½ Prince - Volume 4 Chapter 1

800 years ago, 3000 dimensional gates opened across the entire world. In that moment, it was as if 3000 different colored eyes opened across the world as hordes of monsters swarmed out of these gates like tears.

Some could destroy city walls with one strike; They had bodies the size of a giant and fed on humans

Some latched onto humans, absorbing their bodies’ nutrients and enslaving humans

Some infiltrated the humans’ cities, disguising themselves as normal human beings while feeding upon human blood to sustain themselves.

In a night, the Human race fell to the bottom of the food chain.

The world had turned into a paradise for monsters…

- Description from Novelupdates

Sara Falcone, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Falcone family, has always been bright, ambitious, and determined. Groomed to take over her father’s empire, she quickly rose to prominence as the company’s CEO, earning respect in the business world.But when Falcone Industries teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, her world begins to crumble.Desperate to save her family’s legacy, Sara turns to the last person she ever thought she would, her greatest rival, and once, her secret crush: Luca De Augustino.Cold, calculating, and infuriatingly powerful, Luca offers her a way out, but at a cost. In exchange for rescuing her company, she must agree to a contract marriage with him.Luca De Augustino, heir and CEO of the mighty Augustino Group, was raised to lead without compromise and to never bow to anyone. Yet there was one person who always challenged him, Sara. Years ago, when she confessed her feelings, he shattered her heart with cruel rejection.Seven long years have passed since that day, but fate brings them back together. Now, bound by a one-year contract marriage, Sara must navigate a dangerous game of pride, power, and unresolved emotions while Luca sees this as his chance to finally claim the one woman who once loved him.~~~~~“You think I'll help you just because you pathetically kneel in front of me!” Luca chuckled. “What happened to the woman who always held her head high in pride?”“If you don't want to help me, then just say so!” Sara raised her voice. Standing up, she turned to leave when Luca grasped her hand, thus making her turn to him.“Fine, I'll help you. But there's a condition,” Luca pronounced.“And what's this condition?” asked Sara.“Become Mrs. De Augustino. In short, marry me, Sara Falcone.”~~~~~*All the names and places used in the story have nothing to do with the reality. It's a fiction.*

[mafia, crazy love, abusive love]She was reborn, returned to the age of 18, when she already possessed a colossal fortune. In the previous life, she was executed on the street and died tragically merely due to a dangerous man she'd encountered once.After being reborn, she decided to change her fate. As she pondered how to avoid him, she unexpectedly discovered his name on the list of beneficiaries of the charity.“Can I kill someone?” She asked her assistant.“No. The law binds you!”So, to survive in this life, she tricked him back home. Initially, she believed it to be a means of repayment.Until one day, she felt his gaze become terrifying. She saved him, but accidentally led him down a more terrifying path. Everything had spiraled out of control…When they meet again, he is already a terrifying demon. With blood on his face, he forced her into a corner and said, “Be my mistress, or let me be yours.”She threatened him with a knife, but he laughed even more brightly and held her hand, saying, “You're afraid of me? Ok, I'll teach you how to hurt me the most.” And he guided her hand to hurt himself.She suddenly understood that she should have left him alone. He was injured, bleeding, but still laughing.She said lovingly, “I am indeed afraid, but I don't deny that I love you...”

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.