《The Noble Curse of Ookami [Previously Titled: CLOSER]》Beginning of the End
Advertisement
A few days after Volkus disappeared, Anrui was sitting alone in the library, still looking for a way to bring back Volkus. But then he heard a whisper, a voice that he recognized. "I am still here, Anrui," the voice said, and Anrui was terrified. He paused whatever he was doing and looked around in terror. But he could not find anyone, not even Yuukai and Raizen that might joke with him with the voice.
Anrui looked around again for a couple moments, but then shrugged the voice off as just his imagination. But right when he started to focus on his work again, the letters on the scroll he was looking at suddenly changed to 'I AM STILL HERE'.
This time he was extremely startled and even fell from his chair. While collecting his breath, he once again looked around, realizing the wind blowing strongly outside, blowing the curtains. The moon was up with no cloud, providing ample lighting without the need of candles to read. Still, Anrui was uneasy, he looked outside the window but did not find anything peculiar.
"Wh-- what do you want?! Who are you?!" he started to face his fears, while focusing some spells in his mind to defend himself.
The voice then came back, "It's me, Anrui... I have found immense power beyond, and you shall join me too," the voice continued. Anrui then deduced the voice must be his teacher, Volkus. He then explained to Anrui that he needs to be revived, he wanted Anrui to be his best disciple, and help him to achieve more from his immortality. "You have to bring me back. Find me a vessel," the voice said, then it was gone.
The next day, Anrui told Yuukai and Raizen about his encounter, but only faced denial from the two, especially from Raizen, "Volkus is dead! He is dead! There is no way in hell we-- or you could 'revive' him in whichever way! The thing you heard was just your imagination! This discussion ends here,"
Advertisement
But before Raizen left the room they were in, Anrui asked him, "He came to you too, right?" the man he talked to stopped his steps, "this is our chance, our study finally came to an end, and we finally found the answer to immortality. This is what Volkus wanted, and you know that. Years of our study shouldn't stop now just because he vanished, it is a breakthrough! The meteorite he brought was the answer! We need to know how to control it!---"
"No!!" Raizen cut him adamantly, "we shall not touch that thing again. You're right, our study is at its end. But not the end you're hoping for. Our experiments end here! We are no longer looking for immortality, we just want to stay alive, and not vanish like our teacher did!"
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Yeah, but you know he is not just gone! He is still here with us, and he found the thing that we've been looking for! Perhaps immortality isn't just living forever in this world, perhaps we just have to step to another realm of existence---"
"That means dead!! He's dead, Anrui. There's no way--- you know what, I was going to tell you to stop our research, and move on with our lives. Volkus did not want us to fail, and certainly he did not want us to die too. There's still time---"
"No. He's still here, and I will help him. You and Yuukai go on with your boring lives, I'm not going to let our study die in vain. I'm going to revive him," Anrui then left the meeting room and went straight to where the meteorite was contained.
Yuukai and Raizen quickly followed him to prevent him from doing something unreasonable. But right after Anrui got into the meteorite chamber, he locked the door shut. Raizen and Yuukai tried to knock the door so that their accomplice could open it for them, but to no avail. Meanwhile Anrui was focused on the meteorite in front of him, which was placed on a pedestal.
Advertisement
"Anrui!! Think about what you are doing!! Don't make the same mistake as Volkus did!!" now it was Yuukai's turn to try and stop Anrui. Even though he was also curious about the meteorite and what it actually did to their teacher.
"I will not be stopped!!" Anrui broke the glass container of the meteorite, and it radiated soft light upon direct exposure with the air in the room. He positioned his arms to grab it. But in time, Yuukai and Raizen managed to break the door open, "after all we've been through, this is my ultimate offering!!"
Anrui was about to grab the meteorite, but at the same breath, Raizen pulled the stone towards himself with his spell. And in the end it was him who touched it again. He once again felt a surge of strange cosmic energy from the stone just like before. He also realized that his magic has gotten stronger since the day he first touched the thing. Weirdly, the interior of the chamber started to shift and change, seemingly mixing with other places. But it only occurred for a brief moment, and because he could not hold it anymore, Raizen passed the stone to Yuukai, at which he also felt something strange as well.
Yuukai felt extreme dizziness, even though he was looking at Anrui and Raizen, he saw something else entirely at the same time. He saw the previous arrangements of the room where Volkus had put his collection of scrolls there, and also he saw the chamber destroyed, with the three of them lying down, seemingly dead. Startled, Yuukai accidentally threw the meteorite back towards Anrui.
Anrui tried to catch the slab of glowing rock, but somehow he failed. The stone went through his body, as his body turned into a swarm of hornets, some of them went outside of the chamber and into the hallway. The three froze in shock and realized what had happened. The extraterrestrial stone was even more dangerous than they had thought. They locked eyes with each other after processing what had happened.
Advertisement
- In Serial14 Chapters
The Lurking Lair - An Adventurer Series Short Story
Charlie had never felt comfortable in their own skin. Enduring the taunts and teasing that echoed from their youth had become all too commonplace. Most adults don't think twice about staring at someone who looks different. They may not speak the insults, but they are felt just the same. This book is a prequel to Adventurer, it is independent and stand alone, but it does contain spoilers that will give away world elements of that work. Spoiler: Nextlife offered the ultimate solution to Charlie's problems. Not only were they able to participate in the development of whole new worlds, they could find the perfect one. A world where Charlie could become the ultimate expression of their desires, dreams, and aspirations. After all, a dungeon isn't confined by the constraints of human interpretation. Join Charlie as they dive headfirst into the world of Elysium! Authors Note: I understand that gender discussions are not for everyone. If gender fluid concerns are an issue for you please consider not reading this story as it may upset you. If you can withhold your judgement, it is not a heavy topic of the narrative, but it is the MC's motivation to become what they become. I hope that this note helps folks.
8 150 - In Serial16 Chapters
R.E.N/D
In the 22nd Century the world has become a technological dystopia. Mankind has never been closer to godhood, but it has come at the cost of nature and its very humanity. Giant megapolis supercities cover the globe where countries once were, and the United Nations fights an ever-losing battle to regulate giant corporations too wealthy and powerful to be controlled. Aiden King, a young man from the megapolis known as England, has scored 100% on every exam he's ever taken. When he applies to join the United Nations Intelligence Service, they jump at the chance to recruit him - but they have far loftier ambitions for him than making him a simple Analyst. They invite him to join R.E.N/D: the Research, Engage and Neutralize Division - a secret anti-terrorism and intelligence organization founded to foster closer relations between the U.N and rival megacorps. Jumping at the chance to be part of something so great, Aiden accepts their offer. He had no idea the pain and misfortune that awaited him. Sometime later, Aiden wakes up. He has no memory of how he got there or what happened to him - all he knows is that now he's a monster, and R.E.N/D's special operatives will stop at nothing to kill him. (Cover art by Maciej Kuciara and edited by me under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 licence, found here. The original artwork can be found here.) If you like my work, please consider rating, following and leaving a review. :)
8 151 - In Serial27 Chapters
The King of Fighters
Rise to the throne of victory. Fight and fight some more as the battle never ends. Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
8 279 - In Serial47 Chapters
Cutthroat
Four siblings, united through tragedy, wake in the Old World, a place filled magic and fantasy. In their quest to find each other and to locate a way back home, they will uncover a deep conspiracy. Here, in the Old World, their destiny lies. A world wrought with danger and destruction. They will fight for the New World and the Old, but they won’t stand alone. In the ancient war that history has forgotten, they will leave their eternal mark. They will stand, not as delusional youths, but as heroes. Through the annals of history, their legend will echo. A tale of unity through adversity. A tale of their struggle against the dark forces that aim to destroy. A struggle that will shape the future of Eorth and the people that inhabit it.
8 190 - In Serial47 Chapters
Life Sentence
Nick’s life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in a prison cell with his killer! The story surrounds the main protagonist Nick as he gives you the story of his first love, the struggles, and responsibilities that come with his powers, the new world set in the future, how he ended up in prison and of course, his death.
8 213 - In Serial51 Chapters
Refining the Heavens
[A.K.A. Kairos Astroire & the Snowdrifts] Kairos, a poor village boy, was born in a warring state without a decent shred of cultivating talent. In a world of Ki and Magic where only the mighty will rise while the weak are trodden upon, the Empire judges one’s potential in the academy. Fated to be expelled and starve on the streets, his struggles only turned him into the perfect stepping stone for his affluent aristocrat classmates. When an ancient enemy of humanity awoken during an assessment, life took a turn for the worst... Until he unlocked the power to refine any cultivation manuals and seized fate in his own hands. Since the heavens bore down cruelly, then why not refine the heavens?
8 340

