Seeking a temporary escape from her parents' pressure, Elvery Warren went on a solo vacation in the city. The supposed-to-be summer getaway leads Elvery into her search for the killer of a famous shop owner, that, with the help of a self-proclaimed detective, Khael Joson.

Love often comes as a blessing in disguise.
Cedric Parkinson, a fourteen years old attractive, famous youth falls in love with his childhood friend , Dairon Jensen . They had been friends since when they were like five years old . But why after being friends for so many years , is he suddenly attracted to the handsome boy ? 

Can Cedric confess his love to Dairon ? Even if he does will Dairon accept him ? Meanwhile, both of them goes through problems , challenges before both of them can accept their young love .

What will his parents say when they get to know that the bond between Cedric and Dairon is something more than just friendship?

Read to know . I am sure that you will find it interesting!!

The document was a confirmation that Su Cha had claimed the award, which was a large amount of money.
Su Cha was happy about the award and signed quickly after reading the document.
Min Chen was standing aside her. Neither she or the principal found it uncomfortable.
Min Chen also won an award and the principal asked her to sign a confirmation document as well.
She seemed to be less thrilled since she did not need money and signed her name silently.
After collecting their signatures, the principal praised and encouraged them to keep working hard and to become important people in the future.
With their high grades, they were bound to have a bright future. 
The principal did not say anything about what had happened to Min Chen.
After his speech, the girls walked out of his office together.
Su Cha sighed to herself while watching the campus.
It was almost summertime, but the high school students were still having classes. She could hear their chatter and laughter.
She would attend the university soon, and it was time for her to say goodbye to her high school time as a part of her adolescence.
She did not overthink and was prepared to go back home. After the contest, she was going to move to the Imperial Capital.
But Min Chen was walking slowly in front of her, so she asked, "Which university will you choose?"
It was just a random question. She felt that she should talk with Min Chen after what she had seen in the office.
Unexpectedly, Min Chen stopped and turned over. She was getting better from numbness, but she was still upset.
Su Cha thought that she would not ask, but Min Chen answered in a low voice, "The Imperial Capital University. But I was planning to study abroad."
Imperial Capital University?
Wouldn't we become schoolmates again?
Su Cha was shocked but did not tell Min Chen. She just smiled, "The Imperial Capital University is good. It provides world-class higher education. There's no need to study abroad."
Min Chen lowered her head, "But there are things that you can't learn here. Anyways, I don't need to learn them anymore."
Her voice was stuffy and cold. Su Cha could not tell whether she was upset or not.
Su Cha thought about Min Chen's mother and made a guess at why Min Chen could not go abroad.
In fact, Min Chen was capable of applying for overseas universities even if she failed the exam. Why should she be punished for just losing the first rank?
Su Cha could not relate to Min Chen's mother.
Min Chen said no more and nodded to Su Cha, "Good luck."
Her voice was unclear as if she was absent-minded.
Su Cha nodded back to her. Min Chen turned over and left.
There was no animosity or grudge between them. Su Cha was aiming at the first rank. She did care about its old owner.
She had no history with Min Chen. With what had just happened to her, she even liked and felt sorry for this talented girl.
Maybe it's because we are alike?
Her mother is utilitarian. And mine never existed.
We are both unlucky.
Even though her family is hundreds of times wealthier than mine.
Although she sympathized with her, they would have no connection in the future if they could not meet again at the Imperial Capital University.
Su Cha was more concerned about Min Chen's mother. The woman looked like she had met her before. Thinking back, her look was full of shock.
Why?


The famous actress Su Cha was involved in a scandal! The leaked video had left the fans flabbergasted. 
Fans, "They look so cute together! Her boyfriend looks like an adorable puppy!"
However, the public, who had witnessed his muscular physique in the video clip, had a different opinion. 
"How is he a f*cking puppy! He's more like a ferocious hound!"
In Su Cha's eyes, Bo Muyi was a lovable man who was always demanding kisses and hugs. 
In the public's eyes, Bo Muyi was merely a loathsome and overbearing tyrant. 
Before her rebirth, the naive and innocent Su Cha departed that life in sorrow. 
After her rebirth, Su Cha turned into an absurdly talented, but violent and deviant woman. 
Not only that, she mollycoddled her husband dearly! 
(This is a story of a brutal and aberrant heroine who met a ruthless yet overly-affectionate hero.)
Side note: This is a story of the heroine's three, but not one, lifetimes.

A lone figure stood, shivering slightly in front of a headstone, a bouquet of flowers held in one hand and a closed umbrella in the other. 

His friends had all left hours ago and now he was the only one that remained, the gradually darkening sky as evidence.

 
"Yeah, it's all my fault ..."


 His voice sounded so empty and small in contrast to the stifling silence. 

Memories of the crash rushed back into his mind, and he flinched, old wounds too painful to handle. 

Opening his mouth, he quickly closed it back up, not trusting his to voice to crack as he felt his face get hot and vision blurry. 

The bone chilling winds swirled around him, kicking up the now dead leaves scattered all over on the ground. He remembered how the different they looked in the summertime, so vibrant and full of life, just like how things used to be. 

Dark threatening clouds loomed over ominously, like a warning, not differing much from the storm in his heart.

Clouds of smoke escaped his mouth into the atmosphere overhead as he let out a shaky sigh, as he simply stood and watched how the first few droplets of rain quickly made its way down to earth, soon to be joined by others.  

His stood alone as his black umbrella opened up once more, only to be joined by the freezing cold that slowly seeped into his jacket causing him to shiver slightly. 

He couldn't escape it. 

Everywhere he turned was a faded memory waiting to be remembered. 

Closing his eyes did nothing to soothe the ache as the dark would just quickly be replaced by the image of her smiling face and tinkling laugh. 



People told him to get over it. 



They told him to move on. 



After all, they were young and what did a couple of kids know about love? 



They told him that one year relationships were too short to be real and were never bound to last. 
They ... they just wouldn't understand. 

Nobody could possibly comprehend how he felt. 

Nobody, not even the people closest to her. Their fake apologies couldn't make up for the sadness and grief he was feeling. They didn't know her like he did. Her death probably meant nothing to them. It just wasn't something that would matter to them like it did to him. 

Because to him, all their experiences and memories were personal, like a secret the two of them shared. It symbolized something, something special the two of them had.

So obviously, ever since that fatal day of the crash, he'd been feeling so numb. Like nothing else mattered anymore. 

She was his everything, and now that his everything had just been taken away, nothing could replace her. 

Everything else was trivial compared to the big, gaping hole that pierced through his heart
.
The once tiny doubt and guilt he'd been feeling was now like the raging storm overhead him, weighing him down. His insecurities got the better of him and the pain of seeing the life slowly drain out of her eyes while he held her tight, knowing he could've saved her if only he was a little faster haunted him. 

He had to live with the consequences now. He killed her and now the guilt was killing him.
 
His supposedly perfect start to the year he'd spent so long preparing in advance was now ruined by a simple decision gone horribly wrong, and now nothing would ever be the same again. 

How did things take such a horrible turn? 

The simple crossing of a street had turned into a fatal accident that nothing could reverse. So many questions unanswered, just like the one burnt in his mind. 

Many scenarios played out differently in his head and not before long, all the frustration, pent up anger and sadness burst out, like an overflowing dam, and he couldn't stop the tears from leaking out, no matter what he did.

Setting his umbrella down, he walked towards the headstone and stood in front of it, not bothering to wipe the rain from his already blurry eyes.



[ Goodbye … ]



He reached a hand into his pocket and in one fluid motion pulled out a small velvety box, the only thing holding him back before placing it down on top of the grave next to an already laid bouquet of flowers and small golden watch. 

He stood there for a little while more, as the rain started slowly drenching him before he turned away, heart significantly lighter than before. 

Leaves crunched under the boot of his shoe as he turned and sprinted out, without sparing a second glance. 

He could've sworn he heard the wind whisper its goodbyes back to him in the form of her voice while he ran off, but shrugged it off as his imagination.

Behind him, the fog silently crept into the garden like a tiger stalking its prey, slowly but surely engulfing the whole place in whispery white mist.


The moment he stepped out the iron gates of the cemetery, he'd never felt more free; it was as if he'd experienced some great epiphany. 

The dark clouds parted and fog rolled out, skies slowly brightening. 

When it cleared, all that was left was a now freshly bloomed ruby red rose that symbolized their everlasting love, grown in front of the spot he'd been standing on for hours, slightly bowed as if it, too, were paying it's tribute to the headstone right in front of it.







~The end ~
 .
.
.
Thank you for reading 
.
.
.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this ! 
Let me know if you have any request / ideas / or even thoughts on how to make it better ! 
Or even better , leave a comment / message me about the parts you liked best ! 
(人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+
Thank you everyone ..

Jamal and Tiffany walk through the starry night sky. She's still wearing the jacket. Jamal's hands are tucked in the pockets of his jeans.
"So… umm," tiffany pauses, "I don't want you to get the wrong idea." She says turning him down uncomfortably.
"Ohh, no, don't worry about it-" He says before being cut off. She begins to babble.
"It's just that I don't want to get into a relationship right now, and I'm kinda in a tough place, you seem like a great guy… but you know-" He then takes a turn to talk.
"Well, actually I'm gay, so…" He blurts.
"Oh? I had no idea!" Tiffany replies
"No, no. It's fine, really, but um, what did you mean earlier when you said you were in a rough place. Are you ok? If you don't mind me asking."
"It's just been a tough year, that's all." She replies cautiously.
"You're a really big talker!" He says humorously. Tiff giggles lightly, turning to see his quirky smile. They walk and chat for about 15 minutes until they approach a blue, small, two-story home darkened by the night sky. 
"Well, this is me," she says "thanks so much for everything!"
"No problem," he says "But…" He takes out a pen and grabs her hand, scribbling numbers out messily.
"Haha," She jokes sarcastically, "But seriously, thank you." She leans out to hug him, acceptingly, he leans in too. After a long hug, he watches her tiptoe into her sleeping home. A little sad, he leaves. 
Tiffany slides her shoes off her feet next to the door, she nimbly jogs up a pair of white, chipped, wooden stairs. The stairs lead to a single door. Tiffany opens the door, restricted for only her. She walks in. The room has fluffy white carpet and pale vanilla walls. A rectangular, black retro dresser sits against one wall, bulging with clothing, while A thin white bookcase sits across it bursting with books. Meanwhile, a storage unit bedframe holds a cushiony, padded mattress covered in comforters, blankets and throw pillows. Next to it sits a nightstand with an alarm clock and several gadgets and fidget toys, like Slinkys and yoyos. The entire room is filled while leaving a space for a messy unorganized closet and a door leading to a small bathroom containing essentials such as a shower, a toilet, a sink, and a tall body mirror. Tiffany walks into her room and removes her Phone from her back pocket, tossing it gently onto her bed. She walks into her closet wearing athletic shorts, sneakers, and a yellow tank top. She exits wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a black, fuzzy cami top. She slips her hair up, using a blue scrunchy from her wrist.
Tiffany sits, reading, for a couple of hours. She checks her clock. It's 1:16. She knows she should go to sleep, but in the summertime. A short memory of April comes back. She remembers, sitting under a tent, flashing lights around with her best friend when she was only 11 years old. Now 10 years have passed, and surprisingly, a lot can happen in 10 years. It wounded her heart, knowing the past was forever gone. What if she could've done something? What if she could've saved April? Tap! Tap! Someone knocks on the door. Tiffany closes her book, gently climbing off her bed. She creeps to her door. Opening it, her mother is revealed.
"Mom,-" Tiff stutters. "What's wrong?"
"Haven't you seen the clock?" Her mother asks. "Its the 13th." Tiff stops a second, realizing the 12th is over, and the 13th has officially emerged.
"I don't want to make you sad, Dear," Her mom whispers. "But I was wondering if you couldn't sleep if you'd like to visit her." Tiffany stops, looking up to her mother's now pale face. 
"I can't, not right now." She responds.
"Honey-" Her mother pleads "She was your-". Tiffany closes and locks the door, shutting out her mother. She slams her back up against the door, collapsing. She sits once again, looking worried, just trying to hold back the tears. She covers her face with her hands.
"No." She says. "No."

Tiffany is an introvert who suffered the loss of her best friend. Read this novel to unlock the secrets behind her past.

Spring break soon ended, and once again, I am thrust back into the dull and boring life of attending school. My arm quickly healed, returning back to its original state without any damages to bone structure or mobility.

That episode of horrifying events we experienced on the mountains quickly washed away in our lives as time buried it. The media craze surrounding it slowly began to die down, and since none of our information was released to the public through the media, our lives were not disturbed by it. Another reason why is that I believe all of us are trying to bury it deep into the past as well, not willing to keep ourselves hung up on what happened as we had all survived. That's the most important part.

With the end of Spring break marked the official transition from our winter school uniforms back to the summer uniform, and when everyone ditched the blazers, it was as if a switched had been turned on in everyone. The students became livelier due to the cool breezes brought by the Spring climate, an effect that I see all around in nature. The trees planted in the riverside trail near the building I live in are all blooming with light pink floras, and when the wind would blow, a beautiful rain of pink flower petals would drift down towards the earth, lining the ground. The entire city seemed to be influenced by the Spring season, mimicking the vitality of nature.

As each day passed by, we crept closer and closer to summertime, which is the end of the school year. Come to think of it, I will soon be in my final year of high school, and after that, I will have to attend college. It's a...weird feeling to suddenly transition from high school to college, but it'll probably just take some time to get used to. Irina, Muria, Loyd, Noah, and I will enter our final year of high schooll; Zaksus will enter his second year; and Luna and Erith will graduate...

"We're graduating soon..." Erith said one day while we stuck around after school in our club room. She leaned back in her seat, looking up at the ceiling with a reminiscing expression on her face.

"It's in a few months," Loyd smiled and commented.

I looked over the two girls that are in their final years of high school, thinking back about everything that I had experienced with them. It's rather funny to think that it felt like I've known them forever, yet...it hasn't even been an entire year.

"What college are you two going to attend?" Irina asked.

"Nocsinis Imperial University," Luna answered.

"Why would we skip out on this easy transition to this top tier affiliated university and go somewhere else?" Erith chimed in. "As long as we get an average score on the entrance exam, we're in."

"We have an entrance exam?" Noah exclaimed, shocked by this news.

"You didn't know?" Luna started to explain to him. "Even though we're students of NIU's affiliated high school, we still have to take the entrance exam. However, it's easy, almost guaranteed, for us to get in as long as we maintain at least an average grade in high school and get an average score on the exam."

"That is," Erith smirked and looked over at Noah, "if you can maintain an average grade and get an average score."

"Oh no," Noah sighed as he slumped down in his seat.

"How did you even get into our school with your grades?" Erith glanced at Noah with a suspicious look.

"If the school year's almost over, then it's almost time for summer vacation!" Zaksus exclaimed excitedly.

"You guys want to do anything for summer?" Loyd asked everyone in the building.

"You mean do something like we did over Spring break?" Muria's question led to a period of silence as we all recalled the terrors we experienced in the mountains.

"B-but it shouldn't happen again," Irina laughed weakly, as if she wasn't confident about what she was saying.

"Yeah..." Luna said, trying to lift the gloomy atmosphere. "As long as we go somewhere close to people, we should be fine."

I glanced over at Muria's face, seeing that look of repent on her face as she realized what she had done. She must be feeling guilty for having ruined everyone's mood, and it was written all over her face. It would appear that the others sensed it as well, albeit being a vague inference, but they must have tied it with the fact that she has a good nature by heart.

"Where would we go though?" Noah crossed his arms before his chest as he frowned and began thinking.

With everyone trying to come up with a reasonable trip, I surveyed the room, taking in everyone's facial expressions as suggestions were blurted out. It would appear that they were all wondering what we could possibly plan, and it seems that our earlier experience seemed to have done its damage on them, making them extra cautious.

Whatever it is that they decide, it's none of my business.

Slowly, I looked back down at my phone, continuing with the novel that I am on. From the corner of my eye, I saw Alvelyn, who was sitting next to Muria and Irina waiting for the others to come to a decision. She is probably fine with whatever everyone else decides, as whether or not we would actually attend is a question. It really depends on our mood, but...I feel that more likely than not, we would probably go. Something will kinda force me to go, and I will probably end up going.

With a sigh, I turned my gaze back to my phone. However, as my eyes moved back to my phone, I happened to spot Luna in my peripheral vision. Seeing her deep in thought...it really brought back memories. This somewhat troubled expression on her face...it's an expression that I had saw her with back in that other timeline... It's an expression that I know. She would only have this look on her face if she has something she really wants in mind, but doesn't want to say it to be considerate for others...

She can be a bit more selfish really.

I sighed as I scrolled down on my smartphone, reading the new line of text as it appeared. However, I discovered that my attention was constantly drifting over to their conversation. Each second that passed by and no one suggested the location that Luna wanted to visit, my irritation grew bit by bit...

"What about to the beach?" I raised my head and said out loud, shocking everyone with my input. I looked around at everyone, who all appeared quite shocked with their mouth slightly open, and felt a slight uneasiness in my chest. However, I tanked through this feeling and continued on with my suggestion. "We can maybe rent out a cabin by the ocean for a weekend or something..."

To be honest, I am actually quite surprised that no one actually suggested going to the beach, but it is whatever. With my suggestion now out on the discussion board, I lowered my head and refocused my sight on my phone. Even though I wasn't looking, I was sure that Luna must be feeling a surprised joy at the moment. She might think that it is a coincidence that I suggested the place she wanted to go with everyone, but it is not. I remembered everything she had said in that timeline, even though she had forgot about it. Even if the entire world will forget, I will not...

"The beach sounds pretty good," Loyd agreed.

"Are you just trying to see us in swimsuits?" Erith glanced over at me with a cautious and disgusted glare in her eyes, but I disregarded it and continued reading the novel on my phone.

"Maybe," I chuckled and said in a joking manner, feeling rather positive about myself for speaking up and suggesting something.

"Was that...supposed to be a joke or was he being serious?" Erith seemed to be taken by surprise by my statement, flustered as she sought after aid from the others.

"I think it's a joke," Loyd deciphered.

"Really?" Zaksus sounded rather surprised. "I thought he was being serious!"

"What the hell of a person am I in your eyes?" I glanced over at him in a defeated manner and muttered.

"Sorry," Zaksus laughed it off. "It's just that you don't usually joke around like that so..."

"I know, I know," I said, continuing with the novel on my phone.

"Is everyone fine with going to the beach?" Loyd looked around and asked.

"I'm fine with it," Alvelyn nodded her head.

Following after her, everyone else also chimed in with their approval.

"Then it's decided then," Loyd nodded his head as he confirmed. "The plan is to go to the beach, but since summer is still quite some time away from now, we can talk about the specifics later."

I'm just me. An ordinary high school boy with no girlfriend, not too many friends, and no talent.  What I enjoy doing after school is roaming around the halls, hoping that like in the cliche anime and manga, I'll bump into someone that'll change my life. Of course, nothing is going to happen. What do you expect? 

But, this APP on my phone is kind of weird. I don't remember installing it. If I click on it, it asks me to complete missions. But how the hell am I supposed to do these embarrassing tasks?


Update Schedule:
I will post new chapters usually once a day, but that is subjected to change depending on my schedule as I am a student in my final year of high school. During breaks, I will usually post multiple chapters per day.

One day later, according to the standard time of the Federation of the Milky Way, General Li appeared in front of the personnel of the battleship, his red overcoat very conspicuous. Everybody stood with their backs straight against the walls, saluting him, as his footsteps echoed over the deck.
All the humans in the Federation of the Milky Way had to salute him.
General Li came to the lab on the second floor and looked down at the metal counter, his face showing no emotion.
Jian Xilai lay on the metal counter, his armless body looking a bit eerie, though but the wires and tubes inserted into his body looked even more so.
His spiritual soul had been damaged by General Li's powerful assault, and the workers in the lab were trying to re-activate it.
Along with the buzzing sound of electric flow, Jian Xilai's body started to twitch again, a painful expression showing on his face.
The gold-colored liquid was flowing in the thin tubes that were inserted into his brain. Though it was unclear what substance it was, it must be the source of his pain.
The workers of the lab looked at the indicators on the light screen with a grave and uneasy expression; they failed to understand why this subject still resisted the external commands.
It was obvious that his brain was already dead; there shouldn't have been any response from. Was it that he resisted out of instinct?
"Remarkable," remarked General Li expressionlessly while looking down at the scene below. "Increase the volume and boost the frequency three times more."
The head of the lab attempted to turn down the order reflexively, thinking that the subject would become a mad man even if he could wake up after such treatment. However, he didn't do so when he realized that this was an order from General Li. He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and rushed downstairs.
It didn't take long before Jian Xilai suddenly opened his eyes, eyes full of bewilderment and struggle.
His body suddenly arched as a dreadful shriek came out from between his opened bloodless lips.
This was an excruciatingly painful shriek though it was more than that.
It was a feeling before a wild animal was to be locked in an iron cage, a fresh flower to be put in a bucket and the sun to be placed by someone in a metal case…
General Li looked at the scene expressionlessly, knowing that this soul had finally opted to give up. He said after a moment of silence, "Install the best combat mechanic arms of the latest model for him."
This showed his respect for Jian Xilai.
…
…
Coming back to the bridge at the bow of the battleship, General Li poured a cup of green tea for himself and sat down in a chair. He remained silent for a long time while looking at the space outside the window.
He forgot to drink the tea until it was almost cold in the cup.
The starlight in the space was a bit too bright. He squinted his eyes and then rubbed the center between his eyes, feeling a little tired.
Regardless of how high Jian Xilai's state of sword work was, he was not a threat without adequate preparation.
It was not hard to defeat him. Yet, it was more difficult to completely defeat his spiritual soul. Jian Xilai's willpower and pureness of his sword heart surpassed his imagination.
It didn't take long for General Li to recover his calmness. His expression was as deep and cold as the space outside the window.
He took out a book from underneath the small square table on which the teacup was placed.
The paperback books were rare in the Federation of the Milky Way, and they were mostly placed in houses as décors. The people were more likely to read the books on the light screens off the bracelets, especially during the trips.
Yet, he was more used to reading paperback books. It was the habit he had established in Chaotian, and his habit hadn't changed much after many years.
He had been reading this book in the last thirty days.
This was a novel titled "The Path Toward Heaven".
He turned to a page randomly. It happened to be the episode in which Bai Ren was called back to Chaotian by deception and then killed by the Snow Girl.
"I don't understand how she opted to come out since she lacked courage and wisdom. The practitioners on Cloud-Dream Mountain only know to use the medicines to boost their Cultivation states, and as a result, a bunch of useless practitioners have been produced there."
General Li muttered to himself, "If all of these are true, why haven't the Snow Girl shown up yet?"
He realized the story was true by now; it was because Jian Xilai, as described in the novel, had really comprehended the essence of the All in One Sword.
He turned to another page randomly. It was the episode in which Taiping tried to destroy the world. An appreciative expression showed in his eyes.
After a long while, he suddenly asked, "Where is our little friend now?"
"At the Yinhai Nebula 33131.7."
A voice burst out in a corner of the room.
It sounded emotionless. Though the voice was the same as that of regular people, it appeared rather cold, as if it were uttered from a machine. A young soldier, without military hat and shoulder pads, walked out from the corner. He had a normal appearance though his face showed a pale and bloodless skin, devoid of temperature.
General Li said without looking at him, "Tell Chi Song to go there and take a look after he has found that broadsword man."
The young soldier acknowledged expressionlessly.
General Li put down the novel and had a sip of the cold tea. After a moment of silence, he said, "Don't kill Jing Jiu."
The tea leaves in the teacup were drifting and twirling slowly, resembling the traveling battleships in the space or the flying butterflies.
…
…
If one looked up at the night sky on the Stargate Base, they would be able to see a star formation in the form of "王" (a.k.a. King) in the north during summertime.
A star on the right side of the top line of the formation was named the First Right King Star.
There were six planets circling this permanent star. The humans lived on the third planet; but it was not officially named yet, the temporary name being the No. 3Forward Base.
It was not that long ago that the No. Three Forward Base was discovered by the expedition spaceship of the Federation of the Milky Way. The formal colonization of the planet hadn't begun yet. But in comparison to the environment on the Planet Lindeng, a mining planet, it had a much better one. A few million residents had already lived on this planet merely after a few decades. The other planets in the solar system were not suitable for humans to reside on, and it was too costly to modify their environments. As such, they were designated as the free mining planets. The explosions occurred once in a while on those planets; afterwards, the mining spaceships would land on them like vultures to peck tens of thousands of tons of ores before they left. Then, they would bring the ores to the No. Three Forward Base for washing and selecting, which then were transported to other larger transfer stations.
Boom!!!
A smoking flower could be seen on the surface of a planet, which looked adorable. In fact, the smoke and dust had reached a height of several thousand meters in the sky.
Dozens of mining spaceships headed toward the planet before the smoke and dusts settled. They came back with full loads soon after.
The mining spaceship in the front steadied itself after readjusting its positions. The blinding light of the permanent star was out of sight; in its place was a green planet.
It was the No. Three Forward Base, covered with a layer of ocean-like plantation; but no lifeform of high intelligence had evolved on it yet. However, the discovery of the planet had nevertheless drawn the attention of the entire Federation of the Milky Way. At least a few thousand scientists from the Science Academy resided on the planet; and the TV stations from a few major planets had been broadcasting live from it.
For the workers on the mining spaceship, the green planet was nothing but to give them a sensation of homecoming.
"Captain, this year's workload for the company will be completed after this trip. You will be able to go with us to have a drink, right? I'll find three girls for you."
A worker yelled at the control tower, arousing a barrage of responses.
"Right! One girl will be pressed to death by the boss, who is so tall."
"Hahahaha! But you guys shouldn't let the Master Captain drink too much, and take it easy."
The owner of this mining spaceship was a tall and fat man. Listening to the shouts of his colleagues, he smiled genuinely. "I have something to take care of this evening. You guys go ahead," said he.
Hearing the captain's answer, they were displeased.
The fat captain didn't say anything more. He brought out a broadsword of about half a meter long from the underneath of the work station and started to manicure his fingernails with it.
The mining spaceship suddenly grew quiet, with a peaceful intent.
…


I am the sword.
Killing a man amidst a thousand miles, no one dares take ten steps.
Killing a man amidst a thousand miles, no one can take ten steps.
Killing a man amidst a thousand miles, ten steps? Not possible!
I am the sword, the sword is me,
On the path towards heaven, each shall wield their own.

If it wasn't just inside my brain, they would have seen what I would have been or what I became. But, what if I am right and they are wrong. We all have been taught what is right or what is wrong as our world perceives. Everyone has their own opinion but all of us are scared. I am too. Bunch of coward we are, aren't we? We see, feel and judge but we can't be what or who we are. A sheep following another sheep then another. But what we don't realize is that we aren't WE? There is me, me and me everywhere and but to live, we pretend to care about every me. But they never cared.
As the wind is blowing through the window, my hands are shaking. I never thought I could ever do this. Never. But this feeling which engulfing me now, I never felt it before. Soothing yet agitated just feels like I am standing by a beach in summertime.

The thing about being in the zone is that it can pass pretty quickly, and once that hot streak is gone, all you've got left is to rely on yourself. Meaning whatever natural talent, training, equipment, and experience you can lean on. As you can imagine, as somebody who had basically been a shut-in for most of the time before the arrival of the Apocalypse, I didn't have a lot of experience in blood sports to pull from, and anyone who wants to pretend they'd be a natural is probably full of shit. 
Despite being in the zone, I stopped being quite so hyped up pretty quickly. Yes, I was virtually immortal, at least I figured it was safe to assume as much, and yes, I had literally just minutes before thought about how much I wanted the fight, but I gotta be honest with you boys. She looked like she could fuck my shit all up, and that was definitely not my idea of a good time.
I wasn't afraid of dying, I was afraid of fucking up my chance to fight her and learn a bit about the changes in the world, and my standing in the game by dying prematurely. A single moment of clarity had changed things for me, I wasn't just going to survive, I would thrive, and try to carry as many people with me into the future as I could.
 
Even now, I can still remember the sound of my boots splashing in the pools of blood that soaked the ground around her. Some might say I should have tried to sneak up on her or move on towards an easier target, one more in my league, but I'd say fuck that. First off, I've never been a sneaky guy, shady? Maybe. Sketchy? Sure at times, but never sneaky and never wanted to be. I've always been a blunt instrument, never the subtle knife. 
 
Secondly,  and this is barely even relevant, hardly worth mentioning, even if I wanted to escape or avoid the fight, which I 100% did not, I couldn't. I was trapped by a compulsion I couldn't control. A primal need beyond instinct that drove me towards her.  Any thoughts I might have had of turning away were gone as soon as she turned that burning spear she held in her hand and looked down it, her eyes locking on to me with eyes of golden amber. I knew then without reservations a shit sandwich was coming my way. I was outclassed and probably going to lose.  
In the retelling of my story, I know there are some expectations about how the whole thing is supposed to have gone down. Something like that I went in, anxious but ready, weapons out and we danced around like it was prom trying to kill each other, and during all I this, I found room to somehow repeat over and over again with some kind of variation, "What a monster!". That is until somehow, fate or providence managed to provide an asspull that helped me to survive. 
That wasn't the case. I mean sure, she was on a whole different level than me, but that wasn't the only thing. She carried with her an oppressive aura of violence that made the very air hard to breathe. By oppressive, I mean it was humid and hot. M like the south in the summertime or a public bathroom with an air dryer on. I couldn't catch my breath at all. The negative status effect was kind of a big deal for me since fatigue wasn't something I hadn't experienced since this little adventure had begun.  
"Lirai, just who is she?" I asked, curious as I approached the woman, cautiously, wondering why she hadn't thrown another magical spear or attacked me outright.  
NOTIFICATION: Query - Who is she?
Answer: The female spear wielded is known as Ruthiare the Valkyrie, a level 112 member of the Crusader Corps. She is currently under a level seal that maximizing her effective level at 14, a level cap equivalent to the highest level participant in the Grim Arena. 
Not much I can do with that. Those details left me with more questions than answers, but this wasn't the time or place to get caught up in that. I needed to move I'd wasted enough time trying to get a feel for the situation.
Why? I know some might be asking that. Why would I need to fight somebody who was surrounded by the bodies of men and woman she had killed, was it some sort of attraction?  Fuck if I know. Was she pretty? Plain? Hot? Ugly? Busty? None of those words mattered to me when I rushed forward at her with the only answer I could think of as I tried to bring the Steel Core Bat down on her head to crush her skull.

Anxiety, fear, the thoughts in my head all gave way. Unlike the other pretenders I'd come across, this woman was the first I'd encountered who was a real warrior, and carried herself like she'd been holding a weapon in her hand all her life. At that moment, the only thing I craved and desired was the fight. 
 
So when she blocked the Steel Bat with a thrust of her spear, I wasn't surprised even though I was disappointed. Sparks flew at the impact site from where the two weapons had crashed into each other. A single bead of sweat on her face showed that maybe I had a chance as I caught her feet sliding through the blood-soaked shredded rubber we were fighting on.
 
NOTIFICATION: Blunt Weapons Mastery Level Increased - Dead Fish ------> Wet Noodle
I felt the effect of the level up almost instantly, I wasn't a god or anything like that, but more like something just clicked. Like when your in school and struggling in a literature class when the real issue is you can't read so good. 
 
With a single slash, she knocked my weapon away and smiled at me. The toothy smile of a predator as those eyes of her bore into me, eyes that saw more than they should. "Ah, one of the Reincarnators. Your type are always so brazen. Immortality makes you weak and makes you stupid." She lunged forward with the spear with a speed that was beyond mine, if I had not upgraded it, I would have fallen right there and then. "Do you really think there aren't fates worse than death?"
"I didn't think that far ahead," I admitted, no point in lying about it. I've never claimed to be clever and had no intention of it as I slammed the bat into the shaft of the spear, noticing for the first time the difference in reach. Why didn't I opt for one of those again? Oh, right, because clearly, I'm retarded.
Sure, I'd been in the military, but this was completely alien to a firefight, everything I knew about combat was going to need to change.  She threw forward another thrust that kicked up the bloody pools around us in a red mist as I tried to avoid the slashes, lunges, thrusts, etc that followed. Mostly I flayed about awkwardly, this was a hard but important lesson for me. In a span of seconds, all I could do was try to avoid her landing a killing blow on me as little by little, she took me apart like a butcher.  It's not that my skills or whatever were good enough to actually avoid her, I think she was just making a point of not killing me. I just couldn't get close enough to her. Seriously, I need to get me one of those.
"Lirai, function upgrade request, next time an important decision needs to be made, explain to me the difference before I chose, regardless of if I want to be bothered or not." Whether I died here or not, I needed to change. "And how can I pick up a spear? Because this shit is not gonna fly long term."
 
 
NOTIFICATION: Query "Equipment Change" Query "Function Change
Details: Function Change Request Accepted. 
Details: Request for Equipment Change – Denied. The participant cannot switch equipment without first prestiging in the weapon of selection.

Before I could even say "Well shit," The Spear wielder finally landed a killing blow as she pierced my core, and as much as it hurt, I could only blame myself for being reckless. This wasn't the first time I'd managed to get myself killed by not paying attention. 

I collapsed on the ground bleeding out, and she leaned over me and laid a hand on my shoulder as a mark bore into me, searing itself into my skin. When it was over, the number 3 remained as a scar. She whispered to me as I lay dying. "3 more deaths you'll be allowed, after that, I'll make sure somebody else dies each time on your behalf until you learn your place Reincarnator."  
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me behind to die again as the world faded to black, I heard the announcement and received a notification about another earned Emblem, I passed out before reading the Emblem prompt. 

NOTIFICATION: Round 1, the Decimation Series has ended. All surviving participants will be transported shortly to the champions lodge for healing, rest, and relaxation before the Survivors Battle Royal Begins in 3 days.

At the end of the world, Daniel was given a chance to go back in time to the very beginning of the apocalypse. To use his knowledge and abilities to ensure the survival of humanity.

summertime reading

Summertime Mystery

Summertime sadness

The Man In the Mask

The Queen of Everything

Glassy screens

Tears of April

Project: Socialize

The Path Toward Heaven

Who killed Bill?

Second Chance Heroes

People search summertime reading also like: