Swallowed Star 2: Land of Origin - Chapter 11 - 10: Flame Wind Pavilion

“Evil God of the Universe, You are in every space and time. Present in every dimension of reality and govern the darkness of our world.Oh, almighty Atticus! Hear our plea and grant us your presence tonight, awaken my Lord!”The rain had completely stopped and the strong gale had subsided into the fading raindrops. The night had turned eerily silent and only the sizzling and cackling of the fire entered their ears.Suddenly, they all felt like floating from their feet despite setting foot on the watery, hard ground, as if they were traversing into space. The darkness of the night gradually turned darker, enveloping them, morphing into everyone, like a void eating them slowly. Sequentially, their breathing turned oddly slower. Despite exaggeratedly inhaling air to breathe, it was to no avail, as if a higher entity was limiting them from breathing.Nolan felt his throat and tried to open his mouth to gasp more air but failed. Everyone but him was in a state of indignation and panic as they struggled to breathe to fill their lungs with air. Nolan tried to calm his heart. He closed his eyes and stopped inhaling air in pure panic, instead, he put his heartbeat and breathing into a rhythm. It was hard at first, but after a minute, he found his breathing gradually went stable.His whole being was in pure anticipation of what was going to happen next.After a couple more minutes, the storm completely subsided, the night turned to normal. Nolan remained standing, taking in his surroundings with his eyes closed. Everything turned silent. The eerie atmosphere and the crackling of the fire from the hay figure didn’t even enter his ears. Nolan waited for a couple more minutes, his breathing turning normal. He was reluctant to open his eyes, afraid he might ruin their ritual.“It’s alright now, Young Master. You can open your eyes now.”Nolan’s breathing hitched. He jolted on his feet as he fluttered his eyes open.“Atticus? W-why are you here?”The butler, standing in front of him, a raincoat hung on his arm, smiled. “I am everywhere, Young Master, in order to best serve you.”****Atticus, a demi-god from the underworld, was cast out of his parents' realm and banished to the human world. The reason? He had yet to give them any grandchildren.Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is purely the product of my imagination. Any resemblance to real people, events, or beliefs is entirely coincidental. The intention is not to disrespect or diminish any faith or tradition, but rather to explore ideas within a fictional context. Reader discretion is advised.

The whole world mutated. Mysterious resurrections happened in real life. The Tribulation descended.

In a world consumed by monsters and chaos, survival is a cruel game of fate.Every year, the system selects a group of unwilling teenagers by lottery to fight, a death sentence Olivia didn’t ask for. Betrayed by her family and forced to fight, Olivia barely escaped death.In her near-death encounter, her system awakens….. only to deem her abilities “Useless”. But a chance encounter with a mysterious white snake sets her on an unforeseen path.Now, with the monsters lurking in the shadow, she has one goal: survive, grow stronger, and uncover the truth behind her fate.Survival is just the beginning. The real war is yet to come.

Official:I had thought this bleak future would continue on for me every day, but…[You can copy-paste the effect of an item onto other targets.][Target: No limitation]My life changed all of a sudden ever since that day.Previous Blurb:The road before me was dark and my future was bleak.I thought my days would continue to be like this.But on that day…[You can copy an item’s options to another target.][Target: Unlimited]My life changed dramatically.