Li Xiqing came out of the car, and walked to the backseat to take her laptop bag. He passed it to her, "Work is only work, don't forget to eat, alright?" He caressed her head.

Shao Yan smiled and nodded. She tiptoed and kissed his cheek before she walked to the building lobby.

Li Xiqing waited until he couldn't see her anymore. He went back in to the car and drove to his office.

On the way, he received a call from his assistant, notifying him that the meeting scheduled for that morning was cancelled. Li Xiqing all of a sudden had an extra time until noon.

He was going over his to-do list, when he drove past the G district. He remembered that the camera shop, Eternity Frame, was located here.

Li Xiqing made an impulse change in his schedules, swerved his car and took the exit to G district. He decided to buy a new camera for Shao Yan to surprise her.

.....

Li Xiqing found the address easily. He parked the car and then he walked to the shop. It was an old building in a redeveloped neighborhood. All the buildings around were painted in white and had colonial style windows on them.

In front of the buildings, were potted plants that stretched from one end to another end of the street. Tall tress on the roadside provided good shades to the shops area and pedestrians. When Li Xiqing walked in, he felt that the time had turned to 50 years ago.

He saw a plump middle aged man was standing behind the counter. His head was full of grey hair, and he had glasses on. The old man was cleaning on a camera lens so carefully.

Without looking up to see who just entered his store, the old man exclaimed, "Look around by yourself first. I will be right with you shortly." he said to Li Xiqing.

Li Xiqing took off his sunglasses and started to look around. It was an old camera shop, with glass counters around the sides of the wall.

He saw arrays of accessories and cameras inside the counters. Li Xiqing suddenly got a headache, he really had no knowledge in this area.

He was secretly glad that he came to the right place; this old man seemed to know what he was doing. He should be able to recommend something for Shao Yan.

The old man was not only selling cameras and accessories. Li Xiqing saw signage that Eternity Frame also had a photo studio at the back of the shop, where he employed some staffs.

From the pictures on the wall, Li Xiqing could see that his shop accept job offer to do any independent photoshoot - either for family events, weddings or graduation.

.....

Li Xiqing was looking around at the pictures, when suddenly, one picture frame grabbed his attention. This frame material was different from the others. If others were hung on a standard simple black picture frame, this one was a silver frame. So it was particularly stood out amongst the crowd.

It was a picture of seven people. Three girls and four boys. University students, he thought, judging by their looks and clothing styles.

He saw the first two girls at the front were making funny faces at the camera. The third girl in the middle with very short hair stood next to a boy and they were holding hands. Three more boys stood behind them with smiles.

Li Xiqing saw the date stamp in the corner, it was around eight years ago.

There were names printed at the bottom part of the picture: 

[Front] Xie Liying, Lu Feifei, Shao Yan, Fu Liwei
[Back] Lu Qian, Zhong Yu, Du Guangwei

.....

"Oh!! Young man, do you know them too?"

Without him realizing, all of a sudden, the old man had walked over and stood next to Li Xiqing. Li Xiqing turned to look at him. The old man had a proud face and was smiling at the picture frame.

Li Xiqing turned his gaze back to the picture. "No. Do you know them, Sir?" Li Xiqing asked him.

Old man beamed at him, "Of course! This one right here is my son" Old man was pointing at Zhong Yu, the boy who stood behind Shao Yan.

"This was taken when they graduated from T university in city B." he softly sighed, "Haaa.. Time moves so fast. It was eight years ago."

He was still smiling so proudly, "Ah Yu got a full scholarship from T university, that's why I allowed him to leave city S to go to city B."

He nodded at himself, "Such a smart kid" and he smiled again "Just like his mother."

Li Xiqing did not say anything and just looked at the picture, particularly at Shao Yan .... and that Fu Liwei.

He looked at the old man again, "Do these people ever come here to your shop?"

Old man propped one hand in front of his chest, while the other hand stroke his chin, he pondered for a while, "Hm.. Let me think... I don't think so."

"After they graduated, they moved to different places. Ah Yu stay here with me now. He's a software engineer, he earns good money now."

He pointed at the boy next to Shao Yan, "Liwei was Ah Yu's dorm mate. Many years ago... I think it was the year they graduated? He brought his wife, this one here" he pointed at Shao Yan, "To visit city S and came to this shop. He bought a camera from me."

Old Zhong paused, and thought for a while, "I think that time was right before they emigrated. The boy got a job in country U and then they moved there for good."

.....

Li Xiqing kept quiet. His hands were clenching tightly by his side. He was not sure if he wanted to know more, or should he stop here.

Old Zhong walked back to the counter, "So young man, what do you need today?"

Li Xiqing snapped back from his wandering thoughts, and then he coughed lightly, "I'm here to buy a camera for my girlfriend. She loves to take pictures of scenery and of people."

He approached the counter and stood in front of Old Zhong "I'm looking for something light, because her shoulder hurts easily. The one that she has right now was a bit heavy....."

He paused and then he realized. That camera that broke yesterday must be the one from that Liwei guy.

His hands unconsciously clenched again and he frowned slightly. His heart felt so sour.

This damn thing called jealousy was starting to irritate him!

His right hand touched her left upper arm, and then started to slide down to her wrist.

"In case you haven't noticed.." he started to say.

She had stiffened up, started from his initial touch.

"I'm officially pursuing you."


+++

All she wanted was a second chance in happiness. She had been divorced for two years now and has forgotten about the idea of finding another man. But destiny is playing a cute joke on her to let her met him.

He is successful and powerful and full of distrust on women.

Until he met her.

After that one fateful encounter, are they destined to be together forever? Is God of happiness finally bestowing this tiny spring water to both of them?

+++


ps: I only write happy ending stories. This is 1v1, with a little drama here and there. But those drama only served a purpose to strengthen their relationship. Female lead here is not perfect at all. She is insecure, full of flaws and broken. Male lead is gorgeous and charming as usual. But somehow, they complete each other.

There will be no pitiful weak Cinderella stories here, no white lotus and no almighty CEO that rule the country.

I am portraying normal average people in society. So if this is not your cup of tea, feel free to move on :)

+++


Let's embark on this love boat with me! ♥️


This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

The cover is not mine and was taken from Google image and credit goes to the original artist.


Tag: Female lead, Handsome male lead, Modern day romance, Mature romance, Adult romance, Business world, Second chance

Rober W. Nay, is an Army veteran, returning to what he remembers as home, from his last tour, joining the army didn't help him forget, now he is trying to start all over, but what can he do? When all he knows is to kill.
  
   Amber Ray, is a famous singer who has not had a hit song in over two years, nicknamed by the media as "Ice Princess", in part due to her beauty, her cold demeanor, and arrogant attitude. Her last "Love" song , had critics wondering if she knew the definition of the word. Now, tired, and looking for a song to bring her back to fame, she is on her way home.

E L James Grey After twenty-five years working in TV, E L James decided to pursue her childhood dream, and set out to write stories that readers would fall in love with. The result was the sensuous romance Fifty Shades of Grey and its two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, a trilogy that went on to sell more than 125 million copies worldwide in 52 languages. In 2012 E T James was named one of Barbara Walters's "Ten Most Fascinating People of the Year," one of Time magazine's "Most Influential People in the World," and Publishers Weekly's "Person of the Year." Fifty Shades of Grey stayed on the New York Times Best Seller List for 133 consecutive weeks, and in 2015 the film adaptation —on which James worked as producer —broke box-office records all over the world for Universal Pictures. E L James lives in West London with her husband, the novelist and screenwriter Niall Leonard, and their two sons. She continues to write novels while acting as producer on the upcoming movie versions of Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.

Two weeks have passed since I woke up from my, so-called, short coma. Since then, Chris was by my side all day, every day.

I feel bad because I think I am wasting his time. He probably has work, who am I kidding, he definitely does since he is a grown man, but his answer is always the same, his work is to be by my side. Damn, he can make me blush like mad.

I still find it confusing the way that he said that I am his girlfriend to the nurse. Don't get me wrong, he is extremely sweet, but I just feel like something is not right. Even though I lost my memory, I still feel like something is wrong or that something is missing. The other day I tried to kiss him, but he pulled back. He apologised and said how he would want us to kiss when my memory comes back along with some other sweet things to cover up the harsh reason why he does not want to kiss me. I am going, to be honest, I understood him... In a way, but I did feel slightly hurt.

Anyways...

I can't wait to get my memory back.

I can't wait to remember the day we first met, I can't wait to remember if it was in a park, or in a cafe... I just wish that the place was somewhere romantic.

I can't wait to see him again today. Every time I see him I feel a wave of euphoria wash over me like a tide. I just appreciate his presence when he is around me.

I just can't wait. Not a single day passes by without us laughing. We talk, then laugh, joke, then laugh, play some board games and then laugh. I feel so glad that I know someone like Chris and to have someone like Chris in my life.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the door opening. I look towards the open door as my excitement rises.

My smile widens when I see who it is at the door. Chris.

He looks so handsome. He is wearing a patterned shirt, unbuttoned, exposing his grey t-shirt. To cover his shirt is a dark brown, leather jacket. His legs are wrapped by a pair of denim blue jeans and a very nice pair of sneakers on his feet. His dark brown hair is very nicely combed to the left. His eyes are cloaked by his black shades while a short stubble stretched across his cheeks, jaw, chin and around his mouth. He takes off his shades before his green eyes looked straight into mine.

The feeling of him looking into me feels so foreign but at the same time, it feels so familiar.

"How is my beautiful girl doing?"

His voice caused thousands of sparks to erupt in my heart.

But before I could answer him, his voice sends grace to my ears once again.

"By the way, I bought you a bouquet, roses to be precise, and I also bought you your favourite, 'Strawberry-Choco-chino' (note IRL - I am not sure if this drink is a real thing... But still... sounds delish...).".

I watch him approaching me. I am amazed.

"H-how did... I don't remember telling you that...". I just then realize what came out of my mouth.

"I will assume we had a date at Starbuck and that is how you know..." I add as I look at him sit down on the chair beside my bed.

He lets out a sad sigh, looking down at the ground. This is something he always does. I always ask him if he is alright if he wants to tell me what it is. He always says no and how there is no need for me to stress about his problems, but that causes me to become even more scared. The thoughts of what he is hiding from me just keep on twirling around my head and they are not good. I am fearing that he is hiding something life-threatening from me.

"Are you okay?..." I ask him, placing my hand on top of his.

It takes a few seconds before his eyes meet mine, he forces a smile.

"Yea... Yes, I am fine. In fact, being with you makes me feel even better..."

Damn it!... I blush again...

I can hear him chuckle as he is looking at me.

"Something funny?..." I ask him, playfully, raising an eyebrow.

His chuckles die out as his eyes head down to the floor again.

"Hey...".

He does not move.

"Please, look at me... Chris?..."

He still does not move.

I move closer to him before putting a finger on his chin. I can feel his reaction to my touch. It seemed like a fright, it was so cute to me, but I gently raise his chin with my finger, causing his head to tilt up as a result. I stop when his eyes meet mine.

"Tell me... Please, tell me..." I beg.

He does not answer.

"It pains me to see you hurt, Chris. I want to help you, I want to be by your side, I want to help you, just like you help me...".

I take a short pause

"I want you to know that I am here for you like you are for me, Chris... Please... Tell me, " I add, I entreat. I want to help him.

He takes in a deep breath before speaking.

"Does the name 'Brenden' sound familiar to you?".

*Read at your own risk* (I have warned you!)

*Steamy scenes ahead!!*

This story has some heavy scenes, I have warned you in advance.

If you want to read the story but skip the heavy parts, I will tell you when the heavy parts will happen prior to the chapter because... I got you boo, I got you.. 

There will be some strong, mature scenes, but no worries, I am here for you all and I will warn you in advance of a steamy scene.

Don't report (I mean, I am warning you now about mature content, don't be surprised! Also if you ignore this... it is kinda your fault, not mine...) as I have spent SO MUCH TIME ON THIS.

And if you just want to troll since you have nothing else to do... just don't do it. I have given in so much sweat and effort into this and I don't want a group of people who are bored out of their minds to ruin it for me.

If it turns out that you don't like this book then feel free to read my other books that I have written.

*WARNING FOR MATURE CONTENT IN CASE IF YOU MISSED MY LAST WARNINGS*

Other than that, I hope you will enjoy reading this!

*This book contains explicit content*

*EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK*

I stared at him, cooking and whistling, something that I could not do, or should I say, didn't want to do. I decided to move away and try to find an exit but I didn't even take a step back when I heard his voice.

"Princess? Is that you?"

I saw him raise his head before shooting his eyes onto me. The sudden gaze caused to heart to race while it froze my body, as if I have turned into ice. I felt the fear engulf my body, eating me inside out.

"You aren't scared of me... Are you?" he asked me, I sensed the envy in his voice. That mixed with his harsh tone caused a wave of goosebumps to course through my body.

I wanted to begin by asking him where was I? Why was I here? Why was he here... I wanted to ask him, but I couldn't, the fear was just all too much for me.

"Come on... Speak to me... Ask me..." he began.

"Ask me "why am I here" and all of that crap... Entertain me with your fear."

I saw him slowly gripping a knife that was on the countertop, with his eyes still on mine. The sides of his mouth slowly began tilting upwards. All the bitterness and the cold, it was all so visible in his eyes.

I looked at his in horror, noticing him as he took his first small steps towards me.

"Talk to me... Because this might be the last time you will ever talk, " he said this sentence in such a calm tone, it caused me once again to shiver with goosebumps.

"W-what do you mean...". Never in my life have I stuttered, until then.

"What I mean is..." he began before abruptly stopping, until then, he never took his eyes off me.

The next thing I knew, he full-on charged towards me.

I heard chairs crashing down while I turned around, and just as I was about to run, I felt him grab me by my wrist, before he yanked me, as a result, I crashed straight into his chest. 

My hands were on his big, broad chest right before he turned me around so that my shoulder were now against his pecks. Till then, I figured that this was probably just one of my many wicked nightmare until I felt the blade ,from that knife he picked up, rest on my neck. As if it was an instinct, I grabbed his arm that was resting on my chest with my two small hands. In the same time tried to push my head back and away from the knife but it is near impossible as there is no space for me to move any further against his hard pecks.

Next, I hitched for air when I felt his breath, as it warmed my skin.

"Trust me... don't you dare, for second, think that I will hesitate to hurt you, because I will if you disobey me..."

Inside a small forest clearing, over a dozen children as young as twelve years old and as old as seventeen were training primitively under a milky grey sky which as devoid of any features. To look upwards, nothing would meet the eye besides the faint rolling clouds coloured with the different shades of grey as far as the eye could see. 

Wearing a mix of tattered coarse linen and animal furs, these youths were all shouting and grunting while either sparring against each other, lifting logs and boulders or training their archery skills against the worn wooden posts which had been erected at the edge of the perimeter.

Around the sides of the field and often walking through the groups, elders of the village constantly surveyed the group teens, often nodding in approval and offering pointers to increase their accuracy. This routine had been ingrained into each of them since the day the group had settled down in the forest and the small village had been created. This simple routine was done every day starting with sparring and archery before moving onto the creation and maintenance of the villages traps, tools and structures. 

Across the training field on outskirts of the village, within an isolated wooden hut surrounded by trees which couldn't even be considered a part of the village, three people were laying on the floor while blanketed in the darkness. There were no windows to let in the light of day and the door was tightly shut, blocking out the surroundings. The sound of light breathing is all that permeated the silence.

"Mom, when will you tell us another story? I want one about Loki?" 

"Okay, okay", chuckling while laying in-between two teens was a middle-aged woman with a small frame and long hazel hair tied back into a messy bun. Rather than the miss matched clothes of the people working on the training field, her clothing was made entirely from brown fur which seemed to have come from the same animal, giving a rough but warm and uniform feel. "The last story was about you though Loki, so this time I'll tell one for Rykar."

Over the years, their mother had always told Loki and Rykar that in their past lives they were once gods and generals who fought against demons, kings and saints who ruled over the masses or even scholars and doctors who strove to make life better for the unfortunate. Being able to hear about the adventures, battles and tricks which brought them to the edge of defeat and back again were the best moments that they had. Their only escape from the dull and repetitive lives that they had to face on a daily basis.

Hearing the words of his mother, Rykar who had been laying lazily while fiddling with a piece of dry bread sat straight up like an arrow with a wide grin and glistening eyes. Although excited, he didn't forget to wrap the bread in a thin cloth before accurately throwing it into a corner of the room out of sight. 

"I want to hear a story about the young warlord! Fighting against dragons and goblins and…" Getting carried away, he stood up while punching and kicking the air haphazardly while imagining all the evil he would effortlessly destroy on a battlefield.  

While watching her sons grow up, Linda had always been telling her sons stories every night up until they had been forced to leave home at 12 years old. That was all the time she could have given them through arguing and pleading with her husband to the point of tears, day in and day out.

Thinking back over the ruthless treatment her children had faced over the years, her eyes grew hazy. Images of countless better lives that they boys may have faced had she not been their mother. Or even if she could simply be stronger than the was. The stories which she had told Loki and Rykar were only a fragment of those that she had spent her idle time wishing that they had been a reality. 
Any life could have lead them towards happiness, had they been born a farmer or a shopkeeper, yet they drew the shortest straw.

Watching Rykar storming around the small room, the mother and son which were still laying on the ground let out opposite reactions. Loki simply glanced up at Rykar, bored and unamused that he wouldn't be hearing another story of the adventures of himself. "do you really have to act like such a child every time" 

"Haha, don't be jealous" Rykar smirked while retaking his seat next to his mother.  

Just as the three had settled down again, the frail wooden door was blasted off its frame, spraying splinters and damp timber all over the small room while the entire structure trembled threateningly.
Without enough time to shield herself or her children, the bits of wood rain down on them while leaving scratches and traces all over their exposed areas. Howls of laughter echo in from the outside as a teenage boy walks into the room, his leather-bound feet dragging across the floor as if he was afraid he wasn't loud enough.

As light poured in, the three on the ground were stunned for a short while, however as their eyes adapted they were able to make out who was stood in front of them. A tall muscular youth with roughly cut mid length hair and unkempt stubble littering his face. Dressed in the same style as the twins' mother, he seemed to be wearing clothes of a better standard than any of the other youths which could be seen peering in from the outside of the door frame.

"What the f*ck do you think you're doing here!? You know this place is off limits, you better get out before I tell my husband." After recognising the young man, Linda was driven into a rage immediately. Chris, the eldest son of the village leader, her husband, had tormented the lives of her children since they had been born and that had only gotten worse over time. Outlasting Loki and Rykar from the village may have been a heartless decision, yet it also came with its benefits as it meant that they were away from the dangers which were lurking within the village itself as there was no contact allowed between the village and the twins.  

Hearing Linda's threat, Chris stopped in place instinctively. Hesitating to the point that he even made a slight motion as though he was about to turn in his tracks and leave. However, in the next moment, a broad smile was plastered to his face as he turned to face them once again and looked down on them teasingly. 

"You see… That's actually really, really funny, seeing as it was my dad that told us to come here and pick them up for a little hunting trip. And while he was at it, he had been asking around for you... but it seems seemed like you were nowhere to be found…" The more he spoke, the further Linda's face switched from anger to fear as Chris began to walk towards them again with slow and leisurely steps.

"What's also funny is that this shit hole is supposed to be off limits to everyone in the village, so why are you here right now? Out of the two of us, I wonder who will actually end up on dad's bad side." By the time he had finished his sentence, he was standing right in front of the three, holding his chin as though in contemplation.  

"Get up, were leaving. Now." While their mother was frozen in place, he reached down and grabbed the twins by their arms with a vice like grip, pulling them up forcefully and heading towards the door.

Out of the blue, a loud slap stopped everyone in their tracks as Linda reached round from behind and hit Chris across the side of his face before barging in front them and staring him in the eyes.

"I'm going to speak to the chief. You had better still be here by the time I'm back." With a straight face, she glanced around, attempting to threaten the group before rushing out of the door but her wavering voice betrayed the confidence in her actions.

Despite hearing their mother's words, Rykar and Loki had blank faces as though they were unphased by what was happening. Even after being isolated from the village for the last three and only having contact with their mother, it had only taken a few minutes of being in contact with them once again before they were reminded of what life was truly like outside of their imaginations. Away from their colourful stories. 

Watching their mothers sorry figure running across the grassy clearing while adults and children alike simply looked on with vacant and uncaring expressions. There was no remorse, hatred or even contempt in most of their eyes, only disinterest. After seeing these looks for the majority of their lives, the twins had unknowingly adopted this expression while around others. The contrast would make anyone doubt they had the capacity to hold the vibrant expressions that was plastered across their faces just moments earlier.

They could spend the rest of their lives dreaming of being gods and kings, but they will always open their eyes as an outcast, looking up towards a tattered roof under the rolling grey clouds.

The calmness of the place became awkward with the passing time. 
An Bing Qing was sitting like a good little girl, quiet and immobile, but her smooth hands that were wrinkling the lower part of her white robe showed the opposite. Her pretty inky eyes too; they had been wandering all around, always keeping sure of avoiding looking on Wang Shu's direction though, that was at her left and not more than a foot from her. 
He was resting his back against the green bamboos and the long fingers on both of his hands were playing with the greenery on the ground; his head was looking skyward but his eyes were closed. He had an impeccable elegance and a manly beauty that was highlighted by the sparse rays of sunlight that found their way through the shade of tall bamboos. But it was a pity; it was a pleasant sight that An Bing Qing was reluctant to look at. 
Darkness descended and the sunlight rays were replaced by those of moonlight. 
Amid this peaceful night, all of a sudden, Wang Shu opened his eyes and stood up. He advanced forward, making his long white sleeves flap with the cool breeze.
By now, An Bing Qing was at the point of falling asleep; she had been waking up pretty earlier the past days and hadn't taken the usual naps she takes from time to time. Therefore, she didn't notice his movements until she heard him say, "Follow me and keep close". The sound made echo in her ears and she got up with half-closed eyes.
She followed his tall figure from behind and she could see his silky black hair swing with the wind, making her sleepier. Her steps began to slow down while her blurry sight had lost track of him; she couldn't his white figure, only different shades of grey. 
"Thud"
"Ugh", she had bumped into something like a soft but firm wall. Confused, she raised her hand to rub her head but a tickling feeling passed through her hand, making her stop her action half-way and lower her sight; she made her best to focus and was able to distinguish fine dark threads that made a good contrast with her milky hand.
She blinked and thought, 'Hair?' 
Before she could confirm her guess, the voice she was so familiar with rose again, "Don't lag behind". 
She raised her head to look up to the owner of the voice but she could only see his perfect side profile turning around. 
She tilted her head to a side wanting to see his face before feeling the cool breeze blew on her face along with the tickling of his hair sliding from her hand as he stepped forward; with it, she couldn't help herself from stretching her hand and reach for his robes. 
Once she took them, she asked with a drowsy tone while daydreaming, "Where are we going this time, Shu?" 
Even though she was sleepy, her question had flowed smoothly; there was no shyness, no awkwardness, it was as though she was used to pronouncing all the said words.
'This time? Shu?' he thought as he halted. But he didn't ponder into it too much because of the tone of her voice; she didn't seem to have her six senses on earth.  
However, before he gave her an answer, he remembered the familiarity he felt earlier, making him wonder deeply her close addressing and her obvious we-have-made-this-before phrase. 
He turned around his head and looked down; he saw her hand holding onto his robes and her eyes that were barely opened. It was a funny sight that amazed him, how could she walk and perfectly talk on that state? As he pondered, a sudden thought went through his mind, 'If I ask her while she is like that, will I get the truth to the questions I have?'
His semblance grew serious as he looked at the vulnerable young girl... 
'Better not to', at long last, he thought. Usually, he wouldn't have made that decision but he had the feeling he will come to know when it was meant for him to know it. It was like a kind of premonition and as the cultivator he was, he chose to follow it.

Things have been rewritten and a fallen Phoenix with bounded wings has been reborn between heaven and earth. Can fate be changed? Will it be for the best? Love and grief go hand in hand through the path of a Phoenix. The higher you climb, the harder the path.

Note: Because I still haven't written anything strong, I changed the audience range.

I was taken to a large, newly built stone mansion. Inside, a few Lizards already awaited us. They were dressed in elegant robes, and had a scholarly mood. Moreover, they were similar to Jora. Their royal blood was not as pure compared to him, but I could see some hints of golden streaks across their skins. One of the Lizards speed forward, and welcomed. "Welcome to our newly built library. Follow us, we will take you to a more private place, where you can view the books". I nodded, and followed them, Jora also joined us, and walked next to me.

They had loads of books, but not as many as Voltars had. We entered a room inside the library, where the leading scholarly Lizards said. "You asked for the period where they Greys were banished, right? Have a seat, and we will bring you everything we have on that".

I nodded and took a seat. Jora sat next to me, then asked "What exactly is that relic?". I made up some lies on the spot, "There are supposedly a few of them, and they reach antiquity. Those weapons are supposedly so powerful, one could overwhelm an army with their use". He thought about it before replying, "I never heard of such things. I'm not well versed with the history, but don't you think those relics are just fairytale?".

I said with a smile, "That's precisely what I'm trying to find out". A while later, the three scholarly Lizards returned, and each of them was carrying a few books. Altogether, there were nine of them. They placed the books in front of me, then the leading scholar said. "Those are the records from that period. I read them myself in the past, but found nothing about relics". I grabbed the first book, and read it. The book described how Grey and Royal Lizards worked together, but then mentioned some sort of betrayal on Grey Lizards' part.

The record wasn't detailed, but from what I gathered, the Grey Lizards overstepped their qualifications. Not much else was mentioned, but that's what supposedly warranted their banishment. It mentioned how the Royal Lizards were benevolent, and took all their previous work under consideration. Hence the Royal Lizards didn't kill them, but let them leave. I found it a bit fishy, that was when I recalled something. 'The history is written by the winners' I thought. 

The Royal Lizards might've simply wrote betrayal, but the book didn't even detail what betrayal it was. Only some vague notion of overstepping their qualifications. This could mean anything really. The cooperation between both factions was also vague. Supposedly, the Grey Lizards were responsible for Formations that helped improve water quality. How they overstepped those qualifications, was a mystery to me.

I placed the book down, and said to the leading scholar. "I don't get it. The book mentioned that Grey Lizards betrayed you guys, but it doesn't mention anything about it. So what happened?". All of them narrowed their eyes, and I could feel that question was out of place for them. I smiled, "No need to be so stressed. I was only curious. Anyway, this book doesn't have anything on relics, I will check the other ones".

I grabbed the second book, and read it. That book described a period after the Grey Lizards left. Supposedly, their race thrived without the Grey Lizards, and they established more cities and villages around the Obsidian Mountains. The weird thing was, they hardly mentioned any resources with which that was accomplished. They did mention Atols, and how they helped them craft some of those new settlements. The book talked about two new cities, and three villages. Coincidentally, that was the same amount they had currently. Yet, Atols only built one city, and two villages for them. The rest was supposedly built by Lizards alone. 

'Hmm, I don't doubt Lizards could create a city, after all Arangard was made by them. I feel like something is off here, like this is not the truth' I thought, and placed the book down. I looked at the scholars. I didn't want to arouse more suspicions with my question, therefore I decided to ask none about that book. Instead I said, "This book details construction of new cities and villages. It does cover a longer period of time, but has no information on other locations. Is there anything else before the Grey Lizards left?". 

The leading scholar took one of the books from the stack, and handed it to me. He asked, "Why do you concern yourself so much with Grey Lizards?". I replied, "It was during that time those relics were lost, or rather seen. From the records I got, it was around that time period. I'm looking for mentions of locations, or strange events in overall. This could help me locate those relics". An obvious lie, but I said it so confidently, they could find no faults with my statement.  

I grabbed the book he handed to me, and read it. The book indeed described a period before the Grey Lizards left, but it focused on relationship with Shades. At first they were hostile, actually everything was hostile in the North. Those races did everything to protect themselves, and their territories. 

Although small conflicts arose here and there, it was never bad enough to warrant a war. The book described a deal that Shades made with Lizards. Because Shades lacked knowledge of Formations, the Grey Lizards were supposed to help them out. The book didn't mention with what exactly. While the Shades offered information on other races. That wasn't all. They proposed an alliance, which lasted till that day, as well as a few other things like resources. 

'My guess would be, Shades needed water. The Grey Lizards were sent to help them out' I thought. That seemed like the most logical conclusion. The records were always all over the place. Voltars might had sorted their records properly, but they simply didn't allow me to view them. How much truth was in those records, no one really knew anymore. 

I placed the book down, and shook my head. The leading scholar said, "If you are looking for books that describe more locations during that period, I'm afraid we might only have one or two more. The books you see here, will mostly not describe that". I asked him to bring those two books, but he refused. "Only the Royals have access to those books. Even me or Jora aren't authorised to take them out". This made me wonder what those books contained. Truth perhaps?

I told them that I found nothing new. The scholarly Lizard said, "I read loads of books here, but I never heard of such relics. Where did you find such information?". I thought about it, but in reality I was making some more lies. When I got an idea, I asked him. "Do you know who Bramans were?". He thought about it, but shook his head in the end. I continued, "It was a race that lived in antiquity. Humans waged a war against them, and won. Bramans no longer exist, but they were originally living here in the North".

He asked shocked, "I'm aware that Humans fought a war, before we made home here at Obsidian Mountains, but I wasn't aware how that other race was called. Where did you get that history?". I continued, "Partially from Voltars, and some from other sources. Unfortunately, there is nothing in those books that can help me locate them. I will have to search in a few other places". 

Jora said, "Maybe you are simply chasing something that never existed? This happened so many years ago". I came up with another lie. "Remember when Vanauts were digging for something? What if they were digging because of those relics?". This was such an absurd lie, I wouldn't believe it myself. They were obviously digging toward those cities, not looking for any relics that I just made up. 

But for some reason, they bought it without a second thought. The scholarly Lizard said, "That is entirely possible. Eterians might know about those relics too, and they are searching for them". Jora jumped in as well, "Do you need help locating those things? We can send a few group, if we have an approximate locations". I was stunned by their immediate change, and willingness to help. 'They really want to get their hands on those non existent relics' I thought.

I had no location for them to search, but I could make one up. I said, "I might have something in mind, but I'm not sure. If you don't mind sending a few people, then that is alright". He asked me for the location, quite excitedly I might add. I told them, "Don't get excited. Do not send too many people. For one, we don't want this to look suspicious. The other reason is, you might be wasting resources. I have a location in mind, but I'm not sure about it at all. Treat it as a guess".

They urged me to tell them the location, so I did. "I think the area where Dead Forest was, might have some clues about those relics. Again, send only a few people. If they find something, that will be great". Jora stood up while replying, "I will send a few people there to check the area. If you find anything else, be sure to share it with us". He then left, while I returned the books to the scholarly Lizards. I left Arangard soon after, and headed to Olrad.

** 
The book is completed. The 1st volume (e-book) is available for my patreons or through amazon! 
https://www.patreon.com/darkrayauthor 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086PY3HYV 
**
Have you ever considered, what is a Limit? Well, I have. I’ve seen people who were as strong, as wild animals. Those that were faster than the wind. Some that shined with intellect. Yet, what are the Limits of mankind’s strength, or intelligence? 

No one seems to know. We develop more and more, seemingly without an end. What if, someone was the smartest in the world? Would that suggest the Limit? What if, someone was the strongest in the world? Would that be the Limit? Would that make that someone, more than a Human? These are just questions, but what if I saw people reach their Limits? What if I know what happens, when you break the Limits? What if I were to tell you about it, would you believe me? 
-------------------------------------------------- 
My other novel, I'm Anna: 
https://www.webnovel.com/book/13714177505936205/I'm-Anna
Discord: https://discord.gg/BaxBX3f

"Ahh." A dwarven child in a lightly lit room let out a small gasp. He had red hair and red eyes like the leaves of maple leaf in autumn. "What happened?" He asked confusedly. His pupils visibly contracted at the sight of lights inside the room. After a while of looking at the ceiling and putting his thoughts in the right places, he finally oriented his mind. "Ah yes, I was born." He tried to say but his mouth and tongue aren't moving perfectly. Still trying to talk but failing miserably, he said "I remember being pushed out by the flesh that wrapped around me. What a weird feeling." He tried to look around, searching for anyone and anything, but being covered in some sort of crib, his vision was blocked and could only see the ceiling.
 "I need to get up." He said as he flailed his arms and feet around, trying to get up. He was curious at his current situation. 'Where was he? What was he? Where is his family?' And so he tried to get information by standing up and looking above the barriers of his baby crib. His body was weak, but not as weak as he expected. "Huh? Were babies this strong? I was only going to make an attempt but was prepared to fail with my weak body." He struggled and tried to grab at something to support his body. "Almost there." He said while he gritted his non-existent baby teeth. After a few slips and tries, he finally stood up and put his head above the crib, panting slightly but with a huge grin on his face since he was proud of himself for successfully standing up. A stellar achievement for a one-day old baby but a not-so-proud display for someone who was a fully grown soul.
 His young eyes were greeted by a beautiful room made with various stones and metals of different colors. Some were grey and some were black, some were golden and some were shades of red. It was all so beautiful to him. It was not like some prince's room where everything is richly extravagant, filled with riches and chandeliers made with gold. No, the room was all intricately designed manually. Every nook and corner was designed in such a way where it was pleasing to the eyes. The walls were embedded with pictures made with differently colored stones and metals. The pictures were figures of different people, beasts, and nature. Every detail told a story, and as a whole, it was a world of its own.
 The dwarven child's mouth dropped at the sight. His eyes focused at the masterpiece before him. He felt that this room, compared to a king's or a rich person's room was several hundred times more precious. It's like comparing an expensively bought gift, to a gift that was personally made with hard work. Although the expensive gift was definitely appreciated, the personally made one felt more heartfelt and more precious to the receiver. The room he looked at felt similar. He knew it was made with love and passion for his work.
 However the room wasn't the only thing visible to him. His vision was also filled with astonished looks from people that were apparently in the same room. "Ah I forgot babies weren't supposed to stand up." He murmured. The only two people in the room were staring at him. They both had red hair like him. The man who he assumed was his father had thick hair and beard. His hair was very curly, so curly that it was like very frizzy lightning bolts. It was well kept and clean however, giving him this imposing and mature look coupled with his powerful looking body. The woman, who was most likely his mother, also had curly hair, although the curves were like multiple waves on a beach. Her skin was whiter unlike his healthily tanned father. She still had the tough looking muscles dwarves had, but was definitely slimmer. She was also way taller than her father, around half a foot left to reach six feet, although that was simply his assumption. As he looked at her more closely, her ears were slightly pointed. "Mixed blood?" He thought. "That does make me also a mixed blood too?" 
 They were in awe at him for a few seconds until they got their gears up and running again. His mother walked up to him and said. "Belthrum, my baby. One moment I look away from you and you're already standing up!" She was still confused, but the reality was in her face, and could only be happy about her baby being already able to stand up.
 Belthrum, the dwarven child that was the third soul, didn't recognize his name from the mumble jumble that was the new language he was hearing. It was confusing to him and didn't recognize any word from it. It was slightly similar to some language in his previous life, but only sounded like it. "Speaking of my previous life, I distinctly remember having two other souls being sent reincarnated with me. I wonder what happened to them."
 As Belthrum thought that, sharp memories came flashing to him. A memory about snowy mountains and a giant white dragon, and another memory that was the sensation of death and blood. The memories suddenly exhausted him, not physically but mentally. "I see." He murmured as he passed out.

***

 In the mountains of Talar, three newly hatched grey colored dragons were frolicking about and eating a carcass of a giant frost boar when one of the three abruptly turned his head towards the south. He narrowed his slit reptilian eyes, thinking about what just happened. He felt a felt two connections forming to his mind for a moment. It was but a split second, but that was all he needed to figure out what was going on. The two consciousnesses made him feel whole, as if finding that he had another pair of limbs all along, but just forgot about it. 
 "That was… me." He said with a pause, and then grinned with his savage looking draconic mouth. "They were the two other me's.  Ahaha! We had quite the fate did we? One turned into a mixed breed dwarf, another turned into a dragon, while another turned into a literally bloody plant. This is too funny. Ahahaha!" The serpentine dragon said while laughing. His two siblings were looking at him weirdly. That speech he just finished came out as low grunts and roars, while his laughs just looks like he's gasping for air. Most of the speech was just in his mind since his draconic mouth is not fit for speaking.
 "But I see, a name huh? I didn't completely understand the words, but I could tell that my dwarven part was given a name by his parents already. Just like any normal humanoid would." He said while nodding his head. "I shall have a good name of my own. What should I call myself? Maybe a legendary dragon name like Fafnir? Or maybe a cute one like Tohru? On the other hand, Ouroboros is also cool."
 He thought of different names, most of them coming from his previous life that he could barely remember. The young dragon was so enthusiastic about choosing his name that it was too late when he finally noticed how his siblings had finished eating most of the boar meat.
 ROAR! He roared angrily at his siblings and chased them away from the remaining meat. They scampered and ran weakly at the corners at the cave, fearing their intelligent brother. "Ah you big brutes, you left me with this pile of bones?!" He shouted loudly. "Bah, forget it. I'll just ask father for more meat. And speaking of father, maybe I can ask him for a name? Now that I think about it, isn't it weird that he still hasn't named any of us?"
 The intelligent young dragon focused his mind and called out to his father. "Father, may I talk to you?" There was a moment of silence for all siblings. They were waiting for their father to respond. Although the two other young dragons still don't know how to express themselves fully through the mental communication between them, they still knew when their father was going to speak. And they were very afraid of their father.
 "What is it my child?" Came a booming voice. The intelligent young dragon gulped a bit. His siblings hid even further in the cave, afraid. "F-Father, I was wondering why you haven't named us yet. I-I wanted to have a name." He said, stuttering. He wasn't really afraid, but there was just something about the presence of their father that makes him as meek as a lamb.
 "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm." A very long thoughtful voice sounded in their minds. He could feel the vibration of the voice in the surroundings and his ears despite the voice just sounding in their minds. It was truly illogical how a mental communication could affect their surroundings.
 "My child, we usually don't give out names until the day of your awakening." His father said. The intelligent young dragon waited for a bit to make sure his father was done talking, afraid of interrupting him.
 "Awakening? What is the awakening father?" He asked as cutely as he possibly can as a 15 meter baby dragon. The topic of awakening seems to be some important event and he didn't know if his father would be comfortable talking about it to his few-days old children, so he asked cutely to convince him. Well, he didn't even know if asking cutely would have an effect, but it was worth a try.
 "Well, my child, the awakening is a very important event that happens not just in the lives of us dragons, but every sentient race as well. It would have a very major effect on your path of life. It is a process of awakening one's race sole racial trait that other species would never hope to get. 
 For example, to elves, they would awaken with life magic, able to bring back a person from the brink of death no matter how severe the injuries. But to us dragons, we would gain breath magic that is more destructive and more powerful than any other race could achieve." The voice sounded proud.
 The intelligent young dragon, curious about his dwarf counterpart, asked. "What about the dwarves father?" But then his reptilian eyes widened when he realized, 'Oh no, I forgot I was supposed to be a baby. It's impossible for me to know about the dwarves.' He immediately acted cutely to try to save himself from the predicament. He still wasn't sure if it's working.
 He felt a stare coming from outside the cave, scrutinizing him. Beads of sweat came out of his forehead with that. He did his best to act indifferent and continue with his cute baby dragon acting. 
 Finally, his father replied, not asking him about how he got the information. "The dwarves… hmmmmm, are old friends of mine. The dwarves are fanatics of crafting and forging. Even their awakened racial trait is heavily related to that. When they awaken, they would be able to summon a hammer that is the embodiment of their soul, and a special kind of fire that could be considered equally as powerful as ours.
 We call their racial trait, the hammer and forge. Although I call their fire as powerful as ours, it is not as destructive as our breath. Instead, this fire is made to create and craft. It is a fire of life and wisdom, unlike ours of destructiveness. They have another racial trait closely that is also very closely related to forging, but that is a story for another time." His father finished.
 "So how does this relate to names father?" He urged his father to continue.
 "To humanoids, although their awakening is equally as important, in the end they would still remain the same person, just with added abilities. However to us dragons, and other intelligent beasts for that matter, it changes our very bodies and being. That's why we avoid giving names before our awakening, for it changes our very person." The voice ended.
 The intelligent young dragon was taking all this information to the heart, a little bit surprised at the revelation. "I see father. When does this awakening happen then?" The voice returned, this time with a higher pitch than usual, as if amused by his son. "For humanoids, it happens usually before they age 10 years old, although with variation depending on the race. For us dragons however, it's around 50 years old, when we naturally accumulate enough mana inside our bodies." His father paused for a while, thinking. "Hmmmmmmm. However, you're a smart child, so I could probably give you a name right now. Aaaahaaahaaahaa." His father laughed very slowly.
 "The act of not giving names until the day of awakening is more of a tradition now anyways, since our ancestors in ancient times put heavy importance in naming children. They always give names very fitting of your image and abilities. I remember being so proud receiving my own name and making sure everyone knows of it. Aaaahaaahaaahaa. Those old fogies. I kind of miss them." His voice was slightly nostalgic and upbeat, unlike the usual intimidating voice. 
 His voice continued to change. It is now more imposing and majestic, throwing away his old lazy voice. "Child, if you really want a name now, I will give you one. It's the new world now. Those old traditions are now impractical and needs to be changed. I can just give you a neutral name and we will not have any troubles on the day of your awakening." The intelligent young dragon felt as if his father was grinning for some reason.
 "T-Then I want a name now. Please father." He said, still slightly stuttering, but more confident now. Even if he wanted to back out now, he felt that his father won't let him.
 "Then I will give you a name now, but under certain conditions." The intelligent young dragon felt that his father was grinning even further.
 "What conditions father?" He wanted to frown, but instead tried to make a cute face so that his father would not make the conditions harsh. It was just for a name anyway, he could just call himself something in secret.
 "I know what you're thinking child, that the conditions would be harsh, but trust me that these conditions will mostly only be beneficial to you. You're an exceedingly smart child, so I can give these conditions to you, but your siblings' minds are not yet developed enough to understand." The intelligent young dragon sighed with relief. If it's mostly beneficial, then he sees no reason to not accept it.
 "The first thing you should know is that normally, 50 years old is the time when dragons naturally accumulate enough mana to awaken. But there is a way to speed it up." His father looked at him intently from outside the cave. His father's gigantic green eyes were serious.
 "How do I speed it up father?" He responded with serious eyes of his own.
 His father looked at him and said. "Cultivating. Actively control and accumulate mana inside your body, and you would speed up the naturally occurring process."

The river of souls that control the cycle of reincarnation has no guardian to speak of. There is no heaven, no hell and no one to judge your sins. It is so mysterious that even the most powerful of beings that manage to reach it is barely able to interact with it.

It is no one's will that the souls go there when they cease to die, and it also no one's will that the river of souls is in the form of a river. It is simply the effect of the laws of the world and is part of nature.

As is all part of nature, accidents happen. Accidents are a common occurence to the river of souls although it is not a daily case. One peculiar soul however achieves an accident so rare that it was the first time in history it happened since the world began. It was a soul that resulted in three different hearts when it reincarnated.

50 shades of grey funny

50 shades of red

50 shades of color

I Deserve a Second Chance

Amber Ray: A Romance Novel

grey as told by Christian grey

Before It Struck Midnight

inactive

A Phoenix Rebirth: Dragon Emperor’s Beloved Wife

Limits

The Paragon of Three Hearts

People search 50 shades of grey funny also like: