"Do you want me to get you the essence of a phoenix feather or something?" Chase asked, his tone more teasing than concerned.
He leaned lazily against the carriage's plush interior, his blue circular shades catching the early morning sunlight that slanted through the window. Across from him sat Jasper, the ginger-haired young man he'd picked up from Frey Manor at the brink of dawn.
...
2024-11-23 20:39:53 +0000 UTC View PostHow did I not notice?
I stared at the plate before me, food vanishing from it with startling swiftness as Leona plowed through the dishes. Morning sunlight bathed the patio dining table in a soft, golden glow, filtered by the pergola's shade and the sheer linen drapes hanging above. Below us, the Town of Ascot bustled with activity, its streets already alive with movement.
At least ...
2024-11-17 06:48:08 +0000 UTC View PostI looked around in the quiet of the night, letting every detail seep into my senses.
The initial anger regarding the Misfortune Sister's meddling in my life, which had driven me to practice Chaos magic for so long, had finally subsided, making way for curiosity and wonder.
I gazed over the intricate pattern on the metal watering can to my right, the mosaic clay pots stacked on my le...
2024-11-09 19:24:04 +0000 UTC View PostI grew up on tales of my birth mother's accomplishments and daring deeds, mainly recounted to me by Micah, who held many fond memories of her. With Mother and Father often away on business, Yelena had been more of a parent to him than anyone else.
Her immersion into the Frey family began with a debt of gratitude. Yelena had saved Mother's life during a targeted raid on a small village tha...
2024-11-02 19:09:44 +0000 UTC View PostClaude slid inside the carriage and let out a long sigh. He sagged into the plush seat, all of his energy drained.
Outside his window, Genise sprawled in silent shadows. The hazy glow of dim light stone street lanterns cast faint halos onto cobblestone streets while the dark buildings loomed with an ominous air.
Beletris entered quietly, settling across from him without a hint of ex...
2024-10-26 22:30:14 +0000 UTC View PostI just got a call from my mom about an emergency mid-edit of this chapter--I will finish editing it later today and publish then.
Thank you for your understanding and support!
( /・・)ノ
2024-10-26 16:10:11 +0000 UTC View Post~Say, Master…. You could have taken more artifacts, you know. Or even something more powerful.
Apophis hissed from my shoulder.
I rolled the Ring of Fractures in my hand as I walked past the cages, down toward Azgralos's residence.
I was still in disbelief that the ring I found as a child and carved my name into was a Chaos artifact. Moreover, Apophis had confirmed ...
2024-10-19 20:52:18 +0000 UTC View Post~So many books. Apophis hissed in quiet awe as he took in the vast expanse of the library. Your grandmother has clearly amassed a great deal of knowledge.
"She has indeed," Luca murmured, heading up the spiral staircase to the library's second floor.
Apophis' sleek form coiled tightly around Luca's left arm as his purple eyes swept over the towering shelves, ...
2024-10-12 18:52:21 +0000 UTC View Post"Hahhhh," I sighed as I exited the room and walked toward my bedroom. Each footstep echoed sharply in the quiet, long hall against the polished stone floor.
You did significantly better in your later games against your grandmother.
Leona chimed from my right shoulder, her warmth flickering as a comforting presence.
~Indeed. Master played the rest of the games with...
2024-10-05 18:51:31 +0000 UTC View Post"Grandma!"
I stepped out of the carriage with a broad smile. I rushed forward, with my gaze fixed on my grandmother, who stood between two neat rows of servants, radiating her usual warmth.
The sky behind the villa was streaked with pink and purple hues, casting the late hour in a tranquil light.
"Ah, Luca, it's so good to see you." She smiled brightly as she pulle...
2024-09-28 18:31:45 +0000 UTC View Post"Young master Luca, don't follow him. He's dangerous," Nirre warned, her voice tense.
"She's right," Henry added, his grip tightening on his sword.
Yeah, no kidding. It's Claude Noire. Of course, he's dangerous.
My eyes drifted toward the charred bodies and the piles of bones. I suspected the woman beside him, likely a mage, was responsible for the charring, while the clean pi...
2024-09-21 18:57:22 +0000 UTC View Post"Is this all there is on Luca Frey?" Claude Noire lifted the two thin sheets of paper as if he were examining a pair of wilted lettuce leaves.
Given the cryptic urgency in the message from his past self in Round 75—especially when paired with the ominous warning about Micah Frey—Claude had ordered Beletris to conduct a thorough background check on the younger Frey.
But this ...
2024-09-14 18:45:45 +0000 UTC View Post~Hahhh. What a glutenous phoenix you are. I've met many, but never one with an appetite like yours.
Apophis hissed from where he was coiled tightly around my left upper arm and shoulder, his smooth, cool scales shifting against my skin.
I shivered when he moved across my red tunic and over my exposed collarbone.
And what an insolent snake you are. You lack appreci...
2024-09-07 16:06:34 +0000 UTC View Post// Author's Note 1:
Thank you for your support!
Here's a slightly early (and longer than usual) chapter going into the long weekend for those in the United States and Canada.
ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
"Are you able to reverse engineer it?" Micah asked as he ran his finger over t...
2024-08-30 16:14:51 +0000 UTC View Post"Ahhh, there's never a dull moment with you, Luca." Prince Chase's laughter filled the Rose Room, bright and carefree. "Last night was a real treat."
The violet-haired Prince of the Daylan Dynasty sat across from me, radiating annoyingly high energy for this early in the day. Between us, a teapot of strong black tea sat waiting to finish brewing, and I desperately needed it to work its ma...
2024-08-24 18:58:36 +0000 UTC View Post// Author's Note #1:
Given last week's chapter came a bit late, I figured I'd share this week's chapter a tad early.
Thank you for your support and hope you have a great weekend!
◝(ᵔᵕᵔ)◜
"Is this really the time for a music lesson?" Gradov yelled out behind me.
I spun around, horrified to see him with his sword drawn, ready...
2024-08-16 13:45:05 +0000 UTC View Post// Author's Note:
It's here! Thanks for waiting. Longer chapter than usual.
Also, negative for covid! It was something else. :D
[ You have died. ]
[ Reset in progress. ]
BlueLizard stared at the blue notifications and blinked, perplexed.
What in the world just happened? ...
2024-08-12 19:47:03 +0000 UTC View PostAh, shoot. I might have come down with covid. Brain is a total fog.
I will publish Ch 180 once I have the brain power to review it properly (~Sunday/Monday).
Thank you for your support!
⸜(˶´ ˘ `˶)⸝
2024-08-10 18:46:57 +0000 UTC View PostThis is precisely what I was afraid of.
Micah sighed and gazed at the expectant Luca standing in his office. His eyes moved toward the black snake in the cage that his brother was holding.
"I'll ask Evelyn at the ball tonight about having her promise tattoo artist come in and create a contract tomorrow," he said. "She’s the best for this sort of delicate work."
"Tha...
2024-08-03 19:25:05 +0000 UTC View Post"And thus, Apophis was taken down by the true gods," Rana finished the story.
"Was he thrown in jail by Ra and the others? Or did they kill him?" One of the nine children sitting before her, a boy with curly blonde hair, asked.
They were all gathered outside, comfortably seated in the shade of a large oak tree. The sky above was a brilliant blue, and the sun cast a warm, golden glow...
2024-07-27 19:09:52 +0000 UTC View Post"It's like I'm working alongside ghosts," Fleur muttered, looking about two skulls off from where I actually was.
[[ The best of ghosts. ]]
An orange screen appeared before her, an illusion I projected since even if I spoke aloud, it was unlikely she would hear me.
The Stealthy Pull Tab dangled on a thin silver chain around my neck. Its appearance was nothing remarkable; it wa...
2024-07-20 18:57:25 +0000 UTC View Post"Sir?" The blonde concierge smiled brightly at Henry with her pink lips. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"Give me a moment." Henry's eyes moved through the contract, struggling with the language.
I can't sign this in good conscience.
He heaved a sigh and wiped the sweat that pulled up at the base of his hairline.
I would have rather cut down everyone do...
2024-07-13 18:58:23 +0000 UTC View PostMy eyes moved between the two Random Character Checkers as the contents rolled through. One had appeared upon my request, while the other was a fortunate addition.
Lucky me.
[ Random Character Check in progress for Saga Duex. ]
Below the blue rolling screens sat the VVIP being inspected, the only person in this room surrounded by curved walls that doubled as aquariums filled w...
2024-07-06 18:51:08 +0000 UTC View PostI should organize the order of the notifications and reminders for future Rounds.
I frowned, gazing out the rocking carriage window at the familiar yet different buildings of Genise that I passed by.
The System had diligently provided the reminders I had set for myself from the previous Round, but the timing of them was something worth improving. There was an avalanche of informatio...
2024-06-29 07:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostA knock sounded from outside my bedroom.
Ah, damn it.
I stared at my new ceiling, which had intricate all-white molding. In the center hung a copper chandelier, whose light stones were in various shades of white, yellow, and orange. The light stones were currently inactive, but sunlight peeking through the curtains still caught their glassy surface and reflected their colors around ...
2024-06-22 18:59:18 +0000 UTC View PostThat’s unexpected.
Chase gazed down from his third-floor balcony, his eyes covered in reflective circular shades. He watched intently a trio of men walking down the street below.
Tambourine and banjo music while the people of Dredgor carried on through the sun-scorched streets of Alliyah, their capital city.
Chase lifted his mug and sipped the cool, blue drink insid...
2024-06-15 19:34:17 +0000 UTC View PostTap. Tap. Tap.
Lord Soren Ashbourne's shoes tapped loudly across the massive and empty hallway, which he was told was quite an impressive sight in its heyday. Today, however, it was but a cold, dark, dusty shell of its former glory, bearing the weight of neglect.
The once-polished basalt floors, carved directly from the Kobar mountainside, were now tarnished and cracked. Soaring arc...
2024-06-08 18:50:01 +0000 UTC View Post"Happy birthday, Luca!"
My parents, Elda, Jarvis, Jasper, Fin, Sarka, and Henry, exclaimed. Their smiling and radiant faces looked toward me from around the dining table, illuminated by the warm glow of light stones above the room. Arnold's rabbit stew's invigorating properties were in effect.
I blinked.
That's right. Today was my birthday.
I gazed down at the creamy bir...
2024-06-01 18:56:13 +0000 UTC View PostLoan sharks.
They were common enough in Genise, preying on desperate people in urgent need of cash, a plight not uncommon in the bustling city. Their scheme was laughably obvious but effective. They dangled a glimmer of hope before their victims in the form of instant cash, but with it came triple-digit interest rates, a debt trap that was impossible to dig oneself out of.
// Author's Note:
Hello! Hello! I rested up and got to leisurely plan and draft out this segment's chapters, caught up on some personal reading, got a pay raise at work, plus my company hired two new people that helped lift off some of the burden from my shoulders. Overall, life has been good. :)
Back on track with chapters, coming out ea... 2024-05-18 19:14:03 +0000 UTC View Post