Dead on Mars - Chapter 6 - Sol One, Can Last Another Five Sols

Thea Lynch was seventeen when she injured her ear and temporarily lost her speech. Her parents passed away in a car accident, leaving her and her brother to rely on each other. Later, her brother was transferred for work and left, and she was taken to live at her grandmother's house in Westmere. During this period, her brother entrusted friends to check on her, and the one who visited most frequently was the “Third Brother”—Ian Preston, who was five years older than her.Coronet is over a hundred kilometers away from Westmere, yet he insisted on accompanying her to see doctors, patiently teaching her how to speak, and even appearing at her school gate every evening. He saved all of his gentle caring for her, but everything stopped abruptly before she could muster the courage to confess. Her secret crush was unsuccessful, and a sudden change at home caused her to leave, cutting off all contact with him.When they met again, it was seven years later when she returned home for a matchmaking date and was cornered by him in the restaurant corridor, “That guy downstairs, is he your date? How come after spending several years abroad, your taste has gotten so much worse? With better options around, how can you choose him?”“Who is the better option?” she instinctively asked.Ian Preston: “Me.”[Childhood sweethearts, getting back together, mutual unrequited love]

The narrative follows a gamer who, after selecting the “Awakened Cinder” class in the game Fractured Dawn, finds himself transported into the game's world. However, this version of the game is devoid of its usual interfaces—no UI, no tutorials, and no second chances. Each death strips away a part of his memories and identity, immersing him deeper into a perilous reality.The protagonist, now known as Riven, must navigate the treacherous Witherlands, confronting formidable foes like the Gravemare and Dreamborn Horrors, while uncovering the mysteries of Emberlight, Grace, and Cindershrines. His journey is one of survival, self-discovery, and challenging the very fabric of this fractured world.

The labyrinth that swallowed humanity. Four choices were given to them.

Easy Mode, where anyone can survive. Normal Mode, where only those who fight survive. Hard Mode, where only 1% can survive. And the Solo Mode, where only one person survived.

The strongest returnee of humanity, Kang Taesan, was an Easy Mode player.

He heard countless times,

“What if you had chosen the Hard Mode, or even the Normal Mode?”

Regretting his cowardly choice while dying amidst destruction, he gets another chance to choose.

“This time, I won’t make the wrong choice.”

The strongest Easy Mode player has returned.

Claire Reed thought she married the man of her dreams, Evander Kensington, but she had no idea that their marriage was built on a lie; a family vow that trapped him by her side.His heart, however, belonged to another woman, his white lotus.No matter how hard Claire tried to win Evander’s love, he only grew colder, and his family treated her like she didn’t exist.When she lost their unborn child, Claire’s world shattered. She wanted to see Evander, but he didn't bother to check on her. Instead, he went to meet that white lotus.Unable to bear the betrayal, she decided to free Evander from this marriage, leaving behind a letter and divorce papers, claiming she now had someone else she loved!~~~~“You’re mine, and I’ll never let you go!” he declared, his voice dark with possessiveness.“But I don’t want you anymore! You can have Susan—I’m now in love with someone else!” Claire shot back, her words sharp and final.“You can't be with anyone. Do you even know how sleepless nights I've without you?” Evander's hold on her tightened. “I'll see how you become some else when I'll claim you,” he pronounced before crashing his lips on her.