MTL - The Portal of Wonderland - Chapter 20 challenge

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

I failed and will challenge again.

The Dao Court has ruled the world of cultivators for over twenty thousand years. The noble families maintain a strict hierarchy, making life difficult for independent cultivators.At ten years old, Mo Hua, who comes from a background of independent cultivators, struggles with his cultivation journey. This changes when a Dao stele appears in his mind.The stele is damaged and mysterious, but it can enhance spiritual awareness and help understand mystical formations.Mo Hua plans to use this stele to develop a supreme spiritual awareness, learn the secrets of celestial formations, and pursue the ultimate path of immortality. His goal is to change not only his own destiny but also the destiny of all lesser cultivators across the world.The path to greatness starts with the smallest steps, and the journey to immortality is long and challenging.Through dense fog and treacherous terrains, past horrors and chaos, where demons dance wildly, he must plant the seeds of his spiritual quest, survive the deadliest of trials, and prove his worth on every dangerous step…In the grand scheme of heaven, where the universe is the game board and all creatures its pieces, the strategic game of life and death begins, shaping destinies through its intricate moves…

After a year of marriage, Jiang An finally accepted the fact that Dr. Gao did not love her and resolutely decided to divorce him, leaving the country. Unexpectedly, after the divorce, the seemingly aloof and ascetic Dr. Gao cried and begged for reconciliation at her doorstep every day.One day, Dr. Gao, drunk, forcefully kissed her and drunkenly confessed, “If I weren't afraid of someone else taking you away, would I have married you so quickly?”“Jiang An, I've never loved anyone, but I know I want to have everything about you.”A daily question: Did Dr. Gao remarry today?Flash marriage/Marriage before love/Pursuing wife drama/Remarrying battle