The Thorne of Destiny - Chapter 1: Mountains

The footsteps sounded closer, and closer, and closer, until he faintly heard Siri's voice welcoming someone into the house, but before he could open his eyes to see who it was, he felt a large hand gripping his neck, his legs were locked tightly between much larger ones, and, he felt the cold metal of a gun placed directly on his...gun.Zeno quickly opened his eyes from instincts, ready to fight off his attacker, but the moment he did so, he was met with mesmerizing dark grey orbs, staring dangerously at him.The face of his attacker was too close, he couldn't make out his features, but he knew they were sharp, even from a closed look.He didn't bother fighting, he didn't want to lose his junior member down there, and his Nana still expected grandchildren from him. He couldn't disappoint her.“Who. Are. You?” The voice of his attacker was so deep, dark, and commanding.Zeno was a fighter, but he felt a chill run down his spine from the sound of the voice.The hand around Zeno's neck tightened, but he endured it, he was a fighter.Judging by his attacker's looks and actions of confidence, this was his boss.~~~After losing his parents and being faced with an unbelievable medical bill, Zeno Evander finds himself working as a Manny for a mysterious Billionaire, but it doesn't last long; after almost being killed by the Mafia billionaire, Zeno swore never to return to that place again.But after a week of escaping the Mafia billionaire, Zeno finds himself kidnapped and Blackmailed into signing a year's contract as the Mafia's Manny and bodyguard.Could Zeno escape his evil and monstrous boss? Or would he be consumed by him? Consumed by the forbidden passion he felt build up between them? Would he risk his life just to experience the burn of forbidden love?After the betrayal from his family, ex-wife, and friend five years ago, Sebastian Orion became a totally different being.He became cold, aloof, and dangerous as he rose to become the most feared Mafia king of the underworld, and everyone who heard his name shivered from fear.He distrusted everyone and hated any form of human relationships, building a thick wall around himself.But, not until his son's manny came into the picture.Zeno irritated him in every way, he hated the mere sight of his bodyguard and would have chosen to kill him if not for the sake of his son.Sebastian always tried to push Zeno away by treating him in the lowest way possible.But when the contract was coming to an end, were his feelings still the same? Or did he suddenly realize that it wasn't only his son that needed Zeno?~~~“What are you waiting for? Leave!” Sebastian snarled bitterly.He would have to speak with Butler Nicole to find out why he brought back this stupid clown to his house.He had just returned from yet another trip, just to find this nuisance in his house again.He hated Zeno so much; he was classless and looked extremely dangerous to be near his son; who knew if he was sent as a snitch by an enemy?“I'm sorry, boss, but I can't,” Zeno said and stood his ground.Leaving would mean he wanted his Nana to die; no, he'd rather stay here and take all punches that came his way; he was used to it.“What?!” Sebastian couldn't believe that such stupid people were still existing in the world.“I can't leave,” Zeno repeated.

A Russian economics expert had been making money through long-short strategies during the Russia-Ukraine war. Despite his economic success, he felt deep regret about Russia's historical mistakes. He wrote on his blog that “Russia has been on the wrong path since the 19th century,” critically analyzing Russia's history. Then, remarkably, he traveled back in time to 1891 and found himself in the body of Russian Crown Prince Nicholas II during his visit to Japan.

To pass as an imperial concubine, one must be professional.

Actually, the profession of an imperial concubine is pretty good. The emperor will accompany you in eating and drinking, and even pay you for it. What’s not good about that?

One day, spatial tunnels opened in the very fabric of reality, connecting Earth to a planet that came to be known as Xavier, a planet that has a lot of deserted settlements belonging to the civilization that lived on this planet before we started exploring it.

Each settlement not only hides a secret of its own but also treasures, knowledge, and unthinkable technologies.

In this new world, magicians rule the world and make the rules.

They are those who can contain magic energy, an energy source present in Xavier, in their bodies.

This energy is used to mainly empower supernatural cells.

One can get them by consuming evolution materials.

These supernatural cells suck magic energy to manifest one's superpower in the real world.

Elliot, once the son of magicians in the channel opening stage, now lives the life of an orphaned and poor boy.

Elliot is the weakest magician to ever exist in the world, a world where the strong are respected and the weak are disdained.

With the death of his parents, the ones who used to look down on his has no reason to control their feeling.

With a dim fate ahead of him, he grits his teeth and silently moves on to the day the light of glory shines on him, setting him apart from others in a single day, letting him taste what it means to be God!