Adrian’s body felt like a bag of broken glass as the elevator hummed its descent into the depths of Cadmus. The 52nd floor. He had heard whispers from other subjects about what lay below—the mo...
2024-11-21 00:32:40 +0000 UTC View PostAdrian wasn’t sure how long he’d been in Cadmus. Days bled into weeks, weeks into months. Maybe longer. Time didn’t matter in the hollow, sterile corridors of the facility, where the lights n...
2024-11-21 00:30:33 +0000 UTC View PostWinning was survival. And survival was the only thing Adrian knew how to do anymore.
The underground fighting ring wasn’t glamorous—it was barely legal, if you could even call it that—...
“Why don’t you cheer, boy?” Mrs. Hightower’s scratchy voice startled him. Adrian blinked, looking up to see her staring down at him, her eyes sharp and knowing. “Don’t you feel better k...
2024-11-21 00:24:02 +0000 UTC View PostThe night dragged on. Adrian couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so small. His mom sat beside him on the couch, stroking his hair as she whispered, “It’s okay, baby. We’re safe. We...
2024-11-21 00:20:19 +0000 UTC View PostLater that night, Adrian lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The apartment was quiet now, except for the sound of the TV in the living room. He could hear his dad’s voice, low and soft, as he tal...
2024-11-21 00:17:32 +0000 UTC View PostAdrian sat cross-legged on the living room rug, his crayons spread across the floor in a messy rainbow. His little hand gripped a red crayon tightly as he focused on his masterpiece: a picture of h...
2024-11-21 00:15:08 +0000 UTC View PostTysone had this odd feeling that he had just stumbled upon an important plot point. Maybe it was because he knew that, at its core, this world was an anime one, and meeting that old man seemed too ...
2024-11-19 01:04:48 +0000 UTC View PostThe soft hum of the bike’s engine filled the silence between them as Kozen drove, his grip on the handlebars tight. Saeko sat behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist, leaning into him as if...
2024-11-19 00:58:24 +0000 UTC View PostNow that the Rage Room took off, and new personnel was hired to properly manage the place in his absence, Tysone found himself with a lot more free time in his hands. Saya was skilled at the admini...
2024-11-16 15:48:57 +0000 UTC View PostThe morning sunlight filtered through the sliding paper doors of Saeko’s bedroom, casting delicate patterns on the tatami mat. The room was as flawless as ever, everything meticulously in place: ...
2024-11-16 15:39:28 +0000 UTC View Post“Miku,” Kozen murmured between soft, lingering kisses. “I—“ Another kiss, deeper this time. “I need you—“ Kiss. “So—“ Kiss. “Much.”
She sighed, letting herself sink ...
2024-11-16 15:36:37 +0000 UTC View PostWhat does success taste like?
Cigarettes, alcohol, and a warm, welcoming pair of breasts? Or is it something else entirely? Like, the scent of freshly printed cash that was still hot, and the...
2024-11-14 02:18:46 +0000 UTC View PostMiku slumped over her desk, tapping her pen absently against her notebook as she tried, and failed, to focus on the lesson. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Kozen, and the way he’d turned her d...
2024-11-14 02:11:56 +0000 UTC View PostKozen blinked his eyes open, squinting against the faint, dim glow of the single bulb hanging from the low ceiling. He looked at his watch and sighed. Exactly twenty minutes of morning sleep—done...
2024-11-12 01:32:43 +0000 UTC View PostSaya sighed, her fierce gaze softening just a bit as she looked away, crossing her arms defensively. It was a begrudging acceptance, and honestly, Tysone was more than okay with it. "Fine. But don...
2024-11-12 01:16:24 +0000 UTC View PostTheir third date was a spontaneous picnic at the park. Kozen had texted her one morning, asking, “Feel like taking a break from homework?” She didn’t need to be asked twice.
They spread...
2024-11-09 02:47:37 +0000 UTC View PostMiku’s feet pounded against the pavement as she ran, her breaths coming in short, panicked bursts. Her mind whirled with a thousand questions, none of which she could answer. Who was that masked ...
2024-11-09 02:45:47 +0000 UTC View Post“Listen up, folks. It’s simple.” Saya’s loud voice easily drew everyone's attention. Tysone had just come back when he stumbled upon her peddling like some obnoxious seller. “¥3000 for 1...
2024-11-09 02:20:23 +0000 UTC View Post“Mai?” Tysone’s brow furrowed. “What are you doing here?”
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t mentioned his business to her, but he had never invited her to try it out. He coul...
2024-11-06 00:16:04 +0000 UTC View Post[ One Year Before Present Day ]
The evening air was thick and humid as Saeko walked through the empty courtyard of her family estate, the glow of paper lanterns casting faint, flickerin...
2024-11-05 23:16:32 +0000 UTC View PostFifteen days till the apocalypse. That’s what the letter had said.
Kozen still had the crumpled paper tucked into his pocket, the words etched into his mind even though he could recite them...
2024-11-05 23:13:32 +0000 UTC View PostThe bright lights of the arcade flashed around them in every direction, bathing Miku and Kozen in a kaleidoscope of neon colors. The sounds of beeping machines, blaring sound effects, and coins cli...
2024-11-03 00:10:57 +0000 UTC View PostThe soft hum of Miku’s alarm filled the room, vibrating lightly on her bedside table until she reached over, eyes barely open, and slapped it into silence. She lay there for a second, half-wrappe...
2024-11-03 00:07:42 +0000 UTC View PostOf course, Tysone didn’t really mean those things. But Saya didn’t take his words for it, and continued to brood throughout the rest of their time together.
Saya looked pretty adorable wh...
2024-11-03 00:00:45 +0000 UTC View PostTakashi glanced over at the empty desk, his eyes narrowing as if he could will her into appearing just by staring hard enough. It had been sixty-four days since Rei stopped coming to school. sixty-...
2024-10-31 00:40:01 +0000 UTC View PostThe following days passed in a blur. Tysone got in contact with the owner of that abandoned store and managed to strike a fairly good deal, overall. Considering the condition of the building, it di...
2024-10-28 01:34:12 +0000 UTC View PostYuriko and Souichirou stared at him with slightly widened eyes. Whether they were about to reply was irrelevant, Tysone continued, his tone calm. Almost placid. "In fact. I don't really need your h...
2024-10-25 04:20:18 +0000 UTC View PostKozen and Rei sat on the front steps of the house, their clothes disheveled and stained dry blood, their expressions calm, though their appearance betrayed the chaos they’d just caused inside. Th...
2024-10-25 04:16:45 +0000 UTC View PostThe moonlight shimmered across the surface of the lake, casting soft silver ripples that seemed to stretch endlessly into the night. Rika stared at the scene, unmoving, her thoughts swirling with t...
2024-10-23 03:15:46 +0000 UTC View Post