Eros Soledad de Merced was born to lead, rule, and dominate. Born as the eldest grandson of Soledad de Merced, everyone knew the weight of the crown he was born to carry. He was a man destined to lead. A boy who was born to rule. A man who carried the weight of his responsibilities with excellence and perfection. Eros knew what was expected of him at a very young age, so everything was carved into his mind. He knew his life, and he knew his future. For him, there was no room for failure. It was perfect, it was good... until it wasn't. One summer. A girl named Winter. Cold as her name might sound, yet she was able to set fire to his perfectly drawn life. The plans that were carefully built along his path suddenly became unclear. And amid his crumbling life was her, Winter Eloise Cojuangco. The woman who owns the pair of the most perfect forest green eyes he'd ever seen. The woman he left behind to fulfill what was expected of him. And the very same woman also happens to be the mother of his son. Date Started: December 2024 Date Finished: February 2025

Hiraya Francesca is the golden child of Eunthastica University Foundation, the genius prodigy is bound to nothing but success. She treaded her life with grace and confidence. For her, failure isn't a roadblock but a redirection for something greater. A perfectly curated diamond amidst stone and sand. A perfectly curated success in a world full of commonness and mediocrity. Hiraya can have anything in this world, may it be beauty, brain, or boys. Everything. Except for Deimos Soledad de Merced. Kaya noong nagkaroon ng pagkakataon at hinayaan nitong makapasok si Hiraya sa buhay nito ay hindi na niya pinalagpas pa ito. She seized her chance and gambled, ngunit tama nga yata ang sabi nila; lahat ng matatalino, pag dating sa pag ibig ay nagiging bobo. She poured her heart and soul into all the oceans that she sailed and the spaces in between that she crossed, only to be welcomed by betrayal and loss. She loved him, he despised her. She trusted him, he betrayed her. She watched him tore her kingdom, and offer it to his own queen. Stripped out of her own title, the golden child lost her kingdom and crown. Date started: December 2023 Date finished: December 2024

Kio Soledad de Merced always kept his life quiet and private. He never wanted anything flashy and grand. Attention and spotlight were the two things he never wanted to have. Calm and easy, that's how he preferred his life. Shiloh Lumiere Bendia's life was far from what he wanted, she was born for the spotlight. Living under the scrutinizing eyes of the world, Lumiere's life consists of cameras and flashes following her whenever she moves. The world gravitates around her, and everyone who sees her is drawn to her light, including him. The moment he saw her on that stage with the spotlight shining on her, he knew he would spend his whole life admiring her from afar. But with the twist of fate and a little luck, his fate might have changed. A secret moment. A lingering stare. Quick stolen moments behind the camera that no one knows about. But to what extent can they sacrifice for a losing battle they knew they would never win? To love is to risk. To risk requires courage and courage is only found in places we're too scared to take. ---- Date Started: March 2025 Date Finished: June 15, 2025

Santiago Alverio is torn between family expectations and his own internalized fears from homophobic relatives. As he enters a casual fling with Diablo Delgado, he discovers that love, patience, and acceptance might be the blueprint to healing and embracing his true self. *** Santiago Alverio has always lived by the rules of his family, peers, and a silent world that tells him who he should be. As a civil engineering student, he hides behind toxic masculinity and the fear of being noticed because of expectations and a homophobic upbringing. Then comes Diablo Delgado--fearless, affectionate, and unapologetically himself. What begins as a no-strings "friends with benefits" arrangement slowly converts into something deeper. With every touch, every unguarded smile, Diablo breaks the walls Santi has built around his heart. But love is never simple. Santi is caught between family pressures, societal judgment, and his own insecurities. Will he ever realize that happiness was never about meeting expectations but about choosing the person who makes him feel whole? DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Rayne Mariano ILLUSTRATOR: Ri Ot

Jackson Ramirez has always followed the rules-his family's, society's, everyone's but his own. Trapped in a life dictated by expectations, he buried his passion and silenced the voice that once made him feel alive. So when Kenzo Adachi walked into his class-blunt, intense, and always acting like he owned the room. Jackson couldn't help but feel . . . annoyed. Annoyed by his confidence. Annoyed by how he said whatever he wanted. Annoyed by how free he was. But Kenzo? He saw something else. He saw a bird trying to breathe through its cage. And Kenzo, the kind of man who lives by his own rules, was ready to go beyond the boundary-just to help Jackson learn how to fly.

Yolo never expected his heart to betray him- least of all for Trever, the guy he loved pissing off, the presence he keeps pretending he isn't desperate to feel again. A basketball varsity player and an architecture student, Yolo always believed his life was simple, predictable, and straight. But growing apart didn't make the feelings disappear. If anything, the distance only made every accidental eye contact sharper, every avoided conversation heavier, every unspoken word louder. And worst of all, Trever's attention is already leaning toward someone else- leaving Yolo with nothing but the ghost of what they used to be. Now Yolo is caught in the cruel tension between wanting and pretending, torn between the safety of denial and the ache that refuses to quiet down. How do you let go of a feeling you were never supposed to have- especially when it's for the one person you never stopped looking for? book cover by sereighn arts

To Caliber, Yolo and Trever weren' t just friends- they were everything. They were the people who made life feel bearable. But when their bond shattered, he was forced to seek shelter in a place that was anything but safe. Staying there meant confronting truths he'd buried, facing choices that pitted him against Redge- the one who ended up carrying the deepest wounds from Caliber's actions. Now, as he scrambles to undo the damage, Cali realizes the lines between right and wrong, regret and desire, guilt and something far more dangerous, are far blurrier than he ever imagined. And the question that haunts him most isn't whether he can fix what he broke- it's whether he even wants to let go of what he's been feeling all along. book cover by sereighn arts

Yuno, a painter and delivery guy, lives his life like a dish served without toppings. No flavors, no attachments, just bare survival. Though selfless and determined to stand on his own, Yuno's solitude is a paradox: he pushes away help yet silently craves connection. But when Cid, a sexually frustrated swimmer, offers him financial support in exchange for an unconventional deal, Yuno is forced to reconsider the simple life he's chosen.