Twisted Wonderland Lilia

A million years have passed since the war that shattered the harmony of Caelestia—the once-divine realm that shimmered with eternal light. The Divinomachy. It began with a betrayal. One of the Supreme Emperor’s most powerful and revered archangels, corrupted by pride, jealousy and ambition, raised his blade against his Creator. His defiance was swift and infectious—many of the Emperor’s faithful servants followed him, seduced by whispers of freedom, power, and a new order. Thus ignited a celestial war — Divinomachy. For one hundred years, the heavens trembled under the weight of clashing divinities. Brother turned against brother. Skies once filled with song now roared with the cries of battle. At last, the Supreme Emperor, weary of endless bloodshed, brought the war to a bitter close. With a divine curse, he cast down the traitors into a prison realm he created—Phlegethon and sealed their leader—while some escaped. Their punishment was eternal. Once-angelic beings were twisted into demons. Their silver skin blackened and grew scales. Their radiant wings darkened into shadows, and crimson replaced their once pure silver eyes. Even their hands bore the mark of damnation—silver claws sprouting where gentle fingers had once been. And when the fallen archangel was finally struck down, a prophecy echoed across the universe—spoken through the Emperor’s oracle: “When the stars realign and the seal weakens, the fallen one shall rise again. But from the forbidden love of both light and darkness shall be born a child—a hybrid. He shall end what the traitor had begun.” Though Caelestia was rebuilt, its wounds never fully healed. For prophecy does not forget, and the chains that bind the fallen grow weaker with every passing age. The ones who escaped hid themselves across the universe, patiently waiting for the return of their master.

Max stepped forward, his heart racing as he searched the man’s face, looking for some resemblance, some hint of familiarity. “Who… who are you?” he managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper. The man studied him for a moment before responding, his voice thick with emotion. “I am Reginald Reid, your grandfather.” The words hit Max like a thunderbolt. “Grandfather?” he echoed, his mind racing. He had never imagined he had a family, much less one of such prominence. Reginald nodded, his gaze filled with a mixture of pride and regret. “Yes, Max. You are my grandson, and the last direct heir of the Reid family.” Max stepped forward, his heart racing as he searched the man’s face, looking for some resemblance, some hint of familiarity. “Who… who are you?” he managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper. The man studied him for a moment before responding, his voice thick with emotion. “I am Reginald Reid, your grandfather.” The words hit Max like a thunderbolt. “Grandfather?” he echoed, his mind racing. He had never imagined he had a family, much less one of such prominence. Reginald nodded, his gaze filled with a mixture of pride and regret. “Yes, Max. You are my grandson, and the last direct heir of the Reid family.” Max’s mind swirled with confusion. “But… why didn’t I know? Why didn’t anyone tell me?” A flicker of pain crossed Reginald’s face. “There were… complicated reasons. When your parents passed away under tragic circumstances, it was decided that you should be raised away from the family, for your own safety. It was not an easy choice, but it was necessary.” Max’s heart twisted at the mention of his parents. He’d spent his end of the year

“Sarah!” Robin’s voice cracked, raw with betrayal. “After everything I did for you? The bone marrow donation—” Sarah rolled her eyes dramatically, her laughter sharp and dismissive. “Oh, please. Did you really think I cared about you? You were just… convenient.” Marcus moved to stand beside her, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Tell him about the face you made when he thought you actually liked him back. That story kills at parties.” The laughter between them burned through Robin’s veins. Every memory of their time together—every smile, every touch, every whispered promise—twisted into something ugly and false. “You used me…” Robin whispered, the truth finally sinking in. Sarah tilted her head, her expression cold and mocking. “Obviously. Let me spell it out for you, since you’re too dense to get it.” She stepped closer, her voice dripping with contempt. "I only kept you around because your bone marrow matched mine. Now that I'm cured, you're about as useful as yesterday's garbage. But look on the bright side – at least some part of you turned out to be useful. More than we can say for the rest!" After donating his bone marrow to save Sarah's life, Robin discovers their relationship was nothing but a cruel joke. Beaten and left for dead in a kennel of vicious guard dogs, his mysterious family ring suddenly activates, revealing his true heritage as heir to America's most powerful shadow organization! With supernatural abilities and unimaginable wealth as Eagle Industries' new CEO, Robin would show them what happens when you mistake kindness for weakness. After all, when you've been treated like a dog, sometimes you have to bare your fangs to survive!

Silence. Like a nice bucket of shhhhhhhhh. Everyone shut the effing fudge UP! That's all I've ever wanted. *Sigh.* But silence comes in different flavors. There's mint - the peaceful kind that wraps around you like a blanket. The kind I chase at 2 AM. I've cried once. Just once. With a bucket beside me, watching heroes with super suits and impossible strength tear each other apart. Somehow that feels less broken than my reality. Then there's the suffocating silence at school. Not an ice cream flavor. This one tastes like metal and shame. High school is my personal hell. Empty wallet, empty lunch tray, empty seat beside me like I'm radioactive. Empty soul on Wednesdays because middles are always the worst. *The usual.* But Emily made the silence bearable. Mint-flavored again. Until she broke something between us. *Snap.* One moment she's whispering secrets with me, the next she's weaponizing them. She scattered my private thoughts, added her own twisted lies. The betrayal burns hotter than the stares drilling into my back. I went from invisible to spectacle. Being a ghost feels like luxury when you're dodging spit balls and "accidental" lunch trays. But somewhere between my third panic attack and contemplating switching schools... *Something shifted.* Like in those games you play, when your character suddenly glows and the screen flashes: "New Skill Unlocked" And it wasn't just in my head. I tested it. Small things at first – a pencil moving across my desk when I focused hard enough. Then books. Then someone's lunch tray right as they walked past Emily. *tap tap tap* I used to think rock bottom was the end. *Well ladies and gentlemen,* it's just a really messed up spawn point. And now? I don't stumble from cliffs anymore. I swim in gravity, and dive head first.