Heaven's Shadow - Chapter 19

WARNING: DARK AND MATURE CONTENT. Readers discretion advised.Serena Alaric wanted nothing more than a quiet life, far from the shadows of her family’s dark past. But when masked enforcers storm her home and drag her into the clutches of the Council of Vitae, she learns her blood is the key to a deadly legacy she never asked for.Lucian Draven is the cold and ruthless leader of a powerful mafia syndicate, cursed to endure unimaginable pain. The Council claims Serena is his only salvation. Yet beneath the Council’s polished facade lies a web of lies, experiments, and betrayal that runs far deeper than either of them imagined.Forced into an uneasy alliance and given a time limit to produce an heir, Serena and Lucian must navigate a treacherous world of power and manipulation, where trust is a rare commodity. As they uncover the truth about the Council’s sinister plans, their hatred begins to give way to something unexpected—a bond forged in fire and blood.But with enemies closing in from all sides and time running out, Serena and Lucian must decide: will they fight their fates, or embrace the dangerous connection that could either save them, or destroy them both?

This book is fan fiction for the game “The Last of Us” and will include characters from other Apocalypse games. Currently joining: Game version of The Walking Dead, Metro Exodus.

The land of Aleisterre is a world of might and magic, sword and sorcery, where wandering knights and mysterious gods shape the fate of kingdoms. Wang Yu, a resourceful and unorthodox protagonist, finds himself inexplicably pulled into Aleisterre, a place steeped in ancient powers and political intrigue. With little understanding of the magic and faith that underpin this realm, Wang Yu is thrust into conflicts he never sought out—yet must navigate carefully if he’s to survive.Official blurb:Dragons' wings cut through the sky. Knights charge forward, magic tearing apart everything before them. Wizardry distorts the fabric of reality itself. The steam revolution stirs in one kingdom; the endless seas echo with ancient, distorted calls. Gods rule from high above, and the dark abyss leads deep underground.Wang Yu, from Earth, arrives in this unfamiliar world of fantasy.Straightforward and practical to the extreme, Wang Yu hates politics, despises intrigue, and prefers to approach everything head-on. In his own way, he leaves his mark in this mad, chaotic world.“I don’t care to listen to or understand my enemy’s story.”“I'm the tank, and you're the carry. Together, we'll be invincible.”“A man’s got to have a sense of himself, more than anything else.”Armed with an iron hammer and unbreakable will, he smashes through every obstacle in his path.

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.