WHEN THE SEA CALLS - Chapter 26: Storytime with Leslie

Some crowns are forged in blood. Others are drowned beneath it.In a city strangled by smoke and silence, where children are shackled to machines and shadows rule behind gilded masks, Keiran is just another forgotten soul—until the mark appears.Buried beneath the factory’s foundations lies a world long erased from history. Ancient oaths whisper through stone and water, and something older than memory begins to stir. As Keiran is drawn deeper into the abyss, he uncovers a legacy not meant for mortal hands—a crown shattered in defiance, a flood sealed by sacrifice, and a power that demands a price.Hunted by tyrants, haunted by echoes, and bound to secrets he never asked for, Keiran must choose: drown in the tide of what came before, or rise against the current and reclaim what the world was forced to forget.But the deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels…And beneath it all, something still breathes.

Not everyone wants to live a life filled with fame, riches, glory, and honor. Some, just want the easy life. To live a life that simply plays itself over and over, with a hint of spice here and there.

18 and naive, Belle Hart thought marriage would end her misery, only to realize it had just begun!What started as a promising love turned out to be a facade, would Belle choose between a second chance or leave? She met her mate, the Duke, who she proposed to when she came of age.A month in, things took a turn. The Duke leaves for war before she could inform him about her pregnancy, only for him to return with a mysterious woman whom he claimed to be his new wife! The audacity! Trouble ensued and Belle suffered a miscarriage as a result.…“What did you just say?” He asked, his gaze darkening.“You heard me well, I seek a divorce. I wish for us to go our separate ways,” she replied, her voice steady as she met his gaze with confidence, though inwardly she was shaken by his presence.“You are my mate, Belle, and I am yours. Divorce is the most foolish notion you could entertain. Do you believe any man would take a worthless creature like you as his wife?” He scoffed, his words biting, causing her heart to ache.…The Duke's refusal pushed Belle into the arms of the king. All she had to do was bear him an heir and he would help her get her revenge!“I want you to marry me, Your Majesty, and aid me in seeking my revenge against the Duke and those who have wronged me. In exchange, I shall bear you an heir before you help me,” she said, her voice steady and full of purpose.What will the choice be?

For He Gu, to be secretly in love is like a strong alcoholic drink. Obviously, once it flows into your system, dizziness, the loss of self-control and suffering will follow closely by, making it possible for anyone to be fatally attracted like moths to flames, and willingly endure the hardships.

While you made sure to not overdo it, I’ve become completely intoxicated…however, for every intoxicated feeling, you will inevitably wake up from it one day.

When Song Ju Han continued to act childish and recklessly destroyed He Gu’s tenderness for him, he had never imagined that the man has already been written into his destiny. Even more, he had never imagined that—the person brought to him by destiny—would one day want to escape…