Mrs. Groscow observed her seventeen year old daughter as she walked down the stairs a visible scowl on her lips. Her tongue flicked through her teeth and the wine glass was swooshing dangerously on her fingers.

Jeans booty shorts and of course a purple tank top. Mia stopped at the end of the stair and crosses her arms.

"So you've resorted to flaunting? I see you gave up on your face." The first thing she uttered to her, kicking up her left leg across the right one.

Mia rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to her right foot.

"You're too fat for those shorts."Her mom points out blankly taking another sip of her drink. " You got a lot of mirrors to check that out for yourself, don't you?"

"I know. And that is why apps were created." She whispered but her mom caught  it, a small smile tugging at the end of her lips. The older woman's brow creaked app and she mused at her words.

"Why didn't you go to school today?" She chose to change the subject leaning back on the couch.

"My face." Mia obviously stated. She had vowed not to ever apply make up... Although she wanted to; apply concealer on her zits, mascara, a little lipstick perhaps.

'Oh my goodness Mia!You look like an undercooked turkey!' Her mother's words.

"I don't give a hoot miss! You have to go to school whether you look ugly, or uglier."

Luke Groscow got in at this moment. A male servant took his coat, briefcase and car keys. According to Annah, no female hand shall lay her hand on her man.

She was right to be protective, after all Luke was a male model, a really good looking male model younger than Annah by three years.

"Hey honey." He greeted his wife and made for the little drink area. "Hello Mia."He voiced to her daughter lifting the drink to her in some sort of a toss. She gave him a small smile.

He then walked back across the room and slumped down the comfy white couch. Pure fur.

"Your daughter missed school, again!" Annah started going back to the random act of flicking her tongue inside her mouth.

"Why?"

"Puberty. Look at her ugly face."

"Annah!" Luke raised his voice a little. He nervously watched Mia at the corner of his eye.

An uncomfortable silence enveloped them for about a minute.

"What's wrong with that? She's bright." Luke said in a monotone. A little low this time.

"That doesn't mean she can miss school, Luke."

"I need a shower." Luke announced downing his drink.

He walked to Mia and cupped her cheek. "You'll be fine. At least now everyone will want to look at your pretty face."

Mia smiled. Her dad always gave her hope. Always made sure she was smiling.

Yet her mom was the complete opposite. She is the one who got her a full make up set... Indirectly telling her you're ugly, yet she's still the one who hated the same make up on her.

"Just give me a minute and we'll go get that mirror, okay?"

Mia nodded. Yester night she was so mad she punched her bathroom mirror six times, getting hurt in the process.

Because she let her mother's words get to her.

•|•

They drove out of their expansive house onto a private road for five minutes before joining the main road.

Mia looked outside the window as they passed the mall. She didn't want to get her mirror from the mall because most of her schoolmates hang out there... and she wouldn't be seen dead with her pimply face.

They were going to an old shop downtown belonging to an old black man. She found the place after getting lostin the area. Of course she had to glance around before asking for directions.

"Here we are." Her dad announced stopping the car.

"I'll go alone." Mia quickly stopped her dad from unbuckling his seat belt.

She didn't want him to see her posing in front of mirrors, possibly giving herself a complimenting speech and other self embarrassing acts. "Just wait here. I will try not to take long."

"Well, okay..."

The door chimed on opening and the shop was visibly empty. No shopper appeared to be present apart from her.

"Hello?"She called looking around. The reception area was also empty. She decided to walk around the isles, admiring the fancy, plain and artistic mirrors.

"Hello?"She called out again. Last time he was here. The man was odd and always zoned out in his speech and it spooled her a little but he was no threat.

"Careful young girl, your voice might break the mirrors!" Mia whipped around immediately a little startled. The old man closed the door, made of a mirror that it actually looked like he was coming out of it.

He had the same old tired but warm smile on his face.

"Good evening Mr.William you do remember me?"

"Well of course!" He laughed and walked to her to shake her hand. "You're the crazy one, right?" His hands were rough and crusty and he possessed a firm grip. He released her hand finally and walked behind the counter.

Entirely reflective.

"What can I interest you with miss Groscow?" She was a little amazed that he remembered her awkward second name. Nevertheless, she spoke up.

"I need a bathroom mirror."

"Just that? Oh we have a lot... Framed perhaps? Slitted?"

"I need your most clearest mirror."

"Clearest?"

"Yes clearest, doesn't matter really, it'll still work."

"Well,all my mirrors are clear as you see, but you do want the clearest?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." The sir walked from the counter and walked to the door he had come out earlier.

"Come on, you have to pick for yourself... I have two of them, nobody really seemed interested in having the clearest mirror so they stay up back.

Mia nodded. She half trusted the man enough to set her teaser at 60V, not too much to kill him or paralyse him.

The back of the store was like a workshop. Wood and mirrors, noise from the glass cuter worked by a man and a set of boys preparing a frame.

"Here we are." Mr.William announced walking past the two boys.

He opened a closet and called one of the boys to help him take them out. Mr.William stood them on the width side leaning on the wall.

They were clear, more than Mia ever imagined. The surface seemed like a calm river, promising a ripple if the surface was gently poked.

But one had a slight crack on the left corner, and given the angle of a perfectionist by her mother, she picked the other one.

It was framed with dark brown wood and carved into a beautiful pattern. It looked ancient,and she fell in love with it. She took one last look of herself and smiled.

She turned and waited for Mr.William to finish showing the boys how to smoothen the edges.

"Which one will it be?" Mr.William asked still helping his boys out.

"The framed one."

"You got it, give me a minute."

Mia wanted to turn and look at it once more. Her reflection on it was beyond perfect, it was beautiful. It gave her a sense mysterious sense of security. She opted to look around the place, placing her hand over her lips.

If only she would turn then maybe she would change her mind, because her image was still smiling.

Beauty can be overwhelming sometimes. Mia punishes herself for being what the society calls 'ugly' striving to create a picture perfect image. She builds up an odd obsession to mirrors.

But no matter the clearest mirror she'll get, she's still the same old face. This time however, the mirror is not only the clearest, it's the scariest... She ends up being thrown into a world belonging to the dark forces, and she has no choice but to choose survival, that is until she is able to escape and claim her old life and stolen identity back.

Charming Luscious, a demon in training has other plans and so does a few who come to learn of a mortal in their world.

"I heard that this shop will be selling magical communication mirrors - with them one can contact anyone else, who has bought a mirror from this shop," said an old lady wearing a wide witch's hat and dark robes while standing on the street in front of the shop titled 'Dragon Enterprises' with her friend, who was similarly dressed.

"I doubt that it is possible. My husband once bought us a pair and I know that they work very specifically. It is impossible to connect them to other people's magical mirrors, since they are made by different enchanters and have different charms, even if the function is similar," said the old lady's friend arrogantly. She appeared to be very confident when speaking on this subject, however her companion wasn't convinced.

"They are even advertising that they will return the fees if what they are saying isn't true," she argued heatedly. Her friend just snorted with disbelief, however, she still carefully read the poster which was hanging on one of the windows.

Around the big white building, which was just next to the Gringotts bank, a crowd could be seen gathering. They enthusiastically discussed the magical mirrors and the new store's opening, which would happen on the next day. 

"Wow, they will be returning funds if the magical mirrors don't work?" said one brightly dressed wizard, eerily resembling Dumbledore, with some disbelief.

Another person shook his head, expressing doubt, and commented: "Have you seen what it says at the bottom? In the future the mirrors will have other functions, such as sending messages through them. Does it mean that we will no longer need owls? How does that even work?!"

"Ah!!! I am too stupid! I don't understand, how will I find out my friend's number if I cannot call them to ask?" asked one young lady, who had been squinting at one of the posters for the past 10 minutes. Her boyfriend, who has been standing by the side the whole time and tapping his foot on the ground, impatiently answered:

"You really are stupid! Just floo and ask them! You can also send an owl with your own number and when they call, they will tell you their number."

The lady wasn't angered, seemingly used to her companion's temperament. She idly continued to talk, as though she didn't notice her boyfriend's impatience: "But look at how much they cost! The minimum cost is 3 galleons and if the calls exceed 100 minutes per month, we have to pay 1 knut for each additional minute? What if we don't pay?"

A sigh of exasperation could be heard. The lady's boyfriend really wanted to know how he came to like this slow-minded girl. "Don't you see what's written in front of you? They can disable your mirror until you pay up!"

"That's just ripping people off!"

"Well, it is apparently hard to maintain the whole network, so they are doing it because they don't want to 'crash' it, whatever that means..." came the uncertain answer for the first time during their conversation. 

An old and flair wizard, sitting on a floating chair, heard the pair's talk and interrupted: "I bet that's hogwash - they just want to earn some money! Though the whole set up does seem to require some very specific magic... However, the mirror is more convenient than standing on the knees in front of a fireplace. At my age I cannot even floo-call my friends, cause none of us want to damage our knees. Even cushioning charms don't help much!" The old man sighed and floated away.

Meanwhile, the impatient young wizard was thoughtfully considering: "Actually, when thinking about the costs, if the mirrors work as advertised, then they should be cheaper in long term than buying an owl and their food or constantly buying floo-powder. Did you see the price increases? It's like they think we have bottomless pockets!" 

His girlfriend shook her head with disappointment - her companion was too money-conscious, no wonder he worked in the Finance department of the Ministry!

---

The day of Dragon Enterprises first store's opening wasn't very lively or bright. As it was already the first day of December, the unpredictable English weather made itself known by raining small droplets one minute and stopping the next. There was even some light mist, spreading along the streets and blocking the sight.

However, despite the unpleasant time of the year and the inconvenience, a lot of people still lined up at the front of the new store, which hasn't even opened its doors yet. This was because the poster, hanging by one of the store's windows, clearly said that the first 100 customers will get a deal of buying one mirror and getting another one for free. This kind of service would be available only on the opening day! How could curious witches and wizards not gather?

"I can hardly wait any longer, it's almost 9 a.m., do they not see us? Why are they not opening up?"

"I had to recast the drying charm for the third time today, and the day hasn't even properly started yet!"

Grumbles and complaints could be heard from the people standing in line, however no one left. Soon the Dragon Enterprises opened its doors and the people rushed in - it was hard to tell whether they wanted to get away from the rain or were eager to see the new products.

"Oh, finally!"

"Ah, it's so warm and bright inside!"

"Let's see what new stuff they got!"

As soon as people entered, they were instantly mesmerized by the shop's elegant interior. The salesmen and salesgirls respectfully greeted the first customers and led them around the store, explaining that there were no real differences between mirrors yet, aside from them having different frames and casings. 

Wizards were mostly happy with simple and cheap versions - made with common wood or metal frames. On the other hand, ladies' eyes were shining while looking at mirrors which had pretty carvings or colors. Most could only sigh wistfully after seeing those, which were made from gold, silver or expensive wood and even had gems encrusted. However, every mirror had one thing in common - be they cheap or expensive, they were all done very well and looked quite elegant, with the symbol of the curling dragon at the back.

"It doesn't matter, as long as it's usable," said an old wizard. His wife disagreed, "What usable? What cheap? All you know is to save money! My neighbor over there is buying a mirror with silver frames and carved flowers, yet you want to buy me the one made out of wood? How will I be able to face her in the future!" The old wizard could only give up - his wife didn't care that the wood was also expensive and the carvings were very beautiful -  he had to get either silver or golden one for her.

Considering the exclusive deal of 1+1, witches and wizards didn't hesitate to choose different mirrors for themselves and their partners, friends and children. Especially since they were repeatedly assured by the staff that the money would be returned if the products didn't work as advertised. 

A lot of customers bought more than two mirrors, so the store's staff was very busy. There was a long line forming from the counter throughout the whole store, so the buyers were given queue numbers and were thus allowed to rest on the couches by the side, while they waited.

There was also a line to register names to contact numbers, which was a bit shorter but still quite long.

In the end, the first day of business was very successful for the Dragon Enterprises and the next day the Dragon Mirrors were already in the news.

Draco was very happy to see that the mirror network was working as intended and even though his staff did make some mistakes by accidentally registering wrong contact numbers to the wrong names, those things were not too serious and were quickly sorted out. 

The young entrepreneur was especially pleased by the article in Daily Prophet, for which his father (obviously) paid for. It praised not only the young boy, who was the company's founder, but also the mirror network - as the new magical innovation of the century!

Imagine yourself dying and reincarnating into the book series where you know the future, where magic is a thing, and where your whole family belongs to the side which is destined to lose the coming war. 


Will you change your destiny? 


Will you try to become one of the 'good guys' or push the Dark side to win? 


Or maybe you will be neither...


*cover picture doesn't belong to this author.

Along City Center Avenue, a ready-to-wear store called "Magical Girl".
This shop was located in a busy area. The decoration was gorgeous and elegant, and all kinds of clothes that made a girl's heart sway were hung in the window. Dressing mirrors on the floor were actually magical, such that it showed a girl her most beautiful appearance.
"This is the best ready-to-wear store in Moses City. We create the most beautiful appearance for all girls. From the color of each hair down to the selection of ankle rings, we can provide you with the service that best meets your requirement. As long as you walk into No. 5 Champs Elysees Street, City Center Avenue, you will see the magical transformation of a girl."
While Sally was behind him holding a beautiful card and reading it, Tang Qi had already pushed open the shop door made of glass and fine wood.
Ring! Ring!
With the crisp and sweet ringtones, Tang Qi and Sally saw the layout of the store.
In addition to those dazzling clothes and various accessories, the most striking was undoubtedly the beautifully crafted mirrors and fitting rooms in very classic styles. After just a glance, Tang Qi couldn't help but make a sigh of admiration inside. 
After all, having experienced the explosive fashion trends on Earth from his previous life, Tang Qi's aesthetic sense was not necessarily very good but easily superior to the level of the Origin Blue Star.
But now, Tang Qi looked at this shop but couldn't give any criticism.
A shop that combined an exquisite classical taste with girly gorgeousness! Tang Qi commented silently in his mind.
At this time, he was not surprised that this shop was notoriously famous in the high society of Moses.
Of course, if this was not the case, Tang Qi would not have brought Sally here.
The gift he wanted to give this simple, sweet girl was a transformation service.
With his now sharp eyes, he naturally saw that Sally's own physical form was not bad at all, and the reason that she became the object of bullying by those mean girls, besides the name of "Unlucky Sally", was her provincial and cowering image.
Boys would be reluctant to approach her because of her looks, and mean girls would very much want to bully her. This made her an easy object of bullying.
Although Tang Qi was very confident in his own aesthetics, it was nevertheless inappropriate for him to personally involve himself in the job of creating a new image for a girl.
So it was natural that they came here.
Though Sally didn't belong to high society, nor could she possibly discuss fashion with other young girls, she had heard of the name "Magical Girl" in passing. 
Coupled with the introduction on the card, the young girl thought to herself: the service would be very good here, and the charges would also be terrible.
"Tang Qi, maybe… it's alright."
Sally grabbed the corner of Tang Qi's clothes and plucked up the courage to say.
But Tang Qi had already brought the girl here; there was naturally no way he would abandon his mission halfway.
Tang Qi smiled slightly at the girl and helped calm her down somewhat with his gentle look.
As a ready-to-wear store most loved by the noble ladies of the upper class, there were naturally many beautiful girls here. Each of them was beautiful and fashionable, full of flower-like beauty and youthfulness.
In contrast, Sally looked like an ugly duckling.
If it weren't for Tang Qi standing in front of her, the girl might have run away.
At this juncture, a person in service approached them.
Surprisingly, it was not a young and beautiful girl who received them, but a very kind-looking old lady.
The old lady looked very well-groomed. Although she was wearing a uniform, there was a sense of grace on her. Although she had a lot of wrinkles on her face, judging from her ruddy complexion and still-exquisite facial features, this old woman must have been a beauty when she was young.
The old woman came over and smiled at Tang Qi and Sally. "Two little guests, how can I help you?"
Tang Qi glanced at the nameplate on the chest of the old woman, and without caring too much about the title "Store Manager", he smiled back and pulled Sally who was behind him over, saying, "Mrs. Hudson, this young lady needs your help. She needs some external changes to make her more confident."
As Tang Qi spoke, Mrs. Hudson set her eyes on Sally.
Her judgment was naturally even sharper than Tang Qi's.
Almost immediately, Mrs. Hudson's eyes lit up. Rejoiced, she took Sally's palm, and a gentle voice that made one relax came into her ears.
"What a pretty little girl. Looking at you reminds this old woman of me when I was young. I was just as innocent and lovable, but Ms. Hudson back then didn't have such good luck as you, to be guarded by a little gentleman." 
"Come, lucky little girl. Relax a bit. You are my magical girl now."
…
On the skills of dealing with young girls, this Mrs. Hudson could obviously well surpass Tang Qi.
Sally, who was very nervous just one second ago, soon walked into one of the separated fitting rooms following the old lady.
Tang Qi also followed while smiling. This was another special feature of this shop.
The layout was surprisingly big. Every guest would have their own separate fitting rooms. Inside, it was like a small living room. There were an actual fitting room and a space for guests and friends to chat and eat desserts, with a complete set of seats, sofas, and the like.
With the experience from his past life on Earth, of course Tang Qi wouldn't stupidly wait for Sally's new appearance. Instead, he went straight to a small sofa, sat down, took out Monster Archives, and started reading.
For others, the book was filled with ridiculous and lengthy content. But for Tang Qi, it held a great appeal. The bulk of the Archive's contents were related to those 12 saints and the various monsters killed by them.
These were what Tang Qi was the most interested in.
Soon he was immersed in it.
After an unknown period of time, Tang Qi had just finished a page about the Confessor Martin Simons killing the double-headed demonic eagle on top of Mount Black Sand. Right at this moment, the exquisitely patterned door that had not opened ever since it closed suddenly creaked open.
When Tang Qi subconsciously looked up, an incredible figure came into his eyes at this moment.
Sally was moving carefully on a pair of high heels.
Her head hung down slightly, and it seemed that she didn't realize how much she had changed at all.
The messy blond hair, after Mrs. Hudson had used some unknown method on it, turned into soft wisps of hair that loosely hung down. With a wreath of flowers on her head, her almost perfect face was fully revealed.
The loose sweater and trousers were all gone. Replacing them was a fairy-like golden and white gauze dress. Under the soft, thin gauze, her skin, so white it was almost shiny, was vaguely visible.
Seemingly too shy, the trace of a blush gradually covered her cheeks and pair of crystal-like earlobes.
As picky as Tang Qi was, he could only express marvel at this moment.
He was sure that if Sally entered Holy Thorns High School at this moment, the whole high school would boil up, and the cheerleader Angela, who was also a blonde, might go mad from jealousy.
Hudson, who walked behind Sally, was also very satisfied, but her inherently critical professional attitude prevented her from ending her work immediately. Instead, she first helped Sally to the huge floor-mounted fitting mirror.
When Sally plucked up the courage to look up, preparing to appreciate her brand new self, Mrs. Hudson lifted her hand towards the exaggerated black-framed spectacles on Sally's face, seemingly going to help Sally remove the glasses to finish up the final touch of the transformation.
Those black-framed spectacles were indeed the last obstacle.
Once removed, Tang Qi could imagine that an almost elven girl would appear in front of him.
Yet, he didn't know why that when Tang Qi watched Mrs. Hudson's movement, his head suddenly started rumbling loudly, like it was about to explode. His hairs stood up, and his scalp tingled. A strong sense of foreboding that he had never felt before surged madly inside him at this moment. 
"Wait—"
"Ah~"
When Tang Qi's words to stop her had just started, the black-framed glasses were already taken off by Mrs. Hudson.
Ring!
Abrupt changes happened instantly.
Tang Qi stared back at Sally, or more accurately, Sally's reflection in the mirror.


When the spiritual barrier that has been intact for a hundred years is shattered by a meteor, spiritual energy that had disappeared starts to return. The mystical realm slowly begins its revival—magic, witchcraft, curses, supernatural lifeforms, strange and mysterious legends, monsters and gods from other worlds… The old world order collapses, yet the new order is mystifying and chaotic.
Just before the unprecedented reformation is here, Tang Qi awakens and finds himself hung on the cross, having turned into an inferior demon and in great pain and agony…
With his special ability to see through the nature of all things from the mystical realm and a sly and crafty mind, follow Tang Qi as he develops new skills and powers—as well as making new friends and allies—to battle and protect himself from never before seen supernatural threats in an unfamiliar world!


A twitch. A twist. I felt it in my gut — that subtle twinge at the sight of her. Of that woman. Of all of them.
"Cindy!" I called to the woman down the street. She was strolling along the sidewalk in a beige leather coat, the hint of a skirt just grazing the upper part of her calves. Her long, dark hair swayed languidly in smooth waves down the middle of her back. God, did I miss wrapping my arms around that waist.
She whipped her head around just as I caught up to her on the sidewalk. I planted a kiss on her mauve lips and slipped my arm around the small of her back, right where it belonged.
"Hello, Art," she easily matched my stride as I guided her around the corner. She didn't blush, was barely ruffled. It was like we had started the day like this, joined at the hip. 
"Where are you headed?" I asked, taking in the smooth flesh of her neck, descending into an ample curve at the top of her breasts, which were barely concealed by a thin, pale yellow singlet. 
"Have you forgotten?" Her brow wrinkled.
"I'm just teasing," I responded. "How could anyone forget a date with a girl like you?"
"Well…" She looked up at me through her lashes. "I'm not the only unforgettable one in this scenario."
I grinned. "So last night's encounter will be one for the books."
"Oh yeah," she rejoined. "I'll keep it in the bestsellers." She couldn't stifle the giggle that I knew was making its way up her throat since I wrapped my arm around her.
She absolutely adored me. And that's how I like my girls. Martin — well, Martin was… different, I guess. He  could never get a girl like Cindy no matter how hard he tried. I'd have to get them for him.
"What's that smirk for?" Cindy asked, nudging the corner of my mouth with a red-painted index finger. "You got me something, didn't you?" Her eyes lit up with excitement. I flinched, but she didn't notice. God, was Martin annoying.
"We'll see," I murmured as I guided her into the quaint little restaurant where we'd reserved an intimate table for two.
"Wonderful," Cindy sighed as she slowly sank into her chair and curled one dainty ankle behind the other. The chair was lush, upholstered with damask that looked just as soft and smooth to the touch as the flesh on Cindy's prominent, rounded cheekbones. Sometimes just looking at her bright, elegantly sculpted face reminded me of a plump, fresh peach, just ready to be sliced open, its juice pooling serenely underneath it.
I reached into the inner pocket of my jacket and fingered the slim felt jewellery box that contained a very delicate, very expensive pearl necklace. This would reel her in, no doubt.
I freed my hand and leaned across the table to take both her hands in mine. Her nails were painted a lustrous pearl white — just perfect for what I was about to give her.
I chose this restaurant because of its exclusivity. I wanted Cindy to know that I had friends in high places, that I could get her practically anything she wanted. I knew that that was what would make her feel secure in this relationship. That glimmer in her eye when she spotted the hundreds in my wallet when I paid for dinner on our first date was my first clue. When I first took her to my home, she marvelled at every piece of expensive furniture, decoration, and architecture. We had rough, needy, violent sex that night — much wilder than I had ever experienced with her.
Now, she seemed absolutely giddy sitting in a high-backed chair fit for a queen.
"Excuse me a moment," I said. "Going to the restroom."
I had lied. I really wanted to take out the necklace and surprise her with it by placing it around her neck from behind when I came back. She'd love being surprised like that — she was predictable that way.
Though I knew Cindy well, I knew this place even better. The restrooms were near the back of the restaurant, their doors almost invisible as they sunk into the wall panelling. The mirrors were framed with intricate, gold-coloured vines and fruit.
I smiled when I caught my reflection in one of the mirrors. People always told me my best feature was my eyes; they were pleasant, alluring. I'd come to love them too, and used them to my advantage.

As he slowly realizes he is not alone in his mind and body, Martin discovers there is a malicious entity within him capable of selfish cruelty. In his attempt to unify his fragmented identity, his journey gives him a glimpse into his traumatic past, and eventually allows him to come to terms with the irreconcilable nature of the personalities battling for control within him.

"I see myself slowly changing. Into what or who, I don't know. I'm acting differently, saying things I never would. People I've never met approach me like a friend and, before I can think, I respond as if I know them too. When I look in the mirror, I see a different face. At first, I thought it was a trick of the light, but I'm becoming dead certain it isn't me staring back anymore."

Saga is a world evenly divided by oceans and lush forests. While they appear to be peaceful and welcoming. That would be your undoing, as the territories outside of the Eight Kingdoms are perilous. Beasts with extraordinary powers and features roam free. They also have a taste for human flesh, making matters worse.

The Eight Kingdoms are divided evenly: half of the kingdoms are large isolated islands that fight an endless battle to tame the sea. While the other half of the Eight Kingdoms, share the largest continent at the edge. They are separated by the Patient Death Forest, making a diamond shape if someone drew them connected on a map. Each kingdom has a port that connects them to the sea. This has been the only way the kingdoms have conducted trade and contact.

While all attempts to expand and conquer the forest have failed. The four continent kingdoms have not given up this ambition. Our story begins with the eighth kingdom, or to those who live there Lost Glaive. A foundation of stone, wood and metal. The kingdom itself has a square wall with towers at each corner, marked it's borders.

The port at the back was linked to the ocean and sat just outside the wall. There were two gates parallel to each other, one where the port faced and the other leading to the forest. While the wall obscured the kingdom, from sight. The kingdom itself consisted of farm land and markets on top. The residential areas and other craft workshops were underground.

It was an elaborate stone carved series of tunnels and structures, all lit with fire tracing the walls. It took them thousands of years to accomplish this feat of engineering. It paid off and three sections were made. Low district the area closest to the surface. Deep district where the academic and government practice. Followed by the Core district, where only nobles and royalty can live.

The Lost Glaive had an elaborate network of columns. They also doubled as the outlined roads and paths. While the columns themselves weren't detailed, they were carved smooth. Given the radius of 15 Feet or 4.572 Meters and designed in a grid pattern. All structures were in the center of the clearings and given even spacing, retaining a sense of order.

Jet, our unfortunate protagonist, is reaching his 16th birth month. The test everyone dreads is around the corner. While he shouldn't have anything to worry about, if he barely gets a recognizable score nothing changes. He would still be one of the many orphans running around looking for work. The scary thought was if he actually exceeded scores.

That was a one way ticket to the research department of the academy. Something every noble wanted for their progeny. The research department always turned out exceptionally strong magicians. However, the First king had left an eternal decree. Those who exceed any score on the test must be sent to the research department. 

The test itself was an observation of the all seeing crystal known as Aether vein. A pure colorless rock that is worth its weight in platinum. It's unique properties were amplifying, identifying and storing magic. The only way to obtain this vital resource is to carve it out of monsters. Aside from that, it's a rare resource needed for any kingdom to survive.

In fact at the immediate moment, Jet had been tasked with delivering flame imbued Aether vein to the forge masters. He was a slim built teen with a pale complexion and dark short unruly hair. Hazel eyes that were adapted to the dark and fared alright in daylight. Dressed in what many consider second hand, hand me downs. A faded long sleeved shirt fraying at the cuffs and collar. With repaired dark pants that had seen better days.

Jet had been carrying a wooden crate that was nailed closed. He stood before the eastern forge, a large stone column hollowed out inside as a chimney. This job was one of the five essential sources of income any orphan could hope to get. Standing before the entrance, a metal door designed to be raised and lowered. The door raised shortly after he knocked on it.

"You got my shipment?" A deep voice asked.

"Right here," Jet handed over the wooden crate.

Two soot muscle ripped arms took the crate and the door lowered with a heavy clang.

"Seals are intact, thank you!" The voice yelled through the door.

"Have a good day," Jet pardoned himself.

Before Jet knew it, a voice echoed in his head. 'Did you complete the delivery?' It asked. 'Just delivered it a moment ago,' Jet answered. 'Come by and pick up your pay,' The voice ordered before only silence remained.

"Damn psychics always intruding in my head without my permission," Jet groaned, rubbing his temples.

Jet made his way to his employer which was a fair distance away. By the time he arrived at the all too familiar scent of spirit ash. An addictive substance usually smoked but could be brewed into alcohol. His employer, Dawn Green is a home brew avid smoker. The old timer is rich and has expensive tastes that even nobles acknowledge.

Once he got close enough to the stone cube cut building. The pungent odor hit him first, always reeking of alcohol and smoke. Bracing himself, Jet walked to the building and stopped at the front door. Knocking before entering, all he heard was, "Come in." Jet entered and immediately saw the purple robed elder, smoking a cigar.

Dawn Green was a short bald man with a thin build. He had a ghostly pale complexion and gray eyes. The elder had definitely seen better days. They had a worn out presence, but still managed a business. Upon seeing Jet he managed a false impressed smirk. Dawn Green had an impressive collection of items hanging from his walls, with good looking furniture.

"Delivery was completed on time, take that box and be on your way!" Dawn Green ordered.

Jet just wordlessly did as he was told. Picked up a surprisingly light paper box and left. As soon as he was far enough away from Dawn Green's place he opened the box. He was livid at the discovery, a drab gray pair long sleeved shirt and a pair of black trousers, all new. There was an old leather belt on top of it all to add insult to injury.

"Damn it all," Jet cursed angrily.

Instead of his usual payment in money, he got new clothes. Probably for dirt cheap, knowing Dawn Green. The worst part was Dawn Green knew he could get away with it. He promised payment, just never cold hard cash. Not much to do except dig into his savings and get a cheap meal.

Jet made a quick stop at his place, and stashed his "payment." His home wasn't much aside from the doorless closet and single bed. There was a bathroom but it needs a lot of work. He grabbed some of his savings, hidden under his bed. Then made his way to the market district on the top side for dinner.

-Deep district, Emerald Glade Academy-

Emerald Glade was the largest building in the Deep district. A giant rectangular column in the center of the kingdom. The meeting room was occupied by the Academy Headmistress, the crown prince and several nobles. Only the Headmaster and crown prince were physically there. The nobles had projected themselves from mirrors that lined the room.

The meeting room itself was a long room with a small table and four chairs in the center. Two of which were occupied, while the rest of the room was lined with full length mirrors on the walls. The Headmistress was an ashen woman in her thirties. Scarlet red hair and eyes with an elegant build. She was dressed in a green suit with bronze buttons and lining.

The crown prince had been dressed in a white suit with gold buttons and lining. He had an ashen complexion with amber eyes and dark brown hair. He looked young but in actuality was in forties and a toned build. The nobles only appeared on the mirrors as a swirling mist on the mirrors.

"Alright, now that everyone is present let's begin with the upcoming magic aptitude test," The Headmistress started.

"It's to be hosted tomorrow afternoon is it not?" A noble asked.

"Correct, but that's not what I want to talk about," The Headmistress assured.

"Then please tell us why you ask for our presence, if that wasn't the concerning matter?" The crown prince asked.

"I believe we may see commoners being admitted to the academy this year and so on," The Headmistress stated, causing nobles to scoff.

"Not gonna happen."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"They have practical skills not magical talent."

"Silence!" The crown prince roared with his voice becoming thunderous.

"Shall I explain?" The Headmistress offered.

"Yes," The crown prince sighed with his voice returning to normal.

"I believe you all read the theory of the previous Headmaster and I have proof that supports it," The Headmistress explained.

"Magic mutation based on parents of the offspring?" The crown prince asked, getting a nod from the Headmaster.

"You all remember the commoner girl who claimed to have molded rock like clay?" The Headmistress continued, "Well after working with her for the past year. I unlocked her full potential and have her working with the staff to maintain repairs on the academy."

"Impressive, I believe that our Headmistress has submitted an interesting point," The crown prince acknowledged.

"One girl proves nothing." 

"It was chance not mutation."

"Unless a substantial number of commoners are admitted, we can't confirm anything."

"Enough!" The crown prince roared thunderously again.

"Meeting is adjourned and I suggest you look at this months candidates for we may see more changes to come," The crown prince concluded.

The realm of Saga is ruled by magic and those who command it. While monsters prevent humanity from expanding from the Eight Kingdoms. The cast system is irrefutably harsh and unjust. Upon the sixthteenth month of every child in the kingdom. They will be tested for their capacity in magic. Depending on the results, it could be beneficial or condemning. 

For Jet, a commoner orphan in the low district. Has been ranked higher than anyone could've expected. Now facing harsh treatment from the upper class, after being admitted to the prestigious academy of Emerald Glade. Jet will have to carve his own path to earn his keep. No matter how many times he falls, he must rise again.

"William! William!! Are you packed up yet?!", this was the sound of my mother calling to my little brother - she is always loud no matter who was in the house. 
Though, I was already packed up, I yelled at my mother so that she wouldn't start yelling at me if I was done packing or not. "Mom I'm done packing!", I yelled at her loud enough so she could hear me.
We were kind of in a hurry so I helped my brother pack his clothes up. As I walked downstairs I caught a glimpse of something on the ground. I looked at it, it was my dad's passport. It read "Colten Graham". My father must have dropped it and went to the car where he was waiting and gave it to him. He smiled and said, "Wow how could I have dropped it?! It would've troublesome if it went missing, thanks son". 
Everyone was ready, we put our packs back of the car. Mind you, it was a cheap car. We usually don't have much money but we thrive. So my dad decided we should go on a vacation. I just couldn't wait.
       1 hour l̷̩̍a̸͇̔t̸̗̓ȩ̶̈ŗ̶́...
It was my first time in an airplane!! It felt weird at first when we started lifting off but it was fine after awhile. The best part of it was looking down, though it looked kind of blurry but it stopped me from enjoying the view from the height I was in. 
I didn't really know ẃ̷͍͠h̸̦́e̸̦͎̒r̴̨̃͜ë̸̺͉́ I was going. 
It doesn't matter, its still a vacation. 
There wasn't much to do but sit around and look around. I started getting tired. The inactivity made be slumberous. 
I fell asleep... 
When I opened my eyes, I was looking at a ceiling. It was weird because I thought I was in an airplane. As I moved about, It felt like a mattress, it was a feeling of a bed. 
"Where am-", I was interrupted by a burst of movement. It... It was coming from the bed.
OUT OF NOWHERE a hand struck out from beneath the mattress like it was trying to get out. The hands looked like it was decaying just a zombie. The flesh was tearing off with blood rushing down. The way it moved, every movement was a twitch. 
I lay there unable to move from the horror, the monstrosity that lay before me. Before I knew it, a body of a w̴̫̳̓͑̊̀͊͝͝ǫ̷̩̖͙̮̝̪̏̅̀m̶̡̢̮̼͎͖͗̉́̂͊͘ͅa̶͓͖̟̰̜͔̫̱͘n̶̙͐ rushed out of the bed and charged right at me-
But right then, I woke up. I was here. I was here in the seat right beside by mother. 
It was just a _̵̨̝̘̝͊̇̓̆̅ḍ̴͖̞̱̳̔̊́͌͊̉͌͛ŕ̵̹̪̉̕͘͠ę̶̛̲̬̻̪͎̩̀͒̔͗̄̅a̴͈͍̤̖͕͛͐͠͝ṁ̸̟̮̻̾̉͑̂̚͠_̵̣̘͖̪̖̓.
I couldn't speak, I was traumatized. 
Rest of the flight it was all I could think about. I couldn't shake it out of my head. We finally arrived what seemed like forever. We rented a car and drove to a nearby and of coarse cheap hotel where we could stay for the night. 
We pushed what looked like a broken down door. It was squeaky and cranky fit for what a cheap hotel it was. My mother order me to grab William's hand as we walked over to the front desk. My father faced my mother, "what should be do Anna?". Mother replied with a joke, "How about we order two rooms, one for us and one for the boys as we should start treating them like men". 
My dad thought it was actually a good idea and ordered two separate rooms. The walls seemed really thin because we could hear a lot of things coming from the rooms, every room also seemed full. 
Our parents went to their room while we went to ours. There was a slight problem. Our room had the most nastiest, most horrific, disgusting odor. I couldn't stand one second in that room and went straight to my parents to tell them about it. my father came to check and confirmed the smell. He called the front desk to speak to the manager. If it were my mom, my brother and I would joke about our mom being a karen. 
As time passed, a man in a black suit came in response to the call and also confirmed the smell coming from the room. 
He assured us a maid would come and clean up the mess and everything would be f̶̨͚̗͍͙͍͖̣̤͕͔̦̮͇̩̑̈́͑̉́̔̉̀́̿͋͆͗̌͘͜͝͝͝i̴̩̲̱̟̺̰̦͍͂͒̆̒̃̊̔̍͋̀̉̏̔̂͠͠ͅn̸̡̧͚̠̳̖̗̟̰͉̪̫͈̩̳͝e̶̢͎̼̠̳̰̱̦̠̗̭̣͍͖̰̓̽̈́_̶̟̤͕̝͇̪͕͙͎̭͈͖̜̊́̕͘͝ͅͅ_̶̡̡̦̦̺̳̩̘͚̱̠̺̖̥͂̋.
My family and I had lunch. Though the food wasn't the best it was alright and edible.
Being stuffed with food before bed was always the best because it feels cozy under the sheet of blanket. When we were done, my father and I went back in the rooms to check while mom and my brother stayed. 
I hadn't realized it but, we had to go through this long corridor and at the end of it had a large mirror. Mirrors always reminded me of ghosts and bad luck. Some people believed mirrors to be a gateway where spirits and supernatural beings can come and go. So seeing that one large mirror made me uneasy about this place. 
We walked but in silence. I heard every step of the way echoing trough the hallway. It was sort of eerie in a way because it was usually noisy. 
"They probably went to sleep", I thought to myself. 
It took awhile. There it was, the room I was going to sleep in. As soon as my dad opened the room, the odor swiped out the room giving out that same smell, but this time it was worse. My father now had another reason to complain and called out to the manager. 
The manager said, "There really is nothing I can do for you sir, and I can't give you another room because its all occupied."
At the end of the day, we had to sleep with the smell emanating somewhere in this room.
My brother came in the room bothered by the smell. 
"It looks like we have to sleep with the small little bro", I said to my brother.
Feeling really tired, we quickly got in bed. 
I closed my eyes. I opened them soon after a ray if light hit my eyes. 
It was morning...
I was happy enough I didn't get any nightmares and it was especially hard falling asleep with that smell, but I managed. I woke up from bed and thought about the m̶̱̒a̶͙͋i̸̗̍d̶̥͋.
Why didn't she clean up?
The smell still lingered. My dad came in now agitated about the smell. He had enough of it and ordered my brother to go to the other room while we searched for the source of the smell. 
We pulled down curtains, we threw and smelled every towel, and eventually we got about taking out the mattress. The source was near. I could tell because the smell was always stronger near the bed. I hadn't realized it until now. 
My dad opened up the mattress... near the end of the bed there it was, a hole.
Why a hole? 
Was it always been there even when we slept?
I asked those questions in head speechless.
It relatively small, small enough to poke my head inside.. 
It was dark, and smelled really bad, by far the worst. I looked around, and to my belief I almost crapped my pants. It was staring back. 
My eyes started to water, in the dark lay a dead body of a women. Then it hit me. I remembered the nightmare, the lady looked exactly like her.  
My mother called to me, her voice was so loud it felt like it was in my head. I rushed to her while slightly vomiting and crying from the horrific scene. She kept on calling me, her voice was louder. 
I just wanted to be with her, be beside her arms. I slammed the door open. I looked around, there was no one here. 
I felt nothing but fear, I was about to loose myself and my insanity was rising. 
But, is. Is that an _̸̢̧̨̧̡̧̨̧͕͙̭̯̩̖̻̳̺͈͓͇̞̞̯̣͇̹̱͇͕̝͖̲͉̼͔̝͔̘͙͔̙͈̳̝̬̖̲̥̥̠̲͙̫̩͎͕̪̣̯̼͉̰̪͚̖͎̍̈́͑̒̓̄͐̉̈́͐́̊͂̋̋̌͛̽̃̈́͐̈́͗̕͘̚̕͜͜͜ͅͅ ̶̧̢̛̛̛͍͉̟͖̬̤͖̪̞̜̠̘͖̻̜̻͕̞͔̞̝͉̭͚̳̼̈́͊̐̐̋̔̃̒͊̈́͊̓̿͆͑̊̓͗̈͗̏́̒͛̍̉̃̇̒̄̅̾̈́̓͆͘͜ͅͅ ̶̢̨̢̢̨̢̡̨̨̨̛̤̬̙̥̲̙̖͔̟͖͉̘̪̘͖͓̼̩̪̜̝̝̦̠͚̥̺̪̟͉͕͓̥̱̣͓͕̜̮͙̜͍͖̲̯͓̰̪͈̲͉̖͈̬͕̱͉͇̝͈̯̥̜̮̗̩̰̃̉͂̆̉̇̎̀̐́̀͆̋̒̅̌̏̂̌͊́͛͒̉̒̋̀̓̿͒͐̃̍͊̆̈́͘̕͘͘̚͜͝͝͝͝ ̵̢̧̧̨̧̢̡̨̛̛̖̣̝͎̯̲͎̻̯̭̻͕̰̮̦͕̹̙̯͍̤̟̗̠̻̻͕͚̤͈͙̝͔̻͉͈̰̠̩̝̻͕͔͍̪͍̥̣̞̬̺̝̠͔̬̩͙̜̲̱̼̜̪̮̬̎̔̓̐̒̽͐̃̌̍͑̈̀͛̔͌̈́̊̋̀̎͗͑̒̑̿̆̾̑̅̅̀̊̌̓̿͑͊͑͂̾̍͒͂̾͒̀̇͐̈́̑̍̉͘̚͘͜͜͠͠͝͝͝ͅ ̶̡̧̧̛̛̛̛̛̲͙͍͈̥͓̟͖̠̠͇̼͉̹͉͖̻̱̩̗̳̮̬͎͈̙͔͇͈̘͚̪̼͖̿̾̏̀̊͛̏̊̎̄͒͆͛̋̅̇͋̈́͑̆̍̎͒̃̒̈́͆̏͊͌̐̒̈̓̅̅̆̂̓̌̑̈́̈́͗͆̀̎͗̏͛̒͗̀́̆̒̈͛͋̎̽̆̃̊̇̎̒̿̍̈́͗͊͋̐́̇͆͗͒͒̓̔̈́̌͂͆̈̓̑̄͘͘̚̚͘͘͜͜͝͠͝͝͝͠͠ͅ ARM_̸̢̧̨̧̡̧̨̧͕͙̭̯̩̖̻̳̺͈͓͇̞̞̯̣͇̹̱͇͕̝͖̲͉̼͔̝͔̘͙͔̙͈̳̝̬̖̲̥̥̠̲͙̫̩͎͕̪̣̯̼͉̰̪͚̖͎̍̈́͑̒̓̄͐̉̈́͐́̊͂̋̋̌͛̽̃̈́͐̈́͗̕͘̚̕͜͜͜ͅͅ ̶̧̢̛̛̛͍͉̟͖̬̤͖̪̞̜̠̘͖̻̜̻͕̞͔̞̝͉̭͚̳̼̈́͊̐̐̋̔̃̒͊̈́͊̓̿͆͑̊̓͗̈͗̏́̒͛̍̉̃̇̒̄̅̾̈́̓͆͘͜ͅͅ ̶̢̨̢̢̨̢̛̤̬̙̥̲̙̖͔̟͖͉̘̪̘͖͓̼̩̪̜̝̝̦̠͚̥̺̪̟͉͕͓̥̱̣͓͕̃̉͂̆̉̇̎̀̐́̀͆̋̒̅̌̏̂̌͊́͛͒̉̒̋̀̓̿͒͐̃̍͊̆̈́͘̕͘͘̚͜͝͝͝͝   sticking out under the bed.

What You Are About To Witness Are Short Stories Of Urban Legends Around The World... 
These Short Stories Are Based on Urban Legends that may or may not be true. The stories you will find here are stories usually told in campfires or friends and family. 
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend is a genre of folklore comprising stories circulated as true, especially as having happened to a friend or family member, often with horrifying or humorous elements.
Any Person Relation To You Mention In These Short Stories Are Simply Coincidental. Or is It.
In The Meantime Have A Read And It Might Even Give You A SCARE...

      Cao Ang, who had successfully exchanged the banknotes, traveled to buy various modern products and found that
      "These products are very cheap. Is this going to be a profit?"
      Cao Ang looked at the price tags for products that were very low as if giving away free, including ready-made clothing stores that sell clothes at affordable prices and have a better quality than they are wearing. Cao Ang almost bought all the clothes. Cao Ang did not wait to change his clothes to be fashionable to match most people's looks in the city.         
      Industrial products have low production costs and are produced in large quantities. When combined with the quality of the product, these items almost immediately became items of the aristocracy.
      Many merchants coming from different cities Eyes sparkle, buy all the products.
      So cheap! Too cheap They scramble to buy products, fearing that if one item is missing, the profit will decrease. Merchants spend their money like a flowing river. If Zhao Ling Xin came to see this picture, he would have thought that the end of the world would happen until someone wanted to stock up on the goods.
      Even the mirrors are rare and very expensive. But the price of glass in Shenzhou was meager as if it were priceless. There was even a long mirror that could see the whole body. This mirror will definitely be a hit with the noble ladies.
      Calculating the profit that would be gained if these items were sold in their territory would be ten times greater. Seeing such a stable profit, the merchants were almost unable to hold back.
      An enormous amount of money quickly poured into Shenzhou. Products sold out of stock; the industrial factories of large companies tend to increase production lines. Construction of factories and hiring more workers          
      After these merchants returned to their own land, prosperity news and huge labor demand will make most of the population migrate even more to Shenzhou.
      After Cao Ang bought many products, he ordered the driver Xiao Zi to take the goods to storage. He was walking in the center of Shenzhou. Shenzhou's evening scenery is unlike any other. The streets are lit up, making Shenzhou a sleepless city.
      Shenzhou does not use large amounts of electricity among the people. But in the streets, electricity has been distributed to light the night. This made people who came to Shenzhou to look at the light bulb in amazement for the first time.          
      "The white color is much more diffused than a candle. Why did Shenzhou put such an exotic thing on the road?" Cao Ang murmured. In his opinion, the light bulb came out on its own. What is precious? Cao Ang did not know that the lamp he admired was surprisingly low in price.          
      During a walk in the lights, Cao Ang's eyes saw a store that was lit up, unlike others that had been closed.
      "Eh! Why is there such a luxury restaurant?" Cao Ang was stunned as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
      Because the restaurant in front of him was beyond imagination than any restaurant, just installing the lighting in the shop is quite rare. The walls and doors of the shop are also equipped with clear glass that can be seen through. Within a number of people were eating. 
      Dare to bring enormous precious mirrors as walls and doors
      Cao Ang accepted the courage of this restaurant. If it is Cao himself, if he has a mirror-like this, he will definitely not bring it outside. But will be kept in the treasury and take good care of it
      Cao Ang decided to walk into the store. He was a merchant, but he had a lot of cash. Since Cao Ang has experienced the convenience of banknotes Since then, Cao Ang has never carried silver coins again.
      Cao Ang walked into the shop. Inside, the shop is illuminated with artistic paintings.          
      "It is a high-end restaurant in the capital. Even Tongzhou or Qinghua don't have a store like this," said Cao Ang. 
      At that moment, a waiter dressed in polite clothes brought the menu to the front, along with introducing the details of the food. 
      Cao Ang looked at the menu covered in fine leather. Giving a feeling of luxury like a noble          
      "Hmmm, it's not that expensive." Cao Ang was a little surprised. The food here doesn't seem that expensive compared to the surrounding atmosphere. It is different from the high-class restaurants in Dongzhou, which cost much higher than this one. 
      Without a delay Cao Ang ordered a few dishes along with the peach liquor. The waiter brought a wine glass in front of Cao Ang.
      A beautiful glass of wine, which is sparse, as if breaking every time. And imagining the enormous price, Cao Ang hardly dared to touch it, afraid that this glass would break, even his breath didn't dare to drain it. Afraid to make this glass gloomy,
      The waiter poured peach blossom liquor to Cao Ang. The liquor that was clear and white as if it was water, Cao Ang, thought this shop had to deceive himself to bring some water. Because no liquor anywhere is so clear.
      Cao Ang wanted to prove his facts and raised a glass of peach liquor. As soon as the liquor flowed through his throat, a burning sensation appeared for a moment and then vanished without a trace. Appeared to be soft and gentle flowing through the stomach, the peach blossoms' sweetness hit the nostrils, showing a unique scent with an unforgettable taste.
      "Good wine," Cao Ang cried out in satisfaction.
      "Coming to the capital, this time did not fail. I have found the best liquor that is worthwhile."
      Cao Ang swore that he never encountered such a fine liquor before.
      Soon the food was ready to be eaten. The aroma of spices erupted into Cao Ang's nose. The five senses were empty. The delicious scent stimulates the salivary glands to work. A large amount of saliva was stimulated. Cao Ang's stomach cried out in full force.
      "Maybe it's time." Cao Ang picked up the chopsticks, eyes full of determination. As if a warrior picked up a weapon ready to enter the battlefield
      First, Cao Ang took the fish meat into his mouth. As soon as the fish enters the mouth and hits the tongue, it gradually decays softly, hiding the deep sea's taste. Blended with seasonings from seaweed, it quickly penetrated Cao Ang's cells.
      "This is it." Cao Ang's eyes lit up. The nectar of fish meat dissolves all over the mouth. The flavors that had never been experienced before were shattered throughout his mouth. This is a taste that will never be forgotten.
      "Tasty, delicious," Cao Ang,clamp another piece of red pork in his mouth.
      Smooth and tender pork can be bitten at once, and there is no bad smell of pork. Mixed with red water, full of sweet and salty taste perfectly. Not knowing if Cao Ang was thinking alone or not, his clothes seemed slightly pulled off. Cao Ang grabbed a bowl of rice and quickly poked the chopsticks. Each grain of rice is beautiful, unbreakable, well cooked.
      When great food is eaten with hot steamed rice, Cao Ang felt that he was about to ascend to heaven. The tiredness of traveling today has disappeared completely. Cao Ang quickly finished his rice and ordered another bottle of peach liquor.
      "So full, very full," Cao Ang patted the stomach, eating until the belly was spread. Today, he is delighted with the taste of the food.
      Of course, he did not forget to ask about the origin of this wonderful taste secretly. The waiter answered Cao Ang's question honestly.
      "So, does it mean that spices and seasoning powder are all on the market?" Asked Cao-Ang.
      "These condiments have been on the market for a few months and are very popular. Every house uses these ingredients," the waiter replied.
      After confirming the answer, he has secretly remembered these things in his heart. He set a goal to buy these condiments and sell them in Dongzhou. Cao Ang was confident that it would be trendy.
      Cao Ang paid for his meal before heading to his hotel room, awaiting the coming morning.

The Maxim machine gun shoots through magical beasts. Intercontinental ballistic missiles fired at Martial Artists. Fighter planes rise above the gods realm.

If you can't fight it, throw an atomic bomb for world peace.

The flames dissipated, and Zidane no longer found himself standing on the concrete surface of the plaza. The energy of this place alone was more than he needed to have in order to identify exactly where he was.

'It's been... A very long time since I've been in this room.' 

It hadn't changed much in the ten years, either. The walls were still the same red coloring, decorated with black-framed mirrors and web-like designs running along the edge where the wall met the ceiling. A ceiling that was also made up of a mirror. Zidane only had to see the beginning of it to know she had added in this reflection. He looked away from the mirrors on the walls and ceiling, attention going to the large portal in front of him.

The portal hadn't been opened yet, resulting in what looked like a crack in reality. A long, jagged line separating the wall behind it, distorting everything above and below.

Ezyta turned around, as if finally sensing his presence. She stared at him, light eyes taking in the uniform he was wearing-studying him from her towering height. Her chin lifted, eyes narrowing and bringing her disturbingly long eyelashes close together.

"You're mucking up my floor."

Zidane fought every urge to wipe his boots hard against the carpet. He stayed standing, cooling down his frustration as much as he could... But it was hard, being in this room with her again...

"I figure you could've just pulled him out yourself," he said, referencing the portal in front of them.

Ezyta blinked slowly, those eyelashes touching for a moment and sending a flash of sickness into Zidane's gut. "Pulling him out," she began, "if you do mean energetically forcing the host to us, would rip its body apart. It doesn't look pretty. Rather messes up the product, as well."

"So..." He rose onto the balls of his feet, at a loss for words. "You're sending me to go get him?"

"You're the only one who can, Zidane. Its puny mind will recognize you as familiar, given what similarities you share..."

"Right." He'd forgotten about that detail.

He rotated his wrist, stretching out the muscles that were weighing down with fatigue. As his hand completed the circle, the yellow book fell into his grasp, landing between two fingers. His other hand found his pocket as he held the book up to her, turning the text until the cover was displayed.

"So this is for getting back, right?"

"Yes. If our product stays alive that long, of course."

A dark energy swept down his back; near his shoulder blades like shadows descending downwards. She kept talking like he wasn't even a living thing...

'Can I really expect anything different from her?' 

He didn't answer his own question, knowing full well who Ezyta really was. His focus trained on the portal again, and he felt the energy begin to pull him as he walked towards it. Zidane stopped a little more than arms length away, the memory of Zooka holding his hand through the doorway coming back.

His eyes closed, focusing on the sight of her face. The worry, the laughter as he wiped the concern away.

"I need you to make me a clone." The words came from his mouth, spoken easier than he thought they would be.

"Hm." Ezyta was interested-anything to attribute a longer life of suffering for him. "How much more can you run away, Zidane?"

His eyes clenched a bit tighter, pain flicking into him. He let out a breath through his nose, determined to deny her question.

'I'm not...' He focused on breathing normally, focused on swallowing down the emotions trying to suffocate him again. 'I'm not running... I can't...' 

But he was. He knew he was still doing what he did best.

He felt Ezyta's fingertips pulling against the fabric of his jacket. And soon, he could feel the pressure like a hollow copy of his own body, slowly sliding out of himself. The feeling was odd; something he had never quite experienced before. He felt the details of his own face slip out of the back of his head, felt his fingers pull away from the back of his hand. And then the pressure fell away.

Ezyta made another sound of brief interest. "I'm almost surprised I got everything right."

She was expecting him to turn around, to look at the clone. But Zidane only stepped forward, feeling the portal try and draw him closer.

"Send it to Zooka," he told her. Part of him was almost scared, speaking to Ezyta like this. But... After what she had done... No; a few commanding words were more than justified.

"I'll need to conserve all the energy I can."

He expected Ezyta to shoot a comment back. He expected her to do something, but he only heard the sound of fire ripping around the clone. A slight moment of fear dropped into him.

She was closer to him now; the feeling of her aura almost making him visibly shrink away. The energy was dark, sending a color deeper than black into his mind. He focused on Zooka again, remembering her smile, the angelic white of her energy.

Zidane could feel the words before they came, the tension like a gun being pointed at him. He stayed still, barely even breathing as she walked up to him, long heels soundlessly moving her to his side. She spoke, the words dripping from her lips like black ink.

"And Zidane?"

He turned, blue eyes meeting pale golden ones.

Ezyta smiled.

"Betray me again, and I will destroy your existence."

A shred of feeling and the portal opened, suspending Zidane in blackness.

____________
A/N: And Ezyta is introduced! What do you think of her so far?

Aspiring musician Lance awakes one night to hear a voice. Someone warning him of danger to come. Someone telling him to start running, now. Lance has no choice but to shrug off the event as something of his own imagination, but upon falling unconscious, he is kidnapped and injected with deadly cells from a race kept hidden from humans, a race kept secret. Zidane is a crossbreed of Razalek and Spiro, a breathing hybrid that shouldn't exist. There's too much hatred between the races; there's too much bad blood in his veins. But he needs to save Lance's life. He has too much death on his hands already. However, Lance isn't so easy to trust him. So, with a question, he's teleported into Zidane's mind and introduced to a world of magic, racism, and everlasting love. Memory by memory plays, giving Lance answers to his question. Giving him every reason to trust. He has no choice, after all. ________PREVIEW_________ Lance only felt Zidane's pain, aches that added to his own. If only they'd tried harder... As the last few layers of his skin began to regrow, Lance knew the statement was empty. The words had lost every meaning, replaced with nothing but agonizing reality. They'd lost, plain and simple. It just wasn't an easy thing to face. _________________________ COMPLETE

Standing at the entrance of Qin Gang's factory, Tang Hao looked at the factory opposite them.
The factory opposite them was much bigger than Qin Gang's factory and had several tall buildings in its compound. Two of the buildings were built in a peculiar manner. They formed an acute angle when viewed from where he stood.
The angle was pointed straight at the entrance of Qin Gang's factory.
In the study of fengshui, that formation was known as the Pointed Hex.
The Pointed Hex could easily change the fengshui of an area. Negative qi would be concentrated at the point where the angle was aiming at.
If someone lived or worked at the point of concentration, negative qi will enter their bodies, and their bodies would soon become sluggish and easily tired. In more serious cases, they might fall into a coma.
Usually, building walls form right angles rather than acute angles.
The two buildings pointing at the factory were built peculiarly, and it was obvious to see that it was deliberately built like that. The owner of that factory must have had fengshui knowledge, and he was using it to cause harm.
"Hmph! What an immoral person!" Tang Hao smirked coldly.
"Did you find anything, Younger Brother-in-law?"
Tang Hao pointed at the factory opposite them. "You see those two buildings?"
"Yes, what about them?" Qin Gang was surprised.
"That's called the Pointed Hex. It's meant to bring harm! Do you know who the owner of that factory is, or what he does?" Tang Hao asked.
"Well… I'm not too sure. I've heard that he's not from Province Z. Younger Brother-in-law, do you mean that our troubles are all caused by those two buildings?"
 "That's right!" Tang Hao nodded.
Suddenly, Sun Yi's expression changed, as though she had remembered something. "No wonder the rent here is so cheap! Turns out that there's something weird about the place. The previous tenant also had many accidents and eventually went bankrupt.
"If we knew there is something wrong with the fengshui here, we wouldn't have moved no matter what!" Sun Yi said regrettably.
Qin Gang started to look angry. He looked at the buildings opposite his factory and said, "Such a wicked act! Aren't they afraid that karma might one day bite back on them?"
Then, he turned to Tang Hao and said, "What should we do, Younger Brother-in-law? I don't think we can blow up those two buildings, right?"
"We've just moved here, and I don't think we can move out soon," Sun Yi added.
Tang Hao pondered over the problem.
If they could not move away, then the only solution was to break the formation.
The most direct way to break the formation was to remove the two buildings. That seemed impossible, given their current circumstances.
"When were the two buildings built?" Tang Hao asked.
"That should be two years ago," Sun Yi replied.
"Did the factory change hands?"
"No!"
Tang Hao nodded and narrowed his eyes.
The owner of that factory had successfully ruined someone but did not remove the buildings. It meant that he had no moral decency. Tang Hao thought that he need not be merciful toward them if that were the case.
Tang Hao lifted his head to look at the sky.
"Bring me downtown. I need to go somewhere," Tang Hao told Qin Gang.
"Where?"
"Octagon Alley!" Tang Hao went into the car as he spoke.
He needed several items to counter the formation, and he could find them at Octagon Alley.
"Octagon Alley? Oh, I think I've heard of it before. Isn't that just a narrow, seedy alley?" Qin Gang muttered.
Even so, he sat into the driver seat and drove toward the city area. They arrived at Octagon Alley about forty minutes later.
"Wait here. Don't follow me!" 
Tang Hao got out of the car and went into the alley.
He retraced his steps and soon found the antique shop.
As usual, the shop was laid out in a classic style and was filled with various wares. A thin, elderly but spirited person in a Chinese suit sat behind the counter.
"Can I help you, Sir?" The elderly shopkeeper looked at Tang Hao and asked casually.
Tang Hao cupped his fists and bowed. "Shopkeeper!" He greeted the old man.
The old man was surprised. He stood up and carefully regarded Tang Hao. "I remember now! Didn't you come the other day with the two Taoist masters from Mao Mountain?"
"That's me!" Tang Hao said.
The shopkeeper smiled warmly. "I've misjudged you. So you're a cultivator as well! What do you need?"
"Shopkeeper, I need a bronze figure of an auspicious beast to counter negative qi and two bronze mirrors."[1]
The shopkeeper understood what he wanted the items for.
He thought for a while and replied. "We only have one bronze mirror now and no auspicious beast figures on hand. They can be delivered tomorrow."
"Alright, I'll come and pick up the goods tomorrow then," Tang Hao said, "How much?"
"Let me ring them up. The bronze mirrors are antiques and cost thirty thousand yuan each. The auspicious beast figure is fifty thousand yuan. That's a hundred and ten thousand yuan in total!" The shopkeeper said.
"Cash?"
"You can pay by cash or card!" The shopkeeper grinned and retrieved a POS machine from under the counter.
Tang Hao was surprised. He was not expecting to see a POS machine in that shop.
"Heheh! I need to keep up with the times!" The shopkeeper laughed smugly.
"I'll pay by card then!" Tang Hao took out his debit card.
"The goods will arrive tomorrow noon. Come and get them by then!" The shopkeeper said.
Tang Hao waved goodbye and left the shop.
Back in the car, Qin Gang asked, "Where did you go, Younger Brother-in-law? Is there anything in this seedy place?"
"I bought something useful. We need to come back tomorrow noon to collect the goods! That's all we can do today. Let's go!"
"Alright! Let's go have a meal. You rarely come to Provincial City. I need to treat you to something delicious." He brought Tang Hao to a famous restaurant.
The next day, Tang Hao came to Octagon Alley at the appointed time and received his auspicious beast figure and two bronze mirrors.
The bronze figure was not a mundane statue. It had the effect of canceling and suppressing negative qi. The two bronze mirrors could reflect negative qi to the sender, so that they may reap what they had sown.
The car sped back to the factory. Tang Hao walked around the factory, did some rough calculations, then placed the bronze figure at a certain point in the factory grounds.
"This bronze figure can suppress negative qi. The negative qi will dissipate in a few days and the workers will be fine again," Tang Hao said.
Then, he went to the rooftop of the office building.
One of the acute angles was pointed at this building, while the other was pointed at the workshop building.
Tang Hao placed the mirror in the rough direction where the angle was pointed, then secured it on the spot.
Then, he went to the workshop building and did the same thing.
"Remember, don't ever move these mirrors, and protect them from any damage. You can only remove them when the opposite buildings are demolished," Tang Hao instructed.
"Yes, yes!" Qin Gang nodded urgently.
"In about two weeks, they'll probably realize that something fishy is going on. If they don't demolish the buildings, they will suffer the harmful effects of the Pointed Hex," Tang Hao said.
"That's it, Younger Brother-in-law? There won't be any more problems?"
"Don't worry, it's all fine now!" Tang Hao clapped his hands and smiled.
Qin Gang breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he slapped Tang Hao's chest. "Don't be in a hurry to go back, Younger Brother-in-law, I'll bring you to have fun tonight."
[1] The auspicious beasts of Chinese mythology are the qilin, the dragon, the phoenix, and the spirit turtle.


Tang Hao was an honest man making an honest living, but despite all his honesty and kindness, life often looked the other way. Even when he stood up for a man in the streets, he ended up being beaten to a pulp and the man he stood up for? He disappeared. That left Tang Hao with nothing to prove and a hefty medical bill blowing through his savings. However, while he lay unconscious in the hospital, he could feel a warmth coming from the jade pendent he wore as it began to feed him with a trove of priceless information. Now discharged, and still armed with the same naivety and honesty, what will our village peasant do with this newfound power? Will he go on to conquer the hearts of a hundred women? Will he defeat the mightiest crime lords? Only time will tell, but for now, fate has many whimsical plans for Tang Hao.

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