Accompanying the Phoenix - Chapter 65

Since the opening of the Dungeon Rifts-- also called D.Rifts or Drift Dimensions, the world has changed. It's become more militaristic and violent-- unpredictable, even. Monsters raze cities and bring diseases that birth new races. Magic exists in a constant state of hyperflux, birthing new powers and changing the functions of old ones.But none of that mattered for Rex. He wasn't a Drift Soldier-- as much as he wanted to be. He didn't have powers-- even if he wished he did, so when he graduated primary school, he expected to get his Drift Armament and find a bit of consistency for once in his life.But you know what they say about expectations......DING![Congratulations! You have awakened the Beast-Totem and unlocked your Werepanther System.][5 Totems Remaining....]*********Extra tags: kingdom building, military, martial arts, overpowered, scifi-fantasy, post-apocalyptic, factions,

Life in a noble house isn’t all luxury.Luan Meskevela never expected to wake up as the third son of a powerful duke. But when he’s transported into the world of Sigil Online, he finds himself gifted with two rare and powerful Sigils—abilities that make him a force to be reckoned with.Now, Luan's got more than wealth on his mind. He’ll charm a priestess, exploit a merchant guild, and maybe even befriend a spirit or two—if it gets him a better vintage of wine. With a mix of charm, wealth, and newfound power, he courts beautiful women, explores the world around him, and builds connections that could shape his future. Yet, beneath the surface, political intrigue and family rivalries threaten to disrupt his carefree life.In this new world, Luan plays for the thrill, not just for power. But as he enjoys the perks of his life, he soon realizes that every decision has consequences, and the people around him may not always be what they seem.

After being torn from the only life she knew, 16-year-old Margo is forced into a new home with strangers who call themselves her parents. Haunted by memories of her past and consumed by feelings of isolation, she struggles to adapt to her unfamiliar surroundings. School offers little relief—until she meets Lucien, a mysterious boy who appears just when she needs a friend the most.Gabriel is everything Margo needs: kind, attentive, and always ready to whisk her away from her troubles. Each night, he invites her to secret places—an abandoned playground, a fog-choked garden, a crumbling train station at the edge of town—each more unsettling than the last. Yet with every chilling rendezvous, Margo feels more alive... more seen.But something isn’t right. Gabriel never comes to school during the day. Her adoptive parents never see him. And when they catch her talking to thin air, their concern deepens into fear. They say Gabriel isn't real—that he’s a figment of her imagination. Margo wants to believe them, but Gabriel feels real. More real than anything else in her life.As the nights grow colder and more twisted, Gabriel’s true nature begins to surface. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Time warps in his presence. And the places they visit seem to echo with whispers from another world. Margo is forced to ask herself: Who—or what—is Gabriel? Why does he only want her? And what will happen on the final night he asks her to come with him?As the line between reality and delusion begins to crumble, Margo must make an impossible choice: stay in a world where she feels loved, or return to one that barely feels real.But one thing is certain—some friendships never let go.

...[Inside an underground basement]“You are going to die for nothing, hahahaha,” the old man's voice thundered through the room, sending chills down my spine.Step.With a swift and ruthless motion, he lunged forward, his sword slicing through the air and slashing my throat, crimson droplets staining the darkness.“We'll see,” I whispered defiantly, my final words escaping as a mere breath against the impending darkness.Slowly, inexorably, my consciousness slipped away, and I descended into a deep, unfathomable slumber.“Huh!?” My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself seated in a bustling tavern, the air thick with laughter and the clinking of glasses.In front of me stood a captivating lady, her beauty juxtaposed with an angry furrow upon her brow, threatening to shatter the harmony of the jovial scene.“Don't follow me around!” Her words pierced the air like shards of ice, the intensity of her emotions palpable as she cast a resentful glare in my direction, before swiftly departing from the tavern....Am I trapped within the confines of a game? The fragments of my shattered common sense scattered before me, leaving me to question the very fabric of my reality.