the crack in the surface

The stone went out from under his foot. No sound, no dust, only a hollow where the step had been, and a cold behind his breastbone that never left. Wick Tanner is eleven and small for his age, and his hands are already going brown from the tan-pits. He was born in the Reek, the tannery slums at the bottom of the hill, and he was never meant to be anything more than his father. A tanner. Downwind of the city and downstream of it, beneath the notice of the grey academy tower that has stood over his whole life. Then he carries a load of hides up to Karthal. Four academy boys corner him on a stair in the dark, and the world stops being there under his foot. He falls. The boys look once at the hole that nothing could have made, and they run. It is not magic. Magic shapes the world. Whatever woke in Wick unmakes it. The scholars of Karthal spend their lives pulling the world apart to learn how it was built, and they would pull him apart the same way to learn how he is broken. They are not the only ones who would come looking. Older things have been waiting a long time for a power like his. So a tanner's boy who cannot control what he is and cannot hide it begins the one climb that keeps him alive. He goes up, out of the Reek, staying a step ahead of everyone who wants to cage him or cut him open. He does not know what woke in him on that stair. By the time he understands it, putting it back will no longer be a choice he has. A slow-burn progression fantasy. A weak-to-strong underdog in a grounded world where power is licensed, ranked, and rationed, and the lowborn get none of it. Magic that has to be earned, not handed over on a system screen. Close third person, and a mystery that widens with every arc.

"I'll do it. I'll do anything you want" Raiden clicked his tongue in a disapproving tone then raised Hiro's head once more. "That's not what I want to hear, Hiro" He said. "I want to hear you say it with your lips. I want to hear you acknowledge what you will be to me and your status from this day henceforth." He stared deep into Hiro's beautiful brown eyes as he spoke; "Say that from this very second, you belong to me. Your body, your soul, your mind, every part of you belongs to me. You will be my pet and remain by my side. You will do whatever I ask you to do. Tell me that I own you, Hiro." Raiden's voice was frighteningly deep and Hiro felt shivers run down his spine. There was nothing he could see but Raiden's smokey grey eyes, his handsome face and that devilish smile that gave him goosebumps and made his heart tremble with fear. With tears running down his cheeks, he balled his fists and spoke softly; "I promise, Raiden, from this very second, I belong to you. Every part of me is yours. My body, my mind, my soul, everything is yours. I will be your pet. I will do anything you ask of me. I will give you everything that I am. You own me, Raiden." Watanabe Hiro used to be very rich. As the last child of the Watanabe family, he was pampered and spoilt by everyone but he was a good kid. He was obedient and friendly. Nice and very caring. He never did anything to worry others. He also had a lot of friends. Some were with him because they genuinely liked him while others were with him because of his wealth. That is, until a calamity befell his family and everyone he considered a friend abandoned him. Hiro was forced to live a wretched life for 4 years until he met a former senior who was ready to save him but under one condition. Hiro had to become his for a year.

Mia always believed her move to the U.S. was a fresh start—a chance to reconnect with childhood memories and distant family. But when she arrives, everything feels… off. Her family has already settled in, new jobs secured, a house waiting. No one asked her opinion. No one explains why. Then the changes start. A strange awareness. A tingling beneath her skin. Power coursing through her veins. Mia isn’t just adjusting to a new life—she’s awakening. As she struggles to control her newfound abilities, she stumbles upon secrets buried deep in her past. A hidden world. A dangerous man searching for her. And a truth that could shatter everything she thought she knew. Some secrets are meant to stay hidden. Some powers should never be unlocked. But for Mia, it’s too late to turn back. Will she uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will the darkness find her first? ~~~~~~~~ What if everything you knew about yourself was a lie? Join Mia as she unravels a web of secrets, superpowers, and hidden threats. A story full of twists, mystery, and thrilling revelations! Start reading now! #Webnovel #Superpowers #Mystery #Thriller #werewolf ~~~~~~~~

For a thousand years, humanity believed the heavens were sealed. The ancient war between mankind and the celestial races had long become nothing more than myth. Until the night the sky cracked. Arka, a boy from a forgotten town, loses everything when monsters emerge from a crimson fracture in the heavens. Hunted by masked figures and haunted by powers he cannot understand, he discovers a terrifying truth: The world beneath the sky is only the beginning. Beyond the clouds lies Celestia, a realm abandoned by history. A world of ancient kingdoms, fallen gods, sealed gates, and a war that was never truly over. And somewhere beyond the cracks in the heavens… something is waiting for him. As the boundary between worlds begins to collapse, Arka must uncover the secret behind the mysterious Fragment within him before the coming catastrophe consumes both heaven and earth. Because when the heavens crack… the world will never be the same again.

Aiden Lobo is a graduate student in a world where magic, gods, and demons are part of everyday life. After a terrible betrayal, he is cursed with a Crack in his heart, slowly turning him into a living doorway for an ancient war demon. If Aeshma breaks through to Earth, he will kill millions.<br><br>But before Aeshma can open the Crack, Aiden is rescued by his guardian angel, who uses his own Light to seal Aiden's heart. As a servant of the divine, the nameless angel was supposed to kill Aiden to avert the growing cataclysm inside him. But he loves Aiden too much to end his life, even to save the world.<br><br>It's impossible for Aiden not to love his warm, generous guardian in return. He names the angel Eskandar, but then learns to his horror that because Eskandar was created for him, when Aiden dies, Eskandar will too. The angel has long since accepted this fate, but Aiden refuses to. He will do anything to keep his beloved angel safe. But with no other recourse than to sacrifice himself to prevent the apocalypse, there's only one way for Aiden to save Eskandar: a terrible betrayal of his own.

Wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan and suffering post traumatic stress as a result, Andy Johnson is given a medical discharge from the British army. Shunning attention, Andy lives a quiet and lonely existence on his pig farm in Yorkshire. His peace is threatened when his friends take him to the city for his birthday. They buy him a kiss from Luke Wales, a twink porn star.<br><br>Overwhelmed and needing some air, Andy escapes outside. Luke finds him there. They talk and Andy begins to relax. It’s cold and Andy gives Luke his combat jacket. However Roger, Luke’s boyfriend appears and the momentary connection is lost.<br><br>Weeks later, recently separated from Roger, Luke is back in the north of England. He decides to pay Andy a visit, using the excuse of returning the man’s jacket. A snow storm forces the two men to spend time together, and a tentative friendship begins.<br><br>Neither man is convinced they are worthy of the other. It takes time, plus the encouragement of friends and Andy’s teenage nephew, Craig, to convince the reluctant couple that what exists on the surface only tells part of the story. Andy’s scars and Luke’s past employment shouldn’t stand in the way of them exploring what each feels for the other.

After the glitch in the finals, EGO does not announce an error. It continues. As rumors of a higher threshold begin circulating, old names resurface. Old patterns repeat. And the system feels less like a game—and more like something watching. Some players chase rank. Others chase control. Raxian isn’t sure what he’s chasing anymore. But something has started responding.

Trapped in a factory that breathes like a living nightmare, Nathan unravels a truth darker than fear itself. The shadows whisper his name, twisting memories of his parents into haunting illusions. You were always meant to return. The walls pulse, the air hums with unseen terror. Something ancient is waiting, watching. But Nathan isn’t here to be consumed—he’s here to end it. As the whispers rise to a deafening crescendo, one question remains: Will he escape, or become part of the horror?

[Irresistible MC + Farming & Entrepreneurship + Strong Female Lead + Cute Baby + Love Rivalry + Farming System + Male Competition] Deng Yuyuan wakes up to find she has transmigrated into a period novel about a "pampered group darling" — as the biological mother of the vicious female villain. The female villain has a biased grandmother, a mooching uncle and his family, a blindly filial father, and a spineless mother. She was a small-time thief as a child. As an adult, she committed every kind of evil — constantly framing the female lead — and ultimately met a miserable end. The female lead is the only daughter in another family, doted on by her older brothers. The villain targeted her out of pure jealousy. And now, Deng Yuyuan has become that villain's cowardly mother — and the villain herself is currently just an ugly, wrinkly-faced infant. The blindly filial father loves his wife, but gives all the good things to his own mother. He says to his starving wife and daughter: "Xiao Yuan, come drink some water. I specially heated it for you." Deng Yuyuan looks at her own bony frame and her tiny child — and decides to get a divorce. Goodbye, useless husband. She's going to raise this little cub with an abundance of money and love. No way she'll go astray this time. Lost one husband, gained a crowd of suitors. A beautiful sent-down youth coveted by many — she knows some self-defense and burns the midnight oil studying. With the reinstatement of the college entrance exams, she takes her child toward a much wider world. Riding the wave of the times, Deng Yuyuan works her way up to become a gaming tycoon and a cutting-edge scientist... Except — why are so many men fighting to be her cub's stepfather?

Fu Xiaoxiao transmigrates into a book and immediately faces the crisis of being sent to the countryside. As the unloved middle child, her younger sister is the one meant to go — but her mother transfers her job to the sister instead. A disaster of a start. To avoid being sent away, she has to marry within seven days. She meets a few ordinary men and decides she'd rather go to the countryside. Then she runs into a neighbor who's also looking for a spouse — and his conditions are surprisingly good. A dowry of three hundred? Bicycles and a radio? Just take care of the kids, and separate rooms are fine? The others may pass, but she won't. Every day is a battle of wits with the two kids. Life is eventful, she gets a salary every month, and the boss is never home. Absolutely perfect. Except... wasn't this big shot supposed to be infertile? Then why does he keep strutting around naked in front of her? She has professional ethics. She won't be seduced by a good body. Hmph. Men only slow down her sword swing. Lu Feng grits his teeth at Fu Xiaoxiao, who remains completely unmoved by his countless attempts to seduce her, and traps her in his arms. "Boss, let's talk this through. I know forty a month is a bit much — how about... five less?" Trapped in his embrace, Fu Xiaoxiao thinks he's unhappy with her high salary and starts bargaining. "I'm giving myself to you for free." Lu Feng grinds out through clenched teeth. This woman has no heart. "...Can I say no?" Fu Xiaoxiao swallows, staring at the washboard abs so close. "Such a good deal — are you sure you don't want it?" Lu Feng squints, tempting her. "Fine." A fool turns down a bargain.