dark

In a fantastical world where strength reigns supreme, power determines everything. With strength, you can have it all—you can ignore reason, abandon morality and virtue, and even trample on the most basic human rights. ... Since that’s how the world works, don’t blame me for refusing to play by the rules anymore! Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon. Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997

In his previous hollow life, Alek was a nobody. After a freak accident, he gets transported to another world where Heaven and Hell exist. On top of that, he becomes the vessel of an ancient evil feared by the mass. Now granted the opportunity to experience a more eventful life, Alek will waste not a single second to enjoy and make the most of it in the most unhinged and unorthodox way he's never been able to. Unfortunately, his inexperience from basic human interaction holds him back from acting like a normal, socially acceptable person in this new land. The spread of an unknown Infestation across the desolate land, the two factions obscured in enigmatic darkness that are on the hunt for him, the bothersome people that somehow find a reason to continue interacting with him, and the (Needy) embodiment of unholy amalgamation that resides within him aren't the only things he has to tolerate in his new danger filled life. Along with his obliviousness, he must traverse his new life with the dark and unsettling vibe the people around him think he has. A dark fantasy/dumb fun comedy about an awkward idiot and his shenanigans.

I've been sick ever since I can remember. My dad's a drunk prick, and he doesn't treat my mom very well. My girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend, because she figures I'm going to die soon anyways. They all do. Hell, they're probably right. I've been to countless doctors, and they can't figure out what is wrong with me aside from the fact that my body is slowly shutting down. I don't have any friends anymore. My dad doesn't allow me home anymore, and apparently, I'm not even their real son. That was a real kick in the teeth. Only my mom tries to talk to me still, but there's always hell to pay if my dad catches her. At this point, I've accepted my end, and I wish it would just hurry up. At least, that's what I told myself, until I came across a new fuzzy little friend that would change my entire life. My name is Elias Crosse, and my tale is about get crazy. Notes: This story features an OP MC, so power development and growth isn't really present for him, although there is some. A lot of the growth mainly comes from other characters, and features a focus on said characters. Elias is also not someone who puts up with other character's bullshit, and routinely puts them in their place. I am tired of the trope of characters hiding their powers, or letting other characters walk all over them and theirs because they are not strong enough to do anything. I don't exactly know how to describe my story in terms of a genre. It has action, it has slice of life, and it has romance. There is no fade to black, and I can be very descriptive. This is also a HAREM story. If you don't like that kind of thing, you will not upset me by not reading it. I'd prefer you didn't, honestly. I have been fixing, updating, and changing somethings for consistency, to improve the story, the grammar and errors, and for things to make more sense. Some things may change, as this is a work in progress. The more I write, the better I feel I am becoming. I just write, and I have the ideas of where I am going in my head, but other than that, I just write the story as I see fit. As such, I forget some things, I miss somethings, and most often, some ideas in my head get jumbled together and it ends up not making sense some times. I am working to correct that as best as I can.

Arthur Moreau disappeared during a live broadcast. No warning. No transition. No last words. One moment he was finishing a world event in front of fifty thousand viewers. The next, he was gone — and what arrived somewhere else was Gepetto: his character, his creation, the identity he had spent years building inside a game that no longer contained him. The world that received him has existed through dozens of eras. Civilizations rose and collapsed long before humanity had a word for either. What walks its roads now — human and elf and dragon and beast-kind and peoples whose names don't translate — are the living residue of everything that already happened here. The gods who shaped the early eras did not all survive them. The world doesn't advertise how much of it is arrangement of ruins. Elysion is a Republic in the way that a cracked foundation is still a building. Beneath the gas lamps and the elevated rails, the actual structure is simpler: those with enough weight act as though permission doesn't apply to them. The working class breathes chemical residue and calls it employment. There is no king. There are only consequences. The Church of the Solar God holds it together, which is not a metaphor. The Solar God is not a symbol. He walks. He acts. He has reasons of his own. Nine others arrived the way Gepetto arrived — carrying what they built inside the game, now operating in a world where what they touch does not reset. They are not heroes. They are ten people who understood a system well enough to reach its limits, placed inside a reality where the limits are elsewhere and the other Players have their own intentions. Gepetto does not try to fight it. He studies it. While others assert themselves through force or faith or the assumption that visibility equals strength, he builds something quieter. A structure: distributed, patient, invisible until it is not. The story that begins with one man in one city does not stay there. The skills are real now. The strings are real. And what they touch does not reset. Because the puppeteer pulls the strings. But in a world this old, someone is always watching. AUTHOR'S NOTE: House of Puppets is not a power fantasy. It's slow by design — the kind that accumulates, not the kind that stalls. The story starts small and expands aggressively. The pacing shifts across volumes. It will surprise you in directions you didn't see coming. Tonal influences: Lord of Mysteries, Reverend Insanity, the Soulsborne tradition, Dostoevsky. Not references — register. I'm a reader who started this by studying what great work does and trying to do that. The story is strange and volatile partly because of that, and I think that's also why some of it works. The ambition is real. The reading will tell you if it got there. [This work is currently on hiatus. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I haven't abandoned it (at least not forever!). I promise to come back and continue the story later on.]

Living a story, many wish to enter their favourite book... But what if you actually could? That is the reality that Aether Moirai lives in, where readers bound to the Codex system can enter stories and grow stronger by changing their endings. But while awakening for most is a blessing, for the little Prince Aether, it had been a curse more than anything; he had been given this title at the worst moment of his life, trapped inside an enemy Kingdom that wanted his head, and to make it worse, his powers were those of a God, which, while it might seem like a good thing, had been the opposite. Between having to care about his own mental health and get stronger so his body doesn't get taken over, and trying to find himself, he also has to worry about the past he has no idea about, since it seems he's more connected to the world than he had thought. He has to decide if he wants to step into the role the world has given him, as the Vessel of one of the five gods of the world, or become a person of his own without losing himself. Quite a harsh world for one that seems like a fairy tale on paper... But what if those stories also have something to say about people entering them... that would make it way worse, wouldn’t it... P/S POTA is a novel with a lot of deaths; a lot of characters die. It’s a very dark novel for a reason, with no fear of gruesome and ugly scenes, but also one with a very complicated system and a lot of niche mechanics, and above all, the protagonist himself changes a lot through the story, and every part of his change is going to be shown, even the bad times. When it comes to uploads, there are two new chapters daily.

The boys summoned from Earth were meant to be heroes. Instead, they became slaves. Branded as expendable weapons by the empire that summoned them, the group later known as the Strays survives through rebellion, escape, and bloodshed. Freedom comes at a cost—and now powerful nobles, mercenary orders, and kingdoms hunt the runaway summons who were never meant to live. Armed with stolen magic and hard-earned scars, the Strays travel a continent consumed by war, searching for one impossible prize: a way back to Earth. But in a world that profits from their existence, escaping may mean tearing down the very empires that control it.

Destini never expected her new apartment to lead her into a world of danger and forbidden love. After a drunken mistake, she stumbles into the wrong apartment, only to encounter Gabriel, a handsome and enigmatic landlord with a deadly secret. As their paths cross, Destini discovers that Gabriel is no ordinary man—he’s a demon bound by a curse, and his past is filled with darkness and deceit. Despite the growing tension between them, an undeniable attraction ignites, pulling Destini deeper into Gabriel’s world. But as she unravels the mysteries surrounding the apartment building, she realizes that the cost of discovering the truth may be more than she’s willing to pay. With danger lurking around every corner, Destini must decide if she can trust Gabriel or if she’s simply another pawn in his dangerous game. Will love conquer the curse, or will the demon’s kiss consume them both?

After awakening from his once-wanted eternal rest, Oren finds himself slowly fading away, hopeless and yet still living. Before he could finally die, his survival instincts kicked in, and when he next awoke, he found himself in another world. There, once divine, he finds himself mortal amongst humans in a Ruined Realm where Enlightenment is seen as natural and creatures roam freely, one of many being Erols. Yet beyond its strange inhabitants and unnatural phenomena lie mysterious connections to divinity. Armed with knowledge from a different world, Oren struggles to understand what remains familiar. His growing desire for understanding only makes his life increasingly perilous.

Lightborn is the centerpiece of the Dawnbringer series of novels in the world of Irándiel, upon the small continent of Telmérion, cold and rugged and yet inhabited since the beginning of human history by the first family of humankind. Though the setting is high fantasy—a work of co-creative imagination fashioning a mythical world with its own history and geography—the plot and the ins-and-outs of the world are deeply realistic, portraying as it were an ancient and long-forgotten past of our own world. Or more precisely, what is offered here is a mythical exposition of the true past that we all share—with very little magic or other fantasy tropes, but with a great deal of “magic,” in other words, a world filled with wonders and terrors of all kinds, from the ancient guardians of the world, the Anaíon, to vicious and deadly beasts such as dragons, eötenga, and vru’ádach. The characters thus find themselves caught in the cosmic battle between light and darkness, between the weakness of love and the power of hate, which casts its rays and its shadows also into the heart of every man and woman. The journey marked out before their feet calls for integrity, fidelity, and heroism, and also something more, something that lies at the heart of every good adventure and every life, and which is the very measure of man. When Eldárien returns to his homeland after many years away—burdened by the awareness that he has perpetrated great evil at the hands of an Empire whose knight he has become—he encounters a continent riven by strife and war and threatened by creatures even more horrifying, born of the very darkness itself. He wishes to lay aside the sword, to leave behind a past marked with violence and bloodshed, but he also longs to aid his people against the forces that endanger their very existence. And such a path he cannot walk alone, facing obstacles both within and without, and he finds given to him both the light that he wishes to serve and friends to share the journey. All the while the land that he loves slides inexorably into conflict, into what shall be known henceforth as the War of Darkness, and he and those to whom he is joined are called upon to share the fate of their people, looking forward in hope to the promised coming of dawn after darkest night.

Lyle, Artus and Ember who was raised and trained through out their entire childhood in a military academy established for the defense of their nation and everything that it holds dear, survives the leveling of their academy the day of their graduation. Now they navigate being given a duty keeping intimate with life-and-death on an unfamiliar continent searching for a new purpose, enduring unforeseen struggles, friendships and growth while working for a man hated by nearly every nation.

In a world where magic is forbidden and witches are hunted, Ashlynn Blackwell has hidden her mark of the witch since birth. The night of her wedding she's betrayed and her secret is exposed. Attacked by her husband and his knights, Ashlynn was abandoned and left for dead in the wilderness. Rescued by the vampire lady Nyrielle, Ashlynn is offered a choice: die as a human or embrace her power as a witch. Bound by a mystical blood pact, Ashlynn is plunged into a world of ancient magic, immortal vampires, and deadly political intrigue for the chance to find eternal love. [Bronze Winner: Weekly Love Tales - Vampire] [Book of the Month: September/October 2024]

Nanajūhachi Asuka, a soul from the 78th district of Rukongai, is cast into the world of Demon Slayer as a disposable experiment. Lacking a "system" or "cheat-codes," he relies solely on his raw Reiryoku (spiritual power) and the survival instincts of a street dog. Asuka is taken in by Tetsushin Arisaki, mastering Wind Breathing alongside his peer, Suzune. This peace is shattered when Lower Rank Two, Rokuro, massacres their home. Master Arisaki sacrifices himself, triggering the awakening of Asuka’s unique ability: Nugata—the power to devour demon essence and convert it into spiritual energy. Driven by cold vengeance, Asuka joins the Demon Slayer Corps. His presence at Mount Natagumo changes the tide, as his "serrated" strikes—infused with spiritual pressure—permanently stall demon regeneration. This "new variable" catches the attention of Muzan Kibutsuji, who begins purging the Lower Ranks to prepare for this emerging threat. Through training at the Butterfly Estate and sparring with the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, Asuka realizes a vital truth: traditional Wind Breathing is a "shoe that doesn't fit" his spiritual nature. He begins the journey to transcend established styles, seeking to forge an Original Breath that bridges the gap between a Soul Society ghost and a mortal swordsman.

This story follows a young man named Prince Jacob. On a day that he was meant to enjoy, he gets marked with an insidious skull, seemingly locking a dreadful destiny in place. He soon realizes that his kingdom's problems are nothing compared to the horrors living beyond the stone walls. Despite destiny going against him, Jacob continues pursing his impossible dream through miserable trials and unravelling dozens of mysteries about his world.

That time when I got isekai'd into the body of an Assassin Pathway boatswain of Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy, and got the Assassin System. Clearly, there was only one thing for me to do, digest the potions, and switch to Iron Blooded Knight of the Red Priest Pathway as soon as possible. Everything that happened in between is just a story to tell. There will be pirate hunting. __________ What to expect [content warning]: Gender bending, double gender bending, Yuri. __________ There will be lots of spoilers here, for LotM and COI both. Lomers don't argue, it'll always be Lord of the Mysteries, not Lord of Mysteries (coping) __________ Not* a translation. No AI slop. Never will be. __________ Crossposted on RoyalRoad and AO3 under pen name MetaphoricallyAlive

[Trigger Warning: This semi dark fantasy romance contains few mature themes.] SYNOPSIS: •A WORLD BUILT ON LIES• Long ago, humans lived unaware of the supernatural beings hidden among them—werewolves with their primal instincts, witches whispering spells in the dark, and elves with their ancient, watchful eyes. For centuries, they coexisted in fragile silence. Then, everything shattered. Near the shadow-drenced woods of the Shadow pack kingdom, human traveler stumbled upon a gruesome scene: an old woman’s lifeless body, her skin ashen, her wounds gaping like accusations. A few paces away lay a dead werewolf, its throat ripped open, its muzzle still flecked with blood. The truth was undeniable—monsters walked among them. Fear ignited war. Humans, armed with fire and steel, hunted the supernatural races. Witches and elves were dragged into the slaughter, their homes burned, their people butchered. The bloodshed raged until King Alfred V of the Amethyst Kingdom stood before the four Werewolf Kings—Silverhowl, Crimsonheart, Shadow, and Atlassian —and offered a deal drenched in poison. A sacrifice for peace. Every twenty years, each human family would surrender a daughter to the werewolves. And in return, the future Alpha Kings must wed a human—or the war would reignite. The werewolves agreed. The witches and elves retreated, their hatred festering like an open wound. The world remained fractured, its peace a fragile lie. --- •THE PROPHECY OF FIRE• In the hidden Blaze Tribe, where crimson eyes burned like embers, the seer Prophetia foresaw annihilation. "Our people will fall," she rasped, her voice trembling. "But from the ashes, a girl will rise—the one who will bring true peace… and the one they will slaughter for it." The tribe made a desperate pact. They would cast a spell—a curse of forgotten memory—erasing their existence from the world’s mind. Their souls would be the price, but their legacy would live on in Ovelia, the child of prophecy. The night the Blaze Tribe fell, Ovelia’s parents hid her in the whispering forest, their hands shaking as they sealed a goddess—Firera—inside her infant body. Then, they turned to face their doom. --- •FATE’S CRUEL WHISPER• Ace Draven—half-werewolf, half-witch prince of Silverhowl—had never believed in destiny. Until he found a crying infant in the forest. His wolf, Fenrir, howled in recognition. A crimson thread shimmered between them—mates. But Firera, watching from within Ovelia’s soul, snarled. "She’s a child. This is too soon." With a flick of her wrist and spell, she tore the memory from Ace’s mind, leaving only an empty ache in his chest. --- •TWENTY YEARS LATER: A SACRIFICE IGNITES• Ovelia has spent her life as a slave, raised by the cruel mayor of Timberline Village—a man who would gladly sacrifice her to spare his own daughter. The night of the sacrifice, the air reeks of damp earth and iron. Torches flicker as the werewolves emerge from the shadows. And then—Ace Draven steps forward. Their eyes meet. Fenrir *howls*. Ace’s claws unsheathe, his breath ragged. He doesn’t understand why his wolf is clawing at his ribs, why his pulse hammers at the sight of this stranger. But the bond between them burns hotter than vengeance. Ovelia doesn’t know him. He doesn’t recognize her. And yet, their souls scream in unison.

“Time is knowledge, and history is knowledge, but oftentimes a mystery of knowledge and the epitome of time. And madness eats when one consumes by it. As such, time is but motion, for the moment you move, your hand creates past, present and to the future.” –Archsage Azageis– Time is not a river. It is a road… and everyone walks it without knowing where it ends. Invited— when Natalak is drawn from his world and set upon that road, he is not given a mission or a crown but free will of choosing. He instead, he is placed into Vashkeil, a land governed by systems older than morality itself. Vashkeil is a land of guilds, gods, and empires bound together by trade, magic, and fragile balance. As wars rise and ancient forces stir, and unseen mechanism turns, Natalak moves through the conflict himself moving through wars he did not begin and decisions he cannot escape. It follows a man who doesn’t seek power. Rather, he seeks understanding. This is not a tale of conquest, but of traversal. And on this travel draws many things. The Traveler’s Time is a slow-burning epic about existence, consequence, and the cost of asking “why.”. It tells a man who walks the road between law and chaos, fate and destiny, searching for meaning in a world where every answer carries a cost.

A story of a transmigrator returning once more to the moment it all began… The splendor and humiliation of his past life have long faded. In this life, the road to power must be walked from the very beginning. The path of the strong is one of solitude. Indifference, ruthlessness, deception, patience… If any of these can serve as shortcuts to strength, he will take them without hesitation! •. •. YO! Tetsuya (MC) doesn’t focus only on Poison-types, he has several others. It’s just that in the "previous timeline", that was his specialty and he became skilled at it. Any normal person would start with what they’re good at and then expand into other paths (Types). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 CH/W Disclaimer. This fanfic is an translation by the author 岑自省. All rights to the original work belong to its creator.

Humans were all living with each other in peace from the beginning. They do things together in unity and without violence. But as time goes on, abilities and other strange powers started to manifest, and these abilities started to cause a rift between them. The strong started oppressing the weak and then the world became Imbalance. Some humans started becoming inhuman, while some became so vicious and evil. Some of them were having having dark evil powers, some of them were pertaining to magic and the normal elemental ability users. In order make peace, they made a deal. After that, they all seperated and went to form places which they call realms. It was far from the human dimension. Those who has dark evil powers moved to a seperate place called the dark realm, and organised themselves. Those who uses magic and humans who uses normal abilities elemental abilities remained where they are which was called the mortal realm, but the magic users remained in another location, not mingling with the humans who uses normal abilities. The humans who lost their humanity and became cursed spirits, undead, demons and so on, moved to a separate realm called the abyssal realm. There was a man who lost his way to his realm and went to another realm. He met a woman there. And as time went on, the both them had affair, and later disappeared. Their disappearance was about to cause war. These two lovers had two children, a boy and a girl. After they were born, a revelation was given that, one of the children will be responsible for the end of the war and will be at the top of the world, he'll rule all the realms.