In the moonlit hills of 14th-century Provence, the villagers whisper of La Caverne des Damnés-a cursed cavern that hungers for souls. When Félicité, wife of the blacksmith Ysarn, vanishes into its depths, grief drives him to follow her. Armed with his ancestors' rune-forged hammer and guided by the druidess Aénor, Ysarn defies both priest and superstition to face the evil festering beneath Saint-Rémy. Within the cave, illusions blur truth and nightmare. Shadows take familiar forms. A creature older than faith itself waits to feed on his hope, wearing the face he loves most. As darkness closes in, Ysarn must choose between reunion and redemption-between the woman he lost and the world that still breathes above. Some loves demand devotion. Others demand your soul.

Tariq didn't expect to die young-much less get drafted into the Department of Mortal Offboarding as an unpaid intern. But when Death himself admits the afterlife is short-staffed, Tariq and a crew of other recently deceased disasters are handed mop-scythes, soul tablets, and zero training. Their mission? Collect the departed without wrecking reality. Their reality? Ghost TikToks, haunted buffets, and a skeleton boss who might be one spreadsheet away from collapsing eternity. Welcome to the afterlife's least efficient workplace, where every mistake can trigger a haunting and every reaper just wants five minutes of eternal coffee break.

Dedicated to @Kimmie_66 Status: Complete ABK December Writing Challenge Entry Teaser: In the ruins of Barangay Cogon, where the sea once hummed gently and neighbors filled the air with laughter, Maria now hears only the whispers of loss. The storm spared her life but took everything else-neighbors, homes, and certainty. Yet, as Christmas draws near, Maria faces a choice: to let despair swallow her or to fight for moments of joy, no matter how fleeting. By the light of a flickering candle and the fragile glow of a handmade parol, Maria finds the courage to sing again, to smile again, and to believe that even in the darkest of nights, there can still be stars. How do you smile when all seems lost? Maria's answer will break your heart-and fill it with hope.

Dedicated to @Kimmie_66 Status: Complete ABK December Writing Challenge Entry Teaser: In the ruins of Barangay Cogon, where the sea once hummed gently and neighbors filled the air with laughter, Maria now hears only the whispers of loss. The storm spared her life but took everything else-neighbors, homes, and certainty. Yet, as Christmas draws near, Maria faces a choice: to let despair swallow her or to fight for moments of joy, no matter how fleeting. By the light of a flickering candle and the fragile glow of a handmade parol, Maria finds the courage to sing again, to smile again, and to believe that even in the darkest of nights, there can still be stars. How do you smile when all seems lost? Maria's answer will break your heart-and fill it with hope.

"What's the plan?" BoyBayani scowled, fingers tight on the controls as the legendary phoenix Maharlika spiraled out of control. "We need to work together." AikaKirara's calm voice echoed in his ear, the one person he never expected to team up with. Enemies. Rivals. Champions. Now, forced to cooperate by a game-breaking glitch, Bayani and Aika must find harmony within chaos to stop a greater threat. But when the lines between rivalry and respect blur, they'll discover there's more to winning than just the game. In the Rift, anything can happen-even friendship.

LieZl Uytengsu, Phoenix Gaming's no-nonsense manager, doesn't do rest. She negotiates, defends, and commands - until the stress finally wins and lands her in the hospital. Frustrated and restless, she doesn't expect a visit from X, the team's ever-smiling Bot-Laner, armed with nothing but a mischievous grin and a small peace offering: a bar of Hershey's Organic Special Dark. What follows is an unlikely truce - a conversation between exhaustion and empathy, duty and care, bitterness and sweetness. Because sometimes, healing isn't about silence or solitude. Sometimes, it starts with you, me, and Hersheys.

When corporate lawyer Deatriz and her secret lover steal a private moment during a family vacation, a planned role-play escalates into real surrender - a dangerous, intoxicating blend of power, pleasure, and the rules they both agreed to. Between handcuffs and whispered safe words, they test boundaries, loyalties, and the cost of illicit desire.

Valentines Day. An occasion a frigid criminal lawyer like Meika Sakurada usually ignores. But because of a man named Yi Xe Shu, a famous Professional League of Lemuria Support E-Sports Player, is now secretly looking forward to it. While the man's persistence in wooing her is remarkable, it's his resourcefulness in finding her no matter where her cases bring her and his creativity to surprise her in expressing his thoughtfulness that really captivated her. Their seemingly normal game of hide and seek took a gruesome turn when the latter got involved in a case she's currently working on put Yi Xe's life in grave danger. Will Meika be able to save him in time and finally tell him her true feelings or will she be too late and live a life full of regrets?

It's the day before the Phoenix Gaming League's Christmas party, and Dea - the team's multitasking errand girl - is racing against time to prep prizes for the parlor games. Enter Ji Hoon, a.k.a. Rogue, the team's resident midlaner and professional sleepyhead, who accidentally wanders into her sugar-fueled chaos. When a packet of suspicious "Zombie-Flavored" jelly beans catches Dea's eye, what starts as a harmless candy-sorting session turns into a dare gone horribly (and hilariously) wrong. Between the zombie aftertaste, accidental kisses, and shared embarrassment in front of their teammates, Christmas comes early - just not the way either of them expected. Sometimes, Santa's naughtiest gift isn't under the tree - it's right across the table.