Category: Free
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Seasons of Kinship
Chapter 1: New Beginnings The rain had been falling since dawn, a gentle, persistent drumming that seemed to echo the heaviness in Elliot’s chest. He stood under the awning of the Rainbow Community Center, umbrella in hand, watching rivulets of water snake down the glass door. The world outside was washed in gray, but inside, […]
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Pirouettes and Paint
Chapter 1: The Dancer’s Shadow The studio was silent except for the soft squeak of ballet slippers against polished wood and the controlled rhythm of Miguel Reyes’ breathing. Morning light streamed through tall windows, casting elongated shadows across the floor as he moved. His reflection multiplied infinitely in the wall of mirrors-dark eyes focused, jaw […]
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The Mountain
The Bus Ride and the Crash The bus roared along a winding mountain road late one afternoon, carrying a small group of travelers who, by all appearances, had little in common. Golden streaks of light from the sinking sun slanted through evergreen trees, illuminating motes of dust in the bus interior. The mountains rose like […]
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Heirloom
Chapter 1: The Inheritance A hush seemed to hang over Beijing the day Lin Yucheng returned to his late grandfather’s courtyard house. The rustle of leaves along the narrow, winding alleyway accentuated the silence more than disturbed it, and the mid-autumn sunlight touched every surface with an almost solemn glow. His footsteps echoed on the […]
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Please Don’t Pet the Trauma
Whisked Away by Fate Noah’s hand trembled as he reached for the measuring cup. It was an involuntary tremor, the aftermath of a life-altering event that clung to him like a stubborn stain. The stainless-steel counters of the café kitchen glinted under fluorescent lights, reminding him of a past that still haunted him in nightmares. […]
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The Gentleman Thief and the Detective
A Calling Card in The Dark The roar of the city at night had its own pulse, a vibrancy that might be mistaken for life itself. Carriages and automobiles rattled along ancient cobblestones. Street lamps, spaced evenly along well-kept avenues, cast long, flickering shadows on passersby. Here and there, the moon peeked through narrow corridors […]
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A Love That Crossed Worlds
In the small farming town of Qingshan, Southern China, an alien crash-lands with a mission to observe humans for potential annihilation. Instead, he adopts a human form named Qin Rong and becomes entangled with a local teacher, Bai Li. Their relationship deepens despite societal challenges and the hidden truth of Qin’s identity. As they navigate their emotions, conflict arises when…
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Beneath the Savannah Skies, Part 4 – Decisions & The Future
A Surge of Tourists and Tensions The final weeks of peak tourist season arrived with a restless energy that rippled across Tshukudu Plains Lodge. The skies above the savannah were a deep, cloudless blue, and the heat of late September hung thick over the golden grasslands. Each morning, Thabo Ndlovu rose before dawn to assemble […]
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Beneath The Savannah Skies Part 3 – Challenges & Revelations
Arrival Under Shifting Skies The late-autumn sun gilded the savannah grass in soft gold, slanting through the acacia trees like a benediction. As Dan stepped off the transfer jeep at Tshukudu Plains Lodge, he couldn’t help noticing how much had changed since his last visit—yet how much felt the same. The main building retained its […]
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Beneath The Savannah Skies Part 2 – The Return
A year had passed since Daniel van Rensburg’s first visit to Tshukudu Plains Lodge. In that time, the world had continued its steady churn: seasons changed, politics ebbed and flowed, and social media fads rose and fell. Yet for Dan, everything kept circling back to that stretch of South African savannah where he had felt […]
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Beneath The Savannah Skies Part 1 – The Arrival
Touching Down in a Land Half-ForgottenDan van Rensburg had felt the stirrings of excitement from the moment his plane touched South African soil. Although he was born here, he’d been only two when his parents whisked him away to New Zealand. Now, at twenty-eight, he was back for the first time, armed with a vague […]
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Bound By Crimson Shadows
Rowan had never intended to walk this path. Yet as he stood before the massive iron gates of the cursed castle, his cloak heavy with rain and his heart pounding in his chest, he found himself wondering what other choice he truly had. Lucian—his beloved younger brother—was dying. All the physicians had turned him away […]
