Novels by storiesbyVie

When they slowly pulled apart, Rian pressed his forehead to hers again.“We’re not dying here,” he whispered. “Not after that.”Soraya, still weak, managed a small smile soft, real, and unlike any expression she had ever shown him before.“Then you better keep holding me,” she muttered.He tightened his arms around her. “I’m not letting go. Ever.”Soraya’s breathing slowed, the shivers easing, her body gradually warming in Rian’s arms. Her eyelashes fluttered once… then she sagged against him completely, unconscious but peaceful, her cheek resting against his shoulder.“Soraya?” Rian whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.She didn’t answer.Rian swallowed hard, gathering her closer, almost protectively curling around her. Even though the cold had seeped into his bones, even though his own shoulder still throbbed painfully from the earlier fight, he didn’t let go of her for a second.Then.BOOOOM!!!The entire cave shook.Dust rained from the ceiling as light suddenly

The sky was beginning to dim,in the mountainside as Eldan, Rhea, and Zah walked together, their flag already secured.They were tired, but relieved.“Finally,” Zah sighed, stretching his arms. “If I see one more stone wall, I’ll scream.”Rhea laughed lightly. “You screamed earlier.”“That was a battle cry,” Zah corrected proudly.Eldan shook his head, amused. “Sure it was.”Rhea glanced at Eldan. “Once we get back, I’m eating five bowls of stew.”“Six,” Eldan replied. “I’m starving.”“Greedy,” Zah snorted. “Seven for me.”They all chuckled. Until they heard frantic footsteps slapping against stone.They turned.Rhy came sprinting towards them, breathless, wide-eyed, almost collapsing the moment he reached them.“Thank… the Lord…” he gasped, bending over with his hands on his knees. “I found you guys.”Eldan stepped forward immediately. “Rhy? What happened?”Rhy tried to speak, but the words came out broken. “Soul… soul… maddened… mages…”“What?” Rhea grabbed his arm. “Calm down and tal

Rian and Soraya stood inside the cave, the boulder has completely sealed the entrance. Luckily, the place wasn’t dark,faint light slipped in.Rian sighed and stepped forward. “I’ll just blow this stupid rock off with my Arcane”But when he lifted his blades, his face twisted in pain. His shoulder dropped back down instantly.“What’s wrong?” Soraya asked.Rian touched his shoulder and winced. “That soul-maddened freak must’ve sliced me harder than I thought.”Soraya rolled her eyes but stepped closer. “Sit. Let me see it.”He hesitated, then tugged off his robe, revealing the bruised, torn skin across his shoulder and upper arm.Soraya placed her hand over the wound.She muttered a short healing phrase,her palms glowed and a warmth spread across his skin. The injury began to knit itself closed.Rian blinked. “I didn’t know you took healing class serious.”Soraya scoffed lightly. “There’s a lot you don’t know.”He rotated his shoulder slowly. “Huh… feels better.”“Well don’t push it,” s

It had already been hours.Eldan had been running through the stone maze endlessly, turning corner after corner with no sign of an exit. His legs ached, his breath was sharp, and his frustration was building. Finally, he slowed, then slumped to the ground, completely drained.He leaned his head back against the cold stone wall and shut his eyes briefly.This maze is unreal… How big is it? How long have I even been in here? he wondered.Then. clink.A very soft sound echoed somewhere behind him.Eldan’s eyes snapped open. He stood quickly and pulled out his sword, pointing it toward the direction the sound came from.“Who’s there?” he called out, voice firm. “Show yourself!”Silence.Then.giggle.A light, playful, childlike giggle echoed across the maze.Eldan’s body stiffened. “What…?”He turned just in time to see a figure flash past the end of the corridor barely a shadow, barely a shape, but definitely a young girl. Her outline flickered, almost like a mirage.“Hey! Wait!” he shou

Rian growled, smashing one in the chest with a kick. “WHY WON’T THEY JUST DIE?!”“They’re stones, not people!” Rhy shouted, blocking a stone fist with his sword. “They’re not supposed to die!”"Come on,you are the strongest Alchemist in the world,there is no way i will be defeated by bunch of stones"Soraya muttered to herself.She forced herself to breathe, analyzing every movement.The way the stones hummed before reassembling… The faint alchemy glow between the cracks… The way brute force only made them stronger…Think, Soraya. Think.And then she got it.Her eyes widened. “STOP using force!” she yelled over the chaos. “They’re infused with reverse Alchemy energy,the more strength you use, the more they react!”Rian scoffed instantly. “Oh please. Now you suddenly know how to fight magical rocks?”Rhy, panting and desperate, didn’t argue. He tried her suggestion. Instead of slamming his sword, he tapped gently,controlled, steady, calm.The moment his sword touched the stone man’s sho

Zah walked a few steps ahead of them,he kicked stray pebbles along the mountain path.Behind him, Eldan kept glancing at Rhea, his face unusually tense. “Uh… Rhea?” he finally said.“Yeah?” she replied, not slowing down.“Is Soraya… um… seeing someone?”Rhea blinked, then shook her head. “Nope.”“Oh. Okay,” Eldan said quickly.Rhea raised a brow at him, smirking. “Why do you ask?”“No reason,” he stuttered, looking away so fast he almost tripped.Rhea laughed softly. “Eldan… do you have a crush on her?”“Um… no. I mean,yes.” He groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Yes.”“Really?” Rhea said, delighted. “Wow. I did notice something between you two but I didn’t want to push it.”Eldan exhaled heavily. “The thing is… I told her earlier today. That I liked her.”Rhea’s eyes widened. “What! You confessed?!”“Yeah.”“And she said…?”“She said we’re better off as friends.”Rhea slapped a hand over her mouth. “Damn… she turned down a prince. So brutal.”“I know, right?” he muttered. “Even

The screen went black. Silence filled the warehouse except for the faint hum of the old lights.Pyromancer turned slowly toward Gwen, who was still tied to the chair, trembling. He crouched beside her, his masked face inches from hers. “Show’s over,” he murmured. His gloved hand gripped her jaw and forced her to look at him. She whimpered.“Let’s wait for your boyfriend to arrive,” he said, a cruel grin spreading beneath the mask. “If he comes…” He leaned closer, whispering. “…he goes boom.”Gwen blinked rapidly, tears gathering in her eyes. “Why?” she managed to say through shaking lips. “Why do you hate him that much?”Pyromancer paused. Then, slowly, he pulled off his mask. Half of his face was burned , melted skin twisted into something that barely looked human.“You really want to know?” His voice dropped, low and bitter. “Two years ago, I had a plan. A masterpiece. I was going to cleanse that school, burn it down. But your precious Detective Black… he found me first.”His one go

The world tilted as he pushed himself up from the rubble, coughing. His mask was cracked, his jacket torn, one leg pinned under a steel beam. He shoved at it with both hands, groaning through clenched teeth until it rolled off.Pain flared up his side.He needed to move. Now.The wail of sirens grew louder outside ,closer by the second.The cops were here.If they found him like this… masked, injured, surrounded by debris, it was over.Leon staggered to his feet, limping toward the nearest exit.He yanked the door open and slipped into a dark corridor filled with hanging pipes and debris.He could hear voices now, detective Ethan shouting orders.“Secure the perimeter!” “Check the east wing!”Leon’s heart pounded in his ears. He pressed himself against the wall, trying not to make a sound.He spotted a vent cover near the floor. Bolts rusted, but loose enough. He crouched, ignoring the pain in his ribs, and ripped it open with shaking hands.Metal groaned.“Did you hear that?” someone

Leon had gone all out,private table, city view, the kind of place where the waiters spoke in hushed tones and the menu didn’t bother showing prices.Gwen leaned back in her seat, swirling her wine. “You really know how to surprise a girl, Leon,” Gwen said.“You know,” she added between sip of red wine, “I still can’t believe you managed to get a reservation here. It’s always booked months ahead.”Leon smiled faintly. “I have my ways.”“Oh? And what ways are those?” she teased.He leaned back with a casual smirk. “A man never reveals his secrets.”She rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh, mysterious as always.”For a few minutes, they talked about lighter things,the city, the rain, even how bad the coffee was at her newsroom. Then, as their plates were cleared, Gwen rested her chin on her hand, studying him.“So,” she said, with curiosity, “what is it you do for a living again?”Leon froze for a moment. He wasn’t prepared for that one.“Uh,” he started, fumbling with his napkin, “I do… freelance te

The door creaked open.Gwen froze. Her eyes widened for a second before she masked it with a smile. “Ethan.” “Gwen.”Silence stretched between them an uncomfortable one. The kind that brings up old memories neither of them wanted to revisit.“What brings you here?” she asked.“I just need to ask a few questions,” Ethan said, flipping open his notebook, avoiding her eyes. “About last night. The Pembroke explosion.”Her expression changed slightly. “You think I had something to do with that?”“No,” he said quickly, then sighed. “But you were there, Gwen. With someone. A man. Who was he?”Gwen’s lips pressed together. “Just some random guy. It was raining, and he looked like he’d been caught in it. I… let him share the taxi. That’s all.”Ethan studied her face, the way she wouldn’t look at him directly. “Alright,” he said after a moment, shutting the notebook. “Just… be careful, okay? Whoever that guy was, he might be dangerous.”She gave a small nod. “I will.”He turned to leave, his foo

Rey’s stomach dropped the moment the System notification vanished.Forty minutes.Forty minutes to destroy Pembroke Industries.How the hell was he supposed to blow up a billion-dollar paint empire in forty minutes? He wasn’t some action movie villain. He didn’t even have a plan, let alone a bomb.Before he could process anything, the taxi jolted violently.“Damn it!” the driver cursed, slamming the brakes. The car wheezed, sputtered, then died with a final clunk.Leon blinked, disbelief flashing across his face. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”“Looks like the engine’s fried,” the driver said, stepping out with a sigh. “Everybody out.”The rain had finally stopped, leaving the air cold. Gwen climbed out first, brushing her hair from her face. Leon followed, every nerve in his body buzzing.Time was ticking. 00:38:42He clenched his fists, trying to think. No weapons. No plan. No backup. Just a suicidal mission and a digital timer burning into his brain.“Where exactly are we?” he asked

“Leon Vergas, You’re under arrest for the possible murder of Rey Pembroke.You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"Ethan read,as one of the officers cuffs Leon.Leon’s brain blanked for half a second.“Wait, what?” “Okay, okay, listen,this has gotta be some kind of mistake.”Ethan just stared at him. As he is been led out of the house.***********The room was tense,a single metal table, two chairs, one light above.Leon sat back, arms crossed, tapping his foot against the floor. Across from him were Detective Ethan Black and Officer Hughes, both with the same tired “let’s get this over with” look.Leon sighed. “Okay, wait,let me get this straight. I was suspected and arrested because I was one of Rey Pembroke’s enemies?”Officer Hughes flipped a page in his not