The Shadow of Great Britain
“Next, we have the most noble recipient of the Order of the Garter, the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Grand Cross of the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the lower grades of Knighthood, the leader of the anti-colonial movement, the bell-ringer of the East India Company, the hero of the Crimean War, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifelong dear friend of literary giants such as Dickens and Great Dumas, a steadfast supporter of scientific luminaries like Faraday and Darwin, having served as assistant under-secretary, deputy under-secretary, and permanent under-secretary in departments of the Home Office and the Navy Department of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the inaugural Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, the first graduate and most distinguished alumnus of our school. Please welcome Sir Arthur Hastings to deliver a speech on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the University of London.”
Arthur's gaze swept across the crowd before him, looking at the young faces and murmured, “Agares, what do you think I should say?”
The Red Devil's wraith hovered behind him, saliva almost dribbling from the corner of his mouth, “Look at these ignorant souls; they still worship you as a hero. Why not say something they'd like to hear?”
Arthur took a deep breath and let out a deafening roar, “Oxford is a bunch of whores' bastards!”
“Oh!!!!”
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
“Cambridge is the same!” he added immediately.
The applause grew even more fervent...
(The protagonist, possessed by a devil, travels through 19th-century Britain in a world without magic)
Chasing Time · Fantasy
*The Great Gatsby* by F. Scott Fitzgerald remains a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling, capturing the glittering high-society madness and underlying tragedy of the Jazz Age. Set in the summer of 1922 on Long Island, the novel follows narrator Nick Carraway as he enters the extravagant world of his enigmatic neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby’s relentless, tragic pursuit of Daisy Buchanan serves as a brilliant critique of the American Dream, exposing how wealth, social obsession, and idealizing the past can lead to ultimate ruin. Fitzgerald’s prose is sublime—poetic, sharp, and rich with memorable symbolism, from the haunting eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg to the iconic green light at the end of Daisy's dock. Despite its brevity, the novel delivers a powerful emotional punch, offering a timeless observation on human desire, memory, and heartbreak. It is an essential read for anyone who appreciates breathtaking prose and haunting character studies.