The Atlantic convoy
By @alasdair McFarland
In the year 2030, the Atlantic burns. With the USA withdrawn, NATO faces Russia in a brutal naval war. Commander Logan Shand, a calculating tactician haunted by past failures, commands the stealth corvette *Buttercup*. His unique ability to inspire unwavering loyalty in his crew is their only real advantage. Lagging behind a critical convoy, Shand and his crew are tasked with a near-impossible mission: defend the lone, vulnerable cargo vessel, the *SS Dauntless*, from relentless Russian submarine and air assaults. The fate of a vital supply line, and perhaps the war itself, rests on Shand's shoulders. Every sonar ping, every shadow, could mean obliteration. Can he overcome his own demons and outwit the enemy, or will the Atlantic claim another victim?
15
Chronicles of the Abyss Walker
By @Dou Brando
Kaelen, a disillusioned former elite operative, is haunted by the spectral remnants of a mission gone sideways. Every night, the faces of his fallen squad flicker in the darkness, a constant reminder of his failure to protect them. His only solace, and curse, is the 'Echo Imprint' - a supernatural ability allowing him to absorb and perfectly replicate the skills, memories, and even personalities of the recently deceased for a limited time. When a cataclysmic rift, the 'Void Maw,' begins consuming major cities, spewing forth monstrous 'Aberrations,' Kaelen is thrust back into a world he tried to abandon. He must navigate a decaying society teetering on the brink, battling overwhelming odds, all while wrestling with the identities echoing within him. The fate of humanity hinges on Kaelen mastering this borrowed power without losing himself to the whispers of the dead, confronting the very organization that betrayed his squad.
5
Orchidea di ghiaccio
By @Giovanna Spaccavento
In the chilling heart of 2018 Russia, Lume, a seemingly cheerful young woman, harbors a lethal secret: she was designed to be a fail-safe. Her father, a man steeped in clandestine projects, orchestrated her training from birth, transforming her into a human weapon impervious to extreme cold. Her target? Vanja, her own brother, who was abducted and genetically altered into the monstrous 'Black' project. Lume's unique resilience and military precision are not gifts, but tools forged for a singular, horrific purpose: to eliminate the abomination Vanja has become. She knows his weakness, a precise point between his 3rd and 4th ribs, a door to end his suffering. But as Lume closes in, the lines between duty, family, and monstrous creation blur, forcing her to confront the true cost of her father's cruel legacy and the horrifying truth of her own existence.
5
Bound to the Ash-Reaper
By @john1208
Bahar’s ordinary morning routine of sharpening blades and dodging barracks inspection goes horribly wrong when a vivid, blood-drenched nightmare strikes: Kadir, the Bastion’s most lethal and silent warrior, is destined to butcher her and her entire squad during the upcoming Ascension Rite. Desperate, fiercely loyal to her friends, and intensely hot-tempered, Bahar decides to legally disqualify herself from his combat roster by faking a sudden engagement to a wealthy civilian merchant. But her clumsy evasion backfires spectacularly. The Bastion’s ancient Rune-Core detects the immense magical friction between them and interprets it as a 'Perfect Resonance.' Instead of being discharged, Bahar is soul-tethered to Kadir, meaning they now share pain, power, and an inescapable magnetic proximity. Forced to fight side-by-side in the infested ash-wastes, Bahar waits for Kadir to reveal his murderous nature. But when a cave-in traps them in the dark, she witnesses a shockingly gentle side to the supposed monster. As the system rewards their violent synergy with the coveted Vanguard’s Crown, they realize the prize is actually a lethal snare. Can they break the tether before the fortress feeds them to the abyss?
3