Arcturus, a Royal Knight of the kingdom of Lumiere, recalls the days of his time with his first love when he finds himself fighting against Claire on the battlefield. Will he live up to his duty as a Royal Knight of the kingdom or will he succumb to his emotions and lose his heart?
People claimed that one would never forget their first love, and they weren't wrong. Even after a decade had passed, memories of her still lingered vividly in my mind.
Back in those days, we shared an innocent, unadulterated affection for each other. Every time we held hands, it felt like I was so sure of what I wanted in life. To me, being with her someday in the future was a distant dream that I wanted to mold into reality.
The way her eyes smiled along with her lips was tantalizing. And each time she called out my name was music to my ears. Those days were long gone...but not forgotten.
A decade ago, we were classmates at the academy. I had never bothered to pay attention to anyone, for all I focused on was my mastery of magic, the ways of the sword, and the art of war.
I was lauded for my prowess in all fields, including academics. My peers respected me, and I made many friends. But even then, most were afraid of me.
Though it pained me to admit this, I used to be a hothead, and I had a violent streak. Nobody ever dared to provoke me, and somehow, it made me feel like all the friends I made weren't real. None of them saw who I really was, and who I wanted to become.
Our professors and instructors often turned to me for demonstrations of hard spells, difficult academic subjects, and even bold fighting skills. For that reason, many of my batchmates were either envious of me or resented me.
One fine day, as I sat on the park bench, staring at a distance and on my own, a wide-eyed lass named Claire approached me. She sat beside me and gave me a Jasmine flower.
"Do you know what jasmines symbolize?" she asked me, staring right at my face.
I'd never been one to make eye contact, so I looked away and answered, "I don't. I never bothered to learn about flowers."
Claire opened my palm and put the stem of the flower in my hand. "They signify joy," she said, still maintaining eye contact. "I don't know if you know me, but we're from the same class. Miss Ibarra's class."
She then heaved a sigh and said, "You have friends around you, but I think you're lonely. I'm not going to ask you why because we don't know each other that well yet. This is why this flower is all I can give you for now. I hope that this flower becomes the mark of joy in your life. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon, you'll find happiness."
For one full second, I felt like time had stopped. I couldn't help but look at her face. And there, I saw the brightest smile I'd ever seen in my fifteen years of existence. Her eyes glimmered beneath the sunlight, and her curly brown hair danced along with the wind.
At the time, I had no idea how it felt to have strong feelings for someone, so I turned to the only logical explanation: it was curiosity that drew me to her.
From that day on, I paid attention to her in class. She wasn't the best at academics, and she was above average at best. In terms of combat, she was quite lacking in comparison to the other female students. But when it came to arts and crafts, she was in her element.
Everything she made was a masterpiece and a sight to behold. And in truth, I became more beholden to her after I came to that realization. I started to notice the more subtle details of her appearance and her skills.
Not only was she good at arts, but she was also quite adept at creating complex spells. There was one time, we were partners in an activity. We were supposed to come up with a complex spell that involved water and earth energy.
During the activity, she was able to create a painting in the sand of different colors using only the mana she weaved from the water in the air and the mana she drew out from the soil. It was a picture of the bench under the tree we sat on.
How beautiful her smile was when she saw just how captivated I was by the picture she drew out of magic.
It was then that I noticed she had hazel-colored eyes. There was a tiny mole near her left eye, but it didn't diminish her beauty. As a matter of fact, the tiny mole elevated it.
When she tilted her head at me, wondering why I was staring so intently at her, I looked away, fearing that I was too enamored by her face.
"That's a great picture," I told her.
My remark only made her chuckle. "You were staring at me, not the picture," she countered.
I shook my head to deny her claim and excused myself, saying that I was heading to the bathroom to pee.
But in truth, I went there to wash my face and shake the overwhelming emotions off.
Ever since I was a boy, I had always been logical, straightforward, and straitlaced. I put my duty to my family and my dreams of being a Royal Knight of the kingdom above all else.
But ever since I met her, I began to develop feelings that I'd never felt before. Whenever I was around her, I felt warm inside. At times, I would catch myself staring at her in a daze. And when she caught me staring, she'd cover her mouth and giggle.
Days passed by and the day of the academy's festival came. I found myself searching for her across the dimly lit halls. Sometime later, I found her enjoying a nice time with some guy from our class, laughing and chatting with him.
Seeing them together like that made me feel suffocated. It felt like someone had gripped my heart and ripped it apart, piece by piece. I never knew that emotional pain could be so physically painful as well.
I must admit that I didn't know what heartbreak was back then, but it sure hurt a lot to see her with some other guy. To make matters worse, we weren't even together. She was just a friend who happened to give me an innocent Jasmine flower.
As I stood frozen outside the classroom, staring right at Claire and her friend, I didn't notice that she had noticed me as well. When I finally came to my senses, I ran away like the idiot I was.
Later, I sat at the bench I first met her. There were lots of people passing by, but I couldn't see any of them. Time slowed down. Red leaves fell from the tree behind me and fell onto the spot on the bench beside me.
I was in a trance. I couldn't see, hear, nor feel a thing aside from the heartbreaking pain in my chest.
All of a sudden, I heard her sweet voice calling out to me. She touched my shoulder and sent me back to reality. "Arcturus!"
She shook me one more time and said, "Why'd you run off like that?"
I looked away, unable to stare into her eyes. "Nothing," I said. "Just go back to your friend."
"He is my friend. Why do you sound so upset?" Claire asked. "We're friends, too, right?"
"Right," I answered passively. Then, I stood up and tried to walk away.
But then, she held my wrist and for some reason, she was blushing. "Were you... jealous?" she asked again.
I couldn't answer her question because I didn't know what jealousy felt like. "I don't know," I said, staring at her hand on my wrist.
Refusing to let me go, she responded, "I won't let you go until you tell me something! You can't just say 'nothing' or 'I don't know'. At least help me understand you!"
After taking a deep breath, I endured the suffocating pain in my heart and said, "Seeing you with him made my heart ache for some reason. I don't understand how feelings work yet, and I'm not even sure if these are the right words to describe how I feel about you."
I had never spoken so many words at one time without necessity, but I found myself unable to stop speaking.
"Every time you smile at me, I feel warm inside. And the days I spend with you are the most peaceful ones I've had in all my life. But... seeing you smile the same way at someone else made me feel like my heart is about to explode." I clutched my chest and continued, "Even as I speak now, it still feels like my heart is being jabbed with needles over and over."
This time, I was able to look her in the eye, but my vision had become blurred by my own tears. "Before I met you, I was so sure of what I wanted to become, and I could live without depending on anyone to complete my day. But now... I'm not so sure anymore."
A smile appeared on her lips, and a tear rolled down her cheeks, but she remained silent.
"You've become someone I can no longer live without. My day isn't complete without talking to you. And each moment I wake up, I counted down the minutes until you arrive at school and sit next to me in class. You've... you've got some sort of hold on me that I just can't shake off. You-"
Before I could even finish my sentence, she planted a kiss on my lips. And just as I was about to recover from the shock, she said to me, "I'm in love with you, too."
From that day on, we spent lunch breaks together, and I dropped her off at home every single day. It was truly a blissful time.
But as I said before... those days were long gone.
Atreus has reached the height of success, building a vast conglomerate that brought him wealth and recognition. Yet, even with everything he ever dreamed of, he feels a void that nothing seems to fill. One evening, while taking a walk, he becomes a witness to a mugging and nearly loses his life in the chaos. When he wakes up in the hospital, he sees the woman he saved sitting by his side. In her presence, he feels a strange familiarity that pulls him back to his past, to the days when he first learned what it meant to love. "A Last Letter for My Stargazer" follows Atreus as he confronts the emptiness within him and uncovers the lost pieces of his heart.
In the post-apocalyptic wasteland known as The Black Spot, hope is a scarce commodity. Arslan, a hardened survivor haunted by a traumatic past, wanders through the desolate ruins with only his cynicism and combat skills as companions. But when he crosses paths with Nova, a quick-witted thief, and Leona, a relentless fighter with a strong sense of justice, their fates become entwined. Together, they form an unlikely alliance in a world where trust is a luxury. As they navigate the treacherous terrain and encounter ruthless factions, their shared objective emerges: to piece together the fragments of hope amidst the chaos. Arslan's unwavering determination to find his lost love, Clarisse, propels them forward, as they uncover secrets that shake the very foundations of their shattered world. In 'Fragments of Hope,' survival means more than just staying alive—it means finding the strength to fight for a better future. As alliances are tested, loyalties are questioned, and sacrifices are made, these survivors must rise above their own demons and forge a path toward redemption. Will their shared resilience be enough to rebuild what has been lost, or will they be consumed by the darkness that surrounds them?
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A troubled knight losing his grip on reality searches for a purpose in life. When he stumbles upon a young noblewoman named Esfir in the grips of a dilemma, he finds a memory of an old flame. In his quest to help Esfir, will he find his purpose or will he lose what remains of himself?
Terraria, a world governed by the six elemental knights. They bring balance, stability, and life to this world. But legend has it that one day, a seventh knight will appear, wreaking havoc and destruction wherever he walks. A man named Sigurd embarks on a quest to find The Seventh Knight and do whatever it takes to kill him.
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...