A Love I Shouldn't Feel - Chapter 198: A Deal in the Dark ( )

(Father-son crematorium + strong female)After five years of secret marriage, her husband never showed affection in public, and Lu Xining thought it was just his personality.It wasn’t until he took their twin sons and his first love for a candlelight dinner and received online praise as a ‘godlike family’ did she completely lose hope.Listening to her sons call another woman Aunt Xixi, Lu Xining decided she was done with an unloving husband and estranged sons, and henceforth, she would love herself only.After divorce, she went back to a small village to pursue her old profession, growing herbs, treating ailments, and researching beauty products. Luxurious cars often visited the secluded village at night!Learning she was looking for a father for her daughter, researchers, financial magnates, top idols, and film emperors... all kinds of big shots appeared, volunteering to win her favor.Later, her ex-husband knelt on a bed of durian with regret on his face, ‘Xixi, I love you, shall we get back together?’She sneered, ‘Ji Munye, doesn’t the sneaky affair taste good anymore?’Her twin sons knelt on keyboards, ‘Mommy, we only want you!’Lu Xining waved them off, ‘No, I can’t take it.’

There are times when you’ll still never be good enough no matter how hard you try.

Born with a frail twin sister, Li Caiyi gives most of her time to take care of Li Chunhua. Her parents and older brother trust her to take care of her sister, yet Li Caiyi can’t help but feel the disparity in treatment and affection given to both of them.

In her whole life, she has never become anyone’s first priority. Not in the heart of her family, and especially not in the heart of her childhood friend, the Young Master of Meng family, Meng Renshu.

When Li Caiyi became Meng Renshu’s wife, Li Caiyi thought she could finally become someone’s first priority, but everything fell apart in just three years.

She decides to let everything go. Then she meets Shen Qiang in the most unexpected place. No one wants to accompany her in her life, yet this stranger offers to accompany her in death.

“Do you want to jump together?”

When she opened her eyes, Li Caiyi had gone back to her high school times.

This time, she won’t make the wrong choice again.

But where can she find Shen Qiang?!

“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.

Set in the Shadow Slave world...a time before Sunny was born...this story follows a simple soldier who must survive in a dystopian, apocalyptic landscape where magic and gun warfare collide.In a far-off Quadrant known as North America, a young soldier named Hope is 16 years old when he gets infected by the Nightmare Spell. He passed! But...he feels a bit scammed...?A flaw that makes him fade from people's memories...A cursed attribute that makes him remember everything endlessly in eternal wakefulness...It's as if the Spell is twisting his future and existence into an almost improbable one.All he has ever known his purpose to be was to serve as a simple soldier. Not too powerful. But not so weak either. And maybe, just maybe like some others, become an Awakened. Although he never dreamt of being one.Now that his whole life is compromised after his First Nightmare, his first objective is to survive on his own. But as he tries to escape his fate, his actions seem to lead him further from his goal.He struggles against obstacles that slowly grow bigger and out of proportion.Maybe the Dream Realm and the Real World aren't so different than one may think.Hope's journey involves uncovering secrets and gaining knowledge about his true nature and his new role in the world.Is he fit to be a hero?Could he redefine it?***Please read the READER DISCLAIMER in Volume 0.This is my spin-off novel of “Shadow Slave” by Guiltythree.But please don't expect the same writing style, setting, and characters, especially the main character.This story reveals more about how people/cities/governments operate after the Spell’s arrival. I always find it interesting how maybe one country handles it fairly, but how others handle it with desperation to the point that you question humanity.There will be easter eggs pointing to the original novel either intentional for the plot or unrelated to it, but all for fun.I am a new author so props to all who bear with me and helps me improve my writing. If it is not for you, please don't leave outright hate comments. Eat wassabi instead if you want pain. Critique and advice would be great too.