Veil of Iron and Vengeance
By @john1208
It all starts with a desperate chase through the rain-slicked alleys of Zhalor. I was supposed to be a cold-blooded mastermind, orchestrating the ruin of the Magistrate who orphaned me and my little brother, Dantel. But my ruthless revenge plot halts when a terrifying prophetic nightmare reveals my arrogant academic rival, Zavien, standing over my burning body. To survive, I take the vows of the Silent Sisters, donning a hideous, metal-plated monstrosity of a robe to swear off men and repel him forever. It’s the perfect cover to scheme in peace - until my inherent, foolish need to help people ruins everything. While sprinting away from Zavien to maintain my cover, my bulky, ugly cowl accidentally deflects an assassin's poisoned dart meant for his throat. Instead of being disgusted by my devout celibacy, my rival becomes fiercely, obsessively protective. He shadows my every move, dismantling my carefully laid plans with his infuriatingly magnetic presence. But as the Magistrate's terrifying - yet surprisingly sympathetic - motives come to light, the true danger approaches. When the real threat corners me, will Zavien be the executioner from my nightmares, or the only shield standing between my brother and certain death?
5
Countdown to My Rival's Blade
By @john1208
Kezra Vond likes her mornings predictable: cheap smog-caf, no explosions, and zero contact with Toris Drang, the relentless Enforcer who constantly busts her smuggling rings. But after a hyper-realistic nightmare shows Toris stabbing her through the heart as the city burns, Kezra decides she’s done playing rivals. She’s leaving. Her brilliant avoidance strategy? Throwing on an incredibly ugly, smell-proof sewer-tarp and literally sprinting in the opposite direction whenever he appears. Unfortunately, her frantic retreat accidentally intercepts a toxic sniper round meant for Toris. Now, instead of hunting her for contraband, her worst enemy is convinced she’s his secret protector and won’t leave her side. Exhausted and cornered, Kezra gets blackout drunk on rot-ale and slurs the truth about her prophetic nightmare. But Toris doesn't laugh. He recognizes the apocalyptic skyline from her dream - and drops a horrifying bombshell. The celestial alignment she saw isn't years away; it's happening in exactly three days. With a double-crossing informant on their heels and the clock accelerating, can Kezra rewrite a destiny that demands her death, or will her infuriating rival have to plunge the blade in after all?
1
The Apathetic God's Accidental Miracles
By @john1208
Iker and his little sister Nerea were quietly mourning their parents when a strange, unpostmarked letter triggered a summoning circle, dragging them to the dying realm of Ohalza. The arrogant High Priests of the Holy Church demanded Iker serve as their prophesied weapon against the encroaching Calamity. Exhausted and prickly, Iker ignored their grand speeches and tossed them a basic healing potion just to stop their plague-ridden coughing - accidentally curing the realm's incurable pandemic in seconds. Now, armed with unfathomable, god-like power he never asked for, Iker just wants to find a quiet place for Nerea to grow up safely. But the world won't leave him be. When an apocalyptic dragon descends to raze the continent, Iker absentmindedly scolds it for being too loud and scratches its chin, turning the terrifying beast into a purring, cat-sized pet. As the Holy Church scrambles to control him and the dreaded Calamity approaches with surprisingly tragic, sympathetic motives of its own, Iker's irritated brush-offs are continually hailed as acts of supreme majesty. Can a hero who refuses to fight accidentally save a world that doesn't deserve him?
1