The Shadowx - Chapter 1: Episode :0%Connection

The unruly madame is playing as if she was a Russian matryoshka! Do you think that under the the vest is her real identity? Apologies, but there is still a vest under that vest. And then a couple more vests under that!

Madame! Just how many identities do you have !?

- Description from Novelupdates

[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT]I yanked my wrist, trying to pull free, but his grip didn’t budge. “Let me go,” I cried, surprised by how weak I sounded but for goodness sake, this is an elementary school restroom hallway, meaning anyone might walk in at any moment.“No.” He leaned in, his breath warm against the side of my neck. My skin prickled as my toes curled, I hated how my body reacted without my permission. “You’re mine,” he whispered, “Every part of you, your fear, your silence, even that defiance you’re clinging to. It’s all mine. And I’m not about to let anyone else touch or have what belongs to me. Not the world, not even yourself.”****Kain Locke would never forget that face, the face of the man who smiled as he pulled the trigger, murdering his parents right in front of him. That moment scarred him for life, carving a hatred so deep it kept him alive.That man was Caspian Draeven, a ruthless Alpha who ruled the underworld with fear and bloodshed and as if that wasn't enough, he took Kain too, raising him in his empire of chaos.But Kain wasn’t broken as they expected him, rather, he was burning. Burning with hatred for the man who destroyed his world and he swear to get his revenge.However, Caspian wasn’t the only monster in the Draeven family. His son, Kael Draeven, was just as dangerous, cold, brutal, and utterly loyal to his father which makes Kain hated Kael just as much, if not more.For years, Kain planned his escape, waiting for the perfect moment so he can leave to prepare for his revenge.However when he finally ran, he thought he’d won his freedom. But the unexpected happens when Kael was sent to bring him back, and their confrontation took an unplanned turn. A single night left Kain with a secret he never saw coming and a bond he couldn’t forget, no matter how much he wanted to.But secrets have a way of coming to light, and Kain’s path will lead him straight back to the man he swore to hate forever.Because some bonds can’t be broken. Not even by revenge.

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

******

“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.

He became Arthur. He lived his life as Arthur and claimed Excalibur.Now, he has returned with a purpose.Beneath the surface of the world lies a twisted world known as the veil—an dimension where monsters are born from corrupted human emotions and desire. The deeper you go, the more terrifying they become.Each Layer is sealed. Each hides a god-like being, waiting to rise to the surface.Now, Sylas bears the responsibility of keeping the gate between both worlds from breaking.[Keys are passed down through generations.No one knows where they came from, but those keys can open doors to another world — a world filled with deadly trials. If you complete the trial, you return with blessings from gods, mythical beasts, and ancient warriors. The amount of blessings you earn depends on how well you perform.But if you fail, the door shatters… and you are gone forever.If you survive, you are given a permanent rank — a rank that decides your place in society for the rest of your life.]