Xenobiologist Evelyn Calloway has always been drawn to the mysteries of the alien world she calls home. But when she's captured by the Vrakk'eshi-an elusive, spider-like species dismissed as legend-she's thrust into a web of survival and discovery. Taken to the sprawling underground city of Zek'rethan, she must navigate their silken labyrinth of rituals and judgment, reluctantly guided by Tzakar, a stoic warrior who views her kind as unwelcome trespassers.
As Evelyn struggles to bridge the divide between fear and understanding, she uncovers the intricate beauty of the Vrakk'eshi's culture: From the shimmering Weave, a web of life and connection, to their unyielding reverence for balance. Yet the closer she gets to unlocking their secrets, the more she realizes she may not be a prisoner by chance, but a thread in a design far greater than herself.
When the line between captor and protector begins to blur, Evelyn and Tzakar are drawn together in ways neither can resist nor fully understand. But with the threat of war looming and ancient rivalries stirring, the fragile threads binding them could snap, plunging both of their worlds into chaos.
Tangled Strands is a hauntingly beautiful tale of forbidden connection, alien wonder, and the delicate balance between instinct and understanding. For those who dare to see monsters as more than their fangs, who see beauty and wonder in the strange and unknown. For those who seek to belong in the midst of uncertainty, who find love where the world says it cannot exist. And for those who believe that even the most fragile of threads can bridge the deepest divides, this one's for you.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED! That this is under heavy editing. (Don't worry, story and so on is very much still the same.)
Rayne, a girl born into tragedy, is haunted by a traumatic past, burdened by the memories of killing her father and witnessing her mother's death. Bullied and isolated, she often struggles with self-doubt, thinking that she's better off dead than alive. But when her tormentor goes too far, Rayne attempts to end her misery once and for all.
Yet, instead of the long-awaited death, Rayne finds herself thrust into a fantasy realm alongside her classmates. The only difference is that while others are bestowed with noble roles, she is cursed with the gift of necromancy, a grim reminder of her past deeds. Stuck with this ominous title for life, Rayne is also struck with the bad news of no way back. In this harsh new world, not only must she survive from external threats in the form of its cruel inhabitants and her unfeeling classmates, she is also not safe from her own inner demons that has been eating her away all this time.
However, despite the nightmare surrounding her new fate, Rayne finds unexpected solace in a beautiful woman. The catch? She's a vicious kumiho capable of devouring her whole if she is not too careful.