《Discordant Sonata》Chapter 8: Abbandono (part 4 of 4)
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(Mood Music: Like I'm Going to Lose You - Meghan Trainor, Eric Chou cover)
Marinette leisurely stepped out the side door of the bakery humming a soft tune, carrying a large bag of trash. With a grunt, she hefted the bag into a waste bin along the edge of the sidewalk for morning pickup. She stretched out her tired limbs, reaching her hands over her head and admiring the soft hues of the darkening sky.
She yawned as she opened the door to go back inside, but stopped in her tracks. A sudden, insistent feeling pricked and prodded at her insides, urging her to turn around. Something didn't feel right. Seconds ticked by; then a whole minute. It just didn't make sense to feel so uneasy.
Sighing resignedly, she decided to follow her instincts even though nothing in the area seemed out of the ordinary.
And so Marinette sat on the steps, keeping her eyes peeled for anything odd and her ears open for anything unusual. Several minutes passed. But there was nothing. No akumas, no old ladies in distress, no cats stuck in trees.
Tikki phased through the door discreetly, having grown concerned about Marinette's absence, as she'd only planned to be gone for less than a minute.
"Marinette? Is anything wrong?" Tikki whispered as she zipped behind Marinette's neck, hidden by a long curtain of midnight hair.
Marinette shrugged, hugging her arms around herself as a rather ineffective shield from the crisp evening air. "I don't know, Tikki. I just... I had a strong feeling that I needed to be out here." She sighed softly. Maybe it wasn't her instinct after all, but leftover jitters from her near death experience earlier that day.
"We could check, to make sure. Let's take a small stroll around the block before going back inside, just in case," Tikki suggested. Marinette nodded in agreement and stood, reluctant but compliant.
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The walk around the neighborhood was... uneventful.
Marinette quirked her mouth to the side in consternation and murmured low so only Tikki could hear, "Well... no news is good news, right?"
Tikki made a small humming sound, not quite convinced. However, she knew that ever since Marinette had begun developing and strengthening more of her miraculous' abilities over the years, that there were bound to be a few false alarms.
And so, Marinette began heading home. Tikki leaned her tiny head on her charge's shoulder, no longer on alert but still keeping an eye out.
And then she saw him.
"MARINETTE!!" Tikki whisper-screamed, yanking on the hair by her left ear to get her to turn her head.
Marinette winced. "Ow! Tikki! Why did y-" The words died in her throat. Her eyes widened like saucers and her breath escaped her as if she'd been punched in the gut.
A slim, black form was slumped against a wall inside a tiny, darkened nook between buildings. Marinette recognized it instantly.
She dashed towards him, heart pounding in terror and confusion. Her eyes darted around as she crossed the street to look for an assailant, but saw no one.
She fell to the ground next to him, quickly examining him. His breathing was labored, but he was alive. Barely. He was struggling to stay conscious, clearly exhausted, and his belt was tightly wrapped around his thigh to stop the bleeding from a large wound.
"Chat Noir!!? What happened?!" she cried, aghast and horrified by his condition.
Her voice jolted him out of his haze and his eyes popped open in alarm. He seemed to recognize her and his eyes softened, looking relieved and almost... trusting?
She tried again. "What happened?! Who did this to you?"
Chat froze, glancing around the area nervously, like he was searching for something.
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"I... I... I gotta go," he said in a rush, extending his staff to help him stand.
Marinette frowned in surprise. "Wait! What are you doing??"
"I can't stay here," he insisted, limping away from the wall and aiming to vault to the top of the building.
"What?! Why??" she demanded, rushing to stand in front of him.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't get you involved. Please, go home, it could be dangero- AUGH!" He bit down on a pained cry, clutching his injured torso. He panted heavily, face twisted in agony. Nevertheless, he continued with his objective as he tried to walk around Marinette.
She pulled him back before he could flee. "No! Stop! You're in no condition to go anywhere! We need to get you some help!"
"Mar–Mademoiselle, please..." he said, his eyes pleading. "Forget we ever met. You might be in danger if you're seen with me."
Marinette stood her ground and firmly walked him back towards the wall, gripping the top of his staff with her other hand in defiance.
"NO," she repeated emphatically.
Chat faltered, and exhaustion seemed to catch up to him all at once. His eyes became glazed and he swayed forward, head spinning. His legs buckled and he sagged against her with a pained groan. Marinette caught him and managed to ease him down to the ground, where she held him close, wrapping her arms around him to lend him her warmth.
The corner of his mouth pulled upwards. "Heh, you're stubborn. I like that."
Cheeky, her eyes squinted in slight amusement.
"I'm not the only one," she countered, giving him a small smile.
He looked at her with a soft expression on his face, gently placing his hand on top of hers. "You're also really sweet." Marinette could feel her face heat up despite herself.
Before either could say anything more, his ring beeped.
Chat shifted in surprise, but his wounded side twitched in painful protest. He clutched it tightly with his other arm, hissing in distress. Marinette winced and drew him closer, trying to offer a small measure of comfort. She could feel his body trembling.
"C-could you do something for me?" Chat asked apprehensively, voice cracking.
Marinette blinked, somewhat stunned. "Of course," she replied, voice barely above a whisper.
He bit his lip, eyes glistening. "Will you... will you please tell her that I'm sorry?" he croaked out, voice full of regret and sadness. "That I didn't mean to leave her?"
Marinette's stomach felt like it was being squeezed into a vice. Fear gripped her and she clutched him desperately. "Chat, NO! You're going to be fine!! Stay with me!"
Chat squeezed her hand and murmured with difficulty, "I'm so sorry, Marinette. For everything."
Then he slipped into unconsciousness.
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The Stained Tower
[A LitRPG hybrid for those looking for something unique, yet familiar.] Book 1 - 'The Tower's Prelude' - Synopsis: A story & LitRPG told through the eyes of a 16th-century woman. Live through her struggles to understand both herself and the ebbing alien world she now inhabits. Watch as she grows more adept at coping with her various limitations and monster-esque existence. And smile when her silliness and quirkiness bubble to the surface in contrast to her circumstances. Her journey is a chaotic roller coaster and her destination is an utter mystery, but like she did most of her life, she will find a way to make it. Book 1 Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Female Lead, LitRPG, Low Fantasy, Magic, Psychological, Non-Human lead, Reincarnation, Supernatural, & Urban Fantasy Book 2 - 'The Commoners Seek Strength' - Synopsis: A Tower sprouts and rises before the eyes of tens of thousands, and Constance Nightingale, a spiritual & material fusion known as a Kiln, takes her place as the Tower's Mistress. Some cheer, some scowl, and some pray that the Tower shall help them weather the coming hardships. Bear witness to the slow fall of the city that never sleeps and the rapid rise of something new. Book 2 Tags: Action, Adventure, Dungeon, Fantasy, Female Lead, LitRPG, Low Fantasy, Magic, Non-Human Lead, Ruling Class, Supernatural, & Urban Fantasy Author Notes: - This isn't a tower climber story.- LitRPG elements are introduced in Chapter 5. Start increasing Chapter 7/8. The majority of LitRPG fans that read up to Chapter 9 keep reading.- Dungeon stuff really doesn't kick off until Book 2.- It's written as a first-person narrative. Experience the world through the MC's eyes, thoughts, and viewpoint.- The MC speaks archaically, but it's simplified.- Book 1 & Book 2 covers were commissioned for use with this novel only. Artist (Possible NSFW Material) Any feedback, reviews, or support is appreciated. Join the Discord Support me on Patreon to read advanced chapters!
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Story Synopsis Juewang Guan was born with an incurable illness at a young age that permanently robbed him of his sight and hearing, but with the modern-day prosthetic technology developed in recent years, he was able to recover his sense of sight with robotic eyes. Deemed to be a hopeless child and valueless, he was thereby cast away by the friends and families he once trusts, and the world ignored him. In this grown-up (adult) world, where value is determined by achievement and wealth. So a decrepit cripple like him is worthless. And only his younger sister still cares for him. Watch as this individual reaches the apex of cultivation within 'Age of Cultivation Online', the hottest new VRMMORPG game in Asia (China). Thereby transcending reality and becoming a legendary figure in both in-game and the real worlds. Disclaimer: I am not a very experienced writer, neither do I have any professional help nor assistance from another author in writing my stories. So there is expected to be a few grammars mistakes or some misspellings on my part. Otherwise please enjoy my work. The artwork is owned by Gearous himself. I'm only using it as a cover art depicting what the main protagonist (Juewang Guan) looks like in my novel. Word count: 1500 words/chapter Release rate: 1 chapter/day Book 1 - Age of Cultivation Online Book 2
8 192Incarnation of Ice and Fire
Full Genre: Dark Fantasy, Romance, Harem, Action, Adventure, Drama, Psychological, Seinen, Mature, Supernatural, Tragedy Additional Tags: Antihero, Politics, Aristocracy, Intrigue, War, Medieval Era, Isekai, Possession, Age Progression, Cautious Protagonist, Engagement, Hard-working MC, Cunning MC, Androgynous MC, Murder, Violence, Slow Pace, Fan-made series, Rise to Power, Devils, Multiple POVs, Beastmen, Elves, Religion, Cults, Orcs, Goblins, Demons, 1st person narrative, 3rd person narrative, Weak to Strong, Chaotic Neutral MC, Magic, Heterochromatic Eyes, Bloodlines, Abnormal Harem, Butlers, Maids (Will not mention more as it will be a major spoiler :P) SynopsisThis person regained consciousness with no memories to help him at the start. There was no generic cliché meeting with a god, no stupid cheat skills given, no chunibyo status window, no “I will give you what you wish” from an idiot water goddess, not even a reincarnation. Just straight waking up in another world and worse; possessing a body owned by an orphan child. And there’s another problem, he doesn’t know if which is the real him. Is he: >the orphan child that gained the memories of a man from another world >or the man that gained the memories and body of an orphan. Follow the tales of a person that later got involved in the conflicts between heroes and villains. The person whom in order to survive, continues to struggle and fight against fate, destiny, the World… fighting against what is already written.[Fan-Fiction OVERHAUL Series of the Original Japanese Webnovel: Falling in Love with the Viillainess]
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The author is too lazy and hasn't written a summary. Proceed at your own risk. lol
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what will happen when you got reincarnated as a worm???? please forgive my terrible grammar
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