Note: From this volume, I would use personal pronouns as it would be easier to convey what I want.
*************************************************************************************
We had shifted our house and here it feels boring, there are no kids in this cross, that we know and it is very boring spending the last few days of your summer vacation fighting with your sibling. Ameya is turning more stubborn and unruly and mom is least concerned about this. She has a smart mouth, not smart, over smart mouth. And I hate people who are over smart, can't help she is my sister.
If you ask me about my relationship with dad it had never been this worse, he keeps on barking and I am least bothered about it, but it hurts a lot, I have been crying every day before sleep, I have nightmares. I dreamed about me being killed by my dad.
I felt him holding my neck and drowning me underwater, I felt breathless, helpless, I wasn't able to wake up from the dream, I was sweating. My dad became a reason for my sleepless nights.
The next day he asked me what I had dreamt about and why I was crying? I lied, I told my dad that I didn't remember anything.
I thought that would hurt my dad, was it worth it? Me being concerned about what he will feel when he doesn't think twice before spatting hurtful words?
Yesterday he called me a bastard, if I was a bastard what was he? A bastards' dad? I wanted to say that out loud but I didn't dare to.
More than desperation what filled my heart was fear, I was feared by my dad who was one of the reasons I was here.
Everybody says I look like my dad, I wanted to deny that, I never wanted to become like him, neither by looks nor by attitude.
If this was told to me when I was ten, I would be happy that I look like my dad. I was my daddy's princess back then now I am my daddy's bastard.
How ironic is it?
Now that I look back I was blinded, he never was the dad that I thought that he was. I could hear him abusing my mom mentally when I was three. I didn't notice that because it was an everyday happening, now when it was directed to me that is why I can notice it.
Why did dad like boys more than girls? Do boys have horns? Or an extra tail? What was so special about being a guy?
Now that she thought about it, boys were luckier than girls. They are not judged by the clothes they wear, they can safely go out at nights, they didn't have to leave their parents after marriage, they didn't have to do house chores.
How she wished she was a guy, believe it or not, I have never gone to any of my friend's house except for Athena's and Adwaith's. Because they shared the same language and were neighbours for almost four years her parents allowed her to go to their house only on Sunday's that too if her dad agrees.
Girls always had a lack of freedom compared to boys.
This new house is smaller compared to our previous one, this belongs to a very far away relative of ours. It's very difficult to define the relationship between the house owner and us. It's complicated.
We don't have a home of our own if you ask me why? Dad is not interested, he thinks there will be a day when money flows into our house, which is not happening soon. Mom has been pestering dad on this but he just shoos her away.
I was least concerned about this I just needed a roof to live whether it's my own or not. Maybe I had inherited this from dad.
As the school was about to open my dad pushed me into studies, the same branded books which we received last year. Can't they at least change the style of the textbooks, the maths text was as thick as my thighs, how am I going to pass this year?
I opened my English literature text the only subject I was interested in. From last year subjects were divided for us.
Science became - Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Maths became - Arithmetic, Geometry and Algebra.
Social was - Geography, History and Civics.
This is the reason why Indians thought studying in ICSE school was great. Here kids are tortured from a young age. At the age of 11, we had 13 subjects to learn namely, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Hindi, Kannada, English Language, English Literature, Geography, History and Civics, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, subjects like Computers, Gk, yoga and Moral science existed but for namesake, nobody in the school even studies those subjects.
I loved English literature, when I read stories and poems, I imagine the scenes simultaneously. I had written a story when I was ten, 'Goddess of the Moon', was its name. I had taken the story written sheets to my native only to lose it there, after that I never continued it. I had started writing songs when I was seven, my first written song was named 'Lollipop', the song was a conversation between a little girl and a lollipop, it was more like a poem. I had been greatly inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson, we had to learn his poems from our textbook.
His poems were for kids and made my imagination broad, you can rarely see kids interested in books these days but I was an exception. Reading books brought me joy and I have never read stories apart from the ones from my textbook.
Even though I had asked my parents to buy me some they never did, I didn't understand what their problem was. 
Was it because they didn't want to see me happy?

Ever wondered what an author's life will be? Ever wondered what is restricting her from achieving what she wants?
Ever wondered why she started writing?
This is a real-life story, the story of my life.
The story of a fifteen-year-old.
The story of Chaitzzz.

This year is my 9th grade. Whatever happened to me back then, is magical. Even just within those 10 months, I felt that it will be the best thing that had happen to me. Yes, there were also some things that I regret till today, I still believe that those moments are the best and worth keeping.

I know. deep inside me I still hold on to my feelings for him. It is buried deep inside my heart, but that doesn't keep me from having fun and experience different kinds of things. Yeah, I admit, I caught some feeling among my friends. I don't know, them being and sometimes acting like an anime characters makes me fall for them. 

This year, my longest dream to become the class president come true. Can you blame me, I think that I was born to become a leader. But it is never my dream to run a country or so, just want to become a leader in some ways, and I love doing it, it makes me happy. Although sometimes I wanted other people to acknowledge my efforts. I needed the encouragement from them to keep me going.   

I don't know how, but I sometimes develop anxiety after what happened to me. I don't know if it was supposed to call it that way. I experience a countless of sleepless nights. Crying myself to sleep I also experience mood changes, that sometimes I became sad in a snap. My friends sometimes caught me looking at nothing like my mind is wandering somewhere. I don't know when did it start. But when I notice the changes in my behavior. I kept myself busy, I reduce my time for study and put some time on the things that I actually love. I joined the COLC club, it is the second-highest organization in school and a religious club. We handle the activities regarding or in-lined with religious things, like the month of the holy rosary, the school visit of every catholic school, helping out to the church, and many more that I can't even mention. I kept devoted to my club and also a good way to use my time rather than spacing out and making myself think of something not appropriate. I also do the duties of a class president, its hard doing things at the same time but it helps me in the process. At night, with my minimize time schedule for studying, I used all my remaining time in drawing and designing, I also started a scrapbook where all my poems and feeling where written. It helps me organize things and reflect to make a good change the next day. Although sometimes when going to sleep, my mind is still thinking things that actually made me sad. And I still have some rough nights. 

I thought that this will be my life for the whole school year, but I was wrong. Alex help me find some brightness this year. He made me feel that I can still like someone. 
It was break time, and just as expected, the canteen is crowded, thing I brought my snack with e today. The worst thing that I don't like to happen to me during the break is to go to that crowded place, they're like fighting for survival. I open my knick-knack snack and my juice, but even before I could get my first food, my friends starting to gather unto me.
"Can I have some?" and yep one by one, my friends ask for some, and to the fact that I have so many friends. I just laugh at the idea that there's is nothing left for me. Yeah, they literally finish it all. My mind is crying like hell, my snack. I just looked at my juice and my head is saying, at least I have you. 

"Here, you can have this" I looked at Alex, he also got some from my snack, it was a piece of knick-knack. He offered it to me with his looking a little embarrassed.
"Huh?" that is all I can say. But what he just said made my heart beat faster. 
"I noticed that you got nothing left, here take it" He made me so happy that day. What he did made me realize that at least, just one person notices me. Ever since or maybe for as long as I can remember, I think about others more than myself. Especially to my friends. Id make sure that they will be happy about it. I don't know they were just so special to me, that I wouldn't want to trade them with anything. 

I smile back at Alex. That day, he became a very special person in my life 
"We can share it" He smiled at me, and he did break the snack in half. And we both have our share. It was just so little but it could fill my hunger. After that I went back to my seat, thinking about it the whole day. I smile at myself thinking, at least I have something to look forward to every day.  

There is nothing can compared to first love. If there is, then I must have been fooling myself for 7 years. After all this years and everything that had happen, you still live here with me. How can I undo everything? How can I delete those little time, when those days that i can count with my fingers is worth 7 years of my life, and still counting. PS. When a story has been told, it will be forever written in their memories, just as how this story will retain on me for the rest of my life. My life as a high school student and up until now, will be written in here. Because I know that one day when I came back, it'll be worth re-reading.

Rhyme was halted in front of her doorway by Aria's brief introduction.

"Densia?! You mean like the continent?"

"Yes..."

"But... that would mean..." Rhyme shook her head, manners first, "Let's talk more inside, we have a lot to talk about, I'm sure."

"Yes..."

---
Marshall Pearston was taken under Roger's wide wings in no time. The two were often seen together when their recesses overlapped. He had become less timid, and more confident about his surroundings.

He learned that Roger was a bit of a celebrity within the force, as it seemed as if his spirits were always on the up and up. Never down. A man who, from the bottom of his great heart, enjoyed his job. A rarity in the world they're living in. What Marshall lacked in the intelligence faculty was made up by the size and strength of his physique. This wasn't to say he's stupid, but he's unable to compete with the other people that were passionate about pursuing their respective paths with their intellect. 

Marshall was a jack of all trades. He was good at everything, but master of none. No one but Roger knew about the fact that he could sew, that he could code basic computer language, compose beautiful poems, and draw wondrous sketches. None of those abilities were needed to be a security guard in GRC, so Marshall never felt the need to show them off. None of those abilities were high enough to compete with experts of their fields anyway. Yet he was able to confide in Roger, who patted him in the back for being able to do so much at such a young age.

"If YOU are SOMEHOW, not SATISFIED with the WORK here, you AT LEAST have SOMETHING to fall back ON, YES?"

Indeed. To another odd job, that Marshall would be competent at after the training, but wouldn't be the acme employee, no matter where he worked. Roger didn't know that this was Marshall's fifth job. All of the jobs before had lower wages, and Marshall wanted to make his way up slowly, but surely.

However, despite having Roger know so much about him, Marshall didn't know much about Roger himself. The man was always cloaked in his aura of overflowing positivity, but he never once talked about himself, or his personal life. Maybe there's a reason for that, but Marshall didn't want to step over his boundaries and pry too deep into his senior security guard's life.

---

"Can I get you anything to drink, Aria?" Rhyme asked, using first name basis, not because they're close, but because Rhyme wanted to avoid mentioning the military continent.

"Just... water would be fine..."

"How about tea? I've got the finest tea leaves from a certain nutty professor's wife," Rhyme tried to lighten the mood, to no avail, she would later realize, as she saw Aria still sit somberly from her peripheral vision.

"... Just water would be fine..."

"I insist!"

Rhyme put the tea set gently on the desk, serving the tea to her guest. She then poured herself a cup of tea and sipped it, prompting Aria to do the same, but only after a number of weak, gentle blows from her small mouth.

"So your surname," Rhyme started, curious about her guest, "Densia, that's a continental name, isn't it? Does that mean that your ancestor was...?"

Aria looked up at Rhyme, still sipping reluctantly, "...Yes... my ancestor... was one of the seven founders... of the New World..."

Rhyme could've spat out her tea at how nonchalant Aria announced that unbelievable revelation. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up, wouldn't that mean you're a Royal? What're you doing as a receptionist at the GRC, in Kuqala?"

Aria bit her lips. Her chest started to tighten, but an impulsive force pushed her to talk, to expose herself, to lay herself bare in front of this virtual stranger. Aria couldn't fight the force. "I... emancipated... myself... abandoned the Densia family..."

"But... why?"

"The women of Densia... regardless of status... would have to enroll... in the military..." her hand touched her chest, "I... didn't want to be in the military... so I ran away..."

Rhyme's eyes were directed from that slight gesture, and she thought to herself, "I don't think the military would fit someone with that body either... imagine how much harder it'd be from the average soldier," she then stared at her own chest, out of reflex.

Aria continued, not of her own volition, but still with her own voice, "I... upon running away from the Densia family... was..." she thought a moment about which verb would be most appropriate, "...I guess you can say... I was given... a parting gift... so to speak..."

"A parting gift?"

"...well, a curse, I guess... to the ones who defy the family... a senior member of the family... my father... inflicted a curse upon me..."

"A curse? How could a father... to his own daughter..." Rhyme flashed back to the way Jacquel doted on his daughter and thought about how contrasting that is to Aria's story.

"But... well... the curse was meant to... safeguard and protect... outside of the family's protection..." Aria wondered if her statement made any sense, but seeing Rhyme nod her head confirmed her to ask, "... weren't you... just the same?"

Rhyme didn't expect that question, and didn't know how to react, this entire conversation with a former Royal family member had given her news she wouldn't have gotten from the mainstream media. Mostly because the Royals were very secluded and exclusive, even to one another.

"I mean... Miss Rhyme... aren't you also cursed...?"

---

As he read the text and listened to the recording of the meeting, Jacquel couldn't help but smile. Thea caught wind of it and asked, "My, someone's gotten good news, care to share it, dear?"

"It was approved," he said with a big smile, Thea gradually broke into a smile as well, turning down the heat from the wave-stove to congratulate her husband with a hug and a kiss.

"With this, you and Sylvie can stay here longer."

"Mm... This calls for a feast!"

Jacquel thought about it for a moment, one night of respite before the coming sleepless nights didn't sound like a bad deal to him, "All right, tonight will be a night of celebration!" he called Sylvie down to tell her that she could get all her favorite meals and snacks tonight, much to her delight. The Martinez family's bonds grew ever closer that night, with laughter permeating around the pristine white room, the waft of the aromatic feast they ordered with their privileges pampered their olfactory senses. It was a good night. Jacquel knew it would get busier for him, and nights where he could laugh and smile with his family would become even rarer than a vial of RA-19, even though they would still be under the same roof. As such, he cherished this moment. A moment he would undoubtedly miss.

---

"Roger... Roger... Roger... Jolly ol' Roger..."

The man woke up with a start, cold sweat dripping, warm heart racing, and short breaths panicking. A nightmare. There was no haunting image in it. There was only that voice, that whisper.

That was enough to rattle even Roger, and he didn't dare fall into unconsciousness that night. He closed his eyes, but kept his consciousness. He focused on his breath, on his surroundings, trying his best not to fall asleep again that night. 

---

Even in the most disciplined of armies, it's not uncommon to find a loose cannon within each of them.

"The commander is ssscared!" a youngling hissed, "we sssshould be more than enough to take out that dassstardly sssspeciessss..."

"I... ssshould be more than enough..."

The youngling sneaked into a portable pod of the starship it was in. It waited for the others to enter a resting state, where they restore torn ligaments during their trainings into stronger ones. 

"...For the Queen..." it launched itself towards the atmosphere of the world, altering itself into an abomination. The war form. The youngling had perfected the form, and he couldn't wait to rip apart more than just wires and chunks of steel. 

The friction was intense and burned the pod's coating, but couldn't infiltrate the systems. The youngling, protected by the war form, felt no damage from the compressed hell the pod had become. It snarled and bared its fangs, eager to rip and tear the species it so despised for murdering the Queen.

"Commander, a youngling had launched itself towards the planet without authority, should we stop it?"

The commander, though rested, was still conscious and aware, an ability he gained through experience, "No. Let it be. We've no need for upstart soldiers unable to follow orders. Let it throw away its life if it wants. It is no longer part of The Armada, the moment it went against my orders. It will, henceforth, no longer receive protection from The Armada."

The Armada was orbiting alongside the world, awaiting orders from the Commander to invade, it was just a matter of time.

It all started from a misunderstanding.
It culminated in the form of a mysterious message received in the far future. Rhyme Rivetta, Secretary of State for the World Government, took this message seriously. Unfortunately, she was the only one, and one person alone could not hope to stop an extraterrestrial invasion.

Days go by in the city of Ellicht.
Everything seems to be looking up for Lillian and her everyday endeavors. Like water gushing from a cascade, her career has been sailing smoothly as she keeps plunging into an ocean of golden opportunities.
Not only did their Dawn atelier grow largely and gain the recognition of a well-distinguished fashion house, but they also branched out to a lot more forms of commerce and trades. Fashion designing isn't just the sole focus of their ventures from then on. They had engaged in a variety of commercial undertakings as well.
Lillian becomes the forerunner of a myriad of firms and enterprises - mostly innovative and unconventional since all of her inspirations came from the modern world where she used to live in.
Starting off with the food industry, she worked with Ruben and a few outstanding culinarians to modernize traditional recipes and invent new ones. It all began when the siblings' quick service restaurant eventually brought forth a new breed of diners and eateries, leading them to build branches in different parts of the city.  
The next one Lillian brought to life was a long range of sweets. With the help of several experts in the field, she invented ice cream along with its seemingly endless list of flavors, milk chocolate bars and a diverse assortment of confectionery like hard candies and marshmallows, new types of cakes, pastries and pies, sweet tarts and cotton candies.
She also built several drink shops, and the most notable one that became popular among youth and adults alike are her frappe and milk tea shops. Designed after her previous world's modernized means of enjoying these types of beverages, she made parlors that solely offer these particular products. 
Apart from these, Lillian is still on the go with her cosmetics business. By working together with chemists and other professionals, she expanded the world of cosmetics not by only focusing on color products but by adding more in the categories of skin care, hair care, fragrances, and personal care.
Though make-ups were still not widely-accepted among women in this era, those other beauty categories helped give cosmetics a better reputation. In the entertainment world, however, these make-ups have become a huge necessity.
Among Lillian's most noteworthy and groundbreaking inventions, there protrudes the making of malls and department stores.
With her list of business establishments expanding in number, she thought of building shopping districts that are different from the ones people used to see in the streets. Instead of outdoors, she turned it into an indoor setting.  
Since a mall is a large building or sometimes, a series of connected buildings containing various retail stores and restaurants, several other business firms come together to make this remodeling of shopping districts come true. It's a lot more convenient and offers a healthy competition among companies.
Due to these piles of outstanding achievements, Lillian didn't only grow as an acclaimed individual. She also became incredibly wealthy at such a young age. Her income kept adding more digits until her entire savings turned into something more than she could spend for herself alone.
That's why she decided to participate in several community immersion programs. She also made huge donations to the temple and a number of charity houses. 
With all these things happening, Lillian finds herself as busy as ever. 
Now, a whole year had passed since she became an apprentice. 
She had made a name for herself and was labeled as a prodigious figure written down on the history of the empire. In fact, she's the first ever apprentice who had made a fleshed-out business conglomerate.
It wasn't easy for Lillian, though. That's because she didn't only train as a designer apprentice, but she also had to make advanced studies on business and marketing, manage her firms and projects, and act like an adult most of the time.
There's a lot of sleepless nights, times when she burnt the midnight oil, getting headaches and over-fatigued, and working her bones to death. Definitely, she's no longer just a normal teenage girl at this point - 
Or so, that's what most people think.
"Seventeen-year-old Wonder Lady, huh...? That's a bit too much," Lillian thought out loud while reading today's news headlines.
While hanging around the patio of her stately home, the designer apprentice takes time to enjoy her morning with a cup of hot chocolate and a platter of light meals. Along with this newspaper she's currently reading, she woke up to find yet another mountain of letters from her clients and fans. 
Now that Lillian got enough money for herself, she's no longer living in the second floor of their humble studio - which had also undergone a renovation and was now a five-story building. She had acquired a huge portion of land in Aria and built her own personal residence. 
It's not so intimidatingly imposing like the mansion where Alexander is presently living. She designed it with a touch of her former home in the countryside that blends well with her own taste and the modern kind of houses that can usually be seen in her previous world. 
"Anyways, let's move on to our main objective for this morning..." Lillian muttered to herself, putting down the newspaper and turning to look at the piles of envelopes on the table at her opposite side. 
"Another day, another mountain of readings."
With an exhausted sigh and a smile, she looked at them as if facing a recurring cycle that made her want to complain but couldn't. She knew how tremendous of a help this activity was since she's able to know the people around her more along with other happenings that couldn't be found on newspapers. 
But then, like what she said to herself earlier, she doesn't act like an understanding and rational adult all the time.
That's because every time she does her daily reading, she gets to feel how a teenage girl like her will most likely experience at this stage of adolescence.
"He sent another poem again... With three drawings this time!" Lillian beamed as soon as she found the envelope that she'd been looking for.  
Attached to this piece of paper is a small bundle of lilies, which had long been accompanying the letter as an accessory that would always let her know that this envelope was from the same sender. Every single day, this person would not fail to deliver a message to her in the form of a poetry.
It was only during the time she turned seventeen that she began receiving sketches and drawings of hers, though. Most of the times, it's a picture connected to what's being depicted on the poem.
"Oh, so this was the time I visited the orphans at the temple yesterday... He sure doesn't lag behind the news..." Lillian quipped with a soft, delighted smile, her eyes glued on a drawing of her playing basketball with a group of male orphans.  
"You're such a stalker, Lewis."
Up until now, Lewis keeps sending her those love poems.
At one point in the past, she tried going to the address from which the letters were sent from. She wanted to see and talk with him personally. But every time she did, she always found herself in the wrong residence and empty-handed. 
It turned out that Lewis only used that address just for the sake of getting his anonymous letters pass through the security check. 
What's more, it's not just his address. He also doesn't want to tell much about himself and how he's been doing. 
Lewis did drop some clues about places that he went to, and they're often somewhere near where Lillian was. He talked about how beautiful she looked in his eyes that time, her graceful movements and lovely smiles, and other sweet nothings that really made her feel like he'd been there together with her.
"But to think that the Grand Archduke himself has been sending me these anonymous love letters... Just what would the press say once everyone found out?" she asked to no one in particular.
Lillian is always making sure to keep the letters hidden from everyone, though. She even has a locked drawer in her bedroom where she compiles all his letters over the year. 
She holds those papers dear to her for several reasons. For one, it's the only communication she has with Lewis - a one-way street at that. She can't respond to them since she's been warned not to to at one point.
It just happened that Lillian kept sending back letters to the same address on his envelopes even though she knew that it's a fake one. The reason why she persistently did this was because those letters she sent never went back to her, which meant that someone had received them.
Then, it turned out that Lewis had been notified by the letters she kept delivering. That's when he finally revealed his real identity as the Grand Archduke, the reasons why she can't be in contact with him, and his intention to keep her from worrying about him by sending those poems.
He knew that she'd be searching for him, so he tried to do something that would reassure her but keep his distance at the same time.
Unbeknownst to Lewis though, that's not what he only achieved over the course of time. He had no idea how much his words were affecting her since he couldn't get a response from her.
As Lillian keeps receiving those love letters, she's gradually falling for this nerdy friend of hers.


Making out with her lover inside her workplace is never a part of her wild imagination.

"You know, you're a bad influence..." she managed to say despite his ceaseless smooches.

"You're distracting me from my work."

"Oh, so it turned out that my beloved's career is my strongest competition around here, after all," he mused out loud with an amused smirk to which she only giggled.

"Perhaps, it is."

"Too bad for it, though. I've got the upper hand."

"Oh, really? How so?"

"Well for one, it can't do this."

That's when he hoists her up and places her on top of her office desk out of nowhere, making her squeal in surprise. Taken aback, she just returns his knowing look with a baffled one. 

He then begins kissing her once more - deeper than ever.

His arms are tightly locked around her waist while her hands are now splayed across his broad shoulders. She's having a hard time repressing her moans on this one, especially when he seems to be getting better and better at it every time their lips connect.

She already had a strong feeling about this when they first did it last night, but his touches, lips and warmth - they're all so intoxicating that she completely forgot again that they're still inside her office.

--- Synopsis ---

Love and dreams don't just fall from the sky - there are tears to be shed and things to be made right.

At the age of sixteen, Lillian Daffodil still has no idea of who she wants to be. Her unladylike mien, peculiar sense of creativity and hoydenish behavior would always keep her from seeing her true charm and ability.

Lost and with no destination in mind, underestimated for being a commoner, persecuted by envious peers, and unfortunate in matters of love - a girl could only take so much but even then, she just continued to move forward in hope to find what her heart was seeking all the time.

"A Pioneer...?"

Little did she know that a significant discovery could change her life forever - Lillian Daffodil soon becomes known as the "Lady of Many Trades" and the first ever fashion model of the empire.

Yet just when she firmly decided to focus on her ventures after a series of heartbreaks, the most sought-after bachelors in the city also begin to make romantic advances towards her -

Enter the son of a Count who keeps encouraging her to find her passion, a playboy with a sketchy sideline job, a designer who strives to revolutionize the fashion industry, and a travelling peddler with a big secret to reveal.

When romance and ambitions come together, a fashion fairytale starts to unfold.

---

- Poor-to-Rich Female Lead
- Magic and Prophecies
- Reverse Harem but not off-the-bat
- Strong Female Lead Breaking Stereotypes
- Family and Royalty Drama

(Cover Photo not mine: Credits to the original artist)

---

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- DM me on Discord (Aciee#1841)

The weekend was almost over when things changed. They were all ready to log this weekend as something that gave them little progress. There was just too much history that they do not know about their mother.
Qing Lok and Qing Chen consulted everything that they knew about her but little were only provided to their knowledge. They did not even know which country she came from. One paper said she was from Europe, another says she was from the West.
The truth buried deep in all the lies.
Before they closed off for the night, Qing Chen was in the living room, turning on the news just for the sake of something else to occupy his mind for at least just a few minutes.
Headlines tonight were about an explosion in the first floor of a building where a bunch of individuals gathered for their yearly foundation meeting. The whole building was now unstable and needed construction.
"Wuming," they all said at the same time just as the door swung open. 
"I think I just heard my name."
"You're on the news," Qing Chen nodded at the TV. The reporter was saying something about gases that caused the explosion.
"Oh come on," Wuming groaned. "You have to give credit to Addison too. It's her mission and she pulled the trigger."
Addison showed up beside him. "It's all his doing. It's his idea."
"I like it," said Qing Lok. "You're both far from the scene. But surely, you two lead them away and covered your tracks, right?"
"Of course," Wuming replied. "We took about 20 buses today, rented a car, went to three other cities, changed clothes about ten times. We'll be fine." Wuming took in the defeated look in their faces. "Nothing for today then?"
It was as if Wuming spoke it to existence, like he called it to being. The living room was quiet and then suddenly, an alarm went off in one of their computers which screen automatically transferred to the projected one on the wall.
They all saw it, starting from the pattern, countless street pictures and it zooming on one map, then a red line slowly traced itself, marking how it matched the pattern.
They were all stunned to silence, looking at the blinking red lines on the screen, waiting to be acknowledged.
"This is not real," said Qing Lok, he couldn't feel his limbs all of a sudden. He was too afraid to move it or to click anything as it they might lose it.
For safe keeping, he made his hands work and he took a picture of it with his phone. 
In the middle of the map, there were two words. "Pilgrim's Hollow"
Before anyone else could move, Qing Chen snatched the bundle of papers of the poems they had on Edgar Allan Poe. He had mentioned a pilgrim there.
**
And, as his strength 
 Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow— 
 'Shadow,' said he, 
 'Where can it be—
This land of Eldorado?'
 'Over the Mountains
 Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow, 
 Ride, boldly ride,'
 The shade replied,—
'If you seek for Eldorado!'
**
Wuming zoomed out the map from the computer, looking at the strange land. "So, who's up on a trip in the middle of nowhere?"
**
"Isn't this great?!" asked Qing Lok, more than enthusiastic to live as early as possible. "We finally have somewhere to go! We can go check and see what's there, if there is really something that is waiting for us."
Qing Chen was supposed to be excited but all he was feeling was everything sour in his stomach. Like he wanted to vomit. He could not even bring himself to answer his brother.
It was Wuming who spoke, "Are you sure you want to go there, Lok? It looks like a ghost town. Shouldn't we wait for something better?"
"Certainly doesn't look like El Dorado to me," said Addison, looking at the map. There were already pictures of the place. It looked empty and destroyed. Ruins. What would their mother do in the middle of nowhere. But then again, she had been doing a lot of suspicious things to them lately.
At this point, should they even be surprised?
Feng Xuan remained quiet as she didn't feel like it was something she should comment on. But Qing Lok was right, they had to go there. They had to see what was there. That had to be their answer so why were these two older brothers suddenly backing out?
"Let's call it a night," said Qing Chen. "It's almost midnight. We have to rest, we have to return to work tomorrow."
"I agree, it had been a long day already, Lok," seconded Wuming. "We'll talk more about this tomorrow. For the meantime, let's just sleep on it."
Everyone in the living room dispersed. Even Liu Meilien looked disappointed. Feng Xuan followed Qing Chen up the stairs, wanting to know his reasons, wanting to demand answers. All the work that they had put on it and now he didn't want to do anything.
She wanted to remain calm as possible as she knew this was also a stressing time for him but she might've closed the door far too harder than she thought as Qing Chen spun on his heel to look at her. 
"I'm sorry," she began. "But, I want to know what's going on in your head. This is it, Chen. Among the things that are in your back something is actually making sense for the first time."
Qing Chen opened his mouth but Feng Xuan cut him off.
"I have more to say."
Qing Chen sat down the bed, the room dark and the only light was coming from the lamppost outside. He patiently waited for his wife to gather her thoughts.
"Are you really going to pass up on this chance? There was no way it was just a coincidence. Those cracks on your tattoo was really a map. Possibly, you could know what your mother is hiding! Don't you want to know that? That might be really the El Dorado that your mother was talking about. 
"I know I don't get to have a vote in this thing. Hell, I don't even know the woman. I want to care for her as someone dear to me but I can't. But I care about this case. We all spent those sleepless nights trying to find something—and for you to throw it out of the window… I can't, Chen. I can't."
Qing Chen took a deep breath and ran a hand over his mouth. "I didn't say that I wasn't going to go. But, wife, we just came back from dealing with The Zookeeper. Wuming and Addison just killed two men who were running after Father. Would it be so wrong if I want to breathe? All those dead bodies are on my shoulders!"
Qing Chen stood up and paced in front of her, a hand running through his hair. "I'm tired of killing people, Xuan."
"But you didn't—"
"I did! Don't deny it! Whether or not I did it myself, I was the one who made the order. They are my dead men." He took a deep breath and pressed on his temples. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't want to shout at you."
Feng Xuan honestly felt like she wanted to cry at some corner. But a scared person was the last thing Qing Chen needs. He didn't need to add her as one of the people who were afraid of him. "It's fine. You're just… you just want to express yourself."
She tentatively held on his arm. When he didn't pull away, she hugged him. "You should've told me that you were feeling like this. You don't have to carry this alone. I am right here."
His hand ran down her back. "I know. I know you are." 
She wanted to tell him that she understood what he was feeling, but all the bodies that Qing Chen was standing upon was no match to the pile that she was on.
"Let's just sleep for the night," Qing Chen said. "And about that… El Dorado—whatever place it was called—we're giong to go there, but in the right time. I can't right now. I just need a minute."
Feng Xuan nodded. "Take all the time that you need. It's not like we're in a rush."
**
"They found it," said the man behind his computer. He could see it, what was happening in the Qing's screen. They found the Pilgrim's Hollow."
"Good," said the boss through the phone. "Anyway we could infiltrate their house? We have to know what they plan to do."
"No, sir," answered the man. "Every piece of technology in that house is encrypted. I can't get past the firewalls. They have no cameras and microphones. If there were I can't detect it. That 2nd son did his job well."
"Hmm," hummed the boss. "As expected. Guess we'll just have to call on some old friends to help us."


This message is to let you know that we're coming for you.

Yours truly,

The Mafia's Rose
— 

After her mother’s death, Feng Xuan was sent overseas to continue her studies and was under strict instructions to never come home.

Feng Xuan had always known she was going to marry someone she did not love. That was why she was not surprised that when her father finally allowed her to come back, she was off to be married immediately.

Upon marrying the handsome, somewhat brooding but caring, Qing Chen, a hotelier and the new mafia boss on the side, Feng Xuan started to realize that she might not be the woman whom she thought she was.

There was only one condition that allowed Qing Chen to marry Feng Xuan: he is to keep her protected from the world, and from herself.

****

This is a story about a woman who uncovers the long buried details about her life, the society, the world, and her mother’s untimely death. Along the way, she discovers who she really is; smart, ruthless, cunning, and powerful.

****

WARNINGS: (If you comment anything about this, I will direct you to read these AGAIN)
1. This is a slow-paced story, because of this ROMANCE CAME LATE FOR THE LEADS. I'm saying this again, LATE. There's a huge reason behind this, if you will be patient you'd get there. 
2. Male Lead is weak AT FIRST. As this story is slow-paced, character development took a while. 
3. Female Lead will start to reawaken around Chapter 80 and ML will rise into his full potential shortly afterwards--once you start reading you'll know why it took this long. 
4. This book is not just about the romance part, it is also has a lot of mystery and later on, action in it.

English is not my first language. Please do not hesitate to comment corrections regarding spelling and grammar. Thank you!

This is an original story.
The picture on the cover is not mine. Credits to the real owner.


Update schedule: One chapter a day.

Kang's POV
I tapped on the glass door of the store, waiting for Stan, as I put down all of the load in front of the locked door. "Yeah, yeah. Come on." Stan opened the locked glass door and picked up the loads with me....
Haru's POV
I stepped into the staff locker room and went to locker 67. I took my key from my sweatshirt and placed into the key-hole, and unlocking it. I pulled out an apron  that was hanging in the locker next to my name tag. I put my apron on from my neck and tied it the laces. I took my name tag and pinned at on my apron above my chest.  I hanged my bag in my locker and locked the locker.
I took my attendance at the staff room, and head back to the counter to do some paperwork. I sat down and grabbed a pen, started to do my paperwork. Sometimes, after finishing paperwork, i'll start writing some poems or story in a notebook that Miss Jade gave me. I finished my third paperwork, that's when Harold comes in. "Morning, Haru." He greeted me with a smile. "Coffee, Harold?" I held up his favorite mug while in the other hand was another mug for miss Jade. "Sure." Harold went into the staff room and slowly shuts the door behind him.
I opened the door to the break room. The coffee machine was just on the table, waiting to work again. Beside it was a box full of coffee packets. It took 40 minutes (20 minutes each coffee) to finish the coffee-making. I stepped out of the break room and straight to Miss Jade's room, across the hallway. "Good morning, Miss Jade!" I greeted cheerful at Miss Jade who was just typing out a letter for the millionaire who's funding our library. I put the mug on the table and slowly slides in front of her.
"Morning, Haru." She stopped and took a quick sip of her morning coffee. I was about to go out of the room "Wait!" She hesitated me from her table. "Is there anything wrong with your coffee?" I looked back at her, puzzled. "I have something to ask you..." She puts down her half-finished coffee back on the table. I sat on the chair in front of her. "Harold has been telling me about your poems..." She puts aside her laptop and looks me in the eyes.
"You see, middle-school students now are not like before. They like things with deeper meanings. As example, you know poems.  So, i'm writing a letter to our fund-er about a new section for poetry. And Harold told me you wrote good poems. I want to read them by the end of the day." Miss Jade declared about her intention. My jaw dropped, I put my hand at my mouth.
I was really speechless. Miss Jade wanted to see my poems, she would cringe! I need to write another one... So, she'll think I have developing it for years. "Yes! I'll bring my notebook, by the end of the day!" I flustered and ran for the door. 
----
"Harold! You have to help me!" I was begging Harold, he was standing at the photography section. "With what?" He rolled his eyes. "Poems! Miss Jade wants to see it." I was flipping out the pages to see all my poems that I wrote for the past 6 years. "So, your poems are great!" Harold tries to comfort me as he leans over the counter. "Let me see it." I handed my book to Harold.
"Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee."
"Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise."
"It's good you should show it to Miss Jade." He gave a thumbs up, it gave me courage about. I got up and snatch the book from him. 
CREAAKKK.
I slowly opened the door with it sounding really creepy. Miss Jade was playing with her hands... "Here you go, miss..." I handed the book.. "Thank you, Haru. I'll see you tomorrow then.."
I nodded..
[Ｔ．Ｂ．Ｃ]

Haru, Kang and Bryan starts their new life in Colombus with Alexie, a little girl that was adopted by them, entrusted by her late mother. Their life just got more interesting..

This poem is about a fairy tale,
Except, I get to write the ending, I get to pick the heading,
So this tale has no Fictional Creatures with tails,
This tale though, it entails
details of true Love,

You see,
A poet, Fell in love with a Singer,
Theirs, was a love at first sight,
From there;
They had countless sleepless nights,
Nights of sweet nothing's,
They couldn't find dreams,Cuz they were dreaming outloud,
Even if they were far much apart, distance couldn't match  the Love, they had for each other,
You see,
Their souls were intertwined,or
should I say;
Their souls mated;
They became Soulmates,
At some Point when one breath in;
The other wad breathing out,
Their worlds literary merged,

But,
You know what they say about modern fairy tales;
Happy hopeful beginnings always end ar hurtful destinations,
The fog clears and their future gets clearer, 
except,
there is no future for both,

So, most nights,
One of them lies down in  bed,
Stuck in between agony and loneliness,
But, too scared to reach out,
One thinks about the other
Wondering if they too are,
Wondering was it all an illusion?
is Love Really a One Big illusion ? And
they sleep on that thought,
They sleep with foolish broken hearts,
They sleep with those selfish little muscles called hearts,
they sleep, as their tale hits that ending Dot.
Wondering,
What happened to Happy ever afters ?

"No matter what it takes."

A doctor's greatest mission is saving lives and Nikita has been diligently doing that for six years. However, when the tables turn and the young Pavlenko loses everything in the crash that Saturday morning, Nikita's not sure about committing to the hypocritic oath anymore. 

Hopeless and extremely depressed, Nikita's on one mission: To find out what happened that day. Along the way, the surgeon has to choose tools wisely. 
A scalpel or a combat knife. 
A defribillator or an M16.
A pacemaker or a legion of hackers.

But how much more does Nikita have to lose to get answers? 

**************
OTHER WORKS:

CRADLE OF LOVE 
BULLETS BY DAWN
WHOSE ALPHA

cover photo not mine, will pull down when owner requests

Huo Shaoheng happened to be completing his final inquiry inside the central control room.
Ever since he discovered the four-lined AI programming language, he had raised his guard against all the programs in the Central Control System and decided to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire mainframe.
It took nearly an entire month to complete a thorough check of the mainframe to ensure it hadn't been interfered with or attacked by the AI programming language.
He heard his phone ring and took a glance to see it was a text from Gu Nianzhi. He then received a scanned file from her.
With just one look, Huo Shaoheng was immediately able to deduce that the poems must have contained clues about Gu Xiangwen!
Huo Shaoheng worked in the field of intelligence and had undergone enough professional training to see instantly that there was something different about those two poems.
Additionally, the Special Operations Forces employed a decryption specialist who was an expert in this field. He was even able to thoroughly analyze a misshapen and half blurred word.
Huo Shaoheng immediately called Gu Nianzhi.
"Nianzhi?"
"Huo Shao... Did you get my text?" Gu Nianzhi squeezed her phone while lying in bed. She was in the middle of browsing Weibo.
"Yeah, I'll have someone investigate it. You have nothing to worry about." Huo Shaoheng paused, then said, "...Did Reinitz scare you?"
"Scare me? He did..." Gu Nianzhi giggled quietly. "I was so scared when he suddenly became so poetic and cultured."
Huo Shaoheng, "..."
"Remember to avoid dealing with him alone from now on. If you have to see him again, there must be someone else there with you." Huo Shaoheng recapped the Senate's rules with Gu Nianzhi, saying, "Once you become an official employee of the Senate, these are mistakes you can't afford to make even once."
"I know that." Gu Nianzhi nodded obediently and said, "Reinitz will be returning to Germany, so I'm pretty sure we won't see each other again."
"Yeah, good girl." It was a rare occasion when Gu Nianzhi did not talk back to Huo Shaoheng, so he somehow felt very relieved.
This girl was becoming bolder by the day...
Huo Shaoheng still wanted to 'lay down the law' with Gu Nianzhi. If this had been the past, he wouldn't have hesitated to scold her.
But now, he somehow couldn't bring himself to scold her...
Spoiled children were not born that way, but they were raised by parents who doted on them too much.
Huo Shaoheng set down his phone with a wry smile before trying to get ahold of the decryption specialist to set up a meeting for tomorrow.
...
Gu Nianzhi was feeling sleepy before, but her energy returned after the phone call with Huo Shaoheng.
Sitting up from the bed, she read the note again and picked up the phone to give He Zhichu a call.
He Zhichu hadn't slept either. He was on the computer working on business from South America.
The family business was huge, and although it wasn't necessary for He Zhichu to personally take care of each transaction, there was still a lot of work he needed to do.
His intense concentration on his work was interrupted by the ringing phone.
He Zhichu heard it was Gu Nianzhi's ringtone, so he immediately grabbed the phone to take the call. "Nianzhi, why haven't you slept already?"
"Isn't Professor He awake too?" Gu Nianzhi smiled as she laid against the large pillow, saying, "I wanted to show you something, can I send it to you?"
"Sure, send it over." As soon as He Zhichu spoke those words, he saw his phone had received a text message.
He opened the attachment to see it was a scanned note.
The paper was a bit wrinkly like it had been crumpled up and flattened out again.
English handwritten in blue ink covered the note.
The paper looked rather old, or perhaps it was purposely worn out to make it appear as though it was a relic from a time past.
When He Zhichu looked at the English handwriting again, he could see it was two common English poems.
The first was called, "A Little Girl Needs Daddy."
He Zhichu, "..."
With a frown, he began to ask Gu Nianzhi, "What is it? Isn't this a very common poem? –You're missing your dad?"
Every Father's Day, little girls from Western countries would write this poem on a card and give it to their fathers.
Gu Nianzhi nodded quickly and said, "I also thought it was a very common poem. Can this even have anything to do with my father? That means all the men in the world are my fathers..."
He Zhichu couldn't help but snicker as he said, "You sure have an optimistic outlook."
"I have no choice but to be optimistic." Gu Nianzhi cocked her head, and with a smile, she said, "I've looked for him all these years now. Even though Huo Shao and Professor He are so capable, we haven't found any clues at all. I lost hope a long time ago."
There could be no disappointment if she didn't hold out any hope.
He Zhichu rubbed his temple, hesitant to speak.
"...Wasn't your father on flight MH210?"
That flight had crashed.
Gu Nianzhi could tell she was getting somewhere with He Zhichu, so she instantly said, "Gu Yanran said the plane crashed onto a small island, and then she cast my father's ashes into the ocean. Do you think I can even believe her?"
"...How would I know? I'm not very close with her." He Zhichu chose his words very carefully, but his expression appeared a bit uneasy. "Where did you get this note from?" he asked.
Thankfully, Gu Nianzhi wasn't with him, so she couldn't read his facial expression.
"Someone gave it to me, of course. He also said this was what I needed the most. But I don't even know what I need the most." Gu Nianzhi was very confused. "I really wanted to find my father before, but now... I will keep looking for him, but I no longer see him as my entire support system. I am my own support system, so finding my father will only be the icing on the cake."
He Zhichu pressed his lips into a tight line. He felt bittersweet, yet horrible–like a fire burned inside him and was about to explode at any time. However, he still made himself console her, saying, "I am also your support system, and so is Huo Shao. Nianzhi, don't push yourself so hard, you've already done a very good job."
"I haven't done a good enough job yet..." Gu Nianzhi mumbled. She was finally feeling a bit sleepy and let out a yawn as she said, "Professor He, I need to sleep now. You should go to bed early too."
He Zhichu answered her before reluctantly ending the call.
After their call, he sat alone in his office for a very long time before finally sighing deeply and continuing to work.
...
Gu Nianzhi let Huo Shaoheng handle deciphering the two poems and gave her complete attention to work.
They were currently preparing for Speaker Long's national visit to India, and because they only had ten days' time, it was all very rushed.
This was the first time Gu Nianzhi was helping with preparations for a Senate national trip, so she was completely swamped.
In the past, she assumed national visits only consisted of waving back to the welcoming citizens while descending a plane's ladder and then going to dinners and meetings while making polite small talk.
But when she actually participated in the preparation work, she discovered that there were endless mundane tasks.
Everyone only saw the fancy-looking politician appearing from the plane, but that one image was the result of endless employees working for extended nights.
There were many things to plan and prepare for.
Simply put, they had to confirm each other's itineraries, which included flights, flight plans, car routes, security detail at hotels, sanitation, as well as arranging personnel, food and drink, manners, gifts, and the main topics of meetings. They even had to collect and take away the excrement of the visiting politician, as they could not leave anything in the country they visited.
It was no easy task to plan and communicate all these things in a mere ten days' time.
This was especially the case since the Indians had varying productivity levels and, like the missiles they liked to manufacture, they moved in Brownian motion. Everything was all over the place and a mess, and everyone acted the same way.
Gu Nianzhi worked three days and three nights at the Senate before going home and immediately collapsing on her bed.
When she woke up, the delicious aroma of food from the kitchen emanated into her partially open bedroom door.
Gu Nianzhi was actually awakened by the delicious smell.
She removed the blankets and got up to creep into the kitchen for a look.
Huo Shaoheng wore a finely pressed summer outfit as he fried steaks on the induction stove.
...


Gu Nianzhi had no idea how to get the aloof and handsome Major General to fall in love with her. 

His eyes were dark and serious. "...Seduce me. If you can do it, I’m yours." 

Gu Nianzhi: "!!!"

Disclaimer: The following stories contains sexual assault, rape, nonconsensual acts, mentally abusive relationships, and violence towards women. Readers are advised to proceed with caution.

A few months pass, and Sapphire is feeling better with where she lives. Still remembering the only catch, she doesn't have much of a home. Shadow is at home and still coming to terms with having a friend to communicate with.
'Why am I still getting used to talking? I should be used to it, by now.' Shadow thinks to himself, confused and beginning to get agitated by his adaptation rate
Sapphire, however, soon begins to sense that something isn't right with Shadow. She goes to his shelter, knocks on the door, and waits for a response, which is a fast one.
"Who's there?" Shadow asks, sounding agitated
"It's Sapphire. Could you let me in?" Sapphire answers and asks
"Come on in. The door's open."
Sapphire enters, noticing mess again.
"Shadow, have you slept at all over these months?" Sapphire asks
"Yes, I've slept." Shadow answers, keeping his responses short
"Are you alright? You're not yourself."
"It's nothing. I'm still adapting to having you to talk to."
"Is there something else, or is that it?"
"That's it."
"I don't see it as much of a bad thing as it may seem, given how you're taking it. We all adjust to things at different rates. I mean, having a friend here is still new to me. So, I get your agitation."
"That's different. We've known each other for months. Bearing in mind that you're not me."
"I know that I'm not you. I also know that you're not usually like this. Your place is a mess and you're agitated. This usually happens when you haven't slept."
"I know. I'm dealing with it."
"Not alone, you're not. I've done the alone treatment before, and it never ends well. I'll stick around and help you out. That's what friends are for, looking out for each other."
"Are you sure you wanna stick around?"
"Yes, I'm certain. It feels right to help you out, as opposed to leaving you to your misery. I'm not like that."
'Whoa, she's worth my time... and patience. Why is she doing this to me?' Shadow thinks to himself
'He needs help, he won't admit it. Have I met this situation before, or am I fooling myself?' Sapphire thinks to herself
"I'll let you stick around. But I don't see how you can help." Shadow permits and points out
"Come with me and sit down. Let me try something." Sapphire instructs, sounding like she's come up with an idea
Shadow and Sapphire sit down in front of each other on the floor. Sapphire puts out her hand as to say, 'take hold of my hand'. Shadow begins holding his friend's hand, mystified by what Sapphire's intentions.
"What do you intend on doing?" Shadow asks, in bewilderment
"Keep holding my hand. I don't intend on doing anything more. Now, tell me. What else is bothering you, besides your adaptation rate?" Sapphire instructs, admits, and asks keeping a calm tone
"I don't know what I'm bothered by. Nor, do I know what I feel when you're not here... and when you are, for that matter."
"What do you think it is?"
"I think it's the one thing I don't like seeing."
"Love, romance… that kind of thing, right?"
"Yes, to put it mildly. I've always gone in alone. I've never served anyone. Not until you came along. It was involuntary and kept happening. Just to keep things brief."
"So, what are you saying?"
"The thing I don't normally like. It's happening to me, whether it's happening to you… I don't know, I can't read your mind."
"I can't say it isn't. Otherwise, I'd be lying. You're different, I've probably already said that. But you really are. I'm not gonna go into too much. I don't wanna sound weird."
"I didn't earlier on, when all this started. Now, it feels like the time's correct to admit it."
"Admit what?"
Shadow soon starts losing his composure. But, calms down enough to regain it.
"I've fallen under your… let's say spell. That's all."
"That explains your sudden mood changes. Now, it's my turn to make my admission."
"Of which is…"
Sapphire soon breathes, to keep her cool.
"I've fallen under yours, to admit the truth. I can't stop my visits to your place, and I always want to know how you are. Unless it's part of the human side of my nature, or part of my Mobian side as well. It feels natural. Not to sound weird. Of course, bearing in mind that we're so physically different, and have a major mind-set difference."
"I see your point. That doesn't sound weird. I mean, coming from my mouth… I thought I sounded weirder."
"Okay, point made. So, now that we've admitted our truths, what do we actually do?"
"Think it over, from both ends. Talk a bit more, get to know each other a bit better. I don't know. That's for you to decide. I'd never be able to bring the words together."
"I think you'll be able to. You just need time, to become more comfortable with this whole 'friends and other stuff' thing. I still need to get used to it myself. So, we've both got the same thing to do."
"Together, if you're up for it."
"I thought you went in alone."
"This is different. We're finding more common ground. Besides, it's better done side by side, as opposed to being done solo."
"That makes a rather good point."
"So, are you up for it?"
"Yeah, I don't see why not. Only one question, when?"
"That's a good question. I don't know. Soon, I guess."
'This is gonna be one long task…' Sapphire begins to think
The hours pass, and the pair are getting used to each other's differences, emotions, and similarities. Oh, and they're closer to one another psychologically, anyway. With still a long way to go, and it starting to get tedious, Sapphire and Shadow say their goodbyes, go out and part their ways, for now. Night falls, and Sapphire is wide awake, unable to sleep.
'Why can't I sleep? This isn't like me.' Sapphire thinks out loud
With Shadow fast asleep, she's alone facing her first sleepless night since her years in the city. Morning comes, and Sapphire hasn't slept, let alone not being able to move from her resting place. As for Shadow, he wakes up and realises that Sapphire hasn't arrived at his place, as that being her usual.
'Where's Sapphire? This isn't like her.' Shadow thinks out loud
Shadow goes about looking for Sapphire, given how close he is to her. He looks towards the waters, to find Sapphire in her resting place, not moving. He goes to her, concerned for Sapphire's lack of movement.
"Sapphire, are you alright?" Shadow asks, keeping a calm tone... sort of
"I haven't slept. Don't ask why, I'm panicked by why I haven't; not knowing, obviously." Sapphire says, trying to stick out of agitation, with no avail
"Do you actually want to move, or stay there?"
"It's not like I can move. I'm too tired to do just that."
"Sit up, then. That seems to be all you can do."
"Could you help me out?"
"Yes, certainly."
Shadow goes about helping Sapphire to sit up, realising how weak she is from not sleeping, even if it's only one night.
"Have you had sleepless nights before?" Shadow asks, being careful of what he says next
"Yes, plenty of them when I was living in the city with my mother. Since I was twelve, and then I kept getting weaker after each passing night. Having been kept out of school, and shut in at home, the sleepless nights kept on coming. The previous night here, is just one of my many sleepless nights that I've dealt with in the past. As the humans say, I was making deals with the devil every time it happened." Sapphire answers, still tired 
"So, you've had it worse than I have."
"Yes, just to keep things short. All I can say is, recovery isn't easy. In fact, it's the hardest part of my sleepless nights. 'Cause I could still be just as weak now, in a few months. Then it happens again, a repeat of last time."
"So, my sleepless nights are nothing compared to yours, right?"
"I can't say that it's like that. I'd be telling a lie. Yours are bad, given how angered you get when you don't sleep."
Soon, a circle of flames begins to form around Sapphire, and Shadow moves quickly before he gets burned. Sapphire soon struggles to an upright standing position.
"Sapphire, what's happening?" Shadow asks, still in shock from his sudden movement
"I don't know. Why, do you know?!" Sapphire answers and asks, panicking
"Neither do I."
Some time passes, and the circle of flames turns into a dome, keeping Sapphire concealed within it. She soon notices hedgehog-like skin on her legs, in patches.
'Wait, is my Mobian identity coming through? Also, why this soon?' Sapphire thinks to herself
Sapphire soon checks her hands; there are small patches of this skin on her hands, palms and back. Some more time passes, and the dome of flames comes down, revealing her new appearance. With her strength still low, Sapphire falls to the ground, passing out at the same time. Shadow rushes to his shelter and puts on his gauntlets. He rushes back to Sapphire and takes her to his shelter. Fearing that Sapphire might not awaken, Shadow makes his area more accessible and starts waiting for any changes. A few hours pass, and Sapphire moves in her sleep. Shadow notices the patches of hedgehog-like skin on Sapphire's legs and hands.
'Wait, is she turning into a Mobian, or am I being fooled?' Shadow asks himself
Shadow takes off his gauntlets, goes to Sapphire and goes about pinching her skin, where it has changed. Sapphire soon awakens, with a painful burning sensation from where Shadow has pinched, and partial amnesia.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Sapphire greets and asks, tired from her awakening
"Sorry about that. Does it hurt?" Shadow apologises and asks
"What do you mean, 'does it hurt'? Of course, it does. Not only that, it burns. Wait, what's happened? Why does my skin look and feel different? Was this you?"
"No, this was not me. I don't know what's happened. I don't understand why you don't either. You're the one it's happened to, not me."
"Yes, I know that. You're already a hedgehog. I wasn't born or made like you."
"I know you weren't."
"Does it look bad?"
"No, it doesn't. Have you looked at your face? The same has happened there."
Sapphire soon rushes to the waters and looks at her reflection. She notices that Shadow is right about her facial appearance; she has patches of hedgehog-like skin there, too, and soon makes attempts to hide it, with no avail.
"Why are you trying to hide it?" Shadow asks
"The most visible part is the face. I can't say that I like all this. I'd be telling a lie. Not to sound weak or anything. The point is, I don't get why it's all started now." Sapphire answers and says
"Me neither. But all I can admit is that you're a beautiful individual. Patchy or not."
"Wait, you really think so?"
"Yes. I've known you, and your beauty for months. I've not understood it. But it's existence is pure and special. To me, at least."
"Thanks, Shadow. I didn't know you really felt that way."
"Like I said, I can never get my words out. Especially, when it's about this."
"I think I know why you can't. You get nervous when we're together and can't say what you want to. You've fallen for me and can't understand why. I get it, because the same happens with me. I've fallen for you and can't admit it because I fear rejection. I'm guessing that you fear the same thing. That's all."
"Also, I've wanted to do this for a long time. I think now is the right time."
"To do, what?"
Shadow breathes and keeps his composure. He touches Sapphire's face with one hand, using the other to hold her hand. He leans in, and slowly puts his lips on hers. After some time doing what they're doing, they stop and begin talking again.
"Wait, so that's what you've wanted to do?" Sapphire asks, amazed by Shadow's manoeuvre
"Yes. Earlier on felt too soon, and it might've been awkward. That's all." Shadow answers
"I mean, coming from someone who's bad with her nerves. You've done it better than me. My nerves got over me."
"I've worked that out. Plus, it was kind of hard not to do so. This thing called love does that to you. I'm guessing that's cliché in the human world."
"It is a bit. But I'm used to it. Human to human, that is. Not this kind, but it's still the same. Am I getting boring?"
"No, you're not. Hold on, what's that on your wrist?"
"Wait…"
Sapphire notices some form of bracelet on her wrist. It sparkles in the light, beginning to do something. It soon shows a movement picture of her father.
"Hello, father. Is that you?" Sapphire greets and asks
"Geraldine, is that you? What's happened to your face?" Geraldine's father asks
"I'll explain that later. What's needed?"
"When are you coming again? Your mother's left me, alone, with my home and it feels strange."
"In what way?"
"Your essence has been left here, your mother hated it and left. It's that Mobian side of you. This is from my side. I apologise for that."
"It's all fine. What's happening?"
"I don't know. All I know is, that you're needed by the people at your school. That's where it all began."
"That's helpful. How do I change back to my human form?"
"Hold on, click your fingers from the hand you aren't using. There's something that'll help you with your request."
Sapphire lets go of Shadow's hand and clicks her fingers. Soon, a piece of paper with writing appears. It reads: 'To change back to your originality, say these words: Powers from another world, magic from another time. Turn me back, o wondrous lights'
"Wait, how do I change back to my new self, once I've done my duty?" Sapphire asks her father
"Click your fingers again."
Sapphire clicks her fingers again; another piece of paper appears. It reads 'Your new form is a simple set of words, to return to that state. They are: My duty is done, and my time has come to leave. Return me back, to my new state of body and mind'
'I'll need to remember these, for when I want to visit my father.' Sapphire thinks to herself
"Remember this, you need to be out of the city and near your homeland to change back. You can't do that in the city, it won't work." Sapphire's father says, in a form of a reminder
"Thank you, father. I'll be there shortly." Sapphire thanks and informs
"I'll see you soon."
"Goodbye for now, father."
Soon, her father's picture vanishes into the bracelet.
"That was unexpected." Shadow says, still slightly frozen from what's just happened
"I know it was, and from a bracelet too. Right, I need to get to the city. You on the other hand, need to distract the others so I can leave as my human self, without too much attention." Sapphire says and instructs
"Understood. I'll do that, you return back to your old self."
"Thank you. Now, go!"
Shadow rushes to the others and tries to find a diversion.
"Now, time for this chant thing. Let's go. Powers from another world, magic from another time. Turn me back, o wondrous lights."
Sapphire says the chant and returns to her original self. She soon quickly departs for the city, with Shadow distracting the others, just. Sapphire, with the same appearance and known as Geraldine, arrives at the city and her home. She knocks on the door, to see her father coming to the front door. Geraldine's father opens the door.
"Father, what's the emergency?" Geraldine asks
"Geraldine, thank goodness you're here. Some strange things are happening at your school. Come with me, and you'll see what I mean." Geraldine's father says and instructs
Geraldine and her father go to the school, in the car. Geraldine looks out of the window and notices something hovering over the school.
"Father, are we at the school? There's something hovering over it." Geraldine asks and informs
"Yes, we're here. Let me park, and you get out to sort it." Geraldine's father answers and instructs
Geraldine's father parks the car and Geraldine gets out to help her school.
"Hey, you! What are you, and what are you doing here?!"
After this is said, things make an even more dramatic change. Oblivious to what'll happen next, Geraldine stands still.

Sapphire (Geraldine) Hawthorne is a fourteen-year-old human-Mobian hybrid who runs faster than humans and doesn’t generally fit in; she finds a new home, meeting Sonic and his friends.

Sapphire also meets Shadow the Hedgehog, an introverted, quiet individual who usually likes keeping himself to himself; of whom, Sapphire starts confiding in. What will happen?

Book one of a series of five books (one book is on Wattpad).

Note: Updated, with corrected grammar and spelling.

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