Zu Works
- Reads 218
- Votes 41
- Parts 11
A collection of speculative fiction short stories, mostly of the sci-fi genre from creative writing classes. If you're looking for something to test your critiquing skills, this is the book for you! Some of these are better than others, but were great experiences to help develop my skills. They may not be great, but they were important steps to me honing my craft. As I was once told, you're only as good as your garbage can!
Looking at the UPside-
Join senior Ken Sheridan as he navigates the tedious paperwork of his office government job in an alternate earth not to different from our own. Ken's world is the same as ours in every single way but one.
Breed-
When humanity finally evolves past itself, what happens to the people left behind?
The Last of Graces-
After disaster leaves his home town shattered, Derek can do nothing but observe what's become of society through the lens of one small shattered family.
One Good Son-
What price would you pay for your dream come true?
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Convenant: Mysteries untold
--- Prologue: When Time Bled In the beginning, the world was silent. The rivers had not yet carved the earth. The skies had not yet known the sun. All that existed was Time-endless, unbroken, untamed. From that void, a figure stepped forth. Cloaked in eternity, crowned by shadows, he was the first to name himself Lord. The Lord of Time. With a gesture, he unraveled nothingness into hours, minutes, seconds. With a breath, he bound stars to their paths, chained suns to their cycles, and shackled mortals to the fleeting measure of their days. But even Time cannot reign without hunger. And so he reached beyond his dominion, seeking vessels in which to pour his power-creatures, mortals, children who might one day carry fragments of his eternity. Most shattered beneath the weight. One did not. From the loins of man and the womb of woman, he planted a seed: an heir. A child of two worlds. Flesh and blood... and eternity. Yet fate has always been cruel. The mother, cast into the desolate Survival Lands, bore her son in exile. She fed him with her hands, shielded him with her body, and prayed he would never hear the ticking of the father's clock within his veins. But the Lord of Time does not forget. For though the world may bleed and the stars may crumble, every hour returns to him. Every path converges at his throne of broken hours. And when the child of covenant rises, his steps shall echo across timelines, shattering bonds, forging pacts, and tearing open mysteries long untold. The covenant has already been written. The question is only this: Will he break it-or be broken by it? ---
The Exiled King | ✔
The world plunged into an era of peace, built upon the backs of the last heroes, who protected their realm and then vanished into legend, taking their powers with them. When the lost powers awaken in six strangers across the mortal realm once again, they seek answers... What danger has compelled the powers to reappear after half a century of peace? As demons once again begin to crawl from the fiery realm of the Abyss, it becomes clear that they are not acting on their own - someone cunning is leading them. But something doesn't add up. The deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes and the more uncertain their path forward. Who... or what must they truly save their world from? As destinies unravel and loyalties are tested, one question lingers: What if saving the world... means trusting the very force that could end it? An epic trilogy of gods, mortals, and fates intertwined - where it seems that things may have been set in motion long before anyone could ever have anticipated and the path forward may just be the one that ends in death. Trilogical Compilation | Books 1, 2 & 3 (If the number of chapters seems daunting, just know that most of the chapters are short) [Fans of The Stormlight Archive may enjoy this book] Best Rankings #7 in fantasyadventure (Out of 32.4k stories) #8 in journey (Out of 30.4k stories) Cover by Azanthiel Human written. No AI :) [This is, and always will be, a FREE book. If you see it being SOLD anywhere, it is a stolen copy.]Complete
Echoes and Escapes: A Collection of Short Stories
In the enchanting anthology "Hopes and Escapes: A Collection of Short Stories," readers are transported across a vivid spectrum of human experiences, where the pursuit of hope and the quest for escape intertwine to create an evocative tapestry of narratives. Dormant: Everything lays dormant, until it doesn't anymore...you're never scared until it's too late... Stars: takes readers on a mental trip into a new mindset to finally understand what some people consider, "crazy." The Beautiful Things: is a heartbreaking story about a photographer who can no loner follow their passions- but still tries. Tending To Their Needs: takes a new spin on how people see disabled people within the community. In Wonderland Or Wasteland, the power of choice becomes a pivotal theme, prompting readers to reflect on the divergent path they tread. The Madas Library beckons as a sanctuary of wisdom, serving as a symbol of liberation through times of trials, where everything feels forced away. The Triangle's Strength weaves together three disparate lives, exemplifying the collective resilience found in unity, even when the goals are too closely related... The Shot Heard Around the Office brings to life the tough discussion we all have feared making. What if your boss killed your boyfriend and you saw? Is a job worth a life? Virtually Reality delves into the complexities of modernity, exploring the difficult exceptions you are expected to follow VS the reality you want. As Russian Nesting Doll layers just as deeply as the doll itself. If you could answer you families most desperate secrets at the cost of their reputation...would you do it? Candy Skulls and Sugar Plums explores a patient seeking to fix his last regrets... ( The Full Book can be bought here!!: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGTCY7MY)Complete
Shadow Archive
When the world collapsed, it wasn't war, famine, or plague that brought it down. It was words. Sentient grimoires devoured cities. Living paragraphs swallowed memories. And language itself fractured reality. Kael Orven, once a brilliant young Librarian, now roams the ruins with no past beyond the glyphs carved into his arm-glyphs that burn every time he faces a corrupted text. When he witnesses a book eat a man's face, Kael realizes something terrifying: The words remember him. And they want him back. Forced into an uneasy alliance with Lira Vein, a blind exorcist who "hears corruption," Kael enters the war between Archivists, cults, and Monarch-class Grimoires capable of rewriting the world. But every answer he finds only leads to one terrifying truth: Kael once opened the Shadow Archive... and he is the reason the world collapsed. Now the grimoires are whispering again. The Monarch is returning. And the last line of the world is already being written. To save the future, Kael must walk back into the catastrophe he created- and rewrite the story that erased him. If it doesn't erase him again first. 🔥 Perfect for fans of: dark fantasy, cosmic horror, grim magic systems, emotional duos, tragic pasts, and post-apocalyptic mystery.Complete
The Last Oath: The Decline and Fall
What happens when narration becomes magic and monsters become stories? When meaning crumbles beneath the whispers of tales, and certainties drown in the din of words, truth wears a thousand faces at the windows of night. Survive. When the untold fades, and the unseen is lost. Endure. As kingdoms fall and life ebbs away, as souls awaken only to cage themselves within the lines of pages. Fight. For what remains is a silent longing to wake again, upon the shores of a dream unborn. ------------------------------------------------------------ A multi-character fantasy tale set in a world that has forgotten how to define itself, where eras chase one another in confusion. Knights confront the unknown, detectives battle dragons, and vampires raise dogs. The stars are wrathful, the kingdoms have fallen, and magic stands stripped bare. ---------------------------------------------------------------- For those who do not like indirect suggestion: A cruel, innovative magic system A dark fantasy that blends classic fantasy, horror, and the supernatural. Long story and slow build (although you can judge it in the second chapter) Multiple characters and a big world Exploiting (inspiration from) myths, epics and legends in worldbuilding Legends from all over the world: Europe, Africa, America, Middle East, Australia, Asia, Ireland etc. Mystery, investigation, and the need to analyze, focus, and use your knowledge and abilities to reach conclusions and form your opinion before the characters do (you are part of the investigation, not just the characters) Warning: "Contains graphic violence" "Not suitable for children"
SELFDOM
Sabrina doesn't sleep. For months, her mind has been teetering between reality and nightmares. In a desperate attempt to help her, her friends take her on a trip. But what begins as a simple getaway ends in a massacre. When she wakes up, her memories are fragmented─and, with them, her identity. Now, she's a broken and unstable being in a world that worships her as a savior and fears her as an executioner. 〚 Sync: 0%... 18%... 27%... 〛 An enigmatic system guides her through the chaos. Yet each percentage increase tears away a part of her... or awakens something that has always lurked within. In this struggle of distorted perceptions and twisted morals, not only is her identity at risk, but her very humanity. It's no longer just a matter of remembering who she was. It's about surviving what's awakening in its place. And when the synchronization ends... Who ─or what─ will remain? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 🐍 Main Genres: Dark fantasy, mystery, adventure, action. 🐍 Subgenres: Slow-burn romance, epic fantasy, psychological thriller. 🚩 Warning! This novel contains themes and content that may be distressing to some readers, such as violence, abuse, or other sensitive topics. Discretion is advised.
Infected Realms
**Infected Realms** *The end of the world isn't always what it seems.* A routine sleep study turns into something far more sinister when a group of participants begin experiencing unexplainable phenomena. What starts as an ordinary experiment soon spirals into chaos, as reality itself seems to shift around them. Strange events, impossible memories, and a deadly threat emerge, tearing apart the very fabric of their world. As society begins to unravel, a small group of survivors must band together to confront a terrifying new reality. The infection is spreading, but no one knows how or why. What they do know is that nothing will ever be the same again. In a race against time, they must uncover the truth before the world as they know it falls apart. But some questions might be better left unanswered...Complete
Unmapped
Highest rank #73 in fantasy #18 in voodoo #79 in Philosophy There are times when everything around fades and the voice of the past starts dominating the times. When the waves are lurching high to touch the sky. When you feel the eerie presence within you. Something which is trying to drift away, something tearing you apart. Into two different versions of yourself. What would you do? Destroy the other? or would try to understand it? Love will always be by your side guiding you, showing you path giving you strength, enlightening you. At each and every step. You are risking everything. More precious than your breath. More dangerous than bloodwars. More familiar than unfamiliar. What's going to happen when you are going deeper into the past? What revelations are going to bring it down? What magic is working? Will love save the day? Only the Midnight can tell. Only the Archer can understand. Will they be together in the end? What's going to be unmapped? Catch the Underworld train to know everything;)Complete
Sharp - An Anthology in 25 Stories
A collection of twenty-five stories, 'Sharp' is based on a made-up subreddit from the website 'Reddit' called r/Sharp, a forum where people share stories either made up or real. Some stories are long, some stories are ones broken up into parts. All equally unbelievable. I am glad to experiment with different forms, and as much as I enjoyed writing it, I hope you enjoy reading this, recommendable with a text-to-speech reader. And I hope you will further enjoy art like this. --Me. (Obligatory Technicals: This project will publish in intervals of between 5-6 stories a week, with bigger stories being cut up and serve as stories in the slots. I will also be uploading this story on the site Royal Road, where I have an account and a profile of the same name, 'Denno Luciano,' profile number '805323.' Finally, if you disapprove of any instances where the content is AI-assisted, AI-edited, and AI-picture-filtered [where I take an already existing photo and use AI to add a filter for the sake of creative versatility and experimentation], especially with the stories Sharp 4, Sharp 5, Sharp 7, Sharp 15, and three other stories, please exit the book and block my account. No need for any transgressive, offensive and advantageous, attacks against me. If you don't like it, leave. Simple as that. And then... enjoy reading, people.)Complete
The Good, The Bad and The Occastionally Ugly
A collection of stories and poems and such that I have written. More will be added as time goes on. Here is a list with what I have so far: Sky's Tears- A man sits waiting for a train when something unexpected happens. Five- A group of scientists search a spaceship after getting a distress call. Pride- A girl and her mother watch the daily report. Fate, I Suppose- A woman gets confronted by the past and fate, arriving hand in hand. Tammy's Great Fall- A poem about a fateful day at the circus. Ma- An assassin finishing his shift. What if- What if the world were to end in 10 days? Point of View- Three point of views at a wedding. Perfect- A woman visits her neighbors house. Finding Peace- A man's final minutes. On the Theory of Rain and Mars- A girls dreams and her life on Mars. Memories of Snow-A girl's memories of someone close to her. A Story-A woman finds something of her mother's that rises many questions. To Be A Conductor-I sometimes wonder what it's like to be a conductor... The Little Book- A girl finds a little book in a coffee shop. Glitter!- A man finds an old friend at his door.Complete
--- Prologue: When Time Bled In the beginning, the world was silent. The rivers had not yet carved the earth. The skies had not yet known the sun. All that existed was Time-endless, unbroken, untamed. From that void, a figure stepped forth. Cloaked in eternity, crowned by shadows, he was the first to name himself Lord. The Lord of Time. With a gesture, he unraveled nothingness into hours, minutes, seconds. With a breath, he bound stars to their paths, chained suns to their cycles, and shackled mortals to the fleeting measure of their days. But even Time cannot reign without hunger. And so he reached beyond his dominion, seeking vessels in which to pour his power-creatures, mortals, children who might one day carry fragments of his eternity. Most shattered beneath the weight. One did not. From the loins of man and the womb of woman, he planted a seed: an heir. A child of two worlds. Flesh and blood... and eternity. Yet fate has always been cruel. The mother, cast into the desolate Survival Lands, bore her son in exile. She fed him with her hands, shielded him with her body, and prayed he would never hear the ticking of the father's clock within his veins. But the Lord of Time does not forget. For though the world may bleed and the stars may crumble, every hour returns to him. Every path converges at his throne of broken hours. And when the child of covenant rises, his steps shall echo across timelines, shattering bonds, forging pacts, and tearing open mysteries long untold. The covenant has already been written. The question is only this: Will he break it-or be broken by it? ---
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