bruised palms bruised pride

Some exist with pride, others struggle with pride, some compete with pride, and there are those who fail with pride, but very few can walk away with pride. Congratulations, for as you read these lines, you have witnessed the whole lives of many great basketball players. This pronunciation was embodied when Stephen Curry, after facing defeat in 2021, claimed that no one would want to face them the following season; When Tim Duncan was convinced before the start of the 2014 Finals that they would not mess up; When Kobe Bryant promised at Old Buss's memorial to take the Lakers to the playoffs; When Nowitzki, shedding his label as a soft player, retreated to the locker room in tears at night; When Kevin Garnett let out a skyward howl after holding the championship trophy; When the 2004 Detroit Pistons won and the F4 Lakers lost… Our story begins in an era when pride still mattered.

Darkness reigned before the dawn of light... Who would have thought that his mundane life would take a chilling turn one day? Trapped in the monotony of his office existence, Simon suddenly finds himself thrust into an extraordinary realm beyond imagination. Death was merely the beginning... When Simon opened his eyes next, a fantastical landscape vastly different from his familiar office cubicle awaited him. A marvellous sight, a different world. The cruel life... Althaea, a realm of merciless brutality where the law of survival dictates: eat or be eaten, kill or be killed. Born not as a human... Simon emerges as a demon, a being shunned by humanity and embroiled in a relentless war between humans and demons. The Seraphims, protector of humanity, and the Demon lords who rule across all demonkind. Amidst all the chaos, he must navigate the treacherous hierarchy of demonkind as one of the lowest-ranking Demon Nobles. The unique power... The art of dungeon creation—a golden opportunity to ascend above the chaos and establish his dominion. With power comes adversaries... Now he must delve deeper, unveil its hidden powers and forge alliances that will dictate his fate. Fight rival demons, vengeful seraphims, and ancient evils who were up to no good. . Join Simon on his odyssey through a world teetering on the edge of destruction, where every step forward is fraught with danger and every decision could mean life or death. Will he rise to the challenge and defy the odds, or will he succumb to the unforgiving darkness that threatens to consume him? ----- Join our discord for Q&A and to chat with fellow members- https://discord.gg/bXexmSNeqn You can support me by helping me buy illustrations:- patreon.com/ViciousPepper.

Although Wisana was the son of a developer of “Pride Online”, the most popular game of this time, he had never shown any interest in the gaming world. However, when his crush mentioned she was playing the game, he immediately joined in! He began his journey as a clueless new player, so inexperienced that even a two-year-old could defeat him! His misfortune was endless from the start… First, he landed in front of a Boss-level monster! Then, he accidentally kicked the boss and had to run for his life… And when he tried to sell his items for some money, he almost got tricked by a cunning seller! Yet, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Just as he was about to fall for the seller's trick, a girl named Maysa suddenly appeared and saved him. She taught him everything about this virtual world and even invited him to join her party. Who would have known… that their lives would change forever… The system would like to announce an event from the GM, hunting the Boss “Lord Inferno” at the abandoned dungeon with a Mini Event “Get the shot if you dare!” “This is definitely our event,” Maysa said, looking up at Wisana with sparkling eyes. Wisana turned to look at the pretty face that was made up with a smile as always. But he somehow felt anxious. “I changed my mind. We’re not going to Tristan tomorrow. We’re going to the abandoned dungeon!” “Huh!!” And so, the legendary adventure of the duo began!

on April 19th four brothers are born. All four fated to do great things in there futures. There father a king is over joyed at there births, happy to see which one of his sons is going to be his heir for the throne. But in this kingdom there can only be one king.

Ashton is stuck between an underwater volcano, and a heart devouring dragon. Metaphorically speaking anyway. The princess of the sea has sworn on her mother's life to drag him down. Problem is, Ashton can't be killed. So after hundreds of years of pulling beasts of legend to her side, rewriting history, and backing him into a corner where he broke his heart into pieces, she thinks that with one final push... she may convince Ashton to simply end his own existence. Ashton is fully aware of her little schemes, it's not every day a dragon get's its still beating heart ripped out, then is bound to the land it ruthlessly conquered. Ashton would have even found it mildly poetic that the slain dragon was now forced to bless the land for all eternity... if, and emphasis on the IF, the blessing hadn't been twisted into a curse for the last 700 years. Now, Ashton has a few minor inconveniences to deal with. First, he's stuck in a decaying body. Second his memories aren't fully intact. Third, it would prick his pride if the descendants of "blessed" dragon died while he was in their territory. Fourth, he has two really, really, REALLY scary siblings that don't always bother with the details. Fifth, the only reason this princess and her grandmother even had the chance to scheme against him is because he was looking for a possible mate. He's the only one of his kind, thousands of years alone has him craving for a companion... for a heart to sing just for him... There are really only two outcomes now that Ashton is starting to regain his memories. Will the princess succeed in dragging him down, used as the new sacrifice to keep the "blessing" going, or will he ascend? Well, maybe three outcomes. Maybe this time a heart will sing for him as he ascends... a bird can hope.

Chosen by a former Olympic swimmer to train for the 2016 Games as a pre-teen, Reed’s journey begins. Along the way, he develops feelings for two childhood friends: neighbor Cal and lifelong rival Mathias. Cal’s struggle with his sexuality brings tragedy. Mathias’s wealth makes Reed feel as if they’re from different worlds.<br><br>As Rio approaches, Mathias becomes a gay sports icon, while Reed must hide his sexuality for a lucrative endorsement deal important to his family’s future. Reed’s unresolved desires for both men remain, and so do the things that have kept them apart. Has Reed grown enough to navigate rougher waters, to find truth, pride, victory, and love?

Ryan was a young genius whose mind held knowledge capable of changing the world—or destroying it. Yet his true talent was even more dangerous. Absolute Focus. Once he chose a path, nothing could stop him from mastering it. With nothing left tying him to his old life, Ryan made one final decision and stepped willingly toward death. But death was not what awaited him. He opened his eyes in the body of Ravian Veyr, an eighteen-year-old boy in a world where power belonged to those who could awaken their souls—a world of ancient bloodlines, countless races, and forces that stood above entire nations. Then something awakened within him. [Sovereign Pride has awakened.] [The target and its Records have been devoured.] [The host has obtained two additional lives.] [When the host dies, he will regress to the beginning of the current day—as long as lives remain.] In a world where even a single mistake could cost him everything, Ravian had been given the power to try again. But every death would still have a price. >>> Every 200 Power Stones: 1 additional chapter. Every 200 Golden Tickets: 2 additional chapters. Every Castle: 5 additional chapters.

Edwin Masters has spent his entire life lusting after one car -- a 1962 Alfa Romeo Spider 2600. When he finally buys one, it changes the entire shape and meaning of his world. The car comes with a guest, and the restless spirit is awakened by Edwin.<br><br>Cooper James, the young man who died behind the wheel forty-seven years earlier, haunts the Spider and he wants a life. He wants Edwin. So he reaches out, sucking Edwin into a deepening abyss by exploiting demons from a past Edwin can't break from.<br><br>Edwin resists, struggling against the phantom in favor of an attractive, exciting young man who wants to be with him, Carson Heston. Carson holds the key to Edwin's salvation, but every time he gets close, Cooper terrorizes him. Edwin knows he'll be lost forever if he submits to Cooper's dark promise of release and relief, but that might be the only way to save Carson's life.

"Sa pag ibig walang tama o mali, walang kasariang pinipili kapag mahal mo ipaglaban mo. LOVE IS LOVE!"

If you had to chose a power among all the powers of anime what would you choose OF COURSE YOU WOULD CHOOSE ESCANOR SUNSHINE i mean who wouldn't want to be as badass as escanor with his great pride ans awesomeness follow our MC as he uses his powerful grace to rule another world and to prove that he is the strongest man in the world ×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××× author note : so this is my first novel and i wish for you to criticize me and show where are the faults and i promise to not drop this novel