Happiness isn't meant for people like us. Not after what we've done. Not after what's been done to us. Happiness is a cruel joke, reserved for the "normal" people who pretend they're fine, who still believe in clean slates and second chances. Esme stopped believing in all of that a long time ago. Love, hope, joy... those are luxuries she was never built for. She's seen too much heartbreak, lost too much, and carries enough guilt to drown a stronger woman. So she keeps her world simple: Get through the day. Survive the night. Repeat. But everything changes the night her roommate drags her out for "a little fun." Fun, as fate would have it, comes with a price. Because on her knees in a dark room, Esme meets her new reality-two men who treat happiness like the world's darkest joke. Two men shaped by violence, betrayal, and the kind of pasts that steal whole futures. Men who have spent years playing twisted games with life, with death, and with each other. They're jaded. They're dangerous. They've mastered the art of not caring. Until Esme. The moment she stumbles into their world, something shifts. The jokes stop landing. The games stop feeling like games. And fate-cruel, messy, unforgiving fate-ties their paths together in ways none of them ever saw coming. Now there's no turning back. One broken woman who never wanted to be seen. One soulless man with a gun in his hand. One empty-eyed man who thought he could control everything. And the beginning of the one thing none of them are ready for: Fate's most brutal game yet.

🏆 PARANORMAL FAVORITE - THE AMBYS 2024 🏆 The Mayaware's reign must end. In a world of demonic beings with a hunger for human flesh and thirst for blood, Hesi Renen knows it well. When her siblings are taken to the harvesting farms, she must do everything she can to get them out, even if it means masquerading as a potential bride to the Mayaware prince. As Hesi wades through a sea of blood and secrets, she must win over not only allies, but maybe even the demon prince, himself. With ties forged and heart burning with want, she discovers how much she is willing to sacrifice to grasp the one thing she must destroy: the Mayaware king's throne. The race to the top is at hand. There is a chance, but not without a price to pay. Delve into a tragic tale about the fight for freedom, the blood borne from betrayal and failure, and the fate of a kingdom built upon the ashes of the innocent. Victory spells freedom, but don't forget―death does too. ˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°•˜"°•.˜"°• © 2023 (First Edition) © 2024 (Second Edition) C/TW: Some scenes in this story contain depictions that might upset or trigger the reader. Please read at your own risk. [70,000 - 75,000 words] [All graphics are made by @sardonictabby] 🏆 MOON AWARD (2nd) - OPEN DOOR AWARDS 2024 🏆 PARANORMAL WINNER - OPEN DOOR AWARDS 2024

CHINESE ARYA STARK meets THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. *A Wattpad Featured story* When everyone wears a mask, who do you trust? In the unforgiving empire of Erden where the Imperials reign supreme, Sarna is a slave. After escaping the brothel where a man burned half her face, she is determined to lead a new life by joining Zichuan Theater as a performer. When an assassination attempt on the crown prince casts suspicion on Zichuan Theater, the fragile foundations of that new life begin to crumble. Incarcerated with a death sentence in line, she is offered a dangerous deal: the crown prince's head in exchange for Zichuan Theater's freedom. To save her theater, Sarna journeys to learn the dark art of Facechanging from a forgotten god, hides herself behind borrowed beauty, and uses her new identity to infiltrate the Jade Palace. But no godly transaction comes without a price. Not only does she find herself trapped not only in a web of court intrigue, but in a battle for control of her body and her life. As time ticks down for her theater, she must decide between her heart and her freedom, or risk losing everything she has ever loved and worked for - including her identity. Highest ranking: #54 in Fantasy (14/2/18) Cover trailer by @Abyss-of-Crazy

Even in death, the dead speak. ✘ ✘ ✘ An investigation is set off by a pair of sleuths after a recording arrives in their laps from the victim himself, detailing how he set off the very murder that killed him...

Everyone has something that kills them inside. The only difference is some people have the illusion of family while others don't even have that anymore.

No one ever knows the whole story... Nestled deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, something is emerging. Kept in absolute secrecy, it seeps into a fading town, quietly shared from person to person. For Alden Bensen, a directionless high school graduate, this discovery could mean an escape from his empty existence. To Rachel DuValle, perpetually underestimated and dismissed by the world, magic represents a chance to become something much greater than herself. In the face of an unsuspecting world, their decisions shape the growth of a budding society discovering untold power. This potent force offers anyone the power to change humanity forever - or send it cascading into swift and total annihilation. ----- The Last Science is an ongoing science-fiction / low-fantasy web novel series. New chapters will be posted on Fridays for as long as it takes to tell the whole story. For Wattpad only, chapters are split up by individual scenes-if you would prefer the whole chapters in single pieces, please visit my homepage or another site where I post this story, thanks! Discord: https://discord.gg/5NYk6za Patreon: https://patreon.com/etzoli Content Warning (by request): This series delves into some topics and situations which may be upsetting for some readers. In American rating parlance, the narrative would be rated PG-13 (except for language), but some have noted the story can get pretty dark on occasion. Please use your best judgment, and don't be afraid to take breaks and come back later. I'll still be here! This story will also be published weekly at my website (https://etzo.li). There will be no differences in content, but slight differences in formatting. Feel free to read at whichever site or app you prefer. If you're enjoying the story, consider dropping me a vote over on Top Web Fiction, or come say hi on Discord. Thanks! Discord: https://discord.gg/5NYk6za Patreon: https://patreon.com/etzoli

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST meets Brandon Sanderson's THE RITHMATIST. Rune Mage: Raising the dead is impossible magic. When Seiren killed her mother and sealed her sister in a stone, she swore to rectify the greatest mistake of her life, even at the cost of her own humanity. She signs up to be a state mage in order to resurrect Madeleine, but the magic-wielding country of Karma and demon-commanding country of Hanna are on the brink of war and state duty prevails over personal desires. Civil unrest and increasing pressure from the king catapults Seiren into a terrifying game of deception, politics, and betrayal. The battle may be against the demon summoners, but the war is against something far darker and more powerful. #27 in Fantasy 30/05/2018. Cover by Stefanie Saw (seventhstar). NaNoWriMo2016 winner. Camp NaNo Apr 2017 winner. Camp NaNo July 2017 winner. 2nd place in the 2017 FreedomAwards. 2nd place in the Quill Award. Winner of Blank Sheet contest. 1st Place in the Sanguine Awards. Also available on RadishFiction, Tapas, and RoyalRoadl.com. Chaos Mage: The rightful punishment for treason and attempted genocide is execution. When Kristen Harred escapes her fate, the magical council and the civilian council clashes. Who would pay for the suffering Karma went through mere months ago? Seiren and Madeleine toe the political line between war and justice in an effort to bring the traitor back, but something deadlier is pulling the strings in this game of cat and mouse -- and they are once again the chess pieces. Camp NaNo Apr 2018 winner.

Switch your normal high school with a boarding school for troubled youths and the 'it' boys with two unnervingly gorgeous mental cases. Don't forget the students are crazy and half the staff have secrets darker than anyone would expect. Then you get Redwood Academy. They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. But whoever is murdering the students one by one only expects one thing. That the new girl, Olivia Mitchell, will get the blame. At a school full of psychopaths, everyone is a suspect.

"You are such a Capricorn, I love that." "I am literally the Grim Reaper."

"Soothe the devils in my head, love me to my death." In which a psychiatrist gets kidnapped by a serial killer, only to lose her mind.