Rising Phoenix - Chapter 3

[Mature Content] [Dark Themes]Catherine Lane had the perfect job in Midnight City, secretary to Ares King, the impenetrable billionaire bachelor, infamously known as the devil CEO.To the outside world, Catherine's life was nothing short of flawless, but in reality, she struggles with debts on the verge of ruining her life. To avoid harassment, she decides to quit and get the cut that comes with it.As if that wasn't enough, her long-term boyfriend cheated on her, claiming she's a wreck with no future, and he's better off without her.Heartbroken and devastated, Catherine is grasping at the last straws when her boss, Ares King, proposes a contract out of the blue.“Become my wife for one year.”“Why me, Mr. King?”“Because we work, Ms. Lane.”The last thing she wanted was to make a deal with the devil. But this offer is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.Sell your soul to the devil for one year. How hard can that be?*****“I think that's all...” My heart throbbed as I grabbed my pen. Here comes the hard part.“You're forgetting something, Ms Lane.”“Hmm?”“We haven't looked over the special clauses.”Special Clauses? Shit! I forgot about that.“The next page.”I flipped the paper.Number one: The wife should under no circumstances fall for the husband. Should the wife breach this clause, all compensation shall be nullified and revoked.“Unfortunately, changes can't be made to that clause.”I scoffed. Does he actually think I'd fall for him?“Understood. Emotional attachments should be prohibited.”“This, Ms. Lane, is why I said we work.”A/N: This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

“Even if this universe is truly nothing more than a brutal bloody shadowy forest, we Cultivators will burn all that we have just to give off a single weak flickering spark in the darkness!

On the day his parents died, Aleric was cursed and became hated by all.His flesh took on the pallor of the undead, marking him as a monster in the eyes of the living. From that day, Aleric was forced to survive alone in the world that despised him.Everything changed when he uncovered an ancient necromancer’s crypt and a staff that promised him the knowledge of Dark magic and uncovered what the curse truly was.Aleric was a death-touched–a person to whom all Dark magic was as natural as breathing! He learned in days spells that took years to others.Dark magic had long been branded evil. The kingdom of Dark mages was destroyed and its people killed. To accept this power was to become hunted as well... But to the world, Aleric was already a villain.So he chose to become not just a villain, but one so powerful that not even the entire world couldn’t bring him down! He will build a kingdom that will stand eternal, and every killed foe would join his undead legions!The nations of the living shook in fear. The age of the living was ending, and the armies of the Supreme Necromancer were going to reshape the world.

Meet Sora and Shiro, a brother and sister who are loser shut-ins by normal standards. But these siblings don’t play by the rules of the “crappy game” that is average society. In the world of gaming, this genius pair reigns supreme, their invincible avatar so famous that it’s the stuff of urban legend. So when a young boy calling himself God summons the siblings to a fantastic alternate world where war is forbidden and all conflicts–even those involving national borders–are decided by the outcome of games, Sora and Shiro have pretty much hit the jackpot. But they soon learn that in this world, humanity, cornered and outnumbered by other species, survives within the confines of one city. Will Sora and Shiro, two failures at life, turn out to be the saviors of mankind? Let the games begin…