Every year, Lyra's village gathers beneath the ancient statues of the Fates, offering prayers and sacrifices to keep the creeping darkness at bay. The Ruined Kingdom stands in the distance, a forbidden place where no one enters and no one leaves. A place ruled by a king who does not age, does not die, and does not care for the world beyond his walls. Lyra has never believed in fate, only in survival. With her mother's health failing, she is willing to do whatever it takes to save what little she has left. But when this year's ritual goes terribly wrong, Lyra is taken-ripped from the life she knows and thrust into the heart of a kingdom lost to time. There, she is told she has been chosen. That she, along with others, must vie for the favor of a king no one has seen in over a century. But something is wrong within the castle's walls. Whispers of the past haunt her steps, and the King-cold, untouchable, and shrouded in secrets-watches her too closely. As shadows stir and forgotten magic awakens, Lyra begins to question everything she's been told about the Ruined Kingdom. And, more importantly, about herself. Because the deeper she delves into the mystery of the King and the kingdom he rules behind the walls, the more she realizes: Some destinies are written in blood. And some fates are meant to be broken.

"My mother warned me the fae are closer to gods than men. She never warned me what happens when gods wake up." The night the moon shattered it rained glittering shards upon the world. Fragments of divine power, each capable of increasing one's power and rendering the immortal Fae truly deathless. For the Fae King Kairos, they are not only his hope to save his crumbling Night Court from oblivion. They are a necessity to securing his rule and destroying those who oppose him. For Aylara Al'thaire, they bring only ruin. Aylara sees what others cannot: the golden threads of fate binding every soul to the connections they make in life. This gift has protected her human village for generations. But when Kairos's army storms her home, slaughtering all in their hunt for the fallen shards, her sight offers no escape. Only a bargain. To save her people, Aylara pledges herself to the Night King. In return for their lives, she will enter his treacherous court as his pawn-posed as his concubine, forced to use her unraveling gift to root out the traitor threatening his throne amidst the trials. As courts clash and ancient powers stir, Aylara walks a razor's edge: one misstep means her village burns and her fragile alliance with Kairos shatters, or the terrifying power of the shards consumes them all. Survival demands trust. But in the courts of fae, trust is the deadliest trial of all. ***************************** Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (18+) Themes: - Enemies to lovers - Strong female main character - Protective / obsessive male main character - Fated mates - Prisoner-ally relationship - Court politics - Trails And so much more! Book one of The Celestial Bodies Series

Most of us long to "Be" but when the path gets too costly, or steep, we take solace in what we "Have." Remove the trappings of what we own and then what is the sum of us? They were the survivors, abandoned by the allies who swore to protect, in the ultimate gesture of greed and betrayal. Their world plunged into annihilation and chaos. With the passage of years in this blighted landscape order was established anew. Those who had been anonymous before the war found their will to rule, those who had experienced the comforts and ease of western life, thrust into darkness and despair. This brutal conflict had awoken those long sleeping, those who had ceased to care, those of immense power, the ones entrusted with the safe keeping of the often volatile mankind. Although their parallel world too was at risk, lethargy and arrogance ruled them. Against the backdrop of this savage landscape the saga of three such tribes of survivors unfold, and the unwitting chosen among them. One tribe sought to prosper via savagery, one by organized military might, and the other who ruled with no more than fairness and love. Three tribes thrown together, competing for the limited resources to survive, in a world teetering on the brink of total decimation. Driven by human avarice.

[COMPLETED] War. Sacrifice. Two inevitabilities of human nature come together once more as the human race encounters its latest Great Filter. The Covenant. A genocidal alien alliance hell-bent on the utter destruction of man-kind. A theocratic society convinced that humanity is the only thing standing in its way between eternal damnation, and ascension to godliness. As humanity quickly realizes they're outmanned, outmatched, and outgunned they call on the young and vibrant to defend their way of life. Joseph Gray. An ordinary young man living an ordinary life finds his society crumbling apart at the seams due to an ever-intensifying plague of insurrection that seems to spread faster than it can be quelled. After joining the Marines to make a difference, to bring stability to his society, he soon realizes that he's no more than a minuscule cog in a very large machine. Harvest. A major farming colony at the edge of UNSC-controlled space goes offline. Just as Gray thinks he'll coast out his short-term service in the Corps, tragedy strikes, and a new player enters the field. Now Gray must desperately juggle the responsibilities of maintaining his relationship with the girl of his dreams, raising a future family, surviving the Covenant onslaught, and most of all: Keeping his humanity. The Covenant doesn't play by the rules in their quest to exterminate humanity, and as the UNSC grows desperate, Gray's world will be rocked time and time again. ***Warning: Mature Content*** Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Halo. As a fan-fiction, this story features my characters and my story in Halo's setting. (I will also be posting the links to all the sources I used upon completion of the novel) Please enjoy! :)

Naomi believed her life was ordinary, her challenges no different from anyone else's-until the day she was torn from her world. Abducted through a mysterious portal and thrust into a breathtaking yet dangerous realm, Naomi finds herself face-to-face with Creed, a powerful and enigmatic ruler who reveals truths that shake the very foundation of her existence. She is no ordinary human; she is a Starseed, a being of immense power tied to a prophecy that spans dimensions. Trapped in Creed's world and cut off from her sister, Naomi struggles to reconcile her awakening powers with her fear of the unknown. Creed, a man with secrets of his own, insists she is the key to saving not just his people but the universe itself. But trust is not easily earned, and Naomi's defiance might be her only shield in a world where alliances are fragile, and betrayal lurks in every shadow. As the Dark Forces close in, hunting her for reasons she cannot yet fully understand, Naomi must decide whether to embrace her destiny or risk losing everything-and everyone-she holds dear. With time running out, she discovers that survival demands more than courage; it requires her to unlock the truth of who she is, even if it means forging an unbreakable bond with the one man who could destroy her. In a universe where light and darkness wage a timeless war, Naomi's choices will shape the fate of worlds. But will she rise to the challenge, or will the weight of her destiny crush her before she can fight back?

Eliora May, a lifetime citizen of Maplemaw, is something many women are not. Literate. An activist. But these become hard to complete as all is stripped away from her with the coming of unexpected news. Marriage and war between the faeires and elves of Ilkaphene. A land of magic, where flowers and fungi grow as tall as their castles. Where forest creatures live in harmony. A land of peace. A land where a fairy married an elf. A fairy princess marrying an elf princess at that. Eliora begins to hear rumors of the war. How it was destroying an ethereal land. And, worst of all, how women were being silenced to prevent more "corruption". As the war and its standards begin to seep into Elvangmort, changing Eliora's home into one of constrictions, hushed whispers, and worst of all, a hatred toward women, she knows that she must do something to save her freedom and the freedoms of those around her. *** This is my submission for ONC 2025! Main prompt: 33. In a time when same-sex marriage was still a stigma, two kings defy convention and marry each other-igniting a conflict that threatens to spark a world war Secondary prompts: 43. During a wartime book ban, a young woman discovers love letters hidden in the margins of a historical book. As she reads, she unravels a mystery about her family and finds love of her own. 96. The road you've traveled almost every day of your life begins to change-transforming it into a dark, terrifying place right before your eyes. 109. In secret, a group of women forms a book club during the ban on reading. As they sneak around town exchanging books, they form unexpected friendships, navigate their love lives, and uncover hidden strengths and passions. Story playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0qRA9ENIMuYf6UuYmtXlkd?si=6yrjpvyWSwWC9nz-URZq3g TW: Abuse, homophobia, violence, death The beautiful cover and banner was created by @sulkytae!

Aurelia just wants to live a peaceful life. Unfortunately, the Heir of the Underground has other plans for her... ~ Left on the steps of the chapel at birth, Aurelia is taken in and trained to serve the High King, the defeater of the Fey. Only, unbeknownst to many, the Fey aren't truly gone. Though highly underpopulated, the Fey remain hidden in the Underground. They keep to themselves and avoid humans at all costs, all except for one charmingly mysterious Fey: The Heir of the Underground. And, much to Aurelia's horror, he's looking for her. And he's not at all opposed to crashing the High King's annual ball if it means getting to speak to her and reveal the truth of her heritage-a truth that Aurelia is not ready to face. But one can only avoid the truth for so long, and the more she fights who she is meant to be, the more danger she creates, not only for herself but for everyone she encounters along the way. One way or another, Aurelia is destined to go to the Underground. There, a mystery that only she can face is waiting to be solved. And the love of a lifetime is waiting for her and depending on her to help crack the case. ~ [Currently editing. Feel free to call out typos or spots that need clarified] ~ [Book 1 of 3 in The Underground Trilogy]

She was ordered to kill. He was ordered to protect. Are their souls destined to intertwine? In a world where magic is forbidden, two of the deadliest people are about to collide. Talia Nightshade is a ruthless assassin with a singular mission: kill the last heir of the Crescent Moon Dynasty, whose bloodline holds the key to unimaginable power. Darius Graves, the enigmatic Guardian, who is sworn to protect the realm from all threats-even those that come cloaked in beauty and darkness. As their paths cross in a deadly game of cat and mouse, the lines between duty and desire begin to blur. Talia is prepared to kill without hesitation, and the only thing standing in her way is Darius. But Darius is unlike any challenge she's had to face before-dangerous, cunning, and maddeningly irresistible. Bound by their conflicting missions and haunted by the secrets of their pasts, they find themselves drawn into a web of bloodshed and betrayal where trust is a luxury neither can afford. With every clash of their swords, their connection deepens, leaving Talia questioning her resolve and Darius doubting his loyalty. But in a world where betrayal is a deadly currency and magic is a force too powerful to be tamed, their growing attraction could be their undoing. With forces conspiring against them and the fate of the realm hanging in the balance, Talia and Darius must make an impossible choice: remain loyal to their missions or surrender to the desire that could destroy them both. In the end, they will discover that sometimes the most dangerous enemy is the one who holds your heart. "Blood and Betrayal" is a gripping tale of passion, power, and the thin line between love and hate. Will they sacrifice everything for the sake of their destinies , or will love prove to be the ultimate betrayal?