thoughts , quotes and short stories you may want to look up on .

Hope you all refresh your mind and have a great day ahead !

April 20th 2022. 7:00

"One's failure is another way to succeed."

It was a short message from Ansel's mother, followed by other motivation quotes from famous figures, including from the fictional world.

"Don't believe in quotes written white in a black background with a famous figure that you found on the internet," Ansel replied with another picture.

"I'm trying to motivate you, so you could be more energetic through life."

"Nice try, but I'm getting old and I should have been working for now. Even little sister has graduated last year."

"We're not trying to compare you with her."

"Yeah not you, but some people, and don't forget about society. This moment they may laugh at me, a 24-year-old student almost-NEET. What do you expect from me? I'm tired of moving to another university just because I can't fit into it. And I never forget the day that dad smashed my hard-disk worth of the hobbies that I saved."

Ansel's hand shook, whether to send the risky message or not. He bit his dry lip until it was slightly bleeding. To his conscious, he erased it. Sending those things would result in no more money pocket for a month.

"Thank you," sent.

Ansel threw his phone to the wall.

"Shut up!" his neighbour shouted.

Ansel smirked, "man, you don't understand my pain."

9:55

"The professor gave me one more chance to change my thesis topic; yeah it must be my lucky day," Ansel texted Brian on the way to campus.

"WKWKWKW that damn Hitler. I really want to tear his moustache," Brian replied

"If that Hitler decided to give up, I'll treat you."

"DO IT! Write something that made him seeking isekai!"

Ansel puffed his breath, he held his boisterous laughter. Set his face into straight again. Ansel paced himself up, he was almost late. He calculated that he needs four minutes to reach his department. He shoved people who blocked his way, doesn't matter, they were all his juniors. Some just shouted, but Ansel was too ignorant to care about them.

He went up to the stairs, floor one, two more. Skipped one and two stairs, sometimes jumped up, his heart pumping faster. He was impatient, he wished that time moved slower. Floor two.

9:59

Ansel sped up, it was his maximum speed. His left foot almost slipped from the stairs, he backed up, his right foot reached higher. Sweats running from his forehead to his neck, he rushed away like the wind on full speed.

Floor three.

Finally.

10:00

He arrived on the third floor, where all of his bad dreams resided. The lecturer's hallway, to his right, was a balcony, left was the rooms where

He didn't see a man with a strange costume and weapon blocked the aisle to the lecturer's office. The man was tall, on his right hand a scythe, and left a big watch.

"What the hell a cosplayer does in this place?" Ansel ducked from the weapon, "coming through."

The man swung his scythe to Ansel's feet, Ansel swerved up, and his papers flew across the aisle.

"What the f—"Ansel spat.

Strangely, he and his papers were floating. Ansel couldn't move an inch; the man dragged his scythe along, the man's big watch stood on the place. The scythe and the watch were tied with a golden chain. The man wore a big blue robe, similar to a pastor on the church, as Ansel recalled in mind.

Is it the end? Angel of death? My life was a joke after all.

The man aimed his scythe to Ansel's neck, it was freezing old. Like a kiss of death. Ansel held his breath, his chest felt excruciating pain.

I should've called my family, tell them sorry to disappoint them all these years.

"Tell me, when was the last time you see her?" the man asked, his voice was chill.

"Who, her?"

I thought he would ask "Who's your God?"

The man put his scythe closer to Ansel's neck, he could read Ansel's mind. "Don't you ever joke to god? I'm looking for a woman; she has white hair, very long hair. She has a chilly voice, something that pierces your ears. Tell me, and I'll spare your time."

The woman of his dreams, literary, not figuratively, he recalled the memory again. He tried to speak up with his trembling lips.

"I… I saw her…"

"Very well," the man clicked his finger, Ansel's butt fell first to the floor, and it was a hard landing. Ansel rubbed it, hoping that his bones didn't break. The papers flew to his lap elegantly, it was unfair. "But I won't let you escape until you found it. Take your time," Ansel's feet were tied with a golden shackle.

He peered at the big watch that the man hide behind his robe, the clock was not moving at all. The man flipped the watch; he stared at Ansel with a stern look, pissed off. Quickly, Ansel focused on his papers.

"I found it." Ansel raised the log paper from his thesis project. Behind it was a short diary that he wrote after the bizarre dream.

"Read it to me."

"April 1st 2022. A woman with white long hair, pointed at me at the street near the post office when I walked home. She was tall, wore high heels, and she can run fast. I escaped through the small road."

"19 days ago…She never came back?"

Ansel shook his head. He just lied. Actually, he preferred to hide the truth that he couldn't tell. He also wanted that man to read his mind about his dream.

"Good. Actually, she was an evil being that escaped from my dimension to your dimension. Beware of her; she might use you as a tool to make an apocalypse. Since I am a merciful god from another dimension, I will grant you an escape, to never meet her ever. You may choose: future or past?" he spoke fast like a rapper that about to smash his album on Billboard.

Ansel partly comprehend what he said, then pointed at the man, his hand still shook, "I have a question, who are you?"

"From all nicknames…most people called me Chronos, the ruler of time."

Greek mythology, Ansel was familiar with that name. He wasn't a fan of mythology, but he heard it sometimes on movies. He didn't know that the Greek deities actually existed in another dimension. Ansel overwhelmed with the truth.

"Oh." Nodding his head, Ansel pointed at his feet, "please release me first, your eminence."

"Shake your feet," Ansel did as he said, the shackles turned into dust. "Now, you may choose to go to the future or past? I have time to spend."

"Past, please. To be precise—"

"I could read your wishes and intentions easily like a book," Chronos added, "I'll take you to the time where your fate changed completely."

Ansel awed, "nice, where exactly it could be?"

Chronos didn't answer, he turned his back, and his two small pigtails flowed. He chanted some words and slashed the air with his scythe. Big portal with golden colours swirling in front of them, the swirl has some events that happened in Ansel's life.

"When this portal changed into blue, you must enter."

"Where it would take me?"

"Just trust me; it will be a pleasant time of your life."

The swirl gradually changed its hue, it was green, and then it was dark blue.

Chronos pushed Ansel, "Go! And Godspeed!"

Ansel fell down through the portal. The end of the portal was a speck of white dot, far from his sight. When he got deeper, gravity gradually got stronger. A rush of air, heartbeat fastened, Ansel felt a surge of adrenaline goes to his head. The end of the portal got bigger and bigger. And Ansel crushed hard the white layer of the portal. It was dark.

..

Loud hard bass blasted on a room; Ansel's alarm. He jerked his body out from the bed, reached for his phone. What he saw on the phone made him puzzled.

Monday, 20 April 2020 7:33

But he was sceptical. Brian could sneak into his room and changed the time just to prank him.

Ansel searched for the latest news on the internet.

April 19th 2020, 9.35 P.M, The president's revision made netizen goes mad, here's why.

Click baits popped up on the screen, Ansel swiped them off. Some click baits have no credibility, some of the dates were made up. Ansel searched for local news.

April 20th 2020, 5.30 P.M, A fire struck garment factory, no one was injured.

Ansel swiped up the news, he found the newest.

April 20th 2020, 7:35 P.M, Fire struck house nearby.

"How in the world— Brian probably doing his thesis right now," Ansel rose up. He ran to Brian's room and knocked loudly. "Ey bro? How's the thesis?"

"GOD GAVE MERCY! I HAVEN'T SLEEP FOR THREE EFFING DAYS! SHUT UP!"

"Sorry—"

"DO YOUR OWN THESIS TOO! LAZY ASS!"

"Thesis?" Ansel raised his eyebrows, "but I haven't pass methodology class yet."

Brian opened his door with a slam, "dude, please don't get me with that nonsense joke. Oh, if you ask me 'am I dreaming bro', here," he punched Ansel's arms, "you're awake!"

"Ahaha thanks."

"You better be fast, Mr Ivan will back to Germany next month, if you're late, that bushy professor will check yours instead," Brian locked his door.

Ansel clicked his finger, he opened his laptop. Only to found his first draft of thesis marked 'accepted' at the end of the document. Luckily, the professor was not 'Hitler' this time; his professor was a foreigner, Ivan Sigmund Abene.

He never met Ivan Sigmund before, probably another possibility of his life.

"…fate changed, completely," the words slipped from Ansel's mouth. "How could this happen? Other things must have changed."

Ansel opened the university website portal; he searched for his scores from the past semester. It was unexpected, almost every class that he took, marked perfect. Some of them were professor Hitler's classes. Shook his head, and then pinched his arms.

"It's not a dream."

Still, Ansel didn't have any idea how the event turned up. And why he has to be placed at this moment.

Ansel faded his train of thought; he opened the email, checking the schedule of his thesis. The schedule was so tight, in three days a revision has been done, Ansel widened his eyes, Brian was right. After all, it was a pleasant thing for him.

This time, his dream was not deferred.

Blue turned the past mode off in her system. She was hoping in another type of dream. A type were she could see her long lost happy past. She yearned for those memories of her parents, from when they were still alive. Its been eleven years since that dreadful day. They died in a car crash on her eight birthday. Since then Blue never truly laughed and she also neither lied to anyone anymore. Because when she was eight she had feigned sickness in order to get her favorite toy. Blue was feeling a bit lonely so she wanted to dream of that past even If it was painful. 

The night was still young when Blue went to sleep, amidst her feverish dreams of the past one was clearly remembered by her when she actually woke up. 
The  feverish dream it  was the  story of a black starry  wolf with jet black eyes and  a pure white angelic rabbit with ruby colored eyes. 
As the story processed she found herself in stunningly beautiful bucolic scenery. Three elements ruled in the area. A crystal clear blue lake, a vivid green forest and the crossroad. She instinctively knew that one road lead to the wolf and the other to the rabbit.Both rather enchanting creatures that were full of charisma. The idea of meeting either of them made her tremble with excitement, which one too choose she was confused.So  she  sat right in the middle of the crossroad admiring the beauty of the scene.

Suddenly she heard a voice that was coming from the clear blue sky. "You must choose hurry up...". As the authoritive voice nudged her to choose, she had no choice she stood up and paid attention  to the roads once again. 

The wolf was beautiful but a bit scary so she thought "I will go to the rabbits way. Rabbits are cute and harmless after all ". 
As she was about to make the first step she woke up from her dream drenched in sweat and feeling exhausted. 

"What a weird dream ". Blue thought. 
It left a deep impression  in her. The black starry  wolf with his enchanting eyes and the pure white rabbit with his ruby red eyes. 
" How do I know this details I never saw them in my dream ".she wondered. 

Anyway it was time for work and she was getting a bit late, so she quickly got dressed and off the door to her car. 
She had a small cute orange car. Orange was not her favorite color, but when her parents were still alive, loved this color so much, that  they bought this car for Blue's eighteen birthday. The car was old but still Blue acquired it only last year. She was 19 this  year, quite young but quite capable.

Blue had earned her psychology degree in the previous 4 years and was about to enter on a new field in programming. 

Blue was a stunning beauty, her blue black hair her cherry like lips and her almond color eyes made her seem like a doll. However in all these years she had never fallen in love. Blue knew what love was, she had learned it from old world books, and she deeply yearned for it.

 The books mysteriously started appearing in her inventory when she was eight the first one was actually given to her on her eight birthday. The day her parents died she never read that one. However, in her inventory she had the world's biggest treasure of books, songs, quotes and art that accumulated all these years. Those gave her the courage needed to continue living, those gave her hope. 

She was sure she would find it one day this so called love she was sure. What she did not expect that today would be the day that the small God of love would pierce her heart. 

Blue was working as a cashier today. It was her  part time job in order to earn merit points. It was one of the boring professions that the government thought it needed a human touch to please the customer. So here she was on her job trying to be pleasant. 
When here comes the chief cashier with a boy that looked her age. 

The boy was so handsome he had jet black hair and eyes. He was the classic handsome guy that looks like a model. A bit thin and quite tall. He wore a white shirt and black pants accompanied by black boots. Blue was stunned and her heart started beating a bit faster  . 
The chief cashier that was accompanying him introduced them. 

When blue touched his hand she was electrified she closed her eyes and she  actually made an inaudible moan. The boy was staring wildly with his eyes suddenly widen. 
"She was beautiful indeed  "he thought" but quite odd." 

Blue suddenly turned the other way smiled a bit and thought "I bet this is how love feels".
The boy and the chief were wondering . What has actually happened why does she act so strange. 

Blue turned again towards them and said boldly " Do not worry Chief I will take care of him."

A love triangle between Blue, Orange and Angelos. Who will she choose the so called devilish wolf or  the angelic rabbit.Follow the story of Blue and her two destined lovers to figure out her choice.

Meanwhile at Shi Corporation, surprisingly so, the company was able to kick back into the game.
To recall, all their competitors in the oil industry gained an advantage by consolidating their importations and as a result, their cost of goods became collectively cheaper.  After all, the simple rule says 'cheaper by the dozen'. 
Heedless to say that oil players would not readily join forces on their own, and all the more would they NOT sit on a round table to discuss as a team how to take the market down collectively.  Who, in the right state of mind, would disclose the sacred secret recipe of each corporation for the greater good of all? 
The business world was tantamount to a sophisticated jungle where predators and prey both wear suits and corporate attires, and where they lock themselves in offices behind their desks.  However, all businessmen were a similar type of animal.
With the pride that they had, though bleeding hard, no one would scream for help. 
This in mind came Zhu Li Qiang and Chen Linyun with their brilliant plan to intervene.  Months ago, each oil player was bleeding and was on the brink of extinction because of the bullying of the powerful – the Shi Corporation who pushed and pushed the market price further just because they were capable of doing so. 
A good businessman will see an opportunity in a crisis, and a good businessman will be able to flip the losing end into a winning streak.
Chen Linyun and Zhu Li Qiang captured the right opportunity at an enigmatic, unbelievable timing.
Just like a hero who saves the day at the climactic moment when the damsel in distress almost would not survive the blow…
Just like when the last glimmer of hope was about to slip by…
Just like the light that started as a dot at the end of a winding dark tunnel, Shuilong Trading came shining through and lent power to the dying oil competitors.
Shuilong Trading served as the catalyst, and lo and behold, tables turned.  All oil companies survived the unforgiving market trends except for one.  As the tables turned, the mighty giant namely Shi Corporation faced and kissed the ground, and stayed there alone.
Shi Corporation almost closed as the world's crude oil prices even treaded downwards.  Financial statements were mostly red, and letters from the banks came to them daily, and the frequency increased as time progresses.
Now, they encountered a sort-of breather – an oasis – in this hopeless state.  But it was quite temporary. 
The inventory that had been sleeping in Shi Corporation's storage facilities and depots across the country was acquired at a relatively lower cost. 
At the current time that the world oil prices had been surging up, they could sell their inventory at a higher cost, and still below market prices.  It's like striking two birds with one stone – getting rid of their sleeping inventory, and consequently liquidating their sleeping money, while gaining the advantage in the consumer's market by offering the most competitive market price, and still getting a good margin out of it.  Consumers would always prefer the provider that offers the lowest oil price.
Shi Fan Hai wore a smirk on his gaunt, proud visage.  "Where's the Chairman?" He slouched against the back of his majestic desk chair.  He rested his left foot on his huge desk and crossed his right led over it.
"He's been focusing on an important project.  In a few days, he'll be leaving for Korea." His right-hand man retorted.
"Shi Corporation isn't easy prey to kill.  Hahahaha!" He boasted loudly and smugly.  "Make sure he knows."
"That is noted, Sir.  I'm sure he already heard of it, but I will still reiterate.  I have something else to report, Sir."
"What is it?" 
His assistant handed him a thick envelope.  When he opened it using his Swiss knife, photos exposed a man and a woman.
The temperature of the room suddenly turned frosty as winter.  He picked up one, stared at it with deep, threatening eyes, and then crumpled it inside his right fist.
"Explain."
"Lady Han received an unexpected visitor just minutes after you visited her, Sir."
Shi Fan Hai clenched his teeth in rage.  He wasn't impressed at all.
"It seems that you have been followed, Sir."
"Chen Linyun, you bastard!!!" His nose flared, and brows knitted together, he ordered, "Double the security in her room.  Make sure no one gets near her ever again.  If you need to transfer her to another more secluded private room, do it.  Just make sure the room has a window overlooking a garden or something pleasant."
"Understood, Sir."
The assistant left the raging Shi Fan Hai behind.  He sat upright as he pounded his fist strongly on the desk, agitation and intense anger laced over his grimaced face.
---
At the Chen dream house, seven in the evening.
Xue Jinxu just arrived from home from a day of work at Xue Shipping. 
Chen Linyun stayed at home and refrained from getting involved in the business as insisted by the wife, although he still got to know tiny bits of update once in a while.  He just finished preparing dinner good for five people.  Of course, the maids were there to assist him, but he's the head chef.
Xue Guangxi and Kang Sola were plopped on the floor and were busy building vision boards for the year.  Colorful magazine cutouts were spread on the floor.  Kang Sola's concept was 'Getting motivated' so her cutouts were of the things which she likes and which would make her want to keep pushing and keep moving forward. There were excerpts of testimonials and feel-good quotes, too.
Xue Guangxi's concept, on the other hand, was 'Chasing Success'.  He had a picture of a fist raised against a sunset background, and athletes winning gold and silver medals.
"Oh hi, Xu-Jie!"
"You're home, Xu-Jie!"
"En."
Mo Wenbin appeared behind Chen Linyun.  He was already munching a piece of the sweet and sour pork that Chen Linyun cooked.
"Oh, Wenbin, you're here, too?"
"Yeah.  I miss Linyun.  I'm also here to give updates." He retorted, his mouth partially filled with the pork.  He resumed chewing the moment he finished his sentence.
The wife arched a brow and shot a warning glance at the husband.  Chen Linyun caught her eye and scratched his head.  "I need to know, dear."
"Hmph.  You should be resting."
"I am.  I'm quite bored already.  I still need to be on top of the situation even if I'm at home, right?  I need to exercise my mind too.  Anyway, my hands are off at Xue Shipping.  It's all yours." He raised his hands in the air in surrender.
"Tsk.  So hard-headed.  Just don't take in so much workload.  Wenbin, I'll hold you responsible for him."
"Yes, ma'am!" Mo Wenbin saluted the wife in affirmation.
Xue Jinxu went past the kids and up towards the second floor.  While passing, she gave her husband a silent signal – a nod of her head – telling him to follow her to their bedroom.
When they were assured of their privacy, Xue Jinxu retrieved an envelope from her bag.  They sat atop their bed at an angle facing each other.
"The results are out?"
"Yes.  Let's open it together."
Chen Linyun rubbed his palms together.  "I'm nervous.  Hehehe."
"Me too.  That's why we have to do this together."
Xue Jinxu mentally prepared herself, as she took a deep, deep breath.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
Xue Jinxu stared at the letter for a long while.
"What does it say?" Chen Linyun, getting slightly impatient, blurted out expectantly.
The wife reluctantly tore her gaze from the letter and shifted it instead on her husband's pale countenance.  Their gazes locked into each other.
"Dear…" She trailed off.  Her voice came out shaky.
"It's positive."


-----
 “Alright.”
“I better go now. I’ll be fine on my own now.” She grinned again while fixing her hair, tucking it neatly under the cap and turning up the hood to cover half of her face. Her guise was complete. She knew that she would pass as a boy with her current look. So she uncaringly opened the door. With one last smile she thanked him again and left.
Just like that.
Chen Linyun’s peace and quiet has been perturbed.
‘Take responsibility, somehow.’ He said in his mind, to the girl who just left, eyes glimmering.
He gazed darkly at her fading silhouette but did not do anything anyway.
-----

Chen Linyun had spend the night together in a dorm room with a drunken girl he had mistaken for a boy when he was still eighteen years old during his sophomore year in the university. Little did he know this short encounter will leave a mark in him, unable to let go of this woman who disappeared after that night. He was head-over-heels and had vowed to search for her in every part of the earth.

Five years later, they met again, but the woman he once knew wasn't the same as she was before. Just after a few years, she became a domineering leader of her own empire.

With his own charm, his adventure to chase the girl and convince her of his love starts in this story. 

It's a reverse role that the MC is a bit soft and domesticated but smart, while the FC is the strong-willed one - playful and teasing.


Excerpt 2:
-----
“Deal.”
Chen Linyun stood up. “One more thing.” He grabbed her hand that was resting on the table. He gently guided it for her to stand up. She followed her lead and stood up, confused.
The next thing she knew, she was enveloped in his warm embrace. “I missed you.”
She blushed. She tried to push him away. 
His left hand was cradling the back of her head while his right hand secured her lower back. She was held tightly in his embrace.
“Just a little longer.”
She was helpless. “I’ll sue you for harassment.”
“You wouldn’t do that.” He finally released her and stared at her blushing face.
 “This time I won’t leave your side.”
------

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[November 30,2019] Saturday 
Do you know we people like to watch moon once per second to see how beautiful it is in the dark night and most of the people always like to watch and each time we all know that moon is more beautiful when it is the day of full moon night..... i am also one of them who like to watch moon daily and post it's in in Instagram and Facebook and like to create beautiful quotes... but today the moon is different today i will never forget this day because this day is by darkest day of my life...
[Name: lily
Address: p-city
Education: p-city university 
Graduate : architecture last year]
[10:30 pm]
in the dark night i hear the noise from my dormitory to next door so i went there to find out what was going on but what I found was the mysterious....

The night i woke up was no any night of magical of love story it was dark like darkness was full of surrounded by beautiful moon light...
but...
that moon light was not that beautiful my eyes was blurr i only can see was beautiful full moon and blood in my hand i was dead... 
i thought but when i woke up next morning and saw myself was.... ask was "where".... "what"..... "where".... and "who".......
"where am i".......
'what its is place'.......
 "when did i get here"......And....
 "who are youin mirror"......

The next morning, Gwendolynn would awaken to a strange sound, and a slight tapping on her forehead. She scrunched her face, shaking her head slightly, 'Hmm?' really being the only thing that she could get out.
 "Danger…." a voice called to her, "Outside." It completed the thought. Gwendolynn's eyes flew open as she looked around. She remembered falling asleep on the beach, but also knew that Olive was the only other person there...
 Did he just talk?
 "Danger?" she asked him, and he pointed at the same cave that they came from not long ago. "Is there danger outside of this valley?" Gwendolynn asked, getting her footing together at last. Olive nodded, not with a look of anxiousness, but of concern.
 "Emily was still out there." She remembered. She dusted the sand out of her hair and off of her clothes. "Is Emily in danger?" she asked. Olive shrugged, which infuriated Gwendolynn. He seemed to be so sure that there was danger, but he didn't know who or what was in danger? "Either way, we have to get back to her as quickly as we can. Is there a quicker way to climb the mountain?" Olive again shook his head. "Well, let's get climbing, then." Gwendolyn concluded.

 It had taken them several hours to scale this rather large slope. Not that it was particularly steep, but the rocky surface was unforgiving, especially to someone with only one functioning shoe. The twilight of the morning had faded, and become noon by the time they would reach the entrance of the cave. Much like the initial trek, the cave wasn't really anything of interest, except for long and twisting, with rock formations being overly abundant. Now that Gwendolynn had the chance to appreciate the beauty of the structures, she would marvel at some of the stranger colored stones as she passed. They were hues of yellow, gold, and brown, some seemed to even be crystallized, and they reflected the light of the torch that Olive carried ahead of them, casting pale rainbows against the bedrock walls as they traveled. They were still a good half an hour away from the other side of the cave, and another 3 hour long trek back to their camp site. All things considered, this mountain range wasn't very tall compared to the mountains from Gwendolynn's home, but maybe it was a hole in the side of them that made them seem that way. When they would finally reach the other side of the cave, Gwendolynn looked down to see her friend Emily alright, but she was with someone…..and she wasn't supposed to be with anyone.

 Emily's awakening wasn't nearly as pleasant as Gwendolynn's. She heard the footsteps of someone approaching, and her eyes fluttered open only to realize it was almost noon already. She had over slept…..again. However, Gwendolynn wasn't supposed to make it back until around dinner time, so this sleeping in would've been acceptable. Who, then, was approaching? She sat up to look around, and saw a black cloaked figure approaching from the distance, with their hood drawn over their head. She knew that anyone approaching in this way was probably trouble. She knew that anyone approaching in this direction was probably looking for the group she was just apart of the previous evening. She knew that anyone approaching in this manner was going to be approaching her, and soon. Judging from the speed of the creature, she would have time to roll up her sleeping bag and to gather the camp. She knelt down and grabbed the sleeping bag with her hands, beginning to roll it when-
 "Hello." A casual male voice came from very close behind her, causing her to jump in shock onto the bedroll that she had just begun trying to pack. She rolled over, to face the figure and somehow, impossibly, he was standing right over her, all of his features obscured by the glaring noon sun. "I happen to be looking for someone, would you mind helping me?" he continued in a much more casual manner than she was expecting.
 "Who….?" Emily started, wanting to ask who he was.
 "Oh…..an Elf." he stated flatly. Emily knew about the kinds of people that would hunt elves, and in her laying position she couldn't really do much if this became physical. She pulled her legs underneath of herself, keeping her eyes on this stranger as she rose to her feet, stepping off of her bedroll.
 "An elf?" Emily asked, trying to sound cynical.
 "Yes. You know where one is, don't you?" he asked, looking about the forest. With the sun no longer behind him, Emily could see his features. He had a pale complexion, and his facial hair was clearly never tended to in his life, with patches of hair sprouting from wherever they may, some on his cheeks, some on his neck, one was something like a beard. His eyebrows were thick, and his eyes were solid brown orbs that rested in his sunken sockets, and he was clearly aged much more than she was. His cheeks even recessed into his face, with his bone structure also very apparent, and he must've had his nose broken a few times in his life. His hair was a matted deep brown color that was frazzled enough to poke out from inside of his hood as he turned his head. Most glaringly, this man had some kind of skin infection on the lower part of his neck, with what looked like a still open wound from a cut or scrape forming at the lining of his black shirt that was just below his black cloak. The inner lining of the cloak was a purple color, which made his tastes strangely align with hers. She studied him at length, waiting to see what exactly he was up to, and a simple leather strap was draped over his shoulder; he had a backpack of sorts.
 "Elves are extinct." she smiled, "I just love the way these mountains look at night, so I decided that while we were here just before the harvest season, I would come out  and camp."
 "Is that so?" he pressed, "That's unfortunate. I really have a problem with people lying." he said, and she noticed the brown orbs that were his eyes began to flicker a slight gold color: He could use Magick. "However, it's still useful if you just think of your Elvish friend."
 For a split second, Gwendolynn appeared in Emily's mind, clear and plain as day, and she could feel the gaze of this rogue mage seeing the same thing.
 "Yes, her." he responded to her thoughts. Emily gritted her teeth, shaking her head, she quickly tried to envision a brick. Or a tree. Maybe a Hammer?
 "I'm just glad you have that ability. You know, some people can't actually fabricate images in their minds, which would've made this much more difficult for me. Finding you was the best thing to happen to me in months, now all I need to do is ask you how to reach her." He grinned, the yellow glare in his brown eyes focusing again on her. She could feel him peering into her memories, and she focused as much as she could on the trees around them. If she kept her eyes open, she couldn't really imagine things, could she? She looked at the tree tops, and wondered if there were any squirrels or birds above. She tried to focus on the sound of the wind, and of the leaves as they fell between the trees.
 "You've dealt with people like me before, haven't you?" he pressed verbally this time.
 "That depends on how you mean that….." Emily responded, pushing her bangs out of her line of sight. She focused her sight on him again, and on that gaping neck wound he had. The blood in it was still liquid, so it hadn't coagulated yet, but how was such a massive cut not simply pouring blood everywhere?
 "People who can use Magick, of course." he responded, pulling his hood back. He revealed that his hair was just as unkempt as it had originally appeared, but also…..no…..
 "Your ears are pointed too…." Emily noticed.
 "Correct…. And both fortunately and unfortunately I am not exactly 'entirely' elf." he explained, putting the word "Entirely" in air quotes. "Fortunate because I was not a part of the exile of the elves, and unfortunate because I'll never be at their level of magickal capabilities."
 "So….." Emily reached for the knife at her hip, "What do you plan to do with elves?" she grabbed the hilt.
 "Well…." he scratched his chin in thought. "Let's just say I…. 'Repurpose' them." Again he made air quotes. That was enough for Emily to know exactly what she had to do; She had to protect Gwendolynn from being found by him. That way she wouldn't end up like the rest of her family, and her race. She lunged at him, her dagger raised over her head ready to strike at the already open wound. He pulled his cloak around himself, and the dagger tore through the fabric easily, but when the cloak floated to the ground he was nowhere to be had.
 "I can't allow that." She said louder than usual, scanning the field for where he may have ended up. She heard crackling, and as she looked up a rather large boulder had fallen from the sky somehow, cracking many branches as it fell toward her. She jumped to one side, letting this rock the size of her head make a thud as it hit the ground. Waiting was this stranger, who stepped from some fold in reality that her eyes couldn't perceive, and caught her in the side with a rather closed, rather painfully solid fist. She felt her abdomen lock up in shock as her stomach muscles forced her to double over. She tried to quickly regain her composure, slashing the dagger toward the head of the cloaked figure only to have him duck under her attack, and he countered with another fist to her stomach. She lurched forward, but he caught her by her arm, turning it as he would use that as leverage to stand behind her. He brought her hand down painfully into his knee, making her not only fling the blade but also yelp in pain. She couldn't explain what tactic he used next, but the world around her seemed to whirl as she found herself laying on her back, and he was still holding onto her knife hand. She went to reach at his face with her other hand, when her dagger landed hilt first in his outstretched hand, and before her hand was at his face the dagger was at her throat. She knew better than to keep fighting.
 "Now will you allow it?" he asked pressing the blade against her skin. She went to reach for his arm to push the knife aside, but he elbowed her hand away. Almost lightning fast he then brought his still closed fist into her nose, which made her eyes go blurry, and rested the blade of the dagger against her neck again.
 "I won't allow you…." Emily tried to bring her brain back up to a functioning state. It was way too early for this shit. "To take her anywhere…." she completed her thought.
 He tilted his head in response. "Oh?" he questioned. "What if instead of taking her somewhere, I simply led her there so she may do as she will?" he continued.
 "What?" Emily asked. He wasn't trying to abduct her?
 "I know of Elves because of how closely I am tied to them." he brought the dagger away from her neck, "You could say, it is my duty to assist them, and all creatures that are inherently magickal in nature. I mean to guide her, and to teach her the ways of mana. And elf who cannot use magick is essentially a strictly inferior human. That would be much like if a Frog didn't use their tongue, or if birds didn't use their wings. It is a core asset to what Elves have, and I intend to see anyone who is helping the elves, especially one of the elves, function at their apex potential." He sighed. "If you would protect an elf so fervently, then I would love to have you accompany us, but for now I j-" his head snapped to one side, and he rolled over off of Emily. Emily looked to see the source of the boot, and it was of course Gwendolynn.
 "YOU GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!!" Gwendolynn yelled, standing now between Emily and her hooded assailant. He sat up, holding his head; making sure it was still attached.
 "Hell of a kick." he commented, before rising to his feet, and facing Gwendolynn. "Right….you're the elf then." he concluded upon seeing her, again drawing his hood back.
 "Emily, let's get out of here." Gwendolynn said, still posed in a fighting stance. The hooded man chuckled; at the stance or the sentiment was to be determined.
 "After I've done so much to find you?" he asked, smiling, "What if all I asked was that you would listen to me?"
 "You just held a knife to my friend's throat, why should I listen to you?" Gwendolynn replied, looking down at Emily who was returning to a standing position.
 "Well, she started it," he sheepishly said, "And because we both have Elvish blood." he said, drawing his hood back down, and pointing to his much-smaller-than-her's-but-still-pointed ears. This got Gwendolynn's attention.
 "What does that have to do with anything? And why would she start it?" She looked at Emily, who placed a hand on her shoulder. Gwendolynn's stance softened.
 "He said he was looking for you, so I told him I wouldn't let him get to you." Emily admitted. "It's been a really long day so far," she looked at the stranger, "Could we all just chill, please?" Emily offered, and the stranger nodded.
 "Right, apologies," he said, bowing, "It's a pleasure to have finally met you, The Last." he was clearly talking to Gwendolynn. "My name is Meqirith, and I am a friend to the fey, like yourself."
 "Fey?" Gwendolynn asked. It was a title and all, but she never really knew what it meant.
 "That is what you and I are, after all," he added.
 "Well, my name is Gwendolynn, and this is my friend Emily. Not sure if you noticed the littler one scampering about, but he's Olive Juice."
 "Olive is also your friend?" Meqirith asked, returning to a standing position.
 "I try to be friends with everyone, so long as my friends don't attack each other." she said, a smile forming on her face. "Who would've thought it would be this easy to find companions for my quest…." she mused to herself. Then her stomach growled in defiance, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since about noon yesterday.
 "You start the fire and I'll cook the food as always?" Emily offered. Gwendolynn nodded, and then looked at Meqirith.
 "I'm fine, I brought enough food for myself." he defended himself, reaching around inside of his cloak.
 "Olive Juice, he's fine." Gwendolynn called out into the woods, and surely the smaller one came swiftly to her side, looking uneasily upon the latest addition to their group.
 "Olive….juice?" Meqirith asked, leaning down and reaching out his hand. This made Olive Juice only hide more from him. "Well, maybe one day we'll be friends then." he concluded, returning to his standing position. "I'm not sure what exactly you're up to at this moment, but I have a place that you absolutely must visit some time in the near future." he explained.
 "I suppose you'll be showing me the way?" she asked. Meqirith smiled in response, nodding.
 "Unless you know how to find the temple of the Elvish God." he retorted, "In which case, feel free to take the fore."
 Gwendolynn didn't really know much about the world. She only discovered what she truly was not long ago, and in those past couple of months it had seemed like a set of blinders had been removed from her vision, and she was seeing the world for what it truly was for the first time all over again. She learned that she had natural Magickal powers, and that she was apparently some savior for her entire race. She learned that even children could be servants to immortal deities, and that what she had always called home couldn't have been farther from the truth. The only single piece of the world that she had learned in her first couple of decades of life was her friend that had stuck by her all of this time; Emily. Emily is the best friend she could have asked for. It's not every day that you have a friend so true that they're willing to throw away their entire lives to help you follow kids through a mountain range, after all. The most comforting thing about Emily was perhaps the fact that no matter what happened, she never seemed to change. She always kept her short black hair, her pallet of bright pink and black in her wardrobe, and her journal that she would write in every night.

 Gwendolynn started the fire, and Emily had gathered ingredients for cooking tonight, just as they had planned.
 "That's magick." Meqirith said, after she had got the flames to start.
 "That?" Gwendolynn asked.
 "Quite. It seems as though you're already gifted. How many words are in the longest spell that you know?" he asked, and she didn't even know what that meant.
 "What?" was all she could say. He sighed in response.
 "It appears as though we have a long way to go, don't we?" he smiled, "Luckily, our current destination is about 3 days away, so we have plenty of time to talk about everything." He looked over at Emily, "It's rather unlikely for humans to end up as mages, but if you wish to practice Magick with Gwendolynn and myself, you're more than welcome to try. Don't be surprised when you don't have nearly our level of success, though." he told her, and she huffed.
 "I got my own strengths. I guess I could learn, but I have other things I can rely on." she replied.
 "Very wise of you to know that," Meqirith added, "But this is us getting ahead of ourselves. We'll worry about everything starting tomorrow morning. Does that sound alright, Miss Gwendolynn?" Meqirith was now talking to her.
 "Huh?" she snapped back into focusing on the conversation at hand. "Easy with the Miss stuff, alright? You can just call me Gwendolynn." Meqirith paused.
 "Very well, then. Are you alright with my plan?" he asked.
 "What plan?" she asked sheepishly, and he shook his head chuckling.
 "We certainly have a long way to go, don't we?" Meqirith asked rhetorically, and Gwendolynn smiled as well. "Tomorrow we'll begin your training."

Gwendolynn was raised by humans. Thinking she was just like any other human, she never thought she was, in fact, an elf until she began seeing the similarities between this mythical creature, and herself.
Upon discovering her origins, she starts to learn who she is, and what her race is capable of.
Finding out why Elves have gone extinct, Gwendolynn has to decide what she will do with this information, and what her place is within the strands of fate.
This story is going to come about in no particular order because it's based on an outline that's still being worked on. This work in particular is actually a bit of a collaboration. A friend has inspired me to write this work, so while I am doing it for her; it is still my work. Both her and I really hope you enjoy this adventure. ^^

The next room turned out to be the bedroom Sheila shared with her partner, Lucia. A floor-to-ceiling bookcase and a trio of artistic watercolors of lightly-clad women adorned the golden-yellow walls of hand-hewn pine planks. 

A queen-size, four-poster bed overlaid with a beautiful handmade quilt took up one wall. An antique handcrafted wrought iron table lamp with a stained-glass shade provided most of the light for the room. The remainder came in the form of the hazy glimmer of smoldering embers within the stone hearth. 

An impressive bearskin carpeted the floor at the fireside, and scattered throw pillows promised comfy seating. Overall, the aura in the warm and dimly-lit room was pleasant and cozy. 

The colony's mistress retrieved an amber-colored bottle and two glasses from the bookshelf and sat down on the furry surface. 

"Would you care to join me in a glass of home-brewed brandy?" Sheila suggested. Her hand patted a spot next to her side, and she beckoned me to sit. 

"Sure, but only if you make mine a double," I answered and lowered my body to the rug. 

While I was tempted, I decided not to ask for a triple. Perhaps later, this will do for now. 

I took a sip of the fragrant spirits. The silky-warm glow of liquid heaven slipped down my throat as smooth as glass. 

"Tell me, Dennis, how at-ease are you with public displays of the human body?" Sheila invited before taking a swallow. 

I near snorted the drink out of my nose as I coughed and choked in shock at her weird question. 

"Don't gotta problem with casual nakedness," I said as I fought to regain my composure. "Back in the day, I visited lots of unclothed beaches in my lifetime." 

"Did you undress or only visit as a voyeur?" 

"Yes, I got as sunburned as everyone else. Why do you ask?" 

"FYI, our dress code is clothing optional when we're home. Most of us go skyclad when we aren't working or cooking or if safety requires, we remain covered up. I'm glad you're comfortable with this," Sheila pulled her sweater over her head and revealed her braless chest. 

I used to think myself as jaded as jewelry, and nothing would surprise me. Wrong. 

She folded her garment, rose to her knees, unbuckled her blue denim trousers, and slid them down to her ankles. My eyes widened in wonder. Sheila wore no underwear, and her unclad body exhibited no trace of tan bands. My head spun. 

The same dizzy sensation I had when standing at the edge of a cliff swept over me in a wave of cultural vertigo. I struggled to keep my mental balance. The standard familiar landmarks outlining the boundaries of acceptable behavior were either missing or obscured in this strange new world. After placing her jeans on top of her pullover, she leaned back on her pillow and closed her eyes. 

"Ahhhhhh, much better. I'm getting to where I almost despise attire," she said with a deep sigh. 

I took a second to examine Sheila's exposed body as I engraved the image in my memory for later replay. The moment might make more sense the next time around. Her tanned breasts had thus far won their war with gravity. Apart from some stretch marks, they were teenage-firm. Her attentive spirit and youthful voice belied her years.

Except for a few creases above a thin patch of reddish-brown hair, Sheila's toned and brown body was almost wrinkle-free. She was in better physical shape than women half her age. Whatever the years, the view was soft on the eyes. 

Her face had the typical lines and weather-worn features of someone who spent most of their life outdoors. She blinked her eyes and caught me studying her body. 

"Do I meet with your approval?" 

Shit! Stone-cold busted. 

"Aha, err, sorry," I blushed and half-smiled. 

"Didn't mean to stare, but I don't often find myself alone with a naked lady as attractive as you" I confessed. 

"This whole thing is way too wild. Talk about being on the wrong side of easy; you're nude, and you tell me an entire flock of natural jaybirds is roosting beyond this door." My eyes darted about the room, "and, um, all this, this place is half-way to nowhere a dozen zip-codes from my comfort zone. I need time to process." 

I hesitated for a moment and glanced about while I took deep cleansing breaths and tried to gather my wits. A mind is a terrible thing to lose.

"Take this cabin, for example, almost new, ten or fifteen years old at most, must have cost a fortune. What'd you guys do? Win the lottery or something?" I said, waving my arms about the room. 

"You're either a wonderful guesser or a rather lucky boy. Luck is how this community came to be. Remember twenty years ago when everyone freaked out over an unclaimed seventy-five million dollar jackpot? We were the winners, the sisters and me," Sheila said with a wink. 

"We cashed the ticket on the last day after taking a year to plan and establish a corporation to hold and claim the prize. We elected to fly under the radar. We didn't want the media attention. I'm sure you can understand." She caressed my thigh. 

"You needed tons of supplies to build this place and the glen has no roads in or out. How the hell did you construct this mansion? "

"We cut and milled the wood we required on site. A French Canadian heavy-lift helicopter service hauled in everything necessary to complete this building and several utility structures. I'll give you and Darlene a tour tomorrow," Sheila offered. 

I nodded as my fingers searched my shirt-pocket. A butt would calm my nerves. 

I held my tobacco-filled tube before Sheila and inquired, "Okay with you if I light up?" 

"Shit! Fags?" She took the tin case from my other hand and emptied two and set them next to her body. 

Sheila gave me one before rolling on her stomach. Her legs spread a little wider for increased stability as she inched forward and reached for an unburned sprig to use as a match. 

Her bare buttocks were on vivid display. So was the scenery in the valley between. The little guy in my shorts stiffened in response. 

Down boy! I better learn manners if bare-assed is the new normal. Woodies wouldn't cut it. 

I lit my cancer-stick and took a thoughtful drag while I studied Sheila as she worked to ignite her twig. I tapped her leg and presented my torch. 

Sheila relaxed against her cushion for the next few minutes and puffed away at her first cigarette in years. "Thanks! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed nicotine." She laughed and blew a perfect smoke ring, smiled, and exhaled another. 

"My treat. Plenty more in the car." 

My eyes followed the misty circles until they dissolved in the shadows. I was impressed. Not many smokers can blow quality cloud-circles. 

"How many cigarettes is quote-plenty-unquote?" Sheila asked as her fingers did quotes around the last word. 

"Oh? About twenty-four thousand, enough to fill two-hundred cartons, should last a few years," I told Sheila about my bulk tobacco purchase in Rifle, Colorado. 

My eyes kept drifting back to her chest and down to her thighs as we talked. 

"I recognize staring is rude. You're a beautiful woman. I'm having a difficult time keeping my wandering eyes at home." I twitched. 

"Obviously," she chuckled. "Don't worry. I didn't give you much warning. I was testing you. I wanted to find out how you handle female nudity. You did fine," Sheila replied with a grin. 

"To be honest, I'm flattered when anyone, even a man admires my body." She stated and smiled at my crotch. 

"I understand the usual nudist norms. Unwanted sexual aggression ain't welcome. You being au naturel doesn't give me permission to grope or gawk. I got this." 

I averted my eyes and rested my hand on my lap, for safety's sake. 

"Hmm, almost a feminist viewpoint. Not bad for a man. Perhaps you'll fit in." Sheila stretched and stood on her tiptoes as circulation returned to her legs. 

"Dinner-time is almost over. We gotta' hustle if we wanna eat," my hostess said and extended her hand. 

I have the creaky joints of a man twice my years.

Chapter 4 

The dining area was located just off a large commercial kitchen at the far end of the great room. A supersized picnic table lined with benches provided more than enough seating capacity for the thirty-seven females who made the colony their home. The table itself was a stunning thing of beauty. Over the years the dozens of layers of polyurethane on the table's oak planking had been sanded to a mirror smooth finish.

I took a good hard look around as we descended the stairs. Designed to appear humble, at least from a distance, the cabin functioned as a state of the art survival factory with enough solar capacity on the roof to meet the needs of several large households. All the lighting in the cabin utilized LED bulbs. The thousands of icicle lights deployed around the great room drew less power than two or three seventy-five watt bulbs.

The air temperature in the hall hovered at a pleasant seventy-five degrees. Most of the sisters of the colony were gathered in animated conversations around the expansive dining table, which Sheila said doubled as a conference table for group meetings. All the ladies were topless, and many were bottomless. Never before had I seen so much exposed female flesh in one place at one time.

In a daze, I tried to process a torrent of new information. I was kinda prepared for the sight before me thanks to Sheila's sudden introduction to public nudity. However, nothing Darlene had said prepared me for the strange reality of actually being here.

One of the women spotted us and shouted out a greeting to Sheila before we even descended a third of the way down the staircase. A naked Darlene waited for me with a hug by the time we reached the bottom.

My lady-love whispered in my ear as we embraced, "Give me a long, wet, sloppy kiss and play with my ass. I'll explain later."

I learned long ago that obedience was the best course of action when Darlene gave a command like that. We locked lips and traded spit in one of the most passionate kisses we'd shared in a long time. As I held her, I ran my hands over her and lovingly caressed her bare bottom. 

Darlene let out a low moan. My hands cupped each cheek as I  jiggled them so much she burst out laughing which ended in a loud 'yelp' when I playfully smacked her ass.

"What was that for?" she whispered.

"Payback for your excessively detailed account of my sexual deficiencies," I whispered back.

Darlene giggled, gave me a quick kiss, took my hand, and pulled me in toward the serving line, "You've got to get some supper before it's all gone. It's venison stew, and it is absolutely delicious."

Flavored with an assortment of tasty vegetables that I couldn't identify, the stew was thick, hearty, and spicy. She was right. The taste was out-of-this-world delicious. After allowing me a few minutes to eat, Darlene started to introduce me to each of the sisters.

My lady love possessed a natural ability to remember names. I, on the other hand, had already forgotten the first by the time I had been introduced to the third sister.

As I met each member of the colony, I shook hands, made and kept eye contact (to avoid staring at their naked bodies), and repeated their names in a futile effort to drill each pronoun into my memory. Most of the women responded warmly to my introduction, but several were very reserved, if not hostile. A few of the sisters clearly had "man issues," most likely the result of some abusive male in their history.

I couldn't say that I blame them. I could understand how my presence might be disquieting, to say the least, if I joined a remote all woman community to put the world of men behind me.

An attractive sandy blonde named Alice was the next to last woman I was introduced to. She was well-endowed, and a dark golden tan like the rest. I guessed her age to be about fifty, and stretch marks on her somewhat saggy breasts and her stomach suggested that she had given birth at least once in her life. She seemed genuinely happy to meet me. She gave me a radiant smile and held onto my hand far longer than is customary. 

Alice turned to the young girl sitting next to her, and said, "This is my daughter, Starshine, and she's been living in the colony since she was three years old. You're the first man she's ever met. She just celebrated her eighteenth birthday two months ago."

I bowed and shook Star's hand as I wished her a belated birthday while doing my best to make and keep eye contact. Alice's daughter was drop dead gorgeous with small, perky breasts, and a slim elfin and athletic figure adorned in a beautiful amber tan. She had bright blue eyes and wore her waist-length blonde hair in a braid, which made her look like a young Scandinavian fashion model. She was, in a word, stunning.

I had a hunch that I wouldn't earn points from her mother if I started drooling over her nude daughter, so I kept my cool even as I felt the stirring in my shorts. Thank the Lord I was still fully dressed.

Her mother must have been a mind reader. Alice took my hand and pulled me close and asked, "Why are you still dressed, Dennis? Why don't you strip down and make yourself comfortable?"

I noticed her question elicited a few murmurs of agreement, including a nod from Sheila, and an, "'I'll second that motion" from Darlene.

"Moved and seconded. All those in favor, please signify by saying aye," Sheila announced in the voice of a true parliamentarian. A loud chorus of ayes filled the hall.

Sheila then called for the "no" vote; crickets. I half-heartedly raised my hand and quietly said, "No." My vote was as much a joke as an opinion.

Sheila smiled at me and said, "Hearing minimal opposition, I declare that the ayes have it. Motion carries."

After a long pause, Sheila said, "Okay, Dennis, you heard the vote. Now it's your turn."

Experience the world of the apocalypse as seen through the eyes of a disabled Vietnam veteran.

At the onset of winter, Dennis Richards’ life abruptly changes when he stumbles upon a pagan cult of female survivalists. The ladies of Liberty Mountain have been living off the grid for fifteen years as they prepare for the end of days.

Under Sheila Carson’s charismatic leadership, the clan has turned a lucky lottery ticket into a fortress of learning. As devoted followers of Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War, they have taken a sacred oath to preserve knowledge in service to civilization. It is the only way to prevent the fall of a new dark age, which will surely follow in the wake of an apocalyptic event.

Richards is in a box with no exit. The women don’t want him there, and he doesn’t want to be there. They will not let him go because no man alive may know their home. They refuse to kill him, for he’s done them no harm, and he can’t stay because he is not one of them.

By the way, it’s snowing.

○ ○ ○
"Wah!"
Klaus got up from his bed with a scream, followed by Aoi's momentary shriek.
It was already morning. Curious as to why Klaus didn't come down from his room, Aoi had taken the initiative to wake him up herself. She placed her hand over her chest and breathed a long sigh.
Again, her expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Why are you in your school uniform?" asked Klaus.
"It's already seven forty. If you don't get up now, we'll be late for school."
"Eek! Wake me up sooner!" Klaus sprinted towards the bathroom and did his morning routine as fast as he could. He skipped breakfast so that Aoi wouldn't have to wait for him any longer.
"You had quite a pleasant dream," said Aoi as they walked together to school.
"Is that a joke? We cannot destroy kindred: our chains stretch a little sometimes, but they never break."
"A quote by Marquise de Sevigne? Again, your follow up doesn't correlate at all. Don't pull out random quotes like that."
"It's not random!" Klaus puffed his chest. "You should be lucky that you have a family of your own. I always want to know what it feels like to have a complete family."
"...Am I not a part of your family?"
"You're a good friend."
"We've known each other for a long time," said Aoi, her voice raised slightly.
Klaus pondered for a moment. "A family doesn't have to be related by blood. But those who are related by blood have that special connection. Their bond will never be severed."
"...You're an idiot. Talking about families and all this nonsense. What's so great about having a family anyway?"
Creases formed on Aoi's forehead as she furrowed her eyebrows. She was furious.
Aoi ignored Klaus as they went to their classroom. After these two had taken their seat, the morning bell echoed throughout the school compound. Ah, the first lesson was science, wasn't it?
"Hey... sorry, Aoi," Klaus muttered to his best friend in the seat in front of him.
"..."
"I'll tell you about my dream during the lunch break. How about it? Spoiler alert, I was trapped in a library."
"...Tell me more about it during the lunch break."
Aoi's response brought a smile on Klaus's face. He always knew when he had hurt his best friend's feelings.
As promised, during lunch break, Klaus explained in detail to Aoi about his dream. They had placed their yakisoba bread on Klaus's desk as they faced each other. It was worth noting that Klaus's explanation at first seemed unrealistic, but it was a dream, so Aoi quickly brushed that thought off her mind.
"How did she know about your younger sister Freda?" Aoi decided to play along naturally.
"That's the thing! I'd never seen that woman before in my life. Is she my great great great grandmother, reminding me of my family? I knew she wanted to bring up that memory when they...."
"It's a dream. Don't get too absorbed into it. Anyway, have you found a clue as to who had sent the letter?"
"Now that you're mentioning it... I don't have any!"
Aoi expected this much. Though, they could just ignore the letter as they went about their daily life. Quite frankly, Klaus was beginning to forget about it before the girl reminded him.
During the afternoon school session, their female homeroom teacher brought up about the clubs' participation deadline. The students' involvement is a must, with no exception to status nor health. Simply put, participating in club activities were mandatory.
"Hey, you still haven't joined a club yet?"
A male student sitting next to Klaus asked him this question. He had quite a muscular physique, of which, when combined with his tall stature and spiky hair, made him appear quite intimidating.
He had that natural delinquent look going for him.
"...Ah, you don't know me, yeah? Well, the school just started a few weeks ago, but still, you should remember my name by now. I'm Nishihara Ryota. Just call me Ryo."
"N-nice to meet you, Ryo. I'm Klaus Weber. Just call me Klaus."
"Aha, a foreigner! Anyway, how about you join the basketball club? You look like you need some exercise."
That was quite blunt of him. Klaus didn't pay to much attention to that remark. He had no intention to join a club anytime soon. Back in middle school, he was club-less. There was no need to change that habit now.
"Don't think, just join!"
The corner of Klaus's mouth twitched when Ryo pulled his chair close to him. Personal space! Have you heard about it!?
He repeatedly refused the guy's invitation until the next lesson started. At one point, he'd thought that Ryo would pester him after school, but he immediately left for his basketball club.
"He's quite energetic," commented Klaus as he grabbed his schoolbag.
"Kind of like you, but he's more demanding," added Aoi.
"Speaking of demanding, hey, let's go find that blond girl."
Aoi frowned at such a request. Why would he want to find the girl? Was it love at first sight? Was she that pretty?
Thinking about the reason why Klaus wanted to do it irritated her.
"I have to go to my club," said Aoi.
"Since when you joined a club?"
"Just now."
"..."
Klaus shrugged and left the classroom. Perhaps Aoi had to tend to something but wanted to keep it a secret from him. Knowing her, it was most likely the case.
The Yokoyama Ichi Middle School.
His head poked out from behind the school gate warily, since someone acting like him would often earn suspicious stares from the other students. A ponytailed dark-haired girl walked past him with her friend, and he could hear her soft voice.
"Hey, is he waiting for his girlfriend?"
"Nah, I think he's waiting for his sister. And that sister doesn't want to see him waiting for her, but he ignored her advice."
"That makes sense!"
A few other students also commented on Klaus's presence. Waiting any longer would perturb him so much he wouldn't be able to endure it. And so, he decided to give it a few more minutes.
"Why are you here?"
A ponytailed blond girl stood before Klaus, with a few female students standing by her side. Looking at her again, that sense of deja vu struck him once more, and he couldn't help but think he knew her. Of course, he asked this, but the blond girl denied it.
"...What makes you say that?'
Klaus let out a stifled laugh. "I feel like I know you or something. Weird, isn't it?"
"Too bad, I've never met you. You're an eyesore. Go away before I call the teachers."
Realizing that him being there would cause an unwanted incident, Klaus walked away, glancing back and forth between the path he was walking and the blond girl.
For a moment, he saw someone else in the girl's place, a somewhat younger version of herself that resembled his younger sister Freda. He stopped walking the next second.
"Freda?" Klaus muttered with his eyes opened wide.
Hearing this name, the blond girl stiffened and briskly walked away from the scene, her friends following closely behind.
○ ○ ○
The Yokoyama Ichi Academy.
Usually, the school's rooftop would be desolate in the late evening after the school session had ended. Right then, a male student was looking down at the school compound from the metal railings.
A gentle wind brushed against him.
Crows cawed in the background.
"...Hm?" He raised his eyebrows when he sensed someone's presence and immediately turned around to face her.
"What did you do in your club?" Klaus asked calmly.
"...Hey, are you okay?"
Aoi's grip on her schoolbag tightened as she stepped closer to him. There was no way this guy could fool her. For better or worse, she could tell something was bothering her childhood friend.
After all, Klaus always wears his emotions on his sleeve in front of her.
"I recalled that tragic accident that took away my dad, mom, and Freda away from me. That girl we've met the day before? She looked like Freda."
"Freda...?" Aoi breathed a sigh at this. "Are you sure it wasn't your imagination? She could be her doppelganger."
"Yeah, I thought the same as well."
"Then?"
"But I feel like I've known her throughout my life. Look, Aoi, I wouldn't feel that way with a doppelganger of hers, right? It felt like I was looking at Freda herself back then."
After a few moments of silence, Klaus let out an awkward laugh. "She even acted like she didn't know me, but when I mentioned Freda in front of her, her expression froze."
"...You're confused. What are you trying to say? That your sister is still alive?"
Klaus rubbed his temples and bit his lip. "Forget about what I said. I feel like I'm talking nonsense. Sorry, Aoi. Let's go back home."
The entire night, Klaus was unable to sleep. He rolled in his bed, drank a glass of milk, and read books trying to tire himself.
"Ugh... Sleep, you fool."
He had no school tomorrow, but that didn't mean he could afford to sacrifice his precious sleep. There was no mistaking it. It was that Freda-look-alike girl's fault! How dare she resembled her so much?!
The way she acted made him feel more confused. It was as if she knew who Klaus was referring to when he mentioned Freda. Why was that? His memories might be vague, but her friends called her a different name. So why she winced when he heard of it?
"...."
As he thought more about this nonsense, he felt asleep by 3:00 a.m.

Every night when certain individuals close their eyes and start sleeping, they are pulled into a place called "The Personal Dimensions". During their stay there, they are capable of manipulating the contents of the dimension to their whim. However, evil creatures called Draugrs appear to prey on these humans, forcing them to defend themselves with the help of an entity to guide them.

The first month of his first year of high school, Klaus Weber encountered a conspicuous, blond middle school student Tsujihara J. Freda; however, she appears to know Klaus despite him having no memories of her.

Soon after the encounter, Klaus is discovered to have been "reincarnated" and is able to enter the Personal Dimensions, and to fight the Draugrs invading the place. Recruiting those who are reincarnated as well to find the truth as to why they were reincarnated, Klaus now has to balance his school life, his social life and his new dungeon-crawling life.
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Chapter Schedule: 2-3 chapters/week

Any comments, ratings, and reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you!

*This story is also published on royalroad.com and scribblehub.com

"No, I meant here, with you." Curious, Payton peered over and saw a distinguished-looking couple in their early sixties heading in their direction.
J.D. made the introductions. "Payton, these are my parents, Preston and Evelyn Jameson." He gestured to Payton and her mother. "Mom, Dad, this is Payton Kendall and her mother, Lex Kendall. Payton is a coworker of mine; she works in the same group as me."
With a formal air, J.D.'s father stepped forward to shake Payton's hand. He was tall, like his son, had salt-and-pepper hair, and looked very dignified in his gray tweed sport coat and wire-rimmed glasses.
"So you're a lawyer as well, Ms. Kendall?" he inquired.
"Yes, Judge," she said, shaking his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you." As a member of the legal profession, it was indeed an honor for her to meet the Honorable Preston D. Jameson of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge Jameson gave her a slight nod, as if to acknowledge her acknowledgment of his judicial status. He had a stern demeanor, Payton noticed, which struck her as being very unlike his son. There were lots of words she could use to describe J.D.—no comment on whether any of them would be particularly complimentary—but "stern" would not be among them.
Payton turned next to Evelyn Jameson, and the first thing she noticed was a pair of brilliant blue eyes. J.D.'s eyes.
The startling familiarity of those eyes was immediately overshadowed, however, by the second thing Payton noticed about J.D.'s mother: the beige suede car coat she was wearing that had—oh, lord—a sable fur collar.
Payton shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Jameson. Could you excuse me for one second?"
She spun around to her mother and whispered quietly. "If you let the coat slide, I'll give up dairy for a week."
Lex gave her a look that was 100 percent pure motherly reassurance. "Of course, Sis, if it's that important to you. Make it a month."
Quintessential Lex Kendall.
"Fine," Payton hissed softly. "Just be polite."
Lex snickered, stealing a glance at the Jamesons. "Don't worry, I know how to deal with people like this. They look exactly like your father's parents, the first time I met them."
Payton blinked, shocked. Her father had money? This was the first she had heard of any such thing.
But she tabled that discussion and held her breath as she watched her mother introduce herself to J.D.'s parents. Lex was pleasant enough but—it never failed—still Lex.
"Nice coat," she told J.D.'s mother. "I have two just like it at home."
Evelyn smiled politely. "Oh, I don't think so," she replied, somehow managing to sound both condescending and genteel. "This is a Christian Lacroix, you know."
Payton stifled a laugh. Ah, J.D. was right. Suddenly things had become much clearer. She heard a voice, low in her ear.
"You don't have to say it out loud; I already know what you're thinking."
She looked over her shoulder to see J.D. standing next her. "You think you know me so well."
"I do," he said, still speaking so that their parents couldn't hear.
"Then what am I thinking now?" Payton asked coyly. Wait—was she flirting? No. Yes. To be determined.
"You're thinking that out of all the brunches in the city, you had to pick the same one as me," J.D. said.
Payton couldn't help but smile at that. She had a view of their parents, and she watched as her mother—undoubtedly on yet another diatribe—took off one of her animal-cruelty-free clogs and held it up to Evelyn Jameson. J.D.'s mother looked pained.
"Close. I was thinking that if I knew we were going to pick the same brunch, I would've had that third mimosa before our parents met."
J.D. turned in the direction of their parents and eyed the scene with amusement. "There's always the bar off the lobby."
Payton laughed.
J.D. studied her for a moment. "Actually . . . I was thinking I might have to sneak off to the bar myself."
Now it was Payton's turn to study him. Was that an invitation? Hard to tell. "That does sound tempting," she said, figuring that answer worked either way.
"Tempting," J.D. repeated.
Then his gaze fell to her lips.
Payton suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, interrupting them. She glanced over and saw her mother's pointed look.
"We don't want the food to get cold, Sis." Lex gestured to the box of food for the unhoused people.
Payton nodded. "Yes." She glanced up at J.D. "We should get going."
J.D. nodded. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, then."
Payton murmured a quick good-bye to J.D.'s parents, then left the restaurant with her mother. When they got outside, she handed the ticket to the valet.
She and her mother waited in front of the hotel, neither of them saying a word. Finally, Lex broke the ice.
"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"
"He's just a coworker, Mom."
More silence.
"Why have you never mentioned that my father had money?" Payton asked.
Lex shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't think it was relevant, I guess."
Payton didn't buy her mother's nonchalance. "Did that have anything to do with why you two never married?"
For a moment she didn't think her mother was going to answer.
"When his parents found out I was pregnant, they told him to choose me or his inheritance," Lex said. "He didn't choose me. He didn't choose us."
"You don't think that's something I might've wanted to know?" Payton couldn't believe she was first finding out about this after all these years. It explained so much.
Her mother turned to her. "Listen, Payton—I know you tune out a lot of what I say, but trust me on this: stay away from him."
At first Payton thought her mother meant she should stay away from Shane, her father, but then realized she was referring to J.D.
"I don't even like him, Mom." Most of the time.
Lex studied her shrewdly. "That's not how it looked to me."
"I didn't realize you could see us through all those witty barbs you were flinging at J.D.'s mother."
"I saw enough."
Payton cocked her head, conceding. "The part where he helped me out with my jacket wasn't half bad."
"Chivalrous crap."
"Don't hold back, Mom. Tell me what you really think."
Her mother eyed her warily. "I think you've gone soft, that's what I think," she grumbled.
Payton thought about this. Maybe she had.
Her mother, of all people, had once fallen in love with a high-society rich man. At this point, anything was possible.
Even being civil to J.D.
Maybe.

"SO WAIT—WHERE was this great moment between you and Payton? Did I miss it?"
J.D. shook his head, sighing. Sometimes he really regretted telling Tyler anything.
"I didn't say we had a 'moment.' What I said was, at the restaurant, there was a brief second—"
"—You said a 'brief moment,' " Tyler corrected.
Growing agitated, J.D. sat back in the aged leather nail-head armchair, gesturing distractedly.
"Fine, whatever, maybe I used the word 'moment,' but I didn't mean, you know, 'moment.' " He mockingly emphasized the word, tempted to use finger quotes, but he really hated when people did that.
"What I meant to say was, there was a brief period of time at the restaurant when I thought we were . . ." he searched for the right words ". . . getting along." He decided that was the safest way to describe his and Payton's interaction earlier that morning.
He and Tyler were in the cigar bar at Crimson, a private club for Harvard graduates. It was an unofficial tradition they had started several years ago: every Father's Day evening, J.D. and his friends met here to unwind. Some people, particularly in his social circle, sought out the comfort of their therapists to recover from the stress of family holidays. J.D., not a believer in the whole my-father-never-played-catch-with-me psychoanalytical crap, found that a nice, smooth glass of single-malt Scotch did the trick just as nicely, and for about one-tenth the cost. (Yes, fine, Payton had guessed right in her tirade in the library, he liked to drink Scotch, so sue him.)
Being a private club—although a Harvard degree was the only membership requirement—the bar was small. It had been designed to resemble a private library: warm brown bookshelves lined two walls; the other walls were decorated with paintings boasting various equestrian scenes. Leather armchairs, all of which were taken that evening, had been arranged in intimate groupings throughout the room. J.D. and Tyler had been lucky to score two chairs in the back by the fireplace. Their friends Trey and Connor, who had arrived fifteen minutes later, had not been so lucky and were now part of the seatless masses that lined the main bar.
Somewhere around their second drink, J.D. had found himself mentioning to Tyler that he had run into Payton and her mother at the Park Hyatt hotel. His friend had been on his case ever since.
"You thought you and Payton were 'getting along,' " Tyler repeated.
"Maybe more than that, even."
"That would be a shock," Tyler said. "Do you have any support for this claim?"
Holding his glass by the stem, J.D. gave the Scotch a swirl, watching the legs run down the side of the crystal. "I don't know. I thought I saw something different in her look."
"Now there's hard evidence if I've ever heard it."
J.D. folded his arms behind his head contentedly. Tyler's quips had no effect on him today. "Ah . . . my droll friend, I guess you just had to be there."
Tyler looked him over. "You're in an awfully good mood for having spent the day with your father. Is there more to this story with Payton than what you're telling me?"
J.D. shook his head matter-of-factly. "Nope."
"Then I want to make sure I understand the scene correctly: there was this alleged nebulous look that took place during these couple of minutes at the Park Hyatt hotel where you two somehow miraculously managed to string a few polite sentences together."
"I think it was a bit more than that," J.D. said.
"Do tell. Because this is really steamy stuff. What happens next?"
J.D. grinned. "That's the interesting part—I don't know."
"Well, I hate to be the one to point this out, but whatever is going on, the fun's about to end. Because you and Payton have all of about, oh"—Tyler checked the date on his watch—"less than two weeks left before the firm makes one of you partner and the other of you . . . well, you know."

Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J.D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face-to-face, they're perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they have kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as coworkers for one reason: to make partner at the firm.
...There are no rules.
But all bets are off when they're asked to join forces on a major case. Though apprehensive at first, they begin to appreciate each other's dedication to the law—and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection does not last long when they discover that only one of them will be named partner. Now it's an all-out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar...

"It's the arrow from the first bullseye I ever hit," Gwen says looking a bit mournfully at the picture. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be snooping." I start to apologize but she raises a hand. "Curiosity is never a reason to be sorry, no matter how painful the truth it brings. A saying my mother, the queen, used to say." I smile a bit that quotes sounds familiar I think to myself. "Well we have a busy day ahead of us so try to get some sleep, Seth," We say goodnight and I slip into the soft and warm bed, prepared for a nightmare.

Plague, Hunger, Famine... these are three things that caused problems for the Four Kingdoms. The princess of the Northern Kingdom seeks revenge for her parents and best friend whom are being held captive by a tyrannical “prince”. She enlists the help of an odd boy that also seeks revenge, but for different reasons...Follow the journey of these two vengeful spirits trapped in the bodies of sixteen year olds.

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