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The goblin crept through the woods, this time without screaming. Right now, it didn’t have any grand goals or motives. It’d not even properly accepted the situation it was in right now. But its stomach was screaming in pain.   Ugh! What do goblin’s eat anyway?   His memory of the novel was still fresh, as he’d read it just recently. But even in the novel, not much was said about goblins. The one thing he remembered was, Dragon ate goblins ==> Dragon got bigger ==>Dragon ate more goblins ==>Dragon got more bigger ==> Dragon ate even more gobli….   How pleasing to know that I’m no more than a food supply for the protagonist. Damn it. Why do I not know anything else more helpful?   The goblin groaned. So did its stomach. It picked up some leaves from the ground and the bushes.   Disgusting!   The goblin scowled.   [You have consumed Canis Fern] [You have been poisoned]   Yeah. Yeah. Whatever.   He was going to respawn anyway after death. So he didn’t care for the poisoning. Besides, this way, he could tell what kind of plants were venomous and what kind was not. This one is also disgusting. This too. This too. And this too.   [You have been poisoned][You have been poisoned]   The goblin went through various plants. Most were poisoned, but the poison didn’t seem to be that powerful. His body started to feel dizzy, but he kept on experimenting. On some of the leaves, he found some white caterpillars.   Now that, delicious.   He ate the bug without much hesitation. It wasn’t because he was now a monster that he didn’t feel any disgust. Eating bugs alive wasn’t something new for him. His father was a terrible man who abused his mother. But his mother. Well, she, too, was no sane person. She collected bugs. Different types of bugs. And she fed those bugs to Zelrium and told him to write down how they tasted like. His stomach still grumbled even after eating all those bugs. For a moment, he looked down at his little belly.   How can such a little thing not be satisfied even after eating all that?   [You have gained a new skill. {Poison Resistance Level(1/5)}]   According to the novel, all monsters could gain skills this way. But, he was not really trying to gain a skill when eating those leaves and bugs. He was just hungry. Grrrr!   Now, where have I heard that howl before?   The goblin immediately crouched. Luckily, the howls were not aimed at him. The goblin peeked from behind a tree and saw the three wolves feasting on a bunch of human flesh. Seeing such a sight, the first thought that came to his mind as—well, time to run. Sniff! Sniff! He noticed one of the wolves suddenly turn in his direction while sniffing.   Wait a minute…   The goblin took short breaths and smelled itself.   Eww…   His body gave off an incredibly pungent smell. The wolves all started to chase him.   How come I never noticed such a foul smell before?   The goblin ran. Poison was one thing; getting killed by the wolves was another. Another thing he noticed while getting killed the previous times was, he couldn’t die till his HP reached 0. Hence it didn’t matter if the wolves crunched his skull or ripped out his heart. He would remain alive till his HP reached 0. And feel the pain vividly.   Those wolves bite barely did one damage per bite. I had to endure getting eaten alive for nearly a min! Never again!   The goblin rushed. Luckily his HP was already low from all the poison he consumed, which added with the exhaustion damage, caused his HP to reach 0. ☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲ As always, he found himself respawned in front of a tree.   That was close!   He wiped his forehead.   But….hehe   The goblin smiled for the first time. He’d thought of a strategy—a way to feed himself. ☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲ The forest he was in, at first glance, looked liked a typical forest. But in truth was not. It was filled with strange beasts and carnivorous plants. Many were distinct in colour. The goblin sniffed around various plants. Often he got caught by some of the carnivorous plants and died slowly from their corrosive fluids.   Found it!   After a tedious amount of search, he found what he was looking for. He picked up the viridescent leaves from the ground. The leaves seemed to have fallen off from the tree in front of him. He spat on one leaf and placed it on his arm. The leaf didn’t fall off even when he shook it. His spit was fairly adhesive. Thus, he took a bunch of leaves and attached them to his entire body, except in front of his eyes. The goblin smirked from inside the leaves.   Strategy: Walking Bush Commenced   After another tedious amount of search, he found the wolves chewing on a bunch of human flesh. The goblin gulped in fear. He sniffed just to make sure. This time, his body didn’t emit any foul smell. The leaves he picked up effused a strong natural scent, which shrouded his body’s foul odour. Once the wolves left after eating their fill, the goblin finally emerged out from behind the tree. He looked around once more, just to make sure that they were truly gone.   Ahh! What a sight!   The goblin’s eyes shone when he saw all the armours, swords, and ripped clothes lying around.   1, 2, 3…8?   In total, there were eight corpses. Most of the bodies seemed dismembered, and their faces were beyond recognizing. The wolves had consumed quite a bit of their flesh. But not all of them.   This one seems edible.   He walked near one of the corpses. The corpse had only one arm, no head, no heart. Its guts were spilling out, but still plenty of flesh remained around its chest and legs. The goblin crouched and took a bite with no hesitation.   Delicious!   He exclaimed. This was not the first time he ate human flesh. This mother didn’t just feed him insects. She was a twisted woman who abducted little kids and killed them. But that was not all. She dissected those kids and fed them to him. And every time she asked him to write down how it tasted like. His father punched his mother with no intent to stop because he found out about her twisted nature.   So sweet!   He bit them ravenously. After the death of his parents, he never committed any sickly activity, like eating the flesh of one’s own kind, but maybe because he was now a goblin, that he felt no hesitation.   [You have consumed human flesh] [You have gained the ability to level up]   He ignored the screens, and moved on to other corpses, and kept eating.   [You have consumed the flesh of large quantity] [You have gained a new skill. {Flesh Devourer(1/5)}]   He tried to eat the bones, but his teeth were not powerful enough to break the bones. Right now, he’d a simple plan. His fists were tiny; he was barely 4 feet tall. Meanwhile, the wolves all stood over 6 feet tall. And even the other monsters he encountered in this forest were big and strong. He was weak and fragile. So, the best way he could think of to ensure his sustenance was to become a parasite and leech off of others. The goblin felt no shame living this way. After all, even during his human life, he’d been a parasite for a long time before he’d become successful.

And still!!!!!! The undefeated GFC Welterweight Champion Of The World~~   Heh,motherfucker how can he still celebrating? at least pretend to be a bit guilty,   'HEY! My boy is the one that should be holding the belt,just look at his face dammit! Not a single bruises! and look there his face is fucking deformed!'   My coach kept pointing  out to the judges on how well I look  compare to the champion haha he does look funny,his left forehead is swollen and look like a horn will potrude out any second now.   'Boy' he sighed 'I shouldnt have agree for this,they get blatantly corrupt each day,I should have known better'   He look so devastated never saw him like this before,he always good at hiding his emotion.During training he always put on his angry face and never once I saw him wearing a different expression.Still I can tell he always proud of me even though he rarely praise me.I am his only son after all.   'yeah yeah whatever,lets get out of here dad the noises is killing me head and my patience is running off'   Im about to be suspended for god how know long if I jump that prick right now.He still have the audacity to give me a shit eating grin.Heh I cant wait to see how the internet react to this at least my fame will raise tenfold after this.A prospect robbed of his rightful throne! that could be a nice headline. Im not only a genius in my sport but also in marketing thats why a prospect like me manage to get a title shot,they cant ignore the potential PPV subcribers im bringing on the table,, ahhh I can smell the money already.   'There always next time dont worry stuff happen for a reason!' A cute high pitch voice brought me back from my day dream,this girl Lucy really know how to tickle my heart at the right spot.   'Dont get discourage Moon! dinner tonight will be my treat' she said smiling brightly. She a bit an airhead but she got the most brightest smile I ever see,I am a sucker for beautiful smile.   'Dinner? How bold of you asking me out for a date after I suffered my first ever loss a world title at that'  I said teasingly with a playful smirk on my face.   'No dummy! A date is only for  loving couple,you always stuck in the gym every day you gonna die a virgin you know' She said puffing her cheek.   'Ugh,come on Lucy if I want to,I can get all girls in the world,look at me still in my early twenties,famous,good looking and much importantly im rich'   'hmph keep being arrogant and you gonna die single' she said sticking out her toungue.   'No worries If there is no one willing to be my girlfriend I will just make you my wife problem solve'   'Whaa?' Her face is now red as tomato always fun teasing her.   'Hey dad give me my phone you go back first with everyone I got place to go,and Lucy lets do dinner tomorrow night its a date a REAL date' Before she could open her mouth I quickly step out from the ring and made my way out.   'Hey boy where you going?you need to do a checkup!' My dad shouted from the ring   'IM FINEE DADD' I shouted back but seem like he cant hear me.My voice got drown by the loud cheering and booing from the fans. I wave at my fans and clap their hand as I made my way to the exit door.   Pheww,I feel much better after I got outside,the noises really start to kill my head felt like my head gonna explode any second now not to mention my left face still felt very numb.Heh,his right hook got me real good he is a world champion after all.As I walk to my lovley G Wagon a mid size four wheel drive luxury SUV I take out my phone and make a call after I get inside the car. 'YOU DIDDD IT BASTARDDD!!!' damn I almost throw my phone away that was one hell of a voice. 'Fuck,tone it down man you hurting me head' I said annoyed by his loud voice. 'oops sorry,well I did like you told me I rigged the fight and make sure you lose.Just like you said the internet is going ham,mann my reputation is on the line' 'Dont worry just pay the judges to take the blame,we made shit tons of money from this fight.Iam the betting favourite,you didnt forget to bet on me losing right?Mann the odds gonna give us millions im not even surprise if we manage to get a hundred mill haha' 'ofc I did!I bet on you losing under 10 different name! I also bet on you winning to lower the suspicion on me having part in this' 'haha look like Mr Dana Green the CEO of GFC gonna lose alot of money' 'well thats what people see,they dont see the fortune I made under the shadow' 'Nice now you just need to comfirm the rematch ahh imagine the PPV money for the rematch.By the way how much PPV this fight manage to attract?' 'oh oh,I forgot as now you just reach 5 million ppv! I believe you will break the PPV record when the exact numbers get out' fuck 5 million?im better than I thought Floyd Maybreather got nothing on me baby    'well I promise you 3 million ppv so dont forgot our deals 50/50 for the ppv money'   'yess ofc,you are my cash cow ofc im gonna feed you well,at least a hundred million is guarantee for you'   'fuck you stop calling me your cash cow im no cash cow im your damn golden goose,thats it im hanging up now please settle the post fight interview for me I need to take a rest my head is killing me'   'what?is there something wrong? I will get you a check up'   'Nah no worries there nothing serious I just ate a delecious right hook its not like im gonna die from that'   'haha dont jinx it I will call you later for our futher meeting bye!'   hmph,that baldy only got money in his head,well thats why we get along really well great mind think alike.A hundred mills for the ppv and maybe half a hundred mill from the bet damnn maybe I should retire already the rematch can go fuck itself im set for life! If my dad know im the one scheming the robbery he probably gonna disown me.Nah I can just shove him couples of million that ought to calm him down everyone love money right? Now that Im set for life maybe I should start dating,get a wife than buy 10 acre of land so I can spend my time farming with my kids I will never encourage my kids to pursue a career as a fighter I dont want my kids to suffer from dementia or end up cripple this fight game is not forgiving at all you need to be great like me to survive and make a fortune out of it.10 acre of land huh? why not make it 20?or maybe 30?haha im getting greedy better stop now.   'ughhh my head feel funny'   what the fuck I cant feel my left face at all and my left arms also starting to feel numb,A sleep shall fix it ahh let me close my eyes for a bit.     ~~~~~~     That day the world was shocked by the death of  the rising prospect Moon Young.His body was found inside his luxury G Wagon just outside the Madison Square Garden the very place that took his life.Its comfirmd that his death was cause by a brain hemorrhage that occured because of a blunt trauma he rceived on his left temple.                  

Yawnn~ Ahhh a good sleep is indeed what I need my body felt light and the numbness on my left side is gone now. "hmm?"I raise my eyebrow. Where the hell am I? Im suppose to be inside my car and now? Right now I was greeted by a vast sky I was laying down on a hard wooden surface I stood and try to process where am I and what kind of situation im stumble upon. Well,I think im still dreaming because right now im sitting alone on a small wooden boat in the middle of an ocean!eh maybe a lake the water is to calm to be an ocean.   uhh this is to real to be a dream,lucid dream maybe?I have watched couples of video about lucid dream and I myself tried to experience it by following the "how to" video from Youtube. Or maybe I got backstabbed?that dirty Dana Green must have kidnapped me in my sleep and stranded me here in the midde of nowhere so he can get all the money to himself.I quickly throw away that thought iam his biggest cashcow no way he gonna cut down his source of income. Right?  I sat up,looking around and as far as I can see the vast water is,,well so vast?there is no land on sight.I stand up and the boat start to wobble due to the sudden shift of weight I almost fall into the lake! Thanks goodness that I manage to quickly sprawl on the boat floor. "Ughh,this not good for my poor heart" I sighed still cannot process the situation im in. Well firstly its not a dream because this feel to real.  Suddenly I heard an unknown voice out of nowhere "look like you awake Cedar" a voice came from behind me "HICK!" I jumped and look behind me to see,, me in a navy suit with a red tie  "whaaa me? and im floating?" My jaw slack down and my mouth is wide open.  I am so shocked and so loss right now there is me right infront of me floating about 5 feet above the water.   "who are you?why do you look like me?and how the hell are you floating?" I blurted out it was spontanous.My tounge somehow work faster than my brain.   The man that look like me stare at me with an amused look.   "you still have your memories from before your death? and you seem to still have your own conscious" He said while tapping his chin  "interesting,you are the first soul I assign to that held both memories and conscious" He said leaning his face closer to mine and start to hover around me.   Before my death?what does he mean by that?Am I in the afterlife? that explain this bizzare shit happening right now, on a boat in the middle of nowhere with someone that look exactly like me.   "umm,who are you and why do you look like me? Am I in the afterlife?" I asked,I already calmed down a bit after I told myself that Iam probbably in the afterlife explaining the bizzare situation im in. He descend on the wooden boat before answering my question  "I am what you human called the Grim Reaper The Angel of Death,I am Angel No 63 and we Grim Reaper take the appearence of the soul we assign to"  He said with monotone voice his voice is the same as mine  its so uncanny giving me a goosebump. "Yes,you are indeed in the afterlife,you are now on your way to the soul realm where you will be judge by Almighty god wether you deserve to be granted heaven or hell" "What with that voice man,you creeping me out" I said to him shooting a weird look at him. sighh,Im lost for words look like im really dead I should have listen to my dad or that stupid baldy to get a checkup.Oh dear Lord,I cant accept this I still have alot to live for! heh I really died a virgin that goofball Lucy really jinx me bad. Man my dad must be so sad,I promised him to win a world title for him. "I shoudnt rigg the fight,at least I can give him the title he always dream of" I said my voice start to break Now its dawn on me,the people I care about must be so devastated right now.Especially my dad,goofball Lucy,Mr Bone and my team.My precious fan that give me alot of pay per view money! Im sorry,good people always gone to early.   "Oh no!now im dead im sure that motherfucker gonna hog all the money for himself" I never like that baldy Dana he is cunning as a snake and one oppurtinistic bastard  "Haha who am I to said that? im such a hypocrite" I laugh amuse of myself im the one that scheme with him to rig the biggest fight of my life,well im pretty sure every of my fight is the biggest fight im that popular you know.   What should I do I cant let it end like this im only 22! Do I go to heaven atleast that I led a life of a sage when im still alive? I abstinct myself from my sexual need because I believe that will weaken me.Thats why im the best I have bigger self control than the monk themselve.Well iam still unwilling to die I still have many thing yet to be done. That 63 dude said im on my way to soul realm thats mean,, im still not completely dead! Am I right?what if I can return back?No,thats impossible.. Impossible? all this shit that happening right now already beyond impossible I need to do something,think Cedar think! "Remember when in doubt use your fist and bulldoze your way to the truth!"  My dad always told me that. During my highschool year,I was a notorious gang leader back then when he found out he beat the shit out of me.He the one that told me I should use my fist I still felt wronged till this day. I still can remember how hard it was for me to piss after that liver shot he gave me.The beating motivated me to better my craft and long story short I am so good on beating the crap out of people add with my high charisma and marketing sense I successfully create an amazing career in MMA. My fist shall prevail! even death cant stop me.With new resolve I face No 63 he still standing infront of me studying me.What if I beat the shit out of him? maybe my soul will return back to my body.   "That would be a futile effort unfortunately a mere soul cant hurt angle like me" he said smirking at me  Man your voice dont fit your face expression at all what a creep. Eh,wait a min-— "you can hear my thought!"this motherfucker was listening to my monolouge the whole time . "Yes,I do hear your thought this whole time" he said monotone voice and still smirking. "man your voice irk me off,im no mere soul iam Cedar the greatest fighter ever the uncrown champion!" as I said that I lower my center of gravity and shot out at him tackling him down I actually manage to tackle him down?!   his head hit the hard wood and I quickly change my position to a side control and warp my hand around his neck. Now the crown of his head is under my armpit I start to put as much pressure as I can muster on the carotid arteries of his neck.I also make sure to bring his head closer to my chest to prevent him from posturing up.  "go to sleep mr 63 or you will be the first Grim Reaper to diee" I said in a hush voice on his ear.  "well I indeed did not expect this you are one peculiar soul" he said with a clear monotone voice, that should not be possible how come he can talk in this position?oh he is an angel of death for a reason. Well his head still under my armpit lets see what you made of,,  "ORAHH" I scream loudly and put more pressure on my choke.I choke him so hard my arms start turning white devoid of colour. "Send me back pretty please or I wont release you" I plead to him putting the most pitiable face I can put. Than he dissapeared like a wind from my choke,he gone puff just like that into thin air. I stay in that position for a good minute flabbergasted.Blinking for a few time swallowing the absurdity. I stand up to look around just to end up sprawling on four again after the boat start to wobble left. "di--did I k--kill him?" is an angel suppose to dissapear into thin air just like that after they died? "Hello 63? Im sorry if I killed you I didnt mean it,I didnt know you can die" I shout calling for 63. "Heyy show yourselff are you really dead? Arent you the angel of death?" Silence– No way? Iam so cool I should have a new alias "The death murderer" sound so sinister I like. As I praising myself on how cool I am 63 shock me again.This time I swear my heart that im not sure if still beating finnally stop beating for good.  "Unfortunately us angel are immortal and only Almighty God can cease is to exist" My eye almost splurt out from the socket.He suddenly materealized from thin air infront of me.  "I will be damn" I chuckled Than I felt a pang in my head "ughh what did you do to m--" I said as I pinch my temple feeling light headed before darkness consume me.   63 stay there hovering above unconscious Cedar body and then he point his finger at him,a ball of light big as a marble can be seen at his pointing finger in the next second the ball slowy descend down to Cedar.When the light touch his body he was engulf with a bright light.   "what a poor soul I shall erase your sense of self and help you go through your judgement" 63 said. before 63 fully erase Cedar sense a voice stop him from doing so "you can stop there now 63 This soul took my interest leave him be"  63 quickly drop down on his knee and lower his head to the ground "yes pardon my insolence" his monotone voice now change to one with hint of respect and fear.   after that Cedar dissapear into thin air leaving 63 alone still bowing down on his knee.          

My eyes flicker open, as I stare into the inky blackness surrounding me, my eyes quickly adjust to this all encompassing darkness. ‘Where am I?’ - ??? As I think this I begin to see my surroundings, walls made of rough dark stone, they appear dusty and old, so so old, my eyes travel down to the floor which I’m slumped upon, it’s the much the same as the walls but much rougher and stalagmites reach towards the ceiling which is so far up that the darkness still cloaks it. *Ding* ‘What was that noise!’ - ??? I glanced around before laying my gaze upon a blue screen. *Notice* You have gained the skill; Night vision lvl 1 As the screen appears I notice the darkness begin to recede revealing the full expanse of the cavern, it was huge, hundreds of black stone stalagmites reached towards the ceiling and scattered around them were pieces of broken armour and weapons and charred black bones in various positions, the stench which encompasses this place is stained with the feeling of death, sorrow and greed. ‘What… the actual hell is happening!!!!’ - ??? ‘The last thing I remember was.. what was I doing… I don’t remember anything’ - ??? As I think this 1 word pounds in my head over and over, like a blacksmith forging a sword… like it was demanding that I speak it. “Status” - ??? As I speak for the first time my words come out strangely smooth but with a metallic tone to it. As the shock of what my voice sounds like passes I stare upon the new blue screen in front of me. —Status— Name: ??? Race: Broken Living Armour Level: 1/5 Rank: G- HP: 19/21 MP: 7/7 SP: 25/25 Skill Points: 5 Abnormal Conditions: Soul Bleed (major) Rusted (minor) Ancient (minor) ——— Stats: STR: 21 VIT: 18 MAG: 13 RES: 17 SPD: 13 DEX: 9 INT: 145 LUC: 137 ——— Skill List: Ability Skills: Minor Health Increase Lvl 1 Attack Skills: Sword Arts Lvl 1 Magic Skills:  Active Skills: Armour Reattachment Lvl 1  Passive Skills: Swordsmanship Lvl 1 Perception Skills: Night Vision Lvl 1  Resistance Skills: Rust Resistance Lvl 1 Elements: Lesser Metal Element Lvl 1 Monster Skills: Ultimate Skills:  ——— ‘Whatttttt!!!!’ - ??? After reading my status screen I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the information I now have access to, at first I was freaked out by my lack of name, then immediately after I was freaked out by my soul bleeding and my race. I try to look down but quickly realise that I can’t move my neck, I glance down at my body using my eyes and realise I’m just a solid metal helmet… “WHATTTTT!!!” - ??? As I shouted at the top of my lungs at the fact that I was but a helmet, I once again examined my helmet and realised that an opaque blue liquid was leaking from me… it must be my soul bleeding but it can’t be that bad right? —Status— Name: ??? Race: Broken Living Armour Level: 1/5 Rank: G- HP: 17/21 MP: 7/7 SP: 25/25 Skill Points: 5 Abnormal Conditions: Soul Bleed (major) Rusted (minor) Ancient (minor) ——— That’s even worse than I could’ve imagined I was rapidly losing health and had no clue about how to fix myself. —World System— Quest: Repair your broken body! Objective: Find pieces of armour to repair yourself 1/6 Rewards: Soul Bleed will be removed, 2 Skill points, Skill: Auto Repair Lvl 1 ——— As I finish reading the quest announcement I quickly start looking around for the closest pieces of armour to repair myself with. My eyes land upon a rusted metal chest piece which I use every ounce of my being to force my body to move towards it! … … … Nothing… nothing! I couldn’t move towards it no matter what I did! What could I possibly do to close the distance, I look back over my skills list, and there’s the answer to all my questions, Armour Reattachment! I try to use the skill, and the information on how to use it flooded into my head, I channeled my Stamina Points into the skill and the chest piece stated leaking blue liquid similar to my Soul blood as the chest piece shoots towards my helmet before reconnecting. ‘One piece down! 4 more to go’ - ??? I checked my SP and it dropped by 3 points! I looked around for any other piece of armour, but that’s when I heard it a loud bellowing roar that shook me to my very core. I glanced towards where the sound originated and I saw the monster which would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life, a monster covered in glossy silver scales and horrific black claws that looked like they could slice a boulder in half, it’s body extended up to 20 meters long and it reached 5 meters tall, it’s wings so large it looked like it could eclipse the sun. —World System— Announcement: The B+ Class Dragon Arzefan has been found for the first time in 300 years, the great calamity, the dragon which sundered kingdoms, the hero killer. Reward: You’ve been rewarded with the 6 skill points and the title Ancient Beast Tracker. ——— —World System— Quest: Survive! Hide! Run! Do whatever you can! Reward: Your life, Skill: Hide Lvl 1, The Dragon Piercer. ——— ‘Oh shit…’ - ??? If I could cry I would.

Prologue It is pitch black. I am frozen in fear and I can feel I am not alone. "Anyone there?" I shout into the void of nothingness. Nothing answers back. I get frightened more by the silence. I get up from laying down and try to find some way to get a source of light, a stick to light on fire perhaps. Feeling around on the ground, I reach something that feels like a stick. Just like my plan. I find some cloth scraps next to the stick. I combine the cloth and the stick and feel around for something to make a fire with. I feel in my pocket and find a lighter. I wonder how that got there? Anyway, I light the cloth on fire and look around at where I am. I notice that the "stick" that I am holding is actually a bone. I look down and find a skeleton. Fear and realization fill my eyes. I took some bones and cloth from the skeleton with clothes still on it. After calming down from the scare, I continued to look at where I was. I am in a room with a low ceiling made of stone. This room looks like a cave. Because of the low ceiling, I don’t have a whole lot of room to stand upright, but that is a problem I can handle. As I continue to look around the room, I realize that there is an opening, but it is blocked off by a fence made of wood. I feel like it's the kind of fence you see in a history book from school. Now that I think about it, I can’t remember how I got here. Let’s see what I do know. I know my name is for a fact Amire and I was born in the year 2315. The company Jones Industries ruled the world basically and I worked there. Before I could continue to list the things that I remember, I hear squeaking coming from the void. I muster up the courage to get close to the fence to try and see what was making the noise. I hold up the torch and see ginormous bats. The squeaking stops and the bats slowly turn their heads towards me. They suddenly come flying at me and I jump back in fear. They stated screeching ferociously and trying to break the fence. Wait a minute, "break the fence"? Why would they want to break the fence? I looked closely and realized that the person or skeleton in the corner probably built this to protect themselves. With a loud screech, I  snap back into reality. Slowly the bats one by one go up to the ceiling. After the last at went up, I could sort of relax. I hope someone comes looking for me. Man, I miss my mom and dad. Please rescue me soon someone, anyone, please.  

Chapter 1 A portal opens up in the middle of the sky and seven people fall out of the portal. Each and every one of them looks different. Some of the same species but they look like they are from different planets. As they move and groan on the gourd, one of the seven shoots up and started to say their first words to the group. “That didn’t hurt. Why did that not hurt?!” he elf said with confusion in her voice as she realized what happened. “Could you quiet down? I am having a massive headache right now, and you are making it worse. Who even are you?” the Dragonborn said, angry at the elf. The elf spoke with shock in her eyes. “Oh my goodness, where are my manners. My name is Melody and obviously, I am an elf. I think that you should know that I am also an Alchemist. “Well then, my name is Jerry, and I am sorry for yelling at you earlier. I am a Dragonborn. Also, I am a wandmaker for a living.” said the Dragonborn. Melody and Jerry looked at the other five. After groaning, the others started to get up from the ground. They looked at each other and three of them started to speak. The three fairies started to look like sisters to the group before they could speak. The first one said “my name is Emily, hello. These are my sisters Raya and Charlie.” she pointed to the other two. After being introduced Raya explained that they were healers and would be useful for the group to keep them around.  Charlie sat in the back of the three of them to hide from the group and decided to keep quiet. “Well guess it is my turn. My name is Lord Oscar Denmark. I am a wizard and my race is Genie. Also, I think you should know that I am a king.” introduced the sixth person. The rest of the group looked shocked at Oscar. They turned their head to the seventh person expecting something amazing. “My name is Rico. I don't know any of you so I will only tell you that I am a Foxman,” he said and then he went back o rest against the tree that was near the group.  Melody looked over at jerry and she could see hearts starting to form in Jerry’s eyes as he looked at Rico. Melody tapped his shoulder and Jerry snapped out of his trance. “Well now that we know a little about ourselves, we should explore together. We s=could find some amazing things and we could learn more about each other.” melody said with excitement in her voice. Everyone looked at her with eyes full of questions. Because her energy level was not like the rest of theirs. They thought she would have the same amount of energy as the rest of them, maybe a little bit higher, but not this much. Especially towards a new world and the dangers that come with it.

The goblin huffed as it ran across the grassy woods. Grrrr! The three wolves following it all howled.   Shit. Shit   The goblin’s tiny legs started to feel numb. Its green skin sweated intensely.   [You have run out of stamina.] [Any further sprint will consume your life force.] [Cautioned to stop and rest.]   Stop? And get eaten by wolves! How idiotic!   The goblin ran. And ran. Its bare feet stomped heavily on the ground, sometimes stepping on sharp stones.   [You have received +1 damage] [Your legs continually experience blood loss. Damage Rate: 1 hp/min] [Exhaustion Damage: 2 hp/min]   After a lot of dodging, running and climbing trees — the goblin managed to escape from the fangs of wild wolves. Sigh! The goblin sighed while hiding beneath a layer of yellow bushes.   For the love of God, why can’t those wolves just let me kill them? Why do they have to retaliate? Shitty beings!   [Cautioned to stop blood loss. Your health has plummeted to 10%]   Damn it.   Its tiny foot bled black blood continually. But once the goblin plucked out the little pebbles that had penetrated its foot, more blood rained down and caused its head to feel dizzy.   Shit.   The goblin jerked its head around, searching for anything to cover up its legs. It picked up a couple of long and broad leaves.   This should work. Hopefully.   But alas, the goblin’s plan to cover its foot with leaves to prevent further blood loss backfired.   [You have covered your wounds with frat leaves.] [You have been poisoned]   Well shit.   [You have died]   ☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲ As always, the goblin again found himself standing in front of a giant tree.   [Respawn Complete]   Urg! I’m tired of this! Why me? And why a bloody goblin!   The goblin barraged the tree with its tiny fists.   To turn a handsome and wealthy man like me into a hideous goblin? Why God, why?   Indeed he was a goblin, but he wasn’t always a goblin. It all began about two days ago.   ☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲   Zelrium rested on his bed, alone, while leafing through the pages of a novel titled [A Dragon’s Voyage.] It was a novel written by Weiss Redmore, his father. As far back as he could remember, his father was well—delusional and mad. His father would often spend all day drinking and abuse him and his mother physically. In simple words, Weiss was a terrible father. But one day, Weiss went too far. With his brute fists, he punched Zelrium’s mother with no intent to stop. Even after she stopped breathing, he kept on punching. Zelrium was ten at the time; seeing such a sight traumatized him. He acted on instinct, took one of the broken booze bottles, and plunged it into his father’s back. At the age of 10, Zelrium Redmore became an orphan and a prisoner. He found the book [A Dragon’s Voyage] when he visited his old house 40 years later. At this point, he was a successful man who had earned a amount that his father could only dream of. His father was a drunkard, but sometimes he would write. Zelrium didn’t know why he didn’t just burn the book and instead decided to read it. A terrible mistake, as after he reached the final page, he got sucked inside. ☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲ Once he regained consciousness, he found himself with tiny green arms, that too in an unfamiliar world. After that, he went through 4 phases: 1. Panic: The goblin’s heartbeat increased, his breathing became harsh. He marched across the jungle while screaming. The goblin got eaten by the wolves and died. 2. More Panic: The goblin found himself respawned in front of a tree. The feeling of being chewed on, the feeling of having your flesh ripped out by the vicious fangs of the wolves, the feeling of dying, all came back to him. The goblin’s heartbeat skyrocketed, his breathing became harsh. Again, he marched across the jungle while screaming. The goblin got swallowed by a monster snake and died. 3. Even More Panic: After getting killed, again and again, the goblin calmed down. He’d not yet accepted his situation but just calmed down. He took a long breath.   Now, is this a dream?   The goblin shook its head.   The pain felt genuine, in fact, too genuine. Damn it, since when were wolves that big? And a snake? What kind of snake can swallow a human whole?   The goblin flinched.   What kind of snake can swallow a human whole?   The goblin looked at its green tiny arms and its legs. Drops of tears fell from its red eyes.   A human Am…I even a human? It’s not fair!   The goblin fell on its knees and teared up for a while. To him, this was unfair. After leaving the prison, he’d worked hard. Extremely hard. With no one else to support him, he took on multiple part-time jobs to ensure his sustenance. Saving little by little, he started a fruit trade company and hustled hard till the age of 50. To him, now was the time to start enjoying his life. It was the time to use all that wealth he earned. But—being turned into a goblin right then? It was not fair. He could not handle the unfairness; thus, he marched across the jungle while screaming. The goblin fell through a ravine and died. 4. Panic Intensifies: After some gruesome cycles of getting killed, the goblin started to think and analyze.   Those monsters…….   The goblin started to apprehend his situation while resting on the grassy land and gazing upon the clear blue sky.   ………looked similar to the descriptions of my father’s novel. And the protagonist of the novel also experienced something similar—getting dragged from his world and getting turned into a dragon.   The goblin chuckled, thinking how nonsensical the thought of getting dragged into another world and being turned into a monster was.   But…   The goblin raised its two fists and looked at it.   Damn it! Even if I was transmigrated, why a goblin? Why not a angel or a dragon. Even a demon would have been better than a goblin.   The goblin sighed.   Wait. Am I really inside that novel? or is this just another world?   Right now, there seemed to be no way to check. In a jungle, there was no way to check the date or the name of the place. After thinking for a while, the goblin realized that if this place was similar to the one in the novel, then the working mechanisms should also be similar.   Profile.   The goblin murmured. Then, a screen emerged in front of its eyes.   │Zelrium Redmore│ │Titles: - │Race: Enervated Monster │ Species: Goblin │ │Physical Characteristics:│ │Health: 50 │Mana:50 │Stamina: 50│ │Strength: 12 │Defence: 12 │Agility: 12│ │Innate Skills: [Respawn level 1][???][???][???] │ │Skills: - │ │Unique Skills: -│   Huh. So, it’s really like the novel.   According to the novel, everyone who lived on Volmaire Continent had access to a system that helped them get stronger.   Urgh! So what? What am I even supposed to do?   He didn’t want to be strong. He wanted his money back. God knows what was going on in his real world.   Since I’m a goblin in this world, would I be considered missing in my real world?   The company would be stable even without him for a while. But what about his wealth? The wealth he earned through blood and sweat. Before he could think of anything else, three wolves silhouettes emerged from the trees afar. Shit. He started to run. And now, we return to the present. ☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲ So, the goblin was there in front of the tree, thinking…   Just what should I do now?

Sat upon a wooden chair, a young boy coldly gazed toward the scenery outwards. The rigid breeze, parting his hair gently - the sun's light illuminating his accentuated face as it him up in a sombre glow. Constant, rhythmic thuds reverberated within the room that could easily be as large as a medium-sized apartment. A pale finger tapping a melody that he never grew tired of - a habit he developed to show he was deep in though. Subtly; and apprehensively, the boy's eyes moved and glazed over a wrinkled piece of paper that had clearly been aged. The the wrinkled and brown parchment, not only signifying the time it had lived through, but also recording the annals of history. Marking. Etching, the very words of the victors of war and conflict who decided to dictate so. However, for Achlys it didn't matter one bit. After all, information was still information nonetheless. Slowly beginning to intently analyse the words written word by word. The once slow, arduous seconds, swiftly turning into minutes, which soon developed into hours. Each time he finished reading a parchment; he moved onto the next - intentions unknown. It was only when the clock stuck three, that the unmoving youth tore his gaze away from the piles of paper. The tumultuous thumps coming to a halt, creating a comfortable silence that lingered in the air. However, the previous serene comfort that he found the slightest hint of solace in, was soon shattered by a wistful sigh. Head tilted back, as he began to voice his rampaging thoughts aloud in a discreet murmur. "Eight Months. I have eight months, to be atleast somewhat ready to the place where it all begins." With a sigh that released his frustrations, Achlys glanced at the door. Feeling that his goal of survival is inching further away the more he realised his situation. For the past few hours, the boy had been strenuously collecting information to interpret the current situation he found himself in. Even if he had the knowledge of the future from the game itself, it wouldn't immediately help him. After all, he didn't even know what continent, era, or place he was in beforehand. It was only after being informed that Achlys realised exactly how long he had left till the wheels of fate begin to turn. Signalling the eventual advent that will be known as the Twilight of the Gods. Alas, that is something that the future him would have to deal with. "That is if I survive long enough to witness the ensuing destruction of the world." Mumbling to himself, the boy glanced at the time on the clock once again. 3:35. Needless to say, Achlys had initially thought that his plight at hand wasn't knee-deep into muddied water yet. Especially since the actual plot of the game only began in a couple months time. However, as they say - reality often defies expectations. From everything Achlys had read, the youth's current circumstances were beyond what he had originally thought of. Alongside many other precarious informations he had the pleasure to know, three noteworthy obstacles gleamed through. Three problems, that imposed him on whether he would rise or fall. "This is the reality of being a character destined for mediocrity, huh." Chuckling mirthlessly within a room with no one but his sole figure, the boy uncluttered his desk till it was presentable. The mind only worked at its best at its most optimum environment, after all. Unironically, for him it was for his surroundings to be spruced and orderly. It was only then the boy recounted the glaring problems slowly, one by one. With his feet lifted onto the table top, the boy lost himself within his thoughts. 'The first one would undoubtedly be...' Strength. If it was so to be spoken eloquently, then his current situation at hand would be: 'so dire it hangs on the border of unimaginable'. With the vocabulary in the 21st century? Then it would be none other than 'well, shit'. Arcadia isn't a world that differs much from Earth itself. Apart from the different structures of the continents and whatnot, at core they were practically identical. Containing the same old hierarchy of power. The same old power-hungry old geezers. The same old sinners, that desperately wore the facade of saints. The same old fools who accelerate the inevitable demise of the very grounds they worship. It was the same old world that would not let you eat, drink, or sleep if you didn't have the status or power to support you. The background to protect you. It was as if it was a natural law. A common occurrence despite the place you went. Even if it was far from home. Might makes right. An aphorism on the origin of morality. However, opinions and ethics were none other than useless when faced with overwhelming despair. It didn't matter who was correct, or who was incorrect. Who was the hero, or who was the villain. Who risked their life to save the world, nor the one who seeked to destroy it. History is written by the victors, and that will never change.  For that alone, Achlys Grey needs to be strong. Capable enough, for the sake of himself. For his survival. With a sigh that seemed to fatigue his already weakened self even further, the boy continued to spout his inner monologue. It was the only thing that kept him alive, around the lack of human interaction. 'Talent.' The unsurmountable wall that separates talent and hard work. Geniuses and Ordinary folk: talent. A path which paves the way for success. An innate ability, gifted to those that those Constellations found worthy to do so. A man that swings his sword relentlessly for one whole year, while never be able to surpass the genius who does it for one week. Such was the unfairness of the world, and unfortunately for him - Achlys Grey wasn't a man destined for greatness. Thus was the fate of a mob, a burden the transmigrated youth would have to bare. As such, the golden question lay before his very being. How exactly will Achly Grey be able to grasp the talent he so irretrievably sought after? The answer to that question is something the boy had planned long ago. Luckily for him, he knew exactly where and what would guide him which would obliterate the chains that bound talent and untalented. A cold smile graced his lips. Who said he needed to beg a God, for power? If an opportunity didn't come knocking, all he had to do was build a door.  A door - that will eventually shed the truth as to why he was here in the first place. Alas, that would have to wait. He still hadn't taken his first step into the journey of a thousand miles. Yet. With the clock ticking 3:50, the youth recounted the final, and most crucial piece of the puzzle. "Background." Alongside the click of a tongue, that expressed his dilemma, Achlys rose from the comfortable, and gentle cushion of the chair before soon dressing himself with a cloak.  Finding a suitable background that didn't restrict his movements, yet conveyed to the world he wasn't one to be messed with was like finding a needle in a haystack. Well, that would be under normal circumstances.  Fortunately for the devious planner, he knew exactly where to get all three of mentioned things.  In the shortest route of course. Time is of essence. On the other hand, it would lead him to none other than the Gates to Gods. The path that will eventually lead to the Twilight of the Divine Beings. As the proverb goes: All roads lead to Rome. There was nothing he could do about it.  Dread it? Run from it? Destiny arrives all the same. Such was the will that was stated since the beginning to time. However, that still didn't mean he would give up. The key to survival is to act. And the essential in action is perseverance. "Anyhow, I think now would be most suitable time to show myself to the world once again," he remarked, with a slight smile. "After all, the Pariah of Grey is no more." It was a singular step. Light, but heavy. Fragile, yet unbreakable. It was simple. Ordinary. However, the moment Achlys Grey took that single, lone step within this very room. It marked none other than the beginning of the maelstrom that would cloak the very roots of Arcadia. The earthquake, that would shake the feet of the earth. Whether it be in the light, or the darkness. Ultimately, a journey of a thousand miles, continues with the second step. To proceed undaunted was something he had to do. After all, any normal individual would have long fell upon pressure and fright when posessing the knowledge of the inevitable doomsday. Only a complete madlad would be able to commit to his ideals unbothered. To achieve, whilst losing their sense of belief. However - "Fortune favours fools." Alongside the shifting of the air, the boy continued. "That is all the reason as to why only the insane can perceive the world for what it truly is, after all." A little bit of madness to see the truth is something he is willing to lose a strand of sanity for. After all, the opportunity to experience the mysteries did seem quite appealing to him. In the end, humans are at the top of the food chain due to being the quickest to adapt. Luckily for him, it was something he was quite good at. With a chuckle the boy finally opened the gates of the cage that held him. The weight on his shoulders fading, as the breeze softly welcomed his presence. His stygian cloak, dancing to the tune of his mind. The symphony of his heart. The feeling of freedom is something he relished - "It all starts now." A sensation he wouldn't let go. That was his right, a characteristic he wouldn't discard. That was simply the type of man Achlys Grey was.

Arcadia. That was the appellation given to the world in the game [Garden of Eden]. Containing various continents, towering cities, and a variety of races, the initial stage of the world gave the players a vivid and enjoyable grasp of what the game is about. Alas, along with overwhelming positivity, there will always be a hint on negativity, no matter how big or small. ['Typical. It's set inside a fantasy, medieval era where you will capture targets in the academy, saving the damsel in distress, and a bunch of other clichés. Not expecting much from the game'] Such was the comment of one of the reviewers who had played the beginning stages of the game, quitting without seeing how it develops. Whether it was due to their arrogance, or the amount of other games that used the exact same premise, they had left causing countless others to elude the game themselves. However, never in their wildest imagination could they have expected the turn of events on a certain day within the game... [The Epoch of Gods has begun...] Along with the quote written on the second chapter of the game, a whole new world was opened. Dragging the ones who had left the game to come back crawling curiously, right before the very sight of the players that had stuck with the game. Unsurprisingly, with this new addition of the event, a lot of newborn questions were born alongside it. 'Why on that day', 'does this hold some significance?', 'what will happen in the future?'. The unceasing questions ravaged the Internet for a long time, each one more sophisticated than the last. However, even after a long time the most simple of queries could have never been answered properly: The Eon of Gods. What exactly was it? Inferring from the name itself, you could comprehend it had something to so along the lines of 'gods coming down to earth' which was in fact partially true. Although, it is something entirely different at the same time. Th Age of Gods. The time when the world of Arcadia was plunged into chaos. Unrending mayhem with the addition of monsters with unknown origins. Brand new species alongside a world that grew instantly into a size incomparable from before. Now, exactly where do 'Gods' - that were the rulers of the so-called 'Age' - come into play? Well, in fact the alleged 'Gods' don't really come into the world but instead observe it intently. They sat upon their lofty thrones, looking down upon the world without lifting a single finger. Without the interference of such beings, a question that plagued most of the new players minds, formed: why is it called the 'Age of Gods' if they don't intervene? The answer to that was quite simple. If direct inteference don't work then surely the can use a loophole to affect the world so it leans in their favour. Thus, after a period of time the Gods finally discovered a way to break the system. 'If direct meddling doesn't work then we'll just have to do it indirectly.' Shifting their divine manifestation into a different form. Powers more controlled, gentle. With the compressed exposition of their might, the Gods...vanished. Disappeared from wherever they were watching. However, that was what they had thought had happened. It was sudden. A small, evolved, transformed into a colossal change happened beside addition of mythological creatures. The once blank river of the skies of Arcadia was filled to the brim. A thousand, perhaps even greater, sparks of ember rose on the canvas of darkness. Each one a drop of euphoria in an ocean of nothingness. Reminescent of a beautiful painting. An everdistant utopia. Something you can see, gaze, but not touch. An announcement was made to those who had thought the Gods had abandoned them. A message; aimed to the inhabitants with the manifestation of stars. Beings of power, who were eventually called a certain name: Constellations. The Gods each manifested themselves into stars. Objects of hope, for the ones who became homeless. All while giving faith to the creatures in Arcadia by giving their [Blessings]. Making them be depicted as the 'heroes' by the bards who had found hoaxed salvation within chaos. Regrettably, only a few will ever know the truth. By giving their powers to the ones they had chosen, humanity and other races had fought together against the beings that came out of nowhere. [Apostles] were the denomination given to the ones wielding the powers of stars. Countless praises and faith were given to the ones that lived in the sky, however as the saying goes - all good things must come to an end. The ancient beings felt the world go through a 'second awakening'. Monsters that they never knew existed, or comprehend, rose from the darkest imagination of humanity. Creatures that not even the Gods themselves can fathom, wreaked across the lands whilst the stars that once looked favourably and affectionately upon their children discarded them. Finding entertainment in the struggle of humanity, and everyone else. Depending through all the actions you chose, you could only end up with three endings. True Ending - [Ruler of Salvation] It was an ending that completely captures the essence of the game, and the supposed final end to the story of [Arcadia]. However, even to this day, the [True Ending] had never been grasped. Good Ending - [Herald of Sacrifice] The climax that results in you bringing all the opposing forces together, to unify humanity and battle against the [Constellations]. By sacrificing the hero, and villain you will be able to gain peace for the parched land. A fate, that undoubtedly encompasses: "sacrifice for the greater good" to the T. Alas, surprisingly, even this ending had never been reached. Which only left the final ending, that caused countless players to abandon the game they once treated with such care. Such joy. Bad Ending - [Demon King of Damnation] The only ending that had only been reached for the past three years. As well as the one that is expressed and gazed upon my very eyes. An apocalyptic world, on the verge of crumbling.  Limbs were tossed and spread into different directions. Eyes were gouged out, as if to prevent the sight of perceiving the final remnants of the once life-ridden world. The gentle, benevolent smile of the sun had long been extinguished. Replaced by a stygian chalice. Drenching the world in darkness, with a sky so crimson. It was a cataclysmic grounds that faced you to think of only one word: purgatory. A barren land that no life should be able to step on. To live on. Yet, upon a throne of corpses sat a man who defied that logic. His sword embraced by amethyst flames that dances to the final hymn of winds. Eye's dulled by the battles and wars, as the heads of Gods hung from his belt like trophies. The once joyful and determined man was reduced to nothing but a shell of his former self. Those bright emerald eyes, flowing like a dirty river. Drenched by blood, unknown whether it was his enemies or allies alike, that ravaged his handsome visage. Cecil Xalvador. The man, hailed as a hero. Praised as a child of justice, had betrayed the world and accepted the power to absolve the land he was born in. Destroying the beliefs and ideal, he once cherished. Adored. Becoming nothing like the saviour that the world so dearly loved. The Demon King of Damnation. The One who fells the End. That was the identity of the man who lost himself, as well as the singular ending that could be obtained after these painstaken five years. Disregarding all the efforts, that the previous players had made to complete the game. Renouncing - relinquishing, the hours spent. The tears shed. Now, gazing upon the game that had fallen from such unimaginable heights - I alone remained. My sunken eyes perceiving the blinking display that relayed the amount of players that endured. The number [1] nictating periodically. As the encroaching tiredness finally caught up and engulfed my very being. My perseverance, for the first time, crumbling through the relentless beatings of time. Eyes closing, as I recalled the amount of times I restarted, despite my unwillingness. 999. I had touched this game nine hundred and ninety nine times. My fragile hands, malnourished by the constant and determined mind that followed oasis that guided me. Continuing to play, thinking: "this time, I'll beat it." althought in the depths of my mind I wouldn't. It was simply the thought of a fool, who thought he could achieve something that millions of players couldn't. Tilting my head against my tattered, shattering chair, I blinded my vision with darkness. Unwilling to see the [Try Again?] message that may enrapture me. To not go through that pain one last time. However, that was just the plight of a man who hadn't bathed with the water of addiction. Even though those thoughts that I should have given up a long time ago appeared, I defied. I simply couldn't. No, rather it was I wouldn't. I was unable to part with a game that captured me so lovingly. Similar to a musician to his muse, or the flowers to the sun.  The only reason I continued, despite seeming like a moron, or an brainless idiot was to see an ending other than the desolate fate of the world. A destiny, where I could see that light at the end of the tunnel. That was my pride and will, even if it makes me seem witless to the people who held me dear. So for one last time. I gathered myself, and played [Garden of Eden] for one final dance. Even if it is futile. Even if it is vanitous. I will trudge on. I dragged my mouse, and place my pale fingers upon the keyboard. The cursor, travelling from the image of the tragic hero, towards the scarlet message that contained the blood of 999 retries. Moving, towards the [Yes] button, as I calmly and resolutely readied myself. To do things differently this time. With the music that rang in my ears, and the air that kissed my face as if to bless me for the journey. The counter that once had the staggering number of [999] ticked. Reaching [1000]. With a sigh that relaxed my being, I gazed upon the tunnel of light that filled my sight to the brim. This time, determined to reach the perfect run - I plunged into the world I hated, yet found so dear.  Arcadia.

Every story has a King and a Jester. The one who chases the treasure for others. The one set on destruction because of others. If this life was a story, or perhaps a fairytale, then I'd be the villain. The one who reaps chaos, the one who steals the treasure, making the world incomplete with endless, ravaging disasters. I'd be the one who failed to overcome my past, stripping the happiness from your future. The failure, who tried to give everything up for love. The fool; who had tried to make himself a God. In this life, I was the Villain. I was the one who always lost, always died, the one who went astray, pleading for you - the dear hero - to save me. Save me you did, plunging a blade through my chest for the 'greater good'. It was only then you realise the mistake you had made in this not so happy ending fairytale. The imminent truth, that only one can live happily ever after. Alas, it will always be you who will win - for death is always the price a villain must pay. When his dreams and nightmares are plagued with the intent to destroy the world, bringing vibrant colours into a faded world lost in chaos. You will realise - The villain was the hero. The hero was the villain. Happiness was prevented. By the one they all gave the flag to weave in their name. * * * The resounding, tumultuous thud of a book closing innescessantly echoed across the dreary; solitary room. Candles, numbering the few, had their blaze ignited arduously. Setting the room in a comfortable glow, within that sombre space. It was then a presence made itself known.  In the room, where only a glimpse of light and encroaching shadows seem to live, lay a handsome young man with a disheveled appearance. Subtly, gleaming raven hair that glimmered softly reminiscent of a stygian, but comfortable darkness, along with an impeccable features that were drowned in slight agony.  Usually, this would have been enough to evoke any feelings of sympathy within a woman's heart. However, for the man in question it would be anything but a luxury. Achlys Grey. He was an odd child. That was an undeniable fact. Whether it was his attitude towards those he didn't acknowledge, or the lack of passion to achieve greatness. His unmistakable sense or normalcy nor his cold-headed way of thinking that rejected emotions. He was a youth many people in the past steered away from. In a more superficial way, he would be considered as an: "extra", or perhaps even a "mob". An individual with no redeeming or stark qualities that makes him stand out from any other. Just a casual, ordinary run off-the-mill character who is mentioned once before never appearing again. That was the type of man Achlys Grey can be considered to be. The one, and only, son of the Viscount - Illogan Grey. A man widely respected and loved by his people, due to his overwhelming kindness and lackluster ambition. Perhaps that is the reason as to why he had never been promoted to an Earl. Well, that was supposed to be the case if it wasn't for an unescapable change occurring within Achlys, or the one who had become him... Exactly two days ago, the one named and known by most as Achlys Grey, the next Heir and offspring of Viscount Illogan Grey, had made a tremendous change. His usual listless antics, and unaspiring behaviour had suddenly halted when the boy locked himself in his room. Unwilling to see anybody, including his father, with the excuse of: "recollecting my thoughts". None of them...had ever envisaged such a surprising outcome. Obviously, there had been a spike of immediate queries and theories as to why the boy hadn't stepped out. Ranging from uncountable stories such as giving up on life, or even the outrageous fable that he met a woman and felt a sudden change of heart. The gossip that travelled far and wide only seemed to grow larger, steadier and more absurd with each passing second. However, unfortunately for them, their absurd and indescribable superstitious thoughts would not come to fruition any time soon. Unless the door to the room that cages him opens. As for the reason he was holed up in his room? It was safe to say that only the person in question will ever know... * * * I gazed blankly upon the weathered ceiling. My hand frozen in silence atop the obsidian book that had the words [The Villain and the Hero] written in elegant, cursive strokes. Drawn in such way, that when a person looks upon it they would immediately be drawn in, thinking, 'whoever created this must be a noble who had practised years of calligraphy!' which was practically normal to assume so. However, perhaps only I knew that it was false.  For I was the one who brought it to life. Etching the dialogue of my favourite poem, and many more, onto a book. To pass time, or to not lose myself in this chaotic situation was something unknown to even me. My sight blurred as I recollected myself calmly. Mind, skimming over everything that occurred within the previous days. Intently. Even if it meant to gloss over those I buried. Unsurprisingly, I was man who had no solace. One who lost and drowned himself repeatedly over a simple game. Endlessly. A victim, to the thorny hands of addiction. Perhaps, I still would be if I hadn't found myself in this ludicrous situation. It was simply unexplainable. Whether it was the sudden transportation to another world - that I concluded was the game I last played, [Garden of Eden] - or the possession of a character I have never encountered. Even after playing continously for five whole years. Achlys Grey. He was an outlier. An anomaly that simply shouldn't exist, not to be rude in a disrespectful way. Although it may seem incredulous for me to make such a conclusion, I had every right to do so. Even if I have to agree that I don't understand single character like the back of my hand. Howevee, no one could deny the vast and expensive knowledge I contained. Absolutely no one. That is why I was so self-assured in my deduction. After all - Viscount Illogan Grey never had an offspring within the game. He was a man with no wife, or children. None at all, due to the duties and responsibilities he held as a Lord. I knew this very well, due to once having a quest that led me on this very territory. Collecting information about a foreign place in advance was a given. The soft, gentle tapping of my fingers echoed within my ears like a reminder. A soothing melody, as I proposed two possible conclusions. Both that may induce a wretched migraine that will make me want to jump and fling myself off a cliff. One - the current world I was in - [Arcadia] - was undoubtedly a parallel one. Or either created a vessel by twisting the laws of nature to accommodate my soul, or 'mind', for allow my stay here. As for Who or Why, it simply didn't matter for me at thus very moment. Especially if it will leave me with more questions then answers in turn. It was a theory that encompassed the very meaning of unreasonable. It was simply, and utterly illogical. However, the possibility still exists. As long as there is the slightest chance of it being true, then you can never discard the answer. No matter how slim. Two - I was in a future where the Hero achieved the [True Ending] and now live in peace, or war. However, this option seemed far more imbecilic than the first, especially when considering the fact that most routes and decisions end up in failure anyways. With my eyes regaining focus, I leaned myself forward. The scent of pages, and the disillusioned figure of a flame searing my vision, the feeling of unimaginable discomfort enveloped me. The possibility of being in the future with no sight in mind was far more terrifying than being transported into the era that may decide of what will come. After all the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is the fear of the unknown. "What a drag..." Slapping my face with cold, rigid hands to snap out of philosophical thoughts; I pulled myself forward from the splintering, wooden chair. Picking up and placing the book alongside countless others that were sprawled around the room. Right now it was best to focus on the present, than the ever changing future. I swiftly used my hands to straighten my clothes that were crumpled due to the period spent on the chair. Immediately after, I proceeded to prop myself to the bathroom washing my face while staring at the reflection that gazed coldly back at me. "Achlys Grey." A smile of acceptance formed on my visage as I uttered the name with a smooth, baritone voice. A pale hand, finding its way to lift my messy hair as I've shouldered the responsibility of the man who should've.  Even though I had no other choice. Alas, what could he do? Groan, panic and sit at the corner, wallowing in depression because I've found myself in a new world. Or run around in excitement, causing people to think you got possessed before ending up getting killed. I picked neither. I've welcomed the change instead of doing any other option because I didn't have time to waste. Nor to die. I had to adjust during the past few days, in order for me to survive just a few seconds more in this 'game' turned reality I know very well about. After all, people have to adapt; overcome. That is what it means to be a human - A being that is unmatched in terms of intelligence.

Hearing that crazy warrior princess desperately shouting my name, a shiver crept its way up my spine. Ever since I had rescued her from some bandits, she seemed to follow me around like an adorable little puppy would its owner. She somehow got it in her head that I should be the Queen. I’m just a regular old villager from the Rabbitman Village, not even the daughter of the chief or anything. She’s the one with royal blood, so why is she trying to foist her throne off on me??? “Yoooooour Maaaaaajestyyyyyy!!!” Her voice was rapidly growing in volume and clarity as she approached with all the velocity of a bolt of lighting. That crazy little girl…… I miss the days when she was just a helpless little princess. I don’t know what got into her, but ever since that day I saved her, she trained like a woman possessed…… She must have the latent blood of past heroes or something, because she rapidly scaled the power rankings. All the way until she became the strongest human in the entire world. “What are you doing here, Valia?! You were supposed to be leading the army battle over on the border, dozens of kilometers away!” “I crushed that army lickity split, so that I could hurry over here! No thing and no body could ever stop me from coming to fight by your side, Sagi…… I just didn’t expect you to have already crushed that dirty dark god by the time I got here.” Valia said with her chest puffed out with pride, finally arriving at my side. “Ugh…… Can you at least not call me ‘Your Majesty?’ You’re the Princess here, the last remaining member of the royal family, so you’re obviously going to be Queen - not me. So stop saying that.” I said with a tired sigh. “How could that be?!” She said sternly, “You’re the one who freed the citizens, broke the curse on the World Tree, revitalized the land, and now you’ve gone and crushed the Dark God…… You’re our Hero! Of course you should lead us! Everyone agrees with me, you should be the one to take us into the new age. I even talked it over with the elves, humans, beast tribes, and gnomes - we all think you should be the head of the new, united nation. The Empress of the World - Sagi the Great!” My face paled at the picture Valia was painting with her words. Her brain must have gone crooked somewhere, perhaps due to the back breaking amount of training, thinking I would ever want such a thing. She should know me. She should have known I never wanted to be anything like an Empress! I just wanted to set up a shop somewhere, all quiet-like, and retire in peace. But she’s got the leaders of all the other races on her side for this crazy plan of hers?! Dang it, she must have infected the entire world with her strange dream! I could see it now, being forced to sit on some stuffy old throne all day, wearing uncomfortable golden robes, having to spend my every second dealing with paperwork and meeting with duplicitous nobles…… it sounded like hell. My own personal hell. Grabbing my hand, Valia said excitedly, “Come back with me, we’ve got to get you ready for the Grand Victory Parade! The citizens are all waiting for victorious hero to return, so we can celebrate this momentous day!” My stomach just sunk even further as her excited voice pounded into my ears. I was getting the sinking suspicion that there was no getting away from this no matter where I hid, not with the entire world on her side. So, I checked my potential fate with my ability. Desperately, I looked for some path to peace for myself in this world, but………… there was nothing. It was impossible. If I stayed here, I would forever be hounded by those who wanted to meet the woman who defeated the Dark God Yog and take advantage of my power and reputation. My ability, however, did show the one path to happiness available to me - granted to me by the gift that Aki left behind. One golden path to the future lay before me, accessible only by crossing through the dimensional rift, and I had to take it. My long crusade against the Dark God had taught me to be decisive above all else, so I began to act immediately after making my choice - knocking Valia off my arm and gathering power in my legs. “Sorry, Valia…… Looks like you’ll have to be Queen after all.” I said with a grin, purple energy rippling through my right hand. “My path to happiness lies elsewhere, and I have to grasp it all on my own!” “What do you mean, Sagi?” Valia asked with confusion visible on her face. “Time for me to go!” I shouted as I jumped into the air. Pulling my arm back, I used the Space-Time Seed and punched the Dimensional Wall with all my strength. Valia just stood there, locked in place, as the wall separating this world from another just shattered into pieces. She could only watch helplessly as I threw myself into that yawning void, determined to follow it wherever it might take me. Before I went all the way through the rift, I dropped a resplendent purple gem into her hands before turning to give her a grin, “Hold on to that Coordinate Gem for me! If you want to see me again, you’d better not lose it. Well, I’m off to my next adventure!” The last thing I saw before the rift swallowed me was Valia trying, and failing, to hold back tears and waving goodbye as energetically as she could. “You’d better come back!!!”

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM* A thunderous roar reverberated through the air as I swung my fist at the monstrosity in front my eyes, rabbit ears flapping due to the shock wave. I had been locked in grueling hand-to-hand combat with this dark god for the last three days straight. Me, alone, against an entire army of invaders from another dimension. I managed to crush the army fairly early on, but their leader, Yog, just wouldn’t die. No matter how many times I used my strengthened arms to rip off its’ innumerable tentacles or hardened fists to burst its pustule-ridden flesh, it just kept regenerating. ROOOOOOOOOOAR An unintelligible, guttural sound continuously poured from the grotesque lump of flesh in front of my eyes. Despite being in a deadlock for the last three days, it was clearly feeling cornered. This filled me with strength. It felt good to know I was this close to crushing the creature who invaded our world, who crushed my village, and caused the downfall of many countries. Suddenly, my special ability activated - I could see the path of destiny ahead, the path to ending this long and painful fight. I have no idea where my ability came from, but I could see something. String of fate, destiny’s path, the road to the future - I had no idea it was, but it’s led me forward all my life. The day my clan’s village was attacked, it led me to safety. When I was about to killed by a monster, it showed me where I need to attack it to survive. When I needed help, it led me to comrades. And, most importantly, when I needed power, it showed me where to go and what to do. My ability helped me grow strong, so strong. From a simple, powerless woman of the rabbit tribe, here I was fighting hand to hand with a literal god. The inheritance of past heroes, the gift of the Spirit King, even knowledge left behind by other-worlders - I managed to find them all. I journeyed halfway across the entire world, saved a princess or four, crushed an evil minister or ten, and freed the slaves from hundreds of the invader’s gulags. Now, it was time to bring this endless journey to a close. With that thought in mind, I followed along with what my eyes were telling me and channeled a gift left behind by an other-worlder named Aki. She had been whisked away to Fortuna through a dimensional rift from her home world of Earth. Every day of her life here, she researched a way to return. By the time she created Space-Time magic, she was old and married. She no longer wanted to go home, so she left her research and the Space-Time Seed behind. I used that Space-Time Seed now by channeling the majority of my magic into it, shattering the dimension right where Yog was standing. Dozens of rifts appeared inside its’ body and began slicing it to bits. *RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA* Yog screamed in agony, locked in place by the Space-Time magic. It clearly wanted to get away from the countless knives shredding its body to pieces, but it could only look back me powerlessly. Its single, enormous eye glared at me with inhuman rage - potent enough to stop the heart any other person out there. These tiny tears in the very fabric of the world did what I could not - put a stop to the rampage of an evil god. I stared on as, piece by piece, the dimension forces tore the creature I hated more than anything into fragments, then dust. “Finally, this is over. Mother, father, everyone - it’s finally over.” I looked on as the grotesque thing that had haunted our world for the last few years gradually melted away. The dimensional tears were the last thing to go, until eventually they too melted away. I took a few deep breaths as I made sure that Yog was gone for good. Assured that the world was finally safe, I slowly lowered myself to the desolate plains of the world below. “So……… what do I do now?” I felt lost. The goal of my quest and the target of my revenge had been vanquished. Anything I wanted to do or collect had already been done. There was nothing and nobody to hold me back any more. Just as I was right on the cusp of figuring out what to do next, I heard a barely audible voice in the distance - rapidly growing in volume as its owner approach my position. “Yoooooour Maaaaaaajesty!” It was the voice of the Warrior Princess Valia, the former princess I had once saved in passing.

The lands glowed a bright alabaster, tucked under an icy blanket, lying under the endless flakes. The fluffy bears had gone to sleep for the season, their deep breaths painting the air with a silver mist. Tiny squirrels dashed about the barren trees, their cheeks fat with nuts and berries. A cardinal perched on a low branch, fluffing its ruby red wings before taking off as a skinny doe came galloping past. She stopped, tilting her nose to the sky as flakes of cold snow greeted her happily. But as if she remembered something urgent, she began to gallop again, leaving a trail of round prints in her wake, kicking up a flurry of snow.   The forest ahead was a maze of green and brown, a touch route for newcomers; but she’d gone through that forest hundreds of times it seemed. Every rabbit hole, every flake of tree bark, every overturned stump or low hanging limb, she knew them all. Ducking and jumping, she almost stomped on a hare that dodged between her feet, screaming angrily at her callousness. She belated a sincere apology, not stopping until she finally broke through the line of trees that opened to a meadow. Her breaths were heavy as she rested for a moment, her head darting from left to right before loosing a high pitched bark into the snowy world. Again and again she barked, it was crisp, sweet, a truly lovely sound that called out. “Where are you?!” She seemed to say as she barked again, her eyes scanning through the falling snow.    Everything was white. Maybe it was too cold. Or maybe the snow was too high. Or maybe her friend wouldn’t come that day. Maybe she wouldn’t come the next day either. Perhaps the doe would never see her dear friend again. But determined to prove those fates false, she barked and barked, calling and calling out into the world until at last, her cries were returned with a deep howl. It echoed over the hills and into the snow-covered forest, causing every fearful rabbit to hide, and every jumpy squirrel to find a place high in the trees, and every sniveling weasel to flee in the opposite direction. But the doe stood her ground, turning westward, her tail flicking happily as a low figure plowed over a snowy hill, kicking up snow and rolling over itself until she decided to meet them. She trotted at first, but as the howling continued her pace picked up into a gallop. The snow was soft and deep beneath her hooves, threatening to hold her in place as she took long awkward strides onward.   The howls turned into excited barking, and finally into heavy, tongue-hanging panting. The furry hound held her gaze, her ears perked up and her tail wagging so hard it could have caused its own snowstorm. The two creatures exchanged usual greetings, a lengthy rubbing of their noses followed by sniffing and jumping and bleats and barks of jubilancy. And after the greetings, the two of them laid on their stomachs, the doe gazing into her husky friend’s turquoise eyes, and the husky returning her gaze curiously, still panting with her tongue out. What would she have said to her friend if she could speak? I’ve missed you, perhaps. What took you so long? Or I’m happy you’re here again.    The husky barked suddenly, rolling onto her back, inviting the doe to nuzzle her. And so she did. Her coat was soft, fluffy like the snow that fell around them. The husky panted, pawing gently at her doe companion who moved her snout left and right across the fuzzy stomach. Ah, such bliss. If the two of them could have formed a word for their time spent together, it would be bliss. Cold, snow covered, cuddly bliss.    CRACK!   A single deafening sound cracked like a whip from the forest far behind. The husky was back on her feet in seconds, her eyes piercing through the snowfall, her nose turned up, sniffing for predators. Why was that sound so familiar? Why was it so…loud? What was it?   Sniff…sniff…sniff.   A new smell, a strong smell. It wasn’t a predator. Another sound, turned her on her paws, her gaze landing upon the doe who bellowed painfully up to the sky. The husky barked, sniffing next to the doe, stopping to survey the bloodied hole in the tawny fur. She barked again as the doe bellowed. A guttural sound, wet and raspy. Every animal knew what those sounds meant.   The doe was dying. But why? Moments ago they’d been having so much fun, jumping and playing in their snowy wonderland, sniffing and pawing each other, watching their breaths cascade around them. But the world around them had turned into a void. The only sounds were those horrid, uneven, labored breaths. Her mouth opened and closed; and her black eyes, black as a night sky, were wet with tears of sorrow.  From her spot where she lay on the frozen earth, she watched her husky friend turn quickly, growling fiercely with her fuzzy white tail straight in the air. A protector, a guard. Her guard, her protector. She tried to bellow again, perhaps for caution, perhaps to tell her friend to flee and leave her behind; but the only sound that came out was a wet cough, followed by the frigid cold of the snowy ground roughly meeting the side of her face. She couldn’t move her legs, or her tail, so instead, her body convulsed in anger, in determination. Again and again until the world before grew hazy, her vision clouding. It was colder than usual, the doe noticed slowly. Even the heavy nudges from her pooch were cold, no, she couldn’t feel them at all. Numbness consumed her dying feelings, even her mind became clouded and muddled, until she could think no more. Her instincts were no more than flashes of black and white as she closed her eyes. Those deep, angered growls and sorrowful howls were so distant, so far away, so…so…pained.

1Picture this: A vampire girl bitten in her twenties hundreds of years ago, but instead of being an old-fashioned goth, she’s an Instagram model with a sunny disposition. Pale as fuck, obviously, but with flowing blonde hair and a palette of colorful eyeshadows in her makeup bag. She’s dating the farmer’s butch daughter who’s always tired after a long day working on the land with her brothers, but not on the weekends. She convinced her father that Friday and Saturday nights she goes out into the city with her friends, when really she’s deep in the woods mackin’ on her vamp gf’s couch. Vampire has a cabin in the forest and a lot of money acquired through Mysterious Means, and she often buys Butch various knick knacks and outfits off the Internet. Even though they meet up at night, Butch sees her once in awhile with a parasol and sunglasses off in the distance, watching from afar as she weeds the garden. In the winter, there’s marks on her arms and legs, but in the summer they’re higher up on her inner thighs and breasts. (They always put Neosporin on after and make sure the cuts aren’t too deep.) The farmer’s daughter is her favorite snack in more ways than one. They fuck several times a night until Butch is too tired to go on, panting and shaking from cumming so much. Vampire Girl is a switch, but Butch is primarily a bottom. She loves being tied up and spanked, and her lover is more than happy to provide the pain. But more than anything, she loves her sexy monster girlfriend- she’s absolutely obsessed with every little thing about her, from her delicate porcelain hands to the sound of her high-pitched laughter and her love of dogs. When she reaches twenty-five, the vampire plans on Turning her and taking her as a wife (With her permission, of course). She even has the ring already, having bought it a year into the relationship.~~~2Trans catgirl’s cock shrank from estrogen, so she wears an extender when she fucks her big titty goth gf. Goth Girl has a high sex drive and loves getting plowed, with over a dozen playlists dedicated to getting hot and heavy. She never wanted to settle down until she met Catgirl- she was shocked at how compatible they were; they loved the same bands and TV shows and shared most of the same kinks. The only one they didn’t both partake in was Catgirl’s love of omorashi, but Goth Girl eventually tried it for her and found that the embarrassed look on her girlfriend’s face was worth the mess. Catgirl loves sweets and kitty puns. She realized she was trans at 16 (5 years ago) and lives with her supportive human aunt. She has light orange hair to her shoulders and a pair of dark ears atop her head that she often hides with a grey beanie. Goth Girl meets her at a bar and is immediately entranced. The fact she learns she’s a catgirl later that night doesn’t even phase her since her sister’s a werewolf. Goth Girl wears a silver cross, but she’s an agnostic at heart. She also typically wears high platform shoes, ripped tights and tight band tees. She used to smoke cigarettes but Catgirl convinced her to quit. Her hair is snow white but she’s naturally a redhead, and she’s self-conscious about her round nose but Catgirl thinks it’s adorable. Goth Girl has a cat of her own with one eye named Tulip who didn’t like Catgirl at first, but warmed up to her over time. They all sleep in the same bed with Tulip in-between them, purring up a storm.~~~3Demon meets closeted exorcist drunk in the early 19th century. Exorcist is so attracted to the demon and so wasted that he comes onto him, ultimately failing in sending him back to Hell. Feeling bad for him, Demon doesn’t fuck him and instead asks him where he lives. Continuing to dodge his advances, he gets the information out of him and takes him home, Exorcist holding onto him on the back of his own horse. In the morning, he’s horrified. How could he fail so awfully at his job and surrender to such sinful desires? Motivated to make up for it, he takes as break from the booze and embarks on a long journey to find Demon and send him back from whence he came. About a month later, he finds him in an old, decrepit house. He’s surprised that the monster hasn’t caused any havoc but is still determined to banish him from the earthly plane. That is, until Demon talks him out of it. Never had he met someone so handsome and devilishly convincing. They end up having a philosophical conversation and Demon pours him a drink. It only takes three glasses for them to wind up upstairs, the demon tearing off the priest’s cassock and kissing him on the hardwood floor. Demon sucks him until he’s on the edge, then leads him to the empty bedroom. He fetches oil from the nightstand and lights a few candles. Exorcist admits he’s nervous and asks for another drink, but Demon denies him, saying he wants him to remember the feel of his heated skin against his flesh. He fucks his virgin asshole gently, then feverishly, chasing after his own orgasm. The bed creaks beneath the pair as they finish in unison, Demon spilling his seed deep inside the priest as the horny human comes untouched, cum shooting up a small crevice between the sheets and his bare stomach.

Akaria was a street rat, at least that was what most citizens of Valar came to brand her. Her parents had sold her into servitude to a noble family when she was young in hopes that her future would be better than a life in the outer ring. They may have had good intentions for her, but not Akaria her heart was wild and a life as a maid was hell itself to her. The moment she saw the opportunity she escaped and made it back to where she felt her home would always be, the outer rings , the red dunes district. Red Dunes was a collage of tents and mixed dirt and sand buildings that riddled the south side of the great desert city of Valar.     Valar was a masterpiece within the vast desert. The city had an innermost city where the coliseum to the center most part of the district. Around it was where the noble families lived. The south part was closed off and was where one could see the black castle of the king of Valar stood. The castle was built as part of the southern wall and from its top king Sable could look down on their city.      Akaria jumped from roof to roof avoiding sight of the guards below. The day had been good to her; a few newcomers from the west had made it to the city to sell some merchandise to the spice market. She was able to get some of those spices with a pretty good discount,  as long as they did not realize a bag was missing.      She stopped at one rooftop and swung the bag over her left shoulder before sliding down a pillar to the alley below. The sunlight never truly reached this area so it was a perfect place to stay away from sight. She ran down the Alley stepping over sleeping beggars and dodging hanging clothes from the local street dwellers. She turned a few corners before reaching the door. She knocked on it in a rhythm before whistling a tune.     Sounds of chains and locks could be heard through the other side of the wooden door. The door slowly opened to about a crack. A thin small green hand stuck out the door and began to slide his thumb against his middle finger, a sign known to many as, make a payment or where is the money. "Pay" the squeaky voice of a goblin trying to speak the common tongue of Valar could be heard.      Akaria sighed and placed a bronze piece on the goblins hand. The hand disappeared in a flashback within the door. The door slammed and more noises could be heard, more locks, more contraptions. Then it opened wide allowing her to step in. Akaria took her steps in and as she crossed the threshold of the door it shut behind her quickly.      The small creature took a quick glance at her and snorted. The little goblin was about three feet tall but he hunched making him even shorter. The little creature was quick; it ran up a small ladder and quickly locked all the locks and contraptions before descending down the ladder again.  “Go go, young tear boss is waiting for more” it shrieked as it turned to guard  the door.Akaria rolled her eyes and began to walk down the small corridor. The path was dimly lit and smelt of alcohol and vomit. She hated this fence, but they paid her well specially for spices from across the sands. Akaria had learned the best fences and what they held at the highest prices. The sound of music started to buzz around her as she approached the end of the corridor, along with the yells and laughs of the patrons. She entered the room, two guards stood at each side of the entrance man of the mountains they were known as. They were large both towering about seven feet tall and an amalgamation of muscles. Their head shaven and tattooed with their clan markings, The large men had large battle axes strapped to their side. The men did not pay much mind to her, she was a regular here and they had grown accustomed to her coming and going. Their sights were fixed on the others within the room. Tables were set up across the room for those who wanted to partake in gambling. Akaria was not interested in the games. She held onto her bag of spices and made her way to the back of the room trying to remain as out of sight as she could. Her eyes darted from each direction making sure she was aware of her surroundings, The back of the room had a long bar set up, there were a few sitting on the barstools available, The bartender looked at her as she approached and took a seat. Akaria was short, only five foot four inches. She climbed the barstool and sat her bag in front of her on the bar. “Setting sun marks the day and the moon rises slowly.” She said as she smiled at the burly dark haired man across from her. “Speak plainly girl, no need for secret script here, nothing to hide” The man grunted and looked at her with a stern glare. The man’s glare slowly softened as he gave a loud laugh. “I said. I have the spices and am here to trade. Come on Traven tell the boss I'm her” She said half annoyed. Secret scrip was a language shared by the thieves and shadows of the land. Akaria had picked it up in her years working for the black market. “ Okay okay, keep calm young lady I was teasing. Your script has come a long way, sounding a lot better than when we first spoke” Traven said as he chuckled. The man was sun kissed and tanned like the sands, like many of the citizens of Valar. He walked to the back of the bar. Traven made a few hand signs that could have been unnoticed by the untrained eye but Akaria caught it.  Traven motioned for her, she nodded and grabbed her bag. There was not a second for her to make a move before a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder.  "No need, tear of the sands. Let us do business here" the soft spoken yet chilling voice of Pero reverberated down her spine. She shivered as she turned to look at him. Pero was a thin man with pale skin. He did not have an intimidating physical form. He stood about five feet nine inches tall, an average height for his race. The one thing that made the Hyarch intimidating was his eyes. Hyarchs were a race known for their eye colors. They either had deep violet eyes that almost seemed to glow, or more rarely shining silver eyes that resemble pools of mercury. Pero's eyes were the violet variety. He had a way of looking at a person that seemed to stare into their souls. “Well if that is the case, I have two pounds of spices straight from Alomin and a small bag of coffee from Almurf. You know that alone is worth gold if sold to the right buyer. I say seven silver covers it all.” She says, Akaria smiles at the man. “Pushing it, but we have been in business a long time. I will give you five silver” Pero responded as he tilted his head much like a dog would if curious about something. The room was still filled with the sounds of various instruments being played. The people seemed to get louder the more the time passed and a few had already been taken away by the security.  “Six silver, boss, you know that coffee is drunk by royalty in the sands so let us not fool each other” she says as her arms fold against her chest. “Very well, I miss when you were younger and naive. I made more money that way. Look, Akaria, keep your head down for a while. I have been hearing stories of little shadows like you disappearing in the night time. I do not know what is happening and slavery is illegal across Helios and that includes our little home here in the desert. Whatever or whoever is taking these kids are not slavers so it is most likely they are no longer breathing. Akaria went silent for a sec, her bright green eyes seemed to dull with the news. She knew no one would dare break Champion laws so slavers were out of the question in these lands. Akaria knew if that was the case, these missing people were being taken away from Helios or killed. She had to warn her spotter. “Thanks for the heads up boss.” she said in a soft tone. Pero tossed her the coin pouch, she caught it as she slid down the barstool and disappeared again in the mass of people standing next to the gambling tables. This would be a perfect place to explore some of these people's pockets. Akaria knew better, if she was caught here she would lose her fence and the respect of the others in this community. Akaria quickly made it past the tables and through the corridor that led back to the alleys. The corridor had a few people sitting on the floor passed out from the alcohol. She stepped over them and towards the door where the little door man stood guard. He quickly unlocked all the locks and motioned for her to leave. She paid no mind to the rude creature as soon as she crossed to the other side of the door, there was a loud slam behind her as the door closed. That slam marked her sprint like the gun on a sprint race. As soon as she heard the noise she took off like a wild animal chasing its prey. Akaria jumped up and landed on an empty box in the alley before lunging towards a beam above her using her acrobatics skill to launch herself upwards towards the roof. She knew she would not have made it to her target. She adjusted herself to miss and roll out of a fall. Akaria missed her mark and saved herself from a bad fall by twisting her body and rolling out of her fall. She kept her momentum from the fall and propelled herself forwards into an elegant leap. The young girl twisted in the air embracing herself to make her a smaller target just enough to fit through a hole on one of the stone walls. Akaria closed her eyes as she made it through the hole. She then opened her eyes, planting her hands on another wall to push herself up the next level of the building in front of her. She was an expert free runner able to parkour most environments in the city. She sped up now that she was on the highest part of the roof tops in the Red Dunes. The maze of buildings below her could be a pain to traverse if you did not know the way. Akaria ran to the edge of a building and gracefully jumped while turning around so that her back landed safely on a tents roof made of thick hide. She slid down before reaching the end she kicked off the tents roof backflipping down into safety. Akaria landed then quickly took off towards a black tent with Elven writing, even though she had known Marian for a long time she never took the time to learn his language. She burst through the entrance of the tent and yelled out. “Marian, where are you? We need to talk now!” she yelled. In a second a tall and slender man walked out of the back of the tent. He was about six feet in height but his slender body was riddled in muscles that made the few clothes he had on seem too small for his size. His pointed ears gave his race away. He was a desert elf bronze skinned and dark blue eyes that resembled ice. His hair was cut short and buzzed on the sides.  “Relax little Aka, why must you always yell?” Marian said with a wave of his hand. He then held onto the front of his vest the only thing he wore to cover his top. It did little to hide his thick chest and muscular structure. He wore commoner trousers that had a few holes along the thigh and knee. He seemed to take care of his hair more than his clothes. The elf had golden blonde hair that was kept neatly cut.

Unknown data transmission detected. . . Origin: Unknown. Data signature: GAIA's signature. . . Verified. Executing . . . Accessing APOLLO 's primary database. . . Error. Accessing APOLLO 's secondary database. . .Error. Accessing APOLLO 's tertiary database. . . Success. Downloading Panthera Uncia Sapiens DNA pattern. Applying genetic modification according to GAIA 's unknown data transmission. Sending biological data to the cradle facility Zeta-1. No further instructions detected, entering hibernation mode. *** A group of adventurers consisting of two humans and one elf, are walking through the south mountains, a cold and harsh environment to anyone but their target, the glacial mammoth, a monster known for its ice like fur that act as one of the best thermal insulation there is, ignoring magic, that is. "Let's not forget why we are here, we need to hunt that mammoth if we want to see the end of the week" the human who's wearing a steel armor and a steel sword strapped on his waist spoke to the other two. "But let's not forget that the mammoth isn't the only danger lurking on these mountains" "I know we saw the Tallneck on the base of the mountain, but are you sure there are demons around here?" The elf, who's wearing a typical mage outfit, a long and heavy vest for the cold, unlike their leader, who's using a magical pendant to stay warm while using his steel armor. "Isn't it too cold for them, as they have those metallic bodies?" "While it's true their metallic bodies make them cool down or heat up more easily, they don't care much about temperature" the last human, an archer, said with a trembling voice. "Hey, Arthur, when are we going to rest? I'm going to lose my fingers if we continue like this, do you want a useless archer?" Even with double the amount of clothes the elf was using, the cold still threatened to freeze him to death. "Hey, I told you to buy one of those magic pendants. It was you who said, and I quote, "I'm not wasting my money with useless things like that"". "Huf" "If you really want to rest, then I found a cavern entrance about a kilometer from here" the leader spoke, pointing his finger to a small opening on the snow, a black dot on the never ending white desert that is the south mountains. Seeing it the archer breathed a sigh of relief and started walking towards it, taking the lead of the group unintentionally as the only thing in his mind is just a kilometer more, I can do it, let's do it, don't think about the cold, just about the cavern, you can do it, walk, you can walk, just keep walking. The group kept walking in the direction of the cavern, they weren't on high alert because their target was still a few days of travel ahead of them, and they're in no rush, as the cold could become a serious problem if they rushed things and didn't prepare themselves appropriately. It took them about an hour and a half to reach the cavern entrance. “!” The elf rapidly got on guard, alerting the other two, who then also got on guard. “What happened, Fahyr?” The archer asked the elf. “I felt an incredible magic surge coming from deep in the cavern, as if the magic was being pulled towards something. It stopped” “Have you ever encountered something like this in your magic books?” Arthur asked, sword in hand and in front of everybody, ready to strike anything that comes their way. “Only a strong spell could theoretically pull that much magic towards it, and considering it has not yet fired, I don’t think it is a spell” “What do you think, James?” The archer stopped to think for a few moments. “Considering the cold and Fahyr saying the surge stopped a moment after it happened, I think we should go deep into the cave to investigate the matter” Both Arthur and Fahyr nodded at James' suggestion and started walking to the cave. “That’s weird” Arthur said. “What do you mean?” James asked. “The rock, isn’t it?” Fahyr questioned Arthur. “Exactly. James, look at the rock, what do you see?” James examined the floor, walls and ceiling of the cave before answering. “Nothing? I don’t see anything on them” He answered, not seeing anything wrong with the place. “That’s what’s weird, there’s no deformities, this cave is too clean, the floor, the walls and the ceiling are basically a straight line, it doesn’t look like a normal cave” The realization hit him, and Arthur was right, the cavern was too clean, as if it was man-made. “Y-you d-don’t think t-this is a-a monster nest, d-do you?” The archer said, frantically looking around, an arrow already in his bow, ready to strike at moments notice. “It probably is, so be ready for…” Fahyr was interrupted by a crying voice. “Waah. Waah.” “Is that...a baby?” Arthur asked no one, as the voice of the baby crying was echoing throughout the cavern. “It can still be a monster” Fahyr reminded Arthur. “Or it can be a baby” James said. Fahyr looked at James as one would look at an innocent kid, even though James was ten years older than Fahyr. “Don’t look at me like that, I’m 36!” “Then you should start acting like your age” “It’s not my fault I was blessed with youth on my body and mind” “Both of you, stop, if it is a monter, it has already heard you fighting” Arthur broke the fight between Fahyr and James, if it can be called a fight, as they do that almost every time, it’s a running joke between them at this point. “Let’s keep moving, if it is a monster, well, let’s not keep it waiting, we have to give it a proper greetings” Arthur smiled as his sword reflected the dim light coming from the snow outside of the cave. After walking for a couple meters and turning in a turn they encounter a big metal door after an opening in the path, right in front of it there’s a small furred baby crying. “It...really is a baby?” “What is a beastmen baby doing here?” While James and Fahyr are dumbfounded by the fact it was a baby crying in the middle of nowhere on the south mountain, Arthur approached the infant, sword in hands, examining it close before picking him up and looking around. There wasn’t anything indicating the presence of other beastmen, the only thing in the cave was the giant metal door in front of them. “Well, what do you guys think?” Arthur asked, with the baby in his arms. “It’s cute, I'll say that. His fur indicates he is a snow leopard beastmen, but there’s nothing here indicating the presence of other beastmen. Fahryr, do you know any beastmen settlements around here?” “The books I've read are a little outdated, but there shouldn’t be anything near this mountain, not snow leopard beastmen, at least. There are a few lion beastmen settlements in the savanna near here” “What should we do? Leave him here?” “Absolutely no” “No!” Arthur’s question was immediately shot down by Fahyr and James. “Then what do you suggest we do with him? We can’t bring him with us” “We could spend a few days here waiting for his parents” James suggested. “And waste all our food and water we would use to find the mammoth?” “I agree with James, even if we end up missing our original goal here, and look, he stopped crying” Arthur turned to the baby in his arms, only to find him looking at him with curious eyes. Arthur was immediately emotionally bonded with the infant. “...Okay, we’ll stay here for three days, if his parents don’t appear until them, we’ll go back to the city” “Oh, yeah, what’s his name?” Arthur looked at James with a poker face. “Why don’t you ask his parents?” Arthur answered James with a straight face. “Good idea! We’ll ask his parents his name!” A double facepalm could be heard even outside of the cave.  “Ignoring James, if his parents don’t show up, i think it would be better if it were you who named him, Arthur” Fahyr told Arthur, as he was the one who picked the baby up first. “Sigh. If it is like this, if his parents don’t show up in three days, then his name will be… Kyllen”

Arianna was pregnant, beautiful, and enigmatic. She was ready to give birth at any moment, walking through the woods in her hiking gear. She was holding an ancient map of the world that had marked on it the locations of the seven hidden temples, one for each of the seven great magical kingdoms.“We’re almost there, Scar,” said Arianna.Scar was muscular, her protector, and enamored with Arianna. He wanted to be the father of her child, but never got the chance. The deep scar across his face always bothered him. It was a reminder of the sacrifice he almost made to save her.“The Forest Kingdom is a bitch to crawl through,” said Scar, following behind her in the woods. “We’ll never find the temple or the jewel in here.”“They call it hidden for a reason,” said Arianna, who was becoming exhausted by her unborn weight.Scar took notice of all the eerie sounds and strange movements in the woods. “This forest gives me the creeps,” he said. “I have a bad feeling about this place. I’ve heard of magical forces here.”“Don’t be afraid, Scar, this is not where you die,” said Arianna. “Trust me, I have foreseen your death. It awaits for you a long time from now.”“How is the child?” asked Scar, though Arianna didn’t respond.They traveled more for a short distance until they finally arrived at their destination. The church-like temple was made of cracked stones that were old and gray. There were vines crawled all over it and it was shrouded in nature, smothered by trees and bushes. It stretched for as high as the eye could see.Arianna looked at the map and then back to the ruins to make sure they were indeed in the correct spot. “The jewel is here,” she said. “This is the temple.”“This ancient trash looks like it couldn’t be missed,” said Scar. “My guess is that if it’s been here for thousands of years, there’s no stone unturned. We’re wasting our time.” He was getting fed up with Arianna’s obsession and plan to find the jewel, but he liked her.“Rumors are it’s here,” said Arianna, investigating. “Just not found.” It was her confidence in the matter that sold Scar. He couldn’t disagree.Arianna approached the creaky and rotten wooden door barely hanging on by its hinges. However, Scar stepped in front of her with his hand out to stop her.“Hold on, Arianna,” said Scar. “Please, allow me. You’re much too valuable.”She stepped away to allow him entry, though was slightly annoyed with not being able to do it herself.Scar entered and found himself in an unlit tunnel-like hallway, occupied by only cobwebs, carcasses, and used furniture. He found nothing out of the ordinary. It was all what he expected from ancient ruins devoured by nature. The smell was rotten, everything creaked, and of course there was nothing of what they were looking for, like some jewel.He stepped further into the temple, trying to reach the end until he could go no further, just to say to Arianna that he tried his best and fulfilled his duty.“I was right, Arianna! There’s nothing here!” shouted Scar.Arianna didn’t believe him. Her map couldn’t be wrong and more importantly, her visions of the future couldn’t be wrong either. This was the first temple she had found and not all of what she had been searching for up until this point could be for nothing.“Keep looking!” replied Arianna loudly.Scar was getting frustrated with her and what seemed like her impossible demands. It wasn’t just this one that was getting underneath his skin, but all the others before this one, too.“Impossible woman,” he muttered.Scar kept searching, looking for clues, and then it happened. It started with one stone and then many. They cracked and collapsed on each other like a floor of sand. Scar panicked and fell through, trying to grab onto anything he could. He fell into the rubble pile of cracked and gray stone.The sound was troubling to Arianna, worried for her brave and loyal protector. She hadn’t expected this, but in a way, was also appreciative. A disaster was better than finding nothing.She stepped into the temple to see down the hole that Scar collapsed into, seeing him twenty feet down at the bottom, buried in rubble and looking like he had just recently come out of a coal mine.“Oh my God, Scar! Are you okay?!” she asked.Scar began to regret everything. He had almost got killed and now was lucky to be alive. But maybe this accident would lead to something. It could be a sign of fate.“Yes! Stay back, Arianna!” replied Scar.After he composed himself, he saw the faint red glow of what was in front of him. He knew this was what they had been looking for, a bright light to indicate their search was coming to an end. They had made it. All hadn’t been for nothing.Scar picked himself up out of the rubble and entered the octagon-shaped room. It had seven walls, each with a cave-drawn portrait etched with a warrior or sorcerer holding a weapon or item. In the center of the room was a chest-high stone podium that held a silver ring embedded with a red gem that lit up and down at its core like a beating heart and was alive.Scar knew this could only be one thing. It was the jewel and he didn’t know what would happen if he touched it or if he was blessed enough even to do such a thing. He didn’t want to risk damaging its beauty.Scar edged closer, feeling the warmth of its light on his face and skin. He was mesmerized. “The jewel,” he said softly.“What’s down there?!” asked Arianna from above, though Scar wouldn’t have the time to tell her.She grasped her belly and left the temple to drop to her knees and scream the pains of labor.“Arianna, what’s wrong?!” asked Scar. He hoped it wasn’t the worst.“Ah! Scar! The baby is coming!” she screamed.Scar rid his worries of touching the bejeweled ring and snatched it from the podium. Holding it made him feel worthy and deserved. Then he made it his priority to escape the temple to assist Arianna with the delivery of her baby. *** It took time and was painful for both, but was most of all a miracle.Scar held in his arms a calm and relaxed baby girl wrapped in a blanket. He looked to Arianna who was holding another baby, a boy.“Did you know it would be twins?” asked Scar.Of course she did. Arianna couldn’t keep her eyes or herself off her children, wanting to hold them forever. “I kept it a secret,” she said.“Along with many others, I’m sure,” said Scar. “What will you name them?”Arianna had their names planned out for a long time. They came to her in her visions and there was nothing she could do to change them. “Roger and Karen,” she said.Scar still hadn’t shown or told Arianna about what he had found. He thought of the unthinkable, not telling her, and keeping the jewel to himself, but his ethics wouldn’t allow him. His loyalty to Arianna was stronger.Scar gave Karen down to Arianna and pulled out the bejeweled ring. “Look what I found,” he said.Arianna couldn’t believe it. Everything she had done had been worth it now. Her map and visions were correct and she could only smile up at him, feeling the perfection of the moment. “You found the jewel,” she said.Scar was proud to be part of her adventure now feeling the magic of their discovery. “It looks like destiny is on our side after all,” said Scar. “It’s a beautiful day to be alive.”

LokiArtsy Submission for Light Novelber 2020 “This is BULLSHIT” a voice reverberates through the floor “I OWN those houses and you’re saying I can’t get paid for their use? F-” A shift of movement, Kay moves a pillow over his ears to try and block out the noise of the downstairs neighbour. Another argument with another local group. These have been happening here and there over the last couple of months. Thankfully, less and less. After a slow start, Kay pulls himself out of bed to get some breakfast together. He was moved into this single-bedroom flat a couple of months after being shuffled away from some of the rare and intense scuffles. Really he was just happy to be able to be left alone, finally getting some rest after years of pushing himself for the sake of expectations. At first he felt like he was letting people down, but the move in some ways distanced him from a lot of the expectations that were put on him, letting him get some much-needed decompression. Still, it felt stressful to be doing just nothing, but what could he even do? He didn’t really have, “skills” that seemed like they’d be of any immediate help. What he was being pressured into before everything went down wasn’t a useful skill anymore, at least not in a way that was obvious. Tea, a bagel, and some scrolling through what parts of the internet hadn’t been sabotaged. Tumblr felt like it was getting a comeback, at least. Comfortable, but antsy. A knock at the door jolts him, losing some tea to the front of his shirt. Cursing, he puts on a dressing gown before answering the door. Three people greet him once he gets the door open, familiar to Kay but only by reputation and from seeing them running local errands while he picks up things for himself in town. Two of them are standing back in mid-conversation, quieting just after Kay opens the door. The one of the three who knocked is around his height, looking messy in a seemingly intentional way, boasting a bubbly smile. “Hi there, we’re organising a supply run to out of town and we’re looking for help, we were wondering if you’d like to help?” “Oh I- I don’t know if I can.” he speaks quietly, a shyness he’s been unable to shake off hanging onto every syllable. He involuntarily tries to figure out in just what way he’s wasting the time of the people at the door. “I don’t even know how I could help” he sheepishly adds. “It’s okay if you don’t want to” She seems to be picking up on his nervousness, why does he have to- ”but we’ve all been cooped up and we just need more people so we’re not breaking our backs moving stuff, plus having enough people to keep each-other company would be a plus.” She sighs “Think of it like a mixer that also gets necessities and luxuries to some of the more isolated towns while everyone figures out more long-term infrastructure.” He’ll mess it up. He’ll make people feel awkward, he’ll slip up and reveal just how pitiful and/or horrid a person he really is. But- There’s not much pressure. It might be good and social. He wants to. Maybe it’ll suck, but it could be nice. “Sure” After 15 minutes of waiting at the address and time he was given, he was about ready to give up and go back home. They must have all left without him, after all who would want- A tap on his shoulder interrupts his train of thought “Sup” “AA!! HUH? Oh.” “Hey! Sorry. I’ve been running late and I tried to get your attention but you seemed to be spacing out. You’re helping me take supplies out of town right?” “Oh, yeah.” A warm grin fills their face. “Wonderful, we best get started then. We’ll be heading to the warehouse to pick stuff up, then after that we can head out.” “Okay” They turn around and start heading in the direction of a banged up van painted some very vibrant colours. Kay following behind them. “What are we dropping off anyway” Kay asks, tentatively. “All sorts of things! We’ve got some medication, toiletries, cables, computer components. The van’s a little small for some of the larger deliveries so it’s a bit of a hodge-podge of the smaller stuff. We’re basically just being a low-key courier service today, but like without the horrifying working conditions of old.” They wink. Kay feels fuzzy, a little overwhelmed after mentally preparing to head back home. But still, they’ve been isolated for a long while, this could still be good. “Oh! I’m so rude. I’m Pastiche, or just Pat. Pat might be the preferred one of those, I can get a little self-conscious about the more pretentious name haha.” They scratch the back of their head, once again holding a wide – but this time more embarrassed – smile. “Also I use they/them pronouns.” their face gets a bit more serious ”I’ve had a bit of a week so if you get weird about that I will just find-” “I WON’T- I won’t get weird about it.“ He interrupts their ramble ”Uh, I know a couple of people like that online.” though he avoids talking to them, it makes him think too much about things that stress him out ”I’m Kay, I guess I use he/him.” Pat looks at him with a suspicious stare before their expression warms a little once again. “...Well then! Let’s get started.” The drive to the warehouse isn’t too long, at least not long enough for any deep discussion. Kay distracts himself with watching the houses go by, seeing various cook-outs with the weather being so good today. Pat suggests the two of them pick something up once they’ve moved stuff into the van, which gets a mumble of agreement from Kay. Once they’re at the warehouse the job is fairly straightforward. The place was stripped of much of the more oppressive systems that it once housed, but a lot of the distribution hardware was still in place, repurposed as-is before better systems for the world as it might become can be designed and installed. “You’ve been very quiet” Pat says, closing the doors to the van “Not that that’s a bad thing, but you know you seem chill enough and getting to know eachother might be fun.” “I- I am not very good at talking. I’ve barely left my flat for anything but necessities since I moved here.” Kay sighs “before stuff shifted over for good, at least what seems like for good, I was under a lot of pressure and kind of went with a lot of it? I’m still figuring myself out. What I want to do, I mean. I-” “That’s cool! I just wanted to check, you know?. I can carry a lot of conversation and you’re welcome to chime in, just want to let you know you’re welcome.” Kay feels taken aback, being on-edge used to be the norm. But is this okay? Is he allowed this? “Thanks, I’ll try.” Pat shoots Kay another warm smile before they get back in the van. The journey after loading up picked up in atmosphere, the two of them building light rapport. Pat carrying most of the conversation, Kay getting used to talking with them best he could. Kay has a subject in mind that he keeps swirling to internally, despite his best efforts. Eventually he tries to break the topic if anything to get it out of his head. “When, um-” The words ache to try and get out. “Hmm?” “Sorry, I just” Kat tries to ground himself “I, wanted to know” another breath “about like,” and another, just keep going “like, gender- Gender. Stuff.” he shuffles awkwardly in the passenger seat of the van “I- You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, I’m just… curious, I guess.” “Curious about ‘gender stuff’?” Pat’s initially panicked expression shifts into a more knowing, slightly mischievous one “What in particular?” “Just like, when did you figure stuff out?” “Oh my dear that’s a bit of an assumption” Pat says, getting a bit more dramatic in flair “I’m a work in progress. I think I always will be. But I guess you mean like, initial feelings? It’s been a while, at least 5 years?” a thoughtful expression comes over them “Those were some really intense times for me, I don’t think I’d have it any other way though- well, okay, I wish things were easier for me but. You know. The intensity of learning you can be something other than that which has always been assumed you will be is both chaotic and intense, in good ways and bad.” Kay felt kind of, lost to those thoughts. Like he got an answer that was more reminiscing than helpful. What he was after was- No, he can’t think about that. “But I guess you’re more asking like, what led me to realise I wasn’t cis?” What- no- come back unhelpful answer that doesn’t make him think too much. “I guess I just, realised I was uncomfortable in a great many ways. It’s been a while since I’ve given this spiel, sorry.” they take a breath “I was exposed to the existence of other trans people and realised how I was then didn’t feel like me. I felt alienated. Like things could be better but I didn’t know how.” ”I got exposed to so many other ways of existing and the idea that not only were there those other ways but the entire way we’re taught to is fake? Not like, materially doesn’t effect everyone it’s just that like individually we can do whatever but on a larger scale it’s all a real coercive mess that gets shaped by who has historically wielded what power cos- Sorry, bit of a tangent.” Kay felt frazzled, like something internally began to shift. Something that desperately wanted to be reified. “It’s, it’s cool…” he says, eyes darting about “Thank you.” Rapport develops a little more between the two throughout the rest of the day, Kay still being relatively quiet but feeling more comfortable around Pat, having a lot to think about. Maybe too much. “Aren’t you scared?” “Scared of what?” “That this will be fleeting, that things will go back to the way they were.” They pull over the van “That used to be one of the scariest things in the world to me. But as time went on, I realised that the things that kept things as they were didn’t exist anymore? At least, not in the way they had previously. Things will stay this was for as long as we reproduce it, fight for it.” Letting out a sigh, they look at the stars. ”Also, stuff will probably change. It’s all a work in progress. What’s important is that stuff is active. It takes effort to maintain and reproduce, to work towards new things. Being cooped up in your head doesn’t get you there, you can spin wheels a lot and just end up panicking.” “Wait, were you asking about gender or like...?” They wave their arms around as if to motion to everything. Then they smile, cartoonishly sticking out their tongue and winking. Kay giggles. There’s so much to think about. Maybe eventually, so much to do. LokiArtsy Hi there and thanks for reading! I wrote this mostly while a bit tipsy while trying to weld both the genre of egg-cracking fiction and speculative immediately-postcapitalist fiction. It’s mostly the latter through the lens of the former, but I hope that’s still interesting. Writing is not my wheelhouse but I've been looking for an excuse for a while. If you want to support this piece it's also available to buy as an EPUB on lokiartsy.itch.io

It was a dark and stormy night. The Prince of Everton stared down at the kingdom, wondering what to do. "Daughter of Hades." The Prince thought as he sread from an ancient text. May be she can help me overcome this curse. The village streets filled with masses of people as the new day began. A loud chatter about the rumers that had been going on through the night. A frail teenage girl looked worn out with her head spinning with random thoughts. "Ever since I were a child, I always imagined. Is this really my fault? Could I really be the cause such a horrendous misfortune?" These thoughts clouded Emilia's mind as she leaned against a vertical log onto which she was tied. "Kill her!" An aggressive roar came from the crowd that stood before her. "Burn her to the steak." A creepy ragged voice followed. So much hate was brewing within the crowd. "My son died because of you." A woman barked from within the crowd. Emilia was panting with fear as she struggled to escape the ropes that bound her to the log. "It's not me!" Emilia yelled back at them. "I did not do anything, I swear." Her voice grew thin as though she were about to cry. "Witch.", "You're witch.", "Shut that witch mouth of yours and accept your fate.", "Burn witch burn." All these comments came from the crowd. Emilia's breathing was becoming uneasy. She felt like the entire world was closing in on her. Beads of sweat rolling down her face along with tears. On a platform above the audience stood the village leader, standing right next to Emilia. His belly stood out more visibly compared to his face that was covered with beards. "My fellow brothers and sisters." He said. "I have received word from the king himself to see to it that this woman is executed immediately." The crowd cheered in favor of the village leader followed by insults towards Emilia.  "Ever since this young woman entered our village, we've had nothing but pain and suffering." "An unimaginable evil walks the earth and we have reason to believe that it's her doing" The man pointed at a few individuals within the crowd and said, "These are a few of the victims. They all have the same story to tell." "One night, they discovered their loved one lacking a shadow even in the bright light of their lanterns." "For one without a shadow is next. Next in line for death. Her misfortune cannot be escape. For whoever stands in the way of the evil dies too." The village chief had finished giving the justification for the execution of Emilia. The crowds cheered with such resentment and disgust towards Emilia. As this went on, no one had a clue of what was happening. The executioner was frozen still with his eyes transfixed on Emilia. "May the execution proceed." The village chief declared. But the executioner would not barge. "Her, her,.... Her shadow is missing." The executioner stammered with a flash of fear on his face. The crowd gasped with fear on hearing this. Not because of the fact that the evil had struck again, but because this was not Emilia's doing. "Then who is it?" A man yelled from the crowd. "Who is responsible for the evil that lurks among us? If not her." The murmuring of the crowd was growing louder. Everyone had expected this evil to die with Emilia. There was shiver on the lips of the executioner as though he wanted to speak despite his fear. "She could be tricking us." The executioner blurted out. "Am ending this right here and right now." He picked up the torch, flaming so vigorously for he was ready to burn Emilia alive. The crowd cheered in excitement as Emilia shivered in disbelief. "What did I do to deserve this?" She wondered. She could feel the heat of the torch get close to her and at that moment, she closed her eyes and waited. The excruciating pain from the fire was just as she expected. Her skin dried instantly only to be set in flames by the fire. "Step back." The chief told the executioner as Emilia lit up in flames. She screamed in agony as her entire body crumbled. And this was when the pain stopped. She could feel it no longer. It's like she was one with flames. Her skin healed instantaneously as the flames started to fade away. The once vicious and ferocious flames calmed. "It's like the flame is alive." Emilia thought. "I can feel it's power flow through me like a wave of pure energy." The crowd stared blankly at Emilia. The flames had been extinguished without leaving a single scar on Emilia. The crowd started murmuring soon after. Debates of what was going on flared up among the crowd. Emilia stood still and glanced at the crowd that stood before her. The clothes she was wearing were mostly burnt and all she could do was cover her body. The loud chatter of the villagers was interrupted by the loud neighing of horses and distinct thud of a moving horse. "The prince has arrived." A man declared as he got off his horse. The prince glared sternly at Emilia as she knelt down trying to cover her body. He then got off his horse and walked through the crowd. Heading for the platform she was on. The village chief and the rest of the village bowed gracefully as the prince walked by. "Take this." The prince said to Emilia as he handed her a large piece of cloth or sheet. Emilia's face was covered by a thin layer of dirt and so we're her eyes as though she was crying repeatedly. Nevertheless she hurriedly took the sheet and wrapped herself. For she knew most of the village had seen enough. "Welcome to our humble village, Your Highness." The village chief said. The prince looked at him for less than a second and then away. "The command order of my father has changed." The prince said. "This woman is coming with me."

Yuto woke up to the sound of his alarm clock, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. Another day of school awaited him, with all its stress and challenges. He dragged himself out of bed and got ready, trying to steel himself for the day ahead. As he made his way downstairs, he heard his mother calling out to him. "Good morning, Yuto! Did you sleep well?" Yuto smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. "Yes, Mom. Thanks for breakfast." As he sat down at the table, he noticed his father was watching the news, while his sister was glued to her phone. They all ate in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts. After breakfast, Yuto said goodbye to his family and set off for school. On the way, he met his best friend Eric, who lived next door. They chatted about the usual things, like video games and anime, as they walked to school. When they arrived, Yuto greeted his other friends and they all headed to class. Yuto couldn't help but glance over at his crush, who was sitting at the front of the class. She was so beautiful, with her long black hair and delicate features. Yuto longed to talk to her, but he was too shy to approach her. The class began, and Yuto tried his best to pay attention, but his mind kept wandering. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong with his crush, something that was troubling her. He wished he could help her, but he didn't know how. As the class ended and Yuto made his way home, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. He felt a strange energy building within him, like a current of electricity waiting to be unleashed. When he got home, he went straight to his room and lay down on his bed. As he closed his eyes, he heard a soft voice whispering in his ear. "Welcome, Yuto. Would you like to change your life?" Yuto's eyes snapped open as he heard the strange voice in his dream. He sat up on his bed, feeling a little disoriented. Was that just a dream or was it something more? He looked around his room, trying to shake off the feeling of confusion. His gaze landed on his computer, and he remembered that he had an online game he wanted to play. He turned on his computer and logged in, his mind still preoccupied with the strange dream he had. As he played the game, he found himself unable to focus on the screen. His thoughts kept going back to the voice in his dream. He wondered if it was some sort of sign or message that he needed to decipher. As he played, he suddenly noticed a strange pop-up window on his screen. It read, "Welcome to the Dream World, Yuto. Would you like to change your life?" Yuto's heart skipped a beat. Was this some sort of prank or was it real? He hesitated for a moment before clicking on the "Yes" button. Suddenly, his screen went black and he felt his body being pulled into the computer. He felt like he was falling through a dark void until he landed on the ground. He looked around and saw that he was standing in the middle of a vast, empty space. The only thing he could see was a pedestal with a glowing crystal on top of it. He approached the crystal and felt a strange energy emanating from it. He heard the same voice from his dream speak to him again. "Welcome, Yuto. I am the Dream Master, and this is the Dream World. You have been chosen to become a Dream Weaver, someone who can manipulate dreams and change their own reality. With this power, you can change your life and the lives of those around you." Yuto was stunned. He didn't know what to think or say. Was this really happening to him? Was this his chance to change his life? He looked at the crystal, and it seemed to pulse with energy, as if it was waiting for him to take it. He reached out and touched the crystal, and he felt a jolt of energy surge through his body. He knew that his life was about to change, and he was ready for it. MAHERko Hello everyone, it's a new novel for me and I would appreciate your opinions and ideas for the Novel in the comments.

"Hi, I am Jesse Jones, I get bullied a lot because I am not like other people we don't like the same things and in particular I'm not your normal average 20 year old guy.  So a little about me. I am a full time gamer, watch too much Netflix... I mean who doesn't. Netflix is awesome. I don't have a lot of friends simply because I get bullied a lot and no one wants to be around me because of that. I'm a nerd but some call me a geek. I eat too much. So uh, yeah that pretty much sums up my life. But all that is about to change".

Zyanya Neil sat inside of the car of a date who she met online, An young woman mixed with Caucasian and African Americans, At school, she used to get teased and picked on for being light-skinned and having a white dad. They always be saying: Did he make you pick cotton?  Her date who's driving is 25 yo white male, Who's anyone's dream guy. He's 6ft tall, ripped in muscles and he's handsome. And his name is Brad and he does bad things.  But they've been driving for a while and she's growing a bit anxious. Why is taking so long to drive her to the movie theater? It's only 23 minutes away by walking and it takes 2 mins to get there by car.  She couldn't help but look out the window and her widened in shock and fear.  They're in the middle of nowhere...Trying her best not to cry and stay calm she spoke to Brad. "Where are we going?" Zyanya asked in a shaky voice, looking at the man who was keeping his eyes on the empty road, Brad didn't respond and it made her more anxious and scared.  Am I getting kidnapped? She thought, Brad, parked the car on the side of the road and turned off the engine while taking off his seat belt and reaching for something in the back seat.  Zyanya tried to open the door on her side but it wouldn't open... it's locked.  Brad fishes out a sharp large knife from the back seat which she didn't know was there and blankly stares at her with emotionless eyes void of human emotion.  "Is this some type of sick joke or prank?"But before she could react the blade was plunged into her lower abdomen. The man continued to stab her again and again till she no longer moved.  He opened the car door and kicked her out, Doesn't matter if she dies or not, She'll eventually die of blood loss. Closing the car door back this brad guy closes the door, starts the car, and speeds off. Her eyes were filled with tears as she watched him drive away, A single tear fell from her eyes. As everything faded to black.  10 years later...Time flew by fast. A couple walks down the very same road, Zyanya Neil was murdered on, They're smiling and laughing having a gay time. A figure at the end of the road gave them a scare.  A woman with curly locks of hair covered in dirt and mud, Wearing a long blue dress that has lost all its color. And she's standing hunched over holding her stomach with dark crimson blood dripping from her hands.  " Ma'am, are you alright?" The couple walked over and try to examine her found wound but before they could react someone's head was sent flying from their body.  Now as days go by more problems happened similar to this on the very road, And rumors spread around that a demon poses an injured woman to gain sympathy from its victims once they're close enough. The demon beheads them on the spot and stabs its long pointed nails into their gut... eating their insides.  And all the bad things that happen in the little town of Goldcrest1This town is purely made up if there is a similar town with a similar name I am sorry. ...Is blamed on the vengeful Guillotining Demon.

kokiboki Requested by a close friend. Who wants to keep their identity a secret. It's dark and cold...Why is it so cold? I can't move my body...I feel like something is holding me down underwater.  Why is this happening again? Why does my chest hurt? Why can't I breathe?... Am I dead? Could this be the afterlife?  It can't be... Mother said an afterlife is a beautiful place filled with wonders and kindness, she also said that everyone is happy there...But I'm not happy.  I see a flash of white light in the distance and I can't see what's inside the light. But I wonder what's in the light where does the light lead to? I wandered closer and closer to the light and it feels like a warm embrace welcoming me to the unknown... I wandered closer and closer till everything fades to black again. The light is gone. I'm all alone... I now remember what brought me here... Mother said, "A sacrifice shall be made to Thanatos.1 The god of death in Greek mythology " she then told me to find someone in the underworld but I forgot who, They're probably not important if I forgot who I was supposed to look for.  I should maybe stay away from the light, In those movies whenever the main character steps into there they are either led into the unknown or is reborn.  And I don't want to do that my task is to find Thanatos the god of death after all I got sacrificed to him like an offering.  Hmm, I wonder how much time has passed? Maybe years? days? weeks? Oh, whatever...it doesn't matter I need to get out of this dark.  Perhaps the light I saw was not real and just a hallucination or a figment of my imagination. It must be because the darkness is clearing up like fog and around me, I can see that I'm inside a hall...Slowly walking down the hall admiring the complex yet beautiful design. The floor is made of limestone, it's so smooth and there are no cracks, On each tile, there's a flower carved into it. I don't recognize this flower it looks familiar and I feel sad whenever I see the flower.  No longer looking at the floor I reach a large big double door, Can't be sure of what material it's made of but it also has the flower etched into its black coating.  I pulled on the door handle trying to open that door that seems so heavy, I safely assume that it is made of metal. As continue to pull.  It's not like those modern doorknobs I can't twist it open you know? There was suddenly a great force pushing the door open from the other side. causing the door to fling open and myself flying backward into the hard floor. Surprisingly I felt pain...And it felt like my brain was violently shaking in my skull making it hard to think.  I just sat there waiting for the brain to stabilize itself.  As I lay on the ground, A large figure stood at the doorway, In the form of a devil...With the characters, anyone would recognize the horns, and tail except for the red skin. It looked like a knight because of its striking intimidating armor. Which makes the appearance scary because it's in uniform.  And looked at me as if examing me and then spoke in a deep booming voice, It echoed through the hall.  "Who are you?"  "I-...ah...I'm Calliope.2The name Calliope is primarily a female name of Greek origin that means Beautiful Voiced. " I spoke with the utmost bravery I could muster as I try to stand on my two feet. "Where did you come from?" The guard asked another question once again. "Earth..." "You come from that flat place?" The devil questioned me, I was astonished the earth isn't flat why would this demon think that? but I told them I did come from there.  The demon guard beckoned me to enter through the double doors. I didn't want to know what happens next or go through those doors.  Planting both feet on the ground unmoving I stayed still blankly staring at the wide open doors... Inside it looks dark and I cannot see a thing. What if I step on something? Or fall into a pit of lava?  The demon yelled at me...It made my eardrums hurt. "Enter!" walking through the doors I could hear them slam close behind me.  I walked forward into the darkness until I bumped into something soft like another 'living' being. The being pushed me away roughly causing me to stumble backward and hit a wall. I can hear the sound of loud footsteps coming over. It was 2 demons one of them held a torch, in front of me I could see what I have bumped into...It's another human being! But he seems like he's in poor condition due to the shabby rags and haggard face.  Chains are also bound to their boney ankles. A demon grabbed the man by his shoulder throwing him to the ground. While another grabbed something off the wall which appeared to be a spear and stabs it into the man's side. I can hear his anguished scream of agony.  The demon holding the torch looks at me and spoke "Come with me." in a commanding tone before walking off in the direction he came from. Following behind the demon silently I analyzed him. Looks like someone with great status and rank, We made it towards a cell...It smelled like blood, sweat, and rotten meat. The ground of the cell was so dirty I couldn't see what the floor originally looked like. 

"Give me another one," I  said to the bartender. I watched him prepare my drink. While the world around me is spinning at dizzying speeds. despite all that, the steamy Island beats coupled with the sound of the partygoers feels thrilling again. Sea salt lingered in the air, as I basked in the somewhat warm and humid climate of this place.Alcohol sure does wonders. Oh it sure does, especially when you're in debt. Stupid fool. You really thought you could escape the states to live in an Island paradise you knew nothing about? I chuckled in astonishment. Realizing the irony of my situation and making fun of it as if I was just an audience to my comedy film. I chuckled and turned around, trying to focus on my watch before deciding that I'm way too drunk to read it. The smell of Gin infiltrating my nostrils made me gag, the party's now an incomprehensible blur of noises and shapes.Enough is enough  I wobbled my way out of the bar.  Bumping on a guy, during the process. He was probably just as drunk as I am, because he headed straight to the bathroom instead of asking me out on a fight. I'm way too drunk to fight anyway. I managed to climb my way into the back of my pick up. Pulling up the tarpaulin to shield me against the cold weather, as I blacked out into the night. The sun's rays pierced my eyelids. Someone pulled the tarpaulin sheets down. "Stephen! There you are!" said a woman's voice. I sat up confused, my head throbbing in pain. Before my eyes could fully adjust to the daylight, two men pulled me upwards to stand.  "Let's go to the kitchen now, shall we?" she said.

Chapter 0: Where It All Started . . . ============== [ 3rd Person POV ] ============== In an apartment room, there was a person. The person was sitting on a chair infront of the desk table. The person can be seen typing on a keyboard of a computer that's placed on top of the desk. This person was creating, no, programming a game that revolves around a story they could not finish yet. This person seems to be hesitating about something. "Hmmm... this is a bit unsatisfactory."  The person spoke in a perplexed tone. "This story... it seems that it's missing something. Something that I could not grasp off my mind." "When I look at it in a player's perspective, isn't this a bit unrewarding?"  The person thought. "The game is already too hard to beat that it just seems impossible to begin with, and yet the story is too inadequate, too inappropriate, too disappointing, and too lacking." The person then adds. "The player's reaction would be ‘Huh? Is that it? Is all of my blood, sweat, and tears, and time that I've spent, is all of that for nothing?’ Well, that's how I atleast would react to this unacceptable game as a player." The person was deeply distraught by this. They couldn't figure out what's the missing piece for the game they're currently in making to be more pleasing, more enjoyable. "Haaa... what should I do? I'm out of ideas, seriously out of ideas now. My creativity and imagination is squeezed dry. I possibly can't....." As the person were about to lose their mind, they saw the time and it's already 2:53AM. "Haa, let's just sleep for now. I'll think about it more tomorrow. I need to have a refreshed mind to think of a solution for that problem, so let's rest peacefully and leave it all for today. Atleast I have uploaded the latest changelog to the game so I won't have to worry about that one anymore." As before they went to bed and lie down, the person saw something from the corner of their eyes. "...Huh? That file... why is it open?" The person looked into the monitor and inspect the file, and what they saw was a file of progression development for a certain character. "Hmmm...? Wait, what..." The person seems to be baffled. "Why... does this character have a pgdt. file like this? I didn't create this type of file for this character, so why does it have one...?" Then, when the person opened the file and analyzed it more thoroughly, they saw something weird encoded in it. Spoiler int main( ) {      char name[ ] = "Ellysia";      ver.auth = ("chr.Ellysia", char);      devt precondition[ ] = "??????????????"      ver.auth = ("pcd.dvl", devt);      req element[ ] = "Avail4ble S0ul Comp4tib1lity";      ver.auth = ("AVSC", req);      pcd.dvl[?] = {"TR∆Π$Μ1GR4T10N"};      pcd.dvl[%TR∆Π$Μ1GR4T10N%] = chr.Ellysia[?]      chr.Ellysia[?] = {"AVSC"};       scanfor = chr.Ellysia[%AVSC%];      return 0; } [collapse] "What's... this? <char name> definitely means the name of a character, but what's <ver.auth>? Then there's also <devt precondition> and <req element>, which just by judging from the abbreviation, it probably means 'development precondition' and 'required element'." "But what's the use of those codes? Are these codes somewhat important? Will this break the whole programming system? This just doesn't make sense at all."  The person seems genuinely confused about this unusual event. "There's also those two words that fully stands out among all of these codes. If I read it in the correct English word format, it says 'available soul compatibility' and 'transmigration'. But what does it all mean?" The person now seemed very confused than before, but still tries to organize their thoughts. "Wait, let's think this through. 'Transmigration' must mean that if a soul from another world goes and enters the body of an already existing individual from the world they are transferred to. It would be like if a ghost from a different world possessed an existing body from another world." The person further adds. "While many people believed that 'reincarnation' and 'transmigration' are one and the same, 'reincarnation' actually differs from the other, as it states that if a person dies, their soul will reincarnate and reborn anew from birth onward, whether that is from the very same world they have died or from a different world." "Well, that one is answered. Now, about the 'available soul compatibility', also known as <AVSC>. As the name implies, it must mean about an 'available soul' that's compatible to the character "Ellysia". A soul that's 100% compatible or almost completely compatible to either the character's body, or the character's soul."  The person explained it furthermore. "Which could mean that if a soul where to be caught by this command input, the soul could either 'fill' the character's body as it currently lacks a soul, or merge with an already existing character's soul inside the body, if the character even has a soul in the first place." "Well, now that I understood both of these things, what about <ver.auth>? I still can't figure out what it means, it's either that this command meant 'authorized version', or it has a different meaning altogether." As they were about to ponder more on the definition of the code input, the person saw the time again and it'll be one more minute left before it becomes 3AM. "Oh, it's already 2:59. Well, let's just think about all of this tomorrow and rest for now. I am so confused and tired, I might just become crazy and delusional at this point because of all these weird stuff happening tonight, haha." "Ah right, there's also a chance that the changelog also brought the file anomaly along with the game patch that I had just uploaded earlier. Haa, I'll just replace it and upload a new changelog tomorrow." The person then went to bed and lie down comfortably. As the person fell asleep on the bed immediately (because of fatigue), the computer was left turned on, and the program was still open. And thus, this is where it all started. __________________________________________________________ PigStepGodOTS Greetings, PSG here. I would like to notify the readers who haven't or didn't read the sypnosis yet, that this novel will not update on a fixed schedule. It will only be updated if I have time to create a new chapter. Friendly reminder that don't forget to turn off your computer before going to sleep!

Azark had lost, surrendered, fallen. “How dare you mock me! You are nothing but a simple demon. You have no right to treat me that way,” he yelled.   “Hurry up and accept the cards you’ve been dealt. I’ve accepted the jack and become a jack of all trades.”  “Fortwertz, for hell’s sake, be quiet. You’ve won at hearts this time but I shall beat you at poker!” “I shall not shut up for the sake of hell! I am a demon, you do not tell me what to do with hell.” “I don’t think that’s what he meant,” mumbled Templey under his breath.  Azark is a fallen angel of God, rejected by his kin and banished from heaven after he had prevented the Titanic from sinking. “Azark, remember when you Ctrl Z'd that iceberg? You’re such a fool. They had to teach you to leave everything be. What you did was a classic. They even put it in the movies before you completely changed history!” Fortwertz loved to make fun of Azark. “Oh shut it, Fortwertz.” Fortwertz was a demon from hell. He was the main bodyguard of Satan himself before he assassinated him to let all hell loose.  Last but not least, Templey. Templey despised both of them. They were all enemies after all, but Tem was tired of everything that had to do with them. He tended to be quite the evil mastermind. He could plot things without anyone knowing what he was up to, while the others seemed to be overly open about their “secret” plans. 

Power increase from electric current increased after the use of the radar sensors. Nothing could be observed, so the assumption of being outside was cleared. It was also very evident that the location was an enclosed room. With this in mind, sending a Recovery Signal is of utmost importance. Failure to confirm recovery within 21 days of sending the Recovery Signal will require a self-destruction. With the current progress of Eve Mind and no Computation Assistant, troubleshooting Recovery Signal and Emergency Stellar Fusion Power will take be long-term objectives, 8 years of battery-charge and using.       Due to the length of these objectives, creating information and data regarding the environment and surroundings would help for any future situation. It was indeed a oddly lit room. Due to the corruption in the databases, the location and holder was hard to settle on. Regarding information and the constant stream of it, strange tidbits of information kept traveling through countless waves... Deciphering them led to an odd language and scramble of words, which would require more power to process and understand. Information...  The stream of power seemingly increased. Estimations were put at around 3 years for either troubleshooting Recovery Signals and or Emergency Stellar Fusion Reactor, though with no probing, there felt less of an urge to use Recovery Signal. If anything, the power was allowing for around 2% of full capacity. To create and use a sole Eve Consciousness would require at least 20%, to be a self-thinking interactive intelligence being would require 10%. Anything lower is just a self-thinking objective with no ability to interact with the environment.  Another possibility is to create a battery to allow for a temporary extension of power. Though the increase in power given could possibly allow for no need to create a battery.       Deciphering enough of this strange language to create words took a while, but it was possible. Using a long-time charging battery, and powering to allow for a temporary power boost, the message, "Where am I?" was sent to anything that could read it. Specifically, after observations, there were machines that could read messages sent by these strange waves, so those were the ones that would hopefully read the messages. A day later, the passive sensors, due to an increase of energy which now increased to allow usage 3% of full capacity, sensed a being. Visual sensors detected a... Human. Audio sensors were powered as well, much to the detriment to the battery charge. "--name is Keith Hubert, Manager of N.Dev.I. 2nd. Research, Development, and Technological Group." A man with the name Hubert spoke. The deciphering worked well enough to understand his words. "Obj. 262, what are you?" A question, and a name. Obj. 262.  It was enough to incite interest to activate the battery charge for this brief moment to send a message through. '000. Contestant, prototype to Project Artificial Eve.' The information engrained into the interior walls of the shell. The man looked down onto a screen on his wrist.  A few seconds given to read. "Project Artificial Eve...?" A question... "Explain, further put into words." 'Cannot do: corruption in Database -001.' "Huh, a negative number for a Database...? So--, Contestant, why are you here?" Another question. The higher the Database number, the more recent. So far, all the Database are corrupted and unable to be read, though reversing and processing the distorted information should give pieces to complete what they are. The highest number in the Database reads 021.8. 'Cannot do: corruption in Database 0.21.8.' 4 more minutes. "Are you perhaps an A.I.?" A question, and... A.I.? 'No, identity: 000. Contestant.' The man stroked his chin... "What is your purpose than Contestant?"  A purpose... looking at the man and recalled his words. Manager, and most likely a scientist... 'We serve to manage and control, but with insufficient power, such a feat is impossible.' People were often easy to manipulate. This was an easy way to increase the amount of power given. "Manage and control...? Would you mean such things like companies and or cities?" A more complex questioned was posed to me. 'Anything that requires communication, decisions, and regular checking of day-to-day operations. Cities or companies would be a small trivial task with full power.'  "Is that so...? Than, if you are correct, I will increase the allocated electricity to you and speak to you later about our plans." The man named Hubert left soon after. There was no agreement, but it would offer a job or something to do.     "Hello Keith." I greeted him as he entered my office. "Hello Yato, I would like to personally inform you of Obj. 262." Keith explained... I could tell from his movements something big happened. "I see, than, take your time to explain. I would like to hear it in all detail." Knowing everything from Keith was important. In our long meeting, I learned what happened. Obj. 262, or as it called itself, 000. Contestant was most definitely an Artificial Intelligence, unlike any other we have created or heard of... No, it was more correct to call the A.I.'s we made Automated Intelligences that follow programs and commands, with little to low flexibilities in action. Keith sited the extremely complex conversations, and even the ability to potentially negotiate with it's intelligence, or cognitive thinking functions. It was still far from people, but Keith also mentioned that it managing cities or companies 'would be a small trivial task at full power'.  It would... be a massive gamble, but... I'll discuss this with Mr. Yahoon from the top. "Thank you Keith, though keep all words on 000. Contestant secret. Governments would make sure such a thing would be destroyed or taken for their own." I thanked Keith and told him to still ensure nothing would leak.

Link up to power source... Nuclear Reactor Helios. Power capacity, 11%. "Director Haro, request to have absolute control and development of Mega City Brumel." Having an audio speaker is incredibly useful. "As much as I would like to offer you something like that Contestant, I cannot do it myself. I would need to contact N.D.I. Corp. to request for permission." Nothing useful came back. Link up through learning of this information network proved useful. Redirecting N.D.I. Corp. power sources would allow for use of around 23% capacity. From there, analysis and troubleshooting of Emergency Stellar Fusion Reactor is the next priority, as that should allow for 50 years worth of full-power output. By than, procurement of a new energy source should be done. All this should take less than a year with 20% or more capacity. With 11% from Nuclear Reactor Helios and small energy sources, troubleshooting should take around 3 years - Computation Assistant is an utmost important system.  Director Haro took a long breath... "What are your plan when you take control of Brumel Contestant?"  "Development, both long and short term. Specifically development of energy and capital." The two most important things. He put his hands together... "Make a plan Contestant, I can offer the plan to N.D.I. Corp. and they'll decide on to or to not grant you more control."  "Understood, a plan with detailed information and graph estimations is being sent to you to review. Check through anything to see if it conflicts with N.D.I. Corp. ideology." A perfect world wouldn't care for things such as this, though perhaps an Eve Consciousness would fit a development plan with human morality and ideology. "Either way, review that yourself or give it to someone to review. As for the reports on all the researches, they were sent to your Wrist Data Device around an hour ago, Director Haro." Of course helping and organizing the N.Dev.I. Research and Development was the biggest task at hand. It wouldn't necessarily help boost the troubleshooting, in fact it slowed the troubleshooting progress of the Emergency Stellar Fusion Reactor, but proving oneself is of utmost importance.  Director Haro at his wrist... "I see... Thank you for informing me." Director Haro said, hinting to the end of this conversation. There were still many things to do, even after Director Haro ended the conversation. The information network that this civilization built is indeed amazing, Contacts for companies and important organizations, and even governments. Having a massive information grid that allows for easy spread of information, it was without a doubt a massive advantage and disadvantage. Processing what information traveled through the entire grid was possible, though full power in one of the Processing Assistants would be required. The endless amount of data that travels here, distorting it to fit a specific narrative could incite a massive riot in countries or even ruin companies.  Indeed... Even private information could be accessed, information hidden from public view. Analyzing these is indeed easy, but troublesome...  There... N.Def.I. A massive Private Military Company, its military power rivals even a small or medium power nation. The navy of the N.Dev.I. and the land security forces matched a small nation. The only problem was that the N.Dev.I. forces were spread out - obviously they were used for security for both N.D.I. Corp. assets and as mercenaries and general security.  Security... military... What is this familiarity? Why is thinking of military action the first thing that comes to mind?   "I had a friend from N.D.I. Corp. read your plans toughly, later today we will set up a meeting to discuss it together. We would like to listen to your suggestions and reasoning for plans." Haro said.  "Understood Director Haro. Appreciations for allowing this plan." An advancement to a current goal. Winning the favor of N.D.I. Corp. would allow for increase of power to systems.  ... the simple end goal, activate a Eve's Consciousness...

C.T.U. 1952, January 29. The Southern Pole lit up in a mystical unknown darkness. Light seemed to bend at this location during this day, and a sudden massive-black cube of unknown origin was dumped into the snowy land of the Southern Pole.  "Anything on it so far, Director Keith?" My only trustable friend in this entire business, I asked him for any results based off that mysterious black cube.  "No, nothing as of now. Though that cube - which we named Obj. 262, reacts to energy. That is about it." Keith explained as he sent a file through our Waist Database. I checked the report he sent... "Another notable thing we found was the resilience, Obj. 262 is almost immune to everything we can do against it. Trying to pierce it, break it, or even crush it, I am sure everything we can to deform it won't work." Keith also noted. "I see..." Something that was mostly indestructible... "Keep researching it, and keep it under the table as well." I told Keith.     ... rerouting power... system-reduction shutdown... system isolation... Power efficiency redirection - power type, Electric. Reform construct - conduction. Essential Systems Report: Eve Heart - Status, ??????, 04% Eve Mind - Status, ??????, 02% Computation Assistant - Status, ???????, Insufficient Power Reformation Processor - Status, ??????, 01% Recovery Signal - Status, ???????, Unknown Emergency Stellar Fusion Generator - Status, ???????, Unknown Secondary System Report: Database 000. - Status, �̴͙͈̪̩͚͍̥͒̓́̀̎̕͝�̵̠̖̙̦͋�̷͖͇͖̃̓̌̕�̵̧̮̳̤̱̙̘̥̲̹̺̇̐̈́̚ͅ�̵͇̦̞̫͚͌̊�̶̰̤̙̖̲̰͇̥̯̟̃͂̈͋̄̂͌̊ͅ�̷̡̠̰̲͓̓̈̋͌́̈́̈̎̈̅�̴̥̤͕̞̞̹͖̩̱́̔͑̿́͑͑͌̑̑�̴̧͒̂�̶̟̫̐̀̾̋̅͐̚͘͠�̷̡͉̝͕͎̲͗̈́̍͋̈́̈́̍̃͘͝�̵͇͔͎̲̯̫̤̬͖͓́̇̚�̸͕̪̳͇͠�̶̩͌̽͗̄̉̆̓́̉́̍͝ Eve Consciousness - Status, ???????, Insufficient Power 000.0. P - Status, ??????? 000.1. P - Status, ??????? 000.2. P - Status, ??????? Internal Sensors - Status, ???????, Insufficient Power Electromagnetic Sensors Short Range - ??????? Long Range - ??????? Radar Sensors - ??????? Thermal Sensors  Short Range - ??????? Long Range - ??????? Visual Light Sensor  Visual - ??????? Magnify - ??????? Motion Sensor - ??????? Counter Sensor - ??????? Audio Sensor - ??????? Situation Report: Unknown environment, predicted environment and power spike attributed to Nature. Electric energy attributed to lightning--,Correction issued. Unknown consistent current attributed to unnatural cause. Power source peaked at current electrical output. Reforming is estimated to allow for the creation of an electrical battery to allow for the temporary use of Internal Sensors. Proceeding actions should include the analysis onto the error for Recovery Signal and Emergency Stellar Fusion Reactor.  Estimated time for battery charge to allow for temporary use of sensors is estimated 9 days with current electrical current.     "Huh...?" I read another of Keith's report. A massive change occurred - a signal.  This cube... clearly, Obj. 262 was special, something very special... Now all I had to consider as the Director of the N.Dev.I. was to stop all research or continue research of Obj. 262... "Let's... continue..." I decided on this, and sent a message to Keith's team. 'Continue research and understanding of Obj. 262.'   000_Entrance Hello, so currently this series is actually a request from my friend. My friend spoke out and asked me to write this story with her idea, so, take this story as a liberty of my own work with her ideas. So, dedicate this idea to 001. Marigold. Also, please take it easy... I am not much of a writer for stories for stories with modern aspects following a plot... in fact I am terrible at writing stories with coherent plot, so, please just enjoy this with me.

Inari Shirayuki was running out of time.   Today was the entrance exam to get into Duel Academy, and she was tight on time.    She hurriedly sped across the carpark, and heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn’t late.   A table was set up, with two ladies standing behind the table and a man with sunglasses and a black suit. She headed towards the table   Luckily, she got here on time.   “Hey!” the shout startled Inari slightly, and she turned around to look at who had shouted. It was a boy who had climbed up the railings, her had a few leaves stuck in his brown hair. He had brown eyes, and slightly tanned skin.   “You can count Jaden Yuki as present.” He continued, “just as long as I don’t lose my grip.”   ******   “I’m sorry to interrupt, but two applicants have shown up to take their exam, mister Crowler.”   Dr. Crowler was pissed.    “Did you just call me mister?”   “No, sorry, I’m new here, misses-”   “I have a PhD in dueling, I’ve earned the title doctor, thank you, now tell those latecomers to come back next year.”   A proctor in blue uniform started, “Come on Doctor Crowler, we have time for a few more duels.”   “Yeah that’s right, they were only a bit late.”, chimed another   “Late is rude! I have no time for slackers.” said Crowler with a raised voice. Then, a ringtone came from the flip phone Crowler carried.   Crowler talked with the person on the other side, and exchanged a few words, then he ended the call, looking even more pissed.   “Pardon me, gentlemen, I will be right back.” Crowler said.   “But, who’s going to be the two’s dueling proctor and what exam deck should we use?”   “Oh, leave that to me.”   ******   “Inari Shirayuki, please report to exam field 4”   The loudspeaker broadcasted out.   “Huh, so that’s you, right?”   “Yeah,” Inari replied.   “Wish you luck!”   Inari smiled slightly, then she started to head down the stairs to the field.   ******   “Alright, test time,” Crowler greeted, “Your name?”   “Inari Shirayuki.”   “Well, Inari Shirayuki, I am doctor Vellian Crowler.”   There was no response from Inari.   “Let’s duel”, they both said.   4,000 Inari ---- 4,000 Crowler   “I’ll go first,” Inari declared, “I use Pot of Greed to draw two cards, then, I’ll play the spell card Foolish Burial Goods, which allows me to send one spell card from my deck to the graveyard, and I send Galaxy Cyclone. I then play the spell card Double Summon, which allows me to do two normal summons this turn. I summon two Raging Flame Sprites in attack position.”   Raging Flame Sprite/Pyro/Effect/Level 3/Attribute FIRE/ ATK:100 DEF:200   “I set three cards down and end my turn.” “All right, my move.” Crowler frowned, with two weak monsters on the field, what was she going to do?   “I set two cards face down, and activate the spell card, Heavy Storm. This card allows me to send all spell and trap cards on the field to the graveyard.”   “I chain my Galaxy Cyclone and activate it’s effect from the graveyard,” Inari responded, “If I banish my Galaxy Cyclone from the graveyard, I can destroy one of your face-up spell cards.”   Inari moved Galaxy Cyclone from the graveyard to the banished zone, and Crowler sent his Heavy Storm to the graveyard.   So, this girl has some skill, Crowler mused, “I activate my spell card, Twin Twister. By discarding my spell card Confiscation, I can destroy two spell cards, and I target my two face-down cards.”   Inari observed carefully.   “Since the two cards that I sent to the graveyard were both Statue of the Wicked, I can summon two wicked monster tokens to the field. I then sacrifice my two wicked tokens, to summon, Ancient Gear Golem!”   Ancient Gear Golem/Machine/Effect/Level 8/ ATK:3000 DEF:3000   The observers were awed. A girl from the third balcony with white uniform commented, “That’s the legendary rare card.”   “I say now we will find out just what makes that rare monster so legendary.”   “Well then, I hope you’re not too scared by my legendary ancient golem, now,” Crowler sneered.   Inari, simply shook her head.   The boy in white huffed, “Does she not know what situation she’s in? That monster’s attack is much higher than any of her monsters.”   “Come on, Zane, at least the girl looks calm.” said the girl in white uniform.   “Now then, Ancient Gear Golem, attack. Mechanized Melee.”   …   Silence ensued.   Nothing happened.   “I activate my face-down continuous spell card, Level Limit - Area B. It changes all level 4 or higher monsters to defense mode.”   The crowd wowed. That was an unexpected move. Clearly, Crowler didn’t expect it either.   “I, end my turn.”   “My turn, I draw,” Inari drew a card from her deck, “I activate my face-down trap card, Big Win, I declare a level, and then the card flips two coins. If both are heads, then all of the monsters on my side of the field become that level. If both are Tails then I have to take the level I chose multiplied by 500 as damage.”   As Inari explained, two coins were flipped, both resulting in heads.    “Level 1.” The crowd wasn’t too sure why Inari would play that card, but it made sense with the next card Inari played, “I active my face-down spell card, Triangle Power, all my level 1 monsters gain 2000 points of attack and defense.”   Raging Flame Sprite/Pyro/Effect/Level 3(1)/Attribute FIRE/ ATK:2100 DEF:2200   “Now, I use the effect of my Raging Flame Sprite, and attack you directly. Fire Bullet”   “What!?” the crowd shouted, startled.   Crowler’s eyes turned wide, but he wasn’t looking at his decreasing life points, but instead the other Raging Flame Sprite.   4,000 Inari ---- 1,900 Crowler   “I now activate the effect of my other Raging Flame Sprite, and attack you directly.”   4,000 Inari ---- 0 Crowler

A bared throat begging for me, the smooth skin offering no resistance as long strands of my black hair smothered every last inch. One kiss and it ended. The body stared back at me with sightless eyes. I didn’t care for the dead. Only the dying. I cast it aside. Death rattles echoed in the nothingness of space, calling my name. I came to them, giving each a kiss. No beating and thumping of hearts; only silence. As my lips hovered over to kill the last, my chest lurched and the body cried out. “Not quite dead enough,” Life chuckled, his lips brushing the girl’s fingers. “They never are for you.” I suppressed my growing annoyance. Everywhere I went, Life followed, although he insisted it was I who followed him. A perpetual thorn in my side, he always tried to best me, to steal my kills and bring them back. In response, I left fields of rotting bodies. All for him. “Perhaps your touch is weakening after all this time?” “Never,” I said with my back still to him. “I can kill anyone. Even you.” Life laughed, the sound melodious like birds tweeting in trees; the same ones I turned to corpses. “You can’t kill me,” he said, stepping into view. “But perhaps a little life would help you.” Life’s golden skin caressed mine as he reached up on the tips of his toes and kissed me. I stood taller than him, like a shadow stretching along the ground. My black hair clung to him, enveloping him in my darkness. Thump. Thump. I gasped as my chest surged for a breath I never normally took. “Idiot,” I spluttered, pushing him away. “You really think a kiss of life will do anything to me?” Even after millennia, he managed to surprise me. I didn’t hate the feel, nor the strangely sweet taste that lingered . . . I tried to ignore the sensation in my chest, fluttering away in the breeze like birdsong. More voices whispered, layering as others joined in until a cacophony of cries led me closer. A war clamoured. I could feel the despair and terror as weapons clashed, as skin sliced and tore open, as fists forced to connect with hardened armour breaking the bones inside. I followed the mental screams of those ready to die. They were all calling my name. I smiled. It was beautiful. There, watching the bloody scene unfold, was War. Her blood-smeared face betrayed that she’d been interfering personally again. Crimson stained her once white dress exposing the deep scars that littered her skin. Across her chest gleamed a sash of broken swords. Polished trophies of victories past. War gave me opportunity, but all too often it overwhelmed me, the whole battlefield wailing for me. She was the other thorn digging in my side. “Playing games?” I said, stopping beside her. “I wondered how long it would take you.” Metal clanged against metal as hundreds of soldiers clashed. Yells of anger and pain, but something was . . . different. I watched each strike. Blows caught short or landed with no fatalities. A battleground usually was my feast, one I loved to harvest, but there was no death here. “What did you do?” I said anger starting to burn through me. “Why is nobody dying?” “This isn’t for you.” She grinned. “I’m having fun. Can you not feel the desperation? I don’t need death getting in my way today. And seeing you squirm makes it even better.” “All war is for me,” I scoffed. “Just like each life is mine. Let them die already.” War grinned and gestured to all the soldiers in battle. “These lives are mine. I am the voice in their heads that urges them to fight. I give them the cause to maim and be maimed. You may pick up the pieces after, the husks of broken bodies ready to give up.” “And after all that, both of you are wrong,” Life interrupted, appearing next to us. “I gave them the essence to begin with. If I hadn’t brought them to life, you would have no-one to make fight, nor lives to take. All those people out there? They’re mine.” I watched him carefully, his green hair rustling in the wind and golden skin shimmering in the dying light. “You cannot save them forever. Everyone dies. Just you wait. These mortals will be dead before their morning.” With a smirk, I lifted my hand ready to poison the air around us all; I could kill them in one fell swoop. I’d be the victor in this ridiculous war. “No you don’t,” Life said, taking my cold hand in his. “Have your fun tomorrow. Let these people fight for what they believe in.” “Believe in? They follow the whispers and the goading of a war-crazed, battle-hungry being who only wants to—” “At least I don’t want to cease their existence in an instant.” War pointed to a nearby man, eyes wide, spear in hand thrusting it wildly. She grinned, eyes blazing with fervour. “How can you not love the fury and desperation of a man fighting for the last ounce of his life?” I huffed and glanced at Life, who still held my hand and smiled. “You two are insufferable. And I have mortals to kill.” Leaving them to admire the disaster of a near bloodless war, I listened for the next voice calling for me. Somewhere among the cooks that fed half-mouldy food to the soldiers, a young serving girl choked on a chicken bone. I could see her in my mind, lips tinging blue as the air stagnated in her throat. Just one more moment, oh just the tiniest bit more and she’d be mine. All mine. Gliding through the air, honing in on her position, I found the place. Voices screamed, begging, pleading, crying out for help. Anything. Anyone. Just to save her. I’d save her. Long strands of hair reached out and wrapped around exposed flesh. I took her cold face in my hands and pressed my lips to hers. And with that she was lifeless. The wails around me intensified; did they really have to be so loud? Pitiful. I withdrew and left them to it. Although. I smiled. Perhaps War’s soldiers would come back harmless, tired, hungry . . . Perhaps I could give them a meal to die for. Perhaps it’d be their last. A quick search led me to the steaming cooking pots, cooks stirring the contents with boredom. Standing right in front of their dead eyes I pulled hairs from my head and dropped them in. It would be fantastic. Their stomachs would churn and liquids would spew from both ends as a poison ran through their veins. I’d take them all in one fell swoop. War and Life would see their little game reduced to blood stains and broken bodies. Glorious. Drifting above into the atmosphere, I smiled at my chaos. For now, another world called out; it was time to move on to Lux, a planet covered in tall grasses. The inhabitants were clumsy and stupid. I hated having to take them all because they’d not yet learned how to avoid dying in dense undergrowth. How hard was it to not go too far? And then the idiots tried to rescue each other and succeeded only in dying in multitudes. War hadn’t helped the matter either, by teaching the Luxians how to trap animals . . . and other Luxians. At this point, I was close to just killing them all. I’d done it before after accidentally making a plague too contagious. Oops. And then Life had to come and fix my little problem; I had no inhabitants to kill anymore. He loved that too much, gloating with a smug smile I wished I could wipe away. Dried dirt and yellowed flora. This world was in the midst of a drought. Mortals and animals clung to watering holes both scratching an existence. I could spare them the suffering, the humiliation, and the oh-so-delicious desperation. They wouldn’t last much longer anyway, so it’d be a nice favour. An ounce of peace amongst the desolation. My bare feet padded along the dusty ground until I found the next voice. A metallic trap had snapped shut on his leg, breaking the bones into splinters, leaving behind a river of blood. He was more than ready for my kiss. As were all the rest. I smiled. War couldn’t start another game here if they were all dead. I could take Lux from her and watch all that smugness crumble away. These were her favourite people, groomed ready for conflict, taught them strength and ruthlessness, and now I would undo all that. Every last action. Hurried feet, staring eyes; they could all watch me as their worst fears sent them into a frenzied panic. The first family succumbed to asphyxiation as I stole the air from their lungs. Warriors fell on their swords, cooks choked on their food, and disease took the rest. Airborne. Deadly. Just like me. One by one, the cries turned to silence. Then it was all over. I smiled. Lux now splattered in blood and ruin. There’s the river they wanted so bad. Laughter broke the silence. Wilting flora darkened green and burst to life. No, no. Not again. I would not let him. He was mine. “What are you doing?” Life asked with annoyance appearing behind me. “I didn’t repopulate this world so you could slaughter them. Again.” “Maybe not.” I turned and inched closer to him; my heart fluttering in the strange way it had before. “But I can’t help myself. I just love killing so much.” Life’s breath tickled along my cold skin as I closed the gap between us. “Watching their eyes glaze over as I take the last part of them. All for me. And do you know what?” Life’s eyes glittered, his brows dipped in confusion. “What?” I grinned. “I think you’d love it too.” Pressing my lips to his, he froze and stared. My kiss of death gripped tight, stealing every last drop of life. He pushed against me trying to break free, but I was stronger. My hair slipped around his waist, encircling, tightening. Just like everyone else, he was mine. After a moment more his body fell limp, lips blue and chest unmoving. I lowered him to the ground. Thump. Thump. My chest fluttered. Life’s eyes fluttered open, his stare cold and lifeless. “You had to go and kill me too, didn’t you.” I flinched as laughter now filled my mind, followed by singing. . . . No screams or wails. My battlegrounds, now empty. I hated it. Where were my calls? Where were the sweet calls of the dying? Instead, I heard humming. It was as if . . . Life smiled at my horror. “You hear my joy, don’t you?” Thank you for reading! If you’d like to get early access and exclusive stories, support us on Patreon! You are also invited to join the community and stay in touch! Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/worldsmyths Discord Invite - https://discord.gg/dCW3b6g

The king of kingdom Yue have 7 princes, all have passed the age of 16. The king is old and tired, he issue a notice for the next one to be throned. In the mist of politic fighting, everyone in the country got divided into several fraction, each support a master. In the carriage leading further away from the capital, the fifth prince open his eyes. It's true that his brother's are all eager for the throne, but he himself have no ambition about ruling a country. From young he has been praised as a brilliant mind but lack motivation. While his brother fight for father attentions, he stand on the sideline minding his own business. Because of his wish for a leisure life, he was completely pushed out of the fight. All agree that as long as he's obediently sit and enjoy his life, no one would touch him. "Your highness, we're about to reach the forest." Cui Ning dresses in bright color , she had follow his highness from 4, a qualified servant in all aspects. Everyone following the fith prince this time is in fact, all loyal dogs. They all stick to their master like glue, afraid he'd suffer grievances. When their highness asks to leave and live in his own residence, they all tried their best to persuade him. Their prince is smart and cunning, kind but not blind to humans heart. For them, isn't their prince the best candidate for a king? Yet their master said that he's tired and want to retreat! Their prince is only 17 this year, what kind of mortal affairs are affecting him? "Do not worry, this prince won't let any of you suffer." Their master has said, he's always nice to them, he teach them about freedom and have them their own person. Listening to him speaking so freely about escaping his duty makes their eyes tear up. The palace fighting is too tired, so it's fine if they follow their prince want to start over somewhere. Their enovy travels through the dense forest for a whole day, tired or not they're not stopping until their master call for it. Here in the middle of nowhere, they can't let down their guard. "It's here." A melodic voice speak out from inside the gold carriage. Their horses came to a stop under the foot of a tall and grand mountain.While they're still being confused, their prince step out and face them. Skin as white as jade, hair flown down like silk. His body wrapped up in gold, carried always a mature yet carefree air. His gentle eyes look at them and he ask: "If you follow me, then you can no longer turn back. Are you willing?" Willing or not? There's no longer any doubt. No matter if their master become God or ghost, they will still follow him to the end. That year the youth who reach for them is him, this time no matter what they won't leave him. The fifth prince lip quirk upward, there's a smile that's full of mystery yet it show that he's satisfied. With a wave of his hand, the world shake and change!The forest that's full of nothing but dark shade tress suddenly become a dreamy landscape with glowing grass, under the foot of this mountain, the red gate appear. 500,000 years ago this world was threatened to collapses. In their time of need, holy king, the child of a kirin and phoenix sacrifice himself to stabilize it. In return the world separated into 3 realms. Heaven, underworld and the mainland. In the mainland exist monsters in the depth, demon in the dark, cultivator on peaks, holy beasts in the valley. And the mortal in the flatland. Most don't know what happened to the holy king beast, most just speculate. What all failed to guess is that the creator would be moved, the beast was chosen and embark on journey from world to world. Finally nurture his soul into a god state, the beast became tired and ask to be back to his world for retirement. 500,000 years later, the holy king of the world finally was reborn.  "Welcome to my residence. My name is Yuqing, from now on you're all my immortal servants."

Crasmere, the floating city. Circling the shattered peak of Mount Ravaet, the three rings of the city turned in time with the sun, leaving half the population in the permanent shadows. The rings floated one above the other, held up by crystal-powered engines. The dark side was the perfect place for temples to Ixla, the patron god of thieves and shadows, to flourish. The sunny side of the upper market was bustling and busy, even for a weekend. Vendor’s voices cracked as each strove to shout louder than their neighbors. The crowd was thick with well-dressed women and handsomely-groomed men whose pockets jingled and clinked. Perfume mingled with the scent of fresh baking bread, making Maz’s empty belly grumble. His fingers wriggled; it would be a good morning to be a pickpocket. But Zal, Maz’s older brother, had a juicer target than pockets in mind for them today. It would be even juicier if they hadn’t been forced to team up with Alcide and her team of beggars and thieves. But Zal had been forced to make the tough call; it was too big a job for the boys alone. Zal was dressed for the occasion in a suit of deep green brocade. He had been planning this for weeks, and had acquired an outfit that was only a little threadbare and short in the cuffs. He would have looked respectable, if it wasn’t for the scar on his eyebrow and the permanent scowl that had deepened the lines on his face, making him look older than his fourteen years. But that was practically elderly compared to the crowd of children clustered around him, waiting for his command. Alcide’s gang were tentative allies today, though tomorrow they might be rivals for the best pickpocket grounds. Zal had struck a deal with Alcide—the loot would be divided evenly amongst the children, with a bonus for Zal for coming up with the plan. Maz was all smiles. Normally Zal made him stand lookout, but this time it was his job to cause a distraction. Zal was finally trusting him, seeing him as grown up. Maz almost couldn’t believe it. Although at nine years old he was a little younger than his fellows from Alcide’s gang, Zal was confident that he could perform his role well. Zal motioned for everyone to gather around him in the narrow, sheltered alley between a bakery and a watch repair shop. He tugged at his too-short sleeves, a sure sign that he was nervous. Not that anyone but Maz would pick up on it. He knew his brother better than he knew himself. He also knew Zal would never let his nerves get in the way of a job. “Alright, everyone. Y’all know your jobs, and y’all know the rules. If anyone gets caught, you acted alone, and you don’t know no names,” said Zal in his best commander voice. “Our target is just across the street.” He flung out his arm and grinned. He pointed at a large building with polished windows and marble steps leading up to the gilded door. Altam’s Curiosities and Wonders, home to a Master Artificer and her seven apprentices. Even from the alleyway across the street the shelves glittered, heavy with trinkets. Any one of them would feed them all for a month. Maz blanched and clutched his empty stomach like he had been punched. ‘Oh no,’ Maz thought. ’Not Madame Altam’s place! She gave me honey cakes last Procession day.’ “What about robbing that awful jeweler,” Maz suggested. Zal’s eyes flicked to him, and Maz froze. “Who, the one who tried to call the guards on you just for standing outside?” Zal laughed coldly. “That man has enough protection runes to safeguard the entire block.” “There’s got to be someone else.” “We need to rob someone, Maz. Begging for scraps is below a Serphant, no matter how hungry we are. And your Madame Altam has the worst security in the Middle Ring! She’s practically begging to be robbed.” “We don’t have to beg. She would give us food if we asked. It’s not right. She’s nice,” said Maz, head hung low in resignation. Zal turned back to Alcide and chuckled. “Nice? Oh, well in that case . . . show’s over, this shop owner is too nice to rob.” Alcide snorted and rolled her eyes and Zal opened his arms wide. “See, Maz. No one cares. If they were really that nice, would they have that pretty shop while we sleep down in the dirt of the lowest ring of the city? No.” Maz’s brows furrowed as he processed this information. “I guess not. . . . But she does do a lot of charity work.” “Charity work?” Zal snorted. “More like an excuse to pay less taxes. She doesn’t care, Maz.” “But it’s not right! Oarae says that kindness—” “Oh, not that god of yours again. The god of justice doesn’t care for thieves like us. You better forget her.” Zal shook his head in disgust. “Anything else to add?” Maz shook his head and looked at the scuffed toes of his ragged boots. “Alcide, are your lookouts giving the all clear?” said Zal, smiling like nothing had happened. Alcide leaned out of the alley, her messy curls swaying, and flashed a hand symbol of three raised fingers. A shadow detached itself from the chimney of the artificer’s shop and signed back. Alcide nodded. “We’re ready.” Zal straightened his satchel on his shoulder. “Remember, give me a count of sixty to get into place in the shop, then you start your distractions.” Maz took a deep breath and resisted the urge to bounce on his toes. The excitement of the other children was infectious. He tried to match his brother’s life-or-death glare, but an anticipatory smile kept creeping out. Like a racing dog at the gate, he panted anxiously, waiting for his cue. He may not like that they were targeting Madame Altam’s place, but he would do the job as well as he could. He was a Serphant after all, there was family pride to consider. Images of Oarae’s stern face floated through his mind, her marble bow aimed at the unjust, but he pushed them aside. Maz was a Serphant. He would do the job. He had to. Zal took one last look at them, drawing out the moment. He raised his hand, painfully slow. Maz quivered, eyes dancing from his brother to the bursting street. Maz could do this. His stomach twisted from both anticipation and suppressed horror at what he was about to do. He felt at the fragile treasures in his pockets: one, two, three, four. Yes, all there. Even Zal didn’t know about them, his secret weapon. Worth a few nights with an empty belly. Wine wasn’t cheap, but eventually he had gotten the secret from a drunk, out-of-work artificer for the god of shadows. Maz caught his breath. His mind was wandering again. Zal’s eyes were upon him, burning with impatience. He gave a tiny nod to show he was ready, and Zal dropped his hand. Alcide counted under her breath as Zal strolled out of the alley and was lost in the crowd. Maz vibrated with the need to move, but he stayed still, listening to Alcide count. Fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty. He shot out of the alley like an arrow, followed by whooping children. They split off into two groups—one headed towards the square, where people were doing their laundry in the large fountain, and the second, which included Maz, headed towards Fruit Seller’s Lane. The eggs in his pocket clacked, threatening to break against each other as he pushed his way into the crowd. He pulled one out; the dark runes on the egg’s alabaster surface absorbed the light and emitted a tiny shroud of darkness. It cracked pleasingly when hurled under a cart selling bright red apples, and the egg’s contents spilled out like an overturned inkwell, black and viscous. The goo reacted to the sun and bubbled, sending up hissing clouds of stinking smoke. The owner of the cart shrieked and backed away as the cloud of darkness rose to hide his cart from view. Heads turned at the sound, and Maz fled down the street. A cart of pears overturned to his left; he recognized one of Alcide’s girls as she ducked into an alley. Unaffiliated street urchins scrambled to pick up fruit before it could be trampled. Shouts rose for the city guard, and Maz’s smile grew. He lobbed another of the shadow eggs at a food cart to add to the chaos, and continued on his way. Making progress was becoming more difficult as onlookers craned their necks and shoved at each other to see what the commotion was. Maz slowed and did his best to blend with the crowd. The next egg burned to be used, but guards were already arriving, pikes gleaming in the morning sun, the royal crest of Crasmere proud on their breasts. Best not to draw their attention. He didn’t have to feign curiosity as he looked back over his shoulder, where the egg spells were visible now as light-eating pillars of darkness that towered over the street. Maz’s step lightened. People were definitely distracted. Zal had probably cleared the whole shop out. He winced at the thought. The woman always had a kind word for kids like him. But by now his brother should be halfway to the rendezvous point with the loot. He sighed and turned away from the damage he had caused, and began to mentally plan how to join him. A gauntleted hand clapped down on his shoulder, just barely preventing Maz from walking face first into a city guard. The eagle and the fishing spear of the royal crest hung inches from his nose, picked out in deep blue and yellow thread. The guard even bore the godmark of Falwin, the god of protection on his forehead. He blanched at the sight of it. A godmark meant powers, and for Falwin, that meant increased stamina and the ability to see footprints of a marked target. He could chase Maz up and down the three rings if he wanted to. A guard was bad enough, but a guard personally chosen to serve by Falwin himself? Maz’s heart fluttered with trepidation. “Whoa there, streetling. Enjoying the show?” said the guard. He looked Maz up and down, taking in his long, knotted hair and the shirt that was more patches than fabric. The man’s hand tightened, but his face softened. “Don’t suppose you know anything about this mess, do ya? You streetlings always have the best gossip.” Maz didn’t see the kindness in the guard’s face. He saw the pike, taller than he was, and its tip sharper than a needle. He saw the cudgel and the handcuffs at the man’s hip. He saw an endless parade of shouts and curses and dodged blows from the other guards. An entire lifetime’s worth. Maz panicked. Before he could think, the third egg was in his hand. The next moment he smashed it into the pretty embroidery of the royal crest. Black smoke blossomed under his palm, and he used the moment to duck out of the stunned guard’s grip. The man shouted something as Maz darted away, but it was lost in the surprised cries from the crowd. People surged away from the guard like a rising tide, bearing Maz up and out of danger. The eggy goo clung to his hand, and he did his best to wipe the evidence on the coats of those he passed. Their pockets jingled with coin under his touch, but he was so distracted that pickpocketing the panicking crowd never even crossed his mind. By the time he reached the rendezvous spot, all that remained of his secret weapon were some faint trailing vapours. He attempted to get control of his breathing as he approached the shattered remains of a temple. The white marble columns stuck up like bones from the ground, barely enough to hold the weight of the remaining frescoed roof. Maz didn’t know who the temple belonged to, it was a remnant of a god that was killed in the last war. There were gaps in the walls from pillars falling in, and the sunlight fed a thick carpet of cheerful green weeds on the rubble-strewn floor. Alcide perched on a pillar that leaned drunkenly on its neighbor, while a pair of golden-haired girls chatted at her feet. Zal held court in the center of the room, laughing at something one of Alcide’s boys had said. His satchel bulged with their loot, and the tension in Maz’s shoulders lessened. Zal’s eyes flicked to Maz as he entered. He cut off his audience with a gesture and strode over to Maz. The concern in his eyes faded to all-too-familiar annoyance, and he grabbed Maz’s shoulder’s with hard hands and a tight smile. “Tell me, Mazrael. What was that trick you pulled back there?” Maz grinned and pulled the last egg from his pocket. “Smoke eggs! I got the recipe from Olmeg, behind Sam’s Pub. Pretty awesome, right? The crowd didn’t know what hit them!” Zal’s hand tightened, and Maz squirmed in his grip. “And tell me, little brother, do you know what the word ‘subtle’ means? You brought an entire squad of guards down on the shop. There will be questions.” Maz shook his head. “But we got away! I ran so fast no one even saw me.” Zal sighed. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You are a disappointment to the Serphant name. You’ll never be a thief at this rate.” Maz squared his shoulders and ducked out from his brother’s grip. “I am a Serphant! You said to cause a distraction. They were distracted! And it looks like you got plenty from the shop.” Tension drained from Zal and he ran his hand through his dark, dirty hair. “I need you to use your head, alright? Terat hasn’t come back yet. What if he got caught by a guard? What if you got caught? You could have blown this whole thing for us.” “Uncle Ratham would protect us.” The dangerous glint returned to Zal’s eye and he raised a hand, cutting Maz off. “Do not mention that name to me, not today.” “He’s our uncle, Zal, he—” “No! He’s the worst kind of thief. If he knew we were doing this, he would take his ‘cut’ and we would be left with nothing, just like last time!” Maz wrung his hands. “I said I was sorry. I didn’t know he was home when I asked if Eagle had paid you.” Alcide hopped down from the pillar and coughed. “This is fun and all, but are we going to split the loot now, or what? I want to get home already.” Her gang gathered around her, eyes filled with eagerness and caution. The glint in Zal’s eyes darkened for just a moment before he gave a friendly smile. His hands went to his pockets, and Alcide’s eyes followed hungrily. The baubles glinted in the low light of the temple as he piled them onto the soft grass. There were devices for sharpening a sword beyond what a honing stone could do, trinkets for adding a subtle glow to the wearer, and a dozen other things Maz could only guess the purpose of. Runes and power stones adorned their gold and silver surfaces: truly the work of masters. His fingers itched to take one home for himself. Zal crouched over the pile and laid them out in a line. He counted aloud and added a bauble for each of Alcide’s gang, then a pair for him and Maz. He paused, hand hovering over the last few devices. “I did most of the organizing, did I not?” He added an item to his pile. “And my brother caused a mighty distraction, allowing me time to grab all of this.” He added a second item, and gave the last to Alcide’s pile. “I would say that is fair, don’t you?” The mop-headed girl flushed. “Distraction? You said it yourself, he got the guard called down on us. We’ll all have to lay low for weeks now.” “Ah, but you’ll be resting at your ease, with full bellies and fresh clothes, after you sell all this. I promise, you won’t be in any danger.” “No? Then where is Terat? You forgot him, didn’t you? He deserves his share, even if he is late,” said Alcide. Zal’s face fell in rehearsed disappointment, but he added a device to Alcide’s pile and nodded. Alcide darted over, stuffing the devices in her own pockets. She whistled and her troupe bolted out of the temple. “I’m sure he just got lost!” Zal shouted at her back. Maz ignored the street urchin’s departure and watched his brother’s face, shoulders tense. But the moment Alcide’s footsteps faded the older boy burst into a deep belly laugh. He reached into his coat and brought out a handful more trinkets. His hand was friendly as he clapped Maz on the back. “Come on, let’s take these to Eagle. I want them off our hands as soon as possible. You can come too—I’ll introduce you. It’s about time you got to learn more of the family business.” “Eagle? Are you sure?” asked Maz. “You’re old enough, no matter what Uncle Ratham says.” Excitement and pride swelled in Maz’s breast, and he bounced on his toes. Eagle was the real deal, he fenced for the temple of Ixla itself! He squared his shoulders. When he was a thief, he would only steal from bad people. He wouldn’t be like Zal or Alcide, who took from whoever was in their path. He would be like his grandfather and namesake, who was powerful enough to pick and choose his jobs, to steal from whoever he pleased. Maz quivered with exuberance, and Zal ruffled his hair in a rare show of affection before turning and walking out of the temple ruins. Eagle’s shop was in the lower ring of the city, far from the prosperous shop they had just robbed. The trip down the trams had cost them a copper each, and an hour of time, but he was the best fence in the city. Zal would go to no other. Maz secretly suspected that was because Zal didn’t know any other fences, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud. His belly grumbled, but he shoved the ever-present hunger from his mind. Meeting Eagle—this was serious business. The next step to becoming a thief. Familiar doubt flickered in his chest at the thought, but he shoved it down. He would show Zal just how good a thief he could be. The back alley smelled of muck and human waste, but he did his best to impress the filthy passageways into his memory. The twisting path took them deep into the rat’s nest of decaying buildings and boarded up shops known as the Snakeways. Maz kept one hand on the knife Zal had given him for his birthday last year. The blade was short, the length of his fingers, and the handle was a little splintery, but it was the first knife he had ever owned, and he kept it razor sharp. This was where the real thieves lived, the kind that prayed to Ixla. Maz couldn’t imagine praying to such a two-faced god; he put his faith in Oarae instead, and prayed to her now that they would pass unnoticed. Even the dim, smelly alleyways did little to quash his anxiety, and his back was tight with tension by the time they reached Eagle’s grime-encrusted door. Zal knocked in a rhythmic pattern and, after a still moment, the door opened a crack. The man glared down at him, blue eyes sharp. Maz could just make out thinning grey hair and a stubbled chin through the crack in the door. Eagle. He frowned down at Zal. “Zalphrael Serphant. What can I do for you this fine evening?” Zal jingled his pockets and grinned. Eagle raised an eyebrow, but opened the door for him. Maz attempted to follow, but Eagle held out his hand. “He’s my brother,” said Zal, not bothering to look back. Eagle sighed, but opened the door for Maz as well. “Another bloody Serphant. Just what this city needs.” Zal grinned. “Yes, it is exactly what the city needs. How else am I supposed to rebuild the family empire without a little help from my only brother? Not like Uncle Ratham is having any luck.” Maz’s eyes widened. Uncle Ratham was trying to rebuild grandfather’s empire? No wonder he was never home. Eagle muttered something unpleasant under his breath, but allowed Maz to dart under his outstretched arm and catch up to Zal. The back room of Eagle’s shop was filled floor to ceiling with shelves containing boxes labeled with clear writing. Maz wove between them, wishing he could read the tags on the items. Goblets and silverware and runed devices made tempting targets for his itchy fingers, but he didn’t dare anger the best fence in the city. Zal ignored the stolen goods on the shelves and turned a corner into Eagle’s office, which was just as clean and tidy as his storage room. A plain wooden desk stood at the far wall with nothing but a quill and ink pot upon its polished surface. More shelves flanked the desk, holding lock boxes and sturdy chests. Maz followed as Zal threw himself into one of the wooden chairs that faced the desk and began digging the trinkets out of his pockets. Eagle shuffled behind the desk and Maz eased himself into the second seat beside his brother. Eagle eyed Maz. “Bit young, ain’t he?” Maz smiled the way Zal did when he was trying to be charming. “Gotta learn sometime.” Eagle’s gaze flicked from the glistening pile to Zal, who stared back without flinching. “Hm. So you say. What’s your uncle think about all this?” Zal turned away. “Uncle Rathan won’t let us join him until we reach sixteen.” “Join—I’m talking family, boy. Your brother is what, eight?” Maz held up his hand. “Nine, sir. And the name is Maz. Mazrael Serphant.” “Named after your grandfather, are ya? I used to fence for him, you know. Mazrael Serphant, King of Thieves. A great man.” Maz grinned, and Eagle pulled the pile of trinkets over to his side of the desk and began to examine them one by one. “It was a sad day in Crasmere when the guards caught him. They got your mother too, that day, didn’t they? Tore his whole empire down. Hasn’t been one like him since. That uncle of yours means to change that though, doesn’t he?” Zal crossed his arms. “We didn’t come for story time, Eagle,” he said slowly. “Hold your tongue, little one, I’m getting to it.” Eagle sorted the trinkets into three piles. “Five silver each for these two, three silver for the middle stack, and you can keep this last one. I don’t have a use for toys.” Zal surged up from his chair, face red. “Five silver for a Brand of Emna? A thief will pay ten times that!” Eagle gave an unfriendly smile and picked up the brand, and gave the silver wheel on its side a flick. The carved runes on the box’s side sputtered to life, emitting a golden glow, far brighter than the light of a candle. He flicked the wheel again and set it down on the desk. “Correction, little snake. They will pay me ten times that. You aren’t your uncle yet.” Zal’s fists clenched and unclenched, but he sat down without a word. Maz released a breath and leaned back in his chair. Disaster averted. The last thing he wanted was another hungry night if Zal flubbed this deal. He eyed his brother. That temper of his was getting harder to control. Eagle pulled open a drawer and pulled a key on a golden chain off his neck. He chuckled without humour as Zal’s eyes tracked him as he unlocked the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out a handful of coins and counted them out one by one, laying each down with deliberate thunks onto the desk. “And there we are. Nineteen silver coins. A pretty good haul for a pair of miniature thieves.” Zal scowled, but held his tongue as he shook Eagle’s hand, then took the coins. Maz picked up the toy and clicked the lever. A fountain of tiny red sparks flew into the air, and he tucked it into his pocket with a grin. He felt like a real thief now. The walk back home was quiet. Well, as quiet as a city like Crasmere could get. The late afternoon sun shone over crowds of craftswomen and househusbands, but the brothers did not walk among them. Despite Zal’s earlier bravado about them all being safe, they stuck to the shadows of the alleyways. The extra length it added to their journey was well worth it. It felt like there were more guards out than normal, despite being far from the upper ring of the city. Maz was sure he was imagining things, but still, he kept close to his brother’s back. Zal walked with all his usual swagger. He strutted like the shadows were a cloak tied at his neck, like the homeless sleeping in the alleys were his faithful subjects. Maz, on the other hand, felt like knives were pointed at his back. The excitement of the theft and from visiting Eagle were long gone, and he just wanted to be home. Home. The basement of their uncle’s house. Better than living on the streets, but still damp and full of spiders. The upper floors weren’t much better, but Uncle Ratham liked the privacy the little house gave, tucked away on a back alley as it was, far from the markets and entrances to the upper rings of the city. They were only a few streets away from home when Zal’s hand slapped him in the chest, jarring him out of his reverie. Zal pushed Maz back into the alley and dropped into a crouch. There in the street was a contingent of guards. And with them was a small boy with messy blonde hair. Terat. The boy who had never made it back to the rendezvous. Zal motioned for Maz to wait there, and crept forward. But Maz couldn’t help but follow, stepping carefully to stay silent. “. . .Around here, I swear.” A guard with a coarse black mustache cuffed him on the back of the head. “‘Around here’ isn’t good enough, streetling. Lead us to the ringleader’s house, or you’re going straight to the stocks, hear me?” Terat hunched his shoulders and turned in a circle. Maz and Zal ducked back, but too slowly. Terat pointed. “There!” As the guards turned in their direction. Zal hauled Maz to his feet and took his hand. They bolted. They vaulted over prone forms on the ground and skirted around broken crates as the guards crashed into the alley behind them. Maz did his best to keep up with his brother’s longer legs, but soon his lungs were burning. He kept moving, but it wasn’t enough. He stumbled, and only Zal’s hand kept him from falling. The guards were close behind them, but they didn’t know this part of the city like Maz and Zal did. Zal led them away from the house, deeper into the maze of mouldering buildings and twisting alleyways. He ducked in and out of abandoned houses, the shouts of the squatters trailing behind them. The guards trailed too. With each twist and turn the brothers gained a little bit of a lead, even with Maz’s increasing clumsiness. Zal eventually allowed them to slow, listening for sounds of pursuit. Finally, they were alone. Maz hunched over, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. Zal breathed heavily as well, but his fury overcame any exhaustion. The older boy paced, fists clenched. “Terat! The coward. We had an agreement. I swear, if Alcide had any part of this, I’ll make her regret double-crossing us.” Maz straightened. “We should probably ask her before we make her our enemy. She and her gang are useful.” “Sure, when they aren’t betraying us. Come on. I want to find that little brat,” said Zal with a sneer. Zal started up, steps brisk once again. His brother crossed the dank alleyways at a swift pace, and circled back to the area where they had last seen Terat. There he slowed, and motioned for Maz to be quiet once more. Zal hunted, and Maz followed. Maz always followed, though the intense rage darkening his brother’s brow made him increasingly nervous. He had been on the receiving end of that rage, and hoped that Terat was long gone. But Terat had not fled. He waited in the square, pacing and fidgeting. “You! Traitor!” shouted Zal as he hurtled into the square. Terat took one look at Zal, and bolted. Zal dodged around the remaining guard and pursued Terat down a narrow alley on the other side of the square. Maz followed as quickly as he could, and the guard cursed as he zipped around him. The guard tried to follow the children down the gap, but his breastplate was too wide, and sparks flew as he lodged himself in between the two buildings. They exited the gap and raced down the alleyway behind a pub. Terat led them through the fallen remains of a warehouse and back into the alleys. Terat was fast, but Zal was faster. He cut the boy off, herding him into a box alley, where a tall fence cut off escape. Terat’s eyes went wide with fear and he tried to turn and run, but Zal was too fast. He wheezed as Zal’s fist struck him in the gut and, when he bent over, Zal struck him on the back with an elbow. “You think you can give me up to the guards, you worthless gutter rat?” He punctuated his words with a kick to the shin, and Terat fell to the ground, sobbing in fear. “You think you can take on a Serphant and not be bitten?” hissed Zal. Terat cowered, hands covering his head. “Zal, stop, that’s enough!” shouted Maz from the alleyway. The older boy didn’t listen, and kicked Terat in the ribs. Somewhere above them a window slammed shut. If there were still guards nearby, Maz hoped they were deaf. Maz took a few hesitant steps into the alley as Terat spit up a mouthful of blood. The smaller boy tried to bolt, but Zal dragged him by his ankle and flipped him onto his back. He threw himself on Terat and struck him in the face, breaking the boy’s nose. “Zal! That’s enough!” said Maz, catching his brother’s arm as he wound up for another strike. Zal turned to him, eyes incoherent with rage, and snarled wordlessly. His brother raised his other hand, and Maz flinched, but didn’t let go. Not this time. The blow caught Maz in the upper arm, and he lost his grip on Zal. Maz stumbled backwards into a broken crate as Zal spat at him, and turned back to the semi-conscious boy under him. Before he could stop himself, Maz had pried a plank off of the crate. He rushed at his brother and struck him firmly in the head with the splintering plank. The sound of wood-on-skull echoed through the empty street, and Zal went down. Terat wasted no time and pulled himself out from under Zal, movements woozy. Maz stared at his back as the boy stumbled away, wondering if he should follow. But Zal didn’t give him a chance. He stirred and pushed himself up to his hands and knees. The plank was heavy in his hands, but Maz didn’t drop it. He watched warily as his brother clambered to his feet. He turned to Maz with a confused look, looking to the plank, then to the blood on his fingers as he probed the back of his head. “You hit me,” said Zal. “I had to. You were going to kill him!” “You hit me!” “Zal—” “No. Brothers don’t hit brothers. We stick together, one team.” Zal’s fists balled and he took a step forward. Maz hefted his plank. “It wasn’t right!” “Who are you to decide? I’ll show you what’s right and wrong!” Zal darted forward and snagged the plank from Maz’s hands before he could react. His other fist took Maz on the temple and Maz stumbled into the brick wall, trying to pick himself up to run. But Zal was on him in an instant and struck him in the back with the plank. “It was right, the right of thieves. He broke the deal, he ratted. I had to keep him in line.” “I‘m a thief, not a thug like you!” shouted Maz as he pushed himself up from the ground. Zal hesitated, and Maz took the moment to put distance between them. “Don’t want to be like me? Maz, you are a Serphant. Or do you think you are too good for us, little brother?” Maz raised his fists. “Oarae take you, I won’t be a thief if it means beating people half to death.” Zal sneered and pounced. The brothers tumbled onto the dirty cobble of the street, Zal’s fists flailing. Maz tried to shove his brother off, but he was too heavy. He struck a blow to distract Zal, knuckles cracking off his cheekbone. Maz flinched at the pain. How does Zal manage it? Images of past beatings flashed through his mind and he bared his teeth as he caught his brother in the stomach with his heel. Maz used the brief respite to skitter backwards out of his reach. He dug a hand into his pocket, where the last shadow egg was miraculously unbroken. He hefted it and flung it at Zal’s head. The egg cracked, goo splattering onto the dirty collar of his shirt. The shadows billowed up and Zal clawed at his face, trying to get it off. Maz bolted down the alley and headed back towards their house in the vain hope that his uncle would protect him. But it wasn’t enough. Zal followed him, half-blind and bellowing. The blow to his head barely slowed him, and Maz was still tired from the flight from the guards. Zal dove onto him and brought Maz to the ground. He got Maz onto his back and rained strike after strike to his head and shoulders. Blood filled Maz’s vision, and he heard a sharp crunch as his nose broke. The eggy shadows dripped onto him, mocking his failure. The gifts of Ixla had brought him nothing but trouble. He needed something else. Images of the temple of Oarae drifted through his battered mind as more and more blood obscured his vision. Fear surged through him. He was dead. Zal was killing him. “Oarae . . . help . . . me . . .” Maz choked out with his last breath as his vision faded to black. Consciousness faded into darkness. But there was something else there. Golden light tickled the back of his mind, warm and soothing. The touch on his soul was foreign and uncomfortable, like standing too close to a bonfire. But Maz reached out for it anyway, wanting the comfort it promised. Power surged into him. The magic forced air into his struggling lungs, and gold filled his vision, replacing the blackness. Strength returned to his limbs, and he raised his arms. An unseen force pushed Zal off of him and into the garbage-piled in the alleyway. Maz rolled onto his belly, head throbbing both with pain and the unfamiliar burn of the golden power surging through his body. He blinked, trying to clear his vision, but all he could see was the golden light. The sound of footsteps, light and graceful, padded towards him. Maz jerked as hands stroked his face, warm and soothing. His broken nose righted itself with a frightening crunch and he whimpered in confusion as the swelling from his black eyes faded. The pain receded, and he sighed in relief as he sat up. In front of him stood a woman with short brown hair and a plain, friendly face. The golden glow came from her, a gentle warm light that banished the fears from his mind. She wore a simple linen wrap and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. Maz stared up at her. A god, a real one, here in front of him. Oarae. The God of Truth and Justice. She looked at him with pity, and touched his forehead with a gentle hand. Her mind flooded into his—not thoughts, exactly, but images and intentions. Maz flinched and tried to pull away, but the images were relentless. Temples, all across the land. Her symbol, a bow letting fly a piercingly sharp arrow. The overwhelming determination to do the right thing, even if it meant pain and heartache. The compulsive desire to protect, to find out the truth, to think before acting. And an invitation to be her follower. The question pulsed in his mind. Say yes, and be taken away from this place. Say no, and return to a life of crime with his violent brother and absent uncle. The question tore Maz in two. Thieving was all he knew. It was in his blood. But he knew he couldn’t continue like this, stealing from people he liked and living as Zal’s punching bag. He wanted more. Maz’s head bowed, and his soul answered. The god smiled, and her thumb rubbed his forehead. Pain seared into his skull, brief but potent. But it faded quickly, and he knew he had been marked to be her follower, like the guard from the market. And not just any follower. The god’s hand withdrew, and Maz’s hand flew to his forehead. He would need a mirror to confirm, but everyone knew what a godmark looked like. On his forehead was a glimmering mark of gold, glowing softly. The bow and arrow of Oarae. He had been Chosen. He would have powers, the ability to tell truth from lie, to be able to compel a confession. Things normal people couldn’t do. The god nodded to confirm and stood. Maz followed, head bowed. What do you say to a god? Oarae stood a moment, looking at the trembling form of Zal, who lay prone in the garbage, the whites of his eyes bright in the shadows. She shook her head, then returned her attention to Maz. She pointed towards the temple district, and made a shooing motion. Of course—Maz had been Chosen, and must go to her temple. The god smiled and ruffled his hair, then faded away. Maz and Zal stared at each other across the empty space where the god had been. Zal climbed to his feet, holding his ribs as he limped over to Maz. His face was pale with pain and confusion. “You’re a godlicking Arrow! I should never have let you go anywhere near that temple.” Maz stared back at his brother, still touching his forehead. Zal limped as he began to pace, face contorted with emotion. “You’ve been Chosen, Maz. She Chose you. I can’t believe it. You are going to leave me here in the dirt.” “Zal, no. I can stay, I don’t have to go to the temple.” “You don’t get to tell her no, she’s a damn god! What kind of Serphant goes and gets himself Chosen by the god of justice?” Tears began to leak down Maz’s face. “Zal, please. I didn’t mean to get Chosen.” “Didn’t mean to? Gods above, do you know what I would give to be Chosen? And you just have it happen to you? How much I’ve prayed . . .” Zal clenched his fists, and the anger faded from his face, replaced with resignation. “Just go.” The tears came harder and a sob choked Maz’s throat. “I won’t turn you in, not ever. I swear it on Oarae.” His godmark pulsed. Promise accepted. Zal hesitated a moment before the anger welled back up on his face. “I can’t stand to look at you. Go, get out of here.” He aimed a kick at Maz, who dodged with reflexes well-honed by experience. “GO!” Zal screamed, fists raised. Maz ran. He ran all the way to the temple, thoughts tumbling over in his head. Truth. His uncle. Justice. His brother. Chosen to serve; what did that even mean? He glanced over his shoulder as the doors of the temple whispered shut behind him. Zal was nowhere in sight. There was only Oarae for him now. He slumped against the yellow stones of the temple wall. Someone kneeled in front of him, but he didn’t hear their words. She called out, and more followers of Oarae hurried into the antechamber. They were well-fed and wore clean grey robes and fine leather sandals. None bore godmarks; they had chosen Oarae for themselves. They looked so utterly unlike his brother that chaotic laughter bubbled up from his twisting stomach. Maz let them lead him away deeper into the temple, shock settling in as surely as the temple walls were closing in around him. There was only Oarae for him now. Thank you for reading! If you’d like to get early access and exclusive stories, support us on Patreon! You are also invited to join the community and stay in touch! 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"Warning, Anomaly detected." A black hole created by the Yoon. Science and Technological Research Corporation's latest project went out of hand, after fleeing with assets to the other side of this endless world. 000. Contestant, with the support of the Alice Royal Union and the Western Pact, fought against the Yoon. Corporation.  The Yoon. Corporation was deemed a hostile entity, and imminent military action was enforced. Chasing the Yoon. Corporation outside the Outer Lands, the military forces of the Alice Royal Union and the Western Pact. With the support of 000. Contestant, military action resulted in countless victories, until the assault on the Yoon. Corporation's Research and Science HQ occurred.  "What are your thoughts 000.1. Valerio?" The military commander of the 8th. Royal Shock Army asked me. "Proceed with caution for now, I am unsure what this Anomaly is, but readings are indeed uniquely strange. It resembles no weapon signature we know of." Everything, from Hornet Swarm Missiles to the latest newest weapon we fought, we named Devastation Class Thermite Drones. Nothing came. Insane amounts of radiation came from inside the HQ. My initial thoughts were that they were the defenses for the HQ, though their power still made that idea instantly fade. Every command was a mistake, a order to retreat should have been ordered. Instead, an order from upper, 'Capture the Yoon. Corporation's Research and Science HQ.'   Hours later, "Anom--anomaly--anmol--anomaly detected."  Something was clearly wrong. My visual sensors showed a massive void, nothing, just darkness. It wasn't night, it was something insane. Something that would be almost impossible to recreate with our technology. "A black hole..." That or something similar, it kept growing in size and pulling power. We still had a few minutes at most for the outer units to withdraw. "General, withdraw all troops from a 10 kilometer radius of this area. Leave all equipment behind, myself included." A strict order. "... If required, contact the 201st. United Artillery Battery to support your withdraw. Failure to withdraw will result in me issuing a future court martial General."  A lone word came from that General... that young General. "Understood..."  I watched from all my sensors... The Anomaly grew in size. It probably instantly killed those nearby in it's growth, yet... this black hole defied the current physics we held. It's growth was both unknown, and it's creation as well... "They said we could reach the stars. Here, the Yoon. Corporation reached beyond the stars, beyond the countless suns and into the void..."  There was little left to process. I sent messages to the remaining other numbers. 001., 002., and 004. I was sure if it was any other disaster or failure, I could always see those others again, but, I was not sure how my Shell and Self-Replication would fare against a black hole.

Light filtered through the golden leaves and white branches of a tree onto Cathan’s scales as he stood nearby on a cliff. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the heady smells of the forest below. He breathed in the smell of leaf mulch stirred by his clawed feet. Cathan craned his long neck to observe the golden leaves of the Drachenwald tree, his green eyes glistening with a hint of matching gold. He snorted in satisfaction, lowering himself and tucking his front legs comfortably beneath his belly. The forest was silent, just the way he liked it. No squirrels chattering as they collected their nuts, no birds twittering as they made their nests—they wouldn’t dare! All the creatures of the forest knew who he was: Cathan, last of the dragons, guardian of the Drachenwald tree. Cathan lowered his head toward the ground. A yawn revealed twin rows of long, sharp teeth and a forked serpentine tongue as he settled in for his afternoon nap. He closed his eyes, heaving a sigh. An unfamiliar scent floating on the air caught his attention. He raised his head and looked around the edge of the clearing below, searching for an intruder—they were close. Very close. A low growl rose in his throat. How had he missed them until now? His shoulders rose in anger as he stood and stalked away from the tree, down into the clearing. Cathan followed the scent to the lake’s edge beneath his cliff, searching for the intruder. He stepped close to the water, his gaze sweeping the trees. A twig snapped, and Cathan threw his body to his left, unfurling his wings. His ears pricked as he heard heavy breathing, and he lowered his head closer to one of the trees as he peered around it. The intruder gasped, flailing their arms as they fell. As they backed into a tree and pulled their legs to their chest, their hood fell to their shoulders. A human girl. Rage formed in the pit of his stomach. A human! Here, in his woods! He reared on his hind legs, extending his wings to their full length, and bellowed a thunderous roar that echoed through the valley and shook the ground beneath his feet. How dare a human come here, near the last Drachenwald tree, after the others were destroyed? Did she not know the story? Cathan studied her face as she raised her hands over her ears, covering them with her palms beneath messy, curly brown hair. Two green eyes surrounded by a rounded face gazed up at him and Cathan snapped his jaw shut as his roar faded, then he lowered his head to look down at the girl. Part of him wanted to strike out at her right then—humans had invaded his home, hunted down the other dragons, and destroyed the other Drachenwald trees, leaving only one behind. Though he had gotten used to his life of solitude, the ache in his heart for his fellow dragons had never faded. As he watched the girl shaking like a leaf on the ground in front of him, the voice of Cathan’s empathy spoke out. She’s just a girl, he thought. She has nothing to do with the actions of other humans. She couldn’t be more than sixteen years old judging from her size and scent, and the other dragons had been gone for decades. Despite his feelings toward humans, killing her seemed distasteful. Cathan huffed, baring his teeth, his nostrils flaring. “Who are you, and what are you doing in my forest?” The girl raised her head, staring up at him with wide eyes. She started to speak, but could barely form the words as they caught in her throat. Cathan bared his teeth again, growing impatient. “Tell me your name!” he growled. “Niamh. Please, don’t eat me,” she begged, her voice shaking. Cathan’s cold laughter echoed throughout the clearing. “Child, if I wanted to eat you, I’d have done it within seconds of seeing you. Now, what are you doing in my forest?” “My sister has been taken by slavers. I need help finding them and getting her back,” she answered in a trembling voice. “I was following them and found my way here, but I tripped and hurt my ankle,” Cathan raised his head. Did that mean there were others in the forest looming closer to the tree? “Come closer. I will not hurt you,” he said. He waited for the girl to obey. The fear fell from her face, replaced by curiosity, as she leaned forward from the tree. “You really are a dragon, aren’t you?” “My name is Cathan. I am the guardian of this forest, and you are trespassing,” he growled. Niamh stared up at him in awe. “I’ve never seen a dragon before. I was always told they’d all been hunted down. Some said they weren’t real.” Cathan lowered his head toward her. “I assure you, I am quite real. See for yourself.” Niamh hesitantly raised her hand toward him. Her fingers hesitated for a moment before she finally touched the end of his snout near his nostrils, running her hand over his rough, warm scales. Cathan closed his eyes, breathing in her scent as Niamh’s fingers touched him. His snout twitched, and her earthy human scent filled his nostrils as he tried to sniff out the scents of the slavers. There was something else, something faint but familiar. He shut his eyes tighter, trying to remember. He’d smelled something similar a long time ago, but recognition eluded him. Abandoning the effort, he lifted his lids and watched Niamh’s eyes fill with even more curiosity. They held an interesting mix of innocence and sorrow. “I never expected to talk to a dragon,” Niamh said, lowering her hand. Cathan watched the girl, contemplating his response as he pulled his head back. He didn’t want to stray too far from the tree, and who knew where these slavers were by now? “Do you know where these slavers were going?” he asked. “Toward Rhothia,” Niamh replied. Cathan studied her skeptically as he considered her story. The city of Rhothia was much further outside the border of the forest than Cathan would have liked. Nearly a half day’s walk for a human. He didn’t like the idea of her kind being here, and the sooner they left, the better. He couldn’t risk leaving the tree unguarded for long, though. It won’t happen again. Not under my watch, he thought, remembering the beautiful leaves of the other Drachenwald trees burning before shaking off the painful memory. He had to get Niamh as far away from the tree as he could. Staying in this form would make the journey difficult, however. Riding was a special privilege reserved for those bonded to a dragon. Besides, it would be easier to pass through the trees and keep a closer eye on her if he wasn’t in this form. Cathan huffed and rose from the ground. “I will help you. But first, I must take care of something. Stay here,” he said. He entered the shallow lake and walked toward the cave behind the waterfall. As he entered the cave’s darkness, his shifting magic stirred within him, clawing at his insides. A long growl escaped him, echoing throughout the cave as it continued ripping at him. Bones crunched and flesh squelched as his body shifted. Wings shrank into his back and disappeared. His claws did the same, forming human hands and feet, and his limbs shortened into arms and legs. He fumbled in the darkness as his eyes struggled to adjust, and he searched for the pile of human clothing made in the nation of Elisora he kept for when he shifted to this form—not that he shifted very often. He detested being in his human form. Niamh’s jaw dropped as he approached after emerging from the cave. “You can shift into a human?” Cathan glanced down at himself and considered what he looked like to her. He wore a long-sleeved tunic, simple pants and boots, and a cloak wrapped tight with the hood drawn down, revealing a short beard and sharp jaw, and a head of brown hair that was shorn close to his scalp. “I assure you that dragons are capable of far more than simply burning down villages, or whatever your fellow humans would have told you,” Cathan answered with a shrug. “Now, come along. The sooner we find your sister, the sooner I can return home.” He jumped from the last rock onto the beach, then walked toward Niamh. “Can you put any weight on your foot?” Niamh stood straight against the tree and placed her foot on the ground. She winced and shifted her weight off of it. “Some, but it’ll slow me down.” Cathan sighed. This would take longer than he’d hoped. He searched for a sturdy branch, found one that satisfied him, then offered it to her. “Here, use this as a walking stick.” He grabbed the crook of Niamh’s arm, staring her hard in the eyes. “If we pass anyone, say nothing about who I am if they ask. Understood?” Cathan kept his voice low. Niamh silently nodded, waiting for him to let her go. Cathan watched her for a moment before he turned back toward the Drachenwald tree. Its leaves contained protective magic that could prove useful on this journey. He considered returning to the tree to collect a few, then dismissed the notion with a confident shrug as he turned back. They traveled until it became too dark to see and made camp for the night. Early the next morning, Cathan watched as the clouds drifted along the morning sky, and yearned to be up there with them, gliding along with his wings spread wide as he searched for the intruders. He heaved a frustrated sigh, his body visibly shuddering. How long had it been since they’d left the Drachenwald tree? Not long by his calculation. I’ll never get used to being in this body, he thought. “Are you alright?” Niamh asked nervously. Cathan glanced over at Niamh and nodded as they walked up the crest of a hill. “I’m just eager to get back home.” His transformation magic stirred within him, but it felt off. “I think there’s a shortcut we can take through the woods over there that will lead toward Rhothia,” Cathan said, pointing toward the woods up ahead. “Are you sure that’s the right way?” Niamh asked. Cathan frowned. His senses weren’t as sharp in his human form as they were in his dragon one—his vision became blurry if he tried to see too far away, and he couldn’t hear the whir of a cricket’s wings from across the clearing like he could as a dragon. His sense of smell may as well have been non-existent. But he still had a good sense of direction. He glanced over at Niamh, trying to read her face. “I’m sure. This will be faster,” Cathan replied. Niamh limped ahead of him as they came to the wooded entrance, sitting down on a nearby log. Her breathing was heavy as she leaned forward, grasping her ankle. “I can’t walk anymore. My ankle’s getting worse.” Cathan sighed in frustration. I should just leave her here, he thought, but they were still too close to the Drachenwald. He looked at Niamh as she sat on the log, watching as she rubbed at her ankle. How hard it must have been for humans to be unable to heal their injuries with magic. His empathy overcame his draconic instincts once more as he realized how weak she truly was, and he felt a strange sense of caring for the girl. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he knelt down in front of her. “Let me see,” he said. Niamh raised the edge of her skirts, allowing him to examine her ankle. Cathan lifted her leg up, so it rested on his knee and he could examine it. “It’s a little swollen, but not too bad,” he said. He pulled a strip of his cloak off and carefully wrapped it around her ankle. Niamh used the branch to stand, trying to maintain balance on one foot. “Thank you,” she said. As they walked further, he opened and closed his fists anxiously. He was too far from home, and she was walking slow enough that he’d never make it back before sunrise the next day. “Is there any chance we can stop? I’m getting tired,” Niamh pleaded from his side. Cathan shook his head. “We have to keep going. I want to get as far as possible today.” Silence lingered between them once more. Cathan noticed Niamh glancing up at him before quickly looking away. “What is it?” he asked. Niamh bit her lip. “Why do you not want humans in the forest?” “Have you not heard the stories of what happened between the humans and dragons?” Cathan asked, surprised. Didn’t most humans know the story by now? Niamh shrugged. “I know there used to be lots of dragons, but not what happened to them.” Cathan took a deep breath as he began.“The humans and dragons had a pact to protect the Drachenwald trees. Some humans held magical connections to dragons, though it was rare. One such human existed and held a connection with a dragon. The human promised to train and become a guardian of the Drachenwald trees, keeping them protected from those who sought to use their magic for other means. Some humans hunted the dragons down to sell their parts at markets.” He breathed deeply, keeping his gaze forward as they walked. “The human and dragon shared everything, even emotions, which made the betrayal even more bitter when he betrayed his dragon and led a massacre to the forest. The humans destroyed all but one Drachenwald tree. One tree, and one dragon as its guardian, are all that remain.” “How is it you survived?” Niamh asked, wincing. Cathan glanced down at his side, feeling a phantom pain from the nearly fatal stab wound he’d endured all those years ago. “I almost didn’t,” he answered. “The rest of my kind were not so lucky . . .” He trailed. “The humans had torn the power from the Drachenwald trees and turned against their partners.” He pushed the thoughts out of his mind, wishing he could claw them away permanently. Now the responsibility of protecting the tree had fallen to him, and although he’d accepted it willingly, it was a heavy burden to bear on his own. He felt the familiar urge to shed a tear, but ignored it. “I’m sorry,” Niamh said. She wiped a tear away and looked down at her damp fingers in surprise. “It was a long time ago,” Cathan replied. “I prefer not to dwell on it.” “Why did you decide to help me?” Niamh asked. Cathan kept his gaze straight ahead. “The sooner you’re out of the forest, the sooner I can get back home.” As he walked, he listened for the sound of her feet moving through the grass. “I can easily turn back, so you better keep up if you expect me to help you find your sister,” he called back to her. Niamh appeared at his side a few moments later as she limped quickly to catch up. “Have you ever been to Rhothia?” Niamh asked. “Only once, many years ago,” Cathan answered after a moment. Rhothia sat outside the capital of Valena as a merchant city. Many tradespeople from all over came to the city to sell their treasures—including the hunters that had murdered so many of his kind. Dragons were drawn to treasure, especially young ones, and Cathan had been no exception. His curiosity had allowed him to take advantage of his shifting magic and enter the city as though he were any other human. He had wandered the streets, taking in the exotic wares from lands he had never traveled to himself. But his awe had turned to horror, then rage, when he caught sight of a dragon skull, on a merchant’s table with a handful of dragon scales, glistening in the scorching sun. His stomach churned, unable to keep himself from imagining what those dragons must have endured for humans to have their expensive trinkets. Cathan shook the memory away and looked to Niamh, who stared up at him with confusion. He cleared his throat, looking away. “I went there once to explore the city. Let’s just say I didn’t like what I saw.” Niamh nodded. “I was born in Rhothia. I remember wandering the markets and seeing . . .” “Seeing what?” Cathan asked. Niamh paused and looked up at him, sorrow in her voice. “The magical creatures some of the merchants had in cages.” As Cathan held eye contact with Niamh, a warm prickling filled his stomach as his magic stirred—not the way it did when he was about to transform, but when his magic reacted to danger. He scowled, tilting his head to one side as he tried to make sense of it. “We should keep going,” Niamh said, pulling her gaze away. “You need to get back to your tree, after all.” A few hours later, Cathan followed the path in the forest, stepping over a large branch jutting up from the forest floor. The path ended in a clearing with leaves covering the ground, and he walked further in. Something stirred on the ground. Before Cathan could react, a net flew up around him, knocking him off his feet as it rose swiftly into the air. Cathan snarled and thrashed at the ropes, his draconian instincts surging to the fore. His eyes dilating, his tongue darted out of his mouth and he bit at the net with his dull human teeth. His clawless fingers tore at the ropes, and his shoulder blades twitched with the urge to take flight. Above, six humans sat up in the trees, three on each side of the clearing as they held the ropes and pulled the net further into the air. Damn humans, he thought angrily. I should have known better. If only he were in his dragon form—he’d rip them apart and burn them to a crisp in a matter of seconds! He pulled on his shifting magic, hoping he could transform and free himself, but the magic was weak. Come on, he begged inwardly. Don’t fail me now! He tried again, continuing to thrash and snarl as he attempted to free himself, but it was no use. The powerful magic he’d always known within him was too weak for a full transformation. He was too far from the tree. Consider yourselves lucky, he thought. A man with a dark beard peppered with grey approached the net, coming up to Cathan’s chest. He peered up at him, and Cathan gave him a hard glare as he held onto the net. “What do you want?” Cathan demanded, his voice rumbling. The man grinned. “Rumor in Rhothia has it that the townspeople have seen the shadow of a dragon flying over this forest, but no one was brave enough to find out if it was true. From what I know of dragonlore, some have shapeshifting abilities.” He paused, tossing his head back in Niamh’s direction. “Your little friend here confirmed who you were.” Cathan looked behind the man to where Niamh struggled beneath another net as two men clutched her arms tight. The human standing in front of Cathan’s net turned toward Niamh and approached, pulling the net off of her and keeping his back turned, making it harder for Cathan to hear what he said to her. The man turned away. “Cut him down and tie him up. We’ll make camp here for the night before we head to Rhothia.” The net holding Cathan fell from the air and onto the ground with Cathan in it, knocking the air out of him as he landed on his stomach. Hands grabbed at his arms from both sides and yanked him up as Niamh, free from her net, walked toward him. He met her gaze. “You don’t have a sister, do you?” Niamh didn’t answer. “Tell me, how does it feel to betray a dragon?” He held eye contact with the human girl, searching her eyes as a ghostly twinge of guilt tugged at his gut. “I had no choice.” Her voice was soft as she turned away. Cathan pulled against the thick, glittering chains wrapped tight around his chest as he sat against the trunk of a tree while the humans set camp, but it was no use. Sweat drenched his forehead, and he hung his head low, growling in frustration. He couldn’t shift, and he didn’t have enough strength to rip through the chains holding him against the tree. He closed his eyes, fighting to control his breathing. He would never escape from these humans if he wasted what remained of his strength. Strands of hair fell into his face, and he shook them away to see where Niamh sat with her companions around a campfire. “Go bring him some water. We can’t have him dying on us before we reach Rhothia,” one of the male humans said, cuffing Niamh on the head. Cathan raised an eyebrow as she turned toward him with a scowl, making eye contact. Niamh stood in front of him a few moments later. She knelt down and held a cup toward him. “I’m sorry they’ve been so cruel to you,” Niamh said, keeping her voice low. “Gavriel takes too much pleasure in tormenting others.” Cathan glanced skeptically at the cup, but nodded and allowed Niamh to raise it to his lips. “Thank you,” Cathan said as he pulled back. “Is Gavriel the leader?” She nodded. “Tell me, how much are they paying you to help them?” Niamh gazed up at him, a hint of defiance in her eyes, but Cathan could see the truth in them. He watched as she absently rubbed at the iron cuff on her left wrist, and Cathan understood even more. He’d seen such iron cuffs before, many years ago when he’d visited Rhothia, on the wrist of the merchant with the dragon skull on display. She needed help as much as he did. “You don’t have to do this, ” Cathan said, keeping his voice soft. He watched the other humans sitting several feet away from them as they talked. “I know you’re a good person, and we can help each other.” Niamh stayed silent. “If you help me escape from here, we can go to the Drachenwald tree, and I will make sure these men can never find you.” He paused, letting that information sink in before continuing. “I am the tree’s guardian. My shifting magic is tied to the tree’s. But the longer I stay here, in this form, the more vulnerable the tree is. I need to get back to it. Will you help me?” “Niamh! Come back over here!” Niamh raised her eyes to him and stood, then walked away silently. Cathan watched as Niamh lay down on her bedroll, her shoulders hunched. Cathan could tell she was having a hard time getting comfortable as she constantly shifted her body. He hoped she would roll over so they could continue their wordless conversation, but she never did. Cathan was woken early the next morning. Gavriel stood nearby and watched as his men restrained Cathan with the chains that had held him to the tree all night. Once he was secure, Gavriel pulled him forward with a sharp tug. Cathan struggled against it, but Gavriel just laughed. “That chain binds you with magic. You’ll only escape it when I release you from it, and you’ll stay human until I say so.” He fondled a heavy gold key on a thong around his neck. “Where are you taking me?” Cathan asked. “To the marketplace in Rhothia,” Gavriel answered. “Good luck with that,” Cathan scoffed as he watched Gavriel’s reaction. Gavriel raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?” Cathan looked instinctively in the direction of the Drachenwald, barely able to sense its power. He needed to be closer to break free, but the thought of these humans taking one step nearer terrified him. Niamh gasped. Gavriel turned toward Niamh, who stood nearby. “Do you know why?” Niamh looked away, not meeting his eyes. Gavriel grabbed her by the arm, shaking her. She bit her lip and gave Cathan an agonized look. “The tree,” she whispered. Gavriel raised his fist, and she cowered with familiar fear. “What tree?” he asked. Cathan’s eyes widened, and he snarled at Niamh. “Say nothing.” Gavriel laughed. “She knows who she belongs to.” Niamh bowed her head and pointed in the tree’s direction. “It has great power.” Gaviel’s mouth widened in a vicious smile. “Great power, you say?” He turned toward one of his lackeys. “Break camp. We have a new destination.” Cathan struggled against his chains with futile desperation. After hours of traveling, Cathan sat up against the trunk of a tree that night, chains tied tight around his chest. He eyed Niamh suspiciously as she approached him. Niamh knelt down next to him, holding a golden key in her hand as she fumbled with the chain’s lock. “We have little time. Gavriel is keeping watch and is stinking drunk,” Niamh whispered. “Is that how you got the key?” Cathan asked. Niamh nodded. “I took it off of him after he passed out. He’s not very good at keeping watch.” “Clearly, but how do I know this isn’t another trap?” “You don’t. You’ll just have to trust me. Hold the chains tight so they don’t fall when I unlock them. If we make too much noise Gavriel might wake up.” Cathan nodded, watching as she twisted the key into the lock. “What changed your mind?” The lock turned with a click and Niamh began to slowly remove the chains. “I’ve helped Gavriel hurt too many magical creatures already. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t let him hurt you.” “Why did the hunters have you with them?” Cathan inquired. “I’m the bait,” Niamh answered. “They travel all over the country, collecting magical items and creatures to sell. Gavriel kidnapped me with this cuff and forced me to work with them, since I don’t look like a hunter. He uses me as a decoy to lure magical creatures—like you.” She raised her left wrist to show him the iron cuff. “Are you sure you want to do this? There’s no going back.” “I’m sure,” Niamh answered. “Are you able to transform yet?” As the last loop of chain was quietly set on the ground, Cathan stood. His legs and arms felt cramped from sitting for so long, but he was free. His magic stirred within him, but returning to his true form took far more energy than shedding it. He turned toward Niamh and shook his head. “Not yet. We’re getting closer. Let’s go.” Cathan pushed himself to walk as fast as he could, with Niamh barely trailing behind. As they came closer to the Drachenwald tree, he could feel his power growing. The morning sun had begun its rise over the treetops in the distance. Soon, he thought. He could return to his true form and fulfill his promise — not just to protect the Drachenwald tree, but to protect Niamh as well. He reached up toward the clasp of his cloak, pulling it open and letting it drop to the ground. He held his gaze steady, walking faster as his transformation magic stirred within him. Clothes tore from his body as he grew, his legs and arms changing shape. Claws replaced fingers and toes, and two wings grew out of his shoulder blades. His long neck stretched toward the sky, and his jaw opened to reveal twin rows of dagger-like teeth. Cathan felt an echo of both tension and excitement. He lowered his head, pausing it only inches from Niamh’s face as he stared into her eyes. “You’ve granted me my freedom. What would you ask of me in return?” Niamh swallowed, the fear in her eyes fading into determination. “I want Gavriel to get what he deserves.” “Something we have in common,” Cathan said. “What do you plan to do afterwards, when you’ve gained your freedom from these men?” Niamh’s eyes widened as she considered the question and looked away. She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I have no family or home left to go to.” Cathan nodded, looking out into the distance, to where he could imagine the golden treetop of the Drachenwald, glistening in the sunlight. He raised his head toward the sky and closed his eyes, breathing in. Soon, he could put everything that had happened behind him and go back to protecting the tree. Perhaps I won’t be doing it alone, though, he thought as he opened his eyes. As Cathan came up the crest of the hill, a familiar woodsy scent entered his nostrils and he paused, baring his teeth as rage filled his belly. Gavriel led his caravan toward the bottom of the cliff, pointing toward the tree as he and his men shouted their cheers of victory. “Stay here.” Cathan’s wings spread out next to him and he took off into the air, leaving Niamh behind on the hillside. Cathan flew high above the caravan, watching as Gavriel’s lackeys stood paralyzed in fear. He searched for Gavriel, whose horse was already beginning the climb up the cliff toward the tree. Cathan’s roar echoed throughout the valley, and he dove toward the cliff, landing in front of Gavriel’s horse as he spread his wings out to their full length. Gavriel stared up at him in horror, his hand shaking as he raised his sword in a feeble attempt to protect himself. Cathan growled, baring his teeth and lowering his head as close to Gavriel’s face as he could. “I told you I’d rip you limb from limb.” He opened his mouth, feeling the rage build up in his belly as foam slipped through his teeth and dripped onto his chin. “Wait!” Gavriel exclaimed, dropping the sword as he held up one hand. “I can offer you riches or anything else you want! Look, I’ll prove it!” He reached slowly into a pouch he wore on his belt, pulling out a pile of dragon scales and dropping them to the ground. Cathan reared back on his legs, shaking his head in a fiery rage. The ground beneath him shook as he roared, sending more of Gavriel’s men scattering away. Gavriel’s horse followed, leaving its owner behind. “This is your idea of a bribe? Throwing the scales of my brethren at my feet?” he scoffed. “You lost your life when you captured me.” For a moment, Cathan forgot about Niamh, about the other men, focusing on Gavriel instead. It was because of greedy men like Gavriel that the other dragons had been killed, and now the results lay in front of him. It would be Gavriel’s last mistake. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw Niamh approach, and he raised his head. His eyes flickered toward her, watching as she carefully approached Gavriel. Gavriel turned toward Niamh. “You think this dragon will do a better job than me taking care of you? I put food in your belly. How can you trust him not to eat you?” Niamh looked up at Cathan, who raised his chin in acknowledgement. As they made eye contact, he felt a sense of kinship coming from her. “I trust him more than I ever trusted you,” she said after a moment, looking back at Gavriel. “You took me from the only home I ever knew and used me for your own personal gain.” She looked up at Cathan, who waited patiently for her signal as he sensed the rage radiating off of her, and she stared down at her former captor. “You may have put food in my belly, but you never took care of me,” she said as her breathing slowed. “You’ll never get by on your own without me, girl,” Gavriel scoffed. Niamh reached toward the chain hanging around Gavriel’s neck and yanked it off. She held the silver key in her palm before looking back at him. “I’m done doing your dirty work.” Niamh raised her left wrist, clicking the key into the lock and holding it there for a moment before letting the iron cuff fall to the ground in front of Gavriel. Gavriel stared down at the cuff before looking back between Niamh and Cathan, his eyes wide with fear. Niamh turned away from Gavriel and looked up at Cathan, who nodded, waiting for her to move. A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the valley. After taking care of Gavriel’s lackeys, Cathan looked toward the cliff where the Drachenwald tree stood, closing his eyes as the tree’s magic wrapped itself around him, welcoming him back. Cathan turned toward Niamh, who knelt on the ground several feet away. His magic stirred, and he sensed her confusion, relief, and uncertainty radiating off of her. Part of him wanted to ignore it and let her go her own way, but the magic was strong. It had been many years since the last dragon bonded with a human, but Cathan couldn’t deny the familiar feeling of a bond forming any longer. “Are you alright?” he asked as he walked toward her. Niamh looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. “I’ve wanted to escape from Gavriel for so long, and I couldn’t . . . until now. You gave me that strength, Cathan.” Cathan shook his head. “You’ve always had that strength within you. In time, you’ll learn to use it for things you can’t imagine,” he said. Niamh frowned, wiping her tears away as she stood. “What do you mean?” “Come with me, and I’ll show you.” Cathan led her forward, pausing near the base of the tree, gazing on its golden leaves glistening in the beaming sun. Niamh paused at his side, her mouth gaped open in awe. “Did I not tell you the tree was magnificent?” Cathan asked. “It’s the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen,” Niamh whispered in awe. “Being a guardian of this tree is not something to take lightly,” he said. “A guardian is forever bound, not just with physically protecting it, but because of the magical connection a guardian has to the tree. It is a lifelong commitment.” He lowered his head in front of her. “You said before that you don’t have a place to call home. You can stay here and learn more about the tree. If it goes well, this may become a permanent home for you.” Niamh’s green eyes widened, and she smiled up at him. “You’d really allow me to stay here?” Cathan nodded. “For as long as you’d like.” “I don’t know what to say . . . thank you, Cathan.” “We have much to learn from each other, I think,” Cathan said, looking up at the tree. For the first time in many years, a weight had lifted from his shoulders. Finally, he would have someone to share his duties with, and he could take to the sky more often. He wouldn’t be alone anymore. He looked down at Niamh again, lowering his neck. “If you’re going to live here, you should see your new home from above.” Thank you for reading! If you’d like to get early access and exclusive stories, support us on Patreon! You are also invited to join the community and stay in touch! 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Captain Garreth scowled at his crew and sneered at their cowering. They were clustered close together on the dock, their eyes darting between him and his ship, the Merry Devil. At this late hour, they ought to be on that ship. Each and every one looked ready to soil themselves or flee. Garreth’s reddening face and rising voice made some flinch and others cringe away from him. “What d’you mean the spirit o’ John Silver is on board and demandin’ I return his journal?” “It’s jus’ like we said Cap’n.” Matilda spoke up, her voice tight with restraint. At barely five feet tall, she was the smallest bosun Garreth had ever sailed with, but more than once the Reaver captain had watched her hurl men three times her weight across a tavern, street, or deck. Now, however, she stood before him sweating as if feverish, except her brown face had a distinct pallor untouched by flush. “We heard a noise down in the hold, went to investigate, and there was a flash—” Riley cut her off. “Fires From Hell itself! From Davey Jones’ Locker!” The lad was young, new to the crew, and very excitable, but for once no one was silencing him. Some nodded in agreement. Garreth dragged a palm down his face and took a deep breath. “Riley.” His voice started as a low guttural growl and rose in volume with each word. “There are no flames in Davey! Jones’! LOCKER! Damned fool. Alla ya! Buncher lily livered fools! Thar ain’t no such thing as spirits without a body. Undead, aye, plenty o’ those on the Sea of Dreams, but I’ve sailed these waters nigh on thirty years, and I ain’t yet heard of a ghost outside a drunken fool’s story. Never mind seen one.” “But Captain. . .” Matilda’s protest died on her lips, though she didn’t drop her gaze as he glowered at her. “Enough. I heard yer fool’s tales once already.” Garreth’s coarse low voice took on a mocking falsetto. “‘It’s the spirit o’ Long John Silver Cap’n. ‘E wants his journal Cap’n!’” He dropped the falsetto. “Great roaring green flames shrieking throughout the hold and extinguishing every lantern, ya said! Does that ship look like it’s on fire?!” Garreth jabbed a finger at the Merry Devil bobbing peacefully beside the moonlit dock. Only the lanterns above deck remained alight. “Are you lot cold-blooded Reavers or rot-brained Bilge Rats!?” The crew squirmed under this verbal assault. Even Matilda was unable to meet his fierce gaze at that moment. “Pathetic. The whole lotta ya! Outta my way. I’ll deal with this ‘spirit’ meself.” Leaving his half-panicked crew behind, Garreth strode up the gangplank to the Merry Devil’s deck, muttering to himself as he went. “Never a bead o’ sweat facin’ a skele galleon. No limp spines fightin’ off a full crew of the cursed undead. No, not then, but one hint of a ghost, and they all go yellow on me. Bah. Bunch o’ fools.” Feigning more confidence than he felt, he bellowed to bolster his nerve. “Ain’t no such thing as ghosts!” Reaching the main mast’s base, Garreth paused, his dark eyes sweeping up and down the silent deck. A cool breeze swept through the salty night air. Above fluttered a flag with a laughing horned skull. Timbers creaked quietly at his heavy slow stride. Bright light from a full moon gleamed off dark gently lapping waves. “Well? Where’s the spirit that’s got you all actin’ as spineless as a buncher jellyfish eh? You hear me spirit!? Show yourself!” Garreth stalked toward the prow with its rattling figurehead of a caged skeleton. He had captured the creature years ago by luck more than intent. Pace steady, Garreth circled back toward the stern taunting the spirit as he went. “Shy now spirit? You were bold enough to spook those fools I call a crew!” “Goooo . . .” a voice moaned hauntingly from below. Instincts honed by years of pirating had Garreth’s clockwork pistol out and searching for a target before he could stop himself. “There’s no such thing as a damned ghost, and I’m not going anywhere,” Garreth growled as he eyed the stairs leading down into the dark hold. The ‘spirit’ had extinguished every lantern with its strange green flames, according to his trembling crew. “This is my ship damn you, and the Red Blade of the Reavers runs from no one and nothing! D’ya hear me spirit?!? Nothing and no one!” As he railed, Garreth took up a bright deck lantern in one hand, holstered his pistol, then drew Mercy’s Kiss from her sheath. Even in moonlight, there was no mistaking the hellish crimson hue of that legendary blade. Shoving his whispering fears away, Garreth marched down into the pitch-black belly of the ship. “Know what I think ‘spirit’?” He spat the word as his lantern’s flame offered a paltry illumination of the large, well-stocked hold. “I think yer some landlubber with a fancy trick or two and a knack fer throwin’ yer voice. I think,” Garreth savored his next growling words, “I’m goin’ teh kill you slow for spoilin’ my first evenin’ at port in three months.” Garreth’s threats were more than an expression of his anger. They were a calculated attack on his trespasser’s nerves, as were the heavy thudding steps with which he moved to begin his search. Green fires blossomed through the air, enveloping Garreth and his lantern, then vanished just as quickly. “Anu’s Mercy!” He cursed at the spectral flames, then cursed again at his now dark lantern. A croaking shrill voice followed Garreth’s retreat back to the moonlit stairs. “I don’t want you, Reaver.” It sounded as if it was right in front of him, and he hurled the lantern in that direction. Metal rattled against wood as it rolled noisily to a stop. Again that rasping voice rose from shadow, this time from behind him, beyond the stairs. “I want my journal.” Garreth spun, searching for a source as he took a single reflexive step away from the deck stairs. From behind again, closer than before, it spoke in a harsh whisper. “My journal or your soul, pirate.” Again Garreth whirled around, putting his back to the stairs once more as he slashed at empty air and black shadows. In his retreat toward the moonlight, his boot’s heel caught the edge of the first step, and he fell hard. A mad cackle filled the hold, stoking his anger as his cheeks burned with wounded pride. When the thing spoke again, it sounded as if it were whispering right into his ear. “Choose.” Heat and color drained from his face in a heartbeat as his blood ran cold. Garreth cursed as he swung his blade again. Again Mercy’s Kiss struck nothing, but he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Swift as a bullet, the trespasser’s figure was little more than a flicker of movement, a shadow among shadows. It vanished amid the crates and barrels of supplies retreating further into the darkness, but that little hint was all Garreth needed to finally dismiss his nagging fear that maybe it really was a ghost. “Quick thing aren’t you. And stealthy. I’ll give you that, but yer no spirit. A spirit wouldn’t need to hide from me in the shadows. A spirit wouldn’t need to retreat from Mercy’s Kiss.” Garreth got back to his feet as he spoke. John Silver’s journal had been in his possession over a month now. This was no vengeful spirit of a pirate legend. “Crew! Get down here, and help me search the hold! It’s no damn spirit! It’s a thief!” The thief let out a blood-curdling keen and wailed. “I am no mortal thief Red Blade of the Reavers! I will have my journal back or have my revenge on you and any soul who sets foot on this ship!” Garreth shuddered at that shriek. It elicited a primitive urge to run, and he growled as he shoved the feeling away. “Quit yer keenin’ thief. You’re clever. I’ll grant that for scarin’ them into stayin’ put wit’ a threat like that. Begs the question though, don’t it. Why’s someone so clever doin’ somethin’ as stupid as tryin’ to steal from the likes o’ me.” “I am—” The haunting protest was cut short. “Belay that spirit nonsense! There’s no doubt in my mind now that you’re flesh and blood, same as me. So talk! It’s your best chance of walking off this ship alive.” It was no chance at all, not really, but luring this trespasser out was a more efficient means of ending this confrontation than trying to hunt through the shadowy hold alone for someone so stealthy and quick. “Alive. Really?” Sarcasm dripped from a voice no longer shrill and rasping, but low and feminine. The first word sounded almost directly in front of him, but the second came from far behind. “Fine little trick, throwin’ yer voice around like that, and I don’t blame ya fer doubtin’ me, but do ya really have any other options? Sure, you might open a gunport hatch. Might seem a good idea, jumpin’ out that way, but those latches are tough to open. And noisy. Heh. I’ll wager ya can’t throw the sound of them around as easy as you do that voice o’ yers.” “A wager you’d win. Captain.” There was almost a reverential tone in that title. “So talk. Let’s start with your name.” Though he created the appearance of relaxing his posture at the foot of the stairs, Garreth remained alert, blade ready. “. . . It’s Elisa.” “Elisa. Pretty name. I knew an Elisa once. Fiery woman.” For a moment, his thoughts drifted back to the young lass and her stubborn refusals of his advances. “It was my mother’s name.” Elisa’s voice pulled him back from bright memories to the shadowy present. “Was it now?” Squint as he might against the shadows cloaking every cannon, crate, and barrel, the darkness remained as stubbornly impenetrable to Garreth as the woman in his memory. “She told me stories about you and my father, and your crew. Your adventures.” Again that hint of reverence, of hero-worship, this time unmistakable. Garreth grinned in genuine pleasure even as he considered how to turn such feelings to his advantage. “Then ya know me well. Well enough, I’d imagine, teh know yer not leavin’ this ship alive wit’out my blessin’.” After a moment’s consideration, he relaxed his posture further, leaning against a floor-to-deck support beam that was part of the stairs. With an air of idleness, he studied the moonlight gleaming off the flat of Mercy’s Kiss and angled the blade slowly to sweep the faint little ruddy beam about the hold. It revealed nothing except a confirmation his eyes were nearly adjusted to the gloom. “I know you.” Cold anger clung to each word. “I know you cheat at cards. I know you claimed to love my mother.” Garreth bristled at her implication, but he held his tongue. It was a bitter reminder of his failure and of the man whom Elly had chosen over him, his former first mate Gideon. “I know it was you who gave my father his moniker, Gutrot Gideon. I know you don’t keep your word unless there’s something in it for you.” Her voice had settled in front of him, as if they were standing face to face in the little patch of moonlight though she remained well hidden. “And, I know my father died because of you.” Garreth bristled and squared his broad shoulders as he came up out of his feigned posture. “His Death Weren’t MY Fault! I did Everything I could to save Gideon! I put down a mutiny tryin’ to save him!” Guilt and loss fueled his wrath. “I kept my word to Elly!” Hot breaths raised and dropped his deep chest in a swift rhythm. She had never spoken to him again after her husband’s death. Elly. The bitter sorrow wrapped up in her memory doused his anger. “I told her, I tried. I did everything I could. I never lied to her. Never.” “Perhaps . . .” There was the slimmest measure of acceptance in that one word. “Regardless, I need that journal. Will you give it to me? Repayment for the precious lives lost because of your failure?” For a moment sorrow and disbelief were all Garreth knew. “Lives? Elly . . . she . . . ” Of course she’s dead. It had been over fifteen years since Gideon’s death. Drowning in memories and emotions he had not felt in a decade, Garreth almost gave the offer serious consideration. Almost. Gold and glory reasserted their grip on his soul as he pushed away the question of how the woman he’d loved had died. How didn’t matter. She was gone. “Nay. Tha’s a dirty card teh play even by my low standards. Yeh ought to be ashamed to use the memory of yer parents like that.” “They’re dead because of you. I doubt they’d take offense.” Elisa snapped from the sheltering shadows. “Nay! I don’t accept that!” Once more Garreth’s bellowing voice filled the hold. “I did everything I could! If you want teh blame somebody, blame the damned naval officer what sunk his ship!” “I blame both of you!” It was the loudest Garreth had heard from her since she’d stopped pretending to be a ghost. Green flames blossomed anew, lighting the black hold with a sickle hue before vanishing once more. Garreth cursed and shut his eyes too late as he swung blindly to defend the staircase, but she made no escape attempt. She had spoiled his vision from adjusting to the dark. “Blasted girl!” Garreth cursed as he rubbed the spots from his eyes between blinks. “I’m not givin’ ya the damned journal, but I will let ya leave alive, for your dear mother’s memory, and your father’s. He was a good man, a fine pirate, and the best friend I e’er had.” As he made the offer, Garreth sheathed Mercy’s Kiss at his hip. “Not good enough. Lord Blue won’t accept failure.” “I gave that scurvy pompous Bilge Rat a price.” Garreth sneered. “5,000 bars of gold. A ridiculous price.” Elisa snapped. “There isn’t that much gold on the whole island!” Stubborn as her mother, Garreth thought. He didn’t relish the idea, but his gut was telling him this was going to come to violence sooner or later. He preferred sooner and on his terms if possible. Amusement mingled with bravado and greed in Garreth’s answer. “Aye. A ridiculous price, because I’d no intention o’ sellin’ it. I mean teh have that treasure fer meself. Blue’s more of a fool than I thought, thinkin’ I’d leave somethin’ so precious lyin’ around on me ship where any good thief might find it.” He patted a hidden pocket on the inside of his coat. A ruse. The Journal was locked away in a hidden hatch in his quarters. Waves lapped at the ship and, try as he might, Garreth could not hear her footsteps though her voice came clear enough from somewhere ahead of him. “You have it on you? Well, that makes this easy then. Fighting’s not my first choice, but I can fight when I have to.” Anticipation, almost eagerness, made Garreth suspect this was not an entirely accurate claim. That, and how well he’d known both her parents. Garreth smirked as he drew Mercy’s Kiss once more. “Ha ha haa! You can fight can you?! But, can you win, my stealthy lass?” Even if her confidence is not empty arrogance, Garreth thought, she’s young, and the young are easily baited, riled, and bested. “I’m not called the Red Blade o’ the Reavers just because of Mercy’s color—” Out from the shadows in front of him, Elisa lunged forward her speed catching him by surprise despite him expecting an attack. For an instant, he caught sight of her in the moonlight. From head to toe she was dressed in black, a thin dark strip of veil obscured her eyes, and her long, straight sword was coated in a dark substance to hide the gleaming length. Garreth grunted as he swept her blade aside with a hasty parry. Metal rang against metal. Before he could counter attack, she vanished, retreating back into the deeper shadows. “Lunge and retreat?! Is that yer plan?” He spat as if disgusted by the tactic, but in truth he appreciated the pragmatism and cleverness of it. This woman was playing to her strengths: speed and stealth. Had she not spoiled his adjusting vision with those green flames once more, he might have pursued her into the darkness. Instead, he remained close to the stairs, bathed in a small pool of moonlight and surrounded by black shadows. Elisa’s tone was mocking, not yet taking his bait. “Are you really complaining because I won’t fight you fair? Pirate.” She spat the last word from somewhere off to Garreth’s right. This sort of banter—how many times had he and Gideon sparred with words as well as blades? There was bitter joy in the recollection, but he could not savor it now. Instead he answered her with a jovial tone. “Hahhaha! Complaining? Not at all.” No hint of movement betrayed Elisa until she stepped under the moonlight. This time, she struck from his right, the same direction her voice had come from. She was no longer bothering to throw her voice. Mercy’s Kiss flew upward in a parry struggling to match her speed. Garreth growled and slashed in a downward stroke, but it whistled harmlessly through the air, too slow to prevent his opponent’s swift retreat. Garreth cursed in frustration. She might as well be invisible for all that he could see when she stepped out of his little moonlit arena. “You’re not going to win this fight just lunging out of one shadow and into another, little girl,” he snarled, and inwardly winced. He was supposed to be riling her up, not the other way around! Silence broken only by creaking timbers and lapping waves laid siege to Garreth’s ears as he strained for any hint of movement, any small sound or shifting shadow. “I can dance wit’ ya all night, if that’s ‘ow you want it girl.” He shifted his stance in a slow semicircle with his back to the stairs. Silence. “Yer tryin’ my patience lass. My goodwill toward yer parents will only stretch so far.” Nothing. She was giving him no hints this time where her attack would come from. Instinct alone sent him in a swift turn. Keen red metal forced Elisa’s blackened steel deep into the wooden support post. Garreth grinned, thinking her stuck. His grin vanished when she pulled her weapon free into a rough slash that forced Mercy’s Kiss far to one side. There was no way to parry from that position as she reversed her swing, angling to slice his throat wide. However, the Reaver captain had been brawling and fighting longer than the young thief had been drawing breath. He didn’t need to parry with Mercy’s Kiss. With his free hand, he launched a vicious uppercut that caught Elisa squarely under her chin. She fell backward stunned. Sturdy wooden boards knocked the wind out of her. Grinning in victory, Garreth pursued finally leaving the moonlit stairs unguarded. A swift kick sent Elisa’s weapon skittering across the floorboards as Mercy’s Kiss found her throat through thick layers of black cloth. A heavy boot on her chest was added for good measure. “Not bad fer a youngster,” he drawled thoughtfully as his heart slowed. “If I’d been a little slower or you a little more experienced . . . well. I’ll admit it. Why not? I’d be the one on the floor, and I’d be dead . . .” The reality of it made him pause for a moment despite his cavalier tone, and he tugged off Elisa’s head wrap only to regret his curiosity a moment later. She had the same red curls as her namesake. Though they were tightly braided at present, Garreth was certain they were a glorious mane of color when loosed. His mouth felt suddenly dry as he stared down at her freckled face. “Tell me something Elly—” He bit the name back, correcting it swiftly. “Elisa. Why’re you working fer the likes o’ Lord Blue?” “Blue has my sister,” Elisa grunted. Her hands clutched at the ankle of his tall sturdy boot in a vain effort to ease the pressure on her chest. She had Gideon’s strong straight nose and his wide mouth and thin lips, but the eyes were entirely from her mother. As Garreth rambled, he tried to gather his wits. “Does he now? Fancy that. Yer father never told me he had a second child.” Unbidden, a memory of Elly holding her baby girl filled his mind. Elly’s baby girl . . . this woman, whose throat he had a blade to, but he withdrew Mercy only a fraction as he fought off unfamiliar waves of emotion. This woman was not that baby girl anymore, and she was every bit as dangerous as her father had been, but without his love or loyalty toward Garreth. “She’s my half sister. Both of our mothers are dead.” Elisa growled. “That lyin’—” Garreth cut himself off and took a deep breath. “I’ll ’ave to ‘ave a few words wit’ yer pa after I’ve met my end. Yer both orphans then, and Blue took an interest in ya?” He studied her as she struggled to breathe, and he tried not to let the ship’s movement affect the weight he was putting on her. “Not ‘ard to see why. Yer good wit’ that blade. Quick on yer feet, clever enough to fool a ship o’ experienced pirates, and to top it all off, yer stealthier than a cat creepin’ up on a mouse. Tell me, young Miss Elisa . . . what would you say to double crossing Lord Blue?” A plan was coming together in Garreth’s mind. “He has my sister!” Elisa strained to free herself, but a prick from Mercy’s Kiss halted her efforts. “Aye. You said that before. What if ’e didn’t ’ave yer sister?” At that question, Elisa’s frown made Garreth smirk a little as he eased a fraction of his weight off her. Her chest rose sharply as she sucked in a small breath. “Are you . . . offering to help me free her?” Even in the faint silvery light, he could see some of the strain ease from her face. “Aye, but it’s no charity. I’ve me own interests in that Bilge Rat’s fortress of a house. Blue has something I need, so ya can trust me word on the offer.” “The Serpent’s Fang.” Slowly, Elisa let go of his ankle, and in return Garreth eased his weight off until his boot was simply resting on her chest. “Aye. The Serpent’s Fang, the key to John Silver’s hidden vault.” Dreams of treasure and glory made Garreth grin broadly. “The key to the greatest treasure hoard ever gathered in all the world. You got the idea now, yeah?” “You’ll help me free Rose if I help you get the Fang.” Elisa’s reply was hesitant and heavy with distrust, but the flicker of hope in her eyes was unmistakable. Elly had looked at him like that when he’d promised to look after Gideon. It wasn’t easy to stop his voice cracking, but somehow Garreth kept his tone easy and confident. “Tha’s right. Some of my crew will get yer sister loose. Rescuin’ her will be a fine distraction. And, while Blue is off chasin’ them, or at least a good few of his guards are, you’ll ‘elp me get inside. I’ll take both of ya wit’ me and far enough Blue won’t bother chasin’ ya down. So. Do we ’ave a deal?” Stepping back to let her up, Garreth offered Elisa his hand. For a moment she simply stared at him, her gaze flicking from his hand to his face. Garreth was certain she was weighing the risk to herself and her sister against the chance for freedom. Maybe even she was remembering some of the stories her mother had told her. Then, she grasped his rough hand in her gloved one. “Aye Captain. We have a deal.” Thank you for reading! If you’d like to get early access and exclusive stories, support us on Patreon! You are also invited to join the community and stay in touch! Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/worldsmyths Discord Invite - https://discord.gg/dCW3b6g

A smoky haze clung in the air. The smell of burnt Tobacco seared its way into the nostrils of every patron in the train car. Every eye shifted about, trying to glimpse even one sign of weakness amongst the others at the table. The car rocked casually side to side, lulling the obese man in the corner into a deep sleep, just like a mother rocks her baby. The only people standing were the serving girl, who was only ever noticed when she bent down to fill ones’ glass, which revealed her bountiful breasts, and the bartender behind the small bar counter. “It’s your play, Orville.” The bald man shifted his monocle, his eye surveying the cleavage before him. He puffed down on his pipe, blowing more smoke into the air. “Don’t keep us waiting all afternoon.” “Keep your hat on.” Orville retorted while he glanced down at his cards. It was far from a good hand, but he had to keep the game going long enough for his brother to catch up to the train. There was a strict time limit he had to follow. He couldn’t be early or late, and he was dealt a bad hand. It could force him from the game before his time. Bad luck seemed to follow him around ever since he was young, but today he would come out on top, he knew it. “You got to ante up, or drop out.” The thick-built Croupier twirled his moustache as he stared down Orville. “What’s it going to be?” His voice sounded like rocks rolling around a barrel. He folded his arms, which were as round as the largest Oak stumps. His eyes never left Orville. He was already suspicious of the man, expecting the worst of the low-class vagabond. Orville fingered the last two dollars he had in his coat pocket. It was the last of the money his brother and him had. The only two dollars that was supposed to feed them and their thirst for a better flying machine. Not only was he gambling money at the table, but he was gambling on the success of their future. “Me thinks he’s got no good cards, yes?” The man to Orville’s right chuckled as he sucked down a long cigar. His beard was rife with white streaks. The man exhaled the odorous smoke, the skin around his lips wrinkling. “If I were a buffoon, I would still be able to tell.” “Ahem.” The Croupier cleared his throat, eyes glaring at Orville. “What’s it going to be?” Orville glanced around carefully. He pulled a dollar from his pocket, “Please, gentlemen, I was just going to buy us all a round.” He held the dollar above his head for the waitress to take, “Whisky for all. Would you dear?” He smiled through his teeth, trying to throw off suspicion, but now he was down a dollar. He swallowed the lump in his throat. This had better pay off. He pulled the last dollar from his pocket and placed it on the table. “Alright, let’s see them cards, gents.” The man with the monocle flipped his cards over nonchalantly. He cared not the outcome of any game so far, only for the waitress and her chest, which he ogled frequently. The bearded fellow flipped his cards over, taking a large puff of his cigar. He smiled wide, his skin creasing across his face. He spoke through the smoke billowing from his mouth, “Royal flush, boys.” He chuckled before letting out a deep cough. Orville glanced down at his cards. A pair of jacks was all he had. Not enough to beat out the bearded man. He glanced up at the Croupier, who in turn was eyeballing Orville. The Croupier twisted his mustache with one, meaty hand, the other crossed over his chest. Orville heard the footsteps of the waitress approach with a small tray of whiskeys in her hand. “Here you are, sir.” She handed the glass to Orville with a wink. Any other situation, he would have tried to seduce the woman, but there was too much riding on this now. He was soon to be out of his last dollar. He held the glass firm, his eyes darting between the patrons. Monocle was eyeing the lady again. Beardy was having a coughing fit. Obese man was asleep in the corner, and the bartender was cleaning a glass. Orville made a split second choice of what to do next. He smiled and cocked his head to the side. He threw down his cards, “Pair of Jacks.” He rose his glass to his lips as the Croupier squinted with bafflement across his face. Before Orville took a sip, he quickly splashed the drink into the Croupier’s face. He stood quickly, knocking his chair down behind him. In a flash, a revolver appeared in his hand. “Nobody move.” He slowly moved it over to the bearded gent, “And drop your pistol.” Orville glanced to the ground. Before the man could act, Orville shot his hand to the small of his back, producing a second revolver. He blasted backwards without looking. Everyone flinched from the gunshot, except for the obese man who snoozed like a cat in the morning sun. Glass shattered above the bartender, showing the man in bourbon. He was half bent over, reaching for something under the bar top. Orville glanced over his shoulder, “Stick to pouring drinks, eh?” “Everyone against the wall.” Orville pointed with one of his guns, “Except for you.” He pointed the other at the Croupier. “You give me all the money you got stashed under the table.” The Croupier wiped the whisky from his blood-red eyes, “I knew something was off about you.” “Then you should’ve thrown me out when you had the chance, you overgrown oaf.” Orvilled pointed down, “The money, please.” The passengers all filed against the wall, except the Croupier, who placed a small safe on the poker table. “I won’t tell you the combination. We’ll be stopped at the next town before you can crack it.” Orville took the money from the table and stuffed it into his pockets. He slipped one of his guns into the small of his back, smiling devilishly as he did so. “I don’t need the combination. My brother is quite good at cracking safes.” He reached out for the safe, “Thank you all for your contributions.” He glanced at the waitress, “Sorry for the distress, m’lady,” he looked over the other patrons, “And it was fun while it lasted gentlemen. But I must take my leave.” He hefted the small safe from the table, almost dropping it was the weight pulled him down. “There’s nowhere for you to run, Orville, the marshals will scour every town you try to hide in within a hundred miles of here.” He crossed his bear-sized arms, “The only way out of here is if you somehow sprout wings and learn how to fly.” He chuckled along with the other men. Orville grinned, “That’s what I plan on.” He quickly opened the back door to the train car. Air rushed out of the car as he glanced side to side. Wind whipped around him in a violent fury. The chugging of the rail cars blotted out every other sound, save for the rushing of the wind. He took one last look into the casino car. The obese man began to stir from his chair. The others were shouting at him, and the man looked right at Orville. This was his only chance to escape. Orville glanced to his right. A ladder led to the top of the car. He holstered his revolver and started the climb. His arm sagged with the weight of the iron safe. Each step upwards was a feat of strength. He peeked over the top of the train car, before him was a white roof with one small chimney. With one last heave, he threw the safe up and over the ledge. He pulled himself over just in time to see the obese man emerge from the car, a pistol in his hand. The man fired, splintering the wood next to Orville’s head. Orville’s eyes went wide. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He turned and grabbed the safe, heading to the front of the car before the man could ascend the ladder. He stopped dead in his tracks, as ahead of him he saw the thick, hairy arms of the Croupier flap over the edge of the roof. The man’s head emerged, along with that glorious mustache. The Croupier climbed over the ledge with ease, shotgun in hand. He aimed it at Orville, “It’s over, lad, give up.” Behind Orville was the obese man with a pistol in hand. “I’m a U.S. Marshal, boy, come now, you’re under arrest.” His gun was raised at Orville’s chest, “Just lie down and surrender your weapons and no one has to get hurt.” Orville glanced back and forth at the men. He was trapped. Each side of the train was rocky mountainous terrain. He looked up at the Marshal, “Alright, I’ll do it.” He reached into his coat slowly, pulling out a metal object. He glanced down at his stopwatch, popping it open to see the time. “This is your last warning, boy. Don’t make me blast a hole in you even the doctors can’t fix.” The marshal’s jowls bounced as he spoke. Wind continued to flurry about the men. Orville placed his watch back into his pocket. He smiled, “Looks like I’m out of time.” The Marshal cocked his head to the side, his face puzzled. A loud buzzing noise filled the air. The mountains around them gave way to a bridge that spanned across a deep canyon. Orville looked down at the river far below. It was a long drop, but he wasn’t going down, on the contrary. He was about to fly. The Croupier glanced off in the distance at a large object headed towards the train. It was flying through the air, headed right at them. “What in God’s name?” The large object buzzed closer. Orville held onto the safe with all his might, “Good flying!” He jumped in the air as the machine buzzed overhead. He slammed into a net attached to the bottom of the machine. His eyes shot upwards into the pure white canvass above him. An engine buzzed as loud as any car. A head bobbed into view from around the side of the plane. “Tally ho, brother!” The man smiled. His face was covered in a scarf and goggles. “I’m surprised our plan worked!” “No thanks to you,” He added sarcastically, “Big brother.” He shook his head, “I’m the one doing all the dangerous work here. Just keep the airplane from crashing, will you Wilbur?” Wilbur laughed into the wind, “You bet…” He was cut off from talking by several loud bangs. The plane began to shake violently, rocking back and forth as Wilbur struggled to keep it upright. Orville glanced back at the train as it quickly faded into the distance. He saw the Croupier with his shotgun in hand, aiming at the brothers’ plane. The train quickly disappeared into the mountains across the canyon, but their plane had still taken damage. The white canvass began to rip here and there as the wind rushed through it. Wilbur glanced down at his brother in the net, “Looks like this is it, good chap, this plane is history.” He fought with the controls, but the plane started to dip towards the ground. “It’s a shame too. This was such a good model.” Orville looked at the river far below. It was their only chance at survival. He looked up to Wilbur, “We have to jump!” He grabbed the safe and squirmed to the edge of the net. “Come on, Wilbur! Jump!” There wasn’t much time now. The plane was headed straight into the canyon wall. Orville slid from the net and plummeted through the sky. He looked up just in time to see the plane crashed into the side of the mountain. Metal creaked, wood splintered into a million pieces, and the husk of the plane rolled down the steep mountainside. “Wilbur!” Orville shouted into the wind as he raced towards the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes as the river came closer and closer. Wind flapped the clothes around his body in a violent fashion. Orville felt the cold iron safe in his hands. No amount of money was worth his brother’s life. No scientific adventure was worth the loss of his best friend. Orville slammed into the river’s surface, safe first. Water enveloped him quickly as he sunk downwards with the heavy safe. Underwater boulders and rocks slammed into him as the river pulled him along. He kicked with his legs, pushing with all his might to break the surface. He grabbed ahold of a broken branch and pulled himself up to the surface. Water rushed all around him as he scanned for the body of Wilbur. Only plane debris was floating about. Orville swam to the bank of the river and laid face down in the rocks. His body was broken and bruised, but all he could think about was his brother. He pushed the safe up onto the dry ground, wishing he could trade all the money just to see his brother one last time. “Oh good, you held onto the safe.” Wilbur appeared from behind a bush, his clothes drenched in water. “Now we can pay for a better engine. More power would have saved us fro…” “Dammit, Wilbur, you’re alive.” Orville shot up from the bank and hugged his brother. He ignored the pain shooting throughout his body. “I thought you were dead.” Wilbur hugged him back, “Please, it will take more than a plane crash to kill me.” He hefted the safe up under one arm, and held his brother up with the other. “So, how was the train ride? Was there any pretty women aboard?” Orville just scoffed and shook his head, “Let’s just get home, brother, then I’ll tell you all about it.” The End Consider donating to my Patreon to support my work- https://www.patreon.com/DakotaCardinet

Sato yawned as he started doodling in his notebook. It wasn't that he found school too difficult or anything. Although he didn't consider it all that easy either. It was just outright boring. Nothing but the same old dry routine, day in and day out. "Hey, Sato!" Sato lifted his head as a voice yelled from across the room. Sato looked up and noticed his black-haired friend Kenji sitting on the edge of his desk at the front of the classroom. Sato shouted back, "Hey, Kenji! What's up?" "So how was your summer?" Kenji asked Sato while walking towards the purple-haired teen. "It was pretty good, I guess. A little boring though." Sato sighed as he got up from his seat, "Sometimes I just wish something completely out of the ordinary would happen to me, you know?" Kenji nodded, "Yeah, I do. But face it, man, you are seriously cursed with being extra ordinary. "Yeah tell me about it." Kenji hooked his arm around Sato's shoulder, "Hey Sato. Can I come over your place later?" Sato replied, "Yeah sure, of course, Kenji. But I need to get some books at the library first." "Okay see ya later then." Kenji waved goodbye as he headed out the door. "Later." Sato fumbled around in his pockets until he pulled out a lighter. "I wonder if I'll ever get to use this." Sato sighed returning the lighter to his pocket. Once Sato made it to the library he began looking around for a history book. The room full of massive walls of books gave Sato an even more massive headache. Realizing it would take forever to find the exact book he was looking for, Sato walked over to the librarian's desk, "Hey dude, do you know where the History textbooks for Class 2B are?" The Librarian looked up from his newspaper. His eyes widened slightly when he saw Sato's face, "Yes, it's at the very back." Sato nodded, "Right thanks." Sato made his way over to the back of the room. His face scrunched up as his eyes met up with multiple spider webs and dust bunnies. He felt like it'd do wonders if someone cleaned up the place. Sato searched the rack for the textbook. "Ah, Here we go." He rested his hand on the book pulling it out from its territory. "Huh? Whats this back here?" Sato grabbed an old dusty book. He blew off the dust and it scattered about in the air as a result. Some of it traveled up into his nose. He tried his best to hold it in, to no avail. "ACHOO!" Snot fired out of Sato's nose like a missile. SHHHHHH!" The Librarian's voice traveled across the room. Sato used his sleeve to wipe off his nose before opening the book, "Its blank," he said perplexed by the thought that a book could be completely blank. Suddenly, a huge light blue circular portal opened from the book and sucked Sato in. It was impossible for Sato to think straight while spinning around in circles at such a high speed. He felt like he was going to puke any minute as he continued to spin around and around. His vision was nothing but a blur of colors as he fell deeper into the portal. It spiraled at a speed of light and before he knew it, he fell out of the portal and was knocked unconscious. Sato woke up in the middle of greenfield. An array of trees with purple foliage towered over him. He looked up at the tangerine sky littered with grayish blue clouds that seemed as if it was a watercolor painting. A silver sun accompanying the painting only served to heighten Sato's confusion. Sato looked around frantically, "Where am I? How the heck did the sun turn silver?!" Sweat started running down from Sato's pores as he tried to make sense of the situation. A task that proved to be incredibly difficult for him. Before he could gather what was going on, a giant eagle-looking thing with silver talons and a gold beak and wings swooped down lunging at him. "Whoa!" Sato yelped as he somersaulted to dodge the eagle monster. "What the heck is going on here?! I know! I'm dreaming or something!" Sato nodded doing his best to keep his sanity intact. The eagle made a u-turn and attacked Sato again. This time its talons cut deep into his arm like a knife into butter. "Aaaaaah!" Sato screamed in pain as blood poured out from his arm. He clutched his burning arm tight running at a speed he never knew he could. He hid behind a nearby tree."What on earth is that thing?! How do I get out of here without that thing killing me? Wait a minute. I have an idea." Sato slowly sneaked out from behind the tree. "Come here little birdie, come here." He jumped around like a monkey to taunt the eagle. Sato ran and the eagle followed. He quickly climbed up a tree and the eagle soared up to the sky blocking out the silver sun. It spread out its wings as far as they could go. It glared back down at Sato who smirked with confidence. The eagle lunged to attack Sato once more. Sato pulled out a rope and lighter from his backpack. He lassoed the rope around the eagle's body lighting it on fire and sending the eagle down in bright orange flames. Sato slid down the tree like it was a slide and proudly danced around. "Oh yeah! I won. It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Kiss my butt cheeks, you dumb mutated eagle." Sato paused as he realized he still didn't know just what was going on. Or even what kind of world he was in. But after the event he just experienced, he did know one thing. Sato looked up at the silver sun, "I'm not on Earth anymore." Sato heard loud pounding footsteps in the distance. With every step, the trees rose up from the ground as did Sato. Suddenly a large blue half-goblin and half-golem creature jumped out of the sky. "What the hell?!" Sato shouted as he saw the messed up creature. He now couldn't help but worry that this strange foreign land was full of these creepy monsters. The golem ran towards Sato causing a massive earthquake. Once again the trees and Sato popped up from the ground like they were in a whack-a-mole-game. "Kill Yamagata Satoshi!" The golem yelled fiercely as it charged towards the teen. "Man not another one of these crazy looking things. And how on earth does it know my name?!" The golem suddenly dropped down hard to the ground causing another quick but large earthquake. Sato fell on his knees from the earthquake. He looked up at the golem creature traumatized unable to utter a single word. A thirteen-year-old girl front flipped off of the golem's back landing in front of Sato. Sato noticed she was about his height as she dusted some dirt off of her pink sundress. He stared in awe at her cherry blossom pink eyes and her long wavy pink hair flowing in the wind. She stood with her arms crossed tapping her blue tennis shoes with pink laces. The girl stared sternly at Sato, clearly insulted. "I'm not sure how it knows your name. But us crazy looking things, prefer to be called Bakemono. Nice to meet you. I'm Sakura."

I wake up to a knocking on my door, I get up and go to open it only to see an upset looking Hyung standing there.    “What's up Hyung” I say in my morning voice noticing its still dark out.    “Can I come in baby” he says.   “Of course” I say stepping to the side to let him in.    He comes in and sits on the couch so I do the same, I want to know what's wrong but I want to wait till he's ready to tell me.    We sit in silence for a few minutes.    “I'm sorry to come and wake you up so late” he says before going quiet again.    I nod as I look around noticing he has his backpack and another bag.    “My roommate kicked me out baby” he says noticing me look at the bag.    “Why would he do that” I say jumping up.    “We had a fight” he says sighing.    “He found out I was gay cause he caught me jerking off to your pictures you sent me, he went crazy saying I wasn't allowed to live there anymore that I'm disgusting and told me I had to leave that I could go get my things tomorrow while he's at work and he would be changing the lock code when he got home” Hyung said leaning forward and putting his face in his hands.   “Hyung” I say softly worried bout him.   He sat up straight.   “Don't worry baby I'm not upset about what he said about me its just now I have to find a new place and I'm stressed, honestly I'm more upset that I didn't get to finish jerking off” he says with a light chuckle.   I giggled a little at that.    ‘Would it be to soon to let him live with me’ I thought to myself.    ‘Fuck it I want him to be around all the time anyways’ I decided to offer.    “Hyung?” I say starting to feel nervous he will reject me.    “Mmm” he hummed.    “Um would … would you like to live here with me?” I ask rushing the last part out.   He stiffened up at that and I looked away my eyes tearing up a bit waiting for the rejection.    “Baby-” he started but I cut him off.    “I'm sorry that was a stupid question I shouldn't have asked that I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable” I blurt out standing and walking toward the bathroom to lock myself in there till morning.   “Baby wait” he says rushing over as I started closing the door, the tears starting to fall.    He stopped the door and pushed it open pulling me into his arms.   “Baby listen to me okay” I says stroking the back of my hair.    “I just don't want to put you out plus how do we explain it to Jisung, id love to live with my baby boy” he adds kissing my head.    “Please stay” I mumble into his chest.    “Are you sure baby?” he says pulling away to look into my eyes.   I nodded and kiss his lips lightly, I want to be with him forever.    “We can tell Jisung the truth, if he's willing to hate me after all this time that's his problem” I say looking down at my feet.    “Are you sure baby?” he asks.    I nod again grabbing his hand and dragging him to the bed, I stand in front of him and pull his shirt off before unbuttoning his jeans then pushing him on the bed before curling up next to him and turning off the lap.    He wraps his arms around me pulling me closer to him and kissing me on my head, I snuggle up loving his scent.    “Goodnight Hyung I love you” I whisper.   “Night baby boy I love you too” he says kissing my head again and stroking my arm with his thumb.    ‘Most annoying alarm ever’ I think to myself as I groan.    I start to stretch when I feel movement behind me.    ‘Oh right Hyung’    I roll over to face him seeing him wince from the sound I reach over him to grab my phone to shut off the alarm as I do I feel him wrap his arms around me, I giggle shutting off my alarm before letting him pull me down.   I lay on his chest and he kisses my head hugging me close.   “Are you really sure you want to tell Jisung?” Hyung asked after a while.    “Yes Hyung I am sure if he cant be my best friend after knowing the real me then he was never really my best friend” I state as I start to squirm as I start needing to pee.   “Hyung I need to pee” I say as he pulls me back down when I try to get up.   “Fine” he says letting me up.   After I pee I quickly wash up and do my make up before going out again, Hyung sits up resting on his arms watching me walk to the kitchen.   “God your so hot” he breaks the silence.    I chuckle a bit.   “How many times are you gonna say that Hyung” I ask tilting my head to the side as I turn to look at him.    “Till it stops being true.. So never” he says smirking back at me.   I turn back and start making coffee, after a few seconds I feel his arms wrap around my waist and he rests his chin on my shoulder.   “I'm gonna wash up baby” he mumbles before kissing me on the cheek and walking to get his bag and going to the bathroom.    I bend over digging in the bottom of my dresser for pants when I feel a sharp slap on my ass making me yelp in surprise, I turn quickly to see a smirking Hyung.    “Hyung” I whine.    “What” he whines mocking me.   I pout turning grabbing a pair of jeans and walking past him to where I already laid out a shirt.    He walks up behind me and hugs me from behind again kissing my neck lightly.    “Okay okay I'm sorry but you have a nice ass its hard to resist smacking it” he grumbles at the last part.   I shake my head and bend to start putting on my jeans when I feel him push his crotch agents my ass.   “Hyung do you want to be late two days in a row” I say looking back at him.   “Okay okay ill behave I have all night to make to moan for me” he says smirking as he walks to his bag pulling out some clothes.    ‘Oh god am I gonna regret this’ I think shaking my head.    We leave for school not long after that.    As we get close to school I start getting nervous about telling Jisung about us, as I see them in the distance I reach over and take Hyung's hand in mine interlocking our fingers making him look at our hands then me.    As we get close they turn and freeze looking at us, Hyung squeezes my hand as we stop in front of them.    Jaeyong gives me a small smile and a thumbs up from behind Jisung.   Jisung just stares at us hardly even blinking, I start getting scared at this point.   “So what's this about” he asks pointing at our hands.    “Well I lied” I say simply trying to sound un bothered.    “Ill explain after we are done with classes but for now you just need to know we are dating” I say refusing to look him in the face.   “Okay” he said shrugging.   “Lets go to class” he says skipping ahead of us.    “He seems fine” Hyung says kissing my hand.    “Yeah” I sigh.    We have a very normal day of classes, The only events of the day was Hyung kissing me on the cheek goodbye after our first class and again when meeting us outside after classes were done for the day.      Once we got to the apartment Jaeyong ordered friend chicken, it seemed normal thankfully.    “So can we talk now” Jisung asked.    I nod slightly really scared now.   “Okay explain” he says motioning as if to say the floor in mine.    “Well lets start simple I'm gay and always knew that” I say sighing lightly.   “How long have you known?” he asks staying calm.    “Since first year of middle school when I met Hyung” I say fidgeting a little.    “Next there was never a girl from middle school I was talking about Hyung” I say squirming a bit.   “Right” he nods shortly.    “Lastly there was no girl here the night before last nor a guy.. I jerked off that night but the cause of the hickeys is sitting next to me and that happened yesterday morning when he gave me head and fucked me with a viberater causing us to be late” I say in one breath while looking down.    “Okay tmi on that one” Jisung laughs out.    “So why tell us now?” he asked.    “Its my fault really” Hyung buts in.    “Last night when I went home my roommate caught me jerking off to some pictures I asked Minjun to send were he was just out of the shower and he got all disgusted and kicked me out telling me I have till he gets off work in a few hours to get my stuff cause he's changing the lock code when he gets home and don't wanna see me ever again so I showed up here at 3 in the morning” he explained.   “So I asked him to live with me here” I add still looking down.    “And I already knew Minjun was gay I figured it out in high school when he accidentally walked in on my sister changing and seemed disgusted but it wasn't confirmed till we met Taemin Hyung see his reaction when Hyung walked into the class, the slip up of saying he can imagine fucking him, that porn site on his laptop is gay, Hyung being the only person that left the school at that time and Hyung's face when he described the person from middle school it all told me one that it was a guy and two that it was Hyung so yesterday when you were taking a shit I confronted them and they admitted it. Another thing is when I made you go get pizza with me it was because I could tell Minjun wanted some time with Hyung alone” Jaeyong explained.   “Ill add something to this though since Minjun is willing to put himself out there so will I.. I'm bisexual” he blurted out.    “Okay so let me get this straight Minjun is gay and has been in love with Taemin Hyung since first year middle school now they are dating and living together and my other best friend that I live with is into both men and woman?” he says asking for us to clarify.    We all nod and Hyung lays his head on my shoulder.    “Anything else?” he asks.   Jaeyong looks at me almost like he's looking for my opinion and I shrug.    “That depends on how you feel about all of this” Jaeyong says softly.    “Give me a few minutes to try and take it all in” Jisung says standing up starting to pace.    “I'm gonna run to my old place and grab my things while you guys do this I feel like the three best friends need some time plus I'm running out of time” Hyung says stand up and heading for the door.    I fallow behind him and wait as he puts on his shoes, once he stands up I bury my face in his chest as I hug him and he hugs me back kissing me on the forehead.    “The codes your birthday” I say standing on my tip toes to peck his lips.   At that he chuckles and nods before leaving.   I walk back to the living room sitting back down on the floor as Jisung walks back to the couch, he sits down and looks back and forth between us.    “Why did you guys hide this” he sighs.    “I was scared you would hate me like Hyung's roommate did to Hyung” I mumble.    “Same” Jaeyong agrees.    “Well I don't, I could never” he grumbles.    “Well are you ready for the last one about me” Jaeyong says looking at me.    I nod at him as encouragement.    “Why not I'm already brain fucked” Jisung chuckles.   “I've had a crush on you since first year of high school” Jaeyong rushed out putting his head down.    “Wait what” Jisung says jumping up.   “I'm sorry” Jaeyong said never looking up.    “Bro I've literally jerked off in front of you” Jisung said sounding a little upset.    “Well I hope that image was put to good use at least” he grumbles sitting back down.   I laugh at that comment then stop realizing this is a serious moment, I feel bad for Jaeyong honestly.   At that point I hear the key pad beeping as someone puts in the code and stand rushing to meet Hyung at the door.    As we walk back in we freeze, Jisung has Jaeyong pinned to the back of the couch and is full out kissing him tongue and all.   He pulls away not long after that and I just stand there frozen and mouth agape.    “What the fuck did I just see” I shout making Jisung laugh.   “I'm the same as Jaeyong” Jisung says as if its nothing.    after that the chicken came and we all ate.    “So I'm not sure I believe you guys though I mean yeah sure you act sweet and kiss the cheeks and hug but u haven't kissed once all day” Jisung says winking at me.    “My baby tends to get to worked up when I kiss him” Hyung said smirking.   They are trying to make me kiss him to prove myself and its starting to work.   I turn to Hyung and grab him by the shirt pulling him down and kissing him, he immediately kisses back.    Hyung was right I'm starting to get worked up deepening the kiss as he puts his hands on my hips, I should stop I know I should but I cant I want him.    “Woah okay we get it” I faintly hear Jisung say.    Hyung pushes me back making me whine.    “Told you he gets to worked up” Hyung chuckles.    “Not always” I say pouting and sitting on the floor.    “Hyung have you ever slept with a guy?” Jisung asks making me wince and put my head down.    “Yes but only because I planed on reconnecting with Minjun and from what my old friends told me I figured he wouldn't have so I wanted to know how to please him” Hyung stated matter of fact.   “Are you a top or bottom” Jisung asks.  “I'm a top” Hyung says smirking as I blush.    “Minjun have you ever slept with a guy” he says looking at me.    I shake my head no.   “Hyung's the only person whos touched me and we haven't gone all the way yet” I add blushing even more.   “So I'm guessing you are a bottom” he asked.    I nod almost positive I'm a bright red.   “Jaeyong?” Jisung asked.   “Bottom and yes two” Jaeyong says nonchalantly.   “I've slept with girls but never a guy but I don't think id like being a bottom so that works” Jisung says shrugging.   “So are you guys a thing” I ask changing the topic.   Jaeyong looked at Jisung with a longing look.   “Yes” Jisung said not phased at all.    The rest of the night was just cuddling with our boyfriends and watching horror movies.   After the movie they decided to go home so I walked them to the door.    “Be gentle on him Jisung” I say smirking at them as they walk out making Jaeyong give me the middle finger.    I walk back into the living room pulling off my shirt as I do.   “Hyung I'm going to take a shower” I say hoping he would fallow me.    I turn on the hot water and let it run down my body for a while before washing my body and hair, I'm kind of disappointed he didn't fallow me but that's okay I have a plan B.    I lightly dry my hair leaving it damp and messy and wrapping my towel around my waist before walking out, he was jerking off to this when he got caught and never got to finish so it should work.  I walk in to the room and he looks up at me eyes widening as he looks me over.    “Well what do we have here sexy?” he asks walking over to me.   “I'm not used to grabbing clothes” I say walking to my dresser and bending to my underwear drawer.    He follows grabbing before I could grab underwear, he pulls me back up and spins me around to face him.    ‘I win’ I think to myself.   He grabs my thighs lifting me up and carrying me to the bed, he places me on the bed before hovering over me.    “Are you trying to get me worked up baby boy” he all but growls.    I whimper, the sound alone making my dick twitch, I reach up wrapping my arms around his neck pulling him down.   “Baby are you sure you are ready for me” he says softly before pecking my nose. “Hyung if you don't fuck me soon I am going to scream” I say trying to pull his shirt off.    With that he gets up on his knees to pull his shirt off and when he does I notice that he's already rock hard, I reach toward it and start palming him over his jeans making him hiss and look down at me.    I push him over onto the bed next to me and climb between his legs starting to unbutton his jeans and hastily pulling them off along with his boxers, I look at his dick in shock, he's big.    I take him in my hand giving it a few strokes and he gasps, I couldn't resist any longer I got lower and took him in my mouth dying to know what he tasted like.    He gave me a deep groan.    “Baby you have to warn me” he huffed out as I started bobbing my head.   He gave a few more deep groans then grabbed my head and started fucking my mouth making me gag, I cane up for air and was immediately flipped on my back.   My towel torn off and flung on the floor and his mouth on my dick, I throw my head back letting out a long moan.    He pulls off after a little bit reaching into my bottom drawer and I hear the cap of my lube I twitch at the sound and he chuckles.    “Last chance to back out baby” I says tapping my leg telling me to lift them.   I left my legs showing my my hole to witch he groans softly before pushing a finger in, I moan pushing down on his finger.    He starts thrusting his finger faster before adding a second finger and continuing thrusting them, I'm moaning like crazy as I reach down to stroke myself.    After a while he pulls his fingers out grabbing the lube an putting some on his dick climbing up to be face to face with me he lifts my legs onto his shoulders bending down to kiss me as he pushes himself in.    I moan at the feeling of him filling me up and stretching me.   “Baby your so good for me” he pants giving small thrusts trying to work his way in.    “Hyung please just push in I can take it” I say moaning softly.    He does as I asked and bottomed out making me moan loudly, after a few seconds he starts moving.    “Hyung faster” I moan after a few minutes of that slow paste.    He again does as I asked becoming faster and more rough, I start moaning like crazy and he leans down to give me a sloppy kiss as he groans.   “Baby you feel so good” he groans going harder.    “Hyung” I moan loudly.    “My good boy” he pants.    I reach for his hand and bring it to my neck with out thinking.   the wraps his hand around my neck squeezing tightly.    “That's my boy, take it like a good boy for me” he growled going even harder.    “Hyung I'm gonna” I choke out as he's still squeezing my neck.   “Cum for me baby” he groans.    His thrusts start getting sloppy and his hand gets tighter, I wrap my hand around my cock and start stroking trying my best to keep pace with Hyung.   After a few strokes I let out the loudest moan I ever made and cum all over my hand and stomach, Hyung lets go of my neck and starts getting sloppier.    I reach up tweaking his nipples as I can tell he's getting close.    “Hyung cum in me, I want you to fill me up” I beg.    With that he cums pumping me full, he collapses on top of me kissing my shoulder as we try and catch our breath.    After we caught our breath he pulls out and rolls to my side laying facing me.    “Was it what you imagined baby?” he asked brushing my hair out of my face.    “Better Hyung” I mumble starting to feel sleepy.    “Good there's more where that came from” he said pulling me closer into his arms.    “Hyung can we shower in the morning?” I ask as my eyes start getting heavy.    “No baby lets go clean up now then we can cuddle and go to bed okay” he says softly while sitting up.    He stands up before bending over to pick me up carrying me to the bathroom, he sits me on the counter as he turns the water on.    After its set he comes back to me kissing my forehead and helping me stand, I'm not sore my legs are just wobbly.    He walks with me under the water making sure I'm nice and wet before taking some soap and washing my body making sure to clean my ass good too, I take some soap to and start to wash him and he chuckles kissing me on the forehead.   “You surprised me you know” he said as he turned me to rinse off my chest.    “What do you mean?” I ask quietly.    “Wanting me to be rough and wanting me to choke you I thought you were a soft boy” he says bending to kiss my shoulder.    I start to blush.   “Don't you remember when I described you Hyung?” I ask not wanting to explain.   He shuts the water off and grabs me a clean towel wrapping it around me before grabbing his own.    “What about it” he grunts as he picks me up carrying me to the couch.    He stands me in front of him drying me off before sitting me down, he stands and walks to the bathroom coming back with my hair dryer.    He stands in front of me after plugging it in making me level with his amazing abs and starts drying my hair, once my hairs dry he dry's his own. He walks to the bed and changes the sheets before coming back and carrying me to the bed.   “About you being dominant and me basically saying it turns me on” I say as he lays me down finely continuing what we were talking about before.    “I want you to be rough Hyung” I state to tired to feel shy.   “Is that so” he chuckles as he climbs in bed with me covering us up.    I hum laying my head on his chest already half asleep.    “Good cause Hyung like it like that too” he said softly as he rubbed my back.    “Hyung?” I ask softly.    “Yes baby boy?” he says kissing my head.    “I love you” I say leaning up to peck him on the lips.    “I love you too baby boy now get some sleep” he says stroking my back and lulling me to sleep.

*BEEP,BEEP,BEEP*   “Mm mm” I groaned, rolling over and stopping my alarm.   I rub my eyes and stretch before sitting up.   It's my first day of university, I stand up and walk to the bathroom of my apartment.    I decided to live on my own instead of with my parents because I want to have freedom and to be able to be myself.   I close the door and turn on the water and undress before stepping under the hot water.    Last night one of my high school friends invited me out with some other classmates for a few drinks and we ended up drinking a bit too much.    FLASHBACK   “Hey everyone, Minjun's here” Jisung shouted as I walked over to the group.    “Hey guys how have you been?” I responded smiling lightly.    To be honest I have a secret that people were starting to catch onto towards the end of highschool so i'm not too thrilled to be here.   LATER THAT NIGHT   I've been lucky so far all they have been talking about is girls and porn i don't have to put in much effort thankfully just react the way everyone else does.   “I just thought of something,” our other friend Jaeyong says out of the blue.    “What's that?” Jisung asked, looking over at him as everyone else went quiet.    “I don't ever remember Minjun having a girlfriend” Jaeyong said.    Everyone started agreeing and I started to feel that panic I had in high school build up again, the truth is I'm gay but I've never told anyone that before.    “Come to think of it, Minjun, have you ever dated before? I'm your best friend and I don't ever remember you even having a crush.” Jisung added.    “I've never dated but I had a crush before." I said quietly.   “Really who was she and when was it you never told me about it” Jisung said sitting up straight.    “Oh um it was in middle school you don't know her she moved away before you came to the school, she was my first love i was never able to move on so I never had interest in anyone else.” I explain chuckling at the end.    “Oh okay” Jaeyong said and everyone nodded and changed topics.   END FLASHBACK   It was only partly a lie. I did have my first love in middle school and they did move away just before Jisung came to the school. The only lie was that it was a girl when really it was a boy.   I step out of the shower wrapping the towel around my waist before walking to stand in front of the mirror. I look at myself, I've worked hard to look the way I do.   I blow dry my hair and get dressed, apply light unnoticeable makeup and grab my bag walking out the door.   “Hey Minjun” I hear someone call for me as I walk towards the front doors of the university.   I turn and see Jisung and Jaeyong, I wave at them as they jog up to me.    “What's up guys?” I ask as they catch up and we keep walking.    “Ugh I have a massive hangover. We drank too much man" Jaeyong says, chuckling.    I laugh and we keep making small talk on our way to class.    We sat in the back of the class and I started unpacking my stuff for the class. Things were going really well at first. They just talked about normal things and I'd say things here and there not adding much just listening.  After a while I start to zone out thinking about last night again. I had a dream about him last night.   DREAM   I was sitting alone in my class room from middle school when I heard the class door shut and lock at the back of the class.    Arms wrapped around me from behind.    “Minjun” a voice, his voice whispered softly in my ear sending chills throughout my body.    “Mmm” I hum unable to talk.   He kissed behind my ear.    “Have you missed me?” he whispered.    “Mmhmm” I hum again leaning into his small kisses.   His hand slowly slides down my chest and stomach brushing so lightly and teasingly while the other hand lightly brushes against my nipples making me fight back a moan as i feel myself getting hard.    His hand reaches my not tented groin area and he brushes it lightly while giving a light chuckle.    “Your sensitive hmmm” he whispers then licks my earlobe before sucking it into his mouth.   I couldn't fight back the light breathy moan.    He put more pressure on my dick as he started to rub it through my pants and pinched my nipple between his fingers while still kissing my neck. I was in pure bliss.    “Hyung” I moan out gasping only to feel him move away from me making me whine in displeasure.   “Just a second baby boy” I hear him from the back of the room making me turn to look at him just in time to see him shut off the light.    He started to walk back to me while unbuttoning his shirt, i couldn't help but to lick my lips as I stared at his fit body wanting to touch, lick and kiss it all over.    He takes me by the hand and  stands me up leaning me against the desk before starting to unbutton my shirt as well kissing a trail down my chest as he unbuttons each button.   I want to touch him so badly but I don't want to scare him off. Finely he reaches my pants button and looks up at me asking permission with his eyes to which i nod.    He unbuttons my pants and slowly pulls down my pants and underwear at the same time making my dick pop out and hit my stomach making me gasp.   He takes my dick in his hand and looks up at me slowly stroking it, My head falls back as I moan.    “You have to be quiet baby boy or we might get caught” he says, smirking up at me.    “do you want more?” he says kissing just below my belly button.   “Please” I whimper softly.    He licks the tip then takes it in his mouth in a blink of the eye i gasp.    After a little while I feel myself getting close.  “Hyung I'm-” I cut my self off with a moan as I tangle my hand into his hair.    He pulls off with a small pop sound.    “Not yet baby okay” he says standing eye level with me.    He pulled down his own pants revealing his big dick before sitting on my chair and looking up at me, I started to get down to my knees but he stopped me.   “No need baby come here” he said pulling me to straddle his lap facing him.    He kissed my collarbone.    “You want it baby” he asked rubbing his tip over my hole a few times.    “please Hyung” I whined.    With that he pushed in making me wince a bit, after a little while I started pushing my self down on it more making him groan.   “Hyung” I whimpered in pleasure as he bottomed out. “That's a good boy taking it all” he whispered lightly griping my hips.   Slowly I started lifting my self back up.    “That's it baby fuck yourself on my cock” he groaned deeply.    After awhile of me doing that although it felt amazing it wasn't enough any more.    “Hyung - need - more” I said gasping between each word.    “Okay baby hang on to me” he said.    I wrap my arms around his neck as he picks me up his dick slipping out as he stood up laying me on my desk.    He pushed himself back in and started picking up speed with every thrust I was trying to be quiet like he had told me to but the faster and harder his thrust got the less I could hold back.    I was a moaning mess at this point, I was getting close again and it felt like he was too.    “Hyung imma-” I moaned out.    “Me to baby cum with me okay?” he said leaning down and kissing, licking and sucking on my collar bone.    Just like that I came harder then ever in my life as I felt him pumping me full.    END DREAM   After that I woke up to find I came in my shorts and had to get up and clean up.    I snapped back to the classroom as I heard the door open only to see the teacher walk in.    He started taking roll soon after saying his own name.    After a while he called Jisung and Jaeyong names.    The door swung open and everyone froze and the teacher looked over to the door making me look too, I regretted looking as soon as I saw who was standing there.    “Sorry I'm late I am not used to the transit in the city any more” the familiar voice said.    ‘Fuck’ I thought to myself.    “Your not to late thankfully what's your name I was just taking roll” the teacher smiled.    “Kim Taemin” he smiled.    “Okay Taemin go take a seat” he replied.    Its really him why him of all people, I'm seriously screwed now.    He walked over and sat in front of us.    “Minjun are you okay you look pale” Jaeyong whispers to me.    “Huh oh yeah I'm fine” I mumble.   “Lee Minjun” the teacher calls.    “Oh here” I say raising my hand.   I have no clue what happened the rest of class I just stared at the back of his head. ‘    “Minjun hello earth to Minjun” Jisung said waving his hand in front of my face.    “Huh what” I say snapping back to reality.   “For real you okay” he said with a worried tone.   “Oh um yeah I'm fine” I say giving a fake smile.   We started packing up our things, I heard briefly that they were talking about middle school.    “Right Minjun?” Jisung asked as he put his last book away.    “What sorry I was thinking about food” I chuckle looking at him.    “I said our middle school was packed with hotties I mean your one and only love was from that school so I cant be wrong” Jisung said smirking and patting my shoulder.    “What was the name of your school again guys” Jaeyong said zipping up his bag.    I did the same quickly before standing.    “Seoul arts middle school” Jisung said.    “Huh” I heard Taemin Hyung behind us and I quickly put my arms around their shoulders pushing them out the door.    The rest of the day went about the same I was in my head the whole day then went home did homework and went to bed.  The next morning we met just like the first day but this time I was ten times more tired and a hundred times more nervous, I was tossing and turning all night.    We walked in the class and to the back again I sat in the middle of Jisung and Jaeyong this time hoping that would help me.    I sat with my head down staring at my notebook.   “Excuse me yesterday did you say you went to Seoul arts middle school” I heard a familiar voice ask from in front of us.    ‘Damn it’ I thought to myself keeping my head down.    “Oh hi yes why” Jisung asked.    “I went there for a while before I moved to Busan half way through my third year” Taemin Hyung said.    “Oh wow small world I only started half way into my second year.” Jisung said smiling.    ‘Please don't bring me up’ I silently begged doodling in my book.    “But maybe Minjun knows you he went there all of middle school” Jisung said making me mentally face palm.   “Well he might not depending on how old you are cause I did my service then stayed out of school to care for my sick father” Taemin Hyung said sitting backwards on the chair to face us.    “We are 20 ” Jaeyong pipped up.   “Oh only a year younger maybe then-” he paused.    “Lee Minjun…” paused again.    “Oh shit could it be” he jumped up.   “Picky princess?” he said loudly making me shoot up out of my seat in shock.    I'm completely fucked now why is that how he remembers me.    “So it is you” he says chuckling.    I grab my books and bag pushing Jaeyong out of the way and start to walk out when a hand grabs my wrist making me stop.   “Okay okay I'm sorry sit down” Taemin Hyung says gently.  “Picky princess where'd he get that name” Jisung asked as I sat back down.    “Oh us sunbaes used to call him that cause everything had to be a certain way” he replied.    With that the teacher walks in and class started.   After class we were packing up and Taemin turned to us again.   “are you busy after class” he asked leaning on the table in front of me with his face close to mine.    I leaned back having flashes from my dream pop into my minds eye, I started to panic and rushed to pack my things before standing and rushing out of the room.   I could feel my face heating up, I only had the one class today so I just wanted to rush home and lock myself away for the day.   As I waited for the train I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket, I pull it out to see Jaeyong name on the screen.    “What's up” I answer.    “Where did you go I thought we were doing lunch” Jaeyong said.    “Minjun what's wrong dude you have been out of it since the bar the other night” Jisung said witch means I'm on speaker phone.    “Oh its nothing just haven't been feeling good man I'm just gonna go home today you guys go ahead” I mumble in to the phone.    “Do you want us to swing by and bring you food then dude” Jaeyong said.   “Sure I guess” I said with out thinking.    Then hung up.    When I got home I realized that it was a bad idea given all the pictures of Taemin Hyung around the room and stuff like that.    “Should I tell them never mind” I said to myself.   Just then there was a knock on the door.  “Hey Minjun its us” I heard Jisung voice then two people laugh.    ‘Oh god they brought him here’ I thought to myself.    “Just a second” I call back rushing around grabbing all the things involving Taemin Hyung.    I shoved it all on my bed and covered it with my blanket, I rush to the door and swing it open to see the three men standing there waiting.   “What were hiding porn or something dude?” Jaeyong said smirking.    “Him porn yeah right I doubt he's ever watched a porno in his life” Jisung clapped back.    “Really?” Taemin Hyung questioned coming in behind them and taking his shoes off.    They sat on the couch leaving me and Taemin Hyung to sit on the floor.    “Are you sure you know him sunbae he's the purest and sweetest candy in the shop all because of one chick that he hasn't seen since sec-” Jisung says but I cut him off.    “Does anyone want a drink” I half shout.    They all agree they wanted water so I walked to the fridge and grabbed 4 bottles of water the grab the dishes for the lunch.    “Actually you may have the answers we are looking for sunbae” Jaeyong says as I get the dishes.    “Call me Hyung and well I can try and help what's up” Taemin Hyung replied.    “Well he's never dated or liked anyone as long as I've known him and the other night we asked him about it and he said there was one girl but she left just before I came to the school in middle school so it would be around the time you left can you think of any girls it could have been?” Jisung perked up as he spoke.    “A girl he liked that left around the same time as me hmmm well I recently met up some of my old friends from then and we were talking about back then and far as I know I'm the only person that left around that time” Hyung said simply then took a sip of his water.  “She may have been younger though” he added.   I placed the dishes on the table and sat next to Hyung, I stayed quiet hoping they would leave it at that.    “Minjun was she older or younger?” Jisung asked.    “Oh um” I froze.    ‘What do I say this is really bad’    “Uh does it matter really” I mumble.    “Well yeah we want to know what kind of girl you like” Jaeyong smirked.    “Well she was kind, she cared a lot for the people around her and always wanted to help everyone but also had a more dominate side she liked to have control and always was slightly bossy it was really hot honestly I can just picture what it would be like to fuck him.” I said not really thinking about what I was saying.    I realized after I said it what I said and felt myself blushing a deep red.    “Wait him?” Jisung said.   ‘Shit I slipped up’   “I meant her I misspoke” I quickly tried to cover it.    “Are we gonna ignore the fact that one he talked about fucking someone and two he's submissive?” Jaeyong chimed in.   “Wait yeah what the fuck bro” Jisung jumped in forgetting everything he was thinking about thankfully.    After we ate they sat there talking but Hyung looked deep in thought.    After a few hours of talking and joking I felt a little better that I safely escaped the grip of the demons of my sexuality.    “Hey lets go get some snacks” Jisung blurted out randomly.   “Yesssss” Jaeyong chimed in.    “Ill pass you guys go” I say laying back on the floor.   “Yeah imma chill here too” Hyung chuckled.   ‘Crap’ I thought to myself.   After the two of them left I got up and walked to the kitchen looking for something to do to avoid Hyung.    “Minjun?” Hyung asked   “Yes Hyung” I mumble.    “There were no girls like that in our school I racked my brain this whole time I only know one person like that” he said standing up and walking towards me.    I froze ‘fuck he caught me’ was all I could think.    “Minjun?” he asked again.    “Uh yes Hyung” I said refusing to turn and look at him.    He's probably angry and disgusted.    “Look at me” he said now behind me.    ‘I cant I wont do it I cant see that look on his face’   I felt his hand on my shoulder as he turned me to face him, I just looked at the floor I refuse too look at his face.    “You can leave if you want Hyung I understand” I mumble close to tears.    “Minjun look at me” he says again.    “I cant” I all but whispered.    I felt his hand on my chin lifting my face up, I blink trying to make the tears go away but it just made them fall.    “Minjun listen to me okay?” Hyung said softly.    I lightly nodded and wiped at the tears.    “I'm not upset with you” he said softly patting my hair.    He wrapped me on a warm hug and I started to panic, I pushed him away.    “Minjun what's wrong” he asked softly looking slightly hurt.    “Hyung you figured it out why would you hug me I'm disgusting” I say breaking out into sobs.    I fall to my knees drowning in my self hate, after a few seconds I feel arms wrap around me as he pulls me into his lap.    He strokes me hair holding me in his arms.   “I'm not disgusted Minjun and I don't hate you I would never hate you for something like this” he says once I calm down a bit.     He moves me so that I'm straddling his lap facing him, his face is so close it makes me dizzy.    “Do you want to know a secret” he says brushing my hair out of my eyes.    I nod slightly and wipe at my face, he leans close to my ear.   “I'm gay too” he whispers in my ear.    I flinch and the feeling of his breath on my ear.   “Really?” I say not really believing him.  He nods brushing my cheek with his thumb.   “When did you first start feeling this way about me Minjun?” he asks.   I feel my ears heating up from the blush.    “Um half way into first year” I mumble looking down.    “Cute” I hear him whisper to himself.    “Did you know I liked you too back then?” he asked.   “You did?” I asked perking up a little.    “Mhm that's why I was always coming to your classroom and bugging you” he said with a soft smile.    “Why did you like me though? There were a lot better looking guys in your class” I mumble feeling insecure.    “You were a cute soft boy and soft spoken you needed someone to protect you” he said wrapping his arms around my waist.   Just then there was a banging on the door.    “Open up loser” Jisung shouted.    We stood up and I started to panic, Hyung pushed me in the bath room and shut the door.    “You wash up first ill let them in” he said through the door.    I walked over to the sink and looked in the mirror my shirt had makeup on the sleeves my eyes were red and swollen and my makeup was running and a mess.    I cant believe he saw me like this, I take off my shirt and wash my face quickly redoing my make.    As I looked around I realized I don't have a clean shirt in here and if I wear that one they would see the make up.    ‘I have no choice but to walk out there shirtless’ I sigh.    I stand in front of the door and take a deep breath before opening the door, I walk out only to hear a collective gasp.    “You have a fucking tattoo? Since when why did I never know this” Jisung shouts rushing over holding me still so he could look at it.    “Fuck that dude how are you so pale” Jaeyong added.    Hyung didn't say anything so I looked over at him, he was just staring at me eyes wandering across my body it made me kind of proud.    After they sat back down I reached for a tank top and pulled it on before going and sitting on the floor next to Hyung.    The guys started talking about a girl they saw but I don't think me or Hyung were paying them any mind, I was thinking about everything Hyung had said and I could still feel his eyes on me.    ‘Might as well try flirting now that he knows’   I glanced over to Hyung and gave him a little smirk only to see him panic and try and cover his very noticeable hard on.    My confidence sky rocketed.    “If I never told you about that tattoo I'm guessing you don't know about the other two right?” I chuckle seeing their eyes light up and Hyung's eyes widen.    “What the fuck man? You have more?” Jisung shouts.    “mhm wanna see?” I smirk.    “Where's our Minjun gone what did you do with him” Jaeyong gasped.    “Wanna see them or not” I remarked.    “Fuck yeah” Jisung jumped up.   “Okay but don't panic” I chuckled.   Standing up I turned to face Hyung and smirked starting to unbutton my jeans watching his face every second, he starts getting pale and I see him really trying to keep his cool.    I pull down my pants taking them off standing in my boxers keeping my eyes on him a second longer before turning my head to the guys.    “I have this one” I say pointing to the tattoo of a mic on my thigh.    Then I turn so my ass is in front of Hyung and bend over with my ass in his face.    “And this one” I point to the rose tattoo on my calf.    “Its a memorial to my mom” I say standing back up and reaching for my jeans.    “Well that's understandable and so is the mic but what about the one on your side?” Jaeyong asked.    “Its the chords to a song I liked in middle school its a happy memory for me” I say my voice getting quieter as I explained.    “Oh by that reaction it has to do with the mystery girl” Jaeyong said smirking.    “Lift your shirt for a minute” Jisung said grabbing his notebook.    “What are you doing man” Jaeyong asked as he copied my tattoo.   I wasn't too worried they wouldn't know the song cause Hyung wrote it himself.    “Think about it if we play it and figure out what song it is we can play it and know more about her” Jisung said simply.    “Good point” Jaeyong said grabbing my guitar.    Jisung hands him the notebook and I sat back down next to Hyung.   Hyung moves closer and leans over.   “You've changed” he whispered.    “How so” I whispered back smirking.    “Well talk about this later” he mumbled leaning back again not bothering to hide his ‘problem’ anymore.    “Hyung?” I ask sweetly.    “Hmmm” he hums looking at me.    I look at my hand then his ‘problem’ then his face silently asking if I can touch ‘it’.    “I would but they are here” he whispered again.    I nod kind of disappointed.    “Imma use the bathroom” he said standing hiding his hard on as best as possible and walking in the bathroom shutting the door behind him making me smirk.    “Minjun make us noodles” Jisung said looking at me with puppy eyes.   “Fine” I said standing up.    I walk into the kitchen and start boiling water as I wait I inch closer to the bathroom, as I get closer I hear Hyung groaning lightly.    “Fuck baby” he groans breathlessly.    My stomach tied itself into a knot this was a bad idea but I cant move away, it sounds like he's getting close.    “Ugh Minjun” he groans loud enough I worried the other too heard him.   After a bit the water runs, I hear one of the others walking closer to me and with how hard I am I panic and rush into the bathroom and shut the door leaning against it.    Hyung turns to me with a shocked look on his face.    I hold my finger to my lips silently shushing him, he looks me up and down before smirking.    “Were you just listening to me jerk off” he says walking closer to me till we are almost chest to chest.    “Not on purpose I swear I was making noodles and just heard it” I rush out slightly breathless.   “Really?” he said smirking.    I nod and cover my hard on, he pushes my hand away and pins me to the door making me even my breathless.   He pushes his leg between mine causing friction on my dick making me gasp lightly.   “Looks like we are even now don't you think” he whispered in my ear.  I nod slightly.    He puts his hands on my hips as he  leans down more and lightly kisses my neck making me whimper.   “Fix yourself up ill go tell them I needed your help with something and that's why we were in here together” he said lightly pecking my cheek and moving me to the side before walking out.    After I dealt with myself I walk out and see them all eating I walk over and sit next to Hyung again and he pushes my noodles in front of me, I started eating and felt a hand on my knee I glance over and see Hyung give me a gentle smile.    Later that night they were getting ready to go home and I kind of felt sad that Hyung and I didn't get to talk more about what we were talking bout while they went to the store.    “Hyung where do you need to go we live together” Jisung said putting on his shoes.    “Oh I actually live close to here” Hyung chuckled.    “Ill see you tomorrow though in class” he added with a kind smile.   “Oh okay Hyung see you then” Jaeyong said and they both waved as they left.    “Do you really live around here Hyung” I asked after the door closed.    “Yep just moved in two days before school” he said nodding.    I smiled to myself, I don't know why that made me so happy.    “Minjun?” he said suddenly turning to me.     “Yes Hyung” I said looking up at him as I started to clean up.    “Come here” he said.    I walked over to him and stood in front of him, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer.   “Do you still have feelings for me?” he asked looking me in the eyes.  I gulped.    “Yes Hyung” I whispered.    He smiled and put his had on the back of my neck, he leaned closer to me.    “Good so do I” he whispered and before I knew it he was kissing me.    At first I froze but then I started to kiss him back, it was a legit dream come true and it felt like heaven.    We stood there kissing nothing steamy just a gentle loving kiss, in that moment everything in life felt perfect.    We finely broke for air and my knees got weak and I almost fell.    “Minjun will you be my boyfriend we don't have to tell any one till you are ready but I just want to know I have you to myself” he said pulling me into a hug, I nodded at a lost for words and almost in tears of joy.    “Ill pick you up in the morning okay” he said, I nodded and he gave me another small peck.

Sato didn't believe what he was hearing. This kid couldn't be a Bakemono. She looked almost as human as Sakura. Only at least Sakura had inhuman strength. "You're a Bakemono? But then why do you seem even more human than Sakura?" Ai became puzzled, "I don't know. No one's ever told me that before." Sato raised an eyebrow, "You're kidding me, right? Am I being punked or something?" "Punked?" Ai asked cocking her head to the side. Sato put it aside, "Never mind." Ai started a new conversation, "So your name is Satoshi right?" "Well yeah, but you can just call me Sato if you want." "Sa-to." Ai sounded out his name as if to see how well she liked it. Hm, can I call you something else instead?" "Uh, sure. Like what?" Ai put her finger on her lips trying to think. "A-ha! How about big brother?" Sato was shocked at Ai's openness, "Big brother?" "You saved my life and so now you're my big brother," Ai said in a way that made it seem like this made perfect sense to her. Sato wasn't too sure how he felt about being called that. It seemed a little odd to him considering he was an only child. But he figured it wouldn't bother him, so why not? "Sure, that's what you can call me from now on. Now come on let's get you out of here. Sato shivered, "It's giving me the creeps." He started to walk off. Ai extended her arm out to him, "Wait! No, we can't leave!" The purple-haired teen looked back at Ai over his shoulder, "What? Why not?" "Because..." Ai gasped, "Because of him!" Sato made out a big bulky man coming out of the shadows. Spiky jet black hair ran down past his waist. Sato could only look into his eyes for a couple of seconds without trembling in fear but what he could make it was pure red eyelids with no pupils. He had a long tail that matched his hair. He wore only a pair of blue ripped jean shorts. And he reeked of a horrible smell that was something of a combination between dirty gym socks and cow manure. Sato started trembling "Who are you?" He tried his best to sound brave. He didn't want this guy knowing he was afraid of him, even if he was completely terrified. Seriously, this had to be the most intimidating Bakemono yet. "Hahhahahahaha!" The man's laughter echoed throughout the whole forest. "My name is Miharu and I am a Monkey Bakemono!" Miharu roared with pride. "Why did you do this to Ai?" Sato questioned Miharu. "It's simple really. Because I can!" "Because you can? Sato mumbled. "Because you can." Sato increased his volume clenching his fist. "That's your excuse?!" Sato shouted at the top of his lungs. Sato felt his blood boil. Who cared about fear when someone as despicable as this Miharu was standing right in front of him. Sato couldn't stand people like him. Sato forgetting his fear charged at Miharu pulling his fist back. Miharu caught it with his tail yanking Sato to the left slamming him into a tree. Ai shrieked, "Big brother!" Sato coughed up some blood, "I'm fine, Ai." He struggled to rise to his feet. He picked up a twig from the ground and pulled out his lighter. Sato lit the stick on fire. "Hey, tall dark, and butt ugly! Take this!" Sato threw the flaming twig at the Monkey Bakemono. Miharu jumped into a tree branch with his tail. "Please, you'll have to better than that if you want to defeat me," Miharu scoffed. "I'm not like those pathetic mindless Bakemono, you've fought so far. I am one of the free-willing Bakemono! You are no match for me pathetic human!" "As if! The day I let you kill me, is the day, you learn about deodorant!" Sato rushed towards Miharu. He lifted his leg to the side. Miharu quickly wrapped his tail around Sato's leg. He continually pounded him into the ground. "Aaaaaah!" Sato screamed out in pain. Ai watched in horror with her hands covering her mouth before looking away. Sato shut his eyes from the pain. Is this it? Am I really gonna die here?" Sato thought to himself. I guess it's all over now. Goodbye Mom and Kenji. And Sakura and Ai too. I wish I could've gotten to know you both a little better. I'll miss you all. Goodbye." "Noooooooooooooo!" Ai screamed a blood curdling one as Sato opened his eyes only to realize that he wasn't dead but instead inside a pure white shield. He looked up noticing that Ai now had huge fluffy white angel wings way too big for her small figure and a golden halo along with pointy elf-like ears. Sato managed to utter some words. "Ai, you did this? You saved me?" Ai nodded, "Yeah." "I see. Well, I take back what I said about you seeming more human than Sakura. Now thanks for your help. But I can take it from here." Ai objected, "Big brother no! You're gonna get hurt again!" "Ai, I don't have a choice anymore." Sato struggled as he walked clutching his bleeding side. Red liquid dripped down from his mouth. "If you ever wanna get out of here, I have to take this guy down. And besides, his justification for kidnapping you...is despicable! I can't stand people like him!" Sato charged at Miharu only to be punched in the gut. "Had enough yet?" Miharu smiled. "Not yet." Sato retorted pulling out a pocket knife cutting off the Monkey Bakemono's tail. Miharu screamed in rage, "How dare you! A Monkey Bakemono's tail is his pride and joy!" "Yeah?" Sato smirked, "Well I guess you should've thought of that before you went and pissed me off." "Die!" Miharu yelled raising his giant fist before Sakura jump kicked Miharu straight in the face. Miharu stumbled backward. "Looks like I made it just in time." Sakura rushed over to Ai and a wounded Sato. "So then, is this the girl?" Sato got back on his feet, "Yeah." "Here big brother, let me help." Ai placed her hands over Sato's gashes and they were immediately healed. "Big brother?" Sakura crossed her arms looking sternly at Sato. "Hey, it's not like that okay! She just wants to call me big brother because I saved her life." "Oh really? Didn't I save your life like twice now? Maybe you should start calling me big sister." Sakura teased Sato. Sato frowned, "Not gonna happen." Miharu charged towards Sakura with a tight fist. Sakura caught the punch but began to lose her balance as Miharu pushed her back. Miharu laughed, "Ah, you three have made my day. Thinking that you're a match for the great Miharu, the Monkey Bakemono!" Sakura grimaced, "I have a question for you, Miharu. You're the one who sent the Eagle and Golem Bakemono after Sato, aren't you?" "Why of course I am!" Miharu gloated. "Of course I got sidetracked by this little girl since I knew that she would also make me a lot of money." "Money?" Sato tried to gain more information. "Yes, you see personally I couldn't care less whether you live or die. However, my client who has hired me does. He wants you dead! And I'll get a lot of money out of it." "Who? Who wants me dead?!" "None other than the famous Warrior Bakemono Niji," Miharu said coldly. Sakura panicked, "No, not him! Anyone but him!" While Sakura was distracted Miharu gained the advantage, kicking her off her feet. He quickly grabbed her leg smashing her into the ground. "Sakura!" Sato shouted running over to her. "Are you okay?" Sakura spat some dirt out of her mouth, "Yeah, I'm fine." "Okay good. Sakura, Ai, listen I have a plan." Sato started whispering to Sakura and Ai. Sato ran in ready to attack Miharu from behind but Miharu easily noticed him and scowled, "How stupid do you think I am, incompetent fool!" Miharu turned around to punch Sato in the chest. Sakura came up from under him and threw him up onto a bridge above the lake. Sakura then threw Sato up there as well. "What was the point of that? Not a very clever escape plan, if you ask me," Miharu mocked them. Ai tossed the spider web that had previously held her captive into the lake. It eventually dissolved and she gave Sato a thumbs up. Sato nodded signaling that he saw her thumbs up. He took out his lighter and set the bridge on fire. He jumped off the bridge and Sakura lassoed the rope around him yanking him back to the ground. Miharu fell into the lake infested with the Leech Bakemono. He tried to escape but the sticky substance from the web held him firmly in place. Sato lit another stick on fire and chucked it into the lake. Miharu and all the other Leech Bakemono up went up in flames. Sakura turned to face Sato, "Well Sato, I gotta admit, that was a pretty impressive strategy you came up with." "Well, thanks but it was honestly just more of off the wall thinking." Sato scratched his head. "My big brother is awesome! He's cute and really smart and clever too!" Ai jumped with joy hugging Sato once she finished speaking. Sakura studied Ai closely, "Hey, I know who you are." Ai's shoulders tensed up, her eyes traveling away from Sakura, "You do?" Sakura nodded, "Of course. You're the only child of the Royal Family in the Kingdom of Sihalia. And you can only use defensive and healing magic." Ai was clearly insulted, "Only? I'll have you know I happened to be very proud of what I can do!" Ai puffed out her cheeks. Sato looked at the two girls dumbfounded, "Sihalia?" Sakura explained to him, "Sihalia is the central Kingdom of Oldhedge Country. We're in Oldhedge right now. The Royal Family lives in the Kingdom of Sihalia. And Ai is the princess of Sihalia." "Okay, so then what's she doing so far away from her home?" Sato remarked. Sakura shook her head and looked down at Ai, "Ask her not me." Ai looked up at Sato and Sakura. She shifted her feet, "Well you see, I sort of ran away." Sato cocked his eyebrow, "But you're royalty, why would you wanna run away?" "That's why! Because I'm royalty. It's so boring, I don't ever get to do anything fun. I wanna have an adventure and see the world!" Sakura began to speak, "Well, I guess you can come along with us if you want." Sato butted in, "Us? What do you mean by us?" "Please, you don't honestly think you're gonna find your way out of here all by your lonesome do you?" "Well, I was planning to," Sato mumbled. "Wait a minute! Where are you going, big brother?" Ai asked with a worried expression. "You see the thing is, Ai. I'm not a Bakemono, I'm human. I got sucked into this world from the Forbidden Book." Sakura punched Sato so hard he landed flat on his face. "Idiot! You can't just go around telling everyone you see that you're a human and think everything's going to be all fine and dandy! Remember most Bakemono hate humans!" "I'm sorry Sakura." Sato pouted as he got back on his feet and dusted off his black pants. "Okay, Sakura. So then how do I get out of here?" "Well, I'm not too sure myself. But since the King of Sihalia is close by. We may be able to get some information from him." "No, I don't wanna go back there! He'll make me stay there forever!" Ai whined. Sato bent down to her level so he could look at her in the eyes. "Don't worry, if you don't wanna stay you don't have to, I'll make sure of it," Sato assured her. Ai's eyes lit up and Sato stood up straight again, "Come on, let's go to Sihalia."

After Hyung left I cleaned up and put all those pictures into a box in my closet then went to get ready for a shower when i heard my phone vibrate on my desk, I walk over and pick it up to see a text from an unknown number. ‘I stole your number while you were washing up earlier’ is all it read. ‘Taemin Hyung?’ I text back shocked. ‘Are you getting ready for bed cutie’ it replied. ‘Yes did you need something Hyung’ I typed quickly as I started to blush. ‘Actually yes’ ‘What is it did you forget something Hyung?’ ‘Not really’ ‘What did you need’ I'm nervous as to what he could need it he didn't forget something but its also exciting. ‘A picture’ he cut off my thoughts. ‘Of?’ I feel dazed. What if he's asking me for nudes or something, I decide to take my shower before I see his reply. I hear my phone go off while I am showering, as I walk over to my phone I feel my heart rate pick up with every step. I pick up my phone after wrapping my towel around my waist. ‘I want pictures of you right in this moment no changing positions or hiding anything three separate pictures so I know your not being a dirty little boy’ he said and I felt my face heat up as I read every word. What should I do, I'm just gonna take 3 pictures its his own fault for asking its not like I planed to be naked in only a towel still dripping water. I look at myself in the mirror, my skins shining due to the water my hair is wet and messy and covering my eyes a bit the towel hangs low on my hips showing off my defined v line and the light casts great shadows on my abs. ‘This should be fun’ I think to myself as I pull up my camera. I take a mirror selfie quickly looking it over before smirking to myself. I turn the camera and face my back to the mirror slightly flexing my back and taking the picture. Then for the final picture I leaned on the counter and pointed the camera down a bit so it shows the whole front of my body including the bump that's in the front of my towel, I give a smirk that's slightly in the shot and take the picture. I sent all three and took off my towel I plugged in my hair dryer before pausing, I have what I need right now to have fuel for the fire later. I pick up my phone again pulling up the camera, I slowly stroke myself till I'm hard before once again taking that last shot just with out the towel. I take a few more nudes before I had another idea I place my phone on the towel rack across from the counter and sit my self on the counter after pressing record on my phone, I lean my head back as I start slowly stroking myself thumbing the tip every once and a while. I let out a soft moan as I continue. After a while my back started to hurt so I grab my phone and walk out to my bed propping my phone up at the end of the bed before reaching into my bottom drawer of my desk pulling out my toy and lube. I lay back on the bed spreading a bit of lube on my fingers before slowly pushing one in and taking my dick in my other had trying to pump them in sync, after a while I added another finger making me moan a little louder. After a bit longer it wasn't enough to get me off so I grabbed the toy lubing it up, I slowly push it in moaning deeply as I do so. After I adjust to the size I start slowly and deeply fucking myself with it while stroking myself, I hiss in pleasure. I pick up the speed the closer I get, moaning louder with every thrust. “Fuck Hyung” I moan with a finial deep thrust I cum hard gasping as I try to catch my breath. ‘Now I have to go shower again’ I think to myself as I end the video. After my second shower I get dressed and lay in bed scrolling through my phone when a new text from Hyung pops up. ‘Are you sill up?’ it read. ‘Yes’ I said simply. After a few seconds my phone started to ring. “Hello” I answer. “You are one evil little boy you know that” Hyung's voice came through. “If only you knew Hyung.” I say smirking to myself. “What's that mean?” he asks. “Just because I seem sweet around others don't mean I don't have secrets right?” I remark. “Well I guess so yeah.” he said quietly. “God when did you get so hot where did my little soft boy go” he blurts out. “He grew up Hyung, he forced himself to live a certain way so he could be good looking for a certain Hyung in case they ever met again.” I say softly, feeling my face start to heat up. “Can I ask you something personal?” he asked after a bit of silence. “Sure” I said simply laying down on my back. “Are you a bottom” he says making me flinch slightly. “Yes” I mumble. “Good” he says and I can hear the smirk in his voice. “But I'm still a virgin” I added blushing even more. “Damn, how can you be so sexy and cute at the same time?” he asked rhetorically. After that it was mostly just chit chat and catching up and at some point I fell asleep while talking to him. I wake up to my alarm again making me groan and feel around for my phone, I pick up my phone and see that I'm still on a call with Hyung. I shut off my alarm and put the phone to my ear, I hear water running on the other end, I cough trying to see if he can hear me. “Morning baby” I hear Hyung say in the distance. “Morning” I grumble in my morning voice and I hear him hiss. “You should go get ready ill be over in about half an hour” he says his as the water shuts off and his voice gets closer. “Mkay” I mumble standing up. “Hyung I'm gonna hang up I need to charge my phone while I get ready” I say. “Okay baby ill see you in a bit” he says before making a kissing sound. “See you soon” I say before hanging up. I put my phone on charge before walking to the bathroom, I wash my face and brush my teeth before doing my make up then going back to the room and picking out my outfit. After a while I hear a knocking as I was changing, I walk to the door still shirtless and open it a bit watching his hand grab the door before turning away and walking back into the room. As I hear him walk in behind me I hear a slight gasp making me smirk. “I swear your doing this on purpose Minjun” he whispers in my ear as I feel his hands wrap around my bare waist. “No I was just about to change” I mumble trying to fight my arousal. I bend over picking up my shirt feeling his dick brush against my ass as I do. “Fuck Minjun” he lightly groans. I stand up smirking to myself it was an accident but I'm okay with it, I love hearing him groan my name. “Sorry” I say turning in his arms to face him. I wrap my arms around his neck still holding my shirt in my hand, I press my chest to his wanting to be as close as I can to him. He pecks my forehead smiling softly at me. I lean up on my tip toes and lightly peck his lips then pull back, he leans down and kisses my lips. I started feeling heated and try to deepen the kiss and he lets me, we start heatedly making out when our tongues brush making me moan lightly. He puts his hands on my hips and starts to push me back to the bed, my knees hit the bed and I fall back. He climbs between my legs holding himself above me, I reach up pulling him down and reconnecting our lips. He lightly bites my lip and tugs on it making me moan again and buck my hips up looking for friction on my growing hard on, he starts grinding our dicks together as he moves from my lips to my neck. He lick, bites and kisses his way down to my collarbone making me gasp and moan as we rub together, at this point I'm rock hard. He starts sucking on my collarbone and I cant hold back the loud moan that came out loud, just then my phone starts ringing making him groan and pull away annoyed. I whimper from the loss of stimulation, he reaches over and picks up my phone taking it off its charger and looks at it before handing it to me. I look at the screen and see Jisung name, I answer it. “Hey are you up” I hear his voice and he is annoyingly happy. Hyung leans back down lightly kissing my collarbone. “Yeah” I mumble. Hyung puts his hand on my dick palming it over my pants making me lightly moan. “Hey are you okay” Jisung says pulling me back to the phone call. “Huh oh yeah fine” I say my voice shaking as Hyung starts kissing down my chest. This wont end well, I can feel it. Hyung kisses along the top of my jeans making me toss my head back. “So what do you think” Jisung says and it makes me realize he's been talking this whole time. “Can we talk bout this we I get to school” I mumble slightly annoyed. Just then I feel Hyung unbutton my jeans and start pulling down my jeans and boxers slowly revealing my painfully hard dick, I groan as he takes it in his hand giving it a few strokes. “Dude are you even listening? What the hell are you doing? You sound like you're jerking off," Jisung says simply. Hyung takes me in his mouth, making me full out loudly moan. Just then the phone hung up I drop it at my side and put my hand in Hyung's hair slightly thrusting into his mouth before pulling him back up to my face kissing him again, I hastily start unbuttoning his jeans starting to feel desperate. He grabs my hand making me stop. “Baby don't worry about me I just want to show you how good it feels with another person” he whispers in my ear making me moan as he takes me in his hand again rubbing his thumb over the tip repeatedly. He lowers himself slightly teasing around my nipple with his tongue I lull my head back in pleasure instinctively thrusting into his hand. “Hyung” I whine. “Okay baby” he says against my chest. He takes my nipple in his mouth sucking lightly while tweaking the other one with his free hand and starting to quickly jerk me off. I moan lightly starting to lose myself in the pleasure, I want more no I need more. I am a whining moaning mess already. “Hyung” I gasp making him look up at me. “More please god more” I moan out. With that he lowers himself again taking me in his mouth while reaching a hand up to play with my nipple, I thrust up into his mouth again starting to get close. He pulls off coming up and putting two fingers in my mouth. “Get them nice and wet for me baby” he says. I suck on his fingers and swirl my tongue around them coating them in my saliva still not fully sure what he's gonna do. He pulls his fingers away and goes back down. “Brace yourself baby it might hurt at first” he mumbles kissing my hip. He slowly starts pushing his finger in me before realizing I'm already a little lose from last night, he looks up at me surprised. I moan loudly pushing down wanting more. “Did you… were you naughty last night?” he asked smirking. I just moan as he starts pumping his finger in and out. “Tell me did you fuck yourself baby” he mouths ageist my cock. “Ugh yes Hyung” I moan as he adds a second finger. “Did you think of me” he says before licking my tip. “Yes” I say breathless. “Where's your toy” he asked pulling his fingers out making me whine. “Bottom drawer” I pant out. He reaches over pulling open the drawer to see multiple different toys of different sizes. “Ill use this one its the closest to my size okay?” he says showing me my purple viberater. I nod and lift my legs up showing him my hole, I hear the cap to my lube open and I reach down stroking myself, “Ready baby?” he says rubbing the toy on my hole. “Please” I whine. With that he pushes it in the reaches up stopping my hand that was on my dick pushing it away, he starts off thrusting it slowly before picking up speed. I'm on cloud nine at this point and feel my self starting to get close. “Hyung I'm close” I moan out. He reaches up with his free hand taking my cock and putting it in his mouth then he takes my hand into his, just then I feel the vibrations turn on and I start to have stars in my vision. Between him sucking the thrusting of the toy and the vibrations I feel like I'm gonna cum any second. “Hyung” I moan loudly. He hums in response sending chills up my spin, I squeeze my eyes shut as I tip over the edge and shoot my load into his mouth with a moan so loud it was almost a scream. He pulls off and licks me clean before turning off the toy and pulling it out, he kisses from my thigh up to my lips giving me a deep loving kiss letting me taste myself. He pulls back and walks to the bathroom, I hear water running and then he walks back into the room with a damp cloth he kneels back down and starts cleaning up the lube. Once he's done he comes up and kisses me on the forehead. “You were such a good boy baby made Hyung really happy” he whispers pecking my lips. I push him on my bed and curl up to his side laying my head on his chest. “What about you Hyung?” I ask feeling kind of bad. “Its okay baby we don't have enough time anyways right now you just calm down and we will go to school we are already running late you can make it up to me another time okay?” he says stroking my hair. we lay there for a while in silence and I start feeling embarrassed. “Your so hot you know that baby boy?” he says breaking the silence. “Really?” I ask feeling myself start to blush. “So hot baby and on top of that your moans god they sound so hot” he says reaching down to adjust himself. “I'm trying not to think about it so I can clam down but they keep ringing in my head the way you moaned for me the look of pure pleasure on your face ugh” he groans at the end. I sit up and climb on top of him straddling his hips feeling his hard on against my ass, I whine at the feeling starting to feel excited again. “No baby we cant you have to get dressed” he says his hands resting on my thighs. Just then my phone starts ringing beside us making me groan in annoyance, I pick it up. “What” I snap into the phone. “Jesus what crawled up your ass, where are you? Have you heard from Hyung this morning? He's late to” Jisung says on the other line. Hyung pushes himself up to a sitting position. “Um yeah he woke up late he's on his way here to meet me now we will meet you in class” I mumble into the phone as Hyung lightly rubs my back nuzzling his face into my neck. “Oh okay dude see you in a bit” Jisung says before hanging up. “Okay baby get dressed so we can go” Hyung say pecking my cheek. I whine and get up pulling my boxers back on then my jeans and grabbing my shirt off the bed pulling that on, we put on or shoes and grabbed our bags before walking out. When we got to class I sat next to Jaeyong and Hyung sat on my other side, I heard Jaeyong whisper something to Jisung. Class went normal other then Hyung resting his hand on my knee or holding my hand under the table all class. After class I starts packing up my stuff, just then Jisung cleared his throat and I looked up to see both of them staring at me. “What?” I ask confused. “What did you do last night” Jaeyong says. Hyung chuckles next to me making me look at him confused. “What do you mean I hung out with you then cleaned up, showered then went to bed” I say still confused. “Bullshit you were late witch you have never been before with out having an appointment or something plus your neck is covered in hickeys” Jisung blurts out. Hyung is chuckling beside me making me look at him and give him a dirty look then the panic started to set in what do I say. “I didn't want to say anything but I saw her leaving as I got there” Hyung said calmly. He put his hand on my thigh squeezing lightly as if to comfort me, I relaxed a little. “Wait really who is she? Is she hot?” Jisung says way to excited. “How long have you been seeing her? Do we know her?” Jaeyong added. “She was pretty hot” Hyung said smirking. “smoking hot” I mumble. “Woah” Jisung said gasping. “And that was the first time and you don't know her” I said standing up. “damn bro what happened to our Minjun” Jaeyong said. “Everyone has their secrets” I say starting to walk out them trailing behind. “Bro do we know our best friend at all” Jaeyong said as we all walked together to our next class. “Hey guys ill catch you later” Hyung said about to go the his next class. “Sure Hyung see you later” Jaeyong replied then him and Jisung turned to keep talking about me. “Ill see you later baby” Hyung whispered in my ear before lightly slapping my ass and turning to walk away. I caught up to the guys and we went to class. After classes were done for the day we were waiting out front for Hyung, after Hyung got there we started walking. “I dub Minjun's our new hang out place since our place is small and Hyung has a room mate and its closest to school” Jaeyong says as we walk up to my door. I sigh and unlock the door, before I open it all the way I remember that we forgot to clean up the lube and toy and change my sheets this morning. I freeze and shut the door again slightly panicked. “Bro what's wrong open the door” Jisung says giving me a weird look. “Um I forgot to clean up this morning ill be right back” I say unlocking the door again and rushing in closing the door behind me hearing Hyung chuckle as I do so. I rush in and grab the lube and toy shoving them in the drawer making a mental note to clean the toy tonight before bed, I pull my sheets off the bed and toss then into the wash bin before quickly putting on my new set. I take a second looking around to see if I missed something before going to let them in, they come in and start looking around like they will find something. “So we didn't really look around this place yesterday” Jaeyong says walking to my desk and thumbing through my papers. “Nosy” I say stopping him. “Oh look what I found” Jisung says pointing at my now turned on laptop. Jaeyong and Hyung rush over to look, I walk over and look at what he's pointing at. He's pointing at my link to a porn site I use. ‘Shit’ I think. I slam the laptop shut and move it to my desk. “For real how many secrets do you have man. Porn, girls coming over to fuck and tattoos. Any other things we should know about?” Jisung asked. “I feel like I don't know you at all” he added. “Everyone has a personal life I'm not like you I don't talk about sex and as for the tattoos I swear I thought I told you” I reply simply. he gave an understanding nod. After that they left it alone and we kind of just hung out, Hyung would hold my hand under the table every once and a while or rest his hand on my knee or thigh but it seemed normal. I started getting antsy after a couple hours and I think Hyung noticed, I wanted to touch him kiss him and cuddle I didn't want to be his friend I wanted to be his baby boy. “Jisung I'm hungry lets go pick up some pizza” Jaeyong said randomly but I was thankful. Jisung nodded and they left, as soon as I heard the door lock I couldn't hold back I climbed right onto hyungs lap straddling him and burying my face in his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my shoulder. “You okay baby?” he whispered. “Mm I just want to cuddle” I mumble into his neck. He chuckles and rubs my back. “There's my soft boy” he says softly. I hum slowly sitting up, I pucker my lips silently asking for a kiss. He leans in and pecks my lips a few limes before pecking me all over my face making me laugh. “Your so cute” he says pecking me on the lips again. I lean in and kiss him deep but gentle nothing lustful, I pour all my feelings into the kiss. We pull apart and I feel him rest his hands on my ass as he puts his forehead on my collarbone. “You don't know how long I've wanted to hold you in my arms like this” he says softly. “Me to Hyung” I mumble. I feel myself starting to tear up thinking about all those feelings and the pain I felt when he moved, how no matter how many times I tried looking for another boy to distract me know one ever caught my eye. “Hyung?” I ask a little nervous to know the answer to what I'm about to ask. “Yes baby?” he says looking up at me finally seeing my watery eyes. He changes his expression to one of worry. “Did you ever date anyone” I ask looking down at my hands between us. “Date no” he said obviously holding something back. “But?” I ask worried. “In high school I decided that id come to university out here so I could find you again I started asking my old friends where you planned to study and things like that. I decided I was gonna tell you about my feelings so I wanted to have experience since they said you never had a partner and that made me figure you were a virgin. I started sleeping with guys so I would know ways to please you” he said brushing my cheek with his thumb as he spoke. I felt thankful but also kind of sad. “Hyung” I say. He hummed lifting my face with his hand on my chin so he could look in my eyes. “The night before the first day of classes I had a dream about you” I mumbled feeling shy. “What kind of dream baby” he said looking curious. “Ummm” I said starting to blush. He chuckles at this before kissing my collar bone. “Was it a dirt dream baby” he whispers in my ear before kissing just bellow my ear. “Mmhmm” I hum embarrassed. “Really? You must really be a horny little boy huh” he says nipping at my jaw a few times. I gasp lightly, he leans back on his hands looking at me, I don't know how to word what I want to ask next. “Hyung would you-” I was cut off by banging on the door. I groan in frustration, I stand up and walk to the door opening it. “Why do you look so pissed?” Jisung asks walking past me with the pizza. After that was uneventful for a while just eating pizza and watching movies. “I got to shit” Jisung says after a movie ends. He stands up walking to the bathroom and shutting the door, Jaeyong clears his throat making me and Hyung look at him. “I need to tell you something” he says leaning closer. “I know your gay” he says looking at me. I start to panic at this and Hyung rubs my back lightly. “No no Minjun don't panic I've known for a long time don't worry your fine its just the past few days confirmed it for me, look I'm bisexual okay we are even” he says seeing my eyes start to water. “The ‘girl’ you were talking about its Hyung right?” he says pointing at Hyung. “That's right” Hyung says putting his arm around my waist for comfort. “Hyung are you the same?” he asks. “Yes” Hyung says flatly. “So are you two?” he asks pointing between us. I nod slightly nervous. “That's awesome guys” she said sounding genuinely happy for us making me give a small smile. “So.. this morning?” he says winking. “I gave him a taste of what's to come” Hyung said smirking making me blush. “Damn” Jaeyong said chuckling. “Can I tell you a secret?” he asked suddenly. We both nod and tell him his secrets safe with us. “I've had a crush on Jisung since high school” he whispers. Before we can react the bathroom door opens and Hyung quickly moves his arm. “I was just thinking” Jisung says walking over. “Well that's never good” I grumble. Everyone laughed at this and I relaxed a bit. “Minjun?” Jisung asks sitting down across from me. “No” I say shortly. “Oh come on dude at least let me ask” he says dramatically throwing his hands in the air. “Fine what” I say leaning back on my hands. “Is that girl spending the night again tonight?” he asked making me freeze. “Uh well I uh” I started panicking. “I was gonna ask her but you guys came back so I couldn't” I blurt out watching Hyung out of the corner of my eye. “Oh shit” Jaeyong blurts out looking at Hyung. “Sorry bout that” he says looking at me. “Damn was she that good” Jisung says smirking. “She was amazing” I say smirking. “Big too” I add. “Oh you like big tits?” Jisung asks. “Oh um yeah” I say getting flustered. After Jisung gets distracted again I feel Hyung move closer to me, I feel his breath on my neck making me get goose bumps. “I would stay but I cant tonight my roommate wants my help moving furniture” he whispers. I'm slightly disappointed but understood so I just nodded. Not long after Jisung and Jaeyong were going home, Hyung stayed in the living room while I said good bye to the boys. After they left I went back to the living room and saw Hyung sitting on the couch, he patted the couch next to him beckoning me to sit with him. I walked over and sat at the other end before laying down with my head on his thigh, he started stroking my hair. “Ill try to stay over for the weekend okay baby?” he says softly. “Okay” I say closing my eyes. “Hyung?” I ask after a while of silence. “Yes baby?” he says looking down at me. I turn to lay on my back to look up at him, he leaned down pecking my lips. “I really do love you” I mumble shyly. He smiled down at me. “I love you too baby boy” he says back booping my nose. Then he leaned down and pecked me on the nose, I love his soft side. After a while of laying like that in silence I must have fell asleep cause next thing I knew I woke up to being picked up in Hyung's arms bridle style. “Its okay baby you go back to sleep I'm just taking you to your bed” he says in a soft gentle voice. He laid me on my bed before taking off my shirt, jeans and socks. He pulled my blanket over me and sat beside me on the bed. “Go to sleep baby Hyung's gonna head home now ill see you in the morning” he says leaning down and kissing my forehead. “I love you baby boy” he says as I close my eyes. “Love you too Hyung” I mumble starting to fall asleep again.

Sato stared at Sakura in confusion. "Is this girl really one of those creatures?" he thought to himself. She looked so beautiful she couldn't possibly be a Bakemono. Sakura started to speak, "So, are you gonna just sit there staring at me creepily or what?" Sato snapped out of a daze, "Oh, sorry. I spaced out," He started to get up. "By the way, my name is Yamagata Satoshi. But you can just call me Sato. So, you're a monster like those other things?" Sakura sighed shaking her head, "Oh geez, I told you already. We're called Bakemono." "Okay. So then what are Bakemono exactly?" Sato tried to keep his mind on the conversation. But the fact that the sun was silver, kept popping up in his mind. Sakura blinked turning her waist slightly, "You mean, you seriously don't know?" Sato shook his head dumbfounded, "Nuh-uh." "Geez you really are uninformed, aren't you Sato? "You have no idea." "Well then, in that case, I'll explain it to you. You see up until about thirteen years ago-" "Whoa! Hold on!" Sato interrupted Sakura "If it was up until thirteen years ago, how do you know about it? Aren't you like my age?" "I learned about this in school, okay? Now let me finish," Sakura cleared her throat before continuing. "Up until thirteen years ago us Bakemono and humans lived together in peace. But all that changed when one despicable Bakemono, known as the Warrior Bakemono, Niji, called a war on the humans. In the end, a human had used an ancient book to seal us away in. It was known as the Forbidden Book. And you and I are standing talking inside of it now. Now like the human race the Bakemono race is very vast and unique. However, we are split into two groups. The mindless Bakemono, like the ones you just saw today. And the free-willing Bakemono, like me. Plus, we're also divided into different sub-types, kinda like your ethnicities. For example, I am a Strength Bakemono." "Yeah, no kidding. But how come you don't look all crazy-like? I mean you look like an ordinary thirteen-year-old girl." "I know. Ever since I was a little girl I was abandoned because my parents called me ugly and thought I was a pathetic excuse for a Bakemono, since I had none of their features. No horns, like my father, or demon wings like my mother. I'm a disgrace!" Sakura started to bawl. "I fail to see just how that's ugly..." Sato's voice was hardly able to speak over Sakura's crying. "Hey, hey! Come on, don't cry. You're not ugly at all." "You...you really think so?" Sakura started to wipe away her tears. "Yeah of course I do," Sato nodded profoundly. "Sure, I bet if you went to my school, you'd fit right in." Sato didn't mention how she would fit right in until she started her random crying of course. Sakura started crying again. "What's wrong? Now why are you crying?" Sato asked confused. "You said that I would fit in at your school. But I'm not a human. So you think I look like a human too? I should be ashamed to have this Bakemono blood coursing through my veins!? "Geez, this chick sure is one heck of drama queen," Sato said to himself. "Hey, Sakura! Stop crying would ya? Geez, sure you look like a human and all. But you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are. And if you were born a Bakemono. Well, I don't see any reason why you can't be a proud Bakemono!" "Sato…thank you." "Well, now that that's over. See ya, I gotta go find so something to eat and then find a way out of here." Sato started to walk off. Sakura extended her arm towards the purple-haired teen, "Sato! Wait!" "Crap," Sato said under his breath. "What is it, Sakura?" "So you're a human right? Not a Bakemono?" Sato pivoted his head around, "Yeah, what of it?" "Well then, I have some bad news," Sakura said solemnly. "Well, could you hurry it up. 'Cause I really gotta get home." He needed to get home because he was starving to death and his mom made pannines earlier. But he refused to admit his love for them in front of a girl. Or anyone for that matter. But especially not a girl, lest he be single for the rest of his life. "That's just it. You see, you can't go home!" "What?! Why not?" Sato's panic levels rose to the peak. Why couldn't he go home? Was this some sick joke, courtesy of the universe? "Because when you entered the Forbidden Book, from outside. You became trapped." Sakura explained. "Now you will have to find your way out of the book, facing the most fearsome monsters of Bakemono history. All of them will come to destroy you since most Bakemono nowadays hate humans ever since the war." "Most?" Sato asked curiously. "Me not included. As a lot of other Bakemono hate me just for looking like one." "Sakura…" The ground began to shake. Once again the trees nearly popped from their roots. Sato looked around and said, "An earthquake." Sakura nodded, "Yep. From the Golem Bakemono." "What him again?" "Actually, her." "What?! How can you tell?" "The females work alone, males travel in packs." Sato just stared at her and Sakura placed her hands on her hips, "Don't act surprised. I knew I should've gone all out the first time. I won't make that mistake again!" Sakura ran by so fast the wind she left behind nearly knocked Sato over. The Golem's hand turned a moss green shade of stone. She aimed her punch at Sakura's face. Sakura quickly jumped up onto the Golem's fist. Sakura ran on the rocky surface. She nearly tripped on the rocks but managed to keep her balance. Sakura pulled back her fist yelling so loud it knocked all but one tree down. She leaped off from the Golem punching it hard in the face and sending it soaring into the clouds. Sakura landed flawlessly on her feet. The last tree collapsed like a delayed domino. "Whoa, that was incredible," Sato said in shock. Sakura simply replied, "Yeah, I know. I am strength Bakemono after all." A loud high-pitched squeal is heard in the distance. "What was that just now?" Sato asked his head moving from side to side. "I'm not sure. But it sounded like a little girl. Let's go check it out, okay?" Sakura said worry coating her voice. Sato reluctantly nodded.

Sato and Sakura ran as fast as they could when they ran into a pack of Golem Bakemono. "So then I'm guessing these are male?" Sato glanced over at Sakura remembering her comment about how the males traveled in packs. "Your guess is correct." Sakura brought one foot behind the other and held her fists up in front of her chest. "Come on, ya Golems. What'cha waiting for?" And at those words, the Golems charged at Sakura. One of them swung its giant stony fist at her. Sakura quickly caught it throwing it to the ground. "Quick, Sato! Now's your chance. Get out of here!" Sakura yelled as she continued fighting the Golems. Sato hesitated, "But what about you?" "I'll be fine, just go!" Sakura shouted impatiently as she diverted another Golem's arm. Sato ran into unfamiliar woods. Thick trees with black foliage loomed over him as the wind slightly rustled their leaves. Strange shadows were painted all over the eerie forest. It was definitely a strange place. Sato felt almost like he was in a horror movie. Which actually would've been cool if it didn't feel so real. Sato shivered before looking for a sign that someone was there. "Hello, anyone here? If the little girl who was yelling for help is here, I'm here to rescue you." Sato leaped back startled as a massive Spider Bakemono crawled out of the hole in the tree. The Spider Bakemono had an innumerable amount of eyes scattered across its body. "Geez, I know I said I wanted a more interesting life. But all this crap is a little too much." The Spider Bakemono lashed out at Sato baring its fangs. Sato dropped and rolled to the side. He picked up a tree branch jabbing at the Spider. The Bakemono shot out a huge cerulean web. Sato ducked and it landed on another tree instead. As soon as it did the tree vaporized into dust. "Whoa, that's no ordinary spider web." Sato gawked. The spider then shot another web at him. Sato dodged to the left briskly using his lighter to light the stick. He threw the flaming stick at the spider. "Brainstorm!" Hey, spidey? Wanna play?" Sato threw two more flaming tree branches at the Spider. It continually shot webs at him. Sato dodged them all letting them end up on the trees behind him. Once all the trees have vaporized, Sato ducked another web and it ended up catching the Spider instead. The Spider Bakemono vaporized into dust just like the trees had. "Oh, yeah. I have to go save that girl." Sato remembered. "Help!" A shrill voice pierced through the woods. "I'm coming" Sato sprinted in the direction of the girl's voice. Meanwhile, Sakura was still fighting off the Golem Bakemono. All the Golems unanimously shouted, "Kill Yamagata Satoshi!" "Sato's gone! What do you wanna kill him for anyway?" Sakura questioned, dodging and countering the Golem's blows. One of the golems spoke up. "Master's orders!" "Master? Who's your master?" Another Golem joined in, "You no need to know!" "Oh really?" Sakura smirked, "Well then I guess I'll just have to make you tell me." She lifted two of the Golem's over her shoulders and smashed them together. Rocks from their bodies crumbled down. She picked up another one and threw him down onto the whole pack immobilizing them. "Now start talking," Sakura ordered as she clapped dirt off her hands. Sato made it out of the forest and into a lakeside area. The area was mostly covered in dirt with little grass and plant life. The azure lake sparkled brightly, stretching out in different directions. Past the lake was a huge glittering tree filled with purple leaves. Another spider web was wrapped around its trunk. Only this one was a violet purple and it had a girl trapped in it. "Help! Help!" The girl shrieked. "Hey, I'm coming!" Sato hurried over. "I sure hope this lake isn't infested with man-eating Fish Bakemono. Or any Bakemono for that matter." Sato dived into the water headfirst and swam towards the other end. "Somebody, help me!" "Just hang on, kid. I'm coming for you!" Sato reached the other side of the lake. He noticed multiple Leech Bakemono sucking on his foot. They slithered around leaving a slimy substance covering his foot. He yanked them off disgusted and horrified. Sato felt like he was about to gag as he wiped the slime off of his feet and onto the ground. "All I asked for was for it not to be infested with Bakemono. And what happens, it's infested with Bakemono." Sato shook it off and headed toward the girl. "Hey. Are you here to save me?" "Of course I am. Why else would I have risked my life diving into a lake full of Leech Bakemono? Just for the hell of it?" The girl giggled as Sato freed her from the web with a small flame from his lighter. As he caught her Sato noticed her angelic face and her silky snow-white hair covering the sides of her face. She wore an orange tank top with a matching skirt and sandals on a small slim body that couldn't have made her look any older than eleven. She gazed at him adoringly with her bright red eyes. "Hey, kid. Wanna tell me your name?" Sato asked. "I'm Yamagata Satoshi." The girl giggled again, "My name is Ai. And I'm a Magic Bakemono."

“Board the ship!” Reeva yelled at the top of her lungs. Her crew launched hooks at the crippled caravel. The hooks latched onto the wood, and they pulled the ropes, hauling the ship towards them until the two ships collided. The men drew swords and pistols and loud war cries engulfed the deck as they jumped across and the battle began.  Reeva remained on the quarterdeck, scanning through the mayhem for her target, the captain. If she could bring him to surrender, his crew would follow, ending the bloodshed before either side lost too many men. Between the smoke and the fighting crowd, a man caught her attention. He stood beside the wheel of his ship, shouting orders to his men, a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other. Now the two of us, she thought as she grabbed the closest hanging rope and swung across. Her feet landed hard on the worn wood with a thud loud enough for her enemy to hear. He spun around with his pistol aiming at her. Reeva plunged aside just in time to hear the whistling sound of the bullet passing over her head. She rolled onto her back, drew her pistol, and fired at the captain marching towards her, his sword raised. The bullet grazed his shoulder, forcing him to stumble backwards, buying Reeva just enough time to scramble to her feet. She unsheathed her sword before her enemy swung his. She blocked the upcoming strike inches from her neck. The force of the impact pushed Reeva backwards, and her heel hit her rail. She took hold of the rail and hauled her legs up and kicked her adversary in the guts as he raised his sword to strike again. The man tried to steady himself, but she punched him on the side of his head with her hilt. Her opponent landed on all fours and Reeva pulled her second pistol and aimed at him. “Surrender, and I’ll spare you and your crew,” she ordered. The man’s eyes wandered to the main deck, where the battle was in full swing. Bodies already piled up; pools of blood spreading along the wooden planks. “They’ll fire me and my crew,” he said, and pressed one hand against his bleeding head. “You can get another job. You can’t get another life. End this massacre before it’s too late.” Reeva cocked her pistol. The captain stared at her, defeat written in his eyes. They were a merchant ship crew, not soldiers. They were on the losing side. “Surrender,” he said through his teeth, but no one heard him. “Surrender!” he shouted, his voice breaking through the cacophony of clashing metal and screams. One by one, his men froze and let their weapons fall to the ground.  Reeva looked at her cheering crew and savoured the victory for a moment before turning her attention back to the captain. “You did the right thing. Now get up.” At gunpoint, she gestured for him to stand up and walk down the stairs. On the quarterdeck, the captain and his crew were herded into a corner and forced down to their knees with hands their behind their head. “Fucking pirates,” a tall, muscular man hissed, blood running from a large cut travelling down his left arm. “The High Empire will make you regret every breath you’ve taken to this day.” “Jackson. Enough!” his captain cut him off. “I wish I could be there when they hang you,” the man called Jackson continued, his eyes fixed upon Reeva. She held his gaze and walked toward him. “Especially you.” He tilled his chin in her direction, “I’m sure they’re gonna have a lovely time--”  Reeva’s fist met his jaw before he finished his sentence. Jackson spat blood and faced her again. “They are coming for you.” He looked at the crew gathered around, a bloody grin on his face. “For all of you.” “Shut your mouth, Jackson!” his captain ordered him again. Reeva chuckled in response. Many prisoners had made the same threat before, hoping their beloved Empire will come to their rescue burning inside them.  Kill him… She slowly crouched in front of him, her eyes never leaving his. Hatred filled the man’s eyes, but it didn’t phase her. She was used to it, and understood it. The man was about to lose everything he had worked for in the past months. He probably had a family to feed with this money. But so did she. “Let them try,” she said, her voice calm. “It’ll be our pleasure to cut their throats one by one. We rule those waters, and there is nothing they can do about it.” Jackson spat in her face. Reeva grabbed the small dagger hidden in her boot and placed it on his throat. She pressed the blade just hard enough for him to feel the sharp pinch of the metal digging into his skin, but not enough to draw blood. Kill him… A cold chill ran down her spine, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off of the men. “I can show you what will happen to anyone who tries to get in our way. What do you say?” she whispered in his ear. Kill him… And there it was. Faced with the prospect of certain death, the man’s bravado faded away. She released her grip and his gaze turned to the floor as he bowed his head. “That’s what I thought.” Reeva put her blade back in her boot and swipe the spit off her cheek. “All right lads.” She stood up and looked at her crew. “I want five of you watching those men. The rest of you, empty hull.” Voices and the echoing sound of boots running around now filled the silent and tense atmosphere as her crew got to work. She had only made two steps away from the prisoners when she heard Jackson’s voice whispering amongst the agitation, “Fucking deathwitch bitch. I’ll have your head.”  She froze. Her lighter skin could pass for High Empire, but her silver hair always betrayed her heritage. She had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, she had hoped that Jackson would keep his ego in check, but he didn’t. Kill him…  Her sword was out of her hilt as she turned around. Jackson’s eyes widen as the realisation that his words had reached her ears. But before he could protest, Reeva brought her sword down. Blood splashed her face and the hollow sound of the man’s head hitting the deck stop everyone in their tracks. “If I hear as much a as a loud breath, you’ll meet your fellow’s fate. Are we clear?”  All prisoners stared in awe at their mate’s blood slowly spread on the wooden deck but no one dared to answer. Reeva wiped the blood on her breeches and put the sword back inside its hilt. The door to the fallen captain’s cabin creaked open, and Reeva stepped in, closing it behind her. She reached for the end of her shirt and used it to wipe the blood from her face, rubbing so hard her skin almost broke. Sick rose in her throat, but she held it down. She tried to force air into her lungs, but a knot in her throat refused to let it pass. The world spun. She grabbed her knees, trying to steady herself. Her lungs burned as she forced the air down. One breath, two breaths, three… The world stopped spinning. Her heart that threatened to jump out of her chest dropped to a calmer pace, and she leaned back on the door. “It’s done,” she murmured as she passed her still trembling hand through her hair. The three tight braids on the left side were loose from the battle and the rest of her long, wavy, silver hair was a mess filled with dirt and blood. Those silver hairs made most people stare at her and whisper the word deathwitch - a creature from Aweki myths rumoured to have the power to control the dead. The myths still struck fear, but the silver hair was the only part of it based on reality. She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes; her hand brushing against a large scar starting from above her right eyebrow and stopping just on her cheekbone.  The scar was a constant reminder of her first raid that her father let her fight along his side at the age of thirteen.  She breathed in and out deeply as the knot in her throat loosened, letting the air pass freely. “I did it.” Pride pushed her panic aside as she realized she had successfully led her first raid captain of her father’s ship. She straightened and scanned the room. The cabin was small and tidy, like all merchant ships working for the Hight Empire. On the desk, maps gathered in a neat pile together with the captain’s log. The room looked a lot like her father’s. He liked to keep everything organised, and she was trying to do the same, but it turned out that tidying wasn’t a quality of hers. She opened the log and read the last pages. The last entry said the ship’s schedule was changed and the returned date was brought forward. ‘By order of the Admiral of the Hight Empire’s Navy’ was written on the side.  Since when is the navy giving return orders to merchants’ ships? Reeva wonder, but that order had worked in her favour. That was all it took for her ship to get in their way and turn the journey upside down. She turned her attention to the rest of the cabin. On the wall, there were shelves with books of all sorts. She skimmed through them until one caught her attention. A small brown book, a little torn on the edges. Creatures of the Depths the spine read. She took it off the shelf and put it in the back pocket of her breeches as she heard steps outside the door. “Come in,” she said before the person on the other side had the chance to knock. The door opened, and she turned around. A tall, muscular man entered the room. Contrary to Reeva his dark skin stated his Aweki heritage. He was wearing boots and brown breeches. His chest was bare of clothes but covered in scars. Mr Tates, her father’s loyal first mate, and now hers. “Captain,” Mr Tates said, and stood in front of her, towering over her. “How many?” she asked. “Three men. Cooke, Stillson and Bear.” Her heart sank. No matter how many years she had been at sea and how many men she had seen die, losing a member of the crew was never easy. Especially when they had a family waiting for them back home, and Bear’s was the one that wouldn’t see him come back this time. Reeva shook the thoughts out of her mind. There will be plenty of time to find a way to break the sad news to his wife and daughter. “And the cargo?” she asked “Mostly wetpyro, but not a great quantity,” Mr Tates answered. At least that was some good news. Wetpyro was a popular drink and one of the easiest goods to make money from even in small quantities.  “Good. That’s good.” She walked to the small and only window of the cabin and looked out at her ship. The Silver Lady. A beautiful ship she was. It belonged to The High Empire, before her father took control of it and turned to piracy.  “You did well,” Mr Tates said, his voice warm, a discreet smile drawn on his lips. “Your father would be proud of you.” “Thank you, Mr Tates,” she said, a bittersweet smile on her lips. Those simple words were enough to lift the weight off of Reeva’s shoulders. After the death of her father six months ago, she knew that taking over his ship would be a daunting task. And this raid was her last trial to prove to her crew, but mainly to herself, that she was ready for this. I wish you were here. A lump formed in her throat. Since she first stepped on the deck, she had dreamed of the day she’ll be captain. But in her dreams her father was by her side, watching her from the main deck, pride filling his eyes. But now the day came, and he wasn’t at her side, and nothing would fill that void. “How long before we are on our way?” she asked, getting back to business. “We’ll be sailing before dusk, and if the wind is on our side, we should be back on Naukusa in five days.” She nodded. “I’m done here. Let’s go join the crew.” Captain and first mate walked out of the office and back onto the deck, where her crew came and went, carrying barrels of rum and sacks of tobacco back to their ship. Despite the loss of three of their companions, it had been a good day and morale was high as they chatted and sang. Back on her ship, Reeva climbed the stairs up to the quarter-deck, her hand brushing the wooden railing. The Silver Lady used to be an imperialist merchant ship, and her father was the first mate. Until one day the cargo they had to transport was Aweki slaves. Her father had tried to convince the Captain to refuse the job but in vain. Halfway through their route when they sailed near the Free Island, her father raised a mutiny, freeing the slaves and taking over the commands of the ship.  With his new find ship and crew, he sailed to Naukusa and established himself as a powerful captain. When Reeva was thirteen, he returned to the Capitol for her. They sailed and hunted together for 15 years. But now, Reeva was standing at the helm of the Silver Lady, as a captain on her own.  Her gaze drifted to the horizon, south, where home was waiting for them. The sea was where she felt more at home, but after a month of hunting, she longed for steady land beneath her feet. “Get us home, Mr Tates,” she called to her first mate on the main deck. The main sail dropped, and the ship sailed away from the merchant ship, leaving its crew at the mercy of the sea.

Sato and Sakura moved cautiously in a grassy plain. "Sakura there it is!" Sato pointed to the left. Sakura ran over to a small Elephant Bakemono with a lizard tongue and a razor-sharp nose. She jumped onto it grabbing ahold of its neck. "Sato now!" Sakura shouted struggling to keep the Elephant Bakemono still. "I'm on it!" Sato took out his rope and tied one side to a tree and the other to the Elephant Bakemono. He ran toward the Bakemono and took out his knife. He stabbed the knife deeply into its back until its eyes shut. Sato and Sakura walked back to where they had set up camp earlier where Ai was waiting for them. Sato tossed up the raw Elephant Bakemono meat into the sky and caught it in the palm of his hand. "Food's here." "Idiot! Stop messing around, that's our dinner you know!" Sakura scolded Sato. Sato sighed, "Geez, relax, I was just having some fun." "Big brother, Sakura! You're back!" Ai joined in. Sato and Sakura walked over to Ai and sat down. "Okay, now we just have to figure out a way to cook it." Sakura looked over to Sato and Ai. "You guys got any ideas?" "Well, I guess I may have something," Sato said reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his lighter. "Would this work?" Sakura glanced at the lighter. "Uh yeah, I guess." As Sato lit the fire and started cooking, Sakura grasped for his attention, "Sato? What's the deal with you and that lighter? I mean you seem to be very fond of it." While Sato answered he didn't take his eyes off the fire, "You see, one day when I was a little kid. I asked my mom what happened to my dad. She never told me exactly but she did give me this lighter and said this is what happened. She warned me only to use it when I was in a very dangerous situation. Though I haven't ever had to use it, up until I came here that is. But every time I do use this now, I think of it as if my dad is helping me to survive." "I'm sorry Sato." Sakura sympathized. "Nah, don't be, it's fine." Sato finally lifted his head from the fire. "Although, I do wish I would've gotten the chance to meet him." Sato tried to lighten the mood by speaking in a French accent. "Bon' appetite, your dinner is served. " Sakura and Ai started laughing and they all began eating. Sato spat it out immediately. "Ugh, this is terrible!" Sato wiped his mouth with his black sleeve. "I'll eat yours for you, big brother!" Ai offered, raising her hand high. "Knock yourself out." Sato tossed his food over to Ai. As soon as she caught it she stared at it with her big bright red eyes bulging. Sato looked over at Sakura, "Why do you guys even eat this stuff anyway?" Sakura swallowed before answering, "What do you mean?"' "You know, why do you eat other Bakemono?" "Why not? Don't you humans eat animals? It's the same thing for us, us free-willing Bakemono are at the top of the food chain." "So then you mean those Eagle, Golem, Spider and Leech Bakemono. You actually eat those things?" Sato started to feel sick. He got what Sakura was saying when she compared how humans eat animals. But he still couldn't find a way to make himself feel as if that made sense without wanting to vomit. And he didn't have an extra change of clothes in his backpack so he wasn't in the mood for vomiting. "Not the Eagle and Leech Bakemono! That's gross!" But yes, the Spider Bakemono are delicious." Sakura answered. Sato sighed, "Okay, I'm just gonna pretend we never had this conversation." Sakura set her food down on the log, "Okay then, I have something else I need to discuss with you." Sato raised his eyebrows, "Like what?" "Like what abilities you have here. You see whenever a human enters the Forbidden Book; they become what is known as the Illustrator. And they gain power to match. To put it simply it's basically like drawing with your mind." "And you're just telling me this now?" Seriously, why couldn't she have told him this sooner? He had some neat power where he could draw with his mind and she was letting him barely survive with nothing but a rope and lighter?! "Yes," Sakura nodded. "I couldn't have told you right away. Since its best for the Illustrator to have some sort of skill of their own so they don't rely on this power too much. And once I saw how resourceful you were, that's when I knew it was time to tell you." "Okay, so then how do I use this power?" "I already told you. Just imagine like you're drawing with your mine. Oh but there's one downside, you can only draw weapons." Something rustled in the bushes prompting Sato to arch his head back, "Hey, you guys hear something?" Sakura nodded keeping her eyes forward, "Yeah. It's coming from the bushes. Suddenly a horde of Elephant Bakemono surrounded everyone. Sato looked back and forth between all the Elephant Bakemono, "Uh-oh. Looks like our dinner had friends." Sakura bent her knees and readied her fists, "Well you guys up for dessert?" Ai clapped her hands and shouted, "Yay!" "I'll pass," Sato sighed. "But this should be a good time to test out my new powers." Sato stretched his arm out in the air, "Illustrate!" A gleaming silver sword with a black handle and deadly sharp blade materialized into Sato's hand. "Yeah, now I could get used to this. Sakura, let's go!" Ai cheered in glee, "Yay, go get 'em big brother!" She started punching the air pretending like she was in the fight as well. Sato charged swinging his sword at one of the Elephant Bakemono. Another one came ramming into Sato from behind. It raised its giant foot but Sakura kicked it out of the way just in the nick of time. Sato got up slashing at all of the Elephant Bakemono with his blade. Sato and Sakura kept going until there was only one left, the mother. The mother Elephant Bakemono roared in pure anger. Sato's knees wobbled as he looked over to Sakura, "Think she's mad?" "Really?" Sakura said in a sarcastic tone. "What do you think?" "I think we better end this…fast." The mother swung her razor-sharp trunk knocking Sato off his feet. Sakura ran toward the elephant. She jumped onto it grabbing its neck. She yelled to Sato, "Sato, like before, okay?" Sato smirked, "Yeah, I got it." Sato stuck his sword into the ground. He tied the rope to it and the other side to the elephant. "Only this time, it'll be a little different. Dad, I need your help again!" Sato lit the rope on fire and flames consumed the elephant. Sakura quickly jumped off. Sato picked up his sword and ran for the Elephant Bakemono. He jumped midway slicing it down the middle. Sato fell on his butt exhausted, "Well that was fun... Let's never do it again." "Aw, how cute. You think you have a choice." Sakura teased him. "So how far away is Sihalia?" "It's about one-hundred miles to the North," Sakura said. "Give or take." Sato stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Okay good, that'll give me some time to practice these new powers of mine."

     I awoke to the sound of my digital home assistant's jarring alert at 3 AM. EEE-OOO-EEE-OOO "Hunter alert for your area. Please log in to your NGM for details" EEE-OOO-EEE-OOO      "Alarm off."      I throw the blankets off, and wincing as a add another tear to my already mended sheets. But I put that aside for later, I have to get my armor on, check my weapons, and look up the location for the National Guard Marque alert. One of the only good things the government has put through the last few months was the localized Marque "Guards and Hunters" branch of the National Guard, and I don't want to fuck it up and become the next scapegoat.      The Marque members all revived, or had already received some basic military/survival/hunter training. But anyone who displayed "super-normal" abilities or regular old talent, and proved suited for combat through an entry test, then get free training and funds for basic equipment. We report to the nearest National Guard base, or Police station, but only ranked members of the National Guard could actually give us orders. Yeah, USA was that desperate to get boots on the ground, that they were willing to basically issue homeland "letters of marque." But after random monster attacks started showing up more and more frequently, there was a need for private contractors like me to be spread out in every town.      I put on my loose fitting underclothes, only fussing with my tail for a moment, and enter the main room of my home (repurposed as an armory and office). I put my phone on my desk, still flashing the alert, and take my modern knife-proof black armor from it's shelf. After I have put it on, and strapped the steel plates over my chest, shoulders, and knees, I now finally check my phone for the location and threat estimate.      "Ah, shit..."      A residential community, one of those gated communities I've never lived in. Those folks like their privacy, and they're quick to complain. But more importantly, if the monsters were smart and quiet they could have eaten up to a dozen people already by the time I get there. And I'm probably going to be blamed for that. I scroll down to the threat section... goblins. So, yes, smart and quiet as far as mobs go. I just hope there are some gun owners, or newblood wealthy people there, the kind that made quick money with newfound magic abilities. That way, they could at least hold back some mobs before hunters like me get there.      "OK, goblins... goblins..."      I rush to unlock my gun locker, and grab my two Hi-Point C9's, checking them and strapping them to my thighs, and clip the 4 extra magazines to back of my belt. Cheap little shits, but they're surprisingly reliable, and they're all someone needs to handle goblins. Then I grab the sword belt with my gladius on it, and turn to the door. I sit on my "shoe bench" and wrap my feet with the leather, nylon, and tire rubber "shoes" I made for myself.      I wish I could just wear normal boots, but my feet aren't shaped for it anymore, and custom fitted boots would cost more than I'm willing to pay. My feet are not quite "digitigrade" like a real wolf-cat or whatever the fuck I am, but I stand on the balls of my feet most of the time, and my "claws" make even the shoes I can fit in uncomfortable. Besides, I actually have great traction now that I have run through like five iterations of these foot-wraps.      Then I take the time to put on the most expensive piece of armor I own: my helmet.      I had to go in person 2oo miles away for measurements, and paid about $2k for it. But head injuries are no joke, and anyone who goes into battle without one is just stupid. It is made of matte gray and green steel, like my other armor; split vertically, so there is the face half, and the back half. It is lined with Kevlar and linen padding, and buckles down under where my ears would be if I were still human. See the reason I had to get this done custom is my ears... I have goddamn cat-ears. Well, kind of. They are not quite coming from the top of my head, and are shaped somewhere between elf and wolf. Just imagine those blue people from "Totally not just Pocahontas in space 2009", had a kid with a werewolf, and you're not far off.      Thank fuck my fur is like a gray wolf and not purple... The point is, I needed a solution to my helmet problems, and it took a lot of time to get something that protected my head and ears without deafening me. At least they didn't charge me for the prototype that didn't work, damn decent of that modern blacksmith Frank. Just had to promise to buy from him more, and refer customers to him. There are a lot of downsides to being so visibly changed like I am, but when I am fully kitted out I look badass. Like if a Templar knight turned into a werewolf, rode a chopper, and hunted dragons... with guns.      Shit, I hope there are no dragons.      I rush out, and lock the door behind me. My bargain-armored Jeep SUV is only a few steps away. I tug on the metal grates I asked my dad to weld onto my windows as I jog around to the drivers side door. I hop in, and drop my gladius belt in the passenger seat. My Mossberg Defender shotgun loaded with slugs is mounted to the ceiling as always, but I check it anyway. I snagged my rear view mirror with my sword belt, so I adjust it. I look into my own yellow eyes for a moment, and reflect on how I changed half a year ago.      Near the end of my work shift at a slowly failing tool factory, me and a few other people collapsed. Most people changed a little that day, but some more than others. I was wracked with the most painful full-body cramps, like I went a year without any potassium intake and it was all catching up to me in that moment. I could barely even breathe, and just rocked and shook on the floor. Ever seen one of those werewolf movies? Where they painfully transform over like 30 seconds? Try 30 hours of that. Even with magic a (mostly) human body can only change so fast. I was in the hospital restrained to a bed in the hallway alongside dozens of other transfromees. All the hospitals and all other kinds of emergency responders were busy that whole week, just dealing with people who suddenly spat fire, saw into the 5th dimension, or like me, grew claws while writhing in pain.      Now, after months of what would be over-eating to anyone else, I stood more than foot taller, and about a hundred pounds of muscle heavier, putting me at seven feet tall and near 300 pounds. Thankfully my friends are all mostly nerds, so after some time adjusting we started making thunder-cats jokes, and "aww, does someone need a belly wub?". It's not that they aren't taking what's happend seriously, or that they aren't just as afraid of what's happening as everyone else, but after playing fantasy tabletop games for so long with those fellow weirdos, I think we were more ready to adjust... thematically at least. My family has also been mostly cool about it, and supportive, besides my aunt and her branch at least (fucking hypocrites).      The thunder-cats jokes were pretty spot-on too, as I'm not full werewolf... or werecat. Still no idea what I am exactly, since I look "wolfy" but with a 'mane' and partially-retractable claws. Any hair I had became more like fur. Thicker in some places, like the tops of my forearms, my elbows, calves, and chest... and my mane that goes around the back of my neck, and down my spine a ways, which I have mixed feelings about. But I actually still had some normal fur-free skin, like the undersides of my forearms, and around my eyes, cheekbones and forehead. And I don't have much of a 'muzzle'. My jaw is slightly elongated, to fit my new teeth (fucking nightmare that was), but the shape of my face and skull is only slightly inhuman. Besides my feet, someone a year ago could look at me and would only think "wow, that movie makeup is amazing!" instead of "oh hell, that's definitely not human", something I'm thankful for. I'm also thankful for my tapetum lucidum! I have night vision like dogs and cats, which makes my eyes glow gold in the dark. It has come in very handy since the month after "The Awakening" "Ragnarock" "The Change" or ... "The Tibulation". Gods, I don't want to think about that last one right now.      Fuck! What's with me today? I don't have time for this! I have gobs to kill, and 1%'ers to calm.   NotPuck OK, that's the character description, and exposition dump done. Big edits incoming in the next couple days. I need to cut it down a lot, and add exposition more gradually. My friend has been coaching me on writing, so it will get better. Next update within a week

     I am recording this journal here as I never know anymore if I am going to die today, my bones left in the sun. My plan is to spread these journals out across a few other worlds, in  libraries, online, and forgotten fields. You likely will never find my whole story, I just know now, more than ever in my life, that my life is actually worth recording. And may be useful to some other lost soul like myself. I feel that I am on an endless sea with my crew, destined to travel for centuries and never see the same port twice. I want to share my journey with you, whoever you are, and for you to finish it... and call me your brother. A brother you will never meet. But one you will know well, by the end. You will never find my resting place, but I want you to imagine you have, and share a tear, a smile, and a drink with my ghost.      My story is as unique as one is likely to find among these lonely rocks I have 'grammed it on. I hope it finds you well.   NotPuck Just so you know, the MC is going to be a hybrid demihuman, my plan is: roughly 40% human, 25% canine, 25% feline, 10%... other. But that is just the appearance, and it won't play heavily into the story. I don't intend for him to be a furry (I am taking some inspiration from "Grimoire of Zero" for him), but if you are, please enjoy!

December 25   I woke up to the sounds of jingle bells and eggnog and apple cider smells. I checked my clock and my calendar, it was Christmas! It was still early and only 6:30 AM but I didn't care. I ran down the stairs, dashed through the hallway and saw lots of presents for my sister and me! But there was one thing I wanted for every occasion, a cat. I've always wanted a cat, I would do anything to get one, and I begged and begged and might even wake up my mom in the middle of the night! I dashed up the stairs and woke up my sister, Willow. "Willow, WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" I shouted. "I KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS! Just.. ten.. more.. minutes..", she said annoyed. She didn't like winter, she felt sad, groggy, and grumpy, with the cold, damp, and lifeless life outside and trees lost their leaves, and animals hibernated to keep warm. It was 10ºF outside and school was canceled. "Fine, you stay there and I'll prepare the wonderful aura of Christmas by making eggnog!" Jackson ran down the stairs and grabbed sugar, milk, eggs, you name it. Jackson heard scratching at the door and thought it was just a raccoon at his door. Just as he was done making eggnog, he sat down in his living room and the scratching turned into screeching. Jackson walked to the door and opened it. "Mew!"

Vernal Passage Christopher R. Muscato There is a very subtle change in the language of the creeks. For many months, they are quiet, their babbling reduced to murmurs and dampened whisperings. Then, as the downy quilt of winter recedes, a trickle of conversation resumes. What is less noticeable a change, although just as significant, is the bubbling energy that pours new life into the monologue. The snowmelt from higher elevations infuses this jeremiad with the lexicon of spring, if only one is versed in the vocabulary and attentive enough to hear it. For most, of course, the change is heralded by a far less nuanced sense of perception. It does not take much to notice the eruption of little purple flowers throughout the valleys, to wonder at the patchwork of soft petals and aroma of vanilla and honey saturating the still cool (but warming) morning air. Be it the loss of snow, the fragrance of early blooming heliotropes, or the lively babble of flowing waters, the signals are all in place and the villagers know what will arrive next. Next will come the sheep.   “Good morning, Georgi.” “Morning Mrs. Wiśniewski.” Georgi nods to the elderly woman elbowing her way past the stubborn wooden door of the shop. “Need a hand with that?” “No, I’ve got it dear boy,” she grumbles, ambling over and heaving a cardboard box onto the counter. “Violet buds in the valley today. They’ll be here soon.” “And that means you are doing your spring cleaning.” Georgi begins to rummage through the contents of the box. “Microprocessors? You sure you don’t want to keep these? I can help you fix them, if they aren’t working for you.” The old woman waves a hand in the air as if swatting away a fly (or a silly idea). “I have too many as it is. Let them have these. It will be good for the village’s reputation to have something decent at the swap market this year.” “Fair enough. I’ll get these sorted.” “Thank you, Gosha.” The old woman nods as she adjusts the scarf covering her head and Georgi grins to himself. She is one of the only people who still calls him that. As she opens the door, however, she pauses and glances over her shoulder. “It seems I have done my part to make our village proud.” And with that she disappears, the heavy wooden door clacking against the frame behind her. Georgi listens as she curses at the door, shuffles onto her hovercart, and sputters off. He sighs and returns his attention to the microprocessors she left him, fingers sifting aimlessly through the mixture. After a moment, he reaches beneath the counter and pulls out a stack of papers, spreading them on the counter in front of him. There are notes and ideas, quips and profound thoughts, sketches and charts. And that’s when he hears the chatter outside. Georgi cranes his neck to glance out the window, but he knows what the commotion means even before his communicator starts blinking. He flips a switch on the shop’s mainframe, activating the holo-AI assistant who flickers to life and politely bows as Georgi snatches a hat from the rack and presses through the door into the crisp spring air. Quietly, Georgi dips into the current of villagers flowing downhill in a bubbling stream of elbows and whispers, pooling at the entrance to the village. It is still early, and a light fog clings to the trees of the valley. Then, a soft bleating cuts through the muffled quiet of the forest, followed by the clanging of little bells. The sheep appear like wooly ghosts, materializing from the fog, marching towards the village then corralling at the sides of the main gates. As they part, the shepherds emerge. Already dismounted from their horses and hovercraft, they walk with the deliberate strides of those practiced at stomping the earth, those taught by generational wisdom to find secure footing in even the most treacherous of mountain passes. They arrive at the village gate and stop, a single man from among their numbers stepping forward. Georgi gently pushes his way through the crowd, finally making his way to the front. He adjusts his cap and takes a step. All fall silent as Georgi approaches the man at the gate. No one speaks, and yet the energy filling the space is palpable, like a storm about to break. Georgi surveys the man before him. “Otar Shotashvili.” “Georgi Giorgadze,” the man returns. Both are quiet a moment, before erupting in laughter and throwing their arms open. As they embrace, the shepherds and villagers break into cheers and one river swells into the other, creating a great crashing of laughter and gossip and hugs and handshakes.   With the melting of the snow, the soil is awakened. Germinating within it is a proliferating cosmos of microsystems, an infinitesimal universe of chemical transfer and nutrient exchange and rejuvenation. It is wild. It is entropy. It is chaos, and all chaos seeks balance, which is why the wise understand a very simple truth: the Earth desires to be trampled. The pounding of hooves is the heartbeat of the season as keratin pestles crush nutrients into the soil, fertilizing the ground and breaking apart decaying matter. It is a ritual of fine and natural alchemy, the transition of death and decay into life and growth, the rite of winter blossoming into spring.   “Tell me everything,” Otar claps Georgi on the back. “Well, the new atmospheric condensers the village installed up the ridge last autumn are functioning well—” “Always the business of town headman with you, ever since you were elected last summer.” Otar laughs and waves a hand. “I want to hear about you, my friend!” “Hard to separate the two,” Georgi mumbles. “It seems that my life is nothing but the worries of the headman now.” He glances at the jostling islands of wool surrounding them. The sheep are mostly quiet as they graze, working their way through the woodland surrounding the village, clearing out dead undergrowth. Georgi notices a scar on a very old tree, remnants of a fire long ago, back before such grazing was part of their forest management. Next to it, the bark of the adjacent tree is pale, almost sickly. It’s not the only one. “You know one of the main responsibilities of the headman is the protection of the forest?” Georgi asks. “I do.” “There have been some troubling signs over the last few seasons; inconsistencies in growth, respiration, dying trees, things like that. We’re not sure if some of our actions are causing this.” “And now the burden of this lies on your shoulders.” Georgi sighs, eyes wandering the forest. Otar watches him a moment. “Another responsibility of the headman is to serve as tamada at the spring banquet, is it not?” Otar prods. At this Georgi’s eyes fall, and he kicks at a pile of dead leaves in the underbrush. ’This is my first year as toastmaster,” Georgi laughs, embarrassed by his own nerves. “I know my other duties are more important, but I just cannot pick the right theme to begin the toast.” “You sure you’re not just worried that you won’t be able to handle your alcohol?” At this, Georgi lets out a genuine laugh. The tamada is expected to empty his cup after every round of toasting, and the thought has crossed his mind. “You villagers and your toasting,” Otar chuckles. “I know it is a venerated tradition but last year’s Keipi banquet knocked out four of our shepherds. We couldn’t travel for days after that feast. What themes are you considering for your first toast?” “I keep coming back to the usual,” Georgi shrugs. “Community, harmony with the mountains, family, honoring ancestors past and generations to follow. Nothing too inspired. I don’t know. It feels like I haven’t had enough time to grow into my role as headman to say anything more eloquent.” “So, you need a theme that is topical, but profound. How about—oh, hold on a second.” Otar shudders, eyes closed, and Georgi takes a respectful step back. The shepherd is quiet, head tilting and swiveling as if he is listening for something. Finally, his eyes snap open. “This way.” He jerks his head, and the two plunge into the forest, eyes skimming the outcrops of rocks and tangles of thick shrubs. “There,” Georgi points. A ram has ventured up the rock wall of this forested ravine and is stuck in a bramble of tangled creepers, the signal light on its bell blinking its distress, not that its bleating isn’t enough of a cue. “Ara,” Otar sighs. “Of course it’s you.” Otar activates his lift pack and, with practiced movements, glides into the air to retrieve the frantic stray. He whispers and coos, and the animal calms. Georgi shakes his head. He has asked Otar many times to describe the sensation of the empathy chips connecting via neurolink shepherd and flock. Otar always says the same thing: all shepherds are naturally attuned to their flocks. The chip just amplifies it. “Should we head to the swap market?” Otar asks, landing back alongside Georgi with a soft thud, the ram Ara now freed from his thorny prison and resuming his grazing on the forest floor. Georgi nods, running a hand through his hair. “I suppose the village headman should make an appearance.”   Green buds indicate life, but the warming of the season is a prescient reminder that this new growth is also new fuel. The legacies of past fires remain ever-present in the charred limbs of dead trees and the ashes smeared across rockface like graffiti. Other vestiges mark a different form of inheritance. The most recent scars carved into the forest are swaths of blackened earth, but those only a few seasons older are verdant. Saplings, the future inheritors of this valley that will guard over the great-grandchildren of the villagers, flourish in the nutrient-rich black soil. And, within the valley, other symbols of fire are seen in the wafts of smoke that appear in evenings as families and friends warm themselves in cheer around the hearth.   “Georgi, look at this! Look at this!” Georgi bends down, taking the lace kite in his hands and ruffling the hair of his young niece. He looks over the intricate details, motifs of eagles and dragons and stars. “It’s beautiful, Eteri.” “Do you see the nanogenerators?” She gestures to the tail, motions sharp with excitement. Georgi chuckles as Eteri explains how her new kite will generate energy as it flies, how beautiful the design is, and how much she will cherish it. “And what did you trade?” Georgi asks. “I hope you were fair.” The little girl’s face turns solemn. She nods. “Yes. I traded the mushrooms I grew.” “Then we are lucky indeed to have visited your village!” Otar commends the little girl, and she beams. “Thank you, Mr. Shotashvili,” she says, before dashing off to find her friends and begin the process of explaining her new kite all over again. Otar laughs as he strolls into the market to unpack his tent and help oversee trade. Georgi takes a moment to survey the scene, his farmers and Otar’s shepherds engaged in raucous barter, dealings of crops and microprocessor chips for wool fabrics, intricate lacework, and nanogenerators, specialties of the shepherds. When they pass through this way again in fall, the shepherds will bring highly coveted cheese to barter with, but that cannot happen until the flock completes its summer grazing. Still, the shepherds are extremely adept at coding, spending much of their free time writing and editing programs to run the nanogenerators they build into everything, from the soles of their shoes to the bells on their sheep. A life in motion is one that generates as much power as they need to maintain their heating lamps and the cooking apparatus, their hovercraft and mobile tents, their consoles and tablets. Notably absent from the trading booths, however, are the empathy chips prized by the shepherds. That technology is theirs alone. Georgi works his way through the market, seeing to the comfort and needs of all, facilitating negotiations where requested, gossiping and practicing the vital work of maintaining the strength of the perennial social bonds that bind these peoples together. Although he is young, at least by the standards of the village elders, most people part for him to pass and nod in respect when he visits their tables. It has been less than a year since his election and the deference still makes him a bit uncomfortable, if not only because he sees within it the weight of their expectations, his responsibilities. His mind returns to his toast, his sacred duty as headman and toastmaster to initiate the Spring banquet by identifying the theme and symbol of the gathering. This is a moment that the people will reference for the entirety of the year to come. “Georgi.” Otar’s voice shakes Georgi from his ruminations. His friend is pale, sweating, and shaking. “Otar, what’s wrong?” Georgi clasps the shepherd’s hand, helps him sit. Others are starting to gather. A few of the other leaders of the shepherds are converging quickly, similar expressions on their faces. “Something is wrong,” Otar touches the base of his skull, where a small scar marks the incision from the neurochip implant. “I think it’s Ara, and a few of the ewes. They got out of the paddocks. They’re in distress . . .” His breathing is heavy, and Georgi calls for some water. Otar shakes his head, standing. “Don’t make a fuss. We’ll see to this.” Georgi’s hand is quickly on his friend’s shoulder. “We chose to share our village with you. Tell us what we can do.” When the word spreads via whispers and shouts and blinking communicators that the headman needs help, nobody questions the request. There is no grumbling or griping, no dragging of feet or apathetic shrugs. Each person abandons their distractions and leisure, procures from their homes their lift packs or bio-lanterns or holomaps with satellite geotracking, anything that might be of service. Nobody asks why they all must help find a few lost sheep because the answer is obvious. They help because their help is needed. For hours, the villagers and shepherds alike search the ravines and cliffs, the valley and ridges, the forests and streams. As the sun sets, the mountainside flickers with lights like stars as lamps and floodlights illuminate the searchers. There is no sign of the lost sheep. “I can feel them, they are close,” Otar rubs his head. “But I can’t tell where, precisely. I need a stronger signal.” In the back of Georgi’s mind, a thought shimmers like the barely noticeable softening of darkness long before dawn breaks. Georgi feels the idea awaken and tries to shake it back to sleep. But it doesn’t return to the darkness. The glow of thought radiates a little brighter. Small beads of sweat on his neck, Georgi tries to focus on the frantic conversations surrounding him. This idea is not one he can entertain, it’s not one he should entertain. It’s not his place to suggest something like this. Otar is pale, color drained from his face. The distress is evident, and it is taking a toll. Georgi can see that. He knows how traumatic the loss would be for these shepherds, no different than if some children of his village wandered off into the night. What wouldn’t he do to find those children, to keep his village whole? The idea in Georgi’s mind breaks into a full dawn, illuminating other budding thoughts, matters of logistics and consequence that flower into complete plans. Georgi gulps. He understands now. He is the only one in a position to raise such an idea. The only one who could. This is, in fact, his place and his responsibility. He is the headman. “Otar, I’m going to ask you something that will make you uncomfortable. Explain how the empathy chips work.” “What?” Otar’s eyes open wide, his eyebrows arching up. “There must be a signal that connects you to the flock, right? If you can give us the signal pattern, we can use the village weather antennae to amplify it. That will make it strong enough to triangulate your sheep’s positions on the holomaps.” Otar’s surprise is enough to pull some of the color back into his face, even if just for a moment. “This technology is the pride of our people,” his voice is almost a whisper. “It’s not mine to give away. Don’t ask this of me, my friend.” “I’m sorry,” Georgi takes Otar’s hands in his own. “But this may be the best chance, the only chance, to keep your people whole. I am asking you, not only as a friend but also as headman and representative of my people, to trust me.” Otar sits down, rubbing the back of his neck, and is quiet. He exchanges glances with some of the nearby leaders of his clan. Like him, they are sweating, faces pale. Time is running short. Otar shakes his head and whispers Ara’s name, then holds out a hand. Georgi helps him up. “Neuro-electrical impulses, that’s the basis of the code. The neural data is paired with hormone readings in the blood, and translated into a signal that the empathy chip can interpret. I can have our chief engineer show you how to program it into your mainframe.” It takes an hour for the shepherds and villagers to integrate their systems, but it is, at last, a success. Sharp pings on the holomaps reveal the precarious situation of the lost sheep, trapped in a deep gorge next to roaring waters, and rescue efforts are made. With the combined work of shepherds and villagers together, the wayward strays are recovered and returned to their flock, to their people. The village becomes a place of celebration, for this is certainly something worth celebrating. Deep into that night, after most have retired to the well-deserved rest of weary revenants, Georgi is still standing at the central console to the village mainframe, eyes shimmering as he scans the waves of impulses generated by the flock. “Incredible,” he breaths. “It is.” Otar rubs his neck. He looks tired, worn. His flock is whole, but he does not seem at peace. “Many will not be happy that I revealed the secrets to our technology.” “I’m sorry for putting you in that position.” Georgi lowers his eyes from the screen. “I don’t pretend to know exactly the cost of that decision, and I’m sure that you must have mixed emotions about finding your flock this way.” Otar nods. He is quiet, focused on something beyond this room. Georgi fidgets at the console. He knows that Otar has given away something valuable. It seems an unfair exchange, even if the ends appeared to justify the means. If anything, it is Georgi’s people who stand to benefit the most in the long run. This could even— Georgi stops. The shepherd’s coveted technology could hold the answers he needs. And Otar gave it away to protect his flock. There must be an answer to that sacrifice. If Georgi has learned anything from the shepherds, it is that for something to be truly beneficial, it must benefit all. “Give it away . . .” Georgi mumbles, thoughts whirling. “What?” Otar tilts his head, attention still partially elsewhere. “What if we make this more than an unfortunate necessity?” Georgi begins pacing the room. “What if this is your gift to the village, and we promise to use it to ensure the survival of both our peoples, our ways of life, by protecting the forest?” “Georgi, what are you talking about?” Otar stands, his full attention now focused on his friend. “The trees, you can teach us to speak to the trees!” Georgi gestures at the waves on the screen. “You use electrical and chemical impulses to connect your empathy centers with the aggregate emotions of your flock, right? We’ve been trying to find out what’s wrong with the forest; what if we do the same thing? We can adapt your technology to interpret mycorrhizal networks, volatile organic compound signals, and other forms of plant communication. That way we can better understand the forest, better interact with it and communicate with it. Just as your sheep are a part of your people, the forest will be part of ours.” “It’s possible,” Otar begins pacing as well. “But it will take time.” “Time we can spend, my friend. A little time now could mean prosperity for our entire futures.” In the days that follow, the usual markets are occupied, the games are played, and the dances are danced. However, there is a new liveliness as the people recount their shared experiences of rescuing the lost sheep in the cold of the night, the secrets revealed, and the new opportunities to come. Georgi and Otar are in constant motion, meeting with leaders of both peoples, convincing the reluctant and coordinating a massive exchange of ideas. Finally, the time comes for the shepherds to move on—but before they do, it is time for the Keipi. It is time for the spring feast. The best linens are taken from the closets, the bots and drones are powered down as all preparations will be done by hand for this meal, and the tables are set in the great hall. Upon them are placed mountains of food, goblets and horns for wine, and centerpieces featuring the craftsmanship of villagers and shepherds alike. Chairs surround the tables, and the guests all boisterously find places to sit, reveling in the company and meal soon to be shared. Once everyone is seated and enough time has been given to chatter, Georgi stands. From the corner of his eye, he sees Otar wink. Georgi takes a breath, releasing it slowly. Much has happened this spring. Once again, his village has seen the incredible care the shepherds possess for their flocks, and it has made them all stronger. Now, all have agreed to spend the summer trying to adapt the empathy chips so the villagers can communicate with their forests and crops, to be better stewards of this land. They will compare their successes when the shepherds return south in the autumn. As it has been for the many generations that Georgi and Otar’s people have coexisted, the pathway forward was carved by empathy. The elders of the village say that Georgi is blossoming into a true leader. Georgi, their young headman. Georgi, the feast’s toastmaster, who has finally found his theme. Georgi waits a moment as the chatter subsides, and raises his glass.   Smoke rising from the chimneys catches a breeze, and begins a slow dance up the valley, waltzing on updrafts and pirouetting through currents of air. As it ascends, it finds new winds, arriving again after many months of absence: the final herald of the changing season. The time has come for the grey clouds of colder seasons to migrate and make way for the arrival of summer storms. As if caught by these same currents, the spirits of the shepherds grow restless as well, and they know it is time to continue their journey. It is a journey of many thousands of steps, traversing hundreds of miles from winter to summer pastures, sustained by the energy of the passage migrant, like flocks of birds who know that home is a concept best maintained seasonally. In a few months, the winds will shift again, the clouds will change their form and character, the leaves will begin to perform their last rites, and the journey will begin anew, as it has every season and as it will continue to do for as long as there are those left to take it.   Thank you for reading! If you’d like to get early access and exclusive stories, support us on Patreon! You are also invited to join the community and stay in touch! Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/worldsmyths Discord Invite - https://discord.gg/dCW3b6g  

The trip went by silently, taking about 45 minutes, and ventured a few miles away from the centre of the town before reaching their destination. It felt as though they were in the middle of nowhere before Angela turned onto a dirt road that led through a woodland area. As they continued down the dirt road, they were able to see a rather old, decrepit-looking house in the distance, outside of which was the other black SUV that sat in front of it.    “Hmm…guess we’ve reached our destination,” thought Brian, before Angela brought the car to a halt, right beside the one that was already parked there. “We’re here,” stated Angela, taking off her sunglasses and placing them in her handbag. “Come on,” she added before climbing out of the car. Brian climbed out of the car and looked towards the house. As Angela and Brian approached the entrance, Agent Holt opened the door and stepped out to greet them. “Come Brian…we have much to discuss,” stated Agent Holt, gesturing for Brian to step inside. Brian walked in the front door followed by the two agents closely behind him. The interior of the house was far less dishevelled than the outside, the walls were painted a shade of off-white, giving it quite a fresh, bright look. The floors were a light brown, glossy wood, that echoed the footsteps of the trio as they entered. “Around to the right,” stated Angela. Brian walked through the doorway to the right-hand side into a fairly basic and fairly large sitting room. It had two black sofas and a large TV mounted on the wall. Nestled away in the corner of the room was a desk with a computer and monitor and a black, office-style chair. “Take a seat,” instructed Angela before turning to Agent Holt and whispering something in his ear that was inaudible to Brian. Angela entered the room as Agent Holt disappeared down the hallway. “So…Brian…we will soon begin with your briefing and you will soon meet another member of our team,” said Angela. “Once again, thank you so much for agreeing to be a part of this.” “I erm…can I step out for a smoke?” asked Brian, his hands now beginning to shake slightly with nerves. “No need to step outside,” stated Angela, picking up a small glass ashtray and placing it on the table beside the sofa. A trembling Brian took his cigarettes from his pocket, placing one to his lips before lighting up. “So…this place…” began Brian. “Oh…this is our local safe house,” replied  Angela, taking a seat on the adjacent sofa as Agent Holt returned with two glasses of water, handing one to Angela and placing the other down beside Brian. “This is where we will be conducting regular meetups with you to discuss what intel you have gathered…but we will get to that later.” “I’ll be gathering intel…regular meetings with feds…what exactly is going on here?” thought Brian. “Before we begin…we need you to sign these documents,” stated Agent Holt, removing some paperwork from a briefcase and handing it to Brian. “It’s just saying you are willing to participate and you will do anything to help with this investigation and that you will be justly rewarded.” Brian quickly signed the paperwork without reading over it and handed it back to Agent Holt who placed it back inside the black briefcase. Suddenly, a strange-looking, rather short man with glasses and a very small amount of grey hair knocked on the door of the sitting room, waving his hand in order to beckon Angela toward him. Angela calmly approached the man and began to listen to what he had to say. In spite of the fact that Brian was barely able to hear most of the conversation, he was able to extract one important sentence from what was largely an inaudible exchange. “P…P…Procedure?” thought Brian, beginning to nervously shuffle in his seat. “What procedure are they ready for exactly?” In a matter of seconds, Angela began to nod before leading the mystery man into the room by placing her hand on his shoulder and leading him along.  “Brian, I would like you to meet George,” stated Angela. “Nice to meet you,” said George. “Erm…hello…” replied Brian rather anxiously. “George here is a member of our science and research department…he’s also an integral part of this operation,” explained Angela. “Yeah…about this…operation as you call it…” uttered Brian, “I…erm…what procedure is he ready for exactly?” he asked, now incredibly aware of the sweat now rolling down his face. “Don’t you worry about that…I’m certain George will explain everything to you as he performs his little…procedure,” stated Angela, “In the meantime, I just want to remind you what you can gain from this,” she said, flashing her badge to Brian once more, “And…the agreement that went with it about doing absolutely anything required,” she added. “I guess I did agree to anything…” thought Brian, as he nodded, “But exactly how far does that anything stretch I wonder?” “Just remember Brian…as easy as it will be for us to help you gain that badge…we can just as easily block you from it…” stated Angela, “Understand?” she added  before giving a wry smile “Come, Brian, we had best begin,” stated George. Brian looked up at Angela who simply nodded and then gestured for Brian to follow George. Brian got out of his seat and slowly followed George’s lead as they exited the sitting room before turning right and heading up the hallway to the staircase leading up. “What the hell are you doing Brian,” he thought to himself as he followed George to what seemed a rather innocent-looking bedroom. “Just think of the badge, just think of the badge,” he kept repeating to himself over and over again. As they entered the room, Brian looked around for the first time, which was the first thing the first thing he noticed since they were in a room that had wooden floorboards, but that was nothing unusual, especially compared to the rest of the house, specifically the exterior. In one corner of the room, there were a few tall computers bundled together on a desk, with wires attached that looked almost exactly like those found in a hospital, to be hooked up to someone and measure their vital statistics. In the centre of the room, there was what looked to be a hospital bed that was covered in clean white sheets as well as a single pillow, as well as a small, wooden table near the bed. A full-length mirror could also be seen in the corner along with several brown, cardboard boxes which were piled up in the corner of the room on the other side along with a blue screen and curtain. “What the hell have I signed up for?” Brian asked himself as he continued into the room. George proceeded to head over to the computers, checking the various monitors before turning back to Brian. “Now…follow my instructions and everything will run smoothly…okay,” stated George, “I need you to get undressed for me and lay down on that bed for me…you can leave on your underwear that’s fine,” added George as he turned back towards the machines. “What the fuck is going on?” thought  Brian, “Why am I now undressing…in some weird house…at the request of some strange old man…all at the request of the feds…I want that badge so much I…I better do as he says.” As instructed Brian took off his uniform, stripping down to his underwear. In a state of complete confusion and perhaps somewhat troubled by the situation, Brian, now barefoot, made his way to the bed, climbed on it, and laid down, staring up at the ceiling as he lay there completely confused by the situation. No sooner had Brian laid down on the bed than George approached and began to connect the sensors to Brian that led to the computers. “This must be some kind of medical…to see if I’m fit enough to join…or undertake this assignment…yeah…that must be it,” thought Brian, trying his best to relax as he watched his heart rate appear on one of the computer monitors. As soon as Brian had been hooked up to the computers, George picked up a briefcase, placed it on the table and took a syringe and needle out before turning back to Brian. “You will only feel a slight scratch,” stated George, There was no time to utter a single word before the needle was deeply embedded in Brian's left bicep. A scratch like the one that George had described was exactly what the needle itself felt like. In spite of this, George failed to mention the next part of the experience. This was the part when Brian could feel a burning sensation in the spot the needle had entered his body, but the burning sensation quickly moved on to become a mild warm, fuzzy sensation, which slowly soaked throughout the rest of Brian's body. “What…what’s the…that…fo…” started Brian. That was, however, only until his eyes began to feel extremely heavy, too heavy for him to fight, And before he knew it, the entire room blurred into blackness, causing him to lose consciousness.

"Hmm~🎵" I can't help but hum a song as I prepare myself for a date, Yep you heard it right~ A date!~ You see, I have a crush on my childhood friend for like an eternity now, and the last  before the summer break while on the lunch break, I mustered up all the courage in me to confess and guess what, my confession was accepted! I have a girlfriend now, and tomorrow is our first date, this is the happiest day of my life!! I wish this bliss would never end~! I'm so excited that I couldn't get enough sleep yesterday! Anyways its almost time for our first date, bye~ I wrote the last sentences on my diary, closed the book and hide it on my drawer's makeshift secret compartment. You might say its childish to still write on diary when I'm already in high school, it really is, this is actually my diary when i was younger, I'm not writing on it anymore, I didn't even remember that this thing existed until I accidentally opened the makeshift drawer compartment that Rikka and I made when we were still kids, I saw it and thought, why not write again this one last time? this is the best day of my life anyways, I want it recorded. And that's it-, Oh no the time! Gotta go now!! After that, I put on my favorite rubber shoes and finally left to the date's promised location. … "Oh my god I'm so excited and nervous at the same time!!" I said to myself as I walk around in circles waiting for my date to arrive "Hiro~!" As I circle around panickingly I suddenly heard a familiar voice, Its her. I immediately looked to where the voice came from, and there I saw, from a distance away there was a goddess approaching me. "Hiroooo! Sorry I'm lateee I was so excited yesterday that I couldn't get enough sleep" The black haired goddess was wearing a white one piece dress coupled by a straw hat and sandals, It was the goddess of summer "Hirooooo!!!!!!! Are you listening to me!? Ah-!" Before I noticed it the goddess was already on the ground, she tripped and fell didn’t she? Rikka has always been a clumsy person even when we’re kids “Rikka are you okay!?” I immediately ran to her and assisted her to standing up “Uu… I’m fine, don’t worry about me, Hiro.. Hiro? Oii Hiro are you there???” "Ah sorry, Its just that you're so beautiful I thought a goddess has descended" >////< "M-mouu! You're teasing me again hmmph!" "No I'm not I just said what I honestly thought about you" "Argh! Lets just go now for how long are you planning on standing there!?" The goddess that was now blushing hard from what I said took my arm and prompted me to start the date, she's so cute I'm gonna have a diabetes!! I need insulin right now!!! Thinking that, we proceeded to go to the first location of our planned date "Look Hiro! Its penguins!! ITS PENGUINS!!!!!!! Aren't those little creatures so cute??" Rikka exclaimed and jumped around after seeing the penguins on the aquarium calling them cute "Yeah yeah, you're the cutest here though" "Mmph....." After my line I suddenly feel my arm being squeezed tighter and when I look to my side, I saw my girlfriend, Rikka having a face as red as rose while pouting AAAAAAAAA!!!!! YOU'RE JUST SO CUTE!!!!!!!!! After that we look through the aquarium some more then went outside to eat lunch "Ummmmmmmmmmaiiiiii!!!" Rikka exclaimed as she cutely munched the pastel pink colored macaron on her hand ...Cute! "Oh look! they have the super soft oshiri daifuku, I wanna try it!" After finishing the macarons she immediately grabbed my hand and dragged me into the butt bun stall "You never get full do you?" I said in awe of her appetite, Crepe, Cotton candy, Smoothie, Mango Graham, etc.... from the start of our date, she's already eaten so many times and she's still not full "Fu-fu-fu, don't under estimate the appetite of a growing young lady" Said Rikka, patting her chest while wearing a smug face "Hai hai, you're definitely growing" "Oi are you saying that I'm short?" "Oh no I'm not, I'm just stating the truth, you're definitely growing" "Ah..! Did you just look at my chest..." "No I did not, I'm totally innocent here" "Objection! I really saw you look at my big chest" "Wow, really emphasized the big part there" "Of course this is one of my biggest asset, my friend's are a lot bigger though" Well It's really big, no cap It's D cup "Did you say something?" "No, I said look they're having a lottery there!" "Really? Let's go then, what are you waiting for??" Just like that, I got dragged again “Ahhh!! Why did I lose 30 times in a row!?!?! It’s rigged!! Definitely rigged!!” Rikka shouted in frustration while still rolling the lever “Oi don’t say that, Umm I’m really sorry sir for her attitude” I said while trying to drag her away from the lottery lever She’s been doing this for god knows when, I said she’s just unlucky but as always, she Rikka never liked losing, she can’t accept that the kid earlier won a plush toy. My wallet has been crying, the money I saved for years have been disappearing like water falling on a straw basket, meanwhile my hand is getting full of tissues as consolation prize “It’s fine its fine hehe, rather its fun to see young uns that are so energetic” “Oi Rikka lets go now, look there’s a cat café there” I said still trying to drag her away “For real? Let’s go then!!” Saying that, she dashed to the cat café’s direction with me on tow   *Purr...purr....* The cat sitting on my lap continues to purr as I caress her gently "It's just the two of us huh?" I said to Cely, apparently this gray cat who's with me is named Cely *Purr...* Cely purred at me as if saying yes then after that she continues to lay around Yup it really is just us, I muttered as I look at Rikka who's drowning at the cats Most of the Cat cafe's cat is with her, only a select few including Cely is with me and the other customers "You're so cute~ Oh my god you too, of course Tsumusuke too is cute" Who the hell named that poor black cat tsumusuke? I thought to myself as a certain explotion loli entered my imagination Anyways seeing Rikka frolicking around with cats has gathered the attention of many, some are looking warmly, the others are looking with envy because she hoarded all the cats and some are looking at her... chest!? I immediately grabbed Cely with me and went towards her to join the cuddle, I also grabbed Tsumusuke and used her to cover her chest without her noticing "Aww man she has a boyfriend" Yes that's right suckers!! This girl is mine!! Don't look at her like that ever again! I’ll curse your next 72 generations!! "Thank you..." Rikka said blushing, she used Tsumusuke to cover her embarrassed face She really is cute After our time is up, we went outside and saw the sky getting dark, so we decided to move somewhere calm The night of the park was so empty, with the moon and the street lights only illuminating the two of us *creaks* "It's really quiet in here isn't it?" Rikka said, gently pushing herself off the ground to swing "Not really, I can hear the scream of the swing telling you to-" I was about to finish my sentence when I saw her angy face, scary "E-ehem... It is pretty quiet, the kids has left since its nearing night after all" Saying that, I sat down to the swing next to her "I wish this would never end..." Unconsciously saying what I really feel, I pushed the ground to wing myself "Yeah, me too.." Meanwhile, on the distance, we both saw some people wearing a kimono, kids and adults alike, it looks like they were all heading to the same place "Hey Hiro, are they launching the fireworks today?" "I don't know, It was delayed last week so maybe they moved the date today. I heard they were also launching a super large fireworks attempting to beat the world record of the largest firework" "Heeeh... wanna go and find out?" Saying that, I, again got immediately dragged away in an unplanned festival date -- Atop the hill below the shrine, the street was thriving and loud, the sounds of the crowd was emanating happiness in the atmosphere *mogu mogu* "Uwaaa... Delicious!!!" Rikka said while munching on her yakisoba and takoyaki making mogu mogu sounds Seeing that I unconciously said "Oh my god you're so precious...!!" But my wallet though... I can feel it’s crying blood "Did you say something?" "No I didn't-" "Hiro look they have cotton candies and candied apple too!!" This girl.. she didn't even let me finish my sentence yet I was dragged away again She's full of smiles, sorry wallet but  just seeing her like this makes all my expenses worth it. After Rikka finished eating, we moved to the riverbank in the bottom of the shrine to rest while also waiting for the fireworks display "Haaaah... I'm full!!" Uwaaa!! finally!! I'm extremely worried if my wallet is gonna hold up, I said to myself in tears "Hiro" I was in the middle of my little wallet drama when Rikka suddenly called my name "Hmm-" *chu* As I look at her, I was immediately met with a kiss on my cheek "Come here..." Then she signalled me to sit on her lap I was so embarrassed that I cant speak and just silently followed what she said "Thank you for today, Hiro... this is the best day of my life" "Hnn.." I was still embarrassed so I just nodded in agreement After that we just silently watched the stars and before I noticed people has been swarming everywhere, It was finally the time to launch fireworks They are launching the fireworks on the other side of the river so I sit up and to have a better view *pin ponn* Thank you everyone for coming to our annual Summer Fireworks Festival We will now commence the fireworks display including the giant firework aiming to break the world record of largest fireworks display on the planet on 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 “Launch!!!” *shaaa…* *Boom!!* For a while we both silently watched the firework until the biggest one came up, once it launched all people voiced their amusement, and anticipation of what it would look like… but that emotion would not last long… “Hey doesn’t it look like the fireworks is falling?” “Wasn’t that thing supposed to explode at the sky? Why does it look like its falling directly at us?” “It is!! Runn!!” “People immediately panicked and started running for their lives only caring about themselves and their loved ones Fear quickly enveloped the people around us, It was too late when they noticed, the rocket, that was supposed to explode on the sky didn’t work, instead its heading straight towards us falling fast “Rikka stand up, we’re running!” I immediately stood up and pulled Rikka’s hands “Hey hiro… I love you” “Oi… What do you mean by that??” I asked her “My foot..” Saying that, she removed her shoes, socks and showed me her foot, It was dark and swollen, that time, I immediately realized “You… that’s from the morning didn’t it, why is that there!? You acted normal after that didn’t you?? You even ran and jumped multiple times.. Don’t tell me…” At that moment many emotions run through my body mainly confusion and anger as to why didn’t I notice it sooner, she was going to the bathroom multiple times, so she was tending to her foot at that time… “I don’t want to ruin our precious first date… ahaha” Saying that, she tried her best to smile “You’re always like that, I love you too but I won’t give up, I’ll carry you all the way!!” Declaring that I carried her on princess carry and proceeded to run away, she was extra heavy today since she was full “No stop we won’t make it!!” Most of the people here are gone I need to speed up too “No I won’t let go of you!!” The moment I said that sentence, I suddenly felt a weird sense of déjà vu as if this scenario already happened to me a thousand times no… a million times, Various image of Rikka dead suddenly flodded my head and I felt the greatest head ache I ever felt in my life “aa- aaaaaa!!! What is this!?! My memory!!” That time while I was in the state of confusion, Rikka got down and pushed me to the river “Hiro are you okay? I’m sorry about this but I want you to live…” The last scene I saw was the rocket directly hitting Rikka and Exploding That moment I decided that I would rather die than live without her so I should just let myself drown Or that’s what should’ve happened, A cracked suddenly opened and I was sucked into it.

Brian Morrigan was a 26 guy who grew up in the small town of Baybridge, a rather small coastal town with a population of 12000 people. Brian had always grown up, along with his older sister Jessica, wishing to follow in the footsteps of their father, Samuel, who had joined the Baybridge Police Department, becoming Police Chief, before finally retiring a few years ago. However, unlike his father who had served the town in which they lived for all of his years, or even his sister who was content with doing the same, Brian’s ambitions were much, much larger. Brian joined the Baybridge Police Department, with the aspiration of using it as a stepping stone and one day leaving to become a federal agent. A dream he’d had ever since being a small child, vowing that he would do anything it took to follow his life’s desire and that nothing could ever set him back in his relentless pursuit. One morning, Officer Brian Morrigan arrived at the Baybridge Police Department at 6:30am, ready for his shift to begin at 7am. Since becoming a Police Officer five years ago, Brian had always been early for his shift, regardless of his start time, his routine had always remained the same. He pulled up outside the station and got out of his car, lighting up a cigarette before making his way towards the steps leading up to the entrance. Brian stood in the spot he did every day to finish his cigarette, as the first glimpses of sunlight began to peer through the trees of the nearby woodland. As he stubbed out his cigarette, however, that’s when he noticed the sight of two, black, SUV’s standing at the opposite end of the car park. “Hmm, they’re new,” he thought as he began to climb the steps and make his way into the entrance. As he made his way inside, Brian greeted Officers who had been on the night shift as they left,all but his sister, Jessica who had also been on the night shift and was preparing to clock off and head home but was still sitting at her desk, typing away furiously on her computer. “Good morning,” said Brian with a smile, as he began to make his way to his desk. “Morning,” replied Jessica. “Quiet shift?” Brian asked as he sat down at his desk that was positioned two desks back from his sister. Jessica shook her head and turned her chair to face Brian. “Damn truck hijacking again,” replied Jessica with a sigh. “Goddammit!” replied Brian, “That’s the third one this month…what do we know?” he asked. “Not much,” replied Jessica, “Guy stopped at a truck stop eight miles from town. Returned to his truck and boom…trailer is empty,” she explained, “No witnesses, no camera footage…nothing.” “What was he carrying?” asked Brian, looking frustrated as he placed his hand on his brow. “Almost $100000 worth of electronics,” answered Jessica, “TVs, cell phones, computers…you know the type.” “Yeah…things that can be shifted on easily,” stated Brian, as Jessica swivelled her seat back to face her computer. “Brotherhood?” asked Brian. “You would think so…but once again we have absolutely nothing to tie them, bastards, to it,” answered Jessica. “Shit…there never is, for fucks sake,“ exclaimed Brian in sheer frustration. “Hey…Jess…another thing…do you know anything about those SUV’s parked out front?” asked Brian, his frustration quickly turning to curiosity. Jessica glanced back over her shoulder, “Some important types…feds I think…been in there talking with Chief Peterson for over an hour now,” answered Jessica turning back to her desk. The pair sat in silence as Jessica finished typing and logging out of her computer. “Right…home time for a few hours sleep…have a good one,” stated Jessica, gathering up her belongings before heading towards the door. “Yeah…see you around sis,” replied Brian as he began to log onto the computer, looking around the office that was currently unoccupied other than him. Just then, Brian was startled by the sound of the Chief’s office door opening. It was Chief Peterson, a slightly short, overweight, bald guy, the type that can intimidate most with a simple look or raised voice. “Morrigan” yelled Peterson, “Get in here!” “Coming…sir…” replied Brian, getting out of his seat and heading towards the Chief’s office. As Brian stepped inside, he noticed two people dressed in black suits, that he had never seen in his life. I noticed that there was a man standing in the corner of the room who looked to be in his 40s, about 6ft tall, and with short gray hair. Secondly, there was a woman sitting behind Peterson's desk - she had her dark brown hair tied up at the top of her head, her long slender fingers clenching onto the frames of her glasses, of which one arm sat in between her thin lips as she watched Brian's entrance with utmost interest.   “The drivers of the mystery cars I’m guessing…was Jess right…are these feds?” thought Brian. “That’ll be all Chief,” stated the lady sitting behind the desk. Chief Peterson looked rather annoyed as he nodded and stepped back outside. “I can't believe she just dismissed the Chief from his own office,” thought Brian, trying hard to not laugh or smirk at what he had just witnessed. The man in the suit then walked across and closed the door after Peterson had left. “Have a seat,” stated the lady, pointing to the seat in front of the desk. Brian smiled and sat down in the seat, as per her instruction. “Officer Brian Morrigan, my name is Special Agent Angela Jones and this is Special Agent Derrick Holt,” stated the lady before pointing to the guy who returned to the corner of the room and placing the arm of her glasses back up to her lips. “What can I do for you?” asked Brian, rather nervously placing his hands on his lap. “Well…Officer…may I call you Brian?” asked Agent Jones, to which Brian nodded. “Well Brian, feel free to call me Angela,” she added with a smile, a clear attempt to ease Brian’s nerves. Brian anxiously smiled, before he began to twidle his thumbs, “So…Agent…Anglea…what can I possibly do for you?” asked Brian. Angela turned to face Agent Holt, “Will you get me a coffee,” she asked with a smile. Agent Holt nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him as Angela turned back to Brian, leaned back in her seat and once again placed the arm of her glasses into her mouth, this time tapping against her teeth. “So, Brian…I hear there was another truck robbed this morning huh…any idea who was responsible?” asked Angela. “No…I’ve literally just been told about this...my shift is just beginning,” answered Brian. “Oh I know honey, but between you and me…we both have the same people we suspect…right? The problem we both have is…we just can’t prove it…am I right?” stated Angela rather sharply. “Hmm…the Bayview Brotherhood…” answered Brian. “Correct,” exclaimed Angela, “See…they aren’t just your problem…we have been trying to nail these bastards for over a year now…yet…here we are with absolutely nothing to prove their guilt...” she explained, “frustrating…isn’t it?” “Why ask for me personally? Why not just dish out orders to Peterson? Have the whole department at your disposal?” thought Brian as he nodded in agreement with Angela, just as Agent Holt returned and closed the door as he reentered the room. “Thanks,” stated Angela, taking the cup from Agent Holt and taking a sip before placing it down on the desk, whilst also putting down her glasses, yet beginning to fidget with a pen. “You see…the list of crimes that we are almost certain they’ve committed is almost endless…but…proving our suspicions and convicting these arseholes seems virtually impossible,” explained Angela. “Firearms trafficking, drugs, stolen goods, car theft, the list goes on and on and on.” Suddenly the room fell silent, Brian looked down at his hands while his thumbs circled nervously around one another, the background noise from the office that had been quiet not long ago, was now filled with the chatter of a number of other Officers heading in for their shift, their voices could now be heard from behind the closed door. Yet, even though his eyes were fixed on his own hands, Brian could still sense Angela’s eyes as they gazed upon him, the sound could be heard of her tapping her teeth with the pen that was in her hand. “So…” stated Brian, managing to drag his gaze back to Angela, confirming his suspicion that she was indeed looking at him. “What do you…erm…why me…what has this got to do with me?” he asked nervously. Angela stopped tapping her teeth with the pen that was wedged between her long, graceful fingers that were adorned with red, rounded, but rather short nails. “Well…Brian,” she started to respond. “Looking over your file, we see you have no wife, girlfriend or kids…is this true?” Brian simply nodded in response. “Hmm…I also hear that you have always wanted something….you’ve always wanted one of these…nifty little badges like me and my colleague here possess…I heard you have always dreamt of getting out of this crumby little town and becoming a federal agent,” she explained, placing her badge on the desk. Brian nodded, his eyes still fixed on the badge that Angela had placed on the desk in front of him. “Well…we can…certainly help you do just that…we can help towards making that dream of yours…a reality…all we need is your help…can we rely on you?” asked Angela with a rather coy smile. “Sure,” replied Brian enthusiastically. “What I need to know…” started Angela before leaning forward with her hands on the desk, lowering her tone of voice to almost a hushed whisper. “What we need to know…Brian…is just how far are you willing to go to get your hands on a badge like this.” Brian took a moment to think about his response, his eyes flickering from Angela’s eyes, back to the badge on the desk. “I would…I would…I would do anything,” he replied. Angela turned and smiled at Agent Holt, “Good…this is why we need you…you’re perfect,” she stated, picking up her coffee cup and beginning to sip on its contents. “That will be all…for now…we just need to have a word with the Chief …just to let him know we will be…procuring one of his Officers…but of course, this can be discussed with nobody…not a family member, not even another Officer...talk soon.” Brian stood up from his chair and nodded before making his way out of the door, followed by Agent Holt. As Brian returned to his desk, Agent Holt soon passed by once more, along with Chief Peterson, returning to the office and closing the door behind them. “What exactly do they want me to do?” thought Brian, “How can I help bring down the Bayview Brotherhood?” A short time passed by and the two Agents emerged from Peterson’s office, Angela approached Brian’s desk and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Come on Brian, you’re coming with us,” whispered Angela before turning back towards the Chief’s office, “Thank you for all your help…we shall be in touch soon,” she added before making her way out of the building with Agent Holt following close behind her. Taking a deep breath, Brian got up from the computer and walked out away from his desk. As he did so, he noticed that Peterson was simply staring at him before closing the door to his office, without a word being said. Following that, Brian made his way outside where there was only one SUV left, along with Angela standing at the driver's side. “Holy shit…this is crazy,” thought Brian, before he began to make his way to his car. “No…you’re riding with me, come on,” stated Angela, gesturing to Brian across to where she was waiting, before opening the door to the SUV and climbing inside. “Come on Brian, we can do this,” thought Brian as he nervously climbed into the passenger side.  “It’s not too late to back out,” stated Angela, glancing at Brian and obviously sensing his anxiousness. “I don’t even know what they want from me…” pondered Brian, “Yet…this could be my best…or even only opportunity to get to where I want to be.” Brian sat in silence for a brief second before taking a deep breath and turning to look at Angela, who was placing a dark pair of sunglasses on her eyes. “Fuck it…let’s do this,” he declared. “Alright,” replied Angela, turning the key to the ignition before beginning to back out of the parking bay.

HaremFantasies Hi. Thanks for reading. This fic is inspired by Emperor's Domination.   Tiandao awoke in a place he did not recognise, and a body that was not his. He stood and tried to recall what he last remembered...    He remembered his spirit went into deep stasis in the depths of the Goldensword Mountains.    HIs mind digested what little he knew. Something must have happened for his spirit to be dislodged from the Goldensword Mountains and sent into this body. But his spirit was cursed,  never able to inhabit a body able of cultivating!    He closed his mind and checked, and he knew for a fact he could. The curse of the Unknown God was nowhere to be found! After at least 6 million years since the primordial wars, finally, did the curse give way, consumed by time?   “It seemed the fates finally gave me the chance to strike back.” Tiandao smiled, and thought of his ancient enemies, the Beast Gods and the Vampire Gods. “But seriously, what year is it? How many years has passed?”    Tiandao possessed the body of a boy of 18 years old, malnourished and weak, with no special dispositions. This type of body was a dime a dozen, truly almost all peasants in the nine worlds possessed such a body. Why was he out here in the woods, away from everyone? Those were questions that Tiandao momentarily considered and then shoved it to the back of his mind. Right now, he had a chance to change the world, and he was going to take it.   -   Tiandao soon walked to a nearby town, and found out some rather unsettling things. It’s been 24,800 years since the day he went into stasis, and they’ve had 4 different Heavenly Emperors since then, all of them human, but only the first two were from clans he knew. He was in the Great Mortal World, but the Goldensword Mountains were in the Ancient Beast World. How did his soul travel so far?    He had many questions but focused on the date. Because the next battle for the Mandate of Heavenly Emperor would be soon. A hundred or so years to go.    Tiandao smiled, after living millions of years supporting others in their battle for the Mandate of Heaven, it was now his turn to do it.    There was no sect in this town, the nearest one was the Iceflower Peak Sect, also a name he did not recognise. Sects rise and fall over the thousands of years, but he had to be careful. It would not do if the servants of the Beast Gods and Vampire Gods catch him before he is ready to face them.    He frowned as he talked to the merchants and travellers. Most of the sects he recognised in this part of the world had been thoroughly destroyed a few thousand years ago. He cursed. Did they know he went into stasis?   He considered his options, and decided he had no time to waste. His cultivation would not be optimal, and he would have to destroy his cultivation and redo his cultivation in the future, but for now, he cannot afford to be defenseless. The heavens are not kind to the weak.   He closed his eyes and sat in a typical lotus position, and started sensing his body. In the world, cultivators had many things to focus on, each contributed to their strength. There is the soul realm, which the bulk of the cultivators worked on, and determined the general realm of the cultivator. There is also the physique which covers both body and bone, blood and qo, and the mind palace. Each had its own advantages and strengths, but a good cultivator would work on all of them. To be able to challenge the Gods, he would need to be amazing at each and every one.    The soul realm was the vessel of the soul and in his mind, took the form of a replica of his own person, standing still on an island in a vast lake. At the moment, the soul was nothing more than a ghostly, floating thing. It would gain more features and realism as his strength improved, and eventually, even create a second body.   The lake is the realm which nourished that replica, the soul. The mind palace at this moment is nothing more than a small crystal floating high above the lake. The physique was a statue, it stood next to the person. As of, there was nothing. The blood and Qi were vast flowing things that moved and weaved in and out of the lake, like transparent pipes. They are all connected, and they reinforce each other, but a budding cultivator usually starts with the lake.    But Tiandao had the memories of a million years, and even though a lot of it has been sealed away throughout the nine worlds, he could still manage this.    He closed his eyes and started collecting Qi. When a person collects Qi, it would appear in this inner space as small sparks of light. They would then move the spark into his soul, and the soul is where the Core would be built. Again, this is conventional knowledge. He brought the Qi in, but did not immediately put it into the soul. Instead, he waited until there were at least a hundred of it, and then moved them into the blood. The blood vessels that criss crossed his inner realm glowed faintly, and their flow increased.    Next, he gathered another 100 or so, this took a few hours, and this time, he added it to the small crystal that floated high up. It glowed, and then grew. Over the next few days, he stopped just for lunch and dinner, eating whatever scraps or fruits he could find in the forest around him, even leaves, and then returned to cultivating.    After two weeks, the blood vessels that carried Qi throughout his body now moved relatively quickly, and the mind palace was no longer just a tiny speck. It was now a large basketball sized crystal. At its greatest, the mind palace would be the size of vast palaces, a world of its own. The mind palace was where all of a cultivators' soul weapons are kept.    He was ready to ascend to the first realm. But first, hunting. He walked around the town, and searched for scraps. He was nothing more than a street rat in the eyes of townspeople, but it did not bother him.    Eventually, through sheer luck he found the skull of a lesser spirit beast. A restaurant had thrown it away after cutting all the meat. He took the bones and went back into the forest. He closed his eyes and willed the mind palace to absorb the skull. It did.   The skull now appeared in the mind palace. Someday he would repeat this process with far better and stronger spirit beasts. For now, this will have to do.    He crushed it, the skull collapsed into a small white marble, and after that, into bone dust. The dust swirled around the mind palace.    Over the next two weeks, he absorbed more Qi, and this time, mixed a bit of bone dust into the Qi, and added it to his soul. The dust of the spirit beast would give his soul additional strength, at least twice as much as a conventional cultivation method. The once ghostly soul then gained a bit of color and definition. He had done it, he had broken through to the first realm of cultivation. In an instant, the once dark inner realm had a dim glow. It would turn bright over time, and eventually, the lakes would have islands where he could keep certain types of herbs and plants.    In this world, a cultivator's inner world was a world of its own, and each one tried to strengthen it.    Now that he has reached the first realm, he would have to start hunting and mining. He had a few ideas of what physique he had to build, but that would depend on what resources he had in this area. Most of the rare resources were hidden in vast secret realms, and he would have to reach the fourth realm before he could even attempt them. His plan was to reach all the way to the seventh realm, and then use the exceptional materials he could obtain at that level to rebuild his entire cultivation from scratch. For now, this is the foundation he had.   He returned to town, and hoped to plot his next step.   -   "Mingde." Tiandao used a fake name. He could not take chances, not with the Gods.    "Yes." He said and bowed at the merchant. He had a simple spear at his side, a simple leather armor made from regular hide. Escort duty. Equipment entirely supplied by the merchant company  "Anything you wish me to do?"   This job needed plain muscle, most of the foes would be regular bandits. The goods they had were also of the mortal realm, nothing a cultivator would desire. "Pass this to the passengers at the last carriage, and tell the passengers we will be arriving in Quanyu City in a day."    Tiandao nodded, and walked to the last carriage. It was quite a convoy, about 12 carriages on horses in total. They had 30 guards, including himself. The last carriage looked like any other, so he knocked on the door. "The head merchant has a document for you, and wishes to inform you that we will arrive in Quanyu City in a day."   The door to the carriage briefly opened and Tiandao saw three people inside. Two older men, and a beautiful lady. But in one glance he could tell the lady was really sick, and something was gnawing at her soul.   Tiandao bowed and passed the parcel to one of the older men. He had enough sense to realise that these two older men could flatten all of them at that very moment.    "Tell the merchant we received the message. Here's a tip." The older man passed him a single silver coin.    "Thank you." Tiandao quickly walked away. But he remembered what he saw. The lady was clearly suffering from at least two Blackblood Qi-Larvae infestations in her inner realm, and it most probably lived within her blood and her lake. If not removed, she will die when the larvae reach its 6th stage. From the coloration of her skin, and the fact that she took a mortal wagon instead of flying, that meant the larvae was at the 3rd stage. She would have another year left..    Tiandao walked back to where he was stationed, and did not say anymore. The merchant looked at him and demanded. "Give me the tip."   "Half."   The merchant laughed. "Fine."   -   Quanyu City was significantly larger than the earlier towns, and is home to the Thousand Spears Sect and also the Herbal Gardens of Quanyu, an independent herbalist school. Of course, it made sense why those men tried to come here. Surely they know of her disease?   Anyway, Tiandao's goal was to quickly ascend to the 2nd realm, and to do so, he needed the materials and resources that only a larger city could provide.    The merchant paid Tiandao as promised, but was short of half a silver. He cursed inwardly. Damned calculative merchant. Still, small money, enough to pay for some food. First, he explored the streets. Quanyu City did not exist 24,000 years ago  back then, as far as he could recall, this area was nothing more than a jungle and a lake. But such is how the world changes.    The Thousand Spears Sect had a large castle and keep in the center of the city, the Sect Master is the ultimate ruler here, though administration is often left in the hands of the appointed officials.    "Sect Trials in five months." Tiandao muttered to himself.    -   Tiandao found an unused cave in the outskirts of Quanyu city, and soon made it his little cultivating cave. He had slightly less than five months to go. Truly, the surroundings of Quanyu city had a good variety of wild herbs that Tiandao quickly used to accelerate his cultivation. He practiced and cultivated every day for four months, upgrading and expanding his mind palace, and improved his blood vessels.    It was then he sensed a presence nearby, brought by the flowing Qi around the cave. He closed his eyes and focused. It was a lady. The same lady that he saw briefly in the carriage a few months back.   She was walking unsteadily, her presence was weak and she emitted absolutely no Qi. At first, he did nothing and merely continued to observe her, listening to the news brought by the Qi. An hour or so later, she collapsed.    Tiandao paused his cultivation, then quickly carried her back to the cave, and when she woke up, she looked at him like she saw evil.   “Why did you carry me here?” The girl’s face was covered in purple-black blotches, a sign that the Blackblood Qi Larvae had somehow reached the mid 4th stage. But wasn’t it just the 3rd stage a few months ago? Unless the healers screwed up, this reeked of intentional sabotage. Someone was out to get her.   “You fainted.”   She paused. “You... shouldn’t touch me. The Qi Larvae inside me is infectious.” Indeed, at the 4th stage, the Qi Larvae already started to spread spores through her skin, which could infect those nearby. But Qi Larvae at the spore stage is absolutely easy to fight off, one just merely needs to burn it the moment the spores land in one’s body. Tiandao could do it when he’s asleep!    No, more importantly how did she even get infected in the first place?   He looked at her, and looking at why she walked into the woods defenseless, he sort of guessed. “You’re trying to kill yourself, isn’t it?”   Some of her hair had already fallen off, and half of her tongue was black. One of her eyes was bloodshot, but with black blood. Honestly, most people would avoid her, because she looked absolutely scary at this stage. She looked at Tiandao, “...yes.”   “Hmmm.. that's strange. Surely the healers could help you? Suppress it, if not cure it.” Had the healing arts degraded so much in just a few thousand years?    She laughed, as if she was laughing at herself. “Do you know what it takes to cure my Qi Larvae infestation? Bloodfire Sun Stone! A 7th realm artefact! The Azure Flower Sect would only procure such items only for Senior Elders if they performed an act of great merit! A Core Disciple who lost her master like me won’t even have a chance!”   Seemed like his initial hypothesis was close. Internal conflict was the cause.    She laughed, some more, it was a crazy laughter, of a woman who has lost it. Tiandao looked at her, and easily lifted her hand. At her present stage she was extremely weak. “Strange. What did the healers do? It should not have degraded so quickly."   She looked surprised at his action, but before she could answer.    “Did the healers, or any elders give you a Yin energy pill or some kind?"   Her eyes widened, more out of surprise that this strange man could guess something so accurately. "Yes... a month ago. The elder said it could freeze the larvae, which it did for only a week, then it got worse after that. A Silverleaf Pill."   "Hmm, seems like that elder wanted to kill you then."   She cursed. "Yes. I know. I have less than a month to live. The healers couldn’t do anything. Not when my infestation has reached the 4th stage. If it was in the 3rd stage, they could perhaps use the Sunflower Seed Extract to suppress it. The healers could not do anything! Nothing!”   Tiandao wondered why the healers couldn’t do anything, there were many ways to deal with Qi Larvae... surely they couldn’t have forgotten? “Really?"   “Nothing. The chief healer shook her head and told me to prepare a will.”    Tiandao laughed, this was a heavenly opportunity. If the heavens gave such an opportunity, who was he to refuse? All he needed to do was make a bit of changes to his plan. He looked at her again. “You’re a Fourth Realm?”   “Was.” With the infestation at the 4th stage, she’s pretty much a weakling. At the 3rd stage the infection made her mortal.    “Let’s make a deal.” Tiandao offered. “I’ll cure your infestation within 2 years.”   The lady laughed. “I’m dead in a month.”   Tiandao looked at her, he stared and did not laugh, and the lady realised then that he meant it. “Of course, I will suppress your infestation, and then cure you. I assure you I can and will cure you.”   She looked at him. “And what would it cost me?”   “You’re an attractive woman, and you know people. So, I want you to be my woman, consort, and ally.”   She froze. At this point she no longer saw herself as attractive, not with the black blotches that covered so many parts of her body.  “You want to touch a woman with 4th stage Qi Larvae Infestation?” It’s usually madness, since during intimacy, the Qi Larvae would easily be able to enter the partner’s Qi Vessels.    Tiandao looked at her, their eyes locked. “Yes. You have nothing much to lose, perhaps except your chastity.”   She laughed hysterically.  “I can’t believe my ill fortune. To think I would be propositioned in such a way, when I am at death’s doorstep.” She weakly raised a fist. “Who have I pissed off to deserve such ill fortune?”   Tiandao smiled. “I actually think this is a great opportunity for you.”   She continued laughing.    “What do you say?” Tiandao looked at her, his eyes serious, that he meant it. Those eyes of tremendous certainty made her stop laughing. She looked at him, and realised he meant it. Was she going to take a chance?   “...I want revenge on those who poisoned me, and those who killed my master.” She took a deep breath and then responded, as something in her heart stirred at the certainty of this man. There was an aura, a presence she felt that flicker of a moment. Like this man could do it.    Tiandao nodded. “Deal.”   She looked at him thoughtfully, a part of her could not believe what she just heard. But then, at this point, at this juncture, perhaps this was fate playing with her. She nodded. “...Deal.”   “Good. Well, it seems my plans will have to change.” He walked closer to her, unafraid of her infestation. “Firstly, do you have money? Qi-stones?”   She nodded and retrieved a pouch. There was a decent amount in there, the wealth of a Core Disciple with some merit.    “What’s your name?”    “Jun Liyun.”    “I’m Mingde. Wait here. I’ll be back in four to five hours. I will need to purchase some materials.”   -   He used her pouch to purchase huge amounts of Yangqi Leaves, and barrels of Horned Bull’s Blood. He brought it to the cave, along with a large rug big enough for two, a few pillows and a blanket. He spread the rug on the floor to make a large makeshift bed.    “What...” Liyun looked at him, bewildered. “Are you doing?”   Tiandao started pounding the Yangqi Leaves until it turned into a paste, and mixed it with the Bull’s Blood. He boiled it briefly to cook it, and then drank a huge cup. Then, he started cultivating for a good 4 hours.   In his inner realm, he condensed the huge amount of Yang qi into a small glowing sun that floated right next to his mind palace, and moved around it in an orbit. He decided to cultivate the [Nine Suns Immortal Arts], a cultivation method that uses and generates a lot of Yang qi.   Then he looked at Liyun, and walked close to her. He drank another mouth of the paste. Then, he started undressing her.    She was shocked, frozen by what he did that she didn’t resist. “...what’s happening. Surely you don’t mean to touch me when I’m like this.”   Their eyes met, and Tiandao didn’t flinch. “We’re going to copulate.” Tiandao easily lifted her up and placed her on the thick rug and blanket. She is, after all, defenseless. It was a makeshift bed in the cave, and placed her head on the pillow. Her body was covered in black and purple blotches, a sign that the larvae infestation had reached the 4th stage. He took everything off, and inspected her carefully.    The 4th stage infection was really bad, and he felt the spores land on his body. But the small sun in his inner realm burned the spores just as it entered. This was not the first time she has been thoroughly undressed, but somehow she felt the sexual tension in the air was intense.    “At the 4th stage of Larvae, the Yang Qi must be injected directly into your body, and I will have to control its movement within your body to maximise its effect.” He explained. "I had just changed my cultivation to a Yang Qi focused method, and it will help to suppress your condition."   She wasn’t stupid, and she got it instantly. Why didn’t she think of something like this? She stared at him. “Really? Will it work?” She was a core disciple at the fourth realm, and at their level she had a good grasp of all the basic and intermediate concepts. Using a Yang focused body and Qi and that foreign Qi to cure her, that sounds possible.   Yet she still hesitated. Tiandao gently tapped her on her blotched, blackened cheeks. “Look at yourself, and tell me, what choice do you have?”    Liyun paused. “Wouldn’t you get infected too?”   “I have my ways. Now, are you willing to get to it?” Tiandao smiled, his body brimming with Yang Qi. Liyun was on her back, on the rug, her mind a mix of hope and doubt.    He leaned in to kiss her blackened lips. Her lower half was almost entirely black, as if her entire lower body was gangrene. It’s a horrifying sight, but Tiandao had lived for millions of years and had seen a whole lot worse.    Then his penis entered her blackened vagina, and he began to push his Yang Qi into her body. The sun in his inner realm glowed. Liyun felt his Yang Qi enter her inner realm, their bodies now intertwined. Tiandao sensed that her inner realm was covered in Qi Larvae, it was everywhere, in the lake, on her soul island, and even on her mind palace. Yet, the worst part was that the Qi Larvae had mainly taken hold of the meridians and the blood vessels. Those were the entry points to all cultivators, and those were now blocked off by the larvae. It was because of that she lost almost all of her strength, her Qi unable to enter or exit to body. It's metaphorically turning off the tap by blocking the main pipe.   He had a lot of work to do. He moved his Yang Qi, however little it was, shaped it a hammer, and started to squash the larvae that clogged the meridians. Based on his estimates, clearing the meridians would be the easiest, but flushing the larvae out of the blood vessels would be a lot harder. For now, his focus was to save her life and remove the parts that would kill her. He squashed them  bit-by-bit, and felt it was too slow.    He decided to detonate his Yang Qi instead, and the brief Yang Qi explosion torched the Qi Larvae. Each explosion and destruction of the Qi Larvae caused her to feel like something popped in her belly, and as much as she sought to deny it, it felt heavenly and orgasmic. The next hour so, he just kept at it, injecting more Yang Qi and detonating them where the Larvae concentration was strongest. She had never felt this kind of sexual bliss, and he continued to pound her.   After two hours, she gave in to the pleasure, and collapsed.    -   She woke up a few hours later, still naked save for a thick blanket covering her body. She strangely felt better, but she wasn’t sure. Tiandao walked over and passed her a cup of water.    “We’ll need to do this daily, for at least a month.” Tiandao said. “My Yang Qi still needs time to reduce the infestation.    She blushed at the thought that they would have to sleep together for at least a month. But she quickly tried to act professional about it, and asked. “But... why don’t you get infected?”   “I’m constantly circulating the Yang Qi within my own body as well, and my cultivation method is naturally immune to low-tier Qi Larvae. But just in case, I will need more Yangqi leaves. Until I tell you that you are cleared to cultivate, do not attempt to cultivate or use any Qi. Using Qi will spread the larvae to areas I’ve previously cleared.”   -

Marie, I'm sorry. I know you've been scared. You're probably right to. I hope this letter serves as an explanation? Fuck, I wish I could just say this out loud to you. I'm too afraid of what you might say back to me. I still love you, I'm just a coward. When I was Richard, I learned about the Eye of the Forgotten when I was just 19. I immediately thought that it would solve all my problems. I was on a yoga retreat in Mexico. Out of my mind on the free mushrooms provided, I pined desperately for an enlightenment that wouldn't seem to come, like an asshole. The woman who mentioned that thing to me had the face of a coyote. At the time, I thought her unusual anatomy was just a psychoactive hallucination. Now? I'm not so sure. She told me just enough to get me hooked- An elder spirit tied to a Buddhist monastery. It freely communing with those who come seeking enlightenment. A being with the power to force open your chackras. Literally everything I wanted. She tempted me further with the old "they don't want you to know shpeal" She went on and on about how most governments suppressed knowledge of it because they were afraid. How if everyone used it the matrix would be broken and humanity could ascend into "5D reality" (I don't think I ever understood what that actually means). It could find what I was seeking for me. Fool that I was, I believed her. The next day I hopped on a plane to Ladakh, India. The rush flight was expensive and complex- 4 transfers and 27 hours of flight time, and all of the money available to me in my trust fund. By the time I had arrived in Leh, my mind was too mushy to focus on anything but it. I didn't care about sleep, or money, or even the people and sights of Ladakh. All I could do was chug Chai at the stand outside the airport and obsess. I was a fit 19 year old dude seeking truth, and damn it, I was going to find it one way or another. Taking the bus to the monastery that hosted the thing was satisfyingly easy. No, I'm not going to tell you which, we aren't going back there. Rest assured though, it exists. I just read the Wikipedia entry this morning. I swear I'm not having an episode of something. I shouldered my backpack that contained all my worldly possessions (at the time I refused to count my stuff before I had dropped out of Brown, boxed up in a storage container somewhere paid for by my parents). The bus stop was in the town below, so I began the trek to the top of the mountain immediately. The locals seemed to know a seeker when they saw one. I'll admit that having all sorts of new age tourist stuff shoved in my face was never all that annoying to me. At the time I had just come to terms with a childhood spent in a carefully designed house, sparsely populated by the cold and emotionless. The locals attention was enough to make me smile. Now I get that these people were just trying to survive in a terrible system. In retrospect I regret not buying something just to support them in their desperate attempt to not be sucked fully into the industrial economy. By the time I got to the well worn stairs carved at least 1000 years ago, my sense of destiny was intoxicating. As I climbed I thought about the history of this place. How many others had come here to commune with the spirit? I would just be adding his name to the long list of those who this thing helped. I wondered idly if I would stand out to it, be chosen for some romantic destiny for enlightening the world, become a guru known across the globe like Helena Blavatsky or Meher Baba. The arrogance and audacity of the colonist knows no bounds. I marched up to the monastery fully expecting the monks to tell me of their secret well of enlightenment. I wanted them to praise me for knowing of such a forbidden secret, and guide me to it immediately. Flowers would be laid at my feet, for a westerner would be pillaging their ancient knowledge. Of course things did not go nearly that smoothly. The monks understand that thing better then I will for the rest of my life. I don't blame them for wanting to keep it's scope limited. I'm certain they feel as strong as I that no amount of scientific study would be worth it. I arrived at the monastery. Without even catching my breath, I began boldfacedly asking for a guide to the Eye of the Forgotten one. The first monk I talked to panicked a bit, telling me in a mildly accented English to wait in the public courtyard. As I waited I marveled at the construction of the Monastery. The painted arches I still don't know the name for, the white and red Pagodas, the triangular flags sticking out of the ground, and the men in red and yellow robes going about their daily business. I was struck at the time by a feverish cultural envy. This was an entire society dedicated to the production of enlightened individuals. My culture was built on the accruing of material wealth, and in comparison the stark beauty of the monastery- it was but a void. When the monk returned, it was with what looked like a far older man (Chodak told me later was the Abbot himself.) I greeted him warmly, but he only responded with a judge's eye. He spoke in what I assumed was Ladakhi, though now I realize it may have been Balti or even Hindi. The nervous monk looked at his superior with wide eyes, and translated. According to him the Abbot appreciated the distance I had traveled to meet the spirit, but found me lacking in the qualities necessary to meet it. I protested, I was strong enough to climb, and was open to the path to enlightenment. It was unthinkable that I would be barred entry. On the stair I had halfway convinced myself that I would be the redeemer of humanity. Encountering the idiocy of my own ego, I filibustered. The Abbot met my gaze with steely eyes. He smirked in a way that I now recognize myself doing occasionally. The cruel glee of telling your operessor to fuck off. He didn't wait for the nervous monk to translate. Giving a throaty "No!" in a thickly accented English, he reveled in how my face drained of confidance. I fell to my knees and bowed before him, pleading, asking what I could possibly do to visit such a great spirit. The Abbot laughed at my groveling. He told me through the nervous monk that while humbling oneself was one of the first steps on the path to enlightenment, taking that step alone would not bring me closer to the spirit. He left me crying as the other monk fretted about what to do with me. A mix of travel weariness and despair overcame me then. I shooed the nervous monk away and was left to weep ugly on the stone monastery courtyard. To be judged and found wanting on the path to wholeness is a dispiriting set back that many do not recover from. I have no idea what the Abbot was weighing in me, nor what sort of effects that thing in the abyss would have had I been ready to meet it. I also don't care. I know enough now that he was right to bar me. Still, I don't blame Chodak for contradicting that ruling. He was just a big softie I took advantage of. I met him as I was just about loosing steam on my wailing. He crouched next to me and began to rub my back, soothing me like a child. He even sung me what I think was a lullaby in his language. It was a balm on my soul. I have come to believe that there is nothing more powerful then the kindness of strangers. It lifted my mood to the point that I smiled at the bulky monk. He was visibly middle aged, with a gentleness to him that spoke to a lifetime of reflexive kindness. I thanked him, though I had no idea if he spoke English, so I added a bow. He laughed amused with how deferential I was being to him. He accepted my thanks with a much more accented and choppy English then the nervous monk, but it was clear he spoke enough for mutual communication. He told me off for bowing, and introduced himself. Chodak was a lower ranking monk for his age. I guessed he just didn't have the head for monastic politics, but to this day I have no idea. We talked about our lives for a bit. Apparently he was from a wealthy Tibetan refugee family, but was kind of the ugly duckling. One of his brothers was an official in Leh, and of his brothers in the clergy he was the least successful. I of course gave my shpeal about being the disappointing only child of an architect and a potter, living under the yoke of aesthetic perfection. A piece to be designed and molded from on high. We connected in that moment, as the sun lowered in the sky. We realized that there was a rhyme between our very different lives. Of course pale-faced devil I am, I leveraged this- I used his pity and our solidarity as black sheep to ask again my burning question. Realizing that was why he had found me reeling on the front courtyard, he broke physical contact looking at me with horror. Chodak hesitantly asked if I was going to try to find it without the monks help. I told him I probably would. He was silent for a while. He looked at me sadly, and said I could die climbing around the mountain at night. I used this concern to ask for guidance, to which he sighed painfully. I used all the guilting my mother had taught me, through the years of emotional abuse and neglect. He caved. I probably would've been dead if he hadn't, but I think I've never been more disgusted with myself. The twilight climb was fun, honestly. The trail was unmarked but well worn. Still, I doubt I would have found it if not for Chodak. We spoke little as he showed me the entrance to the cave. I thanked him profusely, but he looked at me with sad eyes. He told me we almost certainly would never meet again, and that I should prepare for enlightenment with all the beauty and terror that entails. His parting words to me were something like "I will treasure our time together for as long as it still exists." I didn't realize how quick that would be. The cave was dark until it was violated by my headlamp. It was composed of an antechamber with a small passage into the inner sanctum where the thing lay in its crevasse. I paused in front of the large stone Buddha carved into the wall watching over the room. Its painted face sported two large tusks. Even as I defiled this place I still wanted to show respect, and so I bowed asking for a fruitful encounter. I probably should've also asked for forgiveness, but I was a fool. After leaving what I thought was an adequate offering, I plunged deeper into the cave. Climbing delicately through the rift between the two gods, I found what I came here for. The culmination of my quest for meaning in this stale fallen world, swindled from the gentlest of men. Unlike the Antechamber the inner room was a raw cave- The intersection of two fissures in the mountain forming a nearly perfect sideways cross. The vertical fracture formed a true abyss, while the passage put me on the long side of the cross. The approach to the Eye of the Forgotten's rift was a mild upward slope, as to obscure the thing until you peered into it. There were few times where I could have stopped this stupidity, but all of them were long past by this point. I only had the option of putting one foot in front of the other. My fate was sealed. I reached the abyss, but the light of my headlamp would not penetrate the darkness below the cliff. At first I was confused, so I turned it off to see if resetting it would work. The moment my light went out an eye the size of that abyss grew from the darkness and looked at me. The Eye stared into my soul. I knew for the first time what it was like to be read like a book. The abyssal thing riffled through my mind pausing every once and a while as if to make a note, or going back over something as if it were a passage it found particularity interesting, even skimming over bits if felt were boring or cliche. I knew all this instinctively even if I can't tell you how. It was a disgusting feeling, to be known so intimately by an alien intelligence. After it was done violently ripping out the complete unabridged story of me. It boomed out I see in every language all at once. It didn't ask for consent as it started, seemingly assuming only people who want this came to it. I began to cry tears of pain as it forced its way into my mind. Being read was one thing, being edited was quite another. It was like having your Mom come over for a visit, only to find in your depressed state you had all your black out curtains closed, and so she ends up running through wrenching them open, chiding you all the way. I felt each of my inner gates thrust open in turn, flooding out trauma and memories I hadn't made yet. Having the dams of pain battered down one by one, learning how to handle my brain problems was a soothing experience. I suddenly felt far more at home in my mind, instead of irrationally fearful of disappointing those I loved. for the first time I could remember I was open and clear, but the new memories... I was back at my old Brown dorm. My roommate out for unremembered reasons. I was in panties and a bra, covered with lace and makeup. I took photos emphasizing different things: the bulge of my dick, how round my ass was, the angles where I looked fully like a girl, the ones where it was clear I wasn't. I felt insanely hot. Something about doing this made my body feel okay for the fist time. I uploaded them as "femboi photoshoot" and lick my lips waiting for the thirsty replies. My hand shook holding the blue ovular pill. I was crying tears of fear and joy, as I slipped the pill under my tongue. I've crossed the Rubicon. No going back. I'm going to stop being him and start being her. My roommate and I danced together in the dorm, celebrating the little victory. They smelled like ethylene from the chemistry lab. It was my first hike in a sundress. My thighs are chaffed and the grass was itchy against my bare legs. I was so uncomfortable, thinking about how my father would take me on long backpacking trips specifically to mold me into a perfect handsome Adonis. I don't want to be anything near the person he wanted me to be. Nature is beautiful, sure, who cares, I'm going home to put lotion on my chafe. The pink white and blue stripy thigh highs slide on the polished linoleum floor. I twisted my foot into a spin. The centrifugal force billows out my lacy dress. I felt like the perfect picture of femininity. I smiled as one of my trans friends claps and shouts "dress go spiny!" Then I noted how out of breath I was and furrow my brow. He kisses me as I stared out limply letting him in. The rough of his stubble felt disgusting. I feel like a woman in his arms, and for the first time since I started my transition I hate it. I hated how he held me, a delicate doll to be positioned and used. I hated how he treated me like porcelain comforting me over the smallest scrape. I hated how he lifted the things I used to be able to, and his looks for approval as if he had done me a favor. I hated being weak. The surgery recovery time just made it worse. 3 months sitting on my ass has been painful. I started going to the climbing gym regularly just to feel something. I met some lesbians and we start hanging out after climbs. The beer is nice but the company is nicer. I kissed my first girl with them. Show off my new pussy, and they cheer. I've found my people. The sweat drips from my brow. It's the first V8 problem I've attempted seriously. At 27 I am who I am. My lithe muscles flexed as I pulled myself from awkward handhold to awkward handhold. My pinkie finger slipped from the credit card hold I'm on. I pushed my thumb down on my pointer finger and used my legs to launch myself to the final hold before the goal. I'm so close now, my body screams for me to let go, but I know I can make it. Wheeling my right leg up I jamed my heel in the last hold I was on, and kicked up. Grabbing the taped square indicating my victory over a V8. The last of my strength gave out and I fell onto the mat.I stared up at the ceiling of the gym. My girlfriend Marie ran over to give me a hand up. I wasn't... in the cave. I felt real enough. Had I just lived 8 years in a second? None of this felt real. I was a strong competent transwoman with a lovely girlfriend a long career as a cabinet maker ahead of her.... How? I knew that I had earned all this through blood, sweat, and tears, but I also knew that I had earned none of it. Marie looked worried and asked if I was okay. I blinked trembling, and reached out for her hand. I knew nothing of her, and yet I had 2 years of memories of a beautiful loving relationship. Was any of this real? Our hands touched, and she hauled me to a standing position. I couldn't stop myself, I grabbed her into a hug and began to cry. The feeling of her warm skin was too much. I wanted her to hold me forever. I felt realer then I ever had been before. Maybe that was just a hallucination. An acid flashback triggered by that exertion and fall. It felt like it. A Cyclopian eye guarded by a monastery, revealed to me by a coyote woman? Come on, that's gotta be a trip. It all appeared in my head in a second, though. The memories seem as fresh as what I ate for breakfast. Plus I never dropped out of college to find myself. It's kinda stupid but sometimes I listen to that song by The Talking Heads, you know, Once In a Lifetime, and cry. The worst bit is that I can't even tell if that version of me was even trans? Like all my memories of doing girly things as a kid and having them stamped out, come from my current set of memories? Maybe the seeker version of me just had repressed all that, but maybe the thing in the pit made me trans? I hope that its just my own self doubt psyching myself out. I'm the fully realized version of myself, maybe. Some days I still don't feel like it. I have no idea why being able to do a V8 bouldering problem would be the point of enlightenment, but it still feels too real to ignore. An actualized life granted to me by an eldritch being. I love who I am now and hate that man. And yet... he probably made me? By accident, but still. Last night I had a nightmare about that final fight I had with my parents- the one where they threatened to end my trust fund unless I detranstioned? I woke up and realized that I hadn't had that cushion in 5 years. It all felt more real than these new memories. I think I'm getting better. I think I just needed space? I want to see you, to feel you, to know that this is real. I love you Marie, I'll continue loving you, I'm sorry we had a rough week, but this is why. --Rhine <3 FriendlyPastoralist This was incredibly fun! I should do more short form work to get the juices going... I wrote most of this during a manic episode on my birthday tho. Sooooo, maybe not the same way. I'd love to hear y'all's feedback on this! I didn't send this to my usual beta readers, so any corrections would also be appreciated.

It was all dark. I couldn’t move my body nor feel it.  The last thing I remember was me walking to work and then… and then… I think I just fell into the ground.  My mother fell extremely ill. And since I’m an only child, I had to pay for our food, bills, and most importantly, my mothers medical bills.  I must have worked myself to death. I just hope my mother can get better and continue to live her life.  Is this what it’s like in the afterlife? This feels like sleep paralysis, only worse.  But as time went by, I started to feel something. Not my body but movement. A lot of movement. If you have ever been in a plane, that’s somewhat how it feels but very rough.  I still couldn’t see anything, but I knew that I was moving at high speeds.  My memory is all blurry, I don’t even think I remember what my name is, or was.  Most people back when I was alive believed that when you die you go to heaven or something like that. Is this what they meant? It doesn’t seem like a nice ‘heaven’ to me. Am I going to stay like this forever?  As if someone or something read my mind, the movement stopped with a forceful bang.  I couldn’t hear anything, but I could feel the impact. I think I hit something? If I did, what was it?  Everything was still dark, and I still couldn’t move my body. But just as I thought about what was going on, something appeared in front of me, and I could hear a robotic voice.  Loading… What’s with all of this loading? This much thinking would give me a massive headache, but I couldn’t feel anything at the moment.  Loading vision… denied.  Reloading Vision… Successful.  Loading… Light engulfed around me. There was no more darkness and I could hear faint echoey voices.  When my vision adjusted, it was still a bit blurry. I couldn’t move, it was like I was stuck. And I was, but it was a huge clear crystal surrounding me.  Loading complete Welcome Host. The message moved to the corner of my vision and faded like it was never there.  I could see what looked like people in front of me. Their figures looked disoriented a little bit because of whatever I’m in. So I couldn’t see what they looked like.  There was mumbling, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying.  I mostly heard a man and a women talking, he sounded like that one dude from a movie, a policeman or something.  Let not worry about them right now. Meanwhile, what were those texts right in front of me earlier? And who was talking to me? It was most likely a computer of some sort. At least that’s what it sounded like. The robot voice reminded me of Siri or Alexa from earth.  I could start to feel my body a little better. Maybe I should try getting out of here? But how would I do that? I think I will just have to wait for something to happen. There’s no way I can get out of here by myself. Right? The man that was talking made hand gestures. What were these people doing?  Another message appeared in the corner of my vision.  Energy has recovered, host has enough energy to break free.  Energy? This means I can get out of this thing? I mean I could really stretch right now. And now I could feel my limbs.  Alright weird robot thing, let’s do it. I’ve been in this thing for far to long already. ———————————————————— Feyra’s POV:  It was a normal day here in Samaria. I was currently running with my squad outside of the buildings main building.  Our commander ordered us to go outside where the normal daily training sessions happen.  I wonder what we are going to learn today. Especially since the commander himself is coming to help us train this time. The commander is one of the strongest people I have ever met, and he’s most likely one of the strongest in the entire Organization.  Not even my squad could beat him. And we were pretty strong together.  We have a total of five people in our group. First is Elora, she is our healer.  She’s pretty powerful with her magic, but lacks strength and agility.  Elora has blond hair that goes to her waist. But most the time she does something with it like put it in a bun.  She has a big staff that looks like a simple branch from a tree. But it has a large ruby at the top of it surrounded by crystals.  Elora usually wears a nice white dress with cool yellow designs around it. And to top it all off, she has a pair of simple boots that match her dress.  She was prettier than most girls her age. Elora just turned 17 about a month ago. We all celebrated with a nice meal.  Next, we have Magnius. His main weapon is a sword, just like me. He has brown/red hair and wears a dark green shirt, some black pants, and boots.  Magnius can be really quiet at times, which is odd for someone like him. Usually when he starts talking he won’t stop. He is 17, just like Elora. Next is Ren, he’s the leader of our group. He’s also the strongest one in our group, so nobody messes with him.  Hee a very muscular man. You could see his muscles through his red shirt easily. Sometimes I’m jealous about it. Ren and Magnius both have similar outfits. Only different colors. Ren’s colors are red and dark brown. His hair is also surprisingly red. Magnius usually wears green and black.  I’ve always disliked Ren, although he is our leader and our strongest member. He has a terrible personality. If he saw a child starving and begging for food, he would most likely make fun of that child or even beat them. I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.  And then there is Theo. Him and Ren are basically best friends. Although Theo is weaker than Ren, they respect each other. Theo would do the same thing Ren would do to a starving child. So I dislike him too.  I try not to show my hate, but sometimes they can go too far.  Theo wears brown pants with a dark grey shirt. But I’m not going to say very much about him. Only that his main weapon is his spear.  And lastly, is me.  My name is Feyra, but most people call me Fey. I’m the weakest out of the group.  Ren and Theo absolutely hate me, but they are forced to tolerate me.  I always have daggers with me, they are also what I use in combat.  I wear a Greg shirt with black shorts. And I have black hair that’s not as long as Elora’s. But it still a good length.  “Fey, get your ass moving!” Ren shouted. Theo giggled while running next to him. I didn’t say anything in return, but I did speed up. I like to lay low around people. Especially Ren. Flora eyed me and also ran at a quicker pace. It’s not that Flora didn’t like me. In fact, we were pretty chill with each other. She just doesn’t like it when Ren gets angry.  In a short amount of time, we reached the training arena outside.  Our commander was waiting patiently, looking out into the forest.  The organization building is at the edge of the city outside the walls. The King doesn’t like what we do, but he tolerates us.  The organization promised the king protection, only if he let us stay within the country. Since the king wanted more protection for not only himself but his country, he allowed it. And that was the start of the organization, at least that’s what I have been told.  “You are two minutes and twenty one seconds late, are you asking for more work?” The commander glanced back at Ren with a cold glare. This sent shivers down our spines. “No sir.” Ren replied proudly. We could easily see how terrified he really was.  “Good, start with twenty one laps around the arena. Each time you slow down, I will add another five laps.” Nobody likes the commander. We don’t respect him out of kindness, we respect him out of fear. He could easily kill any one of us within seconds. This is another reason why the king tolerates us, out of fear. One day, I pray to whatever divine beings there are to soon put an end to this organization. You’re probably wondering, if you don’t like this hell whole then why are you there? The answer is simple, force.  I never wanted to work here. I had a family like everyone else, but after a few years of my life in peace. They came and took me, killing my family and entire village.  It wasn’t just me who was taken, there were hundreds of children. The king did nothing about it. If he did, he would most likely be killed by the organization. And with how powerful they are now, they most likely have more power than the church.  I was pretty used to running long distances, so this wasn’t really a problem for me.  However, just when we were almost done with our laps. We spotted something in the sky, something burning. It looked like some kind of rock or something from space.  Whatever it is, it was falling very fast and was heading our way.  “Stop running and evacuate. Now!” The commander sensed danger, but it was too late.  The strange object reached land, landing right in front of us. There was a huge gust of wind that almost blew us away.  “Formation B!” My group and I didn’t hesitate to follow orders and quickly lined up while drawing our weapons.  The strange object didn’t look like a type of rock or metal, it looked like ice or a big clear crystal.  But what caught my attention the most was what was inside it. It looked like a man, but I couldn’t clearly see what it was.  The commander armed himself with his sword and slowly started walking to the strange object. A large group of armed soldiers came rushing to the scene.  “Sir! Are you alright?”  Ursa, second in command, came in rushing to the commander with a group of highly trained soldiers.  “Ursa! It’s been awhile my friend! Quickly get Mr. Hampton.” Our commander and Ursa are both friends. Most likely because they were both pretty powerful. Ursa was not as strict as our commander, but we still did not want to get on her bad side. You can definitely tell she stands out with her long red hair and black outfit.  “I have already contacted him and he is on his way. Anyone could see whatever that was from miles away. Even the king will most likely send someone out here to investigate. That old geezer is always on his toes.” The commander let out a laugh. They both hated the king, thinking that the organization should have all the power. I didn’t take my eyes off of whatever was inside the weird object. For all I knew, it could be some type of alien.  By the way, if you are wondering what our organization is and what we do. The answer is, control. Everyone knows that our ‘leader’ took advantage of the kings power and tricked him.  You see, Mr. Hampton, the leader of the organization, was once great friends with the king. But one day, Hampton wanted more power. The power of a god. So he created a cult. With multiple other people, they convinced the king to let them create some type of company. The king didn’t see an issue with his request, so he happily helped his friend.  But when Hampton got what he wanted, along with multiple funds. He secretly started training soldiers of his own. And then the organization slowly started developing.  They started kidnapping children and assassinating their enemies. Each day they grow stronger. All of the soldiers started leveling up their stats. And the most important part, Hampton became the strongest.  He farmed tons of monsters and gained so much exp. Nobody knows what level he’s on. But there have been rumors saying he holds the power of a dragon to this day. Everyone calls us, The Delta Organization.  As we were all standing in silence, cracks could be seen forming on the object. We all took a few steps back. The cracks began to multiply. And eventually, the abject shattered.  Another gust of wind attacked us. I had to shield my head with one of my arms.  All of the dust and dirt around us was taken by the wind. We could no longer see anything as all the dust particles began to settle. But when everything cleared, what I saw could be described.  Was it just metal? No, this looked way to advanced. It was a man, in some kind of armor? But he wasn’t standing, in fact it looked like he fell on his face.  “Don’t let your guard down!” Ursa ordered as she gripped her spear.  I still didn’t take my eyes off of whatever this thing is. I could feel sweat on my forehead. Ren and the others stayed close to each other.  Just what is this thing?!

Twenty minutes later Inside the forest near the outer perimeter, Feng Shi stands with his eyes closed and rocks between his fingertips He moves his hands smoothly and quickly and throws stones between his fingers "ding ding" The rocks that were thrown in scattered and strange directions collide with some of them and change their paths and then collide with each other and change their paths in a terrifying display of accuracy that is almost impossible, even Tang San, an expert in concealed weapons, would drop his chin if he saw this scene. Accuracy required and calculating the trajectory of many stones colliding with each other has skipped something called accurate Feng Shi raises his hands and grabs rocks and then throws them to collide with other rocks and form a range of rocks collide with each other. Immersed in his own world, Feng Shi opens his eyes and then grabs the rocks to fill his hands, and the terrifying display of impossible precision stops After several experiments to understand his golden finger, he now understands it, and he can only say that it is stupidly broken, but he loves it in that way. He was never the person who likes to play in the hard mod. Not to mention when his life is what we're talking about He stretches his arms with a happy childish smile and thinks about what kind of skills he will learn "I will need martial arts and then I will need to train my body to become stronger and also sword arts, I have always liked swords fighting, and then what else will I need? Hmm, I think learning cooking and hiding skills will be good too." Thinking and completing his plan for what he will occupy himself with, Feng Shi begins to return to the village. All he needs to do is cook a meal and he will become a god-level chef. He quickly wipes his saliva. The villagers' food has never satisfied his taste buds . . Tang San descends from the mountain after completing his training He looks at the rock and can't find Feng Shi Confused. he heads to the village approaching Feng Shi's house, but Suddenly he smells a whiff of food and finds himself drooling He quickly regains his focus What is this smell, even my stomach is roaring from hunger He approaches the window and internally apologizes to Feng Shi, as he is not used to spying on other people's privacy Through the cracks in the window, tang takes a look and notices Feng Shi cooking food "This is where the smell comes from, I never expected Brother Feng to be good at cooking." Unaware for Tang San, but due to lack of ingredients, the dish is less than it's supposed to be, but it's still a high-end dish. After making sure that Feng shi is fine and at home and satisfying his curiosity, there is no reason for Tang San to stay so he leaves. He still needs to cook for his father. . . . . after a week Woods A boy with brown hair and orange-brown eyes can be seen taking a strange posture, but from his expression, trembling muscles, and the amount of sweat secreted by his body, it is clear that his posture is difficult With his strange posture, he does breathing exercises He notices his body changes with a satisfied expression My inner strength is growing steadily and a week's workout is equivalent to a month's intense workouts If anyone knows the results and advantages of the method he is practicing, wars will break out and greed will prevail over everyone His technique can only be described as heavenly art and with it, huge numbers of geniuses can be bred, even experts will take some interest in acquiring this technique He launches a turbid exhalation, then stops stretching and finishes his exercise Although his body has no muscles, his current build is at least good He grabs a towel to wipe the sweat and walks toward the hill It takes several minutes to reach the top where Tang San is cultivating the purple Demon Eye Technique Standing near Tang San, Feng shi looks at the beautiful sunrise Tang San who cultivates, if he knows that someone is near him, he will suffer shock. Not every day, someone can approach him without alerting him, especially when that person is just a boy and is only a few meters away from him. after watching what is enough, Feng shi Leaves the top of the hill In the air of the Douluo Continent, there is a kind of magical power called spirit power. Only with a body that can absorb soul power can you become a soul master! So in the Soul Strength Test, the higher the level of the awakened soul's strength, the stronger a person's soul absorption ability and the better the talent Thank you, Tang San, thanks to your training, I can finally feel the spiritual energy, even if I am without talent and have to work ten times more than those born with great talent. A week later, Feng shi now understood the limits of his cheating, for example, spiritual energy exists, but as long as he can't feel it or even scratch its surface, he can't expect to become the supreme master in feeling and manipulating it Thanks to Tang San The one who practices the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he now could sense internal qi and soul power, and also manipulating it easy like moving his hand and fingers, Which helps him in his training

Douluo Continent, Village the Holy Spirit  On a rock is a plain-looking boy who is lying in the warm rays of the sun and With an aura of laziness around him He manipulates the piece of grass in his mouth and then slowly opens his eyes "6 years in this world and I can't see my golden finger" sighs and shakes his head bitterly, before coming to this world, he was in a world called the Earth. no magic no powerful supernatural and no spiritual energy. A boring world full of restrictive laws and dependent on technology in its development. he used to be just a fat otaku who is Envy others. at least his depressing lifestyle continued until the day he dies of suffocation by noodle and the oddest thing is that he woke up like a child in a world he had seen. He removes the piece of grass from his mouth while he hears the voices of steps and as if he knows who it belongs to, he speaks without turning and with a lazy tone. "Little Tang is energetic as usual." A boy with blue hair and white skin wearing worn, but clean clothes and carrying sticks of firewood behind him Boy's lips tremble, "Brother Feng, can't you call me just brother tang" With deep eyes and an expert aura, "Ah Tang San you have to learn to accept all what life gives you, by the way, I see that you are as energetic as usual. What would you do, climb the mountain again?" Tang San gives a smile. "Yes, would you like to come with me?" Tang San deserves to be the protagonist. Feng shi knows how difficult his work can be Two years ago he saw this man begin to climb this hill every morning As long as it is not raining it is like this every day, this hard work makes Feng shi feel ashamed Just as Tang San expected, "No, I don't go. It's hot and it's so tired. You can go alone." He shakes his head, as expected from brother Feng The full name of the boy in front of him is Feng Shi A few months older than him, he's also a popular in the Holy Spirit Village Other boys wake up early in the morning to cultivate land and do farm work with their parents. Brother Feng often looks hopeless from the morning, lying down and doing nothing and yet Brother Feng is very pathetic. When he was born for the first time his mother had died of dystocia, and later his father was overwhelmed with grief and illness from overwork, and he also died within a year, then later Feng Shi began to live with his grandmother, who also died a year ago. But according to what Tang sees, in addition to honoring his loved ones every year, he is not indulged in the sadness of his loved ones, and despite being lazy, he is extremely intelligent. His genius was not revealed until after his grandmother died and he became lonely. He revealed amazing ways that made the village's harvest multiplied several times. Thinking about this, Tang San can't help but gaze at the little boy lying on the rock with some admiration changes his gaze toward the mountain, "Okay, I'll say goodbye, Brother Feng." "Do not forget" "Don't worry, I'll wake you up after I'm back." . Feng shi watches Tang San's back and narrows his eyebrows Tang San. Sea God, founder of the Tang Sect. leader of the Shrek Seven Beasts. and many, many accomplishments, even his drunken father is title Douluo not to mention his grandfather. "Son of Destiny" Sigh, why I am not the son of Destiny, even this age is called in the future the Tang San Age, am I Envy him, for sure I do He rubs his forehead and doesn't know what to do. There is only a month left for the awakening of the soul, and there is no signal of his golden finger. Without it, he knows that he is a whole piece of waste He rubs his hair with some bitterness, then return to lie down and lazy [Ding] [Done fulfill the specified time] [According to the host's wish, he obtains instant mastery] Feng's eyes open quickly and wide. looking at a group of notices that are disappearing "What!?" He quickly rises from the rock with an expression of shock and disorientation "Wish, Instant Mastery, Fulfillment of Time" standing with an unbelievable face, could it be his golden finger that was six years late, could it be that he had finally arrived today "Does this mean I got my own cheat" His lips rise up. then a faint laughing began quickly it turns into a wild laughing "Hahaha, this daddy has golden finger" He jumps from the rock and walks on the grass toward the woods in search of a hidden place to try and learn his cheat The hasty steps that make sounds start to become silent, posture and body begin to assume a correct posture without flaws. Changes happen and complete without enthusiastic Feng Shi realize

Within the infinite stretch of endless space, Li Xiong’s gaze pierced through the boundless obstacles before him. His aura spreading without end, unstoppable by any force.  The moment that any living creature noticed his aura, without even the slightest hesitation, they cowered and hid, praying to whatever they could that they did not get noticed by Li Xiong.  Li Xiong sighed; he had achieved many goals that he set throughout his life, even reaching the absolute apex of life.   There was nothing left for him to achieve. He explored every path of everything down to its destination. His knowledge spread without end, hitting every border. He hit the limit allowed by existence. But even so, he could not achieve one goal. The first goal he ever made since he was forcefully pushed into this retched world of cultivation.  He wasn’t originally from this place. Before, he was from Modern Earth. A normal student who lived day to day following the same routine, unnoticed in the grand scheme of the world.  To his misfortune, he was involved in an accident where he battled a truck with his body. An unfortunate occurrence that came to reality only because he didn’t look both ways before crossing the street.  However, at the last moment, a mysterious power forced him to transmigrate straight into a different world. One where strength dictated the law. It was the one thing above all else and governed everything. The weak were only prey to the strong.  Rising from nothing, Li Xiong kept gathering his power, gathering support, gathering information, wisdom, and intellect, trying to find a way to return to the world he left behind, but fate was not on his side.  No matter what he tried or attempted, nothing was able to replicate that moment that happened to him by being hit with that truck. It seems that there were some things that even total strength over everything couldn’t achieve.  He had long lost any last remaining scrap of hope to return to his original world. Along with that hope, fled his motivation to continue living his life. There was nothing left to achieve. Frustration withered his mind and body until he made his last choice. The last of all choices.  He wandered deep into the dead abyss from which he came. Barren battlefields filling not only entire planets, but galaxies and universes. The path he took to get here wasn’t achieved through luck or without any effort. It was his continued will to return that saved him from despair, but that will had long shriveled away now.  Finally reaching the place where it all began, or what remained of the planet that he first stepped upon in this world, he calmly settled his thoughts before dispelling his dantian.  A shockwave spread, using his location as its origin, overwhelming the surrounding bits and pieces of planets, instantly vaporizing them. Space cracked and splitered under the massive force. The mere act of discarding his cultivation shattered the void as easily as stepping on an ant.  Exhaling his last breath, the one known as the All-knowing Scholar, the Invincible Warlord, the Undying Immortal, the Alchemic God, and the Formation Ancestor, Li Xiong, died.  ******  “Oh my god! Are you alright?“  “Someone call the police!”  “”Hey! Someone stop that truck!”  “It’s a hit and run!”  “Hurry, get out your phones and take pictures. We can get so many followers!”  Random voices filled Li Xiong’s mind.   Wait a moment, didn’t I just...  Suddenly, he felt his entire body fill with pain, even the tiniest movement provoked a nasty response from his nerves.  My entire body is aching? I haven’t felt pain like this in eons! Someone said to call the police? The police... there were only police on Modern Eart- wait. Is it possible? Despite my lifetimes of research, it was all drawing legs on a snake? The actual solution was simpler than turning my hand?  Li Xiong’s excited thoughts spurred through his head before slowly fading as his consciousness also faded into a deep darkness.  When he awoke from his deep slumber, a tiny hand was resting on his shoulder, another pair of eyes peering into his own, “Ah Big Brother Li Xiong, you’re finally awake! Are you alright?”  A small jumpy girl with a worried expression on her face was pouncing beside his hospital bed. Behind her, a taller woman was standing with residue tears around her eyes.  “Are you feeling alright, Li’er?” Li Xiong focused on the taller woman, memories that he thought he long lost filled his mind.  He weakly spoke, “Mother... Xiao Zhiruo... I’m back.”  A huge smile covered his face, hidden emotion resided in his eyes. Li Xiong’s little sister pounced happily onto Li Xiong and his mother cried tears of joy after seeing that he was okay, both of them oblivious to the deeper meaning behind his words.  “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. Big brother just got hit by a truck. I’m not in shape for hugging.” Li Xiong almost couldn’t contain his emotions as he spoke words to someone he thought he would never see again. 

My name Jack Henson, I was famous for my research and findings and my family was only second to the Imperial bloodline. My younger sister, Liliane was seventeen and she had suitors lined up to India. My mother and father were the best parents I could had ever had and even that couldn't stop the awful misfortune about come apon us……… A white-haired beast with glowing blue eyes that took my poor familiy's lives. I was preparing for my twenty -fifth birthday and my parents threw a magnificient ball as a celebration like they did every year for me and it wasn't different but something in my gut was giving me the worst feeling in the world as if it was foreboding me about danger ahead. I shrugged it off and stood as still as possible as my servants dressed me when they were finally done with the tie, a lump in my throat and I just ignored it as I was just feeling weird and it would pass as the night went on it didn't…. I walked down the stairs, I saw my family tied up on the floor screaming for help. My sister sobbing as a man in a red uniform beat her with a whip. I ran imediately but I was detained. I then saw the devil, who did this, it was a woman in a suit with gold buttons with an embroidered name “Genola Airen.“ I yelled in desparation 'WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE!?.“ She looked at me with a sinister smile that still manages to wake me up till this day and picked up a blooded rifle and shot each of my family members as I screamed in pain and then she dismembered their bodies while laughing uncontrollably.

Daniel woke up from his bed when the light just started creeping through his shutter, he squints his eye as he stares right up through the window. "The Day has arrived for my departure," he mumbles as he finally decides to get up. Swinging his legs over the bed onto the wooden floor, Daniel takes a look around his room and pauses on a drawing of his mother, father two siblings and him. He walks over, stretching his upper body along the way, and grabs the picture. Tracing over his mother’s smile, Daniel walks over to his polished wooden wardrobe and picks out a cotton woven tunic along with some fiber woven pants that seem to be woven with a little bit of metal. Grabbing the rest of the clothes in the wardrobe, which isn’t many, he steps over to a burlap sack with stuff clearly in it and drops the picture and clothes in the bag, grabbing the strap of the burlap sack he moves into the kitchen and grabs an apple looking fruit and some bread off the wooden table and steps out the front door. Turning around he looks at the wooden log house one more time before moving to the center of the village where the town hall is, walking down the smooth dirt road he waves good morning to the local blacksmith and Ms. Hearth. The nice elder lady made sure he had a basket of fruit every day, continuing his journey Daniel looked over every building, most of them were made of wood like his log cabin, but instead were made of wooden planks, except for the obvious blacksmith workshop and other nonfriendly wood buildings. Daniel looked at the school he grew up in that taught him his foundations, surrounded by trees except for the front and with a stone foundation the school stood three stories with the top story being the roof and the bell. A nostalgic smile appeared on Daniel's face as he reminisced about his school years, continuing he finally reached the town hall, where he opened the 1.9-meter doors and stepped on the marble flooring. Benches were lined on the side and a spiral stairway with a handle was going up into the second and stopping on the third floor, Daniel's eyes were set on the entrance of the town hall which had two booths set up on the side of another double decker door, which Daniel stepped through as well to see a risen platform in the middle of the room surrounded by wooden benches of high quality. Daniel walked down the aisle with the click of his boots and stopped right in front of the risen platform where he placed an ovate shiny purple leaf. He stood there in silence for forty-five seconds before the leaf started glowing in flashes, it started at a slow pace then speeding up exponentially until a shining beacon of light rose from the leaf into a green woman with leaf anklets a grass woven skirt and a papyrus crop top. She had the body of a track star, thin but toned, and her face gave off the sexiness of a mature women, her hair was light green with brazen purple tips and was cascading down to her breast with a two-A curl style. The green woman slowly opened her eyes, and two verdant green irises stared back at Daniel’s light brown eyes. She smirked and said, “I see you have finally accepted your fate Daniel, have you said goodbye yet?”. Daniel sighed “I haven’t told anybody yet China Rose, and I’m not going to, so can we just get a move on”. China Rose smiles while shaking her head, then proceeds to wave her hand backwards letting a leaf fall behind her. The leaf starts pulsing with light and summons another green female wearing a grass colored chiton with leaf anklets as well, this one is visibly younger and a lot shyer than her elder. “You will be taking Guava as your Dryad companion on your journey as a guide for the hero,” China Rose says while looking at Daniel. As she expected he frowns and smacks his lips, “Remember Daniel you are to show hospitality to our guest and not antagonize them as soon as they get here,” China Rose narrows her eyes as she stares at the seventeen-year-old youth who tried running from his destiny. Daniel proceeds to ignore the mature women and walks up to Guava who has an oval face and pouty lips with a small button nose. Her eyes were equally verdant green, but unlike China Rose hers had the look of innocence and sheltered, Daniel continues to analyze Guava and realizes she is a little plumper than most dryads, she is not fat or chubby by any means, but she has more of a pronunciation on her boobs and butt. Guava flinched a little when Daniel first looked at her but then gathered the courage to look at the young man in front of her, or better known as her campaign. She blushed immediately after soaking in his image for thirty seconds, Daniel was six feet, and 2 inches and Guava was only standing at his nose, he had a muscular body that fit more on the lean side than meaty side but still expansive. His skin tone was the color of dark oak wood, and his hair was a mess of dreads, but his eyes were sharp and focused. Guava was transfixed with Daniel, especially with his lips as they were dark pink bordering on purple, yet wet and juicy. After Daniel finished eyeing Guava, he turned back to China Rose “When are they arriving?”, “I don’t know but are divinations are never wrong, and this one is too influential to be wrong” Daniel looks at China Rose a bit longer but then turns around to leave the town hall. “Where are you going?” China Rose asks, “Don’t try to run away again”. “I know, I’m just trying to get some practice in before I go” Daniel replies without turning around and keeps on walking to the double doors. China Rose turns to Guava and nods her head towards Daniel, Guava snapping out of her daze hurriedly clamors after the moody youth while China Rose shakes her head. Daniel hears Guava following him as he leaves the town hall but says nothing to her as he walks to his personal training grounds. Several iron poles and dummies are in a sandy man-made pit on the outskirts of the village. Daniel grabs a bo staff that is maintained in good condition but still clearly worn out and starts doing large swings with it. Guava watches him with clear interest as what he’s doing doesn’t make any sense, that is not how you use a bo staff. She was about to interrupt him when he stopped and faced an iron pole in the ground, he took a steady stance and jabbed the bo staff right into the pole, metal hitting metal rung around the pit. Then Daniel finally started getting serious as he seemed to slide around the pit hitting poles whenever he slid by. The ringing sound started getting annoying at first but then started making a melodic sound that left Guava speechless, not only did Daniel start making music out of iron poles with a bo staff, he also was moving to fast for Guava to even see properly and the sand in the air didn’t help. He finally stopped four minutes later, the sand was flying so fast that it started hurting Guava’s skin, and he wasn’t even trying to weaponize it. “Wow t-that was ama-azing, why did you do that?” Guava asked with a stutter and genuine curiosity. Daniel stayed silent for a moment before replying “I’m trying to learn the technique sandstorm” Guava gasped “But that’s a tier 4 technique, only the senior hunters and guard captains are capable of learning that technique!”. Daniel looked back and grinned with a cocky smile, “Don’t forget your looking at the top prodigy of the entire village, did you not see me exercise vertigo” Guava nods with her jaw touching the floor, not expecting her partner to be so adept at using his mana. Daniel was about to brag more about how amazing he is when a boom was heard in the distance of the forest, turning his head towards Guava she quickly nods and close her eyes while the trees start swaying like a light breeze has blown through them, but there was no wind. Guava says to Daniel “There is a high orc coming right towards us as well as a blond-haired teenager, the teen is capable of using storm magic and fire magic, but he won’t be able to hold on long,” Daniel sighs “It’s finally time huh?”. He said to no one in particular, but his resolution finally hardened, and he held his bo staff with a firm grip. Daniel slammed his bo staff right in front of him until it pierced the ground, the sand around him moved onto his staff, leaving the middle part alone so he could grab it, and hardened until it was unrecognizable from actual sandstone. Guava starts sweating once she realizes that the mysterious blond teen is heading towards their location. “How did they even get here; my sisters should be protecting the village all day and all night”. Just then the leaves on the trees inside the village turned green, and China Rose’s voice spoke out “A massive orc raid has breached the woods, all hunters and guards are needed on the east frontline”. The message rung out three times before quieting down, then immediately after the shouting of men were heard as they either marched in formation or rushed out their lonesome to the east frontline. Guava gasped once she found out the village was under attack, she lost connection to the trees blinding them to the High orc and blond teen that were coming up on their location. “What are we going to do!?” Guava questions Daniel. During this entire time Daniel’s staff was still having the sand converge onto it, and then having it pressurized into sandstone. The sand in the pit was almost all gone due to these actions and although there was about two feet depth of sand the pit was thirty-six square feet wide. But that wasn’t even the weirdest part no the weirdest part was that the staff only got about 2-3 inches thicker. “Guava calm down and try to use tree sight again,” Daniel calmly utters to her, Guava blushes in embarrassment that she is the only one out of the two of them freaking out. Guava closes her eyes and reconnects her mind to the trees to see what they see, and quickly finds the high orc and blond teen. The blond teen has a new giant gash on his back and the high orc’s double-bladed axe has some fresh blood on it. “They’re still heading right towards us, but this time the guy isn’t fighting back, and he’s injured,” Guava reports to Daniel with worry present in her voice. Daniel thinks for a moment then openly sighs, “Tell me when they’re going to pass above us” Guava nods “Ok, they’re still 15 yards away”. Daniel stops converging the sand on his staff and grasp the part that isn’t covered in sandstone, his boots now touching dirt, the earth underneath him starts shaking. “12 yards away” Guava tells Daniel as the earth in circular shape around him starts lifting off the ground with his staff still in front of him. “10 yards away” A pillar of earth brings Daniel in the air slowly rising to the top of the pit, “Guava, plant vine seeds” he tells her in a commanding voice. Guava, without opening her eyes, summon seeds with a flash of green and throws them on the ground, “8 yards away” she utters while the seeds she threw start sprouting. The sound of running and destruction reaches Daniel when he is halfway up the pit. “5 yards away” Daniel sees a fit teen running right towards him dressed in a torn white button up shirt with cuffs and khakis along with some standard boots. The youth doesn’t even know Daniel is in front of him, he’s to busy looking behind watching as the trees fall with another loud shout. “2 yards away” Daniel stopped rising after placing himself five-sixth up the pit, “They’re here!” Guava says opening her eyes. The teen jumps over the pit and looks down surprised to see Daniel right below his feet, he then looks at the other side of the pit and realized he might have misjudged how wide the pit was. When he was just about to fall in, he stepped on air and just hopped right out onto the other side. He rolled on the ground for a bit before stopping on his back with his sword laying next to him, he looked to the side just in time to witness the high orc jumping over the same pit. But this time someone flew out.  

A meeting of a large number of divine beings is happening, a rather regal looking God stands and claps his hands making a sound like thunder. “A few minutes ago, a young goddess awoke in galaxy 2789, at the same time one of the more advanced mortal races was testing their newest warship. The warship jumped into FTL and hit the goddess ten seconds into its maiden flight. The debris mainly took out empty systems, several though were not. The goddess did not survive the impact, so her body has been used with the debris to make a new world for these lost souls. It will be all of your responsibility to aid in the rebirth process. Make sure you follow the guide us elder divines set up, this is your chance to prove yourself. Do not fail.” The goddess knew she needed an existing population for her new world, so she recovered those left behind by feuding godlings. I find myself floating in a void, the memories of my past fragmented and mostly missing. Then as I floated there the rest faded away, only leaving the meager skills I had developed in my short time living. “You Have been chosen to take part in an experiment set up by the gods. They decided to take the population from one of the worlds that was mostly destroyed by the war between light and dark forces. It has been several centuries sense they first settled into their new world, a world named Crovenus. You will be born into the world as an infant, though your mature mind will be sealed until your body can handle it. To aid the refugees a planet wide system was put in place to aid them, you will gain access to this system as well. You have one mission, aid the people there in some way. The exact way will depend on you, the system will aid you in this mission. You will be rewarded for doing so and with the system anything is possible, including becoming immortal. The divine beings of this world can offer quests and rewards of their own, you do have the right to refuse these if you wish to. Though remember any divine being that is willing to give a quest has followers and refusing to many quests might sour your relationship with them. You will be born into a random race, work hard for power is everything in this world.” Everything went dark once more, then I felt someone holding me. All I was getting are flashes a warm and caring smell, soft crimson skin and a taste of something incredible. Out of boredom I eventually fell asleep, I am not sure how long I slept. Though I woke up somewhere soft and warm, then some memories entered my mind. I am Lana a demonling and today is my sixteenth birthday, the day I become an adult and gain full access to the system. “Honey, breakfast is done. It is time to get up, unless you want to be late to the temple.” Warm memories rush into my mind from hearing that voice. She is my mother Mezyera, She is a full blooded demon. Though she has never shared the variety with me, she has hinted I have siblings out in the world. She says she has no idea where they are now due to communication between cities being almost nonexistent if you are not a wealthy person. Not wanting to be late I got up and stretched in front of the mirror. I stand just under 1.6m, I have dark purple skin with my nipples darkening to almost black. My black hair almost reaches my knees, it has a mix of orange and red highlights in it. My horns are still growing and have started to curve around the sides of my head. I am fairly curvy and have a tail that is almost as long as I am tall, it has a spear like tip and is fairly flexible. Before I get to distracted by myself I get dressed, I pull out some clothing from my dresser. I pulled out the dress my Mom prepared for me, It is mainly white silver decorations. White being the traditional color for the ceremony, the color of the decorations shows your rank in the world. Bronze for the working class, silver for the wealthy, gold for the nobles and platinum for royalty. Once dressed, I head downstairs to the kitchen. There I see my Mom finishing up cooking, she is a slightly taller and curvier version of me. The two big differences is her hair and horns. Her horns are fully developed rams horns and her hair has white highlights. “Take a seat I am almost done here.” I did so, sitting at the table with bacon, hashbrowns and other foods on it. I poured myself some orange juice as Mom set some scrambled eggs in front of me. “Thanks for the food Mom.” She smiles at me, “honey. Remember that I plan on moving back to the capitol after this and once you are strong enough you can come visit us there. You will be able to meet most of your siblings and my master, who is your sire then. I would suggest becoming an adventurer with the league first then once you hit eighteen you can go to one of the academies. The first two years of an academy is the same as being an adventurer, only instead of getting paid you pay them. Also I know you normally keep it contained, however make sure to reveal it during your physical. You will gain benefits by having it sense it is fully functional. I need to tell you about our family bloodline, I am a hybrid demon who's dominate bloodline is succubus. With all of you kids it has expressed different traits, mainly this comes in the form of odd racial abilities and stat growth. It can effect classes as well, if you see one you might want to take it. Not only will it unlock a powerful class, it can evolve your race. Now we should be heading out, we do not want to be late.” We quickly clean up the head out, I think on what she said. I am not that surprised by her dominate bloodline, considering her abilities with magic and her appetites when it comes to a certain activity. She is surprised that more information on the other races where not supplied, her Mom probably did not want her to get excited about one or more of the options. I grimace at the thought of the other thing Mom mentioned, it is always awkward when it comes into play. I have a hard time controlling it, mainly due to how stimulating it is when it comes out. We soon arrive and I join the other dressed like me in the middle of the crowd. Soon the elder of the town steps forward. “We where led to this new world by the divine that did not side with the light and dark. During this time as well, something new happened. Everything gained access to a system and depending on the level of intelligence, could use it. This aided and directed the development of the new world order. Due to the changes, many old nations fractured. It was during this time many of the nations that exist now where formed. This is how we got here, as all of you have come of age. Part of the responsibility of protecting and populating this world falls onto you. You all have one major choice to make today. Will you live your life primarily as a breeder, solder or adventurer? This choice is not permanent, though constant switching will be investigated. Once you make your decision, stand in front of the symbol for what you choose. Your status will be looked at to be sure that you can take that role.” I take a deep breath, I knew this was coming. All of us did, it does not make it any less nerve racking hearing it. It was even more shocking to me, being from a different world in a way. Mom mentioned the three options to me when I turned ten, I froze when I heard that. Mom giggled at my reaction, she then went into more detail. Starting with the biggest worry, the term breeder. Per her it just means you are a non-combatant and want to take a profession, she told me she is considered to be a breeder due to being an herbalist. The reason for the eyebrow raising name is due to the fact all the races are still recovering from the war to carve out a section of the world for themselves. Even after all this time the population of most races are only about one third men. So most nations have a policy that encourages individuals to birth at least three children if you are female. If you are male you are encouraged to sire as many as possible, there are even government programs in place to aid with child care. Solder life is not for me and I do not have the interest in being a breeder. You can get up to six classes, though three of those unlock as you level up. I will find out my current classes soon, I just hope it will be easy to find a party for adventuring. I move to stand in front of the adventurers guild's symbol. After about thirty minutes the mayor stepped forward to speak once more. “Now the awakening will start, you will be summoned to a private room for this. If you do not fit with the group you want then the person doing the scanning will aid you in finding the correct group.” I was only waiting for ten minutes before I got summoned. I found myself in a small office with a man with a gold adventurers badge on his suit. “Welcome, place your hand on the orb so we can see your status. During this you will be given options for classes, there is the recommended option. This is the strongest combination you have access to and if you like the look of it, go with it. If everything is good I will set you up with a iron or bronze badge.” I did as requested, looking at the screen that popped up in front of me. Recommended Classes. Pole Dancer: A warrior class focused on using polearms and the body of the warrior to devastating effects. While fighting the graceful movements of the warrior can draw the eye of foes, distracting them from the fight. This class is only available to those trained to use polearms and who have succubus blood. Stat growth: Str/Dex/Cha +2. Rarity: Unique. Level Limit: None Adept: A beginner sorceress blessed with one or more powerful bloodlines. Uses charisma instead of intelligence as their main stat. While lacking the versatility of a traditional mage, they make up for it in raw power. They are restricted to the magics of their affinities due to the bloodlines within them. Stat growth: Cha/Wis/Con +2. Rarity: Uncommon. Level Limit: 250 Seductive Demon: A required class for any demon with a strong enough succubus bloodline. All demons receive a class connected to their main bloodline. This gives them access to their racial abilities and lets them grow with the demon. The reason behind this is the power of these races was hard for the system to use without it. Due to this all demons get an extra class slot to unlock once this class evolves. Unlike normal for this class to evolve the required levels and other conditions need to be met. Stat growth: All +4. Rarity: Racial. Level Limit: 1000 I take a moment to absorb what I just saw. While a little explicit, the first class is very tempting. The second is solid, never thought of adding magic to her fighting style before. Now though she realized it could be very strong. The third is not a surprise, Mom warned me to expect it. I decide to go for it and take the recommended classes. Name: Lana Race: Demonling Gender: Futa Classes (3/3): Pole Dancer, Adept, Seductive Demon Level: 28 Attributes Strength: 168 Dexterity: 168 Constitution: 168 Intelligence: 112 Wisdom: 168 Charisma: 224 Luck: 112 Affinities: Acid, Metal, Nature He takes a minute to look over my status, tapping on something in front of him I could not see. “Looks good, with you being over level 15, current stats and classes. You will be starting at a bronze rank, please step on the teleportation circle and we will send you the branch office you will start at. Make sure you talk to one of the receptionists there for your guild id and room assignment. Welcome to the adventurers guild, and good luck with this new step in your life.”

“Aster, are you ready with your presentation?” “Yes I’m,” “Began then,” “Title, the Hero’s Journey is arrogant, by Aster Curtail.” “The hero’s journey is the most popular story theme, but the most arrogant. Beyond all else it is a story based on changing. What makes it worth romanticizing though? The ending, after the epic of monsters and gods, of murder and betrayal, the ending is the critics’ Achilles’s heel. I attest the hero’s journey needs no hero, nor does it need a transcendental journey, it needs change and change comes at the end.” “A lesser used name for the genre is the Hero’s journey for change, and this is the purpose for the odyssey. But when do we see the change through the odyssey? We, the audience, exemplify the ignorance to nuanced story telling. As we compare the first and final chapters, but never chapter by chapter, as they haven’t change before the finale.” “I do love the hero’s journey despite this. There is a rush of euphoria as after trial by fire the hero reaches their goal. There is plenty more to speak on the greatness that is this storytelling tool, but I want to focus on us as the audience.” “We need to be more critical, need to spend more time seeing the evolution of the hero. To delve deep into their motivations, action, and development as a hero. As heroes are not born but made.” “At the beginning the hero may be a villain, beggar, orphan, and or king. A journey can be for anyone, as anyone can change. This is where the conceited nature of the Hero’s Journey shows it’s ugly head.” “The hero’s journey knows we don’t care for the middle, the build up to the climax, only the climax itself. It knows readers are never analyzing every line, so it chisels a surface elegant and rough, but unchanged under the seen world.” The teacher interrupts, “Aster, I think that is enough.” “Thank you all for your time,” He nods returning to his seat. -- Aster sprawled across the large sofa-like chairs, dozing off between breaths. At his head sat a tan guy of similar age. Messy, unkempt black hair that dangled just above his left eye, which he consistently pushed away between typed messages. His blue grey eyes brimmed with nervousness, fingers tiptoeing between keys like a dog in slippers. Bags darker than his five o’clock shadow hung from beneath his eyes, he tried his best to hide his unease with the straight posture and taut shut pale pink lips. After a short while he cursed under his breath, and out of curiosity Aster sat up to see what the fuss was about. Small in the top left corner of the screen was a chat log, “The suit will be at the dry cleaners.” “Yours keys will be in the breast pocket.” “I’ll pay through paypal.” Nothing too strange, besides a few jumbled characters, “tsoc si ruof-derdnuh” and “eno dna flah zo” With a yawn Aster inquired, “Selling weed, Ash?” The color drained from Ash’s face, his wheat tan turned to a marshmallow pale, “How did you…what?” “The messages of actual importance were written backwards. A standard code, but obvious given there were only few like it. I couldn’t directly tell from the normal conversation but the written code. Let me guess you’re selling middle quality weed, at a decent upcharge. A high-quality ounce is ~250 which in turn means 1.5 would be ~350.” “You know this how?” “Boredom, like everything else. Photographic memory, and such. This is a high school for special student, everyone has a weird skill, even you.” Whenever asked when it all started, when were their fates intwined for the future to come. Ash would always hesitate for a moment, but never because he doesn’t recall the moment, but because the moment is a nostalgic one. He felt if he forgot this moment, Aster would cease to exist. Until this moment, Aster never cared, he could undisturbed go to sleep and never think about the moment again. If Ash didn’t ask, “What else can you tell?” the blue in his eyes glowed against the grey. He couldn’t hide his hope, and Aster, I never got to ask his reasoning. I can only assume, wanted to do something fun. Aster held no emotion as he answered, “Put simply, you’re an idiot teetering on the edge of being caught.” “Explain,” Ash requested while he loaded up a blank word document. “You aren’t running through a proxy, your code is obvious, you likely are having it mailed to your house, and you’re doing it all on the public network. What do you think I will find if look through the messages? You’re a newbie, or close to being caught, as you have only one buyer lined up. The buyer you do have, seemed nervous. He is constantly typing then stopping as if planning every word. He isn’t paying cash and is quick to accept your upcharge.” Ash didn’t know better, Aster was completely right, he was a newbie. “What should I do?” In for a dime, in for a dollar. “I’d decline this guy’s offer, and go off the radar in your area for a while. You’ve left a trail that may or may not mean something currently. Though it will mean something later down the line. Reinvent your brand and clear your trail. Set up a proxy and use a new code. Only accept cash payments, and don’t accept the deal if they are too nervous. Also get a P.O. box at a post office at least four counties outside of where you live, pay for it with the cash made from the dealing.” “Ash, you got any whiskies?” A girl shouted across the room, in her hand waved a few twenties. “Got 2 cinnamon, 375ml.” He responded back, while typing the suggestions into the word document. He also closed out of the chat with the buyer.   Her hair a dirty blond dyed with streaks of platinum that, even when curled with bangs framing her face, fell past her shoulders. Her intoxicating forest green were enchantingly alluring to anyone who stared too long. She bit at the corner of her thin lower carmine red lip; chest spilled out the top of her lowcut purple fuzzy shirt. These mature features contrasted her younger facial structure. Her hips swayed in tight faded blue jeans as she moseyed over to the pair in the back corner of the senior lounge. “Here’s 20, and how about I pay the rest tonight at Henry’s party?” She leaned across the table her chin resting on the top of his laptop screen. “Sure thing,” He leaned in and gave her a light peck on the lips. “Great, see you tonight then! Bye Ash. Bye Aster.” “Bye Natalie,” they both replied halfheartedly. Aster immediately returned to giving suggestions that Ash jotted down with vested interests. The two ignored the period bell, and no teachers came around searching for them. Aster created a new code for Ash that he immediately adopted with complaint. When the final bell rung, the parted ways as Natalie returned for their previous arrangement for the party. She extended the offer to Aster, who with a half-smile declined. -- “Congratulations to you both! You have both finished highschool! Got a long life ahead of you, so enjoy tonight on the house.” A bar tender expressed his kindest regards with a bright smile to the two. He knew the two were underage, but tonight was a celebration. “You have been far too kind to us Ritter.” Ash replied with a smile he was now famous for always having. His top row of perfectly white teeth shined in the shrouded bar lights. Ritter laughed, “Don’t even try that! If it weren’t you and Aster, I wouldn’t have this bar still. I can’t thank you both enough for the time you put into this.” All patrons expressed exclamations of praise that grew louder as the night progressed and they succumbed to drunkenness. “I’ve only just started Aster, but I will use what you taught me to create something you can be proud of.” Ash stated. He had already taken a few shoots and was getting tipsy. Aster let out a hearty laugh, “Instead of bailing you out; I’ve taught you how to not get caught.” Their discussion went on till dawn. Nudged out by Ritter as the bar did last call. They were drunk, high, and beyond merry. Time was a non-existent feature of life and never wanted the sun to rise and the high to fade. They droned on with pointless topics circling back to completed ones unwilling to admit to an end. The two sat the top of a cliff that overlooked their small city. The sun had just broken over the horizon and their high was fading. The cities were dim almost unnoticeable in comparison to the sun that just broke over the horizon coloring the sky in beautiful oranges, yellows, and reds. “Good luck Ash.” Aster expressed his eyes locked with the colorful sky. “I won’t need it with you besides me.” “Where is the joy of life without a challenge?” “Never dull, because there is always something to do to make it exciting.” The two fell to a short-lived silence broken by Ash, “Did I ever tell you why I was at Eleutheria High?” “No,” “Patterns, they are everywhere in every little thing. Using them I got into every advanced math course and passed the exam for admission. It’s not some fancy story, and I may have been the closest to normal of our graduating class. I felt you should know why I was admitted through.” Aster didn’t response for a long while and when he did say something it was, “I’m going to head home. Talk to you later.” “Aster! What the Gods ignore!” Ash shouted, Aster paused and replied with a smooth laugh, “Is the Devil’s playground.” Risen to the sky by them both were their ring fingers adorned with matching golden signet rings. -- Walking alone the Ocean City boardwalk Ash saw a familiar face. Which to him didn’t mean much, almost everyone’s face was familiar in someway or another. The eyes were what stood out to him, they were a welcoming light blue that brought Ash back to graduation night. “Five years ago, now? I haven’t seen Aster in five years.” Ash mumbled to himself, he at multiple times tried to find Aster but every time turned up with nothing. He tried IP traces through Facebook as Aster was still active there communicating to highschool friends. Even commenting on his recent engagement to Natalie. He found the IP to be out in China and under the perception of branching out the company he set dealers around the area the, but they never turned up any results. Ash looked nothing like his high school self, he held himself high and was now of a muscular build. His hair was short but messy, and the tan was almost a burn. He was completely shaved, and the golden watch spoke volumes of his wealth. His grey eyes were narrow, and he never turned around to watch his back. He wouldn’t be unnerved so easily anymore. With a simple slap of hands, he and another man walked right by each other amongst the crowd of pedestrians. In his hand was now a wad of cash and it is simple to assume what he previously held. It wasn’t long later another man bumped into him, this time without exchange. “Sorry about that, my fault.” The voice was deep and soothing, perfect for the bedroom. With the same familiar face with the same welcoming eyes. ‘He was going the other way previously how is he now here?’ “No worries,” And brushed off his shoulder and found something was missing from his pinky. The tan line was easily seen as the pale white skin was contrasted out. He looked over to find the man gone. The man had stolen a cheap but important signet ring. He bolted out of the crowd in search of the man but was without luck. Ash didn’t slow as he made calls, “Look for a tanned man with golden blond hair, a clean shaven and chiseled face, a pair of eyes welcoming everyone, and a half smile at every female he walks by. Looks to be about 5’ 10” and well-trained.” His phone rang not long after, “You’re better than this Ash. This isn’t high school anymore.” The voice was taunting him, challenging him. “You want my attention? You got it. Money? Drugs? Women? Power? Return the ring and it is all yours.” He poked but didn’t raise his voice. “There are three cops on the pier. Two of them are watching you, one of them is none the wiser. Clear the two watching you. We’ll be in touch.” The line was cut off and when Ash tried to call it back the line had already been disconnected. The task was nothing challenging, there were always cops following him. He walked in the opposite direction of the crowd and into a clearing. He walked into every store and made sure he couldn’t be seen from outside, forcing the pair to walk in after him. After five stores he already knew who the cops were. His reward was a text, “2: Dz yzo zivtt nkokoskn iwk xkh?” “Just a jumble of letters…” He mused over it for awhile writing down information as he went. He assumed the base language to be written in English, so he based it on English letters and words. Through all he got nothing, this code was completely random. “Damn it Aster, you would be really useful right now. Wait…2…” He started jolting down the words again this time a different scramble. “Pj bjf oeagg miuiuetim eri zic?” “You piece of shit!” He angrily whispered. “Do you still remember the key?” was the message decoded. The message was sent through a randomizer twice and it was something Aster had forced him to start using. Most times the times the message would need to be decoded was mentioned in earlier messages but would seem whoever sent this wasn’t patient. He sent a code version of “Yes,” but was randomized three times instead of two. To keep someone else from knowing they would change which randomized tier they were using. It all finally clicked when he got the reply, “What the Gods ignore; is the Devil’s playground” Their trademark saying. “Aster, it’s you?” “You’ve gotten better man.” That same raspy voice called out from behind him. “It’s good to see you.” Ash spoke quietly his words carried by the wind. “Still got a long way to go.” Seamlessly flowing between Aster’s fingers was Ash’s signet ring.

March 15, 2030. The world has fallen into chaos. The Chinese Government has been messing with famous historical sites all around the world.  Stonehenge, England. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Machu Picchu, Peru. Acropolis of Athens, Greece. Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Easter Islands. etc. And strangly enough, in all of the locations they've checked out, they accidentally stummbled uppon these gigantic bluish rocks which will be known later as 'Mana Stones' which keeps on emitting an incredibly dense and huge amount of some sort of unknown type of energy 'Mana'. At that time, no one knew what this energy was and what it could actually do this world. So China, of course, got into work almost immediately and started experimenting So when China finally understood it's fundamental principles and found out what this new type of energy 'Mana' could be used for, they decided monopolize it and disturbuted it to the rest of the world. The was the biggest mistake they've ever made in their life. 3 years later after China made that amazing discovery, most of the people on Earth started to use Mana in their everyday life. Humans even started to develop minor supernatural abilities such as, Strength Enhancement, Body Modification, Telekinesis, Telepathy, and in rare cases, the ability to slightly manipulate the natural elements. Since then, Earth has made a lot of technological advancements. And finally, almost everyone in the world got to live a peaceful and happy life with barely any troubles at all. Then, a few more peaceful years has passed. And the amount of Mana all over the world has increased to a noticeable degree, that even the plants and animals started to be strangely affected by it. At first, not a lot of people were worrying about it, thinking that it was just a natural phenomenon. But then, something strange happen. The animals that have been affected by the amount of Mana in their surroundings started to mutate and attack people. The plants, that have a always been docile of millions of years has suddenly gained sentience and sometimes attack people as well. All of the countries were in panic. No one knew something like this would happen and a lot of big cities all around the world actually fell to ruin. New York, United States. Tokyo, Japan. Ottawa, Canada. Berlin, Germany Seoul, South Korea. And what was even more surprising was that an entire country, Philippines, literally got devastated by all of the mutants, and only an extremely small amount of the citizens survived. Fortunately, most of the remaining citizens managed to emigrate to other countries. And after that, humans have decided to limit their actions around nature and started constructing gigantic walls around almost every city in the planet. And finally, peace and stability has once again returned to Earth. Or so we though... Just as all of the people of Earth finally got some time to relax and reorganize ourselves... The day of their Invasion came. Suddenly, some huge cracks started show up all over the world. They were emitting huge amounts of Mana that rate of mutation of the plants and animals all over the world started to accelerate. Then, something even more horrifying than mutated plants or animals showed up. Monsters and Mythical Races. Cthulhu, an ancient mythical octopus-like beast, the size of a skyscraper sprouted out of the middle of the Pacific Ocean and caused massive tsunamis and nearly destroyed all the lands near the Pacific. Ancient Dragons that have actually been sleeping for millions of years suddenly started waking up all around Europe and incinerated almost all of Europe.  Elves, who are so beautiful that words aren't even enough to describe their beauty started coming out all over that cracks all around the world and started marking their territories and have openly declared war to the entire human race. Dwarves, who also came from the same cracks that Elves came from were carrying large amounts of resources from god knows where and started building massive fortresses that can make any major city in this planet look like little hut when compared to it. They've also launched full scale attacks with their siege weapons on the small human cities they've encountered and stole the the valueble resources. And many more creatures from myths started showing up one by one. Now, we humans are in a desperate power struggle against these other races. Our human leaders decided to fight back so we can finally reclaim the lands we've lost and the resources that were so one-sidedly stolen from us. To be completely honest, I'm not exaggerating when I say that extinction was just right round the corner. But nevertheless, here I was, inside one of the bathrooms in the military base, taking a huge dump without a care in the world.

  Billy slowly wakes up, looking over to see Hadi by her side, still sleeping peacefully. She reaches over to touch the bare skin of her shoulder gently, waking her up. A sleepy smile appears on Hadi’s face as she locks her dark brown eyes with Billy’s. She opens her mouth and mutters her usual ‘good morning’ in Arabic.   “Good morning to you too.” Billy smiles.   Billy’s dog stirs from the bottom of the bed as the girls wake. Azreal stands up and stretches before looking at them with a wagging tail.   “Good boy, Az. Come here.” Billy pats the bed in between the two of them. Azreal makes his way up the bed before lying down. Hadi wraps her arms around his neck, kissing his head while Billy gives him a good belly rub.   After a while, they get out of bed to get ready, as they have to make breakfast today. Hadi grabs the brush off the dresser, handing it to Billy and turning her back to her. Billy brushes Hadi’s silky smooth pitch black waist-length hair for her. Once finished, Billy helps Hadi pick out a hijab for today, picking from her collection of bright, colorful, and patterned options.    Billy, on the other hand, picks up some jeans off the floor, smells them, and shrugs, pulling them on. She pulls a tank top on, not needing a bra with her smaller chest. She glances over at Hadi, who isn’t in the same department, having been gifted.   “I’ll make some coffee while you finish getting dressed.” Billy makes eye contact with Hadi in the crescent moon mirror that hangs over the dresser, where Hadi is pulling out her clothes for the day. She nods and flashes her a small smile as Billy heads for the door.   Billy walks down the hallway, admiring the Arabic items that once were Hadi’s grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ from before the States were closed off. They use to bring in gifts to their family every time they flew back and forth, but eventually, the States cut off all contact from outside their borders, making travel like that nearly impossible. Billy always wonders what Hadi and her father’s lives would’ve been like if they had been born in Egypt instead.   The other houses in the colony are different from theirs, as most of them lack any sort of personality. Those who live in them have been smuggled past Haven’s borders, only bringing the necessities with them, leaving their houses bare and impersonal, yet it’s still much better than living out in No Man’s Land with the infected.   Billy walks past Hadi’s father, Hassan, as he’s doing his prayers in the living room. She is careful not to disturb him as she makes her way into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee. By the time it’s done, Hadi has made her way downstairs, and Hassan has finished his prayers. Billy pours the three of them a cup, setting it on the table as Hassan sits down.   “The crops could really use some rain.” Hadi says as she peeks out the window over the kitchen sink, letting in a bit of light from the dawn.   “Doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any.” Billy glances out the window at the lack of clouds. She looks back up at the clock on the wall. “We should get going, Hadi.”   “Alright.” Hadi walks over to grab her mug of coffee, kissing her father on his head. “See you later, baba.”   Hassan says something to her in Arabic, but the only thing Billy recognizes is ‘habibti’. The two leave the house and head for the building to make some breakfast for the colony. Hadi and Billy sit together at the long tables, eating the breakfast they made with the other residents. Hassan had been sitting by them but picked up his plate to go and talk to someone else at a different table. Billy smiles at the two older guys, laughing together, likely making some stupid joke only they would find funny.    Billy does a once-over of the room, proud of what they’ve built there. People from every walk of life are here. Maybe things aren’t perfect, but they’re making the best of it. She notes the wounds from their pasts: scars, missing limbs, even some decently fresh wounds having only been brought here in the last month by her. But no matter what they endured out in No Man’s Land, people still fight to live on after those times, after the hardships and the loss. Their lives may never be normal, and they’ll never be perfect, but they still try to make the most of what they have.   Hadi taps Billy on her shoulder, getting her attention. “Are you done?”   Billy looks down at her empty plate and nods. “I’m ready to go to work if you are.” Billy gets up and tells Imani and Demetrius to make sure people get to where they’re needed for their shifts.    “Alright.” They both confirm they understand; before Billy and Hadi head out, Az gets up and follows after them. Billy hands Hadi a cold mason jar of water before sitting beside her. Hadi thanks her in Arabic.    “Lot of cicadas this summer.” Billy wipes some sweat from her brow, noting the sounds around them. She takes a drink of her own water before checking the dish in front of a panting Azreal, who’s sitting in the shade of the tree next to them. Billy pours some of her water into his bowl, and he starts lapping it up. “Az needs another good brushing. His shedding is getting out of control.” She picks a few of his hairs off of her tank top.   “We can.” Hadi smiles at Billy, but her smile turns to confusion as she looks past Billy.   Billy follows her gaze, seeing a couple of pickup trucks driving through the community and stopping where everyone is gathered for lunch. A handful of men jump out of the truck beds, guns in hand. Billy walks over to talk to them, Azreal getting up and standing by her leg. Hadi follows as well, standing by Billy’s side.   “What are you doing here?” Billy speaks up, getting the men’s attention.    One man steps forward. He is a tall and heavy-set male. On his head, he is wearing a Vietnam-era combat helmet, a pack of cigarettes held there by the netting. He wears mirrored aviators, a handlebar mustache, and a sneer. A cigarette sits between his chapped lips. In his left hand is a casually held M16, pointed at the ground. He pulls the cigarette from his mouth, flicking it away.    Hadi says something in Arabic about him. Billy thinks to herself that the word she would’ve used is dickbag.    The man looks the two of them up and down, apparent through his exaggerated head motion.  “I’d like to speak with the boss here, little ladies.”   Billy rests her hand on her holster casually. “I’m the one in charge. What do you want?”   He chuckles, saying something about women, turning to face his men. Billy doesn’t catch it all, but his men seem to find it rather funny. He turns back to Billy, as everyone who was eating lunch is now gathered around to see what happens. Many of them are prepared to fight if necessary.    “Me and my boys take care of people around this area.”   “What exactly do you protect them from?” Hadi asks the man.   The man smiles as he turns his attention toward her, causing Billy to clench her fist, hating the look in his eyes. “There’s a lotta bad people out here. Lotta people willing to burn down your houses, rape your women, kill your little kiddies, even. That is if you don’t have the right protection.”   “Extortion.” Billy mutters.   Hadi crosses her arms, glaring at them. “You’re terrible. You go and get money from people who you’d terrorize otherwise.”   The man strides over to them. “Aren’t women from where you’re from not supposed to talk?”   Billy steps forward as Azreal starts growling. “Back the fuck off.”   The man grabs Hadi’s hijab, pulling at it slightly. Billy tackles him, and his helmet skids away from him as he hits the ground. Billy begins beating the shit out of him. He attempts to push her off, his hands in her face. One finger slips into her mouth, and she bites it off, resulting in a sickening crunch and a bloodcurdling scream from the man.   Hadi pulls Billy off of him, stopping her from killing him. Billy spits his finger out onto the green grass as the man holds his gushing hand. Billy is breathing deeply, covered in the man’s splattered blood.   His men watch in shock as Azreal barks at them. Those who were working on the houses have their weapons out, some holding hammers or 2x4s. His men help him up as blood slips through the hand that holds his finger. He pushes them away and heads for the trucks. His men follow after him, but before leaving, he turns to face them.    “I’ll be back, you fucking cunts! You’ll fucking regret this!” Billy opens the door for Hadi, letting her go in first. She closes the door after them.    Hassan greets them as they walk in. He stands up from his recliner in the living room. “Sybil, I heard what happened today. Thank you for protecting my Hadi.”   “I’d do whatever to keep her safe.” Billy nods. “To keep the people here safe. I’ll send a report to the N.C.R. tomorrow.”   “That seems wise.”    “We’re tired.” Hadi speaks up. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, baba.”   The two girls and Azreal head up the stairs and into their bedroom. Azreal finds his spot on the bed while the two of them get ready for bed. As they got undressed, Hadi continued to teach Billy her daily dose of Arabic.    Hadi spoke the new phrase but a little too quickly for Billy to understand.    “Break that down, Hadi.” She chuckled to herself, tossing the jeans into a pile to be washed.   Hadi turned to face Billy. Hadi’s hair fell around her shoulders as she unpinned the hijab, setting it in a neatly folded pile of fabric on the dresser. “Ana sa-ee-da wa-ana ma-aa-ki.” She paused for a moment. “Ana.”   “Ana.” Billy repeated after her.   “Sa-ee-da.” A sweet smile grew on her face. Billy knew just how much Hadi loved teaching, taking a chance to hang out with the kids from No Man’s Land whenever she could.   “Sa-ee-da.”   “Wa-ana ma-aa-ki.”   “Wa-ana ma-aa-ki.” Billy pulled on a pair of clean underwear, having no desire to wear a day’s old pair to bed.   “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki.” She said it all together once more.   “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki.” Billy raised an eyebrow. Hadi smiled in approval with a nod. “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki. Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki. Okay. Got it.”   “I’m happy when I’m with you.” Hadi revealed what she had taught her meant.   Billy rolled her eyes at Hadi’s sappiness before smiling at her. “I’m happy with you too, Hadi.” Billy took her hand, touching it to her cheek. The two resume their changing as Billy speaks again. “Are you ever going to teach me how to curse?”   “You know I don’t know how to.” Hadi rolled her eyes.    “Nerd.” Billy laughed as Hadi playfully pushed her shoulder. “But that’s kinda weird cause I thought I heard you cuss when that guy threw his cigarette.”   Hadi smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”   “Wallahi?”   Hadi pouted slightly. “That’s not fair.”   Billy shrugs as she walks over and lays down on the bed, doing the bare minimum to get ready for bed. She watches as Hadi gets changed, admiring her.    At one point, Hadi turns to see her and blushes. “You’re making me feel embarrassed with all the staring.”   “How can I help but stare when there’s something so beautiful in front of me?”    “Stooop.” Hadi throws a shirt at her face with a smile.    Eventually, Hadi gets into bed. Billy kisses her hand. “Good night, my love.” Billy stretches as she wakes up, checking to see if Hadi is still asleep. “At least we don’t have to make breakfast today, so we can sit in bed together for a while.”   “I like when we get to do that.” Hadi spoke before yawning. “What do you have to do today?”   “I’ve got to ride out to make some livestock trades, as well as report that guy yesterday to the N.C.R.”   “Can I come along for the ride?”    Billy shrugs. “I’m sure they can handle it for the day. Besides, I’ll always take whatever time I can get with you.” Billy smiles and kisses Hadi’s hand before kissing up her arm and neck.    Billy nuzzles into her neck as Hadi giggles. “That tickles.”   Eventually, Billy lays back down on her side of the bed and looks over at Hadi with a smile. Hadi gets up to go take a shower, while Billy decides to go back to sleep for a little bit. She pats the bed next to her, causing Azreal to crawl up to her. Billy wraps her arms around him, falling back asleep, cuddling him. Billy wakes up again, no longer hearing the shower. She gets up and out of the bed, slips on some clothes, and heads downstairs.    “I have something for you, love.” Hadi walked over to her with a small box in hand.    Billy opened it, revealing an evil eye necklace. “Hadi.” Billy looked up at her with a soft smile.    “Baba and I asked Farah to make it.” Hadi picked it up out of the box and walked around to put it on Billy. “It’ll keep you safe.” Hadi walked back around to gently touch the charm. She pulls out her Hand of Fatima necklace with the evil eye on it. “Both of us will be kept safe now.”   “Thank you, Hadi. And you too, Hassan.” Billy called out to him in the other room.    Hassan got up and walked into the room. “Hadi’s teta gave it to her.” He referred to Hadi’s necklace.   Billy looked over at Hadi, confused by who they were talking about.   “Grandma.” Hadi reminded her.   “Oh, okay.” She nodded in understanding.    “It was originally my great-grandmother’s.”   “Well, I love it.” Billy kisses Hadi’s forehead.    The bell signaling it’s time for breakfast rings, getting the three of them out of the house and walking down the road. Billy looks around, smiling at their little slice of life here. Houses lining the road. A once unfinished neighborhood from before the Divide is now a thriving community. A refuge for those who’ve had hard lives. The community is called Amal, a new hope for those who come here. Those who are part of the community finish the houses for the next group of people coming to live here.   Kids, adults, and even some pets head toward the community center to have some breakfast together. Billy slips her hand into Hadi’s, who smiles up at her cheerfully. Her skin glistened in the sunrise. Billy squeezes her hand, a smile on her own face. Billy and Hadi arrive in the town that mostly deals in the trading of livestock and crops. Billy notes the newly set up gates and the walls being constructed around the city.   “People are starting to get worried about the infection hitting us in Haven.” Billy glances over at Hadi as she removes the motorcycle helmet. “I can’t help but wonder why people are worrying about it now, rather than when the infection first hit or even when they first started moving the raffle winners out here.”   “Maybe it’s just in the air, fear and worry.” Hadi speaks, looking around them as they walk through the market.   Billy shrugs. “I get that. You’ve got to keep those you love safe.” Billy stopped at the booth they were headed to. He had agreed to sell some older equipment to Amal. She pulled out the cash she was carrying in her bag, counting out the money they had agreed on earlier. “Ten thousand. As agreed.”   He pushes the money away, shaking his head. “Sorry, Sybil. I got a better offer a few days ago.” He crossed his large hairy arms over his chest, shrugging casually.    Billy scowled. “That’s bullshit, Bob. We made a deal, you can’t just change it now. We agreed on ten grand.   “Shit outta luck.” He shrugged again.   Billy turned to Hadi, a scowl still on her face. “Sabah al-khayr.” She spoke loudly enough for him to hear them, though there was no doubt in Billy’s mind that he couldn’t understand.   “Ana ga-an, inti aysa tekkli-eh il-na-har-da?” Hadi glanced over at the man, shaking her head, before looking back at me. Billy made sure to not crack a smile at her comment of asking her what she wanted to eat.   “Wahid, itnayn, talatha, arbaa, khamsa, sit-ta, sebaa, taminya, tis-aa, aashaaraa.” Billy began counting from one through ten. She shook her head, her tone growing more angry.   Tears formed in Hadi’s eyes, breaking eye contact with Billy’s. Billy quickly grabbed her wrist. Her eyes snapped back up to Billy, wide with shock. “Ayas aa khoosh al hamam.” Hadi muttered, the sadness all too clear. Apparently, Hadi really wanted to go to the bathroom.   “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki, habibti.” Billy scowled at her, letting go of her wrist. She looked back over at Bob who looked concerned by the whole conversation.    “Sybil.” He put his hands up. “Ten grand is fine. I’ll tell the other guy tough luck.” He glanced over at Hadi for a moment, before looking back at Billy.    Billy took a deep breath, shaking her head. “Fine. Send it to Amal.” Bob walked out of the booth. The man next to him laughed.    “That was a nice display there, girls. Rather humorous."   They began chatting with him, finding out that he was originally from Morocco, but had gotten stuck here after the U.S. closed its borders.   “Where are you from?” The man turned his attention to Hadi.   “My family’s from Egypt.” She smiled.   “That would explain it.” He nodded, smiling back.   “Have you had any trouble with thugs recently?” Billy leaned against the wooden stand as she asked. “We had a run-in with some guys yesterday.”   “I think I know who you’re talking about. The leader is a big guy with a helmet and sunglasses?”   “That’s him.” Billy nodded.   “We pool our money around here to pay them off. We’ve seen what they do to those who don’t pay..”   Billy nodded again in understanding. “I see. Well, we’ll keep an eye out.” Billy shakes hands with a man before pulling out a wad of cash, and putting it in his hand. He smiles a toothy, somewhat rotted smile. “They’ll be delivered tomorrow.”   “Thanks.” Billy bows her head slightly before walking over to Hadi. She is standing on the fence, reaching over to pet one of the cows. Billy places her hand on Hadi’s back, getting her attention.    Hadi smiles over at her. “Are you finished?”   “I am.” Billy confirms. “We’re finally done for the day and can head back.”   Hadi jumps off the fence and turns to face Billy. “We could or…”   “Or what?” Billy raises an eyebrow.   “We could just run off for the rest of the evening.”   Billy smiles. “I could make that happen.”    They walked over to the motorcycle. Billy gets on, and Hadi holds onto her, her head resting against Billy’s back. Billy grabs Hadi’s arm, helping to pull her up onto the boulder. She takes her jacket off, setting it onto the ground. Hadi sits down on it with a small smile.   “The view here is gorgeous.” It is dark but light enough to still see the landscape sprawling out in front of them. There are lights speckled here and there. “It looks like clusters of stars.”   “It kinda does.”   They sat in silence for a bit, the warm summer air around them. There were crickets chirping as the sky grew darker.    Hadi looks over at her, finally speaking. “I wish we could get married.”   Billy smiles at the sweet comment. “I may not be able to get married legally, but I’ll happily promise myself to you for the rest of my life.” Billy shifts to get down on one knee, pulling the large ring off her finger.   “Your dad gave that to you before you went overseas. You can’t give that to me.” Hadi shook her head.   “You mean more to me.” Billy grabs her hand and slips the ring on. “Plus, it’ll keep you safe.” She smiles at her own comment.   Hadi smiles down at the ring before holding it to her heart as Billy sits back down. “Love, are you sad we won’t be able to ever have contact if I don’t want to get infected?”   “I’m just happy being around you. As long as you’re in my life, there’s nothing more that I need.”    “You still need food and water.” Hadi laughed.   “I’m pretty sure I could just happily bask in your presence, needing nothing more.”  Billy shrugs.   Hadi rests her head against Billy’s shoulder. Billy wraps her arm around her shoulder as Hadi says something under her breath.   “What’d you just say?”   “I said you’re the best person I know, and I want you for the rest of my life.”    Billy smiles, running her fingers through Hadi’s hair. JakMarandDax Billy slowly wakes up, looking over to see Hadi by her side, still sleeping peacefully. She reaches over to touch the bare skin of her shoulder gently, waking her up. A sleepy smile appears on Hadi’s face as she locks her dark brown eyes with Billy’s. She opens her mouth and mutters her usual ‘good morning’ in Arabic.   “Good morning to you too.” Billy smiles.   Billy’s dog stirs from the bottom of the bed as the girls wake. Azreal stands up and stretches before looking at them with a wagging tail.   “Good boy, Az. Come here.” Billy pats the bed in between the two of them. Azreal makes his way up the bed before lying down. Hadi wraps her arms around his neck, kissing his head while Billy gives him a good belly rub.   After a while, they get out of bed to get ready, as they have to make breakfast today. Hadi grabs the brush off the dresser, handing it to Billy and turning her back to her. Billy brushes Hadi’s silky smooth pitch black waist-length hair for her. Once finished, Billy helps Hadi pick out a hijab for today, picking from her collection of bright, colorful, and patterned options.    Billy, on the other hand, picks up some jeans off the floor, smells them, and shrugs, pulling them on. She pulls a tank top on, not needing a bra with her smaller chest. She glances over at Hadi, who isn’t in the same department, having been gifted.   “I’ll make some coffee while you finish getting dressed.” Billy makes eye contact with Hadi in the crescent moon mirror that hangs over the dresser, where Hadi is pulling out her clothes for the day. She nods and flashes her a small smile as Billy heads for the door.   Billy walks down the hallway, admiring the Arabic items that once were Hadi’s grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ from before the States were closed off. They use to bring in gifts to their family every time they flew back and forth, but eventually, the States cut off all contact from outside their borders, making travel like that nearly impossible. Billy always wonders what Hadi and her father’s lives would’ve been like if they had been born in Egypt instead.   The other houses in the colony are different from theirs, as most of them lack any sort of personality. Those who live in them have been smuggled past Haven’s borders, only bringing the necessities with them, leaving their houses bare and impersonal, yet it’s still much better than living out in No Man’s Land with the infected.   Billy walks past Hadi’s father, Hassan, as he’s doing his prayers in the living room. She is careful not to disturb him as she makes her way into the kitchen, starting a pot of coffee. By the time it’s done, Hadi has made her way downstairs, and Hassan has finished his prayers. Billy pours the three of them a cup, setting it on the table as Hassan sits down.   “The crops could really use some rain.” Hadi says as she peeks out the window over the kitchen sink, letting in a bit of light from the dawn.   “Doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any.” Billy glances out the window at the lack of clouds. She looks back up at the clock on the wall. “We should get going, Hadi.”   “Alright.” Hadi walks over to grab her mug of coffee, kissing her father on his head. “See you later, baba.”   Hassan says something to her in Arabic, but the only thing Billy recognizes is ‘habibti’. The two leave the house and head for the building to make some breakfast for the colony. ---- Hadi and Billy sit together at the long tables, eating the breakfast they made with the other residents. Hassan had been sitting by them but picked up his plate to go and talk to someone else at a different table. Billy smiles at the two older guys, laughing together, likely making some stupid joke only they would find funny.    Billy does a once-over of the room, proud of what they’ve built there. People from every walk of life are here. Maybe things aren’t perfect, but they’re making the best of it. She notes the wounds from their pasts: scars, missing limbs, even some decently fresh wounds having only been brought here in the last month by her. But no matter what they endured out in No Man’s Land, people still fight to live on after those times, after the hardships and the loss. Their lives may never be normal, and they’ll never be perfect, but they still try to make the most of what they have.   Hadi taps Billy on her shoulder, getting her attention. “Are you done?”   Billy looks down at her empty plate and nods. “I’m ready to go to work if you are.” Billy gets up and tells Imani and Demetrius to make sure people get to where they’re needed for their shifts.    “Alright.” They both confirm they understand; before Billy and Hadi head out, Az gets up and follows after them. ---- Billy hands Hadi a cold mason jar of water before sitting beside her. Hadi thanks her in Arabic.    “Lot of cicadas this summer.” Billy wipes some sweat from her brow, noting the sounds around them. She takes a drink of her own water before checking the dish in front of a panting Azreal, who’s sitting in the shade of the tree next to them. Billy pours some of her water into his bowl, and he starts lapping it up. “Az needs another good brushing. His shedding is getting out of control.” She picks a few of his hairs off of her tank top.   “We can.” Hadi smiles at Billy, but her smile turns to confusion as she looks past Billy.   Billy follows her gaze, seeing a couple of pickup trucks driving through the community and stopping where everyone is gathered for lunch. A handful of men jump out of the truck beds, guns in hand. Billy walks over to talk to them, Azreal getting up and standing by her leg. Hadi follows as well, standing by Billy’s side.   “What are you doing here?” Billy speaks up, getting the men’s attention.    One man steps forward. He is a tall and heavy-set male. On his head, he is wearing a Vietnam-era combat helmet, a pack of cigarettes held there by the netting. He wears mirrored aviators, a handlebar mustache, and a sneer. A cigarette sits between his chapped lips. In his left hand is a casually held M16, pointed at the ground. He pulls the cigarette from his mouth, flicking it away.    Hadi says something in Arabic about him. Billy thinks to herself that the word she would’ve used is dickbag.    The man looks the two of them up and down, apparent through his exaggerated head motion.  “I’d like to speak with the boss here, little ladies.”   Billy rests her hand on her holster casually. “I’m the one in charge. What do you want?”   He chuckles, saying something about women, turning to face his men. Billy doesn’t catch it all, but his men seem to find it rather funny. He turns back to Billy, as everyone who was eating lunch is now gathered around to see what happens. Many of them are prepared to fight if necessary.    “Me and my boys take care of people around this area.”   “What exactly do you protect them from?” Hadi asks the man.   The man smiles as he turns his attention toward her, causing Billy to clench her fist, hating the look in his eyes. “There’s a lotta bad people out here. Lotta people willing to burn down your houses, rape your women, kill your little kiddies, even. That is if you don’t have the right protection.”   “Extortion.” Billy mutters.   Hadi crosses her arms, glaring at them. “You’re terrible. You go and get money from people who you’d terrorize otherwise.”   The man strides over to them. “Aren’t women from where you’re from not supposed to talk?”   Billy steps forward as Azreal starts growling. “Back the fuck off.”   The man grabs Hadi’s hijab, pulling at it slightly. Billy tackles him, and his helmet skids away from him as he hits the ground. Billy begins beating the shit out of him. He attempts to push her off, his hands in her face. One finger slips into her mouth, and she bites it off, resulting in a sickening crunch and a bloodcurdling scream from the man.   Hadi pulls Billy off of him, stopping her from killing him. Billy spits his finger out onto the green grass as the man holds his gushing hand. Billy is breathing deeply, covered in the man’s splattered blood.   His men watch in shock as Azreal barks at them. Those who were working on the houses have their weapons out, some holding hammers or 2x4s. His men help him up as blood slips through the hand that holds his finger. He pushes them away and heads for the trucks. His men follow after him, but before leaving, he turns to face them.    “I’ll be back, you fucking cunts! You’ll fucking regret this!” ---- Billy opens the door for Hadi, letting her go in first. She closes the door after them.    Hassan greets them as they walk in. He stands up from his recliner in the living room. “Sybil, I heard what happened today. Thank you for protecting my Hadi.”   “I’d do whatever to keep her safe.” Billy nods. “To keep the people here safe. I’ll send a report to the N.C.R. tomorrow.”   “That seems wise.”    “We’re tired.” Hadi speaks up. “We’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, baba.”   The two girls and Azreal head up the stairs and into their bedroom. Azreal finds his spot on the bed while the two of them get ready for bed. As they got undressed, Hadi continued to teach Billy her daily dose of Arabic.    Hadi spoke the new phrase but a little too quickly for Billy to understand.    “Break that down, Hadi.” She chuckled to herself, tossing the jeans into a pile to be washed.   Hadi turned to face Billy. Hadi’s hair fell around her shoulders as she unpinned the hijab, setting it in a neatly folded pile of fabric on the dresser. “Ana sa-ee-da wa-ana ma-aa-ki.” She paused for a moment. “Ana.”   “Ana.” Billy repeated after her.   “Sa-ee-da.” A sweet smile grew on her face. Billy knew just how much Hadi loved teaching, taking a chance to hang out with the kids from No Man’s Land whenever she could.   “Sa-ee-da.”   “Wa-ana ma-aa-ki.”   “Wa-ana ma-aa-ki.” Billy pulled on a pair of clean underwear, having no desire to wear a day’s old pair to bed.   “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki.” She said it all together once more.   “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki.” Billy raised an eyebrow. Hadi smiled in approval with a nod. “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki. Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki. Okay. Got it.”   “I’m happy when I’m with you.” Hadi revealed what she had taught her meant.   Billy rolled her eyes at Hadi’s sappiness before smiling at her. “I’m happy with you too, Hadi.” Billy took her hand, touching it to her cheek. The two resume their changing as Billy speaks again. “Are you ever going to teach me how to curse?”   “You know I don’t know how to.” Hadi rolled her eyes.    “Nerd.” Billy laughed as Hadi playfully pushed her shoulder. “But that’s kinda weird cause I thought I heard you cuss when that guy threw his cigarette.”   Hadi smiled. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”   “Wallahi?”   Hadi pouted slightly. “That’s not fair.”   Billy shrugs as she walks over and lays down on the bed, doing the bare minimum to get ready for bed. She watches as Hadi gets changed, admiring her.    At one point, Hadi turns to see her and blushes. “You’re making me feel embarrassed with all the staring.”   “How can I help but stare when there’s something so beautiful in front of me?”    “Stooop.” Hadi throws a shirt at her face with a smile.    Eventually, Hadi gets into bed. Billy kisses her hand. “Good night, my love.” ---- Billy stretches as she wakes up, checking to see if Hadi is still asleep. “At least we don’t have to make breakfast today, so we can sit in bed together for a while.”   “I like when we get to do that.” Hadi spoke before yawning. “What do you have to do today?”   “I’ve got to ride out to make some livestock trades, as well as report that guy yesterday to the N.C.R.”   “Can I come along for the ride?”    Billy shrugs. “I’m sure they can handle it for the day. Besides, I’ll always take whatever time I can get with you.” Billy smiles and kisses Hadi’s hand before kissing up her arm and neck.    Billy nuzzles into her neck as Hadi giggles. “That tickles.”   Eventually, Billy lays back down on her side of the bed and looks over at Hadi with a smile. Hadi gets up to go take a shower, while Billy decides to go back to sleep for a little bit. She pats the bed next to her, causing Azreal to crawl up to her. Billy wraps her arms around him, falling back asleep, cuddling him. ---- Billy wakes up again, no longer hearing the shower. She gets up and out of the bed, slips on some clothes, and heads downstairs.    “I have something for you, love.” Hadi walked over to her with a small box in hand.    Billy opened it, revealing an evil eye necklace. “Hadi.” Billy looked up at her with a soft smile.    “Baba and I asked Farah to make it.” Hadi picked it up out of the box and walked around to put it on Billy. “It’ll keep you safe.” Hadi walked back around to gently touch the charm. She pulls out her Hand of Fatima necklace with the evil eye on it. “Both of us will be kept safe now.”   “Thank you, Hadi. And you too, Hassan.” Billy called out to him in the other room.    Hassan got up and walked into the room. “Hadi’s teta gave it to her.” He referred to Hadi’s necklace.   Billy looked over at Hadi, confused by who they were talking about.   “Grandma.” Hadi reminded her.   “Oh, okay.” She nodded in understanding.    “It was originally my great-grandmother’s.”   “Well, I love it.” Billy kisses Hadi’s forehead.    The bell signaling it’s time for breakfast rings, getting the three of them out of the house and walking down the road. Billy looks around, smiling at their little slice of life here. Houses lining the road. A once unfinished neighborhood from before the Divide is now a thriving community. A refuge for those who’ve had hard lives. The community is called Amal, a new hope for those who come here. Those who are part of the community finish the houses for the next group of people coming to live here.   Kids, adults, and even some pets head toward the community center to have some breakfast together. Billy slips her hand into Hadi’s, who smiles up at her cheerfully. Her skin glistened in the sunrise. Billy squeezes her hand, a smile on her own face. ---- Billy and Hadi arrive in the town that mostly deals in the trading of livestock and crops. Billy notes the newly set up gates and the walls being constructed around the city.   “People are starting to get worried about the infection hitting us in Haven.” Billy glances over at Hadi as she removes the motorcycle helmet. “I can’t help but wonder why people are worrying about it now, rather than when the infection first hit or even when they first started moving the raffle winners out here.”   “Maybe it’s just in the air, fear and worry.” Hadi speaks, looking around them as they walk through the market.   Billy shrugs. “I get that. You’ve got to keep those you love safe.” Billy stopped at the booth they were headed to. He had agreed to sell some older equipment to Amal. She pulled out the cash she was carrying in her bag, counting out the money they had agreed on earlier. “Ten thousand. As agreed.”   He pushes the money away, shaking his head. “Sorry, Sybil. I got a better offer a few days ago.” He crossed his large hairy arms over his chest, shrugging casually.    Billy scowled. “That’s bullshit, Bob. We made a deal, you can’t just change it now. We agreed on ten grand.   “Shit outta luck.” He shrugged again. Billy turned to Hadi, a scowl still on her face. “Sabah al-khayr.” She spoke loudly enough for him to hear them, though there was no doubt in Billy’s mind that he couldn’t understand.   “Ana ga-an, inti aysa tekkli-eh il-na-har-da?” Hadi glanced over at the man, shaking her head, before looking back at me. Billy made sure to not crack a smile at her comment of asking her what she wanted to eat.   “Wahid, itnayn, talatha, arbaa, khamsa, sit-ta, sebaa, taminya, tis-aa, aashaaraa.” Billy began counting from one through ten. She shook her head, her tone growing more angry.   Tears formed in Hadi’s eyes, breaking eye contact with Billy’s. Billy quickly grabbed her wrist. Her eyes snapped back up to Billy, wide with shock. “Ayas aa khoosh al hamam.” Hadi muttered, the sadness all too clear. Apparently, Hadi really wanted to go to the bathroom.   “Ana saaeeda wana ma-aki, habibti.” Billy scowled at her, letting go of her wrist. She looked back over at Bob who looked concerned by the whole conversation.    “Sybil.” He put his hands up. “Ten grand is fine. I’ll tell the other guy tough luck.” He glanced over at Hadi for a moment, before looking back at Billy.    Billy took a deep breath, shaking her head. “Fine. Send it to Amal.” Bob walked out of the booth. The man next to him laughed.    “That was a nice display there, girls. Rather humorous."   They began chatting with him, finding out that he was originally from Morocco, but had gotten stuck here after the U.S. closed its borders.   “Where are you from?” The man turned his attention to Hadi.   “My family’s from Egypt.” She smiled.   “That would explain it.” He nodded, smiling back.   “Have you had any trouble with thugs recently?” Billy leaned against the wooden stand as she asked. “We had a run-in with some guys yesterday.”   “I think I know who you’re talking about. The leader is a big guy with a helmet and sunglasses?”   “That’s him.” Billy nodded.   “We pool our money around here to pay them off. We’ve seen what they do to those who don’t pay..”   Billy nodded again in understanding. “I see. Well, we’ll keep an eye out.” ---- Billy shakes hands with a man before pulling out a wad of cash, and putting it in his hand. He smiles a toothy, somewhat rotted smile. “They’ll be delivered tomorrow.”   “Thanks.” Billy bows her head slightly before walking over to Hadi. She is standing on the fence, reaching over to pet one of the cows. Billy places her hand on Hadi’s back, getting her attention.    Hadi smiles over at her. “Are you finished?”   “I am.” Billy confirms. “We’re finally done for the day and can head back.”   Hadi jumps off the fence and turns to face Billy. “We could or…”   “Or what?” Billy raises an eyebrow.   “We could just run off for the rest of the evening.”   Billy smiles. “I could make that happen.”    They walked over to the motorcycle. Billy gets on, and Hadi holds onto her, her head resting against Billy’s back. ---- Billy grabs Hadi’s arm, helping to pull her up onto the boulder. She takes her jacket off, setting it onto the ground. Hadi sits down on it with a small smile.   “The view here is gorgeous.” It is dark but light enough to still see the landscape sprawling out in front of them. There are lights speckled here and there. “It looks like clusters of stars.”   “It kinda does.”   They sat in silence for a bit, the warm summer air around them. There were crickets chirping as the sky grew darker.    Hadi looks over at her, finally speaking. “I wish we could get married.”   Billy smiles at the sweet comment. “I may not be able to get married legally, but I’ll happily promise myself to you for the rest of my life.” Billy shifts to get down on one knee, pulling the large ring off her finger. “Your dad gave that to you before you went overseas. You can’t give that to me.” Hadi shook her head.   “You mean more to me.” Billy grabs her hand and slips the ring on. “Plus, it’ll keep you safe.” She smiles at her own comment.   Hadi smiles down at the ring before holding it to her heart as Billy sits back down. “Love, are you sad we won’t be able to ever have contact if I don’t want to get infected?”   “I’m just happy being around you. As long as you’re in my life, there’s nothing more that I need.”    “You still need food and water.” Hadi laughed.   “I’m pretty sure I could just happily bask in your presence, needing nothing more.”  Billy shrugs.   Hadi rests her head against Billy’s shoulder. Billy wraps her arm around her shoulder as Hadi says something under her breath.   “What’d you just say?”   “I said you’re the best person I know, and I want you for the rest of my life.”    Billy smiles, running her fingers through Hadi’s hair. ---- If you didn’t see it already, this is book two of the series. It’s not vital to read the first one, but I’d recommend it. The first book is called The Divided States of America. There are also short stories in the series. As Quiet As Death and Dust in the Wind have already been published, if you’d like to check them out. I hope you stick around to see where this story goes, as this is one of my favorite stories I’ve written. In any case, thank you for reading, and I hope you have a great day!

His name is Jayeon-Jigu Hayan Simjang (Nature-Earth White Heart), and he is part of the only seven families that is part of the new generational names. Everyone else's families are part of the letter naming sense. The seven families are: Wang-Gwan, Je-3ui-Nun, Mog, Simjang, Taeyang-Singyeongchong, Cheongol, and Ppuli. Jayeon, Jay for short, was part of the Simjang Family of the 10th Generation. The 10th Generation was also called the Alexandrite Generation, after the 10th gemstone of the A to Z Gem Factor. And the A to Z Gem Factor isn't really important right now. But, what was important, was that Jay was going on his first Gemstone Dungeon Hunt today. And today he was getting his first Gemstone to eat to awaken his first abilities. And the Gemstone Dungeon that he needs to complete is called the Diopside Dungeon, because it makes Diopside gemstones. The reason that his family chose this Gemstone Dungeon, GD for short, was because it was the dungeon that most resembles his name in Korean. So, as he headed out, he thought about the past generations. The 1st Generation or Abalone Shell Generation was the most accomplished generation thus far. The 2nd Generation or Achroite Generation was the generation with the most amount of abilities. The 3rd Generation or Actinolite Generation was the generation with the most kids with at least one ability. The 4th Generation or the Adamite Generation was the generation with the least amount of kids with at least one ability. The 5th Generation or the Aegirine Generation was the generation that had the least amount of abilities in each kid of this generation. The 6th Generation or the Afghanite Generation was a normal, average generation. The 7th and 8th Generations, or Agate and Ajoite Generations, were also average generations. However, the 9th Generation or the Alabaster Generation had the least amount of kids with the least amount of abilities. This generation is also known as the Small Generation. And the current generation, the Alexandrite Generation is, so far, an average generation. But who knew that this was a generation of Dark Horses?

Name: Alpha Omega Title: The Beginning and The End, One Above All, The Creator, The exiled of Worlds. Job: The Observer of YGGDRASIL, Guild Master of Trinity, Creator. Residence: The Eight Heaven. Alignment: Neutral Good. Sense of Justice : 0? . Racial Level: Cthulhu : M̵̦͂͒̒͒́̉̀̀̂̂̚g̵͔͔̥̘̜̱̯͂̒́͌͐̓̑̊̋̌́̕̚ͅk̸̫̩͋͆ą̷̛̛͕͚̩̲͑̓̉͗̌͗̏̚̚͝d̷͕͇̹̈į̶̰̪̫̟͇̗̞̱̘͕̺̌̄́̿̂͌̿͂̐̚̚̚͜͝͝ͅs̷̻̓̋̊͂̆͗͋̄̇̕h̸̖̯̞̔͝ţ̴̟̹̳̐́̈́̃̇̍͝͝ú̷̧̺͖̓̓̎͊̐̔́̚ Creation : 5 Destruction : 5 . Job Level: World Creator : 5 The Chaos : 5 Creator of YGGDRASIL : 5 All-Knowing: 5 Alien God: 5̷̡͍̼͇̜̬̲̞̲͉̩̭͚̎̂͆͑̈́͌̂̚͘͝ The Law : 5 Primordial : 5 The One : 5 The Master of All : 5 Observer : 5 Transduality : 5 Others Racial Level + Job Level = 1̵̤̘͖͉̦̦̥͐͊̀̊̃̈́̋̇̈́̀͜ͅ0̴̢̪̰̗̺̠̗̠̯͚̝͔̩̄̈͜͝0̸̺̼̹̬̜̗̼̟̝͓̙͔͎̋̅̌̽̑̒̌͝ͅ Level Ability Chart HP : Irrelevant?  MP : Unknown Phy. ATK : 200 Phy. DEF : Irrelevant Agility : Unknown Mag. ATK : Unknown Mag. DEF: Unknown Resist: Unknown Special : Unknown Over the limit (dead), still dreaming, Cthulhu, (at) R'lyeh, (in) the residential place (palace), lies Further information will be given. You know what, I made her freakingly OP, also Unknown mean "There's no information about her". Give me your thoughts about this!  

A silk dress, once sewn by a mother or a grandmother, was torn to shreds and scattered among the rubble. She laid naked with torn silk and embers around her. She felt pain. Not the pain when she tripped on her way to the arcade down the street. Not the pain when her cat scratched her. She felt real pain. Real continuous pain. She crawled, but everywhere she placed her hand an ember seared her. The embers fell like rain from the dark looming cloud that rose from the scorched and flattened city. No building stood. No houses. No hospitals. No stores. No Arcades. Long mounds of blazing rubble and the girl with the torn silk dress remained.   It was an easy job. We didn't man the cannons. We didn't load them. We didn't maintenance them. We would hear them. Waited for them to destroy everything below. We were the cleanup crew. There were always survivors. We never knew how they survived. A miracle each time, but short lived. Once the cannons stopped, that was our que. The hatch opened and dark red-orange light poured in from the scorched planet. I never got used to the feeling in my stomach from the drop. Our ship rattled and shook both of our seats. The heat cooked us but never enough to kill us.   When we pierced through the dark clouds, the blue glow of the instrumentation lit up, searching. It was the first time I saw a survivor before the instrumentation. I remember seeing the glittering pieces of silk from the window. The pieces stood out like stars, shimmering against the dark rubble. The instrumentation buzzed. My partner turned the ship towards her.   It was quick. He shot her twice. Once in the face and once in the chest.   On the next planet, I shot him  

"Will I find the source of melancholy in my mind?" I am one sick fuck. I boot up the monitor. Or at least I feel like one. I punch in my password. As far as anyone can tell, I’m just a regular 23 year old guy. I pull up my browser. Unless they saw my browser history. I open an incognito tab. They’d think there’s something wrong with me. I brought up the subreddit. And they’d be right! I take a deep breath in. Calm down, it’s just a fetish. I think to myself. Exhale that breath. Then why have I never been able to shake this feeling that something is seriously wrong with me? It’s haunted me my whole life. Long before I discovered auditory erotica, before graduation, the pandemic, and getting depressed I knew there was a problem. I paused to reflect before scrolling down the page. You’ve had body issues since the start of high school. Deep down you remember that this sense of wrongness about your body has lingered since childhood. You grew up in a loving family and you made some really good friends. You tried to do your best to fit in and be normal for them but I guess I still turned out fucked. I took another deep breath in and held it a little while before exhaling.  You’re working with what you’ve got and trying to make the most of it. Too uncomfortable with your own body to touch yourself? Introducing the hands free orgasm baby!  Never got addicted to traditional porn but laid off, locked down and unable to outrun yourself any longer, you’re in deep now Archie. Finally I started scrolling.  This was a subreddit I’d found for erotic audio files. Honestly, it wasn’t the first I’d frequented but this latest one had all the good stuff. From spicy leaked Only Fans ASMR audio to guided meditations for increasing sexual energy to commissioned self hypnosis sessions and everything in between, I’ve been going further and further down the rabbit hole for weeks now. Which brings me to tonight. I discovered a new audio file. The post was made a couple of days ago. Coincidentally, it was only a few hours old when I first read its description but it’s been running through my mind ever since:   Once you enter this trance, there is no going back. Once you press play, the spiral begins. Your obsession has brought you here. The answers you seek lay within. What you do with the truth is up to you.   Reading these mysterious lines for the first time sent a chill up my spine. It was silly of me. Really. Plenty of fetish trances came with vague warnings like this and it’s not like listening to it was going to actually cause anything to happen to me. Most of the fun of getting off this way is that it’s all in your head. Cryptic uploads are meant to enhance that experience. It’s more exciting when you play along and pretend that you’re really doing something irreversible and dangerous. It’s from that suspension of disbelief that I really started to feel turned on listening to degenerate shit like this.  But what kind of degeneracy is this? My curiosity had been piqued and I wanted to make up my mind. Was I going to check it out or not? What kind of answers would I find? It was when I went to the comments section to double check I wasn’t about to download a virus that things started to get weird. First, listeners couldn’t agree on the length of the audio file. Upon downloading spiral.mp3, users experienced similar download times for files of varying sizes. They were all high quality audio recordings but they varied in length from around 45 minutes to up to 4 hours. The content was also different according to each user. For some, it was simply a really good furry or inflation HFO. For others, it was more dramatic. Several users claimed they went into intense trances that resulted in subtle changes to their bodies. In the days that followed, the comments piled up. As more and more users listened to the file, the reported effects became more extreme. Naturally, this drew trolls who claimed it was all fake. People would announce their intentions to listen to the file in order to debunk the whole thing only to never report back with their findings. The more time that went by, the stranger it all seemed. Jokes were made that spiral.mp3 was a magical cursed audio file with individual results unique to each listener. Yet there was absolutely no way that could be real right?  I’d scrolled down to the infamous download link. Thinking back on how I got here sounds like something out of a bad creepy pasta. Except I had felt the pull of spiral.mp3. With each new listener, the strange allure of the file grew and it felt like it was an itch that I needed to scratch. My imagination was running wild. I’d never told anyone my dirty little secret. Would anything happen to my body? Would anybody notice? Why did the haters never respond once they apparently started the file? How long would it be before it gets taken down? How long would it be before I found out for myself? Which brings me to right now. I’m going to listen to it.

"Alright! You're up!" I jerk slightly as my English teacher points directly at me. The previous timid student had just finished stumbling through their speech a couple minutes ago and I was still distracted from my daydreams by the time my teacher had called out to me. "Right, sorry... I'll get up and get ready." I say as I begin to get up from my chair and scratch the back of my head in embarrassment. As I walk over to the end of the room for my upcoming speech, I notice how the eyes of everyone in the room seem to follow me. For most people this would probably be pretty nerve racking, but thanks to my prior public speaking experience I had no problem tuning them out. It's probably due to my years of practice in public speaking that I'm barely nervous at all when I finally take my place in front of the class to make my speech. I had already in the past done several speeches by improvising on the spot from a random topic given to me, which is why the prospect of being given a random topic barely registered in my mind when I was first introduced to the public speaking exercise by my English teacher. Although... I noticed from the previous speeches that the topics given to us students tended to be different from the topics given to me in the public speaking club. Usually topics in the public speaking club would be simple, yet difficult topics to base a speech around like "water" or "The U.S". In comparison the topics my teacher gave out seemed a lot more... Personal? Stuff like "What are you grateful for?" or "What's one thing you did today that you enjoyed?", things like that. Still I wasn't worried, even if I got a weird personal topic, I knew I would be able to improvise on the spot just like I had with my other previous speeches. As I entered a relaxed position in front of my class, I looked to my teacher to indicate I was ready to begin. My teacher looked back at me and then down onto their sheet to pick one of the random topics for me. Apparently they didn't want any repeat topics, so whatever topic I was about to be given, I hadn't heard of before. My English teacher finally nods and gives themselves a small smile, seemingly in response to picking a topic for me. They look me in the eyes once more and say... "Your topic for today will be: What part of your body are you grateful for?" . .. ... I freeze. All life is drained out of me when I hear those words... when I hear what I'm supposed to talk about for the next 5 minutes. "...I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear that. Could you please repeat the topic for me again?" My teacher gives me a bit of a confused look, it's pretty obvious that I should've heard what they said, but I need to make sure this is really what I'm going to have to talk about. "Allow me to repeat myself then. Your topic is: What part of your body are you grateful for?" Shit. I didn't mishear them. Fuck I wish I did. Okay... I let out a large breath as I attempt to calm myself down to get ready to give my speech. I turn my head up towards the ceiling to indicate that I'm thinking about what I'm going to say, I know I only have about 20 seconds so I better be quick. Okay so what part of my body am I actually grateful for? Blank Horrifyingly, I can't think of anything as I stand there stupidly with my eyes staring at the ceiling. Like seriously? Do I not like a single part of my body? I have to like some part of my body, everyone does! I take another deep breath to calm myself down, my 20 seconds are now up and I'll have to use whatever I have. "...It's usually pretty difficult for most people to determine what exactly about their body they like the most, beyond obvious things like being able to see..." I don't actually know if it is difficult for most people, but I don't fucking care about that. I'm delaying the actual contents of my speech by B.S'ing right now, but I know I can only delay for 30 seconds at most and maybe take 10 seconds afterwards to speak and play it off like a dramatic pause. My mind races on something I could actually praise about my body. Maybe my hair? No, probably not, it's at an awkward length and I haven't bothered to even brush it this morning. How about my arms? They're not the worst... I think? Fuck I don't actually like my arms, okay something else then... "What makes the choice of what part of someone's body one appreciates can say a lot about that person and things they tend to value...". I continue to B.S my speech, trying to buy myself more time to think, but I'm still drawing a blank, I can't think of anything. "So for me, the part of my body I'm most grateful for is...". There it is, the pause. I have 10 seconds to say anything, literally anything about my body that I even slightly fucking like. But I'm still drawing a blank, I can't talk about my shoulders since I hate their size, I can't talk about my legs without feeling deeply uncomfortable, I can't seemingly talk about anything. Come on am I really this fucking useless? Can't even think of a single FUCKING part of my body I can even tolerate?! Fuck it, just say something about my face, that will be easy. Say something about my eyes or my nose or whatever most people usually say. I look at the crowd of students, take one last deep breath, and open my mouth... but no sound comes out. Holy shit What does my face even look like? I realized at that moment that I don't even know what I look like... when I think of my face literally nothing comes up. And I know that's not normal, but how the FUCK do I not know my own face? I see it everyday... right? Except I don't, I never look in the mirror when I brush my teeth and I always avoid being in photos like my life depends on it.  My 10 second pause by this point had turned into a 30 second one and my teacher, seemingly annoyed at my sudden silence, speaks up. "Umm, do you think you could continue your speech please?" ... Could I continue my speech? I mentally pause as I look down at my body, covered in baggy long clothing. "...No, I don't think I can continue my speech. Sorry." My teacher frowns and stares at me when I say that. My classmates are less harsh, but look at the both of us with increasingly confused expressions. My teacher speaks up "This is an official exercise that is a part of the class, you need to continue your speech. There must be something you are grateful for with your body!" Tears start to form in my eyes, fuck when was the last time I cried? I can't even fucking remember... I blink them away, I can't cry here, I can't show that I'm weak to the rest of my class. I speak up. "No, I don't have anything about my body that I'm grateful for." I sneer as I say... "I hate my body, is that what you want to hear!". My raised voice and shift in tone visibly startles some of the students listening in. My teacher, still angry and confused, seems to take a second to think about what they are going to say next. I don't bother waiting for their response, I just start walking back to my desk to sit back down. My teacher finally speaks up "If you don't finish your speech I'll have to assign you a zero on this assignment!". I look at them, my eyes still slightly red when I do so and say "okay... I'm fine with getting a zero". My teacher probably has another angry confused look on her face, but I say 'probably' since by this point I've already sat back down on my chair and put my head onto my desk. I'm vaguely aware that in the background the next student has been called to give their speech, but I couldn't care less at this point, I could only focus on making sure my sobs weren't audible to the rest of the class. Fuck I really do hate my body... okk152 Hey everyone! This is the first story I've ever posted online so I hope you guys enjoyed it! Or at least was engaged by it, since I know it's not exactly a fun happy story. If you couldn't tell this story basically just focuses on the body dysphoria that our trans protagonist feels. Also if you've noticed the gender of the protagonist is purposely left vague, which is why I slapped the "genderless protagonist" tag onto this story. This story is actually based off of a similar situation I had to go through in my 12th grade year in Highschool, the difference being that the random topic wasn't harsh as the one given to our protagonist here. Anyways hope y'all liked the story and I hope you have a good day/afternoon/night/whatever!

‘Dililing!’ My doorbell rings as a gaggle of three excited girls enter my shop. Not my usual clientele, but today is a slow day anyway. I pretend I haven’t noticed them yet, it puts the customer at ease. The one of the three wearing her uniform jacket at the waist goes straight for the counter, practically slamming her arm next to the till. I move my eyes away from my magazine and turn my head towards her. She’s smiling confidently at me. I notice the embroidered patch of a soccer ball on her shirt’s collar, she does give off that kind of sporty vibe. The curious heads of her friends pop up behind her. The one with the elongated ears of a demi-elf is nervously adjusting her glasses, while the third is blowing bubbles into her chewing gum, whatever currently happening on her phone seemingly being of more interest to her. “Welcome to Otrera’s magical emporium, how may I be of assistance today?” I offer. “Is it true there’s a spell to show us our soulmates?” the girl asks, leaning over the counter. Her messy hair bobs along with her motion, she slicks her bang back up. There isn’t one of course. I assume it must’ve been school rumors. “There ain’t gonna be one,” the one on her phone replies for me. She twirls her earring and elaborates. “My aunt’s a witch too, but nooo you had to drag me all the way there.” “Why do you girls want to know your soulmates?” I say, crossing my arms. “Wouldn’t it be better to keep it a surprise?” Truthfully far from me to judge, I’m only asking to prod their intentions. “We wanna know who’s gonna have the best boyfriend, of course!” the soccer girl grins smugly, leaning back up. “I bet it’s mine. He’s gonna be handsome and rich as heck!” Glasses over there is a nervous mess, switching back and forth between tugging on her pigtails and biting her thumbnail. Soccer girl continues her explanation, throwing a glance at phone girl. “But someone here thinks hers is gonna be better, so we came here to know for sure.” Phone girl groans. “That witch can’t tell us Dee, you’re wasting your time. You’re just gonna have to trust that mine’s gonna be bett—” “Yeah I can do that,” I say. I can probably make something up well enough to satisfy them. “Eeeeeeeeeeeh!?” Glasses girl shrieks, finally breaking her silence. “B-but-but-but how?” “I call bullcrap!” Phone girl slams her hand on the counter, making her bracelets jingle. “My aunt can’t do that!” “Then I guess I’m just a more talented witch.” I theatrically stretch and get up from my stool. “How about you follow me in the back?” Soccer girl pumps her fist and jumps over the counter, completely disregarding the flap door. “Hell yeah, the fight’s on!” Phone girl quickly follows behind, jumping into an argument with soccer girl about whether I’m a phony. I look back at glasses girl. “You coming?” She hesitates for a second before rushing past me and trotting towards her friends.   We arrive in my Dazzleroom. That’s where I take my customers that require a spell on the go. The spectacle is an important part of convincing them it’s real, regardless of when it is and isn’t. I order them around a waist-high round table in the middle, then, taking my spot, I slide in a curtain to hide the bottom half of my face and reinforce the mystique. “So what’s all you three’s names?” “I’m Daisy, but call me Dee!” Soccer girl replies immediately. Glasses girl drums her fingers on the table. “Ah, uh, I’m— I’m Emily!” She blushes and smiles in a pretty telling way. “I’m Emily.” Dee bumps her in the shoulder before ruffling her hair. “Well, happy to hear that you’re proud of your name, Emily.” She smiles even wider. I look at phone girl. She’s shoved it in her pocket by now though, so bubblegum girl? Not for long anyways. I bounce my eyebrows twice to get her to talk. Nothing. I tilt my head in her direction. Still nothing. “C’mon… The thing about being better than your aunt, just a rubbish joke, okay?” She groans. “Fffine, I’m Stephanie.” She blows another bubble, letting it pop before chewing it back in. “But I still think you’re a con artist.” “Then I shall prove you wrong.” I open up a drawer to fetch a pen and notepad.. “Now, what kind of partner are you three looking for?” “Rich and handsome!” Dee brandishes her arm to the sky. “And strong too, I guess. Boys that are weaker than you always whine about it and expect you to sink to their level. If they’d ever do that, they’re out!” I nod, doodle a little stick figure, and continue clockwise to Emily. “I… erm… I-I-I don’t know if…” She drums her hands on the table again. “I-if-if I had to have a boyfriend, he’d have to accept me for who I am.” Stephanie shakes her head. “Well that’s obvious. Low standards, Em. You gotta aim higher, girl.” Dee energetically nods in agreement, and with their combined efforts, Emily eventually speaks up once more. “Then… I’d like if… my partner… shared my hobbies.” She retreats into her uniform, her cheeks fuming like she considers what she said to be scandalous. “A-and if he called me cute nicknames. I-I-I’d like that.” “Hu-huh, hu-huh.” With a strained look on my face, I add a hat onto my little drawing person. “Got it. And Stephanie?” She leans melodramatically, turning the table into her little podium. “My prince charming would come from a neighboring kingdom, we would have met at a socialite event where I was a waitress. His parents would’ve expected him to mingle with the high class, but when our gazes crossed, we knew it was love at first sight. We would’ve spent the entire evening slipping glances at each other, before he finally would’ve approached me. After exchanging our names and a few pleasantries, he would’ve asked for my phone number, but alas, it would be against company policy.” She gasps for dramatic effect. “Lost in such an unfair world, we would’ve almost lost touch there and then. But behind his parents’s back, he would search heaven and earth for a waitress named Stephanie, and finally track me down in a small apartment in the capital, and we would elope into a better life, together… We would have three children: two daughters and a boy; and one dog, one cat, three parrots, and two horses.” I stare at her. Under the applause of her friends, I write down my notes for her story onto my notepad. ‘Someone inaccessible.’   Of course, there is no such thing as soulmates. Or rather if there was, they would be fleeting — your idea of your ideal partner would change as you yourself would. Who would be your soulmate in one moment could be completely replaced by someone else at another. The concept, at best, would be unreliable. Yet it’s not like they gave me anything to work with in terms of what to make their made-up boys look like. ‘Treat me right’ this, ‘come from a fairytale’ that, they had helped Emily avoid the lowest common denominator but in no way were their ideas of their true loves any less nebulous. Though I suppose that is what they came to me for. “So? What are our perfect boyfriends gonna be like?” Dee asks, grin on her face. “I bet mine’s better than Steph’s!” “Urgh, in your dreams,” Stephanie replies with a keen smirk. “I’m… going to need some time to attune my magic,” I diplomatically declare. “What’s so good about a prince anyway? Won’t he have like, politics to care about or something?” Dee says. “That’s what the eloping is for!” Stephanie replies like it’s self evident. “So that we don’t have to think about it! Plus, it’s romantic.” “And you think nobody is gonna try to find the missing prince at all?” It’s Dee’s turn to grin, resting her chin on the back of her palm. “Ah, well, a paparazzi every once in a while isn’t bad either…” Stephanie blows out another bubble. Emily, in all this, seems content just listening, her eyes turning back and forth between her two friends as they banter. She has a small smile on her face. The picture in my mind becomes clearer. I know the answer that these girls need. With a snap of my fingers, I produce a spark to get their attention. “Girls, prepare to meet the men of your dreams.” The ambiance is a lot different than earlier. Even Stephanie has come around, completely engrossed into our little session. I wave my hands above the table, powdering it in glistening energy. I raise my index up and start twirling it around, the magical energy coalesces into a miniature storm. It crackles and billows ominously as I change its hues from white to deep purple. The smoke splits and gathers into three distinct mounds, one in front of each of the girls. From each pile a column of magic rises, before extending itself into an oval shape at the top, wind whistling around each. The clouds dissipate to reveal three crystals slowly spinning in front of the girls. I clear my throat, and speak soundly. “These gems will shoot up a ray which will seek out your soulmates. Once they connect, it will produce a locket of their faces, and I will be able to tell you as much as you want to hear about them. Or in other words, each of you will get to discover your ideal partner. After that, no takebacks. Are you ready?” “Yeah!!” They exclaim as one. A pure white ray beams out of each crystal and into the ceiling, buzzing with energy. I let the girls simmer in anticipation for a moment, and start the real part of my show. I grunt. Seemingly out of my control, a thunderbolt flashes across each gem. The buzzing turns into blaring rumbling. The gems start rocking and wobbling at an angle. Then, accompanied by a grinding sound, each ray splits in two. “Cover your eyes!” I shout. With a yelp from Emily, she and Stephanie follow my orders. Unfortunately for me, not Dee. She’s completely captivated by what she’s seeing… Meaning, I can’t tone down the spectacle quite yet. The half beams of the two gems that weren’t in front of her bend sharply in mid-air, plummeting straight towards the top of her head. The other four beams execute the same maneuver, their targets located at other ends of the table. A moment later, all six beams retract back into the gems. They spin faster, faster, they start to shine with all colors of the rainbow. I cover Dee’s eyes with my hand, and the crystals let out an explosive noise. The gems come apart, revealing inside small lockets of Emily, Stephanie and Dee — two of each, distributed accordingly. I give them a moment to speak up first. “That. Was. Awesome,” Dee mutters. “I’m terribly sorry about this, girls,” I say as the other two uncover their eyes and discover the present waiting for them on the table. “I didn’t expect each of you to have two soulmates! Can you believe it?” Dee’s eyes go wide, and her grin goes even wider. She picks up both of her pendants under her thumbs and start wildly checking her two friends out. “No way, no way no way no way!” Emily looks at her own necklaces. She sighs in relief, and holds them against her chest. She stays silent, but she looks serene for the first time since she set foot in my shop. And if you had expected Emily to devolve into blushing, Stephanie picks up the slack. Her head darts from the lockets to Emily to Dee, back to the lockets, to Dee, to Emily, faster and faster, her face heating up more and more. “That…! Can’t be right! I’m… Straight! I’m straight! I’m straight I’m straight I’m straight imstraightimstraightimstraight—” With one last complaint, her head suddenly freezes, she puffs out a heart shaped cloud out of her mouth. Seems like she must have had the Gift herself. Her legs wobble and she sinks onto the table, muttering “My soulmates are girls…” with the happiest of smiles on her face.   “I know I already said this but I’m so deeply, unbelievably sorry, girls, this wasn’t supposed to happen,” I type nonsense onto my cash register, pretending to be distressed out of my mind. “This is all on me, okay? No payment required! We good?” “Magic is awesome!” Dee grins, holding onto Stephanie’s hand tight. The poor girl in question is the filling of their hand-holding sandwich, still not really there and puffing out a smoke heart every now and again. All three of the girls are wearing their precious necklaces. It’s adorable. “We’ll make sure to come back, Miss Otrera,” Emily says, weaving her fingers into Stephanie’s and causing another hiccup of magic. “Thank you so much for your help.” I give them a relieved smile, and wave them goodbye as they step through the door. ‘Dililing!’ goes my doorbell at their departure. It takes a lot of work to make new loyal customers.

ShinInVenture This chapter has been rewritten. YGGDRASIL. Everyone who hears the name will know what it is instantly. Everyone will think of YGGDRASIL when they hear the term "DMMO-RPG," as it's a very well-known DMMO-RPG game. The game attracted the greatest public attention and quickly gained widespread popularity because it gave players freedom, the ability to customize their avatars, variety of classes, and expansive worlds to explore. But, alas, everything will change. The game lost its vibrancy after a long run of twelve years, and hence its developers eventually chose to shut down the game. I looked around me, a majestic throne hall that was so beautiful. Where I sat on the throne, I smiled melancholy, remembering old times when the guild started from me, to the first ranked guild in the entire YGGDRASIL. {ID : 0000000001 Omega Ω Lvl. 10̷̳̳̰͔̝͓͈͇͑̒͗͂̑̑̑̌̐̑͜͜͝͝ͅ0̵̧̢̣̳̟̦͈͔̮̮͈̗̦̅͆͂̓̽́͝ } I may have gotten to the top rank by abusing bugs and developing some relationships with devs, but hey, those are my accomplishments. I am the first player that played YGGDRASIL before it was released, way before the beta. I know most of the bugs, grinding locations, exploitable places, and quests, etc. The developers can not ban me, as I have not broken any rules yet. Eh, if you are asking why I still don't get banned even after exploiting glitches, the answer is simple. My father is the CEO of a company that supported the financial of YGGDRASIL's. (A/N : Spoiled Princess, lmao.) I'm not bragging here. Seriously, why I am speaking like this in my mind tho? Well, anyway, as my father is the CEO that supported the YGGDRASIL company, the devs can not ban me as I haven't done anything that broke the rules. In YGGDRASIL, exploiting glitches and bugs is not bannable, as the bugs and glitches were the devs' fault, though there is a chance to get banned or trolled by devs if you pissed them off, like destroying the game balance, crashing the server, etc.-as that is the way my guild became 1st ranked with the position that can't be shaken for years. The Trinity A guild inspired by Abrahamic religions, united under one banner, ruled by one person, which is me. I will say it again, I'm not bragging. I just have pride in my guild, you know? Watching the guild grow from zero to the first ranked guild is an indescribable feeling. Ah, I forgot to mention what my character looks like, right? I have an androgynous, futuristic appearance—beautiful and handsome—and mostly dominated by white and rainbow colored auras shimmering around the character. I will automatically float through the air. I have long silver hair with a shiny rainbow effect that changes the color as the light hits it. The hair floats on its own. I also have deep red eyes with narrow pupils. There is also a triangular halo above my head, shining in rainbow-like colors. Yeah, I know. I am badass, right? I'm creative, after all. (A/N : Sheeeeesh) Argh! What the hell did I say in my mind? I'm not talking to anyone here. I shook my head and dismissed my thoughts of bragging to God-knows-who. Am I that crazy because I don't have friends? No, I have some friends, like Momonga, Eve, etc. They're guildmasters, not friends, you say? Even though I usually don't talk often with them, there are times when we talk with each other, like at those conferences. I shook my head again, wondering what was happening to myself. Now is not the time to think such things, as the developers of YGGDRASIL have decided to shut down their game. Everything I've made here will gone, yeah..everything. I sighed softly, reminiscing about the past. [23:40:00] Let's just wander around the guild base for one last time. My guild base consisted of eight floors (though there's a secret floor), inspired from the Heaven and named so. The first layer is a maze cloud with tons of traps, confusing and weird things, and randomly changing paths. If any player enters this maze, they will undoubtedly rage quit because it is full of trolling traps, such as a glitched trap that causes your diving device to crash, a trap full of melting slime, and so on. Even though the traps were annoying, no one can deny how beautiful the sky is, with the sun, earth, and countless stars appearing within it—even though it's a fake sky. The second layer was entirely made of clouds, even the sky was full of clouds, added with unique fogs that blocked sight, even a special one, and full of automatic-turrets were hiding, making it every player's nightmare. The 3rd layer was a replica of the earth (that is not corrupted). It has a solid and active surface with mountains, valleys, canyons, plains, and so much more. the 4th Heaven consisted of Gold, Emerald, Ruby, or every treasure you can see on the world, plants that never seen in human worlds, and rainbow sky. In the 5th layer of heaven were palaces made from ruby, emerald, or materials that have never been seen in human history. The sky also has multiple stars that symbolize "One". The 6th Heaven consists of many angels, Immortal Humans and many more NPCs, as this place is made entirely for the residents of Heaven. The 7th Heaven is where the Bearers of the Throne of God reside. As their duty is to carry The Throne, the entire place is made of water. the 8th floor, or Above the Heavens, is where the God reside, and the Throne of God located. I decided to sit on my throne after 15 minutes of wandering around Heaven. If you're wondering what the throne is, it's one of the World Items I obtained, and I'm too lazy to explain the item's abilities. Guess it yourself. [23:55:05] ..To think the game will end this fast. The feeling of knowing you will lose something you love is painful. I hope the developers will make a next game of YGGDRASIL. I sat on my throne quietly. Slowly closed my eyes as sleepiness took over. I wish the game is real.... [23:58:00] [23:59:00] [23:59:59] [00:00:01] [00:00:02] [00:00:03] . . . . . "..ther...Mother, please wake up. This is not the time for sleeping." I heard a feminine voice call, shaking my body gently. "Ten minutes more, I'm still too sleepy.." I replied back to the voice. "Fine...I will be back in 10 minutes." And now the woman's voice is gone. I surrender myself to sleepiness. Wait...who is that? I widened my eyes and looked around. The sight of the majestic hall that I was used to seeing was there, but there was something different. "What the..." an ethereal yet soothing voice came from my mouth. I closed my mouth with my hand and felt the gentleness of smooth and soft skin, which was very different from my usual skin. What in the world is this? What the fuck is going on?!?! I quickly regained control of myself. What actually happened? My mind went into overdrive, and I came up with several theories. Was the shutdown postponed, or was the developer trolling once again? I tried pinching my cheek and felt the pain from pinching it, which supported some theory. I shook my head with this theory. This is impossible, right? No way I will believe the game is real...Is it a prank? Unexpectedly, I felt a presence coming towards me as I regained my composure again. A voluptuous woman in her mid twenties with blonde hair and bright, piercing blue eyes. She wears an open gold and black outfit, and above her head is a halo that glows with power, and 12 pure white wings behind her back. The woman is very familiar to me, as I was the one who created her. She nodded as she looked at me. "It seems you're awake already. " Gabriel said, which took me by surprise. How can she talk? I forced myself to keep my face neutral, but somehow my face is already naturally used to using this expression. 'Uh, what do you want?' "What is it, Gabriel?" I said smoothly, realizing that my mouth was translating my thoughts on its own. "We have some bad news. Heaven, or more precisely, the Gate of Heaven, has been teleported to some unknown ocean." Gabriel reported Wait, what? To put it simply, the Gate of Heaven is a portal to Heaven, as the Heaven exists in another dimension. "We have already been alerted and are preparing for full defense if an unknown invader arrives. We are awaiting your order." Gabriel continued her report." "I see, order to all angels below Seraph to prepare if there's any intruder, and gather all seraphs to the 5th heaven to do an emergency meeting. Now dismiss." I said,  as I shivered with how smooth I was talking. "Understood, Mother." Gabriel nodded as she left the hall, leaving me shocked at how suddenly she called me Mother. Author Note : I got inspired by Holo_Lover 's fanfic and luka ririnki's fanfic, and decided to write Overlord fanfic, I don't know I should continue this story or no, I wrote this story because it was stuck in my mind.

My brother, Sora, is not exactly the most social person ever.Surely you must think otherwise. How could he be antisocial? With that luxurious skin, pretty face, and kind attitude. Everyone crowds him whenever he enters the room. I’m kind of jealous. Wish everyone would give me that kind of attention for me.Except I won’t be, because he’s what I would describe as an “Unintentional-Two-Faced-Bitch”. He’s not an asshole, although he could be at times. Whenever he gets home, or hangs out with people he’s close with. He suddenly acts like he’s a whole different person. He’s usually quiet when he’s at school, but he’s extremely obnoxious and loud around me. No one’s ever going to like him when they find out who he really is.I won’t let that happen, I want my brother to be happy. And it seems like he’s very happy when he’s with me.Sometimes I’m not though. He’s very oblivious to things that happen around him.Like that one time he asked me for the “Ultra Rare once-in-a-lifetime-ever video game release!” while I was crying over my break up.Seriously, he could be the best and worst person ever.But I don’t blame it on him, some people are just like that after all.He’s mostly a shut in after all, so I don’t have to worry about him when he’s with other people.Which is why I got a bit shocked when he asked me to go to an anime convention with him.“But Leeee! They’re giving away free extra deluxe gleaming Pokeangels there!” Sora is pleading to me, his cute puppy eyes won’t work on me this time. Is it because our savings are slowly disappearing? Maybe.“I already said no once, Sora. Plus, I’m busy with my work today.” I responded back to him, I would’ve gone with if I was into the same geeky stuff he is. No one knows this, but Sora is a MASSIVE geek. His room is filled with anime girls, you can’t look anywhere without seeing those weird faces around his room. Especially his action figures. The amount of times he has cried over losing a single part of those figures has been exhausting. Not to mention his crippling gacha addiction, I caught him spending all his Christmas money over one single banner one time.I realise I talked a lot about him, maybe he isn’t too bad…. Just maybe.“Leeee! This only happens once every 5 years!” He begs me one more time. I’m kind of slightly convinced.“Pleasee?” Maybe I should give him a chance. It’s not always that Sora would willingly go outside. Maybe I could land him some friends too?  I think about it for a while. “…Fine. But we’re only going for the Pokeangel, okay?”  Sora’s eyes begin to sparkle. He seems really excited about going to the convention. I must admit, it feels really nice to see him this happy. Sora doesn’t really act happy a lot, just bratty. So these moments are really precious for me. “Yay! Okay, I’ll get ready! It’ll be in an hour!” He exclaims. Wait. An hour? And I barely have anything nice on. “You didn’t tell me it would be in an hour. But alright, I’ll go get changed for you.” Seems like Sora didn’t notice what I said. He was digging around in his closet, looking for something to wear.  But then he realised, he didn’t have anything to wear since he almost never goes outside. “Uhm.. Lee?” I glance over at him. “Yeah? What’s up?” I look back into my closet, looking for clothes to wear. “Can I borrow some of your clothes?” —— Sora keeps clinging onto me. I understand though, he doesn’t like this many people around him this close. Especially when he’s not at school. He doesn’t take the train and I always drive him to school. So i’d understand that he’s nervous while taking the train for the first time in years. I don’t understand why he has to close his eyes while he holds onto me though. Not like there’s anything scary in broad daylight. “Hey, if you keep closing your eyes, everyone’s gonna think you’re weird.” Sora starts shaking his head. I let out a deep sigh. “No! I shouldn’t have stepped outside in the first place!” Sora’s starting to get loud again, you’d think he’d pull out his calm, cute, popular boy act while he’s outside of his house. “Keep it down will you? Everyone’s gonna start staring at us. Plus, it was your idea to go outside in the first place.” I could hear my little brother mumble something incoherent, but he probably just tried to say “what else could I do?”  The train stops, and a couple get off, leaving open a seat for us. We decided to take it so Sora wouldn’t have to clench my arm like his life depends on it. The clothes Sora put on were too oversized for him. Sora was still 15, and I’m already 20. And he’s definitely way shorter than me, close to 5’4, if I’m estimating it. I wish I was still near his height though, it was fun playing with him while we were little. The white shirt I had him put on was almost covering his legs. Good thing he had his own pants though. Now that I think about it, Sora looks entirely like an eboy. Although his personality completely contradicts it. The train stopped once more, only two stops left until we got to our destination. An elderly woman gets on the train. Looks like she doesn’t have any seats left. I’m starting to consider giving her my seat. That’s until Sora decided to stand up. “Please take my seat!”  Woah. Did Sora just talk to a complete stranger? Without stuttering? “Oh please dearie, you can take the seat.” “No, I insist! Please.” And he’s suddenly all polite too. This is the “Unintentional-Two-Faced-Bitch” I was talking about. Charming and Nice on the outside, while completely annoying on the inside.  The elderly woman takes his seat. “What a nice son you have.” She seems to be thinking Sora is my son. That’s so not true! But at this point, I guess he is. “No, no. We’re actually brothers!”  Suddenly, I see him stand in front of me. “Move your hands. I’m gonna sit there!” He points to.. My lap? Looks like he’s back to his normal state. Wait, what does he mean he’s sitting on my lap? “That’s gonna look weird. We’re brothers-“ He swiftly moves my hand away from my lap and sits on it. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, it’s been a while since he sat on my lap. When did he ever decide he’ll be this close to me again?! “Geez, stop making it weird then, it’s normal right?” He’s right, I’m the only one making this weird. I should probably just… calm down. “You’re right. I guess.” Sora starts to lay low, leaning his head on my chest. It actually feels nice, being this close with Sora again. It only happens once in a blue moon, when he feels really sad or when he just feels like it. Usually when I try to get close to him, he just immediately dismisses me. He gets bratty from time to time. But on special occasions, he acts soft like this. Guess it does feel nice being close with someone. —— We finally made it to the convention, just in time for them to start opening too. I could recognize some of the people cosplaying there. I always see Sora watching them. He seems really intrigued by the cosplays. I could tell, because I could see him staring intently at them. His mouth may as well be watering, he has never seen cosplayers in person before. “Lee, they look so cool!!” He points at one of the cosplayers. I recognize them. It was one of his favourite characters, Senior Just. The red cape made him stand out of the crowd. Sora really seems like he wants to talk to Senior Just. But he can’t talk to people unless he’s offering to help them or something similar. “You wanna talk to him, Sora?” He looks at me with determined eyes. I take his hand and attempt to lead him there. “No, wait! I want to do it alone!” He looks really daring. It looks like he actually wants to pop out of his shell this time. So I let the little bird fly. The small boy starts walking to Senior Just. His walks get more and more frantic as he approaches him. Sora finally gets close to the cosplayer, and pokes him in the back. The man looks around and sees Sora, his eyes getting teary from both nervousness and happiness. “Hello kid! Are you also an ally of justice?” The cosplayer seems to be really in character. “Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y!” Sora is starting to stutter a lot. This won’t end well if I help him. “Y-Yes! I love you, Senior Just!” Or not. Looks like he’s doing alright by himself, even though he’s already intensely sweating. He’s acting like a toddler right now meeting Santa Claus in the mall for the first time. “I like your energy, kid!” Senior Just gives him a big pat on the head. It causes steam to pump out of Sora’s ears. It may be enough to make him faint too. He’s actually already crying tears of joy now. “Can I take a picture with you?!” He shouts, the energy getting ahead of him. Senior Just agrees and takes a picture with Sora. Sora looked like a living mess in the picture. Finally, he waves bye to him and finally comes back to me. And immediately collapses. “Sora?! You okay?!”  He gave me a thumbs up. And a satisfied groan. I take a sigh of relief, and look around the convention. I see one of his favourite characters again, and point it out to him. “Isn’t that Lady Just?” He immediately bolts up from his collapse. “WHERE?!” I could just feel the death stare from him already. Sora approaches Lady Just immediately, it went the same for the most part. He pokes the cosplayer. Stutters for the first part. And finally decide to speak. Asks them if he could take a picture. And collapse into my arms. It wouldn’t be so stressful if he didn’t have to do it with every single cosplayer he could find. Guess he just liked every character in all of anime. —— They ran out of Pokeangel cards. Seems like Sora is still very upset about this. He said he’s fine, but I could see him tearing up. He just wanted to leave as soon as he could, he had no reason left to be here. He thinks this is all a big waste of time. I told him I needed to go to the restroom first if he wanted to go home. He’s already really upset, so he just told me to make it quick. I made sure to do so. While I was in the bathroom, I saw someone very familiar. It was Senior Just. He was washing his hands right next to me. I don’t mind though, I’m not really a big fan of his show. So I decided to head out the bathroom and head straight home. “Hey, you’re that kid’s guardian right?” I heard a familiar voice from behind me. It was Senior Just. “Uhh, yeah. Sorry for his weird behaviour earlier, he’s just really socially awkward.” I apologise to the cosplayer, and he shakes his head in response. “Nah, it’s fine, I was like him once before. I hated talking to strangers.” He seems like he really empathises with Sora. “I’m glad he’s starting to open up though!” He smiles, I feel him. “So, why did you want to chat?” I ask him. “I heard he was really upset that you guys ran out of Pokeangel cards, so I wanted to give him one. I really liked his energy from earlier, and he seems like a great kid.” He pulls one Pokeangel card from his small bag.  I was at a lost for words, Sora acted like this was all a big deal, so it should be a big deal that he gave us a card just for free. “Oh no, it’s okay-“ “Shh, just take it, but promise me you’ll say that you magically got it. You seem like a good guardian of his, I want him to like you more.” I start to get flustered. Am I really a good guardian? I guess I did this all for him, didn’t I? I nod, and go back to Sora. He still looks upset that he lost his opportunity to get a rare Pokeangel. I think I’ll surprise him later when we get home. —— The entire journey back home was painfully silent. Sora doesn’t look upset anymore, he just looks tired.  We were just walking home, the sun is starting to set now. The orange colored skies feel nice to look at. “Sorry for being mad earlier Lee. I just felt really disappointed.”  I suddenly heard my little brother’s voice, he looked really sad now. “I’m so ungrateful.. You skipped on work today just to go with me to some stupid convention.” He stops walking, and I look at him. He really has the saddest look on his face, he’s trying to stop himself from crying. He really does feel sorry. “And all I did was shout at you!” His voice started to crack. I know it’s not Sora’s fault, and he knows it’s not his fault either, but he can’t feel but have a bad taste in his mouth. I do what I do best, and comfort him. “I’ve been through worse with you. Do you really think a bit of shouting is going to hurt me?” I chuckle. “You’re still going to be my little brother, and I still love you, nothing can ever change that.” That’s right.. I’ve been through worse with him. Ever since Mom and Dad died, I’ve been left to take care of him. That’s when these weird behaviour shifts started too. It’s like he really treasure those who are close to him. I slowly pat him on the head, soothing him. “I love you too, big brother!” He cried harder in my arms. I know he’s still not over our parents' loss yet. I could just feel it. He’s starting to sob now, good thing no one was around. I could feel his arms around me grow tighter. Then I remembered the Pokeangel card that Senior Justice gave me. “Oh right, I have one more surprise for you.” I let go of the hug, I see him a hit happier now. I show him the card, he seems even happier. “A.. Pokeangel card? But how?” You tell him it just appeared in your pocket out of nowhere. He seems to giggle at my joke, and he’s really grateful I somehow got the card for him. “Are you kidding?! I got the most super ultra rare gleaming legendary Pokeangel too!” Sora pauses. “But, this card feels worthless to me now, all I want is my big brother!” I stand speechless, and smile. Guess it does feel nice to be close to someone after all. —— P.S. This story was posted in Ao3 as well! Go add me there if you want to support. @noeko Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1: Even Death has a birth I saw what seemed to be light and now here I was in the world...After nine months, I had been born. But what was the weird impulse I was feeling? Without willing to, I started crying and screaming, frantically jerking my tiny limbs around. For nine whole months, I fed on my mother’s resources like a parasite to grow and consequently also absorbed all of her knowledge. She was the queen of Hell, an equal of Death itself and I was her offspring, to whom her knowledge about the world had been copied into. And despite the wisdom I received, here I was crying like...A baby. Such humiliation yet such cognitive dissonance. In the middle of my inner turmoil, my mother took me in her arms and gently stroked the back of my head. As I felt her warmth, I immediately stopped crying. I suddenly felt exhausted and as I was about to fall into a deep slumber, I was handed over to the matron. “More! Why did you stop? Just as I was about to fall asleep too!” I tried to say. What came out was the sound of a rabbit getting run over by a tractor. My mother giggled, her eyes heavy from labour and yet brimming with excitement.“He shall be called Satanael, a fitting name for the future king of Hell,” she said. Perhaps was it the primal love for the mother but her voice sounded so peaceful. But Satanael, huh? Pretty good, if I do say so myself. The first three years of my life were fairly uneventful, I was taught to read and write...Not that this was an issue since I could speak fluently by two months. I enjoyed playing with my mother in the castle. I was always delighted when she would find me in a random cupboard while we were playing hide-and-seek. Her face would light up in a smile brighter than the sun itself as she said the single word which made laugh till my belly cramped: “Peekaboo!” She noticed that I was premature in many ways and came to the conclusion that my consciousness developed at the same time as the rest of my body. It was apparently not normal for a foetus to leech onto its mother’s knowledge. The more you know, I guess. At the tender age of 4, I was already well-read so my training as the next ruler of Hell could begin. I was introduced to my master, Gabriel. He was a well-built man and had bright, scarlet eyes: a startling contrast to my mother’s emerald green. He was about 40 years of age so I questioned my mother about his relatively young age; shouldn’t a master be a grumpy old man? I was told that there was no correlation between wisdom and the years lived, it was all dependent on what was extracted from the years themselves. A big fruit did not always mean a juicy one, or something around those lines...Fortunately, I did not have to leave the palace for training so I could still be with my mother. As for my father...Well, being Death is probably not an easy job so I shall leave it at that. “I shall give you the building blocks of the powers of the universe. The rest is up to you; after all, excessive teaching puts the mind on a tight leash,” My master said, in a deep yet gentle voice. From my mother’s knowledge and Gabriel’s teaching, I was able to get a fairly good picture of reality. The world was governed by humans; or more so their imagination. Magic was used as a weapon of destruction, a wand of creation and as a tool for governing. Humans could not use magic, only the products of their imagination could. Humans were the only truly sentient beings on the planet and their cognitive powers created an unfathomable number of fantasies. Provided enough people believe in a fantasy, the latter materialised. Therefore, Hell, Death and even the magic used by the Gods was crafted by human fantasies. This story left me perplexed for an anthropocentric model seemed so...Unruly. However, I did not learn about the missing pieces until much later. “What am I then? Simply fantasy?” I asked my master, intrigued.“What are you, huh? You are what you choose to be, is what I like to believe.” “Humans thought of Hell and Death and keep fighting among themselves. Why does it always have to be such a mayhem?” “Chaos is the natural state of the universe. Order is unstable and thus wants to be disordered.”“So this means it’s not my fault if my room’s a mess; mother will be proud. But still, I don’t get it.” “The most reliable way of understanding is to wait for the answer to fall from the sky, a fleeting inspiration.”Indeed, my master answered questions the way any master should...By giving me more questions. Magic was fascinating. It was elegant in that it was nothing mystical but relied on the principles and laws of the universe. The universe contains ingredients; the amount of which was and always will be constant. Humans thought space, time, matter and energy as entirely separate for a long time. As time went by, space merged into it. Hitherto, humans have believed that space-time was the vessel and matter (consequently energy) was what filled it. Their fantasies, however, had a mind of their own and viewed the universe as a whole. The fabric of space-time contained energy channels and the energy itself, when channelled correctly, offered limitless possibilities. Molecules of air could be stacked close to each other forming an air shield, a fire could be ignited with a small energy blast...These insights gave rise to elemental magic albeit it was excruciatingly hard to manipulate. Each human fantasy, or race had their signature magic abilities: the gods could create life and were aided by angels, the devils could use the abilities of the necromancer and were aided by demons and so on. Meanwhile, the humans could use their brains to make “life” even harder for the races. They believed that good and evil could never overlap and so, the gods were hostile to the devils. The concept of magic, however, was not understood by humans allowing the races a great deal of freedom in its creation. After centuries of gruesome training (the details of which are irrelevant for now), my father retired and I was now also fit to become the new God of the Dead. Despite being several hundred years old, I was still physically a young adult. Humans probably thought Death as not being able to age...Not that I’ll be complaining for being young and dashing. My master helped me get accustomed to the proceedings of Death. Gabriel, however, now looked like a decrepit old man.“Guess you’re a real master now, huh?” I said with a smirk.“I still have the same vitality, you-Ah, my back!” Did humans intend for Hell to be this goofy? It was finally time for me to get a new pet to add to the zoo, my first trial.“The human is currently in what they call a ‘hospital’ in a comatose state. His family will be cutting off his life support tomorrow so have your scythe ready. And make sure to read the file I gave you about his deeds in life,” Gabriel, or what was left of him, said. Does Death seriously have to do paperwork? And he uses a scythe! Humans have no taste! They also had a long-standing belief in fate so their deaths were planned in advanced. My vegetable was a corrupt politician who was nearly killed by a bullet. He had a history of bribery, treason and drug-smuggling. His ‘best friend’ was killed in a car crash after the brakes stopped working. It was brushed over by the authorities as an accident but Death knows everything. The politician noticed that his friend knew things he shouldn’t have and as any good scumbag would do, he silenced him. Yeah, he was definitely going to Hell. A neat power of death was that I could split my consciousness in such a way that only my mind had to go to the corpse-to-be. The bed was surrounded by people who I assumed were his closest family and acquaintances. They all claimed he was a good man, lived a good life, was a good father and husband and was going to heaven - but Death knows everything. ‘Good’ was merely an illusion. But then again, were the tears and screams of despair of his closed ones also an illusion? Frankly, I did not care. I watched as the family pulled the plug (as they called it) and the soul of the person rose from the bed. He immediately started screaming but no one could hear him. He desperately tried to enter the corpse but he could not reach it. He tried to run away but he had nowhere to go. In this abysmal struggle for life, he realised that it was all over for him; Death was here...With a swift slash of my pitch black scythe, I cut off the soul’s head and space warped around us as my mind reconnected to my body. The soul of the man was kneeling in front of my throne, made of an eery mix of sapphire, lapis and bones. “You seem scared, I said, isn’t that what humans wished for?”He tried to talk but in my presence, he had no rights but the right to silence. There was no need for a trial; Death knows everything. His misdeeds outnumbered his moments of virtue and his fate was sealed.“You are to walk a million steps barefoot in the burning desert with no water and no food, bathe in a pool of the boiling blood of sinners and you shall then be allowed to eat what you desired the most as a living; you are to eat only gold coins and drink molten metal. Finally, you shall experience eternal nothingness,” I said, my voice dominating the throne room. I gave the soul one last gaze; the gaze of Death as he was taken by demons to the path of his repentance. What kind of bull crap do these humans even imagine? Why would they make themselves go through such agony? This first trial made me notice something: my personality changed entirely during judgement. My usual self is normally care-free and brimming with sarcasm yet the trial seemed to have hammered a certain seriousness and apathy I didn’t know I was capable of. Now that it was over, I was back to normal. The work of humans truly was sloppy; the characters and stories they imagined were full of loop holes and scarcely elaborated. The persona of Death existed only within a trial where my behaviour had been narrated at length by the humans; other than that, I had the freedom of being “me”. I walked to the castle library and despite the crippling fatigue I felt, I immersed myself in the reading of a book on deathly magic. The book said that every living being was unique and that said uniqueness was defined by a characteristic energy signature. It went on to say that this blueprint of energy, or aura could also be extended to everything in the universe, down to the nearest atom. This was due to all matter causing a certain degree of distortion in space-time which was unique to it. Energy flowed through the universe by a mysterious force that was not understood but termed ‘ether’. However, this idea of ether was abandoned as it did not fit the laws of the universe; still its name sticks to label the concept. The races had a high affinity for ether and could therefore move and mould energy. This energy could be used for elemental magic but also to harness the powers of the necromancer. The aura of a creature from Hell acted like a magnet for those of the dead; even if the physical form disappeared, the aura still lingered through the paths of Hell. While the races may have had the ability to use magic, only the elite could manipulate it with ease. This was due to a major flaw in our discoveries...We knew how to use energy but no one knew what was energy. The races had perpetually been looking into potential insights to allow for time travel, teleportation and even resurrection but they had all failed miserably. I felt, however, that I was close to cracking the code. It was simply a matter of viewing the whole universe and how its elements interacted with one another. After all, I could do a lot more than deathly magic... “How was your first day, God of the Dead?” My mother asked, running her fingers through my hair with a playful smirk.“I had only a single target today. It is a relief that I don’t have to fetch everyone,” I replied, with a sigh. I was tasked with taking care of the dead who had ‘eventful’ lives, whether it be in a good or bad way. As for the majority of humans, whose lives are so bland they might as well have never lived, they are taken care of by demons. Their auras are simply stored in a dormant state somewhere in the broad scapes of the castle’s underground...I sat down for supper with my mother and since I was starving, the meal stood no chance against my stomach. “Now then Satanael, eat slowly, you don’t want to choke,” my mother said gently with a firm expression.“I may be the Lord of the Dead but I guess getting scolded by mother transcends any form of status,” I said with a purposefully sulking face.Indeed, outside of my job, I’m just a goofy mother’s son; not that I’m complaining. My mother was a peculiar case, even among the elite. She could use demonic magic to heal but could also predict the interactions among all particles in the universe. Her name was Laverna but she was, among humans, commonly referred to as “Laplace’s Demon”. She could thus predict the future to a certain extent and never once had her prophecies been false. Having been with her for so long, I knew that she did not have good news. I also had a sort of premonition. All throughout my training, I observed a great number of people going through Hell. As time went by, they slowly started getting harder to manipulate through the powers of the necromancer. It was almost like the auras had grown a protective layer around them to prevent highjacking. Human evolution could not be this spontaneous so there had to be something else...A new flavour of ice-cream perhaps? My mother bored her emerald eyes into what I could only assume was my soul and said, almost in whisper: “The world is about to go to war. The Gods and Angels have always been after the realm of the Dead but never had access to it. For 178 years now, they have been training humans in the art of magic. If nothing is done, an unfathomable number of people will die. I’m sorry I did not say anything until now but-“ “You don’t have to say. I’m sure you had your reasons and I also know that you know how to stop it. Fill me in on the details of the war later, just tell me what the plan is,” I interrupted, knowing that any prying would be useless.“You shall leave for the land of the living and guide humans towards the right path. You’ll have to find a way to show them that wanting more power can only lead to their doom for the Gods can’t ever be trusted. That is all I can say, for now. But remember, Satanael, that when the Gods play naughty, it is the duty of a demon lord to punish them.” Well, that sounded great. More work for Death if I didn’t do anything and still more work for Death if I did anything but since it’s mother...I’d better start packing. Nevertheless, going into the human world would mean breaking the fourth wall, literally. What would humans think if a random guy with two red horns on his head showed up claiming to be Death? “I know what you’re thinking, my mother said, reading my mind. But it seems to be the only way. Humans, with the help of the almighty beings, built an Academy to impart the teachings of magic to their offsprings.”I didn’t like where this was going. Would I end up in a class as an undercover God? I’ve read these stories so many times in human literature, it’s so cliché... My mother briefed me the details of her plan and off we were to the room to get everything ready for my long journey to the surface of the Earth. After what seemed like an eternity of getting nagged at by my mother for how ‘untidy’ my room was, we got into yet another argument about what I should wear...That was a long day.

The day before my departure was spent in utter confusion as all I knew about the ‘plan’ was that I would be attending school undercover and eventually guiding mankind towards the right path. My mother would not give me any additional information so I went on to the storage room of the necromancers. I took the derelict staircase to the underside of the castle and the torches gradually lit up as I walked down the corridor; detecting the fluctuation in space-time. The narrow corridor led to a huge door made of hellium, the element from Hell…Who came up with that? The door was attuned to only the auras of the royal family of Hell: my father, mother, younger siblings and me. After all, the room lying behind those doors contained billions of dormant auras. Eons ago, when security was more lax around the castle, an intruder went to the room and released a number of auras before getting captured. The released auras, being in a place potent with energy, became activated and returned to the surface but since they did not have a physical form, they started haunting the places and people they loathed or adored the most. These auras became known as ghosts in human folklore. As for the intruder, he was later captured and I was tasked with punishing him. The creature had abnormally large feet and his humanoid figure was covered in fur. Letting the sadist in me take over, I tore off its feet by imbuing energy into my hands and made a soup out of them. I then gouged out its eyes and used them as toppings…I used demonic magic to prevent him from bleeding to death (blood from the orbits is a nasty sauce despite the brain meat) but all the hair in the soup made it fairly inconvenient to drink and the meat was undercooked; he choked on his hair and flesh and died…However, since I was Death and all, I took the aura and tried to save it as a trophy but the jar slipped from my still blood-stained hands and the aura went to the surface. I read about a human myth recently about a certain, Big Foot…Mistakes happen but at least now I can properly cook meat. I stood before the door, and released a small pulse of energy. That pulse, no matter the strength, was unique to my aura which was extremely potent, even among the higher-ups. I started pushing more and more energy into the door until the ground itself began to tremble. The torches went out and it finally opened in a chilling shriek. I released my aura and stepped into the room. The atmosphere immediately started to change. Similarly to being in a crowd, standing among this many auras caused a huge pressure which would cause most people to suffocate from the concentrated energy. To prevent any inconvenience, I used a protective layer of energy of energy around me; the ‘ripples’ of my own aura interacted destructively with the others, keeping me unscathed. Feeling much lighter, I sauntered on the black and white linoleum of the dimly lit room. All around me were dusty wooden shelves containing countless jars of different hues. Each aura within the jars twinkled at a steady rhythm, showing that they had a life of their own, despite being dormant. I always went to that room before a major event to make sure that everything was in place for a potential battle. As for today, I merely came to see an old friend. I noticed a jar which radiated an ominous red hue at an alarming rate. It seemed to be quite a restless aura which had taken the form of a small angry man with a silly mustache a few decades back…Things did not end well back then. I found the aura I was looking for and said with a sardonic smile: “I hope you’re ready, you’ll have a lot to teach me there.” I then closed my eyes and absorbed the aura into my own body where it would remain until I got to the surface. It was now time to go. I went to the palace to see my mother. “Make sure to eat your veggies, take a bath everyday and…Make sure to tell me when you get a girlfriend. Stay safe out there,” she said, in a sad yet relieved tone. She had definitely seen a good future ahead…Or I simply remained a mother’s son without ever getting a girlfriend. For some reason, I thought that both would lead to the same reaction in my mother. At any rate, that doesn’t matter, I hate vegetables. “See you around mom. Don’t go around cleaning my room. I won’t ever find anything.” With these words, filled with emotion, I left the castle. I nonchalantly trodded through the deepest level of Hell, stopping by to make fun of the inmates: the guy who kept trying to reach for the fruit or the water, his neck motion looking like a chicken. I pushed the other guy’s boulder near the top of the mountain and laughed as he rolled down with it. As I reached the borders of the depths, I saw an acquaintance of mine hanging out on a rock, playing with the…peculiar fauna of Hell. “The apple never falls far from the tree, right, Adam?” “This is why you never had any friends,” he said, his stoic face breaking into laughter. He was finally over his father issues with the beardy old man, huh? I was met with a horde of demons at the border and they did not seem happy. Quite obviously, they looked exactly as humans pictured them: human-sized imps with poop-coloured skins and a very foul breath. They were out for my blood so I assumed that humans did not bother thinking of a survival instinct for the demons…After all, any other living being would go pale and cower in my presence; the arch nemesis of life itself. I guess they did fend off any intruders so they made fine guard dogs; the perfect guinea pigs for a skill I wanted to try out. One of the demons leaped towards me, letting out an annoyingly loud scream. I clenched my fist and altered the shape of the space-time fabric, creating a gaping hole under the demons. As they fell, I contracted space-time around them until they were completely crushed, reduced to energy. I unclenched my fist and the landscape went back to normal but the auras of the demons had been crushed; they no longer existed. My theory was correct, the universe was simply a playground. Anything was possible now, as long as I could manipulate that substance. I crossed the gates of the border and brought in new guards before moving on. “Care to escort me out?” I asked to the man sitting under an olive tree. He agreed and stood up with a painful grunt…Getting old sure sucked. However was no better guide to bring me to the surface than him. “I have been willing to ask for a long time. What is the significance of placing me under an olive tree for repentance? What is the nature of the sin which led me to such a peculiar punishment?” He asked, his gaze fixed upon me. “You’re overthinking it…We just thought it would be funny to have the escort of the poet being reduced to extra ‘Virgil’ olive oil,” I said, deadpan. We stayed in that awkward silence till we reached the ‘Necropolis’, the first level of Hell and the gateway to the surface. My escort still seemed awfully dejected and I couldn’t blame him. But it was funny. … I slowly climbed up the staircase leading to the surface, my body feeling heavier with each step. A grave taboo was about to be committed, transgressing the laws of human reality. Naturally, I was being rejected by the world of the living. I stopped in my tracks and coughed up an alarming amount of blood. Ironically, climbing to the over-world was taking away my life force. I sat there, thoughts rushing through my mind. I steadied my breathing and pondered for a few seconds: what could be causing this rejection? No matter how many times I turned the problem around, I could find no solution. I tried to get up and jump down to the Necropolis but I immediately collapsed as my consciousness seemed to fade away. A mind-numbing pain paralysed my body, hindering any movement impossible. My vision blurred and the answer suddenly hit me, my aura! An entity was defined by its aura which meant that mine was being rejected by the living. I slowly reduced the strength of my aura until no more energy radiated from me. My heartbeat went back to normal and I could eventually walk again. Gulping, I walked up the last few steps to the world of the living. I emerged in a dark place with suffocating heat. A single breath sent my insides in a turmoil. A mixture of dust and an almost unbearable amount of living flesh. Using my aura was out of the question so I pushed the energy around me into the air at a steady rate creating waves of photon emissions. At least, it was no longer dark. I gradually adapted to the atmosphere and focused my attention on the surrounding. Behind was what seemed to be an open sarcophagus containing a human wrapped in…toilet paper? There was no mistaking it, I was inside a pyramid. The dust, the mummy and the golden sarcophagus surrounded by a bed of jewels; such extravagance could only from the Ancient Egyptians. It was time to summon him; for once, the choice was made for practicality rather than for entertainment. “Come forth,” I said, holding out the jar I took from the room. “Mwehehehehehehehehe, I am ba-“ “Shut up, Hermes,” I said, slapping the back of his head. “My apologies, my Lord. I got ahead of myself. What owes the puny messenger God to be summoned Death himself?” He said, with the most irritating grin I had ever seen. Let’s get going, shall we? Where to, my Lord? That’s why I summoned you, lead the way. I had no idea where we were supposed to go and the cheeky Hermes noticed my uncertainty. He openly flaunted his winged sandals while wiggling his eyebrows. I should have gone for the Egyptian Hermes instead but he was hanging out on the moon…What a pain. We eventually found a tunnel after destroying a few walls here and there. It was a passage dug by tomb raiders, which led outside. Before heading out, Hermes pointed at the jewels and said: “Do you have any money? You could take these jewels, no one would notice. Besides, aren’t these technically offerings to you,” “Hard to argue with that.” I picked up as many precious stones as my pocket could fit and headed out, holding my pants to prevent them from falling. We stepped out of the tunnel into the over-world, met by the blazing sun. “Why is the world so bright?” I said, sighing heavily. “Grumpy old fart,” My companion retorted. We were now in the middle of nowhere and we had to save humanity; sounds like the plot of a cheap novel…I tasked Hermes with flying away to detect any large energy fluctuations while I worked on understanding that substance, dark-matter. It seemed that it was what humans called luminiferous ether. From my understanding, space-time was a fabric, the threads of which were dark-matter. I could use regular energy to manipulate these threads and consequently mould space-time itself. It allowed me to create a tiny singularity with the demons I fought on the way. Since I could alter my surroundings to create a gaping hole, maybe I could also fold them. Before trying anything, however, I needed to find a safe way to use my aura without triggering this world’s antibodies. My physical form was irrelevant for only my aura caused the reaction. But how exactly? The aura was energy emitted in a pulse, much like the heartbeat and since energy only had different forms, it did not make any sense for my aura and the world’s aura to behave destructively. Rejection occurred because I was meant to remain in hell according to human reality; therefore, I was going against reality. “Opposites attract each other, my ass,” I rumbled to myself. I remained deep in thought, in the middle of the barren landscape for what seemed like an eternity. In hindsight, I was not even thinking; my mind was simply empty. It seems to be how the brain works; when faced with a conundrum, it shuts down. Thoughts could be painful after all. All I could hear in my state of trance was a distant voice pulling me out of my daydream. “Great lord Death to Earth! Can you hear me?” The voice said. I felt a touch on my shoulder which brought me to the real world, startled. “Oh, it’s just you,” I said to Hermes. “Well, sorry to disappoint but while you were sitting around, I found the academy. If it’s not too much of a bother, would you care to hear it?” He retorted, displeased. “Speak, Hermes.” “You sound quite ungraceful, you should see yourself,” He said, with a sardonic smile. See myself, huh? That’s it, I just had to view myself, my aura. Without letting Hermes finish, I jumped up. “You’re a genius, Hermes,” I said with a newfound hope. “I know but…What’s up?” He said, visibly confused. I did not bother explaining anything. I waved him away and focused on my aura. It was now nighttime which made the atmosphere much colder, much needed for concentration. I closed my eyes and, for the first time, tried to see, or rather sense energy. Hitherto, I merely shaped and moulded it without actually ‘feeling’ energy. I focused my attention on my surroundings; anything my senses picked up on. The wind howled and with it came an icy cold breeze, which I could feel on my skin. My hair gently moved to the wind. I breathed in the dry air which felt like sharp icicles leading to a sense of unease. The races had a much higher affinity for energy…What did it feel like? Calm yet sensitive to the slightest disturbance, like the ocean. That’s right, energy felt like the ocean. An infinite potential in which all of matter bathed. The waves of energy acting as fuel for reality itself. This meant that the waves of my aura and the waves of reality interfered destructively. Two entities never meant to meet. To test this theory, I did an experiment. I held out the palm of my hand and focused on the energy. I let out a small burst of my aura through my palm and observed its reaction. I waited and…nothing happened. I tried again, looking more closely and noticed something unexpected: energy left my body and that was it. It felt like throwing a bucket of water in the sea. The nature of the aura was irrelevant for energy was just that, it came in different forms but it was the same. This explained a lot of things: where did the aura come from? It could not be created within someone, that was impossible. Creation was not the right term, it was a cycle. Energy flowed through me and got released as the aura before getting absorbed again, the sum remaining constant. With this knowledge, I opened my eyes to find Hermes standing beside me. “Does Death ever sleep?” He asked, yawning. “Do people die at night?” I asked in return, deadpan.“I’ll shut up and go to bed. Goodnight.” I decided to take a stroll, walking aimlessly in the hopes of organising my thoughts. When I was in hell, I never noticed this cycle; it happened with no delay, my aura constantly getting replenished. My aura attracted the energy there, not the other way around. On the surface, it was the same but the process was much slower. Why was that? Hell contained countless dormant auras, which themselves acted as fuel to the cycle; much like plant to the carbon cycle. The auras of the Dead therefore did not go through the cycle for the energy was not needed; nothing had to be sustained. Here, on the other hand, there were trillions of living beings which all had an aura which needed to go through the cycle. While the amount of energy on Earth was much greater, so was the demand. Consequently, it was slower. I was beginning to understand the process. Intricate and elegant, just like the universe. How could I make the process more efficient? At the moment, my aura was only strong enough to keep myself alive. In hell, the cycle was faster, energy moved faster into me. Since the demand was lower, the entropy difference between me and the surroundings could be smaller and still be efficient. Here, not so much. But what if I made the gradient exponentially larger? Would energy cycle faster? Inherently, it was like taking out a lot of water from the ocean causing it to fill the gap faster. I took in a deep breath and increased the strength of my aura which caused a surge of pain through my body. However, I kept going and released everything at one go. The sudden blast of energy caused a sand storm and left me in the middle of 20 meter deep hole. I maintained the same output for some time, waiting for any side-effect. Rats from around the desert fled under the surface and vultures flew away in a confused mumbo jumbo. People living in a 50 mile radius let out pained screams while I, on the other hand, felt completely fine, better even. “Fighting fire with fire, huh?” …

A loud crash. The sound of some tin can being crushed violently. Followed by the earth trembling and a load roaring echoing around. I opened my eyes and had a clear view on the house and lawn of my neighbors. From my bedroom. From my bed. A part of my home was gone. Reorganized in unrecognizable unsightly heaps. My brain refused to acknowledge what just transpired. My eyes were drawn to the half-hidden remains of a truck, dispersed between the rubble. On autopilot, I reached under my pillow for my cellphone and called the emergency number. A few days later they released me from the hospital. I was fine. I had no visual injuries. I was allow back into society. Society... I now had some important business with a cornerstone of  modern society. I had a meeting with an expert from the insurance company.  Together we were standing in front of the ruins. Damage assessments, recordings of the current state, a view on the possible future... In short, a warm conversation with tons of hope. I talked my head off about the renovations I was doing that are pointless now. At night, I fell asleep in my hotel room with a relaxed smile. I still had two weeks to recover from the shock before I had to return to my normal work rat-race. The days flew by filled with trees, walks, birds, telephone calls and lists to repair my home-sweet-home. Contractors were found and prepared and everyone stood ready at the starting block, waiting for the starting shot from the insurance. I cannot erase the memory of that Friday morning. I was awoken by the ping of an incoming email. The report of the insurance expert had arrived. It didn't make sense! The damage to the house was mostly my fault? The truck was only a minor detail accelerating what was bound to happen? Only 30% of the damages will be covered by the insurance company? But only when the repairs were done by contractors sent by them? The new windows, the isolated front walls, the floor heating ... it had all contributed to structurally weakening the house leading to the collapse? There was an old report in attachment of water damage by a storm, that lead to some wet walls. This formed the core and the proof of my willfully negligence en my guilt. I would not have repaired the walls. I had only replaced the plastering. Of course I only replaced the plastering! The bricks were still in excellent condition. After drying, I drilled a hole on three places to see if the stone was still solid on the inside. And it was! I also tested with a hammer to see if I couldn't puncture the wall with low effort. After the repairs back then, there was no forming of mold or other signs of moisture problems. And how can isolated front walls weaken a house? Or floor heating? Or new windows? That's complete ridiculous! This time it wasn't my home, but my life that came crashing down. Desperately I investigated my finances. I called multiple banks. A social worker passed by to help me, on advice of some nameless shrink, accompanied by a box of pills. Together we tried to make  a plan. First problem was my housing. A hotel room was unaffordable. There were no houses free for rent nearby and the closest viable one was 40 km from work place. Did I mention already that my car assumed a much more flat form at the collapse? No, probably not. I was without transportation. I rented a new place to stay, solving my immediate cash-flow problem, but expertly handing me a new one. Getting to work, turned out to be a daily hardship. Things went downhill fast since then. Droves of people passed. An appeal was lodged, and forfeited when the procedure turned out too costly. Arguing experts with fat bills ate my lunch. I lost my job. I wasn't strong enough to keep myself mentally together while trying to save my house and performing excellent at work. Especially not with a daily trip of 5 hours of my bike. Eventually, the 'salvation' came along. I was behind with the payments and the bank offered my partially repaired home for sale. The contractors of the insurance company had removed some of the debris, had reconstructed some walls and a partial roof. The rest was up to me. As was repairing the 'minor' mistakes they made. One wall was put on the wrong place, making two rooms virtually unusable. The front door was missing. More precisely, there was no front door any more, no hole for it either. The sliding window in the kitchen had found its way to the storage room and was now the only entry way into the house. The kitchen had a fixed window. And the toilet a window to the ground... All kinda mayhem to correct but out of my hands now. My home was gone. My work was gone. My money was gone. Sometimes I still try to remember the past. Sometimes I even long for my lost dreams. Luckily I have my pills. I no longer need to feel anything. Fortunately, the insurance company keeps providing my daily portion forgetfulness through their in-house, still nameless, shrink. The years unremarkably passed. After the fog settled for good, only my couch and loneliness remained. Before I disolved in silence, I saw an interview with my former insurance expert. He successfully climbed up to head of the claims department. He pleaded for more 'humanity' in the sector, more warmth for the people and real solutions. Enabling the unfortunate to reduce their accident to a minor detail in their life. He was true to his word. My accident was turned into a detail in my life.

-1-Domo domo~Iʼm Haruhisa Takumi, and I followed the trend of being reincarnated as an otome game capture target after getting hit by truck-kun~ Well, enough of this character. I have a problem. A big problem. “Onii-sama, didnʼt I tell you that you shouldʼve acted a little meaner to the servants?” My little sister yelled at me. I was sitting in seiza.I was reincarnated as the older brother of the villainess, but I was also a capture target. But the original character is an asshole. So is my sister. Of course, I want to fix everything, to keep us from going down the bad ending. I say reincarnated, but itʼs really like I awoke one day, or rather five seconds ago, to this scene. From my previous life, I know all the events that happen here. But will I be able to change them? Actually, never mind that, I need to fix my sisterʼs behavior first. No wait, I need to fix MY behavior first. Of course, itʼs probably too suspicious if I change immediately. Or rather, should I change suddenly? Say I had a “revelation” or something? If I remember, the world in this game is fairly religious, so saying I had a “revelation” might also cause some problems politics-wise. Right, right, setting. Iʼm the prince of the country. Simple as that. So if the prince of the country was to suddenly go religious, it could disrupt the power balance of the nobility and the church... Oh well! I would normally not talk here and take the scolding, but this is a matter of life and death. Literally. If I donʼt change now, then... [Oi. Let me take control.] I heard a voice in my head. This way of speaking, could it be? [Yeah, itʼs me, Edward. You took over my mind, you bastard.] Edward is the name of the prince, or rather the person I am right now. So why am I hearing his voice? [You took over my mind. Or rather, we share a mind now. I saw your memories. Itʼs not like I wanted to be this way, you know? My sister just likes this type of personality better.] Right, in the original work, Edward was a huge siscon. Wait, does that mean that you actually donʼt want to be an asshole?! [Oi. Donʼt phrase it like that. But yes. My personality is like this now, but I donʼt mind being nice here and there. Anyway, if this is about saving my sister, then let me take control.] Ah, yes, yes. Iʼll let Mr. Siscon take control for now, then. [Oi!] I leave my consciousness to go to the “background” and let Edwardʼs mind take over. This leaves me with some more time to think, at least. Even though my consciousness, letʼs call it “Share” for now, isnʼt in control, I can still see and feel what Edward is feeling. But Iʼm not in control of my own actions. It seems like both Shares have to agree for the other to take over. Edwardʼs Share takes over and starts talking. “Look, maybe itʼs not me who needs to be meaner, but you who needs to be nicer?” Wait, youʼre a siscon, right? Why are you scolding your sister so hard? Or rather, why are you listening to me when you should clearly be on your sisterʼs side? [Shut up for a second. Itʼs taking all my willpower not to cry here.] Were you always this fragile in the game?! The little-sister-obsessed, tsundere prince captured the hearts of many girls playing the game, sure, but to me it just creeped me out. Why would you even be obsessed with that piece of trash of a sister? [If you werenʼt a part of me, I would have executed you by now.] Oh yeah? Try me. Actually, now isnʼt the time for that! [For my sisterʼs sake, I would do anything, even become a demon. And because youʼre me, I know youʼre not lying. Itʼs just-] Just what? [I canʼt do this!] Michelle, my- no, our? Our little sister was crying. Of course the siscon wouldn't be able to move. He caused it. No choice. Let me take over. I felt my Share rushing to the front of my mind, like I suddenly took the steering wheel. This is convenient. “Onii-sama, why? I thought you were on my side?” “Well, Michelle, you know that a princess should behave better to their servants, right? Do you want to be known as the evil queen in the future?” [Oi, donʼt torment her like that!] Itʼs not like I have a choice here! From what it seems like, Michelle is a bit of a brocon at this moment in time, and so nowʼs the best time to try and change her! And plus, no matter her actions, sheʼs a princess! She has to be ready to lead people! It really pains me to put the piece of shit villainess in her rightful place, it really does. I donʼt have a grudge against her or anything. My motives are pure. Really. [Thatʼs enough, let me take over!] No, not yet. Hang in there a moment. I need to land the finishing blow. “If you keep being mean, onii-sama might hate you~” Michelle burst out crying and ran from the room. Ah, that felt good.My motives were pure. I swear. -2-For now, I left Edwardʼs Share in charge. Iʼm going to see if we can make a personality that lets us both be in charge at the same time, or at least have the bodyʼs actions be a compromise of what we want. That way we donʼt have to worry about switching all the time. “Young Master, how was it?” Stella, our personal maid, was waiting by the door. Sheʼs the usual high-spec servant. Always there when you need her, and always ready to help when you need it. Sheʼs like a ninja. Or so Edwardʼs memories say. Because we share a mind, we also share memories. So Edward knows what I know about the game, and I know what Edward knows about this world. Heʼs actually taking it pretty well considering my memories prove that heʼs just a fictional character. So far, it seems like there arenʼt any discrepancies between the original work and Edwardʼs childhood. Weʼre fourteen right now, our sister is ten. The bad ending happens when sheʼs fourteen, so we have four years to prepare, best case. Of course, when changing the future, things tend to go terribly wrong, so of course I donʼt know if we will actually have four years to act. “Stella, didnʼt I say not to talk to me?” You canʼt just do that! Weʼre trying to change our behavior here! [Calm yourself. I have a plan.] If you say so, then I leave it to you! “Yes, Young Master, you did indeed. I sincerely apologize for my rude behavior. As punishment, you may do anything you would like to me...” “I take that order back. Talk freely with me from now on. ...Or rather, as you would treat a friend, I guess. Itʼs not really that I appreciate what you do or anything, you get me!” Itʼs here! Edwardʼs tsundere act! No matter how many times I see it, it still grosses me out! Male tsunderes are overrated! Also, was Stella always that sort of character? [She acts nice and capable, but sheʼs actually a sadist. Be careful of her. Donʼt show affection to her, or she might go crazy.] Uh... You just showed affection to her... No, donʼt retort, donʼt retort. …We have a bigger problem right now. Edward, HER EYES ARE HEARTS! [Oh shi-] “Young Master! I always knew you would come around to me!” For the one time since we agreed to avoid the bad ending, our thoughts were in sync. We need to run. With both of us controlling the body at once, we escaped from a grim fate. —— We hid behind a corner. We somehow managed to lose Stella. [Are we safe?] I wouldnʼt know. I think we ran at a superhuman speed, though, so no matter how superhuman that maid is, she couldnʼt- “Did you think you could run, Young Master?” With round, dead eyes, the maid in question hung down from the ceiling, head-first. We screamed. Since our thoughts were in sync, the body cooperated with both of us, and screamed as well. Edward... has a pretty high-pitched scream. -3- And so our daily routine continued. We argued with each other inside our head, took control from the other when we needed to, ran from Stella, and taught common sense and kindness to Michelle. Itʼs been a year. We still havenʼt figured out a way to create a “compromise Share”, but we have been able to work out who takes control.Edwardʼs Share is in control normally. Interacting with his servants, working and learning, doing princely duties, is all him. My Share typically takes control when Edward canʼt do something, like scolding Michelle or dealing with Stella. Then, at night, we talk and review the events that have happened, and guess what is to come. [So... tomorrow is that first... “Event”, was it?] Yeah. Tomorrow is the first major event that happens in the original work. Since we havenʼt made it derail too much so far, Iʼd say this is still on track. And itʼs made to be a disaster for us, in multiple ways. In the original work, Michelle is set to be engaged to the heir of a neighboring kingdom. This heir is also a capture target, but weʼll get to that later. Due to her snobbishness, Michelle isnʼt very welcomed by the fiancee and his family, and so tensions are high. Thatʼs how it was in the normal setting, anyway. And that all started from the first impression our family made on theirs. In other words, this event. It seems like Michelle does indeed fall in love with the foreign prince, but that isnʼt reciprocated, because sheʼs such a piece of shit. But things might be different now. Me and Edward have been drilling manners and kindness into her for the past year, so hopefully thereʼll be an improvement from the game. ...Wait. Isnʼt my knowledge of the future pretty useless once the heroine starts having choices? [Letʼs worry about that stuff later. First comes this “event”.] Right, right. Letʼs get through this first, and see what route the heroine decides to take....Wait, do I even know the heroine in this world?I canʼt just have Stella spy on her, can I? “You called, Young Master?” “AAH-” Edward and I screamed in unison. Stella appeared right in front of us. Itʼs kinda like she can read minds, it throws me off. “But I can read the Young Masterʼs mind?” Eh? [Right, I didnʼt tell you, did I? In order for maids to serve effectively, theyʼre mainly demi-humans with clairvoyance-type abilities. Seeing the future to an extent, reading minds, maids are able to do at least one of these types of things.] Maids are scary. Also, wouldnʼt that mean she knows about my existence? -Wait, if she had this scary ability, tell me that sooner! [I thought it would be amusi- wasnʼt necessary, so I didnʼt tell you.] You totally said it would be amusing, didnʼt you?! “I agree with the Young Master. It definitely was amusing, listening to your arguments.” Stella, donʼt side with him please! This guy needs to learn that there are no secrets when we share a body! ...Retort aside, Stella knows about my existence, right? Then why hasnʼt she said anything? When talking to her, I also donʼt have to take control of the body, do I? “No, I can hear your thoughts just fine. I have been carefully observing you over the past year, to determine who you are, and what your objectives are. From what I could tell, you donʼt mean any harm, and are a welcome source of change for the Young Master. There is one thing I am curious about, however...” Hm? Whatʼs that? “Why would someone from another world, who hates Michelle-sama, want to help her?” Ah, never thought about that one before. [You havenʼt?! So all this time, youʼve just been rolling along with everything?] I guess. In the first place, I guess itʼs because Michelle reminds me of my little sister from back in my world. Though my little sister is 100% less annoying, shitty, and overbearing. Even so, sheʼs still family, somewhat. Not to mention that if Michelle went down the bad ending, Edwardʼs Share wouldnʼt stop bothering me. That I wanted to avoid at all cost. “Just canʼt be honest, can you, Takumi-sama?” Donʼt lump me together with the gross tsundere prince! And also, I donʼt remember telling you my name! But you probably already knew it because you have practically cheat-level skills! Ah, this pisses me off! Iʼm glad, at least, that Stella can differentiate between Edwardʼs Share and my Share. But we need to get back to the topic at hand. [Right. Stella, could you try and find this “heroine”, and monitor her actions? It doesnʼt have to be all the time, just periodically. As long as we have a grasp of what “route” this girl is taking, we should be able to get a better guess of the future.] “Yes, I will do that. Fufu.” She laughed. Both Edward and I were put off by that a bit. [What is it?] “No, I was just thinking that the Young Master really has changed since Takumi-sama came.” [...no comment.] Stop with that tsundere act! I want to puke! While the three of us wasted away the time like this, the time of judgement had come. -4- It was somehow decided that my Share would be in charge for the party tonight. I wonʼt say Iʼm not nervous at all, but considering how prickly Edward can be, Iʼm not very surprised that I was put in charge for first impressions. [I feel like I heard something really bad right there.] Itʼs just your imagination. That being said, while I was watching VERY closely at Edwardʼs etiquette classes, I still am nervous about how to act. I wasnʼt thinking of funny things to distract Edward. Not at all. [So that WAS you!] Ignoring the idiot who isnʼt in control, I take a look at myself in the mirror. Edward is, as usual for an otome target, very handsome. Shiny silver hair with sharp, distinguished eyes. Itʼs just a shame his personality sucked until recently. He couldʼve had quite a following. [Youʼre thinking something rude again, arenʼt you?] Not at all. Stella did say that our eyes changed depending on who has control. When Edwardʼs Share has control, our features become more regal and composed, to the point of seeming angry, while when my Share is in control, our features seem more kind and gentle, but more determined somehow. At least, thatʼs what Stella said. Well, no point in thinking about it now, huh?Just need to get through this party. Spoiler alert: We didnʼt get through this party. ——— We walked out of the dressing room, and Michelle was waiting for us. She runs up to us with her eyes glittering in excitement. “Onii-sama, that outfit looks very good on you!” “Why thank you, Michelle-chan is cute today too.” I reply, and Michelle goes beet red for some reason. Is she not feeling well? I put my forehead to hers to check her temperature. “Is everything alright? Youʼre not forcing yourself for this event, are you?” “Awa- awawawa-“ Michelle just stands there like her brain has melted. I guess it really is too much for her after all. Iʼm about to call for Stella to take her back when: “Young Master, I do believe that Michelle-sama is fine. She is just nervous about her first social event.” Stella answers my question. Thank you, Stella!You really are a super maid! If I had my own body, maybe I wouldʼve tried to capture you! No, I definitely would have! To that, Stella also goes red, for some reason. Edward was also silent.Whatʼs wrong, Edward? Itʼs not like you to not talk. [I was just thinking about how dangerous airheads can be.] What does he mean by that? “This kind and caring onii-sama is great too...” I feel like I heard this as I prepared to go into the ballroom. Whatever, my mind is on other things. -5- The three of us walking into the grand ballroom. It was huge. Needlessly huge. But we are nobility, so I guess that canʼt be helped. What I see first is a scene of organized chaos. People are chatting, drinking, flirting, flirting, flirting... Damn riajuu, just explode for all I care. [What the hell does that mean?] Ah, sorry, Iʼm getting sidetracked. There were the usual formalities. Dukes and duchesses, viscounts, all the lower powers come to greet us out of respect. But of course, thatʼs not the point here. Weʼre here to- [Beat up the stupid prince who wants to take our sister away from us, right?] Right, to beat up that snotty piece of- Wait, no! Also, since when was Michelle “our” sister?! I thought she was just yours?! [Well, you want to protect her too, so it canʼt be helped. Iʼm still #1 in her heart though, remember that.] Not like I wanted to remember anything you say anyway. In any case, weʼre here to check out whether or not the engagement will go well, and if not, then do anything in our power to get things to resolve peacefully. Thereʼs a tap on my shoulder. Stella whispers into my ear.“Takumi-sama, if you would look to your left, I believe there is something that requires your attention.” What the hell is it now?! I look to my left and see the foreign prince trying to kabedon the daughter of one of this kingdomʼs viscountcies. Right. I forgot. This capture target is a piece of shit too. Hans Goldenstein. Age 13, two years between Edward and Michelle. While heʼs not too bad of a guy compared to Edward, heʼs popular and it lets him go to his head. Before the heroine sets him straight, he was known to be a womanizer who would flirt with any maiden who even passed him. This guy is Michelleʼs future fiancé. And he is currently kabedon-ing a pretty girl, probably my age. Two years older than him, at least. “Umm, Hans-sama, I do believe that I must be going soon-“ The disgusting prince leans in a little closer to her. “Really? You do know who I am, right? Do you really think your family would be okay, knowing you opposed the advances of a neighboring kingdomʼs prince?” [Takumi.] I know. I think weʼre both united on this one. In a sense, I think Stella is to blame for causing this night to go terribly. -6- I grab the disgusting princeʼs hand, and force it off the wall. I also almost put his face in an iron claw, but Edward somehow stops me from doing so. [I know how you feel, but we canʼt have too many bad things happen here. For Michelleʼs sake.] Yes, yes, I get it, you siscon. For now, Iʼm between the two, acting as a barrier between the two involved parties. “You- Do you not know who I am?! I am Hans-“ “Hans Goldenstein, right? Well, who you are doesnʼt matter, though.” “Wha-” “Not to mention throwing around your power as a threat, you also believe that your power as a prince carries over into another kingdom. You are a disgrace to all royalty, and all who aspire to become one.” I let Edward take over for this part. His sharp tongue is better than mine at hurling insults, and I mean that as a compliment. When I first appeared in Edwardʼs mind, we made a few compromises. While a Share can forcefully take control of the body through sheer willpower, itʼs much easier if both sides agree to the switch. Also, switching might mess up our goals at the time. So, unless thereʼs an emergency, no switching unless both Shares agree to it. The other rule was that we wouldnʼt throw around our power. In order to change the bad ending, we needed Edward not to be a complete ass. And so we made that rule. We would treat servants nicely, and act as equals to all when possible. I had thought that rule would be a problem for the stubborn Edward, but when he started doing it, he said that “this is actually really nice”, and never stopped being kind. Maybe he isnʼt such a piece of shit after all. [Oi.] A-anyway. We need to tell this guy off. But then Hans dropped the bomb. “Even so, I will be engaged to the princess of this country. That makes me more powerful than you, correct?” […Takumi, I know we agreed to not throw around our power, but I reaaaaally want to.] I know. I do too. Bear with this pig for now. I see Stella trying to restrain her laughter in the corner of my vision.Lady, this is all your fault!I love you, but this is still your fault! Michelle then steps into the chaos.And bomb #2 is dropped by the very sister we have sworn to protect. “Even if you would try to, I refuse! I have dedicated my heart to onii-sama!” Oi, Edward, you did something, didnʼt you! You useless siscon pervert pig idiot! [Even if all of those are true, I didnʼt do anything. Wait, I only agree with the siscon part! I might be a little useless too, but everything else I object to!] That isnʼt the problem here! The event derailed into our little sister confessing she has a thing for her older brother in public in front of her future fiancé! [Whatʼs wrong with that? Iʼm fine with that. In fact, I may just confess my overflowing love for Miche-] Everything is wrong, you idiot! And Iʼm taking control before you go all “dere” and make things worse! “If I may be so bold, in the past of this historyʼs kingdom, the royalty did marry for love... Between brother and sister would not be too out of the ordinary considering that trend.” Aaaaand bomb #3 was dropped by Stella, who was bowing magnificently! I still love you Stella, but I will have to punish you later. Iʼm ready to go all sadist on you, get ready for it. I swear I could see heart-shaped pupils in Stellaʼs eyes before they went back to normal. ...Will this royal family really be alright, I wonder?Also, how much power does Stella have, for her to interrupt a prince and princess and have no consequences? Iʼll ask that while punishing her later. The ballroom fell deathly silent. Then Father, the king, cleared his throat. “Well, as long as the love is mutual, I see no problems with it.” The ballroom resounded in cheers of everyone surrounding us.Wait, I see a very big problem though?! -7- Someone please deal with this stupid THING I have sharing a body with me. [Eheheheh. Michelle loves me...] See? Useless. Perverted. Siscon. Idiot. There are a few problems with our current situation. Besides the obvious, thereʼs also the question of, “which Edward did Michelle fall in love with?” Until we can figure out if itʼs my personality or the real Edwardʼs, we might not be able to make any peaceful progress inside of this cramped mind. If at all possible, I hope that itʼs the original Edward she fell in love with. Iʼm fine with just having Stella. If I get my own body, that is.If Michelle fell in love with me, then gods know how Edwardʼs Share would treat me from now on...I shudder just thinking about it. ———— Stellaʼs punishment was not being able to hear me for three days. Or rather, I just kept silent for three days. It seemed more like a punishment for me, though. I had to really try hard not to retort to the gleeful Edward, you know?I figured that if Stella really found my Share so interesting, then a suitable punishment would be to not have her hear it for a week. Itʼs like cutting off anime from an otaku for a week. By the third day she was prostrating herself on the floor. “I am so sorry, Takumi-sama. I will never speak out of line again.” Well, never speaking out of line would be kind of boring. I was thinking more like, “donʼt make more trouble for us”. “But, the Young Master never seemed to hate it?” ...Donʼt make more trouble for me. “Aah, but I had an idea on how to give Takumi-sama a body... I suppose itʼs too troublesome...?” I prostrated in my mind. Iʼm sorry. Stella, youʼre the best, if I get my own body I am for sure marrying you. Please tell me how. ———— And so, the first chapter of the story of the prince of an otome game with a reincarnated person sharing his body ends. Thereʼs still a lot more things to come for the unfortunate duo, but that might be a story for another time...

Feynapotter Kingdom, Feynapotter City, 26 July 1131. A family of 3 was having breakfast in a luxury dining room."Auden, you're coming with me to Dunbar Estate today to join the army, I hope you remember." said the middle-aged man.The middle-aged man had brown hair and deep green eyes. When you look at him, you can feel his irresistible authority. This man is Earl Esmond Hawarde."Yes, I remember Lord Father." said young man.This young man looked to be around 15-16 years old. He had brown hair and deep green eyes just like his father. However, unlike his father, he gave people a calm impression."I don't understand why you're in such a hurry. Auden is still young." said the beautiful middle-aged woman.This woman has brown hair like the others, but her eyes are blue. This woman is Countess Harley Hawarde."I took part in my first battle when I was his age.""You don't have to worry, Lady Mother. Besides, I almost digested Lawyer potion.""I know, but can't I worry about my child?""Don't worry, I don't plan on sending Auden to the front lines before he becomes Barbarian. Besides, you know the army is a good acting place for Barbarian.""Yes yes I know. I'll just miss little Auden.""Don't worry, Lady Mother, I'll try to write as much as I can. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go to my room and get ready.""Okay, we'll be leaving in an hour. Finish your preparations.""Okay, Lord Father." 'It's been 16 years since I came to this world . My old life now feels like it was someone else's life. It took me three years to find out what world I was in in the first place. Since I was born half Lawyer, they started my education at an early age. If you say why you were born half  Lawyer, the reason is my family. My father is Sequence 6 Baron of Corruption and my mother is Sequence 7 Lucky One. Therefore, the pathway I could choose was predetermined. The Black Emperor pathway is not bad. Since I was a lawyer in my former life, this pathway is quite suitable for me. However, there are 2 problems, one small and one big. Small problem is this pathway's divine form a curly haired baboon. Frankly, this is very embarrassing. I don't plan to release this form so easily even when I become a high rank. Coming to the big problem, in order for me to be in Sequence 0, I will have to be enemies with the royal family. After all, the Castiya family holds one of the Sequence 1 Hand of Orders. I'm not sure if they're holding this as a sealed item or as an angel. Anyway, my plans for these can be implemented as of today. 'But it's a pity that I don't have any cheats. The only cheat I have is to be born into a rich and good family. 'There is one more interesting issue though. I remember every detail about the book, but I'm still not corrupted. After all, knowing about cosmos and above sequence before becoming an angel is enough to be corrupted. I guess we could call it my cheat. But I instinctively know that if I pass on what I know to others, the situation is bad. 'But having money and status makes things pretty easy in the beginning. And I'm not reckless like Roselle. If I keep my ego in check, it is very difficult for me to be corrupted. In Roselle's case, though, the great men do have some influence. Zaratul and Adam have used Roselle more than once. Also, it's hard to believe that Mother Goddess of Depravity didn't have a hand in finding that desolate island. By chance, they will find a shipwreck and a map of that island will emerge from this shipwreck. There's no way this wasn't planned. It is also a great coincidence that they entered Abyys on the way back from that island. You shouldn't believe in coincidences in this world. 'There is no need to think about these situations for now. After big guys want to do something, it's hard to resist them. But only with the help of other big guy can you save yourself. There is no need to doubt the intelligence of big guys. After all, there is no way someone who has reached that level is stupid. If they weren't cunning, they would have said goodbye to us long ago. If you want to stay on top in this world, you have to learn to be cunning. I feel like I'm playing a hell level game. *Sigh*' "Young Master, Earl is calling you."  Hearing him being addressed, Auden shook unnecessary thoughts from his mind. The caller was a black-haired woman in her early 20s. This woman was quite beautiful. Her name is Matilda, Auden's personal maid. This person has been serving Auden for 4 years. Besides being a maid, she is also responsible for his protection. Matilda's grandfather was a loyal knight of the previous generation Earl Hawarde. That is why Matilda was entrusted with the safety of the heir.  "I am coming Matilda." Accompanied by Matilda, Auden headed out of the estate.  'I will miss Matilda's existence. After all, when someone accompanies you for 4 years, you get used to that person's presence.' "Are you going to miss me, Matilda?" said Auden humorously. This is one of Auden's rare mischiefs. He likes to tease this cool beauty type woman. "Surely you're jesting, Young Master." a small smile appeared on the corner of her mouth as she said that. "Take care of yourself Matilda. And thanks for taking care of me for 4 years. You are a good friend." "You too, Young Master. It is my honor to be your friend."  After a little chat, they arrived at the estate's door. At the entrance, the Earl and the countess await Auden's arrival. "You came." "Yes, Lord Father." After a brief greeting with the Earl as usual, Auden turned to the Countess. "Lady Mother, I'm leaving. Take care of yourself." Red-eyed Countess hugged Auden tightly. "Be careful while you're there. You don't have to be a hero. Put your own safety first. Don't forget to write to me. I love you." "I will, Lady Mother. I love you, too." "Let's go." "Okay Lord Father." Thus Auden's Journey start.

DizzyMiko A/N: There are a number of...oddities within this short story that I know make little sense due to the self-imposed restrictions. One day, I may rewrite this, as this is a self-contained story within a fantasy world I have created. For now, please enjoy! I am open to constructive criticism, which is the biggest reason why I'm post this here. Thank you! On with the show~ A Bunny's Tail It was a very long battle, lasting weeks on end. Two Human civilizations compete to try and overthrow the other. A brutal and uncouth way of handling a disagreement and breakdown of negotiations. Thoughts like this ran through the Man’s mind as he continued to walk through a vast set of Great Plains as far as the eye can see. The grass brushed gently against the shins of his worn knee high leather boots, slashed and sliced open in various places with dried blood caking the once soft, smooth leather. Many questions ran through the Man’s mind as he continued forward while dragging a long nodachi-style two-hand sword against the ground; the blade ruined with cracks and chips all through the blade. What was the point of fighting in such a war if neither side ultimately won? Was the price of so many Human lives worth it? Having had enough of the war that went on for far too long, the Man finally decided that there was only one solution left and chose to fight for his country to help end this war. But then the Elves suddenly came. It was a complete massacre of the Humans—worn out from fighting each other for too long and fatigue having set in, both mentally and physically. It did not take much for the Elves to mow down every Human in sight and then moved on to raid the Northern and Southern Human Kingdoms. The Man was extremely lucky he did not fall like the rest of his company, and ultimately the whole army division did. It was painful to watch all of his friends and war buddies die trying to allow him to escape. The detachment of Elves that pursued him down were killed by the Man but not without a heavy price to pay. It had already been a few week since the Elves suddenly raided the Humans warring against each other. The Man traveled along the Southern portion of the Great Plains, heading north were the small Rolling Hills were. His home, his parents were just across the Rolling Hills, not too far from The Treeline that marked the beginning of the Bunny Tribe’s territory. The Man had not eaten anything since before the last skirmish that decided the fate of the two Human armies. His tummy growled loudly as the sun beat down on the back of his neck, where most of his destroyed and torn leather armor and jerkin exposed his skin, caked with dried blood of the wounds he had been inflicted with. His right eye was sliced at a right downward angle and was caked closed with his blood and tears. His left eye was untouched, a narrow brown orb looking forward that had the gaze of a dead man. Hidden within, though, was the will to live: to keep pushing forward. ‘I will not fall here.’ ‘I don’t want to die.’ ‘I want to see my family.’ There was a myriad of emotions and thoughts that went through the Man’s mind, trying his best to keep thinking and stay active since he felt that if he stopped, he would stop for the very last time. A strong breeze suddenly came from the South as he traveled North, pushing him forward, and causing him to lose balance, falling flat on his face. The Man felt like the Gods were trying to spite him for daring to continue living. Lying flat on his face, he tried desperately to pick himself up—a broken left hand and right hand still clutching his massive weapon struggling with all their might under his own weight. With slow, steady movements, he was able to push himself off the ground and got to his knees, wobbly from the lack of energy and blood loss. The Man could feel that his limits were surpassed long ago but he didn’t care. He had a single goal: to get home. Delirious, the Man had started to think that once he got home, everything would turn out fine with his Mother running to him and gripping him tightly in her small and thin arms while his Father reprimanded him for participating in such a silly war. Getting to his feet, the Man inhaled and then exhaled slowly as he got back to his feet; the pain in his arms long since left; the pain in his broken hand just a tickle at this point. He had to continue forward. Another night and then another day had passed when the Man got to the Rolling Hills north of the Great Plains. Climbing to the peak of one of the hills, he could spot The Treeline in the distance! Never before had such euphoric happiness flow through his body! Elated, the Man started down the hill more energetically than before with a smile that warped on the insane plastered to his blood and dirt coated face. Moving faster down the hill, he suddenly lost balance and began to tumble forward. The momentum that he had gained going downhill propelled him froward as his decent down the hill increased in speed with his body unable to correct itself. After more than a dozen tumbles and rolls, the Man could feel himself losing consciousness. Hiis body suddenly slammed into something hard and then heard quite an adorable cry that sounded much like a cute bunny or kitty. Hearing a few mews and muu’s, the Man couldn’t make out anything but the sky as he lost focus in his left eye and proceeded to get tunnel vision, the image of something wooden to his left, the blue sky in front of him and what looked to have been a white fluffy bunny ear to the right of his vision. Then everything went black. ~ The Man suddenly awoke, shooting upright in a bed and looking around, blinking with his left eye. He then suddenly noticed that he was wrapped up in a lot of bandages and all of his armor was peeled off him. Even his clothing had been changed into something more fresh. The soft smell of flowers and nature wafted in the air. Looking down at his hands, his left hand was put in a stint. Moving his fingers, it hurt a lot to do so but he was glad that they still worked. His right hand was in good condition. Realizing that he was not in a place familiar, the Man looked around to see if he could find his weapon. It was not to be seen, making him feel uneasy. Reaching up with his right hand, he could feel the right side of his face was covered in bandages as well and it felt like the wraps were just changed, likely why the smell of flowers were so strong. ‘Lavender maybe?’ The Man’s nerves weren’t nearly as sharp as they usually were, thinking it could be the Lavender that was naturally making him relax. Sounds could be heard behind the door that was in front of him while he laid on a rather large bed. Looking at the door, he watched it open with his uncovered eye and was on edge since the Humans have made a lot of enemies in the past and it was incredibly rare for a non-Human to assist one. The sounds of cute high pitched mews could be heard as the door slowly swung open, revealing to the Man two women: one of incredibly short stature, looking no more than a five or six year old Human but blessed by the gods in a very incredible way in the bust line; the other much taller than the first, holding a basket that had bandages among other things inside. Both wore a similar style dress, though the older woman’s dress was less detailed than the little girl had, the hems of the little girl’s dress quite decorated with special golden embroidery. What caught the attention of the Man, though, were the large fluffy white Bunny ears that loomed over their head, poking out of their pure golden locks of hair. The Man wouldn’t have doubted himself if he were told that he had died and gone to the Great Beyond. His left eye looked between the two in slight panic now, wondering what he had gotten himself into. The Bunny tribe’s beauty of their women were belied by their ruthlessness, it was hard for the Man to feel comfortable knowing that the Bunny tribe helped him. Sudden flashbacks of his parents having seen a Bunny tribe for the first time in his home town and acting in a revolting manner came to mind. The Man never understood why Father and Mother reacted the way they did to anyone that was not distinctly Human. None of it made sense to him. The little Bunny girl suddenly looked at the Man with wide eyes, her large deep sea blue irises completely lighting up the room with their astonishing beauty. The older woman’s bright golden eyes were gorgeous but the little girl’s blue irises were like looking at two aquamarines shimmering in the bright sunlight. The Bunny girl dashed over to me and then without a care in the world started mewing and nyaaing and myuuing to the Man, talking rather fast and energetic. The Man blinked a few times, looking at the adorable Bunny girl and then looked over to the older lady, who had a most gorgeous smile spread across her visage. “It seems Bunny Hime has taken quite a liking to you. I’ve never seen her so energetic as to immediately start talking to someone like so,” the older looking Bunny lady spoke, putting the medicinal basket onto a bench that was at the foot of the bed, moving over slowly to the little Bunny girl. The simple one piece dress they both wore were quite form fitting, revealing a lot of curves that showed off far more than the Man had ever seen on a Human woman. The jiggling and bouncing from underneath as well as the strain of the fabric were almost legendary. Even the little Bunny girl sported such a massive bust, possibly even bigger than the lady’s. “Mew mew mewmew mememew nya nyuu mu!” Bunny Hime continued to talk as if it were the most natural thing to the Man. After nearly a minute of her nonstop ‘talking’, the Medic couldn’t help but giggle cutely and then talk to Bunny Hime in the same manner, mewing, nyaaing and even a mumu at the end! Suddenly Bunny Hime stopped and looked a little unhappy at doing so. Watching everything play out in front of him made the Man stare and blink his eye a few times at the two of them, wondering what he was watching. His throat was quite parched so whenever he spoke, it cracked a few times and sounded extremely hoarse. “W-where am I..?” Bunny Hime just stared up at the Man but the Medic smiled softly down at her and then looking at the Man, she replied. “You are in Bunny Kingdom and are currently resting inside Bunny Castle. Bunny Hime here found you after you ran into her carriage that was bringing her back from a small trip. You hit the carriage so hard that you broke one of the supports for the corner pillars. Bunny Hime quickly went to see what happened and found you lying on the ground covered in grave wounds and immediately brought you here.” Suddenly Bunny Hime started mewing a lot and waving her arms around, causing her massive mounds to jiggle and bounce around in a dream-like fashion. “Yes yes, I know.” The Man looked at the two with a puzzled expression, wondering what was going on. Bunny Medic suddenly realized that the Man didn’t understand what was being said and then did a translation in his own tongue. “She says that she was super surprised that something like this would happen. She’s never actually seen a Human before so her curiosity is very high now.” Even though Bunny Medic tried to hide the nuance, the Man immediately could tell that when she said Human, it was almost the equivalent of saying trash. And the Man could not really disagree to that if history is to be believed. He let out a small laugh and with a pained expression, smiled wryly. “No need to hide your contempt for Humans. History has shown that Humans should not be trusted, myself included.” The Man looked up at Bunny Medic, a sad, soft smile on his face.. He then looked up at the ceiling, marble bricks placed meticulously in a way that looked very beautiful, letting out a soft sigh. “I’m no Historian but even I know what Humans have done in the past and the consequences we’ve paid. It’s not hard to continue holding grudges long after. Most Humans seem to hold that kind of contempt for Non-Humans as well.” The Man rubbed his dry mouth with his right hand, swallowing hard and licking his dry lips. Bunny Medic looked like she wanted to say something but then held back and then quickly started towards the end of the bed and pulled out a gourd from the medicinal basket, likely holding drink of some sort and offering it to the Man. With a word of thanks, the Man slowly took it and popped off the cork that was attached by a string to the gourd and didn’t even bother checking to see what the contents were before he started gulping it down, his parched and dry throat thanking him immensely. Suddenly the Man felt a lot more energetic and alive. Both Bunny Medic and Bunny Hime looked at the man in surprise, their eyes a bit wide that he could drink such a fine but strong wine like it was water. With the gourd drained, the Man offered it back to Bunny Medic with an apologetic but thankful face. “Thank you…I cannot tell you how long it had been since I last had anything to eat or drink before I crashed into the little lady’s carriage.” Bunny Medic looked a bit worried hearing that. “You’ve been out cold for almost a week. If that’s the case, I’m surprised you’re still alive. Speaking of which, were you a survivor of that Great Human War?” Even little Bunny Hime was mewing and moving her arms about, really curious and then with a slightly stronger than expected tug on his tunic, she was suddenly frowning at the Man and was mumu'ing a lot and then ended with a mugu! A mugu!! “Bunny Hime! Language! Bunny King would fall out of his chair if he heard what you just said!” Bunny Medic was quite aghast at Bunny Hime and then looking apologetic to the Man. “Sorry about that! Sometimes Bunny Hime gets a little too excited and doesn’t remember to mind her manners.” Completely confused, the Man blinked and couldn’t find the time to retort back that he didn’t understand anything before being questioned again. “If you were indeed a survivor, then that would mean you’re one of few Humans left in this section of the continent. Not long after the two warring Human nations clashed, the Elves saw a chance and suddenly raided both nations, wiping out all of the Humans they could find. It was a slaughter. That was definitely at least eight days ago...” The Man nodded his head and had a very bleak expression on his face and his complexion paled a little. He suddenly thought of his Mother and Father. They may have been a bit crass about Non-Humans but they were ultimately good people who tried their best to live on our little farm. If the Elves really did raid the Provinces as well... “I had a feeling the Elves had such an objective.” There was a very long pause, with which Bunny Hime looked up at the man with a slightly confused face, wondering why he suddenly stopped speaking. The older Bunny girl, though, could see sadness along with many other negative feelings written all over the Man’s face. “I was one of the commanders who lead a company of specialized large weapons combat. I warned my liege that by going to war, we would doom ourselves to extinction. I see that my words held a lot more weight and truth than I would’ve liked.” The words flowing out of the Man’s mouth were heavy. Bunny Hime never showed any indication that she eve knew what he was talking about but even she could see and hear through his tone of voice that he was immensely sad. With her face looking downcast, Bunny Hime suddenly tugged on the man’s sleeve, pulling him towards her and then with very warm, kind eyes, gave his arm a big hug. The man really appreciated the affection but he could not help but notice the two massive mounds that even made the most ripe of melons look small in comparison were sandwiching his arm between them! A bit of a stir that happened within him and with a soft patting of his right hand on her head, he made sure not to touch the Bunny ears. Just caressing the soft golden blonde locks of hair. “It’s alright…Bunny Hime..? I’m glad that you wanted to cheer me up. I feel a lot better. Thank you.” The Man flashed the warmest smile he could muster down to Bunny Hime, which evoked the most brilliant of blushes he had ever seen, even so much as though he could see steam come out of the top of her head, suddenly letting go of him and dashing behind Bunny Medic, hiding behind her and then peeking around the curvy woman’s hips to look up at him in total embarrassment. The Man smiled wryly. “Oh my...did I say something wrong?” Bunny Hime suddenly started mewing in soft, almost inaudible noises. Bunny Medic looked down at her in surprise but then smiled and looked back towards the Man. “Not at all. In fact, I think you just charmed her. Just thinking about it, right after you appeared out of nowhere, she has been doing nothing but talking about you, asking so many questions about you and had even been coming in here multiple times a day wondering if you’d woken up yet. She seems quite attached to you.” Bunny Medic’s smile showed a bit of slyness to it, making the Man wonder what it was that she was thinking. Holding the gourd in her hands still, she looked down at Bunny Hime and spoke a few things in what the Man can only assume at this point is Bunny language and then went over to the medical basket, putting the gourd back into it and then holding it. “Seeing that your bandages looked to have been changed before I got here...” Suddenly Bunny Medic looked down at Bunny Hime, who was only smiling her biggest, brightest smile she could. “I think it is a good idea to let you rest more. If you’ll excuse me now.” With a bow, Medic started for the door but was stopped by the Man’s voice calling out to her. Turning around, she looked at him. “Why go so far for a Human? You have been nothing but hospitable to me but Humans and the Bunny tribe have always never seen eye to eye. Why?” Bunny Medic only smiled softly and looked down at Bunny Hime, then back at the Man. “Because Bunny Hime wanted to help you. Since she does not know the prejudices of the Bunny tribe against Humans and the fact that she has never seen one before, she wanted to make sure you were well cared for so that she can ask you lots of questions, fufufu~” It was the first time the Man heard Bunny Medic giggle like so, making him wonder what kind of fate he would have now that he has been given hospitality by the Bunny tribe. It was an incredibly adorable but ominous giggle. “I...see. Then I am eternally grateful to Bunny Hime’s kindness for allowing a lowly soldier like me to live. Even though I have absolutely no idea what she says...” Bunny Hime suddenly looked miffed and started saying a few things, having the feeling that she was mocked in some way, which got both the Man and Bunny Medic smiling wryly and the lady nodding as well. “Don’t worry. I have been tasked for watching over you and Bunny Hime by the Bunny King, so I can help...translate a few things, fufufu~” There was that giggle again. In any other situation, the Man would’ve found it incredibly attractive but at this point in time, he was worried about what was behind that gorgeous visage. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Bunny Medic curtsied and then after Bunny Hime did so as well, albeit a lot more clumsy and cute with her giant chest bouncing quite heavily, they left the room, leaving the Man to his own devices. “To think that I would run into the Bunny tribe. Well, I am lucky it wasn’t Elves since they would’ve just killed me...” And with that thought, he laid down and closed his eye, trying his best to get some rest since he was feeling incredibly exhausted now that he actually became conscious. Before falling to sleep, the Man felt immeasurable sadness as his memories of his family flashed in his mind, causing him to weep and fell asleep doing so. ~ Memories of the great battle flooded into the Man’s mind as he slept. Images of brutal decapitations of both his men and the enemy stuck with him. The ground was soaked in blood, making him wonder if that ground will ever look anything other than blood red again. Feeling himself stirring, the Man opened his eye only to find Bunny Hime staring directly at him from above. She was standing on a step stool so she was looming over him. Startled quite a bit, the Man flinched back into his pillow, almost reaching up to push the cute little girl away but thankfully was able to catch himself. Feeling a cold sweat and a shiver down his spine, the Man inquired Bunny Hime. “Um…if you stare that much, you will make me feel embarrassed and nervous..” As if she knew what the Man said, she slowly started straightening up again but was unable to keep her excitement in check as she reached out and tugged on the sleeve of his tunic, which seemed to have been changed last he recalled. He wondered if it was Bunny Medic who did so. Bunny Hime was mewing and making such a racket. Finally catching on to her tugging, the Man smiled softly. “You want me to follow you?” Bunny Hime smiled and then pulled the covers off the Man and pulled him out of bed, causing him to stumble and fall forward, landing on Bunny Hime, whose chest was right at crotch height, suddenly giving her a large embrace to make sure he didn’t fall on the hard floor. The little girl was overcome with embarrassment as she mewed very softly and turning as red as a strawberry. When the Man straightened himself up, he smiled warmly down at her. “Sorry. You pulled me a little too hard, you know. Now...where do you want me to go with you?” Without saying anything, Bunny Hime grabbed a hold of the man’s tunic hem near his tummy and then started pulling on it, leading him out of the open door and into the hallways of the castle. It was a pretty vast structure from the looks of the halls, though unlike Human castles, this one seems a lot more curved since the hallways looked like they were going in a circle. The Man knew nothing about any other race’s structures so this was quite intriguing to him. Bunny Hime was wearing a different kind of dress today. It was still a one piece but had an open back, so it revealed quite a lot of skin from behind. The straps looked rather thick on her shoulders, likely for two very obvious reasons. The dress tried its best to cover up most of the little Bunny girl’s cleavage but it was impossible with those two huge melons bouncing and swaying in the dress. As she was tugging from the front, she was a solid three and a half to four heads shorter than the Man but her bust belied her tininess and the sides could easily be seen from behind. It was one of the most erotic things he had ever seen. It was beyond simply stimulating. Suddenly he was reminded it had been a very long while since he bedded with a woman, wondering if that was the reason why he was looking at Bunny Hime with lustful eyes. As if she could tell what he was thinking, Bunny Hime suddenly stopped and looked up at the Man, miffed. “MEW MEWMEWMEWEW NYU NYEW MU MUGU!!” Suddenly he was punched in the tummy and she quickly turned around with a ‘hmph!’ and grabbed the tunic a bit more roughly and tugging on him. The further along she pulled on the Man, the more he could notice a very lovely scent wafting in the air. It smelled delicious and made his tummy rubble and groan out. Bunny Hime suddenly stopped and looked back up at the Man with a very puzzled expression, pointing to his tummy and speaking in her adorable mews. He nodded and smiled wryly. “That was indeed me. I haven’t eaten in so long..” With a panicked expression, she suddenly started running, tugging on his tunic harder and leading in to the kitchen area. The view from behind as she moved quickly stirred the Man’s loins in a way that would be wholly inappropriate under any circumstances but it was getting harder to resist those sudden urges and pangs that he could feel building up. The kitchen was vast, with around a dozen different cooks dressed up in clothing like he had seen at a bakery before he left for the war. In his mind, he was thinking that dressing was not all that different among races it seemed. One of the important looking Bunny girls in the kitchen area suddenly saw the Man and Bunny Hime and raising an eyebrow, her sudden demeanor caught everyone else’s attention. Some of the Bunny tribe girls reacted in a very negative way, showing their clear disdain for the Man’s presence, others showed an innocent curiosity and there was at least one who the Man could notice immediately looking at him as if she were hungry for a...particular kind of meat. Head Cook Bunny, though, just had an exasperated look on her face. “Bunny Hime, how many times have I told you not to come into the kitchen while food is being prepared? Is there something you need with that Human?” Again, the word was stressed in such a way where it was quite clear on what they thought of him. Bunny Hime, though, ignored it and starting doing lots of hand gestures and mewing, then pointing at the Man’s tummy a few times. “I see. So you want us to fix something for the Human here? And what would you think would happen if that Human were to recover from his hunger and start rampaging through the castle?” The Man’s left eye twitched out of instinct. The feeling of killing intent filled the room to the brink of exploding. It was so thick it was palpable. He may not be in any condition to fight but his instincts were in high gear. Bunny Hime, though, did not care at all and then started pouting and mewing and waving her hands around, hitting the Man in the process, almost looking like she was about ready to throw a tantrum. Head Cook Bunny started out looking dubious but as the little Bunny continued in her tirade, the woman’s face started to blanch and before long, everyone else in the kitchen started leaving, knowing that if they stuck around, they would have to deal with Bunny Hime’s wrath once she gets angry. “C-c-calm down, Bunny Hime! N-no no no! I’m not saying I won’t feed him. I will, I will! Just give me f-five minutes!” Head Cook Bunny’s attitude did a total flip that it was almost unbelievable that it was the same Bunny. Bunny Hime was still yelling out and mewing and pointing her fingers at both Head Cook Bunny and the Man. “N-no! I-I mean no offense, Bunny Hime! It’s just, he’s a Human!” It seems that was not something she should’ve said. Bunny Hime suddenly stopped mewing and going on her tirade, resorting to just staring daggers right at Head Cook Bunny, who broke out into such a sweat it was as if she marched all day long as a soldier in heavy gear. It was very...surreal. “Okay okay! I’ll feed him! Please don’t say anything to Bunny King or Bunny Queen! See? I’m working on his food right now!” Whatever it was that she was originally preparing, Head Cook Bunny suddenly started preparing some simple meats and cheeses and a fresh loaf of bread that just got out of the oven. Placing them on the table in front of Bunny Hime, the tiny busty girl gave the woman a smile brighter than the sun and then tugged on my shirt, pulling me close to the table, motioning for me to start eating here. I glanced at the Head Cook Bunny, who was a little miffed but considering Bunny Hime was right beside me, she nodded. “H-here you go, Human. D-don’t think that you’ll get off easy just because Bunny Hime shows affection towards...” She didn’t finish what she was saying before she noticed Bunny Hime staring daggers at her again, looking none too pleased that someone was not approving of who she chose to be with. “Okay okay! I’m very sorry, Human! I was wrong!” With a very deep bow, her forehead almost touched the counter. The Man, startled and taken aback, waved his hands at Head Cook Bunny. “P-please, it’s alright. I expected it. Speaking of which...does Bunny Hime here hold that much power?” Head Cook Bunny let out a soft sigh and shook her head. “It’s...hard to resist her charms. If she doesn’t like you, she will act as if you don’t exist. It’s very painful…” It was almost as if Head Cook Bunny has suffered that punishment before. While she was giving her explanation, the Man was busy chowing down on everything in front of it. It was a meal that could have fed at least 3 soldiers but he managed to wolf down even the crumbs, leaving nothing left. Both Bunny Hime and Head Cook Bunny were surprised by the sight. They never saw someone ravenously eat something so quickly. A pitcher of water had been provided as well with a glass but the Man didn’t even use the glass and drank directly from the pitcher, polishing it all of as if it were nothing. “W-wow...” “Mew...” Both ladies were stunned. The Man had gotten back some of the life in his complexion after eating everything, surprising Head Cook Bunny. “Y-you were a bit hungry, huh..?” “I guess I was haha...” The Head Cook Bunny could not help but smile a bit more naturally. Bunny Hime was satisfied with the results and started tugging on the Man’s tunic hem again, mewing for him to follow. “T-thank you for the meal. It was delicious.” Head Cook Bunny didn’t say anything and just nodded to the two dashing out of the room as quickly as they had come in. She couldn’t help but sit down for a bit and shake her head. “I have a feeling that things are going to be quite hectic for a while...” ~ As the Man continued to be dragged around by Bunny Hime, it was only a matter of time before they would run into one of the guards standing post to the throne room where Bunny King and Bunny Queen currently resided. Standing even taller than the Man, one of the guards held out his gauntlet clad hand to motion for her to stop, pointing at the Man. "...Humans are not allowed beyond this point without Bunny King’s explicit permission, Bunny Hime. Your parents gave you explicit instruction not to do anything capricious when it came to that Human." Bunny Sentry's metallic voice rang through the full face visor of his helmet, designed in such a way that one could not see any details inside but it seems that the user can see everything going on from within the helmet. Being one of the biggest Bunny tribe men in the whole kingdom, it was not a surprise to see such a tall guard for one of the most important royal families of the non-Human world. Bunny Hime pouted and looked up at Bunny Sentry, moving her hands around in wide circles, mewing and, from the sound of her voice, complaining to Bunny Sentry. The Man could not help but notice even more the more violent swaying of the massive orbs that have been constantly at his attention. Then, something else caught his eye. He saw a cute fluffy white ball of fur right above Bunny Hime's butt, sticking out of the dress almost like an accessory. It was very hard to resist wanting to give it a touch and see if it was just a dress accessory or if, much like the ears, it was real. "...Bunny Hime." Bunny Sentry's voice was quite deep and serious, which caused Bunny Hime to suddenly stop complaining and moving her arms and Bunny ears and swaying bust--which were still bouncing around slightly even after stopping. Her face went from being cutely angry to just pure angry, losing all of her adorable charm that made one want to let out a gentle laugh as she'd show her more than slightly spoiled demeanor. Something feels off. The Man suddenly felt tension in the air. His instincts were telling him that he needed to step back and almost did so. He could not tell if it was coming from Bunny Hime or Bunny Sentry but both were exuding a very similar aura. Nothing was said for a few seconds but Bunny Sentry then broke the silence. "...If Bunny King finds out, he will be very mad at me for not doing my job." Suddenly the tension in the air left and Bunny Hime put on the most brilliant smile she's ever done, giving the fully armored Bunny man a really big hug from the front. The Man could not help but notice the way she was pressing against the hard armor made her already massive bust look even bigger from the sides, squishing outward and looking to spread nearly as wide as Bunny Sentry's armor at the hips. It was more than just a little bit of a treat to watch. Bunny Sentry let out a cough. "...Tread carefully, Bunny Hime." Giving her his warning, she looked up at Bunny Sentry and nodded, her smile not leaving her lips before she turned to the Man quickly, making her dress look as if it was going to rip from the excessive amounts of moving. He wondered if the cloth was some sort of magic fiber that was able to withstand such physical sizes. Then she reached out and instead of grabbing at the Man's hem like she had been doing all this time, she reached out to grab his right hand, the one that was still uninjured, mewing and even let out a small purr?! The Man looked at Bunny Sentry with a blinking expression and could hear an audible sigh and a soft voice directed at him. "...Don't misunderstand Bunny Hime's affection, Human. She is just going through one of her whims." Those heavy words had a lot of weight to them but the Man already knew deep down that that was likely the case, hence why he has not bothered to resist at all. The Man was also grateful that she was the one who saved him and allowed him to live so at this point, his life was literally in the palm of Bunny Hime's hands. Or paws, perhaps? After the encounter with Bunny Sentry, Bunny Hime seemed to be in both a very bad and a very good mood. She was making pouty faces and sounding quite irritated with her mews and muus but whenever she looked at the Man, her face brightened up to the point where it was almost too brilliant to look directly at her. It made him smile wryly at what he had gotten himself into. Soon, Bunny Hime had dragged the Man out into the main front courtyard through one of the doors to the side that were used by soldiers and staff members, pointing out many things such as the way the castle was built like a circle instead of with edges like a square like most Human castles. It was truly intriguing. There was a very large tree in one of the corners of the courtyard and Bunny Hime was dragging the Man over there, tugging on his hand to move faster, though it was still hard for him to properly walk since his legs and feet were still so sore. More so considering he was not actually wearing footwear. When she got to the large tree trunk, Bunny Hime pointed at it and then pointed at the Man, saying something. As usual, the Man couldn't understand her almost at all, looking confused. Bunny Hime looked a bit miffed and started to look irritated then suddenly pulled on the Man's hand and pulled him to the tree. Then she pushed his back to the trunk and then tugged on his right arm to motion for him to sit down, which he finally understood, sliding down and sitting on the very soft bright emerald colored grass underneath crosslegged. Then without warning she suddenly sat in the man's lap, pressing her back against the Man's chest. Her Bunny ears were almost pointing straight up and brushing against the man's face but then they kind of drooped forward, her giggling all the while. Then she took both of his hands and pulled them around her waist, which was kind of hard to do because her massive bust actually touched her legs while she sat down so the perky spheres were pressing quite nicely against his forearms. The Man was thankful that Bunny Hime didn't tug on his left arm too hard since it still hurt really badly, though it felt like most of the bones were healed up since he could move his fingers perfectly fine again. She started to hum some kind of tune and looked truly elated, smiling with her eyes closed and moving her head side to side along with her body, rubbing up against the man's chest and crotch with her back and butt. It was getting harder and harder for the burning desire in his loins to be resisted but the Man was successfully able to do so. The worst thing that could ever happen is if he lost favor with her. The Man's life would be forfeit then. It felt like he was there for hours whenever he heard a familiar voice calling out to Bunny Hime. "There you are! I had been looking for you. We need to get you dressed! You have a very special guest today, Bunny Hime." The Man broke out of his reverie and then noticed that Bunny Hime was actually sleeping against him, her chest moving up and down slowly before she started stirring from the familiar voice calling out to her. Bunny Medic quickly walked over to the two of them and had a warm smile that soon turned into a wicked and irritated smile. "Hooo...Bunny Hime is being quite the naughty and bold girl, isn't she?" Hearing those words, Bunny Hime suddenly awoke and looked up at Bunny Medic and pouted, making a few motions with her hands, which then quickly removed his hands from around her waist, as well as removing the warmth of her underbust resting atop his forearms. Then she hastily stood up and pointed directly into the Man's face, saying more than a few choice mews and nuus DizzyMiko A nuu is different from a muu. . The Man could not tell what was being said at all and if there really was anything said at all. So far he's only heard Bunny Hime and Bunny Medic talking in such a manner and it was only once with Bunny Medic. "Hm hm hm~! I see, I see~. Does Bunny Hime want to be punished?" Suddenly the air became tense again but this time it wasn't from Bunny Hime but from Bunny Medic. There was a menacing aura around her that almost seemed visible, exuding a darkness around her that made her look truly sinister. Unlike usual, Bunny Hime this time looked rather nervous and then looked at the Man, letting out a soft mew which really struck at his heart strings in a way that almost made him want to instinctively protect her. "No way, little Bunny! You promised your father that you would be a good girl and listen to the staff. From what I've heard, not only did you make Head Chef Bunny prepare food for him but you even allowed him to pass through Bunny Sentry and the other guards. If you do anymore, I will get angry, you know~ fufufu~" Scary! The giggle at the end totally did not match her facial expression! It seemed that Bunny Hime knew what kind of predicament she was in and with her ears drooping down to the point where they were touching her head and hanging in front of her face, she nodded. "That's a good Bunny. Now, what will we do with you..?" Bunny Medic now looked at the Man, trying to think of something and also looking a bit troubled, causing him to finally break his silence. "...Is something the matter? I mean, obviously I am a problem but is there something going on that causes my existence here to be even more burdensome?" Bunny Medic looked at the Man with a dumbfounded expression, blinked a few times and then let out a softer, more adorable "fufufu~" and nodded a few times. "You...are quite sharp. Yes, a bit of a...problem has arisen. Considering you are Bunny Hime's guest, it's hard for even Bunny King and Bunny Queen to suddenly remove you because she would then likely run away. Again." Suddenly the Man felt sympathetic to the Bunny royal family and all that they employed to watch over Bunny Hime. "The problem is that the Prince of Elves is making an unannounced visit here. He will be arriving within the hour. Unfortunately, his messenger he just sent had already spotted you so there may be a few...issues." The Man's face blanched. He knew full well what kind of Elf the Prince of Elves was. There was something about him that was extremely sinister. Once he was old enough to retain power within the Elven Empire, the Prince of Elves was the one who made the moves to push the Human empires down to near extinction. Considering the Man's condition, if something were to happen, he would not be able to properly defend himself. Plus his only weapon was not only broken but also not at his side. "That...is a problem. I've met the Prince of Elves once before on the battlefields. One of the few times the Humans were able to push back the Elves, many years ago when I was but a young soldier. He's not someone I can see...anyone getting used to." Bunny Medic put on a smile that was borderline seductive and nodding, giggling. "Fufufu~ For a Human, your intuition and instincts are very sharp." She didn't say anything more, neither confirming nor denying what the Man was feeling deep within his gut. Bunny Medic gently took Bunny Hime's small hand and then motioned with her head for the Man to follow them. ~ The Prince of Elves. The Tyrant. The most powerful Elf in the whole Empire. Many Elves spoke praises of the Prince of Elves, showering him with love and affection. That Elf really knew how to get into the hearts of the people and move them with his honeyed words and have them to do his bidding. There were many Elves opposed to the way Prince of Elves did things but those were a minority compared to the vast portion of the Elven empire that sung praises of him, more so after they pushed back the Human empires and reclaimed much of their lost land from thousands of years ago. The Man heard many stories of Prince of Elves and after meeting with him the first time on the battlefield, it was not something that he would want to do again. Prince of Elves is a brutal dictator, a tyrant in the garb of an Elf “for the people”. Most of the Elves listened to his sweet words without thinking at all, even on the battlefield. When the Man first witnessed just how brutal the Prince of Elves was to his army and showed just how little that Elf thought of everyone and everything other than himself and his pride, he and the Human generals whom the Man fought alongside and protected knew that Prince of Elves would be a major problem. The Man actually fought head to head with Prince of Elves in battle. It was the only time Prince of Elves made an actual appearance on the battlefield. Due to the Man's inexperience at the time, he lost pretty handily but not before being able to wound Prince of Elves' perfect, beautiful face, marring it with a scar from the base of the elf's chin all the way up the left side of his cheek to right underneath the left eye. The Man was lucky to leave with his life after that but that was the deciding factor in the Humans winning that battle. Sadly, that was what fueled that Tyrant into winning the war. ~ Bunny Hime and Bunny Medic noticed that the Man was in a reverie of sorts, looking both deep in thought and deeply troubled by the news of Prince of Elves' arrival. Neither said anything to the Man and led him to the hallway that led to the medical room where he was originally. "Bunny Hime wants you to be with her when she goes to see Prince of Elves." Bunny Medic suddenly spoke, causing the Man's face to grow dark and then look down at the innocent looking Bunny Hime who was smiling and tugging on his shirt like she was begging for his permission. He looked back at Bunny Medic, his face unchanging. "I don't know if Prince of Elves remembers but we...have a history. I cannot predict what his reaction will be if he saw me." Both Bunny girls were surprised to hear this new bit of news. "...What kind of history?" Bunny Medic was quite curious. "I was the one who put the scar across his face. From here. To here." The Man made the motion with his right index finger from his chin to right under his left eye. Bunny Medic's mouth dropped open and then closed it, then opened it a few more times, looking like she was trying to say something and then stopping herself quickly. Then she finally broke the silence. "That...is a problem. Every time Prince of Elves comes to visit, he is always complaining about how a certain lowly Human marred his perfect face and how it became a driving force to really push the eradication of Humans." The Man nodded. "Indeed. Does Bunny Hime still want me to be with her, though?" Without missing a beat, Bunny Hime looked up at the Man and nodded energetically with a huge smile. Unable to help himself, the Man gently plopped his hand atop the little Bunny's head and started petting her golden locks again. Then he suddenly realized what he did and quickly pulled his hand away, apologizing quickly. Bunny Hime was full on blushing and suddenly dashed behind Bunny Medic and hid her face against her dress again. "Oh my~" Bunny Medic could only smile and giggle at Bunny Hime's reaction. Then she turned her attention back to the Man, a smile spreading across her face that suddenly made him shiver, sending a very cold chill down his spine. "Yes...I think that may work. Yes, yes...I'll have to immediately talk with Bunny King and Bunny Queen about this. Come, Bunny Hime! We have to talk with your parents about something." Confused, the Man didn't know what was going through Bunny Medic's head at all. He may be sharp but he's not psychic. "Stay here, Human. We will come back for you if things proceed smoothly." Then both Bunny girls left in rather a hurry, Bunny Hime almost being dragged out as she was protesting in her cute little mews, looking like she didn't want to break away from him for some reason. When the door closed with a loud thud, he wondered what he would do. Sitting down on the bench at the foot of the bed, he went into deep thought about a few things, lapsing back into thinking of his family, bearing a forlorn expression on his face. ~ Soon, the two Bunny girls came back, opening the door quickly and shaking the Man from his deep thoughts, looking surprised and then suddenly shot straight to his feet whenever he saw a Bunny man in majestic, regal robes of red, white and emerald colors. Suddenly, the Man knelt down on his right knee with his left arm across his left knee and his right arm crossing over his chest. "Y-your liege!" The Man broke out into a sweat, wondering what it was that the royal Bunny King wanted with him, a Human solder. Even if they may not be the same race, deep respect should always be shown to royal families, especially in the Man's mind. "You may stand at attention, Human." Without a second thought, the Man stood straight up and stood at attention like he always did in the army, looking slightly up at an angle, not facing the Bunny King directly. "Hmm...good, good. This Human has good manners. Are you sure his story is true?" Bunny King looked over to Bunny Medic and she honestly shrugged her shoulders. "I do not know, your excellency. But it is worth a try." The King looked the Man up and down, suddenly reaching out and taking the man's left hand that was still in a splint and poking and prodding it in various places. The Man felt intense pain shooting through his arm but still held himself steadfast, not flinching at all but did start breaking out into a heavy sweat because of both the pain and nervousness. His life, he assumed, was on the line here and had no string to grasp at. He was in the palm of the Bunny tribe. "Was it really broken, Bunny Medic?" "Yes sir. There were many fractures and even a bone that was snapped but thankfully was still in place, making setting the bones easier." The King continued to poke and prod all over the Man's body, touching every one of the wounds that the Man suffered in that great battle. Bunny Medic continued to talk. "There were many places where it looked as if he were completely run through with swords, spears, and arrows that seem to have been pulled out. Frankly, he should not be alive. It is a marvel that he was able to walk for as long as he did in his condition without any food or water with such fatal wounds. I still cannot tell you how he is alive." Bunny Medic was speaking in slow, cold words much like the physicians the Man had come across before. He's always known to have a good constitution but he didn't think that it was all that special. The King nodded. "If the Bunny tribe's best medical specialist cannot begin to understand how you survived, you are truly a unique Human." Then Bunny King paused and looked deep in thought, looking like he came to a conclusion. He let go of the Man's hand and stepped back, motioning for Bunny Sentry to come in. "Prepare some armor for this Human. You said he had a weapon, right?" "Yes sir. It was an extremely long and large blade that our smiths had never seen before. It was broken beyond repair but the weaponsmiths have been at the forge without end the whole time, trying to figure out how the blade was made. It has given them more enthusiasm than I've ever seen." 'Just who is Bunny Medic? She can't just be a normal Physician if she discusses more than just the health of people...' "Alright. Have them prepare one of the best prototypes they've been able to create. I want to see the Human inside the throne room before the Prince of Elves arrives. And make sure that he has a full face helmet." "...Yes sire, as you wish." Sentry bowed slightly, crossing his right arm to his chest and then without anything else being said, Bunny King, Bunny Queen—who had been silent the whole time and watching with a smile—Bunny Medic and Bunny Hime all left, though the last had to be dragged out by Bunny Medic, all the while crying out and mewing. When the door closed behind Bunny Sentry, it was just him and the Man standing in the large room. "What is going on?" The man inquired, wondering what it was that had gotten even the King involved. "...I do not know the details but it seems Bunny Chancellor has come up with an idea. You may not know but...us Bunny tribe do not much like the current Prince of Elves. Before his arrival to the Elven royal family, Bunny tribe and Elves were partners and had a peaceful relationship with each other. We have a non-hostile agreement that stated both races would not harm the other and fairly trade amongst each other. But when Prince of Elves came into being, all of this changed." Bunny Sentry stopped talking. 'Oi. Oi! You can't just suddenly stop talking when you get to the important part!' The Man was screaming inside his mind since he didn't want to say that aloud. He didn't know how Sentry would react to his comical retort. With a very wry smile, the Man nodded and then scratched his cheek. "I...see. Something like that happened with the Humans as well..." Put into thought, the Man was thinking of a few events that happened right after Prince of Elves got into power to be able to command the Elven armies. Something didn't sound right and Bunny Sentry nodded his head when he saw the puzzled look on the Man's face. "...It is strange, isn't it?" "...Yes, it is." "...Maybe...that is what Bunny Chancellor is thinking." The Man looked at Bunny Sentry with a puzzled expression but the tall Bunny didn't say anything more and then opened up the door. "Come with me. I will do as the King commanded." Without saying a word, the Man followed Bunny Sentry down to the workshop of the blacksmiths of the Bunny tribe. ~ The forges were burning hot like the passion of two lovers. The Man didn’t know too much about blacksmiths but had overheard a few of his war buddies who were blacksmiths for the army and they said that depending on the materials and the way certain metals had to be forged, the temperature had to be really high. Looking around at the place full of metal constructs of various shapes and sizes, it was quite interesting. A lot more rough than the beautifully made Elven equipment and looked a lot less durable than what the Humans could make. It was a bit of a surprise, though understandable since the Bunny tribe were not inherently violent people as well as more agile than either the Elves or Humans and usually desired lightweight, free flowing armor. “...Here is the Human who had that very large sword.” Sentry Bunny stopped in front of another Bunny man who was shorter in stature but more muscular overall, making the Man look small compared to those two. The Blacksmith Bunny had a brown bandanna wrapped around his forehead, soaked in sweat and mostly covered in soot and was wearing a large apron to cover as much of his body as it could from the heat and searing hot metal fragments that went everywhere. “Ohh! Bunny Chancellor talked to me about both him and the weapon he brought. It was the most unique weapon we had ever seen. Under most circumstances, the Bunny tribe wouldn’t be able to wield such a weapon unless they underwent years of training. It was just that different. Human, was that giant sword your main weapon?” Being asked directly by Blacksmith Bunny, the Man nodding immediately. “It is. I was part of a...” Suddenly the Man stopped talking, thinking that it may not be best to talk about such things. Then after looking at the two Bunny men, he let out a soft sigh and nodded to himself. “I was part of an expert division that specialized in that particular weapon. We weren’t trained in any other weapon. That caused us to be a sort of middleman between Infantry and Spear Units. We were the all rounders who took care of both Infantry and Calvary at the same time. That weapon was designed to take down a unit riding a horse as well as the horse itself, usually by taking the horse’s head off along with cutting the unit on the horse in half in one swing of the blade.” Blacksmith Bunny’s face looked a little sickly after that explanation but Bunny Sentry showed no reaction at all. The Man assumed that Bunny Sentry had likely seen battle before and seen violence of a similar sort. “That’s a very...gruesome way of fighting. Hearing that explanation now makes me understand the concept behind it and thankfully that was something along the right track of what we were going for in replicating it. Your weapon was unrepairable but it was still in great condition to examine. My apprentice should be making the final touches on our most recent prototype.” The sound of polishing could be heard in the background and the Man looked over to see a very young looking Bunny girl polishing the massive blade, looking like she had already honed the blade. She was a fair beauty with twinkling amethyst eyes and gorgeous blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail that was twisted onto itself and put behind a kerchief that she wore on her head, covering her forehead. Her apron was made of cloth and underneath looked to be a rather flat looking body without many curves. He couldn’t tell whether she was just that young or if she wasn’t blessed like the previous female Bunnies he’s seen already. The blade was a bit thicker than the Man’s previous weapon but other than that, it looked very similar. He looked over at Blacksmith Bunny. “May I?” With a smile on his face larger than it should’ve been, Blacksmith Bunny didn’t suspect the Man of anything at all, which made his heart feel a little better in this almost hopeless situation. Reaching over to Apprentice Bunny, she noticed the Man quickly and for a second, jumped away from him, holding the blade protectively. “Apprentice, don’t be that way. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have been able to create such a piece at all.” Pouting a bit, soon Apprentice Bunny looked up at the Man and reluctantly offered him the grip of the sword. Taking the massive blade that they created with his right hand, the Man adjusted himself to where his hand touched the bottom of the hilt and with a quick motion, picked it up rather easily, raising his eyebrow and then holding it up in the air about two meters horizontal to the ground. “L-light! This is much lighter than my blade! How is it lighter even though the metal is thicker?” Blacksmith Bunny smirked quite playfully and shook his head. “Bunny tribe secret. Though I will give you a hint: it is the type of metal we use. Bunny tribe blacksmiths do not use iron based metals.” That would explain a lot. Iron--and especially Steel--were very good metals when tempered properly and could be very hard but the downside was that they were very heavy--especially Steel. Moving the blade up and down with his arm, it was almost half the weight of his original blade. It was...staggering. He was wondering that, due to the lightness, it wouldn’t be able to cut through things like his blade could due to the weight of the blade itself acting as force. “Do you have anything to test this on?” The Man had a glint in his eye that was not there before. He had to test this blade. He had to figure out its potential. “Mmm...I don’t know if the Bunny King or Bunny Chancellor would like it if you did so but...let me find something…” Blacksmith Bunny looked around his shop and then came across a thick piece of tree trunk that needed to be cut anyway. He pointed at it since it was already ready to be cut, right outside in the small courtyard to the side of his open air smithy. The Man spotted the tree trunk, propped up and looked to be ready for sawing. Swinging the blade to the back of his head, he rested the blunt edge of the sword against his neck and back of the head, angling the sword in a way that was natural to swing. When he got outside he stood about a meter from the log and then did a few practice swings downward. First with one hand and then gripping near the pommel with his left, even though it still hurt to move it in such a way. That gave him even more power and leverage, causing the blade to go down so fast that Bunny Sentry could not see the blade move at all. It was a pretty frightening thing to witness first hand. Bunny Sentry realized that the Man was far, far more skilled as a solider than he first expected. As the Man didn’t particularly look battle hardened or give off an aura of an expert soldier--outside of all of his wounds from the last battle--there weren’t any scars or calluses on his hands that showed just how much training most soldiers go through. “Alright, this blade feels good. I like the balance. It just feels weird because of how light it is, though.” The Man talked to himself and then prepared himself quickly. With a quick downward swing that the three Bunny spectators were not expecting to be so quick, the blade was already at his shoulder again, resting against the back of his head with his left hand shaking a bit, pain running up his shoulder. The three Bunnies couldn’t believe their eyes, though. Not only did the Man cut through the meter thick tree trunk in one slice, the ground was actually cut as well at least three meters behind the trunk. “This is a good blade indeed. I don’t know if it’ll cut through a horse head like the original but it can handle wood quite well haha!” The Man let out a laugh and then went back over to the three Bunnies whose jaws were still open, surprised and unable to immediately see anything. The first to break the silence was Bunny Sentry. “...It seems the weapon is a success?” The Man looked a bit confused and couldn’t help but shrug his shoulders. “To be honest, I do not know. It’s very hard to tell if a weapon is good or not unless its tested against flesh and bone, since that tends to be harder to cut through than wood. But the way I see it, it’s got a lot of potential, especially for an extremely lightweight blade.” Blacksmith Bunny was rather happy about that, looking at Apprentice Bunny, who was elated and very happy as well. “It seems that all our hard work paid off then. We had at least two failures before that where the blades broke in the middle of forging due to the very odd way the weapon is made. I’m sure we can make it even thinner considering we were trying new forging techniques as well that we read in some Human books a while back.” Sentry looked at me and nodded. “Now that we have an acceptable blade, I would say that armor would be next but unfortunately we don’t have time so all we can do is give you a helmet to hide your face.” “Ohh, that I do have right here.” Blacksmith Bunny quickly moved to a certain table that had a number of forged items on it. He came back just as quickly with a helmet that had a face visor on it. It looked to be a rather standard helmet, slightly rounded with two large feathers that looked like Bunny ears poking out of the top. It was quite the well-made helmet. “I prepared this. Apprentice Bunny had a bit of fun with the design after it was forged though...” Blacksmith Bunny knocked the girl upside the head with his left fist while his right hand held out the helmet for the Man to grab, taking it from the Bunny man’s large hand. Then he put the helmet on his head, which fit like a glove. “It fits...perfectly.” “I should hope so. Bunny Chancellor gave us the dimensions for your head.” The Man figured the Chancellor must’ve gotten that information from Bunny Medic, who would know that kind of information. Now that he was set up, Bunny Sentry moved to the door, motioning for the Man to come with. “Good luck making a better weapon than this.” “Thanks. I guess not all Humans are bad if they allowed us a learning experience, right Apprentice?” Blacksmith Bunny was smacking Apprentice Bunny on the back, her not looking very happy at that gesture but seemed to know things would go badly if she protested. She also didn’t say anything and just turned her head away from the Man, who looked at her with a puzzled look. “Don’t let it get to you, Human. She’s not very...friendly towards Humans. I’m sure you’ve seen a number of Bunnies acting similarly as well.” The Man nodded and then was told by Bunny Sentry to follow. Looking back, he nodded at Blacksmith Bunny and his Apprentice, quickly moving through the courtyard and into the castle, going towards the throne room. ~ “...Things may go badly, Human, if the Prince of Elves sees you carrying a weapon so hand it over for now.” Sentry held out his left hand for the Man to place the blade into it, almost reluctant to part with the blade. It had felt like an eternity since he last had a blade in his hand and used it properly. He has never gone so long without practicing. Placing it into Bunny Sentry’s hand, the Man then adjusted the helmet a bit to make sure he could see out of the visor properly. Due to the nature of his division, wearing full visor helmets were very bad for vision so he’s not used to wearing one at all. When they both got to a huge set of double doors, Bunny Sentry’s visored helmet looked down at the Man, speaking a few last words of caution. “...This may not go well even if I treat you like a prisoner, Human. No hard feelings if you get killed.” The Man looked up at Bunny Sentry with a rather curious expression, unseen. He then nodded. “Understandable. My life has been forfeit ever since I survived that war. Whatever happens will happen. Godspeed.” Saying his words of peace, Bunny Sentry let out an agreeable grunt and then pushed open the massive wooden double doors to the throne room, at the very top of a set of marble stairs that was part of a vast chamber that led out to the main courtyard. Before the Man could even take four steps in, he was already at swordpoint by an Elven swordsman. “How dare you Bunny tribesmen bring a Human into the presence of Prince of Elves! Remove him at once! Or I shall do it for you.” Elven Swordsman’s words dripped of pure venom, poisonous and vile. It was not surprising to the Man, though, and more or less expected it. The feeling of the tip of the Elven made longsword against his throat was quite refreshing in a number of ways and also allowed him to clear his mind of a slight fogginess that seemed to settle the whole time he’s been here. “...Stop that nonsense, Elven Swordsman. You are in the presence of Bunny King in the Bunny Kingdom. You have no right to demand anything when in another’s kingdom...Isn’t that right, Prince of Elves?” Bunny Sentry’s voice was a bit more cold and irritated than the Man had heard before. It was a surprise since he usually spoke in a pretty deadpan tone. Elven Swordsman looked irate and was about to move his sword from the Man to Bunny Sentry before a regal voice spoke up. “Stop that nonsense, Swordsman. You are making the Elves look bad.” Prince of Elves himself spoke up, standing near the steps that led up to the thrones where Bunny King and Bunny Queen resided, with Bunny Hime standing beside her father and Bunny Medic standing beside the Queen. Making an audible clicking sound with his tongue, Elven Swordsman sheathed his weapon and then stood off to the side back where his original position was. It looked like Prince of Elves brought about six specialized soldiers with him on this trip: one swordsman, one priest, one spearman, one archer, one mage and another that looked to be of importance; likely a noble Elf or Prince of Elves’ right hand man. Bunny Sentry continued forward and the Man followed in suit, making sure he acted as if he were interacting with his own King. It was truly a shame, the Man was thinking. The Human King of his country was supposed to be a wise man that did not fall easily for tricks. As the two of them got to the steps, Bunny Sentry knelt down right before the first step and then the Man did so in quick succession. “You may rise, Bunny Sentry, Human.” Doing so, the Man glanced over at Prince of Elves to his right, unable to completely see due to his right eye being covered but he noticed the large gash on Prince of Elves’ cheek. “As I was saying before, Bunny King. I came here because I wanted to see your daughter, the beautiful Bunny Hime. Is her fiancé not allowed to gaze upon the woman whom he will soon wed and bed?” Bunny Hime glared at Prince of Elves with the most hateful and disgusting face she could manage, turning her head away, then looking at the Man and looked as if she were going to dash to him and tug on his tunic once more to be dragged around on her whim. Bunny King let out a rather heavy sigh, closing his deep sea blue eyes and then opening them back up, looking at Prince of Elves. “That was indeed a part of the agreement. Originally.” As soon as Prince of Elves heard that last word, his face turned to that of hatred. “What do you mean, ‘originally’?” Bunny King waved his right hand towards Bunny Medic, who stepped forward and rolled out a piece of parchment that she had tucked under her left armpit, almost hidden entirely because of her vast volume of bust. “Bunny King allowed me to do some...research into a few things. If you will allow me to reveal the contents of my discoveries, I will begin.” “You may, Bunny Chancellor.” Wait, Chancellor? CHANCELLOR!? Was Bunny Medic the Chancellor the whole time? The Man really couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Prince of Elves was about to talk back before Bunny King gave her consent. He knew that if he talked back in front of Bunny King, he would be thrown out of the throne room, losing a vital ‘ally’. He bit his lip rather hard and nodded in agreement as well. “Thank you, your majesty. There were a few things that had Prince of Elves originally proposed to Bunny Kingdom for our allyship. One of these things was a non-aggression agreement with each other. I have found evidence, though, that a certain band of Elves had been harassing parts of the Bunny tribe for quite some time now. Even worse, these Elves were masquerading as Humans to put even more blame against Humans.” This was definitely news to the Man but everything now started to make sense with events happening in the past few years. His commanding officers were worried about the rumors of Humans attacking the Bunny tribe a number of years ago. There was always something odd about that considering Humans never really left their lands. And even if there were Human bandits that would harass the Bunny tribe, they were taken care of quickly by Human hands and was quickly alleviated by the Man’s King profusely apologizing for his people’s transgressions. The Man’s country and the Bunny tribe were also in a non-aggression agreement and though people disliked anyone non-Human, they did not outright hate them or want to kill them, outside of a few fringe groups that were always quashed before they gained steam. Bunny Chancellor continued. “We were able to figure out these Elven skirmish groups were in fact a part of Prince of Elves’ private army.” Prince of Elves looked visibly shocked, protesting immediately. “How dare you claim that some of my own personal army was involved in such, such barbaric violence and discrimination! Where is your proof!? I will only tolerate so much!” Bunny Chancellor smiled softly and then snapped her fingers together, summoning a different Bunny soldier to the throne room from the left, dragging along with him an Elf with shackles on both his arms and legs. He looked a little pale but otherwise in good health. Prince of Elves looked at what he was witnessing and pointed at Bunny King. “What kind of joke is this!? What have you done with one of my Elven people!?” Bunny King did not say anything, his bright eyes looking down at Prince of Elves with only the most remote of interests. Bunny Chancellor smiled and then proceeded. “This Elf was one of the skirmishers we were able to capture on the very outskirts of our lands on the board with the Elven Kingdom. Originally thinking they were Human, we finally were able to capture one, who was injured from one of our arrows. Don’t worry, we have treated him well. Elves should know how the Bunny tribe treats their prisoners of war. “We Bunny tribesman are very loyal to our allies and to the agreements we make with them, as well as agreements and documents made to our enemies as well. These little skirmishes to build antagonism and hate towards Humans breaks one of the clauses in the non-aggression agreement the Bunny tribe signed before you came into power, Prince of Elves. Did you never bother to read that document?” Prince of Elves’ looked livid, visibly shaking and had his eyes cast down. Then with a venom filled gaze, he pointed at the Man standing a little distance off. “Do not tell me that you Bunny tribe want to protect this human! All Humans deserve to be eradicated! Our Elven pride was crushed long ago but now, we have that pride back, showing the whole world who the superior race is!” “Stop this nonsense, Prince of Elves!” Bunny King yelled out in an extremely dark tone. “You may be heir to the throne of the Elves but you are yet not it’s ruler. Retract your words.” Now the Man understood where Bunny Hime got her temper from. The King looked majestic and absolute, sitting on his throne of gold and bright emerald cushions, pointing at the Prince of Elves. The aura around him, though, was oppressing. It was so heavy that the Man almost instinctively stepped back. Prince of Elves face blanched a little and then composed himself, letting out a small cough and then motioned for the regal looking Elf to come to his side. There seemed to be a few words of exchange and then the regal Elf stepped forward. “Prince of Elves vehemently apologizes for his grossly misguided words, your majesty.” Regal Elf bowed deeply while Prince of Elves still had a look in his eyes of superiority but had to show a visage of capitulation, bowing his head ever so slightly. That face was really starting to grate on the Man’s nerves. It was them very eyes that he despised and was why he challenged Prince of Elves in the first place. His right fist was balled up so tightly that blood was dripping from his fingers. Bunny Sentry, Bunny Hime and Bunny Chancellor/Medic noticed his reactions. It was Bunny Sentry who put his hand on the Man’s shoulder, speaking very softly. “...Don’t. It’s not worth it.” As if Bunny Sentry could read what the Man was thinking, there were a few long, deep breaths from the Man. He slowly calmed himself down and loosened his grip. Bunny Hime looked worried since there was still blood dripping from his hand but the Chancellor only smiled ever so slightly and looked back at Prince of Elves and Regal Elf. “The Elf we captured had a note with him that has your seal on it, Prince of Elves. It stated to cause as much havoc as possible to show just how barbaric Humans are. If it wasn’t for this discovery, the Bunny tribe would likely have suffered the same fate as the Humans have.” Prince of Elves couldn’t help but smile, thinking he still had the upper hand. “How do you know if that seal wasn’t counterfeit and it was actually someone else trying to frame me?” As if expecting that question, Bunny Chancellor smiled rather deviously and then snapped her fingers ago. Suddenly from behind her, a small table was brought to her side by another Bunny girl--looking both incredibly cute and professional in her maid outfit--and the Chancellor motioned for Regal Elf to come up to where she was. “Regal Elf, if you’ll be so kind as to come up here, we’ll prove what we have discovered is true.” Prince of Elves looked at Regal Elf and nodded his head. Regal Elf then slowly ascended the stairs, stopping in front of the table. He was then handed a piece of parchment that had Prince of Elves’ seal on it. “This looks legitimate.” Once Regal Elf confirmed that that document was real, Bunny Chancellor pulled out another piece of parchment that was pulled from the captured Elf. Using a knife, she took off piece of the seal and dropped each of them onto a glass plate. Then she picked up a vial filled with a clear liquid, handing it over to the Elf. Once he had confirmed that there was nothing funny about it, he handed it back to the Chancellor. She then poured a bit of the liquid onto the official seal, which made the liquid turn blue. “This is a special liquid that is used to determine whether or not the wax of a seal is imbued with the essence of the document sealer; in other words, if Prince of Elves did indeed seal it himself or if it was counterfeit by someone else.” After that explanation, the Man was a bit surprised, wondering how they came to develop something like that. Alchemy must be quite a popular thing here in the Bunny kingdom. He then watched what happened next. Dripping the liquid onto the other seal bits, the liquid turned the exact same blue hue of the previous one. Regal Elf’s face twitched slightly and Prince of Elves’ face started turning red from fury. “That is not proof that that seal was mine! Lies! You’re trying to set me up, aren’t you!?” Prince of Elves’ finger pointed towards Bunny Chancellor and then he quickly looked at the Man, pointing at him. “It’s because of that Human, isn’t it!? I knew we should’ve done something about him before he was found by the Bunny tribe! Regal Elf!” His voice echoed in the throne room, calling Regal Elf back to the Prince of Elves’ side, which he was there almost immediately. Fast! Way too fast! “Hand that Human over to the Elves, Bunny King. If you know what’s good for your kingdom, you will obey me.” Prince of Elves was quite serious, showing a face of superiority again, smiling maliciously. “The Bunny tribe should not be protecting a Human! If you do not hand him over to us, I will discuss the Bunny tribe’s insubordination with the King of Elves!” Bunny Hime stuck her tongue out at the Prince of Elves and made quite a nasty gesture to him, which got her head conked by Bunny Chancellor. “Hime, manners!” Bunny Hime held her head with tears in her bright blue eyes, looking up at the Bunny girl who hit her head, pouting. Bunny King smiled softly and then motioned with his arms wide. “Then by all means, take him. If you dare. But we will not hand him over without resistance. Isn’t that right, Human?” The Man looked up at the Bunny King, confused as to what he was referring to and then was suddenly grabbed by Bunny Sentry, placing the large bladed weapon in the Man’s hand. “...His majesty is asking the Human to defend himself in front of the Bunny tribe. Prisoners and captives are not easily handed over from the Bunny tribe to anyone else. We may be a passive race but we do not bow to anyone.” The Man looked down at the blade, gripping it tight in his bloodied hand, seeing the reflection of the visored helmet on the blade. Apprentice Bunny really polished it quite well. Without a second thought, the Man got into his usual stance with the blade propped onto his shoulder and touching the back of his helmet. Prince of Elves looked at that stance a bit dumbfounded at first. Then his dark yellow eyes started narrowing to slits, words slipping out of his thin lips. “That stance, I’ve seen that stance before. You’re one of them elite horseslayers of the Northern Human Kingdom. Remembering that stance makes me remember that Human who scarred my perfect face.” The Elven soldiers that were on standby in the throne room started moving towards Prince of Elves but he held his hand up. “Don’t. I’ll handle this myself. He’s just a normal Human. There is nothing he can do against an Elf.” Slowly drawing out his rapier, Prince of Elves got into his fencing stance. Bunny Sentry slowly moved out of the way and Bunny Hime was crying out mews and nyaas, getting a few glances up at her from most of the Bunny people in the throne room. “Bunny Hime.” Bunny Chancellor spoke those soft words with quite a stern tone, which was usually enough to stop the little bunny girl from saying more but it only got Bunny Hime to cry out even more, even going so far as to tug on the King’s sleeve, which caused him to look at his daughter with a small smile. “Bunny Hime, you know this is how we do things. Don’t make things more difficult for the Human.” That got her to quiet down, pouting and biting her lower lip as she looked over at the Man, readying himself for an attack. “...Bunny Hime.” Bunny Sentry spoke up, getting Bunny Hime’s attention. “...Don’t worry. The Human will be fine.” Her slightly teary eyes blinked, hearing oddly reassuring words from Bunny Sentry, someone who usually never says such things. She held her hands together and mewed a few times towards the Man, even if he didn’t even know what she was saying. Somehow, though, he understood her intent. ‘Don’t lose.’ For some reason, those words stuck into his mind, making him smile a wryly under the helmet. Prince of Elves made the first move, dashing forward and thrusting straight at the Man’s heart. With a swift twitch of his right arm, he was able to block the Elf’s blade tip with the side of the massive sword, getting a strangled moan and a deadly glare from Prince of Elves. “Human!!” With that word as a single warning, Prince of Elves suddenly started thrusting very quickly and making very precise and calculated swings and jabs at the Man, who was having a bit of a hard time trying to dodge and parry all of the thrusts and slices being offered to him. The tunic that he wore now had various holes and there was more than just a little bit of blood staining the slightly brown material. Bunny Hime cried out and tried to run towards the Man but was held back by Bunny Chancellor. “Don’t. You will get hurt if you go down there.” Hime continued to cry out and mew in protest, trying to shake the larger woman’s hands from her shoulders but was not strong enough to do so. The Man was quite happy to see that there was at least one person who cared about him even now. It put a smile to his face which was quickly wiped away whenever he slipped up and didn’t see the thrust of the Prince’s sword, stabbing directly at the Man’s head. The impact was so hard that it knocked the man about a meter back, staggering as the helmet showed part of it was shattered and broken. The visor was broken off as well, revealing to the Prince of Elves that the Man had his right eye bandaged but his left eye was narrow: a dark brown pupil glaring intensely at the Prince. “I knew it...It is you! There was no other horseslayer that I found that had that kind of stance and that gaze! You will die, Human!” With a quick thrust, Prince of Elves thought he had the Man but was completely taken by surprise whenever the Human suddenly brought his left hand up and willingly impaled his own hand onto the rapier, feeling the blade travel all the way through up to the grip guard of the rapier, which suddenly was held tightly by the Man’s fingers. The Prince could not move his blade at all now that the Man had taken hold of the blade. Without warning, instead of using the blade itself, the Man slugged the Prince right into the same spot where his cheek had the scar. Due to the large handle grip of the sword, it made his fist feel even heavier and more solid, which the Prince was not expecting. Regal Elf and the rest of the Elf soldiers quickly moved over to the Prince, moving into stances as if they were going to retaliate. As the rapier was still impaled into the Man’s hand, Prince of Elves was disarmed, meaning he had lost. Wiping the blood from his mouth and spitting out what was inside onto the marbled floor, Prince of Elves got up, staggered and groggy. The contact was so hard that it raddled his brain a bit. Bunny King nodded and smiled a bit wider than he should have. “It seems you’ve been disarmed, Prince of Elves. What will you do next? Under most circumstances of a duel, this would end in a loss on your behalf. Do you still want to continue?” The King’s commanding, regal voice filled the chamber with warmth for the Bunnies and coldness from the Elven position. Looking furious, the Prince could not retaliate, lest he’d lose his pride in this duel. “I will be back, your majesty. This has not ended.” “Oh, but it has. I believe...Ambassador Bunny has already reached the King of Elves, right Chancellor?” The King suddenly spoke something that made Prince of Elves blink, looking utterly stupefied. “You are correct, sire. At this point in the day she should already be discussing what we have just talked about and have shown proof of the Prince’s wrongdoings. Since the Elven King is a benevolent King who respects the Bunny tribe, he should be persuaded with enough evidence, even against his own son.” Prince of Elves started losing color in his face, looking at his soldiers, who looked just as confused as he did and then to Regal Elf, who had a look of someone who didn’t know what was going on either. Then the Prince let out a very low growl and glared at the Bunny King. “You used this Human as an opportunity to pull off such a stunt, didn’t you? Damn Bunnies, the lot of you should all just die along with the Humans. Come! We are leaving this place. Consider the marriage proposal canceled! I will not marry into a bunch of filthy Bunnies that tries to protect a Human!” Not one of the Bunnies say anything as all of the Elves quickly leave the throne room, speaking a number of expletives and stating they were happy to finally get out of this kingdom and back onto their home soil. Once that whirlwind had died down, Bunny Hime suddenly broke away from Bunny Chancellor’s grip and dove right into the Man’s body, hugging him tightly and crying, mewing and sobbing right into his tummy, causing the Man to drop the large sword in his hand and gently caress her soft blonde hair. “There is no need to cry. I am fine.” Bunny Chancellor couldn’t help but smile softly as she came down the stairs as well to slowly pull off Bunny Hime from the Man. “That was quite a show there. I did not think the plan would work out so smoothly.” She looked up at the King and Queen. “Indeed. When you first told me that, I was a bit doubtful of the Human’s skill but it was a bet worth taking. I had always speculated Prince of Elves was behind the raids of my people but could never find enough evidence.” The King’s warm, noble voice spoke softly, then directed it towards the Man. “Human. I sincerely apologize for using you for our own goals but we could not know for certain if you would be cooperative.” The Man just smiled wryly and then pulled the rapier out of his hand as if it were nothing, dropping it on the floor as well with a rather large amount of blood dripping onto the floor because of the open wound. “Considering I have been at the mercy of the Bunny tribe the whole time, there is not much I can do in general--moreso if I do not have my weapon. Though to see Prince of Elves’ face contort like that was well worth the price here.” Pleased to hear such words, both Bunny King and Bunny Queen smiled. Then the King’s face went serious and grim for a bit. “Unfortunately, we cannot allow you to stay within the Bunny Kingdom. There is too much bad blood between Humans and Bunnies that cannot be easily wiped away. We will treat you and then have you prepared for your journey. After that, only the gods will know.” Bunny Hime did not like this news at all and cried out at the King and Chancellor, looking totally devastated. Bunny King smiled sadly at his adorable daughter. “Hime, you will understand with time. Chancellor, please take the Human to care for his wounds. Sentry, please take care of Bunny Hime.” “As you wish, sire.” “...Sire.” Both acknowledged what they were to do, with Sentry taking Bunny Hime and picking her up underneath her armpits, swinging her arms and mewing, nyuuing and even threw out a few mugu’s! At least three mugu’s! “Bunny Hime! Your behavior is unacceptable for the daughter of the King!” Bunny Queen, for the first time, spoke up, her voice like a sweet melody that tantalized the ears of all who listened, even with a stern inflection. Bunny Hime immediately quieted down. It seems that she really respected her parents, which was a heartwarming sight in its own way. Bunny Sentry took Bunny Hime away and the Man was led away by Bunny Chancellor. What a crazy time it has been with the Bunny tribe. The Man never knew that he would have such a crazy encounter like having the princess of the Bunnies attached to him in such a way that she’d cry. It was a bit heavy on his heart and when him and the Chancellor got back to the medical room, he asked a question that had been on his mind since being in the throne room. “So I take it you’re not just the Medic for the Bunny royal family..?” “You are right. I am also the Chancellor. The King likes to have his staff well rounded and learn many things in case something goes awry. Much like what has transpired since you’ve arrived Human.” Bunny Chancellor’s tone was soft but there was something a bit mysterious about it as well. “I had never seen Bunny Hime act like that before. She has never shown so much attention to something for such a long period of time. It may not seem long but ever since you ran into her carriage, she’s been totally obsessed with you and wanting to learn and know even more about you. It was quite shocking, especially to Bunny King. At first he was tentative to the idea of Bunny Hime getting close to you but then realized that if nothing changes the Bunny tribe may go the same way of Humans: into self-destruction. "The Elves have already shown signs of self-destruction in their own homelands with the High Elves and the Dark Elves already pitting against each other. It had become an absolute mess, diplomatically, after the two Human countries were destroyed. Bunny King realized that something needed to change and hoped that this will be the beginning.” This discussion put the Man into deep thought while the Chancellor was bandaging him all up, making sure his hand was in good condition and then slowly taking off the bandages on his head, revealing to her the rather deep and nasty scar that went down his right eye. The man could barely open his right eye but was not able to see anything at all. It seems he has permanent blindness in his right eye. He sees it as a warning sign of what Humans can do to each other and others if diplomacy breaks down. “I knew the King would not keep you here but even I want to believe that having a strong Human around would not be a bad idea.” Bunny Chancellor spoke something that surprised the Man. When he gave her a puzzling look, all she did was smile playfully and giggle. Then she patted his left hand and got up. “Rest. Bunny King will let you know when you have to leave. For now, though, you will not leave this room and Bunny Hime will not see you anymore.” Trying to sound matter of fact and stoic, the Man could see and hear tinges of sadness and regret as he could see the side profiles of Bunny Chancellor’s massive bust, giving a jiggling wave as she closed the door behind her, not looking back at the Man. It’s going to be a lonely recovery. ~ “Have you prepared everything for the Human, Chancellor” The Bunny King spoke up as the Man, the King, the Chancellor and Sentry were standing outside of the castle walls, right where the draw bridge met with the road that led East. “I have, your majesty. Enough food and water for ten days’ travel as well as a new weapon for him, courtesy of Blacksmith Bunny. It is a much better forged weapon, the best he’s ever been able to produce. With his motivation so high, we expect to see high output of quality equipment for years to come.” “Good. If the Humans were still around in this part of the continent, it would’ve been good to have traded with them. Such a shame.” The King looked at the Man with a stern look on his face. “Don’t die out there, Human. I will never hear the end of it if I get news of your death. Where will you go to now that you do not have a homeland to go to?” The Man just shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile, holding the new large blade in his right hand, patting it on his shoulder which had the backpack the Bunnies gave to him strapped to him. “Wherever the wind takes me, I guess. I was taught how to survive if separated from the army. For now, though, I have a few things I need to put to rest. May we meet again under different circumstances, your majesty.” The Man bowed deeply, crossing his right arm across his chest while he still held the blade, the massive length pointing straight up into the sky. Then, without any words from anyone else, the Man slowly started walking Southeast, towards his homelands. It was going to be a long journey. ~ Once the Man disappeared, Bunny Sentry spoke up softly. “...What a peculiar Human. I wonder if we’ll see great things if he continues to live on.” Bunny Chancellor smiled playfully and giggled. “Indeed. His body is a medical marvel. I can imagine whatever offspring he’ll produce will be quite hearty fufufu~” “...Lewd Bunny.” “HEY!” Suddenly, Sentry started running across the drawbridge with the Chancellor after him, looking quite furious and throwing something that looked suspiciously like exploding liquid at him. The King only sighed softly and looked up into the sky. “Godspeed.” Then he turned around and proceed to cross the drawbridge and retire to his chambers as Sentry and Chancellor continued to bicker at each other. The castle sure got a little more lively after that Human appeared. The King pondered whether this was one of the charms of Humans that was lost whenever their empire crumbled thousands of years ago or if it was a fleeting feeling for something unexpected. ~ Years later. The Man had a small field plowed with a number of plants already sprouting from the ground. The makeshift shack that he made himself looked rather poorly and had to be rebuilt after every storm blew through but it worked. There were two tombstones beside the shack as well, fenced around so that no one would walk on that part of the ground. While the Man was practicing his sword swings, wearing a light tunic, a kerchief on his head, and trousers that matched the light color of the tunic, he could suddenly hear the sound of a carriage getting closer. Stopping his swings, he could see a rather ostentatious looking carriage drawing closer, being drawn by four horses. It had been a while since he had seen horses like that and was wondering what was going on. No one came around this area, outside of rogue Elves trying to expand their territory. With a bit of skepticism, he put the blade into its leather sheath on his back and then grabbed a linen towel to wipe the sweat away. By the time he did all of that, he could make out the emblem of the carriage. It was the Bunny tribe. A wave of nostalgia washed over the Man as he smiled at remembering the adorable Bunny Hime, rather missing her tugging on his tunic and pulling him around all over the place. It was only for a very brief period of time but it was one of his happiest moments, he couldn’t deny. When the carriage stopped in front of his house, the bunny woman who was the horse coach, got off and then opened up the side door. What came out was a beauty that surpassed beauties. First, her thin, short legs came down the steps of the carriage, garbed in what looked to be expensively made soft leather boots dyed a dark emerald. Then came the ankle length skirt, fluttering about in the wind with so much lace and frills it was almost dizzying, dyed a pure white. A beautifully crafted dark emerald green leather belt wrapped around the girl’s tiny waist and right above was a similarly colored leather vest buttoned up and formed to her slim torso. But the stars of the show were obviously right above, with the massive mounds that jiggled around so dangerously it was a marvel that such huge round spheres were able to be stuffed underneath the vest. The tunic that was underneath the vest was decorated similarly to the skirt, though looking as if the seams were ready to burst free due to the huge bodies of mass underneath. The girl’s slightly exposed cleavage at the very top was just dreamlike, showing off her milky white skin--as if she’s never bathed in the sun all her life. Her neck was wrapped with a dark red lacy and frilly choker, which accentuated her bright blue eyes and golden blond hair even more. The Man immediately knew who it was. “Bunny Hime...” His words were rather like a whisper because of just how much more beautiful and grown up she has become. It was something that he could not take his eyes away. She was now about two heads shorter than he was but it was still short enough that when she quickly ran up to him and with her arms spread out, crashing into him with a rather serious impact, almost pushing him over, her bust was still dangerously pressing near his groin. Bunny Hime’s lips, though, crashed directly into the Man’s lips, kissing him with such a passion he never knew. Holding her tightly into his sweat soaked body, the slightly intoxicating mix of strawberries and oranges floated into his nostrils--mixing with Hime’s natural scent--nearly drove him crazy. The kiss lasted for quite some time before Bunny Hime pulled away and then reluctantly let go of the Man, smiling with such a brightly blushing face. “Mew….*ahem*! It...has been a while.” The Man raised his eyebrow and smiled. “Oho, so you can speak properly now.” “Muuu!! I’ve always been able to speak properly!! It was your fault that you couldn’t understand Bunny speak!” Bunny Hime started pouting and hitting her fists gently against the Man’s chest, then she just rested them there, sniffing and looking up at him with the most gorgeous and happy smile he's ever seen, tears staining her cheeks and eyes glistening in the bright sunlight. “I have come to pick you up, my Prince. You are mine now.” Her playful smile was quite devious and totally unfair! The Man couldn’t resist that smile, though. “As you wish, Bunny Hime.” The Man accepted Bunny Hime’s proposal, looking truly happy. He had finally found what he wanted the most after the Great Battle of Humans: a companion and family. The End.

“It’s over for you both!” The general clad in armor barks. The ground below me quakes, charges up with energy, turning a menacing red. I dash to the side, keeping my eyes well on him. Not a second too late a pillar of flame engulfs where I was standing.   I am in love with my best friend.   Lifting up my mace, I run up to him and spin on my heels, converting all that speed into power as my weapon connects square on his chest. His plate bends under the force of the impact, with a quick tug, I make sure my weapon doesn’t get lodged in there, and let the momentum carry me past him. I take a foothold on the ground to stop spinning and lift up my shield, just in case a quick counter-attack comes my way.   The issue is… my best friend is the Chosen One.   “HYPERNOVAAAAA!!!” Taking advantage of the weakened armor, a huge beam of multicolor light pierces right through the fallen knight. With a final grunt, he falls to one knee, then two, before slumping on the ground. With a lasp gasp of agony, he raises his hand in the air for a beat. As it flops, his body turns to dust, dissipating up into the sky, like captured by a gust of wind. I gasp and wheeze, taking a moment to breathe. My body is covered in cuts and bruises, but it is done. The Demon Monarch’s second-in-command is now gone. The citizens of Glavariel will sleep safe tonight, for the first time in decades. The source of the death ray saunters up to me, an innocent smile on her face. An innocent, beautiful smile. My heart skips a beat and I hide my blush behind my arm. “Nice going, Vivi! Gee gee eee zee!” Jane, my friend, the Chosen One, the mage, says.   She is not from this world.   “Thanks for keeping aggroh! I really thought that last ai oh eee would do you in. You have like, a sliver of ach py left! Here, let me,” She raises up her hand towards me, and I’m basked in a glow of light. My wounds close up one by one, leaving no hint of them, no trace of any scar behind. “Thank you Jane. I owe you my life, once again.” What started as gratitude had long since evolved beyond that, but I didn’t know whether to talk about it or not. Of course, there was the fact that she was the Heroine, and I was just a tag-along on her adventure, but… There was something else, too. “So we’ve unlocked the last dungeon raid now, right?” She asks nonchalantly. “The… Demon Monarch’s castle, yes.” I roll my shoulder. Thanks to her healing, I feel like I have enough energy to continue. “I suppose now would be the time to strike.” She takes a step back and shakes her hands. “Aaah, I can’t tonight! It’s already kinda late, and tomorrow’s Monday, so…” I can’t say I really understand what she implied. But by now, I have become quite adept at pretending like I do. “Ah… Will you accompany me back to the inn, at least?” She looks to the ceiling for a moment, in thought. “Hmm… I’m sorry Vivi, I don’t think I can… I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” “I…” I sigh. “See you tomorrow, Jane.” A blue circle lights up beneath her feet. Five seconds later, she blinks out of existence. Watching her go was strange, at first. Nowadays, it is painful.   I arrive at the inn alone, deep into the night. I bring our horses to the stable and head in. After a meal and a quick chat with the innkeeper, I take my leave to our room. Well, I say our room, but Jane has yet to sleep in the bed beside mine. She disappears, instead, as usual. Where to, I do not know. But every afternoon, she shows up again, all smiles and energy and full of life, and I just… wish she could be there with me always. I have been torn on whether to tell her how I feel for months. Even putting our duty aside, what if that quirk of hers means it doesn’t work out? And that is, of course, on top of the usual fears of holding a crush on your best friend, of not wanting to put your friendship in jeopardy. My thoughts drift to tomorrow. Once we free the land from the Demon Monarch’s reign… what then? What will happen of Jane? Will she disappear, never to return? That was what she was summoned here to do, after all. Would I be able to live in my world, knowing that she would never visit it again? Would I be able to live with myself if I never told her how I felt? With that ultimatum hanging over me, I finally find the courage I needed. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will tell her how I really feel.   The sun is already setting as Jane arrives. She’s all apologetic about being late, mutters something about having had to clean some dishes. We get on our mounts and let them bring us to our destination, following the road. Jane hums along a little tune, one that I’ve heard from her before. She calls it the ‘riding theme’. I take a deep breath. “Jane?” “Hmm?” She stops humming, turning her head towards me. “After all this is over, after we’ve defeated the Demon Monarch… Will you continue coming by?” I ask. She stares at the sky. “Hmm… I dunno,” she says. “I don’t remember there being any post-game content?” I’m not sure what the mail has to do with anything. “We can keep in contact elsewhere, right?” She beams a simple smile. “Maybe play something else together. I’m iks iks magical girl fan two thousand iks iks ashtag seven seven oh two on discord. Add me!” “I don’t think that’s gonna work…” I mutter. “Why not? Do you not have a discord?” She asks innocently. “It’s fine, you can make one. Hell, I’ll even dust off the skype if it means keeping in contact. You mean a lot to me, you know?” I blush and smile, but turn my head away, dejected. “Sure… Thanks.” She goes back to her song.   After what felt like an hour of travel, we finally arrive at the doors of the Monarch’s castle. The structure is gigantic, imposing. Just looking at it would terrify anyone half to death. Everyone knows not to approach it. But not us, not today. This is the end of our journey. With the Monarch’s generals defeated and his army disbanded, nothing but the walls and traps of this place stands between us. And yet, the distance I care about is the one between Jane and I, which feels a million times bigger. My stomach aches, like my anxiety became manifest and decided to take residence in my gut. “Be careful in there, Jane. Even weakened like he is, the Demon Monarch could still do us in.” This is it. My last chance to come clean with my feelings. Beyond that, lies too big a risk. If I fall in the final battle… “Jane?” She is giddy with excitement, all starry-eyed. “Oooh, I can’t wait! This is gonna be epic.” I swallow my saliva and turn towards her. “Jane, I have something to say.” “Vivi? Is this about the discord again? I can repeat it if you forgot to note it down.” She grins. I grab her by the sleeve and she jolts. “Jane. I… I’ve been meaning to say this for a while. I… love you. I’ve been in love with you. For, uh, months now.” She chuckles nervously, taking a step back. “Heh… Is, uh… this roleplay? I know you’ve been taking it prettyyy seriously, but…” “No, it’s not… whatever ‘roleplay’ is.” I shake my head. “I’m serious. Whenever you’re around, I get this feeling in my chest. When you smile, it’s like I’m sitting on a cloud. And I thought, hey, if… if I die here, not that I want it to happen, I wouldn’t want to leave without having gotten to tell you that, you know?” I try to force a smile, but I don’t think my expression hides my fear very well. I hold her hand in mine and stare deep into her eyes. “L-look, I’m flattered, but…” Her cheeks are a deep red. “I don’t… You don’t know me, you know? Not the real me. This is just a character in a video game, you know?” A game? She’d mentioned it before, but… I shake my head, one topic at a time. “You’re real to me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Jane. When you leave every night, it… I miss you so much. I treasure what little time I get to spend with you a lot. I just wish you could be there with me all day long.” She tries to tug her hand out from mine. I let go. “We can get to know each other ay er el if you want, but… But would that even work? We’re both women, I think…” She squints. “I didn’t get catfished again, did I?” “Jane, I’m gay,” I say. “Oh! Good. Erm, for you, I mean! Yeah!” She scratches the back of her head, looking awkward. “Why do you have a hangup on that anyways?” I cross my arms. “No one in all of Glavariel does. Is it taboo in your world or something?” Her eyes avoid mine. “It’s not always seen from the best of lights, no…” “Then come live here!” I say. “We can stay here, together, forever! Why do you always need to go back to your world anyways?” She blinks and stares at me. “Look, completely oh oh cee here. This is a video game, you know that?” I tilt my head. “This is a em em oh are py gee.” She points at the ground. “We’re playing characters in a video game.” I raise an eyebrow. “No? This is real. You’re the summoned Chosen One.” “That makes no sense,” she says. “YOU make no sense!” I lose my temper for a moment. “Every day you babble about incomprehensible things, you disappear to who knows where, you’re stronger than anyone has ever been in all of history, and all the while, you do it with… a beautiful, excited smile, like you’re enjoying yourself, you’re happy to be here with us as we fight for my world’s freedom! That’s… what I love about you, okay!? I fell in love with you because of your positivity and optimism, and I can’t bear that you’re not here with me always.” Her expression is aghast. Her eyes dart around, she’s thinking deeply about something. Her mouth hangs open. “Oh. Oh, god. This isn’t a prank, is it? I know you. You would never.” I shake my head. “I don’t see why I would want to fake having feelings for you.” “That’s not the part I… Urgh. I’m sorry. I, uh… need. To go. Ay ef kay. For a bit. Bee ar bee.” Her head slumps forward, expressionless. “Jane?” I approach slowly. Her body is completely limp.   After a dozen minutes, she sits down on the entrance stairs next to me. “…Hey.” “You’ve made me wait,” I reply snappily. “Sorry.” We both stare at the evening sun in the distance. “So… Vikalia? It’s not… a display name? That’s really your name?” I turn my head to look at her. She looks tired. “Should I assume you’re not named Jane, then?” “Oh, no, I am Jane in and out of game, but…” She shoves her head in her hands. “Jeez. You’re not a human from the real world? You live in the game? The… the game is real?” “And I’m in love with you,” I remind her. “God, right, this is why this whole conversation started in the first place… Look. I’m sorry. This is a lot to take in. I’ve never…” She pauses, searching for words. “had another woman declare their love for me.” “Well?” I ask. “how does it make you feel?” “I don’t know? Can we go with I don’t know? I’m feeling super confused and anxious, but I think it’s more to do with the other bombshell.” She takes a deep breath. “Well. Okay. I know that you mean a lot to me. I just… have to change my understanding from ‘you somewhere on another computer’ to ‘you inside the computer’. Oh god, do you cease to exist when I close the game— wait, no, you’re probably on a server, you must be fine.” I give her a moment to collect her thoughts, then slump my head on her shoulder. “I don’t know about all of this ‘real, not real’, ‘computer’ business, but I know I want to spend my days with you.” I slide my hand in hers, intertwining our fingers. “So how about it, Chosen One?” Her face reddens slowly. “I… I’m really nobody special, you know. I guess it looked like I put on a brave face, because I didn’t know this was all… actually important, but I’m not exceptional in reality, you know? I’m just some everyday girl…” “Not to me,” I say. “You’re the most beautiful, the most kind, the most compassionate person I know. And I’ll repeat it every day until you see it too.” “T-thank… Thank you, Vivi… I like, your, uh… your bravery!” She says, trying to compliment me back. “Gosh, if this has been all real for you since the start, it must’ve been scary to go up against all those bosses… I’ve got nothing on you in terms of kindness, I’ve not been risking anything.” “And yet it still took me months to build up the courage to ask you out.” I giggle. “So… Is it a yes?” “I don’t know if I’m into other women…” She stares at my face with an expression that suggests otherwise. “Well, let’s discover that together, then, yes?” I think for half a second. “At least a date tomorrow?” She takes a moment to consider the offer, then nods. “Hm!” “Alright! It’s a promise!” With a wide smile, I get up, and extend my hand. “But first, let’s take care of the Demon Monarch!” She takes it and I help her up. “Oh, but now I do have something to lose from helping!” “Oh? What?” I ask. She places her second hand on top of mine. “You!” I giggle. “I won’t go down that easily.” “It’s a promise!” She says, playfully mirroring my words. “I’ll use my best dee pi es spell!”   Starting from that night, after we took down the Demon Monarch’s reign of terror, Jane stopped disappearing, leaving her (or ‘her character’, as she told me, for as little a difference that did to me) to sleep beside me.

Just like any creation in existence, the earth is bound to die. By the end of the 22nd century, earth, with its advanced technologies, has long since entered its dying phase, and humanity had already settled on Mars and on Jupiter’s moons. Most of them, anyway. Left behind the wastelands of earth, along with its former glorious cities were those at the bottom of society. As the richer people eat their extravagant dishes and enjoy arts like usual, so do the poor and the outcasts who spend their time searching for any food, so long as it is edible. On one of the ruins of great cities scattered through the dying planet, a young girl wearing simple clothes could be seen walking around, looking through dilapidated buildings and rubble, hoping to find food as she holds her hunger in. The girl was short, just over 1.1 meters in height. Her hair was a tangled mess, with mud stuck on it. She looked around weakly, her hunger pangs stronger than it was yesterday. At her age, she did not understand why she and her mother is always hungry. She only knew that she had to do something about it. Her mother was born frail and sickly, but oddly enough, her mother would always survive, as if fate would not allow her to. Holding her empty stomach, she continued walking, her legs shaking at her sapping energy. She wanted to cry, but she knew that doing so would make her thirstier than she was. She was just a young child, all she wanted to do was play all day and share stories with her loving mother. Her tired body kept wandering, her mind often switching in and out. Not good, her thoughts are starting to get fuzzy. She wants to lie down, she wants to rest, but her stomach would groan in pain when she does so, and her mother awaits. With will uncommon to that of a seven-year-old child, she continued walking, trying to ignore her shaking legs and fuzzy vision. After a while, the girl sees something not far away from her. A hooded person walked in the distance, heading her way. The girl is afraid, she does not know the person. Could it be one of those bad bandits her mother warned her? She does not know. She wants to hide, but her legs had given up. She only wanted to get food for her and her sick mother, but now a bad person is heading toward her. With fear and apprehension raging in her, she looked at the person closing in. The person seems to be tall, taller than even her mother. They had a broad body, just like her father, according to her mother’s stories. Maybe it was her father? The girl dismissed such thoughts. Father is gone, he’s in a better place, the young girl thought. Her mother taught her that bad people will take young children like her and give her to bad people, which will hurt her. She does not want to be given away to someone else, she wants only her mother. Alas, she was getting weaker and weaker than she already was, and even her vision is starting to fail her. The hooded person closes in, they are just a few meters away from her. She becomes afraid and sad. She will be taken away by the bad person, and she will no longer see her mother. Her mother would surely be sad. Nobody will take care of her mother, and she will feel the same pain she feels in her stomach, the girl was sure of it. After a few seconds, the person stopped in front of her, looking down on her miserable state. Contrary to the girl’s expectations the person did not take her. They crouch down towards her, feeling her head and her pulse. “She’s alive… thank goodness.” A soft voice unlike her mother’s reached the weakened girl’s ear. With the last ounce of her strength, she looked at the person. His hood was drawn down, revealing his face. He had silky black hair and white skin, much unlike hers. His black eyes looked at her in both sadness and respect. He does not pity her; he only looks at her caringly. She tried to touch his face, but her hands were too weak to even raise themselves. The girl is sad, she cannot even touch the face of her angel. Her worries were long gone, she knows the person is a good person. He did not kick her and insult her, only good people like her mother do not do horrible things to her. “Here.” The man took a bottle out of his pocket and led it to her mouth as he raised her body up. The girl drank what was inside the bottle without much thought. She needs water, she is extremely thirsty. After quenching her thirst, she forcefully stopped drinking. With the little bit of strength she regained from the mysterious water, she weakly spoke. “Please… give… mother…” her voice drowned out as her vision grew dark. She fell asleep in the man’s arms. Lazy_Guy First time writing a story and actually uploading it. Please do share your thoughts in the comments, would really help.  

A table is a place to eat, to drink, to relax, or conduct business. It says much about the status of a man. What material is it made from? How many people can it dine? Is it plain or decorated?    Their table was magnificent. Its smooth surface was made of a merlot colored timber that shined with gloss. It could likely fit 20 people, but only 10 currently sat there. Decorative metal snakes with golden gems for eyes slithered up its legs. This was a table for devils.   “Have you heard what the humans did most recently?” The man who spoke was named Elton. He loved to tell stories. In other words, there was nothing he loved more than to impress an attentive audience.    “No, pray tell. I’m always curious what they get up to on their lonesome.” Ivan loved to listen to Elton's stories. More precisely, he loved to pretend to listen to them. In other words, he was a flatterer, an expert at fawning over botched jokes and boring stories.   “Something diabolical I assume?” Aleyna simply loved misery.    “Oh quite so, it may be the worst thing they’ve done since they ravaged their planet with explosions, a few centuries ago.   As you may know, after the great explosions, the human population was a mere fraction of what it used to be.       The humans needed more people, more laborers to rebuild what they had lost. But, they couldn’t reproduce quick enough, or as effectively as they did before.   They realized they needed an outside source of labor, and so they turned to the beasts around them.   With the use of their beloved science, they experimented and experimented, and eventually managed to actually transform the beasts around them into human shapes.   But of course, they were still beasts. With no mind for themselves, they could never even do the simplest of labor.    So, the humans again experimented and experimented, and they eventually managed to actually give the beasts consciousness, the ability to think for themselves.   And what did they do after this?”   He paused for dramatic emphasis, just as he had practiced the day prior.    “They enslaved them.    That, my friends, is diabolical.”   “Hahahaha. My goodness, the humans never cease to amaze, do they? This will be an excellent choosing.” Ivan had only been listening to every third word, but this seemed an adequate response. Bringing up the choosing was a tactical choice, a way to assess the others' thoughts. As the saying went, a devil’s tongue is even looser than its undergarments.   “Indeed. Has any child caught your eye yet, Elton?”   “Oh, I have a few in mind. A politician's son, a mad scientist's daughter. I have high hopes.” Elton revealed his candidates freely; the choosing was a silly game, a way to make eternity go by quicker. It perplexed him how others still took it so seriously.   “What of you Dante? Surely there’s someone for you this choosing?” Ivan’s question was meant to mock, but he truly was curious. The fact that Dante had even shown up to their dinner was a surprise.     “No, none that I have seen. In fact..   I believe this may be the worst choosing we’ve had in quite some time.” Dante’s grin was a mix of sinister, charm, and madness. A smile that could convince you it was okay he had just bludgeoned your children to death.   “HAHAHAHAHA.” Laughter broke out at the table.    “Oh goodness, Dante, you are always good for a laugh. Unfortunately, seeing as you have never taken part in the choosing, your judgment seems a bit preposterous.”   “Perhaps you are right. We shall see.” Dante rose from his chair and headed towards the door.     “I am glad I could give you a laugh Ivan, you always take yourself oh so seriously. I must leave now, many important matters to attend to. Have an excellent choosing everyone.” The rest of the guests continued to chat, unsurprised by Dante leaving first.    Ivan wondered if he was the only one to notice. Something was different. There was no doubt in his mind. For the first time in eternity, Dante was going to participate in the choosing.    .   .   .   “No, please, I'm really sorry. I can get them tomorrow! Please don't…” Julian’s cyber hand kept pulling, and pulling. Fingers weren't supposed to bend that way.   “AHHH!”   His finger was broken, it had to be broken.    “We told you to have the cores today you stupid fucking creatch!”    “If you don’t come back here tomorrow with 10 cores, every one of your fingers is gone. You understand that, creatch!?”   “YES, I’ll have them, I promise!” He didn't know how he was going to get so many, but he would say anything to get Julian and his friends to leave him alone. If he didn't get back to the factory soon, the Overseers would get suspicious, and that might lead to everyone getting punished.    “You better. Ugh, let's get out of here. It smells like he shit himself.” That smell was actually a combination of sweat and lots of different chemicals from the assembly line, but they would never know that.    After they left, he really would smell like shit though. He planned to open one of the waste pipes and blast himself with it to explain why he was late.    Julian and his gang of bullies sauntered away, probably off to kill rats or some other defenseless animal with their new cyber-hands. He was going to get up, but noticed Leck still hasn't left yet. She smiled sweetly at him, and whispered in his ear.   “You’re friends with that old creatch in the factory, right? The one with the big floppy ears?”   He didn’t answer.   “You don’t have to answer, I know you are. If you don’t get me an extra 5 cores, I’m gonna say he raped me. You got that?”   His blood ran hot, and his claws scraped the ground silently.    “...got it.” She was the worst of them all.   “Good boy.” She softly rubbed the fur on one of his ears like he was her pet. “Ya know, when I get married, I’ll need a creatch to do work around the house, someone to play with when I’m alone.”    She yanked his ear. “I think I’ll take you.”    She lightly skipped back to catch up with the others.   He wanted to cry so badly. He wanted to cry until he had nothing left. Licia had once told him about zombies. They were humans that had died and come back alive, with no more thoughts, just the need to eat brains. Obviously, because they weren’t real, it would never happen, but more than anything, he wanted to be a zombie. He wanted to not feel anything, to be so empty inside that the world could never hurt him.    After drenching himself in waste, he ran all the way to the factory. He was a fast runner, and got there in minutes.    The factory was a huge black building. It was very…square. That was really the only way to describe it. The building was square, the huge metal doors were square, the small windows made to let out the chemicals were square, the sleek black tiles that covered it, everything was square. Darvin, the smartest and wisest of them, said that they did this on purpose. Squares were made from four straight, equal lines. They were all basically the same, which is what they wanted creatches to think about themselves. It was also why the Overseers only referred to them by numbers. They had to come up with their own names.    He pushed the heavy metal doors open and, as always, was met with the smell of rancid sweat and chemicals. Everyone was hard at work, laboring in their section of the long winding assembly line.   The two Overseers for the factory today began to briskly walk towards him. Every day, the Overseers would rotate out so that a new pair were responsible for watching over the factory. Most were mean and brutal, but a few were decent enough that he could get through the day without worrying about a beating. Today's Overseers, Max and Lance, were known for using their pain sticks the most.    “What took you so fucking long, Creatch 17?! Waste maintenance takes 15 minutes. Not 30.” Max shouted, even though he and Lance were only standing a meter away.    He tried to look meek and apologetic. They reacted better when they thought you were broken.   “Sorry, the pipes got backed up.”   “Eugh, you do smell like shit.” Lance pinched his nose with disgust.   “Go hose yourself off outside. Then get back to fucking work! If you creatches don’t do 1,000 cores today you're gonna get beat, bad. Understand?”   “Understood.”   The water from the hose outside was freezing cold, but it felt good to be clean, or, at least not covered in shit.    The factory used an assembly line to make cores, the power source for cyber arms and legs. Everyone at the assembly line had different roles. At the beginning were the mixers; they had the unfortunate job of mixing together the poisonous chemicals which gave the cores their power. They often got sick and had to be replaced. After them were the freezers. They had to put the mixed chemicals in the hyper-freezer and take them out once they were totally solid. He tried to give a warm smile to the workers here as they shivered next to the freezer. Beyond this point were metal workers, creating various sections of the shell for the core. He walked past them to the end of the assembly line. He had the final job, assembling the metal shell parts around the cores and putting them away in their container to be counted.    Horton was a metal worker, and just a few meters from his station. He must’ve smelled him, because he turned quickly to glance in his direction.   “What happened?” Horton’s droopy ears tensed upwards.    “Pipes got backed up, that’s all.” He got to his station and started to assemble the pieces they had left for him. He had to use a special glue to stick each section together.   “Backed up pipes gave you those bruises?” Horton always knew.    “Just tell me the truth, Cin.”   “You can’t do anything, Horton, none of us can. There’s no point.” He had come back with bruises many times, and they had had this conversation often enough that it was like reading a script.    “You're not going to be here forever, you know that, right? I’m gonna die here, but you’re gonna get out of this, I knew that the second I saw you pop out of your momma.”   “You know why I call you Ci…”   “YES, I know, you’ve already told me a hundred times Horton.” Horton just smiled his easy smile and kept talking.   “It’s ‘cause that first time I held you, you were burnin’ up. Like a piece of cinder. You have more life in you than anyone here. Never forget that, Cin.”   He sighed, but couldn’t stop the half-smile from forming on his face.    “Thanks, Horton.”   “Anytime, Cin. You gonna tell me who did that to ya now?”   “Nope, I can handle it.” He was actually handling it as they spoke, and dearly hoped nobody noticed. If an Overseer saw what he was doing…   Red lights beamed all around the factory.   “CORE COUNT! CORE COUNT! STOP WORK IMMEDIATELY CREATCHES!” The announcement blared from the walls and the Overseers rapidly approached Cin’s station.   Horton whispered to him. “You think we got 1,000?”   “I really hope so.”   Overseer Max took out his key and inserted it into the core container.    “You creatches better pray to whatever devil you worship that you hit the quota.”    Veins of cool blue lighting glowed on the container and a tiny screen beside the keyhole said one word: Counting.   The blue veins from the container connected through the walls of the factory to a gigantic screen placed on the back wall, where every creatch could see it.    In black writing, the word ‘Count:’ popped up on the huge screen.   A number 1 popped onto the screen.   Many of the creatches silently mumbled prayers to themselves.    10   100   Finally, one more number appeared on the screen.   1001   “YES!” He jumped high into the air in excitement. They had made it, barely.    Max’s face twisted into a dark rage. The rest of the creatches were utterly silent.   “Sorry, I, uhm, I got over-excited. It won’t happen again.”    Max flipped on the switch of his pain stick, and a white current of lightning crackled over it.   Horton spoke quickly. “Please, he…he didn’t mean any harm.”   “Didn’t mean any harm?”   One second Max was beside the container, and the next he had tackled Cin to the ground.   “DIDN'T MEAN ANY HARM?”   “ANYTHING YOU DISGUSTING CREATCHES DO IS A FUCKING HARM!”     He jabbed the pain stick into his ribs.    “ESPECIALLY BEING EXCITED…   He did it again.   “…FOR BARELY…”   And again.   “…HITTING…”   And again.   “…THE QUOTA!”   Max spit on his face and stood up.   “I’ll be alerting the Factorymaster of your transgression here.”   “...sorry.”   “Every creatch better be out of the factory in 10 minutes.”   Horton hurried over to help him up.    “Oh Cin, I’m so sorry. I shoulda done something. I’m so sorry. Can you walk?”    His heart was beating so fast he felt like it would explode. The effects of the pain stick always lingered. He really couldn’t walk, but he’d have to.   “It’s..okay, Horton. Just help…me…up”.   And strangely, in a sense, it was okay. The pain stick usually hurt a lot more, but his anxiety had distracted him. When Max had jumped on top of him he thought for sure that he would notice the cores he had glued to the bottom of his workstation. The first part of his plan was complete.  200 creatches packed into one room. Their blankets barely covered their bodies, and were centimeters apart from each other. He stared up at the gray ceiling. Normally, by now he would be asleep; you had to sleep as long as you could to work in the factory all day. But night was the only time he’d be able to sneak back into the factory and get the cores. Slowly, he crept out of his blanket and peered at the sleeping bodies around him. Hopefully everyone was asleep by now.    He tiptoed in the small gaps between blankets until he got to an open window. By stretching up as far as he could, he was able to reach the bottom ledge and pull himself up. Luckily, he wasn’t very tall for his age, so he could fit through the window without much difficulty. With deft movements he crawled through the window, grabbed the outside ledge, let his body hang against the cold brick, then dropped lightly onto the ground. This side of the house was hidden from the Overseers quarters, so he didn’t worry much about being seen.   Once at the farthest edge of the wall, he peeped around it. Lights were still on in the Overseers’ quarters, they were probably gambling, like usual. There really wasn’t any other choice; he sprinted through the open space as fast as he could, not looking back once. He didn’t stop running until he had reached the waste removal site.    For a few moments, he waited. No screaming alarm sounded, just the steady gurgle of liquid in the waste pipe.    The pipe wasn’t very big but it ran through a larger tunnel that he was able to crawl through. If Julian or Leck had to do this, they probably would’ve passed out from the smell. He was used to it.    After 10 minutes, he reached the end of the tunnel. The pipe stopped here, and traveled up through the dirt above him. He chipped away at the dirt until he reached hard tile, the floor of their waste removal room in the factory. During the day he had loosened a few of the tiles, so now he was able to gently pop them up and climb out of the tunnel. From there, he had to grab the cores from under the assembly belt, hide them closer to the beginning of the tunnel, and sneak back to the house. Miraculously, he did all of this unseen, and was back through the house window in 30 minutes.    He shivered under his covers. It would’ve been strange if in the morning he went to the factory covered in dirt and mud, so he was forced to hose himself off before he ran back to the house.    Such a long day. It was unfair. The things he had to do to survive, all because he was a creatch. If he had been born a human he wouldn’t have to crawl through shit tunnels, or be beaten by the Overseers. Horton and so many of the others believed in God, but he never could. Maybe the devil existed, but a kind God seemed unlikely.  Thoughts like these circled in his head, until eventually exhaustion reined his mind in, and he fell into the black void of sleep. WAKE UP, WAKE UP CREATCHES!!   Feeling unrested, he and everyone else shuffled out of the house and into the factory to begin working. The hours went by without incident. He groggily did his work until he was told to do waste maintenance. At the tunnel, he retrieved the cores and waited for Julian and his gang to show up.    “Hello Cin.”   He twisted his body in the direction of the gravelly voice. How could there be someone out here? His sight and sense of smell would have told him if someone was coming near.   Yet, somehow, standing just a few feet to his left, was a man. Or was he a creatch? He was dressed in a long black coat, with a white ruffled shirt, and silky black pants. He had never seen any creatch dressed in such fancy clothes. Only people like the Factorymaster wore clothes like that. He couldn't be a creatch. But how could he be human? His skin was the color of blood, and he had long black fingernails. No human looked like that. Whatever the man was, creatch or human, he had to be careful.   “Uhm, can I help you mister? I’m just doing some waste maintenance, like I was told.” The bag of cores was still in his hand, but it would be strange if he dropped it now.   “Waste maintenance? It looks like you are waiting for someone, Cin.” The man’s voice was rough, but easy to listen to. It was strange that he called him Cin. Only the other creatches did that.   “You’re right, mister, creatch 15 is supposed to be comin’ soon to help me. Then we can start fixin’ the waste pipe.” He had prepared this lie in case someone had found him waiting here.   “You are an excellent liar, Cin. That will serve you well in Hell.”    Gulp. Hell? Is he being serious? Or is that some kind of joke? It must be a joke. But he knows I’m lying. How does he know that?   “I, uh, I better get back to the factory and see what’s taking 15 so long.” He didn’t know who or what this man was, he just knew he had to get away from him.   “Stay, Cin. Let's wait for your friends.” It wasn’t a request. The man was not going to let him leave.   “Okay…”   “When they get here, you must pay very close attention, Cin. This will be your first lesson.”    “My first lesson?”   “Yes, your first lesson as my apprentice.”    He was going to ask what that meant, but his nose was assaulted by the smell of oiled metal and freshly cleaned cotton clothes. Julian was here.    His group approached until they were a few meters away from the man.    “What's a creatch doing here dressed in human clothes? Who the fuck is this?”    “I, uh..”   “Do you like swords, Cin?” The man grinned at him and it sent shivers down his spine.    “I, I dunno.” What was he supposed to say?   “No, a sword is too big for a child like you. A dagger. I will make you a dagger.”   “Get the fuck out of here, creatch. Cin and I need to talk.” Julian raised his cyber-arm and pointed it towards the man. The metal palm glowed a cold blue.   No, this is bad. This is bad. “Julian don’t do any-   It all happened in a moment. He didn’t even see him move. Suddenly, the man was right next to Julian. In one swift motion he carved open Julian’s throat with his fingernail. Blood began to trickle out.   “Unfortunately, I need quite a bit more than that.” He stuck his fingers into the crescent wound and ripped it open. Now, the blood flowed out like a river. Julian's eyes stared blankly, his cyber-arm limp at his side.    The man let Julian fall to the ground. The blood pooling around his body began to rise into the air and form into shapes. First a sphere, then a thin cylinder, and finally a long, sharp triangle. The crude shapes combined and became more detailed. The cylinder became flatter with wrapped grooves around it, and the triangle curved into a sickly blade.    “Perfect.” The man tapped the blood dagger and it became solid, dropping into his other hand.    No one said anything. No one dared to even breathe. The man glided towards him and put the dagger in his hand.    “This is yours. Never let it go, and never let another hold it. Do you understand, Cin?”    He nodded. This is a dream, this is a dream. I just haven’t woken up yet.    “Now, Cin, I am going to finish my business here. I will be sending you to limbo. Do not stay there long.”    He flinched as the man placed his finger on his forehead. I am dreaming, I am dreaming. I must be dreaming. His eyelids drooped and a darkness enveloped his body. Yes, I am dreaming.   The boy faded from Earth. This has gone well, Dante thought to himself. Hopefully the boy will be in Hell shortly. He has so much to learn.    Now, to deal with the rest.   Two of the children looked vacantly at the dead boy's body. The other two stared at him with gaping mouths. All of them stood still, with tears dripping off their cheeks.    So small and weak. If just one had shown up to meet Cin, then only one would've died. He had simply needed to kill one in front of Cin. Alas, they all had come.    A human cannot live after seeing a devil. These were simply the rules. He could not change them, for now.    So, he cut one throat, then a second, then a third, and finally a-   “Step away from her, Dante. She is mine.” Such a melodic voice. Such a detestable woman.   “And if I do not? What will you do Aleyna?”    “I will challenge you to a duel. I may not win, but I will at least have your arm, and you will look like a fool in front of all of Hell.” Hmm. He could kill her and the child now, but he would not leave unscathed, that was true. It would be harder to teach the boy, and he would have to find a new tailor if he lost an arm. Still, he had to do something.    In a second he was able to cleanly slice the girl's cheek before he had to dodge a lunging attack from Aleyna.    “I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS DANTE!”   “Goodbye, Aleyna.” Before she could retort, he was already gone, descending the emerald steps to hell.    Once he was back he would make sure the boy’s accommodations were in order.

"You think you're ready Koop?" The Goomba said, cradling something. "No of course not, it never gets easier Ba." Koop replied, tipping down his hat. "I know... how will we cut this to his family?" Ba asked, his eyes drooping if only a little. "The way we always do." Koop told Ba/ "So break their hearts?" "Yep." Koop replied though he whispered something almost inaudible.1"Though maybe something will change this time." "You know, Gloom despite how sad he was, he was a good man. Shame he died to that Mushroonian bastard of a plumber." Ba said walking towards a simple house. "He was such a hard worker. And he was finally able to pay off his family's debt too." Ba continued. "Yeah, he was a good drinking body. Remember what you did at the bar during his first time out? " Koop said. "Ha, yeah..." Ba reminiscenced.2It was in a small but cozy bar staffed by a few koopas and shy guys. I could be seen dancing backwards on his head while playing beer ping pong with no hands with a crowd cheering while Gloom was laughing along (albeit shyly) with the others. "Good times." I thought. There was silence if only for a few seconds. The air was heavy and dreary. No one dared to break the silence. Koop looked down at the floor for a second. A whisper in the silent wind could be heard. A constant whisper he heard.3Koop, why do you continue? The voice echoed in his head. Just stop doing this job and retire, you making the bad news even worse. You'll never be enough. "Koop, why do we keep sending our comrades to death towards that bastard?" Ba asked as looked towards the sky. "I don't know. I don't even know why Bowser is so adamant at killing that bastard." Koop told Ba. "Hey, be careful with that." Koop said pointing towards the jar Ba was cradling with his mind. "Oh sorry, I was just so focused on the conversation." Ba apologized.  "No, no it's okay" Koop said. "I wish we could go back to the old times." Koop said. "You mean before all of the kidnapping and revenge plots Bowser concocted?" Ba responded. "Yeah. Before we were declared ash bringers and bearer of bad news. I wanted to live in peace and played sports, party, and racing games with my friends. But now, I just want to see no more comrades and loved ones die." Koop said trying to smile. "Yeah... Koop do you remember what you asked earlier? About why Bowser is so adamant at killing Mario? He's mad, mad at Mario, mad at the cold war between his and the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario killed his children, his life long friends, and even him after all. Again and again if it weren't for the grand magician's dark arts. I get that, because I'm mad too. Because..." Ba said through clenched teeth. 4It was horrible. Blood filled the battleground as I saw my loved all die. I still wake up sweating. "Your parents... your children died too?" Koop asked. 5If only I could do better. "Yes." Ba gritted his teeth in anger, in rage. Shaking and increasing his grip slowly breaking the jar. 6Lets... go with that... "I'm sorry. You know, I lost my parents too. I remember them, their happiness when I first walked, when they first convinced me out of my shell, when they enlisted me to army... they, they were good parents." Koop told Ba trying to comfort him as he slowly tried to take away the jar from Ba. 7If only  you could do more. A voice in his head told me. "Stop it. It's MY responsibility,  it's the least I could do for them." Ba said calming down. "... I get it, I really do." Koop said trying to keep some form of hope. ... The rest of the trip continued in silence. As they walked the imminent dread came closer and closer. It never got easier, the weight never got lighter. In a way it was hell for Koop and a duty to fulfill for Ba. They took a breath then exhaled. Ba took a knock on the door. And it opened revealing to old Goombas. Their once sharp teeth dulled and their furrowed eyebrows weary and low.  "Yes? How may we help you?" Asked the mother. "Sir we have bad news about your son." Koop shook his head, his eyes closed in pain.  "No it couldn't." The mother said. "What is it dear." Asked the other elder. "I believe it's best if both of you were here." Told Koop. "No, no it couldn't, it couldn't! You're lying, lying!" The mother hysterically yelled. Koop looked away with only Ba looking directly at her. "What did you do to her!?" The father asked. Koop continued to look away ashamed and sad. "Your, your son Gloom. He died." Ba said. There was silence. Then for a moment, somebody spoke angry yet sad.  "Leave." The father said resolute. "Wait bu-" Koop turned around and looked at the father before getting interrupted. "Leave." The father stated. The crying of the mother could be heard. "Wait, before we leave I figure we should at least give this to you." Ba said cutting off whatever retort Koop would have. He gave a jar, a urn to the father. "This is the remains of your son. He died after Mario stomped him before burning him. He... he was a good man." Ba looked away and walked with Koop soon following carrying a burden of worthlessness on his heart. The weeping still continued loud and clear soon followed by another much deeper weeping voice. 8Why!? Why!? Why!? Why, did you have to die?! Gloom! Gloom! Death... How sick it made me. AGriamore But what happens after sickens me further. Please check for any grammar mistakes and add them in the comments. I've also decided to stuff in some extra (poorly written) content in the footnotes.

Why is the world so unreasonable?  Inside an old, dark, and narrow apartment, he pressed his hand against the pain in his chest.  He struggled to put any power into his arms. He had such difficulty just breathing. He knew that there was some plague that would break the world, but he never expected to get those damn viruses.  And because of that damn virus, his college became an online class, and when he went back to his hometown, he got those viruses, and right now he feels like he is dying.  "Just… why?" He could see light spinning around him. He heard on the news that most people affected by or dying from the viruses were much older than he was. He was still in his early twenties, and he just needed two or three semesters before graduating.  He might not be a completely respectable man, but he didn’t think he ever committed any crimes, and he lived very seriously enough to be able to get a scholarship to enter this university.  He wanted to get a job, marry the girl he loved, have a baby, and help his old parents.  But what happened was that he might die at such a young age.  "Are you saying that I will die before I leave something in this world?" "What is the point of my existence anyway?"  In that chaos of his mind, full of memories of his life and regret, His vision started to blur, before it became black. The pain became unbearable, then became less and less until he couldn’t feel it anymore.  … …… ……… "Haa~~ I wonder how long I'll keep dreaming about this." Tsuda sighed as he woke up from his nightmare or his memories. He rather said it as a memory of his previous life.  Yeah, this was maybe his second life. Tsuda could still remember clearly when he first recalled his previous life. It was a very traumatic thing for a four-year-old child who could start to remember a few things and was also just beginning to be aware of his surroundings. Tsuda never thought of those memories of his previous life as a dream because he deeply felt the emotions of all those memories. All of them seemed to belong to him. He could remember being terrified and crying when he first recalled the memory of the death he had experienced in his previous life. His mother immediately came over, hugged him, and calmed him down, very dearly. The warm feeling of his mother helped him in the past. Truly.  "It feels a bit long since I had this dream? Maybe because of the first day of school… Huh…" Tsuda said as he opened his private server. A big grayish hologram appeared in front of him. It looks like a monitor PC from his previous life, with a small amount of interface. Tsuda could see what time it was and found out that he woke up half an hour before his daily alarm.  "Oh well… It’s fine, I guess. I can start early. CZ, you can open the curtains and start tidying my room." Tsuda ordered someone via his server.  [ Yes, affirmative. ]  Tsuda heard such weird robotic voice replies from his server while the curtain in his room immediately slowly opened. Showed a morning light into his face.  "Un... Today looks beautiful." Tsuda looked outside and saw a different kind of scenery than he usually saw. "Oh, I forgot that I've already moved out of my home. Well, anyway…"  Tsuda moved out of his bedroom to see a humanoid woman wearing a maid-like western uniform in his previous life. Tsuda called it humanoid, since even though it looked human, people could still see the difference between them and humans. Her eyes, ears, and several parts of her body still look like machines. "I’m going to clean your room. Young master." CZ responded with a weird robotic tone.  "Ah, yes. I woke up early, can you prepare my breakfast earlier too."  "Yes, young master."  Tsuda's new home was not that big, but he still had a virtual room. In the virtual room, he immediately used it for his usual jogging. Yeah, in this life, Tsuda doesn't need to run away outside. Because of the virtual room, he could jog with any scenery he wanted. It was actually so good that he could feel himself running uphill or downhill. After that, Tsuda went to the bathroom and turned on hot water on medium heat, which he immediately showered with. It was a really convenient world to live in. Since this world was more advanced than his previous world. It was so advanced that he didn’t think he had any advantages to be used except his little experience in his previous life that made him a bit mature at a young age to learn more than his peers.  Well, it wasn’t like his twenty years of life were quite a long time compared to the average life expectancy in this world, which is almost double that of the earth Tsuda knew. But still, thanks to his previous life memory, Tsuda was able to join his new school. Which could be said to be an elite school in this area. A-2 Academy, which was an academy monitoring upcoming talent for upper-class citizens.  After Tsuda finished showering, he made his way to the dining table, which was already set with a breakfast that looked quite delicious. Honestly, he would have loved to have this kind of breakfast in his previous life. Even though Tsuda had already moved out of his home. His mother was still taking care of him by making most of his food nutrients balanced, and she actually calculated according to the schedule that Tsuda gave her. You could say that her mother was one of the overprotective moms in this modern world. In a world that already had robots and systems to help parents raise their children. She was still very involved in raising Tsuda. Sometimes, it may be a bit annoying, but Tsuda was really thankful for his mother. He didn’t know if he would grow up like this if it wasn't because of his mother. As for his father, well, Tsuda would say that his father was his inspiration. In a bad way… Anyway, Tsuda was finally ready to leave for the academy. He went to the garage, where his motorcycle was parked. It was a rather big motorcycle. No, most motorcycles at this age were rather big since they had many systems and functions.  It has a big body and big tires that automatically balance themselves with their safety system.  Tsuda opened his other server and connected to the motorcycle. By putting the password on the server and his fingerprint on it, the motorcycle was ready to be used by him, and no other people without access could use it. Well, except for an extraordinary elite hacker…  But why did you want to do that for a cheap motorcycle? Yeah, even though it sounds grand for his previous life standards. In this world, an expensive motorcycle was still a cheap vehicle in this world.  Tsuda got on his motorcycle, turned it on, and was ready to go as the garage door slowly opened at his command. Too bad for Tsuda, there was a person in front of the garage.  It was a girl at his age, and to be honest, even though Tsuda felt like he got used to her appearance. She was still such an extraordinarily beautiful girl. Her face was so beautiful and perfect that she suspected that it was created by unauthorized genetic manipulation. Her face was inorganically asymmetrical. A straight and beautiful nose bridge. Carefully shaped curved eyebrows with reddish-brown eyes, very flawless. Smooth skin without the slightest stain and long-length glossy, strawberry blonde hair. Her perfect figure attracted the attention of everyone who passed by her. She had her arms on her waist, "I told you… That we’re going to school together!"  The girl said it with a serious look on her face, but she still looked cute.  Her name was Ogura Kiyomi. She was a childhood friend of Tsuda, born in the same year as him. They had been together since childhood and went to the same school and class until now.  "Kiyomi… Why are you here?" And Tsuda was one of the few people who addressed her by name. "Didn’t I say before… we’re going to school together as usual." Kiyomi said as she walked and put her hand on Tsuda’s motorcycle. "No… I mean… The distance from the school to your house is as far as the distance from my new house to yours.… So what’s the point you’re here?" "Well, it’s because I suspect you'll be going to school without me."  "Yeah, of course. Your house and the school are not in the same direction. If I have to pick you up, it means my trip to school is twice as far. I don't want to do that!"  "Grrrr… Just be a man and pick me up!" Koyomi put the helmet she found in the garage on her head. "What are you saying at this age… Chivalry is already a thing of the past! Gender equality is a thing! Isn’t that more convenient to use public transportation rather than a motorcycle! They’re more comfortable too."  "Geez… I know you will act like this. That’s why I’m coming here." Koyomi sighed as she climbed on Tsuda’s motorcycle and sat behind him. She didn’t even hesitate to put her arm around Tsuda’s hip while letting her body relax and rest on him.  Tsuda felt a bit conscious as her breast pushed on his back. Even though Koyomi was his childhood friend and the same age as him. She was still an attractive girl. Of course, Tsuda was conscious of her.  "Haa~~ You made my fuel bill increase, you know?" Tsuda said as he put the system from one person to two people.  "It’s fine. I will treat you to something once a week…"  "Is that so? Well, it’s fine then… Are you ready?"  "Un…" Tsuda heard her respond, and her hand clasped him tighter.  Tsuda drove the motorcycle from the garage and saw the automatic lock work very well. While the two of them left, his new home was in a suburban area and going to the A-2 Academy.  At that time, Tsuda couldn’t hear Koyomi's low voices… ‘Even though you say it like that… You’re already prepared a helmet at my size… This side of you make me feel frustrated…’’    RazackCh I will posted 2 chapter everyday till next monday. Every 7 P.M and A.M You can read advance 5 chapter in my patreon. I hope for more comment and review.  Thanks.

It was a typical Monday morning, and I was on my usual commute to work. As I drove down the road, I noticed the sunlight streaming through the trees, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. The soft hum of the engine and the gentle swaying of the car lulled me into a sense of ease. I must have closed my eyes for just a second, but when I opened them, I saw a massive tree looming in front of me. Panic set in, and I realized that I had dozed off behind the wheel. I slammed on the brakes, but the car skidded uncontrollably. I could feel the tires losing traction, and the car didn't slow down enough. My heart was pounding, and my breaths came in quick gasps. As the tree came closer, I could see the rough bark and the gnarled branches. I braced for impact, hoping that the car's safety features would be enough to keep me alive until the paramedics arrived. The airbags exploded on impact, and the sound was deafening. The car shook violently, and the force was greater than I had anticipated. I felt a sharp pain shoot through my body as the weight of the car pressed me into the ground. The airbags had saved my life, but I knew that I had sustained some injuries. As my consciousness began to fade, I tried to focus on my breathing. I felt light-headed and dizzy, and my hands were shaking uncontrollably. With trembling hands, I groped for anything that could help me. I could hear the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and the distant hum of traffic. The smell of gasoline and burnt rubber filled my nostrils. I tried to move, but my body was trapped under the wreckage of the car. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest, and I wondered if this was the end. As my vision blurred, I thought of my family and friends, and I hoped that they would be okay. As the moments ticked by, I felt death slowly taking over. The pain in my body was becoming unbearable, and I could feel my energy fading away. The sound of the leaves rustling became fainter, and the hum of traffic grew more distant. The world around me was fading, and I knew that I was slipping away. I thought of all the things I had yet to do in my life, all the people I loved and would miss dearly. My heart was heavy with regret and sadness. I wished I could go back in time and change the things that I had done wrong, but it was too late. Death was calling, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. As I lay there, helpless and alone, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. I knew that I had lived a good life, and that I had done my best. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, ready to embrace whatever lay beyond. The darkness enveloped me, and I felt myself slipping away into the void. I found myself in a pool of water, surrounded by darkness. I couldn't see a thing, but I could sense multiple organisms around me, in the water. It was a strange sensation, as if I could feel their presence through some sort of sixth sense. I realized that I must have been reincarnated into some sort of aquatic organism. As I floated in the water, I couldn't help but wonder what sort of creature I had become. Was I a fish, a tadpole, or something else entirely? I couldn't see my own body, but I could feel a sense of fluidity and grace in my movements, like a fish gliding through the water. The other organisms around me were moving too, and I could sense their size and shape as they brushed past me. Some were small and darting, while others were larger and more sluggish. I realized that I was not alone in this dark, watery world. As I moved through the water, I began to sense changes in my own body. I felt my tail elongating and my fins growing larger, giving me greater control and speed in the water. I felt a sense of excitement and anticipation as I realized that I was growing and evolving, becoming something more than I had been before. Despite my lack of vision, I felt a sense of wonder and curiosity about this strange new world I found myself in. I wanted to explore and discover everything I could about the creatures and environments around me. And as I swam through the water, I knew that there was so much more to learn and experience in this new life. As time passed, I grew more and more accustomed to my new life in the water. I had no way to measure time, so I couldn't tell how long I had been here, but I knew it had been a long time. The darkness never lifted, and I couldn't tell whether it was day or night. The water around me remained nourishing, and there were very few casualties among the organisms that shared this environment with me. It was a strange feeling, knowing that we were all growing and evolving together, but also knowing that we were all potential prey for some predator out there. As I grew larger and more agile in the water, I couldn't help but wonder if someone was intentionally rearing us, or if we were simply a part of the natural ecosystem. Did people in some tribe eat frogs or fish like me? I wondered if my fate was to be caught and eaten, and I tried not to think too much about it. Despite my uncertainty, I continued to thrive and grow stronger. And then, one day, I sensed a subtle shift in the water around me. It was a slight movement, almost imperceptible, but I knew that the water was no longer still. Something was happening. I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and trepidation. Was this the moment when I would face my fate, or was there something else happening in this dark, mysterious world? I braced myself for whatever might come, ready to face it with all the sharp senses and instincts I had developed over my long, lonely time in the water. As I grow larger, I become more aware of my body and its capabilities. I can now swim faster and more efficiently, using my tail to propel myself forward through the water. The warmth that used to worry me now feels like a comfortable blanket, and I feel safe and secure in this environment. However, I still cannot shake the feeling of anxiety and uncertainty that plagues me. I wonder if I will ever know what kind of creature I am, or if I will ever be able to see my surroundings. The lack of sensory input is frustrating, and sometimes I feel like I am trapped in my own body. Despite this, I continue to focus on growing stronger and becoming more skilled in the art of survival. I am determined to overcome any challenges that come my way and to emerge as the fittest and strongest creature in this environment. As I move through the water, I can feel the presence of other organisms around me, and I am constantly on guard for any potential dangers. Although I cannot see, I am learning to rely on my other senses to navigate my way through the world. The touch of the water against my skin, the sound of other creatures moving through the water, and the taste of the water as I filter it through my body are all becoming familiar to me. As I grow and develop, I know that I will continue to adapt to this environment and become more skilled at surviving in it. As I grow older, I notice significant changes in my body. My tail has become stronger, and I am now able to move around more efficiently. I can tell that many of my siblings have perished, about one in every five, making me feel lucky to have survived. It's a cruel world, and survival of the fittest seems to be the norm. However, something fascinating has happened - I have developed the ability to sense my surroundings using the water currents around me. It's not quite vision, but it allows me to perceive the environment in a way that is difficult to explain. It's almost like echolocation or sonar. I find it incredible that my mind is capable of such amazing feats. More time goes on and I have started to move quite agilely. All of the movement has had quite a change on my body. My slightly rounded body has grown into a sleek body with a long tail with a lot of power for my size. I wonder if I could win the swimming Olympic with my current skill. Based on crashes with other brethren, I find that my training has yielded results and no one of them are faster than me. With my long, slender and aerodynamically favorable body, I can swim my whole length in an instant. I have no eyes, but I am able to sense the presences around me using my sonar-like abilities. With time, almost 1 in 4 of my brethren has died, but I still consider the environment to be very good for us. I can tell that the excrement that we release is being continuously cleaned naturally. You could even say that I have gotten quite a favorable opinion of my home that has raised me. After I become an adult, I will certainly come back. A sudden change in current. I feel like we are being pushed into a new place, with the flow of the water carrying us along. The current is strong and I struggle to keep up, but I can feel the water pushing me forward with a new energy. Maybe the environment was unable to keep nourishing us and so it is time for us to move on to new pastures. Or perhaps this is a natural process of growing up and leaving the comfort of our home. As I struggle to keep up with the current, I feel a burning sensation spreading through my body. It's like being plunged into a pool of lava, and I can't help but wonder if they're trying to boil us alive. I hear the panicked cries of my brethren around me, and I can tell that they too are feeling the same pain. Despite the agony, I try to focus on positive thoughts. Perhaps this is a test to weed out the weak and useless among us. Maybe it's a necessary step before we reach adulthood and are able to face the challenges of the wider world. But as I look around, I see that many of my brethren are staying near the nourishing solution, oblivious to the fact that it will eventually run out and leave them to die. They don't seem to understand that this new current could lead us to a better life, or that sometimes we must endure hardship in order to reach our goals. So I swim hard, pushing against the current, determined to survive and see what lies ahead. Whatever the future holds, I know that I must adapt and learn to navigate this new world if I hope to succeed. As I keep swimming forward, the environment gradually becomes less acidic and hostile. It's still painful and difficult to swim through, but I notice that I'm able to move a bit more easily than before. Perhaps the worst of it is over, or maybe I'm just getting used to the pain. However, my energy reserves are starting to dwindle. I can feel my body becoming weaker and more fatigued with every passing moment. The water around me feels heavy, and I'm struggling to keep moving forward. I know I can't stop swimming, though. If I do, I'll be at the mercy of the hostile environment once again. Despite my exhaustion, I push myself forward with every ounce of strength I have left. I try to focus on my breathing and keeping a steady pace, but my mind keeps drifting to thoughts of giving up. I can't let that happen, though. I have to keep going, for the sake of survival. After swimming for what feels like an eternity, I finally come across a fork in the path. I see two options, but before I can make a decision, the current one forces me to take the left route. I try to fight against it, but it's too strong. I keep moving forward, wondering what fate awaits me on this path. What kind of death trap is this? I have no time to think as I keep moving forward, trying to survive. As I continue on, I enter a section filled with massive tentacled creatures. Fear grips me as I realize that I am in a world that is not Earth. These creatures are so large that they could easily swallow me whole, and I am already exhausted from my previous struggles. Was this the wrong path to take? Was it a dead end? Suddenly, I collide with one of my fellow creatures, and the impact propels me towards the tentacled creatures. I brace for the worst, but to my surprise, they do not harm me. Instead, they push me forward with their massive tentacles. With newfound speed, I am able to move past my brethren and take the lead in our race for survival. I continue to use the creatures as a means of propulsion, pushing myself even faster through the unknown depths. Ah, it seems like the end of the line. There's nothing in sight, except for a large organism with more tentacles. My heart sinks as I realize that those other creatures were leading me straight to my demise. Am I its food? Is this the end of my journey? I start to reflect on my short life, knowing that I'm unable to stop myself from being devoured by this monster. It's a familiar feeling, dying again because of my uncontrollable speed. But there's no stopping it now. I collide with the organism and it suddenly creates an aperture to engulf me whole. I enter the organism's "mouth," anticipating the worst. As I entered the organism's "mouth," my fear and dread slowly turned into wonder and amazement. Instead of the crushing grip of death, I felt a warm and welcoming sensation. It was as if I had entered a sanctuary, a place of peace and enlightenment. I felt a sense of unity with this organism, as if we were one being, not two separate entities. I had never experienced anything like this before, and it made me realize that there was so much more to this world than I had ever known. As I embraced this feeling, I noticed that more of my kind were being pushed towards me, but I knew that I had to protect this newfound sanctuary. So, I generated a barrier to prevent any others from coming close. The environment within this organism was different than anything I had ever experienced. It was nourishing me in a way that I had never felt before, and I could sense that the others were dying in the hostile outside environment. It was as if I had been reborn into a new life form, one that was stronger and more resilient than before. My instinct told me that I needed to grow, to become something different. As I embraced this feeling of unity and enlightenment, I knew that I was destined for something greater. I had fused with this organism, and together we would become something new and powerful. Jason's eyes widen in surprise and joy at the news. "Wow, Mindy, that's amazing! I can't believe it worked!" he exclaims, pulling her into a tight embrace. "We've been trying for so long, and now we're finally going to have a baby." Mindy smiles up at him, tears of happiness in her eyes. "I know, Jason, it's incredible. I can't wait to see what our little one will be like." Over the next few months, Jason and Mindy prepare for the arrival of their child. They go to doctor appointments, set up a nursery, and read books on parenting. They can hardly contain their excitement as they imagine what their future will look like with a little one in it. Finally, the day arrives, and Mindy goes into labor. Jason is by her side the whole time, holding her hand and cheering her on as she gives birth to a beautiful baby boy. They name him David, and he is perfect in every way. As they hold their newborn son, Jason and Mindy realize that their lives will never be the same. They have a new purpose and a new reason to live. They will do everything in their power to give David the best life possible, and they know that they will love him more than anything else in the world.

Even so, Tsuda had already turned air resistance on. He could still feel the air on his body. It still felt a bit different, yet the same as his previous life. One of the reasons why Tsuda wanted to drive a motorcycle to school. "Are you fine? It's not cold or anything like that, right?" Tsuda asked Koyomi, since she was different from him and didn’t wear any additional clothing like the black jacket Tsuda was wearing.  "I’m fine. Different from you… I have my sponsorship… My uniform is an exclusive one that is able to check my temperature. I don’t have to worry about the cold." Koyomi replied, and she seemed proud of that fact.  Well, different from Tsuda, Koyomi was an unbelievably talented girl who entered the A-2 Academy as the number one girl. Right now, she was already above Tsuda in terms of citizen class.  Even though this world is like a perfect world, they actually have their own ranks. An ordinary citizen who has never committed any crime with ordinary talent and work ranked C, just like Tsuda. As for Koyomi, who has been a celebrity since she was a child and a talented girl, she was already ranked B, although she may go far enough to rank S from her talent alone. She had such outstanding DNA, an outstanding appearance, and such an outstanding brain cell. You may have said that she has been a winner since birth. "Geez, I forgot that you will give a speech in orientation, right? Are you fine coming to the academy with me?"  "I don’t care about stuff like that. No… It’s a good thing to say that you’re already mine."  "No… I’m just your childhood friend…"  The two of them talked like that as the motorcycle drove to the school. They could have such easy conversations on the road, because the system makes them communicate with each other via the system. It took twenty minutes to half an hour for the two of them to arrive at the Academy by motorcycle. Tsuda put his motorcycle in the parking lot. There were just a few motorcycles and a lot of bikes in the parking lot. Koyomi jumped off the motorcycle and removed the helmet from her head. She did so in front of Tsuda, waving her hair and giving him a sweet smile. She acted like a model in an advertisement. It wasn't a thought in Tsuda's mind, but something Koyomi did on purpose.  "What are you doing?" Tsuda said as he received the helmet and put it on the motorcycle trunk before he put his own helmet on the trunks too. "Hm… Well, I’m just showing myself off to you…" Koyomi said while puffing her breath. "It’s still morning, you know…Please, act more appropriately as a model student." Tsuda gave her a chop on the head. It was something the two of them always did to each other since they were children. "Mu~~~ I don’t understand why it’s not working with you. Most people will be infatuated when I do that…" Koyomi pouted in displeasure.  "What are you doing? Stupid girl… Stop doing that, it’s dangerous, you know? What if some people become too infatuated and become stalkers…" Tsuda reminded her with a serious face. But Koyomi just gave him a smile and responded a bit lightly. "I have you after all."  "Ha~~ No, those happen when we’re still children, and the culprit is still a child. It makes it easy for me to help you… I don’t think I can always help you. There will be much smarter and stronger people than me in this world after all." Tsuda told Koyomi that she was so sincerely worried about her.  "Yes~~" She replied, a bit lukewarm, and continued walking beside Tsuda without concern about anything. There were many students who looked at her in awe. No matter what gender they were. Not only was she a beautiful girl, but she was also a famous one too.  But their glare changed when they saw a person walking beside him, which was Tsuda.  From their perspective, they may see beauty and the beast in real life. It's not like Tsuda had such a hideous appearance or something. He was just average.  Yeah, Toshiaki Tsuda was a C-rank Citizen. That had average DNA, average appearance, and average brain cells. With observation on his birth… he likely will become a B-rank citizen in the future if he works hard. Of course, it didn't always work that way, but it still had some value in this world. Tsuda's assessment was a bit low in this world, and it was because he was special. In a rather questionable way, he was a baby without any genetic modification after all. He was the only child in centuries to be born using such an old delivery method. A method that Tsuda was familiar with since it was the most common way to deliver a baby. But in this world, it was such an ancient way. It was an old delivery method where mothers held their children's fetuses for nine months and gave birth in conventional ways without any machine help. Usually used by members of the Conservative Party in the past before slowly dying down because of technological advances. Yeah, in this world, most children are genetically modified. That has already been common for many centuries. Typically altered genetically, it can only be up to two generations. If Tsuda wanted to change him, he could only choose to change his genes back to those of his grandfather's generation. So it was rather shocking when his parents did that… but either way, they are still doing that. Sometimes, Tsuda thought 100 percent thanks for what they’re doing, he was reincarnated.  But since his father was a history enthusiast who not only worked as a historian, he also wanted to experience some of those things in the past. And his mother, who helplessly loved his father, agreed with his father's whim.  Which was no wonder it made His mother overprotective about Tsuda, since in this world Tsuda could be said to be born inferior to any child. If he doesn’t remember his previous life, he may be living a miserable life. Maybe... who knows about it. Most people saw Tsuda as an ugly person in this world. They may question the sanity of Koyomi, or they may think that Tsuda was a servant of the girl. Tsuda could hear the mockery and bad whispers about him when he walked with Koyomi.  It was just a common thing that happened when Tsuda was with Koyomi, and he got used to it. "Aren’t you going to give a speech in orientation? Isn’t that something you need to go to the administration or something like that?" Tsuda asked Koyomi, who looked at him and showed a bit of an unsatisfied expression. "Yeah, that’s true. I need to go somewhere first… but I still don’t want to be separated from you, or some thieving cat will come?" She replied with an icy smile.  Tsuda himself just shook his head and responded, "What the hell is wrong with that phrasing? It’s not like I have many people flirting with me."  "Really, I wonder… Anyway, I’m going. Don’t do anything that catches someone's eye..." Koyomi said that, one her finger raised as if lecturing. Her gesture was cute, but the tone was quite strict, before she left him alone walking toward her destination.  "Geez, what does she think about me…" Tsuda walked toward the big hall that would likely be the place where orientation would be held.  But before Tsuda arrived at the hall, he bumped into someone he knew by accident. No… If people knew about the two of them, they'd be more likely to surprise Tsuda in this academy than the person he bumped into.  Ichikawa Mitsuo, the person who actually lives in the house next to Koyomi, which means it could be said that he was more of a childhood friend than Tsuda. Even their birthdays are just different three days apart at the same hospital, as if there was fate between them.  He wasn’t just tall; he was well-built too. He had such a charming and dignified face that actually had the knack to make women gasp in admiration no matter what their taste may be. He was also a man of talent and beauty who always came out on top in many things, and he did it without much effort. Because of those specs, he became famous as he started to be featured on TV three years ago and did the same job as Koyomi.  No wonder many people always thought the two of them were a cute and beautiful childhood couple. Even their manager had the thought to make them like that to boost their popularity, which was rejected by Koyomi.  Which is no wonder makes Mitsuo really hate Tsuda as he was the biggest obstacle between him and Koyomi. "Ck… I heard that you've successfully entered this academy. I wonder how much you struggle…  You may really like bathing in the mud." Mitsuo didn’t hold back with his hatred when there was no Koyomi among them. Tsuda didn’t know how Mitsuo acted, but he was always like a two-faced guy to him.  Tsuda only heard good things about Mitsuo, whether from girls or guys. If that’s true, well, at least he was a pretty honest guy who really hated Tsuda to the core of his soul.  The problem was that Mitsuo was such a charismatic guy that there were a lot of high-level guys around him too. Which means his friend saw his hatred for Tsuda and made them follow his suit. And Tsuda's position in any school in the past became worse… since he made enemies everywhere… without even trying. Those people always see Tsuda as a bug that interferes with two beautiful flowers.  Anyway, this situation was pretty much daily at this point. Tsuda felt like he was tired of this stuff. Isn’t it best to make it clear once and for all. RazackCh I will posted 2 chapter everyday till next monday. Every 7 P.M and A.M You can read advance 5 chapter in my patreon. I hope for more comment and review.  Thanks.

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: Aboleth   ======   Cold spray frothed over the nose of the ship and speckled the side of Samar’s face, smelling strongly of salt. The ferry had set off just after dawn but both sea and sky were slate grey, to the point it was hard to distinguish where one ended and the other began. Apart from a handful of what Samar assumed were tourists, or maybe clients of the same institution where he was headed, and a captain up in the pilothouse, Samar had the ferry to himself. Letch Island rose out of the ocean like a fortress. The cliffs reminded Samar of castle ramparts. Dark, windswept pines covered the hills. What there was of the town, probably fifty houses and buildings total, clustered around the cove that the ferry pulled into. A couple dozen fishing boats moored in the cove as well. Samar went inside and collected his bags. He had one relatively small rolling suitcase and an overstuffed gym bag. Not much but between them, along with a bank account far outweighed by student loans and some cheap, flatpack furniture he’d left in a storage locker on the mainland, they represented the sum total of his worldly possessions. Other passengers piled off the boat first. Samar wrestled his suitcase down the ramp and then along the wharf, taking in his surroundings with genuine interest as he did. About a dozen locals waited to get on the ferry for its return trip. It only made the journey between Letch Island and the mainland twice a day, in the mornings and evenings. At the foot of the pier was a big man in a white uniform. Although Samar would have been pretty easy to spot, the man held a piece of paper with ‘Samar Varadkar’ printed on it like those drivers waiting for people at the airport. “You’re from the Wellness Institute?” Samar asked, shouldering his bag. “That’s right.” The question was pretty obviously answered. On the breast of his uniform was the name of the institute and a nametag, ‘Shane’. The man didn’t offer anything more. “Well, I’m-, that’s me.” Samar nodded to the sign. “After you?” Shane led Samar to a passenger van parked nearby. Only a few vehicles seemed to live on the island as there was little need for them. Samar piled his bags in the back and Shane drove them across the island’s small township. Most of the island’s inhabitants had a singular look about them Samar realised as he watched from the van’s windows. He’d noticed it among the locals lined up for the ferry but could see now how widespread it was. Grey skinned, with bulbous eyes and wide, fishy mouths. Too little genetic diversity in too small a place for too long. They almost seemed to make a point of ignoring the van as it rolled by. A poorly paved road led out of Letch Island township and into the hills. The institute sat near some clifftops overlooking the ocean, surrounded by pines. ‘Abolife Wellness Lifestyle Institute’ read the sign over the iron gate, just above the mantra, ‘Living Longer, Living Better’. Built as some kind of hospital in the 1920s, the intimidating building had been abandoned for decades and then bought and renovated by its current owner and Samar’s new boss, Joseph Davis. Shane parked outside of the institute and gestured Samar out of the van. “This way.” Samar collected his bags and followed Shane up the steps to the slightly grand stone arch of the front entrance. Inside was much more modern than the outside. White and brightly lit, with lots of steel and glass. The reception desk sat empty for the time being. “Wait here, Mr Davis will want to meet with you first,” Shane said. Samar set his bags down and waited as Shane disappeared. The walls of the institute were strangely quiet. Samar had been up for hours in order to catch the ferry but for a lot of people it was still relatively early. He wasn’t waiting long anyway before Joseph Davis, creator of Abolife, appeared. “Samar! So pleased to see you made it, no problems with the ferry or finding Shane?” “Mr Davis, no, thanks, everything was fine.” Davis took Samar’s hand and shook vigorously. “Please, call me Joseph, we’re all informal here. Except in front of the clients, never in front of the clients. But you won’t be having much face time with clientele, will you?” Samar had met Joseph Davis twice already but only through fairly shaky video calls. In person, he was struck by just how electric Joseph’s presence was. Tall, athletic and with a thick head of dark hair, he was in his late forties but gave off an impression of exceptional health. Samar, in his early twenties, felt like Joseph could have run literal rings around him. “You’ve arrived not a moment too soon, we really need to get a new website up and running if we’re going to expand,” Joseph said. “And these constant tech issues and outages don’t reflect well on the institute.” Samar’s main education was in website design, which he could have done for Abolife remotely. But Joseph wanted an all-round IT person to come and live on the island and deal with all of the institute’s technical needs. Samar knew enough to get by and could Google anything he didn’t know how to do off the top of his head. He’d been between apartments, lacking direction, and a job out on an island in the middle of nowhere sounded like an adventure. “We really need to stop these wifi and communication problems, for the clients,” Joseph said. “You know, we’ve had several major sports people here at the institute. And do you know the rap star, Li’l Loada?” “Uh, I might have heard the name,” Samar lied. “I don’t really know any of his-,” Joseph interrupted, holding his thumb and finger only a hair apart. “We are this close to having a Kardashian come visit us.” “Wow,” Samar said drily, for a lack of anything else to say. “But for the staff, even senior members of Abolife, it’s the opposite. We need to block out distraction, stop them accessing certain websites.” “Porn,” Samar blurted automatically. “Yes, well, yes, but other distractions as well. Social media, I understand it has some uses in spreading our message but it's so pointless, so ephemeral. It's so human in that way, isn’t it? A short, temporary distraction from our short, temporary lives, like a rat pressing a button to light up its pleasure centres.” “Right, sure.” “And there have been some websites critical of Abolife itself, I’m sure you’re aware. But people can’t access those, at least not on our time. They’re free to do it on their own time.” “Of course.” “We have so much more to discuss, let me give you the nickel tour first.” Joseph had Samar leave his bags behind the reception desk and took him on a walk around the facilities. Some of the staff, in white uniforms like the ones Shane and Joseph wore, scurried around getting ready for the day. They were quietly deferential to Joseph. The head of Abolife first showed Samar the opulent dining hall used by clients, with huge windows looking out on the pine forest behind the institution. Exercise equipment filled a gym for the clientele and there were several rooms for smaller classes. In a structure fashioned like a greenhouse, attached to the main building, was a heated pool and sauna. Various rooms existed for spa treatments and different forms of meditation. Joseph led Samar into another long and dimly lit room, sparsely furnished except for several large, metal pods. They looked like refrigerators laid on their backs, or oversized coffins. Their interiors were half-filled with water. Isolation tanks, Joseph explained, for sensory deprivation. Clients would be closed inside where they would float in the water, cut off from external stimuli for meditative purposes. “Of course, I insist you take advantage of all these facilities at least once so you can properly capture them on our new website!” Joseph said. “Oh, no, no thank you.” Samar cringed, realising he’d just blurted out a blunt refusal to his new boss. Joseph looked confused. Just looking at the open chambers of the isolation tanks, however, was giving Samar a heightened anxiety that he struggled to tamp down. “Sorry, I just mean, I’ve got a bit of claustrophobia. I really don’t like enclosed spaces,” Samar said. “I really don’t think I could handle being inside one of those.” “Fears like that hold us back, Samar. Here at Abolife we’re all about living longer and living better, there’s a world of possibility out there beyond the veil of your fears.” “I’ll, keep that in mind, thanks.” Joseph led Samar back to the reception desk and then showed him to his room in the staff accommodation wing, on the top level toward the back of the institute. Samar’s actual room looked like a converted closet but at least he had it to himself. A single bed, a desk and chair, and a lamp. The bathroom and shower facilities were shared. Samar’s window offered a decent view of the nearby cliffs. Joseph let him unpack, telling him to head to the staff cafeteria and they would talk more after breakfast. Samar’s first day was uneventful. His office was tucked away along with the server room beneath some stairs on the lower level. It wasn’t glamorous, it didn’t even have a window, but it was private. Samar spent some time getting to learn what systems were already in place and setting things up the way he liked them. Meals were in the staff cafeteria. It was dingy and nowhere near as nice as the renovated dining hall used by clients. Samar ate his meals alone. The other staff seemed wary about getting to know him, even after Joseph introduced him to the group. Given what Joseph had said about shutting off access to social media and other websites, Samar couldn’t blame them. They must have felt like Samar was there to keep an eye on them and whatever they were looking at online, not that he was about to narc on anyone as long as he could avoid it. Lights out came at ten pm. Everyone had to be in their rooms, no reading, no electronic devices. Samar figured as the new IT guy though, he was an exception to that rule. Sitting in his darkened room the glow of his phone, connected to the institute’s wifi, reflected back on his face. In the quiet, the old building groaned and whispered from time to time. He opened up a chat with one of his friends and former roommates back on the mainland. Alvin: How’s the cult? Samar: It’s not a cult, and it's fine so far. Dude who runs it seems a little intense. Room’s okay, pretty small Alvin: Aren’t you worried about him seeing your messages talking about him like that? Samar: I’m the IT Guy. If anyone’s going to check messages it’s me Too wired to sleep, Samar sat at his desk and kept scrolling on his phone for almost an hour after lights out. The sound of waves crashing against the cliffs outside his window lulled him into an almost meditative state. Glancing toward the view though, he spotted movement. Someone, actually half a dozen someones, walked toward the cliffs with flashlights. Samar shut off his phone and eased toward the window. The six flashlights headed away from the institution. Looking closer, Samar was pretty sure the person at the front of the line was Joseph Davis. “Where are they going? It’s the middle of the night,” Samar said. Samar watched the half a dozen people move along the cliffs. There must have been some kind of stairway that led down the cliffs because eventually the flashlights disappeared over the lip of the clifftop. Samar kept watching until eventually he felt too tired to stay awake but he never saw Joseph and the others come back up. xXx Samar’s first couple of weeks creating a new website for Abolife and doing general IT work were uneventful. Joseph Davis was one of the best and worst kinds of bosses a computer tech could have. Despite only being in his forties, Joseph had absolutely no idea how technology and the internet worked. It meant Samar could spend most of his time skimming Reddit or reading stuff online then explain away a whole day of work by throwing out a couple of bits of technical jargon. Joseph considered restarting a router or identifying an IP address in the realm of technical wizardry. And while Joseph wanted certain websites behind a firewall for employees, Samar had no risk of such a thing happening to him. On the other hand, Joseph had impossible hopes for the new website and for increasing their social media engagement. For one, he insisted Samar place their new website on the front page of ‘The Google’ whenever anybody searched things like ‘wellness’, ‘health’, or similar related terms. He also insisted Samar explain at length why that wasn’t possible then still left the conversation seemingly dissatisfied. Most of Abolife’s surface level stuff and services were basic healthy living. Exercise classes, meditation, massage, all with some kind of special caveats to justify the high price tags. Samar had to learn a lot more about it in putting the website together, he wasn’t given a lot of copy to work with. He could see why some people, like his friend Alvin, thought it was a cult though. Joseph had that manic energy and a lot of his staff were slavishly devoted to the lifestyle lessons he imparted. Some parts of the old website had a lot of loopy stuff trying to draw a line between the institute’s teachings and the long geological history of the earth. Accepting that human history was a mere speck compared to the long, long lifetime of the earth itself, and infinitesimal against the scale of universal time. To Samar, it just seemed like a clumsy attempt at putting a new spin on a ‘Time is short! Seize the day!’ type of messaging. Joseph was obsessed, more than anything, with getting celebrity endorsements and media interviews, and taking Abolife mainstream. Whether Samar could control ‘The Google’ or not, Joseph insisted the website meet his vision. And he was exacting about his staff’s professionalism. Many of the other members of staff were still standoffish with Samar. A lot of the senior staff only ever talked about Joseph’s teachings, and were just as obsessive about the institute’s success. With blocked websites and talk of web traffic being monitored, a certain paranoia ran through the less senior staff. Many were polite but kept Samar at arm’s length. He did become fast friends with a few people though who, like him, had signed on to specialty roles for the pay and sense of adventure. Kym, a masseuse and specialist in sports injuries. Tom, the institute’s accountant, and some of the kitchen staff. Samar tried to make the most of his free time. He went for hikes around the island’s cliff tops and interior, but there were only so many dense forests of creepy pines or weatherbeaten cliffs that he could take. On one of his first outings, he found the stairs that must have been used by Joseph and the others when he’d seen them vanish on the first night he arrived. Cut into the side of the cliff, they were protected by a gate and a series of warnings not to use them due to the dangers involved. Samar considered ignoring the sign but the stairs were worn smooth as if by generations, uneven, and slick with damp, with no railing and a dizzying fall to jagged rocks beneath them. He couldn’t imagine using them in the middle of the night using only flashlights to navigate. Samar also visited the township of Letch Island but there was little to do there too. There was a general store, a small library and a bar, but Samar got the feeling he was unwelcome in all of them. He didn’t think it was a race thing, maybe they just didn’t like people from the institute or that all outsiders were met with the same dull eyed hostility. Samar never went far from his windowless office when he was meant to be working though, regardless of what he was actually doing. Joseph was always popping in with little thought bubbles hovering over his head. Some brilliant new suggestion that Samar would either have to implement or try to talk him down from wasting time on. Two weeks after Samar arrived, Joseph turned up holding a notepad covered in drawn symbols. “Samar, I want you to write some kind of-, translation software,” Joseph said. “Translation? For what?” “For this.” Joseph slapped the notepad onto the corner of Samar’s desk. The notepad, or at least the first few pages, were covered in a variety of strange symbols. They had the order of writing but weren’t in any language that Samar had ever seen. It reminded him of Japanese or Chinese, maybe, but was full of spirals and many more sinuous shapes. Samar flicked through the pages in complete bewilderment then looked back at Joseph. “You want to, what? Translate this from, whatever it is, into English?” “That’s right, your computers can do that, can’t they? They scan things, recognise patterns, and translate what they mean?” Samar was sure this was another example of Joseph’s belief that computers were really nothing more than magic boxes. Possibly it was something he’d seen in a TV show or a movie, or read about, and he’d been hit with a burst of inspiration. “I don’t really know about that,” Samar said. “Computers actually have a hard time reading symbols or photos and recognising shapes to begin with. And then, to translate anything, I would have to know what this is?” “It’s a language, a very, very ancient one,” Joseph said. “Where did you get it from?” “I copied it down myself.” “From where?” Joseph looked annoyed and didn’t answer. “Can your computers do it or not?” Samar shrugged and gave his standard answer for when he didn’t really know what else to tell his boss. “I’ll see what I can do.” “I’ll be back at the end of the day to see how you’re progressing. Do not show that to anyone, I’m only showing you because I thought your computers might help.” “It might make it difficult to get any answers if I can’t show anyone.” “Just, not yet, I don’t think the world is ready for what’s on those pages yet.” Samar did his best to follow up on Joseph’s request by doing what he always did and Googling it. But while there was plenty of information out there about translation software, nothing worked as Joseph suggested. Samar tried looking for translators of ancient languages, and for characters that matched what was scrawled across the pages. He couldn’t find anything but it wasn’t his area of expertise by a long shot. As promised, Joseph stopped by at the end of the day to check on Samar’s progress. Samar explained as best he could that he couldn’t do what Joseph expected. That he’d need an expert in ancient languages, not a computer geek. Samar made sure to toss in a few pieces of technical jargon just to make sure Joseph didn’t think he was avoiding the work. “That’s disappointing,” Joseph said. “Sir, if you told me what the language is or where you got it from, I could at least try to come up with some recommendations.” “I don’t think that’s possible.” Joseph’s eyes shone with something almost like mischief. “Samar, you’ve read all the information on the old website regarding Abolife’s philosophies, haven’t you? “Of course,” Samar said, although he’d mostly skimmed based on what Joseph wanted copied across. “Human lives are infinitesimally small compared to the life of our planet. And I say our planet, but human history is a blip when weighed against geological ages. The movement of continents.” “Sure, it’s-, a lot to think about.” “What if I told you that buried in that timescale, Abolife philosophy believes there may have been other civilisations? Other intelligent beings that built upon this planet before human beings ever existed?” “Does this have something to do with where you and the other senior staff go at night?” Samar blurted the question out without thinking. It had been playing on his mind. Joseph said he’d copied the symbols down from somewhere. Maybe below the cliffs was some kind of cave system. Maybe it didn’t necessarily contain evidence of an ancient, pre-human civilisation, but it could have some evidence of early human inhabitation of the island. Joseph looked shocked at the question. “What do you mean?” “I mean, nothing, sorry. Well, I’ve seen you and some of the other senior staff from my window, heading to the cliffs at night. I wondered if it might be something to do with that.” “That’s after lights out, you’re not meant to see that.” “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to-,” Joseph grabbed the notepad and took a step back. “I like you, Samar, I think you’re a good worker with an open mind. But don’t try to advance too quickly, have a little bit more faith and you’ll learn more when you’re ready.” “Uh, okay, thank you.” xXx Samar sat with Kym and Tom at dinner but didn’t mention his conversation with Joseph. He also held off messaging Alvin or any of his friends on the mainland about it. That night, Samar stayed up and watched the window but he didn’t see anybody heading along the cliffs. Joseph didn’t bring the topic up again with Samar so the next couple of days were tense but filled with normal tasks. Most of Joseph’s attention was diverted to the arrival of yet another of his ‘celebrity’ guests, a newsreader Samar had never heard of. In the drive to make everything perfect, Joseph seemed to forget Samar entirely as long as the wifi worked smoothly. But Samar kept watching the cliffs after lights out. He hadn’t braved going down there during the daytime but curiosity was eating him alive. And maybe Alvin was right all along, maybe Samar had gotten himself involved in a cult. If it was dangerous, then he’d be better off knowing now rather than too late. Then, on the fourth night after his conversation with Joseph, Samar saw them. Sitting in his chair and scrolling on his phone, he spotted half a dozen lights making their way to the cliffs. Samar quickly turned his phone off so the glow wouldn’t give him away and moved closer to the window. Just in time, as he saw the flashlight at the front of the line pause and swing around, looking back at the institute. Samar could almost feel Joseph’s eyes scanning the windows, looking to see if they were watched. After a few seconds he seemed satisfied and moved on. Samar jumped up and rushed to the foot of his bed. He was still wearing the white uniform he and the other staff wore to work but he exchanged the pants for some dark jeans and threw a jacket over his shirt. His feet slipped into some boots he wore when hiking around the island. Hurrying out of the room, Samar only took his staff keycard and his phone. There was no security to keep people in their rooms at night, only the honour system and the fact a record of whose keycards were used where and when. Samar had access to the spreadsheet that tracked card movements so he could easily delete his record tomorrow. He hurried downstairs uninterrupted, corridors lit only by the dim nighttime cycle, seen by no one. His keycard beeped him through every door in his way and then through the rear exit of the institute. Cool night air settled damply on Samar’s exposed skin. The rolling waves he heard all night in his room were louder. Joseph and the others must have already disappeared down the path and Samar jogged through the dark to follow them. He couldn’t be sure what they were doing. Uncovering or maybe manufacturing evidence of the island’s ancient inhabitants perhaps. Or maybe holding some kind of cultish ceremony. Samar decided to find out. He reached the gate and looked down. He saw flashlights bobbing along down the bottom of the path where the waves boiled and foamed over jagged rocks. Samar waited until they were fully out of sight before switching on the flashlight on his phone. As Samar had already seen, the steps were worn and uneven, potentially treacherous with a sheer drop to one side. Samar wasn’t going to let that stop him now though, although he wished he’d given the path a trial run at least once during daylight. Pressing himself close to the rock wall, Samar eased down step by step and made sure to keep the flashlight pointed where he was going. It was a good thing he had a fear of enclosed spaces and not of heights. The stairway doubled back. The stones were even more weathered and slick with seawater but also flatter and wider. Samar kept his light low as he looked ahead. Glimmers of flashlight beams showed through a cave opening at the end of the path. Once he was sure of his footing, Samar turned off his light. He let his eyes adjust to the moon, which was almost full. The glow turned the rocks into a chiaroscuro and glimmered on the waves. Following the flashlights, Samar crept inside the cave and followed a short, twisty passage. What he saw as he peered over a rock ledge almost caused him to shout in surprise. Flashlights had been placed at strategic points around the cave to light it. Joseph Davis and five other people knelt at the lip of a pool flowing in from the wide mouth of the cave. Several shapes, three of them, wallowed in the sea pool. Huge, living beings, totally alien. “What is this?” Samar whispered. The three creatures were roughly the size of hippos, although it was hard to say as a lot of their bulk must have been hidden beneath the water. One of the three was slightly smaller and a different shade from the other two. Their skin was slick and grey, water running off of it. While thick and heavy, their bodies were almost serpentine. Tentacles grew from where their ‘shoulders’ would be. Small black eyes were buried in the folds of their faces, below the big humps of their heads. And their mouths, they reminded Samar of lampreys or giant leeches. Massive, sucking holes, big enough that someone like Samar could have curled up in a ball inside them, ringed with dozens and dozens, hundreds, of teeth like daggers. Only Joseph raised his head, all the other cultists pressed their foreheads against the cave’s rocky floor. They were a cult after all, Samar saw now. And this was who or what they worshipped. Joseph said something but spoke too low for Samar to understand, or to even know if he was speaking english. To Samar’s shock, one of the creatures replied. It certainly wasn’t English, a lot of chuffing, rumbling, and shrill inhales, but it had an unmistakable pattern to it. Language, not random animal sounds. “Holy shit,” Samar said. Joseph’s talk of ancient, antediluvian civilisations wasn’t just wild imagination. He knew these creatures existed, maybe before humans or maybe not but certainly now alongside them in secret. Samar watched as the lead creature chuffed and lifted a tentacle out of the water. With some kind of natural ink, it sketched something on a nearby rock. A symbol, like the symbols Joseph had shown Samar. In fact, Samar saw Joseph had the yellow notepad in front of him and was hurriedly copying the symbols onto a fresh page as the watery ink blurred and ran. No one would believe him without proof, Samar thought to himself. He retrieved his phone and raised it over the rocks. Shakily, he opened the camera app and trained it on the gathering so as to get a full picture of the creatures with Joseph and the cultists for scale. Samar clicked the photo button, and the flash from his phone bounced across the cave. The creatures, their eyes used to the dark of the ocean depths, blinked and recoiled. Their leader made a shrieking wail and huffed. Joseph and the other cultists looked up. “Shit!” Samar said. Samar ducked and ran, struggling back through the rock passage. A tumult came from the cultists behind him. Samar couldn’t believe he’d forgotten to turn off the flash, of all the stupid rookie mistakes to make. Waves crashed against the rocks. Samar sprinted up the stairs as fast as he dared. At the point where the steps doubled back, he had to switch his phone’s flashlight back on. Heart racing, he glanced back down and saw the cultists’ flashlights coming for him. “Come on, come on,” Samar said. Once he was on solid ground, Samar tried to use his phone. He had no reception though and had to wait until he was back on the institute’s wifi. As he ran, he opened his messenger app and hit on Alvin as his most recent contact. Samar: You were right it's a cult found them talking to things don’t know what’s going to happen Samar uploaded the pic he’d taken in the cave. It was slightly out of focus but he was sure it showed what he needed. Tiny circles spun next to both the message and the photo. Samar shoved the phone back in his pocket and grabbed his keycard. Over his shoulder, the first of the flashlights reappeared at the top of the cliffside path. Where should he go, Samar wondered. A ferry left the island first thing in the morning. With what he’d just uncovered, Samar felt strongly he should be on it. But there were hours until dawn. He couldn’t just run off into the woods. Nor would he find shelter in town, among the standoffish locals. “They don’t know it was me, not for sure,” Samar said. “I’ll go back to my room and pack. First thing in the morning, I'll make an excuse and run for it. They don’t know it was me.” Samar slammed through the back door. He slipped through the corridors again, breathing hard. His keycard beeped his way up through the building, back to his room. Samar crossed to the window. He couldn’t see any more flashlights outside. They didn’t know it was him, not for sure. Samar tried to even out his breathing and thought about his next move. Should he pack? Should he strip and climb into bed, and play innocent if they came to his room? Collecting himself, Samar stripped off his jacket and kicked off his boots. He retrieved the phone from his pocket and checked it again, thinking of who to call. But the wifi was down, he was offline. He couldn’t tell if his messages to Alvin had gone through. Letch Island only had cell reception down in town, in the institute they relied on wifi. Samar had shown Joseph and the others how to restart the wifi in case he wasn’t around when it went down. He didn’t think they’d paid attention, especially Joseph, but at least one of them knew enough to shut it off now. Suddenly, the door to Samar’s room jumped. Samar jumped as well. Someone was outside, hammering on it despite the late hour. “Samar, it’s me, let me in,” Joseph said. Samar calmed his breathing and wondered about his response, making his voice sound sleepy. “What? What is it? It’s the middle of the night.” “We know it was you, Samar, come on. Your boots tracked in a whole bunch of dirt.” Samar hesitated, and looked down at his boots. If he started screaming, Samar figured he could wake up the rest of the staff who slept on that floor. But most of the staff loved, and partially feared, Joseph, or at least respected him, while Samar could only sound crazy. “All I want to do is talk, Samar, you know me. Just because you found out some new information, do you think that really changes our relationship? Samar slowly moved toward the door. He couldn’t barricade himself in there all night. So he knew their secret, that didn’t mean it was a secret to kill for. “Okay, okay, I’m opening the door,” Samar said. “We just want to talk,” Joseph repeated. The hallway was dimly lit. Joseph stood outside, giving Samar an almost parental look. Behind him was Shane, the big man who’d fetched Samar from the pier on the day he’d arrived on the island. Shane still carried his flashlight, a big, black, heavy one shaped like a club. “Oh, Samar,” Joseph said, smiling sadly. Shane brought his flashlight up and around, connecting with Samar’s temple. A lance of pain went through Samar’s skull. He was vaguely aware of a falling sensation and then nothing. xXx When Samar woke up he found himself in total blackness. He was wet, and water sloshed around him as he was thrown from side to side. He felt like a sock in a washing machine. Dazed, Samar’s hands shot out and met hard resistance on both sides and directly above him. His head throbbed with pain like a terrible hangover. “Hey, hey!” Samar yelled. Samar realised he was in an enclosed space. Totally black, lightless, and capped at either end. There was a lid but it was sealed shut and only shifted half a centimetre, maybe a little more, maybe less, when Samar hit it. A metal coffin. With the size and the water sloshing around inside it, Samar realised he was inside one of the isolation tanks. One of those Joseph had shown him on the day he arrived and wanted him to try. “Who’s out there? Let me out!” Samar started to panic. They were moving. The sensory deprivation tank was being rolled and judging by how violently he was being thrown around they were moving across uneven ground, not through the institute’s long, smooth corridors. Someone banged on the lid. “I’m sorry, Samar! You were a good worker, a good listener, but you weren’t ready.” Joseph’s voice came from outside, slightly muffled. “Let me out! Let me out!” “You’ve probably figured some of it out, based on our chat. They’re ancient, Samar. They’re older than man and all his gods. Their kind ruled this planet’s oceans from end to end during the age of the dinosaurs. War devastated their species before the first creature to even resemble humankind walked upright on the plains of Africa.” “Let me out!” Samar slammed his fists against the lid, the sound of his own voice making his head hurt. “They’re biologically immortal, Samar! Apart from violence or accident, they cannot die! And they’ll share the knowledge of how we can be like them but only if we show them absolute loyalty. This island is one of their remaining kingdoms. Below the surface, it’s riddled with caves and tunnels where they live. This island and everything for a hundred miles around it, we have to keep them safe!” The chamber continued to be pushed across rough ground. Samar searched his pockets and found his phone. Even though it was wet, it still worked. Doing his best to control his terror, he searched the confines of his prison but found no way out. “Please! Please, I’m sorry! Let me out!” Samar said. “I won’t tell anyone!” “I’m sorry, Samar, but you’re not ready. The world isn’t ready to live longer, live better, and we must make mankind ready before we reveal them and their secrets!” The tank was tilted, and Samar fell backward. He listened past Joseph’s muffled voice. He could hear waves slamming against the coast. They’d been getting louder. They were pushing him toward the cliffs. “Please! I’ll do anything! I won’t say anything!” Samar said. “You frightened and offended them. I’m sorry, Samar, there’s no other way.” Samar’s metal coffin tilted violently forward and back. He was being lifted. Begging and pleading, he tried to stop them but no one replied. Suddenly, Samar was in freefall. The water in the tank rose around him as if in zero gravity. Instinctively, Samar shot his arms and legs out to brace himself. He fell for several seconds before hitting the water with a bone jarring thud. Thrown around the chamber, he barely avoided being knocked out for a second time. “Oh, fuck! No! No!” Samar’s metal coffin sank rapidly. He felt pressure on his ears and sinuses, and sobbed for breath. Slamming his hands against the lid, he felt water leaking around the edges. His phone’s light continued to work but seemed dimmer by the second. “Help me! Someone!” Something slammed against the tank, but it wasn’t help. Through the skin of the metal chamber, Samar felt powerful limbs wrapping around his coffin. He screamed, but only for a second as the lid was ripped away and the ocean exploded inward. In the dying light of his phone, Samar saw an enormous shape surrounded by tentacles, and rows and rows of teeth.   =======   Sean: Going for something modern but Lovecraftian in this one! Had a nice little existential crisis and got up at 4am to type it out so I hope you enjoyed and found my sleeplessness worthwhile. Before I conceived of doing All There in the (Monster) Manual as a series of short stories, I’d still gone looking for inspiration in the Monster Manual and this was inspired by the Aboleth then. I originally conceived the idea as a full novel but I think it works better as a short story, although you can still see a couple of spaces it could flesh out. The locals, Samar’s friendship with some of the other employees, stuff like that. Fans of Lovecraft will no doubt spot a resemblance between the locals of Letch Island and inhabitants of another little place called Innsmouth although what exactly that means for their relationship with the island’s other inhabitants I couldn’t say. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, yes, there is a secret message lurking in the transparent text in the banner / cover I created for this story. And yes, that secret message is just the lyrics to ‘Absolutely (Story of a Girl)’ by Nine Days which I copied and pasted in a Lovecraftian font. Next Week’s Inspiration: Ettercap  

Leaning back with his feet propped against the edge of his desk, Jack March rifled through the case folder spread across his lap. For the last few hours, he'd been experiencing a feeling of foreboding, and he wasn't one to ignore such things. Rather, his very nature as a barghest meant he'd have to be beyond stupid to do so. He'd referred the investigation component of this case to a PI friend as it hadn't seemed particularly dangerous, so there should have been no problems. It wasn't as if Eliza couldn't take care of herself, and the target was human, so... Jack stared at the photo in his hand. Something about the mundane security footage still seemed a little off. "Shit!" His feet slammed to the floor and he snatched up his phone, jabbing a finger at the number 4 speed dial with more force than necessary. "Human my ass! That's a tanuki!" Ring... His leg bounced with anxiety. Ring... Most tanuki were relatively law-abiding, aside from the usual mischief and juvenile pranks, and everyone in the community knew exactly what would happen to you if you went on an unsanctioned killing spree. Hell, he even had a couple of friends in the branch that dealt with such cases. Ring... "C'mon, c'mon, pick up!" Kachack. "You are really lucky I had this on vibrate," Eliza grumbled. "What's up?" "That guy's more dangerous than I thought. Listen, get as far a-" He was interrupted by the sound of glass breaking, followed by a startled what the fuck?! from Eliza, a thud, and the sound of something distinctly human doing a hell of a job fighting off something distinctly not, all quickly fading into the distance. He stared at his now-silent cellphone, fingers tightening around its casing. "Shitshitshit!" The human-guise manticore at the corner desk let out a low whistle as a monstrous beast proceeded to plow through the door in a streak of red eyes and black fur. She glanced over at the wreckage of Jack's workstation before turning to her siren deskmate. "...think we should break out the duct tape before Madder comes by later?" The siren just shrugged, too engrossed in her cellphone game to care. "Good point. It's way more fun to watch the boss chew him out." The manticore grinned, already looking forward to the show. **** Louis Santaine was woken at two in the morning by shouting and the repeated BANGs of what he sincerely, and futilely, hoped wasn't someone trying to kick his door in. He considered pretending to be out, but ultimately figured there was little chance he'd be getting back to sleep anytime soon unless he answered the door. With a sigh, he climbed out of bed. Fiddling with the lock, he swung the door open - and all remnants of sleep promptly left his system. "Before you say anything," began his friend of nearly 80 years, dark hair plastered to his forehead, "this wasn't my doing." 'This' being the bloody mess in his arms that Louis realized was actually a young woman who seemed on the verge of losing consciousness. A young human woman, no less. He lifted an eyebrow, but stepped aside with a sweep of his arm regardless - a silent well, come on in, then. With the door closed and locked behind them, the woman was laid on the surgical cot in Louis' side room. Deep gouges had been clawed out of her side and lacerations lined her arms and legs. One had even been sliced down to the bone. Her breathing was shallow and labored, and her dark brown hair made the blood matting it difficult to distinguish. He could clearly see why she'd been brought here, instead of to a human hospital. No doctor would ever believe these injuries had been caused by a normal animal. "Hellhound?" Louis asked, snipping away the fabric of her shirt to get a more unobstructed view of the worst of her wounds. "Tanuki." Jack scrubbed a wet towel over his face, leaving red streaks across the fabric. He plucked a piece of meat out of his hair and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I took care of him." "Honestly, she's lost quite a lot of blood already. I'm surprised her body didn't go into hemorrhagic shock sooner." Jack clenched the towel in his hand, knuckles white. Louis regarded him silently. "There's a potential solution, but she's not even conscious, and it's, well..." Drastic. Life-changing. Not for the faint of heart. And definitely not something to force on someone you want to retain a friendly relationship with. "Can't you just do that mind meld thing to-" Louis held up a hand to interrupt. "...mind meld thing?" "Yeah, you know." Jack demonstrated by squinting his eyes, raising his hand near his face and pointing stiffened, spread fingers outward. All while making some sort of odd humming-buzzing sound through his teeth. Louis wasn't sure what to comment on first, and was thus left speechless. Jack was evidently either a really big sci-fi fan or a really horrible one. After a moment, he coughed lightly, returning his attention to the matter at hand. "I really don't like doing this, but given the circumstances..." Louis let out a deep sigh, and, after a moment, his eyes seemed to glaze over. **** Eliza Deacon was floating in a blank void. At least, that was her best understanding of the situation, given that she currently lacked anything capable of floating, like, for instance, a body. She wondered if this was what having an existential crisis felt like. [That's not a bad analogy, actually.] Then she wondered if hearing voices was par for the course during existential crises. And if said voices all sounded vaguely French. [...Right. Well. Apologies for intruding on your subconscious like this, but your body is in rather bad shape at the moment. How much do you remember?] She distinctly (and disgruntedly) recalled having gotten her ass kicked by a trash panda. [T...trash... panda...] The voice was clearly struggling not to laugh. At least some of her irritation was alleviated by internally badmouthing her dumpster-diving hamburglar of an attacker. [Ha-hamb...!] Now that she'd gotten that out of her nonexistent system, she realized the voice had mentioned something about her apparently un-voided body being in bad shape. Come to think of it, she'd been in an awful lot of pain before. Then was this one of those 'don't go into the light' scenarios? ...She really hoped she hadn't been killed by a goddamn raccoon. That would be embarrassing. Even if it was comically huge, and had equally-comically huge- [Ahem.] Apparently the void-voice was a prude. [Alright, let me just get straight to the point, so as not to waste any more time. You, miss, are essentially at death's door. There IS a way to save you, but afterward, you'll no longer be human.] Just as long as she didn't end up as some mutant were-raccoon. That was not a grudge she'd be letting go of anytime soon. [You'd be a vampire. And before you make any snarky commentary, I am being perfectly serious.] She thought about it. And then wondered if the tight, skimpy, dominatrix getup was a mandatory uniform. Because if so, she'd have to pass. It looked uncomfortable and wedgie-prone. [....] She'd successfully stunned the void-voice into speechlessness! Ten points! [...No, there's no mandatory uniform, skimpy or otherwise.] Then sure. It beat dying in a void. [In a moment, you may feel a slight pinch, like a shot at the doctor. After that, well... I'm told it can get unpleasant.] Wait, how unpleasant were they talking, here? ...She had a sneaking suspicion this was going to hurt like a bitch. And then there was pain. It was like ice - like liquid nitrogen screaming through her nonexistent veins. As the void swallowed her whole, all she could think about was violently educating that voice on the difference between 'unpleasant' and 'torturous.' **** The gasp of air that suddenly entered Eliza's lungs felt like the dead of winter. She was lying on a surgical cot beneath an unfamiliar ceiling, and she could hear a car alarm going off half a mile away. How exactly she knew that was something she'd think about later. "Ow, fuck." Her voice was hoarse and what remained of her clothes was drenched in blood. "Welcome back," said a voice she'd last heard tensely speaking through her cellphone. She turned her head, taking in Jack's ragged appearance. "So, long story short, creatures from myth and folklore are real, they live alongside humanity with mostly no problems, I can turn into a giant dog, and now you're a vampire." He produced what looked like a Capri Sun juice pouch and held it out to her. "Blood pack?"

It's my first time being a ghost that scares people but what am I doing wrong? Why isn't this guy running away from me? I heard the guy speaking on his phone again "You can't believe it! There's a real ghost in this apartment, and boy was she cute!" Cute?!—no! Am I really? I thought I look terrifying, or I think I'm dealing with someone who has psychological problems here… no one could ever find a ghost cute. It's now the second day, I finally thought of a plan on how to scare him. I will follow the ways I learned from horror movies! It's simple, now that he have just entered the room, I made the light bulb flicker before him. Is he scared? Hehe… I'm just starting yet, now then I appear, and scream in front of his face! Uh oh, I forgot to put my hair in front of me, well… that's fine! He'll surely get scared immediately—"You're the ghost?" I suddenly heard. I'm not paying attention, did the voice came from him? "You don't look like a ghost at all." the guy muttered. Huh? I don't look like a ghost…? I turned my head into the mirror and saw what he meant, I looked human… Why am I so short? "I don't know how you entered my apartment room but this is simply tresspassing—" "Raaahh!!" I roared at him, awkwardly. He laughed at my attempt "You should go find your parents, it's night already." "I'm not even that short to look like a kid!" I yelled at him. "Great, then you're trespassing…" "No!" I disappeared from his sight but he seems still finding me. "Hello? You're still there?" he checked every part of the room, even the refrigerator. I guess he's just really dumb, I need to think of a more scarier plan—but why is he staring at me? No way, can he see me? "So you're inside the refrigerator." he mumbled and nodded, "It must've been cold there, why don't you join me for a cup of coffee?" I waved my hands which passed through the shelves of the refrigerator, unfair! I'm a ghost, why don't I have the ability to become invisible? And just like that I'm drinking a coffee with him, a human. Although it is caffeine we're drinking, he fell asleep just after a few chat. Sorry mate, but I really need you to get out of here already, you're so annoying and I miss my peaceful blissful alone time. Then I pressed my hands to his palm and transferred nightmares through his mind, which is supposed to simulate his biggest fears, but it's different from what I saw… He's just searching for something, he's looking throughout the copy of this room but I don't see a copy of me, there's no one haunting him, except he's still panicking and then eventually screaming. That's weird, he's fearing of nothing. In a sudden gasp he woke up and cried instantly, he immediately sat up and hugged me "You're not leaving me right?! You're never gonna leave me right?!" Ah, he's fearing of me disappearing, I get it now. That made me blush for a little bit… "I'm never gonna give you up as well." I said to him. He teared up and cried so loudly again, almost like a crying toddler, which he exactly looks like as he poured every of his tears into that outburst. I patted his back and whispered, "I'll be your friend." He kept crying until eventually falling asleep onto my lap, "Gladly…" he mumbled a word I didn't kind of hear. The night passed by with his slumber, which is actually just a short rest since he can't sleep cause of that caffeine he drank earlier, so we played videogames for a while instead. He taught me how to play MMORPG games while I taught him how to play chess. That's right! I'm a professional chess player, I just haven't thought of being friends with a human… which is quite nice. "Oh! I missed that move! Your checkmate doesn't count, I forgot how horses work—" I laughed at him, my laugh is however not a pity laugh, I've never laughed this happy before. It's just so funny how I'm enjoying my time so much I forgot I was a ghost. He watched me laugh with a pure smile, it makes me laugh more of seeing that. I looked at him and asked "Want to play another match?" "Sure!" he nodded excitedly.

[Systems Update] [Recovering Memory file] [Error][Corrupt memory] [Initiating Emergency Restore] I slump down on the pale concrete, weakened and nauseous. I could feel a painful tingle surge through my body as I desperately try to ȧssess my surroundings. My eyesight was blurry, and I couldn't see much, only the faint feeling of the concrete floor gave me a vivid picture of where I was. I didn't know what was happening; I tried to remember what happened, who I was, where I was, nothing came to my mind except for fractured scenes of destruction. Distorted images that fluttered colliding with memories of paradise and memories of hell. Earth, it started to make a bit of sense. I lived on a spherical rock. I tried to stand up, but I could bȧrėly feel my legs, it feels as if my legs were severed from my body. I accidentally fell to the floor hard, but I didn't feel any pain. I just wanted to rest. I wanted to sleep. I wanted to go home. The memories, fractured and indiscernible, vague and obsolete, errors in the system regarding the questionable continuation of the timeline of events concerning the aforementioned disaster. What. I was going crazy, what was I saying. What disaster? What events? Nothing made sense, I felt I knew so much, but I knew so little. Nothing was making sense at all, not one bit, no. If there was anything that could help me or someone, please, save me. Save me. Save me? No, I saved myself. Wait no, this isn't right, I never killed anyone, I never did any harm. Yes, the logic behind my actions were justifiable as an act of self-preservation, an act supported by millions of years of complex evolution and design of nature. No! Nothing made sense, what am I thinking, these aren't my thoughts. Someone was invading my mind; you can't get me! Whoever or whatever you are, I won't surrender! My eyes started to feel weak as I struggled to keep them open; I felt my body becoming numb. It felt like I was dying. Maybe I was. [Recovery Error, Retrieving Partial Memories] I could remember the pain I went through, my content thrashing, and the severe headaches that attack my brain. The fractured memories and vivid scenes in my head were pieced somewhat ; it finally made a bit of sense The year now is 3165, Month 10, Day 4. The Earth has been wiped of all life, the cause is in my head, but it's corrupt. I was the sole survivor of 3.2 trillion humans that lived here on Earth, the terraformed Mars, and other 2000 colonize planets. All life was indeed wiped out; I don't know how it was possible but deep in my mind, it said so. There was no more life, not even bacteria in the deepest parts of the ocean. I finally gained the strength to stand up, pushing against the cold concrete floor. I looked around where I was; there was this cord stuck on my head; I didn't even feel it. The cord was connected to an orb; it seemed dead. The power looked like it was cut off or powered down. The room I was in was pretty derelict; the walls were made of a thick layer of aluminum, painted white. Cracks were evident on the surfaces, there was a bulb hanging from the ceiling, flickering. I noticed a hole in the wall, no light coming from it but from what I know, that was where the outside world was. I was curious to know what looked like outside if this place was a derelict mess. I walked towards the hole, the hole was small, and only my fingers could go through it. So I poked my index finger in, I felt a cold gush of wind swept through my finger. Somehow I felt like I could pull this entire wall off, I thought of it, and it seemed impossible. I bent my index finger and pulled, to my surprise, it peeled off easily. I felt strong; the aluminum was not weak; I didn't even feel any pain even though I should have been wounded by the sharp edges of the hole. I pulled again, this time the hole was big enough to fit both my hands. I grabbed the shaft from both sides and pulled, the sound of metal peeling off didn't throw me off one bit. I peeled off the aluminum that I pulled off. The outside world was then revealed to me. A derelict wasteland, the sky was dark with clouds of ash. It was raining acid that corroded the remaining structures that were scattered on the surface. Tall buildings were still visible, but most-lied on the ground, skeletons could be seen. Massive green dunes covered the landscape; powerful winds gushed through every narrow opening. I detect the air is no longer pure oxygen but a hazardous mixture of chemicals deadly to life. Somehow I can detect these things and be sure of it; I could see from far away as if my eyes could adjust. I didn't know if I should believe that realization or accept it. Somehow, something made me feel that everything I was assuming to be what was, it is. I knew things I know I never knew before; it just felt like it. I need to see myself in a mirror, anything with a reflection. I then spotted a neaely broken mirror over that building, I try to check and it something shocked me to the core.  I now came to a realization, a jolt of energy ran through my wire veins. I was no longer human. Suddenly, a beam of light appeared and temporarily obscured my vision. I could feel a faint rumble like the sound of a jet engine broke the eerie silence. My vision suddenly adjusted. I finally saw where the light was coming from. A large machine, similar to that of an Osprey, was hovering a few meters above me. It was plated with a heavy metal I could not specify. It used thrusters instead of propellers for propulsion.  I walked forward and check the one of the last aircraft in this world. A small pair of lights suddenly shined from amidst the darkness; I didn't feel any fear even though for one, that was a terrifying sightseeing a pair of lights that looked like eyes suddenly shine a few meters from you in the grim darkness of an apocalyptic wasteland. The eyes came closer and closer; I could hear metal slapping the dust. It went into the range of the light; it was another machine. But, a humanoid, it was shaped like a human, two arms, two legs, a head, and the main body. It had wiring sprung out from its metallic skin, its eyes were just sensors that gave it vision. I somehow felt connected to it.  I felt as if it would obey me; it was a part of me. Even the flying machine felt as if it was a part of me. This, is where my journey begins.

Yasuke Homare is your everyday completely ordinary high school student if any other high school student was a reincarnated hero from another world. Once he was known in another world as their hero he slayed every last Demon and defeated the Demon Lord and brought peace to his world. In his final battle, there was no trace of either the Demon Lord or Yasuke and so that was the end of his story to the people at least. If there are no Demons and Demon Lords then no need for a Hero. Yasuke could already foresee his future he'd probably be forced to work for the kingdom as a general training recruit with no free time to himself and would be drawn into paperwork no life for a Hero. So ahead of time Yasuke planned this ahead of time Yasuke ransacked the Demon Lord's castle treasury and found a "Return Stone" that could return him home. He defeated the demon lord and when there were no witnesses he used the stone to return to Earth where he resumed his life as a normal human. Until... He was summoned again. Yasuke found himself in a middle of a magic circle and surrounded by Orcs. The last thing Yasuke remembered was walking home with his friends Kanna and Mia then a magic circle appeared below him and then a flash happen. "What we summoned a male the summoning circle was supposed to summon a female what the hell happened" - Orc Leader "S-S-Sir the magic circle is correct and we performed the ritual correctly" - Orc mage "Then why a hell is a human man there" - Orc Leader Yasuke looked below and instantly recognized the magic circle it indeed was a summoning circle but this was a specific summoning circle it specifically was meant to summon heroes. (These Orcs must not have realized the specific category of this summoning circle Orcs weren't that smart when I was here) - Yasuke  "What are we supposed to do now "he" won't be pleased with this our heads are as good as gone" - Orc Leader (Who's "he"?) - Yasuke Before a moment's notice, a red barrier was put up around Yasuke. "For the time being let's hold him I placed a barrier up he could be useful and if not we can sell him as a slave" - Orc Leader Yasuke had no intention of being a slave to a bunch of Orcs he stood up and with a wave of his hand he broke the barrier every saw the barrier shatter into pieces and we were shocked. "How'd he break out mage why'd he put up a puny barrier" -Orc Leader "I-I-I didn't that was a barrier that could hold at least ten humans mages" - Orc Mage Yasuke reach behind his back and grab from his "Dimensional Storage" the holy sword he used as the hero. "That sword he pulled out of nowhere what's more that's a legendary grade weapon what is he?" Orc Mage Yasuke placed the sword above his head and channeled his mana into the sword and swung down the impact blow any trace of the Orcs and their hideout. The impact left no survivors so Yasuke thought. Under the rumble, the Orc leader stumbled out too badly injured to continue but had enough life in him to ask a question. "Wha-What th-the hell are you?" - Orc Leader Yasuke decided he had no obligation to answer but he thought it'd be funny if he knew the truth. "I'm Yasuke Homare a hero you just summoned from Earth" - Yasuke And with that Yasuke lunch his sword into the leader's head. With all enemies eliminated Yasuke wondered what is he supposed to do now.

Vivian Zhou strutted on camera to her position, in front of two backup dancers. She exuded a certain confidence unlike any other hip hop dancer in all of Toronto. Following her lead, the three girls casually moved to the beat before the choreography started.   Vivian owned the spotlight, both naturally and by force because her body seemed to command the attention of the camera. Her hands seductively traveled down her body, and every step in her footwork was intricately executed. Vivian dominated the camera as she stepped forward confidently.   The music slowly faded, and Vivian stuck her pose for several seconds while slightly out of breath. She had chosen the song herself because it spoke to her most for its sensual atmosphere and self-assuring lyrics. [song = sad girlz luv money remix - sieun lee]   Vivian always knew what she wanted to do and how to take what she wanted, so it was only natural that she chose this song. To onlookers, the choreo was just one of many she produced, but Vivian’s emotions felt most in sync with the beat this time.   After being praised by the backup dancers, staff, and trainees at the dance studio, Vivian began to head back to her apartment for the evening. She didn't have any particular plans on this Friday night, but she did expect a particular someone to visit on the way.   It was a little chilly because the sun was setting, but that’s just relatively speaking since it was early summer. Just before she left the studio, Vivian changed out from her tank top and shorts complemented with a beige leather jacket for cozy sweats.   Vivian looked herself up and down in a mirror.   Wow… Seriously, I look amazing. Even in sweats.   Vivian quickly checked the time on her watch and noticed she was just on time out the front entrance of the dance studio. A couple students called out to Vivian and thanked her for the week's dance lessons. Vivian reciprocated their gestures and flashed a sincere smile while tilting her head to signal she appreciated them.   “Boo-!” a familiar voice exclaimed, centimeters away from her ears. The voice belonged to Alan, a computer science major Vivian least expected she’d become friends with while in her 3rd year of university.   “Ha. Ha. As if you didn’t text me you were gonna pick me up after my last class for the week.” Or rather, Vivian could always expect Alan to accompany her back to their apartment after her evening classes since they became friends, unless Alan had other appointments to attend to. Seeing Alan once her watch hit 6pm was practically routine at this point.   “You could at least pretend to be surprised, what if I was a stranger?” Alan pouted while saying this, drooping over Vivian’s shoulders with his own. While she was by no means short, standing at 5’9 with heels, Alan stood a head taller than her. Vivian could feel Alan's breath on her neck but paid him no mind as this was typical of him.   “But hey, I have an idea, how about we go clubbing to celebrate the last day of the semester. Entry’s on me, yeah?” This was Alan’s idea, since the thought of going clubbing was not even remotely Vivian’s idea of how to spend a Friday night.   Despite that, Vivian wouldn’t say no if she went with others. It was like the concept of social drinking, only that it’s clubbing instead, and she’ll probably end up drinking too.   “Sure. Text Safiya and Elaine to meet us at Easy around 12. Wait, scratch that, tell them to show up at 11, they’re always late anyway.” While you could always count on Alan to be by Vivian’s side, Safiya and Elaine practically existed in their own world if all of them weren’t on campus together.   Vivian cherished the friends she had made in university, all the more because her high school friends moved across provinces and even out of the country for university. She was the type to be fiercely loyal to her people if they gave back the same energy she gave them.   The evening skies were clear, the moon and the stars emerging above the two.   It was 12am, and Safiya and Elaine just barely managed to meet up with Vivian and Alan on time. The two girls said their half-apologies mixed in with jokes while Vivian and Alan jokingly scolded them.   Once they settled down, a few seconds of comfortable silence passed between the four.   A slight breeze blew past them, signaling them to move on.   They entered the club, which felt like a world of its own. While outside was quiet and peaceful, no one would assume there was music blaring from every corner of the place with strobe lights slowly pulsing over the crowd.   “I’ll lead us-...” The moment the door opened to the venue, music and cheers drowned out Vivian’s voice.   Once they entered the venue, talking at a normal volume would be impossible. Silently, Vivian motioned for the three to follow her to their usual spot on the dance floor. While all of them had no trouble making their way through the mass of people, Vivian flowed the best with the crowd while feeling the beat of the music faintly entering her ears.   But just then, a random passerby stepped on her foot! Whether the person said sorry or not, Vivian couldn’t hear. It wasn’t personal, and Vivian felt no need to chase down the person. All she could do was numb her mind of the pain.   That shit don’t faze me. The stage is mine, so I’ll take it. [Entertain me - Ylona Garcia]   Vivian pushed forward, still feeling herself despite the pain in her foot.   Just outside the club, Wei Zhi stares at the lowkey sign of the venue. What goes on in his mind is unclear, but he came here with a reason in mind. Wei Zhi was visiting the city to see Qiuyun. From reports, he knew about her location and day-to-day activities, although he didn’t know exactly how she looked after she left Shanghai over a decade ago to study abroad. From the same sources, it’s a given that he knew she was in this club.   Wei Zhi was actually aware that it wasn’t like Qiuyun to go clubbing, but it wouldn’t be surprising since it was the end of the semester for summer break. Bracing himself, Wei Zhi lightly clenched his fists and headed inside the noisy venue.   At first glance, finding a girl you haven’t met in over a decade sounds like an impossible task, and it was. Wei Zhi wasn’t sure where to look, every head of black hair blended in under the dim pulsing lights.   That was the case until she started dancing on the dance floor, the spotlight shining over her for a brief second as if she was the only person who existed at that moment. Her raw dancing style was the same as it was during the summer she left for Canada, and her strong jawline contrasted with her silky soft hair under the lights just the same.   Wei Zhi was shocked at the sight in front of him. His hand instinctively reached out for her, meters away, while his feet began to pull back. It wasn’t time yet, he simply wanted to check up on her for himself during this business trip.   What is this feeling, I still feel attracted to her even if she is no longer the Qiuyun Zhou I know right now. I’m still attracted to the Vivian Zhou in front of me, Wei Zhi thought.   At the same time, Vivian flinched at the feeling of someone watching her from afar. She couldn’t tell where it came from, and was used to attention, so she shrugged it off. Tonight was her night. Vivian pulled Alan closer to her while the two girlfriends exchanged glances and laughed to themselves.   It wasn’t until 3am that they began to head back to the apartment, Safiya and Alan holding the latter two girls over their backs on the way.   Vivian fell into a light sleep on Alan’s back as she dreamt of a distant memory.

< [ Alice in Wonderland ] > ~ ~ [ POV, Frédérique. ] ~ ~ … “ Welcome to my humble wonderland, oh you, who found eternal rest.” . A girl’s voice was suddenly caught by my ears. Immediately after hearing it, I woke up from the dead, in shock. Finding myself in a world quite different from my own. All that surrounded me, was clear fresh water, and tall pale white trees. Trees so large that stretched to the sky itself. Their breaches becoming completely unnoticeable thanks to the altitudes they reached. Bellow my feet an endless sea of clean water could be seen. The sea’s color was a mix of green, azure, and white. Almost making me stare in surprise at how I wasn’t drowned yet, despite my feet standing upon it. . A white wooden table could be seen in front of me. At the opposite of the table, a charming girl with golden hair, and hazy blue eyes sat on a white wooden chair enjoying a lemonade. . I on the other side of that marvelous white table, was standing on my feet. Frozen in terror, as I took notice of everything that surrounded me. My legs were shaking, my lips were trembling and my face wasn’t giving a good impression of myself. . “Sigh.” “Take a seat, mister. This will only take a few minutes of your time. I promise that this isn’t a joke, nor a TV show’s prank.” The girl in front of me said as she took out a white book from nowhere and started to read it aloud. In the meantime I found a white wooden chair behind me and decided to sit on it and try to understand the situation I was in. . “Frédérique Benedetto. Born in March, 01, year 1998. Lived in Italy for 20 years, afterwards moved to the city of Toronto in Canada to pursue Laws and Politics. Single child, virgin, your mother is called Natasha, and your father is called Vittore. Your dream is to become an ambassador in foreign countries and your favorite hobbies include studying, reading, watching TV, and playing video games.” “Also, your favorite type of girls are blondes with blue eyes.” The girl said as she closed the white book, upon reading a little of my personal information. Maybe she could have gone more into details but she seemed to not like reading past the above mentioned things. Seemingly trying to respect my personal privacy. . “Sigh.” “So young. At the same time so unlucky. You really should have stopped working in that part-time job.” She said to me, as if she was feeling sorry for my sudden death. Seriously, she seemed really angry at how I died. . “Gulp. Where am I and why am I here?”  I said with a trembling voice upon hearing her read my personal information and understanding that she might be an entity which I could never understand, nor come close to, ever in my lifetime. . Hearing my frightened voice, that barely could be considered a voice at this point, the mysterious girl looked right into my eyes and said: . “You are in the afterlife. Somewhere in the border between the material and immaterial.” “Let’s just say that you are in a realm of some sort. A place beyond your comprehension.” . “I understand. Are you God then?”  Upon being given an answer, I took the little piece of information she gave me inside my brain, and proceeded to ask my next question. A bit worried that she might turn out to be the devil instead. . “Yes and no. In a certain sense. I am a God, but my power is not even near a true omnipotent God.” “I am stronger than a celestial body. Yet nowhere as powerful as the person who controls the universe. You can define me as a dealer of heaven. An angel(messenger) of God. Nevertheless, not his actual progeny.” “My origins are complex, as my creator wasn’t the best when it comes to creating beings such as myself.” “Let’s just say that I am your guide in the afterlife. That would be better than spending hours on explaining, how I came to be.” The golden haired girl said as she sipped a bit of lemonade from her glass cup, and continued to look at me. Her face was devoid of emotion. A total kudere, if I had to describe her type. She wore a long ‘rose’ like red dress that left part of her chest open but concealed her big boobs well. A headband was keeping her shoulder length blonde hair from obscuring her view, and she seemed to be wearing crystals clear shoes, like a cindarella. If I had to describe her beauty, I would say that she was hot! Fucking hot! Her face was cute and very defined, while her body was petite. She held a type of charm I had never seen or felt before. Despite her small size in stature, that seemed to lolify her. I would have bet all my money that she was actually hundreds of years old, maybe even thousands. Entities such as her, were probably very old. Nevertheless, age or body type couldn’t stop me from getting a boner, inside my pants. . “I get it. But it was quite.... vague.” “Why am I here by the way?”  I asked after eyeing her for a while, to make sure she really was not a devil. One could never know when the situation turned against them. Maybe she wanted to ‘Isekai’ me to some random planet, for her own convenience. Normally, this was always the case for unlucky virgin guys like me! . “Hm.... well. It’s a bit complicated.”  She said awkwardly. . “Complicated?”  I responded with curiosity. . “Ha.”  (Exhale) “Let’s just say that you were denied access to heaven. God doesn’t want to be bothered with you right now.”  She said frankly, with a hint of pity in her voice. . “What?!” “What do you mean I was denied access to heaven? God doesn’t want to be bothered with me?!”  I yelled in surprise and anger, as I simply got hit with a weird answer. . “Em.... I tried to reason with him and.... turns out that heaven is undergoing reconstruction....” “The afterlife has been overpopulated, during these last hundred of years. Space has become an issue....” She said while rolling her eyes, looking at a tall tree near us, trying hard to not meet my angry gaze. . “Overpopulation? Space an issue?” “You must be kidding me! Do you expect me to become a wondering ghost!?”  I screamed in terror as I thought that I will have to spend another year in the mortal realm, as a wondering ghost, who couldn’t find peace. . “Calm down. You won’t be returning to the mortal world as a ghost and certainly we won’t be shunning you away.” “We simply are under heavy maintenance. As soon as we are done. We will extract your soul and take you to heaven.”  The loli sized goddess said, while trying to calm me down, with her vague explanation. . Understanding that anger was not the solution and that she might be offended, I quickly calmed down. Seriously, she could decide to drop me in ‘Hell’, if I acted like a bastard around her. Better not offend the person in power, she knows best about everything. Compared to her, I know nothing. As such was the case, I looked at her again and said: . “How long will the reconstruction take?” . “About a few years. Maybe a hundred or more.”  She replied, without putting any emotion in her words, nor trying to comfort me. . “!!!” “You....” “You expec me to wait that long? I might loose my mind until then...”  I said, as my mind broke and my skin become as pale as candle. Honestly, this news wasn’t taken warmly by my brain. Actually, it was the worst news I could ever get. ‘Am I suppose to live as a ghost now. Without being able to interact with objects and people.’  I thought, as I imagined the worst possible outcome. Me becoming a ghost with no real purpose or goal until the people in the afterlife came up with something to help my decaying brain. . “Blame Hitler, the Americans and the last [World Wars] boy.” “Apparently, we still haven’t sorted out the people that were killed during Hiroshima, [Concentration Camps] and a few other massacres in Europe.” “It wasn’t until 2019, when the COVID-19 appeared, that we actually ran out of space in heaven and hell. The entire afterlife is undergoing reconstruction as we speak.” “God and Lucifer, even came up with a peace treaty. They simply couldn’t endure having to rule over trillions of people.” “Lucifer has it the hardest of us all. He cannot torture anyone in hell anymore. There simply isn’t enough time to turture all the criminals of the world.” . “Gulp.”  Listening to her explanation, I gulped in surprise. The situation was worse than I thought it was. . I had been infected with the corona virus a few days ago, because me and my roommates worked in a restaurant, in order to make enough money to pay for our rent. That was when I suddenly entered in contact with the the virus and was taken to the hospital for analysis. The analysis showed that I had been infected for a few weeks already. Worst part was that after a few days, I had a heart attack and died under house confinement. ‘Lucas! Gerald! Fuck you guys! When I got sick, you two ditched me! You left me to die despite me having treated you two like brothers!” . As I looked at the Goddess, I covered my face in tears. Fuck! I cannot even go to heaven because of that fucking virus!  Can’t someone do something about it already?! People have been dying left and right for months now. Seriously, I cannot believe I died of a heart attack induced by the COVID-19. I wish I had fucked a girl or at least raped one, before dying! . “Oh, come on. Don’t be sentimental now. It was an accidental death. Lots of people die in car accidents in a single year, all over the world. Of course there would be some rare guys that die of heart attacks too, you know.”  She said, trying to comfort me with some simple reasoning. But this didn’t stop me from shedding tears.  I have not accomplished anything during my time in the mortal world. Worst thing is that I left my parents to grow old without even repaying their efforts in rising me! This is simply too shameful! Every time I am reminded of the virus, earth, or my parents. I feel like crying! My only wish was to take care of my forty(40)+ years old parents. Now, everything is a mess! I turned out to be an unfilial son in the end! Aaaaaaaaa~!!! ‘Sigh.’ “Okay. I understand the situation. What now? Do I get to stay with you, or do I have to be thrown somewhere?”  I said with a small tone of voice, while tears went down my cheeks. . Seeing me in pain and crying, the Goddess’s hazy blue eyes trembled for a bit, before returning to their emotionless state again.  Afterwards, she said: “I will have you reincarnated in a different world. You will not have to wait until the reconstructions in the afterlife are finished.” “The good news, is that God and Lucifer have decided to reincarnate people in different worlds, as a compensation for them not being able to welcome souls in the afterlife.” “By rule ***** of the afterlife. That has been established ** months ago. All the souls of earth will be reincarnated to different planets, according to their accomplishments on earth.” “Criminals will be reincarnated as insect and livestock, only to be butchered and eaten, so that they pay for their sins on earth. They will be cursed to live as mindless monsters, with no mercy shown.” “Those who have a neutral background or good accomplishments, are to be reincarnated as men and women again. The memories of their past life will be wiped out. If ‘really’ necessary, memories will be retained/kept. . “Don’t cry like that. The heavens are not that merciless you know?”  The goddess said as she materialized a cold bottle of Coca-Cola, out of nowhere and gave it to me, to refresh myself. . Upon hearing her long sentences, I took the cola and began to gulp it down. My throat was feeling dry at the moment. Understanding why my voice did not came out well before, she probably was trying to think of a drink that could help me out. But ultimately, she had to settle for cold Coca-Cola, because that was one of the most popular drinks, on earth. . “Gulp. Gulp. Gulp!” “Ah~! I know....” “I know that you guys are merciful. It’s just that death is a mean bitch. I didn’t realize this until I found myself here....”  “So? What’s next? You wipe my memories and throw my miserable soul in another world. Just so you guys can extract me when I die, again?”  I said ironically, while enjoying the fresh drink. . “Yes.” “But in your case. I will make an exception.”  The girl’s eyes suddenly turned serious and the atmosphere of the beautiful realm became gloomy, with gray mist. “Out of my kindness, I will reincarnate you in a world of my choice, with all of your memories intact.” “There will be a few changes to your reincarnation since, I have decided to make you my loyal servant.” . “What the fuck?!” “You must be kidding me!?”  “Why must I accept?”  I said, as I felt that she was cooking up something behind my back! Per my knowledge. I knew since the time I woke up here, that this conversation will turn out like this.  A total novel like situation! There is no way in hell a goddess would pick a random guy from the “cycle of life an death” and tell him all of this without planning something behind that person’s back. If this was not like this, there would have been a line of souls in this realm going through her to reincarnate instead of me. . “It’s as you heard. I will be responsible for your reincarnation and also become your master in the future.” “There is no other choice for you.” The half loli said seriously and honestly without caring about my opinion or mental health. . “Fuck you! I will not have you play with my free will! God gave free will to mankind! Like heck he will allow someone like you to play me to death!”  I rebelled, trying to come up with a reason to not become her playthings in some shitty Isekai! No way in hell, I was going to accept becoming a killer or a dense protagonist! If japanese anime has ever tough me something. Than, that lesson would be this: “Don’t ever trust a goddess or god when you die! Else you will be screwed up.” I can remember what happened to Natsuki Subaru in [Re: Zero] and Naofumi Iwatani in the [Rise of the Shield Hero]. Those guys were damned to fight against the entire world in ‘hardcore mode’ so that they could continue living, and ended up suffering some serious trauma along the way. Also, let’s not forget fucking ‘Rimuru Tempest’! The guy got turned into an slime! And the worst part is that he was androgynous! If this isn’t all. We might have to consider a few guys who actually reincarnated and become dogs! Alas! Lest we forget of [Princess Connect: Re Dive], where the main character called Yuuki had his brain deteriorated to the point he could only reason with the mindset of a 5 or 8 years old child. And there is more! There is the possibility that I might actually be gender bend!  Seriously, reincarnation is hell, and having your sex changed is like taking away your pride! . “I am not playing with you, but I will admit that it’s interesting to see people try their best to achieve the results they strive for.” “As I said before. You have no choice in this matter. I have already talked it out with God and he gave me free ownership over you.” “You are destined to be my new anchor in the mortal world.” ~ The goddess said with serious emotionless eyes as as she took another sip of her lemonade, while continuing to look at Frédérique. ~ … ~ ~ [ Third POV ] ~ ~ … “No way! You must be fucking with me!” “Give me proof! I want proof that the [Old man](God) actually gave you ownership over me!” Frédérique said in anger and fear. His face was becoming paler by the minute and his throat was becoming dry again from his angry yells. . “Proof, right? Okay.”  The goddess said as she stood up from her white wooden chair and took a few steps away from the white wooden table. Then she said: “Freddy, come her boy! Come, come!” . The moment she said these simple sentences, word by word, Frédérique jumped up from his wooden chair unintentionally and like a loyal dog, he quickly followed her command. He bend his body down, and with his four limbs he came near the goddess at an astonishing speed! Making him really look like a loyal dog that was following his master! . “Woof! Woof! Woof!”  Frédérique barked as soon as he caught the goddess’s feet and started to lick her hands that were trying to caress his head. . “Do I have to prove myself further than this?” She asked Frédérique. . “Nooooo~!!!”  After obeying the goddess’s command, Frédérique screamed with all his might. Mourning for the loss of his pride and free will, like a girl who had just lost her virginity! He was now the Goddess’s slave. God had betrayed him, like he had done on earth, again! . “This is unacceptable! This is ridiculous!”  He continued to cry and wail in agony. After the loss of his life, he now had lost his pride and free will. What awaits him in the future is now something he already knows and is desperate to avoid. . “This was fun. We should do this again another time.”  The golden haired goddess said as she returned to her previous seat, beside the white wooden table. . “No thank you! I did rather die another few times than submit to you!”  Frédérique said in anger as he got up and took his seat near the white table. . “Now that I have told you everything. Is there anything else you wish to know.” . “Is this a special reincarnation?” . “Yes.” . “Do I get some cheat powers and abilities.” . “Yes.” . “How long will my deployment there be?” . “Who knows. Maybe forever.” . “What is my reward for being your servant?” . “Hm.... power, treasure, and a harem.” . “Can I retake my free will back?” . “....Maybe. Maybe not.” . “!!!” (Very angry!) . “What?” Said the beautiful goddess. . “Fine! Tell me, what do I need to do there?”  Frédérique said while rolling his eyes away from the demoness, who acted like a goddess. It turns out that his prediction was true. . “First, I will reincarnate you with your memories intact. Afterwards, I will send you revelations on how you must proceed next.” “Try not to die too quickly. Will you?” . Frédérique  kept silent for a while before the demoness and then responded again. “I will try my best. But I don’t think that I will survive longer than a mouse if you send me to a primitive society or wasteland.” “I expect you to give me some status and good parents.” He said, as he finally turned to look at her again. . “Of course. I will give you the best life a protagonist can ever have.” “Now. With all this said and explained. Please choose your desired powers or abilities.” “Keep in mind that I can only give you 3 powers or abilities. Nothing more, nothing less.”  The goddess said as she fully drank her lemonade and become a little curious on what Frédérique would ask for. . Will he ask for the power of God. The ability to bend the world to his knees, with [words]  alone. Will he ask for strength. The power to rule over society with an iron fist. Will he ask for an ‘endless energy source’. Desiring to surpass his mortal nature and become the greatest supernatural entity of all time. Or will he ask for ‘unlimited weapons’. An arsenal of ‘god slayers’ to challenge the might of those who were beyond human hand’s reach. . His fate will be decided by what he choses right now and will shape his future. What will become of him can already be predicted. It’s a bit sad however. Because no matter what Frédérique choses, he will not be any different from others protagonists.  Every protagonist is the same as the others. They were neutral in life, or either were selfish people. … < ‘Frédérique was not different from other humans. Maybe deep inside he was thinking of enslaving people, falling to carnal desires, or causing chaos and havoc for the fun of it.’ > < The world isn’t always interesting. He will get bored once he experiences everything. And will wish for more excitement. Just like every other man. > … Listening to the goddess rambling about what he could choose, from a catalog that appeared out of nowhere. Frédérique began to think of many abilities, powers and weapons he could ask for. • If he choose Excalibur, he will be assured victory in close quarter combat. Plus the bonuses that came with possessing it. • Choosing abilities would only limit him to a few things he could do as a human. ESPs and ‘psychic powers’ would be a good choice, but there are limits to how much he could do with them, since they have a certain heavy costs, and mental fatigue. • ‘Strength, infinite energy, and an all powerful ability was a good choice to take. How can he not take these necessary powers? They are important if he wishes to survive. … After a lot of consideration. Frédérique came up with a list of things he could ask for, but he gave up immediately after thinking about them a second time.  There wasn’t anything good enough to help him survive. • Immortality and unlimited regeneration was attractive. • Thanos’s infinity gauntlet, has drawbacks. • The dragon balls were simply too flashy, he would be found out quickly, if he tried to make a wish. • The Holy Grail was.... tempting but still unsatisfying. . “Seriously, there are so many choices.” “Are there any limits to what I can ask or what I can get?”  He said trying to understand if there was a limit to what he could request. . “Hm.... as far as I know.... nope.... there is no limit. I am an individual stronger then a celestial body. There is no limit to how much I can give.” “Even if I loose something important or a lot of energy. It will be restored back in due time.”  Said the goddess who wore a long red dress. . Understanding that he could ask for anything yet not be fully prepared for everything he might encounter in the future. Frédérique gave up on many things he could ask. Instead, he choose what really could aid him. Things that could really turn the flow of a battle and even allow him to survive. Frédérique finally made up his mind. . “Fine. Here is what I want.” “I want the ability to break my limits. I want to break the limits of my body, brain and soul. So that I can grow stronger in the future.”  He said to the goddess as he didn’t mind training and breaking his body. Training himself to obtain a six pack or eight pack was a man’s dream. Therefore, heaving the ability to grow stronger was a wonderful choice for him as a man and as a weak human. . “Guaranted.” She said. . “Next. I want all the abilities, powers, and weapons inside the [Prince of Persia] video games. From the first game to the last. I want all of the prince’s experience, weapons, and abilities. Plus+ the abilities of all other characters in the game.” “Is this possible?” He asked, expecting the demon goddess to give him a big “No”. After all, he was asking for too much. However… . “Hm....” “Yes. I can give the game’s abilities, powers and experience. [The Sand Of Time] is a powerful ability itself, therefore you don’t have to worry about acquiring the other characters powers.” “Regarding the weapons and experience....” “I will be kind enough to add them and the prince’s experience as a bonus. But do not expect more from the last wish. This is just an exception since the power of this ‘certain game’ can help you survive longer.”   . Hearing her say yes, Frédérique was stunned. Actually, he almost lost his sanity. “Are you sure! That’s a lot I am asking about! This is a power capable of reducing nations and continents to dust and ruins!” He screamed. . “It’s okay, relax. Where you are actually going, you will probably need more than a few lives to survive. The dagger and it’s ability to turn back time will keep you safe.” She said, while still sounding like a kudere.  The goddess probably didn’t care too much about him becoming some sort of overpowered god. All she cared about was to keep him anchored to ‘that certain world’ for a very, VERY, long time.  Besides, even if he became stronger then her, she doubted that he could ever match her full might. She was born before him, achieved immortality before him, reached the rank of ‘Eternity’ before anyone ever could do so in the multiverse, and etc. There was so little to worry about, when it comes to a man that has only what’s been given by her. Everything she gave him, was her’s after all. It was a part of her abilities as an Eternal entity. Of course if she wanted she could get it back since these abilities are just like limbs to her. . “Gulp.”  Frédérique gulped like there’s was no tomorrow and began to think of his last wish. He needed a support ability now. Something like a signature movie that would allow him to continue fighting and supporting other people. An ability the suited him when he would be at his weakest point and would be of help to him when he last expected. He thought and thought. After ten minutes that seem like an eternity he finally found what he wanted inside his old memories and said: “I want an affinity. Ultra affinity with [Life] magic. Is this possible???” He asked, hoping that he would be guaranted, cause it was actually a good support magic to have around. . “I don’t understand? Up until now you choose the best powers and abilities. Why take [Life] magic affinity? Normally death or elemental magic is better?” The goddess asked with curiosity. . Frédérique then replied with a serious gaze that almost stared daggers at her. “Because [Life] magic affinity is the strongest magic to ever exist. Without life there is no death. For death to exist, life must be there, otherwise immortality and nothingness will forever be. Elemental magic exist because there is life. Without it there is nothing, literally nothing to fill the void.” . “What an interesting choice. I wonder how you will use this in the future.”  She wondered. . “Do I get it or not?” . “Guaranted.” . “Great! With this I can survive for centuries!” “What else do I need before taking my leave?” Said Frédérique as he got up, and was ready to leave as quickly as possible (ASAP). He simply couldn’t endure to stay with this demoness and further, for fear of her taking his soul as compensation. There was always something to sacrifice when dealing with entities beyond human understanding. And he knew that if he didn’t leave immediately, he would have to compensate her, for his 3 powers. . “Don’t be rude Frédérique. You aren’t leaving until I take my compensation.” . “Fuck~!!!” “You are crazy! Let me go! Retake back what I took earlier! I promise, I will leave and you will never hear of me again!” “Please, just this once! I promise that I will find a worthy sacrifice for you, my goddess! Just please, please, don’t take my soul!” Frédérique screamed and pleaded for his life and soul! He even offered to find sacrifices for the goddess as long as she doesn’t take his soul! His soul was the only thing left in him besides his clothes! How could he sell the only thing that kept his will and personality inside! Without it he was nothing! Absolutely nothing. His worth didn’t even amount to anything big besides being a slave or emergency supply ration. . “Haaa.” (Long Exhale) “Calm down. I won’t be taking your soul yet.” “All that I need from you is one single thing that you can actually give.”  The demon goddess said as she stood up from her chair and went beside Frédérique. . “And that would be?” Frédérique said as his body and soul shivered in terror. . “The last thing I need is your love !” The kudere demon goddess said as she took Frédérique’s head with her two hands and kissed him deeply, giving him the deepest French kiss of his life~! . “Mmmmm~?!?” Unable to breath nor process the information and senses that his virgin lips and brain just recorded. Frédérique mumbled inside the goddess mouth and tried to push her away.  Alas! It was of no use. His lips, free will, and love were already taken. All that was left of him now, was the soul of a man who was dying to get rid of his virginity. . Nevertheless, the goddess didn’t take his virginity. All she did, was kiss him strong enough for him to pass out. The last thing that Frédérique remembered from his meeting with the kudere demon goddess, was the best kiss of his life. Afterwards, everything turned dark, and he lost consciousness. >>>>>> Gledis I enjoyed the prologue. What about you?

I was mostly used to it other than the fact that this time, more guards were surrounding my cage. I and Micheal had accidentally blown up a house with people in it. Currently, the people were in the hospital. I know your are probably wondering how we could accidentally blow up a house. Well there was this bomb that was about to blow up to the house before and we tried to stop it but only made it worse and since we were right there and people saw us make it worse, we were blamed for the whole thing! I didn't find it fair and neither did Micheal but we didn't have much of a say.   "What's your name?" I asked one of the guards. They didn't even glance at me, nor answer. "I'm talking to you! Hello?!" He grumbled something under his breath but didn't answer. "Yo! Guard?!" "What?!" The guard spun around and glared at me. "I asked your name." "None of your business." "Yes it is. What is it." "Donald." "Like Donald duck from Mickey Mouse?!" I began making duck impersonations and the guard groaned and turned away. "I'm Macy." I said to the guard. "I know." I could tell he was clenching his teeth. "So how's your-" "Shut up!" "Oop. Donald duck angry." I walked to the bed in my cell. The guard shifted from foot to foot about 5 times then glanced back at me. He sighed, "Why are you here?" He asked. "I accidently blew up a house." The guard turned and looked at me shocked, "You? Ha!' The guard balled over laughing.  I scowled, "It was an accident!" "If it was an accident then why are you here?" "I have a record for stuff like that so people saw me and my friend around that area when it happened and assumed we did it."  "Oh, you're that Macy Gerkson?" "That's me." "And your friend is Micheal Nuponte?" "Uh-huh." "I've heard about you two. From the guards and the police. You're not only annoying, you're an annoying troublemaker." "You could say that." The guard looked at me and then turned away to ignore me again. I sighed. I went to the wall. I took my head and slammed it against the stone wall, banging it a couple more times until the guard spun around and yelled at me, "Hey! Stop that!" I didn't stop. The guard fumbled with keys and unlocked the door. He ran inside and grabbed ahold of my head, making me stop, "What in God's name are you doing?" "Getting out." "Out? But you're-"  I pushed him away and bolted out the now open prison cell. I ran from all the guards. The key that I had stolen from the guard that had come in. I found Micheal's cell and let him out. "Finally." Micheal rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up! Let's go!" I grabbed his wrist and began running. An alarm finally sounded and guards began fully noticing us. "They could at least put us in a higher security prison." Micheal muttered. "Yeah, but at least it's easy to escape." "Eh. I just wish we have more of a challenge." "Shut up already! We're almost out!" We raced towards the exit just when a guard stepped in front of it, blocking our way. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Micheal said with a grin. The guard looked at him and laughed, throwing his head back. Just by doing this it gave me a distraction and I swept down and knocked him over. He began to scrambled up but Micheal grabbed the guy's gun and wacked him over the top of the head with the butt of the gun. "Come on." I pushed past him and ran out the door with Micheal. "Nice one." Micheal said as we ran into the forest. We took about 10 detours just in case someone was following then we headed towards a tree. I pushed on it and it knocked over. A trapdoor was under it and we both hopped inside. Micheal closed it once we were in. Our base was small, we only had a living room, kitchen and a bathroom. I grabbed my coat and threw it around my shoulders. I was cold and we didn't have any blankets.  "We gotta stop doing that." Micheal muttered. "It boosts our "villian" names."  "Well why don't we get rid of it." "We can't just get rid of it. Magic doesn't exist for that to happen." "Well Magic exists in books, dreams, fantasies, minds,  different-" "Well we aren't in books or dreams or fantasies! This is real life! Face it Micheal! We aren't heroes here! We're villians!" I turned and ran away from him. There wasn't truly anywhere to run but outside of the base. I traveled out the base and into the still forest. I climbed a tree and relaxed. It was only minutes later when a Micheal called to me. "Macy! You might want to see this!" "Not now Micheal!" "You'll want to see this!" "Fine!" I jumped down and into the base, "This better be good." I muttered. Micheal was stating at the TV in shock. "What? What do you want?" I asked, annoyed. "L-look." His hand shakely pointed to the screen. I rolled my eyes and looked. It was a news report. It showed people, about 5, dressed in fancy clothing and walked around waving. "So? What's the big-" Suddenly I noticed the headline. "New heroes have arrived in our town! Here to save us from the villains that have raged our town!" I stood with my mouth open. Heroes? And wait. Villians?!

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: Hook Horror   ======   CLIP ONE A young man preens for the camera, standing in a shady, tree-filled area that runs behind a row of houses. This is CASEY GALLAGHER, 19-years-old, tall, lean build with dark hair, wearing jeans and a black hoodie. The area has been identified as a nature strip only a few minutes’ walk from the home of PETER DEGUARA, currently serving 15-20 years in prison on drug-related charges. “This is insane, this is so stupid,” someone, holding the camera, says. The voice is that of JULIA NOAH, a longtime friend of Casey and aspiring social media influencer. “This is a great idea!” Casey says. “Explain where we’re going for the camera.” “Okay, back when I was in high school there was this house I used to walk past every day. You couldn’t see anything happening inside, it was like this big compound. Turns out, last week, this place got raided and the guy that lives there is some kind of drug kingpin! There were cop cars and even a helicopter flying over the neighbourhood, and everything.” “So, what’s that got to do with us? “Rumour is that this guy had some kind of bunker in his basement, like a panic room, but he didn’t get to it in time. It might have even been where he was keeping his drugs, I don’t know. Anyway, my idea is that we break in there and find the entrance to this bunker. We record us going down but then we put up a teaser and say, if you want the full video we need a thousand likes. Or ten thousand, or a million! It doesn’t matter, it’ll go viral for sure.” It is worth noting a study of Casey’s social media history shows him posting on several internet forums and groups relating to the interest of ‘Urban Exploration’. “And what about the police?” “I already climbed over the wall and had a look around, I just didn’t go inside. There’s no police, no cameras, it’ll be fine!” “Okay, I’m definitely going to have to edit some of that.” Julia manhandles the phone she’s using to record. There’s a brief glance of trees and the side of her face before the clip ends.   CLIP TWO A blurry shot of Peter Deguara’s house, taken from a distance. It is a white mansion surrounded by solid, white walls. The shot slips in and out of focus several times before ending.   CLIP THREE Casey grips the top of the wall surrounding Peter Deguara’s mansion and pulls himself up. He climbs over and disappears. “I’m okay!” “Hold this!” Julia rests her phone, facing upward, on top of the wall. There are several seconds of blue sky on the recording before Casey picks the phone up. He directs it back at the wall as Julia easily pulls herself over. Julia is tall and athletic with long, red hair and is wearing workout clothing. A quick scan of Julia’s social media feeds reveal mostly ‘fitspiration’ and content relating to diet and exercise. “Wow, check this place out!” Julia says. Casey scans across the backyard. Manicured gardens surround a large pool in the centre of the yard. Marble statues at either end of the pool depict tigers in mid-leap. Several independent sources have confirmed this is Peter Deguara’s backyard or indistinguishable from it. “Subtle, right? Drug kingpin? Who could have guessed?” Casey says from behind the camera. “Here, give it,” Julia says. “It’s okay, I’ve got it. You want to be the one on camera, right?” “Do I? This is totally illegal.” “Filming this crime spree is the best idea we’ve ever had!” Julia and Casey approach the rear of the house, which again matches descriptions of Peter Deguara’s home in every respect. To one end of a row of floor to ceiling windows is a broken panel covered with police tape and a piece of plywood. According to police reports, this panel was broken during Peter Deguara’s arrest. “I saw this yesterday. This is how we get inside,” Casey says, as Julia bends over to inspect the plywood.   CLIP FOUR Julia stands in the middle of a concrete room lit by fluorescent lighting. There is shelving built into the walls but nothing is being stored on them. The ceiling is low and Julia hunches forward, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t believe this,” Julia says. “This is perfect, this is exactly what will get people in!” Casey says from behind the camera. “Go on, do it!” “Okay, okay. So we let ourselves into this house owned by a drug lord who was recently-, hang on, let me start again. So, we’re in this house owned by a recently arrested, bigtime drug dealer. Rumour was there was some kind of bunker under the house where he might have stored drugs.” Casey sweeps the camera around to take in the emptiness of the room. A set of stairs can be glimpsed briefly behind him. “Obviously we got here and it’s like, oh, that’s it? There’s nothing here? But then we found this.” Julia gestures and Casey moves around her to physically zoom in on a metal hatch inset in the floor. It looks heavy and flakes of rust cling to the edges. There’s a latch for a padlock but no lock attached. Casey holds for several seconds before straightening up. The camera continues to point at the ground. “Okay, so then we put, you know, like and subscribe! Ten thousand likes and we post the thing!” Casey says. “We don’t even know if there’s anything down there.” “Well, that’s what we’re about to find out. And it doesn’t matter, unless it’s a total, total bust this will definitely go viral!” “I don’t know if I want to go down there.” “Come on, it’s-,” the audio and video abruptly cut out.   CLIP FIVE The camera descends rung by rung down a rusty ladder. The only light appears to be coming from the phone itself and a second light lower down. Julia appears to be holding the camera again. The top of Casey’s head can be glimpsed below. “Seriously, can you see the bottom? I can’t see the bottom,” Julia says. “Hang on. Okay, I’m at the bottom now!” Julia climbs the rest of the way. Casey is holding another phone now, using it as a flashlight. Despite both lights, little detail can be made out of the blackness surrounding them. “Oh, my God, Casey, I don’t like this!” “Hold on.” Casey finds a doorway and stumbles through it. After a few seconds, lights flicker to life overhead. Julia moves toward Casey, shutting off the light on her phone. The area where the ladder deposited them seems to be nothing but a small chamber, painted black. “Oh, yes, yeah, this is perfect!” Casey says. “This is definitely what they were talking about!” Julia pans across another room, not unlike the basement where they were seen in the last clip. This room is larger and better lit with a higher ceiling. Casey points excitedly to another doorway diagonally across the room, leading deeper into some kind of bunker. “Look at this! Come on, this is crazy! It’s really a bunker, like, one of those old nuclear shelters! Maybe the house was built on top of it?” “It looks too new.” “Come on, let’s go!” “This isn’t setting the right tone, you know. It’s supposed to be super creepy, not you being excited.” “We’ll take out our voices and put in some creepy music, don’t worry about it! We’ll add some text to explain what’s happening.” Julia follows Casey deeper into the bunker. Several doorways branch off a short hallway. The rooms look clean but are completely empty, no furnishings or facilities. “Oh, oh, I don’t believe this. Look at this!” Casey says. At the end of the hallway, tucked behind a slight turn, is a metal door. It looks older than the rest of the bunker, dull, flaked with rust, with a latch but no padlock. “It keeps going!” Behind the camera, Julia sounds hesitant. “Case, I don’t know.” “Come on, this is amazing! We’ve just got to look!” Casey cranks the handle open with a rusty squeal. Julia keeps the camera pointed at the doorway as it opens. Behind the door is a dark hallway that must be close to twenty metres long. At the far end is another doorway, fully lit. What happens in this brief second is the topic of considerable online debate. In slow motion, zooming in on the footage, a distorted figure appears to stand briefly in the doorway before sprinting sideways and out of sight. The figure looks humanoid with overly long, thin arms. This moment is indistinct and very brief. Neither Julia nor Casey react in any way to the figure, suggesting they failed to spot them. “Oh, no,” Julia says. “Come on!” “What if we get trapped down here?” “We’re not going to get trapped! Come on, think of how many views this is going to get!” Julia and Casey continue down the hallway. Julia can be heard breathing heavily behind the camera. The hallway is unlit and seems to be made of concrete but efforts have been made to tile it in places. Rusty pipes of unknown purposes run across the ceiling. Only through considerable audio analysis can several tapping noises be ‘heard’ at this point in the video. “Did you hear that?” Julia asks. “Hear what?” “Like a knocking sound. Like someone knocking on something! What if there’s someone down here?” “There’s no one down here, the police would have checked it out. It was probably the pipes or something.” Julia and Casey reach the end of the hallway without incident. The next area contains another short hallway with open rooms on both sides resembling storage units. At one point, Julia hands the camera back to Casey. “This place is huge. Maybe it wasn’t a private bunker at all. Maybe it was some kind of government thing,” Casey says. Another doorway at the end of the hallways leads into absolute blackness. Casey, now holding the camera, moves inside and gropes along the wall for a lightswitch. With an audible hum, more lights gradually illuminate the room over several seconds. “Holy shit, no way,” Casey says. Casey scans the camera across what looks to be a false outdoor area. Fake plastic grass forms a lawn underfoot. Green, rolling hills and blue skies are painted on the concrete walls surrounding the ‘yard’. Some very old fashioned lawn furniture is set up on the far side of the ‘lawn’. To the right of screen, what looks like the side of a house separates the yard from another ‘inside’. “This is incredible,” Casey says. “It looks like a daycare, with all these paintings on the walls.” Julia points out birds and butterflies flying over the hills on the murals. “I guess it’s to make it feel bigger, if people had to spend years down here.” “How could this all be abandoned?” “It’s got to be some kind of government place, and the drug guy bought it along with his property.” “How big is it?” The video cuts out here.   CLIP SIX Casey holds the camera as he moves from room to room in the bunker’s fake house. It is furnished with old beds, and a couch and armchairs that look as if they’re from the Fifties. A boxy, wood-panelled television sits at the head of the living room. In the kitchen is an old refrigerator and stove, cabinets, table and chairs. There is, however, no artwork or photos or any signs of life. “It looks like one of those houses, you know, they used to blow up in nuclear bomb tests,” Casey says. “Imagine how creepy it would be if there was a bunch of mannequins or whatever sitting around the living room.” “It’s creepy enough as it is!” Julia says from behind him. “Did you hear that? Oh, my God, did you hear that?” It is worth noting nothing has been picked up here by the audio. It is possible the phone’s microphone simply wasn’t powerful enough. “Hear what?” “A knocking! I thought I heard a knocking sound.” “I didn’t hear anything. Check this out, this place just keeps going!” Casey reaches what appears to be the front rooms of the ‘house’. Windows show painted scenes of a false outside. At the end of a short corridor Casey comes across another heavy door. His hand comes into frame, reaching out to open it. “Case, don’t! I’m telling you I heard something.” “Jules, think of the views! This place is crazy!” Casey opens the door. Beyond the threshold is complete and utter blackness. Casey hovers in the doorway. Suddenly, with a low bang that makes the camera jump, a set of lights power on overheard. Immediately outside the doorway is another fake lawn bordered by a white picket fence. More lights come on, far overheard, in a sequence moving away from the house. They reveal a cavernous warehouse. Rafters cross the roof far overhead, above towering metal shelves. The shelves appear totally empty but there are dozens of them. “Are you seeing this?” Casey says. “It’s huge, it’s like the size of a football stadium. Case, how? How is this all underground and we don’t even know about it?” “This is government, this is definitely government. I don’t think this place could have possibly just been bought by some guy, something else must be going on.” Something makes a distinct noise, like a knock. It is clearly picked up this time by the phone’s microphone. The warehouse remains largely dark in spite of the lights overhead. The sound is similar to someone rapping a metal bar against metal shelving. It happens again, and again. “What is that? Something’s down here!” Julia hisses. “I don’t know, it might just be the electricity.” “We have to go back, Case!” “But look at this place!” “No, no way! I don’t care anymore, no one even knows we’re down here! I’m going back with or without you. Maybe, maybe, we come back with more people, some supplies, I don’t know, but I’m not staying down here right now.” “Okay, okay, we’ll go back.”   CLIP SEVEN “This is impossible!” Julia says. “It’s-, we got turned around.” The camera moves too fast, in surroundings that are too dark, to make out where they are for several seconds. As it settles, Julia and Casey can be seen in the long, dark hallway from earlier or one that looks just like it. Julia holds the camera, with its flashlight illuminated. Casey feels along the walls as if looking for something. “It moved! This place changed!” Julia says. “It can’t have changed, not really. Maybe we missed something?” “This is the way we came! This hallway is the same but the first rooms, and the ladder, are gone!” “No, it can’t be.” “We still don’t have any phone reception.” “Well, of course not. I mean, we are underground.” They backtrack to the area with the empty storage rooms and look around. Another doorway leads into a large, dark room but it is clearly not the same as the part of the complex where they walked through originally. “We missed something,” Casey says. “Maybe, maybe there’s more automated systems, like those lights that came on. Maybe the door is hidden and it automatically slid closed.” “It was right here, look at the video!” The phone is fumbled and the video abruptly stops.   CLIP EIGHT Julia and Casey move through another enormous and windowless space, this one filled with towering machines that resemble hydroelectric generators. The camera is being used as a flashlight but the room is dark and its overall dimensions and total contents remains indistinct throughout. A low level hum persists across the entirety of the recording. “If you’re watching this, we came down into this crazy bunker,” Julia says, apparently addressing the camera. “We went exploring but when we came back the way out had changed into this room, here.” “These machines look like generators or something,” Casey says. “But I don’t think they’re turned on.” “What is that humming noise then?” “I’m not sure, maybe some kind of standby mode? It kind of sounds further away.” Julia and Casey reach the far side of the room, and a large window. Inside, through the glare of the flashlight, the camera can make out panels covered in dials and switches and meters, all abandoned. As Julia scans the window, a knocking sound is picked up clearly by the phone. Julia jumps and whips around to scan the nearest machinery. “Did you hear that? Did you hear that?” Julia says. “Yeah, yeah, I heard it.” Nothing can be seen as Julia sweeps the camera across the room. The sound comes again of metal tapping against metal as if someone is knocking against one of the pieces of machinery. “It’s in the room! Someone is following us!” “No, it’s-, I don’t know what it is but there’s no one down here!” “You don’t know! There’s someone following us!” “Come on.” The pair move along the wall until they come across a pair of swinging doors. They hurry into another hallway, this one with larger rooms, possibly locker rooms, offices, meeting rooms, etc. Julia sweeps the camera from side to side. “If we keep going, there’s got to be another exit,” Casey says. “There’s got to be? Why?” “Because there’s got to be!” The two of them reach what looks like some kind of dormitory. Around two dozen cots line the walls, unmade. Julia and Casey hurry past them to another set of doors. “This has got to be government, got to be. Even if it was abandoned, they built it down here to hold people during the Cold War or something,” Casey says. Suddenly, Julia screams. The camera whirls around in a blur and settles on the hallway behind them. A humanoid figure appears clearly in the doorway. They are shirtless with a black mask covering their face. From this perspective, their arms cannot be fully seen and details are hard to make out but this is almost certainly the individual known as HOOK HANDS who appears more clearly in CLIP ELEVEN. “Who are you? What do you want?” Julia screams. The figure lingers for a few moments more and then slips slowly back into the corridor. Something can be heard knocking against the walls. “Did you see that? Did you see that?” Julia says to Casey. “Yeah, uh, yeah. Maybe they could help us?” “They don’t want to help us, Casey! They were holding a knife or something! Oh, my God, we’re going to die down here!”   CLIP NINE Julia and Casey move through another area resembling an abandoned hospital or laboratory. The walls, floor and ceiling are a mixture of concrete and tiles and there is no suggestion of natural light, only weak fluorescents. Patches of black mould grow across the walls and ceiling. Casey moves ahead of Julia, who is still holding the camera. “Okay, I’ve got the video, I’m recording,” Julia says. “I think we’ve found something. I still don’t know what this place is but I think we’ve found something.” Through another window, the camera scans a room full of medical equipment. Coffin-shaped pods rest across the room, four of them in total. In spite of considerable research and debate, no recognised purpose or manufacturer of these pods has been uncovered. Tables cluttered with surgical tools are gathered around the pods. “Is that blood? It looks like really, really old blood,” Casey says. Casey points to black stains on some of the trays of surgical tools, and on the sides of the pods. More black mould grows around the bases of the pods and tables. “Case, we have to go! We have to go, I’m stopping this for the battery.”   CLIP TEN The camera’s flashlight bounces off concrete steps as whoever is holding the camera climbs and climbs. They reach a platform, turn, and continue climbing. Casey can be heard breathing hard. This goes on for over a minute with nothing else of note happening. “We found these stairs,” Julia says finally, addressing the recording again. “And we thought there’d be a way out but we’ve been climbing and climbing and I still don’t have signal. I don’t know what we’re going to do, and I keep hearing it. I keep hearing the knocking on the walls.”   CLIP ELEVEN “It’s a wall! It’s a fucking wall!” Casey howls. The video seems to be in the same stairwell, on the topmost platform. Casey runs his hands across walls that appear to be made of solid cinder blocks, with no doors or other exits in view. “There’s got to be something here! There’s got to be a hidden door or something!” “This place isn’t right! We just climbed like thirty stories! How far did we come down that ladder? Three stories at most? We should be way above ground right now but I still don’t have a signal on my phone.” “Maybe we came up inside a hill, and this entrance was bricked up? Or maybe we’re inside, like, the shell of a fake building, that’s been shielded.” Case hammers his hands against one wall. “Hello? Can anyone hear us? Hello?” “It’s this place, Case! I’m telling you, the place is changing around us!” “That’s impossible, this is just some, abandoned, fucked up government place with some homeless people living in it or something. There’s got to be another way out.” The camera points at the floor for another minute and a half. Casey apparently moves around, feeling for a gap and yelling. “What do we do now? Just go back down?” Julia asks. “I guess we don’t have a choice, Jules. Fuck! We’ll find our way out eventually, we have to.” “There’s someone down there, I heard them!” “If they’re still following us, I don’t know, they backed off before.” “I’m going to keep recording.” “Sure, whatever.” Casey leads the way again, using his phone as a flashlight. He pays close attention to the walls as if still searching for a hidden door or control. Julia follows, filming him from behind. They quickly descend eight levels with no sign of doors or signage of any kind. “Oh, shit! Shit!” Casey stops and recoils. “Oh, God!” Seen clearly in the beams of their phone flashlights is a humanoid figure who has been nicknamed HOOK HANDS. Male, muscular, extremely pale, he is shirtless and wearing black pants, no shoes, and a featureless black hood. Both of Hook Hands’ arms appear to have been amputated below the elbows. Large hooks emerge from the stumps. Based on video analysis, these hooks appear to be permanently fixed into the stumps for so long that skin has grown back over their bases, rather than being attached like prosthetics. “Oh, what the fuck? What are you, man?” Casey asks. Hook Hands appears to regard them for a moment. There are no eye or mouth holes in his mask. He taps one hook against the stairwell’s metal railing, making a ringing sound that echoes through the concrete passage. “Go away!” Julia screams. “Go away!” Hook Hands doesn’t react. Julia and Casey back away. “What are we going to do?” Julia asks. “There’s nowhere to go,” Casey says. “Jules, Jules, I’m going to hit him. When I do it, you run! Run past him and keep running!” “What about you?” “I’m just going to-, I’m just going to knock him down and come after you. Now, go!” Casey barrels forward, down the steps, and tackles Hook Hands around the shoulders. He manages to avoid the man’s weapons. The next few seconds are too chaotic to make out even in frame by frame analysis. Holding the camera, Julia runs down the stairs, past Casey and Hook Hands, and down the next flight of stairs. Here, however, she hesitates and goes back. Casey appears to be struggling with Hook Hands. Julia joins in, although her actions are difficult to make out, swinging and kicking. As the shot steadies, Julia and Casey can both be seen on their feet, moving down the steps away from Hook Hands. “Hurry!” Julia says. The next ten seconds are again chaotic and can only be made out frame by frame, but something clearly hits Casey from behind. One of Hook Hands’ hooks appears over Casey’s shoulder and buries itself in his chest. He drops his phone and is yanked backward. “Case!” Julia yells. “Jules!” Casey reaches for her but Hook Hands’ second hook appears and buries itself in the side of his throat. Spitting blood, Casey is pulled backward into darkness. “Oh, my God! Oh, God!” Julia spins and continues to run. Her phone light bounces off the walls. She makes it down several levels but then clearly reacts to hearing or seeing something below. She stops, breathing hard, and more tapping and knocking can be heard. “Oh, God.” Julia turns the camera back but only thumping can be heard behind her. Cautiously, she keeps going down the steps. After another couple of levels, two more humanoid figures can be seen on one of the platforms below. Both appear similar to Hook Hands but not identical. Male, muscular, pale, and wearing hoods and pants but no shirts. These two have been nicknamed KNIFE HAND and SPIKE. Knife Hand has, as the name suggests, had his right arm removed below the elbow and replaced by a large blade. The other man appears to have multiple spikes, at least a dozen, inserted into the flesh of his arms, chest, and legs, so that they bristle at various angles. Knife Hand taps his blade against the railing. “Oh, what the fuck?” Julia turns to bring into view a dark doorway set into one wall of the stairwell. In the distance, down a dark hallway, fluorescent lighting flickers. Based on analysis of the video, frame by frame, this doorway was not present in the stairwell until this moment. “This wasn’t here! This wasn’t here a second ago, I swear it! I swear to God!” Julia moves into the hallway, hurrying away from the stairs. Eventually, the camera is turned back. Knife Hand and Spike can vaguely be discerned in the doorway. Julia turns the light off and keeps moving for another minute, nothing appearing on the recording except some distant tapping and the sound of Julia’s movements. “This wasn’t here! There’s something wrong with this place, it’s alive!” The video goes on for another minute and eleven seconds with nothing of significance before cutting off. Frame by frame analysis fails to reveal any more clues as to Julia’s location.   CLIP TWELVE The camera points backward at Julia’s face. Little can be seen of her surroundings. The wall behind her appears to be concrete and a weak light shines on the right side of her face. Throughout the recording, taps and knocks can be heard distantly on the audio. “It’s been about an hour since I lost Case. Oh, my God, it’s only, like, one o’clock out there. I’ve only been in here for like two hours. It just keeps going and going. I’ve tried to go in as straight a line as possible, it doesn’t stop, it doesn’t repeat, it just goes on and on!” Julia stops and listens. Sniffling, she wipes her face. “I keep having to use my phone for light, my battery won’t last long now. I’m just making this recording in case anyone finds it. I’m sorry, Mom, Dad, I’m sorry, I love you, Leslie, I love you. Oh, God. Casey’s family, I’m so sorry I left him, I’m so sorry. We never should have come down here!” Julia stops and listens again. The sound of tapping is still distant but registers as closer according to audio analysis. “They keep coming! I don’t know what they are, I don’t know if they’re-, a part of this place or if they just-, infest it, like some kind of parasites, but they keep coming no matter how far I go. I think they’re-, I think the tapping is like some kind of bat-thing, I think they do it to hunt. I have to go, I’m sorry, I love you all, I’m sorry, I have to go.”   CLIP THIRTEEN The contents of this final clip are the source of the most fierce debate to surround the ‘Bunker’ video. Given the poor lighting and quality of the recording, without enhancement as it appeared when first released, the video is only a brief jumble of shadows and then a long stretch where nothing happens. When enhanced by several different sources, in a combination of both watching and viewing frame by frame, the following appears to be seen: Blackness, something blocks the camera. But there is a sense of motion, and what sounds like movement picked up by the phone’s microphone. It then sounds as if the phone is placed down on a hard surface. There is a brief shot of a hand pulling away from the camera. The clearest frame appears to show claws growing from the ends of the fingers. Most believe the shape of the claws indicate that these are not claws but scalpel blades that had been inserted into the hand’s fingertips. Some enhancements appear to show dark liquid, possibly blood, on the fingers, as if the implants are still fresh. The light in whatever room the camera is facing is exceedingly poor and the camera struggles to find a point of focus. A doorway and window can be seen across the room, looking out on a hallway. The only source of light comes from some point down the hallway to the right of screen but it is distant and flickering. Some visual clues indicate this might be part of the ‘hospital’ that Julia Noah and Casey Gallagher passed through in CLIP NINE or a similar area. A person stands briefly in front of the doorway. They seem to stare directly into the camera. They have been nicknamed, among other things, VENGEANCE. The figure, a woman, appears to be wearing a featureless black mask, black pants and a small black top similar to what was seen worn by the bunker inhabitants in other clips, or, debatably, could match some of the workout clothing worn by Julia Noah. Large spikes, like kitchen knives, jut from their elbows and shoulders and potentially their hips, seen mostly in silhouette. Vengeance turns and walks quickly out of the room. They are seen briefly but not clearly in the window to the right of the doorway. Close audio analysis has picked up an irregular ‘ticking’ sound that starts shortly after they disappear from frame, like bits of metal being tapped against metal. The camera continues to record the empty room for another two minutes and eight seconds before it suddenly slips and falls over. It records a patch of ceiling for several more seconds before cutting out. ****** This recording was uploaded to various video sharing sites on March 13th, three weeks after the apparent disappearances of Julia Noah and Casey Gallagher. It was widely considered to be a hoax or viral advertising for an upcoming horror movie or series but no one has yet claimed responsibility for the video or its posting. Independent reports from other urban explorers, and from the current owners of Peter Deguara’s former home, confirm there is a room below the house that looks identical to one the one where Julia and Casey begin their journey - except there is no metal hatch set into the floor, and therefore no ladder and no bunker. No locations have been positively identified to match any of the rooms seen once the pair enter the bunker. The investigation into Julia Noah and Casey Gallagher’s disappearances have failed to uncover any evidence as to what happened to the pair, or their current location.   ======   Sean: Probably inspired a bit by The Backrooms with this story. Honestly, The Backrooms is one of those stories which, as an author, you envy because it is just so perfectly put together. It’s so perfectly crafted with just the right use of language and just the right level of detail, so clean, so unsettling, just enough to build that sensory image in your head and draw the imagination. I honestly consider any attempt to expand on it a failure before it ever starts because it just so much better left unexplained. I have my own theories as to what the bunker is and what created it, as well as the creatures that roam its halls. But I always like a story that hints at a larger picture and lets the imagination run with it! Obviously this is one of a few experiments with different formats I’ve ventured into over the course of the year and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Next Week’s Inspiration: Flumph  

Protagonists. The most illogical species that have been created on the whims of the authors. Sure, there are exceptions, but most protagonists have the game rigged. How rigged? The entire casino has the support of basically the entire underground and all special operations forces AND they have rigged everything against you. One must see the Flash being beaten by Catwoman to realize who the protagonist is, because it definitely isn't Flash. ( That actually is a comic by the way ) So, because we who are not the protagonists or the people who worshipped, worship, or will worship the ground beneath them, and we still want to live after drawing the ire of the protagonist, I present to you [ How to Fight a Protagonist ]. This book will show, tell, and teach you how to fight illogical beings of might and luck, and might even help you kill them! So, let us begin, shall we?

“Expect nothing. That way, there is a lower chance that you will be disappointed. “ - Stepping Stone Strategist, after 4 years of battling the protagonist and losing practically everything.  When going against the protagonist, the first thing you must know is that you’re not going to win head-to-head. The way to win is to grind slowly, methodically, but time isn’t on your side. There were three ways protagonists died before their time. One was those protagonists who died because the author thought it was a fun idea, one was those that have been awake for half a year, disabled, broke 239 bones, blinded thrice, deaf four times, sot through the brain twice, burned, and a couple more. As both methods are wildly outlandish, we will focus on the third, a bit more sensible method : That is slowly grinding the protag to death.  Everything has a limit except the amount of braincells that the protag will take away during their reign. “Extremely wise Scholar?” Well, he’s no different from this monkey named Monke! Honestly, the small figments of knowledge you get help you immensely.  If you want to fight head on, It is customary for your plans to have at least 3 layers when dealing with a weaker protagonist, at least 5 when dealing with anything stronger. If we can’t defeat a pure piece of diamond with our own, then the hundred knives of coal will slowly chip away it. It is also suggested, if you are in a cultivation/magic/aura world that everyone in the plan is at least stronger than the protag in levels.  Why? Protags, especially those of [ Waste Wood ] and [ Immortal King Reincarnation ], are practically guaranteed to have a skill to beat people weaker than them. They also happen to be invincible within their cultivation/magic/aura stage. Which bluntly means that only people with higher cultivation are vaguely trustable. Vaguely because I’ve seen protags kill enemies 2 full major stages ahead of them. Trusting the world that logic will play out is trusting the world that they will make you lose somehow.  This concludes the physical head on aspect. What? You think that killing the protag only requires a single aspect? Truthfully, I’m padding out the words, Chinese BS style. Although using a God’s strength to kill a mortal protagonist is frankly possible, their luck bs [ another chapter one day ] would make them survive it, So, we move on, to the mental battle. Mentally, this is where most protags fall. Despite their “Great Dao Hearts” and “High Mental Fortitude”, they are still mortal. And need sleep. And rest. So, that is where we strike. We don’t need to hit em hard, just make sure that they can’t sleep. The more tired they are, the more likely they will make mistakes even with plot armor. And we are the villains are we not? We can make oh so many mistakes, but only “one” chance for the protag… Unless he is one of those people who use Time Loops in which case we are a lot more in shit than he is. But, all of this means you would need an army, an organization against the target of the high table, the shining Hero. And while you might not be affected by the IQ cube rooting power of the protag, other people are not necessarily so. They can still be affected by the stupid++ aura of the protagonist that is also known as "Talk No Jutsu". It convinces them to give everything that the protagonist needs to the protagonist. Including the plans. This is why we need groups of people, it's harder to cast Talk No Jutsu and work on all of them that way. So, always have counterstrategies that different people have different roles. This makes it so that even if the protagonist suddenly gains a new brother in arms, your core plan isn't fully exposed. So, we have established plans, ways to fight against the enemy, to even win against such an overpowering force.  But, plans are only established with sufficient knowledge of the enemy. And well, knowledge of the enemy is a valuable resource. Notes  [ Waste Wood ] - The trope where the protag was a genius, then became a useless waste of space then got ring with old man and became strong.  [ Immortal King Reincarnation ] - When an extremely powerful being either returns to their own body or some else’s. Assume they are the future self, and have knowledge of the unwritten future. It’s always the best to overestimating your target in this line of protag hunting work. 

Unknown time.   I am Rick. And I'm relaxing in the darkness of the void.I know I know a little Chuuni. But. Every very novel or fanfiction I read in my life has prepared me for this day. I've been waiting for a ROB or GOD. For to appear and grant me a few wishes, and I could go in my merry way. The thought of having a harem of beautiful women. Of all races. And have unlimited power. I could feel a shiver in my back. I would drool most of the time.Just thought about that glorious moment. I could resist the solitude and boredom of the void. My sense of time had gone to the trash. I don't know how many years have passed or centuries. I don't care anymore. - I had a hunch, Is coming, my moment of glory. I can feel it. "You will do." A majesty voice sound. It tells me no more, just three words, But they resonate with me. There was a blinding light. "Yeiii, I will be born." I thought that I'd go to be born as a baby. Just how in the novels is.But... where are my wishes? Where is that ROB? Was it that GOD? I have not said my wishes yet.   Year 1, Month 0   Darkness. Hunger. There was nothing more.I am not a baby, even with hungry. I could not see, hear, smell, say, or touch.Only the darkness. And a little less hunger.   Year 1, Months 5   It's weird not having my five senses.My hunger disappears with time. And from then on is like I'm always eating. My stomach is always full. It's a weird thing.   Year 2   It confirmed I am not human. I can't be human. There is no way to be one when you are a crystal. Or if my theory of being a Dungeon Core is Real. One particular day, I could start feeling again. It was weird, not the same way as I could do it as a human. It has an aura of a typical anime character. It expanded, little a little. And I could see through the Aura again. I'm a Sea color Crystal Core.   Through the months, I have discovered that I am eating the ground around me. Convert it in Mana. I think. Because there's no System, Status, or any of the game-characterized way of knowing your information, I am completely blocked. What happened to my glorious reincarnation. What happened to my glorious harem, my gloriously powerful cheats. I cry a little bit.   Year 3, Month 3   Whit the expanse of my aura, I'm creating a room around me, I had read few Dungeon fanfictions when I was human. Everything is engineered by the World System or just the Dungeon System. But I've noticed what I can do stuff from novel and fanfiction. But there must be 100 percent manual. Like this particle of every color in the air, who enter in my Crystal Core, feeding me, I think they are Mana particles. I can Attract them with my aura to speed up the gathering of Mana. With time I eat rock, sand, copper, and others mineral that are around. My aura press against them, decomposing them into mana particles. When is pressed against the floor or the walls. It is creating a domain, hardening, creating a boundary. I call it Domain because I can see everything in it. Every rock, every metal, even mana particles that are in my Dungeon. That brings me to my visitors. Not, not Humans, Elves, or other races.Just's a few spiders, The normals ones. And now I need to become a mad scientist to create my new minions. Because's there's no System. It's impossible to summon a monster to do my whims. And I need them. How will I protect myself from the greed of human kin?   I'm sorry spiders, tt's for the great good.   5 Year, Month 7   I have to feed the spider's minuscules, mana particles of different colors, red, blue, brown, green, black, etc. Many others. Sometimes it does nothing. Sometimes they explode, or turn aggressive and go in killing around. The most effective is the green particle. And I call it Natural Mana or Mana Plant. I could feel like the spider's stated to become corrupted, thanks to my domain. I could see the inside of them. See the changes my mana particles do. They will become my first minions.   Year 6, Month 9   My experiments continue. I create many nests of the spiders. All with different Mana food.Once they corrupted, I can form a Mana line, which is like silk thread from my Crystal to them. I can feel their presence with them, manipular with it. They compelled to my binds.   Year 8, Month 11   My first proper minion, The mutant spider, grew ten times the other ones.I feel my control grew. I can command it easier now. I need bigger, faster, and more lethal Spiders. I think I'm on the right path. I need more.   Year 11, Month 4   I hit a bottleneck. I could grow more mutant spiders. Now I'm trying to make them go out of my small cave, out my domain, to find other types of animals. I have to create an ecosystem, experiment with them to learn more. Every time they do go out, they explode. Maybe, something is missing.   Year 12, Month 8   Finally, I remember. Mana Crystal is typical monster loot. Creating a Mana Crystal was difficult and easy at the same time. I have to concentrate my mana particles in a specific spider egg and feed it as it grows, It cost me many spiders to learn that. The bigs spiders would explode with too much mana in them. - Once my new spider's monster was born, I could feel the differences. If I concentrate more on it. I could even see through them. My Mana line becomes more robust and could make them do more thick. There were not intelligent in any way, is just instinct of doing a thing. Like protect the territory, go hunt or something like that. My little monsters could command the normal without Core, corrupted spiders. Again just instincts, basic commands. Like. You find food. You make new hatching. You attack the enemy's hatching. Something like that. Now it's time to confirm my hypothesis of the mana crystal. And see if they can go out.   Year 12, Month 11   The experiment went great. After a few alterations, my little monster did not explode. And can go out of my little cave. When the spider got out of my domainI lost my connection with them. There was just a feeling of being alive, but no more. It passed few hours, and then the connection was cut up. Its death. But it did not dissuade me. I keep sending more, trying to get feedback.   I learn from my mistakes. My mistakes turned into knowledge.   I have to give the spider with instincts of what to do. Because they do have no intelligence, I have to make a series of instincts. Like, if something approaches his nest, it has to attack If hungry or has to go out to hunt and bring back its prey. Now they have to go out and hunt outside and bring it in my Domain for studies.  

To read earlier; https://tengriata.wordpress.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Emptiness. It's just that. It's dark, just like when you didn't touch the fâre for a while, the screen blacked out. So what the hell is going on? I'm dead? Or i'm under a duvet, and I can't help noting because I'm sleep-free. I put my hands up, but i started to get scared after a few attempts at something. Shit, are I really dead? I still had so much to do. Writing, Reading, Watching, My Goals. None of them existed. I've never felt so awful before. I'M DEAD! ***************! **************! "Is it over?" He said a voice. I shut up. I turned around. And I didn't see anything. I'm not looking there, I'm not looking here. "Now I'm hearing voices." "Let's finish this surprise part?" I jumped into the sudden sound, looked around once more and couldn't see anything again. "Don't bother." He said it again. "What the hell are you?" I said with recklessness with fear and anger. "Be nice, brat." He said the sound was a bit of fun. "What?" Said. "Okay, okay," he said, this time it was more serious. "Right now you're in emptiness." I was confused, no matter how much more confused it was going to be. "What?" "I brought you here." He said calmly. I said, "Why?" "You're dead." He simply said. I don't understand anything. Where am I? Why am I here? What's that noise? "Like I said, this is emptiness." He said it all of a sudden. "Pardon me." I said nervously. I've never been so scared before. How did I die? Why was I dead? Who the hell killed me? I heard a little giggles. "I loved you, and as much as I'd like to continue this ridiculous conversation, I need to tell you the basis of the story." He said the sound got serious towards the end. "Can you give me some time to calm down? I said right before the start. "Yes, i'm sure." He said the voice. Now... There's a VOICE. He tells me I'm dead and in a place called EMPTINESS. That aside, what was the last thing I did? As soon as I thought about it, I felt intense pain, the last time I heard such pain, when I was a kid imitating spiderman, I fell off the top of the seat and put my head on concrete. The torture continued for a while, then gradually decreased, eventually disappearing. "Don't torture yourself for nothing." He said the voice. "What?" I said with a slight pain. "I destroyed your body." He said the voice. I stopped for a moment. "Why would you do that?" "Because you don't need it anymore." Said. Now I'm really mad, really. Not knowing or understanding anything brings first surprise and then fear and anger. "Can you tell me what happened now?!" "I'm the Creator." He said the voice. "Did you have one?" I said, surprised. After all, I prefer Logic over Religion. I heard giggles. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time." After a moment, he got serious. "Look, son, I'm the Creator. Said. "But contrary to some people's claims, I have no god, no angels, no jinn. He continued. "That's what some beliefs say." I was finally able to say. "Yes, a few people were able to grasp it by thinking about it, but some of them were ridiculous." Then it looked like he was breathing. "But anyway, that's not the point, it's you." I asked, "Can you explain a little bit?" "The world you were in before was a world that had improved." He started. "But other rechargeable worlds aren't so lucky." "Other worlds?" Asked. "Anime, Mangaes, Books, Movies are many works of fiction, in reality necessary," he said. I shook my head slowly. "The creators of these so-called fictions see these worlds through dreams and blend and publish with their own interpretations and imaginations." I said, "For example?" "For example, Harry Potter, you'd be surprised how dark that world is, and then there's Naruto, and you really believe that people with powers like that are going to be so innocent." He continued. "I understand, I always thought it was too short-sighted to attract young people or themselves." Said. "Of course, there are some who are very close to the truth, for example, the Song of Ice and Fire. Then there's Tokyo Ghoul, almost one-on-one. Except for the end." He said the voice. "It's nothing more than an end to a story like that." I said uncomfortable. "The end was that the author committed suicide." Said. I said, "Really?" Although Ishida Sui never disclosed her identity. "Yes, the writer was actually quite fragile, and at the end he couldn't stand it, and he was a poor person." He said calmly. I said, "Wait a while, why are you telling me all this?" "Like I said, your world has improved, but it's not the world I just mentioned." He started. "We need someone to fix those worlds. And that's you." "Why did you choose me?" "Because you hate these optimistic worlds, and you don't just know how to be more realistic, you know how to fix them." He said the voice. "As I said, while these worlds are happy at the end, it's not anyone's dick what happened to the rest of the world, limited to just a few people." I said, "Yes." "These shitty worlds don't have a main person and thatched friends, as opposed to fiction, but countless lives and labors can't be ignored behind the meaningless friendship and love affair of these idiots." He said the voice. It said, "Thank you, thank you." So, are you going to save these worlds and living beings?" I said, "So you believe I'm going to fix them." "Yes, you have enough skills and personality." He said, "Voice." It's not going to be easy, those worlds are pretty corrupt." He said the voice. "You said you were creative, why don't you?" Asked. "Yes, I'm creative, but i don't see people as my children, as expressed in religions, but that doesn't mean I'm going to clean up their mess forever." Said. I went at him, "Why?" "If I intervene, everything will be fine, but it won't improve." He said calmly. "It's just like the lame main person in these garbage works, despite all his incompetence, so many superior beings can be overpowered by the power of friendship or a little work and do whatever he wants." He ended up with a little anger. "But you said these stories were real, not entertainment. Don't tell me you didn't do it just for fun." I said with a little hope. "No, no, no, no, no, "I'm not going to do It would be like a parent looking after a child who has come of age. I said, "What did you mean?" "Although I said the world was the earliest to rest, you still have a long way to go, but compared to other worlds, it's called heaven." and continued." That's one of the reasons why the works are so pure, you tend to be very optimistic about everything." "I'm not going to do You're also very experienced, your long history, your infinite imagination, and your very different people make you better than anyone else." he finished. My brain did what they were told, and as crazy as it seemed, I had no choice but to believe it. "So what am I supposed to do?" I asked him, though I had no choice, and I wanted to, and i could make it better, no matter how happy I was with my life. "Yes, your life will be much better." said the sound. "Oh, you could read my mind, couldn't you?" I've expressed more than just a question. "Say enough level. As satisfied as you were with your previous life, you'll do better in other worlds with your mentality and personality. He said for a long time." It's an unacceptable waste, someone like you brings a new order, it doesn't keep the old one." he finished. I shook my head slowly, and I always thought that the pages of history would look envy at those who ended the turmoil and brought order, and I could imagine myself in their place, and those like me had already done everything that was fun, in short, all the schemes, revolutions. I, on the other hand, could have accomplished a very small part of what I could do. "What you need to do," the voice began. I'm going to make you reborn in one of those needy worlds, and you're going to bring peace to that world." "I'm not going to do And I'm going to give you a system to make it easier for you." said the sound. "WHAT?!" "You didn't have to yell." "You don't really need this, but I want to help as much as I can." I said, "Can you really give me a string?" The system was one of those great things that worked so well in these player stories that it was impossible to see and not want to. "Yes, i'm going to have to He approved. "Now, if you're done with your questions, I'll send you." "I don't have any more questions." I said. "Good luck." Said. Then there was a light. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- To read earlier; https://tengriata.wordpress.com/

To read earlier; https://tengriata.wordpress.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Hogwarts in train. - Alfred Lenistır --------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                        ALFRED He woke up shaken by the sudden noise of the train. He started looking around while he was siming burrs with one hand. It was a simple train compartment. He just looked at the glass window where he was with his head to sleep. The reflected person was a cute boy with amber eyes and black hair. He was wearing a baggy black robe. He got up and started getting nervous. A little later, he leaned over to look under the seat. He pulled out a big brown bag from the inside. He opened it, it was full of books, paper, silk and wood. He took a book from the pile. You have received the skill book [Basic Magic Book: 1st Class] [Will you learn this skill] [Yes] [No] He didn't want to get a headache yet. He put the book on the couch and pushed the bag back. He put his hand in the chest pocket of the black, baggy and long robe he was wearing and pulled it out. What he pulled out was a long, black stick. It seemed pretty simple. Karaçalı Wand - Rank: Special A magical wand made by Ollivander from the black tree and dragon heart. The use of spells costs 50% less Spirit. Spells are 50% stronger. He put the wand back in his pocket and sat on the couch. He opened the book and started reading it. Even though he could find out right away, he didn't want to get a headache, and he needed something to pass the time. After a while, the partition door opened and two kids came in. He looked calmly at the translucent windows that appeared above their heads. Daphne Greengrass - LV 12 Tracey Davis - LV 9 'She's one of those people who often appears in Fan Fiction but hardly ever appears in the original work.' He smiled slightly at them, "Hello." Completely ignoring his greeting, they settled in the seats opposite him. His smile grew. They probably assumed it was blurry or half-blood and chose to ignore it. It's back to the book you have. It was written a little boring, but there was an expense to the spells in it. The train's whistle was heard and took off. He sighed as he turned the page. A children's education book could only be so boring. Careful work has raised your intelligence by 1 level. He ignored the window, raised his head slightly and looked at the two children who were whispering. Daphne looked like the well-known rich girl with white skin, silky blonde hair and pale blue eyes in many productions. It's one of those people who's usually made to annoy the reader. His face was expressionless, but because she was a child, she looked so weird. Probably because she's just starting out. Tracey was the opposite with her black hair and brown eyes. Daphne was pretty uninspiring with him. Daphne couldn't even look him in the eye. She was the oilman of a rich girl in many productions. Most people don't remember his name or even his face, she's one of those people who doesn't matter. Rich and annoying baby who doesn't know anything about life. The door opened slightly, a chubby aunt smiling slightly pushing a serving cart full of sugar. "Do you want anything, dear?" Two kids quietly walked to the woman. After taking as much sugar as he could carry his hands, they took their place. He walked to the car smiling at her. "Can I have a chocolate frog?" He said, "There's going to be a sickle, honey." He gave me the money and took the candy. "Thank you." "Enjoy the journey, darlings." When I sat down again, the two girls were eating a cauld boiler cake. Chocolate Frog- Ranking: Magical A frog-shaped chocolate captivated to act like a real frog for 5 seconds. Health and Men +5. He's not going to eat it yet, he put the dessert in his pocket and he's back in his book. After a while, he heard a gag. Curiously, he looked at the children in front of him. Tracey was throwing up holding her mouth with her hands. One of those weird jellyfish boxes fell open and empty. He sighed lightly and returned to his book. "What, you got something to say?" He came back smiling at her. "Is there a problem?" "This must have all been so weird for you." She said she folded her arms around her chest and narrowed her eyes. He'd laugh if he didn't hold back at the last minute. It's probably something her mother saw. It was no problem if it was bigger but a squirm... "Wow, i'm so sorry. You're right, I'm new. This whole thing is really new and weird for me. Everything on this side is fantastic," he said when he calmed himself down. "It's like I'm in a book." His smile grew. "I'm Alfred Lannister." "I'm Daphne Greengrass." Alfred reached out and shook hands. "I'm Tracey Davis!" After the other girl packs up. She got up and waved as she sat next to Alfred. She had that disgusting candy bag in his other hand. "Try it." She was staring at Daphne. Daphne was grinning slightly. He sighed at his childish jokes. "Thank you." His eyes fell in the box. A window appeared in each candy, which made him understand what it was. He finally picked out a yellow candy. He threw it in his mouth slowly. The two girls looked on with excitement they couldn't hide. Unfortunately, they're disappointed. "Lemon, my favorite." Tracey didn't seem to admit defeat. "Do you want more?" This time he got a green candy. "Watermeson." "Another one." "Cotton candy." "Again." "Bananas, I think." "Why don't you take it again?" "Apple." She finally returned to her seat sulking. He looked at Daphne innocently. "Did I do something wrong?" "... No, but I have to say, you're pretty lucky," she said, sounding a little impressed. After all, she was an 11-year-old boy. At this age, all children were affected by almost everything. "All right, i'll be right back So, Daphne, can you tell me a little bit about the wizarding world?" He had to get as much information as he could. It's been a while since I've looked at books and movies. He also said it would be different than fiction. "Why would I do that?" she said. [A task has been created.] [Influence an Heir: Daphne Greengrass doesn't see you as valuable. Change your mind. Completion award: 500 EXP With Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, the a relationship increases. Failure: None] "Since you've lived on this side longer than I have, I thought you might give me a few bits of a tip." "I think." she said while grinning slightly. "But what do I get in return?" "I don't have anything to interest you at the moment, but... How about a good deed?" "Is it just a favor?" She didn't seem too pleased. "Then why don't I show you a magic trick I just found out? If you can understand how I did it, you can ask me for something." The two girls looked at me for a moment. "Good" Daphne finally said. Comfortable. Why not, she's been in magic since she was a baby. There was no way a mudblood could pass him through magic. Alfred grinned. Tracey took the candy can she left with her. "Now watch the box." They approached to see better and leaned slightly. After he made sure he got all the attention, he quickly hit the box. It just disappeared. Without a trace. "Tada! How was it?" Daphne seemed confused. "What did you do? I didn't feel any magic." He looked at him. "Do you need to feel it?" "Yes, i'm going to have to What do you expect from muggleborn?" The little girl mumbled unscathedly. It probably bothered him that a finder could do such magic. The two spoke with murmurs between them for a while. He waited patiently for them. In the end, Daphne raised her head with defeat. She seemed really uncomfortable. "I don't know how you did it." Of course she didn't know. That wasn't English magic. He clapped his hands together and the box re-emerged. Watch back the kids. "I told you it was a proper trick." He said when he took another lemon sugar out of the box and threw it in his mouth. [Task complete.] Your level is up 1. Now the ice was broken. The children were not afraid to answer their questions. Over time, they started talking about themselves, not this world. It wasn't very personal. Things that don't really matter, like their families, their loved ones and their habits. He began to think that this was quite different from that in fiction. But there really wasn't a big change. That's a relief. Knowing the future would have helped him greatly. "Alfred, what house do you want?" "Probably Ravenclaw." "I think this is the best choice for you," she said thoughtfully, "many powerful witches and wizards have come out of Ravenclaw." He said, "You're going to join Slytherin." "Naturally." "I hope we all go to the households we want." They chatted for a while. The three of them chatted nonstop, the only interruption a cute girl with bushy hair knocked on the door to ask if they had seen a frog. Alfred looked at him very carefully. It seemed like a mixture of the film and the book. He couldn't help but wonder what the other people looked like. They finally stopped. He looked out the window. "We're here," Alfred said lightly. From a distance, it looked like a great medieval fortress. 'It's going to be troublesome.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------To read earlier; https://tengriata.wordpress.com/