The Eminence In Shadow

Three years ago, Dr. Adrian Cole was the golden boy of surgery until the powerful Monroe family framed him for malpractice, stripping him of his license and his wife, Lilian. Now, Adrian has returned as Chairman Cole, the cold, ruthless majority shareholder of a medical conglomerate, and his target is the Metropolitan Medical Group (MMG)—the very hospital that ruined him. Adrian’s meticulously planned destruction is swiftly turning into a global shadow war when he discovers the Monroes are merely a regional arm of a vast, illicit syndicate known as The Foundation. His revenge is no longer just personal; it's a desperate fight for survival against an international enemy. The one weakness in his airtight plan is Dr. Lily Monroe, Lilian’s brilliant younger sister, who secretly believes in Adrian’s innocence. As he installs her in a high-stakes position to gather intel, their volatile professional rivalry ignites an intense, forbidden attraction. When The Foundation issues its brutal ultimatum—forcing Adrian and Lily into a public, fake engagement to protect her reputation—the line between protector and adversary vanishes. Can Adrian dismantle a global conspiracy without losing the one woman who sees the man behind the monster, or will the price of his ultimate victory be the second life he fought so hard to reclaim?

The dying star pulsed, it’s heart on the verge of collapse. Twelve figures, cloaked in unimaginable power, stood amidst its final throes. On one side, six beings (the angels) blazed with light so intense, it dwarfed the star's dying brilliance. Across from them, five figures (the demons)exuded a chilling darkness, a black hole's silent hunger, their very presence accelerating the star's demise. And in the center of this cosmic ballet of light and shadow, stood Reaper. He seemed to absorb the dying star's essence, his form cloaked in a darkness deeper than any of the others, a living embodiment of the star's final, terrible scream. But then, the things discussed were by no means simple, the fate of the world was resting on their soundless star toppling discussion. The intensity of the conversation loomed above the star like an omen of death, accelerating it's death even further. Suddenly, the figure in the middle broke the sacred rule, yelling in a language that speaks for all, his voice was like the rushing of a mighty wind. I Reaper, will dethrone and destroy that God, make him pay for neglecting us all and if you don't join me, you will all suffer the same fate. The faces of the angels and demons -a vortex of light and darkness- went grim as they moved to strike down the tyrannical being. But before they could, Reaper, the demon of death and chaos was gone. Our story...begins here.

Three years ago, Lucas Vance was betrayed by his treacherous fiancée, framed for treason by the city's ruling elite, and thrown into the Black Iron Fortress to die. They thought they had destroyed him. They were dead wrong. The fortress was no ordinary prison—it was the secret training ground of the Shadow Syndicate, the global underground empire that controls world finance, black markets, and private armies. Three years later, Lucas emerges not as a helpless convict, but as the Sovereign Lord with absolute power over the world’s shadows. To crush his enemies without giving away his true reach, Lucas takes on the ultimate cover: a low-level personal bodyguard for Evelyn Sterling, the ice-queen CEO of Sterling Enterprises. His former betrayers laugh at his fall from grace, completely unaware that the "cheap security guard" standing behind Evelyn is the master pulling the strings of their financial doom. As corporate predators and underworld assassins close in, Lucas unleashes swift, terrifying retribution. When his enemies finally realize who he is, they fall to their knees, begging for the mercy they never showed him. But Lucas's gaze is ice-cold. Mercy? That is for the weak. They signed their death warrants the day they betrayed him. “Kneel in the rain for three days and nights,” Lucas commanded, his aura suffocating the room, “and maybe—just maybe—I won’t erase your entire lineage from this city.”

I was a disgrace to the Prestwick family—a poor, unwanted son-in-law they wished their daughter had never married. She had chosen me for my looks, but now, even that wasn’t enough. She wanted out. A divorce. To erase me from her life and marry into wealth like her family had always intended. But I loved her. Despite the insults, the humiliation, the way they treated me like dirt beneath their feet—I refused to let go. That was my biggest mistake. Frustrated by my defiance, my brother-in-law took matters into his own hands. He killed me, tossing my body into a cold, dark river, leaving me to sink into oblivion. I should have died. I did die. But before I took my final breath, a man appeared before me, cloaked in shadow, his voice like a whisper from the abyss. "What is your last wish?" I should have begged for revenge. I should have cursed their names. But all I wanted was one more chance. One more chance to live. And so, I was granted life again. But I was no longer the same. My soul was no longer my own. My body was no longer mine to control. Because I had been reborn as something far more powerful. I was no longer John Prestwick. I was the Devil himself.

Betrayed by his own disciple and killed by the combined might of eight Saintly Emperors. Wouldn't you call that an epic end for a Demon Emperor? Unfortunately, fate has a twisted sense of humor. Xiao Chen awakens in the lowest mortal dimension, trapped in the body of a dying, low-born servant. Even worse? A Heart Demon Curse binds his soul: He'll suffocate and die if he dares to abandon his weak young mistress and her family on the verge of annihilation. The Demon Emperor is forced to become a loyal guard dog. "Excellent," Xiao Chen laughs, wiping blood from his face. "If I must protect this worthless family, then I will forge them into this world's greatest nightmare." Relying on deceit, manipulation, and absolute cruelty, Xiao Chen begins to recruit the monstrous anomalies of the mortal world as his subordinates. From behind the shadow of a servant's uniform, he tears through imperial schemes, butchers arrogant nobles, and turns the struggle for the throne into a sea of blood. This is not a hero's story. This is the survival guide of a Demon Emperor, forced to level the world just to help his little master get some sleep. Prepare yourself. Because in this world, there are only two choices: kneel before Xiao Chen, or die beneath his feet.

[System loading….] [Special class unlocked] [Kaleidoscope class selected] ___________________________ After a horrific tragedy, fifteen young people's lives are suddenly taken from them. But instead of sinking into the dark abyss that is death, they find themselves being carried away to a terrifying cavern, a region beyond the grasp of death. They come to an incomprehensible divinity who makes them an offer that is both dangerous and yet full of hope: defeat the Demon King or perish into nothingness. —————————————————- They accept this dangerous offer, choosing to have another chance at life. However, the reality into which they are thrown defied all of their predictions. They were thrown into what seemed like a light novel and endowed with amazing powers, which they are taught how to use. They struggle to maintain some form of normalcy as the Demon King casts a long shadow over them. The only reprieve they can hope to find being after defeating this evil foe. ——————————————————- Journey with Finn Crest-Angel as he confronts the unanswered questions surrounding his death as he travels through this uncertain world. His quest turns into a tale of survival, self-discovery, and finding a destiny linked with bravery and sacrifice as he tries to seek the truth while also facing the approaching darkness called the demons. ________________________________ The story starts with a calm before the storm arc but i promise you it will not be boring, after the first 20 chapters where the mc finds his footing the story plots start to shine and the plans of the demons are shown more. Please comment any mistakes or suggestions you have for the book! Thank you very much!

Nathaniel "Nate" Archer was once the most feared assassin in the underworld, a man whose name was synonymous with death. For twenty years, he thrived in the shadows, eliminating targets with cold precision, leaving no trace behind. But two years ago, he walked away from it all, choosing a life of solitude in a quiet, remote town, far from the chaos and bloodshed. He thought he could finally escape his past, but some shadows never die. Nate's hard-won peace shatters when an anonymous package arrives at his doorstep, containing photos of his most secretive missions—missions that should have been forgotten. Along with the photos is a chilling message: "Welcome back, Shadow. We'll meet again soon." As mysterious threats close in, Nate realizes he is being hunted by someone who knows every detail of his past. The quiet life he built crumbles as he is forced back into the world he left behind, a world of betrayal, blood, and vengeance. But this time, the stakes are higher, and the enemy is unknown. Driven by a need to protect the life he has created, Nate must unravel the mystery of his pursuer before it's too late. He dives back into the darkness, where every move could be his last. But Nate Archer is not just a man who hides in the shadows—he is the shadow, and he will not stop until he finds the one who dares to threaten him.

Kyle had never had it easy. Orphaned young and bullied by everyone around him, he pushed through each day for one reason only—his little sister. She was critically ill, and the only thing that could save her was the legendary, impossibly expensive 'Moonlight Potion'. His one shot? Becoming a Hunter. With real power, he could finally rise above, earn enough credits, and save the only person who mattered. Everything depended on his eighteenth birthday—the day he would awaken his talent. The day everything was supposed to change. And it did... just not the way he’d hoped. While others awakened fire, shadow, and lightning... Kyle got 'Bubble'. A talent that didn't exist in any known class ranking—from mighty SS to pathetic F. Unrecorded. Unrated. Unwanted. Useless. Weak. Pathetic. That’s what they called him. No guild would take him. No party would have him. But Kyle? He just smiled. Because they didn’t understand. Not yet. 'It’s not about the talent you get. It’s about what you do with it.' Let them mock him. Let them call him useless. Armed with an unknown power and an unbreakable will, Kyle walked into the dungeon alone. The world might see him as nobody for now, but he would prove that even an unranked talent could rise—and that the underdog everyone cast aside might just become a legend.

Dying is just data. Revenge is a 10-second delay. In a world ruled by powerful Hunter Guilds and the strict laws of the Hunter Association, Jaxen Vane was nothing more than an E-Rank laborer—disposable bait for corporate meat-grinders. Born with zero combat skills and a comatose sister to support, his only goal was survival. Until the day a routine dungeon raid turned into a deadly corporate cover-up. Trapped by mutated monsters and betrayed by his own vanguard, Jaxen accidentally triggers a late awakening. But his system isn't like the standard blue interfaces everyone else possesses. His is an anomaly—a glitched golden system that loads exactly ten seconds late. Whenever Jaxen suffers a fatal blow, his unique skill, Hindsight Bias, snaps his consciousness back exactly ten seconds into the past. He cannot outrun an A-Rank hunter, and he cannot overpower a C-Rank beast on raw stats alone. But with an endless loop of ten-second do-overs, he can memorize every strike, predict every trap, and turn his own brutal deaths into a flawless strategy board. Forced to hide his world-breaking ability from corrupt guilds, ruthless executives, and a high-ranking investigator who blackmails him into a shadow contract, Jaxen takes up a silver invitation to the National Hunter Academy. Hidden right under everyone's noses, the ultimate underdog begins to silently hoard stat points, master his broken system, and climb the ranks. They think he's just an unpolished gem with a Read button.

The god is dead, but its memory is hungry. Three thousand years ago, the god Tharos fell. Today, his fossilized remains—the Lorn Expanse—serve as the lifeblood of an empire. In the shadow of the Ribs of Lorn, the Empire of the Spine mines god-bone and harvests aetherich to power a civilization of brass and gears. But for those who toil in the dust, the cost of progress is madness. Kael is a survivor of the bone mines, forever changed by a catastrophic collapse in Chamber 19. While others died from the weight of divine essence, Kael woke with the "hum" in his blood. He now hears the frequencies of the dead god and tastes memories trapped in the dust—a gift that feels more like a slow-acting poison. He wants only to survive the grueling life of a scavenger, hiding the resonance that marks him as different. Everything changes when he encounters Ilara, a woman whose voice carries a power that shouldn't exist. She is a Vessel, capable of singing raw god-bone into life, and she is being hunted by the Empire’s mechanical enforcers. The Empire has spent centuries trying to stabilize divine energy, but Kael and Ilara represent something they cannot control: a living connection to a waking god. As the "Thrice-Born" prophecy stirs and the ground beneath the salt flats vibrates with a terrifying new rhythm, the two must flee toward the heart of the god’s corpse. In a world where technology is fueled by the sacred and bone-tech determines the hierarchy of man, Kael and Ilara must decide if they are the harbingers of a new era or the final echoes of a dying god's scream. https://www.royalroad.com/profile/869094/fictions