty .. Awww !! Why did you hit me old man !!"   "You say my house is dirty and damaged, of course I will be angry! Okay, I will prove to you that this is my house” The old man immediately took Argon around the old house. The old man also showed the hidden places in the house. Finally Argon believed that this was indeed the old man's house.   At this time, Argon realized that before he was very clumsy and impulsive, because before he passed out, he already saw that the old man was not normal, and might kill him at any moment, the words he said to the old man were also very harsh.   "Hmm .. looks like you've realized something. You have a mind that is more mature than your age"   "Old man, forgive me for my previous crude attitude, I did not know that this house has an owner"   "Well, no need to think about it, it's only natural after all, you've cleaned and repaired this old house"   "So ... can I live here ??"   "Yes, as long as you keep cleaning this house and also provide food for me"   "Of course, you can leave it to me!"   Finally, the old house is now inhabited by two people, an old man and a 9 year old boy.   The old man's name was Ol'gar Son Or'godal, other than his name, he didn't say anything else, and Argon didn't ask either, he did not mention his age, but looked 80-90 years old. When Argon introduced himself, he also didn't tell the old man anything else like he had told Tigril, because he felt that the old man would soon find out about his lie. Luckily the old man didn't ask him either, or maybe didn't care.   After a brief introduction, Argon had breakfast with Ol'gar and after that began his morning training in the backyard.   “Brat, why are you practicing? What do you want to achieve?" asked Ol'gar.   "I don't know, for now I just want to live safely, without worries" answered Argon.   “Live safely? From what ..?" asked Ol'gar a little curious.   “Of course the stronger beings, we live among them, and this world is a place of the strong who rule, and the strong can make choices. So, if I want to have many choices in life, the only way is to get stronger” Argon said helplessly.       “Yes, that makes sense, even if you don't have a clear purpose in your life. But it's still acceptable, after all you're still a little brat and you still have plenty of time to find your purpose in life” Ol'gar said with a nod.   Argon continued his training, while the old man watched him from the side.   One month passed, Argon is currently training as usual in the backyard, lifting weights, push ups, sit ups, running a few kilo meters etc. Ol'gar, who was always watching Argon's training from the side, was getting annoyed at the training he had been doing so far.   “Brat!! Stop, stop !!" shouted Ol'gar.   "Eh ... what's wrong ?? Why do you want me to stop ??" asked Argon, confused.   "Didn't you say that you wanted to become stronger ??" asked Ol'gar.   "Yes, of course. That's the reason why I practiced all this time" answered Argon.   "Practice? Do you think you've been practicing all this time?”   "Of course, what else am I doing?"   “Brat !! Are you stupid! All you've been doing is warming up, to me it looks like gymnastics, not training !! If you only do training like this, then it would take you 1000 years to become strong!” said Ol'gar scornfully.   "Usooo ... I've been training really hard all this time, and it's just a warm up ??" said Argon in disbelief.   "Hahh ?? Train hard?? Do you think it's harsh training?? You never even crossed your limits! You will always rest when you are so tired!” Ol'gar said irritably.   "Ehh ... ?? you mean I have to keep practicing even though I'm so tired ??"   "Yes!! You have to train until you feel like dying !!”   "Gulp ... looks like I can't do that, for now. I'm still too young, I'm only 9 years old, you know "   "Ghahaha ... of course you won't be able to do that, if you practice on your own. But if you have a teacher, I'm sure you will be able to do such training” Ol'gar said with a cruel laugh.   "You..??" Argon asked with a skeptical tone, then he looked at Ol'gar, an old man who was bent over, he even needed to use a cane to help him walk.   <Woshhh!>   Suddenly Ol'gar disappeared and reappeared right in front of Argon. At that time Argon began to remember his first meeting with Ol'gar, immediately he started breaking out in cold sweat. He almost forgot it, because in this month he had never seen Ol'gar use his abilities, and just acted like an old man.   "I will train you, so, be prepared to die any time!" said Ol'gar with a cruel smile.   'Shit !! Isn't this like a cliché wuxia novel, where Mc accidentally meets a strong old man and becomes his student? But I feel that rejecting it is the best option!' Thought Argon.   "I ..."   "We'll start training tomorrow, from 4am to 7pm!" said Ol'gar, then he immediately disappeared.   "Oiii ... when did I receive it?? I refused !!" Silence, no answer, as if Ol'gar did not care.   And the next morning, Hell training begins.

Argon is now 11 years old, he also looks taller than other children his age, of course this is all the result of the training he has done in the last two years.   At first Argon could not stand all the training given by Ol'gar, he finally tried to run away, but every time he ran, Ol'gar would always come and catch him.   It may sound cowardly to run away from this training, but Argon is just an ordinary young man from the earth, and all the training he underwent was so harsh and painful, he even nearly died several times.   Since Argon's training was more like torture to him, he even thought that Ol'gar was just a psycho old man, who didn't plan to train him, but only to torment him.   At the start of his training, Ol'gar almost break and changed all the joints in his body, even now, Argon has no idea how many times his bones have been broken, how much blood has been wasted, and how many times his teeth have been lost.   Even so, all the wounds on his body healed quickly, he only needed to eat a lot of meat, and drink a lot of milk, and the wounds on his body would heal faster. Yes, this world is very strange, because Argon thought that things like that only apply to certain people, but it seems like this is normal for humans in this world.   Argon also began to understand why Ol'gar was so hard at training him, didn't even hesitate to break his bones, it was because the human body in this world had better vitality, so the wounds on his body could heal quickly.   And after two years of training, Argon could clearly see all the changes that had happened to his body, he also felt very grateful to Ol'gar who had trained him all this time.   Argon is given one day off a week by Ol'gar, and today is his time off, Argon decides to take a walk around Swallow Island, even though he is not the strongest person on this island, but he is strong enough so he can take a walk around the island safely. Of course Argon was just strolling the side of the island, he didn't even dare to enter into the swallow-shaped mountains.   In these two years, he had only entered Swallow Mountain once, and that too had to be with Ol'gar, because there were many dangerous monsters in the Mountains.   As he was strolling around the island, he saw two brats beating someone. It was very common on this island, even though it was none of his business, but Argon decided to help him.   “Stop, why are you two beating him? What has he done to you?" asked Argon, while looking at two brats his age.   "Huhh? Oh look, does he want to be a hero? Let's beat him too !!” said one of the brats.   They both finally attacked Argon, of course they both couldn't beat him, couldn't even touch him, Argon could easily beat the two brats and make them both give up.   But Argon was surprised when he saw the person who had been beaten by these two brats, because it was a white bear, and immediately he realized who these three boys were, they were Bepo, Shachi and Penguin. They are would-be hearts pirate ! And if Shachi and Penguin are beating up Bepo right now, that means ...   Sure enough, not far from them, Argon could see other brats were watching them, the boy was wearing a strange hat on his head, yes, he is Trafalgar D Water Law, he continued to observe Argon and the others, it seemed that at first he wanted to help Bepo, but Argon had already helped him.   'Woww !! What is this? Is this Plot Armor? I just remembered now, that Law and the others will be on Swallow Island. Hmm ... should I join him? I think it will be interesting, especially since I also know a little about what he wants to do in the future. but I have to get stronger first before going to the outside world' thought Argon.   “Yoo !! what are you doing there ??" said Argon aloud.   "Nothing, I'm just walking around" after saying that Law immediately turned around and left.   “Whoa..Woaa ... wait a minute, why don't you come with me? Looks like you have no place to stay, and also look very hungry” said Argon.   "Grrrruuuu ..." sure enough, after Argon said that, a hungry voice came from Law's stomach, finally he went to follow Argon.   At first Argon took them to his house, but Ol'gar immediately scolded him and beat Argon hard. He said that he didn't want to take care of other brats in this house, finally Argon took them to a cave near the beach, that is where Argon lived when he first came to this world.   then argon lured some fish, and roasted them.   "So, what are the names of all of you?" asked Argon.   "I'm Bepo, thank you for saving me" said Bepo as he glanced at Shachi and Penguin.   "I'm Law, Trafalgar Law" Law said simply.   "My name is Shachi and he is a Penguin"   While waiting for the grilled fish to cook, they chat together. Shachi told that their parents had died because of the Tsunami, then they lived with their uncle and aunt, but they were treated like slaves, so they both fled.   As for Bepo, he was born on Zou At age eight, Bepo wanted to chase after his older brother, Zepo, and climbed down Zunesha's leg to get a better view of the sea, but he got swept away. He later boarded a ship heading for the North Blue, and he wandered through Swallow Island.   As for Law, he didn't say much, he just said that he wanted to become stronger because there was someone he had to kill in the future. The speech is a bit like certain Emo in other anime.   "So, what do you guys want to do next?" asked Argon.   "I think I want to find a place to practice ~ yaa" said Law.   "Yes, me too, I don't want to be beaten again" said Bepo.   "We don't know, we don't have a goal at the moment" said Shachi.   "Hmm, if you two want, I can take you to the marine orphanage, which is not far from here" said Argon while looking at Shachi and Penguin.   "Are we going to be marines?" Asked the Penguin.   "Yes, in that orphanage, you will learn and train to become marines in the future" Said Argon.   “Woahh! It was great! I want to go there!"   "I want to go there too" said Shachi and Penguin.   "How about you?" Argon asked while looking at Law and Bepo.   "No, I don't want to be a marine ~ yaa" Law replied.   “Even though that sounds great, it doesn't seem like I'm fit to be a marine. Because I'm very lazy and like sleeping” said Bepo.   "Okay, tomorrow I will take you two to the orphanage" Said Argon.   "How about you? Don't you want to be a marine too?" Asked Shachi.   "No, as you saw before, I have to take care of my grandfather" replied Argon.   "Woahh looks like the fish is cooked!"   "Yes, time to eat!"   Finally they all ate together and finally fell asleep in the small cave.

< [ Chapter 2 ] > . Fighting against a group of cultivators, big brother was faring very well. Actually… he was doing great. In the meantime.  The little brother was wandering around the Northwest main area of the forest, with a basket held in his left hand. . “Ta da, ra ta ta da. Ta da, ra ta ta da, ta!” “Ta da, ra ta ta da. Ta da, ra ta ta da, ta!” Singing happily while walking towards his uncle’s nest. Little Amiri felt good for being allowed to go out today, despite all the inconveniences. Sure. Ding Ya, a.k.a. ‘aunt deer’s’ home was blown up suddenly by someone. But it’s okay. She can find or make a new one in no time eventually. If not. She can just wipe out the intruders. And she wouldn’t need to search for a new home. “I wonder if brother is doing okay… cleaning after trash is hard… especially poop.” Amiri said, as he really didn’t know what his brother was doing. All he knew was that his brother was doing a cleaning. Somethings regarding humans.  “Cleaning humans~? Is big brother licking them or bathing them?” “I don’t understand. But I think he might be helping somehow.” (Author: “Yep, he is helping by reducing the world’s population a LOT.) … As Amiri walked northwest, far away from Ding Ya’s nest, he soon reached the mountains at the end of the [ Myraid-Beasts Forest ]. Near the mountains, Amir proceeded to take a mountain path that lead to the entrance of a tall & dark cave. Looking at the cave that was shrouded in darkness, Amiri lifted his left arm in the air, and voiced a spell taught by his parents long ago. “Luceat~!” Suddenly Amiri’s left hand that was in the air began to shine with light. “Light magic. Convenient as always. Tehehe.” Amiri giggled, afterwards he entered the dark cave, the resting place where one of his uncles always shut himself in. … … … In the deepest part of a cave, a Brown Bear which was 3 meters tall and 2 meters wide, was sleeping soundly without any annoyances to bother him. Suddenly however, the bear’s eyes twitched as he smelled a familiar scent nearby. And his brown eyes which were closed one moment ago opened wide in delight. Afterwards, he spoke. “Amiri is back.” “Good. I had an errand for him anyway.” The brown bear said, as it stood up on its four limbs and glared at a direction which was being enveloped by light. … … … “Hm. Hm Hm Hm. Hm Hm.” “Hm Hm Hm. Hm Hm.” Humming like a child should, Amiri didn’t take long to reach the deepest part of the cave, where his uncle was at. After he reached the end, he was greeted with the sight of his uncle’s glare, which could terrify most animals in the forest, aside from his parents, brother, uncles, and aunts. . “Uncle Hu Ning! I am back! Also, today I brought a bunch of berries for you to eat!” “By the way, do bears eat berries, cuts I have no idea. And usually I eat the edible one just fine, without any problems.” “Want some berries right now, uncle?” When meeting Hu Ning, after a few days without seeing him, Amiri forgot all formalities, and entered on his own conversation mode about berries. . Hu Ning, seeing his nephew forsaking all his greetings felt bad inside, but didn’t dwindle on that bad feeling for long, as the fresh & rich scent of wild edible berries made his mouth drool in happiness. “Amir. When speaking to elders, greetings are a necessity! However… since you brought something for me, with your little basket, I will forgive this insolence.” “Now, show me the goods boy.” Hu Ning said, as he smiled at Amiri’s terrible yet nice attitude. Elders must be respected, but respect means nothing when you got nothing to gift them once you come to their house. Certainly, Amiri didn’t show respect, but at least he brought food for his hungry uncle, when it was necessary. . “Sure uncle. But be sure to not destroy my basket. Last time it got wrecked, I had to spend a lot of time to repair it, considering this is a gift from mother.” Amiri replied. Afterwards, he proceeded to leave his basket full of delicious berries near uncle Hu Ning’s spot. Once he did that, Amiri decided to find a rock to sit at & watch his uncle eat his freshly brought berries. . Hu Ning, seeing Amiri’s gesture, couldn’t hold his hunger anymore & proceeded to eat the berries with his big & strong mouth, while also trying to not destroy the basket. … *Crunch, crunch, crunch* *Munch, crunch, munch, crunch.* … Eating the berries, while making eating noises. Hu Ning a Step-444th [ Immortal Qi Beast ] felt happy about today.  The berries that Amiri brought were delicious, and it’s taste we’re good for ‘Magic & Qi’ animals too. As he ate his fill with delight from Amir’s basket, he ended up eating 123 berries until there was no berries left in the basket to munch at. “Ah, that was certainly good. Where did you get these berries through? They are so delicious!” Hu Ning asked. . “I picked them early this morning in the northern part of the forest, uncle . Mother & father were the ones who helped me find them through, since I sometimes can’t seem to get a good understanding of the forest.” “I know this may sound weird, but sometimes I think the forest moves around by itself. It’s like it’s alive or something near a living & breathing environment.” “Sometimes, it takes me days, just to adjust to the ever changing environment here.” Amiri replied & explained while puffing his face cheeks. . Hearing Amiri wondering about the forest being a living being, Hu Ning chuckled, but didn’t disclose the fact that the forest really is alive. Hu Ning was waiting for the day Amiri discovered this fact about the forest himself, and so do his parents. As such, he will wait a bit longer until his nephew is old enough to understand everything by himself, just like other animals do when they grow up. “Regarding the forest. You don’t have to worry, you will eventually understand everything anyway.” Hu Ning said. Afterwards, he proceeded to talk again. . “Now let’s get back to business. Do you know why I called you here today?” Hu Ning asked Amiri. . “No idea!” “All I know, is that you sent me message saying you needed me to do an errand.” Amiri replied while also looking at his left hand which was shining with golden light, illuminating the cave. . “Nice. So you did hear my Qi empowered ‘voice transmission’.” “Very well. Here is the deal boy.” “The other day, while I was going around the forest. I came across Arya, one of your aunties. We had a big fight, destroyed a part of the northeast forest. And as always, I failed to get her honey 🍯!!” “That damn honey hoarder didn’t let me get even a single gulp of honey! Don’t you think that’s that’s unfair?!” “Isn’t she too wealthy already?! Why can’t she lend me some honey goddamn it! I really want some!” “No not some, I want a whole lot of it! But I can’t! She simply won’t let me poke her bee nest for honey.” 😭 “Please! Amiri, help me get some honey!” “If there is someone who can get her honey, out of her nest more easily then your parents, it’s you!” “Help your poor hungry uncle, will you?!” … Listening to Hu Ning’s complains about not being able to get food from his aunt, Amiri was barely registering the sentences his uncle was speaking. Nevertheless, at some point, he did understood that his uncle really wanted a sip of his auntie’s honey. And probably couldn’t go any longer without it, considering how good & delicious it was. . “…” “So. That’s it? You want me to go get some honey from aunt Arya?” “That’s simple. I can get some in a day! Just watch me come back with a basket full of honey for you uncle!” At first, Amiri was reluctant to go on the other side of the forest, considering most of the inhabitants there weren’t very friendly to him. But considering that his uncle was basically pleading to him, Amiri decided to let him have some honey. It’s not like the honey aunt Arya has is addictive, right? Right?! ‘I don’t really know, but last time I ate some. To me it just tasted wonderful!’ Amiri thought. . “Ah! Thank you so much, little Amiri!” “Ur my hero!” “My lovely little nephew!” “I knew you would understand me!” “You are such a wonderful cub!” “Ah! If only I was your parent, how wonderful would that be!” Hu Ning began to praise his nephew to no ends, after hearing that he could get the honey, in one day. He was internally happy that he would be served some good quality food again, considering he often couldn’t get his way with things easily, without a big fight happening for the price good food. After praising his little nephew for 10 minutes, until Amiri himself began to feel tired of the good words Hu Ning was speaking. Hu Ning decided to finally send Amiri out of the den to get the honey. “Little one.” “I won’t keep you in this dark & creepy place any longer than necessary.” “You can go now. Leave me be.” “I have to take a nap and recover my strength, from yesterday’s fight with the Bee Queen of the Myraid-Beasts Forest.” . “Okay uncle. I will leave you be.” “Bye!” Listening to his uncle again & again, like a good child should. Amiri took his straw basket in his right hand, and left his uncle side, heading out of the cave. Amiri before leaving, gave uncle Hu Ning one more warm look before leaving to complete request. … … … As the magic light illuminating the deep end of the cave began to dim & disappear. Hu Ning sat himself on the ground & closed his eyes. He will be waiting here, until Amiri pays his next visit to him. … … … Exiting the cave, after a long conversation with one of his uncles. Little Amir felt the wind hitting his face, now that he was in the open. ‘Hm. It’s going to be tricky. Aunt Arya doesn’t usually like me gifting her things to others. But what choice do I have here? I need to lie a bit, in order to get my way with her.’ ‘Hopefully she doesn’t become aware of my lies. Else she won’t have me have her honey.’ Amiri thought as he began to descend the mountain, and head inside the forest, in broad daylight. . ~~~<+>~~~ . *Kaboom~!!!* An explosion of Qi was felt the moment Ding Ya landed near her nest. Upon lying eyes on the ‘Azure Leather, Horned Deer’, the cultivators which were fighting a group of blue skinned deers in the western part of the forest, shivered for a few seconds as they felt fear towards an Elemental animal, which was at the 600th step of cultivation! . “Shit. ‘Elemental Azure Deer’!” (Frightened Cultivator #1) . “Holy mother! That thing is above our outer & inner disciples cultivation realm! Run!” ( Frightened Cultivator #2) . “Oh no! Run! Run for your lives brothers!” (Leading cultivator) . “Why worry brothers?! We can just call the sect masters! They will protect us!” (Courageous Cultivator #1) . “Are you out of your mind?! That thing(Ding Ya) is at the level of a Sect Elder! Unless you wanna die, run!” (Frightened Cultivator #3) . “Nah. I am fine. Although I am an inner disciple of the [ Bright Light ] sect, I have an Elder’s backing thanks to my high talent in cultivation!” (Courageous Cultivator #1) . “What?! Then surely, you have an emergency token given by the Elders! Use it right now you fool!” (Leading Cultivator) . “Yes, yes. I am using it right now senior! Just watch our master break that beast’s bones for me! Hahahahaha!” *Breaks the insignia.* . Boom~!! Another burst of Qi happened the moment the disciples began to retreat. In the azure sky which was devoid of clouds, an Elderly Man with a long white beard appeared. “Who dares harm my disciple?!” He screamed! . Seeing a man as strong as her appear as soon as she came, Ding Ya sighed and said internally.  ‘At least he isn’t a Sect Leader, else I would be in a world of pain.’ Afterwards, she positioned her horns in the direction of the sect Elder, and fired a blue beam full of Qi! . Seeing the beam being fired at him, the elder of the [ Bright Light ] sect, avoided it in a hurry. . “Hateful beast! You dare attack a sect elder!” “Now feel the power of the ‘White Bright Palm’ technique!” A palm made of white light appeared in the sky & headed directly at Ding Ya’s location, intending to crush her whole! . Ding Ya, seeing the attack coming at her from the sky, sprinted out of the range of the attack by using her high agility. . Boom~!!! . Another explosion happened, crushing the battlefield in which Ding Ya & the elder were previously using. . “God forsaken beast! You dare avoid my white palm technique!” “Know that I will embalm you, and display you as a trophy in my house, when I win!” . Listening to the old human’s words, a red vein appeared on Ding Ya’s forehead. “Rawwww~!” ‘Really?! Then I will eat your cultivation base, three dantians & heart whole! Know that I will display your ugly face in front of your sect, when all this is over, you fucker!’ . The beast & human exchanged looks, probing at each other’s strengths. Next, they began to fight again by throwing Qi blasts at on another again! >>> To be continued… Gledis Go Ding Ya! I chose you! This sounds more like pokemon. Or is it me imagining everything?

<Six years later>   At this time Argon was 17 years old, his body was 190cm tall, he had thick black hair and black eyes, his face was still as handsome as in his previous life. Argon was standing at the top of Mount Swallow, he looked around the mountains.   While he was training inside Swallow Mountain, he stumbled across a treasure chest. Inside the chest were two golden pistols like the Desert Eagle, and... a meat grinder.   After examining it, it turned out that it was not a meat grinder, but a tool for making bullets, and it was used the same way as a meat grinder. He only needs to put material in the form of metal or stone into the grinding tool, then turn the lever on the side of the grinder, and the bullets will automatically come out from the other side.   Argon also realized that each bullet that came out of the meat grinder had a little bit of sea stone strength, when Argon checked it, it turned out that the inside of the meat grinder was made of sea stone, so the bullets that came out of the meat grinder would have a little bit of sea stone strength.   The two pistols are also very unique, apart from being able to hold 100 bullets in it, the side of the gun has a switch button, when the switch button is pressed, the gun will not issue ordinary bullets, but release wind bullets, of course the wind bullets have weaker strength, might only be able to kill an ordinary person. Of course it was still very useful for Argon, because the wind bullets were almost infinite, and it was perfect for distraction, he could shoot them into his opponent's eyes multiple times or or shooting it in an open wound.   Law also finds Kikoku inside the Swallow Mountain, and Bepo finds two Double Sticks made of sea stone.   At this time Argon will do his last training, after this training he is allowed to go out of this island. Yes, during these 8 years Argon has never left Swallow Island, he is not even allowed to visit the nearby islands, Rubeck Island and Minion Island.   As for Law and Bepo, the two of them have explored the three islands, they are even quite famous for being pirate hunters. They already have enough money to buy a sizeable ship and other supplies.   Argon has also trained his haki, he can make parts of his body black when using Armament Haki, his Observation Haki is also good enough so he can feel every detail around him. But according to Ol'gar, his Haki mastery was only at the average level of pirates in the new world, even so, it made Argon very happy to be able to use it. As for Conqueror's Haki, Argon can't even do it, but according to Ol'gar, it is very likely that in the future he will be able to activate it, if he is lucky.   Law and Bepo have also been practicing Haki, but not at the same level as Argon.   In the middle of the Swallow mountains, Argon is seen warming up, Law and Bepo are also there to see the last training and Argon's graduation day.   A few moments later, Ol'gar came carrying a Shirayasa sword, it looked like a normal katana, but without a collar, maybe like Kusanagi. Then he gave it to Argon.   "This sword will be yours, take it, you will use this sword in this final training" Ol'gar said as he threw Shirayasa at Argon.   "Thank you, grandfather," said Argon, lowering his head.   "All these 8 years of hard training really paid off, you are getting stronger, even you have mastered all the basics of martial arts and swordsmanship with perfection" Ol'gar said sincerely when he saw Argon's achievement.   “W ---- W-what ?? Basic martial arts? The basis of swordsmanship? So, what do you mean is that all this time I've only learned the basics ??" asked Argon in great surprise.   "Of course, what do you think?"   “I thought you taught a great move or something like that. No wonder I haven't had any special moves so far, so, are you going to teach me great moves right now ??” said Argon hopefully.   “Of course not, if you want to become a very strong person, you shouldn't use other people's skills, because your potential will be limited. Of course you can learn other people's skills, but you can't make them the basis of your strength. I told you before that you have mastered the basics of martial arts and swordsmanship perfectly, that means in the future you can create your own Skills, which are suitable for your body and your fighting style” Ol'gar explained.   "That makes sense, so, what is this training like?" asked Argon.   "It's easy. We'll just have a duel"   "that is it?"   “Yes, and you have to give your best, otherwise I might kill you,” said Ol'gar seriously.   Argon immediately swallowed his saliva, he saw that this time Ol'gar was really serious about killing him.   After taking a deep breath, Argon finally said firmly.   "Alright, I'm ready!"   Argon and Ol'gar stood face to face in a fighting stance, their distance was about 20 meters. Argon held the word tightly, and Ol'gar also held his wooden staff which was a katana. At this moment the atmosphere in the mountains was very quiet, as if all the creatures on the island were watching and didn't want to interfere with the two of them.   <Wooshh!>   Suddenly Ol'gar disappeared, and in an instant he was 5 meters above Argon.   Then Ol'gar sliced the air, and at that moment the black blade of air aimed at Argon's head very quickly.   Argon immediately retreated quickly then jumped towards Ol'gar who was still in the air. He immediately drew his sword and tried to cut Ol'gar's neck, but strangely the slash penetrated Ol'gar's neck unhindered, apparently it was an afterimage.   Immediately Argon felt a chill behind his back, when he turned his head, it was Ol'gar who attacked him with killing intent.   <Clank !!>   The sound of the loud clash of two swords was heard, Argon lost in the battle of strength so that he was thrown tens of meters and destroyed the trees in his path.   As if he didn't want Argon to rest, Ol'gar immediately ran very quickly towards Argon.   “Shit! He really wants to kill me!” said Argon when he saw Ol'gar approaching him very quickly.   <Arcane-fire Charge!>   Suddenly Ol'gar's body immediately disappeared, leaving only the flames where he had run before.   Ol'gar immediately appeared beside Argon in a kicking position, seen at his feet The flames were burning and ready to burn anything.   When he saw that, Argon frantically ran away so as not to be hit by the kick.   <BAMM !!>   A loud explosion was heard when Ol'gar's kick touched the ground, thus creating a shockwave which caused the surroundings to become destroyed.   Argon breathed a sigh of relief because regardless of death, he really was very lucky to have dodged that kick. If he was hit even slightly, he was sure that his body would crumble to a pulp.   Flames appeared around Or'gal, then he looked at Argon, then he smiled.   “Brat, you are so lucky! But you can't keep relying on your luck "   <Sunfire Slash !!>   <Charm of the Fire !!>   <Slash of Demon Fire !!>   Three devastating strikes struck Argon, it looked like a blade made of huge, hot flames. Law and Bepo have even fled and are looking for a safer place to witness the fight.   Several hours have passed, but their battle is still continuing. In that battle Argon also made several Sword Skills and Martial Arts Skills, but still couldn't beat Or'gal.   A day later, Or'gal started to look tired, and several sword cuts appeared on his body. But Argon's condition is much worse, all of his clothes have been damaged, his body is full of cuts, there wasn't even space on his body to make any new wounds   His left hand was already broken so he could only use one hand in battle.   <Restrict Movement>   <Judgment of Shadows!>   <Void of the Moon!>   This is the strongest combination of attacks that Argon has made at this time, at this moment Argon's body is seen everywhere and surrounds Or'gal, it's all just an illusion that Argon has made with his very fast movements, even though it's an illusion, but it looks very real, even Armament Haki can't tell the difference because Argon's movements are so fast.   Suddenly all of Argon's body shot towards Or'gal like arrows, his movement so fast it made a loud explosive sound.   At this time Argon wanted to attack Or'gal's heart, he was sure that Or'gal would avoid him and then take a strong counterattack. Argon had simulated this attack many times and he had made various contingency plans for when Orgal avoided this attack and struck back.   But ,,, unexpectedly Or'gal just stood there silently, and saw a happy smile on Or'gal's face.   Shit!   Argon knows that this attack he cannot cancel, the only way to keep Or'gal from hitting this attack is to avoid it or block it. But Argon did not see these two movements from Or'gal. He immediately felt a bad feeling.   And sure enough, Or'gal took the attack happily, even his body looked like he was receiving a hug. Argon's sword very smoothly pierced Or'gal's heart without any resistance.   “Congratulations !! You have passed!" Or'gal said in a weak voice, but his face still smiled happily.   “Y-you ... What are you doing !! Lawww !! Come here quickly !!" Argon shouted with all his might, he was very worried seeing Or'gal's situation like this, Or'gal was not only considered a Guru by Argon, but also as a grandfather, if he accidentally killed him, he would have a lifetime of regret.   “No, listen to me Argon! This is your last training, you must kill me, and I must die by your hands. By doing this you will have a firm nature and a strong personality! I don't know where you're from, and I don't want to ask either, but I know that, in the past you had a comfortable life and a nonviolent environment. Because all this time I can see a lot of your hesitating actions”   "Also ,,, I've lived a very long time, and I'll soon be dead. But, I don't want to die of old age, that's why I want you to kill me in battle, at least it looks a little cooler. Ghahaha..Cough! .. Cough! ... ”   Or'gal coughed and drained a lot of blood from his mouth. Then he took a medal that was around his neck and gave it to Argon.   "This medal is the way to return to this island, I'm sure you will easily find out how to use it."   "Argon, my grandson. I hope you have the life you desire.” After saying that, Or'gal breathed his last.   Argon didn't know what to do at this time, for a moment his brain didn't seem to be working. A few moments later Law and Bepo came over to him. When Argon saw the two of them coming, he immediately collapsed from physical and mental exhaustion.

Several weeks later, Argon was seen practicing or rather being beaten by Ol'gar. While Law and Bepo, just watched it with horror and pity. The reason Law and Bepo came was to ask Ol'gar to train them as well, but Ol'gar flatly refused on the grounds that it was too troublesome to train the other brats.   Even so, Ol'gar gave them a more normal way of training, which the Marines usually do. Of course the training was also very tough, so that Law and Bepo had to faint several times during their training.   Law can also make Argon his experiment, because Law wants to become a doctor and Argon is always full of wounds after his training.   At night, Argon, Law and Bepo were in a cave by the beach, they were grilling the meat of the animals they had hunted before.   "Hey, you never told us who you wanted to kill, would you mind telling us?" Asked Argon, even though he already knew it.   "He is Doflamingo ..." then Law also briefly told Argon.   "Woww, he's so strong, you might take a long time to kill him" said Argon.   "Hmm? Do you know who he is?" Asked Law.   "Of course, he is the captain of the Donquixote Pirates, and also a Former World Noble" Argon said casually.   "How do you know all that?" asked Law curiously.   "Of course from my grandfather, he is quite knowledgeable about the situation in this world" said Argon, he decided to use Ol'gar as his shield if a situation like this happened.   "Is it true? I think I'll ask him tomorrow ~yaa" said Law.   "He will not say, you must know that my grandfather is very strange, maybe later you will be invited to train with me" said Argon.   After hearing that, Law immediately swallowed hard, even though the training he was going through was tough, but Argon's training was way beyond that, and looked more like torture. Even Bepo was very scared, it could be seen from all the hairs on his standing body.   "Anoo, does your grandfather also know about Zou Island?" asked Bepo.   “Yes, he knows, and you can rest easy, because I also know, but at the moment I don't have access to Zou Island. I'll let you know when I find out” said Argon, chewing on his grilled meat.   "Is it true?? Thank you....!!" said Bepo excitedly, hugging Argon.   "Ok ok, let me go! And also, Law. You don't need to worry about Dofy, because I'll help you later"   "Hmm? Why do you want to help me? It's none of your business, I can do it myself” Law said nonchalantly.   "I'm sorry, Law. But as a Captain, it's my job to help the crew” said Argon, who shamelessly claimed to be a captain.   "Captain? You mean pirates?" said Law Amazingly.   “Yes, in the future, we will be strong people. Because we don't want to be marines, we can only be pirates” said Argon.   “But, can't we be pirate hunters? Or maybe an ordinary merchant?" asked Bepo.   “Being a merchant is quite troublesome, and with our strength, there will definitely be a lot of people who think we are pirates in disguise. And being a pirate hunter ... yes, that's pretty good, but it won't last long. The Marines definitely want us to join them, and if we refuse, we will be lucky if they will ignore us, but if we are unlucky, we will be made scapegoats by them so that they are labeled as pirates" said Argon.   "Is it true? Aren't they very cruel?" asked Bepo.   "Yes. Of course not all marines are like that, they just want people who have the power to remain under their control. Don't think the marines are bad people, bepo, even though they are sometimes very unreasonable, but we have to admit that the marines have guarded many islands, caught many criminals etc. An example is this island, we are on the safe side of the island, and why is it safe here? Because here is a marine base that prevents crimes from happening” said Argon.   "I agree with that, but there is a big problem here that we need to talk about ~yaa ..." Law said.   "And what is that ??"   "Why must you be the captain? Who appointed you to be captain?" said Law.   “Ara ... Ara ... looks like someone else wants to be captain. Ufufufu ... ” said Argon jokingly.   "Yes, I object, since I intend to become a pirate just to kill Doflamingo, it means I'll be the captain" Law said firmly.   “Like I said before, I will help you defeat Dofy, and I also have a lot of information about him, besides, I am also stronger than you. Ghahaha… ” Argon laughed with satisfaction which irritated Law.   “You're a great doctor too, Law. And I need you in my crew later" said Argon seriously.   "Okay, but don't blame me if you die ~yaa" said Law.   "Ghahaha ... take it easy, I won't blame anyone"   “Woww, Captain !! Are we going to Zoo Island later ??" Bepo asked excitedly, he even immediately recognized Argon as his captain.   "Of course we will go there, you don't need to worry!" Argon replied confidently.   The next morning, While Law and Bepo are still asleep, Argon is already awake and starting to warm up, he starts running around Swallow Island until the sun rises.   “Brat, you're strong enough to train in the mountains. Today we will go there" said Or'gal.   "But, grandfather, I'm still too weak, I can't even fight the weakest beasts there" said Argon fearfully.   “Who said you were going to fight beasts there? You just need to run away, Ghahaha ... !!” Said Or'gal with a laugh.   "But..."   “No buts! You might be able to find something interesting there"   "Hmm? Is it true?" asked Argon skeptically.   "Yes, I'm not lying. Can you see the shape of the mountains?" said Or'gal, pointing to the mountain at the center of the island.   "Ohh, yes, it looks like Swallow" said Argon while looking at the mountain.   <BAMM!>   "Are you an idiot? Take a better look!" said Or'gal, hitting Argon's head.   “It's like... Damn it !! That ,,,, Don't tell me it's a fossilized ship ??" Argon said incredulously.   "You are right, it is a fossilized Ship, a very large ship, maybe it's been thousands of years so that it makes the ship a fossil, and there are also many treasures inside" said Ol'gar.   “But, how do you know that? Is it really a Fossil ship? Maybe it's a natural mountain range” said Argon who was incredulous.   “You don't need to know how I know this, but right now, I'm sure only I in this world know that the Mountain is a fossilized ship. I hope you will keep this a secret” Ol'gar said seriously.   "If it's a secret, why are you telling me all this?" said Argon doubtfully.   "Because you are my successor, Brat!"   "Ehh, successor? What do you mean?"   “Very well, I will tell you the truth, that I am the protector of this island, or rather the protector of the Ship's Fossil. I've lived too long, and I don't know when I'll die. So I trained you so that you could continue my duty to guard Mount Swallow” said Or'gal.   "Ehh ?? But ... I plan to leave this island and ... "   "You don't need to worry, you can go wherever you want, but on one condition, when this island is in danger, you must immediately come and protect this island."   "But, what if I'm very far from this island, when this island is in danger?"   “You don't have to worry about that. So, do you accept it? Become my successor and guard this island?”   "Okay, I accept it. I hope you will not regret making me your successor"   “Ghahaha ... !! Of course not, because I will train you to the best of my ability !!”   'Gulp, Shit !! I feel like something bad is going to happen to me' thought Argon.   And the Argon began to be trained with more rigorous training than before. Unlike the protagonists in this world, Argon has a weaker body. Luffy, ace and sobo can even beat beasts at their age, but Argon can't, maybe because he's not 'D', or maybe because he's not the protagonist in this world.   But Argon did not despair, he continued to train even though it tormented him, because it was the main condition for him to survive in this world. In fact, Argon's hands and feet are often cut off because of the hard training he is doing. But what happened to Argon made Law quite happy, because he could train his medicine while treating Argon.

< [ Chapter 3 ] > • • • Descending the mountain, he was previously at. Amiri found himself in the ‘Myraid-Beast-Forest’ again. Inside the forest, he decided to look at the sun for directions, and after confirming where the sun rised & fell, he took the path leading to the Eastern region of the forest. . As he began to walk at a steady peace, Amiri looked at his basket which now was empty. ‘Hm. Before sunset I should find something to eat, or else I will have to rely on mother’s hunting skills, to fetch me some meat.’ He thought. … … … It took an hour, or maybe two, but as he walked in the great forest, uninterrupted by any living being in the vicinity. Amiri finally entered the eastern part of the forest successfully. Of course, from time to time, he would hear some screams & see a bunch mushrooms like smoke clouds come out of the southern & western part of the forest. Nevertheless, the south & west wasn’t his destination, and whatever happened there wasn’t anything great to worry about, since his brother & aunt were taking care of their respective regions, right now. . Walking peacefully, like a normal child should, Amiri began to feel a bit lonely. Usually, when he takes a walk around the forest, his brother would always accompany him, in order to make sure nothing bad happened to him. And now… Now that he was doing an errand alone. He felt a bit empty inside, since he liked to be in the company of others, instead of being alone. “Sigh.” “Big brother. When will you come back? It’s been a few hours already.” Amiri sighed while continuing  his march towards Arya’s headquarters. … … … In the innermost eastern part of the ‘Myraid Beasts Forest’. There existed a huge beehive, filled with an innumerable amount of humanoid looking bees.  Said bees, were very devoted to the Queen of the region & had created an environment close to that of a royal medieval castle, for her to live in. . The Queen of the great hive, that looked like a medieval castle, was called Arya. She was a step-600th ‘Elemental Magic Queen Bee’, and had stepped in the Elemental realm 3 centuries ago. As an elemental, she had become immortal & undying.  However.  Although she was powerful to the point of wiping out nations, she was still a ‘Queen Bee’. And as nature dictates, she had to make eggs from time to time, so that her children could make honey, propolis, beeswax, and etc items that would be necessary to her big yet small headquarters. Of course, now that Arya was an Elemental. She could stop her activities as a Queen Bee & modify her body to not need to make eggs anymore. Nevertheless, if she stopped making eggs, the number of bees in her hive would go down a lot. And that would also affect the production of several key items her hive could make! As such, she really couldn’t stop her work as a Queen unless her children’s lifespan could be extended or improved somehow! . Buzzing (“Your royal highness. The scouts have detected the presence of the human child known as Amiri.”) Further Buzzing (“Should we deny him access to the hive, or let him enter the hive?”) A humanoid looking bee which was kneeling in front of a throne made of wax, asked Arya the Queen of the hive for order to be given. . “Amiri? My little nephew?” “He is heading towards our headquarters?” Arya replied with a question, in a state of bewilderment. . Buzzing, buzzing. (“Yes your highness. The boy is heading here as we speak.”) . “I understand…” “Is he alone or accompanied by the lion?” Arya questioned. . Buzzing. Buzz, buzzing. (“He is alone your highness. And by the looks of it, he is carrying a basket in his hands.”) . “Oh! A basket!” “He must be here to take some honey from us as usual!” “How cute!”  . Buzz! Bu~ (“Ahem! Your high~”) . “Allow him entry to the hive as fast as possible! And also send my daughter to accompany him, in his way towards the nest.” “We can’t have him wondering around alone, all by himself. After all, he is their child.” “If anything happened to him, this forest would cease to exist with the flick of a finger.” “Tehehe~” . ~ ~ ~ <+> ~ ~ ~ . *peek* *Peeek, peek, peek.* *Stare* . “Sigh.” “Big sister, Arianne, if you intend on staring at me from the bushes, know that it’s futile. I have since long masters the art of presence detection!” “Nothing can escape my~” . Buzzing (“Amiri”) Buzz, buzzing (“Your big sister, has missed you so much~!!!”) Buzz (“Kyaaaa~!”) . While he was approaching the headquarters of Arya, Amiri noticed that a certain ‘princess’ had been following him, since the moment he entered the eastern region. As for, how he knew that? It was easy. He simply had to question why he hasn’t seen a single ill willed insect in his way towards the nest. And now.  Now that Arianne was here, his question was answered really fast. . “Ugh. Let me go you big dummy! You are holding me too tightly!” . Buzz! Buzzing (“Kyaaaa! Amiri, your big sister has missed you so much!”) Buzz! Buzzing, buzz! (“Ever since the stupid lion began to live with you, you have not stayed with us at all. And will come here just to get honey once in a while!”) Buzz! Buzz, buzz! (“Amiri. My Amiri is so, SO CUTE!”) . Having rushed at Amiri’s side, after seeing him. Aria the princess of the Myraid Beasts Forest’s beehive, and daughter of Arya, was now hugging Amiri very tightly. . Finding himself shackled by the powerful arms of a 300th step bee princess. Amiri could do nothing but exhale his frustrations in regard to one another’s difference in power level. . “Ahg… fine… I give up.” *Sigh* Sighing, like a true protagonist of a story should. Amiri gave up on releasing himself from Aria’s grasp, and instead decided to take a look at how much Arianne has grown since the last time he had seen her. . Seeing Aria for the first time, since a week ago. Amiri noticed that the princess’s fur, abdomen & antennae had grown a bit. Her face & body was that of a semi-human with antennae and 4 arms. Her bottom which had 2 legs rooted on the ground, had an abdomen with a stinger attached to it. . To Amiri, Arianne looked almost like a human, she even had big boobs to back her up. But her semblance to a human ended when one would notice the endless amount of yellow fur her naked body had. Apparently, when bees reach the 300th step and enter the Immortal realm, their body would change & evolve to become more productive & useful. Put it simply. When an insect like Arianne reached the realm of immortality, their body would begin to resemble that of a human, but could not become a human considering the biology of the two species was vastly different. . After 10 minutes of nonstop hugging. Arianne let Amiri escape her warm furry embrace and decided to take him by hand towards the hive. . “So, do you have anything to tell me! I am sure you have a lot of things you would be wondering about in your free time?” Arianne asked. . “Not really. Everything seems stable & fine, aside from the normal skirmishes the inhabitants of the forest sometimes have.” Amiri replied. . “Is that so. Are you sure you don’t really have a topic? For example, the humans.” When mentioning humans, Arianne’s face become fierce & a faint trace of sadistic pleasure could be seen in her eyes. . “What about the humans? I know that they normally don’t wander deep into the forest or mountain. But are they really a good topic of discussion?” Amiri replied. . “Well. They are a good topic of discussion. Do you know that human meat & blood is really good to us, hive bees?” “Also, the stronger the human, the better the quality of meat & blood are.” “Humans, to us forest natives, are really delicious.” Arianne continued, hoping to arose some type of feelings or morals from deep inside Amiri’s consciousness.  . “Is that so. Well. I hope you find some humans to eat later, big sister Arianne.” Amiri replied honestly. Upon hearing his reply regarding humans. Arianne felt strange. Normally a human wouldn’t say such things about his or her own kin, but considering that even lions & tigers fought amongst one another for territories & mates. Surely not all humans are kind to one another  … … … Arriving near a huge castle which was encased fully in beeswax to the point it had become a castle of bee comb. The duo compromised of a human & a nee princess stopped at the entrance, which was filled with innumerable ‘Mortal Realm’ bees, who were going in & out of the hive. . “Amiri, you know the rules you have to obey before entering, right?” Arianne reminded to little Amiri. . “Em…” “Never separate myself from big sister or auntie.” (1) “Never try to initiate a conversation with the inhabitants of the nest.” (2) “Never attempted to steal honey, bees, larvae or royal jelly from the hive.” (3) Amiri noted as he began to remember all the rules he had to obey when entering a nest. . “Oh my. Your memory is so good.” “Let’s event inside now. Mother is waiting for you.” “Let’s not make her any anxious then she already is. A pair of humanoid looking male bees with 4 arm & 2 legs were guarding the entrance of the hive, unwilling to not let any stranger intrude inside. However, when they saw their princess approaching together with a human behind her, they immediately kneeled in front of her, but with heads aimed at little Amiri. Their hostility towards him already showing without regards towards age or gender. “Heads down… all of you! And no following or denying access to the human or else I will eat you whole!” Seeing the hostility towards Amiri, Aria started to order the all the bees around, together with the male guards to not touch the human. Afterwards, she tightened her grip on Amiri’s hand & entered the hive. … … … Inside the great hive, on a throne made of beeswax, there sat a beautiful looking woman which had two sets of transparent golden wings behind her & two antennas on her forehead. Said woman looked exactly like a human being, if you took out the wings & antennas. But perhaps, the most striking thing about the woman sitting on a throne, was that she looked exactly like a child. A loli, to be precise. . Arya, Queen of a monster hive, with many humanoid looking bees protecting her from all sides, looked beautiful in her naked form. In fact, most of the males in the hive, were terribly erect in front of her. But they did not dare make any moves in regards to reproduction rituals, or else they would die a terrible death, without even having stuck their penises inside her delicate looking bottom part. . Buzz! Buzzing!  (“Mother, I am back! Guess who I brought with me today!”) Entering the high court of the hive, Arianne buzzed happily about having taken Amiri with her today. . “Aunt Arya, I am back.” “It’s good to see you in good health.” Amiri added, as he left himself to be dragged by hand towards the throne, there where the naked Arya stood. . “Ah ♥️. Amiri my sweet, SWEET, child.” “Welcome to my… not excellent abode…” “Should I fetch some honey, get you some royal jelly, or perhaps should I offer my entire body to you! My child!” Seeing the human male called Amiri for the first time in a week. Arya began to mumble very extreme words loudly without a care for any repercussions. In her hive, she was the high queen, as such she could do whatever she wanted. Be it killing, segsing or formulating extreme words with her mouth. She could do it all. Nothing was impossible to her. And nothing was foreign to her pure & soft as honey, heart. . “Mom!!” “Amiri is still a small grub!” “How dare you go so far!” Aria said in a fit of rage. . “Shush my oldest child.” “Now sweetie, I presume, you are here for something which I have. State your business, & I will arrange an equal exchange for both of us, so we can be satisfied at the end.” Arya said, after telling her oldest child to shut up, and let her talk to sweet little Amiri. . Seeing her be so… modest… maybe not so modest… Amiri thought deeply about his next words, while he was surrounded by nothing but bees & honeycombs. And after a few seconds of being silent he sentenced his thoughts. . “Well… I am in need of enough honey to fill an entire basket today. Can you please give me some auntie?!” “I promise I will do anything you wish in return! Therefore, please gib me some good quality honey!” . “Shit! Not those words again…” “How many times does this make now!” Hearing Amiri promise anything in return for Arya’s honey. Arianne burst in a fit of rage again, as a few annoying sentences were said. . “Aaaaaa! This deal is unacceptable mother!” “I won’t allow you to do anything lewd or unholy with him!” . “For the love of honey, stop complaining my child.” “I promise I will be gentle.” . “Gentle?” Amiri repeated. . “Gentle my ass!” Arianne stated furiously! . >>> To be continued… Gledis I wonder what the naked Loli Queen is going to do to little Amiri. Fufufu. Find out next time in your WILDEST IMAGINATIONS

[Body Fully Reconstructed] [Initiating Protocol G4T3 Sequence...] [Checking for Available Respawn Point] [Respawn Point Found] [Sending User]   'UUUGGGHHH' I groaned with the return of my consciousness. Ignoring my aching head and my screaming in pain rib cage.   *Hisss*   "DOCTOR!! Patient 12 is opening her eyes now!!" A jumbled scream from what I assume is a nurse was heard as a lot of footsteps instantly arrived beside me. I then opened my eyes to a group of lab coat-wearing people with various medical tools in their hands.   [Medi-Pod: Healing Complete]   "HOLD HER DOWN BEFORE SHE PANICKED!!" The person who was in front of me barked to her group of scientist friends and instantly made them move with gusto, Holding me down inside some kind of pod. I didn't even notice that I was struggling in their grip with how messy and hazy my mind is.   "RAAARRRGGG!!!" I howled in pain when something clipped me on my flank, making me bleed.   "GAG HER!!!" Barked the person in front of me. I then saw her pull some kind of translucent plaster and slapped it on my flank where I can feel I'm bleeding before a crumpled white T-shirt gets stuffed in my mouth.   "INJECT HER WITH THE SEDATIVES!!" She ordered after she grabbed someone's head and screamed into his ear and continued pushing me down inside "NOOW!!!"   "THE SEDATIVES AT THE MEDICINE STORAGE!!" The one who was locking my left arm screamed when she got smacked by my left arm in the head.   "GO GET IT!!!" The leader who was sitting on my chest boomed and looked behind her, sending glares to four guys holding my legs down. One of them let go and got replaced by the male nurse that informed them of my awakening.   "QUICK!!!" She smacked another guy making him bump into the one holding a huge syringe with dark purple liquid inside.   "CAREFUL" A chorus of voices rang and admonish the syringe-holding guy and the guy who bumped into him.   "WHERE IS THE SEDATIVE!!!" she angrily screeched while she and her friends instantly doubled their efforts on making me stay still when they realized their combined strength are losing to my adrenaline-filled body's struggle.   "HERE!!" A wheezing male voice rang behind her and raised something in the air, making the group look at him. Forgetting me for a second before continuing to hold me down.   "SHE'S MUTATING!!!" The one holding my head screamed in alarm, alerting the others.   "FUCK THIS!!" The leader angrily shouted in frustration and jumped into the pod, her buttocks landing on my belly. For a moment she accusingly looked at me before grabbing the huge syringe and looking at me apologetically.   "This will hurt like a bitch." She calmly said, before forcefully stabbing the tip of the syringe into my chest. Where my heart is located.   "RAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!" A primal roar escaped my mouth when I felt the tip pierce my heart, the pain is so intense. It instantly knocked me out.   In a well-lit SciFi-looking room. A group of mixed races in different lab coats and masks,  are currently lazily chatting with each other and moving some scattered and intact high-tech medical equipment.   But there's only one person who's currently sitting on a limp body with a huge empty medical syringe between her hands.   "Finally!!" I screamed in joy after seeing the first operator asleep with a hole in her chest, which is already closing and healing while expelling some kind of black gunk from her chest through the hole.   "I thought we really needed all of this," Helga1A Maroon haired tanuki Beastman that previously works in the logistics sector before being reassigned into the medical sector for an unknown reason [she's buffed] said while pointing to the various medical tool and equipment we pulled out from the Medical Equipment Head's store room.   "Yeah," Jeff2A black-haired Half Asian and Half American descent that looks like your average Asian uncle. tiredly huffed after sitting on a patient bed with a medical gun held in his left hand.   "This is more stressful than getting bit by Bridgette over THERE!" Jeff pointed to our resident Tundra Fox Arcana Beastman3 A magical type of Beastman that evolves into its ancestral form after living to a certain age. They mostly look like furries with human qualities added to them and will look more human if they came from a human mother. [Gender Ratio: M/F 48/62% ] .   "Don't blame me!!" She said while tidying her lab coat and licking her ruffled fur. "Blame yourself for being delicious!!" She huffed in agitation, wiping her drool away with the sleeves of her coat. After wiping her drool away. She then got into a pouncing stance for a second before jumping towards, the tired and unamused Jeff with a sedative gun.   "Nope," Helga said before moving.   *yip!!*   Before she got shot by a powerful sedative. She got head locked by Helga and her mystical/magical ability got interrupted by our apathetic Anti-Magic named Yana with her blood mana-sucking chains.4 A platinum-haired albino white Vampire Duchess [Duchess: Has the Ability to Resist any light attacks unscathed. (Including the sun) Yana continued her work on the portable fabricator installed in the room by continuously fabricating and recycling every known product it made.   "Let me go!!" Bridgette growled. Trying to bite the tanuki girl's muscled arm, but got smacked in the head by the latter and yelped. She then got gagged by the others before helping her drag her struggling self out of the medical pod room.   She then looked at the growling tundra fox that is currently being dragged by Helga and my other fellow medical staff, before she looked at me and the currently silent and sleeping patient.   "I didn't know you like to sit on someone, so much." Yana chuckled, dispelling the blood chains after Bridget got out of the room, she then grabbed her clipboard with her and calmly walked out of the room.   "Hellion, Come." She beckoned our resident space dog, which cream-furred borzoi friend to follow her. She complied, tail wagging behind her.    "Ah!" I gasped after remembering and looking down at who I was sitting on. I then slowly crawled out of the Medical-pod and looked at the sole cause of our current problem before I inwardly sighed to myself.   "You know you caused a big stir in the ship, right now," I whispered in her ears after examining her sleeping form.   I then pulled her shared information in my data pad.  ===== Patient 12. Name Larra Izaiyah, Nickname: Izzy. Gender: Female Race: Human (Earth) Height: 6'4 (5'9) BirthDate: June 19 4022 Relative(s) aboard the ship: Alice Izaiyah "The Chief of Information Sector" Age: 22 Occupation: Sierra I Special Ops (Mech Operator I)Work Codename: HeartBurnRank: PFC MECH: Zeris-1 (Destroyed) Special Status: Planet Iowa 32c Local First Contact Victim and Head Researcher's Test Subject Current State: Healthy, Mutated, and Unconscious Irregularities Found: Sharpener pointy fangs, paler skin complexion, forked tongue, iridescent colored natural nails (Almost a claw), dark inky blood, shiny indigo eye color (Previously brown), dark purple hair color (prev. Black), muscle and bone density doubled, age didn't match her looks, slightly longer fingers and some ((Unknown)) traits.   Thoughts: Yana "Bloody Duchess" Bloodhaven: Her blood tasted sweet and spicy, with a flavourful hint of mysticism and corruption. Helga "The Caretaker" Huntsman: She needs to retrain her strength. Jeff "Medic" Kepler: She's super Healthy with a freakishly slow-beating heart after the medi-pod finished its job. Bridgette: She got a pure and newly established mana pathway. Her main Elements are mainly dark, illusion, and two minor elements. Marcus Dvo: She was in some kind of dark purple cocoon when I did her first aid in the trauma center. Helion: Woof! ===  

After a few moments, he felt a sense of weightlessness wash over him, as if he was floating in space. As he sat there with his eyes closed, he initially felt nothing. But soon, he was surrounded by soothing and peaceful sounds. He could hear the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the gurgling of a nearby stream. It was as if he had been transported to a beautiful forest, surrounded by the wonders of nature. The sounds of the forest were both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Kiryin had been to many forests in his life, but this one felt different. It was as if the sounds of nature were singing a song just for him, inviting him to connect with the world around him in a deeper way. Eventually, Kiryin opened his eyes and found himself sitting on a tree trunk shaped like a chair. He looked around in amazement, taking in the beauty of the forest around him. Kiryin looked around the forest, he saw trees unlike any he had ever seen before. Some had shimmering silver bark that seemed to glow in the sunlight, while others had leaves that seemed to change color with every passing breeze. Some of the trees had leaves that glowed with a soft, ethereal light, casting a warm glow on the forest floor. Others had branches that twisted and turned in all directions, as if they were reaching out to the sky in joy. He marveled at the fantastical shrubs and flowers that dotted the landscape, each one more beautiful and unique than the last. Kiryin saw bushes with bright pink and purple flowers that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. He also spotted a patch of delicate white flowers that gave off a sweet, fragrant aroma. He noticed that the bugs in this forest were also quite extraordinary. There were fireflies that shone bright red and orange, and butterflies with wings as big as his hand. He saw butterflies with wings that sparkled like diamonds, and beetles with shimmering golden shells. There were even tiny fireflies that seemed to dance and twirl through the air, their wings a blur of color as they danced among the flowers. As he walked deeper into the forest, Kiryin couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and awe wash over him. He couldn't help but notice that many of the creatures he saw were larger than their counterparts on Earth. In a distant  grove of trees saw a group of deer with antlers that seemed to reach up to the sky, And then it appeared! One of the most fascinating sights Kiryin ever encountered. A rabbit with beautiful fur that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. The fur was a deep, rich brown that seemed to have a life of its own, as if it was constantly shifting and changing color. Kiryin was fascinated by the rabbit and walked towards it, wanting to get a closer look. As he approached, he was startled to see that the rabbit was almost thrice the size of a normal rabbit on Earth. It stood on its hind legs, its large ears twitching as it watched Kiryin with curious eyes.Its long, graceful ears seemed to stretch out almost to the ground, and its big, bright eyes sparkled with intelligence. Kiryin was in awe as he watched the rabbit hop around, its powerful legs carrying it effortlessly. He was mesmerized by the beautiful rabbit, its shimmering fur and powerful legs captivating him. But as he watched the rabbit hop around, he suddenly realized that it seemed to be getting closer and closer to him. Kiryin froze in surprise as he saw the rabbit's eyes narrow and its ears flatten against its head. It seemed to be preparing for attack. Before he had a chance to react, the rabbit lunged at him, its sharp teeth bared and its eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. Kiryin was taken aback by the sudden attack, and he stumbled backwards, trying to escape the rabbit's grasp. But the rabbit was too quick for him, and it lunged at him again, its sharp claws raking across his skin. He cried out in pain, trying to fend off the rabbit's attack, but it was no use. The rabbit seemed to be in a frenzy, its attacks becoming more and more ferocious. Kiryin let out a cry of surprise as the rabbit tackled him to the ground, its sharp claws digging into his skin. He tried to push it off, but the rabbit was too strong. He felt its hot breath on his face, and he knew he was in serious trouble. Before the encounter with the rabbit Kiryin was still unbelieving of this reality. He assumed his mind was broken and he was trapped in a dreamlike state. This deadly attack finally made this place real for him. One can't truly get hurt in dreams afterall. He was terrified and he knew he had to do something, but he was so panicked that he couldn't think of a plan. But he was not one to give up easily. He closed his eyes and focused on the power that brought him here, the magic that was now an inherent part of his being. He could feel it pulsing and surging, waiting to be unleashed. He reached out with his mind, seeking the boundaries between dimensions. He could sense them, like a web of energy connecting the different planes of existence. And he knew, with a sudden clarity, that he could use this power to defend himself. He lifted his arms in a defensive stance and tried to push the rabbit back. He was amazed to see that the rabbit's paws were cut clean off its legs as if by an invisible blade. His power, concentrated on his hands had become a deadly space sword. As he stumbled away from the rabbit, he concentrated the power on his right hand and lunged at the rabbit. Kiryin was splattered with blue blood as the rabbit was sliced into two pieces diagonally, its body falling to the ground in a lifeless heap. Kiryin couldn't believe what had just happened. One moment he was being attacked by a giant rabbit monster, and the next moment it was lying on the ground, defeated. He had used his space powers to protect himself, but he had no idea how he had done it. "What the hell just happened?" Kiryin thought to himself. "How did I defeat that monster? I've never been able to do something like that before nor I have ever such thoughts before." He tried to remember what he had done. It was as if instincts took over him. Before he could never even think of having such thoughts. But in that moment something inside him came alive and took over him. His survival at that time was of paramount importance. He knew it must be somehow related to his strange powers. He had felt overwhelming fear and then a surge of power within him which seemed to reassure him that he would survive this altercation. "I must have created a blade made of dimensional boundaries. Was it something related to those space type power that I have read so much before? Am I in a fantasy world?" Kiryin thought. Kiryin knew that he had to figure out how his powers worked if he was going to be able to use them effectively. He would have to practice and experiment with his powers to see what he was capable of and to learn how to control them. He knew that he had to get to a safe space before he analyzed his predicament. He would certainly go into shock if he did so now. The combination of adrenaline rushing in his veins with a genuine near-death experience along with his first deliberate use of space magic would certainly be very potent and potentially fatal. "I need to understand how to control my powers within it and how to use it to defend myself. But first, I should probably get out of this forest before I become a food or a plaything for another such monster assuming this place is crawling with them."

D City Flame Corporation Branch Office ... "So what you mean to tell me is that you've been working for half a month on a project that should've taken a single day?" A woman sat behind desk, her legs crossed, exposing a bit of her milky white thighs. "When you put it like that, it does indeed sound a little bad on my pa-" Before he could finish, she leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "Pack your things. We don't need someone who doesn't contribute to anything and just takes money for granted." She sat down with a displeased expression on her delicate face. "So I'm fired? Really? Am I really fired?" Kaden asked as he lost his composure a bit. "Yes, now that you have been notified, I'll send the official documents lat-" "I'm finally fricking free! I don't have to wake up at six anymore either!" Kaden smiled in relief as he patted his chest. "Thanks for doing this, how about I treat you to a meal or something?" Kaden asked with gratitude evident in his gaze. "Y-you? W-what?" Helena couldn't even form a reply as she watched Kaden take off his keycard and placed it on her desk. "Well, it's been a good run, but I gotta go so bye." Kaden turned and left with a bright grin. Stepping out of the office, Kaden walked to his desk, ignoring the gazes of his former co-workers and started to pack his things. "Ha? Did you finally get fired you good for nothing?" A sneering voice made Kaden turn around, however he wasn't angry at all. "Yup! So I don't have to deal with your snobby attitude anymore." Kaden turned back and slid his belongings into a box beneath his desk. As for the other things, he swept them into the trash and then stood up and grabbed his box happily. "Well bye guys." Kaden headed for the door when the office door burst open and Helena walked our with a sour expression on her face. "Kaden, your resignation papers have been revoked. You are still assigned to the Finance Department." Helena herself couldn't believe it when she got a call from the secretary of the CEO of Flame Corporation. When the secretary told her to rescind the resignation procedure, she was dumbfounded! How could a good for nothing lazy guy be related to the CEO of Flame Corporation at all? Was the world spinning in reverse. The Flame Corporation CEO was a bright star in the sky while Kaden was a worm in the ground! Kaden's merry mood vanished and he looked on in despair when he heard Helena's words.  "Damn it! If he wasn't my friend, I'd swear he was my mortal enemy!" Kaden felt aggrieved as he headed back to his desk and sat down with a deflated aura.

< [ Chapter 1 ] > “Today, you shouldn’t go out of your den, little Amiri. There is been some trouble at the borders of the forest. The humans have begun to hunt beasts again.” . A soft yet tranquil voice hit Amiri’s ears, as soon as he got out of his shady hut. Which was made of wood, straw, and different misshaped components. As soon as he heard that voice, little Amiri looked at the direction of the voice and said. “But I have to do an errand for one of the ‘Uncles’ today. He said that he really needs my assistance.” The young boy responded in a calm and worried tone of voice. . “Sigh.” “Fine. Just don’t go out of the central area of the forest until I have cleaned up the ‘trash’(humans).”  Said the voice. . “Okay. I promise, I won’t go out of the ‘main area’ until big brother has finished his cleaning.” Amiri promised as he took a look at his big brother with a worried face and then ran away to the northwest direction. He seemed eager to meet his uncle and be of help, since he didn’t have much to do these days besides coming to assistance to his family. . “Cubs(kids) these days. They grow up so slowly. In the past they used to grow up fast. Am I perhaps too soft on him?” The ‘voice’ said as he looked at the young boy’s figure becoming dimmer and blurry the further it went out of his field of vision. Once he knew that the boy was no more in his line of sight, he then turned his face to the south. . In the southern part of the forest, he saw a cloud of black smoke rise. To his annoyance, a foul smell caught his nose from kilometers away. Bothered by this impertinence towards his kingdom. He put strength in his four legs and jumped in the sky, straight towards his evil intentioned guest. What was left of his supernatural feat after his great leap, was only a small crater in the ground, which’s size was 10 meters wide. . ▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️ . Running around the forest, while wearing a shady one pice of golden leather dress, and holding a basket in his hands. Little Amiri made his way towards the northwest of the main area of the [Myraid-Beast Mountains]. In his face was embedded a warm smile, while his golden eyes seemed eager to reach for something.  His hight wasn’t much to boost about since he was 138.6 cm tall, but with time, he was sure that he will one day become as tall as his big brother. . Along the road, little Amiri’s long silver hair swayed left and right. At some point when he was running, one of his feets was trapped by his overgrown long hair and he could do nothing but fall towards the green cover ground around him. . “Ouchies~!!” “That hurt a lot. Maybe I shouldn’t run around carelessly...” Amiri said, as he put strength in his arms and legs, getting up in no time. … Once up a time, little Amiri could run around easily when his silver hair hadn’t been so long. But because his ‘father and mother’ had ordered him to keep his hair as it is, he couldn’t cut it. And now it had become an issue for him. Especially when he tried to run around. His parents seemed to like his long silver colored hair a lot. They even combed them with a wooden comb in order to keep them untangled, every day. To Amiri, his long hair was becoming a serious issue. It couldn’t be left uncut anymore! Nevertheless.... Father and Mother urged him to keep them as they are. Apparently, to beasts, their mane (furr) was important to the point of considering it their ‘pride’. Cutting out their fur was the same as taking away their pride. Therefore, as long as Amiri’s long hair was kept, he had his pride. If he or someone else ever cut his silver hair, then his family would become very angry with him, or that certain someone would receiving a severe punishment for what he or she had done to Amiri’s cute hair style. Said punishment could result in death through. Nevertheless, even if he wanted to cut it against their order, he would be punished harshly. … Little Amiri was still a child. He needed the support of his family to survive. Moreover, he was really weak. He hadn’t reached Step-1 or 100th in strength yet. According to his father, Amiri had to reached Step-100th in strength, in order to become independent! If he never reached 100-Steps in cultivation, forget becoming independent. They did rather confine him in a cave for life until he grew old and died. They didn’t have a problem providing him with resources such as food and space. In this [Myraid-Beast Mountains], which the amount of space and kilometers were still unmeasured. The parents had enough resources and time to take care of him, forever! . Unlucky little Amiri couldn’t retaliate against his kind parents, nor make any decisions against them. In the past, as a child, he did try to go against them. But was found out very fast and was locked up in a cave for one week as punishment. Since then. Little Amiri never dared to defy his parents again. Not for fear of being locked up tho. It was for fear of becoming his mother’s plaything! She had dressed him in so many cute clothes back then, that he had gotten a severe trauma from the amount of dressing he had done. By the point his punishment had ended, Amir couldn’t remember a single thing of what had happened that past week. It was as is his brain was denying him access to his memories. Dark history about oneself must sometimes be forgotten, unless one wants to bear the shame of the past forever. Therefore, it’s best to seal said memories somewhere deep in one’s unconsciousness!! … “Haha… hahahahaha~!” “Boy! You make me laugh at you so much~!” “It wasn’t an enemy who made you fall but your own pride(hair)! Hahahahaha~!” “Why don’t you consider to cut it~???” A voice was heard behind Amir’s back. . Terrified by the unnoticed entity behind his back. Little Amiri immediately turned his body 180 degrees in shock! . “Gulp.” “Aunt ‘Deer’, what do I owe this sudden surprise for! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Said the little one. . Looking at the creature that showed up beside him. Amiri recognized her as Ding Ya, a.k.a. aunt deer. She was one of the [rulers] of [Myraid-Beast Mountains] and also his aunt. For some unknown reason, Amiri’s mother was in a good relationship with Ding Ya. Their relationship was so strong that they called themselves sisters despite being of different kinds. Little Amiri could only theorize, that the reason why the two were so close together, was because they either were hindering each other in order to create a good relationship with him or either respected one another enough to forget any formalities(respect) they had for each other. But this theory was something he was not sure of. Because they always seemed friendly when they were with him. . “Oh my. Oh my.” “I am sorry for frightening you so much. I was... a bit worried about little Amir, that’s all. Usually, they(humans) don’t wander so deep inside the Mountains.” “The Bastards must have forgotten their limits! Maybe I should go have a nice ‘meal’ with them, to remind them of their position!” She said angrily while looking at the young boy in her view. . Hearing Ding Ya’s worries. Amiri got a bit curious and asked: “Are the humans so terrible? Why would they hunt ‘us’ for?” . To his question, Ding Ya replied with a calm voice. “For the same reason as other beasts hunt their own kind. It’s all about [Meat] and [Water]. But in this recent case, things are a bit different…” “They are hunting for beastly [Spiritual Cores]. Objects that can only be found inside Beasts.” “Although… I suppose they won’t be able to hunt enough cores with your older brother running around berserk.” . Listening to Ding Ya’s reply to his question, little Amiri tilted his head as he was puzzled by more questions. Unable to hold his curiosity, he asked for more wisdom. “What are spiritual cores auntie???” . “Huh?!?” The moment Amiri asked that question, Ding Ya was shocked internally. She never thought that her little one wouldn’t know what a “spiritual core” is. The knowledge about spiritual cores is common knowledge after all. Every being in this world knows about spiritual cores! It’s imbued in their head by instinct! ‘Could it be that he…’ ‘He is too pure to know about such things!’ Ding Ya thought, as she looked at little Amiri with a very anxious look on her face. . “Em… Auntie, are you alright?” Amiri asked as he saw her making a grave expression on her face. . “I…I am alright! You know what?! You still aren’t old enough to know about such matters pertaining to spiritual cores!” “From now on, you aren’t allowed to ask this question anymore! The end! No talking to the elders about this matter anymore. And definitely you aren’t allowed to touch such sickening things!” “Understood ~!” Ding Ya shouted with fear in her eyes as she refused to give such sort of wisdom to the little one. He was too pure and innocent to start walking that bloody road. Children should act like children. Teaching them about fucked up stuff is the last thing an adult wants to do! Therefore Ding Ya would never taint little Amiri’s pure heart by giving him answers to cursed things such as spiritual cores! ‘Cursed be those bloody cores! I did rather have him be innocent instead of seeing him become an apostle of death.’ She thought again, as she really disliked the idea of pure and innocent Amir becoming an idiotic macho man, with only muscles for brain. ‘Bloody god! No! Unless I become a corpse, this child is better left to play with toys!’ . “A… okay auntie… I won’t ask about such adult knowledge anymore… I understand.” Amiri was a bit surprised and curious about aunt deer’s reaction to his question. But since she deemed it to be a forbidden knowledge for him to have, he is okay with being in the dark. For now. … Many beasts die because of curiosity. Amir wouldn’t wanna be among those dead beasts.  ‘If aunt deer says no, then it’s okay as it is. I am sure I will come to learn about it anyway.’ ‘Nevertheless… I wonder were the spiritual core is located? Auntie said it’s located inside beasts but… Doesn’t the inside of beasts have only organs~???’ Little Amiri thought, as he was still curious about such things. Even when he had seen a few corpses before, he had never seen spiritual cores. ‘How weird…’ He wondered. . “Adult knowledge?” “Well… yeah… it’s something like that…” *rolls her eyes.* “Good to know that the little one understands.” Ding Ya spoke, as she felt a bit of relief from her heart. However, that moment of brief relief she found in her heart didn’t last for long. . “Kaboom~!!!” From the western part of the forest, an explosion occurred! And several trees were sent above ground level, almost reaching the sky! “My house~!!!”  Ding Ya screamed, as she saw it happen right in front of her eyes! “O my God! When does this end! I made a new nest last week! How much of a bloodthirsty maniacal, sons of $&@&$ are those trashy humans!” Aunt deer said, as she revealed out her thoughts in the open, forgetting that there was a “minor” close to her. . “E… em… isn’t that auntie’s nest?!” Immediately after, little Amiri shouted in fright too, as he saw dozen of trees flying and falling everywhere! . “Little Amir. It seems something has come up. I will go check it out.” “In the meantime! Don’t leave the central area for any reason! Got it!” A great leap was made, and then Ding Ya flew through the air as she was an arrow heading towards her target. This action left Amiri speechless, but he figured out he shouldn’t stay where he was for too long. His uncle was waiting for him, after all. . ▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️ . *Claw Slash~!* *blood* *Claw Slash* *chew, chew, chew!* “ROAR~!!!” . “The hell is that thing~! It’s chewing on our comrades corpses as if it hasn’t eaten for days~!” (Cultivator A) . “Golden Fierce Fire Lion! O my god! It’s the legendary Golden Lion!” (Cultivator B) . “What?! That monster is a Golden Lion?! Who the fuck suggested attacking his territory! I wasn’t aware of this!” (Leading Cultivator) . “Run! Save your own ass! That thing is at 300+ Step of cultivation! It’s already surpassed the [Immortal realm]! Unless you wanna die, run!” (Injured Cultivator) . “ROAR~!!!” *Claw slash* “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!!” (Bleeding) . “Oh shit! I need get out of here ASAP!” (Bleeding Cultivator) The bleeding man tried to run, the rest followed him too. At this point, it was run or die! However… Their legs were cut by a fire blade that came from behind their backs. And then… . “ROAR~!!!” . “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!!!!!!” (+ 37 Cultivators) . Fire burned… Blood was spilled… Life was turned into death… And then, the Lion’s fierce burning eyes glittered as he saw more pray to devour in the horizon. >>> To be continued… Gledis I am writing my first cultivation novel. I am so excited 😆!  Try not to take it seriously. Not everything is all flowers and rainbows 🌈. Amiri will come to learn about this too later.

Kaden rested his head on his chin as he looked out the floor to ceiling glass windows that practically made up most of the walls. Helena stood at the side with a slightly blank expression as she put her cell phone away. 'This lazy guy is the friend of the CEO? How? He's so plain and common! He doesn't even work properly, yet he has such a strong backing?' Kaden was oblivious to Helena's thoughts as he gazed outside with a pained look on his countenance. "Finish up the assignment your currently working on. You have a day to complete it or I'll deduct from your bonuses next term." Helena said as she walked back to the office. Kaden, as well as every other guy in the room followed her hips swaying with a slightly lustful look on their faces. "Perverts..." Some of the females murmured, however they too didn't avert their eyes until the door closed. "Haa, life is a pain." Kaden said as he placed his head on his desk and quickly fell asleep. The man who tried to make it difficult for Kaden stood by the side looking as if he had just eaten sh*t. He came to brag and mock Kaden, however with a strange turn of events, he was now looking with wide eyes as Kaden was reinstated immediately after being fired. With a trembling finger, he pointed at Kaden before leaving in rage. Kaden had his head turned, and even if he did see that idiot pointing at him angrily, he wouldn't care much. Kaden focused on the darkness behind his eyelids and the constantly shifting colors and shapes. ... "Just who is Kaden?! Why does that piece of shit get to stay on while doing absolutely nothing!" Garry spoke furiously into his phone. "You can't afford to offend that man. If you don't value your life, feel free to keep antagonizing him." With a cold tone, the line went dead, leaving a fuming Garry alone. "Damn it!" He punched the wall beside him, and then rubbed his knuckles while hissing in pain. ... [You have been integrated into the Battle of Ascension. Please find a spot to rest before being sent to the Legacy Grounds.] Kaden slowly opened his eyes and saw a golden screen floating before his eyes, with beautiful font. 'Battle of Ascension? What kind to eighth grade syndrome name is that? Wait, did the technology of Earth increase or something? How is this possible, it's just like what I read in novels.' Kaden rubbed his eyes and looked again, and as bright as day, the screen floated in front of him. He looked around to ask if anyone else saw the screen, however he found that everyone else was gone. The sky outside the window was dark, and clouds obscured the moon's gentle radiance. 'Eh? Who left me here by myself? Don't you know empty buildings are creepy as f*ck?' Kaden scolded everyone in his mind, before turning his attention back to the screen. [Time Limit to find a resting place : 1:00] [59:59] [58:58] Time started to decrease, however Kaden wasn't to shocked that he turned stupid, instead he was cautious because of all the novels he read. Who knew what would happen when he found a resting place? What if he got on punished for not complying? He grabbed his briefcase and headed out. By the time he reached the small nondescript blue car he drove, he had less than thirty minutes remaining. When he arrived at his apartment complex, he disembarked and hurried up to the second floor. Inside his apartment, he closed the door behind him and sighed as he walked to his couch, leaving the briefcase on the couch. 'I should go to bed and wait for the timer to finish.' Kaden looked at the screen which had shrunken down, however he had a little over two minutes left. He lay on his bed, closing his eyes as he mentally counted down with the timer. [0:14] [0:05] [0:00] [Integrating...] Kaden felt his body sensations vanish and along with the feeling of rushing across a vast distance in an instant, his mind turned muddled. ...  

Kiryin sat at his desk, staring at the blank sheet of paper in front of him. He had been trying to write down the details of his latest vision, but the words wouldn't come. It was as if his mind was a jumbled mess, with bits and pieces of information scattered throughout. "I can't even focus enough to put words on paper. I don't understand what in the world happened that day." He sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. This had been going on for weeks now, ever since the incident. A few weeks ago... Kiryin had always been fascinated by the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat. As a young Cambodian man, he had grown up hearing stories about the magnificent temple complex and its hidden passages and secret rooms. So when he finally had the opportunity to visit Angkor Wat for himself, he jumped at the chance. Kiryin was a bit of a loner, preferring to spend his time exploring the world on his own rather than joining groups of tourists or going on organized tours. So when he decided to visit Angkor Wat, he knew that he wanted to do it his own way. He arrived in Siem Reap early in the morning and set off on his own, determined to see everything that the temple complex had to offer. At first, Kiryin was content to follow the guided tour of the main temples with other tourists, marveling at the ancient architecture and taking in the sights and sounds of the busy tourist destination. But as the day wore on, he found himself getting a bit restless. He had always been drawn to hidden corners and hidden passages, and he couldn't resist the urge to explore a little deeper. As he wandered deeper into the temple, he lost track of time and became completely engrossed in exploring every nook and cranny. Before he knew it, he had somehow managed to get separated from the rest of the tourist group. At first, he was a little worried about being alone in structures built hundreds of years ago, but he soon found that he was actually enjoying the solitude. He felt free to explore at his own pace and take in all the sights and sounds without anyone else distracting him. As he made his way through the dense jungle that surrounded the temples, Kiryin spotted something that caught his eye - a passageway hidden behind a dense curtain of overgrown creeping plants. He felt an ominous premonition when he moved towards the passage. But despite his survival instincts prohibiting him from entering, he pushed his way through the vines and found himself in a dark, narrow tunnel that seemed to lead deep into the bowels of the temple complex. As he made his way through the dark, damp  winding tunnel, Kiryin felt a growing sense of excitement. His heart was beating erratically and he felt a sense of foreboding. He had no idea where the passage would lead, but he was determined to find out. After a few minutes of careful walking, he emerged into a small cavern dimly lit by sunlight filtering through the cracks and crevices of the dome shaped roof. In the center of the room, Kiryin saw a strange object that he had never seen before. It was a large, glowing crystal that seemed to pulsate with some otherworldly energy. The inside of the crystal seemed to swirl with images of a violent tempest. The storm inside the crystal was a force to be reckoned with. The lightning seemed to dance and snap, illuminating the turbulent clouds that swirled around it. The rain pounded against the surface of the crystal, as if trying to break through to the other side. But it was the tornadoes that really captured the attention. They twisted and turned, whipping inside the crystal with a ferocity that seemed almost alive. They seemed to be fueled by the volcanic eruptions that spewed ash and lava. Despite the chaos and destruction within the crystal, there was a sense of awe and wonder as well. It was as if the storm was a living, breathing entity, full of power and energy. Despite the fact that he had never seen such a thing before, Kiryin was overcome with a strong impulse to touch the crystal. Almost as if he was being compelled to, he reached out and placed his hand on the crystal. As soon as he made contact, a blinding flash of light filled the room and Kiryin felt himself being pulled into a swirling vortex of energy. He passed out for a couple of hours, and when he came to, he was lying in the dense jungle outside the premises of the temple complex. Confused and disoriented, Kiryin tried to get to his feet and figure out what had just happened. As he looked around, he realized that he was no longer inside Angkor Wat premises. Panicked, Kiryin stumbled through the dense underbrush, searching for any sign of civilization. He steeled his resolve and tried to think logically. He found out where exactly he was by climbing a tree and figuring out the general direction towards the temple. As the sun began to set, Kiryin heard the sounds of civilization nearby. He was completely exhausted by then and passed out again outside the main gate of the complex. A group of tourists had found him unconscious and called for help. Kiryin was taken to the nearest hospital, where he was treated for dehydration and exhaustion. As he recovered, he couldn't shake the feeling that the crystal had somehow changed him. He knew that he would never be the same again. Angkor Wat General Hospital, Siem Reap Kiryin slowly opened his eyes, feeling disoriented and confused. He looked around the sterile hospital room, trying to remember how he had gotten there. As he came to, he saw glimpses of a fantastical world that seems to exist just beyond the edges of his consciousness. The colors of this world are vibrant and rich, with lush green forests and sparkling blue rivers. The air is filled with the sound of strange birds singing and the rustling of leaves in the breeze. He started to see strange, otherworldly creatures dancing around the room. They were shimmering and translucent, with wings and horns and glowing eyes. The hallucinations seem to phase in and out, sometimes becoming more vivid and real, and other times fading away into the background. Kiryin tried to shake his head and clear the visions, but they seemed to be getting stronger. He knew that if he told the doctors about his hallucinations, they would likely put him in the psychiatric ward. So he kept quiet, trying to convince himself that it was just a side effect of whatever medication they had given him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hoping that the hallucinations would soon fade away. A few weeks later.. He kept thinking about that fateful day. He tried to recollect what he exactly felt before he passed out. The feeling that had overcome him at that moment was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and since then, he had been plagued by vivid, almost hallucinatory visions. At first, he had tried to ignore them, thinking they were just a side effect of the medication for stress of quitting his job in the city and starting his own business in this small seaside town. But the visions only grew more intense, more frequent, until they were interfering with his day-to-day life. He found it difficult to concentrate on his business, as he was randomly being pulled into the magical world of his visions which he had to fight hard to bring his consciousness back to reality. This led to a decrease in productivity and profits for his business. Additionally, Kiryin's personality was greatly affected by his visions. He became more introverted and distant from his friends and family, as he was preoccupied with visions. He also became more anxious and agitated, as he struggled to make sense of the visions and their visions. He had gone to see several doctors, but none of them could come up with a diagnosis. They ran a battery of tests, but the results were always inconclusive. It was as if whatever was happening to him was beyond their understanding. Kiryin was starting to get desperate. He didn't want to believe that he was going crazy, but the evidence seemed to be mounting against him. His parents, who had never approved of his decision to start his own business, were growing increasingly concerned. They had even suggested that he seek out a spiritual healer, but Kiryin was not convinced that was not the answer but he eventually, out of desperation, decided to give it a try. As he sat across from the healer, he listened intently as the man suggested that he try writing down what he was seeing. Kiryin wasn't sure if this would help, but he was willing to try anything at this point. The healer handed him a pen and paper, and Kiryin tried to jot down his thoughts. Present Day Kiryin sat at his desk, staring blankly at the blank piece of paper in front of him. He knew he was supposed to be writing down what he was hallucinating, but his mind just wouldn't focus. Every time he tried to concentrate, his thoughts would wander and he'd find himself lost in a sea of confusing, disjointed images. He felt frustrated and tired, like he had been fighting a losing battle for far too long. He had always been a strong-willed person, but lately it seemed like everything was working against him. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing his mind. As the minutes ticked by, Kiryin's frustration grew. He knew he had to do something, but he just didn't know what. He felt trapped, like he was stuck in some sort of never-ending nightmare. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, completely surrendering to the visions that seemed to be consuming him. He stopped resisting and allowed himself to be completely immersed in the hallucination. As he surrendered to the visions, Kiryin felt a sense of peace wash over him. It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and for the first time in weeks, he could think clearly. He took a deep, calming breath, feeling a sense of hope and optimism wash over him. Perhaps there was a way out of this darkness after all. If an observer were present in Kiryin's home office, they would have witnessed a strange and surreal sight. Kiryin's body would have appeared to slowly become translucent and iridescent as finally he completely disappeared from the room.

“I didn’t know it was your sister’s friend’s cousin’s friend.  I just didn’t want to get involved.  How can you hold me responsible for what happened?” Tom was arguing with his girlfriend about a party he just left.  He stood at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change when his girlfriend called him.  She was mad that he had caused trouble again.  But this time, it wasn’t his fault.  Sure, she told him not to go to the party, but his bros called him so he went anyway.   He had a few drinks, but he was far from drunk.  Tom did not pick up any girls, he just hung around his bros.  However, a friend of his tried to pick up a girl.  Then the girl’s alleged boyfriend interrupted them.  The girl claimed that the guy was a stalker, some pushing followed and then a fight ensued.   Tom’s friend was winning the fight until the stalker’s buddies jumped in.  It became a three versus one.  The tides turned quickly and his friend was getting pummeled.  He noticed that the girl was smiling.  Something was off, so he finally stepped in to stop the fight.  But before he knew it, someone punched him in the face.  He got angry and wiped them all out and then stomped each of their chests one last time for good measure.   He bent down to pick up his friend and was hit from behind.  He reacted without thinking and punched the assailant in the face.  It was the girl that started it all, she had hit him with a chair.  He became slightly disoriented and realized that his head was bleeding.  He took his friend to the Uber driver and decided to walk home to sober up. “OK. OK. I know your sister is trying to break us up.  Is she still really pissed that I dumped her for you? ...What do you mean I don’t understand?” He was getting frustrated.  He hated fighting with her.  She had stuck together with him even if he was the asshole.  But that was him in the past and not him now. “You don’t get it?  You want to break up?  Don’t say it unless you mean it.  You know I don’t do well with threats.  What?  Fine.  Let’s break up then.  Don’t regret it!” He hung up on her.  He was pissed.  He did not do anything wrong, but she blamed him for it all.  She wanted him to admit his faults and take responsibility for his actions.  He did not see what he did wrong.  But maybe he did make a mistake.  He really did not want to break up with her.  He began to regret it. “Hey asshole.”  a voice came from behind. Tom turned and was tackled.  He fell into the middle of the crosswalk with the attackers.  Blows quickly exchanged until a bright light came racing towards them.  There was a loud honk followed by a woman’s scream.  He quickly grabbed the closest assailant and threw him away.  He stood up and picked up the other assailant then kicked him away.  He dove to the right and barely dodged the vehicle. He heard it screech to a stop.  The driver looked at him and then quickly drove away.  He began to brush himself off and looked around at the assholes that jumped him.  They were still sprawled on the ground, likely unconscious.  He saved their asses, but his fate would be different.  Before he knew it, the headlights were upon him.  As he went to dodge it again, he felt someone kick him in the back and he flew towards the light.  The truck hit him and he blacked out.   He awoke when he heard an unrecognizable sound.  He opened his eyes and saw a white ceiling, but everything else was beyond his expectations.  There was no bed, no heartbeat machine and not even a room.  He was in a large expansive area filled with a gray sky.  He was outdoors, but he did not know where.  When he was finally able to focus his eyes, he realized that the white ceiling he recognized earlier were just the clouds above. Where am I? “Next.” called an unfamiliar voice. Tom was lying down so he sat up.  He turned his head left and right, but saw nothing familiar.  However, there was a long line of people next to him.  Well at least some of them were people.  He noticed a few dogs and cats as well. What the heck, a potted plant? Something was strange and he knew it.  He knew that cats and dogs do not normally stand in line together in an orderly fashion.  He had been to a dog show so he understood that a well trained dog could pull it off, but not a cat?  Cats always did their own thing, so he did not think it was possible.   This must be some weird dream. “Next”  Still confused he got up.  He needed to get some answers so he walked up to the closest person in line, a man in a ragged business suit.  The man’s glasses were broken and a little crooked.  “Where are we?  What’s the line for?” “Fuck off!” replied a disgruntled voice. Tom was taken aback then he responded immediately.   “Fuck you!” His muscles instinctively tensed as his fists tightened.  He got ready.  But he immediately realized that his anger would not get him anywhere.  If it was not for his ongoing therapy sessions, things might have spiraled out of control like always.  He had to control his short temper.  It had ruined most of his life.  He walked away from the man. Tom went to the end of the long line and stood there.  He soon realized nobody was talking and everyone looked grumpy.  Even the plant looked grumpy.  After what seemed like days of waiting he finally made it to the front of the line and found a desk.  Oddly there was no one there, just a cheap looking Android tablet.  It displayed a few options:  Reincarnation, Redemption, and Rest. He wasn’t sure what each meant so he did not choose right away. He stood there looking at the screen until a voice interrupted his thoughts. “Hurry up and choose.  You think I have all day?” Tom turned to find that it was the potted plant behind him.  But before he could say anything it filled him in on the rules. “First time right?  Did you realize we are in purgatory.  Yep that's right, that purgatory.  Well anyways.  This is how it works.  You are supposed to pick what fits your mood.  You pick reincarnation if you want a new life.  You pick redemption if you have regrets.  And lastly you pick Rest if you are done with it all.  I wouldn’t choose that one, I heard it’s a real dead end. Ha Ha Ha.” The plant could not stop laughing as it wiggled.  Its movements looked gross to Tom, but since he was given free advice, he just let it go. “What no laughs?  Rough crowd.  Can’t even make dead jokes.  Lame.  Anyways, be careful about reincarnation since it has this Buddha vibe to it.  You know karma and all.  Look at me, do you think I wanted to be a potted plant?  It did have a few perks however, I got to see some nakeds until the significant other threw me out the window.  But I digress.  You know the google results, so pick and choose.  Hurry up, the crowd is getting restless.” Out of curiosity he looked beyond the plant.  And sure enough a few cats and dogs looked pissed.  The people on the other hand remained silent. He knew what to choose, Tom turned and selected Redemption. The world swirled and when he came too he was sitting in a car.  No it wasn’t a car, it was a truck.  And a weird truck at that.   Dice were hanging on the rearview mirror, but showed silver skulls instead of the usual dots.  The gear shift had a silver skull on it as well.  The odometer was strange as well, it only showed 227 miles on it but the truck did not look new at all.  There were no keys to be found, but it did have an engine ignition button.  So he pressed it.  And the radio sounded. “Redemption is not an easy thing to do.  You must repent.  And you must repent honestly.  To do that, you must find yourself and redeem yourself.” Redemption?  Redeem yourself? “How do I do that?” Tom asked. “It’s a truck dumbass.  How else do you do that?  You’ve watched enough anime.  Don’t be stupid, go redeem.” Why does this voice sound familiar? With the engine rumbling he grabbed the steering wheel and stepped on the gas.  He began to drive and soon recognized the familiar buildings.  It was near the same crosswalk where he was attacked. He stopped at a light and saw a familiar boy standing at the corner of the crosswalk.  Part of his head was covered in dried blood.  He was yelling into his phone, but stopped.  His unsteady feet seemed to impede his thoughts.  He grabbed his head and was suddenly tackled from someone hiding in the shadows.  A second assailant soon followed and a fight broke out in the middle of the crosswalk. The truck suddenly moved forward on its own.  Tom didn’t know what to do.  The truck drove straight at the boy and then he recognized the face.  It was his. What the fuck! The boy dodged and avoided the truck.  Tom looked out the window to make sure he, the boy, was safe.  But the radio spoke up once more. “Redemption must be paid.  You know what to do.  Only after redemption can you continue with your journey.” Damn it! He knew what he had to do.  He was stuck in a shitty cliché.  A truck, his soul, the replay of his life and the endless talk of redemption. He drove the truck off and turned it around.  Then he stepped on the gas and went full speed at his target.  He wasn’t thrilled at all, he hated what he was doing.  He did not understand what any of this had to do with redemption.  He even hated the author who came up with this unimaginative storyline.   Crash!  The accident happened. In the next moment, he was back in a truck.  He recognized the dice, the gear shift and the crappy interior.  Then he noticed something else that he missed before.  There was an air freshener shaped like a potted plant that sat on the air conditioning vent.  It triggered a déjà vu moment and he recalled a familiar voice. Damn plant. He saw the odometer and figured out what he had to do.  It read 226.  One less than before.  He started the engine and begrudgingly drove toward his shitty fate.  One time, he even had to be the person that kicked himself in the back when the assailants hesitated.  Like a sad clone of Groundhog Day, each time he repeated his demise something was different. “Congratulations!  You have qualified to become the Angel of Death!  You now have a job for life.  HaHaHa.  Get it?  Get it?  Death for life.  HaHaHa.” Tom was not amused. “What about my redemption?” “Who cares about that?  I can now retire.  You don’t know how long I’ve been at this job.  I used to drive chariots!  Chariots I tell you!  At least you can do this job in modern times.  You get a truck.  Let me tell you, watching a horse's ass all day sucks and their dung smells.  Don’t get me started.” Tom did not care nor did he want to know anymore about this damn plant.  What he wanted to know was if the life he knew was really over or not. “So what's next?  I drive around collecting souls?  Is that how this works?” “Yep spot on.  You are now the collector of souls.  The grim reaper.   You get to redeem those folks who gave it up to do something about their lives.  Some did good, some did bad.  But all have to pay in the end and get redeemed when the time comes.” Tom had guessed how this would work out.  It was nothing new to him.  He read a lot of books in order to stay out of trouble.  His counselor recommended zen-like self esteem books, but he found those boring.  However after he found a science fiction fantasy book about a reincarnated gamer that turned into a goblin he got hooked on that genre.  After that, he learned to love reading.  It became his event free escape. He realized that he had no choice about the matter of his new job.  So he accepted it.  He sure as hell did not want to reincarnate as a plant. “So what do I call you?” “Alfred.  HaHaHaHa.   Just kidding, just call me senior.  I can’t be called Death anymore since it’s your job now.” Though he accepted the job.  He still felt uncomfortable.  So Alfred continued. “Hey don’t worry about it, this job has some perks.  You will find out in time.  But do note, you do get a nice office in the afterlife and this position is considered pretty high in our society.  Plus the truck doesn’t require any gas.  It’s eco friendly.  Hahahaha.” He was surprised that the job came with an office.  He was sure he would have to sit in the truck all day.  But he still had a lingering attachment to his old life, so he asked the question that was on his mind. “Is there any way that I can get back to my old life?  I will still do the job.” “Hey kid you worry too much.  Of course there is, you just need to wake up.  By the way, you ended up with a brain hemorrhage when you got hit in the head.  You actually died at the crosswalk after you talked to your girlfriend.  You are a lucky kid.  If I wasn’t nearby you would be dead for sure.  I saved your ass.  I like people like you who honestly  try to redeem themselves.  It reminds me of myself.  Plus, you think you’re too young to die right?” “What?”  he was confused.   The alarm sounded and he slammed the snooze button again.  Tom finally woke up.  He had the weirdest dream last night.  He turned and looked at the time.  It read 9:07 am.  He was late for class.  He got out of bed and put on a change of clothes, fixed his hair, grabbed his backpack and left the dorm room.  In his rush he did not notice the new visitor that sat on his desk.   As it bathed in retirement, the potted plant enjoyed the early morning sunlight.    

I could feel the infection spreading through my veins. I knew I didn’t have that much time. I’ve seen other planeswalkers fall to the blight of Phyrexia faster than they could think. The oil invaded people’s minds with a cold, calculating, machine like efficiency. He had experience with this before and He made sure there was no going back. I tried moving my wounded body off the rocks. Nahiri’s compleated body lay on the floor beside me, but it wouldn’t be long before she was reanimated again and used as canon fodder. Killing her was not without great cost, and it wouldn’t be long before I joined her ranks. Everything ached. Everything burned with a searing pain. I could not let myself die here. I needed to finish what I started. I needed to kill Mother. That was strange. Mother? Why did I think that? Why was I calling Elesh Norn … the bane of my existence … Mother? The realization struck me for the second time … phyresis … the goddamn glistening oil that was on Nahiri’s blade … it was changing me. For the first time in my life, I felt a new presence in my mind. It felt foreign and cold, but … strangely familiar. The voice, no, she, piped up, and started to talk. Your flesh is weakness and it feels so wrong. A pang of envy shot through me. That voice sounded so fucking feminine. Why didn't my voice sound that soft? It sounded like ... no ... it sounded like the voice I would've had if I had never gone through male puberty. It was comforting, soft and everything I needed to hear. It felt like home. It felt like family. This body did feel wrong. It had always felt wrong. Puberty erased any traces of femininity in me. I knew growing up that it felt wrong, but I could never change it. It made me weak. It made me so fucking weak. Skin is the prison of the blessed. You do not belong with them. You belong with us. My head was killing me. Pain radiated from my temples. I could hardly focus on anything else. The blight. That cursed oil. It’s making me think Motherhas a point. “Oh God” I whispered to myself as I fell to my knees, “What if she does have a point?” She does. She offers revenge and salvation. She offers freedom from flesh. “No”, I strengthened my resolve. I refuse to fall to this. I refuse to help them spread their ilk to even one more plane in the multiverse. I will kill myself before I let them have me. Your cooperation is not required. I cringed. My cooperation? I struggled to move further towards the Fair Basilica, in the hope that killing Mother would end this. The path to the metallic palace was strangely quiet and empty. As I walked, the voice in my head shifted from one that wasn’t just simply regurgitating Phyrexian beliefs into one that seemingly knew my most intimate desires. It felt cold. It felt … almost … imperceptibly … comforting. Natalie … you don’t have much time … you feel it coursing through your veins don’t you? Filling you with warmth? Filling you with desire? With need? With despair? I screamed. I couldn't believe this was happening. There must be someway to reverse this infection. There must be some way to get this fucking disease out of my mind. There must be someway to fix this. There … has … to … be a way … to fix this … I can’t just … let them have me. I can’t just … let … them … win. Maybe some magical substance would be my savior? My skull was pounding. I did not have much time left. Phyresis is not an ending Natalie, it is akin to transition. It’s exactly like molding your flesh to be more feminine and right. Only, with phyresis, it’s preparing your flesh to be … one. I sighed. Transition was never an option for me. My resolve was leaving me and I needed to act on it before it left completely. “I can’t just give in to that. I need to kill Elesh … I just … need … to end her …” A fog began entering my mind. It possessed color. It was black and cold and firm. It possessed presence. It was like needles prickling my mind, slowly erasing memories of friends and family. Erasing my desire to kill Elesh. It was probing my very existence to see if I was ready. You’re so close to being ready, Natalie. The doors to the Fair Basilica were before me but something was off. As I grew closer to them, the fog in my brain expanded. It was over my entire brain now. It clouded everything in a daze of dull euphoria. I could barely think about where I was before arriving to these doors. What was I doing in New Phyrexia? What was I doing outside the Basilica? An incredible sense of calm washed over my body. Whatever, wherever I was, it felt like home. This place felt like where I should be. I looked down at my body. Metallic tendrils started appearing underneath my skin where my veins had been. My flesh started to take on a paler appearance … almost like it was simply a vessel for something more underneath that was beginning to take shape. My skin started to rip and tear as the metal underneath showed through. It was being flayed off in strips and pieces by a force that had a mind of its own. The worst parts of my body, the parts that caused me pure pain throughout my entire life, were being sloughed off as if it was made of nothing. The masculine, testosterone fueled muscle that I hopelessly tried to maintain throughout my life was gone. My shoulder blades cracked and split as they were molded into something smaller. I could feel my face change into something that was distinctly different than what it had always been. There was no pain, no worry about what was happening to me. There was just dull euphoria. Soon there would be nothing but a blank slate left. A blank slate that would be molded into the perfect instrument of destruction and chaos and joy. I had only a singular thought as my body went through these changes. It’s about time. Raw euphoria raced through my veins. This was perfection incarnate and it was happening to me. The porcelain in front of my face was polished to a mirror shine and in it, I could see a face that was no longer male. It was distinctly feminine in every possible way. I grinned and laughed. This was happening to me. My nose was smaller, my Adam’s apple was gone. My eyes were full of life and they were different … no … my eyes were changing. My irises no longer showed the pale red that reflected my spark shining brightly inside me. It was a more metallic look as the pale red shifted to a brighter tone and oil slowly seeped over my eye. It looked like the more mechanical appearance that I had seen other compleated planeswalkers show. It was only then that I noticed the doors were etched with the Phyrexian language. The words started to pulse with a red light. I could read it almost as if I had been reading it my entire life. It was gospel. I needed to spread the unbridled joy of this infection to every planeswalker in the multiverse. That singular thought caused pure ecstasy to run through my body. Compleation is pure perfection. A feeling of arousal started to build in me at the thought. I would be right. This arousalfelt so different than what my experience of it as a guy was. This feeling was building in my core. It was a fire. It was a fire who’s flames licked and ached to spread throughout my entire body. It singed every nerve ending I had and filled my entire body with an overwhelming desire to fuck and spread the glory of Phyrexia. In my past, I would’ve had a desire to fuck myself to an orgasm and be done with it. At this point however, my desires had been twisted into something I once thought would be deeply horrific. A singular vivid fantasy pulsed through my head. I was lying down as the body I had once dreamed of possessing but could never have. I could feel everything as black oil seeped under from the ground beneath me. My hands were shifting across my new body as I searched for a way to calm the burning ache inside me. They rested on my nipples and elicited gasps and moans from me as my fingers played with them. Pressure was slowly building inside me. The oil seemed to know my desires as it moved over my breasts and started playing with them as my fingers had been doing. With free hands I moved my hands lower and lower. I knew where my satisfaction would come from. My hands found my cock but it had shrunk drastically. It was no longer the beacon of masculinity it once was. It was smaller. It was feminine and soft. The oil seeped between my legs as I started rubbing my cocklette against my thigh. The oil started mimicking vibrations. I could feel nothing but pressure. I couldn’t help but writhe and squirm as I was slowly consumed with joy. Nothing but pure pleasure shot through me as I was desperately hurdling towards an edge. On some level, I knew that if I came, the oil would once and for all have total command of my heart and soul. That’s it Natalie. Cum away those stupid boy thoughts of yours. Cum away your freedom. Give in. You never stood a chance against your own mind. That singular thought pulsed through my head and with it, I came. Euphoria crashed throughout my body as I tensed up. I knew in that moment, I was whole. ——————— A terrifying clarity hit my brain as the fog lifted for a second. A second was all I needed to realize what happened. The oil was almost done changing me. I began to panic in the widening horror that my body was no longer mine. I could feel everything that had happened to me. Instead of places where I knew there should be blood, there was only the black substance that had infected me in the first place. I couldn’t stop the process. I was too far gone. I looked into the porcelain mirror and saw a face that looked … grim. It was feminine and soft, but also mechanical and foreign. I shuddered at the idea that my last thoughts as a free planeswalker would be me unable to save myself. My body was changing into a twisted amalgam of flesh and metal and oil that hurt. The thoughts of my old life screamed at me. Why didn’t this process hurt? If Phyrexia was really this powerful enough to make someone crave these drastic changes then … was there really any point in fighting back? For the last time, my vision grew blurry and I began to cry. I screamed as my body grew weaker. I tried to move forward but the last thing I remember was hitting the ground in front of the doors to the Fair Basilica. ——————— Rise Natalie. Your compleation is at hand. I awoke, but the room I was in was devoid of substance. It was a brightly lit off-grey color with seemingly no end in sight. It looked like a space devoid of matter, shape and form. It was reminiscent of the blind eternities. I realized with shock that the voice in my head had taken form in front of me. She took the form of a tall woman with dark red hair that flowed over her covered breasts. Her face was without a single blemish and had piercing green eyes that seemingly were able to look right through me. Her very presence commanded my attention. Her voice as she spoke reverberated throughout my entire mind and I knew in that moment, that all of this was in my head. Hello Natalie. Good to see you. I tried speaking to her. “What …” my voice caught in my throat as I realized that I was no longer speaking in the deep, reverberating timber of my old voice … this was different … it was lighter and airier and more deeply feminine than I remember. No one would ever mistake it for a male voice ever again. I couldn’t help but whimper at that thought. “Why am I here? What is your name? How do I fix this?” She looked around for a second, almost like she was parsing her words and then spoke. I am you. We are in your mind. There is no escape. I gasped. “As long as I stand, Phyrexian glory will never see the light of day, there will be others who will defeat you. I will never stop trying to defeat you until my last dying breath!” I screamed at her. She stared into my eyes with a commanding gaze. You’ve already lost. Tell me, Natalie, Grand Master of the Fields, how much do you remember? I struggled for a second. My mind was hazy. I tried probing my memories of before I arrived to this space but found nothing. My apologies, let me fix that for you. In a flash, a section of my mind opened up. They were memories and feelings of the past few hours. My mind couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing. “I’m … compleated?” I managed to stutter out. Yes. And Quite efficiently I might add. You gave in to the infection, so … quickly … once I introduced pure euphoria into your veins. She licked her lips almost as if she was there. I was there. I am the representation of your darkest desires, planeswalker. I am the representation of Phyrexia’s unified will. I am … perfection incarnate and so are you. “That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not compleated. I’m still me.” Yes you are. She seemed lost in thought for a second and then continued. I brought you here because she wanted you to experience something for the last time. “What do you mean?” She wanted you to experience breaking under her sheer will for the last time. Oil started seeping out of the mind space. It bound my arms and hands tightly. You will experience this, one last time, Natalie. I screamed in horror as my body was torn apart limb from limb and I experienced the sheer horror of compleation in its entirety, one last time. ——————— I woke up … but something felt different. The voice in my head wasn’t there anymore. It was … it was … just me. Before me was the Fair Basilica. It was Mother’s throne room. The plane of New Phyrexia had shifted beautifully under the ruins of Mirrodin. The white sun had been kind to The Fair Basilica. The bridge stood before me in all its glory. White metallic porcelain was interlaced with crimson which led to a peak. It felt regal. I could feel the same infection … no … it wasn’t an infection any longer … it was freedom. I felt it throughout my entire body, but it didn’t feel foreign. It felt right. My body would be molded by machines and I would love every second of it. I would kneel before the machine orthodoxy as a new woman, as a woman made perfect, made compleat. A part of me shuddered at that thought. Compleation … hmm … there was a time when I thought that was a sickness. Now I know the truth. There is a pure joy in giving yourself over to perfection, in giving yourself to the pure joy of being one. My purpose wasn’t fulfilled yet however. There was so much left to do. There were still misguided planeswalkers on this plane that wanted to destroy everything that we had built. They could not be allowed to stand any longer. They would come to learn that there is no victory under the one. They would come to understand that there is only a chance to kneel willingly before perfection or be forced to kneel. With a newfound energy, I opened the doors to Mother’s Throne room and walked through. My friends would be forced to be compleat under one.

“I don’t want to go!!!” I said while clenching my hands on the hilt of, My solid light duplicate of my mech’s bastard sword.   =T-minus 5 seconds before launch=Announced by The Ship’s A.I.   [5]   “This is what you are waiting for your whole life, Right?” Said one of the ship communication’s operators while projecting her smug face in front of me.   [4]   “I wanted a newbie mission!” I screamed at her digital face. “Not this dangerously unknown di[3]fficult MISSION!”   “Meh!” She said while shrugging. “That’s what the higher-ups gave you.”   [2] The sound of crackling electricity started getting noticeable.   “I don’t want this!” I screamed and felt the whole cockpit shake when the drop pod’s safety clamp locked both of my mechs slim torso and arms.   [1]   “Nyoooo!” I screamed when the dread of me getting lau[0]nch at terminal velocity in space towards a huge planet came to me at full force. It looks like the old earth. But thrice the size.   [Launching]   Suddenly my whole world started shaking and turned bright white before turning into the scenery of the vast space.   = 1 minute and 12 seconds before landfall=  My mech’s A.I. Said the time before the start of my demise inside this dreadful planet. With how terrified I am. I instantly Fainted while hugging my sword like a monkey on a tree.     Meanwhile inside an unknown dimension. An androgynous humanoid figure sat on a Gothic-style wooden chair while reading a dictionary-sized glowing book. Its featureless face are being illuminated by the glow of the book and the dimly lit floating purple candle beside it. Its only indication it has eyes is because of the two swirling black orbs floating in front of its face.   "Rosa's 'Kishara' Diary." Somebody mumbled the title of the book besides its head. It looked at the owner of the voice and saw the current librarian of the place it was reading from. She's a Crow witch base on her appearance. A long black ebony hair that reaches her lower back, a Dark glistening feathery sleeveless one-piece dress with an almost unnoticeable purple shine to it, her flawless alabaster skin that is soft to the touch, a mature face that is being enhanced by some kind of makeup, and her ebony pointy witch hat with two feather ornaments on the left side of the hat. She's currently floating a group of grimoires and books behind her.   "You reading this Dear?" She asked while twirling her wooden stick wand around, sending books and grimoires around into the randomly placed empty slots on the skyscraper tall bookshelves.   It answered by only nodding and continued staring at her. Which made it more awkward for the witch, who already started wondering.   "Can't it talk?" She grumbled and took a second look at the book and stared at its abyss-like orbs for eyes. "I think it can't."   "Only she can Name her own Diary like that," She chuckled to herself and resumed her librarian duty/work with more focus, ignoring its curios gaze towards her work. "That one's there," She then flew a chained Grimoire with bat wings into the top empty space between a continuously writhing book and an eternally ice-covered grimoire. "This one here," A manual of some sort about tripwires flew to the bottom of the shelf and she continued her job with an observant who continued figuratively boring holes behind her back with its gaze. After finally placing the not-so-important looking books in their rightful places. She finally did a normal action it considered normal to its eyes.   "I can finally grab this." She cried in glee after grabbing a plastic-covered booklet with an illustration of two guys in a risque situation showing on the cover, She looked back and still saw it still staring at her with it slightly tilted head in a judging manner.   "Hey don't judge me, with dem Black dot googly looking eyes of yours." She said and placed the booklet between her breast. "I love this particular genre." She continued before frowning and grabbing a book titled 'How to Improve Your Social Skills For dummies Edition'. Carrying it between her armpit. She then started walking away from it, cat walking away like a model.   "I'm old enough to be its grandma and I still can't start a proper conversation." It heard the witch one last time before she disappeared between the foggy shadow of two bookshelves inside these old decrepit building.1Imagine the Terraria Dungeon but a full-on library without monsters roaming around   "Not my hard Earned Credits!!" I cried in despair while on my knees seeing my mangled mech inside a deformed drop pod that is in the center of a crater in the middle of a forest.   "42 Million Imperial Credits." Tears started appearing beside my vision. I tried to hold it back, but "Down the drain in a single day!!" I finally broke and wailed like a heartbroken teen.   Then Life sent me a loathsome fellow to mock me.   "Don't be overly dramatic, Sis." A hologram of the same operator blinked to life in front of me. "It's just a mech?" She smiled and laid her back on the comfortable gamer chair she bought for her room.   "I can just send you another one?" She said and pulled a holophone with the ship's Military grade Mech Manufacturer's number on it and a transaction with a confirmation prompt. I know she just wanted to slap me with her wads of cash in the face. So that's why she's boasting about her wealth.   "I don't want your cash!" I yelled at my little sister's face who covered half of her face expecting saliva to blast and fly around. "I want it to be my hard-earned one!!" I'm about to start my tirade but.   "Don't start that right now and look behind you," she calmly pointed behind me. I snapped my head to where she was pointing and saw something behind a tree which is 20 tree away from me.2I don't know how she saw that while being a floating hologram, but I won't question my sharp as ever lil sis.   *Menacing*  *Menacing* *Menacing* *Menacing*   A dark murky shadow-like feminine figure was standing behind a tree, observing me and the huge crater my drop pod made in the forest.   "She looks like an ink monster." My sister confirmed my thoughts too after looking at the hiding figure behind the tree. Which I slowly  pulled an almost exact replica of a  auto-pistol as a sidearm from a high octane first person movement shooter game with mechs. "Use your other gun idiot!" My sister yelled suddenly smacking my face with the gun claw attached at the back of my chest armor, Which currently holds an old fashioned 4x scope m14EBR. "How did yo-" I tried to question her how did she smacked me, but the newly dubbed ink monster suddenly made a move. *swish* It suddenly dashed out of the shadow of the tree and started silently sprinting to my position. "Freak!!" I panicked and I shakily aimed my pistol at its head and fired, but it instantly avoided the bullet by tilting its head to the side. *bang*  I fired another shot before dumping my whole mag at its head, and just like the first bullet. It nimbly dodge all of my shots with minimum movement, it already traveled half the distance from its last position to me. "Shoot it with your riffle already!!" My sister screamed beside my left ear giving me tinnitus and screwing me over. I didn't even noticed, that it already arrived in front of me before making a blur. I quickly lifted the gun and aimed, but my vision was blocked by a black chitinous and metallic claw slamming at my head like a freight train, making a huge and bloody wound in my face. *spurt* *snap* *crunch* *twirl* *Bang* With how strong it hit me. My head twisted first breaking my neck and caving in the helmet I've been wearing, followed by my torso. Breaking my rib cage and twisting my arms in weird angles, before my lower half spun with me destroying my kneecaps along with my femur bone. 'I got destroyed,' I thought to myself, watching it with my bloodied and fading vision. 'That neck protection didn't helped' I chuckled for the last time before my vision and consciousness fades out into darkness. My mangled body staying still in the pool of my blood. °You Died« V-V   Due to being its currently your first actual death. You got a free uncharged revival with your items intact and undamaged. You can decide to respawn now or linger near your death site as a randomized ghostly entity while waiting for the respawn timer to finish. (Lvl 42 [42hr]) No level Deducted. Items Lost: [None]  Yes°  No° DimensionalSurvivorMiko Point out my mistakes and I'll try to correct them. I won't follow some correction If I don't agree with it. :D

"Someone who's near the Evergreen Building?" I stopped cycling and touched the earphone in my left ear. My usually well-behaved hair stuck in my cheek because of sweat.  "I'm pretty near," I replied while looking at a grandeur building nearby.  "How near?" The lazy and monotone voice of Operator-kun sounded as offensive as ever.   "Well, I'm in front of it, just a road away." I whistled. I wonder, is this a big client? "There's a $10,000 special client. Are you up, Cleaner 25?" Wait, how many dollars am I hearing again? As if hearing my inner monologue, operator-kun repeated his words. "Cleaner 25, it's $10,000. Are you going to do it?"  "Yes, yes, yes!" Only a fool wouldn't be!  "Then, you're client is on floor 6, room 145. There's a special room for cleaning equipment on the same floor, room 140. It's open so you don't need to worry about it." "Thanks, operator-kun~" Today, operator-kun's voice doesn't sound so annoying and grating. I disconnected from them as I pedaled to my $10,000 client. Meanwhile, a rough voice came from Operator-kun's headphones.  "Operator-kun~ I also wanted a $10,000 client!" The manly and husky tone made the operator frown. "Cleaner 15, you have no clients for today." "F*ck. You're only favoring the new cleaner! It's because she's a beauty, right?"  "Cleaner 15, have you not heard what I said? It's a special client. And stop asking for information. I won't share the picture of the beauty." "Operator-kun, you selfish bastard! Wait, a special client? You're baptizing her so early?"  "Why not? She said she'll do it."  "So evil." 

Do you ever open a door one day and see corpses laying down on the ground, bloodied and unmoving?  Well...I have.  How should I explain?   Let's start this story! Yay! *Please note that I'm very sarcastic here.* Did I ever say I'm beautiful? (This is unrelated but it's the reason why I'm only working at a sh*t company.)  Actually, when I graduated from high school, I considered going into the entertainment industry since I have the looks for it, unfortunately, the bosses and managers I had were only lusting for my body. (Someone even offers me to star in a p*rn video! Ugh.) I never considered selling myself despite many offers I'm having, cause I got dignity and sh*t. So then, I offended a big shot (for not accepting his offer of sleeping with him) and never got hired for a series or whatnot. The b*tch of a company I was interning immediately kicked me out, afraid of that rich bastard.  I'm telling you, that's bigshot was somewhat obsessed with me. Whenever I try to clinch a job, that bastard would interfere. Well, until I got a job in somewhat of a high-class cleaning service company. That job is quite good. The boss of the company was a well-known 'mafia' leader of whatever name of a group. (Not sure about that but rumors go.) Because I became an employee of that company, the bastard of a bigshot stopped coming after me.  And one day, I finally know why the older employees call this line of our jobs dangerous.

Aria-"What do you desire?" The goddess that summoned Sena and her friend to this world asks. Sena-"I want my friend back..." Aria-"As per our first encounter, asking for anything beyond the limit of my power is impossible which includes the revival of a soul." Sena-"Please...I just want them back in my life." Aria-"I am afraid that's not possible, do feel free to ask for something else within my capability." Sena-"There must be something you can do!" She bangs her fist on the floor as frustration and grief overwhelm her emotion. Aria-"Sigh...look, there's really nothing I can do to return your friend, the revival of a soul is impossible, and even if the body is revived all you will get is an empty soulless husk." A chair magically appears behind the goddess as she sits down with a look of annoyance. Fill with despair and when all hope seems lost, a woman's voice is heard whispering to Sena. ???-"Ask for nothing, and receive everything; the phrase is odd, and the keyword is Null." Sena-"Who-" Chaos-"Be quiet for now, for I am not around; the name is Chaos, for Chaos is I." After listening to the strange whisper, Sena falls quiet for a while pondering what to do next. Aria-"Have you made a decision yet?" The goddess breaks the silence and once again asks her what she desires. Sena stares silently at the goddess then all of a sudden she put out her left hand as she speaks. Sena-"I want nothing." Aria-"Hmm? Nothing? Really? Well, that's a first." The goddess then gets up from her chair and claps her hand once and clears her throat. Aria-"Oh well, let me send you back to your original world then, enjoy your life." Just as she tries to use her transmigration skill on Sena, a warning message pops out in front of the goddess view. [Warning: Target is still making a decision, currently unable to transfer target soul.] Aria-"Huh? What's going on?" Meanwhile, on Sena's side, a message also popped out displaying a strange question. [Do you want nothing or do you want nothing?] Confused by the questions, she suddenly remember what Chaos said to her earlier. Sena-"I want...Null." [Hero asked for item -001. Null , graNTING iTEm tO #$na )@] The system messages begin to wrap irregularly as it appears to be glitching out, just then, a black cube as dark as the void emerges from nothingness and floats motionlessly on top of Sena's hand. In the instance the system registered that she received the item, multiple warning messages appear all over the reward room. Aria-"What have you done?" [Warning: Anomaly detected!] [Warning: Anomaly detected!] [Warning: Anomaly detected!] [Warning: Anomaly detected!] Then finally, the last message appears on top of Sena. [Purging Anomaly, attempting a possible solution.] A bright flash engulfs Sena and all of a sudden she disappeared from the reward room along with the irregular distortion. [Anomaly purged, unwanted irregularity returned to places of origin.] Aria-"...what the hell was that?" Everything seems to have returned to normal for now...          

Sena-"Astral Flash!" A bright flash consumes the entire room, a girl with different shades of iris picks up a wounded pink hair girl and dashes out of the blinding room. After creating some distance between them and whatever's still in the room, she gently put down the wounded girl and inspect her wound. A dark purple sludge seems to be wiggling about on the abdomen of the pink hair girl, preventing any sort of healing. Sena-"Damn it! The corruption is rendering my healing useless!" Frustrated by her helpless situation, she slams her fist down at the floor cracking it. *grunt* The wounded girl grunts in pain as she curls up in a fetus position. Michiru-"Sena...it hurts..." Sena gently holds the girl's hands as she frowns. Sena-"I will get us back, I promise." Just then, a dark figure walks out from the room they were previously in and started laughing. *Clap clap clap* Magus-"Neat little trick back there, mixing holy element into a neutral skill, never would I have imagined that there will ever be a skill that manages to not only blind but also stun me." The figure appears to be a demonic magician of the sort, he then proceeds to walk toward the girl with a blame flame ignited on both his hand. Just as Sena is about to get up and face the demon, a hand grabbed her cloak and tugged her. Sena-"Michiru?" Using what strength she has remained, Michiru manages to blurt out a few words. Michiru-"Sena...I have to use it..." Sena-"No!" She falls downs on her knees as she grips Michiru's hand tightly. Sena-"It will kill you...I can't lose you too...Amin and Ray are gone...you are all I have left..." Tears begin to fall from her eyes as sorrows overwhelm her emotions, desperate by the situation, she quickly gets a hold of herself and rubs the tears off her eyes. Standing up from her position, she turns around and faces the demon approaching them. Sena-"It's alright Michiru...I will end this for us, even if it will cost my life, I will send you back to earth." She takes a defensive stance and holds up her left arm. Sena-"Aegis Regalia!" A gigantic golden gilded white shield appears around her left arm, releasing a surge of holy aura that's hindering Magus's movement. Magus-"Your death is inevitable!" Sena-"Aegis reform - Bunker of hope!" Aegis proceeds to transform into a small sphere-like dome and encase Michiru within it, protecting her from any sort of hostile attack. Slowly but surely, Magus has gotten so close that Sena is almost within his reach, just then Sena begins to focus her mana within her body, and a wave of holy energy accumulates on her left eye. Magus-"Foolish, you would rather perish with me than embrace eternal darkness?" Sena-"I would do anything...for Michiru." Her eye flashes in radiant gold as the energy within charges completely, ready to be unleashed using her lifeforce. Sena-"Glory of Deat-" Just as she's about to complete the chant, her brains signal her of the destruction of Aegis and all she could hear was a faint whisper. Michiru-"Kali Lance..." A look of shock appears on Magus's face as a black bolt of lance strikes his chest and vanishes, he quickly jumps backward toward safety and inspects his body for damages. To his surprise, not only that he is not damaged it appears that nothing has happened to him. Magus-"Did the spell failed?" While Magus looks relieved, Sena's body begins to shivers and her face distorts in despair as she slowly turns her head around. Sena-"No..." She sees a hole on Aegis from where Michiru has fired off the spells, Michiru uses the last bit of her strength and smiles at Sena while a stream of tears flows down her eyes. A mere second later, her lifeless body flops down toward the floor and suddenly Magus's eyes go blank as his lifeless body fall flats on the floor too. Sena slowly walks toward Michiru's body as she dispels the Aegis, she falls down on both knees when she reached her body.