The Great Storyteller - Chapter 11 - Inside of a Pouch (2)

The Apocalypse is in full swing. Defiled - powerful creatures corrupted by the Great Collision - prowled the lands in search of prey. Unfortunately for them, the human race had long since retreated behind the secure walls of the Sanctuary of Everlast. During one of his regular excursions outside the Sanctuary, Alden is separated from Celeste. - his childhood friend and crush. In that moment, he came to regret never summoning the courage to confess. Somehow managing to survive thanks to some trickery, Alden awakens as a mage. Instead of receiving a normal power, he gains the ability to decay. What’s more, during his ascension, he received a vision from his future self advising him not to trust the Asterons - celestial beings who had saved his race from inescapable doom. Normally... such a revelation wouldn’t faze Alden. However, there was only one major problem with the declaration, though. Celeste was bound with an Asteron. And not just any normal Asteron... She had made a pact with one of the Divine Sovereigns.

In the early days of the virtual reality game, Arena, meleegod was the strongest ranked player! He deleted his character and suddenly left. In order to restore his bankrupt family, he returned to Arena!

“Do you want to create a character?”

Julian Weber is an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a graduate of Westpoint Military Academy with a degree in civil engineering. As U.S. involvement in Afghanistan comes to an end, Lt. Julian Weber finds himself involved in a terrorist attack by the Taliban, which claims his life.

However, he quickly finds out that death is not always final as he is reincarnated into the body of a Baron’s son and heir in an alternate Earth set in Late-Medieval Europe. In an era of political turmoil and civil strife, the Baron’s young son is named Regent of the Barony of Kufstein and forced to contend with feudal powers. Will he be able to institute reforms leading his Barony into the age of industry?

Or will he succumb to the pressure of his feudal overlords and a corrupt church that seek dominion overall?

Sirens: a name derived from an ancient creature, used to describe those who could charm, lure, control, and heal others by singing.

Subjected to live the life of a siren, Aria had experienced, seen, and heard many horrific things. Broken beyond repair, Aria resigned herself to death, when suddenly…

The Grand Duke, Lloyd Cardence Valentine, arrived and whispered, “Should I kill everyone here?”

“If you need me, just call me. Your song will always reach me, wherever you are.”

In the end, Aria called the devil, bringing death to all those present, along with herself.

“Let’s fall down to hell together.”

And with that, Aria breathed her last and died… only to return to her 10-year-old self.

Now that she had a second chance at her life, Aria was determined to change her fate, as well as the cruel fate of her saviour, Grand Duke Valentine.

And so… Aria proposed to him with a marriage contract.

She sold her soul to the devil and vowed to protect him.

The young duke took the contract from her hand.

“So, where should I stamp the seal?”

* * *

“You said you’d divorce me within 10 years.”

The grown-up villain leaned in, hovering his head before he kissed her tenderly over her crown.

“Now that we’re adults, we should sign another contract.”